Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Government of India

Centre safeguards consumer rights via various provisions under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Central Consumer Protection Authority imposes penalty of ₹ 77 lakh 60 thousand on 24 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements

Department of Consumer Affairs secures refunds of ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in education sector through National Consumer Helpline

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 3:44PM by PIB Delhi

Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment of consumers by enactment of progressive legislations. With a view to modernize the framework governing the consumer protection in the new era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets etc. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was repealed and Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was enacted.

Salient features of the new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 are establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA); simplification of the adjudication process in the Consumer Commissions such as enhancing pecuniary jurisdiction of the Consumer Commissions, online filing of complaint from the Consumer Commission having jurisdiction over the place of work/residence of the consumer irrespective of the place of transaction, videoconferencing for hearing, deemed admissibility of complaints if admissibility is not decided within 21 days of filing; provision of product liability; penal provisions for manufacture/sale of adulterated products/spurious goods; provision for making rules for prevention of unfair trade practice in e-commerce and direct selling.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for a three tier quasi-judicial machinery at District, State and Central levels commonly known as “Consumer Commissions” for protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes including those related with unfair trade practices. The Consumer Commissions are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award compensation to consumers, wherever appropriate.

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage. Consumers can register their grievances from all over the country in 17 languages including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese and Manipuri through a toll-free number 1915. These grievances can be registered on Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an omni-channel IT enabled central portal, through various channels- WhatsApp (8800001915), SMS (8800001915), email (nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in), the NCH app, the web portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in) and the Umang app, as per their convenience.  1049 companies, who have voluntarily partnered with NCH, as part of the ‘Convergence’ programme directly respond to these grievances according to their redressal process and revert by providing feedback to the complainant on the portal. Complaints against those companies, who have not partnered with National Consumer Helpline, are forwarded to the company for redressal.

To safeguard the interests of consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. These rules, inter-alia, outline the responsibilities of e-commerce entities and specify the liabilities of marketplace and inventory e-commerce entities, including provisions for consumer grievance redressal.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with all the stakeholders, has finalized a “safety Pledge” which is a voluntary public commitment of e-Commerce platforms to ensure the safety of goods sold online and respect the consumer rights. Aligned with global best practices, this initiative strengthens consumer protection in the e-Commerce. On the National Consumer Day 2024, 13 major e-Commerce companies including Reliance Retail group, Tata sons group, Zomato, Ola, Swiggy etc. signed the Safety Pledge for ensuring consumer safety. The support and agreement of major e-Commerce companies to abide by the safety pledge will go a long way in ensuring protection of consumer rights.

Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an executive agency, came into existence on 24.07.2020. It is designed to intervene, to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices and to initiate class action(s), including the enforcement of recalls, refunds and return of products. Its core mandate is to prevent and regulate false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the public interest.

Dark patterns involve using design and choice architecture to deceive, coerce, or influence consumers into making choices that are not in their best interest. Dark patterns encompass a wide range of manipulative practices such as drip pricing, disguised advertisement, bait and switch, false urgency etc. Such practices fall under the category of “unfair trade practices” as defined in the Sub-section 47 under Section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The CCPA, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has issued “Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023” on 30th November, 2023 for prevention and regulation of dark patterns listing 13 specified dark patterns identified in e-Commerce sector. These dark patterns include false urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm shaming, forced action, Subscription trap, Interface Interference, Bait and switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised Advertisements, Nagging, Trick Wording, Saas Billing and Rogue Malwares.

The CCPA has also notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 on 9th June, 2022. These guidelines inter-alia provide for; (a) conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid; (b) certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements; and, (c) duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency. These guidelines states that due diligence is required for endorsement of advertisements such that any endorsement in an advertisement must reflect the genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual, group or organisation making such representation and must be based on adequate information about, or experience with, the identified goods, product or service and must not otherwise be deceptive.

Further to strengthen consumer protection, the CCPA enacted the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024 (effective 15th October 2024), mandating transparency in environmental claims and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024 (effective 13th November 2024), addressing false claims, exaggerated success rates and unfair practices in coaching institutes.

The CCPA has imposed a penalty of ₹ 77 lakhs 60 thousands on 24 coaching institutes  for misleading advertisements. The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has successfully secured refunds amounting to ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in the education sector through National Consumer Helpline (NCH). These students, enrolled in coaching centres for Civil Services, Engineering Course and other programmes, were previously denied rightful refunds despite following the terms and conditions set forth by the coaching institutes. The action by the Department has helped students receive compensation for unfulfilled services, late classes, or cancelled courses, ensuring they do not bear the financial burden of unfair business practices.

Action has already been taken by the CCPA against various entities including e-commerce platforms for affecting consumers, as a class, for violation of consumer rights, false and misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices as defined under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Action has also been taken against the sale of domestic pressure cookers that do not meet compulsory BIS standards on e-commerce platforms. Additionally, as per CCPA’s directions, travel companies have refunded Rs. 1,454 Crores as of 20.03.2024 to consumers for cancelled flights due to the Covid-19 lockdown. CCPA has also mandated that these companies update their websites with clear instructions and status updates on refund claims related to cancelled tickets. Further, 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been delisted from major e-commerce platforms based on the Orders passed by CCPA to delist all such products which violates consumer rights and are unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 as the sale or marketing of said product compromise with the life and safety of consumer by stopping alarm beep when not wearing seat belts.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified framework on ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’ on 23.11.2022 for safeguarding and protecting consumer interest from fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce. The standards are voluntary and are applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews. The guiding principles of the standard are integrity, accuracy, privacy, security, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness.

Under CONFONET scheme, VC equipment for conducting hearing through video conferencing mode has been installed and made functional at 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs).

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri B.L. Verma in a written reply today in the Rajya Sabha.

*****

Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

(Release ID: 2114829) Visitor Counter : 182

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 4:29PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today announced that the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has expanded its coverage in Uttar Pradesh by notifying 15 additional districts under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme. This marks a significant step towards strengthening social security for workers in the state.

He mentioned that with this notification, a total of 74 out of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh are now fully covered under the ESI Scheme, benefiting 30.08 lakh Insured Persons (IPs) and 1.16 crore beneficiaries. The newly notified districts namely, Ambedkar Nagar, Auraiya, Bahraich, Gonda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Kannauj, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Pilibhit, Siddharthnagar, Shamli, Pratapgarh, Kasganj, and Shravasti, add 53,987 new Insured Persons to the ESIC network.

Revised Implementation Status Nationwide

Following this expansion, the national implementation status of the ESI Scheme stands as follows:

• Total Districts Covered (Fully + Partially): 689
• Fully Notified Districts: 586
• Partially Notified Districts: 103
• Non-Notified Districts: 89
• Total Districts in India: 778

Measures for Further Expansion

To ensure comprehensive coverage across all remaining uncovered areas, ESIC has been actively working on the following initiatives:

• Coordination with the State Government to arrange medical care facilities in non-implemented areas.
• Utilizing Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) to extend medical care in uncovered districts.
• Integration with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide cashless medical care for ESIC beneficiaries without any expenditure cap.

Benefits under the ESIC Scheme

The ESIC provides a comprehensive social security net for workers, including:

• Medical Benefits: Primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare.
• Cash Benefits: Sickness, temporary/permanent disablement, maternity benefits (26 weeks), dependent benefits, and funeral expenses.
• Unemployment Allowance: Under the Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana (RGSKY) and Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) for workers facing job loss.

The notification of these 15 districts reaffirms the Government’s commitment to extending social security coverage to every eligible worker in the country. Efforts are underway to bring the remaining non-notified districts under ESIC, ensuring that no worker is left out of this vital safety net.

*****

HP

(Release ID: 2114861) Visitor Counter : 61

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 4:16PM by PIB Delhi

New Bill to replace a century old law Boilers Bill to improve trust by decriminalising offences 3 out of 7 offences decriminalised, speedy redressal for all non-criminal offences Obsolete provisions removed to enhance Ease of Doing Business New Act to prioritise safety of workers

The Boilers Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha today by the  Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. It repeals the Boilers Act, 1923 (5 of 1923). The Bill had earlier been passed by the  Rajya Sabha on 4^th December, 2024 and shall be sent  for assent of the President of India after it is passed by the Lok Sabha.

The re-enacted legislation meets the current requirements of stakeholders including industry, personnel working on/with boilers and implementers in the country and is as per need in the current times. The salient features of the Bill are as under:

It has been drafted as per modern drafting practices to give more clarity to the provisions of the Bill. The similar provisions which are at different places in the Boilers Act,1923 have been grouped together in six chapters for easier reading and understanding of the Act. All the functions/powers of the Central Government, State Governments and Central Boilers Board have been enumerated in detail to avoid any confusion. 

For Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), the Bill will benefit boiler users including those in the MSME sector as provisions related to the decriminalisation have been incorporated in the Bill. Out of the seven offences, to ensure safety of boilers and personnel dealing with boilers, in four major offences which may result in loss of life and property, criminal penalties are retained. For other offences, provision is being made for fiscal penalty. Moreover, for all non-criminal offences ‘fine’ has been converted into ‘penalty’ to be levied through executive mechanism instead of courts as existed earlier.

The proposed bill will enhance safety as specific provisions have been made in the Bill to ensure the safety of persons working inside a boiler and that repair of boiler is undertaken by qualified and competent persons.

The Government of India is examining all the pre- constitution Acts from the point of view of their suitability and relevance in the current times.

The Boilers Act, 1923 was comprehensively amended in the year 2007 by the Indian Boilers (Amendment) Act, 2007 wherein inspection and certification by independent third party inspecting authorities was introduced. However, on further examination of the existing Act, a need has been felt for review of the Act and also to incorporate the decriminalised provisions in consonance with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023.

The existing Act has, accordingly, been reviewed wherein redundant /obsolete provisions have been omitted and certain substantive enabling provisions have been made for the rules and regulations which were not earlier provided. Certain new definitions have also been incorporated and few existing definitions have been amended so as to give more clarity to the provisions of the Bill. (details given in enclosed Annexure)

***

Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2114855) Visitor Counter : 27

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 4:32PM by PIB Delhi

The Government has taken various proactive measures aimed at enhancing domestic capacities, boosting exports, diversifying supply chains, exploring alternate sources of imports and fostering economic resilience. Several key initiatives and policy measures undertaken by the Government to boost exports, attract investments and to promote ease of doing business from time to time are as follows-

1. The Foreign Trade Policy effective from April 01, 2023 is designed to integrate India more effectively into the global market, improve trade competitiveness, and establish the country as a reliable and trusted trade partner.
2. Establishment of 65 Export Facilitation Centres (EFCs) across the country with an aim to provide requisite mentoring and handholding support to exporters especially MSMEs in exporting their products and services to foreign markets.
3. Assistance being provided through several schemes to promote exports, namely, Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) and Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme.
4. The Rebate of State and Central Levies and Taxes (RoSCTL) Scheme to promote labour- oriented certain items of textiles sector export has been implemented since March 07, 2019.
5. Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme has been implemented since January 01, 2021. The benefit of RoDTEP scheme had also been extended to sectors like steel, pharma and chemicals with effect from December 15, 2022 to enhance export competitiveness of these sectors. Currently, 10,642 tariff lines (8-digit ITC(HS) Codes) are covered under this Scheme. The budget allocation for RoDTEP Scheme for the current financial year 2024-25 is Rs. 16,575 crores. The benefits of the RoDTEP scheme have also been extended to exports from Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) units till September 30, 2025.
6. A Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin has been launched to facilitate trade and increase Free Trade Agreement (FTA) utilization by exporters.
7. Districts as Export Hubs initiative had been launched by identifying products with export potential in each district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products and supporting local exporters/manufacturers to generate employment in the district.
8. The Government has launched the Trade Connect e-Platform as an information and intermediation platform for international trade bringing together Indian Missions Abroad and officials from Department of Commerce and other organisations to provide comprehensive services for both new and existing exporters.
9. Active role of Indian missions abroad towards promoting India’s trade, tourism, technology and investment goals has been enhanced. Regular monitoring of export performance with Commercial Missions abroad, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards/Authorities and Industry Associations is being done and corrective measures are being taken from time to time.
10. With the changing trade scenario, India is moving towards having Preferential/Free Trade Agreements (PTA/FTA) wherein customs tariffs and non-tariff barriers are reduced or eliminated on substantial trade items between the PTA/FTA members. At present, India is a member of 13 FTAs and 9 PTAs apart from the negotiations with the EU, the UK, and Oman.

This information was given by the Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

***

Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas

(Release ID: 2114863) Visitor Counter : 18

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

The new energy storage system adds power for renewable energy! In response to international energy transitions and net-zero emission trends, Taipower is actively developing diverse energy solutions. To strengthen grid resilience, Taipower previously implemented a 20-MW energy storage system at the Tainan Salt Fields Solar Farm and the Kaohsiung Luyuan Substation, as well as a 60-MW energy storage system at the Longtan Extra-High Voltage (EHV) Substation earlier this year. Now, Taipower has launched another heavyweight 60-MW energy storage system at the Dongshan site in Yilan. At the November 20 inauguration ceremony, Taipower representatives highlighted that energy storage systems, with their rapid charging and discharging capabilities, can support frequency regulation when integrating renewable energy into the grid. Moreover, they provide immediate stable power during unexpected power events to enhance the stability and flexibility of the power system.

On November 20, Taipower held the Sustainable Energy Storage, Stable Grid inauguration ceremony for the Dongshan Energy Storage System at the Dongshan EHV Substation in Yilan. The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Taipower Vice President Hsiao Sheng-Jen, Tatung Group President Brian Shen, and Tatung Forever Energy President Huang Yun-Wei, who jointly witnessed the milestone.
This project was the result of a collaboration between Taipower and Tatung Forever Energy, a pioneering enterprise in domestic energy storage applications. Leveraging Tatung Group’s expertise and resources in the power and energy sector, the two companies established 23 energy storage containers at the Dongshan EHV Substation, covering an area of approximately 1,600 pings (about 5,300 square meters). The resulting 60-MW/85-MWh energy storage system has a storage capacity of 85,000 kWh, which is sufficient to meet the electricity needs of approximately 8,000 households for an entire day.

Due to their ability to transfer energy and respond rapidly, energy storage systems have become a powerful new tool for enhancing grid resilience. The Dongshan energy storage system utilizes Enhanced Dynamic Regulation (E-dReg) technology, which enables energy transfer. It stores abundant solar energy generated during the day and discharges it in the evening when sunlight diminishes rapidly, playing a vital role in stabilizing the power supply during nighttime peak demand. In the event of unexpected power incidents that cause a drop in grid frequency, the system can respond quickly, completing discharge within 0.4 seconds to maintain grid frequency stability. It also provides multiple functions, including stable power supply and voltage regulation.

Power systems have three key indicators: frequency, voltage, and inertia. Among these, inertia varies depending on the method and characteristics of power generation, and its importance has grown due to the current trend of renewable energy development. In traditional systems, inertia is primarily provided by the rotational motion of conventional generators’ steam or hydropower-driven rotors. Conversely, renewable energy systems convert sunlight and wind directly into electricity through inverters. Therefore, last year, Taipower collaborated with UK-based innovative energy technology company RTL on a real-time inertia measurement project for the power system. Measurement devices were installed at 10 locations nationwide. Furthermore, Taipower has introduced Function of Periodic Power Modulation (FPPM) technology at the Dongshan energy storage system, making it the only energy storage system in Taiwan capable of measuring system inertia. By inputting test signals into the grid and obtaining real-time feedback data, this system provides valuable insights for power dispatching and system stability management.

In terms of safety, the Dongshan Energy Storage System has obtained dual certifications: the international energy storage safety standard IEC 62933-5-2 and the international industrial control cybersecurity standard IEC 62443-3-3. Certificates were issued by an international third-party verification agency, ensuring strict compliance across various aspects, including energy storage installation, operation and maintenance, and information and communication security. Moreover, the Dongshan Energy Storage System incorporates a four-stage safety framework aimed at achieving zero risk and zero disaster. These measures include gas detection and ventilation, abnormal temperature alarms, an internal cabinet fire suppression system, and an external fire-fighting water mist system, ensuring comprehensive safety management.

A Taipower representative stated that the government’s 2025 goal of establishing 1,500 MW of energy storage includes 500 MW from private developers integrating energy storage with photovoltaic power, 160 MW of energy storage systems built by Taipower, and an additional 1,000 MW from private resources aggregated through the Energy Trading Platform. In recent years, Taipower has utilized its substations as development bases for energy storage. Projects such as the Luyuan and Longtan energy storage systems have been completed, and with the Dongshan energy storage system now online and integrated into the grid, Taipower has officially achieved a milestone in its self-built energy storage initiatives.

Spokesperson: Vice President Tsai Chih-Meng
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0958-749-333
E-mail: u910707@taipower.com.tw

Contact Person: Director of Transmission and Substation Engineering Department Chang Han-Hsi
Phone: (02) 2322-9700; 0965-598-258
E-mail: u906444@taipower.com.tw

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Public accident and emergency (A&E) departments will charge patients a fee of $400 per visit starting from January 1, 2026, as part of reforms to fees aimed at enhancing the financial sustainability of the city’s public healthcare system.

Currently, public A&E departments charge a flat rate of $180.

Under the fee revamp, patients in critical and emergency cases will be treated for free at public A&E departments.

At a press conference today, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said the reform was intended to offer more help to the underprivileged and patients with critical or severe illnesses.

He stressed that the extra revenue will go back into public hospital services.

The authorities will also introduce a “co-payment model” to charge patients between $50 and $500 for complicated pathology and non-urgent imaging tests.

Moreover, they propose to cap charges at $10,000 a year for each patient, and to make it easier for those eligible to apply for a fee waiver.

At today’s press conference, Permanent Secretary for Health Thomas Chan elaborated on the various measures.

“I think the first one, on improving the waiver mechanism, we have relaxed the income and asset limits significantly for (patients) to qualify for medical waivers,” he said. “This is targeting the low-income families.

“We expect that low-income families would mostly be able to be covered by the medical waiver mechanism, since we have already raised the eligibility level to (100% of) median monthly domestic household income for families of two and more.

“And for families of one, actually we would be relaxing the income limit to 150% of the median monthly domestic household income. And also for the asset limit, we have significantly raised it to match the level for applying for public rental housing.

“We expect that the number of low-income families or people that potentially qualify to apply for medical waivers would increase from 300,000 to 1.4 million. This is already in addition to the 600,000 CSSA (Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) recipients and also the Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above.

“In addition to the medical waivers, we introduced an annual spending cap.

“If the amount of (medical) fees that you need to pay exceeds $10,000 for the whole year, anything in excess of $10,000 will be waived. This is to provide another protection for all Hong Kong citizens who may or may not be eligible to apply for medical waivers.”

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 1:41PM by PIB Delhi

‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including cyber crime and digital arrest scams through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEAs.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes the statistical data on crimes in its publication “Crime in India”. The latest published report is for the year 2022. Specific data regarding digital arrest scams is not maintained separately by NCRB.

To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber crimes including digital arrest scams in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the Central Government has taken steps which, inter-alia, include the following:

1. The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) as an attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
2. The Central Government has launched a comprehensive awareness programme on digital arrest scams which, inter-alia, include; newspaper advertisement, announcement in Delhi Metros, use of social media influencers to create special posts, campaign through Prasar Bharti and electronic media, special programme on Aakashvani and participated in Raahgiri Function at Connaught Place, New Delhi on 27.11.2024.
3. The Hon’ble Prime Minister spoke about digital arrests during the episode “Mann Ki Baat” on 27.10.2024  and apprised  the citizens  of India.

• iv. I4C in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched a caller tune campaign for raising awareness about cybercrime and promoting the Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930 & ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (NCRP). The caller tune is also being broadcasts in regional languages, delivered 7-8 times a day by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).

5. I4C proactively identify and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 Whatsapp accounts used for Digital Arrest.

• vi. The Central Government has published a Press Release on Alert against incidents of ‘Blackmail’ and ‘Digital Arrest’ by Cyber Criminals Impersonating State/UT Police, NCB, CBI, RBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies.

7. The Central Government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers appear to be originating within India. Directions have been issued to the TSPs for blocking of such incoming international spoofed calls.
8. Till 28.02.2025, more than 7.81 lakhs SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs as reported by Police authorities have been blocked by Government of India.
9. The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, as a part of the I4C, to enable public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes, with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Cyber crime incidents reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action thereon are handled by the State/UT Law Enforcement Agencies concerned as per the provisions of the law.
10. The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’, under I4C, has been launched in year 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters. So far, financial amount of more than Rs. 4,386 Crore has been saved in more than 13.36 lakh complaints. A toll-free Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
11. To spread awareness on cyber crime, the Central Government has taken steps which, inter-alia, include; dissemination of messages through  SMS,  I4C  social  media  account  i.e.  X  (formerly  Twitter)

(@CyberDost), Facebook(CyberDostI4C), Instagram (cyberDostI4C), Telegram(cyberdosti4c), Radio campaign, engaged MyGov for publicity in multiple mediums, organizing Cyber Safety and Security Awareness weeks in association with States/UTs, publishing of Handbook for Adolescents/Students, digital displays on railway stations and airports across, etc.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

*****

RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

(Release ID: 2114750) Visitor Counter : 280

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Home Affairs

PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN LWE-AFFECTED AREAS

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 1:42PM by PIB Delhi

(Release ID: 2114751)

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 1:44PM by PIB Delhi

The Government is aware of the hazard of avalanches in the Himalayan regions, which poses significant risks to human lives and property. Avalanches are a recurring natural phenomenon/disaster in high-altitude areas such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Government effectively deploys technologies for improved early warning and forecasting of Avalanches in the hazardous zones. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is a national level agency for avalanche forecasting and is involved in the daily Operational Avalanche Forecasting for Defence users. Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Chandigarh under DRDO is also the nodal agency for studying and developing avalanche mitigation technologies. The methodologies include aerial reconnaissance/ ground surveys, which are further used as an input to prepare avalanche hazard maps. Regular operational avalanche warning is issued by DGRE to the Army and civilian population in the snow bound regions of north-west Himalayas.  Additionally, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) supplies six-hourly weather updates to enhance situational awareness.

Automated weather stations and Doppler radars have been installed in vulnerable regions to improve forecasting capabilities.

DGRE has installed 72 Snow Meteorological Observatories. Further, 45 Automated Weather Stations (AWS) are operational, 100 (AWS)  are under testing and 203 (AWS) are under installation. The data is regularly received from snow observatories at 3 hour intervals and at 1 hour interval from AWS at DGRE. This output and the expert opinion is used to draw avalanche forecast for different areas at least 24 hour in advance. DGRE has also developed its own Avalanche map indicating locations of potential avalanche sites located all over the Himalayas and is being used by Troops for their safe mobility in snow bound area. Engineering solutions are also being provided as per the user’s requirements. 

DGRE has developed following technologies for accurate avalanche predictions to safeguard lives in snow bound regions of Himalaya:

1. AI and ML (Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning) based avalanche forecast.
2. Increased Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network and surface observatories for snow bound areas.
3. Avalanche Engineering Control structures.
4. Avalanche Early Warning Radars.
5. Common Alert Protocol (CAP) compliant online APP for avalanche warning dissemination.
6. Forecast dissemination using satellite based communication for last mile.
7. Multi scale material properties simulation.
8. Process based 3D – Snowpack Modelling for stability of slope.
9. Light weight rigid structure for avalanche defence.
10. InSAR based landslide warning technology.

As informed by DGRE, in a first in India, Avalanche monitoring radar has been installed in North Sikkim. The system can detect avalanches within three seconds of trigger.

National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), under the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) provides the high resolution weather forecasts from their global, regional and ensemble prediction systems to DGRE on daily basis. DGRE uses NCMRWF model output to drive their mountain weather model and Avalanche forecast model. In addition during the winter season, NCMRWF shares the coupled model’s snow forecasts with DGRE. These snow and total precipitation forecasts are very useful for possible Avalanche forecasting at DGRE’s end.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released guidelines on Management of Landslides & Snow Avalanches in June 2009 to advise states on its response, preparedness and mitigation strategies. These guidelines have measures to reduce the impact of snow avalanches and early warning.

Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System’ has been initiated with an outlay of Rs. 454.65 Crore, for dissemination of geo targeted early warnings/alerts related to disasters to the citizens of India for all 36 States/UTs using various disseminating medium like SMS, Costal Sirens, Cell broadcast, Internet (RSS feed & Browser Notification), Satellite Receiver of GAGAN & NavIC etc., through integration of all alerting agencies, [IMD, Central Water Commission (CWC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), DGRE, Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Forest Survey of India (FSI)].

Besides early warning and preparedness, the Government deploy advanced technologies for rescue operations in avalanche-affected areas. These technologies such as Drone-Based Intelligent Buried Object Detection  System  and  timely  deployment  of  Helicopters  enable  rapid

response and efficient evacuation during emergencies. Similarly, the establishment of Disaster Management Control Rooms at the state and district levels ensures round-the-clock monitoring and coordination during rescue operations during Avalanche.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

****

RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

(Release ID: 2114752) Visitor Counter : 269