The Observer, Edition 31, Volume 22

Website: theweeklyobserver.in

Epaper: https://issuu.com/

Most NRIs are unaware they can vote in Indian polls from abroad

Those who want to vote have practical difficulties in coming to India

By Hamsaveni N

The e-postal ballot system promises overseas voters they can exercise their right to vote.But most NRIs lack awareness about how to registerthemselves as overseas voters.

According to Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, the total number of NRIs registered as overseas voters 1.15 lakh as on January 1, 2023. The Election Commission is looking into the possibilities and logistical challenges pertaining to the e-mail ballot system for NRIs, he added. The Election Commission is working with Minister of External Affairs ,which will allow lakhs of NRIs to cast their votes from the foreign country they are living in..

PLANNING NEEDED

• An NRI who wants to visit India has to plan at least six months in advance

• Only 3,000 persons have registered as overseas voters in Karnataka

• No. of NRIs registered as overseas voters stood at 1.15 lakh on Jan 1

‘HIGH RISK’

There are high chances of fraud and malpractice in e-portal voting.We can imagine the blame and false accusations that can come up when an NRI is voting online.

- Dr Hrishikesh, political science professor

News Briefs

Jharkhand min Mahto dies in Chennai hospital

Shreshtha Maheshwari, an NRI,informed The Observer: “I moved to Costa Rica in 2017 for employment. I have travelled to India multiple times, but never during elections, I couldn’t fly to India to cast my vote. It is impossible to take a flight during elections for multiple reasons.”

The cost of journey is major factor preventing people to visit India during elections.

“In fact, we (Indians) often have discussions on Indian politics, but sadly are not able to cast our votes. E-postal voting will really help a lot of NRIs staying away from the country to cast their votes and exercise their rights. It is a good initiative and should be implemented.”

Continued on page 4

Pocso cases more complicated than they seem, say experts

That Karnataka assembly elections are approaching is evident from vigorous campaigning by even people who have not been officially nominated by their parties. All major parties have multiple aspirants in constituencies. In this backdrop, KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed, MLC, in an interview with The Observer, claimed a pro-Congress wave that is sweeping Karnataka will bring the party to power.

The BJP has made Karnataka the “corruption capital of India”, he told Yukta Mudgal.

Ahmed said the ideological battle between the Congress and BJP is more important than the declaration of a CM candidate.

Full interview on P 3

By Siddhi Chauhan

Citing two Karnataka High Court judgments, experts say the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act is complicated and should be understood contextually in every case.

OnApril 5, 2023, the court refused bail to a 23-year-oldman under the Pocso Act who promised to marry a 17-year-old rape survivor. The High Court denied bail to the man as they felt that the minor’s consent statement cannot be taken as truth.

In a different case in 2022, the court had allowed a compromise in a case registered under the

Pocso Act does not recognise any form of sexual contact between children

Pocso Act as the girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by the accused was married to him during the pendency of the case. The girl claimed the relationship was consensual.

Asked if marriage can be a solution, Aiswarya Saji, an advo-

cate, said: “There have been cases wherein the accused is given bail to marry the victim. In my opinion, it is not optimal to consider marriage as a viable solution for a particular case as the end of justice may not be necessarily met, simply because the victim might agree to the same because of external factors like the fear of ridicule from society.”

Highlighting the severity of the issue, she said: “It affects the already failing legal system of our country as it provides an easy mechanism for offenders to exempt themselves from the charges, without any ramification on the children .”

Continued on page 4

Jharkhand minister Jagarnath Mahto, who had earlier undergone a lung transplant, died at a hospital in Chennai on Thursday, a senior doctor of the health facility said. He was 57. PTI Oppn takes out ‘Tiranga March’ from Parliament

Opposition MPs on Thursday took out a ‘Tiranga March’ from Parliament to Vijay Chowk on the last day of the budget session of Parliament. ANI Hindenburg tweets: ‘New report soon’ Hindenburg Research will soon release a new report, the US short seller said in a tweet. The latest tweet by the New Yorkbased research firm didn’t provide any specifics on the timing of the next report’s release, or what it intends to say. Bloomberg

Second Cong list out, no decision on Kolar Congress announced its second list of 42 candidates on Thursday for the Karnataka assembly elections but took no decision on who would contest from Kolar. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has expressed a desire to contest from the constituency. ANI We will fight graft and nepotism, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the BJP is committed to taking tough steps to rid India of corruption, nepotism and law-and-order challenges as he slammed people with a “baadshahi” mindset for insulting the poor and the backward since the party stormed to power in 2014. PTI RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5 pc

The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday decided to keep key benchmark policy rate at 6.5 per cent even as inflation is trending above its tolerance level The rate hike has been paused after six consecutive rate increases aggregating to 250 basis points since May 2022. PTI

Nirmala boasts of PM Modi’s Karnataka visits; he comes only during polls, says opposition | P 3

Cloud tech is inexpensive, easy to use, but has risks; hacking and downtime are a big concern | P 4

Saleem Ahmed: Wave will bring Cong to power

Will AI art apps endanger the jobs of graphic designers?

By Siddhi Chauhan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken over the Indian market since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

From AI paintings winning a state fair competition to an AI chatbot being hired as CEO of a gaming company, AI is all over. This has led people like graphic designers to fear they will lose their jobs because of AI.

AI has also managed to find its way into the world of art. DALL-E, Midjourney and Craiyon are some AI-powered tools with which people can create images easily just by providing textual description.

Nehil Sood, an AI researcher,said DALL-E is an initiative by OpenAI that converts text to images. In simple terms, it aims to create the creative idea that a person has without the user having to use a paint brush or an editing software.

According to an articlein the Business Insider, ChatGPT, DALL-E and other AI software can threaten jobs of graphic designers, business analysts, coders and engineers. People have been debating on social media platforms like Twitter the loss that they might have to incur due to AI. Others say these tools can help graphic designers.

When asked if AI-powered software can be an industry killer, Yuvraj Singh, a graphic designer who has used Midjourney, explained:“There is a slight chance that software like Midjourney and DALL-E can endanger the jobs of graphic designers. AI can be sufficient in places where only images are required; but in places where you need to make changes in a design again and again, graphic designers are needed.”

No total dependence

An organisation cannot totally depend on artificial intelligence. “For now, AI is not fully developed; it is still in a developing phase. It can be used for ideas, but you cannot use it to make the whole design. Also, it does not allow the user to take a printout as it provides only JPEG, but in order to print you need a PDF. It can be used to take ideas, but it will not allow you to make changes within the design.To do that, you will need a graphic designer,” Singh added.

Pointing out the shortcomings of AI, he said: “In order to use them, a person needs to learn how to provide keywords

(prompts). Even if a person learns how to give prompts and a design is presented before him, he will have to do with an image. That means if he wants to take one element from one image and another from a different image,it cannot be done. Even if you give the same prompt again, you will get the (same) image. Since I have used the software, I know that it is not flexible.”

While some graphic designers believe AI cannot result in job losses, there are some who feel a company that requires graphics only for posts can shift to these artificial intelligence platforms.

Chaitanya Bajpai, another graphic designer, said: “In order to use AI art-based platforms, companies will require a graph-

For now, AI is not fully developed; it is still in a developing phase. It can be used for ideas, but you cannot use it to make the whole design. Also, it does not allow the user to take a printout as it provides only JPEG, but in order to print you need a PDF. It can be used to take ideas, but it will not allow you to make changes within the design.To do that, you will need a graphic designer even.

— Yuvraj Singh

ic designer to give commands appropriately. It is easy to give a command, but in order to get a ‘preferable’ design, a person needs to know exactly how he wants his design to look. Currently, AI is not able to provide a desirable or perfect design. I use AI to create logos and have observed that at the very end, I will need to use my tools and skills to come up with what I desire or to match the demand of one of the clients of mine.”

However, there is a chance that a company can replace graphic designers if their demand for graphics is limited.

“In my opinion, they should

not do so because obviously these platforms require a subscription, and if you want to make any changes, you cannot make them on your own. The reason is simple:To do so, you should have knowledge and be well versed about various tools used for designing,” Bajpai added.

Asked whether AI tools can be used by someone who is not a graphic designer, Parash Sahu, who requires graphics for his social media page and tried to use Midjourney, said: “First of all, in order to use these kinds of software, you will have to pay. I use Canva,which is free and easy to use, to design my graphics.The problem that I faced while using this software was that you need to give a prompt which is not as easy as it may seem. Many times you tend to get misunderstood.”

Sood explained to The Observerthe functioning of AI art software. Taking the example of DALL-E, he said it is programmed by Natural Language Processing (NLP).The software understands code or binary digits and gives the output.

“What NLP does is that it decodes the text.After this,it trains the program on data. Then DALL-E converts the decoded text into the expected image.”

Asked about the limitations, he said: “Right now, the software is data-bound. It cannot work outside the box as they are fed a limited amount of data. A human has to give a command. So creativity is missing. Currently, we are ahead of AI in terms of creativity and uniqueness.”

HR manager’s take Soumitra De, who has been working as an HRmanager for over 15 years,said: “Artificial intelligence can never take the place of human intelligence.It’s a progressive thing that automation is developed by humans. Not only is it developed by them but is also managed and implemented by them.Therefore, human intelligence cannot be replaced. If we talk about India,

currently it is not possible. In the future, maybe it can grow, but even then people will be able to update themselves and work along with AI.”

What about ethics?

According to an article, by using artificial intelligence platforms, peoplecan even create visuals that have the elements of artists like Picasso. However, this can result in copyright violation in which the artist whose work is copied cannot do anything to reclaim her property.

AI has been in vogue since 2018 when a group named Obvious sold an AI portrait at Christie’s auction for $432,500. In September 2022, an artist named Jason Allen won the Colorado State Fair competition for an AI-developed painting. This incident sparked controversy among the critics, who noted that it was unfair to other artists and that relying upon AI was cheating.

According to a report published by the UNESCO, artificial intelligence can provide millions of students with support to complete secondary education, fill an additional 3.3 million jobs, and, more urgently, help us tackle the spread and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with multiple advantages, these technologies also generate downside risks and challenges, derived from malicious use of technology or deepening existing inequalities and divides.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, The more powerful a technology becomes, the more can it be used for nefarious reasons as well as good. This applies not only to robots produced to replace human soldiers, but to artificial intelligence systems that can cause damage if used maliciously. Cybersecurity will become even more important at this point After all, we’re dealing with a system that is faster and more capable than the humans by orders of magnitude. siddhi.c@iijnm.org

We need more women in positions of

power

Female representation in politics won’t be enough as long as we don’t see women in positions of power. Women in power will most probably bring positive changes as they might have faced the same hurdles that women face in society, and come up with more inclusive decisions that could be of help to the under priveleged women who have no agency.

Arsha B.S.

No projects, freshers scared of losing jobs

Employees are returning to offices and workplaces are crowded again. With no projects under way, there is no work for starters like me. With layoffs happening worldwide, we are scared about our jobs.

Pranay Poradandla

India needs sustainable solutions for long term

India will overtake China as the most populated country in 2023, most likely in the middle of April. India has made great progress in enhancing access to energy, but still needs to expand its energy infrastructure and broaden its fuel supply. Large energy needs are associated with a large nation that is still industrializing, which raises the possibility of skyrocketing greenhouse gas emissions. I hope our country finds a sustainable method to manage the growing population while meeting its needs.

Divya Prata

Around the city

Screening of the film: Gay India Matrimony - Directed by Debalina Saturday April 8, 6:30 pm, Duration: 67 mins, 17 secs, 1 Shanthi road, Shanthi nagar, Bengaluru. Rambo circus international festival - Saturday April 8 onwards, St. John’s auditorium, John Nagar, Opp BDA Complex, Koramangala, Bengaluru Sunday mornings stand up comedy - Saturday April 8 and 9, Outside High Court, High Court Buildings, Near Cubbon Park Gandhi Nagar Ambedkar Veedhi, High Court of Karnataka, Bengaluru

Hamare Zamane Mein stand up show by Amit TandonSaturday April 8, 7:00 pm, The Galleria mall, Police Station, SH 9, opposite Yelahanka, Ambedkar Colony, Bengaluru Memories - Music show by KS Chithra, Saturday April 8, Good Shepherd auditoium, Richmond town, Bengaluru

‘As artificial intelligence is developing, designers are still needed’

While some graphic designers believe AI cannot result in job losses, there are some who feel a company that requires graphics only for posts can shift to these platforms. | Credit: Siddhi Chauhan

Nirmala boasts of Modi’s K’taka visits; only for polls, says oppn

Cong freebies will cost us a fortune: FM

By Hamsaveni N

Wonders of World

KPCC vice-president V.S. Ugrappa disagreed with the minister’s claim, saying that in the past eight years, in spite of demands from various sections, the PM failed to visit Karnataka during the floods and droughts.

Finance

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday highlighted the achievements of the BJP in Karnataka and the Centre.

“Since 2015, PM Narendra Modi visited Karnataka 32 times, attending programmes and interacting with people in the state. In 2023, he visited the state seven times,” she said at a press conference in Bengaluru’s BJP office on the 43rd BJP’s Foundation Day.

The opposition Congress and JD(S) countered this by saying Modi does not care for Karnataka when it faces cries; he comes only to seek votes.

She spoke about the Emergency and said people must remember the “horrible attack” by the congress on Indian democracy. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and other opposition leaders were sent to jail and amendments were made unconstitutionally. “Today the Congress is screaming that under BJP all institutions are undermined. The emotional bond that we have with Karnataka goes a long way back.”

Karnataka is being given attention not only during elections. “Two national executive meetings have happened in Karnataka, in 2015 and 2018. Resolutions were passed at the BJP’s national executive meetings 18 times, relating only to Karnataka and the well-being of the state. Meetings of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors were held in Bengaluru. Startups were given an opportunity to display to the foreign delegates their contributions to the Indian economy, she said.

“The Centre invested a lot of in Karnataka to improve the Railways, roadways, airways, digital infrastructure anddefence. Projects like the Bengaluru-Mysuru

express highway, made with an expenditure of Rs 8,480 crore, and the Mysuru-Kushalnagar highway made with an expenditure of Rs 4,130 crore, are a few examples of the major projects implemented in Karnataka.”

She also mentioned the development of Shivamogga airport and the Mangalore port.The government has kept inflation under 6 per cent.

She criticised the “freebies” promised by Congress to Karnataka, saying these are beyond her imagination. “At least onethird of the budget is needed for a government to fulfill thepromises. I would ask people of Karnataka to not fall for promises which cannot be fulfilled.”

“When there were floods in Karnataka during 2009, then PM Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi conducted an aerial survey.In Raichur, relief funds of Rs1,500 crore were announced. What funds has Modi announced? How many times has Nirmala Sitharaman, an MP from Karnataka, visited Karnataka?” Ugrappa asked.

Prathap Kangal JD(S)spokesperson informed The Observer: “We don’t see him as a Prime Minister but as a promotional minister. He never visited the state during floods, never responded to giving GST (dues) to Karnataka. We went to court when we didn’t had enough oxygen in the hospitals during Covid. Now during elections, he will come. He just knows how to campaign. There is no other intention behind his coming to Karnataka. The development BJP is bragging about, people of Karnataka know. We are seeing how BJP… is bringing in actors also to influence voters and vote bank....”

The Observer tried to contact an AAP spokesperson, but he was unavailable. hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org

‘Who’ll be CM unimportant, it’s an ideological battle for Cong’

People in BJP unhappy due to corruption: Cong leader Saleem Ahmed

By Yukta Mudgal

Congress and JD(S) have begun releasing their lists of candidates for the May 10 elections to the legislative assembly. Amidst defections, corruption charges and politics of freebies, Saleem Ahmed, KPCC working president and MLC, spoke with The Observer.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q:There are multiple Congress aspirants for seats due to defections from other parties. How is the party handling the competition?

A:There are three to six people per seat. But we take decisions about a candidate in consultation with MLAs. We shortlist candidates, send the list to the screening committee. Then party leaders like Mohan Prakash and Randeep Singh Surjewala will scrutinize the list. We understand that those who are not

shortlisted will be unhappy for some time. We check track records to find the best candidates that fit the party’s interests.

Q:The BJP, which has not announced any list of candidates, has said some seats in their list of candidates will give a “surprise result”. How do you see this?

A:There’s no demand for the BJP; many want to join the Congress. They don’t have enough candidates as all are coming to

the Congress. People inside the BJP are unhappy because of too much corruption. Recently, Virupaksha (a BJP MLA) was arrested. They just keep quiet. We can see a wave of Democrats in Karnataka.This time, for sure, the Congress will win. What is their (the BJP’s) achievement? No houses, no employment, and too much inflation.

Q. The Congress coined the “40 per cent commission” slogan against the BJP. How will it eliminate corruption?

A:When we were in power, we had no corruption charges. In the BJP’s time, contractors protested against them. They have made Karnataka a corruption capital. We will change Karnataka’s image. Many contractors, like Santosh Patil, committed suicide. Contractors wrote to the President saying they could not pay commissions to ministers like Eshwarappa. Our party will work for development. We’ll announce 200 units of free electricity and start an inquiry into

corruption after the first cabinet (meeting).

Q: Besides JD(S) and BJP, AAP is also in the fray. How do you see it?

A:This is a fight between the Congress and the BJP. We don’t see AAP as a contender. In Delhi, there was only one opposition to AAP which is why they won. But in Karnataka, there are multiple parties and they can’t win.

Q: Who is be the candidate to be chief minister: D.K. Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah?

A: We are fighting an ideological battle. Our aim is to remove this corrupt government. The CM face is not our concern. It will be decided by the high command in consultation with all the MLAs.

Q: When will the Congress release its third list of candidates?

A. We will announce the third list after Mr Rahul Gandhi’s visit on April 10 to Kolar, where he will address a Satyamev Jayate rally.

yukta.m@iijnm.org

Khajuraho – Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho is one of the selected Seven Wonders in India, known for its cluster of marvelous Hindu & Jain temple structures and their jaw-dropping statuettes. The spectacular artwork and sculptures depicting supreme romance and eternal love is not only acclaimed in India but also worldwide. The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism. They strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. The Temple of Kandariya is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments demonstrates the pinnacle of temple architectural in northern India.

Source: UNESCO

Quiz

1.In which year was Pulitzer Prize established?

2. Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 was awarded to the former President of South Africa along with?

3. The first Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony has been given to?

4. Eritrea, which became the 182nd member of the UN in 1993, is in the continent of?

5. First human heart transplant operation conducted by Dr. Christiaan Barnard on Louis Washkansky, was conducted in?

6. Which was the 1st non Test playing country to beat India in an international match?

7. Track and field star Carl Lewis won how many gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games?

8. The name of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands was changed to Lakshadweep by an Act of Parliament in?

Answer on Page 4

Sitharaman visited the BJP state office to hoist the flag on the 43th BJP Foundation Day. | Credit: Hamsaveni N

Cloud tech is inexpensive, easy to use, but has risks

Hacking and downtime are big concerns

By Yashaswini Sri

Post-pandemic, gaming platforms plan to leverage cloud technology. But this could lead to potential risks to data security and privacy threats for users

Ermetic, the cloud access risk security company, announced the results of a study conducted by the global intelligence firm IDC, which found that nearly 80 per cent of the companies surveyed had experienced at least one cloud data breach in the past 18 months, the Business Wire reported.Forty-three per cent of the companies reported 10 or more breaches.

The 300 chief information security officers who participated in the survey said security misconfiguration (67 per cent), lack of adequate visibility into access settings and activities (64 per cent) and identity and access management permission errors (61 per cent) were their top concerns associated with cloud environments. This survey resulted in drafting solutions

Meanwhile, 80 per cent reported they were unable to identify access to sensitive data in IaaS

(Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service)environments. The 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report said hacking ranked higher than misconfiguration errors as source of data breaches.

Hari Kiran, an automation and development operations engineer at Axiomio Solutions explained: “Cloud computing is where the data, applications and servers are stored and hosted over the Internet using cloud platforms. It is less expensive compared to on-premise deployment. One of its main benefits is

‘E-postal voting could be helpful for NRIs’

Continued from page 1

She further added: “E-postal voting will really help a lot of NRIs staying away from the country to cast their votes.”

Kalyani K, a student in the University at Buffalo, US, said: “I have travelled to different countries for my education.As a student; it is very tough to manage my expenses. So it is a far thought for me to travel to India. Most of us here think that one vote will not make any difference. It is also because of having few options to cast our votes. The government should… address this issue. If the e-postal system is a success, we can cast our votes.”

Raja T, an Indian working abroad,said: “Issues with visas, permission from jobs, availability of flights, and other reasons stop us from flying to our country. Election dates are mostly announced a month prior to the elections, but we need at least six months of planning before

Did You Know?

while on the go without the need for bulky PC infrastructure. Because users won’t require highend PCs to use some programs, cloud computing also lowers the entry bracket of hardware for developers which adds as a pro.

“The sole difference between cloud computing gaming and traditional gaming is that they now receive our game time and inputs rather than being saved on our devices and owned by us.”

Former President Jimmy Carter has won three Grammy Awards in the Best Spoken Word Album category. The first one was for Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis in 2007. Next came, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety in 2016. Finally Faith: A Journey For All in 2019. In 2004, Bill Clinton won Best Spoken Word Album for My Life. Just a year prior in 2003, he won the Best Spoken Word Album for Children with Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks. Barack Obama has won a couple of golden megaphones of his own. He won Best Spoken Word Album in 2006.

we fly, making it complicated to fly back to the country and cast one’s vote.

He continued: “E-postal voting sounds helpful, but it might come with a lot of issues. Foreign countries have their own rules and regulations. Implementing e-portal voting will be a challenging task for India. If done in the right way, it will be useful for many NRIs living in various parts of the world.”

The Observer noticed that most NRIs were not aware they could register themselves as overseas voters and cast their votes during the elections.

The law minister said that on the recommendation of the EC, the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2018 –enabling overseas Indians to cast their votes either in person or by proxy–was passed by the Lok Sabha in August 2018. . The Bill lapsed when the 16th Lok Sabha was dissolved.

hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org

that it requires little hardware, making it portable for access from remote locations and it is more secure than on-premise hosting. Data is accessible at high speeds, but it comes with its own drawbacks like cloud downtime where we encounter reboots, network outages or sluggish connectivity due to its heavy reliance on the Internet.”

Kirat Kaur, a freelance game developer, spoke with The Observer about the use of cloud computing in gaming platforms: “Cloud computing enables game developers to work on projects

Selena Sharon A, a gamer and freelance graphic designer, said: “I spend 6-8 hours on gaming. It depends upon my schedule and work. Before, I used to play more than 12 hours a day. Many people played video games in their free time before the pandemic. With the pandemic forcing people to spend more time at home and limiting their ability to socialize in person, gaming has become a more important form of social interaction and entertainment for many people.”

T. Ravi Kumar, a student and gamer, said: “The pandemic has led to an increase in the number of people playing video games. With many people working from home or experiencing reduced work hours, they have more free time to engage in gaming activities. Online gaming has allowed people to connect with other players from around the world and engage in multiplayer games with ease.” yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

Victims hostile due to societal norms: Police

Continued from page 1

Chandan Kumar N, assistant commissioner of police,Sadashivanagar,explained : “I have seen that these cases happen a lotin rural areas. If these kinds of cases happen, the survivor’s family won’t come forward to file an FIR. If at all it comes, they keep in mind the financial aspect. Once the accused comes out of jail, they (the family of the survivor) will either approach him for marriage or they will ask for compromise.”

About victims, he said: “If you see statistics from rural areas, most end up with the complainant being hostile or the witnesses being hostile, so the case gets dismissed. A girl who gave 164 statements against a person, when presented in court, said she was afraid so she said the wrong things.”

Asked about the reason , he said: “This may happen because of pressure from the family or maybe everything is too over-

Quiz Answers

whelming for victim.”

Madhu Bhushan, a member of Gajanan Mahila Morcha, spoke about the complications of Pocso cases. Elaborating the difference, she said: “In instances where the boy says he wants to marry the girl or the girl says she wants to marry the boy, then I don’t think it should be criminalised. In that case, you should talk to them and provide them counselling. We ask them to wait until the girl is an adult and is in a better position to make her decisions. Here it becomes a question of choice and girl’s mental and emotional capacity.”

An article in The Print said since the Pocso Act does not recognise as permissible any form of sexual contact between children or with a child, judges have preferred to acquit the accused if the victim turns hostile, if the victim is pregnant and is married to the accused, or if there is an offer to marry.

siddhi.c@iijnm.org

Tweetcasm

Ambani is making celebs dance to his tunes. But Virat-Faf are making Ambani’s team dance to their tunes. @Sagarcasm

Weather

Maximum Temperature: 27°C

Minimum Temperature: 17°C

Dew Point: 14 °C

Humidity: 45%

Wind: 6 km/h

Visibility: 6 km

Air quality: Poor

Wind gusts: 33km/hr

Pressure:1018 mbar

UV Index: 6 of 10

Pressure :29.77 in

Forecast: 31 / 17 °C

Wind: 10 km/hr

Quote of the Week

“Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it but molds it to its purpose. The nineteenth century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac.”

Oscar Wilde

Editor: Vindhya Pabolu

Reporters: Hamsaveni N, Yukta Mudgal, Siddhi Chahuan

Copy editors: Yashaswini Sri, Arsha B S

Other IIJNM publications

l The Beat magazine

l CityCast

l The SoftCopy

l Newsnet

Cloud technology could lead to potential risks to data security and privacy threats for users | Credit: Vindhya Pabolu