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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
At 104, Kerala centenarian masters smartphones: Symbol of state's digital revolution
Thiruvananthapuram, At the age of 104, M A Abdullah Moulavi from Asamannoor in Ernakulam district is incredibly self-reliant in choosing his favourite social media reels and watching important news on YouTube. At 104, Kerala centenarian masters smartphones: Symbol of state's digital revolution While searching prayer songs swiftly on his son's smartphone with his fragile fingers and pressing the video call button to talk to his grandchild abroad, Moulavi's wrinkled face beams with pride and happiness. He is one of about 22 lakh persons in Kerala who have become digitally literate through the path-breaking "Digi Keralam" programme rolled out by the state government, which eventually paved the way for a digital revolution. 79-year-old Sarasu, a daily wage earner, was initially averse to digital learning. Later, she became a YouTube channel owner, and 80-year-old Sulochana in Moovattupuzha started to access government services on her mobile without anyone's help. With 99.98 per cent of learners achieving basic digital skills and passing out, Kerala is now all set to be declared as the "first digital literate state" in the country. Launched on 22 September 2022 by the Local Self-Government Department , Digi Keralam aimed to attain complete digital literacy in the state in line with the total literacy campaign in 1991, authorities said. As part of the drive, digitally illiterate people were identified and trained in tasks ranging from turning a smartphone on/off to using digital tools and accessing government services online. LSGD Minister M B Rajesh said, as many as 21,87,677 digitally illiterate persons, identified through a survey conducted among 83,45, 879 families across the state, have been trained to use digital tools effectively. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will officially declare the state as totally digitally literate in a function to be held at the Central Stadium here on August 21, he said. "The digital literacy programme has been implemented on the model of the historic total literacy movement in the state decades ago," Rajesh told PTI. He said the immediate necessity for digital literacy was felt when the government services, especially those of the LSGD Department, had completely become online. If the benefits of the online services are to reach the common people, the digital gap in society should be bridged effectively, he said. "Thus, when we implemented initiatives to make all the services of our department online, the digital literacy initiative was also carried out simultaneously to digitally empower people, cutting across their socioeconomic status or geographical location," the minister explained. Jeromic George, Principal Director, LSGD, said Digi Keralam was launched to ensure that every citizen is able to access and benefit from e-governance and digital services. "This was not just a government programme, but a people's movement, connecting generations and communities," he said. Over two lakh volunteers, the majority of them students, Kudumbasree activists, National Service Scheme members, and students' police cadets were the backbone of the drive, which was completed by March this year. Of those several lakh people who have become digital literates, over 15,000 are above 90 years old, like Abdullah, the minister added. "Digital learning has brought such a positive change in his daily life at this age. Now, he easily switches on YouTube to watch news and video calls the grandson abroad by himself," Abdullah's son Faizal told PTI. Authorities said Pullampara, a tiny panchayat on the outskirts of the capital district, has laid the foundation for the successful mass digital literacy model implemented across the state. Sajina Sathar, assistant director, Digi Keralam, recalled that the plight of underprivileged people, many of them senior citizens, during the pandemic lockdown in 2021 had persuaded Pullampara panchayat authorities to think about digital literacy seriously. "During the pandemic, we could see long queues of people before the only bank in our village to check whether their MGNREGA wages were credited to their accounts," the official, who conceptualised and led the digital literacy drive in Pullampara, told PTI. "Some even spent ₹200-300 to reach the bank by auto just to check the balance," she said. If they were digitally literate, they could check their balance on their mobile phones, and that thought had persuaded the panchayat authorities to devise the path-breaking digital literacy drive, she said. The official said they faced numerous challenges, from preparing a scientific module and identifying volunteers for surveys to training them alongside funding shortages and mobile connectivity issues in the hamlet's hilly terrain. The biggest challenge was to change the mindset of the individuals and prepare them for digital learning, she added. On the occasion of officially declaring Pullampara as the first fully digitally literate village panchayat in the state on September 21, 2022, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that this model would be replicated across the state. Kerala Institute of Local Administration was asked to prepare a training module suitable for the entire state. "Then we began volunteer registration. Master trainers were identified, and through them trainers were trained. They, in turn, imparted training to volunteers. Training sessions were almost online,'' Rajesh said. Kerala could implement such a massive initiative successfully, as our grassroots-level networking is so strong, said Minister Rajesh, who himself was a student volunteer in the literacy movement of the 1990s. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why YSX Tech. Co., Ltd (YSXT) Is Up the Most So Far in 2025
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where YSX Tech. Co., Ltd (NASDAQ:YSXT) stands against other industrial stocks that are up the most so far in 2025. Industrial stocks are sensitive to the economic cycle. Many of them have already fallen victim to the downturn and have reversed much of their earlier gains from the past few years. However, 2025 is shaping up to be a breakout year for industrial stocks elsewhere. The industrial sector is very broad, and you'll always find winners that outpace expectations and draw the attention of investors who once overlooked these workhorse companies. Manufacturing and industrial firms have doubled down on digital transformation and have poured resources into automation to boost efficiency. This investment is paying off as companies become more agile and better equipped to handle shocks, whether from geopolitical tensions, labor shortages, or shifting customer needs. It's worth looking into the biggest winners so far this year, as they could continue building on the momentum. For this article, I screened the best-performing industrial stocks year-to-date. I will also mention the number of hedge fund investors in these stocks. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (). A customer in an office space purchasing auto insurance online from the company's marketplace. Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q4 2024: 1 YSX Tech. Co., Ltd (NASDAQ:YSXT) provides insurance aftermarket value-added services to auto insurance and brokerage companies in China. The stock's sharp move in 2025 is mainly tied to its February 2025 earnings release, which showed total revenue for the six months ended September 30, 2024, rising 28.7% to $34.1 million, driven by a massive 879% surge in revenue from vehicle driving risk screening services. However, net income declined 22% to $1.9 million due to changes in customer mix and pricing pressures, with management signaling plans to refine pricing strategies and improve margins going forward. The company's December 2024 IPO, which raised about $5.75 million, also contributed to heightened investor attention and trading volatility, with shares surging over 70% in the month following the earnings release and remaining up more than 35% year-to-date as of late April 2025. Additionally, the company was added to the NASDAQ Composite Index in December, which likely spurred further institutional interest and momentum trading. YSX Tech. Co., Ltd (NASDAQ:YSXT) stock is up 37.04% year-to-date. Overall, YSXT ranks 6th on our list of industrial stocks that are up the most so far in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of YSXT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than YSXT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this . READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
MAIWP gives over RM314m zakat aid to asnaf by April 21
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has distributed RM314,879,762.44 in zakat (tithe) funds to the asnaf group as of April 21. MAIWP chairman Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer said the distribution was carried out through various initiatives and aid clusters across the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. These include the welfare aid cluster, education aid cluster, and the Wakalah programme, which collectively aim to improve the quality of life and opportunities for the asnaf community. Earlier today, MAIWP hosted 600 asnaf individuals, including children, at the Jalinan Aidilfitri Bersama Asnaf event held at the Dewan Perdana Felda. Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar. In his speech, Mohd Na'im emphasised that MAIWP's ability to provide such large-scale assistance is a result of the continuous support from the Muslim community, who contribute zakat through MAIWP and the Zakat Collection Centre (PPZ-MAIWP). 'This proves that a transparent and efficient zakat ecosystem can be a major driver of social justice and the well-being of the people in the city,' he said. During the event, MAIWP presented a special contribution of RM200 and souvenirs worth RM120 each to 400 asnaf recipients. In addition, 200 children received duit raya of RM50 each, amounting to a total of RM138,000 in zakat funds. Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) director-general Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee.
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
MAIWP distributes over RM314 million in zakat funds to asnaf as of April 21
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has distributed RM314,879,762.44 in zakat (tithe) funds to the asnaf group as of April 21. MAIWP chairman Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer said the distribution was carried out through various initiatives and aid clusters across the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. These include the welfare aid cluster, education aid cluster, and the Wakalah programme, which collectively aim to improve the quality of life and opportunities for the asnaf community. Earlier today, MAIWP hosted 600 asnaf individuals, including children, at the Jalinan Aidilfitri Bersama Asnaf event held at the Dewan Perdana Felda. Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar. In his speech, Mohd Na'im emphasised that MAIWP's ability to provide such large-scale assistance is a result of the continuous support from the Muslim community, who contribute zakat through MAIWP and the Zakat Collection Centre (PPZ-MAIWP). 'This proves that a transparent and efficient zakat ecosystem can be a major driver of social justice and the well-being of the people in the city,' he said. During the event, MAIWP presented a special contribution of RM200 and souvenirs worth RM120 each to 400 asnaf recipients. In addition, 200 children received duit raya of RM50 each, amounting to a total of RM138,000 in zakat funds. Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) director-general Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee.
Barnama
22-04-2025
- Business
- Barnama
MAIWP Distributes Over RM314 Million In Zakat Funds To Asnaf As Of April 21
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 (Bernama) -- The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has distributed RM314,879,762.44 in zakat (tithe) funds to the asnaf group as of April 21. MAIWP chairman Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer said the distribution was carried out through various initiatives and aid clusters across the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. These include the welfare aid cluster, education aid cluster, and the Wakalah programme, which collectively aim to improve the quality of life and opportunities for the asnaf community.
