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Vol 5 No.12 December 2015 Pages 48 Price ` 50
Editor’s Note
Infrastructure and Skill development for better India
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ndia is aiming to build 30 kilometres of roads each day by March 2016, creating 5 million jobs and adding two percentage points to the GDP, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping of India, said in the concluding “take-off” session of the World Economic Forum’s India Strategy Day. The event has also discussed issues crucial to ensuring sustainable and equitable growth in India, including a new vision for agriculture, infrastructure finance, making people employable, financial inclusion, sustainable urbanization and clean energy. Participants agreed that a collaborative, inclusive approach is imperative in all these areas. National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), India, has been striving to address issues such as mapping skills requirements and enabling the various formal and vocational educational systems to provide those skills; creating an ecosystem to spur entrepreneurship, which can create further jobs; disruption of the labour market due to technological change, which will rapidly and continuously change the nature of jobs and the marketplace; and changes to the legal framework for India’s apprenticeship programme to enable interns to earn and learn at the same time. Subramanian Ramadorai, Chairman of NSDA said India must not only prepare the workforce for today’s job market but must also anticipate what jobs will exist 20 years from now, and equip today’s students with the higher-grade skills those jobs will need. According to Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Construction Company, India, added that the country must think ahead to gauge what kind of an economy it must have in 20 years to absorb 300 million new workers. To put this in perspective, he said, one of the world’s most advanced economies, the US, has 150 million jobs in all. He underlined the importance of infrastructure for creating jobs – it enables manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and services; in short, it drives the rest of the economy. India’s continued economic growth relies on the continued success of its efforts to address challenges of sustainable urbanization, social inclusion, clean energy access and infrastructure deficit. The success of various reforms being undertaken by the government such as online, time-bound, checklist-driven approvals and risk-based approach to inspection is beginning to pay off. India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Rankings is on the rise. This is a good time to focus on facilitating investment, fostering innovation, enhancing skill development, protecting intellectual property and building the best in class infrastructure. The global perspective towards India is also changing fast. But Kerala, as a part of this big nation is still lagging behind the fellow states in many areas. Once much appreciated “Kerala Model” of success is back firing and we couldn’t keep the consistency and momentum of our success.
Ravisankar K. V. Editor and Publisher December 2015
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NEWS RNI NO. KERENG 2010/36920 ISSN NO. 2249244-5 Managing Editor : Ravisankar K.V. Executive Editor : Rajani A. Chief Operating Officer : Vinod Raja Shekar Art Editor : N. Bhattathiri Layout Artis t: Aju T. Visualiser : Jessy George Managment Executive : Divya M.S. Business & Editorial Contacts : New Delhi: D. Anil Kumar Tel : +91 11-24634248, Mob : +91 98681 23311
Thekkady Wins World’s Top Destination Award
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Kolkata : Jayasree Singh Tel : +91 33 40051489, Mob : +91 9433060333 Bangaluru : Damadaran K. Menon Mob : +91 9035616040 Hyderabad : Premraj A. Mob : +91 9745598126 Coimbatore : Biju Thomas Mob : +91 9944194037 Pondichery : K.Ramasubramanian Mob : +91 98949 77161 UK-England : T. Haridas 86 Tooting High St. London SW 17 0RN Mob : +447775833754 Germany-Berlin : Thomas Kannankeril Reiseburo Skyreisen, Pots damer Str. 189,10783 Berlin Tel:49-30/82309240, Fax: 49-30/82309241 Editorial & Corporate Office: Brand Kerala Media House Pvt. Ltd. Tourism House, PLRA 12/1 Panikers Line, Sasthamangalam (PO) Trivandrum, Kerala, India, 695 010. Tel : +91 471 2315256 Fax: +91 471 2315197 E mail: editor@brandkerala.biz Internet edition: www.brandkerala.biz Digital Edition : www.issuu.com/brandkerala facebook.com/brandkerala
Gender education must start at home Oommen Chandy Mollywood Stars for gender equality 15 Kerala Tourism to attract Arab Travellers 18 Alkesh Sharma Appoints as MD & CEO of the DMIC 19
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No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Brand Kerala Media House Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016 Owned, Edited, Printed and Published by K.V. Ravisankar Tourism House, PLRA 12/1 Panikers Line, Sasthamangalam (PO) Trivandrum, Kerala, India, 695 010. at Amara Kerala Industries, Cochin for Arsha Offset Graphix, Janvilla Line, Vellayambalam Thiruvananthapuram - 695 010.
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December 2015
India’s first RO-RO Completes two lakh truck movements Kerala - A film maker’s paradise SS Rajamouli 21 Most Countries are Missing Major Opportunities to Reduce Inequality 28
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CONTENT COVER STORY
BANKING Federal Bank launches local langauge mobile banking GDigital BankingGKSF international trade fair at Kochi
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COLUMN
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Colourful Start for GKSF Season 9 GKSF on a Charity Spree with ‘Shopping for Others’ 12 GKSF international trade fair at Kochi 13
M1199 Local Self Governments
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CINEMA
FEATURES
IFFK @ 20; India premiere for 50 international films Manisha Koirala’s new life beyond cancer
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AUTOMOBILE Major positive shift in world perception on INDIA Opportunities And Challenges of Entrepreneurship Education
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‘Raksha SafeDrive’ launches crowd funding campaign Honda Launches all new CB Shine SP Maruti Suzuki adds more safety features to WagonR & Celerio range Hyundai CRETA Wins Indian Car of the Year 2016 (ICOTY) December 2015
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News
Thekkady Wins World’s Top Destination Award
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hekkady, Kerala’s iconic attraction known for its jaw dropping landscape splattered with rolling hills, dense forests and spice plantations, has been named the world’s top emerging destination. Thekkady won the inaugural Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) CEO Challenge 2015 along with Albay in the Philippines. The destination in ‘God’s Own Country’, which is home to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, bagged the Top Destination award in the second and thirdtier cities category, the only category for cities. Albay received the honour in the category for regions, states and provinces. Thekkady and Albay beat a large number of
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destinations from around the world to win the award, instituted by PATA, which was announced in Bangkok . The PATA CEO Challenge is aimed at utilising the 500,000-dollar award purse to develop and create a digital marketing campaign to showcase the destination to a global audience. Leading global travel site Trip Advisor, the PATA CEO Challenge 2015 partner, will provide its expertise to developing the campaign. “It is a huge honour to be named world’s top destination. It is a proud moment for our state,” said Mr. A P Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Kerala. “The award will only increase our commitment to work further towards the growth of tour-
ism in Kerala and development of our communities and the livelihoods of our people while preserving our environment,” Mr. Anilkumar added. The award will be presented at a gala ceremony on the occasion of the PATA Aligned Advocacy dinner in London on November 2, the opening day of the World Travel Mart in the British capital. A host of travel and tourism industry leaders will be present at the event where United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary General Mr Taleb Rifai is scheduled to be the guest of honour. “The top global tourism award is a recognition of our pioneering efforts in creating a harmony
News between our distinguished visitors and our nature-endowed destinations,” said Mr. G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Secretary of Kerala Tourism. “While we develop our destinations like Thekkady with new tourism products to present a oncein-lifetime experience to the discerning global travellers, we also have to create a viable technological model for disseminating information worldwide,” Mr. Rao added. Mr. P I Sheik Pareeth , Director of Kerala Tourism said the award was the result of a fruitful public-private partnership, involving the local communities. “Our new products like Village Life Experience will firmly establish our state as a global tourism leader,” Mr. Pareeth added. Thekkady, one of the few places in the world to easily spot a wild elephant, is one of the desti-
nations in the state developed by Kerala Tourism as a model of Responsible Tourism. Situated on the banks of the Periyar Lake, Thekkady is one of the leading wildlife destinations in the country. Besides the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, famous for its dense evergreen tropical forests and savannah grasslands, the destination is home to tiger, sambas, and liontailed macaque and nilgiri langurs. The Department of Tourism-run Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) is the nodal agency for Responsible Tourism drive in Thekkady. PATA CEO Mario Hardy praised the winners as “most authentic, culturally diverse and innovative”. “It was difficult to choose only two winners, as we received some excellent submissions from destinations both near and far,” he said. A dedicated team at TripAdvisor
will work with Thekkady to create marketing campaigns designed to ensure effective utilisation of the digital environment for encouraging travellers to visit the destination. “We are very pleased to be supporting the two winning destinations, which both have fantastic tourism offerings that we will now work together on to showcase their story to the world,” said Mr Martin Verdon-Roe, Vice President, Global Display Sales of Trip Advisor,PATA CEO Challenge 2015 aims to promote and enhance the number of visitors to emerging destinations and enhance tourism development in a sustainable manner. Kerala Tourism will receive free stand space at the PATA Travel Mart 2016 in Jakarta during September 7-9 next year and invitation to the PATA Annual Summit in Guam, United States in May 2016.
Cover Story
Colourful Start for
GKSF Season 9
K
erala Chief Minister Mr. Oommen Chandy has inaugurated the Ninth Season of the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival at Kollam on December 1, 2016. Mr. Oommen Chandy said that the Tourism Department has linked the shopping festival with the ‘Visit Kerala 2015’ to make it
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more attractive for tourists. All the commercial houses will work in close association to make the event a big success .He hailed the efforts taken by the Tourism Department to make the festival a hit over the past five years.
Cover Story There are additions to the festival making it a new experience this time. ‘Shopping For Others’ is planned to help the underprivileged, he said. Mr. A P Anil Kumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala has said the 45day festival was only second to Onam celebrations in the state, while Presiding over the event. The festival has been scheduled such that it attracts tourists from overseas who flow in great number during December and January, he said. Mr. A A Azeez, MLA, working chairman of the festival, welcomed the gathering. He said it was a privilege for the people of
Kollam as the opening ceremony was being held in Kollam for the first time. Kollam had hosted the closing ceremony in the past, he said. During the last festival over 55 lakh coupons were sold and this year the target is over 1 crore with gifts worth `15 crore. Anil Mohammad, director, GKSF, presented the report. The phenomenal shopping festival of Kerala is conducted by the Kerala Tourism Department in co-ordination with the Industries & Commerce Department, Finance Department and Local Self Government Departments. Season 9 of the GKSF will ends at January 2016. Through this shopping festival, the Kerala
Government intends to transform the state into a hub for international shopping experience and thereby launch Shopping Tourism in the state. In the process, the brand image of Kerala Tourism would go a long way to help upgrade the infrastructure of traditional marketing centers in Kerala. Huge range of automobiles, electronic appliances, jewellers, textiles and the products like famous spices, cashew, coir and handicrafts from the production centers are easily available in wide charge and shops registered under the GKSF offer wide range of discounts, vat refunds, gift coupons, scratch and win, weekly draws, sponsored gifts and mega lucky draws etc.
December 2015
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Mr. Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala handing over the Shopping for Others’ - GKSF Charity drive which was purchased by Justice Mr. P. sathasivam for Children’s at Solace to Mrs. Sheeba Ameer during the inaugural function of GKSF Season 9 at Kollam in the presence of Mr. A.P.Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala, Mr. A. A. Azeez MLA, Mr. G. Kamal V Rao IAS, Secretary- Kerala Tourism and Mr. Anil Mohammed, Director of Grand Kerala Shopping Festival
GKSF on a Charity Spree with
‘Shopping for Others’
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rand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) would be a great platform for helping the destitute in terms of fulfilling their basic shopping needs and concerns, said Justice Mr. P Sathasivam, Governor of Kerala while inaugurating ‘Shopping for Others Scheme’, initiated as part of the ninth edition of GKSF at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. “the festival has now been conceived as an initiative to help the poor and needy. Hopefully, GKSF will address the needs of the destitute by acting as a facilitator. I am happy that several schools and social and charitable institutions have come forward to cooperate with GKSF for this noble cause,” he said. Sathasivam added that the festival supplemented various aspects of tourism sector by enhancing the business 14
December 2015
through promoting and propagating the traditional products of the state and this time it has introduced charity sector. The Governor handed over ‘Shopping for Others’ logo to Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar. Mr. Anilkumar said ‘Shopping for Others’ was a unique scheme in this edition which aimed to ensure food,
clothes and shelter for the oppressed and marginalised section of society. “GKSF has now become one of the largest shopping festivals in Asia. This edition is unique and different in all respects especially the participation of trade organisations,” he said.
GKSF international trade fair at Kochi
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he Global Village, an international trade fair that will be the first of its kind in the State and a focal point of the ongoing South Indian Bank Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF), will be inaugurated by Mr. Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala at Kochi on December 22. Mr. A.P. Anil Kumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala said that the Global Village will feature nearly 400 stalls in six thematic pavilions – International, National, Kerala, Consumer, Brand and Weaves – and a Food Pavilion. One of the long-standing demands of the GKSF has been to create a single platform where the most attractive features of
the annual event is concentrated, offering the ultimate shopping experience for both visitors and domestic consumers. The Tourism Department has managed to achieve this for the Sixth Season through the Global Village, which is envisaged along the lines of the Dubai Shopping Festival. It is for the first time that a trade fair of this kind is being held in Kerala, he said. The Global Village, which will represent trade and cultural traditions of various States and countries, is coming up on 24 acres of land at the Lulu Convention Centre premises in Bolgatty Island.
Dalda and Carnival Group are title sponsors of the Global Village which will open on December 22 and conclude on January 9. It is targeted primarily at visitors from outside Kerala, particularly from overseas, to give them a complete shopping experience. The Tourism Department is also planning to organise package tours for people from outside Kochi to visit the Global Village, he added. National Pavilion will be dedicated to unique crafts and products from other States, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
December 2015
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News
Gender education
must start at home, Oommen Chandy
“G
ender empowerment should start from our homes to achieve our goals at the societal level,” said Mr. Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala at the valedictory function of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE 1) which was concluded at KTDC Samudra Hotel, Kovalam recently.
of Opposition, who was in Delhi, made a video address. “The patriarchal society led to the suppression of the abilities of women,” said the opposition leader. “However, today we reserve 50 per cent of the seats in local self-governing bodies for women. I express my solidarity to the initiative by the social justice department of the state.”
“We had a culture of keeping women out of economical and intellectual independence,” said the Chief Minister. “Gender equality holds the key to economic growth and human development. Governmental organisations alone cannot make the difference; it should start from our homes. The Gender Park has become a trendsetter. The first ever transgender policy is also a path breaking achievement for the state.”
Dr M K Muneer, Minister for Social Justice and Panchayats highlighted that the state government would initiate a State Gender Action Plan after a series of discussion with the researchers, academicians and other experts.
Mr. V S Achuthanandan, Leader
“Kerala has declared seven different policies for gender identities which directly or indirectly are related to gender equality. After attending the eye-opening sessions which gave us surprising data and statistics on the
gender discrimination and the loopholes in the present legislations, we will take further steps to ensure gender equality,” said minister. The ICGE 1 Statement, which is expected to serve as a guideline to governments, NGOs and civil society, the private sector and media on the way forward to promote and sustain gender equality, was released. Prof Amit Shovon Ray, Director of the Centre for Development Studies, was the chief guest at the function. Dr Divya Iyer, Assistant Collector of Kottayam, Prof Naila Kabeer, London School of Economics; Mr Toshihiro Tanaka of UNFPA, and Nadereh Chamlou, Former Senior Advisor at The World Bank, also spoke during the event. The UNFPA and UN Women are also partners of the three-day ICGE 1, together with the Gender Park.
News
Mollywood Stars for
gender equality
T
he International Conference for Gender Equality (ICGE), a platform to formulate and exchange ideas free of cultural and language barriers, has been an unqualified success, celebrity attendees said. The delegates, among whom featured leading lights of the Malayalam film industry, said the conference organised by Gender Park had a strong theme, was impressively organized and has provided constructive discussion forums and action plans for practical implementation of the ideas discussed. “Children should be taught the necessary lessons about gender equality as they grow up. The inclusion of sex education in school syllabi will help in creating awareness against exploitation and abuses,” said actress Parvathy of Ennu Ninte Moideen fame. “I had many breaks in my career due to my bold reactions at certain instances”, said Parvathy. Filmmaker Anjali Menon prefers to be called “a director, rather than a woman director”. The Bangalore Days-maker dismissed the notion that directors need to have a loud, deep (masculine) voice, saying that her soft-spoken tone has been enough to run a film set. “The ICGE has been a great opportunity to understand the works done in the field of gen-
der equality from different parts of the world and also a platform to interact with such pioneers like Mallika Sarabhai,” said actress Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. “Though I have a Masters degree in Women Studies, this conference has enhanced my knowledge on gender issues,” the actress said, adding that the workable ideas can be a model for the
rest of the world to follow. “Both Gender Park and the Social Justice Department are to be commended for organising the conference,” she added. A sentiment echoed by noted music composer and music director Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, who expressed his gratitude to the conference’s efforts to help move society forward. “Gender equality is the need of the day,” the maestro said. The ICGE and its action plans came in for appreciation from foreign delegates as well. “In my country, where it is considered taboo for women to drive cars, go out after 6 pm, select their field of study or even their choice of career, such conferences are crucial,” said Ohood, a student from Yemen. “Conferences like this can change adverse attitude towards women to an extent.” “For a woman coming from rigid social structures, Kerala has pumped a fresh air of freedom in my life,” said Ohood, a research scholar at Karyavattom University. “Unlike countries that give men greater importance in the workplace, Kerala stands as a role model through its encouragement of women at all tiers of the labour force – from auto drivers and conductors on up.” December 2015
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Cinema
IFFK @ 20;
India premiere for 50 international films
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total of 50 films from around the world will have their India premiere during the 20th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which begins on December 4 at Trivandrum. Nearly 180 films, including many award-winners and Oscar nominees, will be screened at 13 venues across the city. Cinematographer-director Shaji N. Karun, the chairman of IFFK 2015’s advisory committee, said: “The line-up is a distillation of the most important films of the year. No mean feat considering we are the last film festival on the calendar and our budget is dwarfed many times over by other festivals.” The IFFK has become a ‘must attend’ event for cinema enthusi-
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asts, “because it benefits from a mature, literate film audience”, said Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi, referring to lay viewers who queue up in several thousands to grab a seat. “The quality of any film festival is determined by the quality of the audience. If the audience is interested and cultivated, I can
expect that more serious, better films will be watched, will be received,” he said. This year, provisions have been made to accommodate 12,000 delegates — besides foreign attendees, jury and the media. The eight-day extravaganza has a budget of about Rs.5 crore. People like South Korean direc-
tor Kim ki-Duk, and Indian Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta have attended the festival in the past. Mehta’s Oscar-nominated 2005 film “Water” had its Indian premiere as the inaugural film at the 10th IFFK. In 2012, her “Midnight’s Children” premiered at the 17th IFFK. “The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is good in many ways, but it has an imported audience,” Zanussi said. “I don’t count many locals among the audience in Goa (and) there is usually a wall between you and the public. At IFFK, young people approach me and prove in the conversations I have with them that they have seen my films. That they care. That it’s not just for a picture or an autograph. This I can respect,” he said. This year, there will be an annual retrospective on French-Romany director Tony Gatlif. Dariush Mehrjui, who was part of the Iranian new wave movement of the 1970s, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. The competition section is restricted to films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The best feature film will win the Suvarna Chakoram with a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh, while the best director will receive the Rajata Chakoram and a cash prize of Rs.4 lakh.
Kerala Tourism to attract
Arab Travellers
A
s part of a high-pitched promotional campaign in the Middle East, Kerala Tourism has conductedroadshows in Oman and Bahrain to boost foreign tourist arrivals in the state during the ‘Visit Kerala’ year. “The Middle East is of special significance to us,” said Mr. A P Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala. “We have ties with the Gulf region dating back to centuries,” he said, adding Kerala attaches a lot of importance to visitors from the Middle East. “This is a region close to us also because of the large number of our people working in these countries,” Mr. Anilkumar said. Mr. P I Sheik Pareeth IAS, Director of Kerala Tourism, who led the state delegation to Oman and Bahrain, said the two roadshows evoked a tremendous response in the two countries. The roadshow in Oman was held at the Grand Hyatt in the capital city of Muscat on November 23. In Bahrain, the roadshow took place at the Intercontinental Regency in the capital Manama on November 25.
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“The response from the trade in both the countries during the roadshows was highly encouraging,” Mr. Pareeth said. “It is after a gap of five years that Kerala Tourism has conducted roadshows in the Middle East region,” he added. “The tourists from the Middle East are mainly focused on our products such as Ayurveda,” said the Tourism Director. “There is also high demand for luxury accommodation and facilities,” he added. In Oman, representatives from over 30 leading tour operating companies participated in the roadshow in Muscat. Representatives from over 40 leading tour operating companies participated in the Manama roadshow. The plans of Oman and Bahrain governments to expand air connectivity to Kerala are expected to provide a huge boost to tourist arrivals from the Middle East. The international airports in Muscat and Salalah are currently undergoing development and will soon serve as the gateway to international travel. Visa on Arrival facility is currently available to visitors from Oman at all
airports in Kerala. Oman has also plans to start new flight to Kerala. “This will serve Muscat as another hub in the Middle East and will, in turn, help Kerala to gain better connectivity for visitors to our state,” said Shri Pareeth. According to the Kerala Tourism Director, the warm equitable climate of the state and the monsoon seasons are key factors that would draw tourists from the Middle East to Kerala. “The visitors from the region are also interested in benefitting from Ayurveda,” he added. ‘With the ‘Visit Kerala’ promotional campaign on a war-footing, I am sure that there will be huge increases in arrivals from these countries,” Mr. Pareeth said. Mr. Mohammed Al Riyami from the Ministry of Tourism of Oman also attended the roadshow in Muscat. Last year, Omani tourist arrivals in Kerala were 17,239 and Bahraini tourist arrivals 3,674. Oman is one of the top three outbound tourism markets for Kerala in the Middle East.
News
Alkesh Sharma Appoints as MD & CEO of the DMIC
S
enior Indian Administrative Service Officers of Kerala Cadre Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma is the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) Development Corporation -a $90-billion government-sponsored infrastructure project with aid from Japan. A 1990-batch Kerala-cadre IAS officer from Rajasthan, Sharma recently took over the DMIC assignment which will span three years. He was working as the Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
The 2006-incepted DMIC is setting up industrial zones across six states to spur development in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The end terminals span 1,483 km between Dadri (Noida) in the National Capital Region and Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai. This project plays an important role in Prime Minister’s “Make in India” and “Smart City” Programmes. Mr Sharma’s earlier tenure as the Director of Kerala Tourism and MD KTDC during 2001 to 2004 saw the State consistently top-
ping the national tourism awardees. Also, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation turned into one of the highest profit-making enterprises when he was its managing director for three years from 2009. Besides, he served as MD of Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd., Malabar Cements and Keltron which saw a significant growth in turn over during this period. He has served as the director in Bharat Petroleum, Keltron, Western India Plywoods, Apollo Tyres, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd and Nitta Gelatin India Ltd and Indian Rare Earths Ltd.
As many as 14 trade partners from Kerala attended the roadshows in both countries.
ism trade partners from the state were Abad Hotels and Resorts, All Season, Carmelia Haven, Chandy’s Windy Woods, Discover Kerala Holidays, Intersight Tours & Travels, Kairali--The Ayurvedic Healing
Village, Kumarakom Lake Resort, RAXA Collective, Spiceland Holidays, T&U Leisure Hotel, The Silver Tips, Munnar, The Zuri Hotels & Resorts, and Thomas Hotels and Resorts.
Mr. Indra Mani Pandey, Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, was the chief guest at the roadshow in Muscat. In Manama, Mr. Alok Kumar Sinha, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain, was the chief guest. Both the Indian Embassies extended their complete support in turning the roadshows into a complete success. Mr. I.R.V. Rao, Assistant Director, India Tourism in United Arab Emirates also participated for both the roadshows. The Kerala TourMr. P I Sheik Pareeth IAS, Kerala Tourism Director presenting a holiday voucher to a Omani Tour Operator
News
India’s first RO-RO Completes two lakh truck movements.
T
he RO RO barge introduced in Feb 2011 to avoid the movement of ICTT Vallarpadam bound container trucks through Ernakulam city roads has completed a total carriage of two lakh container trucks as on 05.11.2015. The barge named ‘Sakra Transporters’ commutes between Willingdon and Bolgatty Islands.The barge, which can carry 20 container trucks, has been a big support to avoid day time movement of container trucks from South Kerala. The movement of container trucks through Kundannoor Junction to Vallarpadam via the very busy city road
stretches of Vyttila, Palarivattom and Edappally is avoided by availing RO RO barge.As the container trucks are not permitted on the city roads during day time the alternate route takes up to 45 Km. The container trucks from Kollam and Alleppey take a deviation from Kundannoor to Willingdon Island and are driven into the barge at the Willingdon Island RO RO jetty. The barge moves through the canal and reaches the Bolgatty RoRO jetty where the trucks are driven out and move towards the ICTT. The movement through the canal takes only twenty minutes.
This is the first Ro Ro container movement introduced in the country. The service is by a double ended ferry craft which facilitates driving in through either side and therefore, saves operational time. Similar services are being attempted by other Ports in the country. The service is operated by the LOTS shipping company of Cochin. The service is jointly managed and supported by Cochin Port Trust and Inland Water ways Authority of India. (RO RO- Roll On Roll Off)
News
Kerala - A film maker’s paradise SS Rajamouli
“K
erala - God’s own country is sculptured in such a way that it is beautiful in every corner of the state,” said celebrated film director SS Rajamouli. “The best thing about Kerala is that we need not wander more for locations. It is a filmmaker’s paradise.” Rajamouli, whose blockbuster film Baahubali had become one of the biggest grossers in India’s film industry, was speaking at a press conference conducted by Kerala Tourism here today to promote wedding and film tourism in the state. “When the story of Baahubali came to my mind, I wanted to capture the ferocity and hugeness of Athirapally as against the placidity and calmness that is exploited most in the movies shot here,” said the acclaimed director. Rajamouli reminisced that his
Mr. S.S Rajamouli,
addressing the media at Kovalam in the presents of Mr. Kamala Vardhana Rao IAS, Tourism Secretary & Mr. P I Sheik Pareeth IAS, Kerala Tourism Director
stint with Kerala dates back to the 1980s when he came to Sabarimala from Chennai. He had fallen in love with the greenery since then. It is this love for the green pastures that made him shoot his three movies- Simhadri, Sai and Baahubali- in Thiruvananthapuram, Munnar and Athirapally, respectively. Asked about his reaction on the nomination of the Telugu version of Baahubali for the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, he said he was not interested in awards. “I don’t see any value for them,” he quipped. “I do not attend any award functions. However, I will be extremely happy if my technicians or people associated with the film an award. It will be a motivation for them,” he said. Rajamouli was in Kerala to attend the wedding of the daughter of
his friend, Dr AV Guruvareddy, an orthopaedican based in Hyderabad. Dr Guruvareddy said he had shortlisted Kerala and Rajasthan for his daughter’s destination wedding. “I love Kerala’s ambience, greenery, infrastructure, and environment and it should be treated as one of the topmost destinations in the world for destination weddings,” he noted. Mr. Kamala Vardhana Rao IAS, Tourism Secretary said the alluring spots in Kerala like Munnar, Kochi and Kovalam are increasingly becoming locations for destination weddings, which would l help in the development of tourism sector in the state. He also remarked that he had used clippings from Baahubali to showcase Kerala’s beauty for promoting the state’s film tourism among the Chinese film producers in Beijing.
Kerala & Economy Niyathi
1199 Local Self Governments
M
ahatma Gandhi said ‘India live in Villages’ and therefore Gandhiji again said ‘Indian Villages must develop and must become self reliant’. He did not define a ‘self reliant village’ but envisaged a village self reliant, when the village produce and distribute everything it needs. Gandhiji always said I never developed a theory which you call ‘Gandhian theory’. But I analysed basic issues connected with human and social life and suggested some practical solutions. I recall here the Gandhian ideas to analyse in what way the newly elected 1199 Local Self Governments will formulate development plan for the coming five years for the development and welfare of the local people. Government of India made several efforts to decentralise development plan and involve people in decentralised planning. In the first five year plan (1951-56) Government of India started Community Development Block and then the National Extention Service. However, the efforts of Union Government did not materialise as envisaged due to lack of powers, functions, resource and people involvement till the amendment of the constitution in 1992. The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution was a significant charter in the decen24
December 2015
tralisation of power and planning. Government of Kerala passed the Kerala Panchayath Raj Act 1994 and Kerala Municipalities Act 1994 based on the amendments. As envisaged in the Act, election to Local Self Governments has to be held in every five years. Accordingly first election to Local Government in Kerala was held in 1995, second in 2000, third in 2005 and fourth in 2010. Fifth election to Local Government was held in November 2015. Members elected to Local Government have first to study what are the functions and powers transferred to Local Governments. Similarly members have to assess the resources devolved from the State budget and own resources that can be moblised. After assessing the resources available from
these two sources, mobilise the people and formulatre development plan with their participation and execute the projects efficiently and deliver the benefits to the local people. We have a three-tier Panchayath system and municipalities and corporations. Altogather there are 1199 Local Self Governments and 21871 elected members from 21871 wards. In the Local Self Governments 50 percent elected members are women. Similarly in 50 percent Local Self Governments will be women the head. In otherwards out of 1199 Local Governments in Kerala, women will rule 600 for the next five years. Table 1 below shows the category wise Local Governments and number of members/wards. Out of 941
Table - 1 Categorywise Local Self Governments and Wards/Members Sl No.
Category LSGS
Wards Members
1.
Grama Panchayaths
941
15962
2.
Block Panchayats
152
2076
3.
District Panchayats
14
4.
Municipalities
86
3088
5.
Corporation
6
414
Total
331
1199 21871
Columin
Grama Panchayats, women will rule 471 and out of total members 7981 are women. Similarly out of 152 Block Panchayat women will rule 76 and out of total members 1038 are women. Out of 14 District Panchayats women will rule seven and out of 331 wards women will man-
age 166. Here one can observe that when women rule 50 percent of rural Local Self Governments in Kerala empowerment of women are very significant. We empower women with powers functions and resources through Local Government. Here the women who rule the Local
Table - 2 Plan outlay transferred to Local Governments and Amount utlised Sl. Plan period No.
Outlay transferred
Amount utilised
Percent (Rs. Crores)
1. 9th Five Year Plan (1997-22002)
5063.74
3580.76
70.7
2. 10th Five Year plan (2002-07)
7097.71
5071.73
71.4
3. 11th Five Year Plan 12459.00 (2007-12)
9140.23
74.3
4. 12th Five Year Plan 12461.65 (2012-17) 37082.10
9139.63
73.3
Note: 12th Plan for first 3 years
26932.35 72.6
Governments have to exercise the powers assigned to them to effectively function and utilise the resources to meet the local needs of people on a priority basis especially the marginalised. Government of Kerala in 1996 decided to transfer one third State plan outlay to Local Self Governments based on some criteria. Since then Kerala has formulated and executed three five year plans (9th, 10th and 11th Five Year Plans) and now run through the fourth year of the 12th plan. Table 2 below shows the plan out outlay transferred to Local Governments from the state budget and fund utilized during the 9th, 10th, 11th five year plans and first three years of the 12th plan. Table 2 shows that Government devolved Rs.37,082/- crore to Local Self Governments during the last 18 years starting from the first year of the 9th plan. But LSGs utilised only Rs.26,932/- crore which form 73 percent of the transferred outlay. In other wards, LSGs were unable to utilise Rs.10,150/- crore and therefore the people lost benefits from the unused amount. Local Governments are responsible for the unused amount. The newly elected Local Self Governments have therefore to assess this poor situation and then strengthen the Local Governments to utilise the plan fund and deliver benefits to the local people. December 2015
25
Columin State Government decentralised powers, functions and resource to Local Governments to formulate local development plan based on local needs. Local Governments, however, fail to raise themselves and acquire the strength and capacity to deliver goods and service as people desire. Development functions of nearly 13 departments and government officers functioning at Grama Panchayat level have been transferred to Grama Panchayats. Similarly development functions of nine departments and officials at Block level and District level have been transferred to Block Panchayats and District Panchayats respectively. Similar development functions and officials are transferred to Municipalities and Corporations also. Powers, functions and resources are transferred to Local Governments along with implementing officers. Every five years, election is held to Local Governments and elected people administer the local body with the help of officials. We are experimenting this decentralised administrative system since 1995 and complete nearly 20 years and new elected government assumed charge in November, 2015. Now ask ourselves some questions. Have we increased production, productivity and employment in 26
December 2015
the production sector. Have we increased the quality of services provided through hospitals, schools anganwadis and other government transferred offices. The problems of housing, drinking water, street lighting and waste management still remain unresolved Socio-economic problems like povery malnutrition, houselessness, etc. still get aggravated. Elected people to Local Government have to assess the local needs of the people and then
formulate development plan with their participation and then implement it. In other wards, in the formulatiion and implementation of development plan people participation have to be ensured through Grama Sabhas. It is argued that Local Governments get only limited resource. It is true that with this limited resource it is difficult to meet all the local needs of local people in a year or two. Under such situation, Local Governments have to
fix priority based on some criteria. The criteria used for fixing priority must be with people’s participation in grama sabha. Here the elected people to Local Government must develop the strength, capacity and confidence to administer the local government and transferred officials. Elected people therefore need training on all aspects related to Local Government and development administration. Training to all elected people is practically impossible in a short period. In such situation they can discuss the development issues with locally available experts and resource pensions. This would facilitate the elected people to formulate useful development projects and implement it efficiently and productively. Local Government have to formulate over all development plan for a Local Government area instead of individual projects. Newly elected people will hold the Local Governments for the next five years. It is rather a long period. Let each member take a slogan. “ I will work with people for a self reliant Grama Panchayat without fear and corruption as Gandhiji envisaged�. It is a rich service that you can provide to the community to keep you ever memorable.
Banking
Federal Bank launches local langauge
mobile banking
F
ederal Bank has launched Malayalam and Hindi language versions for its mobile banking application (FedMobile). The bank has become first bank in India to enable multi-lingual capability for mobile banking. Malayalam language version of FedMobile was launched today by renowned writer MT Vasudevan Nair. The multi-lingual version is currently available for Android devices and will soon be extended to iOS users.
Renowned writer Shri. M T Vasudevan Nair dedicating to the nation the Malayalam version of FedMobile, the Mobile Banking Application of Federal Bank, on the auspicious day of Vidyaramabam at Tunjanparambu in the presence of Mr. Varghese T A, DGM and Kozhikode Zonal Head, Mr. Shaji KV, AGM and Malappuram Regional Head, and other officials of the bank.
Federal Bank bags IDRBT Award for
Digital Banking
A
nalytics and Big Data in mid-sized Banks Segment Federal Bank has won the prestigious IDRBT Banking Technology Excellence Award 2014-15 for Digital Banking, Analytics and Big Data in the midsized banks segment. The award was presented to the Bank at a function held at the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), Hyderabad today. Mr. Ganesh Sankaran, Executive Director, Federal Bank, received the award from Dr.Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. Instituted in 2001, the IDRBT Banking Technology Excellence Awards are meant to recognize and honor the best innovative use of information technology to enhance
the levels of customer delight. The IDRBT Award is recognition for the series of digital initiatives undertaken by the Bank this year that include FedBook Selfie, the firstof-its-kind mobile App for account opening and Scan N Pay, the innovative mobile based Payment app which has the capability to scan the QR code, facilitating payments at merchant outlets & ecommerce websites
as well as person-to-person fund transfer. Federal Bank is winning the IDRBT award for the 5th consecutive year. In 2013-14, the Bank was recognized as Best Bank for Use of Technology for Financial Inclusion, Best Bank for Social Media and Mobile Banking, Best Bank for Business Intelligence Initiatives and Best Bank for Best IT Team. December 2015
27
Banking Cinema
Manisha Koirala’s beyond cancer
H
er most memorable and strong female characters in ‘Bombay’, ‘Dil Se’, and ‘Khamoshi’ were nearly from two decades back, but real-life heroine Manisha Koirala, who survived cancer, was back in action for a film promotion. This time around, the actress was promoting her Malayalam movie, ‘Edavapathy’, directed by Lenin Rajendran. “I want to put cancer behind me and put my life back on track,” said the Nepali actress, who made her name in Bollywood. “Society should know about people like me who have fought cancer and strive for a better life.” ‘Edavapathy’, Manisha’s second Malayalam venture, is a period movie which depicts mythology and modern art. “It is a pleasure to be a part of an intellectual and artistic movie,” she said. The movie depicts the struggles of the Tibetan people in Bylacopa in Mysore district. The nearly 7,000-strong population, including nuns, monks and civilians 28
December 2015
new life
have lived here for 37 years. “The primary goal of each Tibetan is to return to their homeland. But they are in a confused about the route to take; whether to embrace the spiritual path of the Dalai Lama or to resort to terrorism to reach their goal,” said Lenin Rajendran, the movie director. “The movie also deals with the story of Vasavadatta and Upagupta, two characters from a Buddhist tale.” Siddharth Lama, the young Rimpoche of ‘Yodha’ fame, plays the main character of Upagupta who is desperate to go to his homeland, Lhasa, but is disappointed on reaching there. Vasavadatta is played by Uthara Unni, daughter of the noted actress Urmila Unni; Manisha plays the wife of an estate manager and Vasavadatta’s mother. Lama makes his return to the Malayalam industry after 22 years. “Everyone on the set has helped me with the language,” he says. He expressed his desire to work with Mohanlal again.
The beauty of the locations Bylacopa, Hampi, Madikeri, Kulu-Manali and Thiruvananthapuram have been captured by the cinematographer Madhu Ambat. “I am interested in capturing the internal, rather than the external reality through the help of shadows and lightings,” said Madhu, who is worked twice with Manisha before. Manisha, who is set to launch a book at the Delhi Book Festival, is also actively involved in social activities. “I have done an awareness campaign in Delhi where I had the privilege to talk about healthy lifestyles and preventive methods,” she said. Even though she has portrayed a chain smoker in the movies, she is keen on now focussing on a healthy and tobacco-free lifestyle. “Life is a gift and we must honour that. I did not give much value to it until three years backs, where I was diagnosed with cancer” she said. Manisha also said that equality and spirituality are the only answers to the war and chaos that the world is facing.
News
Most Countries are Missing Major Opportunities to Reduce Inequality
A
mid increasing concerns about rising income inequality and its negative economic and social impact, the World Economic Forum, the international institution for publicprivate cooperation, recently published a new contribution to the discussion. In its first edition, The Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2015 provide a new framework for stimulating growth that translates into broadbased improvements in living standards, touching all citizens. Around the world, no bigger policy challenge preoccupies political leaders than expanding social participation in the process and benefits of economic growth. The report, which covers 112 economies, seeks to improve our understanding of how countries can use a diverse spectrum of policy incentives and institutional mechanisms to make economic growth more socially inclusive without dampening incentives to work, save and invest. The new benchmarking framework introduces over 140 quantitative indicators across seven pillars and 15 sub-pillars:
Education and Skills Development – access; quality; equity 30
December 2015
Employment and Labour Compensation – productive employment; wage and non-wage labour compensation Asset-building and Entrepreneurship – small business ownership; home and financial asset ownership Financial Intermediation of Real Economy Investment – financial system inclusion; intermediation of business investment Corruption and Rents – business and political ethics; concentration of rents Basic Services and Infrastructure – basic infrastructure; health-re-
inclusion. Countries are able to benchmark their efforts to promote social inclusion relative to peers in each area via a traffic-light scheme. To enable more meaningful comparisons, countries are divided into four groups: advanced; upper-middle income; lower-middle income; and lower-income. Rick Samans, Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum, said: “By giving policy-makers, business leaders and other stakeholders a clearer sense of the extent to which their country is exploiting the available policy space and best practices in relation to its peers, the report aims to make discussions about inequality less about aspiration and more about concrete action.”
Overall, six main findings emerge from the analysis:
Fiscal transfers – tax code; social protection`
All countries have room for improvement. There is considerable diversity in performance not only across but also within countries. No country scores above average for its peer group in all 15 sub-pillars and only a few come close.
The online report includes comparative country profiles for 112 countries. These are like diagnostic scans of each country’s institutional enabling environment as it relates to social
It is possible to be pro-inclusiveness and pro-growth at the same time. This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that several of the strongest performers in the Forum’s Global Competitive-
lated services and infrastructure
News ness Index also have a relatively strong inclusive growth and development profile.
Global Challenge Initiative on Economic Growth and Social Inclusion
Fiscal transfers can be helpful – but so can other policies. Many economies with high levels of tax and redistribution are highly competitive. However, use of policy space in other areas could reduce the need for these levers.
This report is a key contribution to the World Economic Forum’s Global Challenge Initiative on Economic Growth and Social
Inclusion. The initiative brings together global leaders and decision-makers in addressing this issue through global and regional dialogues as well as projects aimed at making progress in specific areas.
Effective promotion of social inclusion is not solely a luxury of high-income countries. In many sub-pillars – such as business and political ethics, financial system inclusion, and educational quality and equity – some developing countries do better than others with much higher incomes. There are significant regional similarities. This suggests a strong role of shared culture, historical traditions or political-economy reflexes, in areas such as tax systems in Eastern Europe and educational equity in Latin America. The current debate on inequality is unduly narrow and polemical. The debate usually focuses on redistribution and upskilling labour, but these are only a minority of the policy options available to “structurally adjust” an economy for inclusive growth. Several other crucial factors relate to improving the investment and business climate. Therefore, it is possible, even necessary, to be pro-labour and pro-business; pro-growth as well as pro-equity. “The most appropriate approach to be taken by countries will depend on their specific circumstances. However, our analysis shows that all countries have room for improvement for placing their economies on a more inclusive growth path,” said Jennifer Blanke, Chief Economist at the World Economic Forum. December 2015
31
Features
Major positive shift in
world perception on INDIA
N
otwithstanding his critics’ remarks that holdalls are always ready at the 7 Race Course Road for foreign trips, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that it was a matter of pride and satisfaction for him that a major positive shift was taking place in the world about India, its potential and prospects. In an interview to United News of India (UNI) recently on completing one year in office, Mr Modi observed that the world was new for him and he was new for the world. Changing image and perception about India in the world was a compulsion and “I did accept this challenge – I will go myself to hold dialogues to effectively tell the world about India, its potentials and prospects,’’ he said. Mr Modi said that it should be a matter of pride for all countrymen that India’s proposal before UN of the idea of the International Yoga Day was supported by as many as 177 countries for the first time in the history of the world body and passed within 100 days.
32
December 2015
The world is now gearing up to observe the Yoga Day on June 21. Mr Modi said that at the onset of the 21st century, the concept of BRICS
emerged and it was believed that the present century would be driven by members of the grouping. Soon this im-
pression started emerging that India
was weak in BRICS and the entire hypothesis was upset. “This situation put responsibility on my government. I was aware of the impact of the challenges.” Mr Modi gave full credit to the people for giving him a decisive mandate to form an absolute majority government after three decades, which, he said, had helped his regime to enjoy the image of a ‘decisive administration with confidence’ in the world. From his remarks in the interview, it is quite obvious that Mr Modi is unfazed by the barrage of criticism by his detractors that he has no time to undertake inland tours so extensively vis-a-vis foreign lands. In any case, Mr Modi appears to have brought a rare energy to India’s foreign policy, infusing it with a dash of colour and his own personal warmth in ties with world leaders even as he has kept up a frenetic pace in his diplomatic engagement –visiting 18 countries in the course of his first year in office. Mr Modi brought in his own distinctive style right from the day he took over on May 26, 2014. His gesture to invite seven South Asian neigh-
Features bours, from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Mauritius, to his swearing-in was an assertion of his government’s neighbourhood policy. The surprise invite and the sight of so many leaders from neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, were hailed as a major foreign policy coup. Mr Modi has not looked back since. He has met the leaders of all the ‘Permanent Five’ (P5) members of the UN - the US, Russia, China, Britain and France – interacting with some of them more than twice. Mr Modi has helped revitalise India’s relations with not just neighbours and the Southeast Asian region, but with the West, the Middle East, and even Latin America and the distant islands of Seychelles. Besides Mr Modi’s foreign visits and interactions with heads of state and government during their India visits, his External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been quietly busy in cementing India’s ties across the world, with Minister of State General(Retd) VK Singh actively chipping in. The year-long hectic diplomatic calendar saw 162 diplomatic engagements with 101 countries between Mr.Modi, Ms Swaraj and MoS VK Singh. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which stormed to majority on its own strength in the Lok Sabha elections, had in its poll manifesto promised to focus on India’s ties with neighbours. The neighbourhood outreach started in right earnest, beginning with key strategic neighbour Bhutan, which Mr Modi chose as his first port of call. Bhutan, India’s closest ally for decades, also shares a border with China. Besides visits to immediate neighbours Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and
most recently Bangladesh, Mr Modi has travelled to Europe – visiting France and Germany, the US, Canada, China, and Australia and became the first Indian prime minister to visit Mongolia. Mr Modi has visited Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Mauritius, Seychelles, Fiji and Brazil. He has attended several multilateral summits, including BRICS, ASEAN, EAS and G20. Adding to the neighbourhood outreach, Mr. Modi signalled his government’s determined push to the ‘Look East’ Policy, by terming it ‘Act East’, and following it up with active engagement with the Southeast Asian region. To make the ‘Act East’ policy really work, the government is giving a major push to connectivity proj-
ects through India’s northeast to the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries – a region where China has a strong presence. Mr Modi has followed it up with his ‘Link West’ policy, engaging with countries on India’s west, including the Middle East region. A hallmark of Mr Modi’s foreign policy is his stress on economic diplomacy, which he does through actively promoting his government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, and assuring the foreign governments and the top corporates of ease of doing business in India. As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Prime Minister has urged foreign governments to participate in India’s railways sector, in manufacturing, infrastructure, defence, smart cities,
Features urban planning and other sectors. He has also been seeking active participation of foreign countries in his government’s other initiatives like Digital India, Skill India, Clean Ganga Mission, Swachch Bharat Mission and Renewable Energy. Another important aspect of his foreign policy is interacting personally with top CEOs during overseas visits. The Prime Minister has met with the leading CEOs of most top companies in the world, inviting them to participate in the India story. Mr Modi’s US visit was the most-watched event in the diplomatic calendar in 2014, where he shrugged off any bitterness due to being denied a visa by the US government in 2005, and bonded with US President Barack Obama. In a major diplomatic coup, the Prime Minister got President Obama to be the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2015. Mr Obama became the first US president to attend the Republic Day parade, and also the American President to visit India twice during his
term. He had previously visited India in 2010.Mr. Obama, who has called Prime Minister Modi a “man of action”, and shares a warm chemistry with him, also addressed a joint “Mann ki Baat” radio address with him during his visit to India in January this year. Even though India shares close economic ties with China, the relationship is overshadowed by unease over the unsettled boundary question, Mr. Modi has, however, tried to build a healthy relationship with the Chinese leadership. He has met Chinese President Xi Jinping four times in the past one year – possibly the most times he has interacted with any other world leader. When President Xi came to India in September, Mr Modi invited him over to Ahmedabad and the two confabulated while taking a walk along the Sabarmati river front, amid a colourful backdrop with performances by folk dancers and folk musicians on the waterfront. In this, Mr Modi signaled a breakaway from the formal stiff diplomatic interactions – that have been the
norms for decades in India – and also introduced states as equal participants in India’s foreign policy.Reciprocating the Prime Minister’s gesture, President Xi received Mr.Modi in his hometown of XI’an in Shaanxi province during his May visit to China and accorded him a spectacular traditional welcome.Though the boundary question did not see much progress during his China visit, both countries have made progress in cementing peopleto-people ties and economic relations. With Russia, Mr Modi has emphasised India’s close traditional ties. During his coming visit to Russia in July for the BRICS and SCO summits, he would be having his fourth meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The government has stated firmly that India is against Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. However, with Pakistan, India’s difficult western neighbour, the ties have only plummeted. The relationship, which started off on a promising note with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attending the May 26, 2014, swearing-in of
Features Mr Modi and their short bilateral talks thereafter, petered out following Pakistan’s insistence on hobnobbing with Kashmiri separatists just four days ahead of the foreign secretary-level talks on August 25 last year. India has always maintained that there could be no third party in talks between the two countries. The persistent firing on the border and the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians has also added to the bitterness. Pakistan has also been constantly raising the Kashmir issue at international forums and has recently released 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi from jail, adding to the bitterness in ties. Mr Modi’s latest tour to friendly eastern neighbour Bangladesh was a historic one, resulting in both countries ratifying the 41-year-old Land Boundary Agreement, one of the two outstanding issues which Dhaka has been keen on India to conclude. Mr Modi, during his talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and his public speech at Dhaka University, assured Bangladesh
that his government will continue to strive to reach an accord on the Teesta water sharing, while keeping all stakeholders on board. With Japan, another friendly country, India upgraded its ties to special strategic global partnership during Mr Modi’s meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September last year. He shares a close rapport with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, with both sharing warm hugs during his visit to Brisbane last November. With South Korea, where he visited recently in May, both countries elevated their ties to Special Strategic Partnership and to hold the diplomatic and security dialogue in the “2 plus 2” format - between their foreign and defence secretaries. Till now India used to hold such a dialogue with Japan. During his speech at the UN General Assembly in September last year, which was in Hindi, the Prime Minister proposed instituting an International Yoga Day, which was adopted in a record time. In December last year, the UN General Assembly adopted the India-led resolution declaring June 21 as ‘International Day of Yoga’ with 175 nations joining as co-sponsors, the highest number ever for any UN General Assembly resolution. A major change that Mr Modi has brought to India’s foreign policy is in removing the diplomatic jargon from the language that was traditionally followed by South Block for decades. Mr Modi’s speeches have an informal, simple style, in keeping with his own image where he likes to interact informally with people.Mr.Modi also brought in the use of Hindi into India’s for-
eign policy – which was earlier considered the sole preserve of the English language. Mr Modi, who began his diplomatic engagements in Hindi initially, aided by a translator, has now begun giving speeches in English – keeping in mind the audience. But while speaking informally to large audiences abroad, especially the diaspora, Mr Modi is at his best in Hindi.A major part of the Prime Minister’s interactions abroad has been with the Indian diaspora. Right from the time he held thousands of ecstatic Indians spell-bound with his speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden in September last year, he has made it a point to bind with the diaspora, and also urged them to participate in the India story in a big way. The Prime Minister announced the decision to merge the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards with its Overseas Citizen of India cards, in a major relief, and lifelong visa to PIOs.Another important facet of Mr Modi’s foreign policy has been his outreach on Twitter and Facebook, not just with his multitude of fans and supporters but with global leaders too. He is on tweeting terms with Australian PM Tony Abbott, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among others. The Prime Minister’s instant tweets and pictures of his interactions during diplomatic engagements give his followers a close look at developments in Indian foreign policy. Mr Modi has also added the ‘selfie’ to India’s diplomacy, clicking selfies with many world leaders and posting them on twitter. The selfie diplomacy has proved a huge hit, including with the prime minister’s fans. December 2015
35
Automobile
‘Raksha SafeDrive’
launches crowd funding campaign
T
he gadget developed by a startup at KSUM raised US $ 5048 in 2 weeks
An innovative car gadget and road safety platform ‘Raksha SafeDrive’, developed by Elsys Intelligent Devices Private Limited, a startup incubated at the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), has raised US $ 5048 in two weeks through online crowd funding platform Kick starter. Raksha SafeDrive is a smart road safety platform enabled by the electronics, Internet of Things (IoT), telecommunications and cloud technologies. The platform has two components, SafeDrive – an innovative IoT car gadget and RakshaNet - a network of emergency services coordinated by a 24/7 command centre. SafeDrive gadget is mounted in cars and has automatic crash detection capabilities. In case of a massive impact, the device triggers phone calls to Raksha Net command centre managed by a team of safety professionals, who in turn will alert emergency services in the vicinity. The crowd funding campaign was launched on Kickstarter (https://goo.gl/AwKR74) on October 23. The company is looking for more support from Indian customers for the product to reach its fundraising goal of $15,000. The campaign will end on December 7. Prasad 36
Pillai, Co-founder, Elsys December 2015
said, “We have spent the last two years indigenously designing and making Safe Drive a cool, affordable gadget compatible with most cars running on Indian roads. We believe that ours is a true MakeIn-India effort to address a global hard-pressing problem”. “Currently there is no structured means to alert emergency services, first alert is initiated mostly by kind bystanders who inform about the incident,” he added.The SafeDrive gadget also has a ‘panic button’ which can connect the passenger of a car with emergency services including ambulance, hospital, police, insurance provider and roadside assistance. SafeDrive device will also help the user by alerting people in family or friends circles during emergencies. This standalone IoT device is also capable of GPS tracking, reporting telemetrics, improving driving behavior and thus becomes a true safety companion for all drivers on the road.
Jayanth Jagadeesh, Co-founder, Elsys said, “Internet and crowdfunding platforms have been successful globally in bringing out disruptive products and transforming the way of life. We hope that our campaign will spark mainstream discussions and bring together various stakeholders required to make our roads safer”. Speaking on the product, said Dr Jayashankar Prasad, CEO, KSUM said, “Given the increasing number of road accidents and resulting casualties on Indian roads, this innovative product is surely the need of the hour. I appreciate the effort taken by the company in developing the product. The initiative has the potential to revolutionize the way we respond to such emergency situations. Raksha SafeDrive has incorporated the best practices outlined in United Nations Resolution on ‘Improving Global Road Safety’ (A/68/269) as well as Government of India’s proposed ‘Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014’.
Automobile
Honda Launches all new CB Shine SP
H
onda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), launched it’s 15th product of the year, a special offering in 125cc segment - CB Shine SP. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Keita Muramatsu - President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd, said, “While India is the World’s fastest growing economy, it is also home to one of world’s youngest populations. These youngsters recognise their ‘special’ place in society. The new CB Shine SP helps them reflect the same ‘special status’ and puts them a gear ahead of their peers. CB Shine SP is an extension of the ‘new era of motorcycling’ we had ushered in at the Honda RevFest 2015. The
model was showcased as a mystery model in August 2015.” Powered by the proven 125cc 4-stroke Advanced HET (Honda Eco Technology) engine, CB Shine SP comes with a slick 5-speed. Powered by the proven 125cc 4-stroke Advanced HET (Honda Eco Technology) engine, CB Shine SP comes with a slick 5-speed gearbox which provides the best combination of acceleration & comfort. It also features one of the longest wheelbase in the segment and a higher ground clearance for practical and comfortable usage on all types of Indian roads. It’s sharp aerodynamic styling not
only guarantees admiration but also ensures performance with economy. Speaking about Honda’s latest addition to ‘Shine’ family, Mr. Y. S. Guleria, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “With over 43 Lac Happy customers, the legacy of Shine is undisputed. Though CB Shine enjoys 46% market share, our plan is to further strengthen Honda’s leadership position in 125 cc segment. We are extending the family with this Pride and what we are showcasing today is the next step of this legacy – loaded with additional features making it very very special!!”
Automobile
Maruti Suzuki adds more safety features to
WagonR & Celerio range WagonR now offered with Auto Gear Shift, dual airbags and ABS and Celero gets Dual airbags and ABS available as an option across variants
I
ndia’s leading passenger vehicle maker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has announced that it will offer the acclaimed Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology in WagonR and Stingray along with dual airbags and ABS are option across all Celerio variants, including the base version. The auto gear shift transmission will be available in VXi variants of both models. In addition, driver and co-driver airbags and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) will be offered as an option across
all variants, including base variants, of WagonR and Stingray. Introducing the new variants, Mr R S Kalsi, Executive Director Marketing & Sales, MSIL said, “WagonR is one of the strongest brands in the Indian car market and it has been one of the top five selling cars in the country. WagonR will be the third brand from our portfolio to get the acclaimed Auto Gear Shift technology. By introducing the AGS in a popular car like WagonR, we aim to democratize the AGS technol-
ogy so that more customers can enjoy the convenience of automatic gear shift without compromising on fuel efficiency
Automobile and at an attractive price.” “The option of dual airbags and anti-lock braking further strengthens the core proposition of WagonR and Stingray as ‘Smart’ cars,” he added. Auto Gear shift is currently offered in Celerio and Alto K10. He also added that, “Through Celerio we have always tried to offer the best to customers. By offering safety features like airbags for driver and co-driver, and
gy. The AGS technology became an immediate hit with customers as it offers convenience of driving, especially in heavy traffic conditions, at an attractive price and without any compromise on fuel economy. Celerio is also the first car from Maruti Suzuki to get the compact diesel engine and the only hatch in its segment to come in three fuel options (Petrol, Diesel and CNG). So far Maruti Suzuki has sold over 1.3 lakh units of Celerio across India.
Auto Gear Shift Technology Auto Gear Shift also known as Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) is equipped with an Intelligent Shift Control Actuator that automatically performs clutch and shift operations. Auto Gear Shift combines the actuator and controller and directly mounts them in the transmission in order to unify the working components. This permits synchronized control over the clutch and engine for smoother gear changes. The shifting time is also shortened as compared to conventional automatic transmissions. Mated with the 1-litre K-next engine, the new generation transmission with optimized ECU calibration helps WagonR and Stingray deliver high fuel efficiency. The AGS variants of both these models offer a mileage of 20.51* km/l, same as the manual transmission.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) from the base variant onwards in Celerio, we are making it more attractive for customers. I am happy that we are able to offer these safety features on Celerio much ahead of regulations.” Launched in 2014, Celerio was the first car in India to be equipped with the revolutionary Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technolo-
Automobile
Hyundai CRETA
Wins Indian Car of the Year 2016 (ICOTY)
H
yundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter has won the most coveted Indian Car of the Year 2016 (ICOTY) award for the CRETA. As the most loved and trusted car manufacturer in India, Hyundai Motor India wins 3 ICOTY’s successively for its products: CRETA, Elite i20 and Grand i10 as ICOTY 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively. Hyundai is a New Age brand and under the Modern Premium brand direction, CRETA has redefined the SUV segment. CRETA has received over 74,000 bookings and 400,000 enquiries and 16,271 orders globally. With emphasis on safety, bold design, 40
December 2015
dynamic performance and high quality makes the CRETA a ‘Perfect SUV’.
ICOTY 2016 Jury with Bob Rupani being the Chairman of the Jury.
The ICOTY award is adjudged by a diverse group of 14 jurors of all the prominent automotive publications in the country: Yogendra Pratap (Auto Today), Rahul Ghosh (Auto Today), Dhruv Behl (Auto X), Ishan Raghava (Auto X), Rohin Nagrani (Motoring World), Aspi Bhathena (Car India), Aninda Sarda (Car India), Bertrand D’souza (Overdrive), Bob Rupani (Overdrive), Girish Karkera (BBC Top Gear), Sirish Chandran (Evo India), Ouseph Chacko (Evo India), Muralidhar Swaminathan (The Hindu Business Line) and Pablo Chaterji (Mans World). In all nine very prestigious publications were represented on the
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Y K Koo, MD & CEO, HMIL said, “We are honoured to win the most prestigious automotive award – ‘Indian Car of the Year 2016’ for our make in India, made for the world product- the Perfect SUV- Hyundai CRETA. The CRETA is a true expression of ‘New Age’ Hyundai setting new benchmarks in the industry. Winning the third successive ICOTY award symbolizes the trust and faith of customers in the Hyundai brand. We thank all our customers, partners, media and jurors who have chosen CRETA as the Indian Car of the Year 2016 and made Hyundai
Automobile the most loved and trusted car manufacturer. With innovation at its core, Hyundai is committed to make global quality products with cutting edge technologies and fortify the Hyundai brand, caring for our customers in India and global markets.” Congratulating the winners, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited said, “The automobile and auto-ancillary sector in India is growing at a fast pace. The consumer is everdiscerning and automakers seek to outperform each other. In such a competitive environment, JK Tyre and ICOTY & IMOTY Awards endeavour to recognise
those who break the clutter with their innovation and deep understanding of the Indian consumer. Congratulations to Hyundai Creta for sailing through the rigorous judging process and emerging victorious.” Congratulating the winning car CRETA, Mr. Bob Rupani, Founder Member ICOTY & Chairman of the Jury, Indian Car of the Year 2016 said, “The ICOTY has clearly become the most credible and coveted auto award in India and is known for its honest and nonpartisan voting by highly experienced jury members. I congratulate Hyundai for winning this award for the third time in a row. Scoring a hat-trick at ICOTY is an admirable achievement and by no means an easy feat. It shows that Hyundai is consistently making award winning products of very high standards.” The Hyundai CRETA launched in July as the Perfect SUV is a trendsetter in the Indian market. CRETA heralded a new chapter in Hyundai’s success story across the world showcasing HMIL’s success of ‘Make in India’ manufacturing initiative.
Designed with profound confidence, grandeur and highest levels of refinement, CRETA is the most loved car of the year.
Hyundai Motor India hikes prices across all models Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), has recently announced the price increase across all its models up to Rs 30,000. Commenting on the price hike, Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing said, “In these challenging market conditions, we are constrained to consider the price increase on account of factors like increase in cost of components, weak rupee etc. The proposed price increase up to Rs. 30000 will be effective from January 2016 across all models including Elite and Creta.”
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Feature
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION
E
ducation is a process by which the individual is helped to develop their inborn physical, mental and emotional qualities to the full so that they can achieve cosmic unity by their action, thought and feeling. Education provides one with knowledge and overall development. The need for eradication of unemployment of educated youth gives light to the importance of entrepreneurship development. Education is an important factor in determining the entrepreneurial orientation in individuals. Education and training can have definite role in enhancing entrepreneurship in the context of a developing country like India. Entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve ob-
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jectives. This supports everyone in day-to- day life at home and in society, makes employees more aware of the context of their work and better able to seize opportunities, and it provides a foundation for entrepreneurs to establish a social or commercial activity. A person seeks to become an entrepreneur due to many reasons like the freedom of choosing time and place of work and the realization of a business opportunity, wish for personal independency etc.
Entrepreneurship Education Entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial mindset of young people, their intentions towards entrepre-
Manjusha R. neurship, their employability and finally on their role in society and the economy. Entrepreneurship education plays a crucial role in shaping the attitudes of students towards entrepreneurship as well as spurring the creation of future young companies. It is a crucial topic in any economy and increasingly becoming key on the agenda of universities around the world. Entrepreneurship is one of the fast growing disciplines throughout the world. As with any young discipline, the role and content of entrepreneurship education remains controversial. It seems difficult to decide if entrepreneurship is rather “science” than “art”, or if can be divide between teachable and nonteachable elements, or if entrepreneurship
Feature edge of entrepreneurship, including the role entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship plays in modern economies and societies. Attitudes refer to the need to learn to become entrepreneurial. It deals with the need for individuals to develop certain attitudes that will help them to take action, including taking responsibility for their own learning, careers and life.
A study was conducted to know the effectiveness of including entrepreneurship education in under graduate courses.
courses should focus on the advancement of personal enterprising attributes on the ability to start, develop and manage a firm. The real Entrepreneurship education is focused on developing youth with passion and multiple skills. It should aims to reduce the risk associated with entrepreneurship thought and guide the enterprise successfully through its initial stage to the maturity stage. Entrepreneurship education is designed to communicate and inculcate competencies, skills and value needed to recognize business opportunity, organize and start new business venture. Entrepreneurship education is expected to improve the entrepreneurship key competence which will have an impact not only on the role of the individual in the economy (working life) but also in society (social and personal life). A more entrepreneurial role will be played due to entrepreneurship education.
The following objectives are to be reached through entrepreneurship education: − •
• • •
Improvement of the entrepreneurship mindset of young people to enable them to be more creative and selfconfident in whatever they undertake and to improve Their attractiveness for employers. Encourage innovative business start-ups; Improvement of their role in society and the economy.
QUALITIES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
Entrepreneurship education focuses on developing • • •
KNOWLEDGE SKILL ATTITUDE
Knowledge refers to the need to have a broad understanding and knowledge of entrepreneurship, including the role entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship plays in modern economies and societies.
HOW MUCH DOES THE SUBJECT ENTREPRENEUERSHIP MOTIVATE THE ENTREPRENEUR IN YOU? DO
Skill refers to the need to have a broad understanding and knowlDecember 2015
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Feature YOU THINK A PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SUBJECT IS REQUIRED?
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY • Entrepreneurship educations in institutions are marginalized and do not constitute a force in business programs. • Courses offered fail to form the necessary attitudes and skills. • Many of the students are interested in becoming independent by doing self employment • Awareness among students regarding govt.’s measure of promoting entrepreneurship is above average SUGGESTIONS
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING EDP TRAINING?
• Early detection of entrepreneurial talents is inevitable and essential to develop the entrepreneurial skills for the economic development of the nation. • Entrepreneurship education provided in institutions does not consider the needs and offerings of the industry. • Provide facilities for skill development and attitude creation through clubs, industrial visits, industrial linkage etc. • Making EDP a compulsory course in undergraduate level. CONCLUSION Entrepreneurshipeducation
seeks to prepare people to be responsible, enterprising individuals who have the attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to achieve the goals they set for themselves to live a fulfilled life. The entrepreneurship key competence is a composition of an entrepreneurial attitude, entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of entrepreneurship. The study shows that entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on the entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education to some extent stimulates the intentions of individuals to become an entrepreneur. Universities are considering EDP as one among other subjects and much importance is not given. But EDP is a subject with high potential because there is significant numbers of students who have valuable entrepreneurial ideas which do not germinate and grow to completion for want of necessary environment and support and ED education can help in providing knowledge, skill and attitude needed to become a successful entrepreneur. ( Author is a Research Scholar at Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum)
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