How different things work: Phone tapping
Phone tapping is back in the headlines, thanks to the unauthorised
spying on Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley's phone, the
discovery of which led to a furore in Parliament and the arrests of four
people so far.
I Know Who You Phoned Last Night
Phone tapping is back in the headlines, thanks to the unauthorised spying on Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley's phone, the discovery of which led to a furore in Parliament and the arrests of four people so far. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has clarified that Jaitley's phone was not tapped, but only his call detail records (CDRs) illegally accessed. Just how private are our phone conversations?
Phone tapping: This is a criminal offence in India, liable for three years' imprisonment, unless carried out by an enforcement agency with the sanction of either a state or union home secretary, or an appropriate court. The telecom company provides a parallel line to the enforcement agency. Currently around 9,600 telephone lines across the country are being legitimately tapped, according to press reports.
Recent cases: Phone tapping was last in the headlines in 2008/09 after the telephonic conversations of public relations professional Niira Radia with several politicians, business leaders and journalists were leaked. The government clarified that her phones had been tapped after appropriate permission, following a complaint against her received by the Income Tax Department. Earlier, in 2005, the phone lines of Amar Singh, then a senior Samajwadi Party leader, were found to have been illegally tapped.
Accessing call records: Home Minister Shinde admitted in Parliament that while there were rules setting the limits of phone tapping, there were none about accessing CDRs. Service providers, however, generally do not part with these, unless sought by a police officer of the rank of assistant commissioner or above. In the Jaitley case, a constable, who has since been arrested, misused his senior officer's email account.
Telephone companies currently maintain call records for six months to a year.
Naught Again
The Rs 477-crore project to spruce up Connaught Place in New Delhi began in May 2009 and ought to have been completed before the Commonwealth Games in the city in October 2010. The job is still unfinished, and the latest is that it will stretch beyond its revised deadline of April 2013. The New Delhi Municipal Council has resolved not to take up any new project till this one is done.
Feeling Bullish
The most expensive bull in the world is Miles McKee, a Hereford bull based in Idaho in the United States, which was recently sold by its owner, Guy Colyer, for a whopping $600,000. This is twice the previous record of a bull's price. Hereford bulls are bred for beef, but McKee is too precious to be headed for the abattoir any time soon. His job will be to breed more bulls.
Packed House
An architecture studio from Argentina, Proyecto 2M, has designed portable shelters to help the disaster affected. These are packed tightly for easy transportation, but can be put up in 30 minutes flat, and include proper insulation, heating and lighting. If an earthquake, landslide, storm, flood or bush fire destroys your home, but you have one of these, it can make a whole lot of a difference.
Compiled by Roopali Joshi
Phone tapping is back in the headlines, thanks to the unauthorised spying on Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley's phone, the discovery of which led to a furore in Parliament and the arrests of four people so far. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has clarified that Jaitley's phone was not tapped, but only his call detail records (CDRs) illegally accessed. Just how private are our phone conversations?
Phone tapping: This is a criminal offence in India, liable for three years' imprisonment, unless carried out by an enforcement agency with the sanction of either a state or union home secretary, or an appropriate court. The telecom company provides a parallel line to the enforcement agency. Currently around 9,600 telephone lines across the country are being legitimately tapped, according to press reports.
Recent cases: Phone tapping was last in the headlines in 2008/09 after the telephonic conversations of public relations professional Niira Radia with several politicians, business leaders and journalists were leaked. The government clarified that her phones had been tapped after appropriate permission, following a complaint against her received by the Income Tax Department. Earlier, in 2005, the phone lines of Amar Singh, then a senior Samajwadi Party leader, were found to have been illegally tapped.
Accessing call records: Home Minister Shinde admitted in Parliament that while there were rules setting the limits of phone tapping, there were none about accessing CDRs. Service providers, however, generally do not part with these, unless sought by a police officer of the rank of assistant commissioner or above. In the Jaitley case, a constable, who has since been arrested, misused his senior officer's email account.
Telephone companies currently maintain call records for six months to a year.
Naught Again
The Rs 477-crore project to spruce up Connaught Place in New Delhi began in May 2009 and ought to have been completed before the Commonwealth Games in the city in October 2010. The job is still unfinished, and the latest is that it will stretch beyond its revised deadline of April 2013. The New Delhi Municipal Council has resolved not to take up any new project till this one is done.
Feeling Bullish
The most expensive bull in the world is Miles McKee, a Hereford bull based in Idaho in the United States, which was recently sold by its owner, Guy Colyer, for a whopping $600,000. This is twice the previous record of a bull's price. Hereford bulls are bred for beef, but McKee is too precious to be headed for the abattoir any time soon. His job will be to breed more bulls.
Packed House
An architecture studio from Argentina, Proyecto 2M, has designed portable shelters to help the disaster affected. These are packed tightly for easy transportation, but can be put up in 30 minutes flat, and include proper insulation, heating and lighting. If an earthquake, landslide, storm, flood or bush fire destroys your home, but you have one of these, it can make a whole lot of a difference.
Compiled by Roopali Joshi
