Silicon Valley: Google has named Prabhakar Raghavan, a distinguished IIT Madras alumnus, as its new Chief Technologist. In a major career leap, Raghavan has accepted an impressive ₹300 crore offer, marking a high point in his career of over two decades.

Raghavan, 64, previously served as Google's Senior Vice President, overseeing key areas including Search, Assistant, Ads, Commerce, and Payments. Known for his pioneering contributions, he played a significant role in launching AI-powered tools such as Smart Reply and Smart Compose.

In a note to employees, Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised Raghavan’s decision to return to his computer science roots, saying, “After 12 years leading multiple teams at Google, Prabhakar is ready for his next chapter as Chief Technologist.”

Raghavan's career began with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Madras, followed by advanced studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in computer science from UC Berkeley. His early work at IBM’s Almaden Research Center and as a professor at Stanford University laid the foundation for a distinguished career that included leadership roles at Yahoo and Verity.

His appointment comes amid rising competition in the tech landscape, with Google facing challenges from rivals like Microsoft, OpenAI, and other startups. With a renewed focus on artificial intelligence, Raghavan envisions AI transforming industries and tackling global issues, including urban traffic and disaster management.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police called a video shared by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, alleging that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were assaulted in the national capital for speaking their language, "fabricated" and "politically motivated."

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania on Monday said that the police took immediate cognizance of the video shared on platform 'X' by the West Bengal CM, where she claimed that the woman and her child were brutally assaulted by Delhi Police personnel.

"Upon inquiry, we identified the woman as Sanjanu Parveen. During questioning, she alleged that on the night of July 26, four men in plain clothes posing as police personnel took her and her child to a secluded spot and demanded Rs 25,000, which she claimed to have paid," Dhania said.

However, the DCP said that a detailed investigation, including analysis of CCTV footage and local intelligence, revealed inconsistencies in her story.

"During sustained questioning, the woman admitted that her relative, a political worker from Malda district in West Bengal, had asked her to make the video. The video was then circulated locally in Bengal and later surfaced on social media," the officer said.

Terming the video "baseless and fabricated", Dhania added that the footage was deliberately created to defame the Delhi Police.

"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to malign the image of Delhi Police through a politically motivated narrative. The matter is still under investigation," he said.