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‘Global IndiaAI Summit’ to bolster responsible development & adoption of AI: Centre

artificial-intelligence-(AI)

New Delhi, July 1 2024-

The government on Monday announced to hold ‘Global IndiaAI Summit’ here this week aiming to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange, underscoring India’s dedication to the ethical and inclusive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

To be held on July 3-4 in the national capital, the summit will host member countries and experts with India as the lead chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), the IT Ministry said in a statement.

The summit is expected to provide a platform for leading international AI experts from science, industry, civil society, governments, international organisations, and academia to share insights on key AI issues and challenges.

“The event underscores the government’s dedication to the responsible advancement of AI, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among global AI stakeholders,” said the IT Ministry.

In December last year, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the New Delhi declaration of the GPAI was unanimously adopted by 28 countries.

The declaration is focused on harnessing new opportunities and mitigating the risks arising from the development, deployment and use of AI.

The GPAI has ensured that AI becomes a kinetic enabler for millions of people with clear and accountable guardrails.

According to the government, the IndiaAI Mission aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem that fosters AI innovation by democratising computing access, enhancing data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and promoting ethical AI.

“This mission drives responsible and inclusive growth of India’s AI ecosystem through the following seven pillars which will be the key focus of the Global IndiaAI Summit,” said the IT Ministry. (Agency)

Anurag Kashyap’s message to morality police: ‘Don’t impose your morals on filmmakers’

Anurag Kashyap

Mumbai, July 1 2024-

Filmmaker-actor Anurag Kashyap, who has been receiving a lot of positive response to his performance in the streaming show ‘Bad Cop’, has shared his opinion on the idea of morality in artwork.

The director questioned why it’s only considered the responsibility of members of the film fraternity to bring about a positive change in society — why are they bashed if they show something negative?

The auteur spoke with IANS and shared that a filmmaker can show whatever they like in their films as after all, it’s a fictional world.

He told IANS: “Morality insaan ki apni hoti hai, a filmmaker can show whatever he or she wants in their film (Barring a few exceptions, morality is very subjective and is very personal). People think that it’s the members of the film fraternity who introduce bad things in society or uplift the society.”

He continued: “Why is it considered the sole responsibility of filmmakers? Jisko jo banana hai wo banaaye, jisko jo dikhana hai wo dikhaaye (A filmmaker can make or show whatever they like as it is their film). You can’t impose your morality or worldview on others. If a person becomes so powerful that he or she can impose their morality on others then they become a dictator.”

Anurag then quoted the example of Pol Pot, the Communist dictator who ruled Cambodia as Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1976 and 1979.

He told IANS: “If you read about the beginnings of Pol Pot, you will understand where I’m coming from. He was a simple doctor and his intentions were very different when he started, and see what he did.”

The director pointed to Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge, the members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea who killed an estimated 2 million people. (Agency)

Idris Elba has an ‘instantly recognisable’ fragrance, reveals wife Sabrina

Idris-Elba-actor

Los Angeles, July 1 2024-

Hollywood star Idris Elba’s wife Sabrina Elba has revealed what her award-winning husband smells like.

“Idris has a musk that he uses as a body oil, and anyone that knows him knows that’s his smell,” she said of Elba, who is the former PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive.

“I love it. It embodies him to me.”

The couple first met at a party in Vancouver while the actor was filming for the 2017 movie ‘The Mountain Between Us’ directed by Hany Abu-Assad. They got married during a three-day wedding in April 2019, reports people.com.

According to Sabrina, Idris also has a unique sense of style.

“Idris for sure is effortless, timeless and sexy to me. He doesn’t even have to lift a finger,” she said.

“He just walks out the door, this confident sexy guy. He can be in a pair of flip-flops and sweats and I’m just like, ‘Wow, you’re going to make best-dressed lists.’ And he always does. He’s effortless.”

Idris, for his part, said of his wife: “I think Sabrina is fresh because she loves the newest and coolest. And she’s elegant no matter what she puts on, whether it’s sweatpants or a ball gown, she looks elegant.”

When it comes to the couple’s red carpet fashion, Sabrina said: “If we could match and wear matching colours, I’d actually love it.”

“Idris not so much. I love the idea of couple dressing and when couples do it, I just think it’s the cutest thing ever. Idris doesn’t love it.”

Defending himself, Idris said: “When it’s all matching, matching and you look like twins, I’m like, ‘Oh man.’ ” (Agency)

Health insurer Niva Bupa files draft papers for Rs 3,000 crore IPO

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Mumbai, July 1 2024-

Leading health insurer Niva Bupa on Monday filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to raise about Rs 3,000 crore ($360 million) via an initial public offering (IPO).

The draft papers filed by True North-backed Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Ltd have a fresh issue of Rs 800 crore for the public and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to Rs 2,200 crore by existing shareholders.

The OFS comprises up to Rs 320 crore shares by Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte and Rs 1,880 crore by Fettle Tone LLP.

Bupa Singapore Holdings has a 62.27 per cent stake in the health insurer while Fettle Tone LLP has a 27.86 per cent stake in the company.

Morgan Stanley India, Kotak Investment Capital, Axis Capital, ICICI Securities and HDFC Bank have been hired for the IPO, according to reports.

Niva Bupa would be the second stand-alone health insurer, after Star Health Insurance, to list on the Indian stock exchanges.

In September last year, leading private equity firm True North sold a 20 per cent stake in Niva Bupa Health Insurance to its partner Bupa for Rs 2,700 crore, taking the Indian firm’s valuation to Rs 13,500 crore. (Agency)

Video telematics startup Cautio raises Rs 6.5 cr led by Antler, other investors

New Delhi, July 1 2024-

Video telematics startup Cautio on Monday announced a pre-seed raise of Rs 6.5 crore led by Antler, 8i Ventures and AU Small Finance Bank.

The funding round, a mix of equity and debt, also saw participation from Cautio’s early believing customers and angel investors.

“With the support of our friends at Antler, 8i and AU, we are primed to escalate our efforts in deploying cutting-edge safety solutions across the country,” Pranjal Nadhani, Co-founder & CTO, Cautio, said in a statement.

Cautio offers cost-effective video telematics products and delivers tailored solutions aimed at mitigating safety issues prevalent in India.

Through customisable dash cam devices and an AI-powered operating system, Cautio ensures accountability, improves driver conduct, minimises revenue loss, and adopts an API-first strategy, the company said.

“The Cautio model is not just about capturing telematics data but transforming it into actionable insights to enhance driver behaviour, increase safety, and pave the way for autonomous vehicles,” said Nitin Sharma, Partner at Antler.

According to Ankit Acharya, Co-founder & CEO of Cautio, telematics in India has rapidly advanced from GPS, Bluetooth and portable navigation to embedded connectivity.

“India, ranking first in global road fatalities, recorded 1,68,491 deaths in 2022, with overspeeding responsible for 70 per cent of these fatalities, along with approximately 4.4 lakh injuries,” said Acharya.

“Video telematics and dash cams, driven by demand from the commercial vehicle sector, will be crucial in eliminating hearsay and enhancing road safety,” he added. (Agency)

Congress MP seeks debate on paper leaks in NEET-UG and NET

NEET-paper

New Delhi, July 1 2024-

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday gave a notice seeking adjournment of the business in the Lok Sabha listed for the day.

The MP is seeking to discuss a “matter of urgent importance” involving cases of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC NET, in the House.

“I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance,” the MP said in the notice.

Tagore added that the House does suspend all listed business of the day to discuss the unprecedented cases of paper leaks in the conduct of exams, including NEET-UG and UGC NET and the failure of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made an appeal to the government to initiate a debate on the National Eligibility and Entrance Examination (NEET) and also over the paper leak controversy, to assuage the concerns and anxiety of lakhs of candidates and their families.

Notably, the NEET (UG) 2024 examinations were conducted on May 5 in around 570 cities, including 14 cities abroad. Over 23 lakh students and medical aspirants appeared for the examinations.

However, it got marred by the paper leak controversy, thereby putting the future of many students in peril.

The June cycle UGC-NET exam was earlier held on June 18 but was cancelled the very next day, citing unavoidable circumstances. (Agency)

Doctors face high burnout, must set clear boundaries for work & personal life

New Delhi, July 1 2024-

While we call them beacons of hope, heroes of life, doctors often face extensive job pressures and long hours of duty, leaving them burnt out and with physical and emotional problems. Thus it is imperative to set clear boundaries to maintain a perfect work-life balance, health experts said on Monday on National Doctors Day.

National Doctors Day is celebrated on July 1 every year to appreciate the efforts of doctors, as well as to raise issues about them.

“In many professions including the medical profession, it is easier for the work pressure to crawl in the personal time leading to easy and early burnout. Doctors should understand this and try to set clear boundaries between work life and personal hours,” Dr Meenakshi Jain, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, told IANS.

Jain said that given the strenuous work hours, requirement of high cognitive performance and often changing schedules, doctors should also try to take breaks if possible and have better communication with team members to improve work efficiency without extra stress. Set healthy boundaries.

“As doctors, we are so preoccupied with patients’ health that we tend to often neglect ourselves. Long and erratic work schedules and the enormity of taking responsibility for the lives of others are taxing. We should prioritise our health first,” Dr Tushar Tayal, Lead Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, told IANS.

Citing that work-life balance is essential, the experts suggested a healthy and regular sleep-wake cycle is paramount.

For good physical and mental health, the experts advised maintaining a regular schedule, avoiding skipping meals, exercising or brisk walking for 30 min daily, and developing some hobbies, among others.

Dr Meenakshi also emphasised the importance of the emotional wellness of doctors.

“Medical professionals touch the lives of so many people and inadvertently burden themselves with negative memories. Emotional expression thus is essential to build resilience and maintain well-being,” the experts said.

Besides Yoga and meditation, the doctors must communicate with team members, join a peer support group, and must not hesitate to utilise psychological services, if necessary.

“Doctors often underestimate their symptoms and many times do not reach out for help during work pressure and other reasons. Getting regular physical and mental health checkups is essential for all medical professionals,” Dr Meenakshi said. (Agency)

Turkey: 5 killed, 60 injured in natural gas explosion

fire-broke photo

Istanbul, July 1 2024-

A natural gas explosion in Turkiye’s western province of Izmir killed five people and injured at least 60 others.

According to state-run TRT broadcaster, the explosion occurred at 2:43 p.m. local time (1143 GMT) on Sunday at a business on the ground floor of a building in Torbali district.

At least 10 of the injured are in critical condition, reports Xinhua news agency.

Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban told TRT that the explosion damaged 11 buildings in the vicinity.

“As a precautionary measure, the gas supply has been cut off, and the area is being evacuated. Our security forces have taken necessary actions,” Elban said.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X that an investigation has been launched into the explosion, with the coordination of two public prosecutors. (Agency)

Iraqi forces defuse 6 bombs hidden at al-Nuri Mosque

gunmen terrorists shadow Maoists

Baghdad, July 1 2024-

Iraqi explosive experts have defused six bombs, believed to have been planted by Islamic State (IS) militants years ago in the historic al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, a police source said.

“They were homemade bombs planted in a complex way, but the explosive experts have dismantled them without causing any casualty,” Major Ahmed Saber from Mosul police told Xinhua news agency.

He said the site is now ready to resume the restoration work undertaken by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which was halted after the reported discovery of bombs in the southern wall of the mosque’s prayer hall on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The IS blew up the al-Nuri Mosque and its iconic leaning minaret on June 21, 2017, with deliberately placed bombs.

UNESCO has been overseeing efforts to rebuild the mosque and other heritage sites in Mosul following the defeat of the IS. (Agency)

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