Bengaluru, Sep 3: Karnataka Forest and Environment Minister B Eshwar Khandre said on Tuesday there is a dire need to adopt the practices of regeneration of solid waste, which is posing a grave threat to nature.

Speaking at the 5th Re-Commerce Expo, being held here till September 5, he said the need of the hour is to give top priority to regenerate and reprocess e-waste, batteries, and other electronic goods.

"This will not only be economically viable but also environmentally friendly," Khandre added.

According to the Minister, the collapse of hills and earth sinking at Shirur in the state and Wayanad in Kerala were a warning for us.

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"We need to be vigilant and make plans to avoid such tragedies. Pollution is rampant in the atmosphere as well as in water due to increase in electronic goods, batteries as well as industrial pollution. It is our duty to protect mankind from these vagaries of nature that are posing a grave threat to the world," Khandre added.

He emphasised the need to blend the development and production process without damaging ecology and environment.

"There are huge opportunities for the younger generation to work on this subject," he added.

Venkatreddy D Patil, CEO of Urdhva Management, organisers of Re-Expo, said: "Our main aim is to strengthen processing for which the number of partners should increase. We need to re-process mobile, batteries and laptops and put it to use without harming the ecology and environment."

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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.