Applications
60% of targeted village panchayats get broadband connectivity
NEW DELHI: A total of 1,47,463 ( 59.49 % ) out of a total of 2,47,864 village panchayats had been covered with broadband connectivity as in March this year under Bharat Nirman, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sh Milind Deora told the Lok Sabha.
A rural Wire-line Broadband Scheme has been launched under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to increase broadband penetration in rural and remote areas. Under this scheme, BSNL will provide 8,88,832 wire-line broadband connections to individual users and Government Institutions over a period of five years. As on March 2012, a total of 3,58,978 broadband connections have been provided.
In states like MP, Chattisgarh and NE-II, the achievement of coverage of village panchayats under Bharat Nirman II is low (less than 25%). This is due to inaccessible and difficult terrain and law and order problems in some part of these states.
In its recommendations on National Broadband Plan (NBP), Trai had proposed that a 100 per cent central government-owned holding company, National Optical Fibre Agency (NOFA), be formed. In October 2011, the Government approved the scheme for creation of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), for providing broadband connectivity to 250,000 village Panchayats. The objective of this scheme is to extend the existing optical fiber network to Panchayats by utilising the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF).The project is proposed to be completed in two years.
NOFN project will be executed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – that is Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a company incorporated under Indian Companies Act 1956, fully owned by Central Government, with equity participation from Government, BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid. The company has been incorporated on 25.2.2012 for this purpose. BBNL is currently working out modalities for implementation of this project.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
