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ISRO makes breakthrough demonstration of free-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over 300 m

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The Commune
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quantum communication isro
Featured Image: Representational image | Credits: singularityhub.com

For the first time in the country, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully demonstrated free-space Quantum Communication over a distance of 300 m. A number of key technologies were developed indigenously to accomplish this major feat, which included the use of indigenously developed NAVIC receiver for time synchronization between the transmitter and receiver modules, and gimbal mechanism systems instead of bulky large-aperture telescopes for optical alignment.

The demonstration has included live videoconferencing using quantum-key-encrypted signals. This is a major milestone achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using quantum technologies.

The Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology underpins Quantum Communication technology that ensures unconditional data security by virtue of the principles of quantum mechanics, which is not possible with the conventional encryption systems. The conventional cryptosystems used for data-encryption rely on the complexity of mathematical algorithms, whereas the security offered by quantum communication is based on the laws of Physics. Therefore, quantum cryptography is considered as ‘future-proof’, since no future advancements in the computational power can break quantum-cryptosystem.

The free-space QKD was demonstrated at Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, between two line-of-sight buildings within the campus. The experiment was performed at night, in order to ensure that there is no interference from direct sunlight.

The experiment is a major breakthrough towards ISRO’s goal of demonstrating Satellite Based Quantum Communication (SBQC), through which ISRO is gearing up to demonstrate the technology between two Indian ground stations.

(Source: ISRO updates)

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Left ally in Kerala says “Love Jihad” a serious issue; fissures in alliance out in the open

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The Commune
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love jihad kerala congress (m) jose k mani

While it was the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala that first raised the issue of rampant cases of Love Jihad, it is now Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani who is raising the seriousness of the issue.

In a statement, Mani said, “Love jihad has again come up as an issue. Society has apprehensions about it. As the issue has emerged again, the apprehensions about it should be cleared.”

This statement issued by the Congress (M) leader is a real problem for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The CPM is an ally of the Congress (M) in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) . The statement has now created a massive controversy and now there are fissures in the ruling left alliance just days ahead of the Assembly election, reported the Indian Express.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) too has rallied behind Jose K Mani in support of his statement on ‘Love Jihad’. The KCBC exerts some clout among the Kerala Christian votebank to take voters from the LDF.

KCBC spokesperson, Father Jacob, commenting on the issue demanded, “CPM and other major political parties should reveal their stance on the matter.” He added, “Love Jihad is a fact. I am happy about the practical response from Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani”, as per a Mathrubhumi report.

Father Jacob was livid and said, “The Chief Minister claims that Love Jihad does not exist. He is making such a statement over his political agenda. The church and the public are worried about Love Jihad. The government and political parties are bound to solve the issue.”

Clarifying his stance on willful inter-religion marriage, he said, “The church is not against marriage between people who belong to different religions. But the church opposes making someone forcefully follow a religion.”

Jacob went on to allege that the only political party that denies the existence of ‘Love Jihad’ is the Muslim League.

When Hindu leaders raised their voice against Love Jihad they were branded as communal but in Kerala, the Catholic Church was the first to consistently use its pulpit against “love jihad” and to have also sought BJP’s support for the same.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its manifesto released last week, promised to bring legislation to counter ‘Love Jihad’ like in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

BJP leader ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan had also spoken against the social menace of ‘Love Jihad’, where non-Muslim girls are tricked into conversion to Islam. 

Congress leader and member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said, “The BJP can only offer communalism, tired scare-mongering over ‘love Jihad’ and a hate-filled politics of bigotry and division that will never go far in pluralist, inclusive Kerala”.

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Indian startup develops deep tech for low-cost internet services to rural areas

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The Commune
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internet services Astrome
Featured Image: Co-founders of the startup, Neha Satak and Prasad HL Bhat

Astrome, a Indian startup, has developed an innovative wireless product that can be used to deploy high-quality, high-speed internet services at low costs. The technology developed by Astrome gives fibre-like bandwidth at a fraction of the cost of fibre.

Rural customers and defence customers who have already signed up for pilots will soon witness the demonstration of this product.

As providing internet access to remote places in countries like India is difficult due to the high costs of laying fibre, this product can help telecom operators deliver reliable low-cost internet services to suburban and rural areas.

Astrome’s wireless product, called ‘Giga Mesh’, could enable telecom operators deploy quality, high-speed rural telecom infrastructure at five times lower cost.

There is a growing need for wireless backhaul products that can deliver low cost, high data capacity, and wide reach. The currently-available wireless backhaul products either do not provide sufficient data speeds or do not have the required range or are very expensive to deploy.

Company granted India and US patents

The deep tech startup was incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and supported by DST-ABI Woman Startup Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The startup proved their millimeter-wave multi-beam technology in the lab in 2018 and the company was granted a patent in India and the US.

Since then, the technology has been converted to a powerful and scalable product called ‘Giga Mesh’, which can solve much of the last mile connectivity telecom needs of the country. The product has been proven on the field and also integrated with partner products for its upcoming commercialization.

“Indian Institute of Science played a very critical role by helping us connect with investors, providing business mentorship, and giving us space to conduct our product field trials,” said Dr. Neha Satak, Co-founder & CEO at Astrome, while recalling a weeklong trip organized under the DST-ABI woman startup initiative which provided her with valuable inputs from the US VC ecosystem to prepare for the launch in the US market.

Astrome also received the ITU SME Award for the Most Promising Innovative Solution in Connectivity, a major recognition for this product from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). They also got selected by a prestigious 5G accelerator program called Evo Nexus (sponsored by Qualcomm) which will help them launch their product in the global market.

The multi-beam E-band product packs six point-to-point E-band radios in one, thereby distributing the cost of the device over multiple links and hence reducing capital expenditure. The radio provides long-range and multi-Gbps data throughput at each link. Features like automatic link alignment, dynamic power allocation between links, and remote link formation help operators achieve significant operating expenditure cost reduction.

Astrome is currently conducting a field trial at Indian Institute of Science (university campus). In this field trial, the company has already achieved data streaming at multi-Gbps speeds across the campus.

(Source: PIB)

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Mehbooba Mufti denied passport renewal due to negative report from J&K CID

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The Commune
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Mehbooba mufti

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti has been refused a passport.

The Passport Office cited a negative report of the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as the reason for refusing to give the go-ahead for Mufti’s passport renewal.

Currently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, Mufti sent out this tweet after her passport renewal was denied: “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex-Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation (sic)”.

After the abrogation of Article 370, Mehbooba Mufti was placed under detention along with other senior political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. 

However, Mufti − who is one of the leaders of the “Gupkar Gang” syndicate − has alleged that she is being targeted over her dissenting views. According to her, the government is misusing agencies like the National Investigation Agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to intimidate her by propping trumped-up charges like sedition or money laundering.

“Dissent has been criminalised in this country. ED, CBI and NIA are being misused to silence the opposition tactically,” Mufti said.

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Violence against Bangladesh’s Hindus escalates: Islamists attack Hindu temples

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The Commune
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Bangladesh Islamist outfits attack Hindus

Hundreds of members of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam attacked Hindu temples and a train in eastern Bangladesh on Sunday. Violence continued to spread across the country in the wake of a two-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The recent violence against Bangladesh’s Hindu minority began days ago on March 17, as Muslim mobs attacked Hindu homes armed with sticks, rods, sickles and other home-made weapons allegedly over a Facebook post by a young Hindu man. The Facebook post allegedly criticised Mamanul Haque, a leader of the Hefazat-e-Islam. Seventy to eighty Hindu houses were attacked in the incident.

Since then, despite arrests by the police, the violence against Hindus has continued unabated.

Local police and doctors said at least 11 protesters have been killed since Friday in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Islamist groups against the Indian leader’s visit.

On Friday, dozens of people were injured in the densely-populated capital Dhaka as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.

Violence has raged on since Modi’s departure, as anger has swelled over the deaths.

Muslim mobs attack train, temples

Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War that heralded Bangladesh’s birth as a nation. Modi left on Saturday after gifting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina some 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine shots.

Thousands of Islamist activists marched down streets across Bangladesh on Sunday.

Activists with the Hefazat-e-Islam group attacked a train in the eastern district of Brahmanbaria, resulting in ten people being injured, a police official said.

“They attacked the train and damaged its engine room and almost all the coaches,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

Several government offices, including the land office and a government-sponsored music academy, were set on fire and several Hindu temples were also attacked, said Javed Rahim, a journalist in Brahmanbaria town.

“We are in extreme fear and feeling really helpless,” Rahim said, adding: “Even the press club was attacked, leaving many injured, including the press club president.”

One protester, who sustained an injury during Saturday’s clash in Brahmanbaria, died on Sunday.

Islamist activists also set alight two buses in the western district of Rajshahi on Sunday, while hundreds of protesters clashed with police in several places, pelting them with stones, three police sources in three districts said.

Protesters used electric poles, timber and sand bags to block roads and police retaliated with rubber bullets and tear gas, leaving dozens injured in Narayanganj, just outside the capital, Dhaka, one police official said. Protesters also vandalised and burned several buses in Dhaka as they blocked many roads, a police official said.

The protests have flared into wider demonstrations against police killings, and the Hefazat-e-Islam enforced a nationwide strike on Sunday.

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BJP candidate attacked by DMK goons

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The Commune
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Vinoj P Selvam, the President of BJP’s Yuva Morcha in Tamilnadu was attacked on Sunday by members of the DMK. Vinoj, who is contesting in the Harbour constituency in Chennai was scolded using derogatory words by the DMK goons who had attacked him.

He had posted the video of the attack on Twitter with the caption, “Look at the filth @arivalayam uses! This was during the attack they tried on me last night. Tamilnadu does not deserve this! @blsanthosh @kishanreddybjp”

In the video, DMK goondas are shown to be attacking Vinoj, and when he resists, they try to derogate him by scolding him with the Tamil equivalent of the words  ‘b**ch’. They go on to threaten to kill him, and scream aggressively.  They go on to attempt to attack the women in the house, and go on to speak crassly about them.

While the rage against DMK’s A Raja’s comments over the CM’s mother has still not died down, it is shocking to note that the DMK has engaged in yet another act of the same nature in less than 2 days.

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NCP supremo Sharad Pawar taken to hospital, scheduled for surgery on March 31

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The Commune
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Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar has been rushed to a hospital in Mumbai as he reportedly felt unwell. The 80-year-old Pawar is slated to undergo a surgery at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday, March 31.

Pawar had earlier undergone surgery for cancer in 2004.

The news of the veteran NCP leader’s illness has been confirmed by NCP spokesperson and Maharashtra minority affairs minister Nawab Malik.

Malik took to Twitter and announced that the doctors at Breach Candy hospital have diagnosed “a problem” in Pawar’s gall bladder.

“Our party president Sharad Pawar saheb was feeling a little uneasy due to a pain in his abdomen last evening and was therefore taken to Breach Candy Hospital for a check-up. Upon diagnosis, it came to light that he has a problem in his gall bladder,” Malik tweeted.

Malik added in another tweet that Pawar was on blood-thinning medication, which is now being stopped due to his current ailment. Pawar is scheduled to undergo an endoscopy and a surgery on March 31, Mailk tweeted. “All his programmes stand cancelled until further notice,” Malik added.

The news comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s cryptic statement regarding a meeting between Shah and Pawar which allegedly took place on Saturday. Leaving media persons hanging after he declined to comment when asked on Sunday about the purported meeting with the NCP chief, Shah said, “Everything need not be made public”.

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As DMK’s A Raja apologises over crass comments on CM’s mother, BJP-AIADMK demand Raja’s suspension

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The Commune
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A Raja EPS

After the severe outrage against A Raja for his derogatory comments on Tamil Nadu CM EPS’ mother, the DMK leader tendered an apology to the Chief Minister. “If my comments really offended him, I wholeheartedly express my apology for it,” Raja said while campaigning in The Nilgiris on Monday.

In addition to the outrage, there has been a case registered with the Election Commission against A Raja for his vulgar remarks. “On the basis, the case was filed under Indian Penal Code and Representation of People Act,” the Chief Election Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said, without divulging details. This was a result of state-wide protests and demonstrations staged by the AIADMK’s supporters in Salem and Karur districts on Sunday. The supporters had burnt his effigy and had filed an official complaint with the Election Commission, asking them to immediately suspend him from engaging in any sort of election campaigns.

In response to this, DMK high command Stalin went ahead and ‘instructed’ his party members not to indulge in any form of foul-mouthing and vulgar commentary, since the opponents might ‘distort it in their favour’.

In light of this issue, the BJP’s IT wing made special mention of the fact that in March 2019, the DMK had suspended actor-politician Radha Ravi over his alleged sexist remarks on actress Nayantara. Keeping in line with this, both the AIADMK and the BJP have demanded that the DMK suspend A Raja over his remarks on the CM’s mother.

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Tricolour to flutter over J&K govt buildings more then seventy years after independence

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The Commune
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Jammu and Kashmir tricolour

After the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in the erstwhile state and now Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the hoisting of the tricolour has been made mandatory in all government offices and buildings.

Since India’s independence in 1947, the hoisting of the tricolour on all government offices and buildings in Jammu and Kashmir was not allowed.

However, an order to the effect was issued by Piyush Singla,  the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag on March 26.

“…it is impressed upon all District/Sectoral Heads/Tehsil/Block level officers to ensure that National Flag is flown on all Government offices/buildings across the district within 15 days positively”, the circular noted.

On Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha too directed the district officers of the Union Territory (UT) to ensure that the national flag is hoisted on all government buildings and establishments under their jurisdiction. The decision was taken by the Lt Governor in a meeting with the Divisional Commissioners, District Magistrates, and Superintendents of Police of the UT.

The Divisional Commissioner office of Jammu asked all the Deputy Commissioners and Head of Departments (HoD) to implement the Lt Governor’s directive, regarding hoisting of National flag on all the government buildings, within the next 15 days.

The Deputy Commissioners and HoDs of Jammu Division have been asked to ensure strict compliance with the directions of the Lt Governor as per the provisions of Flag Code of India within 15 days.

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Blocking Hunter Biden story was a “total mistake”, admits Jack Dorsey

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The Commune
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Hunter Biden Jack Dorsey

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that blocking a story about US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in the lead-up to the 2020 US Presidential election was a “total mistake”.

Dorsey made the remarks during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, which also included the CEOs of big tech and social media giants Facebook and Alphabet. Facebook too had moved to limit the story on its site.

The New York Post story had unearthed shocking emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop, showing that he had introduced his father then Vice President Joe Biden, to a Ukrainian energy executive at Burisma Holdings Ltd. — a move that led then US President Donald Trump’s campaign to accuse the company of “interfering” in the election.

The emails are only a part of the data recovered from a laptop that was reportedly dropped of at a repair shop in 2019. The laptop was later seized by the FBI. Among the data recovered are pictures of Hunter Biden and a video that appears to show him smoking crack while engaged in a sex act.

Twitter also locked The New York Post out of its account for more than two weeks over charges that the exposé used hacked information — a decision Dorsey chalked up to a “process error.”

Dorsey questioned on “anti-conservative bias” on Twitter

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise grilled Dorsey about concerns of an “anti-conservative bias” on Twitter.

“We made a total mistake with the New York Post, we corrected that within 24 hours,” Mr Dorsey said. “It was not to do with the content, it was to do with the hacked materials policy. We had an incorrect interpretation.”

“We don’t write policy according to any particular political leaning”, Dorsey added.

The Twitter CEO was also asked about the New York Post’s account being blocked and being unable to tweet.

“It was literally just a process error. This was not against them in any particular way,” Dorsey told the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

When Scalise asked if anyone from the “censoring department” was held accountable for the mistake, Dorsey dodged the question. “We don’t have a censoring department”, Dorsey said.

He was then asked who made the decision to block the New York Post’s account.

“We didn’t block their account for two weeks, we required them to delete the tweet and then they could tweet it again,” Dorsey replied. “They didn’t take that action, so we corrected it for them.”

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