Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Police and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (April 16) remind members of the public to remain vigilant against phishing SMS messages purporting to be from Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) and the HKMA.
These messages claim to assist recipients in recovering their frozen assets or payments made to scammers, instructing them to contact bogus law firms, and provide their bank account information or transfer money to specific bank accounts.
Police and the HKMA reiterate that officers will not contact the members of the public on personal financial matters, nor will they authorise any law firm to assist in recovering fraud losses.
Police and the HKMA urge the public not to trust any messages, social media pages or advertisements claiming to assist in recovering fraud losses. Before seeking assistance from professionals, it is advised to verify their background and professional qualifications. Information on solicitors can be found on the website of The Law Society of Hong Kong (www.hklawsoc.org.hk).
The “Registered SMS Sender ID” of the ADCC is “#ADCC18222”. The official SMS messages do not contain any hyperlinks and only provide the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222”. For enquiries, members of the public may call the 24-hour hotline “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222”.
The Ministry of Ayush conducted a session of the Rashtriya Karmayogi Jan Seva Programme at Ayush Bhawan today, aimed at enhancing the service orientation and professional skills of its employees. The programme was organised in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission under the Mission Karmayogi framework.
Earlier on 18th of March, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, inaugurated the first phase of the session wherein he highlighted the importance of building a workforce that is responsive and efficient. He had also encouraged participants to apply the training in their day-to-day responsibilities to improve service delivery.
The second phase of the session, led by Programme Director Dr. Subodh Kumar and facilitated by Ms. Shipra Singh, adopted an interactive format, focusing on practical learning rather than traditional lectures. Discussions, team exercises, and problem-solving activities were incorporated to help employees reflect on their roles and contributions.
The programme included four focused sessions covering themes such as self-awareness, motivation, and leadership. Case studies from ongoing initiatives in Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional medicine systems were shared to provide practical context.
Ministry officials actively participated in the programme, which aimed to build awareness of individual responsibilities and the broader impact of public service. The Ministry of Ayush continues its efforts to strengthen capacity and efficiency within its workforce.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan felicitated four individuals from the Armed Forces for their outstanding contributions in the fields of military reconnaissance, exploration and adventure activities during the MacGregor Memorial Medal Award Ceremony held at the United Service Institution of India in New Delhi on April 16, 2025. The awardees for 2023 included Wing Commander D Panda, Indian Air Force and EA (R) Rahul Kumar Pandey, Indian Navy. For 2024, CHEAA(R) Ram Ratan Jat, Indian Navy and Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia, Indian Air Force were honoured with the MacGregor Memorial Medal.
Instituted on July 03, 1888, the MacGregor Memorial Medal commemorates Maj Gen Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, KCB, CSI, CIE – founder of the United Service Institution of India established in 1870. Originally intended to recognise the acts of military reconnaissance and exploratory journeys, the medal’s scope was expanded in 1986, post-independence, to include military expeditions and adventure activities.
While military reconnaissance and exploration remain the foremost criteria, the medal is open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles. To date, 127 medals have been awarded, including 103 prior to independence.
Among the notable recipients are Capt FE Younghusband (1890), Maj Gen Orde Charles Wingate (1943), Maj ZC Bakshi, VrC(1949), Col Narinder Kumar for Siachen Glacier exploration (1978–81) and Cdr Dilip Donde and Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy for their solo global circumnavigations. The honour continues to inspire and motivate the Armed Forces personnel to undertake courageous feats and uphold the tradition of valour, perseverance and discovery.
The event also featured the launch of the book Bravest of the Brave, a truly inspirational chronicle on the life and heroic journey of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, AC, VrC, SM, by the Chief of Defence Staff. General Anil Chauhan complimented Lt Gen Satish Dua (Retd), the author and former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) for his vivid and heartfelt portrayal of the personal turmoil of a soldier, their unwavering resolve in the face of adversity and their indomitable spirit. The book serves as a poignant tribute to a gallant soldier and a reminder of the selfless service rendered by the men and women in uniform.
The ceremony at USI highlighted the enduring legacy of the Indian Armed Forces in exploration, bravery and service to the nation, while also celebrating stories that continue to inspire future generations.
Top seven finalists announced for the Anti-Piracy Challenge under the Create in India Initiative of WAVES 2025 Anti-Piracy Challenge receives overwhelming response from the industry and participants
Over 1,600 registrations and 132 idea submissions from startups, technology providers, research institutions, and students across the country
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:21PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 16 April 2025
The finalists of the Anti-Piracy Challenge, a pioneering initiative under the Create in India Challenge Season 1 of WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) 2025, has been announced. WAVE Summit is being organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India on May 1-4, 2025 in Mumbai.
The Anti-Piracy Challenge, which aimed at fostering technological advancements in fingerprinting and watermarking solutions, received an overwhelming response from the industry and participants. Launched on September 12, 2024, the Challenge was conceived with a core objective— to promote Make in India technologies in the fight against digital piracy. The challenge witnessed participation with over 1,600 registrations and 132 idea submissions from startups, technology providers, research institutions, and students across the country. After a rigorous multi-stage screening and evaluation process, 15 ideas were shortlisted, and now, following in-depth assessments by an esteemed jury panel, 7 standout finalists have emerged for their breakthrough innovations in digital content security.
The top seven finalists will present their solutions before the final jury and a live audience during the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, scheduled from 01–04 May 2025 at Jio Centre, Mumbai. The winners will be felicitated by at the Grand Finale of the Summit.
TeamName
ProposedSolution
BriefDetailsonsolution
AezowieInfotechServicesPvt.Ltd.
StealthGuard
An offline tool that embeds robust, hidden watermarks in media files, traceable even after
compression or format changes.
Atomstate
Monk DB
An AI-native vector database using fingerprinting and watermarking for real-time
content verification and piracy detection.
Nuronics
NuroTrace
A comprehensive video protection suite combining encryption, licensing certificates, access control, dynamic watermarking, and
piracy detection.
Guardiansof Originality
PirateX
An advanced DRM and anti-piracy system
designed to secure multimedia content from unauthorized access and illegal distribution.
Hummingbird
Tryambaka
A blockchain-powered solution combining
blind watermarking and cryptographic hashing for tamper-proof content protection.
CipherCore
SecureFingerprintSteganography
System (SFSS)
A system that utilizes steganography and cryptographic techniques to embed secure fingerprints into digital media, enabling robust
piracy prevention.
WhiteHatLovers
Shadow Stamp
A marker-based tracking system using invisible,
uniquely identifiable markers to monitor and trace digital content in real time.
Focused on advanced technologies such as fingerprinting, watermarking, blockchain, and steganography
Winningsolutions to receive nationalrecognition, mentorship, and industrycollaboration opportunities
In today’s fast-evolving media and entertainment landscape, protecting the security, integrity, and authenticity of digital content is more important than ever. The surge in digital media consumption has heightened the risk of piracy, unauthorized distribution, and content manipulation—posing serious challenges to content creators, distributors, and rights holders.
A Media Partners Asia report estimates that 90 million users engaged in online video piracy in India in 2024, causing potential losses of USD 1.2 billion. Without effective robust anti-piracy interventions, this could rise to 158 million users by 2029.
Rights holders and broadcasters increasingly rely on technological solutions to identify, disrupt, and enforce their IP rights. However, criminal syndicates behind major piracy sites and services are continually adapting and obfuscating their infrastructure, making piracy detection and enforcement more complex than ever before.
This competition, designed to foster technological innovation in fingerprinting and watermarking solutions, reflects the growing urgency to secure India’s digital ecosystem.
The Anti-Piracy Challenge marks a significant milestone in India’s journey towards securing its digital future and encouraging indigenous innovation in critical technology domains.
The Challenge organized by CII as part of WAVES was supported by IPHouse, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Hack2Skill, who have played a pivotal role in the evaluation process and in facilitating industry engagement throughout the challenge.
The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.
Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.
WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).
Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare conducts review meeting on NPS Oversight Mechanism Ministries/Departments to ensure welfare of NPS employees through National Pension System Oversight Mechanism
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:31PM by PIB Delhi
Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) is committed towards the welfare of Central Government pensioners including those covered under National Pension System (NPS). In this regard, third review meeting on the status of setting up of NPS Oversight Mechanism was held under the Chairmanship of Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary (Pension) on 16.04.2025 with the Financial Advisor and the Nodal officers of 11 Ministries/Departments. Representative of M/s Protean have also attended the meeting.
In the meeting, Secretary (Pension) reviewed and emphasized upon timely credit of deduction made from the salary of Central Government employees towards their contribution to NPS, as also the applicable contribution of the Central Government, to the NPS financial architecture and redressal of grievances of Central Government employees. Further, Ministries/Departments were requested to constitute NPS oversight Mechanism and hold periodic meetings of the Committee and submit their six monthly report along with timely generation of PRAN and remittance of monthly contribution.
To ensure better monitoring, DoPPW has developed an online portal with URL https://pensionersportal.gov.in/NPS for submission of six monthly report.
The constant review of the implementation of NPS would enhance timely remittance of fund into NPS architecture and also reduce grievance of employees covered under NPS.
As a major breakthrough in shipping transport and inland waterway transport, Vice President CSIR and Minister Dr Jitendra Singh hails India’s first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel sea vessel; describes it as a success story emanating from the joint effort of public and private sectors: The Minister calls upon the CSIR authorities to continue strengthening the industry linkages, scale up innovations for societal impact:
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology Reviews CSIR Activities; Lauds Breakthroughs under NMITLI Programme
Pushing forward the Atmanirbhar Bharat Vision envisaged by PM Sh Narendra Modi, Dr. Jitendra Singh Underscores the Need for Self-Reliance in Science, Technology and innovation
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:31PM by PIB Delhi
As a major breakthrough in shipping transport and inland waterway transport, Union Minister of Science & Technology and Vice President CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) Dr Jitendra Singh has hailed India’s first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel sea vessel.
Describing it as a success story emanating from the joint effort of public and private sectors, the Minister disclosed that the country’s first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel, which may later pave the the way for hydrogen fuel driven larger sea vessels or ships, was developed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd featuring a hydrogen fuel cell-based drivetrain built by KPIT, drawing upon the foundational work enabled by the CSIR.
Dr. Jitendra Singh was convening a high-level meeting today to review the ongoing initiatives and achievements of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The meeting was attended by all Heads of CSIR Directorates, the Joint Secretary and Financial Adviser, CSIR.
Director General, CSIR, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi presented a detailed overview of CSIR’s current research activities, recent technological advancements, and collaborative engagements with industry. During the discussions, the Minister emphasized the importance of aligning CSIR’s scientific pursuits with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for a Atma Nirbhar, especially in critical technology domains where indigenous development is key.
The Minister lauded the CSIR-New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI), calling it a unique example of collaborative innovation in the public-private space. As India’s largest publicly funded, industry-oriented R&D programme, NMITLI brings together top institutions, industrial partners, and research labs to pursue high-risk technological ventures with the potential for national impact.
Dr. Jitendra Singh particularly appreciated two recent breakthroughs supported under the NMITLI programme. The first is the development and commercialization of CSIR-TECHNOS Raman Spectrometers (CTR-300 and CTR-150), achieved through a partnership between CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR–AMPRI), Bhopal, and M/s TechnoS Instruments, Jaipur.
These high-end Raman spectrometers, approved for marketing in January 2022, represent a significant milestone in India’s scientific instrumentation capabilities. Eleven units of indigenous Raman Spectrometers have been supplied across the country to date, demonstrating growing national adoption of this indigenous technology.
The second highlighted success, Dr Jitendra Singh noted, was the development of fuel cell technology under the Industry-Originated NMITLI programme. In this initiative, KPIT collaborated with CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) Pune and CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) to develop and demonstrate low-temperature PEM fuel cell systems. The expertise developed through this collaboration has since been translated into applications for the marine, defence, and automotive sectors. A major outcome of this effort was the launch of the country’s first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, under the Harit Nauka initiative. The vessel, developed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd., features a hydrogen fuel cell-based drivetrain built by KPIT, drawing upon the foundational work enabled by CSIR.
Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored that these achievements exemplify the role of CSIR in driving technology-led growth and contributing to India’s self-reliance in frontier areas.
The Minister called upon the CSIR authorities to continue strengthening the industry linkages, scale up innovations for societal impact and pursue bold R&D initiatives aligned with national priorities.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) passed an order dated 16.04.2025 under the provisions of Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act) imposing monetary and non-monetary sanctions on UFO Moviez India Pvt. (UFO Moviez), Scrabble Digital Ltd. and Qube Cinema Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Qube), for contravention of provisions of Section 3(4) of the Act, resulting in tie-in arrangement, exclusive supply agreement and refusal to deal.
In this matter, the Commission determined that UFO Moviez and Qube were significant players in the relevant market for the supply of Digital Cinema Initiatives-Compliant Digital Cinema Equipment (DCI-Compliant DCE) on lease/rent to Cinema Theatre Owners (CTOs) in India. The Commission found that UFO Moviez and Qube, through imposition of restrictions on supply of content in lease agreements entered into with CTOs, created barriers for players engaged in the provision of Post-Production Processing (PPP) services as well as blocked a significant portion of CTOs having DCI-Compliant DCEs from being served by any other player. The Commission held UFO Moviez (along with its subsidiary Scrabble Digital Ltd.) and Qube in contravention of provisions of Section 3(4) of the Act.
The Commission, under the provisions of Section 27 of the Act, directed UFO Moviez and Qube to not re-enter lease agreements with the CTOs imposing restrictions on supply of content from other parties. The Commission further held that the existing lease agreements with CTOs shall stand modified such that they do not impose restrictions on supply of content from parties other than UFO Moviez (and its affiliates) and Qube. The Commission, after considering nature and gravity of the contravention along with assessment of mitigating and aggravating factors, also imposed monetary penalty on UFO Moviez (along with its subsidiary Scrabble Digital Ltd.) and Qube, amounting to Rs. 104.03 Lakh and Rs. 165.8 Lakh, respectively.
A copy of public version of the order passed in Case No.11 of 2020 is available on the CCI website at www.cci.gov.in.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had released a pre-consultation paper on ‘Review of existing TRAI Regulations on Interconnection matters’ on 03rd April, 2025. The last date for submission of inputs/ comments from the stakeholders on the pre-consultation paper was fixed as 16th April, 2025.
Keeping in view the requests received from the stakeholders for extension of time for submission of inputs / comments on the above-mentioned pre-consultation paper, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of inputs / comments up to 23rd April, 2025.
The comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form, on the email-id adv-nsl1@trai.gov.in
For any clarification/ information, Shri Sameer Gupta, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing-I), TRAI may be contacted at Tel. No. +91-11-20907752.
The second meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee for the National One Health Mission under the chairmanship of Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India for the National One Health Mission, was held on April 15, 2025 in Vigyan Bhawan.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary DHR and DG ICMR; Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA; Shri Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, AYUSH; Dr. Rajan Khobragade, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Kerala; Shri Dhananjay Dwivedi, Principal Secretary (Health), Gujarat; Dr. Ranjan Das, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); senior representatives from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC); PSA’s office, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD); Department of Biotechnology (DBT); Department of Science and Technology (DST); Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO); National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS); Ministry of Ayush; NCDC; National Institute of One Health (NIOH); Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and state representatives.
The committee discussed several important initiatives that contribute towards the implementation of the One Health mission and how these efforts can be recalibrated to maximise impact.
Gujarat and Kerala, the two states nominated to be the members of the Scientific Steering Committee showcased their programmatic initiatives and the existing governance mechanism. The Chair emphasised on the importance of state participation and mentioned the relevance of exploring different modalities for implementing the One Health approach. The states were encouraged to strategise and design pilot programs aligned to the initiatives of the mission.
Another important highlight of this meeting was the presentation of the outcomes of the Advisory and Review (A&R) committees constituted for the operationalisation of various work streams. The chairs of the four A&R committees – Bio-Safety Level (BSL) 3/4 Laboratory Network (Chaired by Lt. Gen.(Retd.) Madhuri Kanitkar), Technology enhanced integrated surveillance and outbreak investigation (Chaired by Dr NK Arora), Research and Development on medical countermeasures (Chaired by Dr Renu Swaroop)and Integration of databases and data sharing (Chaired by Dr Vijay Chandru) – apprised the steering committee of the preliminary roadmaps for achieving their respective mandates and emphasised on the need for adopting the One Health lens for all the interventions.
The meeting also discussed the funding mechanism for the projects under the mission, which were focused on surveillance methodologies, developing R&D countermeasures like vaccines, diagnostics and monoclonals for diseases of One Health importance; Plan for the animal disease mock drill; update on augmenting the state engagements by creating the cross-learning platform.
The chair emphasised that to take the activities of the mission to scale, continued collaboration, innovation, and adaptability is required from all the stakeholders.
During the meeting, a special edition of ‘Vigyan Dhara’dedicated to the National One Health Mission which presents the vision of this multi-ministerial collaborative effort was showcased. Further avideoencapsulating the vision, diverse stakeholders and overarching goals of the Mission was released in the meeting.
20th Edition of the ‘Secretariat Reforms’ Monthly Report for March 2025 Released Total revenue earned from scrap sale in Swachhata campaign from 2021-2025 stands at Rs 2750 crore
Rs 386.08 cr revenue earned form scrap disposal in Dec 2024-March 2025
1.64 lac files weeded out in Swachhata campaign in 8115 offices during March 2025
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 5:59PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has released the 20th edition of its monthly ‘Secretariat Reforms’ report for March 2025. The report provides an extensive analysis of the ongoing initiatives aimed at transforming governance and administration through (i) Swachhata and Reducing Pendency to Minimum Levels (ii) Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making, (iii) e-Office Implementation and Analytics,
This edition includes the following:
Best Practices under “Waste to Wealth”
In Focus: Department of Expenditure (DoE)
Cabinet Secretariat Directions on e-Office Implementation
Key Highlights of the March 2025 Report:
1. Swachhata & Reduction in Pendency:
Cleanliness drives were conducted successfully at 8,115 sites nationwide.
Approximately 15.88 lakh sq. ft of office space has been freed, with top contributors being the Ministry of Mines (10,60,039 sq. ft) and Ministry of Railways (2,25,459 sq. ft).
Rs 84.09 Crore in revenue generated from scrap disposal, with significant contributions from Ministries such as Railways, Heavy Industries and Coal.
Effective record management saw 2,33,215 physical files reviewed, with 1,64,271 files weeded out, alongside reviewing 44,617 e-Files and closing 32,728 of them.
Disposal of 5,26,952 public grievances (91.94% disposed), along with the disposal of 1,003 MP references, 305 state government references.
Parameter/Item
SC1.0-4.0
Dec’24-Mar’25
Total
Revenue Earned (in Rs. Crore)
2364.07
386.08
2750.15
2. Best Practices: Waste to Wealth:
Ministries and Departments implemented innovative Waste to Wealth, enhancing transparency and public accessibility. Examples include:
Ministry of Railways, Transformed Scrap into Artistic and Functional Models – Showcasing Innovation and Sustainability
Infrastructure enhancements at North Block, Ministry of Expenditure.
Repurposed Iron Rods for Floral Display Structures Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, DAE
3. Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making and e-Office, Implementation & Analytics:
The adoption of delayering initiatives has significantly reduced the average distinct transaction levels for active files from 7.19 in 2021 to 4.73 as of March 2025.
88% of total files created in March 2025 are eFiles.
94.73% of receipts processed were e-Receipts, with 39 Ministries/Departments achieving 100% e-Files adoption at remarkable levels. 12Ministries/Department have 100% share of e-Receipts for Mar’25.
Inter-ministerial file movements have been 3,792 files for the month of March 2025, indicating streamlined administrative processes.
These initiatives underscore the Government of India’s ongoing commitment to digitally enabled, transparent, efficient, and citizen-focused governance, aligning with the broader goal of administrative excellence and responsive public administration.