Karnataka govt to take all measures, including use of Artificial Intelligence, to curb fake news
Bengaluru, Jun 27: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the state government is ready to take all measures required to curb 'fake news', including use of technology like 'Artificial Intelligence' (AI), aimed at taking such cases to a "logical end".
He said, the government is ready to bring in necessary laws, in case there is no provision to punish those involved in such cases, under the existing legislations.
"Some people are involved in spreading fake news, whether it is on political issues or on those aimed at disturbing peace in the society. We have observed that fake news are posted on various platforms and social media. Photographs are morphed aimed at projecting it to be linked to some sensitive issue, to which the photo is actually unrelated," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here , he said, "we have observed this during the elections and even now after the formation of the government. If we don't stop it, it may lead to several kinds of wrong notions whether at personal level or social or government level, and its impact may be huge."
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"So we have decided to take all kinds of measures -- by using technology like Artificial Intelligence, to identify those posting such things, their origins, their intention, and finally take necessary legal action. We will take it to a logical end. We will also bring in necessary laws, in case there is no provision to punish those involved in such cases, under the existing laws," he added.
New issues are cropping up frequently with respect to cyber crime, Parameshwara said, adding, in some cases there may be no provisions under the existing cyber laws to enforce control measures, and have to be amended regularly, as technology is changing every day.
"So we will bring in amendments if necessary, if there are provisions in existing laws, amendments will not be required," he added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently issued strict instructions to the authorities for crackdown on fake news.
Following this, Parameshwara said last week the government would soon hold discussions with social media sites and platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram among others, aimed at controlling sensitive and inciting posts that may lead to communal flare-ups.
He had also said that discussions are underway regarding setting up of a cyber security wing at every police station to address the issues at the jurisdiction level itself, and to bring down the number of such cases.
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BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
