Chidambaram gets family to post Twitter msg, expresses concern over state of economy
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday expressed concern over the state of economy and questioned the government on its plan to get the country out of this "decline and gloom".
Chidambaran, who was sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail last week for alleged corruption given to INX Media when he was Union finance minister, asked his family to post a message from him on Twitter.
The former finance minister also lauded the capacity of the poor people to distinguish between justice and injustice.
"I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following: Thank you all for your support. I must say I am amazed by the capacity of the poor (who I have had the chance to meet and interact with over the last few days) to distinguish between justice and injustice," he tweeted.
"I am deeply concerned about the economy. The poor are the worst affected. Lower, fewer jobs, less trade and lower investment affect the poor and the middle class. Where is the plan to get the country out of this decline and gloom," the veteran Congress leader asked on his Twitter account.
Chidambaram on Monday asked his family to post a message from him on Twitter. He urged authorities not to arrest officers who were involved in giving clearances to INX Media when he was finance minister, saying none of them done anything wrong.
He was put behind bars last Thursday, hours after a CBI court sent him to two-week judicial custody in the INX Media case, an unprecedented setback for the Congress veteran who even offered to surrender to the Enforcement Directorate in a desperate attempt to be spared the ignominy of going to prison.
The CBI registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.
Thereafter, the ED lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017.
INX Media had sought the FIPB clearances on March 13, 2007, for permission to issue, by way of preferential allotment, up to 14.98 equity shares to three non-resident entities - Dunearn, NSR PE and New Veron Pvt Equity Ltd.
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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.
