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India hosts south Asian nations, including Afghanistan, for telecom regulation event

The other countries who participated were Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, the Maldives and Nepal.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India hosted South Asian nations for a multilateral event in New Delhi. Notably, the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council, the three-day event organised by the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT), includes a delegation from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a significant inclusion. 

The Afghan officials present at the annual council declined to answer questions, but provided their names: Saed Baraat Shah Agha Nadeem, the chairman of the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), Sebghatullah Andar, the Telecommunication Monitoring and Control Director, and Rohullah Raihan, a protocol director. There was also a Pakistani delegation; the country’s delegation was led by Khawar Siddique Khokhar, Member (Compliance & Enforcement) at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). 

At the plenary session, TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti was voted the chair of SATRC for the coming year, a customary appointment as India hosted this year’s session. “It is important that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) policies are increasingly related to development objectives,” Mr. Lahoti said in remarks after being voted chair. He brought up spam as an issue on which countries would have to collaborate to address. “This is not a political forum, this is a sectoral gathering,” he told The Hindu when asked about the significance of the countries in attendance. “We are fortunate that all the eight member countries of the SATRC are present here.“

“We need to work harder and more patiently than ever to build our region,” Mr. Nadeem of ATRA said at his remarks in the plenary session, in which he also highlighted the importance of regional and sub-regional cooperation in telecommunications, and thanked India for its hospitality. Iran also participated with a representative present; however, the gathering was addressed by the country virtually by Alireza Darvishi, an official at the country’s Communications Regulatory Authority.

Last week, J.P. Singh, joint secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs’ Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division met with Afghan officials and discussed issues like Afghan businesses accessing the Chabahar Port, and humanitarian assistance. Afghan state-associated media reported this week that the country’s consulate would begin issuing passports to citizens in India.

“South Asia faces unique challenges regarding access and inclusion, cybersecurity, spectrum management, smart cities and societies, e-waste and the regulation of social media and OTT platforms, etc,” Mr. Khokhar of Pakistan said in his remarks. 

The other countries who participated were Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives and Nepal. “Post-pandemic, online platforms have taken the forefront of teaching and learning,” Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority Director Jigme Wangdi said. “Therefore, demand for fixed broadband, ADSL, leased line, has increased, and our telecom companies are struggling to meet the demand. The universal service funds are depleting, and we still have villages to cover with usable internet connectivity. With 5G we’re in a better position to deal with the increased demand of leased lines and home broadband…” 

Ilyas Ahmed, chief executive of the Communication Authority of Maldives, said that the archipelago nation had made progress in its broadband rollout, adding that it had become “the first country in the region” to roll out SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services. Mr. Ahmed also brought up the issue of spam, saying it was important to “educate our citizens on spam techniques” and “make sure scammers cannot easily operate across borders.” 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

India rises as global player in petroleum, gemstone, sugar exports with surging market share in 5 years

The other sectors where the share of India’s exports has increased during 2018 and 2023 are electrical goods, pneumatic tyres, taps and valves, and semiconductor devices.

India’s export competitiveness has witnessed healthy gains in multiple sectors — particularly petroleum, gemstones, agrochemicals and sugar — during the last five years, as these segments have increased their share in global trade, according to the commerce ministry data.

The other sectors where the share of India’s exports has increased during 2018 and 2023 are electrical goods, pneumatic tyres, taps and valves, and semiconductor devices.

The ministry data analysis showed that petroleum exports rose to USD 84.96 billion in 2023, with India’s market share surging to 12.59 per cent last year from 6.45 per cent in 2018, positioning it as the second-largest global exporter. It was ranked fifth in 2018.

In the precious and semi-precious stones segment, the country’s share in global shipments has soared to 36.53 per cent last year from 16.27 per cent in 2018. It has propelled the country to the top position in the category, with exports reaching USD 1.52 billion in 2023 from USD 0.26 billion in 2018. It was at the second spot in 2018.

Similarly, in cane or beet sugar, the country’s outbound shipments have more than quadrupled to USD 3.72 billion from USD 0.93 billion in 2018.

India has achieved tremendous growth in the export of cane or beet sugar, with its global market share increasing from 4.17 per cent in 2018 to 12.21 per cent in 2023.

“As the world’s second-largest exporter of sugar, India’s success can be attributed to both favourable agricultural policies and its strong production base. The country has capitalised on the growing global demand for sugar, especially in regions like Southeast Asia and Africa,” an official said.

India’s share of the global market for insecticides and fungicides has also shown healthy improvement.

The country increased its global share from 8.52 per cent in 2018 to 10.85 per cent in 2023, with exports reaching USD 4.32 billion.

India’s ability to meet international agricultural and environmental standards and its emphasis on innovation in agrochemicals have led to this improvement, the official said.

India is now the third-largest exporter globally against the 5th position in 2018, the data showed.

Further, the country’s position in the global market for rubber pneumatic tyres has also strengthened, with exports growing to USD 2.66 billion in 2023 from USD 1.82 billion in 2018.

India now holds a 3.31 per cent share of the global market, up from 2.34 per cent in 2018, and the country has moved up to the eighth position globally from 13th in 2018, indicating the rising demand for Indian-manufactured tyres, particularly in emerging markets.

The data also showed that exports of semiconductors and photosensitive devices have increased from a mere USD 0.16 billion in 2018 to USD 1.91 billion in 2023, with the country’s share in the world market rising to 1.4 per cent, and the country now ranks ninth globally compared to 25th in 2018.

This underscores India’s potential to become a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Researchers at IIIT-Bangalore develop model to teach drones and robots to be more responsible

They propose a model to teach responsibility to autonomous AI agents, such as systems or entities like drones, robots, vehicles etc. which can perform tasks and operate independently without any human intervention.

Imagine if adaptive traffic lights on the road start communicating with each other and regulate the traffic better, or if an autonomous agent (advanced form of Artificial Intelligence) tells a supply chain manager when is the best time to ship an order. In a new study by the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore’s (IIITB), researchers have come up with a model called Computational Transcendence which can help autonomous agents do these tasks responsibly. 

Autonomous agents are systems or entities like drones, robots, vehicles etc. which can perform tasks and operate independently without any human intervention. Their application lies in diverse domains like healthcare, agriculture, and mobility among others. Considering the vast applicability where the actions of such agents directly impact humans and other agents in the system, the researchers say that the agents must act responsibly understanding the implications of their actions on others.

‘Computational Transcendence: A Model for Emergent Responsible Agency in Multi-Agent Systems’ was conducted and authored by Srinath Srinivasa, professor and dean (R&D), IIITB, and Jayati Deshmukh, who was a research scholar at IIITB between 2020 and 2022, and was recently published in AI and Ethics this August.

“While the decision making of autonomous agents has matured, they still face problems when they have to interact with each other. There was an incident in San Fransisco in the U.S. where many autonomous cars were trying to park at the same time and that led to collision and traffic jams. It is difficult to hardcode responsible behaviour into agents as they are typically modelled as external reinforcements,” said Prof. Srinivasa.

He further explained: “The innate responsibility in human beings is a result of our elastic identity where we identify ourselves with things bigger than us. We experimented with many approaches with the agents and our unique transcendental approach worked the best. This model endows agents with an elastic sense of self enabling them to identify with other external entities of the system which could be other agents and abstract notions. The agent will then consider them as a part of their transcended sense of self and act responsibly.”

So, what happens when these agents act responsibly? “Consider the adaptive traffic lights which we see in many cities including Bengaluru,” says Prof. Srinivasa. “They have some sense of synchronisation and work effectively in the intersection where they are located. But they are not that effective on a larger scale, which would be the synchronisation of all such lights in the city. With a little sense of transcendence, the traffic lights will be able to communicate with their immediate neighbours and coordinate better,” he said. 

He narrated another example of a supply chain. “When orders are received, suppliers usually do it in bulk to reduce costs. They face the dilemma of either making the customer wait for their products until more orders pile up or ship immediately and compromise on profits. An autonomous agent with transcendence can help the supplier decide how to come up with a win-win situation for both the supplier and the customer.” 

The authors believe that this model offers a promising direction of research that can help design and build intrinsically responsible autonomous agents which act responsibly because of their larger-than-self-identity and not for constraint or obligation satisfaction. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Total vehicle retail sales in India in Oct sees 32% on-year rise to 28,32,944 units: Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Association

Total vehicle retail sales in India in Oct sees 32% on-year rise to 28,32,944 units: Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Association.

The total vehicle retail sales in India witnessed a 32 per cent on-year rise in October to 28,32,944 units with all segments including two-wheelers and passenger vehicles registering strong growth, Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Association (FADA) said on Wednesday.

The total vehicle retail sales in October 2023 stood at 21,43,929 units, as per FADA.

The strong growth in October this year was largely driven by the rural market, especially boosting two-wheeler and passenger vehicles sales, supported by increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Rabi crops, FADA said.

The total vehicle retail sales in India witnessed a 32 per cent on-year rise in October to 28,32,944 units with all segments including two-wheelers and passenger vehicles registering strong growth, Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Association (FADA) said on Wednesday.

The total vehicle retail sales in October 2023 stood at 21,43,929 units, as per FADA.

The strong growth in October this year was largely driven by the rural market, especially boosting two-wheeler and passenger vehicles sales, supported by increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Rabi crops, FADA said.

    Passenger vehicle sales grew 32.38 per cent to 4,83,159 units, from 3,64,991 units retailed in October 2023, it stated.

    Two-wheeler sales for the previous month were recorded at 20,65,095 units, as compared to 15,14,634 units in October 2023, registering a growth of 36.35 per cent, while three-wheeler sales were up 11.45 per cent year-on-year to 1,22,846 in in October 2024, it said.

    Tractor sales, according to FADA, increased 3.08 per cent during October to 64,433 units, from 62,542 units a year ago.

    The convergence of major festivals (Navratri and Diwali) in October significantly boosted consumer demand; attractive festive offers, new model launches, and improved stock availability led to a 36 per cent year-on-year and 71 per cent month-on-month growth in two-wheelers, according to FADA.

    Besides, rural sentiments, favourable monsoon and good crop expectations, further contributed to the growth, it stated.

    Moreover, the 32 per cent year-on-year and 75 per cent month-on-month rise in passenger vehicle sales was driven by festive demand, aggressive offers, and new model introductions, it said.

    FADA remains optimistic about near-term growth of the overall automobile industry particularly with the wedding season ahead.

    However, potential challenges such as inventory overstock and economic headwinds may affect sales momentum towards the end of the year, it said.

    Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

    source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

    Why This Andhra Village Is Celebrating Donald Trump’s Election Victory

    Academic highflyer and successful lawyer Usha Vance, the child of Indian immigrants, is the wife of Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance.

    Villagers had offered prayers for Donald Trump’s win (File)

    Vadluru: 

    Far from Republican festivities as Donald Trump claimed US election victory, residents of a sleepy Indian village celebrated that their descendant would be the next “Second Lady”, hoping to benefit from her success.

    Academic highflyer and successful lawyer Usha Vance, the child of Indian immigrants, is the wife of Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance.

    While 38-year-old Usha Vance was born and brought up in suburban San Diego, those in the village of her paternal ancestors in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state prayed that historic ties would bring improvements to their land.

    “We feel happy,” said Srinivasa Raju, 53, a resident of Vadluru, a village of white-washed homes scattered amongst palm trees, more than 13,450 (8,360 miles) from the White House in Washington. “We support Trump.”

    Villagers had offered prayers for a Trump win, and Hindu priest Appaji said he hoped Usha Vance would do something in return.

    “We expect her to help our village,” the 43-year-old priest said, dressed in flowing saffron robes, after lighting a candle at the idol of Hindu elephant-headed deity Ganesh for Trump.

    “If she can recognise her roots and do something good for this village, then that would be great.”

    ‘Very fine’

    Usha Vance’s great-grandfather moved out of Vadluru and her father Chilukuri Radhakrishnan — a PhD holder — was brought up in the Indian city of Chennai, before going on to study in the United States.

    “Every Indian — not just myself, every Indian — we feel proud of Usha, because she is of Indian origin,” said 70-year-old Venkata Ramanayy. “We hope she will develop our village.”

    She has never visited the village, but the priest said her father came around three years ago and checked on the temple’s condition.

    “We have already seen the governance of Trump — very good,” Ramanayy said. “Indian and American relations were very fine during the presidency of Trump.”

    Little is known about Radhakrishnan’s initial years in the United States, but the film of J.D. Vance’s memoirs, Hillbilly Elegy, refers to him coming to the country with “nothing”.

    Millions of Indians have made similar journeys as the Chilukuris, and according to the most recent US census, Indians have become the country’s second-largest Asian ethnicity, growing 50 percent to 4.8 million in the decade to 2020.

    Usha, a practising Hindu who studied at Yale and Cambridge Universities, married J.D. Vance in Kentucky in 2014. They have three children.

    ‘Inspiring’

    But the story was different around 730 kilometres (454 miles) to the southwest, in Thulasendrapuram, once home to Kamala Harris’s grandfather.

    T.S. Anbarasu, 63, said the Democrat’s “struggle” had encouraged girls to stay in school.

    “She is inspiring this village,” he said. “Any school in the surrounding area, students know about Kamala Harris.”

    Harris, 60, was born in California, but was often taken to India by her mother.

    “If she comes here, we’ll treat her like the president of the United States,” Anbarasu said.

    “We are still proud of her. She is like family to us. If our family members fail, we don’t discriminate against them, or treat them as a loser, right?”

    (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

    source/content: ndtv.com (headline edited)

    Apple ships $6bn of iPhones from India in big China shift

    Apple Inc’s iPhone exports from India jumped by a third in the six months through September, underscoring its push to expand manufacturing in the country and reduce dependence on China.

    The US company exported nearly $6bn of India-made iPhones, an increase of a third in value terms from a year earlier, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named as the information is private. That puts annual exports on track to surpass the about $10bn of fiscal 2024.

    Apple is expanding its manufacturing network in India at a rapid clip, taking advantage of local subsidies, a skilled workforce and advances in the country’s technological capabilities. India is a crucial part of the company’s effort to lessen its reliance on China, where risks have grown along with Beijing’s tensions with the US.

    Three of Apple’s suppliers — Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group and Pegatron Corp, and homegrown Tata Electronics — assemble iPhones in southern India. Foxconn’s local unit, based on the outskirts of Chennai, is the top supplier in India and accounts for half of the country’s iPhone exports.

    Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group’s electronics manufacturing arm exported about $1.7bn in iPhones from its factory in Karnataka state from April to September, the people said. Tata acquired this unit from Wistron Corp last year, becoming the first Indian assembler of Apple’s bestselling product.

    The dollar figure refers to the devices’ estimated factory gate value, not the retail price. Representatives for Apple declined to comment. Pegatron also declined to comment, while Foxconn and Tata spokespersons didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    IPhones account for the bulk of India’s smartphone exports and helped the product category become the top export to the US at $2.88bn in the first five months of this fiscal year, according to federal trade ministry data. Five years ago, before Apple expanded manufacturing in India, the country’s annual smartphone exports to the US were a meagre $5.2mn.

    Still, Apple accounts for just under 7% of India’s smartphone market, which is dominated by Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo. And while still a small market for iPhones globally, Apple is making big bets.

    The subsidies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration helped Apple assemble its pricey iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models, with better cameras and titanium bodies, in India this year. It’s also seeking to open new retail stores, including in the southern tech hub of Bangalore and western city of Pune.

    Last year, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook launched Apple’s first shops in the financial hub of Mumbai and capital New Delhi.

    The grand openings, the marketing blitz around the new stores, an aggressive online sales push as well as a rapidly growing middle class that aspires to own Apple products boosted its annual India revenue to a record of $8bn in the year through March.

    India sales could reach $33bn by 2030, we calculate, fuelled primarily by rising middle-class purchasing power and a greater use of payment plans, say Anurag Rana and Andrew Girard, analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence.

    Apple’s rising star in India contrasts with its flagging fortunes in China, whose economy has stuttered following harsh Covid-19 lockdowns and a property crisis. To be sure, Apple relies on China for a bulk of its manufacturing and sales, and India’s unlikely to become its top market anytime soon.

    Apple assembled $14bn of iPhones in India in the fiscal year through March 2024, doubling production and accelerating its drive to diversify beyond China. Of that, it exported roughly $10bn worth of iPhones.

    source/content: gulf-times.com (headline edited)

    Museum honouring unsung hero who made Tawang part of India inaugurated in Arunachal

    Tawang, In 1951, an assistant political officer of the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency and the present-day Arunachal Pradesh carried out an audacious operation to bring Tawang under the Indian Union.

    Seventy-three years later, a museum of valour has been inaugurated in Tawang in memory of the unsung hero, Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing.

    The museum was inaugurated virtually by Defence Minster Rajnath Singh on Thursday from Tezpur in Assam as he could not fly to Tawang due to bad weather.

    Khathing, who was a Naga from Manipur, was given the order by the then Assam governor Jairamdas Daulatram to march towards Tawang with 200 soldiers of the Assam Rifles and 400 porters on January 17, 1951, from Chariduwar, near Tezpur.

    Before World War II, Tawang was under the administrative control of the then independent Tibetan government. Despite several attempts, the British could not annex it.

    According to the historical accounts of the NEFA, when Khathing and his men arrived in Tawang, he called a meeting on a high ground near the Tawang Monastery with local tax officials, village elders and prominent people of Tawang.

    He used his diplomatic skills to win over the locals and soon realised that the Monpa community was reeling under harsh taxes imposed by the Tibetan administration.

    He told the local people about India and its democracy and assured them that India would never impose unjustified taxes on them. Soon, with the Assam Rifles men, Khathing took control of Tawang. The Tricolour was hoisted in Tawang and Bumla, and the area became part of India.

    The idea of setting up the museum to honour Khathing, about whom very little is known in the country, was the brainchild of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

    Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K T Parnaik, Khandu, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and several state ministers attended the inauguration of the museum on October 31. Khathing’s family members were also present at the function.

    Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and several top military officers were virtually present along with the defence minister in Tezpur.

    At the event, Rajnath Singh also virtually dedicated to the nation ‘Desh ka Vallabh’, a statue of India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at Tawang.

    Paying homage to Khathing, Rajnath Singh said he was an extraordinary figure who made invaluable contributions to the northeast region and national security.

    “Major Khathing not only led the peaceful integration of Tawang into India but also established essential military and security frameworks, including Sashastra Seema Bal, Nagaland Armed Police, and Naga Regiment,” he said.

    Rijiju said due recognition has been given to Khathing, who had been neglected so far.

    During his lifetime, Khathing donned many hats. He was a student leader, an Army major, part of the team which brought Hyderabad under the Indian Union, a civil servant, an MLA, a minister in Manipur and India’s ambassador to Myanmar, said Rijiju, the MP from Arunachal West, the Lok Sabha constituency under which Tawang falls.

    “I have never seen such a person in history who played so many roles in his lifetime. But unfortunately, the people of the country hardly know about Bob Khathing. Without Bob Khathing, Tawang would not have been part of India,” he said.

    Chief Minister Khandu said the inauguration of Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing Museum of Valour is a tribute to the iconic role played by a true son of ‘Maa Bharati’, his bravery and sacrifice.

    “This museum will serve as a lasting inspiration for future generations, helping them appreciate the sacrifices and valour that have paved the way for our present,” he said.

    Khandu said Khathing’s expedition in 1951 secured Tawang and established Indian administration in this remote region and in a final gift to the country, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel directed the then Assam governor to take the necessary steps to bring Tawang under Indian administration.

    The museum also beautifully showcases the rich culture and heritage of the local Monpa community, along with compelling narratives of the 1962 India-China war.

    This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

    source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

    India’s first analog space mission to simulate extra-terrestrial conditions on Mars and Moon kicks off 

    India’s first Mars and Moon analog mission at Leh in Ladakh to simulate life in an interplanetary habitat has been inaugurated.

    Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), AAKA Space Studio Pvt. Ltd, the University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council have collaborated in this endeavour.

    Collaborative effort

    ISRO on Friday posted on X (formerly Twitter), “India’s first analog space mission kicks off in Leh! A collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, this mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.”

    Aastha Kacha, founder of AAKA Space Studio Pvt. Ltd said this mission is designed to simulate extraterrestrial conditions on Mars and the Moon, enabling India to enhance its human spaceflight capabilities.

    “The mission site, located in Ladakh, was chosen for its unique environment that closely resembles Martian and lunar surfaces, offering a natural laboratory for testing habitat sustainability, life support systems, and the human experience of isolation. For the next 21 days, an analog astronaut from AAKA Space Studio will reside within the habitat, conducting essential research to support India’s human spaceflight aspirations,” Ms. Kacha said.

    AAKA Space Studio further said that the mission centres on testing a human-centred habitat prototype developed by it.

    Designed to support both physical needs and psychological well-being, the habitat integrates a range of innovative technologies like airlock and Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA zone), Circadian lighting system, hydroponics, environment monitoring system and stand-alone power system.

    According to AAKA Space Studio, the Airlock and EVA Zone is a dedicated space for preparing for EVA while maintaining habitat integrity; the Circadian lighting system simulates natural daylight cycles to support astronauts’ sleep-wake patterns, the hydroponics and food preparation area supports sustainability and fresh food production, the stand-alone power system utilises renewable energy to ensure uninterrupted power and the environmental monitoring system tracks habitat conditions to support optimal functioning.

    Why Ladakh was chosen

    AAKA Space Studio said that Ladakh was chosen for its unique environmental characteristics, which closely mirror those of Mars and the Moon.

    “The Diurnal shifts from 15°C to -10°C, which simulate the thermal challenges of extraterrestrial environments, enabling testing of the habitat’s thermal insulation. Situated over 3,500 meters above sea level, Ladakh’s oxygen levels are only 40% of sea level, allowing researchers to test life support systems for low-pressure conditions similar to Mars,” AAKA Space Studio said.

    It further said that the region’s sandy, rocky soil resembles Martian and lunar regolith, ideal for research on rover mobility and in-situ resource utilisation.

    source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

    NATIONAL: BIRTHS & DEATH REGISTRATION: Centre launches CRS app for birth and death registration: Here’s how it works

    Developed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, CRS app is expected to reduce the time required for these registrations seamlessly.

    Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a new mobile application, the Civil Registration System (CRS), for birth and death registration. Developed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, the app is expected to reduce the time required for these registrations seamlessly.

    “Under PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s Digital India vision to integrate technology with governance, launched the Civil Registration System mobile application,” Amit Shah posted on X.

    According to the Union minister, the app will streamline the process of birth and death registration, allowing citizens to register anytime, anywhere, and in their state’s official language. This, he said, will “significantly reduce the time required for registration.”

    He also shared a brief video from the Registrar General of India accompanying the post, showcasing the app’s interface. It explains that the CRS mobile app enables digital certificate delivery and online digitisation of legacy records and assures that states will not be burdened with additional financial burdens for the app’s operation and maintenance.

    How does it work?

    – Registrars should first download the new Civil Registration System (CRS) mobile app from the Google Play Store.

    – After downloading, you need to log in using their user ID and password.

    – The app will prompt them to complete a captcha, then send an OTP via SMS to the registered mobile number for verification. The login is completed after entering the OTP.

    – On the home screen, the CRS app displays births and deaths.

    – The menu, accessible via the hamburger icon on the top-left, provides options such as Birth, Death, Still Birth, Adoption, Profile, and Add/View Payment Details.

    – To register a birth, registrars should select “Birth” and then tap on “Register Birth,” where they will need to enter details like the child’s date of birth, address, and family information.

    – The process to register a death is similar and can be found under the “Death” > “Register Death” option.

    – Once the payment process is completed, the required certificate is generated.

    – Both birth and death certificates can then be downloaded directly from the CRS app.

    source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

    U.S., France, Armenia emerge as India’s top three defence export customers

    India’s top military exports go to U.S., France, and Armenia, boosting domestic production and global presence.

    Amid a growing push to increase exports of indigenous defence equipment, the U.S., France and Armenia have emerged as the top three customers for Indian military exports.

    “India is presently exporting military equipment to more than 100 nations across the world. The top three countries in the last financial year include the U.S., France and Armenia,” official sources said on Sunday (October 28, 2024).

    The Defence Ministry has been pushing defence exports and manufacturing in the country to improve domestic production of these equipment to meet internal and international requirements.

    The sources said the exports to the U.S. include a significant number of parts of aircraft and helicopters manufactured by Indian firms for global defence majors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The exports to France include a lot of software and electronic equipment, while the exports to Armenia include ATAGS artillery guns, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems, Swathi weapon locating radars and other important systems.

    Official sources said that the Defence Industrial Base has been expanding with the presence of 16 Defence public sector units, 430 firms with licenses along 16000 medium and small-scale enterprises. Sources said the value of defence production in the country has gone up significantly since 2014-15.

    “There has been a around three-fold increase in the value of production since 2014-15. While the Indian firms produced equipment worth ₹46,429 crores in 2014-15, it has come to ₹1.27,265 crores in the last fiscal,” they said.

    The contribution of the private sector in this value of production is 21%. The major defence platforms produced in the country include the LCA Tejas fighter jets, aircraft carriers, warships, submarines, Dhanush artillery gun system, MBT Arjun, advanced towed artillery gun system, high mobility vehicles, weapon-locating vehicles, weapon-locating radar, 3D tactical control radar, software-defined radios, and Akash missile system.

    India’s Defence Exports (in Cr.)

    source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)