US: Hacker tried to poison city water

TAMPA: A hacker gained unauthorised entry to the system controlling the water treatment plant of Oldsmar, a Florida city of 15,000, and tried to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical, exposing a danger cybersecurity experts say has grown as systems become both more computerised and accessible.

Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of public sector banks (PSBs) declined from ₹8.96 lakh crore in March 2018 to ₹6.09 lakh crore in September 2020 due to various measures taken by the government, minister of state for finance Anurag Singh Thakur informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

There was record recovery of ₹2.54 lakh crore during March 2018 and September 2020 and 11 out of 12 PSBs reported profit in the first half of 2020-21 amounting to ₹14,688 crore, he said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. Provision coverage ratio of PSBs is at over 8 years high at 85.06% at the end of September 2020.

Asset quality review (AQR) initiated in 2015 for cleaning up banks’ balance sheets revealed high incidence NPAs, he said.

As a result of AQR and subsequent transparent recognition by banks, he said, stressed accounts were reclassified as NPAs and expected losses on stressed loans, not provided for earlier under flexibility given to restructured loans, were provided for.

Further, all such schemes for restructuring stressed loans were withdrawn in 2017-18.

“Primarily as a result of transparent recognition of stressed assets as NPAs as per RBI data on global operations, gross NPAs of PSBs rose from ₹2,79,016 crore as on March 31, 2015, to ₹8,95,601 crore as on March 31, 2018, and as a result of government’s strategy of recognition, resolution, recapitalisation and reforms, have declined to ₹6,09,129 crore as on September 30, 2020,” he said.