India to host first deaf ICC World T20 in November
New Delhi, Sep 27: India will host the Deaf ICC T20 World Cup in November this year. The tournament will be hosted by the Deaf Cricket Society (DCS), the apex governing body, it was announced on Thursday.
The World Cup will see participation of teams from as many as eight countries, over a nine-day period and over 200 players vying for the top honours of being the World T20 champions, according to a release.
The tournament is being held from November 23-30 in Gurugram.
The participating countries are England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and South Africa, apart from hosts India.
Sumit Jain, General Secretary, Deaf Cricket Society, commented: "Cricket is still one of the most popular sports played and watched in the country. In 2017 alone, the sport enjoyed 717 million TV viewers and around 27 billion impressions per week."
"The annual investment in Indian cricket is as much as Rs 8000 crore. And today we are confident that Disability sport such as Cricket will gain momentum and support by this world class tournament being held in India," he added.
Stefan Pichowski, Chairman, Deaf, International Cricket Council said: "we are delighted that India is hosting the second edition of Deaf-ICC World Cup T20. The enthusiasm from the teams across the world is overwhelming and the visit to India will be very special as it is known for promoting the spirit of Cricket.
"Globally, initiatives to introduce cricket to people with disabilities has shown immense benefits. The sport has helped significantly in raising confidence levels, improving sensory and motor skills, quality of life and self-esteem as well as social skills and emotional growth," he added.
Eight teams will be divided into two groups and each team will play three matches in the group Stage. Two teams from each group will qualify for the Semi-Finals.
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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.
