Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed into law a measure for development of a government-backed messaging application which will be designed to integrate with official state services.

Under Russia’s digital strategy, the country is putting efforts to build and mandate home-grown alternatives to widely used apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram following the war in Ukraine in 2022, which had led to the withdrawal or curtailing of services by many Western technology firms.

While supporters of the new platform argue it will offer features beyond those available in current messaging apps, particularly through its integration with state administrative functions, digital rights advocates have voiced concern that government oversight of the app could endanger user privacy and undermine free expression.

Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian digital rights organisation, warned earlier this month that authorities may deliberately throttle the speed of foreign messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to compel users to migrate to the new government-run platform.

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New Delhi: The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) is reportedly developing two special modules on Operation Sindoor, aimed at familiarising students with India's military capabilities.

“While the first special module on Operation Sindoor will be for students of Classes 3 to 8 and second will be available for Classes 9 to 12. The aim of these modules is to make students aware about India's military power and how Pakistan was defeated once again,” Hindustan Times quotes its source as saying.

Each module will span approximately 8 to 10 pages and will focus on the achievements of the Indian Armed Forces.

These modules are expected to be introduced in the upcoming academic session and will supplement the existing syllabus.

In addition to Operation Sindoor, NCERT is also preparing modules on a range of national achievements and historical events. Upcoming topics include Mission LiFE ('LiFEStyle For Environment'), the horrors of Partition, and India's growing stature in space exploration—from the Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions to Subhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station, HT quoted a source from the education ministry as saying.

Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has written to states, directing them to mandatorily adopt NCERT textbooks for Classes 9 to 12. The board has also “strongly advised” that states use either NCERT or State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) books. Supplementary materials may be used by schools, provided they align with the National Curriculum Framework