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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local....

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local. This reversal owes much to policy. The recent rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which trimmed rates across categories from garments to home furnishings, has given consumption a timely push. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s September rate cuts, combined with income tax relief and easing interest rates, have strengthened household budgets just as inflation softened. The middle class, long squeezed between rising costs and stagnant wages, has found reason to spend again. Retailers report that shoppers filled their bags with everything from lab-grown diamonds and casual wear to consumer durables and décor, blurring the line between necessity and indulgence. The effect has been broad-based. According to Crisil Ratings, 40 organised apparel retailers, who together generate roughly a third of the sector’s revenue, could see growth of 13–14 percent this financial year, aided by a 200-basis-point bump from GST cuts alone. Small traders too have flourished. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimates that 85 percent of total festive trade came from non-corporate and traditional markets, a robust comeback for brick-and-mortar retail that had been under siege from online rivals. This surge signals a subtle but significant cultural shift. The “Vocal for Local” and “Swadeshi Diwali” campaigns struck a patriotic chord, with consumers reportedly preferring Indian-made products to imported ones. Demand for Chinese goods fell sharply, while sales of Indian-manufactured products rose by a quarter over last year. For the first time in years, “buying Indian” has become both an act of economic participation and of national pride. The sectoral spread of this boom underlines its breadth. Groceries and fast-moving consumer goods accounted for 12 percent of the total, gold and jewellery 10 percent, and electronics 8 percent. Even traditionally modest categories like home furnishings, décor and confectionery recorded double-digit growth. In the smaller towns that anchor India’s consumption story, traders say stable prices and improved affordability kept registers ringing late into the festive weekend. Yet, much of this buoyancy rests on a fragile equilibrium. Inflation remains contained, and interest rates have been eased, but both could tighten again. Sustaining this spurt will require continued fiscal prudence and regulatory clarity, especially as digital commerce continues to expand its reach. Yet for now, the signs are auspicious. After years of subdued demand and inflationary unease, India’s shoppers appear to have rediscovered their appetite for consumption and their faith in domestic enterprise. The result is not only a record-breaking Diwali, but a reaffirmation of the local marketplace as the heartbeat of India’s economy.

Eyes Everywhere: How CCTV Is Solving Crimes in Real Time

CCTV may raise privacy concerns, but in cities where it's prevalent, crime has fallen by as much as 30 per cent.

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Closed-circuit television, or CCTV, has become one of the most important instruments in modern forensic investigations. CCTV technology, which was first created in the late 1940s in Germany to monitor rocket launches, has advanced dramatically over the years. It now serves an important role in both preventing and solving crimes by giving visual evidence that may be used in court. CCTV systems have evolved from analogue tape records to high-definition digital footage with cloud storage, and artificial intelligence has made them smarter and more reliable than ever.


The use of CCTV footage in legal proceedings in India has become increasingly significant. In the case of Sonu vs. State of Haryana, courts relied heavily on video evidence for conviction. The courts also said that CCTV footage can be used as evidence under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act if specific conditions are met. Recently, a major theft at a jewellery store in Delhi was cracked within hours with the help of CCTV footage that clearly showed the perpetrator’s face and movements. The Supreme Court of India, too, has emphasised the importance of surveillance. In the case of Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh (2020), the court ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations and interrogation rooms, stating that this move would ensure accountability and transparency. The bench also stated that such footage could protect both citizens and law enforcement officials from false allegations.


Scientific advancements are expanding the capabilities of CCTV. A recent study focuses on applying AI algorithms to detect tampering in surveillance videos while maintaining the integrity of the footage. Artificial intelligence is also utilised for real-time facial recognition, object tracking, and behavioural analysis, allowing law enforcement agencies to prevent crimes before they occur. “CrimeTracer AI”, a contemporary AI tool, allows investigators to explore large amounts of video footage data using plain-language instructions, which significantly reduces the investigation time.


The use of CCTV in urban policing has been pioneered by experts in India, especially Dr. A.K. Viswanathan, a former Chennai Police Commissioner. Under his leadership, Chennai launched the "Third Eye" initiative, which included the installation of over 250,000 cameras across the city and the integration of facial recognition technology to increase public safety. On the forensic side, the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) have developed into nationwide centres for video forensics. Some industry leaders like Amped Software offer solutions for court-admissible video analysis.


Internationally, agencies such as Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) offer recommendations and guidelines on the forensic treatment and handling of video evidence, promoting cross-border consistency. The insightful TED Talk titled “The Tech That Tracks You” offers insightful public perspectives on surveillance technology, balancing its benefits with concerns about privacy and ethics.


Despite privacy concerns, the presence of CCTV has consistently shown a reduction in crime rates in monitored areas, sometimes by as much as 30%. The forensic value of the technology lies not only in recording events but also in doing so in a way that can be verified, and AI is increasingly being used to find even the smallest digital changes. We expect CCTV's role in ensuring justice and public safety to only strengthen as it continues to merge with cutting-edge technology. For the average citizen, it brings peace of mind; for law enforcement, it is an unblinking ally in the quest for truth.


(Dr. Kumar is a retired IPS and forensic advisor to the Government of Assam. Bora is student of forensic at NFSU, Guwahati. Views personal.)

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