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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: Skilling, scaling, and reclaiming innovations
There's something oddly sacred about midnight snacking. That stolen moment when the world has quieted down and your fridge becomes your temple. Half a pizza slice, a couple of salami slices, some leftover noodles, maybe a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar. It's not just food, it's a ritual of piecing together what the day left unfinished. Today's writeups feel a lot like it, unconnected at first, but ultimately comforting in their messiness. They speak to a nation trying to make sense of its scattered ingredients, ideas, ambitions, gaps, and goals, under the flickering light of change. Let's dive in. Take the Union finance minister's renewed push for global capability centres (GCCs). On paper, it's a promising late-night snack, a Budget idea reheated with tax breaks and support for small-town talent hubs. But as our first editorial notes, India's business environment still needs prep: power outages, regulatory half-measures, and a skilling system that doesn't quite match industry appetite. Without fixing the kitchen, no amount of garnish will make the dish work. If that sounds familiar, our second editorial's deep dive into the lagging AI regulation offers a similar flavour. While the European Union has plated up a full-course meal with its AI Act, India is still figuring out the recipe. The country's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, though a start, doesn't quite address the global buffet of challenges: Data scraping, model misuse, or even the basic seasoning of transparency. As Big Tech feasts unchecked, India risks showing up at the innovation dinner party with an empty tiffin. Then there's our urban sprawl. Amit Kapoor writes how our cities, instead of cooking up dynamism, are just boiling over. With traffic jams, heat islands, and scattered planning, India's metros resemble overstuffed thalis — crowded, but offering little nourishment. To regain productivity, Balakrishnan calls for a smarter recipe: integrated governance, resilient design, and real data-driven plans. Meanwhile, Naushad Forbes turns the spotlight to R&D, where India has long survived on snacks even as others have enjoyed feasts. The new Rs 1 trillion RDI scheme could change that, but only if funds go directly to firms that can digest them, those with hungry, growing R&D teams and the stamina for mid-stage research. Without focus, we risk spreading the chutney too thin. And finally, Vivek Banerji's Insight Edge: Crafting Breakthroughs in a World of Information Overload, reviewed by Ajit Balakrishnan, is like the healthy snack you didn't know you needed. The author argues that in this data-glutted world, insight, not information, is the real nourishment. Forget endless dashboards. What we need is curiosity, empathy, and a refusal to pretend we always know the answer. Sounds a lot like the way we rummage the fridge, hoping to find meaning — or at least cold pizza. Stay tuned!
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
RTI vs Privacy: And the twain shall never meet
The clash between the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) 2023 raises critical constitutional and jurisprudential issues: RTI is rooted in Article 19(1)(a) freedom of speech and expression — which includes the right to receive information. DPDPA draws strength from Article 21, as interpreted in the K S Puttaswamy ruling, which declared privacy a fundamental right. The legal challenge lies in reconciling these two rights when they come into direct conflict. When India passed the Right to Information Act in 2005, it was hailed as a revolutionary tool for empowering citizens and holding public authorities accountable. Two decades on, we now face a growing threat to that hard-won transparency, courtesy the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023. Billed as a progressive law meant to safeguard our digital privacy, the DPDP Act is ironically being used as a potent weapon to deny citizens access to critical information. Government officials can now refuse RTI requests by invoking a broad, often vaguely defined shield of 'personal data'. The result? People are increasingly denied information about how public funds are used, who benefits from welfare programs, and whether officials have misused their positions. Privacy and public interest: Section 8(1) (j) of the RTI Act upholds privacy where necessary, balancing it against public interest. The introduction of an overriding DPDP regime, without clearly defining the scope of exemptions or the hierarchy of laws, creates a dangerous ambiguity. Unless the judiciary or legislature intervene and clarify or harmonise application of these laws, the citizens' right to know may be systematically undermined, particularly when accessing information about the state. This isn't just a bureaucratic tiff between two laws. It is a democratic dilemma. The 'privacy' is being twisted into a legal fig leaf to hide public wrongdoing. What's more alarming is the power imbalance it creates. Lower-level officers — often under political pressure — are now arbiters of what counts as 'personal data,' overriding the established RTI mechanism. Add to this the fact that many states, like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, don't even have functional RTI commissions due to which tousands of applications are piling up, unanswered. Privacy is a fundamental right as upheld by the Supreme Court in the 2017 Puttaswamy judgment. The RTI Act includes safeguards like Section 8(1)(j)) to protect privacy, disclosing personal information only when it serves a larger public interest. Given this facility, there was no need for another opaque filter. The DPDP Act must not become a smokescreen for stonewalling accountability. Parliament, courts, and civil society must act before we lose one of the most powerful instruments of participatory democracy. Though recently the Chief and four Information Commissioners have been appointed in Telangana, there are still vacancies all over India. There is a need to prioritise issues: 1. Appoint RTI commissioners immediately in states where they do not exist; 2. Reinforce RTI institutions; 3. Amend the DPDP Act to honour RTI's public interest provisions; Train officials so that they can distinguish between legitimate privacy and public transparency; Demand clarity on when RTI should override DPDP, especially in cases pertaining to governance and misuse of public funds. Accountability without RTI! This will invariably have a chilling effect on investigative journalism and civic activism; The government data might become opaque and inaccessible; Citizens will face hurdles when seeking even their own data, if deemed protected under DPDP; There is a need to clear demarcation on when RTI trumps DPDP, especially in public interest. Civil society should challenge the amendments in courts or through public mobilisation, besides building civil society pressure by petitioning Parliament to amend or roll back harmful provisions. This will also result in a decrease in government accountability due to increased opacity. Let's take a look at a recent judgment by the CIC on this conflict: Most of the requests for police related information are stonewalled on the 'privacy' excuse, seldom rightly. That is the major conflict. The Central Information Commission (CIC) (CIC/UTOJK/A/2024/116027 KULDEEPRAJ Vs. UT of Jammu and Kashmir) dismissed a Second Appeal filed against J&K's Home Department and made it unequivocally clear that the RTI Act is not a tool to intrude into personal lives, especially where no public interest is involved. On February 26, 2024, Kuldeep Raj, a resident of Jammu district, wanted to know from the state PIO Home Department information regarding joining reports, selection orders, SROs, category certificates, transfer and promotion details of two police personnel. The First Appellate Authority eventually transferred the matter to the Police Headquarters (PHQ), J&K, in May last year. The appellant filed a Second Appeal before the CIC. During the final hearing held a few days back, the Central Information Commission upheld the PIO's denial of information, stating: 'The requested information qualifies as personal information of third parties and is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005'. The appeal was filed by an advocate, who sought details of complaints filed by one Fareed Ahmad Chouhan from Ganderbal, including the number of complaints, their nature, status and related documents. The application dated January 11, 2024, was turned down by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of ACB, Kashmir, because disclosure of such information could endanger the life or physical safety of the complainant and could possibly obstruct ongoing investigations or prosecutions. These reasons were cited under Sections 8(1)(g) and 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, which exempt disclosure of sensitive information that may harm individual safety or compromise investigative processes. The CIC emphasised that no element of larger public interest was invoked by the appellant to justify overriding the privacy protections enshrined in the law. The Commission cited the Supreme Court's 'Central Public Information Officer, Supreme Court of India Versus Subhash Chandra Agarwal', which held that personal records, including service details, ACRs, financial disclosures, and medical records, are not subject to public disclosure unless a compelling public interest is established. 'The RTI Act is not a surveillance tool and cannot be used to gather personal details of others without a strong and demonstrated public cause,' the CIC noted, adding 'service records of police personnel fall under personal information'. The CIC ruled that ACB J&K had provided a valid and appropriate reply, justifying the denial based on exemptions under the law. 'The safety of individuals and integrity of law enforcement processes must be protected over disclosure of information where no overriding public interest is demonstrated', the Commission said. He further said: 'Disclosing such information may expose the whistleblower to victimization or harassment and could derail sensitive investigations,' the Commission observed, adding 'the appellant has failed to establish any larger public interest that would warrant overriding the exemptions provided under the Act'. This order looks to be a denial to the applicant. The entire question is about what is 'overriding the exemptions' on what compelling public interest is. The PIO, First and Second appeals are heavily dependent upon the 2019 judgment. Instead of going through the time-consuming process of using RTI methodology, the applicant may have to go to a writ petition. All petitioners invariably face the same questions. Another bundle of cases will add to the heavy pendency. Advocates are happy, and judges will be using the time to discuss these old issues. And the victims are the applicants. This transparency watchdog will go a long way in deterring those who are using the RTI Act to breach privacy rights based on the risk of violating privacy, for which the DATA Act prescribed heavy, exorbitant penalties. The judges quite easily use 'the balance between transparency and protection of whistleblowers'. (The writer is Advisor, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad)
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Electric bike taxis now legal in Maharashtra: Here's what the rules say
Written by Kartika Jamdar and Naresh S Bike taxis are now officially legal in Maharashtra. The state government on July 4 notified the Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules, 2025, clearing the way for app-based aggregators to begin operations, provided they meet strict licensing, safety, and operational conditions. 'Once aggregators apply for licences under the notified norms, they will be permitted to operate,' a transport official confirmed. Services like Rapido and Uber can now run electric bike taxis after registering as per the new rules. Under the framework issued by the home department, only electric two-wheelers are allowed, not petrol vehicles. Aggregators must operate a minimum fleet of 50 electric bikes registered in Maharashtra and pay ₹1 lakh as a licensing fee and ₹5 lakh as a security deposit. The licences will be valid for five years. Each bike taxi must be painted yellow with 'Bike Taxi' written in reflective lettering. Riders must provide yellow helmets to passengers, which must be sanitised after every trip. Only drivers aged between 20 and 50 years with a valid commercial licence and public service vehicle badge can be employed. They must undergo police verification, periodic health and fitness checks, and demonstrate knowledge of city routes. Anyone convicted in the past seven years of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is barred from working as a driver. Working hours for drivers are capped at eight hours a day, and the maximum trip distance is restricted to 15 km. Aggregators are required to conduct safety training for drivers every three months. To enhance commuter safety—particularly for women—aggregators must ensure their apps include features like GPS tracking, female driver preference, panic buttons, and a 24/7 control room. Street hailing of bike taxis is prohibited, and rides must be booked through the app. The rules empower local bodies, including RTOs, to determine city-specific fares, fleet sizes, routes, live tracking systems, and emergency response mechanisms. The government has also directed that bike taxis be integrated into existing local public transport networks where possible. In a key addition to the draft rules published on May 22, the final notification mandates compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Aggregators must ensure user data collected via the app is handled lawfully and securely. The state aims to prioritise rollout in major cities first, gradually extending services to all urban areas with a population above one lakh. The move is expected to boost last-mile connectivity, especially in cities with limited public transport infrastructure, while giving a push to electric mobility. The Maharashtra government in April had cleared a policy under which bike taxis could operate in the state. However, it had not codified the norms under which these services could operate. In spite of the absence of these norms, major app-based vehicle aggregators had started these services. The services were discontinued last Thursday after Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik caught a bike taxi plying illegally near the Mantralaya junction in Mumbai on Wednesday. 'I myself used this illegal service despite the government not giving it the nod. Such companies operating without state sanction will be taken strictly to task,' Sarnaik had said last week, stating that the bike taxi services are illegal. Kartika Jamdar and Naresh S are interns with The Indian Express.
India Today
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Nitin Gadkari's app-cab reform: Drivers to get care, customer is the king
In India's booming app-based cab economy, often the only thing that matters for the consumer is not the technology or the car but the most-ignored cog in the wheel: the driver. Whether you step out grinning or groaning from an Ola/Uber ride depends on that crucial factor—how was the driver?Now, the Union ministry of road transport and highways, under Nitin Gadkari, seems to have finally accepted this elementary truth more than ever before. The newly revised Motor Vehicles Aggregator Guidelines 2025, published recently, take into account mental health reviews for drivers as well as how much their work schedules can be stretched, among other things. For an industry defined by long hours, fickle pay and frequent confrontational customers, it can be a game new guidelines, revised from an earlier set in 2020, say drivers will also get better insurance cover: Rs 15 lakh as term insurance and Rs 7.5 lakh for health, a big jump from the earlier Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. It's a long overdue correction for a workforce that hasn't had access to the safety nets available to employees in the more formal bottomline: when drivers are safer, healthier and more secure, they are better able to serve customers; the roads get safer too. This has been underpinned by a growing acceptance within government that it is the people, as opposed to the infrastructure, that shape passengers' experience. That said, the refreshed and forward-looking 2025 regulations are not exactly mandatory. Transport may be on the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, but there's precious little the Centre can do to compel a state into legislating on transport matters. So it would be for each state government to either accept or adjust the recommendations. BJP-ruled states will probably fall in line, but others may hesitate, stall or even ignore the changes. It is, therefore, a wishlist with all the good there are several good upgrades in the guidelines as well, such as the way data is to be treated by the aggregators, as per the new Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Aggregators are now required to keep for a finite time—mininum three months, maximum two years—data generated by the Indian app on Indian servers and in compliance with the Indian data laws. It is part of a shift away from casual data-governance practices that used to be the norm, especially in the gig also a green nudge. Previously, states had the option to offer incentives for electric vehicles purchased within aggregator fleets. The rules now require action: at least 5 per cent of an aggregator's fleet must be electric within the first year of the notice, and that number must double in the second year. It's an aggressive play in a sector that has been slow to see EV adoption, largely because of the erratic charging infrastructure and higher out-of-pocket costs. Also, the demise of BluSmart has been a may finally have some bite. For instance, customers can now know the break-up of fares before booking their rides, ending opaque pricing that often left riders in the dark. If it takes the driver more than five minutes past promised time, riders will have a clear right to cancel the ride without penalty. Also, passengers are meant to be compensated if a driver cancels for no good training and safety protocols are improved as well. The old guidelines addressed gender sensitisation only. But the new ones say drivers have to learn about sexual harassment and how to protect the vulnerable—children and seniors and women. The guidelines stress there should be a clear way to escalate complaints in the the gulf between policy and practice remains wide. Aggregator platforms, known for finding ways to sidestep worker protections in the gig economy in the name of technological neutrality, are likely to slow down on implementing the more stringent rules. And unless state governments have the political will for enforcement, these may well remain on all in all, by making the driver the centerpiece of the ride-hailing equation, the government is signalling a new norm. While it could still be a bumpy ride, a lot of the potholes look set to be filled should the states play to India Today Magazine- EndsTune InMust Watch
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Telangana launches TGDex: State's own AI data hub; local models to drive innovation
HYDERABAD: In a decisive move to transform governance and innovation through data, the Telangana IT department has launched the Telangana Data Exchange Platform (TGDex)-a first-of-its-kind initiative enabling academicians, private companies, and organisations to become data publishers. Designed to promote open innovation while safeguarding privacy, the platform allows registered entities to contribute anonymous, non-personal datasets, fostering a rich ecosystem for artificial intelligence (AI) and tech development in the state. Unlike conventional data platforms, TGDex is not a monetisation tool, officials clarified. It instead focuses on creating real-world, Telangana-specific AI use cases, giving local startups and research institutions access to over 500 pre-built algorithmic models and datasets-entirely free of cost. These tools help develop governance solutions, which can also be scaled or sold to the private sector. Officials said TGDex is Telangana's answer to the govt of India's AI Kosh initiative, but with a sharper local focus. It currently hosts a growing repository of datasets, AI models, use cases, and toolkits, making it a one-stop solution for AI-driven innovation rooted in regional relevance. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad "The goal is to empower AI development tailored to the state's unique needs," said officials, explaining that current global models fall short when applied to local contexts. "For instance, AI models trained on data from other countries don't reflect the socio-medical realities of pregnant women in Telangana. Locally sourced datasets are essential for building accurate, reliable applications," said a senior official. To ensure compliance, the platform adheres to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy
