Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

The Centre has proposed Rs 33.3 crore for ISRO's 'Project Netra' for securing Indian satellites from space debris and other dangers, according to documents related to supplementary demand for grants. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had moved a resolution for the grants for which the Lok Sabha granted approval last week. In Sep, India launched the early warning system Netra (Network for Space Objects, Tracking, and Analysis) to secure its satellites and other assets in space at an estimated to cost Rs 400 crore. Scientists say 50 years of human space exploration has led to the creation of junk around Earth's orbit, posing serious traffic risks to man-made satellites. India has 15 communication satellites active in the geostationary orbit, 13 remote-sensing satellites active in low-earth orbit (2,000 km radius) and eight navigation satellites in medium-earth orbit. Apart from these, there are a number of smaller satellites present in the space. Former director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre M Y S Prasad said India is a responsible space power and monitoring capability is necessary for protection of space assets. "The NETRA project would provide India with the same capability as the US and Russia to assess threats from space debris and other hazards," he told -Bhasha. According to a report, about 17,000 man-made objects are monitored in space of which 7 per cent are active objects. After a time, these objects become inactive and collide with each other while revolving in space. Every year, there are many incidents of objects colliding in space. As a result, small pieces of debris rotate at extremely fast speeds. Dead satellites and other debris present in space exist in the Earth's orbit for many years and these debris can damage any active satellite. DR HDA ABH

India government ready to spend ₹33 crore to fend off space debris

<ul><li>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) quietly launched <keyword id="8143100" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="project-netra">Project NETRA</keyword> this month. </li><li>The Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) will track space debris and other potential threats to Indian satellites in space. </li><li>India will no longer be dependant on the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) for tracking space objects. </li></ul>As the world debated over India’s lunar mission, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/moon-landing-drama-play-by-play-of-isro-losing-communication-with-chandrayaan-2s-lander/articleshow/71018307.cms">Chandrayaan 2</a>, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has quietly launched <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-to-set-up-own-space-debris-agency-because-norad-data-inaccurate/articleshow/70550082.cms">Project NETRA</a> in the background. India’s warning system to detect space debris and other potential threats to Indian satellites is now live, according to a report by <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-initiates-project-netra-to-safeguard-indian-space-assets-from-debris-and-other-harm/article29497795.ece">The Hindu</a>. The Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) will safeguard India’s 50 functional satellites in space using an on-ground network of telescopes and radars under the Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management. According to ISRO, NETRA won’t be tracking space objects exclusively. It will also have military applications — just like NORAD — serving as a warning system against incoming missiles or space attacks from hostile nations. Self-sufficiency in space situational awareness India’s new ₹400 crore ($56 million) system ensures India will no longer have to depend on data from the North America Aerospace Defence Command (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/US-military-bases-are-still-using-Chinese-surveillance-video-cameras-just-weeks-before-a-federal-ban-takes-effect/articleshow/70281636.cms">NORAD</a>). Publically available data on the portal was not accurate enough and useful data is exclusive to NORAD members, which was a major obstacle, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-to-set-up-own-space-debris-agency-because-norad-data-inaccurate/articleshow/70550082.cms">according to</a> ISRO Chairman K Sivan. NETRA is the first step in making India self sufficient when it comes to space situational awareness (SSA). What can NETRA do? As of now, NETRA can only track objects in low-earth orbit (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/prime-minister-modi-in-his-live-address-says-indian-scientists-shot-down-a-low-orbit-satellite-300-km-away-in-space/articleshow/68593276.cms">LEO</a>), which is only 2,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. It can detect objects as small as 10 centimeters in size up within a range of 3,400 kilometers. Going forward, ISRO has plans to upgrade that capability to track the geostationationary orbit (GEO) as well at 36,000 kilometers. Plans for NETRA include a high-precision and long-range telescope in Leh, a radar in the North East, telescopes in Ponmudi and Mount Abu. It will also use the Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The entire network will also include data processing units and a control center. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-to-set-up-own-space-debris-agency-because-norad-data-inaccurate/articleshow/70550082.cms">India doesn't trust US with measuring space debris — and so it will set up its own agency</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-space-activities-bill-addresses-damage-in-outer-space/articleshow/69960212.cms">India’s new ‘Space Activities Bill’ will fix the liability for damage caused in outer space</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-russia-china-and-india-standoff-over-space-debris-after-a-sat-test/articleshow/70837355.cms">US, Russia and China with space debris in the thousands are complaining about 49 pieces from India's A-SAT test</a>

India's new space warning system will also keep an eye out for hostile missiles

<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

<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

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

The makers of the drone '<keyword id="116774" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rancho">Rancho</keyword>' seen in the movie <keyword id="6373971" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-idiots">3 idiots</keyword> have created several <keyword id="6370270" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="unmanned-aerial-vehicles">unmanned aerial vehicles</keyword> that are being used by Indian defence forces and in intelligence and surveillance ops. 
 
A team of four IIT alumni - Ankit Mehta, Rahul Singh, Ashish Bhat, and Vipul Joshi - started a company called ideaForge in 2007 to give their dream wings. They were working on developing technologies back in college and had many ideas they wanted to convert into products by the time they graduated. 
 
In 2008, recognition from government came to them when they won a Micro Aerial Vehicle competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Thereafter, they landed with several government projects, one of which wa NETRA – a vertical takeoff and landing UAV built on quadrotor configuration that the team developed in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation. 
 
 This UAV could take off from a small area and could fly over an area up to the height of 400m sending continuous real time videos of movements on the ground. It was this early prototype of NETRA that you had seen during the shoot of 3 Idiots. The movie director of 3 idiots had read about the drone and work by <keyword id="137562" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IITians">IITians</keyword> in the newapaper. 
 
In 2009, ideaForge developed the world’s smallest and lightest autopilot drone and also came up with India’s first fully autonomous vertical takeoff and landing UAV. In this, a user feeds the GPS location of the required destination, which is then converted into command and instructions and the UAV reaches the location autonomously. 
 The UAV's made by this team are typically easy-to-use, so they can be used easily during emergencies. So far, they have been used by the <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> to look for survivors after the deadly Uttarakhand floods back in 2013, to map the positions of militants during defence ops, for disaster management during the Nepal earthquake, and to manage crowds during the Kumbh mela. One of ideaForge’s <keyword id="94769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drones">drones</keyword> also helped in tracking a man-eating tigress in Uttarakhand.

Here's the stellar work done by four IITians who built 'Drone Rancho' for the famous movie '3 idiots'

India is recognized globally for its premier engineering institutes IITs and IIMs. Students from these colleges are behind some of the world's unicorns. They have a history of producing some wonderful innovations for a better world. From efficient electric cars, autos running on hydrogen to machines for the blind - the diverse innovations inside the campus labs are usually aimed at solving the real pain points of people and making their lives easier. Big or small, their ideas have contributed to our society for years. They are out to revolutionize the world and we are simply proud of their stellar innovations. Let's go over some of them: 
 An Electric Race Car that participated in Formula Students competition at Silverstone Circuit, UK 

	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51806943" hostid="261"></div>











 
IIT-B students unveiled EVo1 at the Powai Institute campus, it is India’s first electric race car. A team of 60 students designed this car in 2012. It has a top speed of 115 km per hour and weighs about 320 kgs. It has acceleration from 1 to 100 kmph in 5 seconds and from 0 to 60 kmph in 3.5 seconds. It possesses high efficiency DC motors and Lithium polymer batteries. 
 
SmartCane for the easy mobility of those visually-challenged 

	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51807035" hostid="261"></div>











 A group of passionate technologists, an IIT professor and a social entrepreneur joined hands and came up with an innovative product that aims to alleviate the hardships faced by visually challenged people when it comes to independent mobility.SmartCane™ is an aid for the visually impaired that provides safe and independent mobility which eases their integration into the society. It helps its user diagnose any above-the-knee obstruction from a distance of 3 meters. Frugality and resourcefulness have ensured that this product costs only INR 3,000. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&amp;v=3etHWJL2izs 
 
An App which Facebook ended up buying 
 Abheek and Soham were inspired to create Tagtile by an incident in a restaurant in San Francisco. The <keyword id="137562" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IITians">IITians</keyword> heard the restaurant owner complain about the websites and apps offering deals. Thus, Tagtile was launched in March 2011 to satisfy the merchants as well as customers with exciting deals and offers. Tagtile won many acclaims and became one of the widely used apps. It also received an award in October 2011 for Best Startup in a competition among 100-odd start-ups in the Silicon Valley.Initially a partnership deal, ended with Facebook buying the year-old product. The deal brought along an offer for Abheek and Soham to join Facebook as product manager and engineer. 
 
Drones which the Indian Army now uses 
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51807041" hostid="261"></div> <keyword id="1791200" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Bombay-students">IIT Bombay students</keyword> invented NETRA - an autonomous hovering Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a drone that helps the Indian army with rescue operations during natural calamities. 
 
Water rides You can now walk On Mirik Gogri and Ayush Jain, Two IIT-Bombay alumni formed Humming Whale Product Innovations, a company that innovates path-breaking products and solutions. The team came up with a fun idea of walking on water, which they later gamified into a ride. They are now all set to introduce the product at various gaming zones, amusement parks, events and parties. The duo also came up with rewritable T shirts. 
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51806931" hostid="261"></div>











 Write and erase. Cool, isn't is? The t-shirt was a hit on online shopping websites and was worn by a movie cast that appeared on popular TV show Bigg Boss. 
 
Hydrogen Autos with less noise and Pollution may take over Delhi roads 
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51806957" hostid="261"></div>











 Professor LM Das of IIT-D conceived the idea of using compressed hydrogen as an automotive fuel with Delhi's air pollution in mind . In the early '80s, it was a bold initiative — an idea ahead of its time. Lay acquaintances thought he was talking about making a hydrogen bomb. Detractors in the scientific community dismissed his research as a freak project. But Das soldiered on alone over the next three decades as associates came and went. He says - Unlike petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuels, pure hydrogen does not produce toxic carbon monoxide or the heat-trapping carbon dioxide on combustion. There are no oxides of sulphur, nor any particulates. Water vapour and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are the only byproducts. Although NOx is a pollutant, Das claims their engine has been optimized to reduce its emission greatly. 
 
Machine that reduces waste and in turn quenches thirst
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" msid="51806928" hostid="261"></div>











 
 
Designed and developed in just 95 days by two IIT Bombay students - Anurag Meena and Satyendra Meena - is a revolutionary machine which accepts used cans or bottles, and dispenses 300 millilitres of clean (RO and UV treated) drinking water in exchange. It is currently on a pilot test run at the IIT-Bombay boys’ hostel. In the coming months, it will also be installed in several other places in Mumbai and Chandigarh. 
 
(Image credit: PagalGuy)

10 brilliant innovations by IITians to make India a better place to live in

Brian Brainerd/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesJoe Euteneuer left his position as Mattel's chief financial officer after a whistleblower complaint led the company to acknowledge an accounting error restate two of its quarterly reports.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Data compiled by watchdog groups has indicated that there are widespread problems in the accounting industry, but few industry insiders have spoken up publicly about those shortcomings.</li><li>Two who have are Mauro Botta and Brett Whitaker, each of whom say they saw accounting problems and tried to report them internally only to be ignored and to eventually lose their jobs.</li><li>Botta says he observed problems with the accounting at multiple companies while working in the Silicon Valley office of auditing firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers; Whitaker, meanwhile, says he raised a red flag about accounting problems at Mattel that later resulted in the company restating its quarterly results.</li><li>Both have essentially offered to testify to Congress about what they saw and experienced.</li><li>Pricewaterhouse Coopers has largely denied Botta's assertions and is fighting against him in court. The firm declined to comment specifically on what Whitaker said he experienced.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>The biggest accounting firms are doing a poor job of auditing public companies, data from their public regulator indicates.But while the problems appear to be widespread, few insiders have talked about them publicly. Mauro Botta and Brett Whitaker are exceptions to that rule. Each says he encountered accounting problems at public companies and tried to get them addressed internally. Both say they were ignored and responded to that by trying to draw attention from the outside to the shortcomings they encountered, each in his own way.Now they've each gone one step further, signing on to a letter sent by watchdog groups to the House Financial Services Committee earlier this month urging it to hold a hearing on the problems in the accounting industry and with its overseer, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Essentially, both are offering to testify before Congress about what they see as the failings of the industry."I believe a hearing is needed," said Botta, a former accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, told Business Insider. "It is very much needed because it seems one of those things that is under everyone's eyes."The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, is the quasi-governmental body charged with overseeing the auditing industry. Periodically, it samples audits performed by the various accounting firms, most notably by the four biggest ones, which audit the vast majority of the largest public companies.Between 20% and 50% of the latest audits the PCAOB sampled from the Big Four firms <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pogo-watchdog-groups-audit-shortcomings-big-four-pcaob-2020-2">had critical errors in them and shouldn't have been relied on</a>, according to a <a href="https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2019/09/botched-audits-big-four-accounting-firms-fail-many-inspections/">report by the Project On Government Oversight</a>, or POGO. POGO is among the groups that sent the letter calling on Congress to examine and try to get to the bottom of such findings.That so many audits are flawed is a big concern, because literally trillions of dollars are riding on the accuracy and veracity of companies' financial statements. Investors determine how much they will pay for particular stocks based in large part on the revenue and profits reported by the companies behind those shares.The accounting firms are supposed to serve as watchdogs themselves, ensuring for investors that those reports are true and that the corporations have in place working processes to ensure that those statements are corrupted by mistakes or fraud. If investors can't trust those reports, the system can break down, leading to massive sell-offs in particular stocks or even to financial crises.<h2>Botta reported finding problems at numerous tech firms</h2>Botta and Whitaker, the former director of tax reporting at Mattel, each say they've seen the industry's failings up close. In both of their cases, the Big Four firm involved in the accounting problems they say the discovered was PwC.For its part, PwC has largely denied Botta's assertions and is fighting against him in court. The firm declined to comment specifically on what Whitaker said he experienced.Botta joined PwC, one of the Big Four, in 1999 and moved to its San Jose office - ground zero for the firm's tech industry auditing practice - in 2004, according to a lawsuit he filed against the firm. Beginning in 2012, he started finding errors and problems in the audits of three different companies, according to his suit.In one case, one of his colleagues listed Botta as the leading manager of an audit when that wasn't actually the case, according to his legal filings. That particular audit was found to be "non-compliant with accounting standards," according to both Botta and PwC's filings in the case. Botta didn't want to be associated with a failed audit, but when he objected to his name being on it, his concerns were dismissed by the colleague who put his name down and ignored by PwC's human resources department when he complained, according to his suit.Mauro BottaMauro Botta has accused PricewaterhouseCoopers of firing him after he raised concerns about accounting problem he said he found at tech companies Cavium and Harmonic.But Botta encountered much more serious problems than that, according to his court filings. For example, while working on the audit of Cavium, a chip maker, he said that he found repeated problems in the company's internal controls, the systems and protocols corporations are required to have in place to prevent accounting mistakes and fraud.In one particular case, he found that the company lost $500,000 in a phishing scam that targeted its controller, according to a whistleblower complaint he filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The controller sent the money to a supposed vendor after receiving emails that appeared to be from Cavium's CEO and chief financial officer, according to the complaint. Before sending the money, the controller didn't follow the company's protocols, which required at least two people in the company to sign off on such as disbursement, according to the complaint.Botta later discovered a myriad of accounting problems at Harmonic, a company that offers video streaming software and services, according to his whistleblower complaint. Among them were errors in the way it calculated its revenue and shortcomings in the way it determined everything from its accounts receivable to depreciation of its assets, according to that complaint.Netra Ghosh, general manager for client services at Harmonic, declined to comment on Botta's claims in his suit against PwC, because the company is not party to that suit. But, Ghosh said, "Harmonic has received clean audit opinions for decades."Representatives for Marvell Technology Group, which now owns Cavium, did not respond to requests for comment sent by email.<h2>Botta and PwC are battling in court over his claims</h2>Feeling like his superiors at PwC were ignoring or playing down the importance of the problems he found, Botta filed his whistleblower complaint and later met with staff members in the office of Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif, to solicit their help in getting the SEC's attention, according to the complaint. After the SEC launched an investigation, Botta believes that PwC found out he was the whistleblower, according to the filing. PwC not only fired him, but it contacted his subsequent employer and told that employer that he was incompetent and should be removed from the project he was working on, according to the complaint.Both the SEC and the PCAOB investigated PwC as a result of Botta's complaint, but neither has taken action against the firm to date. For his part, Botta believes that's further evidence that the agencies are failing at their jobs - and ample reason why Congress needs to take a closer look at the accounting industry."It's clear to me that the government institutions - both the SEC and PCAOB - are not able to or willing to fix the issue that I believe exists in the auditing industry," he said.In a statement, PwC said that Botta signed off on the same audits about which he raised alarms. PwC fired him for "misconduct," the firm said, adding that he allegedly "fabricated a client's internal control and related audit documentation." Despite that assertion, the PwC does not appear to have withdrawn its certification of the effectiveness of those internal controls.The firm has gotten most of the causes of action filed against it and its employees by Botta dismissed, but a trial on the remaining cause of action is set for November."PwC looks forward to demonstrating at trial that Mr. Botta's allegations are baseless," it said in the statement.<h2>Whitaker raised a red flag at Mattel</h2>Whitaker, meanwhile, is a tax expert. During his career, he has worked for Ernst &amp; Young, another Big Four firm, and for major companies including Amazon and Nike. Last fall, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/mattel-pwc-obscured-accounting-issues-former-executive-says-11573036201">in an article in The Wall Street Journal</a>, he blew the whistle on another company he had worked for, Mattel.While at the toy maker in early 2018, he discovered an accounting error that had led Mattel to understate its loss in the prior third quarter, according to The Journal article. Instead of restating its results, the company's finance team, in conjunction with its auditor, PwC, decided to essentially fudge things, reclassifying the $109 million amount in dispute for the third quarter and deducting that amount from its fourth-quarter results, Whitaker told The Journal. The point of the reclassification was to avoid publicly admitting it had made an accounting mistake, Whitaker told The Journal.Whitaker resigned from the company soon after the decision was made to essentially cover up the accounting error, according to The Journal. And the problem might have stayed buried if another, anonymous whistleblower, hadn't sent a letter to the company last summer, tipping it off to the reclassification. After an investigation, Mattel ended up restating its earnings. Following that, the company announced its chief financial officer, Joe Euteneuer, would step down from his position. Additionally, the PwC partner in charge of the audit has since left the accounting firm, PwC said in a statement.In an interview with Business Insider, Whitaker declined to go into details about his experiences at Mattel due to ongoing investigations into the matter by the SEC and others. But he did say that what happened at Mattel highlights the need for more discussion about what's happening in the accounting industry."I think there does need to be more of a dialog around that, and I definitely would like to be a part of it," he said.A Mattel representative did not respond to emails seeking comment on Whitaker's claims.For its part, PwC said in a statement it "took immediate action" in response to the anonymous whistleblower's letter from last summer. It declined to comment on Whitaker's claims that firm members initially worked hand-in-hand with Mattel's finance team to cover up the accounting error to avoid a restatement."At PwC, integrity is at the heart of who we are and how we operate as a firm," the firm said in an emailed statement. "We will always strive to do the right thing and we will continue to take the appropriate actions in response to any allegations of misconduct."<h2>Whitaker thinks auditors are too close to their clients</h2>From Whitaker's perspective, one of the biggest problems in the accounting industry is the Big Four firms have gotten too close to the companies they audit, he told Business Insider. As of last fall, PwC had been Mattel's auditor for 45 years, The Journal reported. In addition to examining Mattel's financial books, PwC has also provided Mattel tax consulting and advice, charging $1.2 million in 2018 for such services, according to a document the company filed with the SEC."The world that has kind of evolved in the tax-accounting realm in my 15 years of doing it is that the company and the audit firm are really hand-in-hand and one-in-one," Whitaker said. "There really isn't a lot of separation between those two when it comes to decisions that are made both in terms of accounting and tax."In theory, audit firms are supposed to work on behalf of corporate boards and the shareholders they represent to ensure the honesty, reliability, and accuracy of corporate managers and the financial reports they compile. But the close-knit relationships that have developed between the auditors and their corporate clients has undermined their ability to serve as independent overseers, Whitaker said.Before and after the passage of the 2017 federal tax cut, for example, Mattel was looking for ways to change its corporate structure to take advantage of its provisions, he said. PwC was Mattel's lead advisor on that work, essentially telling the company what to do and telling it what the impact would be on its taxes, he said.But then the firm turned around and served as Mattel's auditor, checking over the tax calculations PwC had made and the structure it had advised Mattel to create, Whitaker said.PwC was "effectively auditing their own work," he said. He continued: "We relied 100% on what they told us."Mattel's relationship with PwC is anything but unusual in the accounting industry, Whitaker said. Audit firms regularly tell their corporate clients that choosing their tax and consulting services will make it easier for the firms to audit the companies, because they'll already know the information they would have to check, he said.The PCAOB and other regulators have tried to promote auditor independence, but these kinds of relationships - which are allowed under the rules they've put in place - "are completely contradictory to that," Whitaker said.Got a tip about the accounting industry? Contact this reporter via email at twolverton@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/troywolv/">@troywolv</a>, or send him a secure message through Signal at 415.515.5594. You can also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tip-business-insider-securely-guide-signal-securedrop-2017-6"> contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop</a>.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more about accounting-related issues:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pogo-watchdog-groups-audit-shortcomings-big-four-pcaob-2020-2">Watchdog groups are warning that up to 50% of the audits performed by the Big Four accounting firms are fatally flawed and are calling on Congress to step in to prevent another financial meltdown</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-experts-think-ubers-profitability-pledge-is-misleading-2020-2">Here's why business experts think Uber's 'profitability' pledge is misleading and meaningless</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floqast-used-this-pitch-deck-to-raise-40-million-2020-2"></a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-peloton-contribution-margin-sec-non-gaap-measures-2019-12">The SEC's patience is running thin with an accounting measure that WeWork, Uber, and Peloton are fond of</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peloton-warned-investors-weaknesses-internal-controls-2019-8">In its IPO documents, Peloton warned it's got some particular shortcomings as a business that could lead to fraud or financial restatement</a></li></ul> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-unveils-new-galaxy-s20-phone-2020-2">Watch Samsung unveil the Samsung Galaxy S20</a></h3>

2 whistleblowers say they've seen the accounting industry's problems up close, and they're willing to testify to Congress about the shortcomings of the Big Four

You Searched For "project netra" and got 8 results

India government ready to spend ₹33 crore to fend off space debris

PTI

India's new space warning system will also keep an eye out for hostile missiles

Prabhjote Gill

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

Prabhjote Gill

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

Prabhjote Gill

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

PTI

Here's the stellar work done by four IITians who built 'Drone Rancho' for the famous movie '3 idiots'

Anushree Singh

10 brilliant innovations by IITians to make India a better place to live in

Anushree Singh

2 whistleblowers say they've seen the accounting industry's problems up close, and they're willing to testify to Congress about the shortcomings of the Big Four

Troy Wolverton

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides