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Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
Health ministry, UK health department joint working group discuss digital transformation of healthcare
DOHA: A recent meeting of the Joint Working Group between the Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom was held via video conferencing. The delegation from the Ministry of Public Health was led by Assistant Minister of Public Health for Health Affairs Dr Salih Ali Al Marri, while the British side was headed by Deputy Director of Bilateral Relations and Trade at the UK Department of Health and Social Care Fionn Craig. The meeting aimed to deepen cooperation between the two parties in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, artificial intelligence and data in healthcare, the resilience of medical supply chains, and patient safety and quality of care. It reviewed several important topics, most notably an overview of the State of Qatar's priorities regarding antimicrobial resistance, the national programme for combating antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceutical security and the strategy for securing antibiotics. It also included an overview of the UK's priorities on antimicrobial resistance, initiatives following the 2024 UN General Assembly Political Declaration on antimicrobial resistance, and establishing an independent scientific committee dedicated to evidence-based action on antimicrobial resistance. The meeting also discussed the digital transformation of healthcare, including the Qatar Health Information Exchange Platform, workforce development, collaboration with the private sector and outsourcing of digital health and artificial intelligence solutions. In addition, the meeting also addressed the integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare in the UK, the ethics and regulation of AI in healthcare, and the ten-year health plan to transition from paper-based to digital systems in the UK. Moreover, the meeting reviewed Qatar's approach to supply chain resilience strategies, the implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare supply chain management, and an overview of the national framework for patient safety, including priority areas, national policies under development, and capacity building for patient safety and risk management. It also included an overview of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), the International Patient Safety Organizations Network, patient safety investigations, and principles and expertise in human factors in the UK.
Fibre2Fashion
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Indian govt urges e-commerce platforms to eliminate dark patterns
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory to all e-commerce platforms, urging them to take immediate steps to ensure their platforms do not engage in deceptive or unfair trade practices commonly referred to as dark patterns. The CCPA has advised e-commerce platforms to audit and eliminate dark patterns within three months, promoting fair practices and consumer trust. Violators face notices under the 2023 guidelines. A Joint Working Group will monitor compliance and raise consumer awareness. Thirteen types of dark patterns have been officially defined by the government. All platforms have been advised to conduct self-audits within three months from the date of the advisory to identify such practices and implement corrective measures. Based on the self-audit findings, platforms are also encouraged to provide self-declarations affirming that they do not engage in any dark patterns. These declarations are intended to promote a fair digital ecosystem and strengthen consumer trust in e-commerce platforms, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a press release. The CCPA has also issued notices to certain platforms found to be in violation of the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. The authority continues to closely monitor compliance with these guidelines and has observed several instances of dark patterns across e-commerce sites. Platforms are, therefore, advised to avoid using manipulative design interfaces that mislead consumers or influence their decision-making unfairly. To further this initiative, the Department of Consumer Affairs, government of India, has constituted a Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising representatives from relevant ministries, regulators, voluntary consumer organisations, and national law universities. The JWG has been tasked with identifying violations of dark patterns on e-commerce platforms and regularly sharing findings with the Department of Consumer Affairs. It will also recommend suitable awareness programmes to educate consumers about such practices. As part of its broader strategy to enhance consumer protection in the digital era, the government of India had issued the guidelines in 2023, identifying and defining 13 types of dark patterns: false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisements, nagging, trick wording, SaaS billing, and rogue malwares. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Business Recorder
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan's IT sector surges with 24% export growth, $2.4bn trade surplus
Pakistan's Information Technology sector delivered a standout performance in FY2025, with exports of ICT services surging by 23.7% during July–March to $2.825 billion, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25. This growth added a much-needed boost to the country's external sector, as IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) recorded a $2.4 billion trade surplus – the highest among all service industries. Freelancers played a notable role in the sector's performance, contributing $400 million in foreign exchange earnings, underlining the increasing relevance of the digital gig economy in Pakistan. The momentum continued into March 2025, when ICT exports reached $342 million, up from $305 million in February, marking a 12.1% month-on-month increase and an 11.7% year-on-year growth from March 2024. To support and sustain this upward trend, the government is expanding digital infrastructure and promoting entrepreneurship. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has initiated the rollout of 250 e-Rozgaar centers by FY2027, aiming to create 20,000 jobs and support freelance work and startup culture. Fifty centers are expected to be operational by the end of FY2025. Additionally, over 1,900 startups have been incubated under the National Incubation Centers (NICs), with 960 graduating successfully. These ventures have generated over 185,000 jobs, attracted Rs30.8 billion in investments, and reported combined revenues of Rs27.3 billion. Over 12,000 women entrepreneurs have been empowered through these initiatives, reflecting the sector's contribution to inclusive growth. On the telecom front, the sector generated Rs803 billion in revenues during July–March FY2025, while contributing Rs271 billion to the national treasury through taxes and duties. Total subscriptions reached 199.9 million, pushing teledensity to 81.3%. The sector's expansion is being supported by international collaboration, including a Joint Working Group (JWG) with China, focusing on ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation, and regulatory frameworks.
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Panel to track dark patterns, e-commerce platforms told to conduct self-audits
NEW DELHI: The Central Consumer Protection Authority had issued an advisory to e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits within three months to detect 'dark patterns' and take necessary steps to ensure its resolution. In order to identify and eradicate 'dark patterns', the government has constituted a Joint Working Group (JWG) and advised e-commerce platforms to comply with Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. 'The e-commerce platforms, based on the self-audit reports, have also encouraged to give self-declarations that their platform is not indulging in any dark patterns. The self-declarations by the platforms will enable fair digital ecosystem along with building trust between consumers and e-commerce platforms,' a government release said. A 'dark pattern' refers to a deceptive design technique employed in user interfaces that misleads users or coerces them into making unintended choices. This practice undermines consumer autonomy, decision-making, and overall choice. The government has so far specified 13 dark patterns, namely: false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisements and nagging, trick wording, saas billing and rogue malwares. The Department of Consumers Affairs has constituted a JWG comprising representatives from concerned Ministries, regulators, voluntary consumer organisations and NLUs. The group shall update the department also suggest appropriate awareness programmes for awaring the consumers.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India-Central Asia Dialogue IV: A strategic opportunity
The IV India–Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi, held on June 6, 2025, may well be remembered as more than just another diplomatic milestone. It represents a broader transformation in India's foreign policy, one that blends counterterrorism resolve with regional integration, historic ties with digital futures, and diplomacy with defense. In short, it marks India's assertion of strategic agency across Eurasia's contested heartland. Speaking at the opening session of the IV India-Central Asia Dialogue, external affairs minister S Jaishankar thanked Central Asian counterparts for their solidarity in condemning the Pahalgam attack and reaffirmed India's intent to deepen 'a partnership defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities, and common challenges.' That message is not rhetorical. It reflects India's new doctrine of regional presence. With Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India had established a 'new benchmark' in counter-terrorism policy. In the wake of that operation, the Dialogue reinforces India's intention to convert tactical clarity into strategic connectivity. India's ambitions in Central Asia are not new. But they have never been this consolidated or strategically framed. The dialogue reinforced India's identity as a trusted development partner, one that is investing in connectivity corridors, health infrastructure, digital public goods, and high-impact community development projects. India's approach is scaffolded by the C5+1 framework, which allows it to engage multilaterally with the five republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, while also managing bilateral dynamics. The format is fast maturing into a platform for everything from counterterror cooperation to fintech coordination. India's broader objective? India aims to establish itself as a reliable geopolitical competitor in a region dominated by China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's military-economic complex. In this crowded field, India isn't trying to outbuild China or out-arm Russia but to compete as an equally strong partner to Central Asia by offering transparent, sustainable, and sovereign-friendly alternatives. The Dialogue also put connectivity back in the spotlight. India recommitted to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port, inviting more active participation from Central Asian nations. Kazakhstan's proposal to develop the eastern branch of INSTC was welcomed as a strategic bridge between India and Eurasia. Economic diplomacy gained new dimensions with the promotion of trade in national currencies and the creation of a Joint Working Group on financial connectivity. The goal is not just trade; it's institutional connectivity. Add to that the growing potential for rare earth cooperation, another arena India is stepping into with confidence. The establishment of the India–Central Asia Digital Partnership Forum signals a digital leap forward. With Uzbekistan hosting the first edition, India aims to export elements of India Stack and help build Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across the region. Unlike China's surveillance-heavy tech model, India's approach emphasises open access, transparency, and interoperability. While security and infrastructure issues dominate headlines, India's Central Asia playbook is quietly being reinforced by soft power. Indian students, tourists, and cultural institutions are increasingly visiting cities like Tashkent and Almaty. The Dialogue acknowledged these people-to-people bonds, expanding youth exchanges and educational ties. However, air connectivity remains a bottleneck. Pakistan's airspace restrictions continue to complicate direct flight routes, making low-cost carriers like IndiGo unviable in the region. Currently, only Uzbekistan Airways and Air Astana offer direct connections, neither of which are affordable or frequent enough to catalyse tourism or business travel. For New Delhi to realise its soft power potential, it must solve this airspace access challenge, either diplomatically or by developing alternative corridors via Iran and the Gulf. What sets Central Asia apart today is its growing regionalism. In contrast to the non-functional SAARC in South Asia, Central Asia is increasingly resolving disputes through diplomacy. This interstate regional cohesion makes it far more receptive to external partnerships, and India must adapt its foreign policy to this new regional logic of Central Asia. This shift adds value to the C5+1 format of India's dialogue with Central Asia. The 4th India-Central Dialogue's focus on health care, sustainable energy, counter-radicalisation, and climate cooperation reflects this shift. India's development experiences, such as UPI for financial inclusion, Ayushman Bharat for health care, and its leadership in climate coalitions like ISA and GBA, are now being actively exported to Central Asian partners. The IV India-Central Asia Dialogue was a pivotal moment in strategic affairs. As global power dynamics transition toward multipolarity, India's strategic role in Central Asia will significantly influence its ambitions throughout Eurasia. The dialogue transcends mere diplomatic formality; it serves as a strategic instrument for transforming India's engagement with a region that has historically been significant to its foreign policy objectives and is increasingly vital. From counterterrorism to connectivity, from Op-Sindoor to digital diplomacy, India is showing it has the will and the tools to redefine its presence in Eurasia. This process is no longer about catching up with China or balancing Russia. It's about anchoring a values-based, development-driven, sovereign-respecting framework of engagement. The next India–Central Asia Summit, slated for later in 2025, will offer a platform to elevate this vision to the leadership level. India has arrived at the Silk Road with a new doctrine and a new direction. The challenge now is to make this new normal last. This article is authored by Kamakshi Wason, global COO, Tillotoma Foundation.
