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Kolkata, the last Indian city to operate trams, is preparing to say goodbye to its 150-year-old tram service as the West Bengal government has decided to discontinue most routes. Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty cited increasing traffic congestion as the main reason behind the decision. However, the historic tram route between Maidan and Esplanade will remain in service to preserve a part of Kolkata’s heritage. This decision has not been well-received by locals, many of whom view the trams as an essential part of Kolkata’s history and identity. Introduced in 1873 as horse-drawn carriages, trams have long been central to the city’s public transportation system, making them a symbol of Kolkata. The discontinuation of most routes means the city will lose one of its unique characteristics that set it apart from other Indian cities. While there is nostalgia and cultural significance attached to the trams, the government argues the decision is based on practical concerns. According to the transport minister, Kolkata’s narrow streets, which make up only six percent of the city’s surface area, cannot accommodate both the growing number of vehicles and the slow-moving trams. With traffic congestion already a major problem, especially during peak hours, the situation is expected to worsen if trams continue to operate on many routes. Several tram lines across the city have already been suspended, suggesting a gradual phase-out of the service. However, the government plans to maintain the heritage line from Maidan to Esplanade, allowing locals and tourists to continue experiencing a piece of Kolkata’s charm. This heritage route is also promoted as an eco-friendly travel option. The decision to scale back tram services has sparked protests from residents who believe the trams represent more than just a mode of transport; they are a symbol of the city’s cultural legacy. Losing the trams would mean losing an important part of Kolkata’s heritage. The matter is currently under consideration by the Calcutta High Court.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 37.37% of the votes, maintaining a similar percentage to the previous election where they had 37.34%. The Indian National Congress (INC) saw a significant increase in its vote share, rising to 22.34% from 19.49% in 2019. The collective vote share of the opposition alliance, INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), was 42%, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) garnered 45% of the votes​. For more details of Loksabha Seats distribution , Read more at:

The mother of a 17-year-old boy, implicated in a tragic Porsche crash that killed two techies in Pune, has pleaded with the police for her son’s protection after a fake video purportedly showing him bragging about evading justice went viral. Meanwhile, Pune Police have vowed to investigate allegations of preferential treatment towards the teenager. In a heartfelt video message, the distraught mother clarified that the person in the viral video was not her son. “The video which is being circulated is not of my son. That is a fake video. My son is in the detention centre,” she stated, as reported by PTI. She then broke down, appealing to the authorities for her son’s safety. A rap song allegedly featuring the teenager, boasting about escaping consequences for the fatal crash, circulated widely on social media. However, Pune Police have confirmed that the account responsible for the video is fake. Simultaneously, a senior police official is set to interrogate Yerwada station officers and staff regarding accusations of downplaying the severity of the incident. Reports suggest they delayed the medical examination to determine the boy’s blood alcohol level, according to NDTV. Prakash Ambedkar, leader of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, accused the police of serving the teen burger and pizza during his detention. “Officers at Yerwada Police Station spent more time questioning the relationship between Anish and Ashwini – IT professionals fatally knocked down by a drunk minor – while the accused was allegedly served burger and pizza,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). The police have denied these allegations. Initially, the teenager was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) with the condition to write a 300-word essay. Following public outrage, the bail was revoked, and he was sent to a remand home. His father was also arrested for allowing his son to drive without a license. According to police, the father’s driver informed him that his son wanted to drive, and the father, a realtor, allegedly instructed the driver to hand over the car. The boy reportedly spent nearly ₹70,000 at two bars before the accident. The bar owners have since been arrested for serving liquor to a minor. This incident has sparked widespread controversy and highlighted serious concerns about road safety, juvenile justice, and accountability in India.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlights the company’s sustained emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) since 2016, a period coinciding with the early stages of development for ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Notably, Google researchers played a pivotal role in innovating the “T” component of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a breakthrough enabling conversational search using extensive language models. Despite Google’s initial oversight of the chatbot trend, Pichai remains undeterred, adopting a long-term perspective and acknowledging that Google has historically entered established markets after others. He views AI development as nascent, with ample opportunity for Google, a dominant force on the web, to excel. However, Google’s pursuit of AI supremacy has encountered setbacks. The Gemini image generator, introduced in February, faced criticism for generating problematic images, underscoring the challenges of mitigating biases in AI systems. Pichai acknowledged the misstep and initiated a rebuild of the feature to enhance product quality. Pichai anticipates re-releasing the revamped feature in the coming weeks, reaffirming Google’s commitment to continuous improvement. Nevertheless, the future of search, a core component of Google’s business, remains uncertain, particularly as AI-driven conversational search gains traction. Addressing concerns about the evolving search landscape, Pichai emphasizes Google’s commitment to providing a seamless user experience that balances narrative responses with links for further exploration. As search drives significant revenue for Alphabet through targeted ads, Google aims to maintain its user-centric approach amid regulatory scrutiny, including a landmark antitrust lawsuit. While facing strategic challenges and internal scrutiny, Pichai is focused on streamlining Google’s operations to prioritize AI development, including recent layoffs. Amid intensified competition with rivals like Microsoft, Pichai remains steadfast in his vision for Google’s future, confident in its potential to lead the AI race and shape the evolution of search technology.

NetApp’s Cloud Complexity Report provides in-depth insights into the global adoption of AI, highlighting the key challenges and opportunities in this era. Despite growing IT costs and concerns about data security, the report emphasizes that these factors will not hinder the progress of AI. It underscores the critical role of data management in AI success. The report, conducted in collaboration with Savanta, surveyed over 1,300 technology decision-makers across 10 countries to assess the state of AI adoption. It reveals that countries like Singapore, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom are leading the way in AI adoption and innovation, while others such as Germany, Australia, and Spain are lagging behind. AI Leaders The report also highlights differences in approach between AI leaders and laggards. For instance, 67% of businesses in AI-leading nations have hybrid IT environments, with India leading at 70% and Japan trailing at 24%. Furthermore, 60% of businesses in leading nations have active or in-pilot AI projects, compared to only 36% in lagging nations. Gabie Boko, Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp, notes, “The rise of AI is ushering in a new disrupt-or-die era.” Boko emphasizes the importance of data-ready enterprises that can unify structured and unstructured data into an intelligent infrastructure to succeed in the AI age. To remain competitive, AI-laggard nations must accelerate their adoption and innovation in AI. The report indicates that 42% of businesses in such nations have optimized their IT systems for AI. Pravjit Tiwana, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Cloud Storage at NetApp, emphasizes the significance of reliable data for AI success in hybrid IT environments. “AI is only as good as the data that fuels it,” says Tiwana. “Both the AI leaders and laggards show us that in the prevailing hybrid IT environment, the more unified and reliable your data, the more likely your AI initiatives are to be successful.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk made an unannounced visit to Beijing on Sunday, where discussions were expected to focus on the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and the authorization to transfer data overseas, according to a source familiar with the matter. Musk reportedly met with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, though the details of their conversation were not disclosed. However, during the visit, Tesla received a significant endorsement from a top Chinese auto association, which confirmed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles comply with China’s data security requirements. What is Full Self-Driving (FSD)?Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) features, also referred to as Autopilot, include capabilities such as self-parking, automatic lane changes, and traffic navigation. Despite the branding, Tesla emphasizes that these features do not make their vehicles fully autonomous and require active driver supervision. Elon Musk has often touted FSD as a potential revenue stream for the company, although achieving full autonomy has been challenging due to regulatory and legal scrutiny of Tesla’s safety measures and marketing practices. Why is FSD rollout limited in China?While Tesla has offered FSD subscriptions in China for several years, the features have been restricted, limiting operations to automated lane changes. Data security concerns have been a major obstacle to a full rollout of FSD in China. Musk seeks official approval to transfer data collected in China overseas to train algorithms for autonomous driving technologies. Since 2021, Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet within the country, as mandated by Chinese regulations, without transferring any data back to the United States. What would an FSD rollout in China mean for Tesla?A full rollout of FSD in China would allow Tesla to compete more effectively with local rivals in the world’s largest auto market, where driver assistance and connected car features are highly valued. With more than 1.7 million cars sold in China since entering the market a decade ago, Tesla’s Shanghai factory is its largest globally. An unrestricted rollout of FSD could intensify competition among Chinese automakers, potentially triggering a price war similar to the one Tesla initiated last year, involving over 40 brands in the country. What might an FSD rollout mean for China?China’s warm reception of Musk and the potential approval of FSD come amid efforts to improve foreign investment sentiment, particularly regarding regulatory issues such as data security. Tesla’s Chinese factory is located in a Shanghai free trade zone, and the approval of FSD aligns with Chinese authorities’ goals to foster competition and innovation in emerging technologies. Several Chinese automakers and tech companies, including XPeng and Huawei, are also developing similar autonomous driving software, reflecting China’s commitment to maintaining its leadership in this sector. Read more on News Unveiled

India, the world’s largest democracy, is currently in the midst of its most extensive election ever. The 2024 Indian general elections are unfolding in seven phases, with two already completed. With an estimated 960 million eligible voters in a population of 1.4 billion, the vast number of individuals represents a significant target for the dissemination of fake news and deepfake content, especially on social media platforms. According to the ‘2023 State of Deepfakes Report’ by ‘Home Security Heroes,’ a US-based web security services company, the year 2023 saw over 95,000 deepfakes online, marking a remarkable 550 per cent increase since 2019. The impact of deepfakes has been felt in countries such as the USA, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, particularly during elections. India was identified as the sixth most vulnerable nation to the threat of deepfakes according to the report. McAfee, a global security software company, reported that approximately 22 per cent of Indians surveyed had encountered a political deepfake that they later discovered to be false. With deepfakes expected to play a significant role in the upcoming election season worldwide, voters are encouraged to exercise caution before believing or sharing news. To aid in the detection of fake and deep fake news, particularly concerning elections, here are four websites: Read more on News Unveiled

BSNL, the public sector telecommunications company, is poised to launch 4G services nationwide from August this year, utilizing entirely indigenous technology. This announcement comes from official sources on Monday. BSNL officials have reported achieving impressive speeds of 40-45 megabits per second (Mbps) on the 4G network. During the pilot phase, the 4G services were introduced in the 2,100 MHz band, alongside the premium 700 MHz spectrum band. Notably, the technology was developed domestically by a consortium led by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the telecom research organization C-DOT. Already, approximately eight lakh customers have been onboarded in Punjab. An anonymous senior official mentioned, “The 4G core, developed by C-DOT, has exhibited excellent performance in BSNL’s Punjab network since its establishment in July last year. Although typically, it takes 12 months to validate such complex technology, the C-DOT core has achieved stability within 10 months.” The same official, speaking to PTI, disclosed, “BSNL is set to roll out indigenous 4G technology nationwide by August.” The core network, comprising telecom service-related network hardware, equipment, and software, has been developed by TCS, Tejas Networks, and the government-owned ITI, with contracts totaling about Rs 19,000 crore. This network has the potential to be upgraded to 5G in the future. As part of the deployment process, towers are being installed across various regions. Arnab Roy, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tejas Networks, recently mentioned that BSNL’s mobile network deployment is progressing in multiple areas. Wherever the C-DOT core is not available, equipment is being integrated into the existing core. BSNL is in the process of installing 1.12 lakh towers to support 4G and 5G services nationwide. Presently, over 9,000 towers have been erected for 4G services, with a significant portion located in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Western Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana circles. Regarding customer transition to 4G, a senior official from the government-owned company noted, “BSNL has been issuing only 4G-enabled SIMs for the past four to five years. Therefore, customers with older SIMs will need to acquire new SIMs to access the 4G services.” Read more on News Unveiled