PM Modi heading to Varanasi on 68th birthday
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday to celebrate his 68th birthday.
Upon reaching Varanasi on Monday afternoon, Modi will directly head to Narur village where he is expected to interact with the children of a primary school and attend the screening of a movie based on his life, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement here.
"Prime Minister Modi will arrive in the city from where he will head directly for Narur village... He will interact with children of a primary school who are being aided by the non-profit organisation, 'Room to Read'," the statement said.
"Later, at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) campus, the Prime Minister will interact with students of Kashi Vidyapeeth, and children assisted by them," it added.
Meanwhile on Twitter, the hashtag #HappyBDayPMModi was trending.
In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind wished Modi a "long life and many years of dedicated service to the people of the country".
"Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who work towards nation-building with full dedication. God give him a long life and he continues to serve the country," Kovind wrote in another tweet.
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu also greeted Modi saying: "India is making rapid strides under his visionary leadership and taking its rightful place in the comity of nations. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life."
Modi's colleagues in the Union Cabinet also took to Twitter to wish him on his birthday.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "Warm birthday compliments to the dynamic & illustrious Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji. I wish him good health and a long life. May he continue to render for many more years his exceptional services to the nation and guide the country to its glory."
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called Modi a man with a vision for "New India".
"Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My prayers for your long and healthy life. An ancient civilization, India, being led into this century with a vision for a #NewIndia that is #SwachhBharat in every sense. Honoured to serve with your guidance and under your leadership," she said.
Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad wished Modi to "continue guiding our country on the path of prosperity".
The Opposition Congress also extended their best wishes to Modi with party President Rahul Gandhi saying: "Happy Birthday to our PM, Narendra Modi ji! Wishing him good health and happiness always."
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal said: "A very happy birthday to Prime Minister. I wish him long and healthy life."
On Tuesday, Modi will lay the foundation stone for various development projects, cumulatively worth more than Rs 500 crore at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) amphitheatre, the PMO office said.
"Among the projects to be inaugurated are Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi; and an Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. Among the projects for which the Foundation Stone will be laid, is the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU."
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TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
- e-Challan apps
- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
- mParivahan clones
- LPG booking apps
- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
According to investigators, these frauds typically begin with panic-driven social engineering messages sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
Common bait messages include:
- Your traffic challan has been issued
- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
- Accessibility access
- SMS permissions
- Call logs
- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
- read screen contents
- detect banking and UPI apps
- auto-click Allow / Confirm / Pay buttons
- capture OTPs
- launch hidden overlays
- navigate banking sessions
- trigger silent fund transfers
Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
- card number
- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
- net banking credentials
- even ATM PINs
Cybersecurity experts stress that no legitimate government payment system ever asks for an ATM PIN inside an app, making this an immediate red flag.
Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
- malicious APKs
- phishing URLs
- QR scams
- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
- APK sideloading risks
- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
In response to this rapidly evolving threat landscape, TraceX Labs has launched TraceX Guard, an AI-powered multilingual Android security suite built specifically for India’s APK fraud ecosystem.
The platform offers:
- real-time APK scanning
- malicious permission detection
- hidden app discovery
- RAT behaviour monitoring
- QR & phishing URL safety grading
- OTP and SIM fraud alerts
- Wi-Fi hotspot verification
- ransomware defence
- India-specific scam intelligence feeds
- support for 10+ regional languages
Its offline-first AI architecture allows users to scan threats without uploading personal data, making it especially useful for privacy-conscious users and low-connectivity regions.
TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
- fake challan scams
- counterfeit SBI APKs
- PM Yojana malware
- wedding invitation APK attacks
- honey-trap adult apps
- Telegram-based RAT droppers
From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
- WhatsApp groups
- banking accounts
- local communities
- social trust networks
With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
Download Now : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tracexlabs.guard
