Issue of breach of privacy by tech devices raised in RS

A BJP member in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday raised the issue of smart TVs and other electronic devices breaching privacy and demanded strict action to prevent such incidents.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, BJP member Amar Shankar Sable referred to a recent case in Surat in Gujarat where an intimate video of a couple was made by hackers using Smart TV and then uploaded on the Internet.

He said there is a threat to privacy of people and wanted that strict action should be taken.

To this, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said: "This is a sensitive matter".

Samajwadi Party member Sanjay Seth raised the issue of reports of deaths of cattle, particularly cows, in Uttar Pradesh. He said a particular community is being targeted while transporting cattle in some states.

He said steps should be taken to provide fodder and water to prevent deaths of cows in shelter, and added that this matter should not be seen as vote bank politics.

Senior CPI leader D Raja and DMK member Tiruchi Siva demanded that the draft national education policy should be made available in all languages listed under the eighth schedule of the Constitution. They also demanded that more time should be given for seeking comments from public and stakeholders.

Siva said the parliamentary standing committee should scrutinise this draft policy.

Manas Ranjan Bhunia of the TMC demanded that wages under the rural employment scheme MNREGA should be fixed at Rs 300 per day and minimum 200 days work should be provided.

Sasmit Patra of the BJD demanded that more central funds should be provided to coastal states like Odisha which are prone to natural calamities like cyclones.

BJP member Vijay Pal Singh Tomar raised the issue of traffic jam on the Delhi-Meerut road causing inconvenience to people and demanded that the new expressway being constructed should be completed at the earliest.

Ram Kumar Kashyap of INLD spoke about huge traffic jams on toll plazas and demanded that there should be a fixed time for clearance of vehicles, while D P Vats of the BJP sought a direct train from Hisar to Amritsar.

Jharna Das of the CPI(M) wanted that women should get more representation in government jobs.

Rakesh Sinha (nominated) said a new bridge should be constructed on River Ganga at Matihani in Begusari district of Bihar, which will benefit lakhs of farmers of four districts -- Begusarai, Munger, Jamui and Lakhisarai.

Congress member P L Punia raised the issue of reduction of kerosene quota to Chhattisgarh to 1.15 lakh litre annually and demanded the same should be restored to 1.58 lakh litre required annually.