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The Centre has blocked over 100 websites involved in facilitating organised illegal investments related to economic crimes and task-based part-time job frauds. According to an official statement, these websites were being operated by overseas actors and targets were mostly retired employees, women and unemployed youth looking for part time jobs. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), a wing of the Union Home Ministry, through its vertical National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) had last week identified and recommended that these websites be blocked. Following this, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), invoking its power under the Information Technology Act, 2000, has blocked these websites, the statement said. These websites, which facilitated task-based organised illegal investment related to economic crimes, were learnt to be operated by overseas actors and were using digital advertisement, chat messengers and mule and rented accounts. The proceeds from the large scale economic frauds were seen to be laundered out of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> using card network, crypto currency, overseas ATM withdrawals and international Fintech companies, the statement said. The I4C is an initiative of the Home Ministry to deal with cyber crimes in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. <keyword id="6366773" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="citizens" source="Orion">Citizens</keyword> have been advised to promptly report phone numbers and social media handles used by such fraudsters to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), the statement said. It said several complaints have been received through 1930 helpline and the NCRP and these offences were posing significant threat to the citizens and also involved data security concerns. These frauds, typically, involve a number of steps that include targeted digital advertisements launched on platforms like Google and Meta using key words like "Ghar baithe job" (Do jobs sitting at home), "Ghar baithe kamai kaise karen" (How to earn by sitting at home) etc. in multiple languages from overseas advertisers. Upon clicking the advertisement, an agent using WhatsApp or Telegram starts conversation with the potential victim, who convinces him or her to perform some tasks like video likes and subscribe, maps rating, etc. Upon completion of task, the victim is given some commission, initially and is asked to invest more to get more returns against given task. After gaining confidence, when victim deposits larger sum, deposits are frozen and thus the victim is duped. As precautionary measure, it is advised to exercise due diligence before investing in any such very high commission paying online schemes sponsored over internet. If an unknown person contacts anyone over WhatsApp or Telegram, refrain from performing financial transactions without verification, the statement said Verify the name of receiver mentioned in UPI App. If receiver is any random person, it may be a mule account and scheme may be fraudulent.Similarly, check the source from where initial commission is received, it said. Citizens should refrain from doing transactions with unknown accounts, as these could be involved in money laundering and even terror financing and lead to blocking of accounts by police and other legal action, the statement said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-november-2023/slidelist/105775116.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-november-2023/slidelist/105775116.cms" target="_blank">WagonR to Creta – Top selling cars in India in November</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-announced-new-flagship-smartphone-oneplus-12-with-up-to-24gb-ram/articleshow/105756057.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-announced-new-flagship-smartphone-oneplus-12-with-up-to-24gb-ram/articleshow/105756057.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus 12 debuts with bigger battery, up to 24GB RAM and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-and-tvs-motor-leading-electric-two-wheeler-sales-in-nov-2023-month/articleshow/105719702.cms">Electric two-wheeler sales rise in Nov as Ola Electric scales a new high</a>

Over 100 websites blocked for facilitating organised illegal investments

Explained: With markets volatile, should senior citizens invest in PSU bank FDs?

US short-seller <keyword id="20016892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindenburg-Research" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindenburg Research" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Hindenburg Research">Hindenburg Research</keyword> alleged that it suspects <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sebi" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Sebi">SEBI</keyword>'s unwillingness to act against <keyword id="19955648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Adani Group" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Adani Group">Adani group</keyword> may be because its head Madhabi Puri Buch had stakes in <keyword id="20311680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="offshore-funds" source="keywords">offshore funds</keyword> linked to the conglomerate - an allegation slammed by the SEBI head as "baseless" while Adani group said it never had any commercial relations with Buch. Hindenburg alleged that Buch and her husband had undisclosed investments in obscure offshore funds in Bermuda and Mauritius, the same entities allegedly used by <keyword id="20283220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Adani" source="keywords">Vinod Adani</keyword> - the elder brother of group chairman Gautam Adani - to round-trip funds and inflate stock prices. SEBI, in October 2020, began a probe into the shareholding structure of Adani group companies after red flags were raised over the high concentration of foreign holdings in the conglomerate's listed companies. An investigation was launched to determine if the foreign investors were genuine public shareholders or acting as fronts for the promoters. SEBI, last year had told a Supreme Court-appointed panel that it was investigating 13 opaque offshore entities that held between 14-20% across five publicly traded stocks of the conglomerate. It hasn't stated if the two probes have since been completed, something which Hindenburg used to attack the market regulator. Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch in a joint statement strongly denied the "baseless allegations and insinuations made in the report". The same, they said, "are devoid of any truth". "Our life and finances are an open book," they said. "It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an enforcement action and issued a show cause notice, has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same." Buchs further said they have no hesitation in disclosing any financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. While the statement did not talk about the questions Hindenburg raised over SEBI probe, the duo promised to come out with a detailed response. Separately, Adani group in a regulatory filing called the allegations by Hindenburg as "malicious, mischievous and manipulative selections of publicly available information to arrive at predetermined conclusions for personal profiteering with wanton disregard for facts and the law." "The Adani Group has absolutely no commercial relationship with the individuals or matters mentioned in this calculated deliberate effort to malign our standing," it said. "We remain steadfastly committed to transparency and compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements". Rejecting the allegations, it said they were nothing but a "recycling of discredited claims that have been thoroughly investigated, proven to be baseless, and already dismissed by the Supreme Court in March 2023." "It is reiterated that our overseas holding structure is fully transparent, with all relevant details disclosed regularly in numerous public documents," Adani group said, adding Anil Ahuja was a nominee director of 3i investment fund in Adani Power (2007-2008) and, later, a director of Adani Enterprises until 2017. "For a discredited short-seller under the scanner for several violations of Indian securities laws, Hindenburg's allegations are no more than red herrings thrown by a desperate entity with total contempt for Indian laws," it added. Hindenburg on Saturday stated that the SEBI chairperson and her husband invested in offshore entities that were allegedly part of a fund structure managed by India Infoline, and in which Vinod Adani also had investments. These investments reportedly date back to 2015, well before her appointment as a full-time member of SEBI in 2017 and the subsequent elevation as chairperson in March 2022. It said the Bermuda-based Global Opportunities Fund, which allegedly was used by entities connected to Adani Group to trade in shares of group companies, had sub-funds. Buch and her husband were investors in one of these sub-funds in 2015. Citing "whistleblower documents", Hindenburg said, "<keyword id="22743118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Buch</keyword>, the current chairperson of SEBI, and her husband had stakes in both obscure offshore funds used in the Adani <keyword id="22743230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-siphoning" source="keywords">money siphoning</keyword> scandal." SEBI, it claimed, has "shown a surprising lack of interest in Adani's alleged undisclosed web of Mauritius and offshore shell entities." Buch and her husband may have first opened their account with IPE Plus Fund 1 on June 5, 2015, in Singapore. IPE fund is a small offshore Mauritius fund set up by Vinod Adani director through India Infoline (IIFL), a wealth management firm with ties to the Wirecard embezzlement scandal. "Vinod Adani, brother of Gautam Adani, used this structure to invest in Indian markets with funds allegedly siphoned from over-invoicing of power equipment to Adani Group," claimed Hindenburg. Latching on to the Hindenburg allegations, Congress said the revelations only reinforced its demand for setting up a "joint parliamentary committee to investigate the full scope of the Adani mega scam" while the Trinamool Congress said the SEBI chairperson must resign. "This raises fresh questions about Gautam Adani's two 2022 meetings in quick succession with Ms Buch shortly after she became SEBI chairperson. Recall that SEBI was supposedly investigating Adani transactions at the time," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. In January last year, Hindenburg Research, which in the past has shorted - or bet against - companies like electric truck maker Nikola Corp and Twitter, accused Adani Group of pulling "the largest con in corporate history" by using a web of companies in tax havens to inflate its revenue and manipulate stock prices, even as debt piled up. Though the conglomerate vehemently denied all allegations, the damning report sent the group's shares into a free fall, wiping out over USD 150 billion in market value of the 10 listed entities at their lowest point. Most of the 10 listed companies have since recouped the losses. After the Hindenburg report, the Supreme Court asked market regulator SEBI to complete its investigation and set up a separate expert panel to look into regulatory lapses. The panel did not give any adverse report on Adani and the apex court too stated that no other probe other than one being done by SEBI was required. On June 26 this year, SEBI in a show cause notice charged Hindenburg of "deliberately sensationalizing and distorting certain facts" as well as working with a New York hedge fund to make its bet. Hindenburg had responded to that saying it made just USD 4.1 million from its declared positions on Adani stocks and criticized the regulator for not focusing its investigation into the January 2023 report "providing evidence" of the conglomerate creating "a vast network of offshore shell entities" and moving billions of dollars "surreptitiously" into and out of Adani public and private entities. The group led by billionaire Gautam Adani, who was the world's third-richest man before Hindenburg, in an epic comeback strategy raised USD 15 billion in equity and debt, sold some assets, repaid loans that were raised pledging shares, reined in expenses, repaid some debt and refocused energies on core business. Adani is now ranked 12th richest in the world, one notch and USD 6 billion shy of rival billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The group has also made some acquisitions, buying cement company Sanghi Industries and the news agency IANS. Adani has insisted the Hindenburg report has not changed operations at his companies, which include ports, airports, renewable parks generating electricity from sunlight and wind energy, gas distribution, cement processors, data centers, and even apple farms. 360 One Wam Ltd, formerly known as IIFL Wealth Management Ltd, separately said IPE-Plus Fund 1, a fully compliant and regulated fund, was launched in October 2013 and operated until October 2019. "Throughout the fund's tenure, IPE-Plus Fund 1 made zero investments in any shares of the Adani Group either directly or indirectly through any fund," it said. "At its peak, the fund's Assets Under Management (AUM) reached approximately USD 48 million, with over 90% of the fund consistently invested in bonds." The fund, it said, was managed as a discretionary fund by the Investment Manager. "No investor had any involvement in the fund's operations or investment decisions. Mrs. Madhabi Buch &amp; Mr. Dhaval Buch's holdings in the fund were less than 1.5% of the total inflow into the fund." Hindenburg on Saturday alleged that just weeks before Buch's appointment to SEBI, her husband requested the transfer of their investments into his sole control, potentially to avoid any scrutiny related to her new regulatory role. The couple's investments were reportedly funneled through a complex, multi-layered offshore structure, raising questions about their legitimacy and purpose. On March 22, 2017, just weeks ahead of Buch's appointment as SEBI Wholetime Member, her husband, Dhaval Buch, wrote to Mauritius fund administrator Trident Trust. That communication was regarding his and his wife's investment in the Global Dynamic Opportunities Fund (GDOF), the US firm alleged. "In the letter, Dhaval Buch requested to"be the sole person authorized to operate the accounts", seemingly moving the assets out of his wife's name ahead of the politically sensitive appointment," Hindenburg alleged. Dhaval Buch is currently a senior advisor at Blackstone and at Alvarez &amp; Marsal. He also serves as a non-executive director on the Board of Gildan. "In a later account statement dated February 26, 2018, addressed to Madhabi Buch's private email, the full details of the structure are revealed: "GDOF Cell 90 (IPEplus Fund 1)". Again, this is the same Mauritius-registered "cell" of the fund, found several layers deep in a convoluted structure, reportedly used by Vinod Adani," Hindenburg alleged. From April 2017 to March 2022, while Buch was a Wholetime member and Chairperson at SEBI, she had a 100 % interest in an offshore Singaporean consulting firm, called Agora Partners, it alleged adding On March 16, 2022, two weeks after she was appointed SEBI Chairperson, she quietly transferred the shares to her husband. To date, SEBI has taken no action against these funds, it claimed. "If SEBI wanted to find the offshore fund holders, perhaps the SEBI Chairperson could have started by looking in the mirror," Hindenburg said. In response to requests from the Supreme Court to investigate the Adani matter, SEBI is said to have hit a wall unveiling the holders of the offshore funds. The Supreme Court said that while SEBI seemingly agreed with its concerns over who funded Adani's offshore shareholders, "it is evident that SEBI has drawn a blank in this investigation", the firm alleged.

Hindenburg target SEBI chief, she calls charges baseless, Adani says no commercial relationship with SEBI head

By Lalit K Jha Washington, Apr 5 () The US is working "aggressively" to airlift around 22,000 Americans stranded overseas, many of them in India, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official has said. The US has so far repatriated around 37,000 Americans stranded overseas due to the pandemic and is planning to bring another 22,000 of its citizens, many of whom are in South Asia, especially India, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Ian Brownlee told reporters during a conference call on Friday. "We have repatriated roughly 37,000 US citizens from over 60 countries on more than 400 flights. It includes over 20,000 Americans repatriated in the past week alone," Brownlee said. He said the US State Department has approximately 70 flights scheduled in the coming days which should bring back several thousand more US citizens. "South Asia now has the most US citizens wishing to return. So far the US has brought home almost 1,000 Americans from South Asia and are working aggressively to assist thousands more who have expressed an interest in returning," Brownlee said. "The total number we're looking at overseas at this point is about 22,000. The greatest number of those – certainly the plurality of those – are in South and Central Asia, many of them in India," he added. Brownlee urged Americans to return to their home country as soon as possible. "For the US citizens contemplating whether or not to come home, the time to act is now. Flights will not continue indefinitely, but we want to do all we can to assist you while we are still able to do so," he said. More than 60,000 people have died from coronavirus since it was first detected late last year in China. With more than three lakh confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and over 8,000 fatalities, the US has emerged as the global epicentre of the deadly coronavirus disease to which there has been no cure. LKJ RUP PMSPMS

US to airlift 22,000 Americans stranded overseas; many in India

<ul><li>The <keyword id="100742" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-State-Department">US state department</keyword> issued the Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory -- the highest level of travel advisory -- on March 19, urging American citizens not to travel overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic. </li><li>India remains on the Level 4 of the travel advisory along with more than 50 countries, including China. This means that the US urges its citizens not to travel to India due to the increasing coronavirus cases. </li><li>The state department, in its latest travel advisory on India issued on Thursday, said: "Do not travel to India due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism". </li></ul> The US has lifted the highest level of its <keyword id="9714137" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-health-travel-advisory">global health travel advisory</keyword> for Americans due to the coronavirus pandemic and restored the previous country-specific system without changing the status of over 50 countries, including that of India and China. The US state department issued the Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory -- the highest level of travel advisory -- on March 19, urging American citizens not to travel overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic. India remains on the Level 4 of the travel advisory along with more than 50 countries, including China. This means that the US urges its citizens not to travel to India due to the increasing coronavirus cases. The state department, in its latest travel advisory on India issued on Thursday, said: "Do not travel to India due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism". The  <keyword id="621740" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centres-for-Disease-Control-and-Prevention">Centres for Disease Control and Prevention</keyword> (CDC) has issued a Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) Travel Health Notice for India due to COVID-19, it said. Travellers to India may experience border closures, airport closures, travel prohibitions, stay at home orders, business closures and other emergency conditions within India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch told reporters during a conference call that the State Department, in close coordination with the CDC, has lifted the <keyword id="9714136" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-level-4-health-advisory">Global Level 4 Health Advisory</keyword> and has returned to the previous system of country-specific levels of travel advice, with levels from 1 to 4 depending on country-specific conditions. The CDC has similarly removed its Level 3 Global COVID-19 Pandemic Notice. This important change reflects the reality that health and safety conditions are improving in some countries while potentially deteriorating in others, he said. By returning to the country-specific travel advisory system, the US is able to give Americans detailed and actionable information to make informed travel decisions, he said. "The COVID-19 pandemic poses significant risks for travellers and our destination-specific advisories take into account the latest data and public health and safety analysis on COVID-related risks," Risch said. Among other countries which have been put on the Level 4 of travel advisory include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Mexico, Egypt, and Brazil. Although the guidance from the state department has been lifted, American travellers continue to face travel restrictions in countries worldwide due to the rising cases of the deadly disease in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the contagion has infected over 19 million people and killed more than 713,000 across the world. The US is the worst affected country with over 4.8 million cases and more than 1,60,000 deaths. The European Union has blocked the entry of the US tourists, and the UK requires travellers from the US to quarantine for 14 days. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-leaves-repo-rate-unchanged-to-check-inflation/articleshow/77387591.cms">‘Watchful’ RBI leaves repo rate unchanged to keep inflation in check</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-beirut-explosion-created-a-huge-mushroom-cloud-and-visible-blast-wave-but-nuclear-weapons-experts-say-it-wasnt-an-atomic-blast-heres-why-/articleshow/77362144.cms">The Beirut explosion created a huge mushroom cloud and visible blast wave, but nuclear weapons experts say it wasn't an atomic bomb. Here's why.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/microsoft-for-startups-lathika-pai-says-entrepreneurs-pitching-for-investments-need-to-have-this-one-question-answered-in-their-pitch-decks/articleshow/77352935.cms">Microsoft for Startups’ Lathika Pai says entrepreneurs pitching for investments need to have this one question answered in their pitch decks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/linkedin-tcs-disney-hotstar-zee-and-other-companies-hiring-right-now-in-india/slidelist/77352775.cms">LinkedIn, TCS, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee and other companies hiring right now in India</a>

US lifts global health travel advisory and urges citizens not to visit India, China

The merger of <keyword id="392684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Persons-of-Indian-Origin">Persons of Indian Origin</keyword> (PIO) and <keyword id="392685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Overseas-Citizens-of-India">Overseas Citizens of India</keyword> (OCI) schemes announced by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is turning out to be a confusing exercise at embassies abroad. 
 
A top home ministry official told Economic Times that the ministry has now "advised" the foreign ministry that PIO card holders should get their cards converted to machine friendly OCI cards at a nominal fee as the existing PIO document - which is a paper document - will not be compatible with the card reading machines to be installed soon at Indian airports soon. 
 
"We have advised that PIO cardholders apply and get their cards changed to OCI at the respective embassies so that they do not face any difficulty as authorities in different countries or Indian immigration ports may be confused regarding the PIO-OCI merger," the top ministry official told the financial daily. 
 
As per the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2015, all PIO card holders "are deemed" to be OCI card holders with effect from January 9, 2015. 
But it did not point out that the cards will need to be changed. 
 
The officials in the foreign ministry cite lack of homework on part of the home ministry as one of the reasons has led to the issues, and are thereby creating confusion at Indian embassies abroad. 
 
"We may issue FAQs (frequently asked questions) soon to clear the air," the top home ministry official told ET as the embassies have been inundated with complaints due to lack of clarity on the issue. 
 
The official told the financial daily the home ministry has scrapped its earlier order that said all PIOs must convert their cards to OCI within three months and the deadline of April 9 has been extended indefinitely. 
 
ET reported that the Indian embassy in France first issued an order saying that with effect from April 8 it is mandatory to replace PIO cards with OCI cards. But it has now modified this saying, "it has now been decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs that PIO will be valid beyond April 8 till further instructions, but PIO holders should apply for OCI cards in lieu of PIO cards.” 
 
(Image: Reuters)

PIO-OCI merger: What aimed to simplify NRIs life has added more to complexity

By Aditi Khanna London, Apr 16 () The UK Home Office has been urged to consider visa concessions for qualified overseas doctors, including many from India, to help them support the country's stretched National Health Service (NHS) in battling the coronavirus pandemic.The British Medical Association (BMA), the key professional union for doctors in the UK, has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel to take urgent measures, including easier switch between different categories of visas and automatic indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or permanent residency for international medical professionals."International doctors play a hugely important role in the delivery of our NHS. At this time of national crisis, I am writing to ask you to take urgent measures to support international medical professionals working in the NHS for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic," BMA Chair of Council Chaand Nagpaul said in his letter to the senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister."It is important that medical professionals who wish to assist in the current crisis are supported in doing so. We are calling on you to ensure the Home Office urgently updates its guidance to support international doctors," he said.Besides ILR for the doctors themselves, the BMA has also flagged the need to confirm the residency status of the dependents of international doctors who die while working on the NHS COVID-19 front lines. An online petition on the official UK Parliament's petitions website calling on the government to "Give Non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship" attracted over 40,000 signatures within days, making it incumbent upon the Home Office to formally respond having crossed the required 10,000 mark."This is a chance for the British Government and Public to show them how much we appreciate their invaluable contribution to our society," the petition notes.The BMA has also called for special dispensation for all international medical students, and health care workers to switch sponsors automatically without having to apply for another visa and reiterated ongoing calls for an immigration health surcharge waiver for these professionals.A group of Indian doctors in the UK on visit visas to appear for international qualification exams also appealed to the government to consider a dispensation so they could contribute during the crisis, while they remain stranded in Britain due to India's ongoing lockdown to fight the pandemic."It is extremely disheartening to not be able to help people during such a crisis by doing what I have trained for," said a doctor from Delhi, who is trained in emergency care."We came here with a purpose. It would mean a lot if we can be given a shot to help in a voluntary capacity – remotely or over the phone – without putting anyone at risk," he said.The UK government had confirmed last month that foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas are set to expire before October this year will get an automatic free of charge extension for one year as the country battles the pandemic."I don't want them distracted by the visa process. That is why I have automatically extended their visas – free of charge – for a further year," Patel had said at the time.She is now being urged to go further and make full use of vital medical resources offered by doctors who have trained overseas. AK RS RS

UK urged to ease visa norms for overseas doctors in COVID-19 crisis

The upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection <keyword id="19032" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bill" source="Orion">Bill</keyword> will drive "deep behavioural changes" among those platforms in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> that have for long exploited or misused personal data, <keyword id="6357801" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union" source="Orion">Union</keyword> minister <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> has asserted. In an interview to PTI, the minister of state for IT and electronics also sought to allay concerns around the issue of government-appointed fact check body, saying the move is not about censorship at all, rather it gives the Centre an opportunity to clarify and respond to any <keyword id="535763" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="misinformation" source="Orion">misinformation</keyword> related to it, something that is critical in a democracy. Misinformation, he said, is not to be confused with right to free speech. The minister noted that misinformation tends to travel 10-15 times faster, and reaches an audience 20-50 times more, than truth. He emphasised that it is absolutely critical that in a democracy if someone says something false about the government, to create hatred, to incite violence, or to just create mistrust, "the government must have an opportunity to say no, this is not true". "So there is no censorship, there no restriction on free speech. This is simply about saying what is patently false, is patently false. And that is certainly not to be confused or deliberately distorted to imply that this is a crackdown on free speech," Chandrasekhar said. The minister's comment assumes significance as the decision to notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government has raised concerns in some quarters on whether it gives government absolute powers. "I think there is some misunderstanding about what it is we are trying to do," the minister said when asked about the issue. "Misinformation is expressly an area that has already been prescribed in the rules as an area that platforms have to do significant work in moderating misinformation if they are to enjoy Section 79 protection. It is already mandated in the rules of October 2022," he said. Rather, the fact check unit aims to help platforms in identifying false content posted about the government. "It is not an opinion. It is not about saying that we will create another narrative about the government," Chandrasekhar added. On the digital personal data protection (DPDP) bill, which will be introduced in the coming session of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword>, the minister said the draft legislation has undergone a lot of consultation and is designed as "a truly world class piece of legislation". "I have absolutely no doubt that the DPDP Bill will create deep behavioural changes among platforms in India who have for long exploited and misused personal data," the minister said. At the same time, those who have played fair will not get affected, and will continue to do the right thing, he observed. "Those who have done it (misused data), tracked consumers, used cookies they certainly will have to go though deep behavioural change... Those who are already doing it right, have nothing to fear. But those who have, in a sense, lived off this model of exploitation will certainly have to reconsider," minister said. He expressed hope that the bill will come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The draft bill - which has seen an overhaul after its withdrawal in August last year - details the citizen's rights on personal data, with provisions that makes entities handling personal data accountable for managing it with safety and security in a responsible manner. "The purpose of this bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes," an explanatory note of the draft bill said. The proposed data protection legislation allows the transfer and storage of personal data in some countries while raising the penalty for violations. The proposed legislation stipulates consent before collecting personal data and provides for stiff penalties of as much as Rs 500 crore on persons and companies that fail to prevent data breaches including accidental disclosures, sharing, altering or destroying personal data. On being asked about Meta being fined a record-breaking USD 1.3 billion recently by European Union regulators for violating EU privacy laws, and whether India too can look at large financial deterrants for Big Tech for non-compliance of laws, the Minister said idea is not about competing with the EU on size of penalties. "I don't think we are in the business of competing with the EU in terms of the size of the penalty, but the formulation of penalties in this Bill is sufficient to incentivise every data fiduciary or any platform to behave correctly, to follow the law, and do the right thing," he said. The days when platform could exploit the data of consumers is fast coming to an end, he said, adding there are many powers under the bill that have been given to the Indian consumer to interrogate, search, check what data the platforms have. "...and I think certainly it's a balance of protecting the consumer rights, as well as continuing to allow innovation and investments," the minister said. On WhatsApp spam call issue, Chandrasekhar said that the government has called out to WhatsApp and other messenger companies about the problem and emphasised that it is unacceptable. "They have responded with alacrity and responded very quickly. They are searching out many solutions. We have also asked them to give to us what are the overseas telecom carriers from where these originate, so that we can talk to BSNL, and to our own <keyword id="150664" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-department" source="Orion">Telecom Department</keyword> to make sure that these carriers are also warned that there is unlawful activities originating from their networks, and that if that continues, we may have to look at some kind of a discussion of whether those networks will be allowed to terminate in India as well," he said. The government and players are not adversaries, rather they work in partnership, he said, adding that a safe and trusted internet for 1.2 billion consumers "is good for business, government, and for citizens". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-dominates-smartwatch-market-accounts-for-over-a-quarter-of-global-sales-in-q1-2023/articleshow/100522354.cms">India dominates smartwatch market, accounts for over a quarter of global sales in Q1 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-and-bikes-may-get-costlier-as-government-looks-to-revamp-the-fame-ii-scheme/articleshow/100321089.cms">Electric two wheelers may get costlier as government looks to revamp the FAME-II scheme</a>

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