Day one glitches in Mantralaya facial recognition system delay staff entry, create long queues

Long queues and confusion marked the first day of implementation of the facial recognition system at Mantralaya the Maharashtra government secretariat in south Mumbai reported news PTIThe system aimed at improving security and transparency through the use of facial recognition and RFID cards encountered technical issues resulting in several staffers not being able to access the buildingThe state government said data of 1500 officers and employees was provided by the Information and Technology department for feeding into the system which was installed at all entrance gates by the implementing company and was activated on the first day reported PTIThe system could not read faces It caused long queues The process had to be repeated several times an official said reported PTIJournalists with accreditation and Home department passes were also initially denied entry but were allowed into the complex after discussions with officials reported PTIA statement from the government said instructions had been issued to upload the necessary data for the smooth operation of the system in the future adding that all officers employees and public representatives have been told to register their face details to avoid delaysMantralaya is a sensitive and essential location which is why the decision to implement the facial recognition system for internal security was made at the government level it addedMaharashtra government to explore AI integration in agriculture sectorThe Maharashtra government is considering the integration of artificial intelligence AI in the agricultural sector on an experimental basis to enhance productivity and reduce costs for farmers Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar saidAccording to a statement from the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministerrsquos office Ajit Pawar has directed the Agriculture Department to collaborate with the Cooperation Department to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of the initiativeA review meeting on AI applications in agriculture was held at the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministerrsquos office attended by key stakeholders including Agriculture Minister Adv Manikrao Kokate Minister of State for Agriculture Adv Ashish Jaiswal via video conferencing Minister of State for Cooperation Dr Pankaj Bhoyar and senior officials from the Agriculture Finance and Planning Departments Representatives from the All India Grape Vinegar Plantation Association and experts from agricultural research institutions also participated in the discussions the statement saidHighlighting AIrsquos transformative potential Ajit Pawar said that rapid technological advancements are reshaping industries worldwide and agriculture should not be left behind ldquoGiven the challenges of unpredictable weather untimely rains frequent crop diseases and labour shortages AI can play a crucial role in improving farm productivity while reducing costsrdquo he statedWith inputs from PTI