Mangaluru (PTI): A Thiruvananthapuram-bound Air India Express flight from Riyadh made an emergency landing at Mangaluru International Airport (MgIA) after a passenger onboard developed a sudden medical complication, officials said on Tuesday.

Flight IX 522, which was scheduled to fly directly to Thiruvananthapuram, alerted the Mangaluru airport's Operations Control Centre late on Monday about the passenger--reported to be in his late 30s--requiring urgent medical attention, they said.

Airport authorities immediately activated emergency protocols and coordinated with the medical team, CISF, immigration and customs to ensure rapid response, officials said.

According to officials, upon landing, the airport's medical personnel boarded the aircraft, assessed the passenger's condition and arranged for immediate transfer to a tertiary-care hospital in the city. Relatives accompanying the passenger also disembarked to assist him.

According to airport sources, timely medical support provided onboard by the cabin crew helped stabilise the passenger before landing.

After the situation was brought under control, the aircraft resumed its journey and departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2.05 am on Tuesday.

An MgIA spokesperson said the coordinated response reflected the airport's readiness to handle medical contingencies.

"We appreciate the exemplary cooperation of all parties involved. This incident reaffirms our commitment to prioritising passenger safety and responding to unforeseen situations with professionalism and care," the spokesperson 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.