The Centre for Internet and Society
https://cis-india.org
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135 MEELLION Indian government payment card details leaked
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-register-richard-chirgwin-may-3-2017-135-million-indian-government-payment-card-details-leaked
<b>Legislation coming to beef up Aadhaar card privacy, security.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article by Richard Chirgwin was <a class="external-link" href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/03/135_million_aadhaar_indian_government_payment_card_details_leaked/">published in the Register </a>on May 3, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">If you're enthused about governments operating large-scale online identity projects, here's a cautionary tale: the Indian government's eight-year-old Aadhaar payment card project has leaked a stunning 130 <i>million</i> records.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Aadhaar's role in authenticating and authorising transactions, and as the basis of the country's UID (unique identification database) makes any breach a privacy nightmare.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">India's Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) made their estimate public in a <a href="http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/information-security-practices-of-aadhaar-or-lack-thereof-a-documentation-of-public-availability-of-aadhaar-numbers-with-sensitive-personal-financial-information-1" target="_blank">report</a> published on Monday.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">It's not that there was a breach related to Aahdaar itself: rather, other government agencies were leaking Aadhaar and related data they'd collected for their own purposes.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The research paper drilled down on four government-operated projects: Andhra Pradesh's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme; the same state's workers' compensation scheme known as Chandranna Bima; the National Social Assistance Program; and an Andhra Pradesh portal of Daily “Online Payment Reports under NREGA” maintained by the National Informatics Centre.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In total, the CIS says, the portals leaked 135 million Aadhaar card records linked to around 100 million bank account numbers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Given India's enthusiasm to try and eliminate cash, it's a big deal: the Aadhaar card funnels benefits to recipients' linked bank accounts. As the report states: “To allow banking and payments using Aadhaar, banks and government departments are seeding Aadhaar numbers along with bank account details”.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The centre says the leaks represent significant and “potentially irreversible privacy harm”, but worse they also open up a fraud-ready source of personal information.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Online databases examined by the CIS included “numerous instances” of Aadhaar Numbers, associated with personal information.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Indian government responded through Aruna Sundararajan, secretary at the Union Electronics and Information Technology Ministry, who announced amendments to the country's IT legislation to beef up the system's privacy and security.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“Aadhaar has very strong privacy regulation built into it”, she <a class="external-link" href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-it-rules-to-beef-up-aadhaar/article18357619.ece">told the Hindu</a>, but it needs better enforcement.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Sundararajan said those issues will be addressed in the legislative amendments.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-register-richard-chirgwin-may-3-2017-135-million-indian-government-payment-card-details-leaked'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-register-richard-chirgwin-may-3-2017-135-million-indian-government-payment-card-details-leaked</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAadhaarInternet GovernancePrivacy2017-05-20T11:51:14ZNews Item130 Million at Risk of Fraud After Massive Leak of Indian Biometric System Data
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/gizmodo-may-3-2017-130-million-at-risk-of-fraud-after-massive-leak-of-indian-biometric-system-data
<b>A series of potentially calamitous leaks in India leave as many as 130 million people at risk of fraud or worse after caches of biometric and other personal data became accessible online.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article by Dell Cameron was published by Gizmodo on May 3, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">That’s according to <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwsvF1X5umK4LVBmYW14UzJDdk0/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">a new report</a> from the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), which details breaches at four national- and state-run databases, all of which are said to contain purportedly “uniquely-identifying” Aadhaar numbers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Launched in 2009, the Aadhaar system is an ambitious, albeit flawed program aimed at assigning unique identity numbers, not only to Indian citizens, but everyone who resides and works in the country. It is the largest program of its kind in the world. The 12-digit Aadhaar codes are assigned and maintained in a central database by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and link to biometric data of fingerprint and iris scans combined.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">For security purposes, since 2002, all U.S. passports issued to international travelers at embassies and consulates around the world have contained biometric data, including a ten fingerprint scan, contained in a microchip embedded in the back cover. In 2007, the law was extended to cover U.S. citizens, and since at least 2013, so-called “e-passports” have been the standard.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">With a very different intention in mind, the Aadhaar system was created to employ biometrics as a means to ensure that Indian residents have access to the social safety net, including programs for welfare, health, and education. But due to the sheer scale—again, the largest biometric project in history—the program has been fraught with controversy since day one. Since inception, more than 1.13 billion Aadhaar numbers have since been assigned, according to <a href="https://uidai.gov.in/images/state_wise_aadhaar_saturation_02052017.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">UIDAI data</a>. (India has a population of roughly 1.32 billion.)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Former World Bank economist Salman Anees , a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), points to migrant laborers as an example of those the program is intended to help. The often carry no identification, he said, and therefore can rarely prove who they are when traveling from state to state. The purpose of the Aadhaar system, he said, is to provide every Indian with a “digital identity.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“At least, that was the original idea,” adds Soz.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><aside class="align--center pullquote"><span class="pullquote__content">“People aren’t aware of what their rights are. They have no idea what this thing can do.”</span></aside></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">After the INC was battered in the 2014 general election, plans were put forth to expand the scope of the Aadhaar program, inflaming public concern over security and privacy. “Basically, you take this Aadhaar number and you start seeding different [government] databases,” Soz says. “And that, in effect, creates this huge data structure that people are very uncomfortable with.”</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">“In some ways,” he continued, “what you have is this amazingly modern system with huge data collection potential—and of course, many positives can come from this, but in the wrong hands it can become a huge problem for India. At the same time, your legal framework, your regulatory framework, your policies and procedures are not there. People aren’t aware of what their rights are. They have no idea what this thing can do.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">One problem, Soz says, is that Aadhaar numbers are not always checked against a cardholder’s fingerprints or iris scans in all cases, defeating its purpose entirely. When someone provides an Aadhaar number to prove their identity online or by phone, for example, their identities cannot adequately verified. In this way, Aadhaar numbers are not wholly unlike Social Security numbers in the United States. Were 130 million Social Security numbers to be leaked online, confidence in the ability to use that number to confirm an Americans’ identities would be shaken, if not destroyed.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Last month, a central government database containing thousands of Aadhaar numbers—as well as dates of birth, addresses, and tax IDs (PAN)—reportedly leaked, exposing thousands of Indian residents to potential abuse. According to <a href="https://thewire.in/118250/government-expose-personal-data-thousands-indians/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Wire</a>, the information, which was contained in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, could be easily located on Google.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">According to CIS, roughly 130-135 million Aadhaar numbers have now been exposed in this most recent leak. With the growing use of the numbers in areas such as insurance and banking, and without proper mechanisms in place to biometrically confirm the identities of cardholders in every case, the threat of financial fraud is pervasive. “All of these leaks are symptomatic of a significant and potentially irreversible privacy harm,” the report says, noting that such incidents “create a ripe opportunity for financial fraud.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">While Aadhaar is not mandatory everywhere, CIS says, the Indian government continues collecting information about the participants under various social programs. Inevitably, that information is combined with other databases containing even more sensitive data. As that happens, there’s a heightened risk to those whose Aadhaar numbers have been compromised. How the Indian government will address its apparently inadequate security controls before fraud overwhelms the system remains unknown.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><i>Read the full report: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwsvF1X5umK4LVBmYW14UzJDdk0/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information</a></i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/gizmodo-may-3-2017-130-million-at-risk-of-fraud-after-massive-leak-of-indian-biometric-system-data'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/gizmodo-may-3-2017-130-million-at-risk-of-fraud-after-massive-leak-of-indian-biometric-system-data</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaBiometricsAadhaarInternet GovernancePrivacy2017-05-20T12:36:06ZNews Item130 Million Aadhaar Numbers Were Made Public, Says New Report
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-wire-may-1-2015-130-million-aadhaar-numbers-were-made-public-says-new-report
<b>The research report looks at four major government portals whose poor information security practices have exposed personal data including bank account details.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article was <a href="https://thewire.in/130948/aadhaar-card-details-leaked/">published in the Wire</a> on May 1, 2017. This was also mirrored on <a class="external-link" href="http://www.mensxp.com/technology/latest/36661-over-130-million-aadhaar-numbers-bank-details-were-leaked-way-are-not-surprised.html">MensXP.com</a> on May 5, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>Irresponsible information security practices by a major central government ministry and a state government may have exposed up to 135 million Aadhaar numbers, according to a new research report released on Monday.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>The<a href="https://thewire.in/118250/government-expose-personal-data-thousands-indians/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title=" last two months "> last two months </a>have seen a wave of data leaks, mostly due improper information security practices, from various central government and state government departments.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="new report">new report</a>, released by the Centre for Internet and Society, studied four government databases. The first two belong to the rural development ministry: the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)’s dashboard and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)’s portal.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The second two databases deal with the state of Andhra Pradesh: namely, the state government’s own NREGA portal and the online dashboard of a state government scheme called “Chandranna Bima”.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“Based on the numbers available on the websites looked at, estimated number of Aadhaar numbers leaked through these 4 portals could be around 130-135 million and the number of bank accounts numbers leaked at around 100 million from the specific portals we looked at,” the report’s authors, Amber Sinha and Srinivas Kodali, state.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The data leaks come, in part, from the government’s decision to provide online dashboards that were likely meant for general transparency and easy administration. However, as the report notes, while open data portals are a laudable goal, if there aren’t any proper safeguards, the results can be downright disastrous.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“While availability of aggregate information on the dashboard may play a role in making government functioning more transparent, the fact that granular details about individuals including sensitive PII such as Aadhaar number, caste, religion, address, photographs and financial information are only a few clicks away suggest how poorly conceived these initiatives are,” the report says.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Consider the NSAP portal for instance. The dashboard allows users to explore a list of pensioners, whose personally identifiable information include bank account number, name and Aadhaar number. While these details are “masked for public view”, the CIS report points out that if “one of the URL query parameters of the website… was modified from ‘nologin’ to ‘login'”, it became easy to gain access to the unmasked details without a password.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“It is entirely unclear to us what the the purpose behind making available a data download pption on the NSAP website is. This feature allows download of beneficiary details mentioned above such as Beneficiary No., Name, Father’s/Husband’s Name, Age, Gender, Bank or Post Office Account No. for beneficiaries receiving disbursement via bank transfer and Aadhaar Numbers for each area, district and state,” the report states.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>UIDAI role?</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Kodali and Sinha also prominently finger the role of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the government agency that manages the Aadhaar initiative, in the data leaks.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“While the UIDAI has been involved in proactively pushing for other databases to get seeded with Aadhaar numbers, they take little responsibility in ensuring the security and privacy of such data.With countless databases seeded with Aadhaar numbers, we would argue that it is extremely irresponsible on the part of the UIDAI, the sole governing body for this massive project, to turn a blind eye to the lack of standards prescribed for how other bodies shall deal with such data, such cases of massive public disclosures of this data, and the myriad ways in which it may used for mischief,” the report states.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Still public?</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A crucial question that arises is whether these government databases are still leaking data. Over the last two months, some of information has been masked.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“It must be stated that since we began reviewing and documenting these portals, we have noticed that some of the pages with sensitive PII (personally identifiable information) have now been masked, presumably in response to growing reports about Aadhaar leaks,” the report notes.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-wire-may-1-2015-130-million-aadhaar-numbers-were-made-public-says-new-report'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-wire-may-1-2015-130-million-aadhaar-numbers-were-made-public-says-new-report</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAadhaarInternet GovernancePrivacy2017-05-20T06:32:32ZNews Item66A DEAD. LONG LIVE 66A!
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-week-march-28-2015-soni-mishra-66a-dead-long-live-66a
<b>Last Tuesday, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo walked into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office. India's most compulsive and most-followed tweeter, Modi, as Gujarat chief minister, had protested when the Manmohan Singh government blocked the micro-blogging site of a few journalists. Modi had blacked out his own Twitter profile and tweeted: “May God give good sense to everyone.”</b>
<p>The article by Soni Mishra was published in the <a class="external-link" href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=18627255&programId=1073755753&tabId=13&BV_ID=@@@&categoryId=-226161">Week</a> on March 28, 2015. T. Vishnu Vardhan gave his inputs.</p>
<hr />
<p>Today, with 11 million followers on Twitter, and 27.6 million likes on Facebook, Modi rules the virtual world and India. He received Costolo warmly and told him how Twitter could help his Clean India, girl child and yoga campaigns. Impressed, Costolo told Modi how Indian youth were innovating on Twitter.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">But, the greatest and the most fundamental boost for all social media in India was being effected a few minutes drive away from the PMO. Ironically, in the Supreme Court of India, Modi's lawyers were defending a law made by the United Progressive Alliance government—section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which curbed free speech on social media.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Anything posted on the internet can go viral worldwide and reach millions in no time, argued Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. While the traditional media is ruled by licences and checks, social media has nothing, he said. Finally, Mehta made an impassioned plea that the government meant well. Section 66A will be administered reasonably and will not be misused, he assured the court.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">It seemed he, and the government, had forgotten an old saying: if there is a bad law, someone will use it. Luckily for India, and its liberal democracy, the judges saw a bad law and struck it down. “If section 66A is otherwise invalid, it cannot be saved by an assurance from the learned additional solicitor general,” said the bench comprising Justice Rohinton Nariman and Justice J. Chelameswar.<br /><br />The fact is that 66A was knee-jerk legislation. Almost as thoughtless and compulsive as a netizen's derisive tweet. On December 22, 2008, the penultimate day of the winter session, the UPA government had got seven bills passed in seven minutes in the Lok Sabha; the opposition BJP had played along.<br /><br />One of the bills was to amend the IT Act. It went to the Rajya Sabha the next day, when members were hurrying to catch their trains and flights home for the year-end vacation. They just okayed the bill and hurried home.<br /><br />The argument then was that there was no need to discuss the bill as it had been examined by a standing committee of Parliament. Indeed, it had been. But, the committee, headed by Nikhil Kumar of the Congress, had met only for 23 hours and five minutes. Nine of its 31 members had not attended a single meeting. Ravi Shankar Prasad, the current Union minister for IT, was one among the 31.<br /><br />Apparently, everyone wanted the bill, so did not bother to apply their minds. Only a CPI(M) member, A. Vijayaraghavan, had a few dissenting suggestions to the committee report. No one else bothered to mull over a law that was “unconstitutional, vague” and which would have a “chilling effect” on free speech.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Once the law was made, it was constable raj across India. Shaheen Dhada from Palghar simply commented on Facebook about a Shiv Sena bandh on the death of Bal Thackeray. Her friend Rinu Srinivasan liked it. The two teenagers were bundled into a police station. Rinu still remembers with a chill how “a mob of about 200 people gathered outside the police station that day.” This was when the Congress was ruling Maharashtra.<br /><br />Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was picked up by the police in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal in April 2012, for posting a cartoon ridiculing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “I was thrashed several times in police custody,” said the professor, who got relief from the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.<br /><br />Vickey Khan, 22, was arrested in Rampur, UP, for a Facebook post on Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. Rampur is, of course, Khan's pocket borough. The Uttar Pradesh Police, controlled by the Samajwadi Party government, also arrested dalit writer Kanwal Bharti from Rampur for criticising the UP government's suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal in 2013.<br /><br />At least 30 people in AIADMK-ruled Chennai have been booked under 66A; four of them this year. Ravi Srinivasan, general secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party in Puducherry, was picked up in October 2012 for his tweets on Karti Chidambaram, son of then Union home minister P. Chidambaram. “He was not even in India when I tweeted,” said Ravi. “He sent the complaint by fax from abroad and everything happened [fast] as Puducherry is a Union Territory and can be controlled by the home ministry.”<br /><br />Whistleblower A. Shankar of Chennai was pulled up by the Madras High Court for the content on his blog, Savukku. The Orissa Police, controlled by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, took Facebook to court in 2011 asking who created a Facebook page in the name of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. It is another thing that the page had no content.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Indeed, there had been stray political voices opposing the law. In Parliament, the CPI(M)'s P. Rajeeve, the BJD's Jay Panda and independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar pushed several times for scrapping 66A. Panda moved a private members bill, and Rajeeve moved a resolution. “I only wish we in Parliament had heeded the people's voice and repealed it, instead of yet again letting the judiciary do our work for us,” Panda said after the law was scrapped.<br /><br />Finally, it was left to a young law student, Shreya Singhal, to move the Supreme Court on behalf of the Palghar girls. Singhal pointed out that several provisions in 66A violated fundamental rights guaranteed by article 19(1)(a)—the right to freedom of speech and expression. Several more cases followed and, finally, the court heard them together.<br /><br />Indeed, Justices Nariman and Chelameswar have been extremely restrained in their comments. But, the fact that Parliament had not applied its mind comes through in the judgment.<br /><br />The court “had raised serious concerns with the manner in which section 66A of the IT Act has been drafted and implemented across the country,” pointed out Supreme Court lawyer Shivshankar Panicker. Added Kiran Shanmugam, a cyber forensic expert and CEO of ECD Global Bengaluru: “The law lacked foresight in estimating the magnitude of the way the electronic media would grow.”<br /><br />Apparently the government, too, knew it was defending the indefensible, and tried to win the case highlighting the benign nature of the democratic state. But, the court was not impressed. “Governments may come and governments may go, but section 66A goes on forever,” the judges noted. “An assurance from the present government, even if carried out faithfully, would not bind any successor government.”<br /><br />Clearly, Mehta was defending the indefensible, a law that, the court found, would have a “chilling effect on free speech”. Moreover, as the judges found out, the new law did not provide even the safeguards that the older Criminal Procedure Code had provided. “Safeguards that are to be found in sections 95 and 96 of the CrPC are also absent when it comes to section 66A,” the judges said. For example, according to the CrPC, a book or document that contained objectionable matter could be seized by the police, but it also allowed the publisher to move court. The new law did not provide even such a cushion.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">All the same, the court was careful and did not overturn the entire law. It scrapped section 66A, and section 118(D) of the Kerala Police Act, but upheld section 69A and section 79 of the IT Act, which too had been questioned by the litigants (see box on page 45).<br /><br />The judgment has set the cyberworld rocking. “I am so happy now, I do not know how to express it,” said Rinu, now an audio-engineering student in Kerala. Shaheen is married and lives in Bengaluru. Vickey Khan is relieved. “Some people had told me that I could be jailed for three years,” he said. But, Azam Khan took it out on the media and said it “favours criminals”.<br /><br />Karti, who claims to be a votary of free speech, however, wants “some protection” against defamation. “I filed a complaint in an existing provision of law,” he said. “If that provision is not available, then I will have to seek other provisions to safeguard my reputation.”<br /><br />Mahapatra is still apprehensive. “The government will still try to harass me,” he said. “But I know that in the end I will win.” Shankar of Chennai called it “a huge relief for people like me, who are active on social media.” Ravi Srinivasan, who locked horns with Karti, said he felt “relieved and happy”.<br /><br />The hard rap on the knuckles for their legislative laxity has sobered the political class. The Congress, the progenitor of 66A, admitted that the vagueness of the law was its undoing. “If in a particular area, the local constabulary took action to stifle dissent, it was never the purpose of the act,” said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The Modi government officially welcomed the judgment, and its spokespersons are blaming the UPA for the law.<br /><br />Apparently, the scrapped law was made after a series of grossly offensive posts appeared on the social media five years ago. “If such content is not blocked online, it would immediately lead to riots,” said a law ministry official, who said the posts had been shown to the court, too. He said the government would take some time to draft a new law.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">But, is a new law required? Opinion is still divided. What if someone is defamed on the net? “There are defamation laws which can deal with these,” said T. Vishnuvardhan, programme director, Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru. “Also, the IT Act has various provisions. If somebody misuses your picture on social media, you can report it to the website immediately. The website is liable to take action on it within 36 hours.”<br /><br />Smarika Kumar of Bengaluru-based Alternative Law Forum said the scrapping of 66A does not mean one can post anything online. “The Supreme Court has said that speech can be censored when it falls under the restrictions provided under article 19(2) of the Constitution,” she said. “But, if you prevent speech on any other ground, it is going to be unconstitutional.”<br /><br />But, even critics of 66A think a replacement law is needed. Said Rajeev Chandrasekhar: “The government needs to act quickly and create a much more contemporaneous Act, via multi-stakeholder consultations, general consensus and collaboration, so that there is less ambiguity and freedom of expression is preserved.”<br /><br />Senior Supreme Court advocate Pravin H. Parekh said, “As the cyberworld is growing day by day and there is increase in the number of social media users, we do require a proper mechanism which can regulate the expression of views on the internet.”<br /><br />The government is putting forth the argument of national security. “If the security establishment says the present act is not sufficient, we will look into it. The government will consider it, but only with adequate safeguards,” said Ravi Shankar Prasad.<br /><br />That will call for a legislative process undertaken in a cool and calm house, and not hurried through when the members are ready to hurry home.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span class="contentEng" id="textId"> </span></p>
<p><b>Sound judgment</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Thumbs down</b><br />The Supreme Court set aside section <b>66A of the IT act,</b> which says any person who sends offensive, menacing or false information to cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, or uses email to trouble its recipient or deceive him/her about the origin of such messages, can be punished with a jail term up to three years and a fine.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The court also struck down section <b>118(d) of the Kerala Police Act,</b> which says any person who makes indecent comments by calls, mails, messages or any such means causing grave violation of public order or danger can be punished with imprisonment up to three years or a fine not exceeding Rs10,000, or both.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Thumbs up<br /></b>The Supreme Court upheld section <b>69A of the IT act,</b> which allows the government to block the public's access to information in national interest and penalise intermediaries [telecom or internet service providers and web hosting services] who fail to comply with the government's directives.</p>
<p>Section <b>79 of the IT Act,</b> which deals with intermediaries' exemption from liability in certain cases, too, was upheld.</p>
<hr />
<p>With R. Prasanan, Mini P. Thoma, Ajay Uprety, Lakshmi Subramanian, Rabi Banerjee and Sharmista Chaudhury</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-week-march-28-2015-soni-mishra-66a-dead-long-live-66a'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/the-week-march-28-2015-soni-mishra-66a-dead-long-live-66a</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaIT ActCensorshipFreedom of Speech and ExpressionInternet GovernanceChilling Effect2015-04-01T02:11:27ZNews Item66A ‘cut & paste job’
https://cis-india.org/news/telegraphindia-december-3-2012-gs-mudur-66a-cut-and-paste-job
<b>The controversial Section 66A of the Information Technology Act has borrowed words out of context from British and American laws, according to lawyers here who are calling it a “poor cut-and-paste job”.</b>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">GS Mudur's article was <a class="external-link" href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121203/jsp/frontpage/story_16268138.jsp#.UMbCXaxWGZR">published in the Telegraph</a> on December 3, 2012. Pranesh Prakash and Snehashish Ghosh are quoted.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Section 66A, passed by Parliament in December 2008, draws on laws passed in the UK in 1988 and 2003 and the US in 1996. But some lawyers say that, unlike 66A, those foreign laws impose only reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech.<br /><br />"The text of 66A seems to be the result of a cut-and-paste job done without applying the mind," said Snehashish Ghosh, a lawyer with the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), a non-government organisation in Bangalore.<br /><br />Some of the language in Section 66A is taken from Britain’s Malicious Communications Act (MCA) of 1988, which begins with the words: "Any person who sends to another person...."<br /><br />This provision in MCA 1988, Ghosh said, is intended to curb malicious messages from one person to another. "It does not cover a post on a social website or an electronic communication broadcast to the world."<br /><br />Section 66A has also borrowed words from Britain’s Communications Act of 2003 which, Ghosh said, is intended to prevent abuse of public communication services and does not directly deal with messages sent by individuals.<br /><br />Government officials have said that 66A has also plucked language from the US Telecommunications Act of 1996.<br /><br />This was a landmark legislation that overhauled America’s telecommunication law by taking into account the emergence of the Internet and changing communications technologies. Among other things, it made illegal the transmission of obscene or indecent material to minors via computers.<br /><br />"Section 66A in its current form fails to define a specific category (context) as defined in the laws from where it has borrowed words," Ghosh said. "This is what has led to its inconsistent and arbitrary applications."<br /><br />Ghosh and his colleagues say that 66A, through an "absurd" combination of borrowed and ambiguous language, curbs freedom of expression and threatens people with three years’ imprisonment for certain offences that would otherwise, under existing Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions, draw a fine of only Rs 200.<br /><br />Section 66A(b), for example, clubs together the offences of persistently repeated communications that might lead to "annoyance", "inconvenience", "danger", "insult", "injury", "criminal intimidation", "enmity", "hatred", and "ill-will".<br /><br />This is "astounding and unparalleled", said Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the CIS, who has posted an analysis of Section 66A on the NGO’s institutional blog.<br /><br />"We do not have such a provision anywhere but in India’s information technology law."<br /><br />This is “akin to... providing equal punishment for calling someone a moron (insult) and threatening to kill someone (criminal intimidation),” Prakash wrote in the blog, where he has listed existing IPC provisions that can deal with the offences that 66A seeks to cover.<br /><br />Lawyers have also questioned 66A’s effect of criminalising what the existing IPC would label as civil offences. For example, Prakash said, while the punishment under IPC for criminal nuisance is Rs 200, the penalty imposed by 66A is jail for up to three years.<br /><br />Several sections in the IPC, they said, can effectively address offences that 66A attempts to address exclusively for electronic communications. For example, the IPC has sections for defamation (499 and 500), outraging religious sentiments (295) and obscenity (292).<br /><br />"We do not require extraordinary laws when existing laws suffice," Ghosh said.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/telegraphindia-december-3-2012-gs-mudur-66a-cut-and-paste-job'>https://cis-india.org/news/telegraphindia-december-3-2012-gs-mudur-66a-cut-and-paste-job</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaIT ActInternet Governance2012-12-11T05:43:50ZNews Item26th AMIC Annual Conference – India 2018
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/26th-amic-annual-conference-2013-india-2018
<b>The 26th AMIC annual conference on the theme Disturbing Asian Millennials: Some Creative Responses was organized by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) at Fortune Inn Valley View, Manipal in Karnataka from June 7 - 9, 2018. Swaraj Paul Barooah was a speaker.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>Read the agenda and other details</span><a class="external-link" href="https://amic.asia/conference-theme/"> here</a><span> An article announcing the event by Kevin Mendonsa was published in the </span><a class="external-link" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/mahe-to-host-26th-annual-conference-of-amic/articleshow/64468351.cms">Times of India</a><span> on June 5, 2018.</span></p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Understanding the Asia Pacific Millennials</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Millennials, the 16‐34 year‐olds, make up the majority of the total population of many Asia Pacific countries. It is estimated that there are about 606 million millennials in the Asia‐Pacific region.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">While millennials make up a homogenous group in terms of age cluster, they can be categorized as either non‐affluent or affluent with the latter outnumbering as they account for 82 percent of all millennials in the region.[1]</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Another reality is that these millennials are located in a geographically and culturally diverse setting.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Current and emerging socioeconomic and political realities are “disturbing” the millennials just as they have the capacity to disturb society.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Globalization, migration, and technology are some of the major factors that are redefining millennials way of life. They are digital natives who do not only “consume” media but prefer creating their own content. Technology (read: smart mobiles) is not a tool but the air they breathe. Social networking is an essential prerequisite to be connected. A major fear is to be a FOLO – Fear of Life Offline. Erstwhile, fear was to be a FOMO – Fear of Missing Out.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Preserving the status quo or being a mere passive spectator is out of the question as their lifestyle and work style is ruled by engagement, creativity, innovation, and change.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Millennials are into multitasking for several reasons but primarily to earn as much from as many revenue sources to be able to purchase their wants (and needs). Multitasking is also a means for creative expression –which they have plenty. From multitasking, they are now evolving into being multi‐hyphenate, e.g., a young professional writer, artist, and entrepreneur rolled into one.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">How do millennials disturb society? Their being independent (if not self‐absorbed or “me culture”) makes them in‐charge of their future. They demand new careers (or even create their own) as they find many existing disciplines and professions as very traditional. The competencies earned in school are mere inputs to redesigning new careers. The school is just one of the many learning hubs.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Disturbing does not refer only to a negative disruption but also to a movement needed to rebuild a broken or unsettled society. We must disrupt in order to rebuild!</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Are we disturbing our millennials giving them the environment conducive to change? Or are we just distracting them from releasing their energy?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">We are “distracting” our millennials if we insist on enforcing inflexible rules, offering traditional (read: archaic) programs, setting or measuring standards and practices based on obsolete measures, feeding them with alternative truths (facts), and not giving value to arts and humanities (which has found renewal among our young people).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">True to form, millennials can initiate and lead if the existing systems are unable to “deliver” what are needed to rebuild a society they envision.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Disturbing Asian Millennials: Some Creative Responses will examine the disruptions affecting our millennials and how these young people are creatively responding to or coping with disruptive changes and challenges. The conference will also crowdsource from them ideas and strategies in creating and building an alternative or desired Asian community.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Forum Objectives</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The forum provides a platform to achieve the following:</p>
<li>Understand the millennial mindset and behavior especially their career goals and plans;</li>
<li>Describe the unique communication behaviors, patterns, and tools of millennials andthe messages which resonate to them</li>
<li>Share lessons and experiences on how millennials creatively and critically respond todisruptions;</li>
<li>Examine communication strategies which work for the young generation; and</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Crowdsource recommendations from millennials on what constitutes an ideal advancedcommunication program highlighting 21st century competencies and skills.</li>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/26th-amic-annual-conference-2013-india-2018'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/26th-amic-annual-conference-2013-india-2018</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminInternet Governance2018-06-26T01:58:28ZNews Item25 Indians to watch
https://cis-india.org/news/ft-magazine-nov-16-2012-25-indians-to-watch
<b>From a political scion and an attacking batsman to a crusading web entrepreneur and a ‘Potato Prince’, these are India’s rising stars.</b>
<hr />
<p>The article was <a class="external-link" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e158c112-2eb7-11e2-9b98-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2DfbMRgU3">published in the FT Magazine on November 16, 2012</a>. Sunil Abraham is one among the 25 rising Indian stars to watch out for.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>Politics</h2>
<hr />
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<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/PriyankaVadra.png" title="" height="137" width="104" alt="" class="image-inline" /></th>
<td>
<h3><b>Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</b></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The charismatic scion of India’s pre-eminent political dynasty has shied away from the family business, preferring to raise her children and study Buddhism. But her election-time appearances for mother, Sonia, and brother, Rahul – and her resemblance to her grandmother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi – keep Indians tantalised over a potential entry into full-time political life.</p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Arvind Kejriwal</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A former tax inspector turned right-to-information activist, he was the driving force behind India Against Corruption, last year’s <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/08/25/indian-protests-2-0/">campaign for a new anti-graft law</a>. Aiming to tap middle-class disillusionment with existing political parties, he is now forming his own.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Nitish Kumar</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Chief minister of Bihar since 2005, this veteran socialist politician has brought economic growth, law and order and hope to what was one of India’s poorest, most-backward and worst-governed states. His humble persona combined with a strong track record on development mean that many see him as a potential future prime minister in a coalition government.</p>
<h3>A<span><span>nurag Thakur</span></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Former cricketer and BJP member of parliament since 2008, Thakur’s ascent through the party’s ranks to the presidency of BJP’s youth wing put him in the spotlight in 2012. The BJP is said to be grooming him to take on Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, particularly since Varun Gandhi, another scion within the BJP’s fold, has proved rather ineffective.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">Sports</h2>
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<td>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>No one can replace <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9a380188-5c8d-11e0-ab7c-00144feab49a.html">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, but the arrival of this dashing young batsman has softened the blow of the great cricketer’s impending retirement. With Bollywood looks to match his bold stroke play, the 24-year-old Kohli helped his cricket-mad country <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac476cea-5d39-11e0-a008-00144feab49a.html">win last year’s World Cup</a> – and raised hopes of more to come.</span></span></p>
</td>
<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/ViratKohli.png" title="Virat Kohli" height="118" width="89" alt="Virat Kohli" class="image-inline" /></th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Saina Nehwal</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This small-town girl from the northern state of Haryana is a formidable youth icon. Her many international titles have changed the face of Indian badminton and a bronze medal at the London Olympics this year raised hopes for Rio 2016. Will she be able to break through the Chinese wall?</p>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">Entertainment</h2>
<h3>Anurag Kashyap</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">India’s answer to Quentin Tarantino, Kashyap makes gritty, personal films about the country’s underbelly: terrorist attacks in Mumbai for <i>Black Friday</i>; drug use and prostitution in <i>Dev D</i>; and eastern India’s brutal coal mafia in this year’s two-part epic <i>Gangs of Wasseypur</i>. He cut his teeth writing <i>Water</i>, Canadian director Deepa Mehta’s Oscar-nominated film, among others.</p>
<h3 align="LEFT">Sneha Khanwalkar<b> </b></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A film composer who eschews the usual Bollywood penchant for cheesy pop, Khanwalkar favours “found sound”, which she gathers by travelling the Indian countryside and picking up on obscure – and not-so-obscure – folk traditions. She hosts MTV’s Sound Trippin, in which she recreates that experience for viewers more used to Celebrity Big Brother knock-offs. Not yet 30, Khanwalkar already claims two of the best modern Bollywood scores, for 2008’s <i>Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!</i> and <i>Gangs of Wasseypur</i>.</p>
<table class="invisible">
<tbody>
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<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/SarnathBanerjee.png/@@images/923e4fe3-eadb-4c69-8946-67ea3e0bfde2.png" alt="Sarnath Banerjee" class="image-inline" title="Sarnath Banerjee" /></th>
<td>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">India’s greatest graphic novelist, whose project “Gallery of Losers” was shown on billboards across London during the Olympics. A Goldsmiths college graduate, his books – 2004’s <i>Corridor</i> and 2007’s <i>The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Capers</i> – detail alienation in both modern and old India and have set the standard for a burgeoning art form on the subcontinent.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3 align="LEFT">Irrfan Khan</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>In a sea of “heroes” – as Bollywood’s buffed-up supermen are called – Khan stands out as an actor. A master of subtlety and character, he has found crossover success in Hollywood in films including </span></span><i><span><span>Slumdog Millionaire</span></span></i><span><span> (he played the cop), </span></span><i><span><span>A Mighty Heart</span></span></i><span><span> (with Angelina Jolie) and </span></span><i><span><span>The Amazing Spider-Man</span></span></i><span><span>. Up next is a role in Ang Lee’s adaptation of the Man Booker prize-winning </span></span><i><span><span>Life of Pi</span></span></i><span><span>.</span></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Rohini Devasher</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A painter and printmaker trained in New Delhi and the UK, Deveshar uses printmaking and video to explore the rhythms of growth in the natural world, and their digital echoes. Her work, shown widely at home and internationally, stands at the intersection of art and science and is influenced by her passion for astronomy.</p>
<table class="invisible">
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<h3>Gauri Shinde</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>A director of more than 100 advertising films for major Indian brands, Shinde put her focus on the big screen this year with her writing and directorial debut, </span></span><i><span><span>English Vinglish</span></span></i><span><span>, a blockbuster hit about the massive social fault line in India between those who speak English and those who don’t.</span></span></p>
</td>
<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/GauriShinde.png/@@images/e2aab5ad-194d-4ac0-9637-1888966b2894.png" title="Gauri Shinde" height="110" width="84" alt="Gauri Shinde" class="image-inline" /></th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">Social/Academia</h2>
<h3>Gita Gopinath</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">One of the youngest women to win a tenured economics professorship at Harvard, Gopinath uses complex maths to probe one of the world’s most pressing problems: how to solve sovereign debt crises. Still only 40, she appears frequently as a commentator back home, calling for a radical overhaul of her own government’s increasingly precarious financial position.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Sunil Abraham</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">India’s government has developed a worrying taste for internet censorship, making plenty of work for one of the country’s most respected online civil advocates. Head of the Centre for Internet and Society, Abraham is trying to wean New Delhi off its taste for crackdowns in India’s fast-growing corner of cyberspace.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Manoj Kumar</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span>The Naandi Foundation CEO has persuaded big Indian corporations to support programmes that battle hunger and the maltreatment of girls, raise educational standards and provide sustainable livelihoods. His Midday Meal programme feeds 1.2 million each day; and its experiments with social enterprises make it one of India’s most innovative charities.</span></p>
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<h3>Abhijit Banerjee</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>A development economist at MIT and author of </span></span><i><span><span>Poor Economics</span></span></i><span><span>, Banerjee carries out randomised-control field trials to cut through propaganda and evaluate the real impact of programmes to help the poor.</span></span></p>
</td>
<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/AbhijitBanerjee.png/@@images/05ac36c1-6b81-42e2-a5b5-ca10972c6aaf.png" title="Abhijit Banerjee " height="108" width="83" alt="Abhijit Banerjee " class="image-inline" /></th>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Susmita Mohanty</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>Literally a rocket scientist. A protégé of Arthur C. Clarke, with stints at Nasa and Boeing, Mohanty was the youngest ever member of the International Academy of Astronautics. She’s now an aerospace entrepreneur. Her company, Earth2Orbit, recently launched its first client satellite.</span></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Swati Ramanathan</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span> </span></span><span><span>Could online confessions help to stop India’s corruption crisis? This thought inspired <a class="external-link" href="http://http//www.ipaidabribe.com/">www.ipaidabribe.com</a>, a site where those forced to pay up can tell their stories anonymously. Established as part of the Janaagraha initiative that Ramanathan co-founded to improve life in Indian cities, the project has spawned imitators in half a dozen countries.</span></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">Business</h2>
<h3>Binny Bansal</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">As co-CEO of Flipkart.com – the “Amazon of India” – along with Sachin Bansal (no relation), he has turned a Bangalore-based start-up into the country’s most exciting e-commerce business. They have won millions in venture funding and a loyal urban customer base by speedily delivering everything from books to kitchenware.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Phanindra “Phani” Sama</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">India’s buses are booming, as travel demand rockets but rail capacity stays stuck. Those seeking tickets online are most likely to do so through RedBus. Dreamt up when he couldn’t get tickets for a trip, Sama’s site stitches together the country’s disorganised bus system, and saw its 32-year-old founder sell his 10 millionth ticket this year.</p>
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<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/ParmeshShahani.png/@@images/5182fe2c-03e7-4088-b034-11b96f653fc0.png" title="Parmesh Shahani" height="109" width="83" alt="Parmesh Shahani" class="image-inline" /></th>
<td>Bringing new insights to a stuffy 115-year-old Indian conglomerate isn’t easy, nor is being an openly gay man in India’s still-traditional business culture – but Parmesh Shahani manages both, in his role as the founder and head of an ideas and innovation laboratory within the $3.3bn Mumbai-based Godrej group.<br /><br /></td>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Anurag Behar</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Engineer and former CEO of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering – a sister company of software giant Wipro – he has previously run the group’s charitable initiatives in education. Now Wipro’s chief sustainability officer, he is driving diversifications into water and clean energy, part of a new company focus.</p>
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<h3>Cyrus Mistry</h3>
<p><span><span>The man with the biggest shoes to fill in corporate India takes the reins at Tata in late December, <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3f57c76c-175e-11e1-b20e-00144feabdc0.html">replacing Ratan Tata</a>, a man viewed as close to a living saint. The first non-Tata family member to run the nation’s most important business, he faces plenty of questions about how – and whether – to continue his predecessor’s dash for global growth.</span></span></p>
</td>
<th><img src="https://cis-india.org/home-images/CyrusMistry.png/@@images/6cd143b7-4a25-4b28-965b-b0ae6109102e.png" title="Cyrus Mistry" height="114" width="87" alt="Cyrus Mistry" class="image-inline" /></th>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Roshni Nadar Malhotra</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The CEO and executive director of the $5bn Indian IT giant HCL Corporation successfully combines business, social enterprise and philanthropy. Malhotra is the driving force behind Shiv Nadar Foundation’s VidyaGyan Schools in Uttar Pradesh, providing free education to children from poor, rural families.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Jang Bahadur Singh Sangha</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>Known as the “Potato Prince”, Sangha oversees one of India’s largest and most modern farming operations – and has demonstrated the transformative impact of technology in a country of small-scale subsistence farms. Armed with a master’s degree in plant pathology, he has made modern farming profitable – and almost cool.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/ft-magazine-nov-16-2012-25-indians-to-watch'>https://cis-india.org/news/ft-magazine-nov-16-2012-25-indians-to-watch</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaInternet Governance2012-11-30T04:46:38ZNews Item22 nieuwe leden voor Partnership on AI
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/telecom-paper-may-17-2017-22-nieuwe-leden-voor-partnership-on-ai
<b>Partnership on AI, een non-profit organisatie ter bevordering van het algemeen begrip van kunstmatige intelligentie en de ontwikkeling van best practices, heeft 22 nieuwe leden aangekondigd.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The news was <a class="external-link" href="https://www.telecompaper.com/nieuws/22-nieuwe-leden-voor-partnership-on-ai--1196287">published by Telecom Paper</a> on May 17, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Tot de nieuwe leden behoren eBay, Intel, McKinsey & Company, Salesforce, SAP, Sony, Zalando, Cogitai, Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, AI Forum of New Zealand, Center for Democracy & Technology, Centre for Internet and Society – India, Data & Society Research Institute, Digital Asia Hub, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Future of Humanity Institute, Future of Privacy Forum, Human Rights Watch, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, UNICEF, Upturn, en de XPRIZE Foundation. Partnership on AI werd vorig jaar september opgericht. Tot de oprichters behoren onder meer Amazon, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft, Google DeepMind en Apple.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/telecom-paper-may-17-2017-22-nieuwe-leden-voor-partnership-on-ai'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/telecom-paper-may-17-2017-22-nieuwe-leden-voor-partnership-on-ai</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaTelecomInternet Governance2017-05-19T06:54:20ZNews Item22 companies join Partnership on AI, begin to study AI's impact on work and society
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/tech-republic-may-17-2017-22-companies-join-partnership-on-ai
<b>The non-profit artificial intelligence organization added new groups into its fold, and announced initiatives on developing AI best practices and harnessing the technology for social good.
</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The blog post by Alison DeNisco was <a class="external-link" href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/22-companies-join-partnership-on-ai-develop-best-practices-for-ai-impact-on-work-and-society/#ftag=RSS56d97e7">published in TechRepublic </a>on May 17, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly enters every part of our lives, from chatbots to self-driving cars to office data analysis programs, questions remain about how this technology will impact our future in terms of jobs, safety, and society.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In September 2016, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, and Google announced the creation of a "<a href="http://www.partnershiponai.org/" target="_blank">Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society</a>" (Partnership on AI), a nonprofit formed to "study and formulate best practices on AI technologies, to advance the public's understanding of AI, and to serve as an open platform for discussion and engagement about AI and its influences on people and society." Apple joined the partnership as a founding member in January 2017.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">On Tuesday, the Partnership on AI shared a <a href="https://www.partnershiponai.org/2017/05/pai-announces-new-partners-and-initiatives/" target="_blank">blog post</a> with updates on the group's progress. Some 22 new organizations are joining the partnership, and more are expected to join in the future, according to the post. Eight are for-profit partners: eBay, Intel, McKinsey & Company, Salesforce, SAP, Sony, Zalando, and Cogitai.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Meanwhile, 14 are non-profits: The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, AI Forum of New Zealand, Center for Democracy & Technology, Centre for Internet and Society-India, Data & Society Research Institute, Digital Asia Hub, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Future of Humanity Institute, Future of Privacy Forum, Human Rights Watch, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, UNICEF, Upturn, and the XPRIZE Foundation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">"Together with the founding companies and our existing non-profit Partners (AAAI, ACLU, and OpenAI), these new Partners strengthen and broaden our representation, helping to fulfil our goal to build a diverse, balanced, and global set of perspectives on AI," the post stated.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Notable representatives from these organizations include Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, head of Sony Computer Science Laboratories and a world expert on AI robotics and human-AI collaboration, and Chris Fabian of UNICEF's Office of Innovation, who leads a group of technologists who apply machine learning, data science, and AI to societal problems.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Partnership on AI also announced plans to launch a set of initiatives based on its thematic pillars: Safety-critical AI; fair, transparent, and accountable AI; collaboration between people and AI systems; AI, labor, and the economy; social and societal influences of AI; AI and social good; and special initiatives. These early programs will focus on:</p>
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
<li>Topic-specific and sector-specific Working Groups to research and formulate best practices</li>
<li>The creation of a Civil Society Fellowship program aimed at assisting people at non-profits and NGOs who wish to collaborate on topics in AI and society</li>
<li>The formation of a cross-conference "AI, People, and Society" Best-Paper Award</li>
<li>The start of an AI Grand Challenges series to stimulate aspirational efforts in harnessing AI to address some of the most pressing long-term social and societal issues</li>
</ul>
<div class="sharethrough-article" style="text-align: justify; "></div>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The partners will work together to shape each initiative, and the group will share more information about each project soon, according to the blog post. The group also announced that it is in the process of appointing an executive director, who will oversee the organization's day-to-day operations.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Partnership on AI is not the only group examining the impact AI will have on our world. Elon Musk founded an <a href="http://futureoflife.org/2015/10/12/11m-ai-safety-research-program-launched/" target="_blank">$11 million AI safety program</a> for funding researchers, and Eric Horvitz of Stanford University is leading the <a href="https://ai100.stanford.edu/" target="_blank">One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence</a>. The White House <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/new-white-house-report-addresses-effect-of-ai-on-unemployment/">released two reports</a> in 2016 on preparing for the future of AI, and the effect of AI and automation on the economy. And a <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/us-senate-subcommittee-meets-on-the-dawn-of-ai-today-livestream-available/">US Senate Committee</a> also met last year to discuss the current state of AI, and its potential impact on policy and commerce.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers</h2>
<ol style="text-align: justify; ">
<li>The nonprofit Partnership on AI, founded by Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Google, and Apple, recently announced that it was adding 22 new organizations to its ranks to research AI and formulate best practices around the technology.</li>
<li>The partnership also announced several initiatives, including working groups to research and create best practices, and a challenge series to inspire people to use AI to address social issues.</li>
<li>Partnership for AI is expected to release more information on each initiative soon, as well as appoint an executive director.</li>
</ol>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/tech-republic-may-17-2017-22-companies-join-partnership-on-ai'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/tech-republic-may-17-2017-22-companies-join-partnership-on-ai</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaInternet Governance2017-05-19T05:26:09ZNews Item20 years of Google: Privacy, fake news and the future
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindustan-times-rachel-lopez-august-26-2018-20-years-of-google-privacy-fake-news-and-future
<b>Google once directed you to information. Today, it’s often the source of information, using data you and others have shared, often without you realising it. Public knowledge goes where Google takes it. And 20 years on, not everyone’s happy with the journey.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article by Rachel Lopez was published in <a class="external-link" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20-years-of-google-privacy-fake-news-and-the-future/story-0jmwFxnhwz8lWFUCbMxBjM.html">Hindustan Times</a> on August 26, 2018. Pranesh Prakash was quoted.</p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Happy Birthday, Google. The search engine is 20 this year, and what a ride it’s been! When Sergey Brin and Larry Page were developing software that <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20-years-of-google-when-information-was-not-just-a-click-away/story-aIDWzxXMQd10ShuhL62vcI.html" target="_blank">searched better and loaded faster </a>than Explorer, Navigator and AltaVista, the web itself consisted of just 1 lakh websites.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Google’s mission statement was succinct: To organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible. Their corporate code of conduct was even simpler: Don’t be evil.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Perhaps even Google didn’t realise where its mission would take it. The following decade brought Google News, Gmail, Maps and Chrome. By 2014, the internet had grown to 1 billion websites. The search engine, their core product, had become the default homepage of the Internet.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In May this year, Google quietly dropped the ‘Don’t be evil’ tag. The same month, its Android operating system crossed 2 billion monthly active devices. <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20-years-of-google-there-s-something-for-everyone-here/story-eS5rDm76QFNgZIXwY3kGuM.html" target="_blank">Seven products (including YouTube and Google Play</a>) now reach a combined 1 billion users.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Google once directed you to information. Today, it’s often the source of information (in ads and top-of-the-page blocs), using data you and others have shared, often without you realising it. Public knowledge goes where Google takes it. And 20 years on, not everyone’s happy with the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20-years-of-google-the-journey-to-omnipresence/story-Ehr55MBGNOV0j3Jd9XhdyO.html" target="_blank">journey</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“The key concern is that Google has grown so big,” says Pranesh Prakash, policy director at Bangalore’s Centre for Internet & Society. “It’s like the classic line from [Spiderman’s] Uncle Ben: With great power comes great responsibility. In Google’s case, its great size is what brought great power to begin with.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">For billions of Google users, the biggest concerns are now of <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-believe-the-most-exciting-moment-for-google-in-india-hasn-t-happened-yet-rajan-anandan/story-8goKIyIadDBKit0wyz7xYP.html" target="_blank">privacy and accountability</a>, says Nikhil Pahwa, founder of Medianama, which analyses digital and telecom businesses. “There are few checks on Google’s ability to take, retain and process information from users,” he says.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Hits and misses</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">For Google, all is going according to plan. Its search engine is now smart enough to complete your sentences. It’s learning constantly from what you search for, watch, spend on, share and regret; it knows your commute and your vacation plans. And it’s profiting from this knowledge.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In the UK, Google is being sued for bypassing iPhone privacy settings to track and collect data from 4.4 million users in 2011 and 2012. Information on race, physical and mental health, political leanings, sexuality, shopping habits and locations was apparently used to build advertising categories. Google also creates products for the US government, and has user data from around the world. “Any entity that has this much insight into us, and is in a position to use it, whether for the government or commercial gain, is cause for worry,” says Prakash. Most users aren’t worried, and that’s worrying too. We don’t realise how much data is being tracked or collected. The more we share, the more useful Google gets, and the greater its potential for misuse, for mapping say, beef-eaters, online dissenters, LGBT supporters or single women who work late.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Internet’s other giant, Facebook, recently suspended 400 apps over privacy concerns, admitting that 87 million users may have had data compromised in 2016. Meanwhile, even non-Google apps are capable of hijacking data using software developed by Google. Weather apps look at your photo gallery, ride-sharing software keep tracking you after the ride, games are checking out your texts as you play. Gmail knows your flight timings, how many steps you’ve walked, and your last bank transaction.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Search for tomorrow</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Perhaps the biggest concerns are with Google’s artificial intelligence technology, the brand’s great leap forward fuelled by its massive data reserves. The tech is already being criticised for being fed biased data, creating global services that mirror the prejudices of an insular, mostly white, mostly male, tech industry.<br /><br />Sara Wachter-Boettcher, author of Technically Wrong, which looks at how technology reflects sexism and the biases of the people that create it, says this creates problems. “Google develops tools that other tech companies rely on to build other products,” she says. So its biases spread to other products too. As machines learn, Google is starting to unlearn too.<br /><br />“Machine unlearning is basically recognising when a machine has learned something inaccurate, or biased, and then erasing that learning,” says Wachter-Boettcher. In Africa, the company (along with Facebook) now funds a Masters course in machine intelligence to improve the industry’s diversity. Last year, Google took its first steps to curb fake news hits on its search engines with tools that allow users to report misleading or offensive content.<br /><br />But perhaps it’s time to work towards a future in which Google will be monitored in real time, in different countries, rather than depending on the company to offer a fix after a misstep. Prakash believes that the way forward is reimagining an Internet where Google isn’t the first and last word on everything. “This doesn’t mean more companies like Google but searching that happens in a more decentralised way,” he says. “We need to save the web from large monopolies in the long run.”</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindustan-times-rachel-lopez-august-26-2018-20-years-of-google-privacy-fake-news-and-future'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/hindustan-times-rachel-lopez-august-26-2018-20-years-of-google-privacy-fake-news-and-future</a>
</p>
No publisherAdminInternet GovernancePrivacy2018-08-30T02:49:06ZNews Item13 crore Aadhaar numbers on four government websites compromised: Report
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/new-indian-express-may-2-2017-akram-mohammed-13-crore-aadhaar-numbers-on-four-government-websites-compromised
<b>The lack of information security practices in key government websites which hosts Personally Identifiable Information (PII) has left citizens of the country more vulnerable to identity theft and financial fraud, a research paper has argued. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article by Akram Mohammed was <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/may/02/13-crore-aadhaar-numbers-on-four-government-websites-compromised-report-1599999.html">published by the New Indian Express</a> on May 2, 2017.</p>
<hr style="text-align: justify; " />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A paper by Amber Sinha and Srinivas Kodali of Centre for Internet and Society analysed four government websites and found that more than 13 crore Aadhaar numbers with related PII were available on the websites, exposing lax security features.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The paper published under Creative Commons is titled ‘Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information’ and was released on Monday.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Sinha and Kodali looked at databases on four government portals -- National Social Assistance Programme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Chandranna Bima Scheme, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and Daily Online Payment Reports website of NREGA, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“We chose major government programmes that use Aadhaar for payments and banking transactions. We found sensitive and personal data and information accessible on these portals,” the report said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Leaked through portals</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“Based on the numbers available on the websites, estimated number of Aadhaar numbers leaked through these 4 portals could be around 130-135 million and the number of bank account numbers leaked at around 100 million.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">While these numbers are only from two major government programmes of pensions and rural employment schemes, other major schemes, that have also used Aadhaar for DBT, could have leaked PII similarly due to lack of information security practices,” it said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">They fear that data of over 23 crore beneficiaries under DBT of LPG subsidies could be leaked also. Identity theft and financial fraud “risks increase multifold in India...,” they said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Aadhaar payments unsafe</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In case a financial fraud takes place through Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), the consumer may not be able to assert his claims for compensation due to the terms and conditions around liabilities.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">“These terms force the consumer to take liabilities onto oneself than the payment provider..... Regulations and standards around Aadhaar are at a very early and nascent stage causing (an) increase in financial risk for both consumers and banks to venture into AePS,” they added. The authors also pulled up UIDAI for their inability in providing strong legislation against such leaks.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Leaky govt portals</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">National Social Assistance Programme</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">PII available - Access to Aadhaar no., name, bank account number, account frozen status 94,32,605 bank accounts linked with Aadhaar</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">14,98,919 post office accounts linked with Aadhaar numbers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Though total Aadhaar number is 1,56,42,083, not all are linked to bank accounts</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>NREGA</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">PII Details available: Job card no., Aadhaar number, bank/postal account number, no. of days worked, registration no., account frozen status</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">78,74,315 post office accounts of individual workers seeded with Aadhaar numbers,</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">8,24,22,161 bank accounts of individual workers with Aadhaar numbers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">10,96,41,502 total number of Aadhaar numbers stored by portal</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><b>Other websites</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Chandranna Bima Scheme, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Daily Online Payment Reports website of NREGA, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/new-indian-express-may-2-2017-akram-mohammed-13-crore-aadhaar-numbers-on-four-government-websites-compromised'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/new-indian-express-may-2-2017-akram-mohammed-13-crore-aadhaar-numbers-on-four-government-websites-compromised</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAadhaarInternet GovernancePrivacy2017-05-03T15:19:52ZNews Item11th Meeting of Information Systems Security Sectional Committee (LITD 17)
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/11th-meeting-of-information-systems-security-sectional-committee-litd-17
<b>Udbhav Tiwari represented CIS at this meeting organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) at Manak Bhavan, New Delhi on April 13, 2017.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The meeting was the national mirror meeting for the 28th ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 Plenary and Working Group Meetings being held at Hamilton, New Zealand between the April 18 and 25, 2017. The meeting provided a fascinating insight into the government and industry viewpoints on key cyber security and privacy issues, especially on the Aadhaar.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/11th-meeting-of-information-systems-security-sectional-committee-litd-17'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/11th-meeting-of-information-systems-security-sectional-committee-litd-17</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAadhaarInternet GovernancePrivacy2017-04-19T02:57:03ZNews Item11th India Knowledge Summit 2013
https://cis-india.org/news/eleventh-india-knowledge-summit-2013
<b>The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM) is organizing the 11th Knowledge Summit 2013 in Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi on October 14 and 15, 2013. The Centre for Internet and Society is supporting this event.</b>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Click to read the original <a class="external-link" href="http://www.assocham.org/events/showevent.php?id=888">published by ASSOCHAM here</a> , <a class="external-link" href="http://www.assocham.org/downloads/?filename=11th-India-Knowledege-Summit-Tentative-Agenda.docx">read the tentative agenda here</a> and the <a class="external-link" href="http://www.assocham.org/docs/11th-Konwledge-Summit-CyberSecurityBrochure_13.pdf">event brochure here</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The lack of a national-level doctrine has created an environment where we are entirely reactive in our cyber posture. Indeed, battlefield transcends physical borders and boundaries. The power of a nation-state is not required to inflict widespread damage to critical infrastructure systems; a single malicious actor can wreak havoc. The starkest difference, however, is that today both the private sector and individual citizens have unprecedented access to a myriad of infrastructure systems that can provide entry into sensitive systems – yet they are largely unaware of, and unaccountable for, their responsibilities in defending them.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">As cyber networks rapidly transition from a mere utility to the undercurrent of our entire societal infrastructure, this reliance becomes a vulnerability. The modern Cyber Era demands a national-level doctrine that can be adopted by government agencies, armed forces, private sector organizations and individual citizens alike to establish a collective sense of purpose for our Cyber Security.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Chamber is providing a forum to bring executive leaders, policymakers and academia together with the scientists and practitioners that intimately understand cyber technology to collaborate and begin a debate about the complex issues.<span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The time has come when we should consider not only the military impact of the new cyber world, but also what role cyber defense will hold in shaping the future of our country’s economy, education, foreign affairs policies and critical infrastructure initiatives. Only then can our government, industry, and private citizens align under common goals to shape a safe and prosperous future.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">ASSOCHAM India's Apex Chamber for Commerce & Industry was set up in 1920. Today the Chamber is proud to have more than 450,000 Companies as it's esteemed Member which includes many of the big global technology companies.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">ASSOCHAM is privileged to be a Member of the <b>“Cyber Regulation Advisory Committee” </b>set up by <b>Ministry of Communications and IT, </b>and the <b>Joint Working Group (JWG) on Cyber Security </b>set up by the <b>National Security Council Secretariat, </b>Government of India.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The ASSOCHAM’s flagship program the Annual <b>INDIA KNOWLEDGE SUMMIT, </b>organized since 1999 has been Addressed in the past by Noble Laureates, as the Distinguished ‘Key Note Speaker’ including – Dr. Craig Venter, Sir Harry Kroto, Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Dr. Raj Reddy, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, Dr. Kirsty Duncan, Prof. John A Pickett to name a few.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This year the <b>11th INDIA KNOWLEDGE SUMMIT </b>is being organized from <b>14-15 October, 2013 in Hotel </b><b>Shangri-La, New Delhi.</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Theme for this year’s Summit is <b>“Cyber Era - Securing the Future”</b>.</p>
<p align="left"><b>Registration Fees: </b></p>
<blockquote><b>International Delegates</b>: $ 200/- for both days<b><br />Indian Delegates</b>: Rs. 5,000/- per day<b><br />Students</b>: Rs. 2,000/- per day
<p>The Delegate Registration Fee include:<br /> Tea & Coffee<br /> Copy of Background Paper / <br /> Copy of Workshop Study Material</p>
</blockquote>
<p align="left"><b>For more details please contact: </b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ajay Sharma, Senior Director, M: 9899188488 , eMail: <a href="mailto:ajay.sharma@assocham.com">ajay.sharma@assocham.com</a><br /> Varun Aggarwal, Joint Director, M: 9910613815 , eMail: <a href="mailto:varun.aggarwal@assocham.com">varun.aggarwal@assocham.com</a><br /> Himanshu Rewaria, Executive, M: 9654251077 , eMail: <a href="mailto:himanshu.rewaria@assocham.com">himanshu.rewaria@assocham.com</a><br /> Sahil Goswami Executive, M: 9871962311 , eMail: <a href="mailto:sahil.goswami@assocham.com">sahil.goswami@assocham.com</a><br /><br /> <b>Corporate Office</b><br /> The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India<br /> ASSOCHAM Corporate Office, 5, Sardar Patel Marg<br />Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110021<br /> Phone: 46550555 (Hunting Line)<br /> Fax: 01123017008/9<br /> <br /> Email: <a class="newslink" href="mailto:assocham@nic.in">assocham@nic.in</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/eleventh-india-knowledge-summit-2013'>https://cis-india.org/news/eleventh-india-knowledge-summit-2013</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaCyber SecurityInternet Governance2013-09-26T07:15:29ZNews Item11th DSCI-NASSCOM Annual Information Security Summit 2016
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/dsci-nasscom-annual-information-security-summit-2016
<b>Udbhav Tiwari participated as a panelist in the 11th DSCI-NASSSCOM Annual Information Security Summit 2016 in New Delhi on December 14, 2016. The event was organized by DSCI and NASSCOM. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Panel was on "Designing Privacy in Data Centric Business Architectures - Designing Privacy in Product, Services & Operations". Udbhav's co-panelists were: Gowree Gokhle, Partner, Nishith Desai Associates - Moderator; Sachin Lodha, Principal Scientist, TCS Innovation Labs; and Ankur Jain, Director IT & CISO, PayU.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The discussion primarily focused on:</p>
<ol style="text-align: justify; ">
<li>Core Principles - Privacy should not solely be governed by laws, regulations and industry codes but should instead be guided by a core set of principles that companies choose to follow uniformly across their international presence. In fact, laws and regulations should form a basic, minimum standard of requirements and actual practice should attempt to follow these principles to ensure true compliance to the ideals of privacy. These core, minimal principles are: Notice, Transparency, Accountability, Security and Use Limitation.</li>
<li>Privacy as an Incentive - Privacy should be looked at not as a isolated right or legal compliance but an inclusive outlook which can be economically beneficial to both consumer and enterprise facing companies. Customers are increasingly starting to value privacy and providing it in an transparent manner (along with ensuring sufficient modern technical infrastructure) to ensure reliable protection can distinguish business in an increasingly crowded marketplace.</li>
<li>Sound Technological Bedrock - Privacy as a notion in data (and now big data) centric architectures can only be enforced with modern, secure and open technological processes that ensure policy compliance and provide a clear audit trail for any breaches. Measures such as Homomorphic encryption, Multi-party computation, K-anonymity and Identity Management systems must be explored, tested and implemented according to need and requirements of businesses to ensure adequate privacy protection.</li>
<li>Need for a clear Indian legal framework - India's current legal framework with regard to privacy ranges from scattered to non existent, so there is a strong need for their to be a strong, clear and uniform legal framework to govern privacy for both Indian citizens as well as interactions with data from other jurisdictions. This will ensure that organisations will have a clear standard to follow, will have an easier time implementing privacy policies avoid sectoral clashes and can be held accountable for any breaches of legal standards. A large part of the work required for this has been done by the Justice AP Shah Committee on Privacy as well.</li>
</ol>
<p>For more info <a class="external-link" href="http://www.dsci.in/AISS2016/">see this page</a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/dsci-nasscom-annual-information-security-summit-2016'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/dsci-nasscom-annual-information-security-summit-2016</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaInternet Governance2016-12-17T01:14:15ZNews Item10th NLSIR Symposium - Regulating E-Commerce in India
https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/10th-nlsir-symposium-regulating-e-commerce-in-india
<b>Vidushi Marda participated in a panel at the "10th NLSIR Symposium on Regulating E-Commerce in India" at NSLIU on November 27, 2016 in Bengaluru. </b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The topic for my session was "Liability Regimes - Ensuring Compliance". I spoke about the various kinds of E-Commerce businesses to consider (from aggregators to platforms to the sharing economy) and focussed on issues surrounding intermediary liability and data protection. The panelists were:</p>
<ol>
<li>Pranav Mehra, Snapdeal</li>
<li>Vidushi Marda, Centre for Internet Society</li>
<li>Arun Prabhu, Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas</li>
<li>Arun Binoy Mattamana, Hewlett Packard Enterprise</li>
<li>Aditya Mudgal, Hindustan Unilever Ltd</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><a class="external-link" href="http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/files/nlsr-symposium-on-regulating-e-commerce-in-india/view">Click to see more info</a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/10th-nlsir-symposium-regulating-e-commerce-in-india'>https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/10th-nlsir-symposium-regulating-e-commerce-in-india</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaInternet Governance2016-12-06T15:48:25ZNews Item