K'taka to give special grants to Kannada schools in Maharashtra: CM Bommai
'pension to those who fought for State's unification'
Bengaluru, Nov 22: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the government has decided to give special grants to Kannada medium schools in Maharashtra and also pension to Kannadigas in the neighbouring State who fought for the unification of the State.
His statement comes a day after Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra appointed two ministers to coordinate with the legal team regarding the court case on the decades-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Shinde also announced that the pension scheme for freedom fighters will cover those parts in Belagavi in Karnataka to which the western state Maharashtra stakes claim to.
He added his government was positive about extending benefits of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) to people living in those areas.
The MJPJAY is a flagship health insurance scheme of Government of Maharashtra. It provides cashless quality medical care to beneficiaries under the scheme for catastrophic illnesses requiring hospitalisation for surgeries and therapies under identified specialty services through network of health care providers.
Bommai said: "Today our government has decided to give special grants for the development of Kannada medium schools in Maharashtra through Border Development Authority."
"Also, our government has decided to give pension to those Kannadigas in Maharashtra who fought for the unification (of Karnataka), took part in the freedom struggle of India as well as Goa 'Vimochan' agitation after verifying all their documents. We will implement this," he said.
The Karnataka Chief Minister also said that protecting the interests of a large number of Kannadigas residing in Maharashtra is the duty of the State government.
Bommai also cautioned his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde against creating a row between the two states, which are in harmony.
"I want to tell the Maharashtra Chief Minister and the government not to create a row between states when there are harmonious relations, when we are treating everyone equally irrespective of their language," the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
He claimed that the Panchayats in Jath Taluka in Maharashtra had passed a resolution in the past to merge with Karnataka when there was a severe drought situation and acute drinking water crisis, and his government has evolved schemes to help them by providing water. The state government is seriously considering it.
Bommai on Monday said he has formed a formidable legal team of senior lawyers from Supreme Court and Karnataka to deal with the border row case when it comes up before the apex court.
"The border dispute is a political tool used by all parties in Maharashtra. But they will never succeed," he said, adding that Maharashtra's plea has not found maintainability in all these years and Karnataka is prepared to argue that it's not maintainable.
Bommai had also said that there is no example to show that what had been done under the States Reorganisation Act was reviewed.
Belagavi bordering Maharashtra has a significant population of Marathi-speaking people, and had for decades been a bone of contention between the two States.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
- e-Challan apps
- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
- mParivahan clones
- LPG booking apps
- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
According to investigators, these frauds typically begin with panic-driven social engineering messages sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
Common bait messages include:
- Your traffic challan has been issued
- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
- Accessibility access
- SMS permissions
- Call logs
- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
- read screen contents
- detect banking and UPI apps
- auto-click Allow / Confirm / Pay buttons
- capture OTPs
- launch hidden overlays
- navigate banking sessions
- trigger silent fund transfers
Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
- card number
- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
- net banking credentials
- even ATM PINs
Cybersecurity experts stress that no legitimate government payment system ever asks for an ATM PIN inside an app, making this an immediate red flag.
Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
- malicious APKs
- phishing URLs
- QR scams
- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
- APK sideloading risks
- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
In response to this rapidly evolving threat landscape, TraceX Labs has launched TraceX Guard, an AI-powered multilingual Android security suite built specifically for India’s APK fraud ecosystem.
The platform offers:
- real-time APK scanning
- malicious permission detection
- hidden app discovery
- RAT behaviour monitoring
- QR & phishing URL safety grading
- OTP and SIM fraud alerts
- Wi-Fi hotspot verification
- ransomware defence
- India-specific scam intelligence feeds
- support for 10+ regional languages
Its offline-first AI architecture allows users to scan threats without uploading personal data, making it especially useful for privacy-conscious users and low-connectivity regions.
TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
- fake challan scams
- counterfeit SBI APKs
- PM Yojana malware
- wedding invitation APK attacks
- honey-trap adult apps
- Telegram-based RAT droppers
From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
- WhatsApp groups
- banking accounts
- local communities
- social trust networks
With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
Download Now : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tracexlabs.guard
