Latest news with #OpIndia
Time Business News
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Business News
Meghnad Bose raises concerns about ethics in journalism
In today's social media landscape, the threat that journalists and advocates face today has been largely obfuscated by the false positive that writers are removed from danger. Contrary to perceptions, the danger has never been closer to young writers and journalists across industries and mediums. Sexual harassment and sexual assault have become more prevelant than ever, with 1 in 3 (popularly contested to be 1 in 2) women having experienced sexual harassment, molestation or sexual assault. Rather than take measurable steps to clarify the workspace, many individuals who have made women uncomfortable in the workplace and classroom have found voices in other arenas, thereby laundering their bad conduct. Enter Meghnad Bose who, at the age of thirty five years old, traveled to the United States to fulfill a Masters Degree in Journalism as well as launch his fledgling career as a writer/advocate at Columbia University. With more than ten years on most of his peers, one would hope that Bose could represent a better model of maturity for younger journalists and activists. However, Bose, has previously been connected to an allegation of misinformation, wherein Bose and other journalists are accused of falsifying that they were detained after an attempted lynching upon them by in Delhi, India. According to OpIndia, 'Deputy Commissioner of Police, North-West Delhi was quick to state facts to refute Meghnad Bose's claims. She tweeted, 'Some of the reporters, willingly, on their own free will, to evade the crowd which was getting agitated by their presence, sat in PCR Van stationed at the venue and opted to proceed to Police Station for security reasons. No one was detained. Due police protection was provided.'' (Citation: ) Bose traveled to the United States in subsequent to another set of allegations against him: accusations of misconduct, sexual harassment and sexualization of peers by Bose. According to a reporting Indian publication, 'allegations have surfaced against a reporter from The Quint, Meghnad Bose. As per the woman, she was under the influence of alcohol one night when she returned to her campus and was having fun in the company of friends on the lawn. Soon, they were joined by Meghnad.' (Citation: ) If we are selective as to who is held accountable, when and why, then all we do is proliferate a reality where Indian victims matter less than American Ivy League activists. Journalism is in jeopardy: how much longer can American media fall prey to such low level advocacy? TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BJP hiked Delhi poll spend by 40% in 2025
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) more than doubled its spending on individual candidates in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, even as its overall expenditure rose by 40% compared to 2020, according to the party's latest filings with the Election Commission of India (ECI). The BJP, according to its declarations with ECI made public on Monday, spent ₹18.5 crore on 68 candidates — including ₹25 lakh in direct transfers to each — compared to ₹8.57 crore in 2020, when it paid ₹10 lakh each to 64 candidates. Overall, its total election spending rose to ₹57.65 crore from ₹41.06 crore in 2020. Much of this went into media advertising, which alone accounted for ₹29 crore. Of this, ₹1.18 crore went to DB Corp, which publishes Danik Bhaskar; ₹11.8 lakh to Bharat Prakashan, which publishes Organiser and Panchjanya; and ₹9.44 lakh each to Aadhyaasi Media, and Kovai Media, which publish OpIndia, Swarajya respectively. Additionally, ₹1.18 crore was paid to One97 Communications, which owns Paytm, a digital and financial services technology company. The BJP's Delhi state unit spent more than ₹25 crore in advertisements. 'General propaganda' costs stood at ₹39.14 crore. The party's spending spike coincided with its return to power in Delhi after 27 years, winning 48 of the 68 seats it contested. The AAP, which contested all 70, won 22. In contrast, the Congress spent ₹46.18 crore and the AAP ₹14.51 crore overall. Candidate-specific spending by the Congress was ₹6.05 crore; for AAP, it was just ₹2.39 crore. The Congress focused instead on virtual campaigns, spending ₹5.95 crore on behalf of its candidates, while the AAP transferred ₹2.23 crore to 23 candidates, 15 of whom lost. The Congress also spent ₹18 crore on media advertising, including bulk SMS campaigns, and paid ₹2.68 crore to Associated Journals Ltd, publisher of National Herald, which is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). In 2020, the AAP and the Congress had spent ₹21 crore and ₹27.68 crore, respectively.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Time of India
Cyber hackers launched 650 attacks on Indian infrastructure between May 7–10: Report
Over 650 cyber incidents were targeted at India's critical sectors in a coordinated offensive cyber campaign, launched by Pakistan-aligned state and non-state actors during heightened military tensions earlier this month. Quick Heal Technologies ' Seqrite Labs, a malware analysis facility, identified spear-phishing attacks, malware infections , website defacements, and data leaks carried out by 35 hacktivist groups. Of these, seven groups are new entrants. These are — Death Slash Cyber Security, Rabbit Cyber Team, Red Wolf Cyber, Dark Cyber Gang, Moroccan Black Cyber Army, Ghosts of Gaza and Tengkorak Cyber Crew, the company said. The cyber assault began on April 17, weeks before India's counterterrorism strikes between May 7-10. The attackers used malicious documents disguised as official advisories, named as 'Final_List_of_OGWs.xlam' and 'Preventive_Measures_Sindoor.ppam' to deploy malware. At the heart of this digital siege was APT36, a Pakistan-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) group known for targeting Indian defense and government agencies, Seqrite said. The attackers also spoofed legitimate Indian domains such as nationaldefensecollege[.]com and zohidsindia[.]com, using them to deliver payloads and communicate with command-and-control (C2) servers hosted at foreign locations. Infrastructure behind the operation was masked using VPS (virtual private servers) in Russia, Germany, Indonesia, and Singapore. Live Events 'This was not a standalone cyber espionage mission. It was a digitally coordinated war game,' Seqrite Labs said in a report released Friday. 'APT36's evolved tactics combined with simultaneous hacktivist disruptions show how cyber operations have merged with psychological warfare.' Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Hacktivist groups used hashtags like #OpIndia and #OperationSindoor, claiming responsibility for data leaks from municipal databases, defense contractors, telecom operators and hospital networks. 'Operation Sindoor is a stark reminder of how modern conflicts transcend physical borders,' said Seqrite in its advisory. 'The convergence of nation-state cyber units and ideologically driven hacktivists signals a new era of digital warfare—one designed to sow disruption, distrust, and disinformation.'
Scroll.in
20-05-2025
- Scroll.in
‘Newslaundry' women employees file defamation suit against commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra
Nine women employees of the digital news outlet Newslaundry have filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra, alleging that he made sexually abusive remarks against them through posts on social media. The employees have sought a public apology from Mitra, a columnist at pro-Narendra Modi news outlet OpIndia, and Rs 2 crore in damages. In their suit, they have stated that Mitra, through a series of posts on social media posts, 'falsely and maliciously' targeted the women employees using derogatory language and slurs. It added that Mitra's posts were made 'knowingly and deliberately' with the intent to harm the dignity and reputation of the employees. Mitra's comments are 'not an aspect of free speech or journalistic criticism', said the employees. 'They are sexist slurs aimed at humiliating women professionals,' it added. 'They directly attack their dignighty and right to work without fear or sexual harassment.'
