General Affairs
Plastics Have Entered Human Food Chain, Study Shows
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Bits of plastic have been detected in the faeces of people in Europe, Russia and Japan, according to research claiming to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain.
All eight volunteers in a small pilot study were found to have passed several types of plastic, with an average of 20 micro-particles per 10 grams of stool, researchers reported Tuesday at a gastroenterology congress in Vienna.
The scientists speculated that the tiny specks -- ranging in size from 50 to 500 micrometres -- may been ingested via seafood, food wrapping, dust or plastic bottles.
A human hair is roughly 50 to 100 micrometres in width.
"In our laboratory, we were able to detect nine different types of plastics," said Bettina Liebmann, a researcher at the Federal Environment Agency, which analysed the samples.
The two most common were polypropylene -- found in bottle caps, rope and strapping -- and polyethylene, present in drinking bottles and textile fibres.
Together with polystyrene (utensils, cups, coolers) and polyethylene (plastic bags), they accounted for more than 95 percent of the particles detected.
"We were unable to establish a reliable connection between nutritional behaviour and exposure to microplastics," said lead author Philipp Schwabl, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna.
In earlier studies on animals, the highest concentrations of microplastics were found in the stomach and intestines, but smaller amounts have also been detected in blood, lymph and the liver.
"There are initial indications that microplastics can damage the gastrointestinal tract by promoting inflammatory reactions or absorbing harmful substances," Schwabl said.
"Further studies are needed to assess the potential dangers of microplastics for humans."
Schwabl recruited five women and three men, aged 33 to 65, in Finland, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Poland, Russia, Japan and Austria.
Each kept a week-long log of what they ate, and then provided a stool sample.
All consumed foods wrapped in plastic and beverages in plastic bottles, and six ate seafood. None were vegetarians.
Health impacts unknown
Scientists not involved in the study said it was too limited in scope to draw any firm conclusions, especially about health impacts.
"I'm not at all surprised, or particularly worried by these findings," commented Alistair Boxall, a professor in environmental science at the University of York in Britain.
"Microplastics have been found in tap water, bottled water, fish and mussel tissue, and even in beer," he added. "It is therefore inevitable that at least some of these things will get into our lungs and digestive system."
Much more research is needed, he said, before we can determine the origin of plastics found in the gut, and especially whether they are harmful.
For Stephanie Wright, a researcher at King's College London, the real question is whether plastics are accumulating in the human body.
"What is unknown is whether the concentration of plastic being ingested is higher than that coming out, due to particles crossing the gut wall," she said.
"There is no published evidence to indicate what the health effects might be."
Global plastic production has grown rapidly, and is currently more than 400 million tonnes per year.
It is estimated that two to five percent of plastics wind up in the ocean, where much of it breaks down into tiny particles.
All eight volunteers in a small pilot study were found to have passed several types of plastic, with an average of 20 micro-particles per 10 grams of stool, researchers reported Tuesday at a gastroenterology congress in Vienna.
The scientists speculated that the tiny specks -- ranging in size from 50 to 500 micrometres -- may been ingested via seafood, food wrapping, dust or plastic bottles.
A human hair is roughly 50 to 100 micrometres in width.
"In our laboratory, we were able to detect nine different types of plastics," said Bettina Liebmann, a researcher at the Federal Environment Agency, which analysed the samples.
The two most common were polypropylene -- found in bottle caps, rope and strapping -- and polyethylene, present in drinking bottles and textile fibres.
Together with polystyrene (utensils, cups, coolers) and polyethylene (plastic bags), they accounted for more than 95 percent of the particles detected.
"We were unable to establish a reliable connection between nutritional behaviour and exposure to microplastics," said lead author Philipp Schwabl, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna.
In earlier studies on animals, the highest concentrations of microplastics were found in the stomach and intestines, but smaller amounts have also been detected in blood, lymph and the liver.
"There are initial indications that microplastics can damage the gastrointestinal tract by promoting inflammatory reactions or absorbing harmful substances," Schwabl said.
"Further studies are needed to assess the potential dangers of microplastics for humans."
Schwabl recruited five women and three men, aged 33 to 65, in Finland, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Poland, Russia, Japan and Austria.
Each kept a week-long log of what they ate, and then provided a stool sample.
All consumed foods wrapped in plastic and beverages in plastic bottles, and six ate seafood. None were vegetarians.
Health impacts unknown
Scientists not involved in the study said it was too limited in scope to draw any firm conclusions, especially about health impacts.
"I'm not at all surprised, or particularly worried by these findings," commented Alistair Boxall, a professor in environmental science at the University of York in Britain.
"Microplastics have been found in tap water, bottled water, fish and mussel tissue, and even in beer," he added. "It is therefore inevitable that at least some of these things will get into our lungs and digestive system."
Much more research is needed, he said, before we can determine the origin of plastics found in the gut, and especially whether they are harmful.
For Stephanie Wright, a researcher at King's College London, the real question is whether plastics are accumulating in the human body.
"What is unknown is whether the concentration of plastic being ingested is higher than that coming out, due to particles crossing the gut wall," she said.
"There is no published evidence to indicate what the health effects might be."
Global plastic production has grown rapidly, and is currently more than 400 million tonnes per year.
It is estimated that two to five percent of plastics wind up in the ocean, where much of it breaks down into tiny particles.
Arrested CBI Officer Says Bribery Case Against Him "Illegal, Frivolous"
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A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI arrested an investigating officer and conducted searches at its own headquarters, the officer challenged his arrest in the Delhi High Court. The officer also sought cancellation of the First Information Report or FIR, terming it as "illegal, frivolous and malafide". The agency, however, has been granted his custody for seven days. He has also been suspended by the agency.
The CBI has accused Special Director Rakesh Asthana, the agency's number 2, of corruption and filed a bribery case that led to the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar. The officer was part of Mr Asthana's team which was investigating a money laundering case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
Mr Asthana, who also challenged bribery charges against him and asked for protection from arrest today, will not be arrested at least till Monday -- when the case is taken up next -- the Delhi High Court said.
Devender Kumar has been accused of forgery during recording the statement of Sathish Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman linked to the Moin Qureshi case, who claimed to have paid a bribe of Rs. 2 crore to get relief in the case.
The CBI claimed that Mr Kumar was part of an extortion racket being run in the garb of investigation.
Devendra Kumar's lawyer argued that the FIR is an effort to derail the case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi in which he was being made a scapegoat. He also informed the court that the CBI allegedly took Mr Kumar's signatures on blank papers.
His counsel requested the court that his client be allowed home-cooked food, but the court said it would be safer to have food provided by the CBI.
Mr Kumar was arrested a day after the CBI filed an FIR against Mr Asthana, Kumar and two others alleging that bribes were accepted at least five times between December 2017 and October this year. His home in Delhi was raided by the CBI on Sunday and eight cellphones and an ipad were seized.
The officer said that the CBI didn't provide a seizure memo of the items, prompting the judge to direct the agency to submit the receipt in the court.
His family and lawyer are allowed meet Devender Kumar for 15 minutes every day, the court said.
The CBI has accused Special Director Rakesh Asthana, the agency's number 2, of corruption and filed a bribery case that led to the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar. The officer was part of Mr Asthana's team which was investigating a money laundering case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
Mr Asthana, who also challenged bribery charges against him and asked for protection from arrest today, will not be arrested at least till Monday -- when the case is taken up next -- the Delhi High Court said.
Devender Kumar has been accused of forgery during recording the statement of Sathish Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman linked to the Moin Qureshi case, who claimed to have paid a bribe of Rs. 2 crore to get relief in the case.
The CBI claimed that Mr Kumar was part of an extortion racket being run in the garb of investigation.
Devendra Kumar's lawyer argued that the FIR is an effort to derail the case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi in which he was being made a scapegoat. He also informed the court that the CBI allegedly took Mr Kumar's signatures on blank papers.
His counsel requested the court that his client be allowed home-cooked food, but the court said it would be safer to have food provided by the CBI.
Mr Kumar was arrested a day after the CBI filed an FIR against Mr Asthana, Kumar and two others alleging that bribes were accepted at least five times between December 2017 and October this year. His home in Delhi was raided by the CBI on Sunday and eight cellphones and an ipad were seized.
The officer said that the CBI didn't provide a seizure memo of the items, prompting the judge to direct the agency to submit the receipt in the court.
His family and lawyer are allowed meet Devender Kumar for 15 minutes every day, the court said.
Parliamentary Panel On Citizenship Bill To Table Report In Winter Session
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A joint parliamentary committee, which is examining a controversial bill seeking to amend the six-decade-old Citizenship Act, is set to table its report in the Winter session of Parliament in December.
The bill is receiving vehement opposition in Assam and other northeastern states. In Assam, 46 organisations called a 12-hour bandh today to protest against the Centre's bid to pass the proposed legislation in the forthcoming session of Parliament.
"The Winter session is practically the last session of the House (16th Lok Sabha). If we do not submit our report, it means we have not done our work properly. Besides the committee will also lapse," chairman of the multi-party committee and BJP MP from Meerut, Rajendra Agrawal, told news agency PTI.
Mr Agrawal, however, made it clear that a final decision on tabling the report of the committee will be decided by its members soon.
"The committee will decide when to submit the report," he said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Among others, the amendment bill seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.
A large section of people, organisations in the Northeast have opposed the bill saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.
The Meghalaya and Mizoram governments have strongly opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill and adopted resolutions against it.
"We understand there are concerns among some people. Many of the organisations have met us. We are open for further discussions in the coming days," Mr Agrawal said, when asked whether the committee members will again visit Assam, where the bill is receiving maximum opposition.
The committee has already taken six extensions from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. It has sought time for the presentation of the report on the "first day of the last week of the Winter Session, 2018".
During the course of its examination and study visits, the committee met a cross section of people in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam and Meghalaya and heard views of organisations, individuals, experts and others.
The committee also heard the views of the chief secretaries and police chiefs of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Political parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have extended their support to Tuesday's bandh in the "interest of Assam and its indigenous people".
All district magistrates and superintendents of police have been instructed by the BJP government in the state to take measures to maintain public utility services in view of the bandh call.
The bill is receiving vehement opposition in Assam and other northeastern states. In Assam, 46 organisations called a 12-hour bandh today to protest against the Centre's bid to pass the proposed legislation in the forthcoming session of Parliament.
"The Winter session is practically the last session of the House (16th Lok Sabha). If we do not submit our report, it means we have not done our work properly. Besides the committee will also lapse," chairman of the multi-party committee and BJP MP from Meerut, Rajendra Agrawal, told news agency PTI.
Mr Agrawal, however, made it clear that a final decision on tabling the report of the committee will be decided by its members soon.
"The committee will decide when to submit the report," he said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Among others, the amendment bill seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.
A large section of people, organisations in the Northeast have opposed the bill saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.
The Meghalaya and Mizoram governments have strongly opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill and adopted resolutions against it.
"We understand there are concerns among some people. Many of the organisations have met us. We are open for further discussions in the coming days," Mr Agrawal said, when asked whether the committee members will again visit Assam, where the bill is receiving maximum opposition.
The committee has already taken six extensions from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. It has sought time for the presentation of the report on the "first day of the last week of the Winter Session, 2018".
During the course of its examination and study visits, the committee met a cross section of people in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam and Meghalaya and heard views of organisations, individuals, experts and others.
The committee also heard the views of the chief secretaries and police chiefs of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Political parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have extended their support to Tuesday's bandh in the "interest of Assam and its indigenous people".
All district magistrates and superintendents of police have been instructed by the BJP government in the state to take measures to maintain public utility services in view of the bandh call.
Supreme Court Agrees To Review Sabarimala Verdict, Hearing On November 13
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A clutch of petitions challenging its landmark order opening the doors of Kerala's Sabarimala temple to women below 50 will be heard by the Supreme Court on November 13. The 19 petitions will be heard before the temple re-opens for the pilgrim season on November 16 . Despite the top court's order, no woman under 50 years was allowed into the shrine when it opened last week for the five-day monthly puja.
'Massive protests by devotees and some priests had ensured that none of the nine women who attempted the 19-km trek to the hilltop temple could enter.
A 12-day pilgrim season when lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine, will begin on November 16.
On October 9, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing on the plea by National Ayyappa Devotees Association that contended the five-judge Constitution bench order was "untenable and irrational". The bench had said the review petitions could only be taken up after the Dussehra vacation.
The petition by Shylaja Vijayan, president of the National Ayyappa Devotees Association has said the "faith cannot be judged by scientific or rationale reasons or logic."
"The notion that the judgment under review is revolutionary, one which removes the stigma or the concept of dirt or pollution associated with menstruation is unfounded," the petition says.
Another review petition filed by the Nair Service Society, a community organisation, contends that the deity at the Sabarimala temple is celibate and the tradition of women aged between 10 and 50 not offering prayers at the temple doesn't amount to their exclusion.
"The delay or wait for 40 years to worship cannot be considered as exclusionary and it is an error of law on the face of the judgment," the plea said.
The petition also said many "essential religious practices will be rendered void and religion itself may be rendered out of existence if the general ground of equality under Article 14 of the constitution is resorted to."
'Massive protests by devotees and some priests had ensured that none of the nine women who attempted the 19-km trek to the hilltop temple could enter.
A 12-day pilgrim season when lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine, will begin on November 16.
On October 9, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing on the plea by National Ayyappa Devotees Association that contended the five-judge Constitution bench order was "untenable and irrational". The bench had said the review petitions could only be taken up after the Dussehra vacation.
The petition by Shylaja Vijayan, president of the National Ayyappa Devotees Association has said the "faith cannot be judged by scientific or rationale reasons or logic."
"The notion that the judgment under review is revolutionary, one which removes the stigma or the concept of dirt or pollution associated with menstruation is unfounded," the petition says.
Another review petition filed by the Nair Service Society, a community organisation, contends that the deity at the Sabarimala temple is celibate and the tradition of women aged between 10 and 50 not offering prayers at the temple doesn't amount to their exclusion.
"The delay or wait for 40 years to worship cannot be considered as exclusionary and it is an error of law on the face of the judgment," the plea said.
The petition also said many "essential religious practices will be rendered void and religion itself may be rendered out of existence if the general ground of equality under Article 14 of the constitution is resorted to."
In Mumbai, Over 18,400 People Died Between 2013-18 In Train Accidents
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A Right To Information plea has found that 18,423 people died and 18,847 people were injured in suburban train-related accidents between January 2013 to August 2018.
Replying to the RTI query filed by activist Shakeel Ahmad, the Mumbai railway police commissionerate said that these casualties occurred due to passengers falling from trains, dashing against poles, crossing railway tracks or travelling on the roof of trains.
Providing a break-up, the RTI reply stated that 3,506 people died in 2013, 3,423 in 2014, 3,304 in 2015, 3,202 in 2016, 3,014 2017 and 1,974 in the first 8 months of the current year.
Speaking on the declining figures, Ravinder Bhakar, chief PRO of Western Railway said, "We have taken several measures to curb deaths by constructing FOBs, fencing, conducting aerial survey of accident prone areas and counselling passengers."
A railway police official said that these figures include those who committed suicide by jumping in front of trains.
RTI activist Ahmad said that the railways had to do still more to stop track deaths.
"Railways have failed to comply with the orders of the Bombay High Court in this regard. These numbers will come down if railway officials are forced to travel by trains," he contended.
Replying to the RTI query filed by activist Shakeel Ahmad, the Mumbai railway police commissionerate said that these casualties occurred due to passengers falling from trains, dashing against poles, crossing railway tracks or travelling on the roof of trains.
Providing a break-up, the RTI reply stated that 3,506 people died in 2013, 3,423 in 2014, 3,304 in 2015, 3,202 in 2016, 3,014 2017 and 1,974 in the first 8 months of the current year.
Speaking on the declining figures, Ravinder Bhakar, chief PRO of Western Railway said, "We have taken several measures to curb deaths by constructing FOBs, fencing, conducting aerial survey of accident prone areas and counselling passengers."
A railway police official said that these figures include those who committed suicide by jumping in front of trains.
RTI activist Ahmad said that the railways had to do still more to stop track deaths.
"Railways have failed to comply with the orders of the Bombay High Court in this regard. These numbers will come down if railway officials are forced to travel by trains," he contended.
Business Affairs
Reliance acquires 58.92% stake in Den Networks, 51.34% share in Hathway
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Reliance through its network of subsidiaries has acquired 58.92 per cent in Den networks and 51.34 per cent in Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited. Hathway enjoys over 52 per cent share of the total MSO cable broadband market in India with 7.7 lakh subscribers, and has the ability to reach 5.5 million homes. A per TRAI, Hathway cable and datacom has 3.58 per cent market share in the wired internet subscriber category. DEN, on the other hand, claims to have the ability to reach 9.7 lakh homes but currently has around 106,000 broadband subscribers. Hathway Cable is owned by the Raheja Group, while Sameer Manchanda owns DEN Networks. They both are amongst the biggest players in the cable broadband market.
"Reliance is now committed to take India from a global rank of 135th to among the top-3 countries in the world on wireline digital connectivity," a company said in a statement, adding that Reliance Jio wants to bring JioGigaFiber to over 50 million homes across 1,100 Indian cities and towns, in the shortest possible time.
Following are the terms of the takeover.
Den networks
The Reliance subsidiaries that have bought 58.92 stake in Den include Jio Futuristic Digital Holdings Private Limited, Jio Digital Distribution Holdings Private Limited and Jio Television Distribution Holdings Private Limited together with Reliance Industries Limited Digital Media Distribution Trust Reliance Content Distribution Limited and Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, which acted as persons acting in concert with the acquirers.
Hathway Limited
Similarly, other subsidiaries of Reliance, which bought 51.34 per cent stake in Hathway, include Jio Content Distribution Holdings Private Limited, Jio Internet Distribution Holdings Private Limited and Jio Cable and Broadband Holdings Private Limited together with Reliance Industries Limited Digital Media Distribution Trust Reliance Content Distribution Limited and Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. These companies also acted as persons acting in "concert" in the takeover.
As per the Sebi filings, Reliance Jio will acquire 90.88 crore equity shares of Hatchway constituting 51.34 per cent of the HCDL Expanded Voting Share Capital. HCDL directly holds 4.1 crore equity shares of the company constituting 37.32 per cent of the voting share capital of the GTPL Hathway and is classified as a promoter of the target company.
HCDl and its wholly owned subsidiary, HMVPL holds an aggregate of 51.60 per cent voting shares of GTPL Hathway Limited. After the completion of the deal, Reliance Jio would hold 51.34 per cent stake in HCDL, thus getting the controlling stake in its subsidiaries too.
After disrupting the telecom sector, Reliance Jio seems well on its way to start another 'tariff war' -- this time in the cable and digital content and broadcasting market. Reliance Jio is building a robust digital content ecosystem in the country, which will get a huge boost after the official rollout of its fixed broadband service, called GigaFiber.
The acquisition gives Reliance access to 24 million existing cable connected homes of these companies across 750 cities, thereby covering around half of its target to connect 50 million homes across 1,100 Indian cities. This could also give both Airtel and SITI cable, who are prominent players in the broadband segment, a run for their money.
The shares of Hathway and Den have been climbing since the news was made public earlier in October. Since then the shares have gained over 20 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.
"Reliance is now committed to take India from a global rank of 135th to among the top-3 countries in the world on wireline digital connectivity," a company said in a statement, adding that Reliance Jio wants to bring JioGigaFiber to over 50 million homes across 1,100 Indian cities and towns, in the shortest possible time.
Following are the terms of the takeover.
Den networks
The Reliance subsidiaries that have bought 58.92 stake in Den include Jio Futuristic Digital Holdings Private Limited, Jio Digital Distribution Holdings Private Limited and Jio Television Distribution Holdings Private Limited together with Reliance Industries Limited Digital Media Distribution Trust Reliance Content Distribution Limited and Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, which acted as persons acting in concert with the acquirers.
Hathway Limited
Similarly, other subsidiaries of Reliance, which bought 51.34 per cent stake in Hathway, include Jio Content Distribution Holdings Private Limited, Jio Internet Distribution Holdings Private Limited and Jio Cable and Broadband Holdings Private Limited together with Reliance Industries Limited Digital Media Distribution Trust Reliance Content Distribution Limited and Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. These companies also acted as persons acting in "concert" in the takeover.
As per the Sebi filings, Reliance Jio will acquire 90.88 crore equity shares of Hatchway constituting 51.34 per cent of the HCDL Expanded Voting Share Capital. HCDL directly holds 4.1 crore equity shares of the company constituting 37.32 per cent of the voting share capital of the GTPL Hathway and is classified as a promoter of the target company.
HCDl and its wholly owned subsidiary, HMVPL holds an aggregate of 51.60 per cent voting shares of GTPL Hathway Limited. After the completion of the deal, Reliance Jio would hold 51.34 per cent stake in HCDL, thus getting the controlling stake in its subsidiaries too.
After disrupting the telecom sector, Reliance Jio seems well on its way to start another 'tariff war' -- this time in the cable and digital content and broadcasting market. Reliance Jio is building a robust digital content ecosystem in the country, which will get a huge boost after the official rollout of its fixed broadband service, called GigaFiber.
The acquisition gives Reliance access to 24 million existing cable connected homes of these companies across 750 cities, thereby covering around half of its target to connect 50 million homes across 1,100 Indian cities. This could also give both Airtel and SITI cable, who are prominent players in the broadband segment, a run for their money.
The shares of Hathway and Den have been climbing since the news was made public earlier in October. Since then the shares have gained over 20 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.
3.3 billion data records compromised in the first half of 2018: Gemalto report
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There were 944 data breaches in the first six months of 2018 compromising 3.2 billion data records worldwide. That's an increase of over 72 per cent of lost, stolen or compromised records compared to the same period in 2017.
These findings are a part of Breach Level Index, a database of public data breaches by digital security firm Gemalto.
From the total 3.2 billion data records breached, 56 per cent of the records were due to six big social media breaches. One of those was the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook incident.
"This year social media has been the top industry and threat vector for the compromise of personal data, a trend we can expect to continue with more and more sectors leveraging these platforms to reach key audiences, especially political teams gearing up for major elections," said Jason Hart, vice president and chief technology officer for data protection at Gemalto.
He adds, "We expect to see more data breaches reported by European Union countries bound by the new General Data Protection Regulation and in Australia with the new Notifiable Data Breaches law. We should be careful not to misconstrue this as an increase in overall incidents in these areas but rather as a more accurate reflection of what is actually going on."
The most common type of data breach is identity theft, as it has been since Gemalto's first report in 2013. While the number of identity theft breaches decreased by 60 per cent over the second half of 2017, the number of records stolen through these incidents represent over 42 per cent of all records stolen.
Financial access incidents show a disturbing trend in the escalation of severity. Though overall incident numbers are on the decline, the number of records breached increased from 1.5 million in first half of 2017 to 2.6 million in the same period in 2018.
These data breaches were caused by not as many outsiders but malicious insiders who accounted for almost 80 per cent of all stolen, compromised or lost records in 2018 in India.
The country that is the most popular target of attacks is the United States representing more than 57 per cent of global breaches and accounting for 97 per cent of all records stolen.
India accounts for less than one per cent of the global breaches in terms of records compromised or stolen or revealed.
With the implementation of the Notifiable Data Breaches law, the number of incidents in Australia increased dramatically from 18 to 308.
Europe saw 36 per cent fewer incidents but a 28 per cent increase in the number of records breached indicating growing severity of attacks. The United Kingdom remains the most breached country in the region. With the General Data Protection Regulation in full effect for the second half of 2018, the number of reported incidents could begin to rise.
These findings are a part of Breach Level Index, a database of public data breaches by digital security firm Gemalto.
From the total 3.2 billion data records breached, 56 per cent of the records were due to six big social media breaches. One of those was the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook incident.
"This year social media has been the top industry and threat vector for the compromise of personal data, a trend we can expect to continue with more and more sectors leveraging these platforms to reach key audiences, especially political teams gearing up for major elections," said Jason Hart, vice president and chief technology officer for data protection at Gemalto.
He adds, "We expect to see more data breaches reported by European Union countries bound by the new General Data Protection Regulation and in Australia with the new Notifiable Data Breaches law. We should be careful not to misconstrue this as an increase in overall incidents in these areas but rather as a more accurate reflection of what is actually going on."
The most common type of data breach is identity theft, as it has been since Gemalto's first report in 2013. While the number of identity theft breaches decreased by 60 per cent over the second half of 2017, the number of records stolen through these incidents represent over 42 per cent of all records stolen.
Financial access incidents show a disturbing trend in the escalation of severity. Though overall incident numbers are on the decline, the number of records breached increased from 1.5 million in first half of 2017 to 2.6 million in the same period in 2018.
These data breaches were caused by not as many outsiders but malicious insiders who accounted for almost 80 per cent of all stolen, compromised or lost records in 2018 in India.
The country that is the most popular target of attacks is the United States representing more than 57 per cent of global breaches and accounting for 97 per cent of all records stolen.
India accounts for less than one per cent of the global breaches in terms of records compromised or stolen or revealed.
With the implementation of the Notifiable Data Breaches law, the number of incidents in Australia increased dramatically from 18 to 308.
Europe saw 36 per cent fewer incidents but a 28 per cent increase in the number of records breached indicating growing severity of attacks. The United Kingdom remains the most breached country in the region. With the General Data Protection Regulation in full effect for the second half of 2018, the number of reported incidents could begin to rise.
Wait is over! India's 1st luxury cruise service starts from Mumbai to Goa; ticket price starts from Rs 6,000
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Who would want to take a usual mundane flight for the much-awaited Goa trip when you can sail through Indian sea via a seven-deck luxurious cruise? After all, not many would want to miss out on a journey where they can enjoy drinks in bars, delicious food at restaurants, dance at discotheque, and even swimming pool and spa -- all while travelling. A cruise journey can be memorable for those planning their wedding, honeymoon or vacations in Mumbai, or Goa at affordable rates, or even those mulling to explore the unexplored in India only. All this is possible now, with India's first domestic luxury cruise liner, Angriya, a cruise service that has been launched as a joint venture by Mumbai Port Trust and Angriya Sea Eagle Pvt Ltd.
This 131-metre passenger ship cruise is operating from Mumbai-Goa route since last week now, and has the capacity of hosting up to 400 passengers. The cruise ship, Angriya, has been named after first Maratha Navy Admiral (Sarkhel) Kanhoji Angre and the great Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg, Maharashtra. The ship will take 14 hours from Mumbai to Goa.
Facilities you get
Well, everything that might be in your in your travel diary list -- accommodation as per your need; all kinds of cuisines, including west coast delights; spa facility as you sail through the soothing breeze of the quaint Konkan Coast; six unique bars that also offer breathtaking views of the Indian sea; open deck facility to give you a 360-degree view; and swimming facility. All while on you enjoy your cruise journey. On board the ship, you can also gain some insight about interesting nautical trivia. If cruise wedding is on your wish list, one of the restaurants on the ship can be expanded to organise wedding parties or corporate meetings.
For all the music and dance aficionados, Angriya has got you covered! Don't forget to book in advance for spa and discotheque, though you can also enjoy poolside music while sailing through the sea if discotheque is one thing you are not looking for. If children are accompanying you, you will not be able to take them to the areas where liquor will be served, but they will have an array of options like library, curio shop, museum, etc, to roam around.
Cruise Timing
The Angriya cruise will depart from the Mumbai port at 4pm and reach Goa at 9am the next day. Similarly, the ship will depart from Goa at 4pm and will reach Mumbai around 9am the next day. You will be able to enjoy sunset or sunrise on the Angriya cruise during your to-and-fro journey.
Is it expensive?
During your trip, you'll have to spend around Rs 2,000 a person for food, including breakfast, dinner, snacks, juice, tea, etc. The vessel deck of Angriya has six bars and two different types of restaurants, and round-the-clock coffee shops, recreation room, and lounge. The price for this premium sailing service starts at Rs 4,300 (excluding food) for a dorm and can go up to Rs 7,650 for a double room, which in comparison to other modes of transportation, including air travel and train, is bit expensive. For a Volvo bus service between Mumbai to Goa, one has to pay around Rs 1,000-Rs 2,500, while if you travel by air, most airlines charge around Rs 3,500-Rs 7,000. Even the ticket price for most premium train service Tejas costs Rs 2,600 only. But, the facilities provided on the cruise are incomparable to other mediums. You can book tickets through a travel agent or the website of Angriya Cruise.
Cruise tourism boost
Goa, being a prominent tourist destination in India, is already a famous cruise destination. The state has seen over 25 per cent rise in the tourist footfall in 2017 alone. The cruise tourism is evolving at a faster pace in Mumbai too. In its plan to boost cruise tourism in India, the Centre has floated proposals to link Mumbai with other tourist places of the country as well as parts of Southeast Asia. The cruise tourism segment would also play a major role in providing employment to thousands of youths, suggest experts.
This 131-metre passenger ship cruise is operating from Mumbai-Goa route since last week now, and has the capacity of hosting up to 400 passengers. The cruise ship, Angriya, has been named after first Maratha Navy Admiral (Sarkhel) Kanhoji Angre and the great Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg, Maharashtra. The ship will take 14 hours from Mumbai to Goa.
Facilities you get
Well, everything that might be in your in your travel diary list -- accommodation as per your need; all kinds of cuisines, including west coast delights; spa facility as you sail through the soothing breeze of the quaint Konkan Coast; six unique bars that also offer breathtaking views of the Indian sea; open deck facility to give you a 360-degree view; and swimming facility. All while on you enjoy your cruise journey. On board the ship, you can also gain some insight about interesting nautical trivia. If cruise wedding is on your wish list, one of the restaurants on the ship can be expanded to organise wedding parties or corporate meetings.
For all the music and dance aficionados, Angriya has got you covered! Don't forget to book in advance for spa and discotheque, though you can also enjoy poolside music while sailing through the sea if discotheque is one thing you are not looking for. If children are accompanying you, you will not be able to take them to the areas where liquor will be served, but they will have an array of options like library, curio shop, museum, etc, to roam around.
Cruise Timing
The Angriya cruise will depart from the Mumbai port at 4pm and reach Goa at 9am the next day. Similarly, the ship will depart from Goa at 4pm and will reach Mumbai around 9am the next day. You will be able to enjoy sunset or sunrise on the Angriya cruise during your to-and-fro journey.
Is it expensive?
During your trip, you'll have to spend around Rs 2,000 a person for food, including breakfast, dinner, snacks, juice, tea, etc. The vessel deck of Angriya has six bars and two different types of restaurants, and round-the-clock coffee shops, recreation room, and lounge. The price for this premium sailing service starts at Rs 4,300 (excluding food) for a dorm and can go up to Rs 7,650 for a double room, which in comparison to other modes of transportation, including air travel and train, is bit expensive. For a Volvo bus service between Mumbai to Goa, one has to pay around Rs 1,000-Rs 2,500, while if you travel by air, most airlines charge around Rs 3,500-Rs 7,000. Even the ticket price for most premium train service Tejas costs Rs 2,600 only. But, the facilities provided on the cruise are incomparable to other mediums. You can book tickets through a travel agent or the website of Angriya Cruise.
Cruise tourism boost
Goa, being a prominent tourist destination in India, is already a famous cruise destination. The state has seen over 25 per cent rise in the tourist footfall in 2017 alone. The cruise tourism is evolving at a faster pace in Mumbai too. In its plan to boost cruise tourism in India, the Centre has floated proposals to link Mumbai with other tourist places of the country as well as parts of Southeast Asia. The cruise tourism segment would also play a major role in providing employment to thousands of youths, suggest experts.
Airtel, Jio leverage artificial intelligence to offer better, cost-efficient customer experience
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Weeks after Bharti Airtel signed a deal with Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence (AI) service provider AuthMe ID Services, it has taken another step into the new-age digital world with a new partnership with Google.
In an industry first, the Sunil Mittal-controlled company has collaborated with the search giant to integrate its customer care with the AI-powered Google Assistant. "This new cutting-edge feature will allow customers to have rich conversational experiences with Airtel," the company said in a statement yesterday.
This development will not only simplify its customer service experience - since users will now able to get instant resolution to their frequent account related queries through the Google Assistant, which is driven by voice commands - but will also help the telco reduce costs.
"With smartphones fast becoming the norm for every Indian, this will make digital self-care much more interactive and step up the customer experience," Sarang Kanade, Director - Customer Service Delivery, Bharti Airtel, said about the new initiative, a part of Project Next - Airtel's digital innovation program, which is aimed at transforming customer experience across all of its services and touch points.
The service is currently available in English but Airtel plans to roll it out in multiple regional languages over time to help deliver an even more personalized experience to millions of Indians, encouraging them to get online. "Similarly, Airtel will continue to track what questions customer are asking and enable responses to them via Google Assistant, thus improving the flexibility and robustness of the Airtel voice Action," said the company.
According to The Economic Times, Airtel is not the only telco turning to AI to offer better, more cost-efficient customer experience and thereby increase stickiness on its networks amid the cut-throat competition in the space. Industry disrupter Reliance Jio Infocomm has similar designs in mind. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a recent report that voice AI is a focus area for the Mukesh Ambani-led telco, which introduced voice commands on its MyJio application to ease the customer service process.
"It makes a lot of sense to adopt AI technology to automate, given the cost of human interaction has increased 20-30%," Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder of Greyhound Research, told the daily. "Indian telcos need to make their subscribers use these features. Airtel's app for self-service is well received. Jio's user base is different and they may not use such a feature as aggressively," he added.
So here's how Airtel customers can use the Google Assistant
1. Android Users just have to long press the Home Button to launch it but iOS Users have to first download Google Assistant on their phones.
2. To get your account details, for the first time, the Airtel assistant will ask to link your Airtel account with Google. If you click yes, you will be asked to enter your Mobile number and accept the Terms of Service following which you will receive an OTP. Enter the OTP to complete linking your account.
3. Get Started. Speak to Assistant saying "Talk to Airtel", "Ask Airtel" or "Get Airtel". Airtel assistant will open within Google Assistant and offer to tell you about "outstanding amounts, data balance and more". All you have to do is to speak clearly while posing your Airtel account related questions.
In an industry first, the Sunil Mittal-controlled company has collaborated with the search giant to integrate its customer care with the AI-powered Google Assistant. "This new cutting-edge feature will allow customers to have rich conversational experiences with Airtel," the company said in a statement yesterday.
This development will not only simplify its customer service experience - since users will now able to get instant resolution to their frequent account related queries through the Google Assistant, which is driven by voice commands - but will also help the telco reduce costs.
"With smartphones fast becoming the norm for every Indian, this will make digital self-care much more interactive and step up the customer experience," Sarang Kanade, Director - Customer Service Delivery, Bharti Airtel, said about the new initiative, a part of Project Next - Airtel's digital innovation program, which is aimed at transforming customer experience across all of its services and touch points.
The service is currently available in English but Airtel plans to roll it out in multiple regional languages over time to help deliver an even more personalized experience to millions of Indians, encouraging them to get online. "Similarly, Airtel will continue to track what questions customer are asking and enable responses to them via Google Assistant, thus improving the flexibility and robustness of the Airtel voice Action," said the company.
According to The Economic Times, Airtel is not the only telco turning to AI to offer better, more cost-efficient customer experience and thereby increase stickiness on its networks amid the cut-throat competition in the space. Industry disrupter Reliance Jio Infocomm has similar designs in mind. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a recent report that voice AI is a focus area for the Mukesh Ambani-led telco, which introduced voice commands on its MyJio application to ease the customer service process.
"It makes a lot of sense to adopt AI technology to automate, given the cost of human interaction has increased 20-30%," Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder of Greyhound Research, told the daily. "Indian telcos need to make their subscribers use these features. Airtel's app for self-service is well received. Jio's user base is different and they may not use such a feature as aggressively," he added.
So here's how Airtel customers can use the Google Assistant
1. Android Users just have to long press the Home Button to launch it but iOS Users have to first download Google Assistant on their phones.
2. To get your account details, for the first time, the Airtel assistant will ask to link your Airtel account with Google. If you click yes, you will be asked to enter your Mobile number and accept the Terms of Service following which you will receive an OTP. Enter the OTP to complete linking your account.
3. Get Started. Speak to Assistant saying "Talk to Airtel", "Ask Airtel" or "Get Airtel". Airtel assistant will open within Google Assistant and offer to tell you about "outstanding amounts, data balance and more". All you have to do is to speak clearly while posing your Airtel account related questions.
Sensex falls to seven-month low, Nifty closes below 10,200 amid negative global cues
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Continuing its slide for the fourth straight session, the Sensex slipped over 287 points to close at almost seven-month low of 33,847, tracking sluggish trend in global markets on geo-political tensions and fresh worries over trade war amid weak rupee.
However, short-covering by speculators towards the fag-end helped both the key indices to trim losses.
Mustafa Nadeem, CEO at Epic Research said, "Nifty has strong support at 10,100 - 10,050 levels given its a crucial support in this rally as the previous rally to 11,700 saw a bottom being made at these levels only. The present scenario in the market is like a tug of war between bulls and bears. A swift pullback is expected though it is a matter of time and patience. At this point, we are cautious for bulls, as said before, as a pullback can be seen in the market. Buying at lower levels should be seen with the retest of 10,400 - 10,350. A close below 10,050 will negate this view."
The rupee depreciated to 73.82 (intra-day) against the US dollar, which too had a negative influence.
The 30-share Sensex closed 287.15 points or 0.84 per cent lower at 33,847.23 after hitting a low of 33,742.75. This is the weakest closing since April 10 last, when it settled at 33,880.25. The index had lost 1,028 points in the previous three sessions.
The broader NSE Nifty too fell below the 10,200 level by dropping 98.45 points, or 0.96 per cent, to end at 10,146.80. Intra-day, it touched a low of 10,102.35.
VK Sharma, Head PCG and Capital Markets Group at HDFC Securities said," Profit booking in IT and pharmaceuticals stocks dragged the indices lower today. These two sectors were holding their ground recently while overall markets corrected. Investors choose to book some profits here as the tailwinds of depreciating currency are slowing. Pressure of higher raw material costs hurt performance of the paint companies. Asian Paints and Kansai Nerolac both painted a pessimistic picture of demand in near term. Nifty pierced through recent lows of 10138 and traded as low as 10100. Decline of 1.5% in crude oil price helped markets in the second half. The Nifty is testing the mettle of the bulls. If bulls mange to defend the 10100 support, we are up for decent short covering bounce."
Overall market sentiment remained weak largely in sync with other Asian markets, tracking overnight losses at the Wall Street as caution grew ahead of a slew of earnings reports this week, brokers said.
Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares of Rs 511.91 crore Monday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 303.21 crore, as per provisional data.
However, short-covering by speculators towards the fag-end helped both the key indices to trim losses.
Mustafa Nadeem, CEO at Epic Research said, "Nifty has strong support at 10,100 - 10,050 levels given its a crucial support in this rally as the previous rally to 11,700 saw a bottom being made at these levels only. The present scenario in the market is like a tug of war between bulls and bears. A swift pullback is expected though it is a matter of time and patience. At this point, we are cautious for bulls, as said before, as a pullback can be seen in the market. Buying at lower levels should be seen with the retest of 10,400 - 10,350. A close below 10,050 will negate this view."
The rupee depreciated to 73.82 (intra-day) against the US dollar, which too had a negative influence.
The 30-share Sensex closed 287.15 points or 0.84 per cent lower at 33,847.23 after hitting a low of 33,742.75. This is the weakest closing since April 10 last, when it settled at 33,880.25. The index had lost 1,028 points in the previous three sessions.
The broader NSE Nifty too fell below the 10,200 level by dropping 98.45 points, or 0.96 per cent, to end at 10,146.80. Intra-day, it touched a low of 10,102.35.
VK Sharma, Head PCG and Capital Markets Group at HDFC Securities said," Profit booking in IT and pharmaceuticals stocks dragged the indices lower today. These two sectors were holding their ground recently while overall markets corrected. Investors choose to book some profits here as the tailwinds of depreciating currency are slowing. Pressure of higher raw material costs hurt performance of the paint companies. Asian Paints and Kansai Nerolac both painted a pessimistic picture of demand in near term. Nifty pierced through recent lows of 10138 and traded as low as 10100. Decline of 1.5% in crude oil price helped markets in the second half. The Nifty is testing the mettle of the bulls. If bulls mange to defend the 10100 support, we are up for decent short covering bounce."
Overall market sentiment remained weak largely in sync with other Asian markets, tracking overnight losses at the Wall Street as caution grew ahead of a slew of earnings reports this week, brokers said.
Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares of Rs 511.91 crore Monday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 303.21 crore, as per provisional data.
General Awareness
Earth’s inner core is softer, a study reveals
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What to study?
For Prelims and Mains: All about Earth’s inner core, its state and significance of its finding.
Context: Contrary to the fact the Earth’s inner core is solid, researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have found that it is comparatively softer.
Facts about the inner core of the Earth:
Radius: 1,220 kilometres (760 miles) i.e. 70 per cent of the Moon’s radius.
Composed of: Nickel-iron alloy.
Temperature: 5,700 K (5,430 °C) or 9806 °F, which is almost the temperature of Sun.
What is inner core made of?
The inner core is made up of two layers outer and inner.
Outer core is 1,355 miles (2,180 km) thick.
Why is the radius of inner core unknown?
There is no estimated radius of the inner core; however, it plays a distinct role in making Earth’s magnetic field.
The inner core is measured by shear waves, a seismology term, which so tiny and feeble that it can’t be observed directly.
In fact, detecting them has been considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of global seismology since scientists first predicted the inner core was solid in the 1930s and 40s.
Purpose of the Earth’s inner core:
When charged particles from the solar wind collide with air molecules above Earth’s magnetic poles, it causes the air molecules to glow, causing the auroras – the northern and southern lights.
How has it been discovered?
Researchers came up with a way to detect shear waves, or “J waves” in the inner core – a type of wave which can only travel through solid objects.
According to the research published by the university, the wavefield method looks at the similarities between the signals at two receivers after a major earthquake, rather than the direct wave arrivals. The study shows these results can then be used to demonstrate the existence of J waves and infer the shear wave speed in the inner core.
It has been found that the inner core shares some similar elastic properties with gold and platinum.
What is the significance of this method?
The understanding of the Earth’s inner core has direct consequences for the generation and maintenance of the geomagnetic field, and without that geomagnetic field there would be no life on the Earth’s surface.
What to study?
For Prelims and Mains: All about Earth’s inner core, its state and significance of its finding.
Context: Contrary to the fact the Earth’s inner core is solid, researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have found that it is comparatively softer.
Facts about the inner core of the Earth:
Radius: 1,220 kilometres (760 miles) i.e. 70 per cent of the Moon’s radius.
Composed of: Nickel-iron alloy.
Temperature: 5,700 K (5,430 °C) or 9806 °F, which is almost the temperature of Sun.
What is inner core made of?
The inner core is made up of two layers outer and inner.
Outer core is 1,355 miles (2,180 km) thick.
Why is the radius of inner core unknown?
There is no estimated radius of the inner core; however, it plays a distinct role in making Earth’s magnetic field.
The inner core is measured by shear waves, a seismology term, which so tiny and feeble that it can’t be observed directly.
In fact, detecting them has been considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of global seismology since scientists first predicted the inner core was solid in the 1930s and 40s.
Purpose of the Earth’s inner core:
When charged particles from the solar wind collide with air molecules above Earth’s magnetic poles, it causes the air molecules to glow, causing the auroras – the northern and southern lights.
How has it been discovered?
Researchers came up with a way to detect shear waves, or “J waves” in the inner core – a type of wave which can only travel through solid objects.
According to the research published by the university, the wavefield method looks at the similarities between the signals at two receivers after a major earthquake, rather than the direct wave arrivals. The study shows these results can then be used to demonstrate the existence of J waves and infer the shear wave speed in the inner core.
It has been found that the inner core shares some similar elastic properties with gold and platinum.
What is the significance of this method?
The understanding of the Earth’s inner core has direct consequences for the generation and maintenance of the geomagnetic field, and without that geomagnetic field there would be no life on the Earth’s surface.
For Prelims and Mains: All about Earth’s inner core, its state and significance of its finding.
Context: Contrary to the fact the Earth’s inner core is solid, researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have found that it is comparatively softer.
Facts about the inner core of the Earth:
Radius: 1,220 kilometres (760 miles) i.e. 70 per cent of the Moon’s radius.
Composed of: Nickel-iron alloy.
Temperature: 5,700 K (5,430 °C) or 9806 °F, which is almost the temperature of Sun.
What is inner core made of?
The inner core is made up of two layers outer and inner.
Outer core is 1,355 miles (2,180 km) thick.
Why is the radius of inner core unknown?
There is no estimated radius of the inner core; however, it plays a distinct role in making Earth’s magnetic field.
The inner core is measured by shear waves, a seismology term, which so tiny and feeble that it can’t be observed directly.
In fact, detecting them has been considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of global seismology since scientists first predicted the inner core was solid in the 1930s and 40s.
Purpose of the Earth’s inner core:
When charged particles from the solar wind collide with air molecules above Earth’s magnetic poles, it causes the air molecules to glow, causing the auroras – the northern and southern lights.
How has it been discovered?
Researchers came up with a way to detect shear waves, or “J waves” in the inner core – a type of wave which can only travel through solid objects.
According to the research published by the university, the wavefield method looks at the similarities between the signals at two receivers after a major earthquake, rather than the direct wave arrivals. The study shows these results can then be used to demonstrate the existence of J waves and infer the shear wave speed in the inner core.
It has been found that the inner core shares some similar elastic properties with gold and platinum.
What is the significance of this method?
The understanding of the Earth’s inner core has direct consequences for the generation and maintenance of the geomagnetic field, and without that geomagnetic field there would be no life on the Earth’s surface.
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