<ul><li>India’s three main surveillance projects — <keyword id="109740" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NATGRID">NATGRID</keyword>, <keyword id="15615" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="cms">CMS</keyword>, and <keyword id="26425" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netra">NETRA</keyword> — have been directed to stop collecting data by the Delhi High Court. </li><li>The order comes as public interest litigation (PLI) filed by lawyer Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the CPLI cited that there is ‘insufficient oversight’ allowing the mass surveillance of Indian citizens and breaking their <keyword id="515140" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="right-to-privacy">right to privacy</keyword>. </li><li>NATGRID has access to 12 categories of data, CMS can listen in on your phone conversations, and NETRA can track everything you do online. </li></ul>The Delhi High Court has issued a notice today asking India’s central government to stop collecting data through their three main surveillance systems — National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Central Monitoring System (CMS) and Network Traffic Analysis (NETRA). The notice is in response to public interest litigation (PLI) filed by lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the NGO called the Center for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL). In the appeal, Bhushan argues that the three systems create a net of 360-degree surveillance on Indian citizens. They allow central and state law enforcement agencies to intercept and monitor all telecommunications in bulk which is an infringement of individuals’ fundamental right to privacy. <div type="twitter" handle="barandbench" handlename="Bar &amp; Bench" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1304761912068984833/5-qPfQOb_normal.jpg" favoritecount="55" retweetcount="8" status="#Breaking: Delhi High Court issues notice in PIL to direct Centre to stop collection of data through NATGRID, Centr… https://t.co/SkXhSb80Gl" createdat="1606888535000" id="1334013320572014592"></div> The plea further contends that there is an ‘insufficient oversight mechanism’ to authorise and review the interception and monitoring orders issued by the state agencies under the existing legal framework. What are NATGRID, NETRA and CMS? NATGRID, NETRA and CMS are surveillance systems. This means they collect data in order to keep an eye out for anything that could threaten national security. NATGRID allows investigation and law enforcement agencies to access real-time information from data stored within agencies like the Income Tax Department, banks, insurance companies, the Indian Railways, and other offices. There are a total of 21 categories of data that NATGRID has access to. Where the NATGRID has access to real-time data, CMS is centralised telephone interception provisioning system. And, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It can bypass the middleman — the telecom companies — to directly monitor text messages, social media posts and phone calls. NETRA is the third leg of India’s security infrastructure. While the CMS is tapping into your phone’s network, NETRA is watching everything you do online — not just on social media. It can monitor any text-based messages containing direct messages on Facebook, within your personal emails or online blogs. Using filters and keywords, it can identify words even in encrypted messages. How does NATGRID undermine the right to privacy? NATGRID was established through governmental notifications rather than through legislation passed in the Parliament. Even though it helps the project come to fruition faster, it also undermines the system of checks and balances essential to a democracy, according to <a href="https://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/natgrid-should-parliament-have-role">PRS India</a>. Considering that NATGRID can access information of private individuals, it also has a bearing on their fundamental rights — like the right to privacy, as cited by Bhushan. Unlike India, countries like the US and the European Union (EU) have comprehensive privacy laws. They include the conditions under which access to databases would be allowed and limitations on how such data can be used. UIDAI, like NATGRID, was formed using governmental notifications. It was established as an executive authority, and still functions without a statutory mandate. What roles to CMS and NETRA play? The underlying logic for developing CMS and NETRA was to monitor terrorist activities mainly after the terrorist bomb attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. With both of them, the problem again boils down to a lack of transparency in the absence of data protection laws. The general public has no way of knowing if and when a person’s data has been intercepted or how data is being used. CMS and NETRA allow for mass surveillance with the potential to target large groups of people without a valid reason. To solve for the lack of transparency, the PLI filed by Bhushan seeks the creation of a permanent independent oversight body — either judicial or parliamentary — for issuing and reviewing lawful interception and monitoring warrants under the enabling provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/fortnites-biggest-ever-event-saw-15-million-players-3-million-viewers-and-took-twitch-down/articleshow/79523514.cms">Fortnite's biggest ever event saw 15 million players, 3 million viewers and took Twitch down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-can-survive-in-fridge-for-five-days-claims-company/articleshow/79526886.cms">Pfizer claims its newly approved COVID-19 vaccine can survive without sub-zero temperatures for five days</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-maps-has-a-new-community-feed-which-looks-a-lot-like-yelp-or-tripadvisor-on-steroids/articleshow/79525031.cms">Google Maps has a new 'community feed', which looks a lot like Yelp or TripAdvisor on steroids</a>

India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49892114.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> <keyword id="208226" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raghu-Raman">Raghu Raman</keyword>, ex-soldier, UN Peacekeeper and the former CEO of NATGRID and the current group president of Security and Risk, Reliance Industries Limited, is often critiqued for his very vocal thoughts about the Indian society. From blatantly stating the naked truth that<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Microsoft-Alum-Writes-Counterterrorism-Paper-That-Nails-The-Real-Threat/articleshow/22816991.cms"> terrorist attacks</a> cannot be stopped completely just by blaming and putting pressure on the organisations responsible to protect the country against it to accepting that Indian Security Forces is no God men, he becomes vocal again, in a chat with Business Insider India. 
 “We need to know the fundamentals of <keyword id="6358165" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="terrorism">terrorism</keyword> first,” he said. 
 
Raghu Raman will address at the TEDxGateway to be held in Mumbai on December 5. At TEDxGateway, TEDTalks video and live speakers will discuss and debate to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. Attendees of TEDxGateway will include philanthropists, policymakers, industrialists, CXOs, entrepreneurs, creative heads, students, CEOs, scientists, artists, corporates and bureaucrats from across the nation. 
 
What are the challenges that Indian intelligence faces especially in the current trying conditions, given the emergence of organisations such as ISIS and constant threats coming in from Al Qaeda and LeT? 
 
If there should be a benchmark of how a terrorist attack should be dealt with, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Terror-Strikes-Iraq-tops-the-List-Srinagar-and-Imphal-at-extreme-risk/articleshow/47382745.cms">9/11</a> should be it. The US have defence budget of close to $700 bn. We do not even have a fraction of that budget with population six times that of US. Besides that, our society is struck by far greater internal problems, communal riots, religious differences, goons and rapes. When we are faced with this multitude of challenges it is difficult to follow this benchmark. The scale, type and complexity of the challenges faced by Indian Intelligence and <keyword id="112134" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Armed-Forces">Indian Armed Forces</keyword> are so widespread that drawing a simile with anything else is foolish. Unless we start facing the reality, we are basically going to kill ourselves. The change we need is in our thinking. If people take AK-47 and shoot their way into Taj, they will enter into Taj. The story of having <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Pakistan-on-hanging-spree-Terrorism-still-remains-unaddressed/articleshow/46675568.cms">zero terrorist incidents</a> is over now. 
 In the <keyword id="39746" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gaza">Gaza</keyword> strip, for <keyword id="66869" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hezbollah">Hezbollah</keyword> or <keyword id="39745" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hamas">Hamas</keyword>, suicide bombers have a waiting list of two years for being recruited. In that kind of scenario, hoping to prevent every attack is a cuckoo. 
 
Are you saying it is a lost cause then? 
 
I am not saying it’s a lost cause. I am saying that when there is a proliferation of any phenomenon, collateral damage comes with it. 
 For example, sometimes safety measures can have their own collateral damage too. After <keyword id="43510" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="9/11">9/11</keyword> more people died of road accidents as there was a sharp escalation of road travel. This was because people were terrified to fly. The purpose of terrorism is to terrorize. If you choose not to get terrorised, then terrorist attack has no value. 
 
But it is not easy. Human being human will be terrorised if people start killing and kill without logic? 
 
Yes. I agree. 
 
Is enough being done by the Indian Intelligence and the Government to prevent a repeat of <keyword id="6426476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="26/11">26/11</keyword> in 2015? 
 
It is a wrong question. Just 10 months before<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Is-India-better-prepared-for-an-ISIS-led-Mumbai-like-attack-The-answer-is-a-resounding-No/articleshow/49805008.cms"> 26/11</a>, France faced one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in its history. But that doesn’t mean we are to sack the entire France intelligence. 
 
If you want a guarantee, you buy a toaster. The Indian Intelligence is putting in best efforts. Out of 10 attempts, they will trap maybe nine. One will get through and that one will be a much more subdued version than the ones they have stopped. The government can take steps only up to a certain limit. As a democracy we should have certain checks and balances which would allow dissidents to express their dissent in private. But protecting one’s privacy would limit the access of data by the intelligence. These are prices we pay for being a democracy or for not being a police state. 
 
When you demand that we need better intelligence, you forget that better intelligence means access to more data. They are basically going to extend their tentacles into places where radicalisation is being done. 
 
They are doing more than they can do with the resources that they have. Every lakh rupee you take and put in combating terrorism, you are taking that rupee from healthcare, education, employment etc. A balance has to be made and in that balance terrorist attacks will happen and will kill every 100 people in a year. 
 
The Indian Armed Forces is often accused of being hypocrite, especially as it supports military junta in Myanmar. What is your say on this? 
 
In Myanmar, the Indian Government wants to support Aung-San-Suu-Kyi as her democratic values are like our democratic values. The Indian Armed Forces believes in democracy and yet they are supporting military junta. One fails to see the reason here. If they do not support Myanmar, she will seek help from China. Most of our neighbours have come under the influence of China and we cannot let Myanmar become another China. 
 
Personal opinion is often shaped by very shallow knowledge. What people do not understand is if you have an environment surrounded by hostile entities that is far bigger trouble. 
 
In the wake of the increasing Chinese incursions along our borders, the Indian Armed Forces is blamed. Where has the Indian army failed? 
 
It has not failed. It has areas, resource crunches and moral issues. They are doing their best. 
 
But for the Indian Armed Forces mistakes are permanent. How do they work in such an environment? 
 
No plan survives the first contact with enemy. Your plan is a general line of direction. Hence, plans have to be flexible enough and that is why the Indian Armed Forces need junior leadership who can make decisions and changes to the plans on the fly as per the situation changes. 
 
In such circumstances, sometimes the decisions fail and cost them their lives. 
 
The Indian Armed Forces faces death. From where do you get your courage? 
 
It is a mixture of many things. A sense of belonging to a regiment and rigorous training instil that within the people. There is a sense of nobility that pushes people to go beyond what their limits are. 
 
What made you join the army? 
 
You would find it funny but my story is quite similar to the movie ‘Lakshya’. I was in Delhi and I was in a fairly protected area. The first time world came crashing around us was 1984 riots. It was the first time we were exposed to an extreme kind of violence and mayhem. I had direct exposure and it racked me quite a bit. After three days of mayhem, the army brought order into the area. While I was still in that daze, I found that the army was the only institution that can bring order in complete chaos. I decided this is an organisation I want to join. 
 
It may sound like a corny Bollywood movie but I was actually standing in the crowd as a young boy and waiting for the army to bring some order to the chaos and to relieve the people who are so scared at that point of time. Just the sight of an olive green uniform was making people calm. 
 
Aren’t you scared of death at all? 
 
I think anybody who says that they are not afraid of death is a fool. It’s one thing to say I am not scared of death and it is another thing to see death coming. When you see deaths around you, there is no doubt that you are scared. 
 
Yes, the honest answer is, I am scared. And, I think any soldier is scared. But more than that, soldiers are scared of being handicapped. 
 
What are the things that you want to change within the Indian Armed Forces? 
 
More than the change within the Indian armed forces, I want a change in the fundamental thinking of the citizens. I want the Indian citizens to know more about their Indian Armed Forces. 
 
How accurate is the portrait of Indian Security Forces in Indian cinemas? 
 
I won’t say it is not in good light. It is not in an accurate light. Although ‘Prahaar’ was a good example. 
 
(IMAGE CREDITS: youtube)

EXCLUSIVE: Raghu Raman, an ex-soldier, UN Peacekeeper and the former CEO of NATGRID talks about combating terrorism in 2015: If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster

<ul><li>A map on <keyword id="71187" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</keyword> showing Aksai Chin as a part of China has caught the eye of the Indian government.</li><li>The country’s IT Secretary has reportedly written to the company asking them to take down the map else it could lead to the online encyclopedia being blocked in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act. </li><li>The map can be found on Wikipedia’s page outlining Bhutan-India relations. </li></ul>After Twitter, the Indian government has now trained its guns on Wikipedia for how its territory is represented on maps. It has asked the online encyclopedia to take down a map that shows the disputed territory of Aksai Chin as a part of China. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78805315" title="Twitter CEO is facing fire from India after a map showed Jammu and Kashmir as part of China" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The map in question can be found on Wikipedia’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan%E2%80%93India_relations">Bhutan-India relations</a> page as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan%E2%80%93India_relations#/media/File:India_Bhutan_Locator.png">lead image. </a> Sources told the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delete-map-that-shows-aksai-chin-as-part-of-china-india-tells-wikipedia/story-TCT6rUz89TU2wrN8k7HwOL.html">Hindustan Times</a> that since the map violates the territorial integrity of India, it could lead to Wikipedia being blocked in the country under section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act if the error isn’t fixed. “The secretary has satisfied himself that the map has been wrongly depicted,” they said. Business Insider has reached out to the Wikimedia Foundation but has not received a response at the time of writing the article. India’s online territorial disputes As India defends its borders on the ground against China, it has also been more sensitive about how its territory is represented online. In September earlier this year, India’s IT secretary Ajay Sawhney <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/twitter-ceo-is-facing-fire-from-india-after-a-map-showed-jammu-and-kashmir-as-part-of-china/articleshow/78805315.cms">wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey</a>, reprimanding him for showing Jammu and Kashmir as a part of China. The issue came to light when security analyst Nitin A Gokhale went live on Twitter from Leh and the broadcast was geo-tagged as coming from China rather than from India. In the letter, Sawhney asserted that any attempt to disrespect India’s sovereignty and integrity, which includes how its territory is shown on maps, is “totally unacceptable,” and “unlawful.” The difference between Twitter and Wikipedia is that geotagging locations is something that Twitter can directly control, whereas the content on Wikipedia is compiled by volunteers. In fact, the image has been on Wikipedia for over a decade, since 26 May 2008. The site may not be a social networking platform, but most of its entries are user-generated and cross-checked within the volunteer community. The government has not yet issued a deadline for when the map should be taken down, but it was still live on the website at the time of writing this article. If it is not removed in a ‘timely fashion’ the government could invoke section 69A to block access to the website in India or even go as far as to initiate action under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, which can result in the imprisonment. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/geo-tagged-bottles-in-the-ganges-river-show-how-plastic-pollution-can-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/79540173.cms">Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-three-main-surveillance-projects-natgrid-cms-and-netra-have-been-directed-to-stop-collecting-data-citing-breach-of-privacy/articleshow/79529256.cms">India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy</a>

India may reportedly block Wikipedia if the site doesn't delete the map showing Aksai Chin as a part of China

Total number of 408 sugar mills in operation across the country as on November 30, 2020 have produced 42.90 lakh tonnes of sugar in the ongoing sugar season 2020-21 (October-September) as compared to 20.72 lakh tonnes produced by 309 sugar mills in the same period a year ago, said <keyword id="124503" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Sugar-Mills-Association">Indian Sugar Mills Association</keyword> (ISMA) in a release on Wednesday. According to industry body, <keyword id="115567" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sugar-production">sugar production</keyword> rose by 22.18 lakh tonnes or 107 per cent in the early two months of the current season as compared to last year because of earlier start of <keyword id="46885" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="sugarcane">sugarcane</keyword> crushing this season. "Production trend in the current season so far, appears to be more or less similar to 2018-19, when 418 sugar mills had produced 40.69 lakh tonnes of sugar, except that the diversion of cane juice and B-molasses this season to ethanol will be much more, resulting in a net reduction of around 20 lakh tonnes of sugar," said ISMA. In Uttar Pradesh 111 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane on November 30, 2020 and have produced 12.65 lakh tonnes of sugar till that date. As per reports, about 28 mills are currently diverting B heavy molasses/cane juice for production of ethanol in the current season, while during the corresponding period last season, about 18-20 sugar mills were diverting B heavy molasses/cane juice. In Maharashtra, 158 sugar mills have started crushing operations as on November 30, 2020, as compared to 71 sugar mills which operated in the corresponding date of last year. Till November 30, 2020, sugar production in the state was 15.72 lakh tonnes, compared to 1.38 lakh tonnes in the previous year. The higher production is because of earlier start of crushing operations in Maharashtra and higher availability of sugarcane in this season, said the industry body. Currently, it is reported that about 55-60 sugar mills are diverting B-heavy molasses/cane juice for production of ethanol in the current season, as compared to about 25-30 sugar mills in the corresponding period last season. In Karnataka, 63 sugar mills were crushing on November 30, 2020 and 11.11 lakh tonnes of sugar was produced. During the corresponding period last year, 60 sugar mills were operating which had produced 5.62 lakh tonnes of sugar. About 28-30 sugar mills are currently diverting B-heavy molasses/cane juice for production of ethanol in the current season, as compared to about 15-18 sugar mills in the last season. In Gujarat, 15 sugar mills were operational as on November 30, 2020 and 1.65 lakh tonnes of sugar was produced, compared to 14 sugar mills which had produced 62,000 tonnes of sugar. Crushing operations in all the other states have also begun and the pace of crushing is picking up. About 61 sugar mills are operating in other states which have produced 1.77 lac tons in this season as on November 30, 2020, as compared to 53 mills which produced 1.64 lakh tonnes of sugar in the previous year. The average ex-mill sugar prices in most of the major states are reported to be declining with the commencement of current season w.e.f. October 2020, barring a few Northern states where the prices are more or less steady. In the two major states, Maharashtra and Karnataka, the ex-mill prices which were hovering around Rs 3,200-3,250 per quintal for last couple of months have gone down by almost Rs 50-100 per quintal. Similarly, in the Southern states also, the ex-mill prices have declined by a similar margin. This indicates pressure in domestic market due to high opening balance, expected increase in production in the current season, delayed export programme announcement by the Government and no decision yet on increase of MSP of sugar. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/geo-tagged-bottles-in-the-ganges-river-show-how-plastic-pollution-can-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/79540173.cms">Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-three-main-surveillance-projects-natgrid-cms-and-netra-have-been-directed-to-stop-collecting-data-citing-breach-of-privacy/articleshow/79529256.cms">India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy</a>

India has produced twice the amount of sugar in the first 2 months of the current season

The Chinese government had planned the <keyword id="9241086" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Galwan-Valley">Galwan Valley</keyword> incident in June, potentially including the possibility for fatalities, a US Congressional Commission has said, asserting that Beijing "provoked" the first deadly clash on the Sino-India border in nearly half a century. The ruling Chinese Communist Party employs its armed forces as a coercive tool during peacetime, carrying out large-scale intimidation exercises around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in its latest annual report to Congress. "This year, it provoked the first deadly clash on the China-India border in nearly half a century. China's rising aggression has not gone unnoticed," the report said. In June, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian troops engaged in a massive physical brawl in the Galwan Valley, located in the far-western Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) separating the two countries, said the report dated December 1. The clash, which followed a series of standoffs beginning in early May along multiple sectors of the LAC, led to at least 20 Indian deaths and an unconfirmed number of Chinese casualties, the first time since 1975 that lives were lost in fighting between the two sides. "Some evidence suggested the Chinese government had planned the incident, potentially including the possibility for fatalities," the report said. For instance, several weeks prior to the clash Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe made a statement encouraging Beijing to "use fighting to promote stability." Just over two weeks before the incident, in another potential indication of Chinese leaders signalling their intent to escalate tensions, an editorial in China's state-owned tabloid Global Times warned that India would suffer a "devastating blow" to its trade and economic ties with China if it got "involved in the US-China rivalry." Further satellite images depicted a large Chinese buildup in the Galwan Valley, including potentially 1,000 PLA soldiers, the week before the deadly skirmish, said the Congressional Commission created in 2000 for monitoring and investigating national security and trade issues between the US and China. China and India have engaged in multiple physical clashes along their border for decades, but since General Secretary Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012 the two countries have seen five major altercations along their border. The exact motivations behind the Chinese government's provocative behaviour on the LAC this year remain unclear, it noted. "The proximate cause of the clash appeared to be India's construction of a strategic access road to support troops stationed along the LAC. China has also built extensive infrastructure along the LAC in recent years. In the aftermath of the clash, Beijing asserted sovereignty over the entire Galwan Valley, a new claim and significant change to the territorial status quo," the report said. According to the report, the Chinese Navy has also regularly deployed diesel-electric and nuclear attack submarines in the Indian Ocean since 2013, which - despite their ostensible mission to support China's Gulf of Aden antipiracy task forces - serve to collect intelligence and signal to India that China could contest the Indian Navy or threaten commercial shipping. Chinese hydrographic survey vessels also sometimes venture into waters around India's strategic sites to collect intelligence, the report said, citing an example of India's navy chasing away China's Shiyan-1 research vessel in December 2019 after catching the vessel loitering without permission near Port Blair. The Commission said that in 2020, China sought to project an image of confidence and increased efforts to portray itself as a global leader superior to the United States even as it faced an increasing array of challenges at home and abroad. "Beijing ramped up its multiyear coercion campaign against its neighbours, provoking military or paramilitary standoffs with countries from Japan to India and much of Southeast Asia. Shortly after China's defence minister urged Beijing to use military force to stabilise its periphery, a violent clash on the China-India border in June led to the first loss of life between the two countries since 1975," it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/geo-tagged-bottles-in-the-ganges-river-show-how-plastic-pollution-can-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/79540173.cms">Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-three-main-surveillance-projects-natgrid-cms-and-netra-have-been-directed-to-stop-collecting-data-citing-breach-of-privacy/articleshow/79529256.cms">India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy</a>

China planned in advance and 'provoked' Galwan Valley clash with India, indicates US report

<ul><li>The <keyword id="510349" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganges-river">Ganges river</keyword> is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. </li><li>A new study using geo-tagged bottles was able to show plastic can cross the Ganges, travel thousands of kilometres, and end up in the ocean within just a few months.</li><li>The maximum distance tracked was 2,845 kilometres in 94 days. </li></ul>As India struggles to clean up the Ganges river, researchers hope that their ‘message in a bottle’ approach will help shed light on the impact of plastic pollution on the 2,700 kilometre long water body. Their new study shows how plastic bottles, equipped with GPS and satellite tags, can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months. The maximum distance tracked was 2,845 kilometres in 94 days. <div type="image" title="water bottle_edited" msid="79540218" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;One the researchers releases a plastic bottle into the Ganges river&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> "It demonstrates that this is a truly global issue, as a piece of plastic dropped in a river or ocean could soon wash up on the other side of the world," said Emily Duncan, the lead author of the study published in Public Library of Science (<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242459">PLOS</a>) One. One of the most polluted rivers in the world India’s Ganges river provides water to nearly half a billion people, but it is one of the most polluted in the world. Rising from the foothills of the Himalayas and ending in the Bay of Bengal, the polluted river has been linked to the emergence of ‘<a href="https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/river-ganga-contributing-increasing-antibiotic-resistance-worldwide#:~:text=How%20the%20Ganga%20Is%20Contributing%20to%20Increasing%20Antibiotic%20Resistance%20Worldwide,-Victor%20Mallet&amp;text=In%20the%20following%20extract%20from,are%20resistant%20to%20modern%20antibiotics.">superbugs</a>’, <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/higher-incidences-of-water-borne-diseases-in-fishermen-drinking-from-ganga-survey-73029">waterborne illnesses</a>, and even endangering the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/ganges-river-dolphin">Ganges river dolphin</a>. The study used 25 50-millilitre bottles. The bottles mostly moved downstream in stages, occasionally getting stuck along the way. Three of the bottles were let out directly into the Bay of Bengal. They covered larger distances while following coastal currents and then later dispersing more widely. <div type="image" title="water bottle3_edited" msid="79540239" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Bottle tags ready for release&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> "The hardware inside each plastic bottle is entirely open source, ensuring that researchers can replicate, modify or enhance the solution we presented to track other plastics or environmental waste,” said Alasdair Davies of the conservation technology organisation Arribada and ZSL. Previous research suggests that rivers transport up to 80% of the plastic pollution found in oceans. While tracking technology has been proven useful to show more plastic litter moves within oceans, river transport of plastic pollution remains poorly understood, according to the research team. And, it’s not just plastic bottles that threaten the Ganga. Another recent study published in the <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/plastic-pollution-from-fishing-nets-threatening-ganges-wildlife-study/article33219794.ece">Science of the Total Environment</a>, conducted by an international team including researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India, noted that plastic fishing nets are among the biggest threats to the wildlife that inhabits the Ganges river. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-three-main-surveillance-projects-natgrid-cms-and-netra-have-been-directed-to-stop-collecting-data-citing-breach-of-privacy/articleshow/79529256.cms">India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-can-survive-in-fridge-for-five-days-claims-company/articleshow/79526886.cms">Pfizer claims its newly approved COVID-19 vaccine can survive without sub-zero temperatures for five days</a>

Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months

Three days after registering the first case under the newly-promulgated anti-conversion law, the Bareilly police have made the first arrest in the case. <keyword id="10370371" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="uwaish-ahmad">Uwaish Ahmad</keyword>, 22, was booked on Sunday, hours after the ordinance against "forced" religious conversion came into effect. Ahmad was booked under the <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, for "threatening to kidnap" and convert a 20-year-old married woman in Deorania area of the <keyword id="1664910" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bareilly-district">Bareilly district</keyword>. The accused had been in hiding since. He said he "feared being shot in an encounter". "He may be under this impression, but police never intended to do any such thing as he is not a history sheeter," Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sansaar Singh said. "We were only searching for him and several teams were deployed in neighbouring districts as well. He was produced before a magistrate on Wednesday who sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. "We will now record the statement of the complainant and the witnesses and complete the investigation in this case." Ahmad and the woman were school friends. The girl's family had registered a case against him last year also when she had gone missing. Later, it turned out that she had left the home at the instance of the youth. They later said they wanted to live together. She was "recovered" from Bhopal while they were on their way to Mumbai. A few months later, she was married to another man. But Ahmad started stalking the woman, the complainant alleged. The woman's father, in his complaint, had alleged that Ahmad had been stalking and threatening her for the past three years. Ahmad has been booked under Section 3/5 of the ordinance, along with sections 504 (breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Ahmad told reporters: "I have been arrested under the love jihad law. I have no link with the woman, she got married a year back. I am innocent." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/geo-tagged-bottles-in-the-ganges-river-show-how-plastic-pollution-can-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/79540173.cms">Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-three-main-surveillance-projects-natgrid-cms-and-netra-have-been-directed-to-stop-collecting-data-citing-breach-of-privacy/articleshow/79529256.cms">India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy</a>

You Searched For "india natgrid" and got 7 results

India's three main surveillance projects NATGRID, CMS and NETRA have been directed to stop collecting data citing breach of privacy

Prabhjote Gill

EXCLUSIVE: Raghu Raman, an ex-soldier, UN Peacekeeper and the former CEO of NATGRID talks about combating terrorism in 2015: If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster

Usha Rani Das

India may reportedly block Wikipedia if the site doesn't delete the map showing Aksai Chin as a part of China

Prabhjote Gill

India has produced twice the amount of sugar in the first 2 months of the current season

IANS

China planned in advance and 'provoked' Galwan Valley clash with India, indicates US report

PTI

Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months

Prabhjote Gill

22-year old Ahmad is the first arrest under the new anti-conversion law in India's most populous state

IANS