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Government committed to bridging digital divide: President
NEW DELHI: Appreciating the need for empowering the citizen with modern information technology, President APJ Abdul Kalam today announced that the year 2007 will be the ‘Year of Broadband’ as the government was committed to bridging the digital divide by providing broadband coverage throughout the country. In his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session, Dr Kalam said, “Our Information Technology sector continues to develop and remain globally competitive,” adding that, “My government will take forward the National Identity Card Project under the National e-Governance Plan for nationwide roll-out in a phased manner so as to ensure better delivery of services to our citizens.” He said the government was encouraging the growth of the electronic hardware industry and the semiconductor industry. |
He also said the Right to Information Act was one means of empowering citizens, adding that it had often been said that eternal vigilance is the price of democracy. The President said a Vision for the development of an empowered S&T base by 2015 had been prepared. Steps will be taken to attract talent, rejuvenate university research, enable women scientists to re-enter careers in science, strengthen technology business incubation processes, promote excellence in research, engage private sector in R&D and create greater science awareness and a scientific temper among the people. The financial allocation for science and technology will be increased from less than 1% of GDP to 2% of GDP. |
He said that to sustain the efforts in the advanced fields of modern science and technology, there was need to increase the number of scientists and improve the quality of Indian science. The Government was deeply concerned about the inadequate enrolment of students in basic sciences and said Indian science is lagging behind other newly industrializing economies. India needs a new thrust in the field of science and technology. The National Knowledge Commission had submitted its first report placing emphasis on the need to invest in education at all levels of the knowledge pyramid. Several new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Information Technology were proposed to be set up in various parts of the country. |
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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.
