Rafale twist: Why did France refuse to give India a sovereign guarantee?

Documents reveal how two core conditions of a government-to-government contract were diluted in the run-up to purchasing 36 Rafale jets

Latest News – The Narendra Modi government has consistently claimed that the Rafale aircraft deal was between two governments – India and France – and therefore there was hardly any possibility of India’s interests being compromised in any way.

However, government documents accessed by The Wire reveal the Ministry of Law and Justice had opined that the “core elements of Government-to-Government (G-to-G) character” of the Rafale deal were not acceptable to France and consequently had to be diluted and waived in the final inter-governmental agreement (IGA) signed between the two governments in September 2016.|Rafale Deal 

So what were the two core G-to-G elements that France did not accept? The law ministry gave a clear view to the Ministry of Defence that in G-to-G contracts, “the responsibility for the supply of equipment and related industrial services and performance of the entire contract remains with the foreign government”. The second condition cited by the law ministry was that “the dispute resolution mechanism remained at Government-to-Government level only”. However, in the course of negotiating the IGA, certain sensitive issues arose whereby the French government sought to transfer its own direct responsibilities and obligations to the industrial supplier – in this case Dassault Aviation.

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Pak shelling kills BSF jawan along border, injures 6 ahead PM Modi's visit

The slain jawan was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion

A BSF jawan was killed while six persons, including a BSF officer, were injured as Pakistan Rangers heavily shelled villages and Border out Posts (BoPs) in Jammu early on Friday, a senior officer said.

This is third day of shelling and firing by Pakistan troops along the IB in Jammu frontier and comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Pakistan Rangers increased the arch of mortar shelling to R S Pura, Bishnah and Arnia sectors of Jammu by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing since 0100 hours in these sectors, a senior BSF officer told PTI.

BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated and exchanges are going on when reports last came in from the area, he said.

The slain jawan was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion. He was critically injured at Jabowal BoP around 0130 hours and died en route to GMC Hospital in Jammu.

Upadhyay hailed from Giridih in Jharkhand and joined the force in 2011. He is survived by a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter, officials said.

An Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF suffered a splinter injury at Pittal BoP, the officer said adding that he has been admitted to a hospital.

In the heavy Pakistan shelling in R S Pura and Arnia sectors, five civilians have been injured and evacuated to hospitals by police in bullet proof vehicles, a police officer said.

He said three civilians have been injured in Arnia sector and two in R S Pura sectors. Several houses have suffered damage and few animals have died.

SDPO, R S Pura, Sahil Prashur said police is using bullet-proof vehicles to evacuate the injured to the hospital and is reaching out to the people in shelling-hit zones.

In view of the shelling, the administration has activated the shelter set up.

However, there was a lull in the shelling in Kathua and Samba districts."There was no firing and shelling from across the border since yesterday in Kathua and Samba districts", the officer said. Yesterday, a BSF jawan was among two persons injured when Pakistan Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars at over 15 border outposts (BOPs) and some civilian areas along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

On May 15, a 28-year-old BSF jawan was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by opening fire on forward posts to help infiltrators cross the International Border in Samba sector. Troops have also foiled four infiltration bids along the IB since May 12.(READ MORE)

Sachin slams Afridi for Kashmir comment, says outsiders need not interfere

Earlier, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said his priority stays with his nation and that he would never support anyone who opposes his country 

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday slammed former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi for meddling in India's internal matter.

When asked about Afridi's comments about Kashmir, Tendulkar said, "We have got capable people to manage and run our country. No outsider needs to know or tell us what we need to do."

After security forces in Kashmir killed 12 terrorists, Afridi took to Twitter and said "innocents" were being shot down in Kashmir.

"Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other international bodies and why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?" Afridi tweeted on Tuesday.

Earlier, Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said his priority stays with his nation and that he would never support anyone who opposes his country.

"As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure. But having said that, it's a very personal choice for someone to make comment about certain issues," Kohli said.

The 29-year-old, who is set to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming 11th edition of the Indian Premier League, added, "Unless I have total knowledge of the issues and the intricacies of it I don't engage in it. Obviously, it goes without saying that your priority stays with your nation 

and anything that opposes it, you oppose it as well."

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev also hit back at Afridi over his anti-India remark, saying that one should not give importance to people like the former Pakistan skipper.

"Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people," Dev, who won India's first World Cup in 1983, said.

Joining the bandwagon of cricketers slamming Afridi for his controversial tweet on Kashmir issue, Indian batsman Suresh Raina called on the 38-year-old to rather ask Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in Kashmir.

"Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence," he tweeted.

Soon after Afridi's tweet, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir had mocked the former Pakistan player and referred to him as a perennially immature person.

Gambhir had written that Afridi's tweet on the current situation in Kashmir and his reference to United Nations was according to "his age bracket".

"Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir and @UN. What's there to say? Afridi is only looking for @UN which in his retarded dictionary means "UNDER NINTEEN" his age bracket. Media can relax, @SAfridiOfficial is celebrating a dismissal off a no-ball!!! (sic)," Gambhir tweeted.

At least 12 terrorists and three soldiers were among 20 people killed in three separate encounters that broke out in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. As many as 25 others were injured in the encounters.

Article source : Business standard  

Aadhaar could be a single target for cyber criminals: RBI researchers

A recent investigation alleged that unrestricted access to details of over one billion Aadhaar numbers can be purchased at as little as Rs 500

​SMXLL

The benefits of Aadhaar, India’s biometrics-based unique national identity system–the world’s largest–are unclear and the impact of direct benefit transfers it will be used to deliver to the poor is not studied enough, a new study published by an arm of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has concluded.

The paper, ‘Biometric and Its Impact in India’, was a part of Staff Papers series published in its October 2017 edition. It is written by S Ananth, an adjunct faculty at the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which was established by the RBI as an autonomous institute.

Also read : Iris Scan To Add Layer To Aadhaar Authentication

Aadhaar is becoming central to India’s public policy with increasing number of programmes being linked to it. And its scope is constantly increasing. In the seven years following its introduction, 1.12 billion Indians or 88.2% of the population have enrolled for Aadhaar, IndiaSpend reported in March, 2017.

Established by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, Aadhaar is now used for direct benefit transfers as well as distribution of foodgrains and essential commodities–under the public distribution system (PDS)–by the state. It includes various payments linked through Aadhaar-enabled payment system....

Read more about : Aadhar data leak

6 ways to secure your mobile phone against attackers in 2017 Cyber attacks are a real threat to businesses and individuals alike. 1489153966-8474.jpg BREAKING NEWS | Cyber attacks are a real threat to businesses and individuals alike. In 2015, CNN reported that nearly 1 million new malware threats are released daily. In 2017, these types of cyberattacks are still a threat. Today, most people spend more time browsing the Internet on their phones than they do on their desktop computers, but many people still fail to secure their mobile devices. Keep your phone safe from hackers and cyberattacks with these six security tips.' Software updates can be a pain, but there’s a good reason to ensure your operating system and apps are all up to date. One of the ways hackers get into mobile devices is through holes or bugs in old software programs. Software updates help patch these holes and make it harder for hackers to get in. To keep your phone’s software up-to-date, enable automatic app updates, and be sure to take advantage of any operating system updates your service provider offers. Install an Antivirus App It sounds like a no-brainer, but according to CNBC, only 14 percent of people actually install antivirus apps on their phones. There’s no reason your phone shouldn’t be protected. Free apps like Avast Antivirus and Security will scan your apps and URLs for malware and even allow you to PIN protect private apps. You can also scan Wi-Fi to improve security. The pro version offers more features, as will paid versions of other antivirus apps, but if money is the main factor in going without protection, the least you can do is download a free security app and utilize the simple features it offers. Lock Your Phone It’s another no-brainer when it comes to mobile phone security, but still half of Android users opt out of using a password, PIN, pattern, or fingerprint to secure their mobile devices. You may not think it matters much. Any attacker is going to get in through malware or other types of wireless attacks, right? Wrong. Cell phone thefts are incredibly common. In major cities, up to 40 percent of robberies involve cell phones. It’s possible for these thieves to use the information stored on your device to steal your identity or make fraudulent online purchases. It’s not just about theft, either. Mobile phones are easy to lose, and if the wrong person picks it up, they can use your personal information for their own gain. Locking your phone is just the first step in mitigating your risk of these people accessing your device’s data. Install Software for Lost Devices Another way to reduce your risk of physical attacks if your phone is lost or stolen is to install software that can find your phone as well as wipe the information on it remotely. If you’re on Android, chances are you already have these capabilities enabled. With Android Device Manager, you can locate your lost phone with accuracy up to 20 meters, make it ring, lock the screen, or erase the data, all remotely. You simply have to log in to the Google account associated with your device from another computer to access these features. Avoid Third-Party Apps One of the bigger vulnerabilities with mobile phones is third-party apps. It’s not always clear which apps are safe to use and which ones might be malicious. If you’re using an iPhone, the good news is that you can only download apps from iTunes. Since these apps have been vetted by the iTunes store, there’s a lower risk of downloading a malicious app. That’s not true for Android users. Most apps on the Google Play store should be safe, but Android users don’t have to stick with Google Play. They can download third-party apps at any time, and that puts them at risk. If you decide to install a third-party app, be smart about it and research the app to ensure what you’re downloading is safe. Note: It’s never a smart idea to “jailbreak” your phone to open it to third-party apps since it puts you at risk of even more security vulnerabilities. (READ MORE)

Cyber attacks are a real threat to businesses and individuals alike.

 

BREAKING NEWS | Cyber attacks are a real threat to businesses and individuals alike. In 2015, CNN reported that nearly 1 million new malware threats are released daily. In 2017, these types of cyberattacks are still a threat. Today, most people spend more time browsing the Internet on their phones than they do on their desktop computers, but many people still fail to secure their mobile devices. Keep your phone safe from hackers and cyberattacks with these six security tips.'

Software updates can be a pain, but there’s a good reason to ensure your operating system and apps are all up to date. One of the ways hackers get into mobile devices is through holes or bugs in old software programs. Software updates help patch these holes and make it harder for hackers to get in. To keep your phone’s software up-to-date, enable automatic app updates, and be sure to take advantage of any operating system updates your service provider offers.

Install an Antivirus App

It sounds like a no-brainer, but according to CNBC, only 14 percent of people actually install antivirus apps on their phones. There’s no reason your phone shouldn’t be protected. Free apps like Avast Antivirus and Security will scan your apps and URLs for malware and even allow you to PIN protect private apps. You can also scan Wi-Fi to improve security. The pro version offers more features, as will paid versions of other antivirus apps, but if money is the main factor in going without protection, the least you can do is download a free security app and utilize the simple features it offers.

Lock Your Phone
It’s another no-brainer when it comes to mobile phone security, but still half of Android users opt out of using a password, PIN, pattern, or fingerprint to secure their mobile devices. You may not think it matters much. Any attacker is going to get in through malware or other types of wireless attacks, right? Wrong.

Cell phone thefts are incredibly common. In major cities, up to 40 percent of robberies involve cell phones. It’s possible for these thieves to use the information stored on your device to steal your identity or make fraudulent online purchases. It’s not just about theft, either. Mobile phones are easy to lose, and if the wrong person picks it up, they can use your personal information for their own gain. Locking your phone is just the first step in mitigating your risk of these people accessing your device’s data.

Install Software for Lost Devices

Another way to reduce your risk of physical attacks if your phone is lost or stolen is to install software that can find your phone as well as wipe the information on it remotely. If you’re on Android, chances are you already have these capabilities enabled. With Android Device Manager, you can locate your lost phone with accuracy up to 20 meters, make it ring, lock the screen, or erase the data, all remotely. You simply have to log in to the Google account associated with your device from another computer to access these features.

Avoid Third-Party Apps

One of the bigger vulnerabilities with mobile phones is third-party apps. It’s not always clear which apps are safe to use and which ones might be malicious. If you’re using an iPhone, the good news is that you can only download apps from iTunes. Since these apps have been vetted by the iTunes store, there’s a lower risk of downloading a malicious app.

That’s not true for Android users. Most apps on the Google Play store should be safe, but Android users don’t have to stick with Google Play. They can download third-party apps at any time, and that puts them at risk. If you decide to install a third-party app, be smart about it and research the app to ensure what you’re downloading is safe.

Note: It’s never a smart idea to “jailbreak” your phone to open it to third-party apps since it puts you at risk of even more security vulnerabilities. (READ MORE)