Draft data protection rules include deletion of social media accounts upon death, unless relatives are nominated

Social media profiles of deceased persons may be deleted after prolonged inactivity under the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025; the parent Act provides users with nomination facility in the event of death

This essentially means that social media companies, e-commerce firms, and online gaming companies — the three types of enterprises outlined specifically in the Rules — will have to proactively delete inactive accounts.

A key provision of the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 could lead to the disappearance of the social media accounts of the deceased. According to Rule 8(1) of the draft Rules, which have been issued for public comment, “A Data Fiduciary … shall erase such personal data, unless its retention is necessary for compliance with any law … if, for the corresponding time period … the Data Principal neither approaches such Data Fiduciary for the performance of the specified purpose nor exercises her rights in relation to such processing.”

This essentially means that social media companies, e-commerce firms, and online gaming companies — the three types of enterprises outlined specifically in the Rules — will have to proactively delete inactive accounts, a provision which may erase public facing social media accounts of individuals who have died in recent years. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a recent interview that the Rules may have a two-year timeline for compliance, and consultations around this issue are ongoing.


In the past, social media platforms have had to contend with the issue of dead users when planning purges of inactive accounts. In 2019, the erstwhile Twitter announced that old accounts that had not been used in over six months would be removed after some warnings, and their usernames would be made available. Public outrage ensued from relatives of deceased users, in addition to concern that notable accounts of public personalities would disappear from the platform. Under Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X, the policy resurfaced, and accounts started disappearing in May 2023.

Meta has a process in place to memorialise accounts of the deceased in accordance with the wishes of relatives. “It’s our policy to memorialize an account for someone who has passed if a valid request is received,” the company says in a help page for Facebook. A “legacy contact” can be added by a user when they are alive in order to pass on control in the event of their demise. Similar provisions exist for Google Accounts.

The Rules formalise such arrangements, as does the parent Act. “A Data Principal shall have the right to nominate, in such manner as may be prescribed, any other individual, who shall, in the event of death or incapacity of the Data Principal, exercise the rights of the Data Principal in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder,” the DPDP Act says.

However, users are not required to nominate someone in the event of their death, and may choose to have their accounts disappear. “Keep in mind that if the account holder requested to have their account permanently deleted after they pass away, we will remove their account once we’re made aware they have passed away,” Facebook says on memorialisation.

AICTE signs MoU with 22 EdTech companies for 40 products under NEAT 4.0

The AICTE statement said that domain experts evaluated over 300 products to ensure high-quality standards before selecting 40 for onboarding onto the NEAT portal

NEW DELHI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday with 22 EdTech companies to introduce 40 innovative products as part of the fourth phase of the National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT).

The AICTE statement said that domain experts evaluated over 300 products to ensure high-quality standards before selecting 40 for the NEAT portal (neat.aicte-india.org), which provide top ed-tech solutions and courses to students.

AICTE chairman T.G. Sitharam said, “The use of AI tools on the portal enables personalised learning, ensuring better outcomes for students. Moreover, the onboarding process allows evaluations every two to three months, expediting the inclusion of innovative solutions.”

The ministry of education introduced NEAT in September 2019 under a public-private partnership model. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched NEAT 3.0 in January 2022.

“NEAT 3.0, which provided free ed-tech course coupons worth ₹253 crore to over 12 lakh disadvantaged students, involved 58 EdTech companies offering 100 products to enhance skills and bridge learning gaps,” said an official.

At Thursday’s event, Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), said, “NEAT 4.0 will revolutionise online learning in India by providing learners with industry-oriented skills, enhancing their employability.”

Buddha Chandrasekhar, chief coordination officer, AICTE, added that NEAT 4.0 incorporates emerging fields such as Biomedical Engineering, Health and Wellness, and Space Technology, making the portal more versatile.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/aicte-signs-mou-with-22-edtech-companies-for-40-products-under-neat-40-101735895044017.html

Vaachan Sankalp Maharashtracha

 

As part of the growing Reading Initiative of Maharashtra (शासन पवरपत्रक क्र. संकीर्ण -2024/ ई - 905221/समन्वय, दि. 20 दिसेंबर), the library of St. Francis Institute of Technology (Engineering College) will be conducting a variety of activities as enlisted below. Maharashtra's reading initiative has worked tirelessly to promote literature, encourage literacy, and nurture a reading culture in schools, colleges, and communities. Whether it’s through libraries, literary festivals, or public readings, the goal is to make books an integral part of daily life, providing people with the tools to engage critically with the world.

Quiz: Guess the Book by its Blurp

Book Exhibition

Group Reading Activity

Read Aloud Activity

Book Reviews

Library Cleaning

December 2024: Top News Articles

December 2024: Top News Articles

 

Ø MU academic council approves rules for twinning, dual degrees

The Times of India dt. 12/12/2024

 

Ø AICTE announces 2025 as the 'Year of Artificial Intelligence' to empower colleges and students

      The Times of India dt. 23/12/2024 

Celebration of reading: Maharashtra unites 45 lakh students with statewide book review challenge

Mumbai: The new year will open with a symphony of words for students in Maharashtra. A govt resolution (GR) decrees that 45 lakh students, spread across 6,000 colleges and 83 universities in the state, embark on a shared literary journey: to read one book, cover to cover, and craft a thoughtful review.

The book reading and review initiative will be held from Jan 1-15.

The state's director of higher education, Shailendra Deolankar, said he was inspired to launch this "bold experiment in collective reflection, uniting campuses under a single narrative" after attending the Pune reading festival. Students can pick any book except a textbook related to the curriculum.

"The idea is to increase student engagement and to promote the habit of reading that is lost on the current generation. We have given students the freedom to pick a book they want: fiction, non-fiction, scientific, spiritual, self-help, or mystery. Before they start reading, teachers will counsel them on how to read a book and how they must review it," Deolankar told TOI.

College teachers lamented that a directive had to be passed to get students to read a book. "A habit that should have been cultivated at home and in school now requires the state to pass a GR. Yet, we are happy that a step has been taken," said a college teacher.

Deolankar said this will not be a one-off event, but a "continuous celebration" of reading.

After the book review, which will be either in the form of a written review or a presentation, colleges will choose the best student. Finally, after multiple rounds, colleges will whittle down to one student from each region who will be picked. Ten of them will be called to Pune and will be incentivised.

The state's 12,000 public libraries have also been roped in to lend books to students who may not have access to books.

Source: The Times of India dated 23 December 2024

Good Reads 7

Name of the Magazine :  OpenSource for you

Vol. No. 13 / Issue No. 03 / January 2025

 

Title: How to locate a device without using GPS

Author: Nidi Agarwal and Ashwini Kumar

Article Page No.: 95 – 98

 

Abstract: SSID-based Wi-Fi locationing offers a precise method for determining locations using Wi-Fi signals, particularly in areas where GPS often proves unreliable.

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 Name of the Magazine :  Voice and Data

Vol. No. 31 / Issue No. 11/ November 2024

 

Title: Mining Copper’s second life

Author: Pratima Harigunani   

Article Page No.: 24 - 29

 

Abstract: As telecom shifts to fibre, copper recycling emerges as a challenge and an opportunity, promising new revenue streams amid increasing demand for the metal.

 

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Name of the Magazine :  Voice and Data

Vol. No. 31 / Issue No. 12/ December 2024

 

Title: Leveraging AI clouds to transform industries into powerhouses

Author: Mohamed Imran  

Article Page No.: 12-14

 

Abstract: AI-powered cloud solutions redefine industries by enabling automation enhancing decision-making, and fostering scalable, intelligent workflows globally

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Name of the Magazine :  DATAQUEST

Vol. No. XL / Issue No. 12/ December 2024

 

Title: Data Sovereignty and Clouds: Not an Oxymoron. Anymore

Author: Pratima H.

Article Page No.: 16-18

 

Abstract: What was once contrarian to what the Cloud stood for is now being accommodated by top vendors and crafted in a special way. Are Sovereign Clouds flipping the script?

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Name of the Magazine :  Electrical India

Vol. No. 64 / Issue No. 12/ December 2024

 

Title: Ensuring Accelerated Growth of the INDIAN POWER SECTOR

Author: P. K. Chatterjee (PK)

Article Page No.: 32-35

 

Abstract: Indian government is determined to bring down carbon emission as per its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030. The power sector has a major role to play in it. This article presents some of the significant developments that have taken place in this sector very recently...

 

GATE Exam 2025 Date, Schedule, Timetable: IIT-Roorkee releases dates; exams from Feb 1

GATE 2025 Exam Dates: Students can find the GATE 2025 timetable on the official website: gate2025.iitr.ac.in.


GATE Exam Timetable 2025: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has released the timetable for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2025. The exam will take place on February 1, 2, 15, and 16, in two sessions each day. Students can find the GATE 2025 timetable on the official website: gate2025.iitr.ac.in.

GATE 2025 will be held in the forenoon and afternoon sessions over the weekends between February 1 and 16. The forenoon session will run from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, while the afternoon session will take place from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

GATE 2025 Time table

Date	9.30 am to 12.30 pm	2.30 pm to 5.30 pm
Feb 1, 2025	CS1, AG, MA	CS2, NM, MT, TF, IN
Feb 2, 2025	ME, PE, AR	EE
Feb 15, 2025	CY, AE, DA, ES, PI	EC, GE, XH, BM, EY
Feb 16, 2025	CE1, GG, CH, PH, BT	CE2, ST, XE, XL, MN

GATE 2025 will offer a total of 30 test papers, and candidates may choose to appear for one or two test papers only.

The types of questions in GATE 2025 will include multiple choice questions (MCQ), multiple select questions (MSQ), and numerical answer type (NAT) questions. In MCQs, only one out of four options is correct. In MSQs, one or more than one out of four options is/are correct; and for NAT questions, the answer must be keyed in using a virtual keypad.