News Analysis India

Tag: technology

  • Not many takers for ‘eSanjeevani’ telemedicine scheme, says study

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Only nine per cent population in rural India has availed the Centre’s flagship eSanjeevani telemedicine programme that provides patient-to-doctor consultations, a nationwide survey by an independent think tank has revealed. 

    The survey, which covered 6,478 people in 20 states, found that the reach and availability of telemedicine services are more in the South than in other parts of the country. The survey findings showed that the digital health divide continues to be a major area of concern.

    Ninety-one per cent of respondents expressed that they have never availed of telemedicine services for their household members, said the survey conducted by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), a collaborative venture between Transform Rural India (TRI) and Sambodhi Research and Communications.

    “Despite great efforts by the government for promoting teleconsultation services through eSanjeevani, only 9 per cent of the respondents have utilised telemedicine services. Also, usage of telemedicine services is higher in the southern part,” said the survey, which sheds light on critical and contemporary aspects of the nation’s rural health system.

    The Centre launched the programme in November 2019 with the aim to deliver healthcare services in rural areas and remote communities by leveraging the power of technology.

    “During COVID, e-Sanjeevani has shown up as a blessing and since then its acceptance and reach has increased. Instead of its huge success and potential, a large number of people are not using e-Sanjeevani,” said Shyamal Santra, Associate Director and National Lead-Health and Nutrition, TRI.

    Till July, the official data of e-sanjeevani dashboard is 139 million consultations. 

    It found that the North region has the highest percentage of facilities without telemedicine services at 83 per cent, followed by the Eastern region at 81 per cent, central India at 75 per cent, the Northeast at 71 per cent, the Western at 70 per cent, and the South at 46 per cent. 

    “In the southern region, 25 per cent of the nearby facilities offer telemedicine services, while 29 per cent of the population is unaware of any telemedicine facility available,” the survey found.

    However, it found that most people who have used telemedicine services are mainly from healthcare facilities in the North East region, accounting for 70 per cent.  The South follows this with 65 per cent, the North with 60 per cent, and the West with 58 per cent. 

    The survey also looked into how rural people assess teleconsultation services. It found that around 50 per cent of the participants from the Eastern region utilised telemedicine services from their residences.

    In contrast, in the Central region, 48 per cent of the respondents accessed these services from health facilities and their homes.  

    Santra said the main reason behind the service’s less acceptability in rural areas is access to the internet and the presence of trained health workers. The availability of smartphones and knowledge to access e-Sanjeevani are the other reasons, especially in areas with low digital literacy.

    “For conducting teleconsultation at the backend availability of doctors is essential, which is a challenge for rural India, particularly in central and north-eastern regions,” Santra said.

    In accessing healthcare, ‘trust’ plays a critical role; a large segment of the population looks for physical consultation as the only way, he added.

    He said the service was able to bring medical consultation to the areas where there is no doctor. But to make it more popular and win people’s trust, it should be supported by drugs, diagnostics, and referral services.

    NEW DELHI: Only nine per cent population in rural India has availed the Centre’s flagship eSanjeevani telemedicine programme that provides patient-to-doctor consultations, a nationwide survey by an independent think tank has revealed. 

    The survey, which covered 6,478 people in 20 states, found that the reach and availability of telemedicine services are more in the South than in other parts of the country. The survey findings showed that the digital health divide continues to be a major area of concern.

    Ninety-one per cent of respondents expressed that they have never availed of telemedicine services for their household members, said the survey conducted by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), a collaborative venture between Transform Rural India (TRI) and Sambodhi Research and Communications.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Despite great efforts by the government for promoting teleconsultation services through eSanjeevani, only 9 per cent of the respondents have utilised telemedicine services. Also, usage of telemedicine services is higher in the southern part,” said the survey, which sheds light on critical and contemporary aspects of the nation’s rural health system.

    The Centre launched the programme in November 2019 with the aim to deliver healthcare services in rural areas and remote communities by leveraging the power of technology.

    “During COVID, e-Sanjeevani has shown up as a blessing and since then its acceptance and reach has increased. Instead of its huge success and potential, a large number of people are not using e-Sanjeevani,” said Shyamal Santra, Associate Director and National Lead-Health and Nutrition, TRI.

    Till July, the official data of e-sanjeevani dashboard is 139 million consultations. 

    It found that the North region has the highest percentage of facilities without telemedicine services at 83 per cent, followed by the Eastern region at 81 per cent, central India at 75 per cent, the Northeast at 71 per cent, the Western at 70 per cent, and the South at 46 per cent. 

    “In the southern region, 25 per cent of the nearby facilities offer telemedicine services, while 29 per cent of the population is unaware of any telemedicine facility available,” the survey found.

    However, it found that most people who have used telemedicine services are mainly from healthcare facilities in the North East region, accounting for 70 per cent.  The South follows this with 65 per cent, the North with 60 per cent, and the West with 58 per cent. 

    The survey also looked into how rural people assess teleconsultation services. It found that around 50 per cent of the participants from the Eastern region utilised telemedicine services from their residences.

    In contrast, in the Central region, 48 per cent of the respondents accessed these services from health facilities and their homes.  

    Santra said the main reason behind the service’s less acceptability in rural areas is access to the internet and the presence of trained health workers. The availability of smartphones and knowledge to access e-Sanjeevani are the other reasons, especially in areas with low digital literacy.

    “For conducting teleconsultation at the backend availability of doctors is essential, which is a challenge for rural India, particularly in central and north-eastern regions,” Santra said.

    In accessing healthcare, ‘trust’ plays a critical role; a large segment of the population looks for physical consultation as the only way, he added.

    He said the service was able to bring medical consultation to the areas where there is no doctor. But to make it more popular and win people’s trust, it should be supported by drugs, diagnostics, and referral services.

  • Tech use will help India become developed nation by 2047: PM Modi

    The prime minister asked various departments to collectively think about using technology for solving their problems and reaching global standards.

  • Aero India 2023: Design our Destiny should be India’s new mantra, says Defence Minister

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday expressed confidence that India will soon be among the leading countries in the field of innovation and emerge as the “lighthouse” to the entire world.

    Speaking after inaugurating the annual defence innovation event ‘Manthan’ during Aero India here, he said, if we want to bring the next generation industrial revolution, then we should either do new things or try to do the existing things in a new way.

    “If we have to develop, then we have to redefine the competition. If we think of moving ahead with old technologies and old systems, then we will always be two centuries behind those countries (developed). That’s why today it is necessary that we think in new ways and move forward accordingly,” Singh said.

    Suggesting that we should try to do something new with the traditional things that are going on, he said, a great example of this is the UPI payment method developed in the country.

    “Moral of the story is that we should innovate. Innovation means thinking in a new way, which youth like you can do well,” he added.

    Noting that if we have to go ahead of other countries, it is necessary for “new people” and start-ups to come forward, the Minister said, in his view, a start-up means new energy, a new commitment, and new enthusiasm.

    ALSO READ | 75 per cent of defence capital for procurement from domestic firms: Rajnath

    Pointing at first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech on “Tryst with Destiny” on India becoming independent, he said, today, after 75 years of independence, we have got an opportunity to move forward on the path of ‘Design our Destiny.’

    “From now on, our mantra should be ‘Design our Destiny’, that is, we move forward towards the Design of our Destiny with our effort, abilities and resolve to build it,” Singh said.

    “Our destiny is to become the world’s top economy in the coming 25 years; Our destiny is to become the Science & Technology superpower of the world,” he said, adding that ‘Amrit Kaal’ is the best time for this, and youth are the best designers and developers of the country’s destiny.

    Organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Manthan platform brings leading innovators, start-ups, MSMEs, incubators, academia and investors from the defence & aerospace ecosystem under one roof.

    ALSO READ | India brings out its best metal birds at Aero India 2023

    Highlighting that the environment that has been created for start-ups in the country in the last few years is no less than a boon for our youth, the Minister said, seven-eight years ago the number of start-ups in the country could be counted on fingers, but today their number has reached more than one lakh.

    More than a hundred unicorns have been set up by the youth of the country. This not only tells the importance of the newly created start-up ecosystem in our country, but also showcases the new enthusiasm among our youth, and the passion among them to do something new, he said.

    Speaking about new innovations and innovative spirit among the youth, Singh said, “I’m fully confident that soon our country will be among the leading countries in the world with respect to innovations, and like in the past, in the future too India will emerge as the lighthouse to the entire world.

    “iDEX has so far introduced hundreds of innovators to the market, he said, adding that thus thousands of skilled and semi-skilled Indians have been helped in direct and indirect employment generation. The Defence Ministry has also approved a simplified, and fast-track procedure for procurement from iDEX start-ups and MSMEs,” the Minister said.

    iDEX has opened avenues for achieving self-reliance in the defence ecosystem.

    “In order to encourage our new entrepreneurs for the development of larger projects, we have decided to increase the grants given so far,” he said, adding that this shows the government’s support for the hard work, dedication, and encouragement of our innovators and start-ups.

    ALSO READ | Aero India 2023: Aim is to take defence exports to USD 5 billion by 2025, says PM

    BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday expressed confidence that India will soon be among the leading countries in the field of innovation and emerge as the “lighthouse” to the entire world.

    Speaking after inaugurating the annual defence innovation event ‘Manthan’ during Aero India here, he said, if we want to bring the next generation industrial revolution, then we should either do new things or try to do the existing things in a new way.

    “If we have to develop, then we have to redefine the competition. If we think of moving ahead with old technologies and old systems, then we will always be two centuries behind those countries (developed). That’s why today it is necessary that we think in new ways and move forward accordingly,” Singh said.

    Suggesting that we should try to do something new with the traditional things that are going on, he said, a great example of this is the UPI payment method developed in the country.

    “Moral of the story is that we should innovate. Innovation means thinking in a new way, which youth like you can do well,” he added.

    Noting that if we have to go ahead of other countries, it is necessary for “new people” and start-ups to come forward, the Minister said, in his view, a start-up means new energy, a new commitment, and new enthusiasm.

    ALSO READ | 75 per cent of defence capital for procurement from domestic firms: Rajnath

    Pointing at first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech on “Tryst with Destiny” on India becoming independent, he said, today, after 75 years of independence, we have got an opportunity to move forward on the path of ‘Design our Destiny.’

    “From now on, our mantra should be ‘Design our Destiny’, that is, we move forward towards the Design of our Destiny with our effort, abilities and resolve to build it,” Singh said.

    “Our destiny is to become the world’s top economy in the coming 25 years; Our destiny is to become the Science & Technology superpower of the world,” he said, adding that ‘Amrit Kaal’ is the best time for this, and youth are the best designers and developers of the country’s destiny.

    Organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Manthan platform brings leading innovators, start-ups, MSMEs, incubators, academia and investors from the defence & aerospace ecosystem under one roof.

    ALSO READ | India brings out its best metal birds at Aero India 2023

    Highlighting that the environment that has been created for start-ups in the country in the last few years is no less than a boon for our youth, the Minister said, seven-eight years ago the number of start-ups in the country could be counted on fingers, but today their number has reached more than one lakh.

    More than a hundred unicorns have been set up by the youth of the country. This not only tells the importance of the newly created start-up ecosystem in our country, but also showcases the new enthusiasm among our youth, and the passion among them to do something new, he said.

    Speaking about new innovations and innovative spirit among the youth, Singh said, “I’m fully confident that soon our country will be among the leading countries in the world with respect to innovations, and like in the past, in the future too India will emerge as the lighthouse to the entire world.

    “iDEX has so far introduced hundreds of innovators to the market, he said, adding that thus thousands of skilled and semi-skilled Indians have been helped in direct and indirect employment generation. The Defence Ministry has also approved a simplified, and fast-track procedure for procurement from iDEX start-ups and MSMEs,” the Minister said.

    iDEX has opened avenues for achieving self-reliance in the defence ecosystem.

    “In order to encourage our new entrepreneurs for the development of larger projects, we have decided to increase the grants given so far,” he said, adding that this shows the government’s support for the hard work, dedication, and encouragement of our innovators and start-ups.

    ALSO READ | Aero India 2023: Aim is to take defence exports to USD 5 billion by 2025, says PM

  • Digital skilling programme launched for one crore students from Class 7 to graduation

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday launched a digital skilling programme for one crore students from Class 7 to graduation with the focus on skilling, reskilling and upskilling them via internships, apprenticeships and employment in emerging technologies.

    Launching the programme, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that skilling should be a mass movement. “Government functions as a facilitator in creating a workforce for the future. It is the right time to work with a collaborative approach between industry, academia and policymakers,” he said.

    Calling upon tech companies to synergise technology with all Indian languages, the minister said India has to cater to the workforce requirement of the world, and technology will enable us to do so. 

    Over 100 technology, corporate and manufacturing firms have already come on board the platform to provide free-of-cost emerging technology certifications.

    The program is to connect the suitable candidates with skill trainers and various courses providing expertise on emerging technologies. It includes artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, data analytics, cyber security, and cloud computing.

    Pradhan said it is the first-ever collaboration on a national scale between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Skill and affiliated National Skill Development Corporation, Skill India programs (National Educational Alliance for Technology) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). 

  • Percentage of STEM women graduates in India higher compared to developed nations: Union government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The percentage of women graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at tertiary level in India is higher compared to developed nations like the US, UK, Germany and France, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

    The information was shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in response to a written question.

    While in India the female share of graduates in STEM was 42.72 per cent in 2016, that of the United States was 33.99 per cent, Germany 27.14, United Kingdom 38.10, France 31.81 and Canada 31.43 per cent.

    The trend continued in 2017 and 2018 when the percentage of women in STEM in India was 43.93 and 42.73.

    To a question seeking details of the number of STEM graduates over the last three years and whether there are more men than women in STEM, Pradhan shared the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) data for past three years which revealed that while the number of men have decreased from 12.48 lakh in 2017-18 to 11.88 lakh in 2019-20, the number of women grew from 10 lakh to 10.56 lakh during the same period.

    “The government under Department of Science and Technology has taken several steps to increase the participation of women in STEM for higher education. This includes implementation of women exclusive schemes like ‘Knowledge Involvement Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)’ to encourage women in the field of science and technology.

    “The ‘mobility’ programme has been introduced to address relocation issue of working women scientists. Further ‘Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) was launched to provide opportunities to Indian women scientists, engineers and technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in the US for duration of 3-6 months,” Pradhan said.

    “The Consolidation of University Research through Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) provides support to develop research infrastructure and state-of-the-art research facilities in women universities and to help enhancing women’s participation in research and development activities in science and technology domain,” the minister added.

    The minister also shared a set of World Bank data which showed that at least till 2016 there are more Indian women graduate in STEM compared to the US, UK, Germany and France, among others.

  • Data, demographic dividend present huge opportunity; this decade to be ‘India’s techade’: PM Modi

    The Prime Minister spoke of the critical role that technology had played during the pandemic to ensure continuity of education, access to healthcare, and other citizen services.

  • Ram temple to be built on such high-tech technology in Adodhya, will remain strong for thousand years

    The process of construction of the temple of Ramlala, enshrined in Ramjanmabhoomi, is proceeding after the Bhoomi Pujan on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The construction of the temple will be done in a phased manner. Firstly, the technique of moving the foundation down to two hundred feet is being churned. Research in this technique includes technical experts from the working organization Larsen and Toubro (L&T) as well as experts from IIT, Chennai. Planning will be done after the foundation design is finalized.

    The foundation of the temple will be on the foundation,
    the general secretary of Ramjanmabhoomi shrine, Champat Rai, says that the strength of the foundation will determine the maximum age of the temple. In such a situation, caution is being exercised in the use of technology. He said that this work is similar to the process of installing the pillars during the construction of bridges in the rivers. He explains that the major difference between the excavation of the foundation and the column of the river in the Ramjanmabhoomi complex is that iron is melted below the surface of the river in the column of the river. Whereas the foundations of the temple will not melt iron, but will be concrete. He said that the strength of two hundred fit soil has been tested in the first phase.

    Construction
    of the sanctum sanctorum will start after the completion of the foundation work. Construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the seated Ramlala will begin after the completion of the foundation work. This construction will be done according to the previously proposed model. The stone carving for the first floor, including the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple to be built from the red stones of Bansipahar, Rajasthan, has already been completed. The long-cut stones have been systematically placed in a workshop in Ramghat, which can be started at any time by sequentially picking and placing them in the place. This work will take minimum time but the foundation work is complicated.

    After Corona, the rain may become the
    path of construction of the temple in the villainous Ramjanmabhoomi, on 5 February 2020, with the formation of a pilgrimage area trust by the Central Government was cleared. Nevertheless the Corona crisis became a major obstacle. This crisis does not appear to be present. Despite this, the pilgrimage area trust made Ramlala iconic in the new building within the stipulated time. Before starting further construction, time was sought to do Bhoomi Pujan in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but due to the spread of Corona, Prime Minister Modi’s time could not be decided from the Prime Minister’s Office. On August 5, after the Bhoomi Poojan, the rain has started stalling in the deep digging of the foundation.

  • India-Singapore Hackathon boost to technology, youth power: Modi

    Presenting awards to six winners of the first-ever India-Singapore Hackathon here on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the platform would boost technology, innovation and youth power.

    The top six teams — three each from India and Singapore — were chosen after a final pitching session.

    The winning teams from India were from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy) and MIT College of Engineering, Pune.

    Among the winning teams from Singapore were Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

    “Platforms like the Singapore-India Hackathon serve as excellent opportunities for our youngsters to showcase their work. They also serve as forums to learn about pioneering innovations by youngsters from other nations and institutes. A win-win for our students!,” Modi said.

    A first prize of SGD 10,000, a second prize of SGD 6,000 and a third prize of SGD 4,000 was announced for each of the three winners from India and Singapore.

    After meeting the winners of the hackathon, Modi said he was “impressed by their passion and commitment towards solving problems our world faces”.

    The Prime Minister arrived in Singapore on Wednesday on a two-day visit to attend the East Asia Summit, Asean-India informal meet and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit.

    He also delivered the keynote address at the Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) on Wednesday.

    Twenty teams each from both countries comprising university and college students were selected for the Hackathon. Each team had three students and one dedicated mentor.

    They participated in the 36-hour long hackathon working on 20 problem statements. The hackathon ended with the “Grande Finale” on Wednesday.

    The problem statements for the hackathon were in the areas of mapping, synchronised output of diverse social media, shared digital identity verification, effective number estimate, space management and allotment, effective learning, and personal security.

  • Bitcoin frenzy settles down as big players muscle into market

    bouncing up, falling down and keeping investors on the edges of their seats, bitcoin may be maturing into a period of relatively boring stability, experts say.

    A worldwide wave of regulation has led to a collapse in trading volumes. Cryptocurrency advertisements are disappearing from top internet pages, and bitcoin no longer dominates Google searches.

    As investors try to figure out what bitcoin wants to be when it grows up, the best-known cryptocurrency is going through somewhat of an existential crisis.

    “It needs a new narrative,” said Nicholas Colas, New York-based founder of investment research firm DataTrek. “There is every chance that if there is some sort of institutional involvement, there could be a move higher.”

    Bitcoin rallied 25 percent in April after crashing 70 percent from a high near $20,000 late last year.

    The cryptocurrency landscape has indeed changed. Mom-and-pop investors who drove bitcoin’s skyrocket rise in 2017 have been pushed aside by government bans on trading, and replaced by cryptocurrency funds, wealthy individuals and established financial firms.

    The bigger players can make bigger moves, but their trades are often obscured by screens on over-the-counter (OTC) brokerages and matching platforms.

    They are also less likely to chase sudden swings in bitcoin’s value, being more interested in the potential of unproven but promising blockchain technology.

    Average daily traded volumes across cryptocurrency exchanges fell to $9.1 billion in March and to $7.4 billion in the first half of April, compared with almost $17 billion in December, according to data compiled by crypto analysis website CryptoCompare.

    Several exchanges saw their daily trading volumes drop by more than half between December and March, including Bitfinex, Poloniex, Coinbase and Bitstamp, the data shows.

  • Apple could release some iPhones without 3D touch to save money

    KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed three potential new iPhone models Apple might release this year. One of them was a 6.1-inch iteration that would borrow elements from both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 models. Kuo previously noted that the 6.1-inch model wouldn’t have 3D Touch, and now we have more details about it.

    According to Chinese website Feng, and as spotted by MacRumors, Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple’s new 6.1-inch phone will have an updated display. That new display will supposedly raise costs to between $23 and $26, leading Kuo to predict that because Apple’s new display module is more expensive, it might give up 3D Touch features to balance costs.

    According to Kuo, the new 6.1-inch iPhone will use something called Cover Glass Sensor (CGS) technology which will reportedly allow the display to be lighter and more impact resistant. According to the memo seen by Feng, the iPhone’s touch module will also be moved from the display panel to the surface glass. The new iPhone will also have a “thin-film sensor”, but it’s unclear what that exactly is and what it does.

    The removal of 3D Touch doesn’t seem too farfetched given it’s quite polarizing — some users find it useful, while others find it useless. Apple has also been rumored to be developing new technology including touchless gesture controls and a curved display.

    The memo predicts that Apple will use that new CGS display on all new iPhone models in 2019, and that 3D Touch may be scrapped from iPhones altogether in the future.