In protest against the non-payment of salaries of over 2.5 lakh primary teachers for five months, majority of the opposition parties' legislators has held a demonstration and shouted anti-government slogans outside the Bihar Assembly. “It has exposed the NDA government's claim of improving the teaching in Bihar. It is unfortunate that the teachers are not getting salaries for the past five months”, RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said. They alleged that the state government was spending crores of rupees in the name of Bihar Divas celebrations, but not paying salaries to school teachers.
Cloud
An artificial cloud design has been unveiled by a Qatar-based engineering teacher to shade and cool the open playgrounds during the 2022 Football World Cup in Doha. Made completely of light carbonic materials and fuelled by four solar-powered engines, the artificial cloud will move by remote control, said Saud Abdul Ghani, head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department at Qatar University adding the project will be executed in collaboration with the Qatar Science and Technology Park. “It will fly high to block direct and indirect sun rays and control temperatures at the open playgrounds,” he added. Abdul Ghani said the initial model of the cloud will cost $500,000 but the cost will decrease upon launching commercial models. These could also be used at beaches and car parks and could be controlled using mobile phones.
International tycoons meet Indian counterparts urging for charity
In an unprecedented incident, leading Indian tycoons including Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej, Wipro chairman Azim Premji, GMR group chairman GM Rao and HCL Enterprises chairman Shiv Nadar, were left awestruck by US billionaire investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett when the duo met and urged them to distribute part of their wealth for charity. A rebounding stock market that gained two-thirds last year and an economy growing at over 8.5% has boosted the wealth of India's richest. Last year, there were only 49 billionaires on the Forbes list of India's richest. This year, the number has risen to 55 – the highest ever. Buffett is in India as part of his philanthropic initiatives and is also expected to look at possible investment opportunities. The 80-year old legendary investor, often called the “Oracle of Omaha”, has pledged 99% of his wealth in Berkshire Hathaway towards philanthropy. Along with bridge partner and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Buffett is urging America's richest to pledge half their fortunes to charity as part of “The Giving Pledge.” So far, 59 rich Americans have taken the pledge and said they want to take the campaign worldwide.
Notices to Centre, UGC, Sanskrit Vidyapeeth on appointment of VC
The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth (Deemed University) on a writ petition challenging the appointment of Vachaspati Upadhyaya as the University's Vice-Chancellor by increasing the retirement age to 70 years. Acting on a public interest petition from Chennai-based scholar O. A. Varadadesikan, a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna also issued notice to Professor Upadhyaya seeking his response. The Bench dismissed as not pressed an application seeking a direction to restrain the Vice-Chancellor from functioning till the disposal of the writ petition. In his petition, Mr. Varadadesikan said Prof. Upadhyaya was appointed Vice-Chancellor for five years from November 14, 2009. Initially, he added, Prof. Upadhyaya was appointed as Vice-Chancellor for five years in 1994, and thereafter his tenure was extended from time to time beyond his age of 65 by amending the provisions of the Memorandum of Association of the Sanskrit Vidyapeetha. The petitioner pointed out that Section 6 of the UGC Act provides for appointment of a Vice-Chancellor only for two terms of five years each. The Sixth Pay Commission also made it clear that no person should hold that office of the Vice-Chancellor for more than two terms, altogether subject to the maximum age of 70. In this case, Prof. Upadhyaya completed three terms of five years each in June 2008 when he attained the age of 65 years. Thereafter his tenure was extended for a period of six months (two extensions of three months each). In November 2009, he was re-appointed by virtue of the amendment to the provisions of the Memorandum of Association of the Sanskrit Vidyapeetha to enable him continue till the age of 70. The petitioner alleged that the Memorandum of Association was amended only to accommodate Prof. Upadhyaya.
TERI announces admissions to Master’s programmes in sustainable development
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has announced admissions to its Master's programmes in sustainable development. Available courses are M.Sc. (Environmental Studies), M.Sc. (Natural Resources Management), M.Sc. (Water Resources Management) and M.Sc. (Climate Science and Policy). The Environmental Studies programme aims at training students to develop a systems approach to solve environmental problems by equipping them with conceptual knowledge of the changing environment. The Natural Resources Management programme addresses the growing need of professionals who can apply the best management practices drawn from various disciples for sustainability of a region, while the Water Resources Management programme enables future water managers to deal with challenges in surface and groundwater resources management, integrated watershed management and water quality management. The course on Climate Science and Policy is intended to provide present and future professionals with practical and theoretical knowledge in scientific and policy issues relevant to climate change. Each programme is of two years' duration. Admissions will be made on the basis of an online test conducted by the university. Applications can be downloaded from the university website www.teriuniversity.ac.in. The last date for application is April 29. Faridabad-based Manav Rachna International University is open for admissions to its MBA programmes in hospitality management and business, and financial services management. There is also a general MBA programme. The eligibility criterion is aggregate 50 per marks in any discipline in graduation or post-graduation.
Wipro on for salary hike across board
Tech giant Wipro has assured employees of its IT business salary hikes across the board after completing some organisational changes which it had earlier planned. “The operating plan for the businesses has been completed. Continuing our design principle on having a single axis, we took advice from an external strategy consulting firm to finalise how to goal service lines and business units. This is now ready and will be shared with the leadership teams by next week,” TK Kurien, the new CEO, said. “A cross-functional team is working on the data review and structure finalisation to migrate all our data to the new organisation structure by middle of April,” he added. He also said that he would update the employees on the timing for salary increase process for the IT business by the first week of April. In a bid to catch up with peers and improve its topline growth which has been lagging peers, the company had announced during its third quarter results that it will align itself to create a “bolder, simpler and leaner” organisation. Wipro discarded its joint CEO model and appointed Kurien as the sole CEO earlier this year.
Coca-Cola set to leave behind competitors
As the summers are nearing, Coca-Cola India is gearing up to re-enter the market which is already dominated by arch-rival PepsiCo's Tropicana and Dabur's Real. With three real variant flavours of orange, apple and grapes, the company is once again set to stir the juice market which has till date tasted its Maaza and Minute Maid, which are all fruit-based but not pure juices. Coca-Cola India has recently formed a separate division for juices to focus on its non-carbonated portfolio as all major food and beverage companies increasingly fortify their health portfolio in a market which is annually growing at 20%. Health products and juices have been at the top of these companies' bucket list since they have launched new products and categories to capture a share of the pie. With an increased focus on the juice category, Coca-Cola India recently appointed Andriy Avramenko as its general manager of the juice business. Avramenko, who came from Coke's global juice centre (GJC) in Atlanta, heads a team that is focused exclusively on advancing the company's pulp-based beverages.
Karunanidhi’s latest sop – free laptops
A huge wave of applause and cheer ran across the crowds as their Chief Minister said, “All those in Tiruvarur are my relatives.” As the DMK president M Karunanidhi launched the party's election campaign on Wednesday from his hometown Tiruvarur – a constituency the DMK has won five times including the last three times in a row – he expanded the list of beneficiaries of his magnanimity. Addressing a mammoth election rally, he promised free laptops to all students joining college, expanding the party's earlier announcement of laptops to students from backward classes, SC and ST communities. He said his party always implemented all schemes promised in the manifesto. Karunanidhi has won nine times from the DMK's bastion, Chennai. Analysts say his homecoming is perhaps due to the worry that the 2G spectrum scam could dent its urban vote bank.
CLW on course to meet production target
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), country's premier electric loco production unit, is all set to meet the annual production target once again in this year. So far, up to February, 2011, this production behemoth of Indian Railways has rolled out 219 locos. This unit is expected to produce 225 locos in 2010-11. Thus as per the performance of the year, CLW is on the threshold of ending the year with a high and expected to start the new fiscal with renewed vigour.
ONGC bags ICC Sustainability Vision 2011 Award
ONGC has bagged the maiden Indian Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Vision 2011 Awards in the category- 'Sustainability Reporting and Transparency'. The prestigious award was handed over to ONGC during the Summit on India Sustainability Vision in New Delhi recently. Dr Dewakar GM-Head CMG received the award from Jagannath Pahadia, Governor of Haryana who was the Chief Guest at the summit. This summit was the first such summit organized by ICC.
