2 Indian techies in US create India's first SmartGaon: Modi
New Delhi, July 29 : Indians abroad are still emotionally attached to their ancestral village, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday citing the example of two Indian IT professionals in the US who have developed the 'SmartGaon' mobile app that connects the village internally and with the wider world.
In his Mann Ki Baat radio address, Modi made a reference to Yogesh Sahu and Rajnish Bajpai, the developers of SmartGaon, which also serves as a one-stop information centre and a marketplace for farmers.
"It so happened that once I was interacting with Indian youth in San Jose town of America hailed as a technology hub and I appealed to those young people to think over how could they use their talent for India's benefit," he said.
"The SmartGaon app is not only connecting the villagers with the whole world but now they can obtain any information on their own mobile phones. Residents of the village Taudhakpur in Rae Bareilly, the village chief, District Magistrate, CDO and every one joined in to create awareness amongst the masses."
Taudhakpur has become the India's first SmartGaon village. It has CCTV cameras, public address systems, street lights, regular health check-up events, almost uninterrupted power supply and also a Wifi zone.
All initiatives undertaken in the village are updated, recorded, tracked and monitored on the app.
The app has other key features such as a villagers' directory, news and events calendar, health and information centre. Besides, the app's Gram mart feature has created a popular marketplace for farm produce.
"This app is actually bringing in a digital revolution in the village," Modi said.
The US-based Sahu and Bajpai are currently involved in carrying forward the project to six more villages in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
