by Jobuza Team | Jul 8, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
Indian Railways May Remove Clerkage Fee on Cancelled Tickets – Big Relief for Passengers
Train Travelers: Indian Railways is considering a major passenger-friendly move—reducing or possibly scrapping the clerkage fee charged on cancelled waitlisted tickets. This change could significantly reduce the financial burden on travelers, especially those whose tickets remain unconfirmed but still face deductions during refunds.
Why the Change?
As more passengers switch to online ticket booking, the operational cost of ticketing has dropped. With this in mind, railway officials are reviewing the current cancellation policies to make them more reasonable and customer-friendly.
According to a senior official quoted by The Times of India, clerkage charges were initially introduced to cover administrative costs related to ticket processing. These charges go directly into Indian Railways’ maintenance and operations fund. But now, with digitisation reducing backend costs, there’s a strong case for cutting down these fees.
How Much Is the Clerkage Fee Right Now?
Here’s what passengers currently pay if they cancel a reserved or unreserved ticket:
Even when booking through the IRCTC website or app, these charges apply. Additionally, IRCTC adds a convenience fee of:
-
₹30 for AC tickets
-
₹15 for non-AC tickets
This means a passenger may lose ₹90 or more simply for cancelling a ticket that never got confirmed.
Tatkal Ticket Bookings Just Got Stricter
From July 1, 2025, booking Tatkal tickets online will require ID verification. Passengers will need to verify their identity using Aadhaar or other valid government-issued IDs linked through DigiLocker.
Indian Railways aims to make the booking system more secure and prevent misuse by agents and bots. An OTP-based authentication system is also expected to roll out later in July, making the process even more secure.
New Reservation Chart Timings for Better Planning
In another big update, Indian Railways will now prepare reservation charts eight hours before train departure—a change from the current four-hour window.
For trains scheduled before 2 PM, the charts will now be prepared by 9 PM the previous night. This move is designed to reduce last-minute confusion and help passengers, especially those boarding at smaller or nearby stations, to plan their journeys better.
Conclusion
Train Travelers: These proposed changes—waiving the clerkage fee, tightening Tatkal bookings, and revising chart timings—show Indian Railways’ push toward a more transparent, secure, and passenger-focused system. If implemented, they will not only save money for travelers but also simplify the overall travel experience.
Stay tuned as Indian Railways finalizes these changes in the coming weeks.
by Jobuza Team | Jul 8, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
How to Stop Facebook and Instagram from Tracking Your Online Activity
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has often been criticised for tracking users’ online behaviour and using that data to serve targeted ads. If you’ve ever searched for something like “bags” and suddenly seen ads for them on every app, you’re not alone. While this helps advertisers, it raises serious privacy concerns for users.
To address these growing concerns, Meta introduced a privacy feature called Activity Off-Meta Technologies. This tool gives users more control over the data that apps and websites share with Meta—even when you’re not using Facebook or Instagram directly.
What Is “Activity Off-Meta Technologies”?
This privacy feature lets you see which third-party websites and apps send your activity data to Meta. You can clear that data, disconnect certain platforms, or completely block Meta from collecting any future off-app activity. It’s a significant move toward more transparent data usage and puts control back in the hands of users.
How to Stop Instagram from Tracking You
If you want to stop Instagram from tracking what you do outside the app, follow these steps:
-
Open the Instagram app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
-
Tap the three horizontal lines at the top right and go to Settings and Privacy.
-
Scroll to Activity and tap Activity Off-Meta Technologies.
-
Tap Your Information and Permissions, then select Your Activity Off-Meta Technologies.
-
From here, you can:
-
View recent off-app activity
-
Disconnect specific apps and websites
-
Clear all previously shared data
-
Finally, enable Disconnect Future Activity to stop Instagram from collecting future browsing data. This also erases any data saved so far.
How to Stop Facebook from Tracking You
To prevent Facebook from tracking your activity outside the app:
-
Open the Facebook app and go to your profile.
-
Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
-
Choose Settings & Privacy, then go to Settings.
-
In the left menu, select Your Facebook Information.
-
Click Off-Facebook Activity, then choose Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity.
-
Tap Manage Future Activity and turn off Future Off-Facebook Activity.
You can also view, manage, or disconnect specific apps and websites that have shared your information with Facebook.
Extra Privacy Tips for Better Protection
Even after adjusting your Meta settings, some data might still be collected through third-party sources. To strengthen your privacy even more:
While Facebook and Instagram will likely continue collecting some data, these steps will give you more control over what information is shared and who can see it. Taking just a few minutes to manage these settings can help reduce intrusive tracking and create a more private, secure online experience.
by Jobuza Team | Jul 7, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
Indian Government Issues High-Risk Alert After 16 Billion Passwords Leaked Globally
India’s cybersecurity watchdog, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), has issued an urgent advisory following the leak of nearly 16 billion login credentials—one of the largest data exposures ever recorded. Dated June 23, 2025, the advisory (CTAD-2025-0024) warns that this breach affects major platforms like Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, GitHub, and several VPN services.
What Happened?
According to CERT-In, the leaked credentials were compiled from 30 different data sources. The data includes:
The majority of this data was stolen using infostealer malware and accessed from publicly exposed databases, such as unsecured Elasticsearch servers.
Why This Breach is So Dangerous
This isn’t just another password leak. The scale and depth of the compromised data make it extremely dangerous for individuals and organizations alike. CERT-In highlights four major cybersecurity threats:
-
Credential Stuffing: Hackers can use your stolen credentials to try and log into multiple services, banking apps, or email accounts.
-
Phishing and Social Engineering: With detailed metadata, attackers can craft convincing fake messages and websites to trick users.
-
Account Takeovers: Cybercriminals may gain full access to personal, business, or financial accounts.
-
Ransomware and Business Email Compromise: Organizations are at risk of large-scale attacks if employee credentials are used to infiltrate networks.
How Did This Happen?
The leaked data came from two primary sources:
-
Infostealer malware that extracts saved passwords, cookies, and tokens from infected devices
-
Misconfigured public databases, which were accessible to anyone due to poor security settings
What You Should Do Right Now
CERT-In has issued clear and actionable safety steps for all users:
-
Change your passwords immediately, especially for sensitive accounts like banking, social media, email, and government services. Create strong, unique passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
-
Avoid reusing passwords across platforms. Each account should have its own unique login information.
-
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on every service that offers it. Whether it’s through an app, SMS, or hardware token, MFA adds an important extra layer of protection.
-
Use a password manager to generate and securely store complex passwords. This reduces the need to remember multiple logins and ensures better security.
-
Be cautious with emails or messages that ask you to reset passwords or verify account information. Always check the sender and avoid clicking suspicious links.
Final Thoughts
Passwords Leaked: This breach is a serious reminder that no platform is entirely safe. Whether you’re an individual user or a business owner, staying proactive about cybersecurity is no longer optional. Follow CERT-In’s recommendations, stay informed, and take steps now to protect your digital identity.
by Jobuza Team | Jul 7, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
Meta Introduces Passkeys for Facebook Login: What It Means for You
Facebook’s New Passkey: Meta is taking a big step toward a password-free future. The company has started rolling out passkeys for Facebook users on iOS and Android, offering a faster, safer way to log in using your phone’s fingerprint, face scan, or PIN.
With this move, Meta aims to make logging in more secure and seamless — and soon, this feature will be extended to Messenger as well.
What Are Passkeys?
Passkeys are digital credentials that replace traditional passwords. Instead of typing in a password, users can now use the same biometric method or PIN they use to unlock their phone. These passkeys are based on technology developed by the FIDO Alliance, a group focused on stronger online authentication standards.
Passkeys are designed to fix common password problems — like weak or reused passwords, phishing attacks, and data breaches. Meta explains that passkeys offer better protection than passwords or SMS codes, which can be intercepted or guessed.
Passkeys can’t be stolen or phished the way passwords can,” Meta said in a blog post. “They’re stored only on your device and are never visible to us.”
How to Set Up Passkeys on Facebook
Setting up a passkey for Facebook is simple. You can do it through the Accounts Center in the Settings menu of the Facebook app. You might also get a prompt to enable it when logging in.
Once a passkey is set up, it becomes the default login method on that device. However, traditional login options — like passwords — will still be available as backups.
Passkeys Coming to Messenger and Meta Pay
Meta has confirmed that passkey support will also be coming to Messenger over the next few months. Eventually, users will be able to:
-
Use a passkey to log in to Messenger
-
Autofill payment details in Meta Pay
-
Protect encrypted message backups using passkeys
This update is part of Meta’s broader push to make its platforms more secure and user-friendly.
A Growing Industry Trend
Meta isn’t alone in this shift. Google has already rolled out passkeys for Gmail, and Amazon now supports passkeys in its app. These changes reflect a growing trend toward eliminating passwords altogether.
Final Thoughts
Facebook’s New Passkey: With passkeys, Meta is promising a more secure and convenient login experience. Users won’t need to remember passwords or worry about phishing attacks. Instead, accessing Facebook and, soon, Messenger will be as simple as unlocking your phone.
If you’re using Facebook on iOS or Android, it might be time to say goodbye to passwords — for good.
by Jobuza Team | Jul 1, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
Meta AI May Be Scanning Your Phone Photos – Even the Private Ones
Facebook Users Alert: Meta is once again facing questions about privacy. This time, it’s not just about the photos you post online — it’s about the ones sitting quietly in your phone’s gallery.
According to reports from TechCrunch, some Facebook users have recently seen a pop-up about a new feature called “cloud processing.” This feature offers to scan your phone’s camera roll regularly and upload the photos to Meta’s cloud. In return, Meta promises to create things like photo collages, event highlights, and fun AI filters.
But here’s the catch — by agreeing, you’re also allowing Meta to look at all the photos on your phone, even the ones you haven’t posted on Facebook or Instagram.
That includes:
-
Your private photos
-
Faces and people in the pictures
-
Items and places in the background
-
Date, time, and location info from your image files
Meta says this is meant to make its AI smarter and more helpful. And yes, it’s an optional feature — you can turn it off anytime. But many users might not realize what they’re agreeing to when they click “yes.”
Why Are People Worried?
Meta has already said it used public photos from Facebook and Instagram going back to 2007 to train its AI. But it hasn’t clearly defined what “public” means or what age it considers as “adult” in those older posts.
Now, users are wondering — will the photos uploaded through this new cloud tool also be used to train Meta’s AI in the future?
Meta told The Verge it’s not currently using those private cloud photos for AI training. But they didn’t confirm whether they might use them later, or what rights they hold over those images.
How to Protect Your Photos
If you’ve enabled the cloud processing feature and are having second thoughts, you can turn it off in your Facebook settings. Meta says it will start deleting your photos from its cloud within 30 days of disabling the feature.
Why It Matters
The feature is presented as something creative and fun. But behind the scenes, it’s a powerful data collection tool. This kind of quiet access to your private data — even when you haven’t posted anything — is raising serious questions about how tech companies like Meta use personal information.
In the past, sharing a photo was a choice. Now, there’s a risk that your entire phone gallery could be scanned in the background — without you even noticing.
Facebook Users Alert: As AI tools become a bigger part of our lives, it’s important to stay alert, read the fine print, and decide how much of your personal data you’re willing to give away.
by Jobuza Team | Jul 1, 2025 | BLOG, Trending News
Govt Proposes Mandatory Mobile Number Verification for Apps and Banks to Tackle Digital Fraud
In a significant step to curb rising cybercrime, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has proposed new cybersecurity rules that could soon make mobile number verification mandatory for apps, banks, and other digital platforms across India.
The draft rules, issued on Tuesday, aim to create a Mobile Number Validation (MNV) platform that checks if a phone number truly belongs to a user. This verification would be done through a centralized, government-run system.
With over 1.16 billion mobile connections and the world’s largest digital payments market, India is a prime target for mobile-based fraud. The government’s move targets the growing misuse of mobile numbers in phishing scams, SIM swap frauds, and impersonation cases — especially as incidents of digital arrests and cybercrime have tripled between 2022 and 2024, according to recent government data.
Who Will Be Affected?
The rules would apply to what the government calls Telecommunication Identifier User Entities (TIUEs). These are any platforms that use mobile numbers or telecom identifiers to offer services or verify users — apart from licensed telecom operators.
A DoT official confirmed that this includes:
-
OTT platforms
-
Banks and fintech companies
-
Ride-hailing apps like Ola and Uber
-
Food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy
-
E-commerce platforms and more
Any platform using a phone number to identify users or provide services would fall under this rule.
Mandatory Verification When Directed
While businesses can opt for voluntary verification, the rules make mobile number verification compulsory when directed by the central or state government or any authorized agency. This adds a new layer of compliance for digital service providers.
Why the New Rules?
The objective is clear: telecom cybersecurity and prevention of fraud and misuse. Fraudsters often exploit lost or stolen SIM cards and use fake mobile numbers to commit financial crimes. Despite existing KYC norms, “mule SIMs” still enable fraud.
These rules are expected to tighten control and accountability over mobile-linked services.
Concerns Over Privacy and Implementation
While the initiative could significantly reduce fraud, experts have raised red flags over user privacy and data centralization.
-
Sandeep K Shukla, professor at IIT Kanpur, said the move balances privacy with security.
-
Vikram Jeet Singh, a legal expert on internet policy, warned of unclear data access policies:
“Will it just validate a number or access more personal details? That needs clarification.”
There’s also concern about the cost implications. The draft proposes a pricing model:
-
Free for government agencies
-
₹1.50 per check for government-directed verifications
-
₹3 per check for private companies conducting voluntary validation
Singh noted that these costs could be passed on to consumers by banks and service providers.
Massive Database and Operational Challenge
The MNV system would require the government to manage a real-time database of over 1.5 billion active mobile numbers. Experts say this could be a logistical challenge of national scale.
IMEI Verification for Mobile Devices
The proposed amendments also target mobile device fraud through stricter IMEI controls:
-
Manufacturers must ensure new phones don’t reuse existing IMEIs
-
Second-hand phone sellers must verify IMEIs through a central government database before selling any device
-
Each IMEI check will cost ₹10
A central database of tampered and blacklisted devices will also be created to prevent fraud via cloned phones.
Emergency Suspension Powers
In case of security threats, authorities can temporarily suspend the use of any mobile number or telecom identifier, for both telecom operators and digital platforms under TIUE.
Open for Public Feedback
The draft rules are open for public consultation for 30 days. Stakeholders, businesses, and citizens can share feedback before the rules are finalized.
Final Thoughts
As India digitizes at a rapid pace, these proposed rules represent a major shift in how mobile numbers are used and verified. If implemented, this could enhance digital safety but also raises critical questions about privacy, cost, and operational execution.
Stay tuned as the telecom department gathers feedback — and digital India prepares for its next big compliance challenge.
