RuPay card in Bahrain soon: PM Modi
Manama, Aug 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the RuPay card will soon be launched in Bahrain after India and the Gulf nation signed a MoU to allow the Indian expatriates hassle-free money transfer at cheaper costs.
RuPay card scheme was launched in 2012 to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments.
"I am glad that you will be able to transact in Bahrain soon with RuPay card. Today there is a MoU signed for use of RuPay card," the prime minister told thousands of Indians assembled at the Bahrain National Stadium here.
"Our intention is to provide you the facility to send money to your home in India through RuPay Card. Now you will be able to say that "Bahrain - Pay with RuPay," he said.
This will also allow the Indian community in Bahrain to transact at cheaper, he said.
RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions.
Earlier in the day, Modi launched the RuPay card in Abu Dhabi, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment.
India has already launched the RuPay card in Singapore, Bhutan and the UAE.
The UAE was added to the list on Saturday during the prime minister's visit to Abu Dhabi.
RuPay is a highly secure network that protects against cyberhacks and is India's version of Master Card and Visa.
Today, there are close to 500 million RuPay cards in circulation in India.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
