RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat praised Gen Z as ‘sincere, patriotic’. He has rubbished allegations that the student protest in Jantar Mantar was ‘foreign funded’ and ‘anti-national’. Bhagwat said, youths have the right to protest because ‘protest is a form of dialogue’. He added, “in a democracy, protest is a way of making consensus. If what you are saying is not heard, then you can protest, but it should be to create consensus, not divide.”
Asked why pellet guns were used on protesters at Jantar Mantar, Bhagwat said, he had no full information and is not in a position to comment. Bhagwat did not mince words when he said that he did not agree with those who alleged that the Jantar Mantar protests were ‘foreign funded’ and ‘anti-national’. On the issue of reservation, Bhagwat said, it must continue because of prevailing social disparities based on caste. At the same time, he suggested, a good message can be sent if those who have taken benefits from caste-based reservation, show large heartedness and stay away from quotas.
The RSS chief has given a strong response to those who had been questioning the motives of Gen Z. He made three main observations. Firstly, there are deficiencies in the education system and those who raised their voices about the system have not done anything wrong. Secondly, Bhagwat believes the young generation is smart and patriotic. It would be wrong to dub the protest of these youths as foreign funded. Thirdly, he said,’ if I am asked whom to trust, I will say Gen Z”. I would like to praise Mohan Bhagwat for not mincing words while lending his unstinted support to Gen Z. To make such comments in today’s scenario needs a lot of courage. But Bhagwat has the habit of speaking out his mind without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. His message will go down very deep.
Centre cracks whip on AI-generated deepfake content
The Centre has notified IT rules tightening its grip on dealing with the menace of illegal AI-generated deepfake content. Intermediaries must compulsorily take down unlawful posts or videos after intimation within three hours instead of 36 hours. Grievance redressal deadlines have been cut from 24 hours to two hours in sensitive cases like nudity or impersonation.
Intermediaries must ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, so that users can easily identify synthetically generated material and prevent misuse. Companies which flout these rules may face legal action from the government. Stringent rules against deepfake videos had become necessary. The steps taken by the government are welcome. For the common man, it becomes difficult to differentiate between AI generated content and real content. I have been a victim of this menace in recent years. AI generated fake videos imitating my voice and face have been posted on social media by unscrupulous elements for selling dubious medicines and even investments.
There have been cases where adolescent viewers were misguided and elderly persons cheated through deepfake videos. AI generated fake content had been used to incite communal and regional passions. Because of lax rules, by the time the offensive contents are removed from social platforms, the messages become viral and reach millions of gullible viewers. By making removal of deepfake AI-generated content mandatory within three hours of receiving complaints, it will surely give much needed relief to the common people.