China’s virus attacks continue worldwide
Not just coronavirus, China is also the source of the cyber attack “virus” on rivals like the United States and India. A warning issued by the US administration on Wednesday says that “Big Tech and Beijing are dangerous partners.” In a statement—which has been accessed by The Sunday Guardian—before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has claimed that no other country presents a comprehensive threat to America’s ideas, innovations, and economic and homeland security than China under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Less than a month ago, on 10 February the Department of Justice, in coordination with the FBI, unsealed an indictment against four Chinese cyber actors who allegedly acted as agents of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Chinese hackers take steps to evade detection in the system, including routing traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries. Chinese companies are increasingly acquiring or launching social media applications for the global consumer market, but applications that are not housed in mainland China. These applications generate big data, such as biometric information, contact lists, location data, log data, communication metadata, content (text and photographic), bank and credit card details, and financial transactions of the Americans. A top officer with National Technical Research Organisation, India’s technical spying agency, told this newspaper that “what the FBI has said is true for our country also…We are continuously under Chinese hackers’ attacks, targeting our military, space, economic and social secrets and data.”
Say namaste to avoid coronavirus
In Haryana Assembly, state Health Minister Anil Vij recommended a “simple solution” to escape from the coronavirus. He said that by adopting the Indian way of greeting others with folded hands and saying namaste would keep the virus at bay. “Refrain from the English way of shaking hands,” he advised. Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal said Gurugram, on the outskirts of Delhi, was home to many multi-national companies. “Tablets given to us on budget day are from Wuhan. When did these arrive? Are these safe to use?” she asked.
SC vs Parliament On Crypto-Currency
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed dealing in crypto-currency, quashing an earlier ban imposed by the Reserve Bank of India on trading in virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. The development came as a major relief for the sector, as the RBI ban restricted lenders from facilitating banking transactions for crypto currency exchanges and traders. The top court’s order followed a plea by the Internet and Mobile Association of India objecting to the RBI ban. A Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, led by Anand Sharma, Congress Rajya Sabha member, in its 224th Report on Demands for Grants (2020-21) of the Ministry of Home Affairs that was presented in Rajya Sabha expressed concern “on the increasing popularity of crypto-currencies.”
Clusters for good governance
A Parliamentary panel has recommended several changes for ensuring “good governance through improved quality of civil servants” and filling up of vacancies in critical agencies like IAS, courts, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Central Information Commission (CIC), Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, etc.These recommendations are contained in the Reports of the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances for Grants for 2020-21 that was presented to Rajya Sabha on Friday. The Committee with 28 members from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha is headed by Bhupender Yadav (BJP Member of the Upper House). The Committee recommends grouping of ministries into clusters like Rural Cluster, Social Cluster, Financial Cluster etc., and assigning civil servants cluster-wise, based on their knowledge, competence, interests and inclination to enable them acquire skills, expertise and excellence in a particular domain.
Presentation Of ‘Sacred Trees Of Sikhism’
To commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the Christchurch City Council, New Zealand, on Friday organised a presentation on “Sacred Trees of Sikhism” by Amritsar-based author, environmentalist and former civil servant, D.S. Jaspal, who runs a popular Indian-Pakistani food joint “Sarhad’ at border in the Golden City. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel inaugurated the event which was attended by prominent persons including Member of Parliament Nicky Wagner, retired High Court judge Sir John Hansen, Wolfgang Bopp, Director of Botanic Gardens, Tania Wati from Ngai Tahu, the principal Maori tribe of New Zealand.