E-tender ‘scam’ probe: EOW in a spot over accused’s proof-copy demand

E-tender ‘scam’ probe: EOW in a spot over accused’s proof-copy demand

P.Naveen@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:12.09.2021

The accused in the alleged Rs 3000-cr e-tender scam in MP have put EOW in a fix by asking for a copy of the electronic evidence.

The agency says it is voluminous 9TB data which cannot be shared with the accused without segregation, and that itself is a Herculean task. On other hand the Bhopal court is trying to conclude the trial at the earliest to meet Supreme Court’s deadline.

The SC had ordered last month that the trial be completed and the verdict pronounced within 12 months. The apex court dismissed a special leave petition for bail filed by one of the accused, who had been in jail for the last two years. Order was issued last month.

A breach in the e-tender process led to the alleged Rs 3,000 crore scam, forcing the government to revoke nine of its major tenders. In 2018, EOW approached CERT-In to pay a visit to MP State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSEDC) to get a mirror image of the data related to the case. CERT-In is yet to share its inputs on the retrieved data. EOW has been sending reminders to the central agency for this so that it can wrap up the investigation Officers also say that it is not feasible to share the entire data with the accused as it may have an adverse impact on pending cases. The trial court has asked EOW to hand over the digital evidence in compliance with the SC ruling to conclude its trial at the earliest.

The SC order goes thus: “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment passed by the high court. Consequently, the special leave petition is dismissed. However, the trial court is directed to conclude the trial and pronounce the judgment within a year from the date of receipt of the copy of this order.”

E-tendering ‘biggest scam’ EOW has probed

On April 11, 2019, a day after registering an FIR into the Rs 3000-crore e-tendering scam, EOW had rounded up three software professionals and raided a company jointly operated by them for allegedly hacking the government portal and ‘modifying contents’.

IP addresses of the systems used to breach the e-tendering software of Madhya Pradesh state electronic development corporation (MPSEDC) were allegedly traced to the desktop and mobile phones of the company and its directors. Unauthorized accesses were made into the portal using encryption keys via internet connections used by this company, say officials.

In his statement to EOW, the company’s proprietor has denied his role in any of the tenders floated by MPSEDC. According to him, his company, which has a licensed load runner, was contracted to conduct performance testing of the e-tender portal, and the work was cancelled within two days of its award.

E-tendering is said to be the biggest ever ‘scam’ that the agency ever investigated. The probe began in mid-June 2019 on the orders of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The then chief secretary BP Singh asked EOW to begin an investigation based on an interim report submitted by a former director of MPSED after the cancellation of nine tenders. The FIR mentions directors of seven private companies, and unnamed bureaucrats and politicians. TNN

The agency says it is voluminous 9TB data and its segregation itself is a Herculean task

‘Third wave knocking at the door, but may not be severe’

‘Third wave knocking at the door, but may not be severe’

Amarjeet.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:12.09.2021

The number of active Covid-19 patients in Madhya Pradesh has increased by more than 38% in the 11 days of September, leading experts to warn that the third wave may be around the corner. However, it may not be as severe as the second one, they feel.

There were 83 active patients in the state on September 1, which has now increased to 136. The numbers seem low, fueled mainly by a spurt in Jabalpur, but the trend is worrying.

“Given the recent rise, it could be the beginning of the third wave. Unless there is 100% vaccination, there will always be the possibility of another wave,” AIIMS-Bhopal director Dr Sarman Singh told TOI.

‘Covid-appropriate behaviour way out’

It may still happen, despite 100% vaccination, but even if a vaccinated patient gets infected, the symptoms will not be severe. Covid-appropriate behavior – wearing face masks and maintaining social distance – is the only way out,” Dr Sarman Singh told TOI. There has been one death this month, and four since August 1. On the positive side, 45 districts are not reporting new cases, and the recent cases are confined mostly to Jabalpur, Bhopal and Indore. Jabalpur is causing concern because it accounts for 56 (41%) of the state’s 136 active patients. On Saturday, it had half of MP’s 16 new cases.

Asked why cases are being reported from a few pockets only, Singh said, “Even during the second wave, there were several villages and pockets that had remained out of the purview of Covid-19 infection. Thus, this spurt could definitely be considered the start of the third wave”. “But we can say that this time, the infection will probably not be as severe, unless a new version of the virus is there,” Dr Singh added. TNN

5-yr RI for man who threw iron flute at judge

5-yr RI for man who threw iron flute at judge

12.09.2021

A 60-year-old Mumbai resident who, dressed up as a lawyer, shouted, “Lord Krishna, aaj Krishna ka janam hua hai” and threw an iron flute at a jugde in the Dindoshi sessions court last January has been given 5-year RI. A stenographer was hurt in the incident which took place during his brother’s murder trial. He claimed he was stressed, but the court refused any leniency.

Buy or wait? Your guide to smartphone upgrades

Buy or wait? Your guide to smartphone upgrades

It’s that time of year when tech companies launch glitzy campaigns to persuade people to trade in their old phones for newer models

We all know that after a few years, our phones might not be able to run the latest apps. It can feel sluggish. Some components, like touchscreens, may begin to fail.

At some point, it does become practical to get a new phone — like when too many negatives add up or the cost of fixing a broken part is too high — but before you splurge on an upgrade, consider these questions.

Am I unhappy with my phone?

If there are elements that make you unhappy, drill down on the problems. A lot of what makes us displeased with our phones can be easily fixed. Here are two of the most common frustrations and their remedies: If the device feels slow or doesn’t last throughout the day, one of the simplest and most affordable solutions is to replace the battery. This greatly elongates a device’s life and speeds it up. Because batteries have a finite life, it’s recommended to replace them every two to three years anyway, said Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a US company that publishes instructions on repairing gadgets.

Another common issue is running out of data storage. A quick fix is to purge apps that you no longer use. On iPhones, Apple offers the iPhone Storage tool, which shows a list of apps that take up the most data and when they were last used. On Android devices, Google offers a similar tool, Files.

There are some problems, however, that can’t be easily remedied, like a broken touch-screen. When the repair is more than half the cost of a new phone, it may be smarter to trade in your beat-up gadget for a new one.

Can I get software updates?

Phone manufacturers regularly publish software updates that include new features. They also address security vulnerabilities, so it’s important to stay on top of installing them. A good rule of thumb is to consider an upgrade when you can no longer get software updates.

Apple phones get software updates for five to six years. (Apple’s iOS 15 software will be compatible with phones dating back to the iPhone 6S from 2015.) Android devices get them for a shorter period — about two to three years.

How would a new phone change my life?

It is important to imagine what your life would look like with a new phone. If you have a newborn on the way and your phone takes blurry shots, an upgrade with a better camera would probably be a good investment.

But if you mostly use a phone just for basic tasks like making calls, messaging and browsing the web, a newer, faster one won’t make a big difference.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

About 70k candidates from state to take NEET UG today

About 70k candidates from state to take NEET UG today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:12.09.2021

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 for undergraduate courses will be held across the country on September 12 where a total of about 70,000 candidates from Gujarat are expected to participate.

A total of 174 centres across 12 cities have been set up for the examination, said sources close to the development. In Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, about 11,800 candidates are expected to take the test across 28 examination centres, said sources. The exams will be held from 2pm to 5pm and students will be allowed to enter the examination centres from 11am onwards, according to sources.

Pilot’s decision, other factors caused Karipur crash: Report

Pilot’s decision, other factors caused Karipur crash: Report

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:12.09.2021

The Kozhikode landing accident of an Air India Express flight that killed 21 people in August last year occurred due to wrong decisions made by the commander, the co-pilot’s lack of assertiveness, the airline’s poor crew scheduling policy and a series of contributory factors like a faulty cockpit windshield wiper, heavy rain at Kozhikode, wrong selection of runway and incorrect windspeed information relayed to pilots, said the final investigation report released on Saturday.

On August 7, an AI Express Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operating a Kozhikode-Dubai flight with 184 passengers, including10 infants and six crew members on board, crashed on landing at Karipur airport at 7.41pm.

Commander did not adhere to SOP: Report

The probable cause of the accident was the non-adherence to standard operating procedures by the commander,’’ said the report. The aircraft had touched down midway --- at 4,438ft on the 8,858ft runway. It sped off the runway at 155 kmph, crossing the safety area, hitting a navigation aid antenna before rolling down 110 feet from the table top hill airport. It slammed into the airport perimeter wall at 75kmph, the report said. The aircraft broke into three sections on impact, and both engines were completely separated from the wings.

Before operating the flight, AI Express had told the commander that he had to operate the next day’s flight out of Kozhikode to Doha. “The actions and decisions of the commander were steered by a misplaced motivation to land at Kozhikode to operate the next day morning flight. The unavailability of sufficient number of captains at Kozhikode was the result of faulty Air India Express HR policy,” said the report. “The commander had vast experience of landing at Kozhikode under similar weather conditions. This experience might have led to over-confidence leading to complacency and a state of reduced conscious attention..,’’ the report said. “The commander was taking multiple unprescribed anti-diabetic drugs that could have probably caused subtle cognitive deficits...,” it added.

After a failed attempt to land due to heavy rains, the pilots were making a second attempt to land on runway 28 when the air traffic controller “suggested runway 10 for landing, which the commander accepted without careful deliberation”, said the report.

T’gana delivers medicines via drones, creates history

T’gana delivers medicines via drones, creates history

Swati.Rathor@timesgroup.com

Vikarabad (Telangana):12.09.2021

Around 75km from Hyderabad, the clear blue skies of Vikarabad witnessed a historic moment on Saturday as drones buzzed around ferrying precious medical cargo as part of the ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project.

In a first for the country, drones commenced the delivery of life-saving medical supplies, including Covid-19 vaccines, beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) range, that is over a distance of 500 metres, in the district.

‘Medicine from the Sky’ is a joint initiative of the Telangana government, World Economic Forum, Niti Aayog, and HealthNet Global (Apollo Hospitals), as part of which eight consortia have been selected to undertake BVLOS flights for delivery of medical essentials to remote areas.

On Saturday, Bluedart Med Express Consortium, Hepicopter Consortium, and CurisFly Consortium demonstrated drone flights. Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Telangana IT & industries minister KT Rama Rao and Telangana education minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy were part of the audience.

Scindia pointed out that as part of the Digital Sky platform, drone players would be able to avail single window clearance at the click of a button. The platform will have interactive maps that will sport green (free to fly for drones), yellow (require permission) and red (prohibited) zones making it easier for drone players to chart out their trajectory.

Full report on www.toi.in

‘MEDICINE FROM THE SKY’