Technology

Shillong, July 14 (IANS) The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) is playing an increasingly significant role in strengthening India's border security while accelerating development across the Northeast through space-based technologies, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.

Reviewing NESAC's ongoing programmes at its headquarters in Umiam, Meghalaya, the minister said the Centre is carrying out geo-spatial mapping of the India-Myanmar international border and inter-state boundaries in the Northeast, alongside projects covering agriculture, disaster management, water resources, forestry and governance.

Describing NESAC as a vital link between India's space programme and grassroots development, Singh said the institution has emerged as a strategic partner in supporting both national security and regional development by harnessing satellite and geospatial technologies.

Officials informed the minister that NESAC is currently implementing nearly 130 space application projects across the eight northeastern states.

Of these, around 50 projects have been completed, while 78 are under implementation in sectors including agriculture, forestry, urban planning, geosciences, satellite communication, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications, disaster management and capacity building.

With floods affecting the Northeast almost every monsoon, Singh directed NESAC to further enhance the accuracy of its flood early warning systems to provide more location-specific and timely alerts to vulnerable communities.

He also urged the Centre to collaborate with state governments in replicating successful rainwater harvesting models, including the initiative at the Ramakrishna Mission in Cherrapunjee, to strengthen long-term water security across the region.

Highlighting bamboo as one of the Northeast's key economic resources, the minister called for closer coordination between NESAC, the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) and state governments to strengthen bamboo resource mapping and promote value addition.

Singh also stressed the strategic importance of geospatial technologies in sensitive border areas and asked NESAC to strengthen its 'ManzilNE' GeoTourism dashboard by involving private tourism stakeholders.

He further advocated deeper collaboration with central ministries, state governments, research institutions, start-ups and industry to accelerate the adoption of space technologies.

He said institutions like NESAC would continue to play a crucial role in improving governance, disaster resilience and sustainable development in the Northeast.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The government is actively pursuing access to Anthropic's advanced AI model, Mythos, as part of its efforts to bolster cybersecurity and identify software vulnerabilities, while simultaneously preparing with alternative AI models in anticipation of securing access, IT Secretary S. Krishnan said on Monday.

Speaking about the government's efforts, Krishnan said discussions are underway with US authorities and the company to obtain access to Mythos and other frontier AI models.

"While the process is still under negotiation, the government is not waiting idly and has already begun using alternative AI models to identify and address software vulnerabilities," he noted.

"Mythos has demonstrated an ability to uncover vulnerabilities in widely used software that often remained unresolved because they were considered low priority, too expensive to fix, or had simply gone undetected," Krishnan said.

He said the technology presents an opportunity to systematically identify such weaknesses and correct them, making access to Mythos and similar advanced AI systems a key priority for the government.

"The government has taken up the matter with its counterparts in the United States as well as the companies developing these frontier AI models. However, access involves a formal process that is currently being negotiated," he mentioned.

In the meantime, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has established a dedicated sandbox, or "war room", where alternative AI models are being used to test software code, detect vulnerabilities and develop secure workflows.

These substitute models are estimated to offer around 60 to 70 per cent of the capabilities of Mythos, enabling officials to conduct extensive testing even before gaining access to the more advanced system.

Krishnan said CERT-In is probing different elements of software code, identifying vulnerabilities and fixing them through this controlled environment. He described the ongoing exercise as a "dry run" designed to ensure that systems and processes are ready once access to Mythos becomes available.

He added that the initiative is also helping the government tackle a significant proportion of software vulnerabilities despite not yet having access to the advanced AI model.

Referring to current US export restrictions on advanced AI technologies, Krishnan acknowledged that such controls remain a hurdle in securing access to frontier AI systems.

--IANS

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Seoul, July 13 (IANS) Seoul shares plunged 9 per cent on Monday as investors dumped technology stocks for profit-taking amid renewed tensions in the Middle East. The Korean won fell against the US dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 669.01 points, or 8.95 percent, to close at 6,806.93 after falling as low as 6,783.43, reports Yonhap news agency.

Trade volume was moderate at 469.86 million shares worth 39.8 trillion won (US$26.5 billion), with decliners far outnumbering gainers 713 to 179.

Institutions and foreigners sold a net 2.22 trillion won and 1.7 trillion won worth of shares, respectively, while individuals bought a net 3.9 trillion won.

After opening 0.85 percent lower, the KOSPI extended its losses, triggering a circuit breaker that temporarily halted trading of KOSPI-listed stocks for 20 minutes. It marked the seventh activation of the measure this year.

On Friday, U.S. stocks advanced, buoyed by South Korean chipmaker SK hynix's multibillion-dollar U.S. share offering. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.29 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also rose 0.29 percent.

SK hynix's American depositary receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq closed at US$168 each, well above the offering price of $149.

Despite the successful U.S. market debut, SK hynix shares tumbled as investors took profits and shifted to the company's ADRs, analysts said.

Investor sentiment was also dampened by heightened uncertainty in the Middle East after the United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

"The country's newly introduced single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds linked to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix continued to fuel volatility in the stock market," Samsung Securities said in a research note.

Tech stocks led the decline. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics plunged 10.7 percent to 254,500 won, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix plummeted 15.37 percent to 1,845,000 won.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 2.95 percent to 444,000 won, and defence giant Hanwha Aerospace declined 3.21 percent to 936,000 won.

Among gainers, leading battery maker LG Energy Solution rose 0.77 percent, and leading refiner SK Innovation climbed 7.09 percent to 110,200 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,503.4 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., down 2 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 4.1 basis points to 3.809 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds climbed 3.3 basis points at 4.041 percent.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya, will organise a two-day National Conference on the theme "NextGen Administrative & e-Gov Reforms" in Shillong on July 13 and 14, bringing together policymakers, administrators, technology experts and governance practitioners from across the country, it was announced on Sunday.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, will address the inaugural session of the conference.

The inaugural session will also be addressed by Secretary, DARPG, Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Nivedita Shukla Verma, and Meghalaya Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed.

More than 300 delegates, including senior officials from the Central and State governments, District Collectors, policymakers, domain experts, representatives from academic institutions and public administration practitioners, are expected to participate in the event.

The conference aims to serve as a national platform for deliberating on the future of public administration and digital governance while encouraging the exchange of innovative ideas and best practices among states and Union Territories.

During the two-day event, delegates will witness presentations on Prime Minister's Award-winning initiatives for 2023 and 2024, National Awards for e-Governance-winning projects, best governance practices from the Government of Meghalaya, and DARPG-assisted State Collaborative Initiatives (SCI) from the North Eastern region.

The presentations will cover a wide range of themes, including holistic district development, digital governance, cybersecurity, public service delivery, healthcare, education, banking, consumer protection, urban governance, rural development and technology-enabled administration.

The conference will begin with a dedicated session showcasing Meghalaya's governance innovations and citizen-centric reforms aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving administrative efficiency.

Another session will highlight Prime Minister's Award-winning initiatives, featuring successful district-level governance models in areas such as holistic development, education, rural livelihoods and the Aspirational District Programme.

Participants will also be introduced to the National Awards for e-Governance 2026-winning projects, demonstrating the use of emerging technologies in urban governance, healthcare, digital banking, pilgrimage management, Panchayati Raj, consumer protection and cybersecurity. These projects are expected to offer scalable governance models for adoption across the country.

--IANS

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Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced a series of major digital governance and technology initiatives, including the launch of the country's first state-owned Earth observation satellite, "AssamSAT", and a Rs 100 crore investment to promote aerospace component manufacturing.

Speaking to reporters after Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah presented the 2026-27 Assam Budget in the Assembly, Sarma said the government is laying the foundation for a technology-driven economy through investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

The Chief Minister said Assam is taking a major leap in digital governance with Rs 100 crore investments in aerospace manufacturing, AssamSAT and AI-powered citizen services to build a smarter, technology-enabled future.

Sarma said the Budget earmarks Rs 100 crore to establish an aerospace components manufacturing ecosystem in Assam, aiming to attract investment, generate high-skilled employment and position the state as an emerging hub for the aerospace sector.

One of the flagship announcements is AssamSAT, which will become India's first state-owned Earth observation satellite. The satellite is expected to support governance by providing real-time data for agriculture, disaster management, flood monitoring, urban planning, forest conservation and infrastructure development.

The Chief Minister said the government will also introduce an AI-powered version of "Sewa Setu" to improve the delivery of citizen services. Artificial intelligence will be integrated into the platform to ensure faster, more transparent and efficient public service delivery.

The Budget also proposes expanding e-Courts and strengthening digital justice infrastructure to improve access to judicial services and speed up case management through technology-driven solutions.

Sarma further said the government will integrate digital governance platforms through e-HRMIS and IFMIS, enabling better management of human resources, financial administration and public expenditure across government departments.

According to the Chief Minister, the digital initiatives aim to make governance more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric while creating new opportunities in emerging technology sectors.

He said the proposals form part of the government's broader vision to transform Assam into a digitally empowered, innovation-driven economy capable of attracting investment in advanced industries while delivering smarter governance to citizens.

--IANS

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Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest software services exporter, on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 13,349 crore for the first quarter of FY27, down around 3 per cent from Rs 13,718 crore recorded in the January-March quarter of the previous financial year (Q4 FY26).

On a year-on-year basis, however, net profit rose 5 per cent from Rs 12,760 crore reported in the corresponding quarter last year (Q1 FY26).

Revenue from operations increased 14 per cent year-on-year to Rs 72,275 crore during the April-June quarter, compared with Rs 63,437 crore a year earlier.

Sequentially, revenue rose 2 per cent from Rs 70,698 crore in the previous quarter.

The company's board declared an interim dividend of Rs 12 per equity share. TCS has fixed July 15, 2026 as the record date to determine eligible shareholders, while the dividend will be paid on July 31, 2026.

Commenting on the results, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director K. Krithivasan said the company maintained its growth momentum despite a challenging global business environment.

"Q1 FY27 reflects continued growth momentum and the strength of our strategic positioning, despite geopolitical and macro-economic headwinds. We delivered a strong order book of $9.5 billion, including a marquee AI-led transformation deal with SKF, while continuing to add clients across key revenue bands and scaling our AI business to a $2.6 billion annualized revenue run rate," he said.

For the quarter, TCS reported an operating margin of 24.0 per cent and a net margin of 19.2 per cent. Net cash generated from operations stood at Rs 12,412 crore, equivalent to 93 per cent of net income.

The company's total workforce stood at 593,798 employees at the end of the June quarter, while the last twelve months (LTM) attrition rate in its IT Services business was 13.6 per cent.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) The government will take a view on further action against Meta after examining the company's formal response to a notice issued over Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) allegedly promoted through paid advertisements on Instagram, IT Secretary S. Krishnan said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit here, Krishnan said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is awaiting Meta's formal reply before deciding its next course of action.

"We will await the formal response to the notice that we have issued, and thereafter we will take a view based on what the response is," Krishnan said.

The government had issued a notice to Meta on Saturday after concerns emerged over paid advertisements on Instagram allegedly promoting and facilitating access to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

MeitY directed Instagram to disable all advertisements and content linked to such material.

Earlier, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had instructed ministry officials to summon Meta and seek an explanation regarding the alleged presence of child sexual abuse material in advertisements on Instagram. The ministry also sought details of the action taken by the social media company to address the issue.

Within days of receiving the notice, Meta published a blog detailing its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material across its platforms. The company described child exploitation as a "horrific crime" and said it deploys artificial intelligence-powered detection systems alongside large-scale enforcement measures to identify and remove abusive content.

Meta also said it would continue investing in technology, strengthen its advertisement review processes and enhance safeguards to protect young users.

The government's scrutiny follows reports that alleged Meta's recommendation algorithm had been promoting videos containing child sexual abuse material, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the platform's safety mechanisms and content moderation systems.

Speaking on India's progress in infrastructure, he said that the country has the distinct potential to become the 'office space of the world'—managing not just back-offices, but front-end global operations.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity we cannot afford to miss, and AI will be the ultimate catalyst in this endeavour," Krishnan said.

--IANS

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Seoul, July 9 (IANS) Seoul shares trimmed earlier gains late Thursday morning on retail selling, though institutions and foreigners bought bargain-priced chip stocks following the recent massive sell-off.

After opening 3.3 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) erased its earlier gains and moved up 150.61 points, or 2.08 percent from the day before, to 7,397.40 as of 11:20 am, reports Yonhap news agency.

Despite the gains, investors remain concerned about renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, as well as uncertainty over the next phase of artificial intelligence (AI) demand, analysts said.

Overnight, U.S. stocks ended mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.09 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.2 percent.

Institutions and foreigners bought a net 985.8 billion won (US$655 million) and 144.9 billion won worth of stocks, respectively, while individuals sold a net 1.07 trillion won.

Tech stocks led the gains. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.8 percent, while chip giant SK hynix jumped 6.65 percent after reports that its U.S. listing was more than seven times oversubscribed.

Leading wireless services provider SK Telecom climbed 4.52 percent, and budget carrier Air Busan gained 7.5 percent.

Among decliners, top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 2.38 percent, and defence firm Hanwha Aerospace declined 6.72 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,504.65 won per U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 2.25 won from the previous session.

Meanwhile, South Korea's finance ministry said it has issued euro-denominated foreign exchange (FX) stabilisation bonds worth 1.7 billion euros (US$1.94 billion), reflecting the country's solid standing in the global financial market.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy said the euro bonds were issued the previous day with maturities of three and seven years, marking Seoul's largest-ever euro-denominated FX stabilisation bond issuance.

The FX stabilisation bonds are issued to secure foreign currency funds to help cope with external financial uncertainties.

—IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Punjab government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NICDC Logistics Data Services Limited (NLDSL) to accelerate the digital transformation of the state’s logistics ecosystem through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), an official statement said on Wednesday.

NLDSL will support the Government of Punjab in developing a digitally connected logistics ecosystem by enabling seamless data exchange across departments through ULIP, the statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.

The collaboration aims to enhance logistics visibility, improve operational efficiency, strengthen inter-departmental coordination and enable data-driven decision-making through the seamless exchange of real-time logistics data. The initiative is expected to benefit industries, MSMEs, exporters and other logistics stakeholders across the state.

Further, the move will improve transparency, facilitate faster policy and operational decision-making, enhance logistics efficiency and strengthen Punjab's competitiveness as a manufacturing, agricultural and export hub.

An interactive ULIP workshop was organised for senior officials from state departments, including transport, warehousing, food, civil supplies & consumer affairs, public works department and civil aviation.

The workshop focused on identifying state-specific use cases for ULIP to address logistics challenges, improve supply chain visibility and support ease of doing business in Punjab.

During the workshop, NLDSL showcased its key digital platforms, demonstrating how integrated logistics data can support asset tracking, operational planning, inter-agency coordination and evidence-based decision-making.

ULIP serves as a unified digital gateway for logistics-related data from multiple government systems through API-based integration.

The platform currently integrates 46 systems across 12 Central Ministries and Departments through 142 APIs, covering more than 2,000 data fields. It has enabled the development of over 260 applications and facilitated more than 450 crore API transactions, demonstrating its scale, reliability and robustness.

NICDC implements the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA), which envisages the development of 100 investment-ready, plug-and-play industrial parks across the country with an outlay of Rs 33,660 crore.

—IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Strengthening collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) can play a significant role in supporting India's economic growth and advancing its global trade ambitions, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday following a meeting with the institute's leadership.

According to the minister, the discussions focused on expanding cooperation between the government and the accounting profession to facilitate trade and investment while enhancing India's competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Goyal said the meeting also explored the evolving role of the accounting profession in supporting businesses as they navigate emerging global opportunities.

He noted that chartered accountants can make a significant contribution by helping enterprises adapt to changing international trade and investment landscapes.

"Held a productive meeting with CA Prasanna Kumar D, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, to discuss avenues to strengthen collaboration and support India's economic growth and global trade ambitions," he said in a post on social media platform X.

The minister further said both sides deliberated on enhancing institutional participation in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ecosystem.

He emphasised that greater involvement of professional institutions such as ICAI could help businesses better understand and leverage the opportunities arising from India's expanding network of trade agreements.

"We also deliberated on the evolving role of the accounting profession in facilitating trade and investment, enhancing institutional participation in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ecosystem, and supporting businesses in navigating emerging global opportunities," Goyal mentioned.

"The discussions underscored the importance of collaboration between policymakers and professional bodies in promoting trade, investment and economic development, as India continues to deepen its engagement with global markets," the minister added.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Goyal said India's new free trade agreements (FTAs) are creating fresh opportunities for manufacturing and innovation, opening doors for the country's youth to compete globally. He urged students to equip themselves with practical skills and embrace technology-driven learning to make the most of the emerging opportunities.

--IANS

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