<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52347607.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /><br />
Today, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IBM&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">IBM</a> announced that its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=SMART+CITY&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Smart City</a> solutions have been deployed for the digital transformation of none other than the Presidential Estate. The self-sustaining estate that is spread across 330 acres of land and is home to over 5000 residents is adopting <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword>’s technology to become future ready.<br />
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IBM‘s Intelligent Operations Centre helps collect and make sense of the rich data streaming in from several sources within the Estate to provide actionable insights. It offers integrated data visualization, near real-time collaboration and deep analytics to help enhance the ongoing efficiency that will improve the efficiency of services for its residents.<br />
 <br /> A Citizens Mobile App, created by IBM <keyword id="6354733" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IOC">IOC</keyword>, was also launched, which allows residents to report issues using the web and mobile. The data from reported observation will be supplied to city offices, where they can use the insights to make informed decisions. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=RASHTRAPATI+BHAWAN&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rashtrapati Bhavan</a> has stood witness to India’s transformation through the decade - right from independence to the digital era. The progressive outlook is further exemplified by the digital transformation that enhances its reputation as being the office and residence of the President of the largest democracy in the world.<br />
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“Rashtrapati Bhavan is an iconic representation of India’s Smart City vision. It is a proud moment for all of us and the beginning of a great journey. We are honored to be their partner in enabling this transformation,” said Vanitha Narayanan, MD, IBM India Pvt.<strong> Ltd.</strong><br />
 <br /> As a part of this strategic engagement, IBM developed the vision and detailed roadmap for the transformation of the Presidents estate into a <keyword id="2966814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="smart-township">smart township</keyword>. IBM has created the business architecture and operating procedures, implemented the technology platform and solutions, and is managing the entire technology deployment. For the Presidential Estate’s progressive digital transformation IBM will provide the following:<br />
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<strong>Smart Energy Management</strong>: With over 1500 residential apartment and well-lit open spaces the Presidential Estate consumes over one-lakh units of electricity per day. IBM integrated its IOC system with electrical billing system. Data on consumption patterns of consumers, public and common areas, within the estate, is being collected to optimize energy management. Additionally, newer, eco-friendly technology such as solar power, LED lamps for street lighting and other applications to reduce energy consumptions are deployed.<br />
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<strong>Smart Water Management:</strong> The water management at the Estate relied heavily on manual intelligence. IBM mapped all water domain assets such as underground water reservoirs, pump locations and tube well assets. The entire water distribution pipeline was mapped on a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) layer. Through IBM IOC system accurate information about the distribution network will enable faster diagnostic and resolution of water incidents. Moreover, residents will be able to track complains in real-time.<br />
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<strong>Smart Waste and Horticulture Management: </strong>IBM mapped waste management end to end from waste bin collections, rickshaw routes, disposals, landfill, and processing, on to its IOC system. An interface was created for people to generate statistics on different kinds of waste. Digitized waste lifecycle statistics and trends helped relevant departments analyze insights and improve processes to enable timely actions. A Mobile App platform assists teams in maintaining a cleaner Estate.<br />
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<strong>Smart Security Systems:</strong> IBM integrated its IOC system with e-visitor to facilitate analyses of all visitors’ statistics. IBM IOC is also leveraged for auto alerts and to generate notifications for upcoming events enabling teams to collaborate across departments and plan collectively for an upcoming event.<br />
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Image credit: Indiatimes<br />
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Here’s how IBM is
turning the Rashtrapati Bhawan into a smart township

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47788748.cms" /><br /> <keyword id="2915023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indel-Money-Pvt">Indel Money Pvt</keyword>. Ltd, the NBFC with strong presence in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, plans its pan-India visibility by rolling out 700 branches across the country in the next five years. <br /><br /> ``We want to develop the segment as a major revenue earner by associating with multiple <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> companies and multiple service providers,'' CMD Mohanan Gopalakrishnan said.<br />
	<br /> The company's main focus areas include gold loans, personal loans, vehicle <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance">finance</keyword> and business loans. Mohanan said the company will steadily increase its presence in South India in the next three years. Indel at present has 71 branches in Kerala and 29 in Tamil Nadu. Its 100th branch was opened in Kottayam district. <br /><br />

	He said the company offers many cross-selling products like money transfer, payment of utility bills, prepaid mobile recharge and DTH. 
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<br /><br /> The company was incorporated in 1986 in Mumbai and is a fully owned subsidiary of <keyword id="2915024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indel-Corporation-Pvt">Indel Corporation Pvt</keyword>. Ltd, which has <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> in hospitality and automotive sectors. <br />
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	(image credits: hindustantimes)


Indel Money to roll out 700 branches

<ul><li>As the number of Covid-19 cases keep going up in India, various brands and business tycoons have come ahead to donate to help the government in its drive to control the spread of the virus.</li><li>While many companies have created funds to contribute to the PM Cares Fund, a lot of other brands are contributing by donating sanitizers, masks and even food, to help those in the need.</li></ul>The world, as we knew it even till a month back, has changed. With the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> outbreak, our country, along with many other countries across the world has announced complete lockdown. The effects of this pandemic, both on the economy, and on human life, will be massive.<br /><br />At the time of writing this report, the number of positive cases in India crossed 1,050, and the death toll stands at 29. And the number is growing with each passing day.<br /><br />While governments across the globe are working tirelessly to come up with ways of minimizing the impact of this pandemic, we have seen many brands come forward, and contribute in different ways, to help out in these trying times.<br /><br />Since we are seeing a lot of brands come up with many initiatives almost every day, we will keep updating this space with the latest happenings.<br /><br /><strong>Tata Group:</strong><br /><keyword id="6360722" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword>, Chairman <keyword id="6383155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Trusts">Tata Trusts</keyword> and Chairman Emeritus Tata Sons, pledged Rs 500 crore to protect and empower all affected communities. The money will be spent on personal protective equipment for medical personnel, respiratory systems for treating increasing cases, testing kits to increase per capita testing, setting up modular treatment facilities for infected patients and knowledge management and training of health workers and the general public.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="RNTata2000" handlename="Ratan N. Tata" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1189494401359208448/AwbXHtpn_normal.jpg" favoritecount="199569" retweetcount="59205" status="The COVID 19 crisis is one of the toughest challenges we will face as a race. The Tata Trusts and the Tata group co… https://t.co/GQ6H6sSFcF" createdat="1585392484000" id="1243852348637605888"></div><br /><br /><strong>Mahindra Group:</strong><br /><keyword id="46425" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anand-Mahindra">Anand Mahindra</keyword>, Chairman, Mahindra Group said he will donate 100% of his salary to create a fund to help small businesses and self-employed people who are expected to be impacted the most due to the outbreak. He also urged our businesses to also set aside contributions for those who are the hardest hit in their ecosystem.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="anandmahindra" handlename="anand mahindra" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1053583782584807425/-7IRmY5u_normal.jpg" favoritecount="48372" retweetcount="13478" status="Going by various reports from epidemiologists, it is highly likely that India is already in Stage 3 of transmission… https://t.co/hBSwnUb9Vp" createdat="1584860752000" id="1241622104778268672"></div><br /><strong>ITC:</strong><br />ITC is setting up a Contingency Fund of Rs 150 crore to address and manage the challenges arising out of the Covid-19 outbreak. The fund will be utilised primarily to provide relief to the vulnerable and most needy sections of society who have been harshly impacted by the pandemic and have faced significant disruption in their livelihoods. Additionally, the fund will collaborate with District Authorities to provide assistance to the district health and rural healthcare eco-system that reaches out to the weakest sections of society. Furthermore, the brand added that the resources under this fund could also be channelised towards the protection and well-being of the ground forces doing commendable work to reach medicines, groceries, other essential goods, sourcing of agri-commodities and so on for people across the country during the lockdown, by providing protective personal gear and hygiene products to such frontline warriors.<br /><br /><strong>Reckitt Benckiser:</strong><br />Reckitt Benckiser has launched the RB Fight for Access Fund to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. As part of this fund, an additional £32 million has been mobilized to address the urgent collective fight against the spread of Covid-19 by breaking the chain of this fast-spreading infection. In India, the brand will be distributing 10 million units of Dettol Soap to the most vulnerable. RB will also be donating 1 million litres of its disinfectant products including Lizol disinfectant liquid and Harpic toilet cleaners to aid India’s states in fighting this crisis especially in public health institutions and at the frontline with health and sanitation workers. It will donate critical protection equipment, 3.5 million N95 masks with a focus on pharmacists and health care workers. These will be distributed across their major markets. Dettol is also partnering with Bollywood actress, Madhur Dixit to release an engaging public service announcement #ApniSurkashaApneHaath to encourage viewers to practice handwashing.<br /><br /><strong>Godrej Group:</strong><br />The Godrej Group announced that it is earmarking a fund of Rs 50 crore for community support and relief initiatives in India. This is an initial outlay and the corporate said that it hopes to supplement it over time. It has been buying and supplying medical equipment and protective supplies for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). As a part of the initiative, the group has donated Rs 5 crore to the BMC, donated 115 hospital beds to Maharashtra government hospitals and helped set up a 75-bed quarantine center at the Seven Hills Hospital.  Moreover, it has supported the free distribution of 1 million packets of Godrej Protekt Mr. Magic powder-to-liquid hand wash in Maharashtra through partnership with the BMC and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), partnered with communities linked to their CSR programmes to support 1.12 lakh beneficiaries across 8 states with hand wash, sanitisers and soap, donated sanitisers to the Mumbai police force, begun ramping up capacity to meet the demand for soap, hand wash and sanitisers and initiated outreach through various networks and hand wash education programmes.<br /><br /><strong>Reliance Group:</strong><br /><keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword> has pledged to donate Rs 5 crore to Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Led by Nita, Ambani Reliance Foundation has promised to provide a free meal to needy people across the country. Additionally, Ambani has also donated a hospital for the patients battling with infection of Covid-19 and will set up a dedicated 100-bed centre at Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, along with a fully-equipped isolation facility in Lodhivali, Maharashtra.<br /><br /><strong>Paytm:</strong><br />Paytm said that it is aiming to contribute ₹500 crore to the PM CARES Fund. For every contribution, or any other payment done by consumers on Paytm, the online payment app said it will contribute an extra up to ₹10.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="Paytm" handlename="Paytm" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1242803598083395585/4cWZptzw_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9431" retweetcount="2966" status="Paytm is aiming to contribute ₹500 Crore to the PM CARES Fund.   For every contribution, or any other payment done… https://t.co/JrSAJTnO1J" createdat="1585411759000" id="1243933194556248064"></div><br /><br /><strong>PhonePe:</strong><br />PhonePe has launched a #100CrorePledge, urging 10 crore Indian citizens to donate to the PMCARES Fund to show their solidarity in fighting the menace of COVID-19. PhonePe has pledged to contribute Rs 10 for every Indian who donates even Rs 1 to the PMCARES Fund via the PhonePe App using UPI by April 30, 2020. In total, PhonePe has pledged to contribute a maximum of up to Rs 100 crore.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="PhonePe_" handlename="PhonePe" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1228394203421372416/4X3QZazb_normal.jpg" favoritecount="834" retweetcount="306" status="Join our #100CrorePledge &amp; donate to the PMCARES FUND using contactless UPI payments. Remember no contribution is t… https://t.co/b6Z4yD3rMh" createdat="1585405072000" id="1243905146087542785"></div><br /><br /><strong>Zomato:</strong><br />Along with announcing measures to help its partner restaurants, delivery staff, and other daily wage workers in India who are currently income-starved due to the lockdown, Zomato set up ‘Feeding India’, a fund to support families of the daily wage workers in India in the absence of employment opportunities. Known as ‘Feeding India’, the initiative has successfully received more than Rs 6 crore in funds.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="deepigoyal" handlename="Deepinder Goyal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/980757579360972800/TWg-KSki_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1727" retweetcount="1399" status="Please help by donating to 'Feed the Daily Wager' by Zomato Feeding India (@FeedingIndia) and provide food support… https://t.co/8vQRliTLtM" createdat="1585054814000" id="1242436058748317697"></div><br /><br /><strong>Parle:<br /></strong>Parle, makers of the much loved Parle-G biscuits announced that it is joining hands with the government to give away 3 crore packets of Parle-G to people in need over the next 3 weeks. The brand made the announcement after PM Narendra Modi made an announcement of the country’s lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus.<br /><br />      <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KFdVOgb8-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KFdVOgb8-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KFdVOgb8-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">In times like this, we need to come together to fight for the well being of our people. Let us spread hope for a better tomorrow.⁣ ⁣ #ParleG #IndiaFightsCorona #IndiaRunsOnHope #StayHomeStaySafe #SocialDistancing #FlattenTheCurve #JantaCurfew #Biscuits</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialparleg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Parle-G</a> (@officialparleg) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-25T13:02:47+00:00">Mar 25, 2020 at 6:02am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>]]></cdata></div><br /><br /><strong>Diageo:</strong><br />Diageo India, the liquor firm that sells McDowell’s whisky and Smirnoff vodka, will produce 3 lakh litres of hand sanitizers to help overcome its shortage in the country due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A stock exchange filing by the company stated that 15 of the liquor firm’s manufacturing units are being repurposed to manufacture hand sanitisers and donation of extra neutral alcohol (ENA). <br /><br /><strong>Kansai Nerolac:</strong><br />Kansai Nerolac Paints has announced that it will do an early disbursement of funds to its painter community falling under the Nerolac Premium Painter Pragati (NPP Pragati) Programme. Over 30,000 painters can benefit from Nerolac’s initiative, upto Rs 36,000 approximately.<br /><br /><strong>Mankind Pharma:</strong><br />Mankind Pharma has pledged to donate Rs 51 crore to CM Relief fund to manage the outbreak. The brand will be donating ventilators, Personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines to the states reporting maximum number of positive cases. Mankind Pharma will be working closely with the Governments of Kerala, Maharashtra, UP, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, HP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal J&amp;K and Orrisa.<br /><br /><br />

How brands are contributing to the fight against Coronavirus

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49287370.cms" />The smart era that we live in and the vision of Digital India that every one of the 1.2 billion people share in India calls for the use of multiple technologies. Many are already being used and we just need to expand their uses rather than reinventing the wheel.<br />
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One such area with a significant impact on businesses, consumers and our lives as a whole is Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications.<br />
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That’s a vital key to create a digital infrastructure in any country and enable digital delivery of services, while bringing in significant efficiencies in our daily lives.<br />
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The benefits of M2M have been few and we need to expand and scale the use of M2M.<br />
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In simple terms, M2M is much like people-to-people conversations and use of data services via mobile devices that we take for granted today. Now, the same telecom networks are being used to help machines talk to each other.<br />
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So the electricity meter at your home automatically sends power consumed data to the utility office to generate a bill. Or chips embedded in thousands of mobile towers across the country relay information to telco offices about diesel consumption (that run the towers), any leakages or faults with the tower so relevant teams are alerted for actions to be taken — fix a leak or replenish diesel.<br />
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In another scenario, a bus sends information on empty seats to a ticker at the bus stop on how many seats are empty, helping commuters at the bus stop to decide whether to board the bus or not!<br />
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All this happens without any manual intervention, and only via machines talking to each other. The machines, be it electric meters, mobile towers or seats in a bus, are embedded with Subscriber Identity Module (SIM; in case of GSM networks) cards. The machines use mobile towers to exchange data at pre-set time. It could be once a month for applications like billing, or real time for applications like seats in a bus. Several M2M technologies also use short range networks like WiFi.<br />
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There are many distinct areas where using M2M, machines emerge as subscribers to telecom networks. One is power, where SIM-based meter readers will send alerts to suppliers on power thefts and to subscribers on their consumption and when bills are due for payment.<br />
<br /> The second is transport and <keyword id="6374375" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telematics">telematics</keyword> where M2M devices will be used for tracking vehicles, checking fuel consumption, routes taken by driver and engine diagnostics.<br />
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The third segment is handheld point of sales systems, which can be used for remote banking. Such systems are already in use and this will only expand as it helps in bringing banks closer to the unbanked population.<br />
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Another area is telemetry, which includes everything you may want to monitor remotely. For example, a Blood Pressure (BP) monitor can be embedded with a SIM card to relay information about health of chronic BP patients to doctors over telecom networks.<br />
<br />
M2M will basically improve efficiencies in the system and it will be live 24X7. For telcos this could be a new revenue stream, which will, in future, emerge as a significant business.<br />
<br />
The applications of M2M are really vast and often it’s limited by imagination. Come to think of it, M2M can be vital for smart cars and smart cities. For instance, there is lot of buzz around concepts like the connected car. In such internet enabled cars, communication is the key. In case of emergencies, like accidents, machines can bring assistance to the passengers even if they are unable to communicate their situation. The car sends a signal to say the nearest hospital and police station to react to the emergency. Also, under the car’s hood, it’s all connected parts, relaying information about faults to the dashboard, making the driver informed about the car performance all the time. All this is a combination of M2M using short range and long range wireless technologies.<br />
<br />
M2M will not only make devices smarter but the data that is continuously gathered will be vital to develop and improve future products. This is the right time to build and scale M2M applications as 4G networks currently being deployed offer high speeds, security and ideally suited for data exchanges.<br />
<br />
(The author of this article is Nigel Eastwood, CEO, New Call Telecom Ltd)<br />
(Image: Thinkstock)<br />


Machine-to-Machine communication is the key to smarter life

<ul><li><strong>68 Right to Information (<keyword id="6356198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="RTI">RTI</keyword>) <keyword id="41907" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="activists">activists</keyword> have been killed since 2005, while 6 have committed suicide, according to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>There is no law to protect activists or to prevent their personal details from falling into the wrong hands.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The amended Whistle Blower Protection Bill has been stalled in Parliament since 2015.</strong></li></ul><br />On March 20th, 38-year old Poipynhun Majaw was killed after receiving multiple blows from a wrench to his head in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, a prominent mining area rich in coal and limestone. The motive behind his <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="death">death</keyword> is yet to be confirmed by the district police, but it is likely tied to his investigation into the arrangements between the leaders of the Jaintia Hills district council and cement manufacturing firms.<br /><br />Majaw’s death, while tragic, is not surprising. The Right to Information (RTI) activist revealed last year that the district council had allowed cement companies to mine in the area without adequate licenses. As the head of the Jaintia Youth Federation, a social activist group, for six years, he rallied the district’s youth around a number of issues such as electoral fraud and environmental damage from business activities.<br /><br />Like many activists and journalists in the country who have used the RTI law to expose corruption, Majaw was a sitting duck. There was no adequate law to protect him or to prevent the personal details on his RTI application from falling into the wrong hands.<br /><br /><strong>The Right to Information Act</strong><br /><br />The Right to Information Act , ranked <a href="http://www.rti-rating.org/">5th best</a> in the world in terms of strength according to the Centre for Law and Democracy, allows Indian citizens to request information from public institutions and the <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword>. <br /><br />Since October 2005, when the RTI Act was implemented, the deaths of 74 activists have been documented in India, according to<a href="http://attacksonrtiusers.org/"> attacksonrtiusers.org</a>, a tracker set up by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). An additional 164 activists have reported assaults while 180 have been threatened. A significant portion of these activists had exercised this right and asked for information, only to be harassed and in some cases, silenced permanently.<br /><br />Around 68 of the deaths are outright murders, while the rest have been ruled suicides. John Mascrinaus, a data analyst at the CHRI, says that 16 of these murders have taken place in Maharashtra, 12 and eight have occurred in Gujarat and Karnataka, respectively, while six each have taken place in Bihar and UP.<br /><br />And what of the stories of the slain activists? They have been consigned to the archives of the internet, mere statistics in a country where the truth is better left uncovered and cold-blooded killings are regular fixtures of the daytime news.<br /><br />Their stories bear revisiting. A list of their names is published on the CHRI tracker and here are a few cases:-<br /><br /><strong>Rajesh Savaliya, 31. Killed on July 19th, 2017.</strong><br /><br />Savaliya was still alive when he was found near a temple on National Highway 8 in the Navsari district of Gujarat. Despite being rushed the hospital, he succumbed to his head injuries later in the night. Savaliya had been receiving threatening calls for the preceding month after filing multiple complaints with the District Education Officer about all the schools in the area that had been operating without necessary licenses. In the process, he raised the ire of a consortium of owners running the schools. The<a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-rti-activist-who-took-on-education-mafia-found-dead-in-navsari/"> Indian Express</a> was the only national daily to report on Savilaya’s death.<br /><br /><strong>Bhupendra Vira, 72. Killed on October 15th, 2016.</strong><br /><br />A father of three and member of a local citizens activist group, Vira was shot while watching television at his home in Santa Cruz East, Mumbai. He was killed over a land encroachment dispute. Vira had won a number of demolition orders for four illegal residences constructed by his landlord Razzaq Khan, a former member of the municipal corporation. The documents obtained through Vira’s RTI application had shown that his land was being unlawfully encroached upon. Khan and his son were subsequently arrested for the murder.<br /><br /><strong>Yallalinga Kuruba, 17. Killed on January 11th, 2014.</strong><br /><br />The body of the first-year college student was found on the railway tracks on the periphery of Koppal, a district in northern Karnataka. On January 6th, Kuruba had told a local news channel about the corruption that was hindering the implementation of government schemes in his village. He specifically cited the lack of roads and drainage systems. On January 10th, he reportedly filed an RTI to ask for details about the development work being subcontracted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme from the local Panchayat Development Officer. He was subsequently chased and killed by members of a gang that was loyal to Balan Gowda, a gram panchayat member.<br /><strong><br />Ravinder Balwani, 61. Killed on April 26th, 2012.</strong><br /><br />Balwani, a member of Parivartan, an NGO led by Arvind Kejriwal, was hit by a car in the Vasant Kunj neighbourhood in Delhi on April 23rd and died three days later after succumbing to his head injuries. Balwani had been receiving threats after filing a corruption complaint against a former official at Delhi Transco Ltd, the state transmission utility for the NCR region. He had also filed a complaint against the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission over the revision of tariffs.The cases reportedly involved a number of senior officials in the power sector. The perpetrators of the crime were never identified.<br /><br /><strong>Shashidhar Mishra, 35. Killed on February 14th, 2010.</strong><br /><br />The street hawker and father of four was shot by some men on motorcycles in the Begusarai district of Bihar. Mishra, who was affectionately called Khabri Lal (news man) by his peers, had filed a number of complaints against panchayat and district officials. By the time he died, Mishra had filed close to a 1,000 RTI applications. His applications covered a range of issues, including the mistreatment of animals at a local dairy, unlicensed shops outside the railway station as well as land purchases and contracts given by local council officials- the latter being the last request he filed.<br /><strong><br />What needs to be done?</strong><br /><br />The deaths of the aforementioned people should not be in vain. The ability to exercise one’s right to information is an essential component of democracy and should be preserved. <br /><br />The personal details of RTI applicants need to be kept secure. The anonymous filing of RTI applications should be enabled. Additionally, applicants could also be required to furnish their email details as opposed to their address and mobile numbers.<br /><br />There needs to be a law to protect whistleblowers. The amended Whistle Blowers Protection (WBP) bill has been stalled in the upper house of India’s Parliament since 2015, when the NDA government moved to water down the original act with the removal of a clause that prevents whistleblowers from being prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).<br /><br />This outdated anti-espionage act prohibits the disclosure of state secrets. In its attempt to preserve information that relates to national security, which the RTI act disallows applicants from obtaining in the first place, the government is compromising the personal security of its citizens. The proposed amendments to the Whistle Blower Protection act need to be withdrawn.<br /><br />Finally, the government authorities need to do a better job of disclosing information at the national, state and district level. A section of the RTI act calls for the “voluntary disclosure of information” by authorities. This includes all information related to government schemes and business licenses. This is precisely the information that Yallalinga Kuruba, mentioned above, was asking for.<br /><br />Out of the total number of RTIs filed to date, estimated at 24.9 million by CHRI, a vast majority are denied for reasons such as a “lack of information”, calling into question the purpose of the act itself.<br /><br />However, the act is genuinely capable of affecting change, as demonstrated by success stories such as<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-chandigarh-to-become-india-s-first-smoke-free-city-1102240"> Chandigarh’s decision to become a smoke free city</a> as a result of RTI petitions and the discovery that some funds used for the Commonwealth Games<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Rs-744cr-dalit-fund-diverted-for-Games/articleshow/6173912.cms"> were actually earmarked for Scheduled Castes</a>. The government therefore has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of RTI applicants so the act can continue to be used to promote transparency, check corruption and ultimately, improve this country. <br />

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