Govt steps into WhatsApp row, ‘examining’ data-sharing update

Govt steps into WhatsApp row, ‘examining’ data-sharing update

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:14.01.2021

The Centre has stepped into the raging privacy controversy over WhatsApp’s latest update and has started an “examination” of the new mandate that the company has asked users to agree to by February 8. “We’re collecting details,” official sources told TOI, in an indication that the government is keeping a watch over the concerns around potential privacy violations in WhatsApp’s new updates that involves sharing certain business/transactional data with Facebook, the parent of the world’s biggest messenger.

Sources said the Centre’s concern stems from a variety of factors, including the ‘regulatory vacuum’ in the data protection space in the absence of a data protection law in the country. A bill for a data law is in Parliament, but a law may be sometime away.

Messages to remain encrypted: WhatsApp

Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, told TOI that the company’s communication about recent policy changes had caused confusion, but iterated messages between two people or in a group would remain encrypted. FLAP OPP

Privacy on everyone’s mind: Signal chief

Brian Acton, co-founder of Signal, which now leads the free app charts in 60 countries, told TOI everyone’s talking online privacy now and added Signal encrypts all messages, recipients, groups and profile photos. FLAP OPP

PRIVACY ISSUE

WhatsApp may be asked to explain

WhatsApp’s new privacy terms give it the right to share user data, including location, phone number, contacts list and usage pattern, with Facebook and its units such as Instagram and Messenger. The move has been questioned by privacy advocates, entrepreneurs such as Tesla founder Elon Musk, and certain government agencies abroad, citing Facebook’s poor track record in handling user data. “Also, the privacy update sought by WhatsApp in user agreement in European Union is seen as lenient while in India it is wideranging and may have terms that may potentially harm user privacy,” the official source said.

A detailed questionnaire sent to WhatsApp did not get any response.

The government has already had many run-ins with WhatsApp and Facebook over several matters, including on the Cambridge Analytica data leak matter (where a CBI inquiry is on) and regarding the spate of lynching incidents that were blamed on the spread of fake messaging on WhatsApp. The messenger at that time had downright refused to pay heed to the government’s request to

help disclose/identify the source of fake, inflammatory messages, saying its user chats are fully encrypted.

The current issue is being discussed at the highest level in the IT Ministry, and any action or step on the matter will be taken only after that.

The government may also seek certain explanations from WhatsApp regarding the proposed changes, though the company did not answer TOI’s queries to this effect.

Thamirabarani river floods as rain lashes central TN

Thamirabarani river floods as rain lashes central TN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tirunelveli/ Trichy:  14.01.2021

Heavy rain that lashed central districts over the past few days got more intense on Wednesday, leaving several urban areas inundated and destroying thousands of acres of paddy crops in the delta region. Thambirabarani river was flooded, leaving several villages and town areas along its course inundated. In Tirunelveli district, around 300 people were moved to relief centres while 87 other vulnerable areas are being monitored round the clock.

Water released into Thamirabarani river increased to 53,273 cusecs late on Wednesday. Tirunelveli district recorded average rainfall of 111mm rainfall from 8am on Tuesday to 4pm on Wednesday. The flooded river submerged low level bridges, culverts and roads at many places. Tenkasi district administration announced a ban on bathing at all the falls in Courtallam till January 17. Rains that lashed for the past few days damaged thousands of acres of matured samba paddy crop. About 2.06 lakh acres of paddy was already damaged in cyclones Nivar and Burevi. Kollidam (118mm) in Mayiladuthurai district recorded the highest rainfall in the delta region, Thiruvidaimaruthur in Thanjavur (107mm), Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam (93mm).

INUNDATED: A temple along Thamirabarani river course submerged

NEET marks disparity: HC to decide on probe on Jan 21

NEET marks disparity: HC to decide on probe on Jan 21

NTA Says No Discrepancy In Marks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.01.2021

Amid allegations of marksheet manipulation in NEET against National Testing Agency (NTA), Madras highcourtsaiditwilltake a call on ordering probe by an independent agency on January 21.

Justice B Pugalendhi passed the interim order on the plea moved by K S Manoj, an MBBS aspirant from Coimbatore, alleging that his marksheet had been manipulated by NTA and that he was denied admission to medical course.

According to Manoj, when he downloaded his answer sheet first on October 15, the mark shown against his name was 594, whereas, on October 17 it was modified to 248 marks.

Justice Pugalendhi, taking note of the allegation and allowing the student to join the Tuticorin Medical College where he had been allotted a seat, however, said: "It is made clear that if an investigation is ordered and the investigation reveals any manipulation committed by the petitioner, not only the petitioner, but his parentswill alsobeheld responsible and have to face the legal consequences."

Noting that the admission is subject to the outcome of the plea, the judge said: “It is needless to state that the petitioner can neither take any advantage on the admission obtained in the college, which was made pursuant to the order of this court, nor can claim any refund of the fee paid at the time of admission.”

The petitioner will also be liable to pay the discontinued fee, the court added.

Opposing the plea, NTA had arguedthatscreenshots relied on by the petitioner showing more marks are fabricated and that there was only one OMR sheet, which would expose that petitioner had got 248 marks and not more than that.

Denying the same, the petitioner asserted that he had not tampered any document as claimed, and sought investigation by any agency.

The petitioner, an MBBS aspirant from Coimbatore, claimed that when he downloaded his answer sheet on October 15, the mark shown against his name was 594, whereas on October 17, it was 248

Madras High Court Directs Puducherry Fee Committee To Fix Fees For PG Medical Courses From 2017-18 Onwards Until Guidelines Are Framed By UGC/ NMC

Madras High Court Directs Puducherry Fee Committee To Fix Fees For PG Medical Courses From 2017-18 Onwards Until Guidelines Are Framed By UGC/ NMC: The Madras High Court on Monday ordered the Puducherry Fee Committee to fix the fee for Post Graduate Medical and Dental courses in Deemed Universities, for the from the academic year 2017-18...

No option to select between 2 vaccines, says govt.

No option to select between 2 vaccines, says govt.

13/01/2021

Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

People will not have the option of making a choice between the two available COVID vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — when the roll-out starts on January 16, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The Union government, he said, had agreed to procure 110 lakh Covishield doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII) at ₹200/dose and 55 lakh doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech (BBIL), of which 38.5 lakh doses is priced at ₹295/dose. BBIL would provide 16.5 lakh doses of Covaxin free of cost to the Central government as a special gesture.

‘Continuous oversight’

“Our expectations from the States/UTs is that all logistics should be ready by January 16 and there should be continuous oversight and personal involvement in the entire process. Also, there should be special focus on communication activities and utilisation of all channels to create an encouraging environment,” Mr. Bhushan said.

Doctors’ association seeks opinion on vaccine safety

Doctors’ association seeks opinion on vaccine safety

TNGDA to issue an advisory for members by January 14

13/01/2021

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

With some doctors expressing concerns over the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and expressing their unwillingness to vaccinate themselves, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) has sought the opinion of independent specialists on the safety, efficacy and choice of the vaccines offered. They will issue an advisory for members based on the reports.

With the vaccination against COVID-19 for healthcare professionals and workers set to begin soon, the TNGDA sent a circular to all State executive committee (EC) members of the association. The TNGDA said the government had announced the starting of the vaccination drive against SARS-CoV-2. The government planned to launch the drive with two vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin. The Centre had announced the start of vaccination for healthcare professionals on January 16.

“In this situation, some of the doctors and other frontline workers have expressed concern on the safety of the vaccine supplied and if they have a choice. Some doctors have expressed unwillingness to vaccinate themselves for the fear of serious complications vis-a-vis the disease [infectivity and mortality],” the association said in the circular.

Due to the queries raised and the doubts prevailing among some doctors, the TNGDA had sought an opinion by January 13 from three independent specialists on the safety, efficacy and choice of vaccines offered. It will issue an advisory for its members and other stakeholders based on those reports after the scheduled TNGDA emergency executive committee meeting on January 14.

“We will finalise the advisory on January 14. It will mostly be on the type of vaccine to be preferred and who should take it. It is mostly surrounding the safety aspect,” an office-bearer said.

Vacancies in Secretariat a cause for concern

Vacancies in Secretariat a cause for concern

More than 150 Under Secretary posts are lying vacant

13/01/2021

Time to recruit: The government is racing against time to clear all files with the present strength. File photo

Dennis S. JesudasanCHENNAI

Several vacancies in various departments housed on the Secretariat campus in Chennai have become a cause for concern.

It is said that the vacancies were causing delays even as the government is racing against time to clear all the files ahead of the Assembly election. Most of the vacancies are of Under Secretary and Deputy Secretary posts in various departments.

Though the sanctioned strength of Under Secretaries is around 240 in 36 State government departments (in what is known as ‘one unit’, excluding the Finance and the Law Departments), more than 150 posts are vacant.

“The Under Secretaries are also posted as Public Information Officers [PIOs] for giving replies to RTI Act queries. Since about 70%-75% of posts are vacant, the response to RTI applications are also delayed,” said a section officer.

Section officers are not promoted as Under Secretaries. The promotion of typists, assistants and assistant section officers have also been affected as the Under Secretary posts have not been filled.

Another officer said certain litigation relating to the issue were pending in court, despite over 60 hearings.

“Only because the government extended the services of government employees by one more year with effect from last year, some Under-Secretaries are still in service. If not for the announcement, there would have been more vacancies,” he added. When contacted, a senior official told The Hindu that the government was not able to fill these vacancies due to the pending litigation.

However, instructions have been issued to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department to promote these (litigating) section officers to the Under Secretary posts, subject to the outcome of the case.

“However, we could not do the same for Deputy Secretary posts, since only a few positions are vacant and there are multiple claimants for each of these posts,” the official added.