Developed by Keralites, ‘V-Consol’ to replace Zoom, Google Meet at central govt offices

News Network
August 21, 2020

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New Delhi/Alappuzha, Aug 21: A video conferencing software developed by a company led by a Malayali is ready for India.

The first place in the Innovation Challenge announced by the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT during the lockdown was bagged by the V-consol software developed by Techgentsia Software Technologies, which is led by Keralite Joy Sebastian.

Techgentsia, based at Infopark in Pallipuram, will get Rs 1 crore and also a three-year contract to set up video conferencing facilities in central government institutions as the prize for winning the competition.

This will be done by using the V-consol software through the National Informatics Center (NIC), says the agreement. An annual maintenance grant of Rs 10 lakh will also be provided.

Joy Sebastian, a native of Poonkavu, Alappuzha, is the managing director and chief executive officer of TechGenia. All but one of the five directors of the company are Malayalis.

V-Consol will replace the popular video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet in government offices. The software supports eight Indian vernacular languages, including Malayalam.

“It needs a large investment infrastructure to take the software to the common man. There is currently no possibility for that. I hope this award will lead to that,” said Joy Sebastian.

Selection process

Announcing the winner on Thursday, Union Minister for Electronics & IT Ravishankar Prasad said India has come up with world-class video conferencing solutions in just four months. "We are committed to developing India’s software product and mobile app economy in a big way and efforts like this will go a long way in that direction,” he said.

The ministry had announced the competition to develop a video conferencing solution on April 12, 2020, under the Digital India Initiative.

The three-stage competition was open for industries, start-ups and individual experts. The response was overwhelming. The 1,983 submissions were pruned to 12 and each applicant was given Rs 10 lakh to develop the prototype. The prototypes were then evaluated by a jury of senior government officers, academicians and members from the IT industry. They shortlistlisted five applicants for building a ready-to-market product. Three of the shortlisted applicants were given Rs 20 lakh and the remaining two were provided with Rs 15 lakh. In the end, the jury picked Vconsol as the winner.

The jury decided to offer Rs 25 lakh each to three companies - Sarv Wave (Jaipur), Insta VC (Hyderabad), HydraMeet (Chennai) - to fine-tune their products for three months.

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News Network
November 19,2024

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Gone are the days of chaotic group chats and endless back-and-forth messaging. Say hello to seamless event planning with WhatsApp's new event feature—your ultimate tool for stress-free gatherings!

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Effortless RSVP:
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  • Going
  • Maybe
  • Can’t Go

All-in-One View:
From the date and time to the location and special instructions, every detail is beautifully organized and accessible in one spot.

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Make Every Occasion Special

Whether it’s a birthday bash, a weekend adventure, a family reunion, or a casual hangout, WhatsApp’s event feature ensures smooth planning and execution.

Pro Tip: Use this tool to turn chaotic planning into pure convenience.

So, what are you waiting for? Open WhatsApp, give it a try, and watch your gatherings transform from stressful to simple! 

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News Network
November 28,2024

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Mangaluru, Nov 28: In a major breakthrough, police have arrested Rahul, alias Bol Karmaveer Eshwar Jat, a Haryana native, for a brutal train murder committed on October 25. Rahul, a notorious interstate serial offender, was apprehended after a relentless investigation involving multiple state police forces.

The October 25 incident occurred during a train journey when Rahul got into an argument over a cigarette with Mauzzam, a resident of Chikkaballapur. The altercation escalated, leading to Rahul strangling Mauzzam to death. He fled the scene with the victim’s mobile phone, bag, and cash.

Muazzan worked as a sales representative and was differently-abled. He boarded the train on October 24 from Yesvantpur and occupied the Divyang Coach. The incident came to light on the morning of October 25 at Udupi, where a railway guard found Muazzam unresponsive. The railway police immediately rushed him to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead.

Accused Rahul was tracked down through an exhaustive review of over 2,000 CCTV recordings by police teams from Valsad, Vapi, Surat, and Udvada. His identity was eventually confirmed by a vigilant officer from Surat Central Jail, leading to his capture in a joint operation by Railway and Surat police.

Rahul’s criminal record reveals a trail of horrifying offenses across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, and West Bengal. Among these are the rape of a mentally ill minor girl in Pune and the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman near Udvada railway station in Gujarat's Vapi district. Despite being arrested in the past, Rahul resumed his crimes after securing bail.

On November 19, he allegedly stabbed a 60-year-old man to death aboard the Katihar Express in West Bengal, with a case registered at the Howrah police station. In Telangana, he confessed to murdering a woman in yet another shocking crime.

Public Advisory:

  • Stay vigilant when traveling on trains, especially during late hours.
  • Report suspicious individuals or activities to railway authorities immediately.
  • Ensure your personal belongings are secure while traveling.
  • This arrest brings a sense of relief, but the investigations continue as authorities piece together the full extent of Rahul’s crimes.

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News Network
November 26,2024

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Former minister and ex-MLC C M Ibrahim claimed that he still heads the original JD(S) and asked former prime minister and party supremo H D Deve Gowda to cut ties with the BJP, so that the party can be strengthened again. He also said options are being explored to either strengthen the JD(S) or to float a new regional party.

He was speaking to media persons, in Mysuru, on Monday, after meeting JD(S) MLA and former minister G T Deve Gowda, who has expressed his displeasure that he has been sidelined in the party and the party leaders have indicated his retirement from politics.

He stated, “If Deve Gowda had joined the Congress, during the last Assembly election, he would have been a minister now. We retained him in the JD(S), to strengthen the party. Now, efforts are being made to strangulate Deve Gowda’s political career. I have discussed all matters with Deve Gowda. In two days, I will start a Karnataka state tour and meet some leaders. After that, I will meet Deve Gowda again, and then decide on the further course of action.”

Ibrahim said, “The original JD(S) is ours. I am still its state president. All documents and accounts are in our name. Even now, if Deve Gowda leaves BJP’s company and returns, we will build the JD(S) again”.

“Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy should mend his ways and stop making JD(S) into a family-owned company. The JD(S)’s situation has become hopeless. Its love for the BJP is over. He should understand this,” he said.

“When I was with Kumaraswamy, he spent just Rs 4 crore in Channapatna and won by 20,000 votes. Now, without me, he spent Rs 150 crore and still lost by 25,000 votes. Without Muslims’ support, the JD(S) cannot win a single seat. Now, it is proved that 19 MLAs of the JD(S) won in 2023, because of Muslims,” he added.

Speaking on other options available, Ibrahim said, “We have not yet decided to go with the Congress. We are only considering to establish a third front. Whether it is founding a new regional party, forming a third front, or strengthening the JD(S), will be decided shortly.”

Earlier during the day, before meeting Deve Gowda, Ibrahim had said, that 12 to 13 JD(S) MLAs were dissatisfied with the party, but like Deve Gowda, were enduring pain.

“Now, I have started the task of uniting them. I as the JD(S) state president, it is my responsibility to address our MLAs’ grievances. At present, the JD(S) is on fire and all JD(S) MLAs want to protect their respective constituency. Hence, they have started speaking one by one,” he said.

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