India has ordered all public and private sector employees use a government-backed contact tracing app and maintain social distancing in offices as it begins easing some of its lockdown measures in districts less affected by the coronavirus.
FILE PHOTO: Employees wearing protective masks work inside a call centre run by Uttar Pradesh state police during an extended lockdown to slow the spreading of coronavirus disease in Lucknow, India, April 21, 2020. REUTERS/ Pawan Kumar
“Use of Aarogya Setu shall be made mandatory for all employees, both private and public,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said late on Friday.Officials at the technology ministry and a lawyer who framed the privacy policy for Aarogya Setu told Reuters the app needed to be on at least 200 million phones for it to be effective in a population of 1.3 billion.
“Such a move should be backed by a dedicated law which provides strong data protection cover and is under the oversight of an independent body,” said Udbhav Tiwari, Public Policy Advisor for internet browser company Mozilla.The app can help authorities identify virus hotspots and better target health efforts, the tech ministry told Reuters in late April, adding information would be used “only for administering necessary medical interventions”.
Smartphone maker Lava is likely to open its plants in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, next week, said co-founder S.N. Rai.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Exclusive: India, Pakistan nuclear procurement networks larger than thought, study showsHundreds of foreign companies are actively procuring components for India and Pakistan’s nuclear programmes, taking advantage of gaps in the global regulation of the industry, according to a report by a U.S.-based research group.
Read more »
Australia topples India, Pakistan from top spots in ICC cricket rankingsThe annual update of the rankings on Friday means that results from 2016-17 were eliminated and the results since May last year are given extra weight, which means Australia moved to the number one rank.
Read more »
Kulmeet Makkar Dies: Producers Guild Of India CEO Was 60Kulmeet Makkar, the CEO of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, has died at the age of 60. The Guild posted a statement on its social media feeds confirming the news. “Today we lost ou…
Read more »
Facebook Teams With Global Entertainment Industry for India Coronavirus FundraiserSocial media giant Facebook has recruited the cream of global entertainment industry talent for a home-to-home concert designed to raise funds for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Indi…
Read more »
India extends nationwide lockdown, to allow relaxations in lower-risk zonesIndia said on Friday it would extend its nationwide coronavirus lockdown for another two weeks after May 4, but would allow 'considerable relaxations' in lower-risk districts marked as green and orange zones.
Read more »
India Extends Nationwide Coronavirus Lockdown By 2 WeeksIndia has extended the world’s largest national lockdown by another two weeks. Now, guidelines are being set on how to reopen the country of more than 1.3 billion, with restrictions starting to be lifted on Monday.
Read more »