After Mahua Moitra moves SC, UIDAI withdraws tender for social media monitoring agency

Agencies
December 18, 2019

New Delhi, Dec 18: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) told the Supreme Court on Tuesday it has withdrawn the controversial tender seeking to invite bids for a social media monitoring agency to deal with misconceptions about Aadhaar.

The authority contended before Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph that it will not float another tender in the future. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had moved the apex court challenging the UIDAI's decision and terming it an utter violation of right to digital privacy.

In July 2018, the authority had floated a tender inviting bids for an agency with technical capability to monitor and track online conversations. This agency would have done a sentiment analysis of all such conversations and flagged any discrepancy in sentiments and worked out and neutralised negative sentiments.

The authority claimed the utility of this monitoring agency would help in gauging public sentiment in connection with Aadhaar and also assist in sorting out misconceptions, often resulting in misgivings, with the unique identification project.

Moitra, in the petition filed through Nizam Pasha, claimed the process of engaging a social media monitoring agency is a tool aimed at social media surveillance. "This is just another social media surveillance centre by another name," she said in the petition.

The Centre withdrew the tender floated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting after it was challenged before the apex court in another PIL filed by Moitra.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing with advocates Pasha and Ranjeeta Rohatgi, requested that the statements made by UIDAI be recorded in the order and the PIL was disposed off in terms of the statement. This is the second occasion when the Centre has backtracked on its plans of social media surveillance in PILs filed by Moitra.

After several hearings on the matter, the UIDAI on Tuesday told the court the tender has expired and it has no plans of reviving the tender or floating a similar tender.

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News Network
March 29,2020

New Delhi, Mar 29: The Centre on Sunday asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop movements of migrant workers during lockdown, officials said.

During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues.

"There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," a government official said.

States were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways.

Only movement of goods should be allowed.

District Magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions, the official said.

Adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work, the official said.

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Agencies
June 9,2020

New Delhi, Jun 9: BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and his mother Madhavi Raje Scindia have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently undergoing treatment in a Delhi hospital, India Today reported on Tuesday.

They were admitted on Monday to Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, after the two complained of throat irritation and fever.

"Not so good news: @JM_Scindia and his mother have tested positive for corona, The former Cong turned BJP leader from MP has been admitted to hospital.. Wish him a speedy recovery!" tweeted Rajdeep Sardesai, consulting editor at the India Today group.

Breaking now: Not so good news: @JM_Scindia and his mother have tested positive for corona, The former Cong turned BJP leader from MP has been admitted to hospital.. Wish him a speedy recovery!  @IndiaToday

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) June 9, 2020

Scindia, former Congress MP from Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh, quit the party and joined BJP last March. Scindia, who was once Minister of State with independent charge for Power, is the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh.

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News Network
May 18,2020

May 18: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced the date sheet for the pending class 10 and 12 board exams, which will now be held from July 1 to 15.

The exams were postponed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Class 10 board exams are pending only in the North East Delhi.

"The Class 10 exams will be staggered on four dates, starting July 1. The first paper will be Social Science, while the next day students will be required to appear for the Science exam,” said Sanyam Bhardwaj, the Controller of Examination, CBSE.

“On July 10, exams will be conducted for both courses of Hindi and on July 15 for both courses of English," he said.

On health guidelines for students, Bhardwaj said that they will be required to carry their own sanitiser bottles and wear masks to examination centres.

"Parents will have to ensure that their ward is not sick and candidates will have to strictly follow physical-distancing norms," he said.

For Class 12, the Home Science exam will be held on July 1, followed by both courses of Hindi the next day.

The Class 12 Business Studies exam has been scheduled for July 9, followed by Biotechnology on July 10 and Geography on July 11.

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