The Central government has taken a tough stand at Artificial Intelligence-generated content, deepfakes ahead of polls, reports Asian Lite News
As Microsoft warned India about China’s plan to create and amplify AI-generated content to “benefit its interests” amid the seven-phase elections starting April 19, the Centre has come down heavily on global digital companies, asking them to fix their platforms as part of a new advisory around AI and its potential misuse during polls.
With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the US: “We assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests,” according to Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center.
According to exposure management company Tenable, misinformation spread through AI-generated deepfakes and fake content are the biggest threat to the upcoming polls.
“The biggest threats to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are misinformation and disinformation as part of influence operations conducted by malicious actors against the electorate,” Satnam Narang, Senior Staff Research Engineer, Tenable, told IANS recently.
Alarmed at AI’s potential misuse, the Centre last month said that social media intermediaries “must not permit any bias or discrimination or threaten the integrity of the electoral process.”
School students create a ‘rangoli’ depicting Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) to raise awareness among people to vote in the upcoming general elections, in Chennai on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Photo: IANS/R. Parthibhan)
A new IT Ministry advisory now specifically deals with AI, which says that digital platforms have to take full accountability and cannot escape by saying that these AI models are in the “under-testing phase.”
“It is reiterated that non-compliance to the provisions of the IT Act and/or IT Rules would result in potential penal consequences to the intermediaries or platforms or its users when identified, including but not limited to prosecution under IT Act and several other statutes of the criminal code,” according to the advisory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a conversation with Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates late last month, also expressed concerns about deepfakes in a democratic country like ours.
“I have engaged with leading minds on AI and its risks. I suggested that we should start with clear watermarks on AI-generated content to prevent misinformation. Proper sources of AI-generated content should also be mentioned,” PM Modi emphasised.
“Someone can even misuse my voice to deceive people and such a deepfake can trigger widespread uproar. We need to think about creating robust dos and don’ts on deepfakes,” the Prime Minister told the billionaire philanthropist.
Trends Research and Advisory’s new study, ‘AI Skies: Transforming Weather Prediction and Climate Awareness,’ explores AI’s role in significantly enhancing weather forecasting accuracy…. reports Asian Lite News
Trends Research and Advisory has launched a fresh study titled ‘AI Skies: Revolutionizing Weather Prediction and Climate Awareness.’ This research investigates AI’s impact on weather forecasting, demonstrating a remarkable level of precision. Conducted by Noor Al Mazrouei, Head of the AI and Advanced Technology Program at Trends, the study reveals how AI analyzes vast datasets from satellites and weather stations to predict extreme weather events more accurately, thereby enhancing disaster preparedness and risk management.
The advent of AI applications in meteorology has ushered in a new era of personalised weather services, directly catering to the varying needs of different users and industries.
The study highlighted the societal benefits of AI in weather forecasting, such as enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasts, which are essential for sound planning and decision-making across different sectors of society.
The study discussed how artificial intelligence has become a pivotal tool for simplifying and interpreting complex climate data, enabling decision-makers and scientists to make better decisions. It explains the potential of artificial intelligence in raising public awareness of climate change through platforms that translate complex climate data into an easy-to-understand format.
The study concluded that AI not only improves weather forecasting, but fundamentally changes the way we understand and address climate challenge.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, was brought forth by Google account holders who alleged that the tech giant was unlawfully tracking their online activities through the private browsing feature…reports Asian Lite News
In a significant development regarding online privacy, Google has agreed to a proposed class action settlement, aiming to address concerns over the collection of web browsing data in its private browsing mode, known as ‘Incognito mode.’
Filed on Monday in the case of ‘Brown vs Google’, the settlement includes provisions for the destruction or de-identification of billions of records of web browsing data collected through Incognito mode, according to a report by The Verge.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, was brought forth by Google account holders who alleged that the tech giant was unlawfully tracking their online activities through the private browsing feature. The proposed settlement, valued at USD 5 billion, encompasses greater transparency measures from Google regarding its data collection practices in Incognito mode and imposes limits on future data-gathering efforts.
If approved by a federal judge in California, the settlement could impact approximately 136 million Google users. According to court filings, the USD 5 billion valuation reflects the value of the data Google would be required to eliminate or de-identify, along with the data it would be prohibited from collecting in the future.
As per The Verge, the plaintiffs stated in the proposed settlement filing that the “settlement ensures real accountability and transparency from the world’s largest data collector and marks an important step toward improving and upholding our right to privacy on the Internet.”
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda expressed satisfaction with the settlement, emphasizing the company’s belief in the meritless nature of the lawsuit. Castaneda clarified that despite the plaintiffs’ valuation of the settlement at USD 5 billion, they would not receive any monetary compensation. However, individuals retain the right to file claims for damages.
As part of the agreement reported by The Verge, Google commits to enhancing disclosures regarding the limitations of its private browsing services.
Furthermore, the company pledges to enable users to block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for five years, preventing Google from tracking users across external websites during private browsing sessions.
The settlement also permits individuals to pursue damages through claims filed in California state court, with 50 claims already submitted. Google asserts its commitment to user privacy, stating, “We never associate data with users when they use Incognito mode,” and affirming its readiness to delete outdated technical data unrelated to individual users.
With these developments, the settlement marks a significant stride towards bolstering user privacy rights and fostering greater accountability in the digital sphere. (ANI)
The power sector experts hoped that many more such collaborations will take place in the wake of a further push by the Centre and different state governments to liberalise the sector….reports Asian Lite News
Power sector experts on Friday hailed the collaboration between the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Adani Group headed by Gautam Adani following RIL’s move to pick up 26 per cent stake in Adani Group’s power plant in Madhya Pradesh.
They claimed that it is one of the major chapters in India’s power sector, especially with its installed capacity of 4,28,000 MW and an ambitious plan to add 500,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The power sector experts hoped that many more such collaborations will take place in the wake of a further push by the Centre and different state governments to liberalise the sector.
As per the collaboration, RIL will purchase 26 per cent in Mahan Energen, a subsidiary of Adani Power, for Rs 50 crore and procure 500 MW of electricity for the Madhya Pradesh plant.
According to Adani Power, one of the 600 MW capacity of the Mahan thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh will be designated as a captive unit as per the stipulated norms.
Commenting on the development, former Power Secretary R.V. Shahi said, “The collaboration between two of the largest groups in the country is bound to provide a fillip to not only such cooperations, but also to other collaborative efforts, leading to even higher heights of success.”
“What has been achieved post the Electricity Act, 2003 is more than three times of what was achieved during the 50 years prior to that,” he added.
“This is the era of renewable energy, which is also facilitated by the de-licensing of power generation which took the growth in the power sector to a different orbit. By 2032, we are geared to achieve more 800,000 MW of capacity.
“The entire capacity could be doubled in the following 10 years after 2032, taking the capacity to more than 1,500 GW. This will be at the core of India’s development strategy of raising the GDP to $5 trillion and subsequently higher,” said Shahi.
Ashok Khurana, Director General, Association of Power Producers, said “This collaboration has happened because of the liberalised captive power supply framework coupled with the change in transmission licensing system, where the consumers have been allowed transmission licences while the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has simplified the procedures for the same. In fact, we will see many such collaborations coming up between the generators and the consumers.”
Jayant Deo, a former member of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), asserted that the two top business houses of India collaborating in the power sector is a good omen for the country’s march towards energy security.
The Founder of the Independent Power Producers Association of India, Harry Dhaul, pointed out that such collaborations are positive steps for the growth of the Indian power sector from the energy security point of view.
Long-Term Power Purchase Agreement Sealed
An investment agreement has been entered into among Mahan Energen Limited (MEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Limited (APL), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and APL, in terms of which RIL has agreed to subscribe and MEL has agreed to allot 5 crore equity shares with face value of Rs 10 each to RIL at par.
RIL said in a filing that the proposed investment by the company is in compliance with the provisions of Electricity Rules, 2005 in terms of which the company, as a captive user, is required to own 26 per cent proportionate ownership in one unit of MEL of 600 MW capacity, with RIL being the captive user of 500 MW generation capacity.
RIL and MEL have entered into a 20-year long term power purchase agreement for this purpose, RIL said.
MEL, a company engaged in generation and supply of power, was incorporated on October 19, 2005. The turnover of MEL, as per its audited standalone financial statement, for financial years 2022-23, 2021-22 and 2020-21 was Rs 2,730.68 crore, Rs 1,393.59 crore and Rs 692.03 crore, respectively.
“The investment is not a related party transaction and none of the company’s promoter/promoter group/group companies have any interest in the said investment,” RIL said.
“The investment is subject to customary conditions precedent including receipt of requisite approvals by MEL and is expected to be completed within 2 weeks of receipt of completion of conditions precedent and receipt of such approvals by MEL,” RIL said.
In the Age of Information brought in by Information Technology, knowledge-based decision-making became the first priority of all business enterprises, writes D.C. Pathak
The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has boosted the cause of business in many ways. It has speeded up the process of strategy formulation that derived new strength from a rapid analysis of comprehensive and relevant data relating to the past and the present.
It has also enabled businesses to deal with the new level of competitiveness that exists in today’s world, on the basis of an in-depth study of other players in the field as well as of the intricacies of the business environment.
Finally, AI is setting new benchmarks in human resource management in the matter of reconstituting teams to focus on creating new products and services and ensuring timelines of delivery.
In the Age of Information brought in by Information Technology, knowledge-based decision-making became the first priority of all business enterprises and towards that objective, arrangements were made to collate and analyse a given set of parameters for defining the future vision of the business entity to be achieved within a timeframe.
The scope of Business Intelligence has been infinitely enlarged by AI which is a tool for quickly examining an unprecedented amount of raw data and collated facts, analysing all risk factors and opportunities and producing a set of reliable-looking predictions. The AI-assisted analytics covers a volume of data that was humanly impossible to handle in one go. This has pushed decision-making to a level of near perfection in a competitive environment.
The potential of AI in strategic decision-making, however, yields the best results when it is used for augmenting human Intelligence with data-driven insights and operational efficiency.
AI puts the process of decision-making on a stronger footing by making it an evidence-based determination. Further, AI introduces an element of neutrality and objectivity and minimises the scope of biases creeping into that process.
AI has opened up the world of start-ups and helped to provide a level playing field to those who can “read the future better” and while pursuing a line of business, find an opportunity that had gone undetected earlier.
Application of AI-aided examination of information available in the public domain leads to a good assessment of the competitor’s behaviour as well as the industry dynamics.
Analysis of vast datasets through the application of AI can unearth patterns and trends that throw light on the modus operandi of a rival that was not visible to the human eye and which could be put to good use in a competitive setting.
Even while leveraging historical data, AI can read areas of success of a competitor and determine the scope for improvement there far more accurately thus creating a competitive advantage.
The more comprehensive the data, the better the outcome of the AI application.
It is possible to roll out new GenAI-based products and services to bring more value to investors and customers. AI-aided skills are extensively used now for profile writing, creating engaging headlines and understanding natural language for putting across the work being done by the business enterprise.
The use of AI in critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication, is now well established.
Automated tasks are another developing area of corporate activity that is being put to good use.
As already mentioned, AI is proving indispensable for predictive analytics. Simulating market conditions and their probable outcomes accrued through advance scenario planning and risk assessment, is becoming a trendsetter.
In the arena of human resource development, work starts with the use of AI to improve the recruitment process itself. AI skills are needed in jobs requiring communication, analysis and sales promotion.
In content creation, it is found that more important than the time spent on writing is the time utilised for interactions and networking for the purpose of enhancing outreach and accessing new knowledge.
Upskilling is required since nearly half of the jobs in India are going to be affected by AI — fortunately, professionals in India are already using AI skills more than what was the case anywhere else globally.
AI offers a new level of personalisation of customer needs, helps the process of development of new products and facilitates the adoption of entirely new ways of sales promotion. Business enterprises need manpower that is attuned to working with others, finding solutions to the problem at hand and using critical thinking.
The new skills are also put to good use in evolving work-life balance that AI-based tasks could demand. One of the top challenges is to prepare a GenAI-ready workforce. One impediment to this is the shortage of expertise in the emerging tech streams such as cloud computing.
There are limited programmes for GenAI skills in the university curricula. Business corporates have to think of building the capabilities of their workforce in terms of technical skills through a tailored training programme on GenAI. This programme has to be based on enterprise-specific or even team-specific goals.
Professionals across operations, marketing, finance etc require basic familiarisation with GenAI to decide how to effectively leverage GenAI tools to improve ‘productivity’.
AI developers need to be nurtured to understand the science behind ‘deep learning’ and make the choice to pick the right models. Advanced teams may be needed to develop niche expertise in product engineering.
Even at the leadership level specific GenAI programmes have to be devised to enhance the trickle-down effect in creating motivation and ambition across the hierarchies. These are also needed for strategy formulation and possible policy amendments that could be required for better implementation.
Today, an understanding of Learning & Development (L&D) and Large Language Models (LLMs) and their importance in business is needed at the leadership level itself.
The main point of understanding and acceptance by the leadership is that AI’s first impact on business was to enable the enterprise to reduce cost and increase the efficiency of its operations so that there was better ROI resulting from the value-add created by AI.
In a nutshell, AI primarily works through data and analytics to help companies to build new products and services and to enhance their customer base.
Machine learning automation is assisting human resource management in screening resumes and scheduling interviews. Screening enables the management to match applicants for positions requiring knowledge, experience and special skills for the job.
Targeted and personalised promotion campaigns are also helped by AI. A simple illustration is ‘machine learning’ that notes the difference between a customer who scans information for high-end eating places and then searches for clothes online and a customer who is only searching for clothes. In the first case, AI lays out fashion garments while in the other case, it would offer a range covering different categories.
Decision-making is one of the most important areas depending a great deal on AI because the latter can scrutinise large databases on customer preferences, text images and videos that are made for knowledge-based decisions- considered so important for standing against the competition. Supply chain management, security enhancement and customer experience data are among the basic advantages that AI-aided programs could provide.
Above all, India is quite aware of the promises and perils of AI and that is why it has asked tech firms to seek government approval before releasing under trial or unreliable AI tools and to caution the customers that the programme may not be able to answer every query of the user.
AI tools should be used with the basic understanding that they are governed by the input-output principle and that any predictive analytics provided by them rested on the detection of patterns and keywords in an unusually large database. Best results therefore are achieved when human intelligence works in conjunction with data-driven insights.
(The writer is former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal)
The draft recognizes the rapid acceleration of AI development and use and stresses the urgency of achieving global consensus on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems…reports Asian Lite News
The United States is spearheading the first United Nations resolution on artificial intelligence, aimed at ensuring the new technology is safe, secure and trustworthy and that all countries, especially those in the developing world, have equal access.
The draft General Assembly resolution aims to close the digital divide between countries and make sure they are all at the table in discussions on AI and that they have the technology and capabilities to take advantage of its benefits, including detecting diseases, predicting floods and training the next generation of workers.
The draft recognizes the rapid acceleration of AI development and use and stresses the urgency of achieving global consensus on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems. It also recognizes that the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States turned to the General Assembly to have a truly global conversation on how to manage the implications of the fast-advancing technology of AI.
The resolution would represent global support for a baseline set of principles for the development and use of AI and would lay out a path to leverage AI systems for good while managing the risks, he said in a statement to The Associated Press.
If approved, Sullivan said, this resolution will be an historic step forward in fostering safe, secure and trustworthy AI worldwide.
The United States began negotiating with the 193 UN member nations about three months ago, spent hundreds of hours in direct talks with individual countries, 42 hours in negotiations and accepted input from 120 nations, a senior US official said. The resolution achieved consensus support from all member states and will be formally considered later this month, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but they are an important barometer of world opinion.
A key goal, according to the draft resolution, is to use AI to help spur progress toward achieving the U.N.’s badly lagging development goals for 2030, including ending global hunger and poverty, improving health worldwide, ensuring quality secondary education for all children and achieving gender equality.
The draft resolution encourages all countries, regional and international organizations, technical communities, civil society, the media, academia, research institutions and individuals to develop and support regulatory and governance approaches and frameworks for safe AI systems.
Lawmakers in the European Union are set to give final approval to the world’s first comprehensive AI rules on Wednesday. Countries around the world, including the U.S. and China, or global groupings like the Group of 20 industrialized nations also are moving to draw up AI regulations.
The US draft calls on the 193 UN member states and others to assist developing countries to access the benefits of digital transformation and safe AI systems. It emphasizes that human rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected, protected and promoted throughout the life cycle of artificial intelligence systems.”
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield recalled President Joe Biden’s address to the General Assembly last year where he said emerging technologies, including AI, hold enormous potential.
She said the resolution aims to build international consensus on a shared approach to the design, development, deployment and use of AI systems, particularly to support the 2030 UN goals.
From just two mobile phone factories in 2014, India now has become the second largest mobile phone producer in the world….reports Asian Lite News
The growth of mobile phone production in India over a decade is being described as an unmatched success story in the manufacturing sector.
While 78 per cent of all the mobile phones sold in the country in 2014 were imported, about 97 per cent of the mobile phones are now manufactured in India.
According to the industry body, India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), mobile phone production, in value terms has surged from Rs 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs 4.10 lakh crore in FY24, registering over 20 fold increase.
Cumulatively, over 245 crore mobile phone sets have been produced in India during the last 10 years.
In 2014-15, mobile phone exports from India were a mere Rs 1,556 crore.
The industry expects to end FY24 with an estimated export of Rs 1,20,000 crore. Driven by this export growth, mobile phones have now become India’s fifth largest export as an individual commodity.
This exponential growth in production, exports and self-sufficiency stems from a conducive policy environment, and a close working relationship between industry and key government Ministries such as the Ministry of Electronics & IT, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, NITI Aayog and the PMO, the experts said.
In May 2017, the government announced the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) initiative to promote the domestic production of mobile handsets. It helped in building a robust indigenous mobile manufacturing ecosystem in the country and incentivised large-scale manufacturing.
From just two mobile phone factories in 2014, India now has become the second largest mobile phone producer in the world.
According to experts, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Large-Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) and for IT hardware is advancing towards making India a competitive destination for electronics manufacturing.
The PLI scheme offers incentives ranging from 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the incremental sales value for a stipulated period to eligible players.
The PLI scheme has attracted leading global contract manufacturers, including Foxconn, Pegatron, Rising Star and Wistron, to set up a production base in India.
Samsung on the other hand, operates the world’s largest mobile phone factory in Noida.
In the field of smartphones, Apple and Samsung, have played a crucial role in boosting mobile phone exports from the country. India-manufactured devices are being exported in large volumes to the UK, Netherlands, Austria, and Italy, besides Middle East, North Africa and South American markets.
With a large domestic market and a growing export market, the outlook for mobile phone and electronics manufacturing in India remains upbeat, the experts mentioned.
The IndiaAI Mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation through strategic programmes…reports Asian Lite News
The industry leaders on Friday hailed the government’s IndiaAI Mission initiative, the country’s first artificial intelligence (AI) mission that was approved with an outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore.
The IndiaAI Mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation through strategic programmes and partnerships across the public and private sectors.
“The focus on funding deep tech AI startups, developing open source databases, as well as domain-specific large language models will play an instrumental role in fueling AI innovation in the country, making India a global leader in harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence,” said Tilakraj Parmar, Co-Founder & CEO, QX Lab AI.
He also mentioned that the government’s move to provide financial support and a strategic roadmap for AI integration will act as a catalyst for economic growth and innovation.
Prashanth Kaddi, Partner, Consulting, Deloitte India, said that this move gives a fillip to the startup ecosystem “to drive innovation helping India leapfrog into areas such as text summarisation, video/image generation, and next-gen chatbots etc., including enablement across Indian languages”.
The Mission will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC).
According to an official, the approved IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the tech sovereignty of the country.
It will also create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend of the country.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX criticized Google Gemini as highly discriminatory…reports Asian Lite News
X owner Elon Musk on Wednesday continued his tirade against Google, saying its artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini is super racist and even “sexist”.
The billionaire responded to a follower who said that Google Gemini replied to his prompt that “white people should absolutely acknowledge their white privilege”.
“Google Gemini is super racist and sexist,” said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
Another follower commented to Musk’s post that “Gemini holds Asians to similar standards as Whites when it comes to privilege”.
“This just shows more and more how Gemini is programmed with the exact same narratives that our higher education teaches,” an X user posted.
Musk recently accused Google of running “racist, anti-civilisational programming” with its AI models.
“Given that the Gemini AI will be at the heart of every Google product and YouTube, this is extremely alarming,” he had posted earlier this week.
One of his followers commented on his latest post on Google Gemini, saying “just remember who is programming it.
“There’s your problem and your answer. If the left can control the narrative, we will never have honesty again. Truth will be censored or not even added to the database. It will only be left talking points. That’s scary.”
Musk had claimed that a senior Google executive called him after screenshots of Gemini’s response to “misgender” Caitlyn Jenner to avoid a nuclear apocalypse went viral on social media.
Palaniswami also released the party’s election slogan: “Let’s reclaim Tamil rights, Let’s save Tamil Nadu,” on the occasion….reports Asian Lite News
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated audio clip of AIADMK’s iconic leader and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa seeking support to party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for the upcoming Lok Sabha election was released by the party on Saturday.
In the AI voice clip, released on her 76th birth anniversary, the former party supremo could be heard recalling the AIADMK government’s welfare initiatives and appealed to the members of the public to strengthen Edappadi K Palaniswami’s hands in establishing “people’s rule.” She repeated her popular catchphrase: “I am because of the people, I am for the people” (Makkalal naan, makkalukkagave naan).
Palaniswami also released the party’s election slogan: “Let’s reclaim Tamil rights, Let’s save Tamil Nadu,” on the occasion.
Annamalai hails Jayalalithaa
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Saturday remembered former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on her 76th birth anniversary.
“It is former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalitha’s birthday today. The welfare programs implemented by her for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu and for the welfare of the society shouts out her fame,” Annamalai said in a post on X.
Earlier AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswamy paid tributes to the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
“Today is the 76th birthday of the Guardian of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Whether in government or in politics she served without any compromise, without doing any harm to anyone, with balance, equality and social justice. ..Let us pledge to continue on the path of success shown by her. All of us will pledge that the leaders of our association and the brothers and sisters of the association will work day and night for the election and get a great victory in the coming parliamentary general election and present that victory to the leader of the revolution” Palaniswamy said in his post on X.
“She embraced us all with love, taught us political lessons and guided us. On the birthday of our beloved mother, may we all work tirelessly to achieve great success! Let’s work!. The year 2026 will also be the year of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the state” he added.
Jayalalithaa, fondly called ‘Amma’ by the people of Tamil Nadu, served the state for three terms, 1991-96, 2002-06 and 2011-14 as chief minister.
She had acted in around 130 films. She joined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 1982.
She was made the propaganda secretary of the party in 1983, and a year later she won a seat in the Rajya Sabha. In 1989 Jayalalitha was elected to the state legislative assembly.
She was even imprisoned for a month in 1996 after a raid by authorities seized a large quantity of jewellery, clothing, and shoes from her home.
In 1998, Jayalalithaa brought the AIADMK into the national coalition government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with which the party has now severed ties.
In September 2014 she was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to four years in prison. She relinquished her post to O Panneerselvam, who had served as chief minister in 2001-02 when Jayalalitha was not able to hold the office. (ANI)
Three-term TN Cong MLA joins BJP
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, a three-time Congress MLA from Tamil Nadu, S Vijayadharani on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party’s headquarters in the national capital.
Union Minister of State L Murugan, BJP in charge, who has been given the responsibility of overseeing preparations for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu and party leader Arvind Menon were present. The party’s co-incharge for the state Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy was also present.
Earlier in the day, Vijayadharani informed that she resigned from the primary membership of Congress through a post on X.
“I am resigning from the primary membership and related posts held by me in the Congress party,” she said.
She shared her resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Vijayadharani, a three-time legislator, was elected from the Vilavancode Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari District.
The development is being seen as a blow to Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year.
The BJP is seeking to strengthen its base in states where it is relatively weak. Congress is part of the ruling DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. (ANI)
