K'taka HC disposes petition seeking panic button in all phones
Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Karnataka government has informed the High Court it has introduced the 'Suraksha' app and in times of emergency the public can either use this app or call the 112 emergency number.
A public interest litigation by NT Arun Kumar from Nagadevanahalli in Bengaluru had sought directions for pre-installed panic buttons in mobile phones.
The division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Ashok S Kinagri appreciated the government's efforts in developing the Suraksha App and disposed of the petition.
The HC said that it cannot direct the manufacturers to pre-install panic buttons in all mobile phones as it is likely to create a situation where unscrupulous elements, minors and children may unnecessarily use the panic button depriving help to those really in an emergency.
The Police Department in its affidavit in response to the PIL stated that the app has been developed in addition to the emergency care number 112 that already exists. The app has an SOS button which even allows for recording a 10-second video. The panic button on it allows the person to reach out to friends, relatives and the police. The app is also disabled-friendly and allows the police to track it through GPS.
The Emergency Response Support System was also upgraded and in 2021, the number of response lines on these were increased from three to six. Currently, the system is able to handle 118 calls at a time.
The HC said that it was not possible to expect any system to work at 100 per cent efficiency. It directed the authorities to popularise the use of the Suraksha app and take measures to publicise its uses to the public.
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FM Sitharaman launches 'VijAIpatha' labs in govt schools in Karnataka
Hampi (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched Cyient AI Labs (CyAILS) -- 'VijAIpatha', aimed at democratising access to Artificial Intelligence, STEM and Robotics education in government schools here.
In a series of posts on 'X', the minister's office shared pictures of the initiative launched at a girl's government school in Hosapete taluk and said that under the pilot phase, five world-class AI, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Robotics laboratories are being established in government schools.
Each lab will be equipped with high-performance computers, AI-ready software, robotics kits, IoT devices, sensors and secure broadband connectivity.
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"Aligned with NEP 2020, Digital India and Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi's mission of Viksit Bharat 2047, the programme integrates CBSE's AI curriculum and strengthens technology-enabled learning in public education," it said.
Focusing on rural and semi-urban India, the initiative introduces future technologies at the school level, helping build early digital fluency, computational thinking and innovation capacity among students, the minister's office said.
"Benefiting over 2,000 students and training more than 200 teachers, 'VijAIpatha' is a scalable CSR model fostering innovation, career readiness and grassroots digital empowerment," it added.
According to the office, the initiative has been designed as a scalable, replicable and sustainable model that can be adopted across districts and states in collaboration with government education departments, positioning it as a benchmark CSR model for a national AI education rollout.
