Quick notes: Fund crunch, Saving democracy...

• Proud of you, but no funds for you: Fund crunch hits ISRO programmes. The shortfall is so stiff that the Department of Space does not have enough money at the moment to "initiate advance actions for procurement of materials and renewal of fabrication contracts" for the next phase of PSLV missions.



• AI - comparing India and China: India's policy initiatives are not comprehensive yet and lag other G20 countries. China, on the other hand, today harbours one of the biggest clusters of AI scientists. "China's AI programme is highly structured and driven 'top down' whereas India's approach is more 'organic, driven largely by the private sector and driven by their unique needs for AI".



• Digital India blunder: Modi govt involved FB and Google on hundreds of initiatives under the Digital India programme.“We have to understand these are all data intermediaries. It is but natural that they will use data in every manner. India does not have a privacy law and a data protection law.” 



• Saving democracy from Facebook: The govt should stop using FB, Google and Twitter for e-governance, and thereby stop providing free advertising for these companies for print and broadcast media.



• Reality or perception? As Dalit anger grows, RSS warns Modi-Shah to step up



• Samskrutam: Ananda Himani




• RBI survey: More than half the people surveyed expect no improvement in their incomes, job prospects or the economy a year from now.