Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said the release of cheetahs into the Kuno National Park (KNP) has increased the chances of generating job opportunities in Sheopur district.

He was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of a medical college building costing Rs 768 crore and other developmental works in the presence of union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday.

"Cheetahs have arrived in Sheopur (KNP) on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This has increased the possibility of employment opportunities in Sheopur," he said.

Chouhan said that the women's self-help groups (SHGs) are also getting motivated to run homestays in villages.

Two cheetahs, out of the total eight brought from Namibia in September last year, were released into the wild in the KNP on Saturday, almost six months after their arrival in the country. Another batch of 12 cheetahs - seven males and five females were brought to the park from South Africa on February 18 this year, taking the total of these animals there to 20.

Tomar said that after the construction of this medical college building and once it starts its operations, there will be no dearth of medical facilities in Sheopur and the residents here will not be dependent on adjoining cities.

Scindia said a broad-gauge line is being laid between Gwalior and Sheopur under the first phase and it will be extended to Kota in the second phase.

"This will ensure the development of the region," he said.

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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.