#FactCheck - Viral image circulating on social media depicts a natural optical illusion from Epirus, Greece.

Introduction

The mysteries of the universe have been a subject of curiosity for humans over thousands of years. To solve these unfolding mysteries of the universe, astrophysicists are always busy, and with the growing technology this seems to be achievable. Recently, with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), scientists have discovered the depths of the cosmos. AI has revealed the secret equation that properly “weighs” galaxy clusters. This groundbreaking discovery not only sheds light on the formation and behavior of these clusters but also marks a turning point in the investigation and discoveries of new cosmos. Scientists and AI have collaborated to uncover an astounding 430,000 galaxies strewn throughout the cosmos. The large haul includes 30,000 ring galaxies, which are considered the most unusual of all galaxy forms. The discoveries are the first outcomes of the "GALAXY CRUISE" citizen science initiative. They were given by 10,000 volunteers who sifted through data from the Subaru Telescope. After training the AI on 20,000 human-classified galaxies, scientists released it loose on 700,000 galaxies from the Subaru data. 

Brief Analysis

A group of astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) have successfully applied AI to ultra-wide field-of-view images captured by the Subaru Telescope. The researchers achieved a high accuracy rate in finding and classifying spiral galaxies, with the technique being used alongside citizen science for future discoveries.

Astronomers are increasingly using AI to analyse and clean raw astronomical images for scientific research. This involves feeding photos of galaxies into neural network algorithms, which can identify patterns in real data more quickly and less prone to error than manual classification. These networks have numerous interconnected nodes and can recognise patterns, with algorithms now 98% accurate in categorising galaxies.

Another application of AI is to explore the nature of the universe, particularly dark matter and dark energy, which make up over 95% energy of the universe. The quantity and changes in these elements have significant implications for everything from galaxy arrangement.

AI is capable of analysing massive amounts of data, as training data for dark matter and energy comes from complex computer simulations. The neural network is fed these findings to learn about the changing parameters of the universe, allowing cosmologists to target the network towards actual data.

These methods are becoming increasingly important as astronomical observatories generate enormous amounts of data. High-resolution photographs of the sky will be produced from over 60 petabytes of raw data by the Vera C. AI-assisted computers are being utilized for this.

Data annotation techniques for training neural networks include simple tagging and more advanced types like image classification, which classify an image to understand it as a whole. More advanced data annotation methods, such as semantic segmentation, involve grouping an image into clusters and giving each cluster a label.

This way, AI is being used for space exploration and is becoming a crucial tool. It also enables the processing and analysis of vast amounts of data. This advanced technology is fostering the understanding of the universe. However, clear policy guidelines and ethical use of technology should be prioritized while harnessing the true potential of contemporary technology. 

Policy Recommendation

• Real-Time Data Sharing and Collaboration - Effective policies and frameworks should be established to promote real-time data sharing among astronomers, AI developers and research institutes. Open access to astronomical data should be encouraged to facilitate better innovation and bolster the application of AI in space exploration. 
  

• Ethical AI Use - Proper guidelines and a well-structured ethical framework can facilitate judicious AI use in space exploration. The framework can play a critical role in addressing AI issues pertaining to data privacy, AI Algorithm bias and transparent decision-making processes involving AI-based tech. 
• Investing in Research and Development (R&D) in the AI sector - Government and corporate giants should prioritise this opportunity to capitalise on the avenue of AI R&D in the field of space tech and exploration. Such as funding initiatives focusing on developing AI algorithms coded for processing astronomical data, optimising telescope operations and detecting celestial bodies.
• Citizen Science and Public Engagement - Promotion of citizen science initiatives can allow better leverage of AI tools to involve the public in astronomical research. Prominent examples include the SETI @ Home program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), encouraging better outreach to educate and engage citizens in AI-enabled discovery programs such as the identification of exoplanets, classification of galaxies and discovery of life beyond earth through detecting anomalies in radio waves. 
• Education and Training - Training programs should be implemented to educate astronomers in AI techniques and the intricacies of data science. There is a need to foster collaboration between AI experts, data scientists and astronomers to harness the full potential of AI in space exploration. 
• Bolster Computing Infrastructure - Authorities should ensure proper computing infrastructure should be implemented to facilitate better application of AI in astronomy. This further calls for greater investment in high-performance computing devices and structures to process large amounts of data and AI modelling to analyze astronomical data. 

Conclusion

AI has seen an expansive growth in the field of space exploration. As seen, its multifaceted use cases include discovering new galaxies and classifying celestial objects by analyzing the changing parameters of outer space. Nevertheless, to fully harness its potential, robust policy and regulatory initiatives are required to bolster real-time data sharing not just within the scientific community but also between nations. Policy considerations such as investment in research, promoting citizen scientific initiatives and ensuring education and funding for astronomers. A critical aspect is improving key computing infrastructure, which is crucial for processing the vast amount of data generated by astronomical observatories. 

References

• https://mindy-support.com/news-post/astronomers-are-using-ai-to-make-discoveries/
• https://www.space.com/citizen-scientists-artificial-intelligence-galaxy-discovery
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114118.htm
• https://phys.org/news/2023-03-artificial-intelligence-secret-equation-galaxy.html
• https://www.space.com/astronomy-research-ai-future

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Introduction

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The banking and finance sector worldwide is among the most vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. Moreover, traditional threats such as DDoS attacks, ransomware, supply chain attacks, phishing, and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are becoming increasingly potent with the growing adoption of AI. It is crucial for banking and financial institutions to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to their cybersecurity posture, something that is possible only through a systematic approach to security. In this context, the Reserve Bank of India’s latest Financial Stability Report (June 2025) acknowledges that cybersecurity risks are systemic to the sector, particularly the securities market, and have to be treated as such. 

What the Financial Stability Report June 2025 Says

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The report notes that the increasing scale of digital financial services, cloud-based architecture, and interconnected systems has expanded the cyberattack surface across sectors.   It calls for building cybersecurity resilience by improving Security Operations Center (SOC) efficacy, undertaking “risk-based supervision”, implementing “zero-trust approaches”, and “AI-aware defense strategies”. It also recommends the implementation of graded monitoring systems, employing behavioral analytics for threat detection, building adequate skill through hands-on training, engaging in continuous learning and simulation-based exercises like Continuous Assessment-Based Red Teaming (CART), conducting scenario-based resilience drills, and establishing consistent incident reporting frameworks. In addition, it suggests that organizations need to adopt quantifiable benchmarks like SOC Efficacy and Cyber Capability Index to guarantee efficient governance and readiness.

Implications

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Firstly, even though the report doesn’t break new ground in identifying cyber risk,  it does sharpen its urgency and lays the groundwork for giving more weight to cybersecurity in macroprudential supervision. In the face of emerging threats, it positions cyberattacks as a systemic financial risk that can affect India’s financial stability with the same seriousness as traditional threats like NPAs and capital inadequacy. 

Secondly, by calling to “ensure cyber resilience”, it reflects the RBI’s dedication to  values-based compliance to cybersecurity policies where effectiveness and adaptability matter more than box-ticking. This approach caters to an organisation’s/ sector’s unique nature, governance requirements, and updates to rising risks. It checks not only if certain measures were used, but also if they were effective, through constant self-assessment, scenario-based training, cyber drills, dynamic risk management, and value-driven audits. In the face of a rapidly expanding digital transactions ecosystem with integration of new technologies such as AI, this approach is imperative to building cyber resilience. The RBI’s report suggests exactly this need for banks and NBFCs to update its parameters for resilience.

Conclusion 

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While the RBI’s 2016 guidelines focus on core cybersecurity concerns and has issued guidelines on IT governance, outsourcing, and digital payment security, none explicitly codify “AI-aware,” “zero-trust,” or a full “risk-based supervision” mechanism. The more recent emphasis on these concepts comes from the 2025 Financial Stability Report, which uses them as forward-looking policy orientations. How the RBI chooses to operationalize these frameworks is yet to be seen. Further,  RBI’s vision cannot operate in a silo. Cross-sector regulators like SEBI, IRDAI, and DoT must align on cyber standards and incident reporting protocols.

In the meanwhile, highly vulnerable sectors like education and healthcare, which have weaker cybersecurity capabilities, can take a leaf from RBI’s book by ensuring that cybersecurity is treated as a continuously evolving issue . Many institutions in these sectors are known to perform goals-based compliance through a simple checklist approach. Institutions that take the lead in implementing zero-trust, diversifying vendor dependencies, and investing in cyber resilience will not only meet regulatory expectations but build long-term competitive advantage.

References

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/adopt-risk-based-supervision-zero-trust-approach-to-curb-cyberfrauds-rbi/articleshow/122164631.cms?from=mdr-%20500
• https://paramountassure.com/blog/value-driven-cybersecurity/ 
• https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/Scripts/Notification.aspx?Id=1721 ‍
• https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs//PublicationReport/Pdfs/0FSRJUNE20253006258AE798B4484642AD861CC35BC2CB3D8E.PDF

Introduction

As e-sports flourish in India, mobile gaming platforms and apps have contributed massively to this boom. The wave of online mobile gaming has led to a new recognition of esports. As we see the Sports Ministry being very proactive for e-sports and e-athletes, it is pertinent to ensure that we do not compromise our cyber security for the sake of these games. When we talk about online mobile gaming, the most common names that come to our minds are PUBG and BGMI. As news for all Indian gamers, BGMI is set to be relaunched in India after approval from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Why was BGMI banned?

The Govt banned Battle Ground Mobile India on the pretext of being a Chinese application and the fact that all the data was hosted in China itself. This caused a cascade of compliance and user safety issues as the Data was stored outside India. Since 2020 The Indian Govt has been proactive in banning Chinese applications, which might have an adverse effect on national security and Indian citizens. Nearly 200 plus applications have been banned by the Govt, and most of them were banned due to their data hubs being in China. The issue of cross-border data flow has been a key issue in Geo-Politics, and whoever hosts the data virtually owns it as well and under the potential threat of this fact, all apps hosting their data in China were banned.

Why is BGMI coming back?

BGMI was banned for not hosting data in India, and since the ban, the Krafton Inc.-owned game has been engaging in Idnai to set up data banks and servers to have a separate gaming server for Indian players. These moves will lead to a safe gaming ecosystem and result in better adherence to the laws and policies of the land. The developers have not declared a relaunch date yet, but the game is expected to be available for download for iOS and Android users in the coming few days. The game will be back on app stores as a letter from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been issued stating that the games be allowed and made available for download on the respective app stores.

Grounds for BGMI

BGMI has to ensure that they comply with all the laws, policies and guidelines in India and have to show the same to the Ministry to get an extension on approval. The game has been permitted for only 90 days (3 Months). Hon’ble MoS Meity Rajeev Chandrashekhar stated in a tweet   “This is a 3-month trial approval of #BGMI after it has complied with issues of server locations and data security etc. We will keep a close watch on other issues of User harm, Addiction etc., in the next 3 months before a final decision is taken”. This clearly shows the magnitude of the bans on Chinese apps. The ministry and the Govt will not play the soft game now, it’s all about compliance and safeguarding the user’s data.

Way Forward

This move will play a significant role in the future, not only for gaming companies but also for other online industries, to ensure compliance. This move will act as a precedent for the issue of cross-border data flow and the advantages of data localisation. It will go a long way in advocacy for the betterment of the Indian cyber ecosystem. Meity alone cannot safeguard the space completely, it is a shared responsibility of the Govt, industry and netizens.

Conclusion

The advent of online mobile gaming has taken the nation by storm, and thus, being safe and secure in this ecosystem is paramount. The provisional permission form BGMI shows the stance of the Govt and how it is following the no-tolerance policy for noncompliance with laws. The latest policies and bills, like the Digital India Act, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, etc., will go a long way in securing the interests and rights of the Indian netizen and will create a blanket of safety and prevention of issues and threats in the future.