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DGET commences distance learning through satellite
NEW DELHI: Lectures are to be telecast for two hours everyday from the studios of the Vishveswaraiah Technological University (VTU) Studio in Bangalore following the launch of the satellite-based distance learning in the Vocational Training System. The programme has been launched by the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET) using the EDUSAT satellite in the labour ministry on a pilot basis. The lectures are being transmitted to 12 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) being covered under the Centres of Excellence (COE) scheme of DGET in Karnataka. The pilot programme is also being received in a number of other locations in the southern states. The lectures cover subjects like life skills and engineering drawing. The Central Government is the nodal agency for monitoring, supervision and coordination of vocational training in the country. Director General of Employment and Training Sharda Prasad said the pilot programme has been launched to test the technology in the Vocational Training System and DGET also proposed to introduce it in all the ITI s of the country by setting up a National Studio at the Apex Hitech Institute in Bangalore and Regional Studios in different parts of the country in a phased manner.
Highlighting the importance of introducing distance-learning programme in the Vocational Training System in the country, union labour secretary Sudha Pillai said while inaugurating the pilot programme that widely disbursed locations could be covered in shortest possible time through the project. She emphasized that this system can ensure uniformity of content, control on the quality, repeatability of the lecture content and sharing of the network by other user groups.
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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.
