Union Minister Sonowal unveils Rs 1500 crore infra, CSR projects in Mangaluru
Mangaluru(PTI): Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday unveiled 16 infrastructure and 113 CSR projects worth Rs 1,500 crore at the golden jubilee celebrations of the NMPA here.
Speaking at the event, Sonowal said the projects mark a major step in strengthening India’s maritime infrastructure under the government’s Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways added that New Mangalore Port Authority has signed MoUs worth Rs 52,000 crore as part of India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, according to a press release.
Tracing the port’s five-decade journey since its commissioning in 1975, Sonowal said NMPA now handles over 46 million tonnes of cargo annually and aims to reach 100 million tonnes by 2047.
The port has achieved 92 per cent mechanisation and operates as India’s largest coffee exporter and second-largest LPG importer, the release said.
Sonowal also inaugurated the renovated Mangalore Marine College and Technology (MMCT) campus and a new Rs 9.51-crore office building of the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD).
He highlighted that the number of Indian seafarers has risen from 1.08 lakh in 2014 to over 3.2 lakh now, projecting that one in every five global seafarers will be Indian by 2030, the release added.
The minister said NMPA has transitioned to 100 per cent solar power and adopted green cargo policies.
Karnataka has 32 ongoing Sagarmala projects worth Rs 6,526 crore to boost port-led industrial and coastal development, he added.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, MP Brijesh Chowta, former MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLAs Dr Bharath Shetty and D Vedavyasa Kamath, and senior port and shipping officials were present.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
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.
