Dear Reader,
Last month, MediaNama reported a story of how a face recognition technology – the ASTR – was being used on mobile SIM card subscribers. While this was conceived to weed out fraudulent subscribers, it also raises questions on the protection of personal data and privacy.
On February 3, two Rajya Sabha MPs questioned the government in Parliament if, as foretold by the MediaNama story, such technology was being employed. In its response, the government not only admitted that the technology “exists” but was also being “run on the images of the subscribers available in Customer Acquisition Form”. MediaNama explains the implications of this move.
Nurses are the backbone of India’s healthcare system. But, largely unsung and underpaid, they are now looking at foreign shores to shore up their prospects. As it is, India has less than half of the WHO recommended norm of three nurses per thousand population. The Citizen does a deep dive into the systemic issues and the urgently needed solutions for India’s nurses -- abysmal working conditions, stress of long working hours and the relative lack of respect.
As Tripura goes to polls for the state assembly, the plight of the Bru tribals, exiled from their lands in neighbouring Mizoram as an aftermath of ethnic clashes, is nowhere on the table. Main Bhi Bharat chronicles their two-decade long fight for justice.
In April last year, India’s first grain-based ethanol factory in Bihar’s Purnea district was launched. Now, for the residents of Nityanand Nagar, where the factory is located, it has turned into a curse. मैं मीडिया reports from the site where toxic pollutants from the factory threaten the health and lives of the residents around the unit.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
|