Jobs at Guru Nanak Dev University

Amritsar, June 28, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Online applications are invited for various posts of Instructors for different courses/diplomas in the Department of Lifelong Learning, Guru Nanak Dev University on purely part-time contract/lecture basis for the Session 2024-25.

Prof. Anupam Kaur, Director said that the candidates who fulfill the prescribed qualifications can fill the online application form at the website http://www.gndu.ac.in/lifelongptins/default.aspx before 19.07.2024. The applicant can visit the University website www.gndu.ac.in

LPU Ranks 4th in India, 126th Globally in World’s Top Innovative Universities

Jalandhar, June 28, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Lovely Professional University (LPU) has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the 4th position among Indian universities and 126th rank globally in the World University Ranking for Innovation (WURI) 2024.

This prestigious recognition is a testament to LPU’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within its academic ecosystem.

With this ranking LPU is ahead of many prestigious institutions like University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of California.

The WURI rankings, which evaluate universities based on their contributions to society and industry, have highlighted LPU’s pioneering approaches to research and education.

The university has been particularly lauded for its exceptional performance in different areas – Innovation in Funding (22nd globally and 1st in India), Industrial Application (26th globally and 2nd in India), and Student Mobility and Openness (31st globally and 4th in India).

“This remarkable achievement is a source of immense pride for the entire LPU community,” said Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and LPU founder Chancellor Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal.

“It is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit of our faculty, researchers, and students, who have continuously pushed the boundaries of knowledge and created impactful solutions for the real world.”

The WURI rankings measure how universities contribute to society and industry in the real world and highlight creative and innovative approaches to university research and education, based on 6 ranking categories.

LPU’s consistent focus on fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship has played a crucial role in its ascent among the world’s most innovative universities.

Bangladeshi citizen with expired visa runs biz in Kolkata, HC orders ED probe

Kolkata, June 28 2024-

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday, directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate a case involving a Bangladeshi resident with an expired Indian visa running his business from here.

The division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya has directed ED to start the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the Bangladeshi resident, Umashankar Agarwal.

Agarwal has been accused of residing in India with an expired visa, running business illegally and even laundering money outside India.

As per the charges, a company owned by Agarwal had invested huge funds diverted from Bangladesh in several real estate projects in West Bengal. An investigation against Agarwal has already been initiated by Kolkata Police based on the complaints filed against him in this regard.

He was arrested by the city police but was later released on bail by a lower court. Now, as per the court order, the city police will have to hand over the investigation and the case details to the ED officials.

There are allegations that the funds of the company owned by Agarwal were diverted to different cross-border smuggling rackets and even to some underground terrorist groups.

On Friday, the counsel of Agarwal claimed that his client had been falsely implicated in the case. (Agency)

RBI is using AI for real-time data analysis: Shaktikanta Das

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

The Reserve Bank has ventured into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) analytics in multiple areas in order to develop cutting-edge systems for high frequency and real-time data monitoring and analysis, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday.

In his address at the inauguration of the RBI’s 18th Statistical Day Conference here, Das said: “The focus now is naturally on enhancing capacity in AI and ML techniques and analysing unstructured textual data. While doing so, ethical considerations need to be addressed and biases in algorithms need to be eliminated.”

He said that this annual event provides an opportunity to reflect on the current and evolving state of the statistical system. It also helps to take stock of the refinements in the application of statistical methods and technologies in the realm of public policy.

“Looking ahead, the year 2025 has a special significance for the compilation of official statistics the world over. Global efforts are expected to culminate in new global standards for the compilation of macroeconomic statistics, especially for national accounts and balance of payments. Our team in the Reserve Bank is closely tracking these developments,” the RBI Governor said.

The surge in computing power is being increasingly harnessed in combination with statistical methods to improve efficiency in decision-making and enrich end-user experience in various fields of human knowledge, he added,

The celebration of Statistics Day in India coincides with the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis whose contributions in laying the foundations of modern-day official statistics in India have been pioneering. Inspired by his work, Indian statisticians are making their presence felt – both domestically and globally in traditional as well as in newer applications of statistics, he added.

Das highlighted the areas in which the Reserve Bank’s cutting-edge information management is contributing to the formulation of public policies and the overall economic development in India.

“One year ago, we launched our next-generation data warehouse, i.e., the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) at the Statistics Day Conference. Several new features were introduced in the new system. Scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), urban co-operative banks (UCBs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have already been onboarded for reporting on the new portal,” he said.

The new CIMS is also facilitating research on the Indian economy, minimising reporting burden, exploiting the technological advances and improving the experience of both data providers and users, Das added. (Agency)

Nothing to launch CMF Phone 1 with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip

New Delhi, June 28 2024-

London-based consumer tech brand Nothing on Friday announced that CMF Phone 1 will be powered by the new MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G processor.

Scheduled to launch on July 8, the smartphone promises to deliver a best-in-segment experience.

“The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G processor, with its 8-core architecture and cutting-edge 4nm process from TSMC, makes it one of the fastest and power-efficient smartphones in the segment,” the company said.

It also mentioned that this processor integrates numerous functions into a single compact chip, ensuring both high performance and energy efficiency.

The key highlights of MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC in the CMF Phone 1 include — superior performance, enhanced efficiency, and advanced technology.

With CMF Phone 1, the company said that it aims to make great design accessible to more people while delivering an uncompromised user experience through a focus on core product functionalities.

Alongside CMF Phone 1, the brand will also launch Watch Pro 2 and Buds Pro 2, further expanding its portfolio of innovative products designed to enhance everyday life. (Agency)

India versus South Africa – A Titanic clash

India and South Africa are the two teams that have come through to the T20 World Cup final 2024 without a scratch. The titanic clash between them on Saturday, June 29 should be a riveting battle as to who will win the title and be crowned the T20 Cricket Champions of the World.

Both the sides have shown superior strength by winning all their matches. The journey for them to the final has had its anxious moments, however, they have emerged with flying colors at the end. South Africa are finally through to the final of an ICC run major tournament. The tag “chokers” that South Africa was embedded with due to several failures, may just be a thing of the past. The word chokers was also creeping into the performance of India and this is now a great opportunity for them as well to put it to rest.

A World Cup tournament should be conducted without a major hitch, with everyone involved satisfied at the end of it. Unfortunately, the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has had its blemishes. Several of the wickets have been far below the standard one would expect for a tournament of this stature.

The semi-final wicket between South Africa and Afghanistan in Trinidad was terrible, to say the least. The lion-hearted Afghanistan batters were sadly made to confront an explosive South African attack, which, with their limited knowledge, proved to be their demise.

The logistics, travel, and stay at several venues in the US as well as the Caribbean Islands have been a point of concern for cricket lovers visiting as spectators. The seats at the stadiums in the West Indies, even for an Indian game, were not fully occupied. One gathers: schoolchildren were given tickets to the match by the die-hard Indian cricket followers, who were unable to make it because of these logistical problems.

Furthermore, the weather has also played its part in becoming a major dampener. One is impressed with the ground staff and the drainage system of the outfields rainwater-absorbing capabilities; however, the wet conditions have had a major detrimental impact on the wicket conditions in the end. Several of the teams were left to pray to the heavens hoping that the rain gods would stay away and are kind to them.

There has been severe criticism and accusations that India is being favored as a nation at this T20 World Cup. The favourable venues, timings, and travel are a few issues that have emerged. India, does bring in the eye balls that bring in the revenue for the ICC. The cricketing body requires these funds to administer cricket and popularize it around the world. Finally, a team has to perform, and these critics should understand that the Indian team has justified its importance by beating all the sides that they have played against. Furthermore, they stood tall by winning by a substantially large margin against sides like Australia and England.

One was astonished to read of the ball-tampering charges brought against India by a former Pakistan captain. It is a ridiculous and serious accusation for one to make which reeks of a lame loser.

The two teams that have shaken up the cricketing world are the US and the Afghanistan teams. They showed that they can rub shoulders with the best and this should be a wake-up call for the ICC to structure a system that could get the minnow sides to play the established Test playing countries as well. The matches could initially be termed as unofficial ones, similar to what India went through in the early 50s. The visiting cricket sides of a combined Commonwealth X! and sides from Australia toured India to bolster local talent. It was by playing these sides that India grew into a cricketing nation.

One hopes and prays that the wicket in Barbados for the final is well prepared. India and South Africa have sides that are flushed with good pace and spin bowlers. In the batting department, both the sides have players that on their day can destroy opponents. A good wicket that encourages stroke-play would truly be wonderful to watch.

India, similar to South Africa, have just one major concern and that is the batting form of their top opening batters, Virat Kohli and Quinton De Kock. Both are fabulous batsmen and the final could just be the platform for them to shine.

The player who has put fear into the opponents is the Indian pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. One is quite amused that a bowler has become the dreaded weapon and the center point of worry, rather than a batter. It is how the South Africa side perceives Bumrah that will be an important factor in the match. It is truly a remarkable achievement by the Indian pacer to be put on such a high pedestal.

Unfortunately, the team that loses in the final will still be branded as chokers.

Cricket can be an unforgiving sport at the end. (Agency)

Sonu Nigam washes Asha Bhosle’s feet with rose water, petals at book launch event

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

Playback singer Sonu Nigam, who attended the launch of ‘Svarsvamini Asha’, washed the feet of Padma Vibhushan awardee and veteran singer Asha Bhosle on Friday.

Sonu attended the event at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Auditorium in the Vile Parle area of Mumbai, and washed the feet of his ‘Guru’ with rose water and rose petals.

Actor Jackie Shroff gifted a plant to the veteran singer as a symbol of making the earth green again.

Asha Bhosle expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming love and support, sharing anecdotes from her illustrious career and her excitement about the book.

The event witnessed an extraordinary gathering of the who’s who of the music and film industry for the launch of the book which is a tribute to Asha Bhosle.

Asha Bhosle attended the event with her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle. The event was inaugurated by Mohan Bhagwat.

Eminent personalities from the industry, including Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Bharati Mangeshkar, Sonu Nigam, Ashish Shelar, Ashok Saraf, Jackie Shroff, Poonam Dhillon, Suresh Wadkar, Sudesh Bhosle, Shruti Bhosle, and Harish Bhimani, attended the event to honour Asha Bhosle.

The event concluded with a musical tribute to her, featuring performances by renowned artists.

‘Svarsvamini Asha’ is published by Valuable Group. (Agency)

Indian healthcare sector faced 6,935 cyberattacks per week in last 6 months: Report

New Delhi, June 28 2024-

The Indian healthcare sector has become a major target for cybercriminals, experiencing an average of 6,935 cyberattacks per week over the last six months, compared to 1,821 attacks per organisation globally, a new report revealed on Friday.

According to the cyber security provider Check Point Software Technologies, this trend highlighted the increased attack surface due to the rapid adoption of technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

“The simplicity of spoofing email addresses and the capability to deliver weaponised content make email a powerful tool for spreading malware, stealing credentials, and executing social engineering attacks,” said Sundar Balasubramanian, MD for India and SAARC at Check Point Software Technologies.

“Check Point urges users to avoid opening unverified email attachments, use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and exercise caution with unsolicited or suspicious emails,” he added.

Following healthcare, the most attacked industries in India include education/research (6,244 attacks), consulting (3,989 attacks), and government/military (3,618 attacks), the report mentioned.

The report also highlighted that Indian organisations, on average, were targeted 2,924 times per week over the past six months, compared to 1,401 attacks per organisation globally.

The most prevalent malware in India was ‘FakeUpdates’, accompanied by other malicious software such as ‘botnets’ and a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) named ‘Remcos’.

Information disclosure was the most commonly exploited vulnerability in India, affecting 72 per cent of organisations, followed by Remote Code Execution impacting 62 per cent, and Authentication Bypass affecting 52 per cent.

In the last 30 days, 63 per cent of malicious files in India were delivered via email, while 37 per cent were delivered through the web.

Notably, 58 per cent of the top malicious files delivered via email were executable files, while 59 per cent of malicious files delivered via the web were PDF files, the report said.

“Preventive measures, such as regular software updates, employee training, and the deployment of advanced security solutions, are essential to mitigate the growing threat landscape,” Balasubramanian said. (Agency)

Singapore police block over 110 suspicious bank accounts for scam

Singapore, June 28 2024-

Officers from Singapore’s Anti-Scam Center blocked over 110 suspicious bank accounts and seized more than 400,000 Singapore dollars ($290,000) from June 17 to 24, according to the latest statement from the police.

During the operation, the police worked closely with United Overseas Bank to identify the suspicious bank accounts used for money laundering activity, reports Xinhua news agency.

The police also investigated ten individuals for giving their bank accounts to scammers.

Investigations are underway.

Further details are awaited. (Agency)

T20 World Cup: India and South Africa battle it out in clash of unbeaten forces for trophy

Bridgetown (Barbados), June 28 2024-

The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup is all set for an engrossing conclusion to a tournament full of twists, and thrills as unbeaten forces India and South Africa face-off in the title clash at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

India, in its third ICC final in the last 12 months, are seeking to end their 11-year drought of a big title and aim to win the trophy they last won in the inaugural edition in 2007, where current skipper Rohit Sharma played under MS Dhoni’s leadership. On the other hand, South Africa are into a men’s ICC World Cup final for the first time – after seven previous efforts ended in defeats.

Both India and South Africa have made it to the title clash as the unbeaten teams in very contrasting styles – the Rohit Sharma-led side came out on top in tough New York pitches and adapted very well to triumph in its matches in the Caribbean so far, latest of it being a comprehensive 68-run win over defending champions England.

India’s campaign has been very much like their awe-inspiring and dominating run in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, and would be keen to cross the last hurdle which they failed to go past against Australia in Ahmedabad when they play in their third T20 World Cup final. A title win for India will also serve as a fitting farewell to Rahul Dravid’s time as the head coach.

The Proteas, led by Aiden Markram & Co, have got luck on their way to be victorious in tight matches amidst challenging conditions in New York, as well as in the Caribbean, and then blew away a spirited Afghanistan in Trinidad. For South Africa, who won 1998 ICC Knock-Out title (then called as Champions Trophy), Saturday is the perfect time for them to give their country the joy of winning the silverware.

For India, captain Rohit Sharma has been literally leading the charge from the front. After the ten-wicket annihilation at the hands of England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final at Adelaide, Rohit has led a transformation for India – changing his batting approach to a more attacking version and being selfless for the team’s cause, with no care given to milestones.

When it mattered the most, Rohit launched a sensational takedown of Australia in the Super Eights game at St Lucia, with the standout being taking 29 runs off Mitchell Starc. Against England on a tacky pitch in Guyana, Rohit mixed his aggressive play with cautiousness to make an important 57 and be one half of a crucial 73-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav.

Despite Virat Kohli and Shivam Dube having middling returns, Suryakumar, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, along with useful runs from Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have given solid support to Rohit in India making above-par totals and chasing whenever pushed into it. In terms of bowling, India have clicked as pacers and spinners are doing their jobs with perfection.

Meanwhile, South Africa have been helped by various individuals clicking at the right time to find themselves in the title clash. Reeza Hendricks has struggled for form at the top, but his unbeaten knock in the semifinal and hitting winning runs against Afghanistan should boost his confidence.

Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock will be aiming to come good in the final, and use his extensive CPL experience at Barbados, a venue where South Africa will be playing a game in this T20 World Cup for the first time.

Their dynamic middle order of Markram, Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaasen can play pace and spin very, followed by the hugely experienced David Miller present to apply finishing touches to the batting innings. Their match-up against Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja will make for a riveting watch in the final.

Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje have put in fiery performances for South Africa on the fast-bowling front, using their tall heights and high release points to outclass batters. Spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi can be more than handful if consistent bounce is found in abundance in Barbados.

For all the new-found weather geeks, there is considerable rain threat for the final match day, as well as on the reserve day. No team has ever won a Men’s T20 World Cup as an unbeaten side, which means India and South Africa have a golden chance to rewrite history.

Who will achieve their eventual date with destiny of winning the title, it will be made crystal clear by the end of this weekend.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottniel Baartman, Bjorn Fortuin, Ryan Rickelton and Gerald Coetzee. (Agency)