Seasonal Magazine - Karnataka Special Issue - July 2017

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16 YEARS

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VOLUME 16 ISSUE 7 JULY 2017

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MAGAZINE

Seasonal www.seasonalmagazine.com

Managing Editor Jason D Pavorattikaran Editor John Antony Director (Finance) Ceena Senior Editorial Coordinator Jacob Deva Senior Correspondent Bina Menon Creative Visualizer Bijohns Varghese Photographer Anish Aloysious Correspondents Bombay: Rashmi Prakash Hyderabad: Iqbal Siddiqui Delhi: Anurag Dixit Director (Technical) John Antony Publisher Jason D Pavorattikaran

Welcome to the new normal of jobless growth hen the Modi Government completes three years, he has delivered on the promise of economic prosperity, if you go by how the Sensex and Nifty have emphatically breached their all-time highs, recently.

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Acche din has finally arrived for a large segment of the population. So large that it is only 4% of the population. Yes, even according to the most rosy projections, there are only around 5 crore mutual fund and direct stock investors in India.

Industry experts themselves warn that this number may be highly overstated, due to three reasons – duplication of data, unused/dormant accounts, and the fact that there are only 2.73 crore demat accounts in the country!

It is still another story, if you ask a spectrum of equity or MF investors whether they are in kind of acche din. If they are actively tracking and investing/ trading in the market, the answer will be an emphatic no. Only extremely long-term investors playing through the SIP route escape the Indian market mayhem where last bull run’s hero stocks are today’s zeroes.

Bangalore: House No: 493, Block 3 3rd Main, HBR Layout, Bangalore-4209731984836, Email:skmagazine@gmail.com www.seasonalmagazine.com

All health related articles are for first information purposes only. Always consult your doctor before taking any decison affecting your health.

EDITORIAL

Let us forget the stock market losses investors have suffered, and blame them for the time being on their own greed.

But what about the 96% of the Indian population that doesn’t invest in stocks or MFs? Are they in any kind of acche din?

Yes, definitely, many are. Around 9% of the Indian workforce - mind you, not population – are definitely well employed. They are the government officers, doctors, engineers, bankers, investment professionals, e-commerce specialists, software techies, professors,

lawyers, and the like, employed in the formal sector. But then, it has always been acche din for them!

The only segments that have accelerated their fortunes in recent years have been some CEOs who were already drawing obnoxious salaries, and the startup/e-com founders who rode the valuation boom and even deftly exited it at the right time, leaving greedy PE funds with huge lossmaking operations!

You will appreciate acche din fully only when you come to think of the situation the remaining 91% of the workforce is coping with. Government figures show that around 5% of this workforce is openly unemployed, while private data shows that it might be around 10-11%.

Even if you take the government data, it has changed little during the last three years, from the earlier UPA period!

Now comes the issue of remuneration received by these informal sector workers

who constitute a staggering 91% of the workforce. Around 85% of such workers who are actually in some jobs are paid only less than Rs.10,000 per month! Rs.333 per day to cope with families, food, dress, rent, transport, education, illnesses, and what not.

What has gone wrong with India?

Nothing, in fact. Things used to be like this, earlier too, especially during the fag end of UPA-II. But during the earlier NDA regime and UPA-I, jobs growth were definitely better.

The Indian economy has taken a hit post the global economic crisis of 2008-09, and it hasn’t recovered at all.

Nothing is going right would be the better way to put it. And Modi and his government seem to be awakening to this fact only now.

Modi can only be blamed, if at all, for promising to generate 10 million jobs per year if elected. The ground reality is that only 2.3 lakh jobs were created as per the latest year-to-date figures. And the problem is that India needs to create around 12 million jobs a year to take the next emphatic

step in economic development.

generators.

All big cries about Make in India, Digital India, Startup India etc have made small progresses in their respective domains, but hasn’t kick-started any meaningful growth in the corporate sector or the jobs segment.

Modi, Jaitley, and company will have to get their act together now or face the impending wrath of the growing young population without proper jobs or even any jobs. Party chief Amit Shah has recently expressed inability to provide jobs for all 1.25 billion people, as though people were expecting him to!

It is an old trick of inflating the challenge when one can't live up to their own promise - of 10 million jobs a year.

India’s once famed IT industries are competing among themselves now to announce deeper lay-offs, while segments like realty and construction have been battered out of shape, especially with regard to their once dominant status as massive job

Corporate credit growth in the banking sector has crawled to multi-decade lows, driven by the still unresolved NPA crisis, and as companies shun capex and are content with pruning workforces and innovating on tech-led efficiencies that boost profits.

Enough of this Investment Meet dramas that Central and various State Governments have conducted. Rather, what India calls for is Job Meets where companies that generate and sustain reasonably-paying jobs are attracted and incentivized.

This becomes all the more important in an era when the world is shifting back to protectionism, and global industries are deploying automation that vaporizes jobs on a scale unprecedented in human history. Otherwise, there will be nothing left to fall back upon other than banning beef and hoping that it will polarize the nation as needed.

John Antony SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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HEALTH

INDIA’S ENGLISH HANDICAP BARRIER TO VIRTUAL WORLD THE 1.3-BILLION STRONG COUNTRY IS HOME TO 22 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AND OVER 122 OTHER MAJOR ONES. FURTHER, THERE ARE OVER 700 DIALECTS WRITTEN IN A MULTITUDE OF SCRIPTS. YET, INDIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM AND JOB MARKET FAVOUR ENGLISH.

For many Indians who are still offline, language is a massive barrier to the online world.

widely used Indian languages. Amazon’s Kindle now supports e-books in five Indian languages.

Indian language content constitutes less than 0.01% of the internet today. But make no mistake, the next wave of users in India will be non-English speaking, a study of 4,612 urban citizens and 2,448 rural Indians by management consultancy KPMG India and search giant Google shows.

However, “almost every new user coming online—roughly nine out of 10—is not proficient in English,” says Google vice-president, India and south Asia, Rajan Anandan. “So, it is fair to say that almost all the growth of usage is coming from non-English users.”

Indian language internet users already far exceed the number of English language users in the country—their user base grew from 42 million in 2011 to 234 million in 2016.

To capture this emerging market, businesses must ditch the status quo where English is king. Besides, merely having a phone with a regional language keyboard, search capability, and translation tools isn’t enough anymore.

What is needed is a complete ecosystem.

That is the bridge Reverie Language Technologies is building. The Bengaluru-based startup provides regional language capabilities to device makers and app developers, among others.

“An entire generation has grown up not being able to type in its own language…and has instead been forced to adopt English usage in order to get on the information superhighway,” said Arvind Pani, co-founder and CEO, Reverie.

Language equality on the internet “seems like a distant reality” to him.

Along with providing surface level solutions like translations and Indic display fonts for feature phone, Reverie is also working to integrate Indian languages at the device and app levels.

Its team of around 66 employees focuses on creating a start-to-end Indic language experience, from rendering fonts and creating display support for devices to

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accurate typing and content discovery.

Reverie was founded in 2009 by siblings Arvind and Vivekananda Pani, and SK Mohanty, Vivekananda’s colleague from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). It works with original equipment manufacturers, chipset makers, and developers, besides consumer internet companies in the ecommerce, travel, and media space.

In August 2015, Reverie secured $4 million in funding from Bengaluru-based venture capital firm Aspada and California-based Qualcomm Ventures.

By 2021, around 201 million Hindi users will be online, the KPMG-Google study estimates. Some companies are already preparing for this. Chinese giant Alibaba’s UC browser, available in over 13 Indian languages, is more popular than Google Chrome and other browsers. Over 60% of UC’s Indian users have opted for Hindi as their preferred choice, Arvind said. In April, Google Translate launched neural translations between English and nine

“Just because someone does not speak English, he/she should not lose out on opportunities, if they are otherwise skilled/ qualified for the role,”

However, Reverie says it is the only company using machine learning and artificial intelligence for translation, search, and data mining for complex Indic scripts. Its clients include ecommerce platform Snapdeal, the HDFC Securities app, Ixigo, the Indian Rail Train PNR Status app, Abhibus, and the government of India’s eNAM portal for farmers. Reverie recently helped localise the government’s digital payments app, BHIM, in eight languages.

However, mere translation can’t solve all problems. Some need a design overhaul.

For instance, the image of a shopping cart on websites can leave many Indian language users clueless. Some local words or phrases, like, say, in Malayalam, can be 1.5-2 times the length of their English versions, and a Hindi phrase 1.6x of its English equivalent, vertically.

Besides, users must also have access to Indian language content in inexpensive, lightweight apps.

Companies can’t do all this alone. The government must also lend a hand. For instance, jobs can be advertised or listed on non-English language sites, too.

“Just because someone does not speak English, he/she should not lose out on opportunities, if they are otherwise skilled/qualified for the role,” says Arvind.

“Eventually, all businesses operating in India need to ask themselves: How Indian are they?”

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HEALTH

DEAD MOTHER KEPT ALIVE FOR 4 MONTHS GIVE BIRTH TO HEALTHY TWINS iracles can be seen everywhere around us every once in a while.

Similar case happend in Brazil when a brain dead woman was kept alive on life support for 123 days just to let the babies in her womb see the light of the day. It happened for the first time in the history of medical science, when a brain dead patient is kept alive for such a long period. Frankielen da Silva Zampoli Padilha from Campo Largo in South Brazil suffered from Cerebral Haemorrhage last year in Ocotber, following which she was declared dead.

Doctors were surprised to see that babies in her womb were doing perfectly fine.

Nosso Senhora do Rocio hospital decorated the space around the woman and sang songs to the unborn babies to

compensate the love of their mother.

The babies’ birth is being described as a miracle birth after everyone lost hopes.

Ms. Padilha died during ninth week of her pregnancy following a cerebral haemorrhage. Her ventilator was switched off in February. Her husband, Muriel Padilha lost every hope initially when doctors told them that the chances of babies’ survival are remote. Dr Dalton Rivabem, head of neurological ICU at the hospital told Daily Mail: 'We did an ultrasound on the embryos thinking they would be failing in the womb but to our surprise they were clinging to life.

'Frankielen's organs were all intact and working as if she was still with us. We took the decision to keep her alive to save her unborn children. And every day we watched them grow normally.'

There have been other cases where a

brain dead patient was kept alive on ventilator. But this one with 123 days was the longest. The embryos were two months old when their mother died and now they are healthy babies.

One baby among the twins was born weighing 1.4 kg while the other weighed 1.3 kg at the time of birth. Their health was comparable to that of other premature babies. The newborns were kept in incubators and now they are being fostered by Frankielen’s mother.

Frankielen’s husband Muriel said, “Frankielen has appeared to me on many occasions especially when I was despairing and crying out for God to bring her back to me” The doctors, nurses, nutritionists and host of other health professionals routinely sang to the babies and caressed Frankielen’s pregnant belly. The ICU was filled with love to welcome the miracle babies. Everyone including the father cried when the babies were born.

Frankielen was complaining about a sharp pain at the back of her neck, which was signifying stroke. Last year, she called her husband to get back home immediately. Muriel went back home to find his pregnant wife writhing with pain and vomiting due to the distress.

While driving her to the hospital, she told her husband that he needs to be prepared for this as she won’t be coming back home. These were the last words she spoke to her husband.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

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WHEN CHIEF MINISTER SIDDARAMAIAH’S RULE ENTERS ITS FIFTH YEAR, KARNATAKA IS SHOWING OTHER STATES OF INDIA ON HOW TO MAINTAIN LEADERSHIP IN SECTORS LIKE IT, BT, E-COMMERCE, STARTUPS, AND PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION EVEN WHILE MAKING MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN SUNRISE SECTORS FOR THE COUNTRY LIKE AVIATION INDUSTRIES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.

earning from how the early-mover advantage has worked for Bengaluru and the state in Information Technology and Biotechnology, Siddaramaiah is leaving no stone unturned in pursuing the next big wave for Karnataka.

While the state already leads in a few emerging sectors like e-commerce and startups, the Congress Government is most bullish on pushing growth in the high-tech area of aviation industries.

The CM has been smart enough to realize that there is huge synergy for this industry in the state, as Karnataka

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is second only to Delhi and Maharashtra when it comes to both aircraft movements and passenger traffic.

Even Central agencies like DRDO prefers to utilize the state’s potential, and has recently commissioned its Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at Chitradurga in Karnataka. The stateof-the-art facility spread over 4000 acres is the first of its kind in India and will go a long way in furthering aeronautical research.

National leadership of Congress has made it clear that Siddaramaiah will be the face of the party in next year’s elections, and there is no doubt that this has made Opposition BJP’s task to take over the state tougher.

Karnataka is also showing other states in India the way when it comes to skills development and vocational training. Within days of CM Siddaramaiah launching the acclaimed Kaushalkar web portal and app for the same, over 3.22 lakh youth have enrolled from across the state for training in specialized jobs like account executives, air conditioner specialists, delivery associates, accessory fitters, ambulance drivers, CCTV supervisors, and more.

Karnataka has even formed a new Department of Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood for spearheading the program. The professionalism and effectiveness of the portal and app have resulted in even BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and

This achievement is especially noted as GST is not expected to be net positive for the state in the near term, even while some sectors like e-commerce are expected to outperform on GST. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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KARNATAKA HAS EVEN FORMED A NEW DEPARTMENT OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LIVELIHOOD FOR SPEARHEADING THE PROGRAM. Rajasthan evincing interest in the app.

This massive initiative in skills is not surprising, given Siddaramaiah’s long-term ambition to provide jobs to 1.80 crore youths by 2030, as estimated by the Knowledge Commission of Karnataka. Unlike many political leaders across India, this CM has been astute enough to realize that if India has to attract manufacturing jobs it has to go miles

and miles in skills development, just like how China did it.

In its existing stronghold of IT, Karnataka Government is aware of the challenges especially from the new phenomenon of large-scale layoffs in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and has decided to tackle it head-on by ministerial level discussions with the IT trade unions.

With strong pre-monsoon showers bringing relief across Karnataka, and

a healthy monsoon expected to break over the southern state by first week of June itself, the state’s huge farming sector is expected to perform powerfully.

as GST is not expected to be net positive for the state in the near term, even while some sectors like ecommerce are expected to outperform on GST.

Unlike by many other states, Karnataka Government has rubbished Centre’s recent notification of cattle trade ban, asserting powerfully that it is a purely state issue. This has brought relief to farmers as cattle rearing and trade has been a pivotal part of the farming cycle in the state since centuries.

The government is also doing everything possible to maintain its lead in professional higher education, across India. For instance, 56 private and government institutions provide medical education in the state, with it producing the most doctors, 8750 to be precise, ahead of other heavyweights like Maharashtra and Tamilnadu by a good margin. Even in the current year, the state has added 350 more MBBS seats.

However, on the flipside, the state has pulled back from controversial protests like beef-fests, in accordance with Rahul Gandhi’s vision, who is expected to campaign in the state intensively for continuation of Congress rule in the state.

On the business and commerce side,

With such concerted efforts to emerge in sunrise sectors and maintain leadership in strongholds, there is no doubt that CM Siddaramaiah will provide a tough fight to Opposition in the 2018 polls.

the state’s finance and industries departments have moved effectively to take a swift lead in GST implementation across India, with over 93% of business units already enrolled for the landmark tax reform.

This is number one position in the country, even ahead of states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and speaks volumes about the agility of the government as well as private sector in the state.

This achievement is especially noted SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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10 WAYS KARNATAKA IS SHOWING THE WAY

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During the past four years, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visionary guidance, Karnataka has been winning on several specific fronts. The state at large, and especially its pioneering industry sectors were also seen putting their weight behind such efforts. Here are ten such specific ways in which Karnataka is pushing ahead for the future.

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Kannada Pride Close on the heels of making learning Kannada language mandatory in all schools across the state, Karnataka Government is all set to make it compulsory the singing of the State Anthem, ‘Nada Geethe’. If implemented, it will be a sentimental as well as patriotic master-stroke which puts the Sangh Parivar and BJP on the defensive in the state, as their moves to push Hindi into public life has been meeting with significant opposition in the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also executing this move to promote Kannada culture deftly, without affecting the singing of the National Anthem and school anthems if any.

Asserting its Cauvery Rights While the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s 2007 decision was given as a final order, there was no doubt in the state that it had affected Karnataka’s interests detrimentally. Now, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s able guidance, Karnataka is effectively contesting this final order in Supreme Court. Senior SC Advocate Fali Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, has impressively dug up alleged excesses done by neighbouring Tamil Nadu that breaches the original 1924 agreement, which the Tribunal had allegedly overlooked while passing the final order in 2007. This move has won widespread support in Karnataka which has been reeling from drought.

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A Pro-Poor Land Bill

A few proactive state governments have come out with Land Bills in recent years to replace outdated laws, but under CM Siddaramaiah what the state has proposed - The Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment Bill (2016) – is nothing short of revolutionary. If consented by the Centre and the President, this sharply pro-poor law will give ownership rights to over two lakh people belonging to scheduled tribes and micro backward classes, to lands they have been living on without any documents even if it is private land. The BJP is definitely is in a fix over this, mulling whether it would be better to stall it, or to help the CM and share the glory.

A Pro Homebuyer Realty Law Karnataka has been one of the first state governments to implement the new state law required to implement the new Central legislation on real estate development. While there were initial hiccups in certain provisions, CM Siddaramaiah had directed to quickly address it, and the new clarifications have been widely welcomed by homebuyers and organizations supporting their interests. On the other hand, even major real estate developers, who usually comply with regulations, have expressed their view that the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act (RERA) is quite stringent and is seen as protecting homebuyers’ interests more.

Taking No Chances in Power With the monsoon season reaching almost the halfway mark, the updates from the weather office is that it is unfortunately going to be another rain-deficient year for Karnataka. But like in last two years, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is taking no chances and has already announced that it will be buying 1000 MW soon. Power availability is a crucial issue in the state due to the concentration of industries, farmers, and even higher education students, which are incidentally three pillars of its economy. The state government has also been pushing for renewable energy in a big way which recently won the appreciation of the British Deputy High Commissioner.

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A German Technical Training Institute Soon after CM Siddaramaiah’s skills development portal and app won national level approval and rapid enrollments from across the state, the government has announced a new Karnataka German Technical Training Institute (KGTTI). While Mysuru will host this world-class institute that can develop 3000 industry-ready candidates, by giving land, water, and electricity, a German company will be doing the significant investments required. The stress will be on hands-on training and towards this state-of-the-art training facilities would be provided by the Germans who are noted for producing some of the world’s best technicians.

The Next-Gen Agri Trading Platform When it comes to tech-enabled services, Karnataka has a natural edge, and the state government too has been utilizing it impressively.

The state’s Unified Markets Platform (UMP) built in association with NCDEX Spot Exchange has already connected 157 of the 162 agricultural markets across 29 districts of the state. Bidding is taking place online. Nearly 300 tons of agricultural commodities valued at around Rs.57,000 crore have already been traded by farmers using UMP, and Karnataka is now attracting buyers from other states. Current bulk buyers include ITC, Reliance, Metro Cash & Carry, Godrej Agro, Pepsico India etc.

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Bengaluru to Go Smart How did Bengaluru miss the bus on being selected as a ‘Smart City’ in the first two rounds? The best explanation is that it was already the smartest city in India that needed no handholding for the same. But better late than never, and the Karnataka capital has been selected for being a Smart City in the third round of selection by the Centre. What it means to Bengaluru is that it will get Rs. 2219 crore funds from both the Centre and State to implement several projects to modernize the city and bring it up as a global city. While several projects will vie for the funds, many of them on PPP basis, the bulk will go to a project to revitalize the historic heart of the city.

Finding Solutions in True Tech Style Bengaluru is famous for many things while infamous for only one – the traffic gridlock. Recently, Flipkart, one of the largest e-commerce companies in India, which is based out off Bengaluru conducted a competition for tech teams to come up with out-of-the-box ideas to solve the city’s traffic congestion forever.

Believe it or not, teams participated from not only Karnataka or India, but across the world including from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Indian startups like Ola. Titled Gridlock Hackathon, the solutions presented including those that leverage Cloud, Big Data, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence etc.

Not Resting on Metro Laurels

While Karnataka had swiftly moved to implement the metro rail system in its capital, CM Siddaramaiah is not resting on the laurels of having implemented Namma Metro. He has been pushing hard for a more lengthier suburban railway system for Bengaluru and its suburbs, and owing to his persistence, the Centre has recently given the green signal based on the condition that Karnataka should bear 80% of the charges while Indian Railways will bear only the remaining 20%. For now Karnataka has agreed, promising to bargain later. The suburban rail will have 15 MEMU trains and will also include a MEMU maintenance facility at Banaswadi.

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HOW KARNATAKA

SHOWS THE ACROSS SECTORS WAY

THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS ESPECIALLY NOTED AS GST IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE NET POSITIVE FOR THE STATE IN THE NEAR TERM, EVEN WHILE SOME SECTORS LIKE E-COMMERCE ARE EXPECTED TO OUTPERFORM ON GST. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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UNLIKE BY MANY OTHER STATES, KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT HAS RUBBISHED CENTRE’S RECENT NOTIFICATION OF CATTLE TRADE BAN, ASSERTING POWERFULLY THAT IT IS A PURELY STATE ISSUE.

WHEN CHIEF MINISTER SIDDARAMAIAH’S RULE ENTERS ITS FIFTH YEAR, KARNATAKA IS SHOWING OTHER STATES OF INDIA ON HOW TO MAINTAIN LEADERSHIP IN SECTORS LIKE IT, BT, E-COMMERCE, STARTUPS, AND PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION EVEN WHILE MAKING MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN SUNRISE SECTORS FOR THE COUNTRY LIKE AVIATION INDUSTRIES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.

KARNATAKA HAS EVEN FORMED A NEW DEPARTMENT OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LIVELIHOOD FOR SPEARHEADING THE PROGRAM. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT GOES THE APP ROUTE TO FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT With falling farm incomes and a migration towards non-farm activities, the Karnataka government’s recent move to launch Kaushalkar, a web portal and skill app, is a welcome step to address acute unemployment concerns in the state. The app has already gained massive traction and other states likes Gujarat and Rajasthan are also mulling a similar initiative to address growing unemployment rates. arnataka government's much-hyped employmentcum-skill development training programme has received an overwhelming response across the state to the launch of the web portal and skill app titled Kaushalkar, which has resulted in 3.22 lakh youth enrolling in a span of 10 days.

"Though chief minister Siddaramaiah had opened the platform for public about a fortnight ago, it was made available for about 10 working days and within such a short span we received a response that we had never anticipated,'' Sanjiv Kumar, additional chief secretary of the newly formed department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood ,said.

The highest enrollment has been

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recorded from account executives. Of over three lakh trainees, about 1.55 lakh account executives have registered for training in different job roles followed by Air Conditioner specialists (54049,) delivery associates (47844), accessory fitters (47544), ambulance drivers (20020) and CCTV supervisor (18473). From the districts, officials said the highest response has come from north Karnataka districts of Belagavi , Koppal and Gadag.

Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation chairman Muralidhar Halappa said Gujarat and Rajasthan governments had evinced interest in the web portal and the app and wanted to implement it in their states.

According to officials, on an average, about 150 registrations are being

received daily. The government aims to take this forward and create at least five lakh employment during the current financial year in tune with Congress government's mission to provide employment for 1.80 crore youths, as estimated by the Knowledge Commission of Karnataka, by 2030.

The government will also soon roll out a skill development policy to ensure market-driven skills are imparted. ``We will ensure that people get market-oriented skills, especially those required in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. We are already in the process of providing placement and training to at least 25,000 youths who have registered with us," Kumar said.

Based on Karnataka's population of 6.5 crore, experts say the unemployment percentage is expected to go up from 30 per cent in 2011 to 45% by 2020.``With farming fast becoming increasingly less rewarding than other sectors, farming households are likely to release an increasingly large share of workers every year for nonagricultural activities. Apart from a small share of low-paid agency jobs, education and skill will play a big role in determining employability and the state government programme will be a great facilitator.,'' said S V Prabhu, a job market specialist.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Karnataka Government Offers Support to Fired Techies in the State

Ever since the major move by the U.S Government to curb H1B visas, the IT sector has been fire-fighting on multiple issues. The latest being the massive layoffs in the IT industry, However, the state government is ready to throw its support behind the Indian techies who are in a spot of bother.

ndian IT employees, who have ironically been caught at the receiving end of technology and are fighting to avoid getting laid off, have received backing from the government in Karnataka.

Karnataka government has assured members of an association of IT employees that it will look into their problems, including layoffs.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge has informed All India IT Employees Association he will meet them ‘soon’ to discuss the issues. “We are here to listen to them and will do all possible to help them,” Kharge said, according to a PTI report. He had earlier asked the affected IT employees to lodge a complaint with the labour department adding that the government will look

into the matter and provide legal assistance if the affected or laid off employees approach it like their counterparts in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Chennai labour commissioner had asked the aggrieved employees impacted by IT services major Cognizant’s decision to reduce its headcount, to officially raise an industrial dispute before the conciliation officer individually. In a communication to the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) and New Democratic Labour Front (NDLF-IT), the two unions spearheading the cause of IT employees, the commissioner said the dispute can be raised under Section 2A of the Industrial Disputes Act, with regard to termination of employees.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Abolition of stamp duty in GST would attract buyers home buyers Planning to build or buy your dream home? You may want to hold on for some time, as developers led by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (Credai), Bengaluru, are trying to convince the Karnataka government to cut or abolish stamp duty and registration fees in the wake of the goods and services tax (GST) being implemented from July. f the move is successful, you will definitely save some money.

"Else, it is expected to burden home buyers by 10%15%," say some industry leaders. Suresh Hari, secretary, Credai, Bengaluru, confirmed they will soon submit a petition to chief minister Siddaramaiah, seeking either to abolish or reduce stamp duty as it is expected to hurt home buyers with the introduction of GST. Though GST was introduced to eliminate multiple taxation, he said the real estate sector will be an exception because home buyers are bound to pay

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GST along with stamp duty and registration fees, which account for 5.6% of the property value. "GST and RERA will certainly add to overheads of the industry and increase housing prices by 10%-15%. It's time the state government steps in to protect home buyers by either abolishing or reducing stamp duty levied on all immovable property after implementation of GST," Hari said.

Harish Achar Brahmavar, founder and director, Homz N Space, said property prices will remain unchanged, comparing the current VAT and service tax ratio in Karnataka to 12% GST.If the

Karnataka government continues with double taxation system (GST + Stamp Duty), property prices may go up and home buyers may have to take the burden even after GST is implemented, he added.

"It's better if the Centre includes stamp duty under GST or provides some subsidy on stamp duty for land and plot purchase under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Housing for All by 2022 scheme,'' he added.

Suresh Kris, executive director & CFO, Brigade Group, said considering the excise duty impact on cost of construction, the customer may get 2% to 3% benefit after GST is rolled out.

"Once the benefit on cost is passed on to the customer, the reduction on overall price could be in that range," he pointed out.

Bhojya Naik, deputy inspector general of registration, corroborated this view, saying current taxes on housing projects account for nearly 28% in Karnataka where VAT is significantly higher, compared to other states. But with the proposed slab of 12% under GST, home buyers are expected to get a minimum rebate of 5%-6% on taxes.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Apple Chooses Bengaluru for Production of Its iPhone SE The Karnataka Government is upbeat about Apple’s decision to manufacture its much-acclaimed iPhone SE in Bengaluru. Industries Minister R V Deshpande offered his government’s full support after the city was chosen over other major manufacturing hubs in the country.

Expressing "delight" over US tech giant Apple Inc's decision to begin initial production of 'iPhone SE' in the city, the Karnataka government today assured full support to the company.

E

"I am delighted to know that one of the most valuable technology companies in the world Apple has decided to manufacture its iPhone SE models in Bengaluru. I congratulate the Apple team for their decision and making the project a reality," State Industries Minister R V Deshpande said.

"The iPhone SE model is very popular and in high demand globally. It is a SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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matter of great pride that in future these phones will be available globally with a Made in India seal," he said in a statement. Apple Inc had on Wednesday said it is beginning initial production of a "small number" of 'iPhone SE' in the city and start shipping to domestic customers immediately.

Stating that the government has assured full support for Apple's manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, Deshpande said it is important to note that there was stiff competition among states to get this project. "The fact that Apple chose Karnataka has yet again affirmed Karnataka's investment attractiveness and business friendly environment," he said.

The Karnataka government had in February announced Apple Inc.'s proposal to commence initial manufacturing operations in Bengaluru. The phones will be manufactured by Wistron, a Taiwanese OEM for Apple at Peenya in the city.

The Minister has also expressed hope that the move will boost job creation and enrich innovation and technology ecosystem in the state. The company has also announced opening of 'App Accelerator' in Bengaluru, an initiative that would provide support to Indian developers and enable them transform the design and performance of their apps on its mobile operating system iOS.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

KARNATAKA'S AGRITECH SECTOR GETS MAJOR BOOST OF RS. 10 CRORE INVESTMENT FOR INNOVATION IN ORDER TO FUEL THE GROWTH OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN THE AGRITECH SECTOR, KARNATAKA’S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS SET ASIDE ABOUT $1.5 MN (INR 10 CR) FUND TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY (ITBT) DEPARTMENT. he Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka organised ‘National Trade Fair 2017- Organics and Millets’ in Bengaluru recently to give organic and millet farmers a national platform to showcase their produce. At a session during the National Trade, Fair Karnataka’s Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and ITBT/Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge spoke passionately about bringing in technology in a big way in agriculture.

It was also stated the Karnataka will soon call for a hackathon for technology-enabled ideas and innovative ways to address challenges in agriculture.

Speaking at the panel, Priyank Kharge, Minister of State, IT BT & Tourism Department, Government of Karnataka said, “Karnataka is the only state that has a Proof of Concept (Idea2POC) Grant Scheme, under which the government aims to issue up to $77K (INR 50 lakh) as part of its multi-sectoral startup policy and work with various stakeholders to

create ideation and incubation sectors.

A budget of about $1.6 Mn (INR 10.5 Cr) has been allocated for agriculture innovation startups which will be allocated to selected startups. The government also assists startups in the agri space with Series A and B funding by connecting them to investors.”

Kharge further added that startups in Tier II cities are also being funded by the state by registering with the state startup cell.

In order to get a remunerative market for the farmers and a reasonable price for the consumers, the Government of Karnataka has promoted 14 district-level Organic Federation of the Farmers covering all 30 districts in the State.

More than 30 buyers from various MNCs and local wholesalers, distributors emerged with a long term business potentials. Over 20 MoU’s were signed between farmer federations and leading brands at the National Trade Fair.

Various companies including Britannia, MTR Foods, ITC Foods, Big Basket, Pro

Nature, SPAR, Reliance Retail participated in the event.

Talking about the economic benefit of the trade fair, Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka said, “Around $110K-$125K (INR 70 Lakhs-INR 80 Lakhs) worth of business has happened at the fair with an immediate impact of about $7 Mn (INR 45 Cr) of business opportunities.

The long-term impact will be in the range of $15.5 Mn (INR 100 Cr).”

The Karnataka State Government has been proactive in encouraging startups in the state. Earlier in July 2016, the Government of Karnataka, announced a set of schemes with an aim to bolster the startup ecosystem in the state, which included a $60 Mn fund, the launch of a startup cell in Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), and more. In September 2016, the Karnataka startup cell funded eight startups with $300K (INR 2 Cr), that have built unique tech solutions for the tourism industry in India.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Small-Town Startups Energized by Government's New Elevate Programme WITH AN AIM TO BOOST ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE STATE, THE KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT HAS LAUNCHED THE ELEVATE PROGRAMME. AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAMME, THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING TO REACH OUT AND AID AROUND 1,000 STARTUPS FROM SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

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he agenda of the programme is to expand the startup ecosystem beyond the major cities. It is partnering with The Deshpande Foundation and The Indus Entrepreneurs. Once selected, these startups will receive funding through the state or through venture capitalists or angel investors.

be the priority, the government also wants to help the entire ecosystem, to work “independent of the government.”

Commenting on the development, Priyank Kharge said, “We’re trying to identify the Top 100 innovative companies and see how we can help them. Whether in the form of funding, mentoring, legal help or anything else they would want. I know most of them would be looking for funding. So we are trying to bring in the local VCs, as well as HNIs (high-networth individuals) and some people from the private eco-systems.”

The Karnataka Startup Policy was launched in 2015, with a vision to stimulate the growth of 20,000 technology based startups including 6,000 product startups by 2020.

For the programme, the state would be setting up camps in Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, and Bengaluru.

While investments would definitely

The programme looks to bring in a number of investors and mentors, to help the selected startups grow their ideas and eventually turn them into viable businesses.

The Karnataka State government has been working to enhance the growth of the startup ecosystem for quite some time now. In July 2016, it announced a set of schemes, which included a $60 Mn fund, the launching of a startup cell in Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services and more.

In September 2016, the Karnataka Startup Cell managed to fund eight startups with $300K.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

In a First, Karnataka's Airline Diplomacy to Attract Direct International Flights to Bengaluru THE KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO INTERCEDE IN THE STATE'S AIRLINES BUSINESS

BY ASKING MORE COUNTRIES TO OPERATE DIRECT FLIGHTS TO BENGALURU. THE STATE HAS ALREADY APPROACHED COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA, ISRAEL & JAPAN.

n an effort to up the ante to attract more business, be it in tourism or information technology sector, the government has taken the diplomacy route by approaching local consulates and is trying to lobby for a direct flight to the nation's IT-BT capital.

"We have approached a few consulates located in Bengaluru to try and lobby for direct flights from other countries to the city. With the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) being the third busiest airport in the country, we expect diplomatic efforts from our end to increase footfall to the state," said tourism and IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge.

According to the minister, the state has already approached few nations like Australia, Israel and Japan which have consulates in the city for the purpose of pushing their national carriers and private airlines to operate direct routes.

"So far, we have received a positive response from most countries and expect concrete results in future.

Australia has even invited us for an international conference in their

country to hold direct talks with Qantas, their official national carrier," said Kharge. The talks are for a direct route from Adelaide to Bengaluru.

Talks are on for a direct route from Tel Aviv, Israel to Bengaluru.

The government has also pinned hopes on a direct route between San Francisco in the US and Bengaluru, considering the two cities have signed a sister-city memorandum of understanding (MoU).

However, international airlines are still concerned about starting operations as most are sceptical of whether direct routes would be able to attract fliers.

According to Hari Marar, president of airport operations for Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), there are several opportunities for other countries to operate direct flights to the city. "However, there's also a demand to incentivize airlines operating direct flights to the city. The world over, there is a general proposition by local governments of giving incentives to the tune of $2 to $5 million dollars for the first year as the airlines aren't confident of generating revenue immediately after starting these direct routes. Once the routes are settled, these incentives can

always be withdrawn," said Marar.

Marar said the BIA has, in fact, invested in an entire division for developing business models for such point-to-point flights. The Karnataka government, too, is believed to have taken an initiative to push the incentive proposal, but the same is stuck with the finance department for approvals.

BIA personnel say there's also concern about India's official carrier, Air India, not investing much into operating flights from Bengaluru. "While Air India has got a 16 per cent marketshare across India, in Bengaluru it has only eight per cent.

This shows there has been a lack of interest on the part of the nation's official carrier in investing in Bengaluru routes," said a senior BIA personnel.

The BIA is all set to sign an MoU with the state government to further boost the possibilities of increasing footfall at KIA. Meanwhile, Kharge has sought an appointment with Union minister for civil aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju, seeking support for the Karnataka government's initiatives on having direct routes to Bengaluru.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

TAX REIMBURSEMENT OF KANNADA MOVIE TICKETS ON THE CARDS WITH EATING OUT AND ENTERTAINMENT SET TO GET EXPENSIVE IN KARNATAKA WITH THE ADVENT OF THE GOODS AND SERVICE TAX (GST), THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS MULLING OVER WAYS TO HELP LOCAL INDUSTRIES. WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING TO FORMULATE A POLICY, WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE KANNADA FILM INDUSTRY, ONE OPTION BEFORE IT IS TO REIMBURSE THE TAX COLLECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON MOVIE TICKETS.

"Now that the GST Council has announced the tax rates, various sectors have been expressing their concerns.

While the government is well aware of specific issues such as those related to the Kannada film industry, we will take necessary steps in due course," said Arvind Srivastava, secretary to the finance department A senior official in the finance department said the government was considering a proposal to reimburse the tax collected by it. At present, Kannada films are exempted from entertainment tax, while a 30% entertainment tax is levied on other language films. The effective tax on the ticket for an other language film comes to 45%, with 15 % service tax added to the entertainment tax.

However, the new GST rates have come as boon for other-language films, with tickets being classified under the 28 % slab; filmgoers have to pay 28% GST irrespective of the film's language. "In a city like Bengaluru, other-language SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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films, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Hollywood movies have been all along enjoying a good market and Kannada films have been put to tough competition. Now, the GST will deal a death blow to Kannada films as they have to suffer the same amount of tax as other-language movies," said Vivek Mallya, a chartered accountant, who is advising the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce (KFCC) on GST. Sa Ra Govindu, president of KFCC, said the film fraternity would meet on the GST issue. "We have already appealed to the government on the GST issue. If the tax rate goes up from the present zero percent to 28%, it'll pose a serious threat to the very survival of the industry," said Govindu.

While 28% GST is split into two components — 14 % State Goods and Service Tax (SGST) and 14% Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST), levied by the state and the Centre respectively, experts said the state government has

the leeway to exempt or reimburse the tax collected by it.

"The GST Council has given an option to the states to look into the SGST component and the state governments can take decision whether to levy or exempt it, depending on the priority of the sector," said B T Manohar, taxation committee chairman at Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FKCCI). As far as the hotel industry is concerned, non-AC restaurants have been put under the 12% GST slab.

At present, non-AC hotels are being levied 4% of composite tax (COT), not collectible from customers. "Eating out will be expensive even at small restaurants as the tax component would be passed on to customers," said P C Rao, vice-president of Bangalore Hoteliers Association. Rao said the hotel industry is urging the Centre to classify non-AC restaurants under 5% GST slab.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

26 Biotech Startups Offered Funding

by Karnataka Government THE KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT HAS SUPPORTED A SLEW OF INITIATIVES TO BOOST THE STATE’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM. RECENTLY, THE STATE ANNOUNCED A FUNDING OF $1.65 MN (INR 10.7 CR) TO 26 SELECTED STARTUPS IN THE BIOTECHNOLOGY SECTOR. EACH WINNER HAS BEEN AWARDED WITH A CHEQUE OF $77.2K (INR 50 LAKHS). he grant has been given under the Idea2PoC (proof of concept) programme – an initiative organised by the Karnataka Startup Cell, Department of IT and is implemented by the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC), a Section 8 company set up by KBITS. Idea2POC aims to nurture and promote startups in the field of biotechnology. As part of this programme, a fund is provided in the form of Grantin-aid up to $77.2K. Considering the need for fund throughout the life cycle of a business plan, funding is released in tranches.

Priyank Kharge, Minister of IT, BT & Tourism, Government of Karnataka said: “Idea2POC offers entrepreneurs a holistic support system to explore, develop and launch their best ideas. The scheme is designed to identify, mentor and fund

enterprising biotech startups in Karnataka who can create a deep social impact on the lives of people of Karnataka.”

The Department of IT and BT of Government of Karnataka will support these startups to develop ideas, technologies and products, as per an official statement released by the government. “Our focus is to create a strong startup ecosystem with ideation at the bottom of the pyramid,” added Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of IT, BT. Here are a few of the selected startups: Bendflex: Bendflex Research & Development Pvt. Ltd aims to develop mechanical biomarkers using compliant micro-grippers for application in in-vitro fertilisation. It received INR 49 Lakhs in the first tranche.

OmiX Labs: OmiX Research and Diag-

nostics Laboratories Pvt. Ltd has developed a novel tool for the detection and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among urinary tract infections. It received INR 49 Lakhs.

Aprus Biomedical Innovations: The company has developed an advanced wound care device. This combines a novel thin film hydro-colloidal gel technology with al macromolecule delivery using detonation nano-diamonds for treating recalcitrant diabetic ulcers. It received INR 49 Lakh.

Nesa Medtech: Yet to launch, the startup is working on an affordable and minimally invasive therapeutic procedure to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids in reproductive woman. It received INR 49 Lakhs Pentavalent Bio Sciences Pvt. Ltd: It offers a precise, rapid and ultrasensitive DNA cassette- based tool for antibiotic profiling of mycobacterium tuberculosis and treatment decisions for tuberculosis patients. It received INR 49 Lakhs in the first tranche.

The Government of Karnataka launched its Startup Policy in November 2015 with a vision to nurture technologybased startups and product-based firms with the support of industry and investors. Furthermore, this initiative aimed to discover and encourage innovators with early-stage funds and help in validating proof of concept as well as assistance in certification, pilot scale manufacturing, and relevant activities.

In July 2016, the Government of Karnataka, announced a set of schemeswith an aim to bolster the startup ecosystem in the state, which included a $60 Mn fund, the launch of a startup cell in Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), and more. In September 2016, the Karnataka startup cell funded eight startups with $300K (INR 2 Cr),that have built unique tech solutions for the tourism industry in India.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Karnataka's Latest Strategy to Fight Land Mafia: Import Sand WITH THE SAND MINING MAFIA GETTING RUTHLESS AND THE PRICE OF SAND SKYROCKETING, THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS HIT UPON A NOVEL IDEA TO WRIGGLE OUT OF THE QUAGMIRE — SOURCING SAND FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

egging the requirement of imported sand at three lakh metric tonnes per month, the government has called for global tenders from importers of river or construction sand.

Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL), a state enterprise, has been appointed as the nodal agency to facilitate sourcing and distribution of imported sand.

"The idea is to ensure easy availability and affordability of sand for the common man," says secretary, mines, Rajender Kumar Kataria.

Though no definite statistics are available on the demand for sand in the state, officials maintained availability is around 23-25 million metric tonnes per year. This includes around 20 million metric tonnes of machine manufactured sand (M-Sand) and three to five tonnes of river sand. "There seems to be a supply shortage of at least five to eight million metric tonnes. This gap needs to be bridged," said sources in the mines and geology department.

The biggest pain-point has been the rising prices of sand, Kataria said, adding: "While a truckload should ideally cost less than Rs 10,000, we have learnt it is being currently sold in the market at Rs 70,000 for high-quality sand, Rs 50,000 for average quality and around Rs 40,000 for low quality."

sand. According to government calculations, the landing cost of imported sand is likely to be Rs 15,000-16,000 per truckload and the final delivery cost, after taking into consideration the logistics, will be around Rs 30,000. "However, the exact costs will be known after the bids are opened," sources added.

Importing sand is also expected to weaken mining cartels that have been illegally operating in the state. The sand mafia has carried out attacks against officials cracking down on illegal sand extraction — the attack on Udupi district deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francies and assistant commissioner Shilpa Nag at Kandlur in Kundapura taluk in April is a case in point.

Kataria said: "We will be giving top pri-

ority to high-quality sand and the rates will be determined by market forces and not any cartel. The government is planning to set up stockyards, where river sand, M-Sand and imported sand will be available under one roof."

Centre sets up panel to suggest sand mining guidelines Waking up to illegal sand extraction and a spike in sand prices, the Union ministry of mines has constituted a high-level committee of officials from different states to study the existing system of sand mining and to prepare new guidelines within three months.

The committee will be headed by Union secretary for mines Arun Kumar and will include officials from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Indian Bureau of Mines, and the director, Union ministry of mines. Karnataka's secretary for mines, Rajender Kumar Kataria, is also a member.

The committee will find ways to ensure a transparent and sustainable system for extraction of sand, adequate supply and reasonable pricing of sand, steps to ensure effective implementation of the Mining Surveillance System (MSS) and star rating of mines

Law minister T B Jayachandra had also stated earlier that the government was in favour of sourcing sand from southeast Asian countries to neutralize the spike in the price of locally sourced river SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

TO FIGHT TRAFFIC MENACE, BENGALURU MULLS ROAD WIDENING OPTION

The state government is working on widening and redeveloping four roads on the city outskirts to bring down traffic congestion. Two of the four roads identified for redevelopment will improve the connectivity to the international airport as well. hese arterial and sub-arterial roads, each of which ranges from 22 km to 47 km, will become wider once the project is completed.

The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has prepared the proposal for improvin g these roads -155 km, in all -at an estimated cost of Rs 1,455 crore.

"Land acquisition would cost another Rs 500 crore," said M Lakshminarayana, principal secretary, Public Works department.

KRDCL managing director KS

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Krishna Reddy said the redevelopment includes widening the existing twolane road into four lanes."The plan is to minimise land acquisition so that we can complete the project as early as possible. We have only carried out a survey. Details such as properties that need to be acquired will be known only after our proposal is cleared by the Cabinet," he said.

and Whitefield. In February, the state government had approved a proposal to widen Ballari road between Windsor Manor bridge and Hebbal flyover.

In his budget speech on March 15, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had talked about these proposals.

The construction of an alternative road from Begur near Mylanahalli cross to the Kempegowda international airport may not meet the deadline as a high-tension power line passing through the area

Of the proposed roads, the one connecting Anekal to Hoskote passes through the software hub of Sarjapura

The project is estimated to cost Rs 27.52 crore. In the meanwhile, the BBMP is preparing to widen the road up to the Cantonment railway station via Jayamahal.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

SKILL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT SKILL PROGRAMME WILL WILL PROGRAMME BOOST EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT BOOST CLIMATE CLIMATE

THE GOVERNMENT IS SET TO UNVEIL THE KARNATAKA STATE SKILL POLICY TO MAKE YOUTH MORE EMPLOYABLE AND BRING THEM INTO THE LABOUR FORCE. nnouncing this during the launch of a week-long Kaushalya Abhiyan and koushalyakar.com (web portal), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the skill policy would help in employing over 1 lakh youth in the next one year.

oriented, aimed at meeting industry requirements as Karnataka occupies the first spot in terms of investment in the country, he said, adding that Karnataka occupies the third slot in Foreign Direct Investment.

Chief Minister said he would constantly monitor the implementation of the skill development programme.

This programme is not only for unemployed youth, but also entrepreneurs who want to know how to set up industries.

The Knowledge Commission had recommended training over 1.88 crore youth by 2030 and the government would meet the expectations in phases, he explained.

Actor Puneet Rajkumar, who has been chosen as the ambassador for Kaushalya Karnataka, expressed his gratitude to the government and said the programme was a ray of hope for the youth.

The training module would be industry-

Even for entrepreneurs

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

COULD CONSIDER DRIP IRRIGATION FOR SUGARCANE FARMING: KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT Karnataka govt will take up 30,000 acres of sugarcane farming land under drip irrigation for a pilot project to highlight the advantages of the low water intensive agricultural practices he Karnataka government said that it will take up at least 30,000 acres of sugarcane farming land under drip irrigation for a pilot project to highlight the advantages of the low water intensive agricultural practices in the backdrop of unreliable monsoon seasons and resulting droughts leading to increase in the gap between demand and supply of the precious resource.

Karnataka, which accounts for 10% of the total sugarcane produce in the country, has about 1 million acres of sugarcane under cultivation, of which around 300,000 acres are canal irrigated “Agriculture accounts for nearly 85% of the water consumed in the state and any incremental efficiency leads to huge savings,” said Aravind Galagali, director of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd (KBJNL)-a state government owned body responsible for planning, investigation, execution and operation all irrigation projects coming under the Upper Krishna Project.

Reeling under its second consecutive drought year and resulting water

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shortages, the Karnataka government has been investing resources to reduce water consumption by the agricultural sector and promoting drought resistant alternatives like millets.

The state has over 50% of its entire area classified as drought prone and is also home to the second most arid region in the country.

The state government has been carrying out pilots in efficient water usage through projects like Ramthal drip irrigation project-touted to be the largest in the world benefitting over 15,000 farmers and 24,000 hectares.

Announcing the launch of a multi stakeholder platform between the state government and Water Resources Group 2030, experts said that the rapidly growing population will see the urban water demand-supply grow from 24% in 2011 to 58% in 2030 if more efficient agricultural practices are not adopted at the earliest.

“Protecting the world’s water resources is a shared responsibility. Our work is based on collaboration among governments, financial institutions, nongovernmental organisations, civil society

agencies, and companies to close the gap between water demand and supply by the year 2030,” said Bastiaan Mohrmann, co-lead Asia and Middle East for 2030WRG, an advisory group that is trying to bring public-private-civil society collaboration on sustainable uses of water.

The pilot project, expected to commence around October, will cost around Rs 1.25 lakh per acre. Galagali said that KBJNL and other agencies have recommended that Rs 85,000 for infrastructure like pumps and pipes be borne by the government and Rs 40,000 by the farmer.

He added that the government has spoken to sugarcane farmers, sugar manufacturing companies and banks on the issue to help fund the farmers share of the contribution. Galagali said that sugar manufacturers have agreed to partially guarantee the loans availed by farmers for the proposed project.

B.G. Gurupadaswamy, secretary to Karnataka’s water resources department, said that they had to show the benefits of drip irrigation to farmers for the community-over 75 lakh in the state-to adopt these practices. He said that drip irrigation in sugarcane has been proven to increase the yield by 25-30%, translate into higher returns and result in higher water savings for the state.

Mohrmann added that the platform is also promoting drip-to-market agri corridor cluster concept where drip irrigation infrastructure will be connected to sustainable offtake in partnership with buyers for the produce.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

BENGALURU IS THE BEST DESTINATION FOR IOT STARTUPS BENGALURU HAS EMERGED AS THE PRIME DESTINATION FOR IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) STARTUPS TO SET UP A BASE, AS IT ACCOUNTS FOR 52 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL IOT START-UPS IN INDIA, A STUDY BY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM ZINNOV SAID.

engaluru is followed by Delhi-NCR with 12 per cent, Mumbai 11 per cent, Hyderabad 4 per cent, Chennai 2 per cent, and others together accounting for 19 per cent.

"A wide availability of talent, thriving ecosystem of investors, access to industry experts and the presence of start-up accelerators are contributing to Bangalore's dominance," Zinnov said in a release quoting from the study.

The study on the IoT start-up ecosystem in India also reveals that over 120 IoT

titled, "IoT Start-ups in India 2017" also states that the funding activity across use cases for such start-ups in India indicate a huge growth potential for them in the country. "While the initial wave of growth for IoT start-ups in India was focused on Consumer applications, the next wave will be geared towards Industrial IoT," Zinnov Engagement Manager & Delivery Head (G.A.P) Anand Subramaniam said.

He said, "in addition, we will also witness a host of partnerships being crafted between GICs in India and the IoT start-ups in the near term."

startups were set up in India in the last decade with more than 80 per cent of them established after 2010. Cumulatively, these start-ups have received more than USD 169 million in funding since 2006, it said.

While indicating that an increasing number of connected devices is expected to propel India's IoT market, the study

Giving specific details about the landscape, the study said that a 67 per cent of the IoT Startups in India are in the Infrastructure layer, which includes hardware components such as infrastructure sensors, embedded chips, MEMS, actuators, modules, SIM card and system design.

The Applications layer accounts for 52

per cent of the IoT Startups in India, it said.

Stating that the IoT Landscape in India is segmented across three categories based on use cases - Industrial IoT, Enterprise IoT, and Consumer IoT, Zinnov's study said 47 per cent of the IoT Startups in India fall under Consumer IoT with popular use cases being wearables, connected vehicles and connected appliances.

Enterprise IoT is a close second place, with 40 per cent share of them, it said, adding that, in terms of funding, MedTech, security & surveillance and

retail sensing have the highest share in the Enterprise IoT segment.

Industrial IoT accounts for approximately 27 per cent of the IoT start-ups and has received close to USD 65 million in funding from investors like Tiger Global Management, Blume Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

NAMMA METRO'S PHASE-1 COMPLETION ARRIVING AS A RELIEF

Bangalore Metro to make North--South trip in just 45 minutes. n a city where the average speed of road travel is about 11 kilometres per hour (kmph), could a ride at an average speed of 32 kmph be possible? Well, that is what the green line of Namma Metro - from Nagasandra in North Bengaluru to Yelachenahalli on Kanakapura Road in the south - promises citizens.

The yet--to--be launched metro shuttle is expected to do a distance of 24 km in 45 minutes.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said the corporation would deploy 27 three--car trains on the green line and 23 similar trains would ply on the purple line. “It takes about 45 minutes to cover 24 km on green line. The journey time is 28 minutes from Kempegowda Metro station to Nagasandra,“ he said.

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(18.10 km). The green line has 24 metro stations while the purple line has 17 metro stations.

Presently, shuttles take about 35 minutes to cover 18.10 km between the terminal stations of Mysuru Road and Byappanahalli. “In Bengaluru, the metro can go up to a peak speed of 80 kmph.

Since the distance between any two metro stations is about a kilometre, the average speed is 30 kmph,“ a BMRCL official explained.

The waiting time of a train at each station, he added, depended on traffic volumes. “Trains do stop for a longer time at stations such as Deepanjalinagar or SV Road, which will see large number of passengers boarding or alighting depending on which side the train is headed.“ With the daily ridership expected to increase from 1.8 lakh to five lakh once the entire stretch is thrown open for commercial use, metro is likely to enhance the commuting experience for users. The Bengaluru Revised Master

Plan 2031 - prepared by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) says the journey speed in the city dropped from 18 kmph (2008) to 11 kmph (2015) due to severely stretched road network.

It warned that the speed would further drop to 8 kmph and 5 kmph in the peak direction by 2031 if the city's vehicular traffic is allowed to grow at the present pace.

Urban affairs expert RK Mishra has urged the metro authorities to improve the condition of footpaths on roads leading to stations to help people have a hassle-free access. He estimated that the BMRCL might need to spend about `80 crore to improve the condition of pavements around 41 metro stations for a distance of 500 metres each.

While east Bengaluru has a large number of software firms and west Bengaluru houses industrial suburbs, it would help the working population a lot if BMRCL works with BMTC to rework the bus routes and sort out last-mile connectivity issues.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

Karnataka Introduces India's First Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) System After Mysuru, the PBS System will be introduced in Bengaluru this year, says Siddaramaiah. fter flagging off the public bicycle sharing (PBS) system - the first-of-its-kind in India - here recently, chief minister Siddaramaiah said that the scheme would be introduced in Bengaluru later this year.

It is in order to decongest the streets and reduce air pollution that 600 cities across the world, including Paris and London, have adopted PBS system.

Attributing the rising air pollution levels in Bengaluru to its vehicular population, Siddaramaiah said, "Many people are contracting air pollution-

related diseases as a result. Use of cycles will decongest Bengaluru's streets and bring down air pollution.

Mysuru is not so crowded, which is why people want to come and settle here. But in the coming days, population of Mysuru will increase. So, those going to office need to bear this in mind, and start using bicycles. It will also bode well for the city if tourists start using bicycles."

had shot up drastically in Mysuru in the recent years.

The CM, who relived his youth by enjoying a ride around Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Circle where he launched the scheme, pointed out that the number of vehicles

Other Indian cities such as Bhopal, Jaipur, Delhi, Thane among others, now want to follow Mysuru's example and embrace cycling since it is an ecofriendly means of transport.

Highlighting the need for Indian cities to embrace ecofriendly modes of transport, Siddaramaiah added, "Although the population of Mysuru is just 12 lakh, there are more than 6.5 lakh vehicles in the city. As the number of vehicles increase, roads will become more congested and pollution levels will also rise.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

BEEF LOVING BENGALURU WARY ABOUT CATTLE BAN DAYS AFTER CENTRE ANNOUNCED A BAN ON SALE OF CATTLE FOR SLAUGHTER AT LIVESTOCK MARKETS, THERE HAVE BEEN MIXED RESPONSES POURING IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WHILE ANIMAL WELFARE ACTIVISTS HAVE LAUDED THE MOVE, IT IS A CAUSE OF WORRY FOR THOSE WHOSE LIVELIHOOD REVOLVES AROUND THE SALE AND CONSUMPTION OF CATTLE MEAT. n Bengaluru, there is a sizable demand for beef, with plenty of restaurants serving buffalo meat. But with this directive from the central government, how are residents and restaurants responding?

Speaking about the shortage of beef supply that this ban will create, socialite Rubi Chakravarti says, "The ban isn't going to affect me personally — I won't die without having beef.

Having said that, I think in a democratic set up, one can't dictate what we can eat, say or wear. It smacks of totalitarian regime. So, it is not a good precedent to set. This is

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what worries me. This seems like the beginnings of the end."

While the decision has been announced, no action has been taken, so restaurant owners are not feeling the effect of the ban. Still, there are plenty of reasons to be worried about it.

"There is no final verdict in the ban as of now. So, business continues as usual for us until then. If this ban comes through, it will surely hit us hard as our outlet is famous for its beef burgers and steaks, says a spokesperson of Thulp, a city restaurant chain.

In fact, there are many who are either unaware of the directive, or prefer to

wait till the ban takes full effect. "As of now, with the ban in its nascent stages, we really cannot comment what it will be like for us down the lane. There has of course been a lot of talk about it on social media, but we would prefer to wait for official instructions," says one owner of a city pub, who did not wish to be named.

With the supply of beef expected to drastically reduce because of the ban, it is bound to affect the demand and prices of other meat. R Suresh of Kitchen of Joy said, "We don't serve beef, but I think this ban will lead to an increase in prices of mutton and chicken as their demand will go up."

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

OPEN CHALLENGE TO INNOVATE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS IN BENGALURU BY TOYOTA AND WRI GRANTS WORTH RS 40 LAKH ARE UP FOR GRABS FOR THOSE WHO COME UP WITH TECHNOLOGY-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR SEAMLESS MOBILITY IN INDIA’S IT CAPITAL. THIS IS A FIRST SUCH CHALLENGE WHICH WILL LATER BE TAKEN UP IN OTHER CITIES. s cities grow and metro rail systems become fully operational, an immediate challenge is last-mile connectivity and the provision of a seamless inter-nodal network to private vehicle owners to switch to public transport.

Last-mile connectivity is the key to this challenge.

In a first, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Toyota Mobility Foundation have called on entrepreneurs to come out with techbased solutions to make public transport initiatives safer, more affordable and convenient, and to integrate them with other public modes of transport.

Called the Stamp (Station Access and Mobility Programme) Challenge, this open innovation programme in the urban mobility sector is aimed at nurturing techbased interventions in the country.

Pawan Mulukutla from WRI says that, as one of the most dynamic cities in the world, Bengaluru has seen a population surge of 77 percent since 2001, thanks to rapid urban development and the IT revolution.

“While this has powered the economy, it has also led to a plethora of transportrelated problems. The exponential growth of private vehicles from 1.5 million to 6.7 million since 2001, a 55 percent increase in traffic-related accidents between 2015 and 2016, and a drop in the public bus fleet run by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation highlight the need for robust mass transit options in the metropolis,” says Pawan.

The government has already invested Rs 14,000 crore in Namma Metro, with the first phase covering 42 km and 40 stops, and a projected expansion to 133 km by 2025.

Prasanna Ganesh, Programme Director, Toyota Mobility Foundation, says that while a metro rail is great for a city like Bengaluru, it should be integrated with last-mile connectivity.

“No single stakeholder can make a difference, and we need each one to be collaborative and work towards these issues. The STAMP initiative provides a platform for citizens, entrepreneurs, and the government to work together and improve access to and from the Metro.”

Despite the metro serving transport thousands of passengers through the city

traffic faster than any other public system, ease of access to metro stations and last-mile connectivity are the deciding factors for most in choosing it as their means of transport. As long as these aspects remain unaddressed, Namma Metro will fail to achieve its full potential.

The WRI initiated a STAMP survey to understand current commuter behaviour in and around two major metro stations in Bengaluru–Baiyappanahalli and MG Road. The survey revealed that 64 percent of would-be metro riders currently preferred alternative means of transport due to lack of connectivity to the metro stations.

Among the existing metro users, 60-80 percent demand greater integration between the metro and other modes of

transport for easier transition. The remaining 20-40 percent demand better user experience in terms of improved information and payment systems, and a hassle-free commute. This survey was conducted by Sudeept Maiti, Managing Associate, and Krithi Venkat, Research Consultant at WRI. With the imminent expansion of the metro, there is a dire need to bolster the existing system by making access to it more useable, connected, and equitable for commuters.

The challenge is being conducted in association with the Bangalore Political Action Committee or B.PAC, and grants worth Rs 40 lakh have been set aside for the winners. They will be able to work on their project between July and November this year.

Pawan says innovative transport solutions are being developed, with companies offering a host of services, ranging from smart integrated trip planners to ridesharing platforms with the potential to support existing transit networks. Cities around the world, such as London, Toronto and San Francisco, have embraced such models to bring in greater integration and digitisation, resulting in increased public transit ridership.

The STAMP Challenge will scout for solutions from citizens, entrepreneurs, innovators, and researchers from across the country to enhance last-mile connectivity to Bengaluru’s metro stations. The programme brings together entrepreneurs and citizens to identify and implement the most innovative mobility solutions. The winners will be supported and mentored by WRI India and TMF to make their innovative solutions a reality.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

SIDDARAMAIAH PULLS UP FOREST OFFICIALS FOR INEFFECTIVE SAPLING PLANTATION Chief minister Siddaramaiah recently expressed displeasure over the government's failure over the years to increase forest cover in the state despite its tall sapling plantation claims.

"The forest cover in the state is not increasing. It has been stuck at the level 19- 20% in the past 25 years. The government officials say they have conducted plantation drives every year and claim that crores of saplings have been planted. I don't know where these saplings have gone," said Siddaramaiah.

The chief minister's comments came during his inaugural address at the World Environment Day celebrations jointly organised by the department of forest and environment and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).

The event was held at Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad International Auditorium at the

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GKVK campus of University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS).

Siddaramaiah said the state supposed to have one-thirds of its land covered by forest but it remained below 20 % in the past 25 years.

"The officials last year claimed to have planted eight crore saplings. If this is true, then the green cover should have been improved. They are now saying that they would plant six crore saplings this year," Siddaramaiah commented.

Interestingly, forest minister B Ramanath Rai, who spoke earlier, said the forest department had set a target of planting

six crore saplings this year.

Siddaramaiah's comments later came only as a taunt to his own government.

Commenting on the highly polluted water bodies in the Bengaluru with special mention of Bellandur Lake and Varthur Lake, the chief minister said the water bodies in the city were frothing and flaming since chemicals were indiscriminately being added to these lakes.

"It is not just the government's obligation to keep environment clean. People should also take responsibility and they should follow the norms such as segregation of solid and liquid waste and strictly do rain water harvest," he added.

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Can Saudi Arabia pull off Aramco’s 2-trillion dollar IPO?

SAUDI ARABIA PLANS A PUBLIC OFFERING OF 5% OF ITS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY, ARAMCO, SOMETIME IN 2018. AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST ENERGY PRODUCER AND WITH THE LARGEST PROVED RESERVES, SAUDI ARABIA BELIEVES THAT THE CAPITAL MARKET WILL VALUE ARAMCO AT SOME $2 TRILLION, MAKING IT THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY. he proposed sale of 5% of Saudi Aramco is not just likely to be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) of all time. “It’s like Gibraltar selling the rock,” as one expert on Saudi Arabia’s oil policy puts it. The world’s biggest oil company keeps the House of Saud in power, bankrolled 60% of the national budget last year, and is a paragon of efficiency in an economy otherwise mired in bureaucracy.

The elevation on June 21st of Muhammad bin Salman, the 31-year-old architect of the IPO, to crown prince is likely to add more momentum to a sale planned for the second half of 2018. The news will further sideline domestic critics of the IPO, some of whom wonder whether it would be better to borrow the money than sell the family silver. But the success of the IPO is not guaranteed. The tendency of MBS, as the prince is known, to micromanage the listing runs counter to the spirit of openness and liberalisation that he says he wants for Saudi Arabia. That could backfire on the IPO itself. The more he interferes, the less keen investors will be to buy shares.

Aramco’s role underpinning the Saudi economy is an even bigger challenge in valuing this IPO than the firm’s immense size. On the one hand, advisers say, its low costs and lean workforce make it comparable to bluechip oil supermajors such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell. On the other, the risks of political interference mean that it is likely to suffer from the stigma associated with being a national oil company (NOC).

Many NOCs, such as PetroChina and Brazil’s Petrobras, have come to market amid the sort of fanfare that Aramco is generating. In a decade, they have destroyed more than $500bn-worth of

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value compared with their private peers.

As an oil company, the selling-points for Aramco are strong (provided the oil price is high enough). It has a concession for 12 times more oil and gas than ExxonMobil and 27 times more than Shell. Its production levels are several times higher. It has fewer employees, higher debt-adjusted cashflow per barrel, and decent margins in its refining and petrochemicals businesses as well as upstream. By the time it lists, its advisers hope it will have a board structure similar to that of the supermajors, and will be comparable on a number of parameters, including dividend projections, that will enable investors to value it accordingly. “The

day this company goes public, it will look like one of the top blue-chip oil companies,” one says.

The trouble is, MBS has already stated what he thinks the valuation should be, and at $2trn, it is punchy enough to make even a Silicon Valley boss look bashful. To achieve it, a 5% sliver would be worth $100bn—four times the biggest IPO to date, that of China’s Alibaba, an e-commerce firm, in 2014.

According to an analysis by Sanford C. Bernstein, a research firm, at $2trn its value per barrel of oil equivalent coming out of the ground would be about 60% higher than that of its blue-chip peers.

A valuation at or below $1.5trn would be closer to the mark, but risks

disappointing the new crown prince.

“He may have to make a choice between selling cheap and pulling the plug on the process. Either case would be a loss of face,” says Steffen Hertog of the London School of Economics, a writer on the state and oil in Saudi Arabia.

To get closer to his target, the kingdom recently slashed tax rates on Aramco, from 85% to 50%. That brings them nearer to international norms for oil firms and will appeal to investors: lower taxes mean the company can pay out higher dividends.

The country also has a plan to wean its people off some of the world’s cheapest energy by 2020, which would bolster Aramco’s profits. According to Jim Krane, of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, about a third of Aramco’s output is sold for domestic purposes, with power generation, for instance, enjoying discounted prices of under $6 a barrel—a “massive opportunity cost”.

But investors would be wise not to view issues like taxes and subsidies in isolation. Some analysts express worry that dividends are unstable, and that the kingdom would have to unwind the tax cuts on Aramco if the state needed the

money. The introduction of more realistic pricing could also have political and social ramifications, since Saudis are some of the world’s biggest consumers of cheap energy.

Another worry for investors would be if MBS continues to use Aramco as a tool of global oil policy on behalf of OPEC, the producers’ cartel. The kingdom may believe that OPEC serves as a stabilising force in global oil markets, which benefits Aramco. But its latest attempts to play puppet-master with the oil market have been counter-productive.

On June 21st global oil prices fell to their lowest level since August, despite an agreement by OPEC and non-OPEC producers to cut output until next March. As a result, Aramco is not only losing income, it is losing market share to rivals not bound by the cuts.

Last, as his global stature grows, the prince may be tempted to mix up geopolitics and commerce. Anecdotal evidence of this emerged during President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May. Even as Aramco was supposedly disentangling itself from the myriad noncore activities it carries out on behalf of the state, the firm was on extra-curricular duty. At breakneck pace, it built the Global Centre for Combating

Extremist Ideology in Riyadh, where Mr Trump and MBS’s 81-year-old father, King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud, performed a weird inauguration ceremony involving a glowing globe.

The reason for Aramco’s involvement: no other body in the kingdom could do it half as quickly.

Such strategic considerations may also be influencing the decision on whether to list the non-Saudi portion of the IPO in New York or London (a small slice will be listed on Tadawul, the local bourse). Aramco’s lawyers are more comfortable with a London Stock Exchange (LSE) listing, on the ground that it would spare the company the real risk of class-action lawsuits related, for instance, to the terror attacks of September 11th 2001, of litigation from tree-hugging attorneys-general, and of other claims on its assets that it might face on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

But MBS is believed to be leaning more towards New York. This may be because of liquidity: listed companies on the NYSE have a combined market capitalisation of about $20trn, versus $4trn on the LSE. The NYSE also has more prestige; the big peers Aramco wants to be judged against are listed there. Yet he is also understood to have been under pressure from the White House for a New York listing, and is keen to cement ties with Mr Trump. If that were to sway the final consideration, investors might not thank him for it.

Many will shrug. The chance to buy shares in one of the world’s most resilient oil firms will be hard to resist.

Moreover, sovereign-wealth funds may well be keen to become “anchor tenants” of the IPO, to deepen their own countries’ relationships with Aramco and the new crown prince.

But MBS’s leapfrog towards the throne will not silence the questions that still swirl. What will happen to the money raised? Will the listing plug a budget gap of 8% of GDP? Will it fund domestic industries such as mining, defence and tourism? Or will it become a “magic money tree”, promising all things to all people? The original goal of the IPO was to bring more transparency and stronger market forces to Saudi Arabia—creating a sort of Thatcherite oasis in the Arabian desert. If that is truly what MBS wants, he should learn to leave well alone.

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HEALTH

“While our words are Make in India, our taxes say Quit India”: Arvind P Datar With the nation set to welcome the historic GST system, the uncertainties surrounding its implementation is not lost on anyone’s mind. However, Arvind Datar is sceptical of its usefulness and believes the challenges are only going to compound for tax administration in India. he Goods and Services Tax (GST) system should first be implemented in select industries and service sectors to test it before rolling it out on a full scale across the nation, says Mr Arvind P Datar, a top tax and corporate lawyer.

In addition, the diagnostic centre has to file 12 tax deducted at source (TDS) returns and one annual return.

"It is not known whether the software has been tested. In order to avoid chaos, the GST regime should be implemented in phases.

It should be first implemented for select industries and then expanded further," Arvind P Datar.

Further, the Rs 20 lakh threshold for GST will result in mushrooming out-business entities to avoid tax and our country is not suited for national GST, Datar argued.

From two returns per year, the service provider has to submit 49 returns – all online. The load on the system will be high as returns will have to be filed on the same day, Datar said.

Datar said the existing system is good and the problem is in its implementation.

According to him, there should be an extensive trial run so that glitches could be sorted out.

Datar said it is not known whether the GST server can take the load as a huge number of returns will be filed on a single day across the nation by various business entities.

Terming the GST in the current form a terrible thing waiting to happen to the country, Datar said, “The world over GST is VAT (value-Added Tax). But in India GST is not real GST.” He said he has no issues with the GST if there is ‘one nation, one tax rate’ but adding up various rates and calling it GST is not actually GST. He said State GST law in various states may or may not be uniform.

According to him, Article 246A of the Constitution permits states to levy taxes on goods and services, and hence there is nothing to prevent the states from levying additional GST. Citing the example of Singapore, Datar

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said, a flat seven per cent rate is charged on all products. He added that uniform lower tax rate would actually widen the tax base as it will be a disincentive for evasion. On the other hand, a high rate will incentivise evasion.

"Bill-less purchase of goods and availing of services will continue to happen under the proposed GST system," he added.

He said the proposed GST system will increase the number of returns that a businessman has to file from two to 49.

A service provider, say a diagnostic centre, now has to file two service tax returns per year. But under the GST, he has to file three returns on the 10th, 15th and 20th of every month – that is 36 returns per year.

According to him, several consultancy firms and professional organisations are gearing up to make money out of consulting on GST. He said the way the GST law has been drafted shows that the industry or the professionals like the lawyers were not consulted. “The Indian tax system is highly complex and toxic. The tax administration is aggressive and unfriendly as it is target-based. There should not be target for tax collection” He reiterated that taxes are a by-product of economic growth. The tax lawyer said that while many other central government departments have turned people-friendly, the taxation department, owing to its target-based functioning, has not changed to being people-friendly.

Investors are bothered about the tax laws and how the provisions would be interpreted by the tax officials.

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OF STUDIYING AT

NIIT UNIVERSITY Being a relatively recent entrant in the higher education segment, NIIT University was always going to find it difficult to break free from the shackles of its ‘self-financing’ image, even with its not-for-profit credentials. This should be of little surprise as the IT coaching leader had initially struggled with regulators like UGC for promoting programs like GradNIIT which was marketed like a degree.

It was only a couple of years back that Seasonal Magazine had foreseen what has now turned out to be NIIT University’s biggest challenge: how effectively it can leverage its strength in content development & teaching to make the programs affordable. Affordability continues to be a major sticking point for the university to attract the brightest talents.

The 100% scholarship opportunity, one of its most inviting features, comes with several riders. For one, it is given only for one academic year and can only be continued if one manages to get a CGPA of 7.5. Following the scholarship withdrawal, what then awaits the student is the rude shock of one of the most exorbitant fees among private universities in the country.

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OF STUDIYING AT

KALASALINGAM UNIVERSITY At a time when the IT field suffers from sudden job cuts, leaving the future of engineering as a career option threatened, Kalasalingam University is moving in the right direction to seek solutions. With a greater focus on higher studies & research and the need to gain technical and communication skills, KU identifies a lot of opportunities in this area. This is why the university is banking on its graduates to always be “industry-ready” by regularly updating their skills. KU has always set the benchmark high on its placement record. More than 1,500 students, including 32 visually challenged students and those with hearing impairment have received offer letters from 85 companies. But, crucially, the university doesn’t get carried away by this. While KU continues to win awards, one of them being the ‘Academic Partner Excellence Award of the ICT Academy’, the larger focus seems to be on achieving its research targets and providing a more smooth transition for its graduates to the corporate world.

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OF STUDIYING AT

RAFFLES UNIVERSITY

Raffles University’s pre-eminence as a top-notch Law school was never in doubt. The Neemranabased varsity is also making promising strides in fields like engineering, applied sciences and social sciences with dedicated schools to cater to the same. Since achieving the status of a private university, the overwhelming thrust has been to focus on providing the ideal environment for its students to hone basic skills required in the

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respective industry. In this regard, Raffles University has organized and participated in various moot court competitions in the country, making it an exciting prospect for law aspirants. The university also provides many slabs of scholarships for inviting the meritorious candidates and assisting the needy students.

Raffles University’s School of Law has a MoU with Lisbon University of Portugal for student & faculty exchange. A tie-up with the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property has provided Raffles students with a leg-up in this emerging area of law studies.

Given its relatively recent entry into territories like engineering &

humanities, there is still a lot of ground to cover in the years to come. Raffles University was awarded the Top Emerging Private University in Rajasthan for Law & Management by Seasonal Magazine in 2015.

OF STUDYING AT

SOA

Unforgiving stormy conditions have often been unwanted visitors to the eastern state of Odisha. Now while the state seems to have the wherewithal to counter such visitors, one of its most well-known universities is literally in the eye of a storm. Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA), a deemed-to-be university, is in a state of turmoil. About 300 of its engineering graduates received the shock of their lives when they found out that the placement letters they had received were fake.

Dr. Khageswar Pradhan

Following protests, a high-ranking university official has been arrested, the government has stepped in and promised inquiry, a stop-gap arrangement has been offered by the university and a political slugfest has begun over the issue.

When the university notched an impressive 16th position in National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2016 (which fell to 20 this year), it became Odisha’s best university. But the recent fall from grace could highlight transparency issues that could hamper its credibility more than rankings.

Dr. Amit Banerjee

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OF STUDYING AT

CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY

Placing Too Much Faith on Placements over Research?

In recent times, it is hard for Chandigarh University to not elicit eyeballs going by its spectacular progress. The Mohalibased varsity constantly strives to be a nose ahead of its competitors in the placement category. The 2016 batch saw some big names such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Hewlett Packard offer dream job packages to its graduates.

A record number of 4950 students were selected during the placement season in which more than 465 multinational companies participated. It is also no surprise that the highest package offered to graduates has crossed the Rs. 20 lakh barrier over the last 2 years.

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Chandigarh University is also home to IBM’s first software emerging lab in India and Microsoft’s first innovation centre in North India.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has established North India’s 1st HP-Centre of Excellence (CoE) here, giving the university an edge in the industry-academia linkage.

The university is still hoping to ramp up its research credentials among its faculty to compete

amongst some of the best in the country. Chandigarh University was awarded the Top Private University in Chandigarh Area for Placements by Seasonal Magazine in 2015.

PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT

Sharda University

World Is at Sharda, But Are Its Students Happy?

Ever since Greater Noida-based Sharda University launched a mobile application to record attendance of its students, many believed it would go a long way in assuaging concerns following the Sushant Rohilla suicide case where the victim killed himself after he was denied to give exams over shortage of attendance. While it helped to reduce paperwork, the need of the hour was for the university to bridge the trust deficit it had with its students over the incident.

However, the university went one step further to exacerbate tensions by charging Rs 10,000-Rs 30, 000 for those whose attendance was less than 75 per cent for getting their admit card. Moreover, the

notice citing admit card rules also specified that the student should have no objection ‘if the deposit on this account, NOT refundable in due course, is transferred to the "Students Benefit Fund" and is used solely for helping students if financial need or any students' sponsored welfare activity’.

The ensuing protests by around 300 students of the varsity got the support of various political parties and soon the police were forced to play the mediator’s role to control the situation. Some alleged that even as the attendance is supposed to be taken through the mobile app which automatically detects the presence of the student, some professors would take attendance physically.

In yet another incident that undermined the student-university management relations, an alleged exam paper leak prompted the cancellation of 6 papers only for the varsity to later withdraw its decision. Even without a shred of plausible evidence, the university has gone ahead and ordered an internal investigation to find out whether the question papers had been leaked or not. These unsavoury situations have made Sharda University undergo a lot of damage-control in recent months as it has surely dent a blow to its hopes of achieving its yesteryear dream of providing a student-friendly atmosphere.

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PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT

GALGOTIAS UNIVERSIT

IS GALGOTIAS UNIVERSITY LOSING THE PLOT? For someone who arrived in Delhi with all of 500 bucks, nobody can argue this Chancellor’s credentials in dreaming.

Suneel Galgotia had just graduated and had more ideas than joining his family’s bookstore business.

Delhi gave him his first job. But he had more plans for himself as well as for his new city. For someone who came from a book vending family, he decided to run up the stairs, two steps at a time, and became a successful book publisher in the academic world.

The new millennium was arriving, and Suneel Galgotia knew that it would transform Delhi from a laidback bureaucratic city to a buzzing metropolis with plenty of jobs for the youngsters, especially the new engineers and MBAs.

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This time around Suneel Galgotia took a high-speed elevator, and got into the then nascent private higher education space. That was the start of Galgotias Educational Institutions (GEI), which today also includes the sprawling Galgotias University.

Anyone who has visited the two campuses, however, would be quick to realize that this is not a university or professional college that has been designed only by a veteran edupreneur like Suneel Galgotia. Because, the campus has the fragrance of youth right from the inviting gates to every nook and corner of the green campus where boys and girls feel equally at home.

That young brain is Dhruv Galgotia, the Chancellor’s son, and for long GEI’s Chief Executive Officer.

But over the last few months, the signs have not been very encouraging at the Greater Noidabased University. The issue of "debarred fee" being collected from around 200 students who were low on attendance for issuing admit cards, which led to protests on the campus remains unresolved with the management deciding not to allow the students to appear in the exams. However, Suneel Galgotia, chancellor of Galgotias

University denied the allegation of fine for attendance as baseless.

The issue attracted political protests by ABVP and other student groups who threatened to boycott the exam.

While the Vice Chancellor Renu Luthra had agreed to roll back the fee, the university administration took a different line arguing that students were ‘misinterpreting’ the issue. It is puzzling that a university of Galgotias’ stature has time and again flirted with controversial policies such as collecting annual fee in advance, Rs. 200 fine for late fee on per day basis & charging a Rs. 1800 attendance fee for a mandatory course.

One can only naturally hope that the university reflect on the reasons behind the large incidents of low attendance instead of antagonizing its students unnecessarily.

Success at the scale of Galgotias is never an accident, and has been the conscious efforts by the concerted actions of the father-son duo that complements each other with their unique experiences and new-age thinking.

However, going by recent turn of events, the writing is on the wall for ensuring lesser bureaucratic challenges and increased student loyalty for an institution that has previously stood the test of times.

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PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT

VIT university

Is the VIT bubble waiting to burst?

There can’t be better times for VIT university as it launches its first campus outside of Tamil Nadu, with an estimated investment of Rs. 1200 crore by 2022 to expand the campus in an area of 60 lakh sqft to accommodate 12,000 students. With close to 660 graduation, 120 postgraduation and 50 PhD. seats, the Vellorebased varsity would offer B.tech in CSE, data analysis, networking & security, mechanical, EEE and ECE, including a 5-year integrated M.tech in software engineering and PhD in engineering, science, humanities and management.

As VIT University gears up for its newest campus in Inavolu, Andhra Pradesh – the first private university in the region – one wonders if tackling perennial problems related to high fees, placement record and gender discrimination at the varsity will attract similar enthusiasm from those who call the shots.

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Overemphasizing merit-based intake, VIT isn’t a place for the above average student from a middle-class background with fees as high as Rs. 14-15 lakhs.

Another strange clause is the 4year lump sum amount that is to be paid irrespective of whether one chooses to quit midway or not, for which an affidavit is signed. The government’s latest decision to grant greater autonomy to top ranked deemed universities in the country will help the likes of VIT to revise its already exorbitant fee structure.

In the placement front, VIT has seen a huge dip with the highest pay package reported last year to be a mere Rs. 15-16 lakhs. Major recruiting giants like Accenture and Google have not appeared in the current cycle. Reports suggest that many students from the civil and mechanical streams fail to receive a decent package, while those from the CSE and IT fields

find it relatively easier.

This was the same VIT that found a mention in the Limca Book of Records thrice for the highest number of campus placements done from a single institution by a single company. This is still a far cry from what other top-notch universities like BITS and IIIT offer, something that is seemingly consistent with their NIRF ranking as opposed to VIT’s surprising 14th rank in the top universities list.

There are also troubling news in terms of the regressive nature of the university’s rules. This includes immediate rustication if found questioning official policies with no scope for appeal, “disciplinary committees” who engage in moral policing activities, discriminatory rules against girl students relating to dress code and curfew timings etc. While VIT seems to be doing just enough to stave off competition from its nearest rivals, there is no doubt that more far-reaching reforms need to be introduced in order to sustain its rapid rise.

PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT G D Goenka University

G D Goenka University:

STILL IN THE SHADOWS? Indian businesses and businessmen seem to have cottoned on to the view that education is one of the best legacies to leave behind and that this is perhaps the single biggest contribution they can make. This may have been the driving force behind AK Goenka’s educational initiatives.

The size of the G D Goenka Group is massive, with a large network of schools and coaching institutes in its name. However, its foray into the private university space has been relatively recent. Since its inception in 2011, G D Goenka University has had its task cut out with seasoned competitors like Jaypee University and SRM University breathing heavily down its neck. Given the cut-throat competition, the university had no choice but to spend aggressively on advertising with little investment in hiring world-class research faculty.

As the university continues to live under the shadow of its older rivals, the biggest concern would be to secure collaborations and tie-ups with foreign universities having renowned research credentials. With difficulties pertaining to UGC regulations for the group’s G D Goenka World Institute, which hasn’t been recognized as a university, it would be far more appropriate for G D Goenka university to leverage tieups with Lancaster University instead.

Moreover, the World Institute doesn’t have NAAC accreditation and for the degree to be valid, the students should appear and pass examinations conducted on the campus of the foreign university in its home country.

These issues highlight the urgent need for the G D Goenka Group to prioritize its vision for it to sustain a real challenge in an ever-expanding sector.

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PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT

Karunya University KARUNYA UNIVERSITY:

IN A SPOT OF BOTHER OR IS THERE A WAY OUT? Time seems to be running out for Karunya University, with legal tangles and delayed approvals meaning the Coimbatore-based varsity has constantly been on the back-foot. The site of the university’s proposed construction is said to encroach on the elephant corridor, which also contains wetlands and several water sources of river Noyyal. This also includes buildings having a built-up area of more than 300 sqm that needed clearance by the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA).

Though Karunya was founded in 1986 by late evangelist DGS Dhinakaran, rampant construction began in 2005, after it was awarded the deemed university status. The university, however, is quick to dismiss off any prevailing claims by the authorities, environmentalists and local communities citing the possession of necessary records of building approvals. With the demolition notice reaching the AICTE’s regional office, UGC Chairman and VC of Anna University, there is little doubt that the worst is yet to come for Karunya University, which is still only with a NAAC ‘B’ grade.

The varsity has also launched city campuses at Puliyakulam and Periyanaickenpalayam. While the former will offer MBA, BBA, B

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Com, BCA, BSc (IT), BSc (viscom) and part-time B Tech and M Tech courses, the latter will cater to those interested in Arts, Science, Humanities, Law and Paramedical programs. Meanwhile, there are also plans to start a campus at Amravati but with the LoI for the same still under process, the university might have to defer its plan. With the recent setbacks, it is surely going to be a bumpy ride from here on unless drastic steps are taken.

PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT SRM University

SRM University

HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE SURRENDER? It was a fall from grace like no other. From humble beginnings as a Maths teacher to being one of India’s most prolific educationist-cum-businessman, SRM University’s Chancellor T.R Pachamuthu wouldn’t have imagined his current predicament even in his wildest of dreams. His sensational arrest and the political overtones of the whole episode isn’t lost on the general public.

Neither is the alleged involvement of filmmaker Madhan who is said to have collected several crore of Rupees from parents for their wards aspiring for MBBS seats.

The police probe found that Mr Madhan and his associates were allegedly involved in cheating 123 aspirants for under and post graduate courses in medicine in SRM group of institutions to the tune of Rs. 84.27 crore.

Pachamuthu was also booked under various IPC sections, including Section 420.

But, this isn’t anything new in India and its history of cheating scams in higher education. SRM University has always made dramatic claims in its race to reach the pinnacle, little knowing that unbridled growth will always meet a fateful end. Even with favourable rankings to its name, SRM University is fighting the credibility battle, which is not going to taper off soon.

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PROS & CONS OF STUDYING AT

Invertis University

INVERTIS UNIVERSITY:

SAFE OR JUST STAYING AFLOAT? Since its inception in 1998, Invertis University has come a long way with eight institutes and 6000 students under its name. The Bareilly-based varsity offers doctoral, post graduate, & under graduate programmes in Management, Computer Application, Engineering, Architecture, Applied science & Humanities, Law, Pharmacy, Journalism & Mass Communication & Fashion Design along with Diploma programmes in Engineering.

Invertis University is also an associate member of FICCI. While engineering remains its sought-after programme, there are still concerns regarding its placement record. It is said that even with tall promises of “quality education” and “assured jobs”, the varsity has failed to attract high-paying packages to its graduates.

The university also came under lot of flak for the omission of disclaimers from its advertisements and failing to adequately substantiate its claims of winning many education-related awards. The hefty fees charged from students is also another area that should worry the Invertis management.

While these issues are far from

The university has secured a range of accreditations and recognitions including from National Board of Accreditation (NBA), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Bar Council of India (BCI) etc. being rectified, the university is desperately trying to stay afloat with many new challengers springing up in the region.

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A CLEAN-UP INNINGS YET TO BEGIN? THE WAY SUPREME COURT HAD PULLED UP BCCI AND HOW THE SELF-APPOINTED APEX SPORTING BODY HAD PARRIED WHAT BLOWS IT COULD AND SULKED AT WHAT IT COULDN’T HAD LEFT A LINGERING DOUBT IN ALL DISCERNING MINDS THAT INDIAN CRICKET HAS MORE SKELETONS IN ITS CLOSET THAN SC HAD UNEARTHED. WHILE THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMITTEE OF ADMINISTRATORS (COA) HEADED

BY VINOD RAI HAD BOOSTED SENTIMENTS, THE LINGERING FEELING AMONG ALL INTELLIGENT GAME LOVERS WAS THAT BCCI AND EVEN MANY INSANELY INFLUENTIAL PLAYERS WERE UP TO BIGGER GAMES TO MAINTAIN THEIR COSY STATUS QUO ONCE THE DUST SETTLED. BUT UNSAID TRUTHS HAVE A WAY OF SURFACING, AND THIS TIME IT IS THROUGH THE MOUTH OF ACE HISTORIAN RAMACHANDRA GUHA WHO HAS SHOWN THE GUMPTION TO CALL OUT THAT THE KING IS NAKED.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR RAMACHANDRA GUHA: "RAHUL GANDHI MOST RELIABLE ALLY THAT MODI & SHAH COULD ASK FOR"

The Padma Bhushan awardee and India’s most cherished historian is unquestionably a voice of reason when it comes to this nation’s two most loved topics – cricket and politics. However, one can be sure that he has little interest in the ‘politics of cricket’ or at least being privy to it.

From questioning stardom culture in Indian cricket to raising “conflict-ofinterest” charges on Sunil Gavaskar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, Ramachandra Guha send shockwaves when he announced his resignation from the SC-appointed CoA. Like any historian, even Guha might have wished to expend his attention and time to academic rigor than be a part of India’s cricket administration where ineptitude seems to be the norm.

Being a true patriot and cricket enthusiast, the Bangalore-based author took up the mantle bestowed on him by the apex court to implement the Lodha recommendations in the functioning of the BCCI. As he would later realize, the possibility for solace, which he gained from reading books as a historian, is a rather tall ask in an administration where even a page from the rule-book isn’t adhered to.

Pointing out that the problem runs deeper than many would imagine, Guha went on to lament the poor pay handed out to domestic cricketers, CoA’s lack of oversight with disqualified members attending official BCCI meetings and the absence of a male cricketer in the committee. While he declined to comment any further on his recent resignation and his damning letter to Vinod Rai, Guha has provided Indian cricket’s well-wishers with some food for thought. The bottom line is whether he has detected a larger tumour than the Supreme Court has addressed or has he stepped a bit too far with his criticisms?

Whatever one may think of it, Guha only wishes good health for Indian cricket. He may not be the specialist according to him, but Guha knows the age-old grandma remedies. It may be well worth everyone’s time to sit up and take notice. While his stint at the CoA may have been a quick-fire T20-like innings, Guha’s popularity in academic circles makes him a Bradman of sorts!

In 2008, he was placed 44th in the US magazine Foreign Policy poll of the top

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100 public intellectuals in the world.

Armed with degrees from the prestigious St. Stephens’ College and Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta, he is easily one of the most recognizable public commentators and eminent historians in the country.

plain bigotry requiring no serious academic engagement. A staunch pluralist, with a reformist streak, Guha has courted headlines for his outspoken criticism of Hindu fundamentalism for what he sees as a bigger threat than Islamist terrorism in India.

If Subramanian Swamy is the conscience-keeper of the right-wing, Ramachandra Guha could well take the honours of being the darling of the liberal-left community in India. He seldom hides his admiration for the Nehruvian period and has spectacularly articulated his thoughts on the subject in one of the most epochal chronicles of post-1947 India ever written, via nonfiction best seller, India After Gandhi.

The colossal book’s 10th anniversary edition was released recently with much fanfare.

Much like his disdain for the status-quo in politics, Ramchandra Guha doesn’t mince words when he calls out the flaws in India’s cricket administration & the attitude of its functionaries. Although he steered clear of any questions relating to the pandora’s box called BCCI and cricket in general, Guha put on his political punditry hat and was at his usual resounding best when Seasonal Magazine caught up with him recently in Bangalore:

However, ever since its original release, the political scenario has changed rapidly and Guha might feel persuaded to pen down his thoughts about the country’s ongoing developments. Many would be waiting with bated breath for the celebrated historian to once again wield his astute mind. Only that this time, it would be to chronicle the spectacular rise of the BJP and the manof-the-moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As Guha would himself testify, being amongst the pantheon of writers from the liberal political tradition at a time of fervent nationalism is a thankless task.

Often derided as an apologist of the Congress regime, Guha is no stranger to controversies. However, this is a recurrent misconception about the man who has often go on record to blame the Opposition (especially the Congress) for its corruption and dynasty politics and stated that the party might as well give up on its 2019 general election hopes. He launched a scathing attack at the Congress party for its failure to redefine itself and singled out the “entitled” Rahul Gandhi for being the “most important ally” of the BJP. However, at the same time, Guha bemoans the communal politics being practised by the Sangh Parivar and its detrimental effects on India’s democratic image. He once famously quipped about the lack of right-wing intellectualism in India and believes that the views of Sangh’ idols like M.S Golwalkar are

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Your ardent readers recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of your bestselling book, India After Gandhi. In the last decade, what according to you was the most defining moment/event in Indian politics that you didn’t anticipate would happen?

The rise of Narendra Modi and the corresponding fall of the Congress Party are without doubt the defining moment of Indian politics in the past decade.

After the 2009 general elections, the BJP looked down and out. But then hubris set in within the Congress, and a wave of corruption scandals in 2010-1 undermined the UPA regime. Modi seized the moment, adroitly pushing himself on to the national stage, and then converting the election campaign into a Presidential one, not party vs party, but himself vs the weak, incompetent, entitled, and lazy Rahul Gandhi. Since May 2014 the Congress has slipped further, and now the BJP is utterly dominant, being to Indian politics what the Congress was in the 1950s under Nehru or the early 1970s under Indira.

You had once called the current BJP government as the “most antiintellectual government” in India ever.

Do you now see a surge in right-wing

AS GUHA WOULD HIMSELF TESTIFY, BEING AMONGST THE PANTHEON OF WRITERS FROM THE LIBERAL POLITICAL TRADITION AT A TIME OF FERVENT NATIONALISM IS A THANKLESS TASK.

intelligentsia & literature with the recent efforts to popularize the works of Jana Sangh leaders Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya & M.S Golwalkar or will the Indian academia continue to tend towards leftist historiography?

It is an utter misconception that ‘leftists' wholly dominated Indian academics or intellectual life. In fact, liberals had much greater influence than Marxists from the 1950s onwards. The Marxists controlled a few institutions such as JNU, but elsewhere the liberals were very prominent. Most of the best economists, such as DR Gadgil and Jagdish Bhagwati, were liberals not Marxists; so were the best sociologists, such as MN Srinivas and Andre Beteille, and the best political scientists, such as Rajni Kothari and A. Appadorai.

As for your question, while there were fine conservative scholars in the past (such as Jadunath Sarkar, RC Majumdar and others) there is no credible rightwing intellectual tradition in India today.

In a long essay published in Caravan magazine in 2015 I outlined the profoundly anti-intellectual orientation of the Sangh Parivar. Golwalkar and company had a real hostility to independent thinking and quality scholarship. The present Modi-Shah regime has no conception of scholarship

IT IS NOT FOR ME TO PRESCRIBE WHAT THE RULING PARTY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO. BUT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS TO GO BEYOND THE ODD STATEMENT MADE IN THE SABARMATI ASHRAM.

either. They are philistine and antiintellectual, as their sponsorship of the most vulgar abuse on social media shows.

The ‘Not In My Name’ protests highlighted the strength of mass, apolitical movements, which arguably prompted the PM to send out a stern message to gaurakshaks. What more do you think the ruling party must do to deal with situations of mob lynching?

Do you endorse the need for a MASUKA law to deal with such violence?

It is not for me to prescribe what the ruling party should or should not do. But the Prime Minister has to go beyond the odd statement made in the Sabarmati Ashram. These lynchings are deeply damaging to Indian democracy, and they give India and Indians a bad name.

You cannot go abroad and ask foreign firms to invest in India when you cannot ensure security of life and property within India itself.

Going by BJP’s recent thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, what are your predictions for the 2019 General Election and the performance of the incumbent government? Do you think there is still time for the Opposition to mount a comeback or has the ModiShah combo decimated any hopes of all hopes?

The Opposition is in disarray. However (and this is our republic's saving grace) democracy is about more than party politics. Thus the ideas and policies of Modi and Shah are being contested by Indians who shall never fight or win an election, even a panchayat election.

While large sections of the print and (especially) electronic media have become mouthpieces of the ruling party, there remain some newspapers, some editors, and some reporters who write fearlessly and on the basis of facts about the crimes and errors of the BJP and the governments it directs. And some websites are more independent-minded still. Meanwhile, notwithstanding the paid armies of right-wing trolls, on social media too democratic and liberal voices are becoming more visible and active.

In spite of the time, energy and money that the BJP spends on controlling mainstream as well as social media, it has not been able to suppress either reasoned debate or independent documentation and analysis.

Meanwhile, in society at large, tens of millions of Indians remain committed to an idea of constitutional patriotism that is steadfastly opposed to Hindutva.

These Indians do not want their country to become a Hindu Pakistan. They do not want to be told what to eat, how to dress, whom to love and whom to vilify.

Seventy years of independence and of life under the Constitution have led to the inculcation of mores and habits that run against the grain of authoritarianism and majoritarianism.

Will this independent, non-party, opposition to the BJP crystallize over time into a party (or parties) that can defeat the BJP in the general election of 2024? Can there be a Emmanuel Macron-like phenomenon in India?

Those questions I don’t have answers to.

But I would like to reiterate that democracy must never be reduced to, or equated with, the winning and losing of elections. Democracy is a way of life, a system of values that must be practised

every day, not brought out of hibernation once every five years. Many Indians subscribe to this deeper understanding of democracy, which is why, in spite of a single party being so dominant in the sphere of elections, its policies and politicians face such searching criticism in the public sphere.

The inspiration for the cow slaughter ban clearly has its roots in the RSS ideology, best put forward by M.S Golwalkar. Although he primarily voiced his opinion about rights of Hindus, do you think there is a case to be made for engaging with Golwalkar’s philosophical reasoning in a discourse currently dominated by the Marxist & liberal academia?

Golwalkar was a bigot, plain and simple. There is no philosophical depth or subtlety to his writings, merely a demonization of Muslims and Christians, and a glorification of India's alleged greatness in the past, and a dogmatic assertion that India will lead the world in the future. His ideas are profoundly antithetical to the Constitution, indeed to civilized and humane life in general.

India is one of the most stable and pluralist democracies in Asia and yet has often been reluctant to embrace Western notions of multiculturalism and liberalism. Are you apprehensive about the rise of majoritarian & faithbased politics or are you confident that India’ institutions and constitution can withstand any adverse circumstances?

As a constitutional democrat, I am apprehensive about the rise of majoritarianism. There are some very ugly sides to the present regime. And they are helped along by a corrupt and incompetent Opposition. Indeed, Rahul Gandhi, who exemplifies this incompetence most, is the most reliable ally that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have. At the same time, I deplore the apocalyptic talk, so common among the Indian Left, of fascism and the like.

Forget Fascism, the situation today is not even comparable to the Emergency.

There is far more open debate than there was in 1975, and many major States are controlled by Opposition parties. The democratic instincts of Indians will push back against the authoritarianism of the Sangh Parivar. But it will be a long and arduous struggle.

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COVER STORY

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Exclusive Interview with Amit Shah, BJP President

MODI'S CHANAKYA? HIS UNWRITTEN BRIEF WAS TO MODIFY INDIA. BUT AMIT SHAH HAD TO GO BEYOND HIS DUTY, AND GUARD MODI GOVERNMENT’S BACK ON CHALLENGES RANGING FROM DEMONETISATION TO JOBLESS GROWTH. ALWAYS IN A CAMPAIGN MODE DUE TO THE COUNTRY’S NEVER ENDING STATE ELECTIONS, AMIT SHAH SPEAKS ABOUT MODI’S 1111 DAYS AS PM.

B

eing Amit Shah is not easy. Being BJP President might be an easy job, as many of his forerunners had proved, but being Amit Shah as BJP President has never been easy.

The reason is simple – he doesn’t avoid challenges but embraces them. Adhoc crises or scheduled challenges, Shah is ready with strategy.

He has been PM’s trouble-shooter ever since Modi took over the reins of the country. The latest instance has been the farmers’ struggle in Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere in the nation. While it is clear that BJP and its Madhya Pradesh CM are at a disadvantage at this sudden and massive uprising, it took the intervention of Amit Shah to restore some sort of normalcy, at least in the sentiments.

In true Shah style, the BJP President was quick to ‘find’ roots of the uprising in rival political parties, especially Congress. He also didn’t forget to articulate effectively on the array of steps the Modi Government had taken for the benefit of farmers. While it remains to be seen whether Shah’s strategy would succeed in the longer term, for now it has been more than enough for BJP and its CM there to heave a sigh of relief.

Winning the game for Modi has been Amit Shah’s passion for long, ever since he was entrusted by Modi to retain Gujarat for the second term. Recently, Amit Shah was in Kerala energizing the Sangh Parivar’s state cadre. While the headlines were all about how Shah had effectively

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warned the ruling LDF to desist from attacking RSS workers, it is an open secret that Shah’s main mission was to take BJP’s state leadership to task for a poor show till now. Shah is known to have given the ultimatum to the current leadership that it would be ‘perform or perish’ for them.

In an incident that reinforced the novelty of his preparedness, a local BJP leader in Thiruvananthapuram was briefing Shah on the construction plan of the BJP headquarters there.

However, a person unknown to the leader contradicted his briefings to which the leader promptly objected. Much to ever yone’s

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bewilderment, Shah revealed that the person was a builder he had personally brought in to study the construction plan.

Shah has been Modi’s non-playing captain till now. In a way, Shah rising to the job and even higher than the job, is a huge setback for the next rung of leaders in BJP, most of them enjoying plum positions in the Cabinet. Shah even while non-playing as he isn’t part of the Cabinet, has perhaps done more for the government from the outside than these insiders.

In fact, Shah has also been quite the social

butterfly in terms of the “friends” he has managed to make across the political spectrum. While he maintains cordial relationships with BJP’s longstanding allies like the Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal, Lok Janshakti Party, Shah has formulated a mutually beneficial partnership with many regional outfits like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People’s Front, Hill State People’s Democratic Party. His negotiation skills came to the fore when he successfully persuaded the AGP to agree to his seat-sharing arrangement after the Assam-based party initially appeared too adamant to concede much ground.

With the help of former Congress bigwig Himanta Biswas Sarma, Shah delivered Assam to the hands of his boss.

Although achieving far from the desired result he would have hoped for, Shah’s connections with the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena that represents the backward caste of Ezhavas and the Kerala Congress (Nationalist) was still a masterstroke.

While he can claim credit for stitching many useful associations in the North East and the South, Shah also takes a no-holds-barred approach when strategizing in historically significant states for the party. For example, during the U.P election campaign, Shah managed to convince Modi that merely giving tickets to Muslim candidates could tur n counter-productive for the party’s interests and it was best that BJP play to its strengths.

The outcome was there for everybody to see.

Many believe that this communication line between the Prime Minister and par ty P r e s i d e n t h a s wo r ke d wo n d e r s fo r t h e nationalist party.

Their stellar chemistry dates back to 2003 when Modi had put Shah, then a junior minister, on a panel to oversee a ‘Narmada Yojana’ rally with two other ministers, Ashok Bhatt and Bhupendrasinh Chudasma. Realizing that both the ministers were “too senior” to take orders from him, Shah requested Modi to excuse himself from the committee. Modi felt that Shah’s potential was too good to forego and instead had both his senior ministers dropped to give Shah a free hand.

Soon after Kerala, it was the turn of Maharashtra to get a taste of Shah’s strategies. Unlike in other states, the BJP has an ally posing trouble here.

But Shah who has already outsmarted Shiv Sena partially, is set to do more with his extensive interactions with various non-political citizens groups like NGOs, resident associations, ALMs etc across Mumbai, in an aptly titled forum called ‘Opinion Makers Meet’.

Shah’s next challenge would be to install a new President for India, which is a tricky job given the lack of numbers. Ram Nath Kovind’s candidature comes after the astute leader quickly tried for reconciliation with Congress and other Opposition

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parties, and has also constituted a Cabinet panel for the selection through consensus.

Shah might have learned the political ropes from Modi, but as of now the PM has no time left for political strategies, and it is up to Shah for guarding Modi’s back in challenges that will only increase in the coming months.

Doing one’s homework is a serious affair even beyond school-life, especially when the stakes are so high. Unsurprisingly, BJP’s chances will be determined by how two of its most enterprising students fare in what is slated to be a tough test in the 2019 General Election: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & BJP President Amit Shah.

If Modi is the one who gives the exam, then Amit Shah is the guide book that formulates the strategy. A voracious bookworm, Shah is known to immerse himself over district gazetteers before visiting a place to discover any useful data or talking point.

Arguably, Amit Shah is the man of the moment when it comes to contemporary Indian politics and campaign strategies. That is just what the BJP expects out of the 52-year old mastermind when Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh gets set for assembly elections soon, as the party eyes for a larger share of the electoral pie.

Few can match the enthusiasm and stamina levels of BJP’s campaigner-in-chief, Amit Shah, who is currently on a 95-day countrywide tour to expand BJP footprints in regions that are not its traditional strong-points. The trip is significant as the BJP rules 13 states, shares power in four and hopes to galvanize party cadre ahead of the all-important 2019 General Election when it looks to better its 2014 tally in the Lok Sabha. In Telangana, where the ruling TRS and Congress attract considerable sympathy, Shah directed his party workers to fight these parties tooth and nail at every given opportunity, dismissing concerns how it may affect the Presidential vote for BJP’s candidate.

Spectacular performances in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand appear to have whetted the BJP chief’s hunger for expanding the party’s footprints from “Kashmir to Kanyakumari”. He kickstarted his yathra in J&K and proceeded to Tamil Nadu, where BJP is a minor force.

His much publicized visit to Kerala send a strong signal to regional parties about the BJP’s interests in the southern state. So far, Amit Shah has traversed West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana and Lakshadweep where his message to booth-level workers will give him an opportunity to get first-hand ground reports necessary to construct his election strategies.

The BJP has grown exponentially, becoming the world’s largest political outfit with more than 11 million members, after Shah took charge in July 2014. A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fellow Gujarati Shah is credited with the party’s impressive wins in state polls since the 2014 parliamentary elections. In highprofile constituencies, Amit Shah will personally monitor BJP activities, underscoring the party’s long-held desire to break through Congress bastions like Amethi & Rae Bareilly.

With the 2018 assembly polls just round the corner in Chhattisgarh, 70

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Seasonal Magazine Recently Caught up with BJP President Amit Shah Seasonal Magazine caught up with Mr Amit Shah, BJP President for an interview recently: The BJP has completed 3 years in office. Apart from major upcoming state elections and party strengthening initiatives, where do you see the party and what are its immediate goals in the near future?

Our aim is to develop a determined and secure nation. We are in power in 14 states and we rule at the Centre.

We are also alliance partners in 4 other states. We want to project India as a shining example to the world.

You recently remarked that Modi is the most popular politician since independence..

Yes, but this is in reference to politicians who were born after independence. This statement was twisted by media but I think my statement was very clear. It wasn’t a comparison with any other national icon.

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What do you hope to achieve from your 95-day nationwide tour?

Look, I’m the President of the party.

All levels of the party functioning is under my jurisdiction. It is my responsibility to expand our party activities. This year also happens to be Deendayal Upadhyaya’s 100th year birth anniversary. We would like to spread his teachings and life’s work.

Our collective effort would be towards organizational expansion and to meet the expectations of the country on every front. That’s the aim of this tour.

In fact, we will look to secure the largest number of Lok Sabha seats from Kerala in 2019.

This will be one of our biggest goals.

You’ve been quite a force to reckon with when it comes to election strategizing and campaigning. What is Amit Shah’s secret mantra ?

There can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. Every election can’t have the same strategy. Requirements vary with changing ground realities. But what we have managed to show the country through our rule at the Centre and state levels that the developmental agenda is the only way forward. The people have come to realize this gradually. Caste-based politics, family politics and appeasement politics have been shunned by our party leaders. Also, I believe that experience gained from such campaigns always gives one a sense of purpose. Through my travels to different parts of the country, I’ve been blessed to learn from the common man.

Why do you think the Opposition has been struggling to mount a challenge to BJP given the current political climate?

See, I think what matters more is that

In which areas do you think that BJP could have fared better given your experience as its President so far?

we’ve been doing the right things more so than the Opposition failing in their tasks. That is what I feel about the whole situation.

The Bihar election debacle may have upset your plans given the massive importance of the state..

We admit that there was a lot that could’ve been done to ensure a favourable result for us. But, we accept the loss and the mandate of the people. The simple task would be to further strengthen the organization right from the grassroot level. We want to continue the revolution and ensure that government schemes reach every deserving person.

You want me to do the job of the Opposition by pointing out our weakpoints? (laughs). Before that, let me tell you some of the initiatives of this government. We have ensured that crores of people have their own bank accounts, 2 crore women now receive gas cylinders, 4.5 crore homes now receive electricity, we have provided loan schemes under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee loan yojana. We have ensured that GST is now a reality. We have also actualized the recommendations of the Kalelkar Commission towards securing the interests of the backward caste and classes. 104 satellites were launched in a single flight. Surgical strike were carried out to destroy terrorist hubs.

We have made the world sit up and take notice of our strong political will to act when needed. We have also brought in several agricultural reforms and improved the rate of growth from -2% to a healthy 4%. We have made all efforts to improve the lives of the specially abled community. We also successfully passed the Maternity Benefit Act. In this way, we have made all efforts to introduce new schemes and ideas in every field.

The Opposition alleges that the Sangh Parivar’s ideology is influencing decision-making which

Caste-based politics, family politics and appeasement politics have been shunned by our party leaders.

Also, I believe that experience gained from such campaigns always gives one a sense of purpose.

in turn has made it difficult to voice any other point of view. What is your take on this?

No, it’s totally false. We are open to everybody’s opinions. I am here, listening to some of the good points you yourself are raising right now.

And isn’t it imperative to open one’s ears to good ideas? Also, are we supposed to expect the Opposition to praise us? They are bound to criticize us and they will continue to do so.

Following the JNU debacle & surgical strike, the government and party have been playing up the nationalist card aggressively. And the Opposition and some civil society groups allege that those who hold an opposing view are termed as ‘anti-

With the Gujarat elections just round the corner, how do you think the recent caste-based movements by Patidars, Dalits etc will impact BJP’s fortunes?

I have heard this for the past many years but just ask yourself who continues to form governments in Gujarat in every assembly election.

We are confident that the people of Gujarat will once again place their trust in us.

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We have made the world sit up and take notice of our strong political will to act when needed. We have also brought in several agricultural reforms and improved the rate of growth from -2% to a healthy 4%. We have made all efforts to improve the lives of the specially abled community. We also successfully passed the Maternity Benefit Act. In this way, we have made all efforts to introduce new schemes and ideas in every field.

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nationals’. What are your views on this?

Well, this is a part of our proud history.

Even at the time of independence, the overwhelming emotion was that of nationalism. And, the allegation isn’t true. However, if somebody wants to speak about the breakup of this country, then there is no doubt in our minds that he/she is an anti-national.

People can criticize the Prime Minister, the party but why talk about

secession?

What is the government’s strategy to fend off Naxalist threat? How long do you think this would take?

We have made all efforts to reduce Naxalite violence in the last 3 years.

And I believe we have managed to bring it under control. We won’t deny that there have been incidents every now and then. It is only natural that when such operations take place, there will be strong resistance from the perpetrators. We are strongly of the view that Naxalism can be rooted out in the near future. There will be heightened efforts to build infrastructure in violence-prone areas and there will be zero tolerance for Naxalite elements who want to impede progress.

There are parallels being drawn between the situation in Kashmir and

However, if somebody wants to speak about the breakup of this country, then there is no doubt in our minds that he/she is an anti-national. People can criticize the Prime Minister, the party but why talk about secession?

Palestine. What are your views?

I don’t think that’s true. You see, since 1989, there’s always been 6-7 months when violence is at its peak in the Valley. This is not a new feature. The security forces have adopted a strong approach to separatist tendencies in the region, which is why we see retaliation. Therefore, if you take a look at the last 20-25 years, it is wrong to highlight only the last 6-7 months.

You need to consider the larger picture when talking about the Valley.

The recent political killings of RSS & Left party workers in Kerala & West Bengal have increased at an alarming rate. Don’t you think there is an urgent need for the stakeholders to iron out differences before situation worsens?

Please help me understand which party rules or has been ruling in these states for the past decades. Is it us? Our moral principles don’t permit violence. It is the duty of the respective state governments to ensure that law and order prevails. Take Kerala for example. Even when the UDF was ruling, there was no end to these rampant killings. But with CPIM coming to power, the situation has been exacerbated. Even with killings in his own district, the CM has no answers. Now please ask yourself if this is the response expected when situations like this happen right under your nose? Also, the Left parties have to answer as to why only these killings become severe whenever they are in power. It is solely the responsibility

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of the Left parties to find solutions and nobody else’.

Your party did exceedingly well in the recent U.P elections with Yogi Adithyanath being chosen as the CM. What is your take on his first few months as CM? We are 100% satisfied with Yogiji’s performance. He has sprung into action in a short span of time and even provided solutions to some pressing issues. I think he’s moving in the right direction along the path of governance and development which have been a feature of all BJP ruled states.

There seems to be a feeling that law & order measures have been too controversial with the anti-romeo squads, Hindu Yuva Vahini taking law into their own hands etc..

No, the Hindu Yuva Vahini has nothing to do with policing issues. As far as the Hindu Yuva Vahini is concerned, it is not a law and order problem. It is in fact a policy to improve and find solutions to law and order problems created under the watch of the previous dispensation.

The new cattle slaughter laws have created quite a stir in the South and North East parts of the country. And many people are wondering if this is an attack on their traditional eating habits..

If you take a look at the notification,

It is the duty of the respective state governments to ensure that law and order prevails. Take Kerala for example. Even when the UDF was ruling, there was no end to these rampant killings. But with CPIM coming to power, the situation has been exacerbated. Even with killings in his own district, the CM has no answers.

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which clause says that there will be restrictions on eating habits? Also, this was a Supreme Court judgement earlier in the year. Based on the SC ruling, the government constituted a committee to form certain rules.

Therefore, there has been no attempt at infringing on anybody’s eating habits whatsoever.

How has yours and Prime Minister’s “outsider” approach helped in redefining governance in Delhi?

The Prime Minister is working towards improving governance all over the country, not just in Delhi. Also, I don’t think it’s true that just because we rule sitting in Delhi, we become interested only in the affairs of the Central government. Of course, leaders come from different states but the intention is to work towards the development of the country as a whole.

What are your plans to expand BJP’s presence in hitherto untested areas?

Our various state and district level organizations are working round the clock. We have plans to build schools and libraries in every district. We are also providing training programmes to around 9.5 lakh karyakartas. There are also efforts to document party activities from the past and also to write its history. We will also take all efforts to document the life and times of our great leader Shri Deendayal Upadhyaya. We have already successfully launched the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana to benefit rural areas.

We are strongly of the view that Naxalism can be rooted out in the near future. There will be heightened efforts to build infrastructure in violence-prone areas and there will be zero tolerance for Naxalite elements who want to impede progress.

What can the people expect from the government in the next 2 years?

I have already highlighted some of our main initiatives. Apart from that, we intend to better our performance in Kerala drastically. In fact, we will look to secure the largest number of Lok Sabha seats from Kerala in 2019. This will be one of our biggest goals.

Could you share with us your favourite past time, some recent books you’ve read, most recent movie you’ve watched, your role model etc?

I have too much on my plate to be having any past time (laughs).

Otherwise, I do maintain a library at home and I read books ranging from topics like religion to politics. Coming to movies, I recently watched Bahubali. I have a large portrait of Chanakya at home and one of my favourite role models is without doubt Veer Savarkar.

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HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL LAUNCHES PAPILLION Hotel Café Royal, located in the heart of London, will welcome the Papillion restaurant in mid-June 2017. A new all-day dining destination open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., the 38-seat space will feature a menu inspired by both British and French influences. Dishes will range from Ibérico Ham Eggs Benedict, to Bircher muesli in the morning (from £9), lunchtime offerings such as Broccoli and Roquefort Quiche, or a healthy Quinoa, Beetroot and Chia Seed Salad, and Fish Pie, Confit Duck and Truffle Rillettes, or a range of buckwheat crepes at dinner (dishes from £12). In addition, the new dessert menu will feature six signature dessert jars (from £7) - designed to be taken away, or to be served at a dinner

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION RESORT 2018 Michael Kors’s vision for his 2018 collection included island florals, sarongs, ruffles and dresses for the beach or a party. Presented at the Whitney Museum, the collection features tropical prints, oversized, relaxed takes on men’s blazers, and metallic accents of silver and gold met citified elements. Intense yellow paired with brown and black along with mixes of sapphire, brown and black are prominent in the collection. The collections continues with accessories, from slouchy, woven bags to oversized clutches and collapsible totes.

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party. They include Jaffa Cake, Eton Mess and Peach Melba. Glasses of Laurent-Perrier Champagne will be available (from £10) alongside three cocktails such as; Papillon Spritz,

Summer Bellini and Champagne cocktail (all £12). Executive Chef Jeremy Brown will oversee these meals, while Executive Pastry Chef Sarah Barber will create desserts.

PIAGET POLO S MAKES A COMEBACK Piaget has revealed three new creations to complete the Polo S collection that began in 2016. In a limited edition of 888 individually numbered timepieces, the Piaget Polo S, equipped with the 1110P movement, appears with a black dial, ADLC-treated bezel and black rubber strap, as well as a cushion-shaped dial, a sapphire caseback and skeleton P on the second-hand counterweight.. The Piaget Polo S Chronograph is also available in a limited edition of 888 individually numbered timepieces with the same specifications. These two creations are delivered with a second black calfskin leather strap as well. To pair with one of Piaget’s watches, or wear alone, is the Possession bracelet for men, crafted from hand-assembled links.

FENDI ANNOUNCES METALLIKA CAPSULE COLLECTION Gold, silver and bronze, and bold turquoise, pink and green define Fendi’s new Metallika Capsule Collection. This collection features both metallic bags and accessories, created in laminated leather. The Kan I bag with scalloped edges and Double Baguette are decorated with feminine multicolor Bonbon flowers and have charcoal grey stripes along the front of the bag.

Kan I bags are also available in a mini size adorned with studs along the flap, ranging in colors from baby pink to charcoal. As for shoes, the Chameleon features a short or mediumsized chunky heel and lamé colors such as: gold, silver, turquoise and pink. Available in FENDI boutiques worldwide and on fendi.com.

KATE WINSLET LAUNCHES LONGINES TIMEPIECE TO BE AUCTIONED ONLINE On Saturday 10 June 2017, in its boutique located at Faubourg SaintHonoré in Paris, Longines, together with its Ambassador of Elegance Kate Winslet, presented the new timepiece: The Flagship Heritage by Kate Winslet, featuring the same dial as The Flagship Heritage –60th Anniversary 1957-2017. Ms. Winslet is Longines Ambassador of Elegance, and she chose the dial, the case and strap herself. Only five pieces have been crafted in total, and three models will be auctioned online for the benefit of The Golden Hat Foundation, a charity co-founded by the actress. The first timepiece will be given to Ms. Winslet and the second will be kept in the Longines museum in Switzerland. The models numbered 2/5, 3/5 and 4/5 will be auctioned for the Foundation.

A. LANGE & SÖHNE PRESENT AN EXTENSION OF THE 1815 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH A. Lange & Söhne is presenting a new version of the 1815 Chronograph with a stopwatch function. The watch features a power reserve of 60 hours, and a pulsimeter scale on the outer ring of the dial to determine heart rates. The newest edition includes a white-gold case with a black dial, a black alligator leather strap and solid white-gold Lange prong buckle, as well as a sapphire-crystal case back.

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CHRISTIE'S AUCTIONS TO FEATURE DIAMOND TIARA A brilliant diamond star tiara, necklace, and parure from the Victorian Era are being featured in Christie’s jewelry auction.

There are 14 individual diamond stars, which can be worn on top of the tiara, to dress up the necklace, or lengthen the earrings.

The pieces are presented in their original wooden case, circa 1870.

LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950?

Panerai has released a new timepiece—the Luminor Submersible 1950 3-Days Automatic—available in two models: Acciaio (steel) with a water resistance of 30 bar and Oro Rosso (red gold) with the water resistance of 10 bar. Both models are equipped with the P.9010 automatic caliber with a power reserve of three days that allows the hour hand to be moved forwards or backwards in one hour jumps without interrupting how the watch functions. The time remaining is visible through the sapphire crystal backs of the case held by a black rubber strap enclosed with a trapezoid buckle made to match the case. The watches’ legibility features a minute hand and stud on the matt black ceramic rotating bezel at the 12 o’clock mark glowing in bright blue, allowing for the time of immersion to be calculated.

ARCEAU ?Très Grand Modèle Hermès has announced The Arceau Très Grand Modèle. The Arceau Très Grand Modèle inner fixings of the watch include Hermès Calibre own H1837 enclosed in a 316L stainless steel case with a Hazelnut brown dial and raised black gold Arabic numerals. The newest timepiece comes in two new dial shades of blue or hazelnut brown paired with an abyss blue strap or etoupe matte alligator strap.

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Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University)

FORGING AHEAD ON APPLIED LEARNING Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University) has been forging ahead in the higher education scene with a highly proactive culture of applied learning through international and national conferences, seminars, and workshops on diverse subjects. Through such professional events, students get to learn next-generation trends like Automation, Big Data, Digital Image Processing, Smart Manufacturing, Open Education Resources, and much more. SCSVMV has been recently reassessed by NAAC and accredited with A Grade. This has come as a shot in the arm for the deemed university as it was all set to reopen classes for the new academic year, in July and August for various courses. here are no marks for guessing the greatest threat to employment generation in the coming years. Every student, or at least every engineering student, knows it is automation which is taking the manufacturing world by storm. But at SCSVMV, rather than being bogged down by that challenge, experts are finding ways and means to exploit this new trend to get their students ready for jobs in the automation field.

Resource Person for the workshop is an internationally renowned subject matter expert, Dr. Ravindra Thamma, Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics, Central Connecticut State University, Hartford, USA. SCSVMV University’s radar is tuned to pick up signals from all emerging areas that are prospective for Indian industry,

SCSVMV's Department of Computer Science & Engineering is organizing a 2-day National Workshop on Smart Manufacturing Automation on 6th & 7th July 2017. Participants will get to study various components used in modern day’s automation system, programmable controllers, machine vision, robotic arm, sensors, actuators, and drivers.

Also included is the application of automation components principles to design and facilitate integrated smart manufacturing workcell that includes mistake proof and autonomation. The

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Prof. Dr. S. Jayarama Reddy

Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji Pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam

and therefore its students. Such a focus is helping the university to focus on such a field, Digital Image Processing.

SCSVMV is conducting the Second National Conference on Digital Image Processing 03rd and 04th August 2017.

National Conference on Digital Image Processing (NCDIP-2017) will be a forum for presenting new advances and research results in the fields of Digital Image Processing.

The Conference will bring together leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the domain of interest from across the country. The scope of the conference covers all theoretical and practical aspects of Digital Image Processing.

While the university has been conducting such events off and on since

its inception, it is in recent years, and especially 2017 that this has gathered momentum. Students learn the best when classroom study is complemented by industry interactions, and these conferences, seminars, and workshops precisely aim at this effectiveness.

During April, the university held the 2nd International Conference on Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (ICMME-2017) organized by Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The conference provided a common platform for researchers, industry personnel, academicians, students and participating professionals to interact and discuss about the advances made in the various areas of Mechanical Engineering.

Special invited lectures by scientist and

experts from foreign universities, leading Institutions, Research organizations and Industries were conducted in addition to paper presentation. The conference focussed on today's technical challenges, research updates and breakthrough innovations that are shaping the future of mechanical engineering. The Conference brought together engineers, scientists and technologists for the purposes of exploring solutions to global challenges and for the advancement of mechanical engineering worldwide.

Cutting-edge higher education is getting democratized across the globe, and access to such best resources will be a life or death issue for tomorrow's professionals. In 2001 MIT announced its OpenCourseWare initiative, and

Students learn the best when classroom study is complemented by industry interactions, and these conferences, seminars, and workshops precisely aim at this effectiveness.

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since then many reputed institutions have followed suit.

SCSVMS’s Department of Computer Science and Applications conducted a International Workshop on Open Educational Resources during March 2017. The workshop educated the participants on Open Content / Open educational resources (OER) / Open Courseware etc which are educational materials which are discoverable online and openly licensed that can be redistribute, shared freely, adapt / repurpose / improve and used by academicians, educationalists around the world.

The workshop shed light on learning and research materials in any medium, digital or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits nocost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.

Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University), Kanchipuram is unique in that it has designed its curriculum with emerging requirements in the market.

Right now university is offering courses in 14 different disciplines including Engineering ( B.E - EEE, ECE, CSE, Mechanical, EIE, Mechatronics,

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Manufacturing, Civil, Civil & Structural and B.Tech I.T) both at Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Computer Applications, Management, Education, Science, Humanities and others. No wonder then that SCSVMV students are getting selected in various organizations like Dr. Reddy’s laboratory, Wipro, Aditya Birla, TCS, ICICI, Ramco, Shriram Group of institutions etc. But that is only one among the several factors that makes this university unique.

Our ancient India is a treasure house of all arts and all varieties of education. If you look into education history of India, four places were recognised as wonderful universities – 1.

Kanchipuram, 2.Nalanda, 3.Thakshasila, 4. Varanasi. Out of all these four places, Kanchipuram has got a very special significance. In case anyprofessors in other universities gets a doubt, they used to come to Kanchi and write their doubts on palm leaves and use to keep these palm leaves in earthen pots in specified places. The professors of Kanchi used to write answers for the doubts as and when they are at leisure and used to put the answers in the same pots. That’s why people use to call the University of Kanchi as “Ghatikhasthan”.

Prof.Dr.V.S.Vishnu Potty

To establish a university in such a pious place is the vision of walking God Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal. He lived on the earth for 100 years and his vision was brought into reality by his disciple and present reigning pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kama KotiPeedam Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. Initially, this institution was started as law college in Sanskrit and gradually grown into deemed university in 1993 and is named after Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal. One can find variety of significant events in the progress of this university.

Prof.Dr.G. Srinivasu

The most significant characteristic of this university is providing education in the latest courses of engineering and technology which are absolutely necessary for modern generation along with ancient science, culture and values. In one way, it is a blend of sciences of modern and ancient times.

The study imparted to a student in this university not only makes a student to concentrate on earning but also to learn Indian culture and values. So, the courses in this university were designed insuch a way that whoever enters in to the portals of this university have to learn Indian ethos, Culture and Sanskrit language. Based on the indication given by “Paramacharyal” that the ability of a student will enhance specially after prayers – the students of this University will go to classes after prayers every day.

In ancient education system, education is not a commodity available in the shop. Without giving any concern and importance with the financial position of a student, professors of olden days used to give education according to the interest and capability of the student.

In keeping the same thought in view, without anticipating and expecting any profit, without taking any money in the form of capitation and donation and without making a student to have burden on his finances, university is collecting only a cost based fee and giving quality education. In future, University is aiming to give education even without collecting this much of fee and without compromising on standards.

Here a student gets admission only through merit. There is no entrance examination except for MBA. Based on the marks secured in the qualifying examinations, a student will be selected for BE, B.TECH, MCA, etc.., and other related courses.

Ayurveda, Shilpasasthra, Vasthusashtra, Vyakarana, Nyaya, Literature and Sanskrit are other ancient courses taught under the supervision of experienced and expert professors. Based on the merit of student, on the financial status of the student, and on the worth shown on sports by students, scholarships will be provided. Similarly preference to students who secured ranks in National level Examinations like AIEEE, TANCET, MAT, CAT etc at the time of admissions.

SCSVMV University is giving importance to research. Along with all science subjects, research is taking place in Sanskrit in the form of fundamental and applied research.

Another significant point of this university is protecting the books written on palm leaves. These books werecollected by Mahaswamy in 1000’s from different corners of the country and preserved. Presently these palm leaves are being protected continuously through chemical treatment and process of digitalization is in progress. Printing these ancient palm leaf literature in the form of books

SCSVMV's Department of Computer Science & Engineering is organizing a 2-day National Workshop on Smart Manufacturing Automation. The Resource Person for the workshop is an internationally renowned subject matter expert, Dr. Ravindra Thamma, Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics, Central Connecticut State University, Hartford, USA.

and giving it to future generation isone of the missions of University. To this mission National Manuscript Mission is giving a helping hand.

To any university greatest treasure is books. In SCSVMVUniversity, international library contains several thousands of valuable books. This library is the biggest attraction for the University. This building is constructed in the shape of “SHREE CHAKRA” and standing as a symbol of engineering excellence.

Services of placement and people involved in placementare doing a wonderful job for the benefit of students. Experts and eminent people selected from various disciplines both from national and international zones will interact with students through seminars, conferences, workshops and personality development programs.

This experience is a beacon of light giving directions to students in selecting their career. Students are also getting an understanding how to conduct themselves in executing the assignments given and thereby shaping themselves in such a way that they are in no way lesser to the students from metros. Our students are getting selected in various organizations like Dr. Reddy’s laboratory, Wipro, Aditya Birla, TCS, ICICI, Ramco, Shriram Group of institutions etc. Based on the dedication, efficiency, excellence shown by our students in their workplace, organisations of repute are coming back to our University again and again to recruit our students.

Alumni who are staying in different places and workingin different organisations are continuing their association with the University. They are acting as a bridge between industry and University and bringing experts to the University. Not only that, they formed as an association and trying to help the students by providing projects, placements and scholarships. This University possess modern labs, internet facility, hostels for boys and girls separately, transport, play ground, and bank ATM etc. Aiming to become a premium institution of the country this University is employing all its efforts, in the right direction.

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COVER STORY

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If anyone thought Alliance University management has been caught off-guard by last year’s unsavory controversies arising from a family feud, they are in for a rude shock. Seasonal Magazine recently visited Bangalore and caught up with Alliance University Founder and Chancellor Dr. Madhukar G Angur to get the low-down on the situation, and returns pleasantly surprised at the rigor with which the management is staying focused on regaining its leadership as one of the best private universities in the country. Here are eight reasons why any aspiring student should prefer Alliance for this academic year.

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AGELESS INFRASTRUCTURE When it was created almost 10 years back, the infrastructure of Alliance University was one of the best in India.

But so would feel the infrastructure of any new private university in the country. The beauty of Alliance Infrastructure is that even after a decade, it still comes across as one of the finest in India. Such has been the foresight and detailed planning that have gone into creating this unique private university in Bangalore. Most of its peers are not as equipped as Alliance on this front because the brains behind this university have unparalleled exposure in several world-class universities of United States in different capacities.

“ENSURING NOT JUST ACADEMIC RIGOUR BUT INDUSTRY RELEVANCE�

DR. MADHUKAR ANGUR, FOUNDER AND CHANCELLOR OF ALLIANCE UNIVERSITY OPENS HIS HEART TO SEASONAL MAGAZINE REGARDING THE CORE PHILOSOPHIES DRIVING THIS CENTRE OF HIGHER LEARNING, AND THEIR LATEST FUTURE-READY INITIATIVES. The university has been innovating on international programs. Could you provide us with a brief overview of these initiatives?

Alliance University was founded on the fact that education should be worldclass. We need to compete with the best universities in the world. As a standalone business school, that we were at one point, we looked at not only aspirational institutions in the country like the IIMs but also at some of the very leading universities in the world like Harvard, Stanford, North Western University etc. What I have experienced in all of these major universities was their universal standards. The frame of reference was that these were truly

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international in content as well as facilities, and we looked at them to understand what business education of the future looks like. Therefore, internationalization came as a result of this basic philosophy with which the university was founded. This philosophy was that professional education ought to prepare the graduates for the global market.

How did you go about doing it, the internationalization of your offerings?

If you look at the managers of the future, they have to be global in nature. The curriculum also has to be global. We not only wanted to look at the best practices that great universities provide

but also the next best practices they were planning. I have visited close to 200 universities, which has given me much insight into globalized higher education. I have also been faculty, guest and visiting professor at many of these places. I believe even our students need to have that kind of mind-set and frame of reference. How could we do it? So we ensured our faculty needs to come from different parts of the world.

Primarily, our faculty have been educated in Europe and USA. We also have an international advisory board that is truly global in its outlook. We have got members from major universities in Singapore, Europe and USA.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Alliance University is the brainchild of Dr. Madhukar G Angur, a renowned scholar of engineering and business strategy in USA, India, and several other countries. He has studied and taught at some of the best universities in the developed world, and is unique in that he has visited around 200 of the best universities across the globe as part of his professional career as well as personal passion in discovering the best educational practices. Moreover, Dr. Angur is not only an ace academician but has been a successful entrepreneur in both USA and India, with one of the companies he founded being part of a publicly listed corporation.

Certain international recruiting partners have been placing Alliance University students. Do you expect this trend to gather steam or wane off given the protectionist measures in USA, UK and EU? My guess is that protectionism is a phenomenon the world over, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, when it comes to the kind of demographic dividends that India provides, be it in the form of a younger population, more educated youth skilled in specific areas and the reality of ageing economies of the West, there is huge potential there. There is going to be a gap of skill sets in most parts of the developed world. Despite protectionism being practised, there is always the reality of the skill gap which nations always need to fill. If a US citizen has skills equivalent to what an Indian can offer, naturally the US would prefer the former. Therefore, our

Dr. Madhukar G Angur

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TOP CITY, FINE LEVERAGE

Bangalore has successively been India’s Information Technology capital, Outsourcing capital, Biotechnology capital, E-Commerce capital, and Startup capital, due to a definitive reason. Much before Bangalore became all of these, it was the professional higher education capital of the country. The city boasts of the largest number of PhD holders in the country. Alliance University being founded by a noted entrepreneur is using this location advantage to a strategic advantage.

Alliance students are also placed by some of the best e-com/startup companies, and the university has an incubation centre that also caters to public talent.

managers and professionals need to have the necessary skill set in the event of any existing skill gap. Number of such hiring might go down, but the quality of hiring will go up. Our students have to realize that they have to match in global competitiveness. The problem of ageing population can only be dealt with by embracing the skill sets brought in by the younger population. The average age of the U.S citizen is in the 40s, whereas in India it is in the 20s.

While every private university claims to have superior infrastructure, can you walk us through some of the exceptional features that you believe gives Alliance University the edge?

See, the first thing anybody notices when they visit our campus is our beautiful infrastructure. This has been around for almost 10 years now. So if we can think of the future and build a campus that is considered to be modern even after 10 years, it tells us about the foresight that we have with regards to infrastructural facilities. I also want to add that great universities aren’t known mainly for their infrastructure but for the

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tech-led evolution in teaching that has occurred over the recent years. Take the case of Harvard University, which is almost 400 years old, and doesn’t need to boast about its infrastructure. What they have basically done in the newer side of Harvard, and similarly in IIMAhmedabad, is that they have made revolutionary technological changes in their classrooms. One is the beautiful buildings that we see from the outside, the other part is the adaptability to technology within the classroom. What we’ve done at Alliance University, for example, is that we have got the newer construction in the campus to be more adaptable to technology-enabled classrooms. We have adopted this model in our classrooms, labs, and other learning centres, inspired by what we have seen at various universities around the world.

Apart from classrooms, what all are your thrust areas in infrastructure and facilities?

We want to have an additional library with exclusive digital interface. We already have a very large, centralized

FUTURISTIC FACILITIES The best universities across the world including Harvard are not building new brick-and-mortar infrastructure, but tech-enabled facilities that take classroom learning to the next level.

This approach has also been implemented by some Indian institutions like IIM Ahmedabad.

Alliance has followed suit, and has recently upgraded it’s tech-enabled classrooms to be at par with such best institutions in USA and India. Also, despite having one of the largest university libraries in this part of the world, Alliance is currently building one of the largest digital libraries in India that will give next-generation access to journals, MOOC etc.

library. But what want now is the ability to have a seamless integration with technology and the know-how to connect with the rest of the world using this technology. Cost-effectiveness is also a huge factor driving this change.

It is also important to keep in mind infrastructure in the context of quality campus life for students. Residential and extra-curricular facilities also play a role in making them believe they are part of a system that enhances their quality of all-round learning. This is easily noticeable in Harvard and Stanford where there is a sense of university community and I wish to make our students get that community feeling of being in a ‘home away from home’.

Co-curricular programmes is another area where you have been giving huge thrust. Can you outline Alliance University’s initiatives with regard to this domain?

Any conventional curriculum revolves around 3 sub-components. In the curriculum, you have foundation, core and elective courses. This is true for any discipline. But pedagogy at Alliance is

much more than curriculum. We have curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular activities which in totality will provide holistic learning experience to our graduates. For instance, in the law programme, we have got moot court competitions. This is a co-curricular activity. We have academic clubs that are co-curricular in nature which cater to enhancing knowledge in a certain domain and to prepare them for competitions in the managerial, finance, marketing fields. These have a technical interface with theory and practice – with

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INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK Right from its inception ten years back as a Business School, Alliance University had the requirements of the global job market in its radar. Under Dr. Angur’s leadership, Alliance has successfully attracted renowned faculty trained in US & Europe, and also has an Advisory Council comprised of global heavyweights in academics and industry from North America, EU, Singapore etc. It has also made most of its academic programs for international requirements, and this is paying rich dividends now. For a few years now, international recruiters have been placing Alliance students in global markets.

what I call the rigor and relevance part.

That interface is what is done through co-curricular activities. For instance, we ensure interactions between our students and industry, we enable industry visits for our graduates so they can understand the application of theory. Our law students are working under accomplished lawyers, and our business students get to work with CEOs and senior executives of companies.

How well one integrates curricular with co-curricular, theory with practice or the rigor and relevance will ultimately define the final products of the institution, that is our graduates. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to bridge this relevance gap. Extracurricular activities like sports, drama etc are also encouraged with equal vigour which will help them enhance their personality.

You have been very bullish about introducing more humanities into professional courses. How far has this effort been carried out?

For the new academic year, we have introduced some very significant

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humanities-based courses in all our programmes. The purpose of doing this is precisely to impart holistic education. Our students should not only excel in their respective professional fields but also have to develop into better human beings.

They have to understand that their actions impact not only the company, but the people or community around them. We are taking this aspect very seriously and we have done it much more effectively in this academic year.

When it comes to 2017 admission too, the rival groups that control universities for a few months have been making claims. With the original website under their control, don’t you think there is a credibility problem among prospective students?

I don’t even call them as rival group, because whatever they’ve done has only been destructive. Alliance University is much bigger and stronger and has a reputation of its own. So, that group is becoming smaller and smaller and very disenchanted with what they

CURRICULUM BEYOND CONVENTION In many universities across India, curriculum is all about academic rigor alone. While earlier this approach of focusing on the fundamentals, core, & electives, was enough to get a job, today’s demanding careers call for much more. Alliance University had already rose to this emerging challenge years back, and had innovated on cocurricular and extra-curricular activities in a high-impact way. The university has been overflowing with co-curricular events like seminars and conferences, which are conducted in close interaction with industries, and this has ensured that Alliance looks after not only academic rigor but industrial relevance of its graduates.

are doing. A lot of people in the university environment understand their underlying motive to spread negativity.

But when you have gained control of the central campus, how is it possible for this group to make such claims?

We have taken appropriate legal remedies to make sure that they don’t operate from anywhere. And we are confident that the law will take its course. It should be resolved shortly. I have complete faith in our legal system and I’m sure the verdict will ensure that

they never dare to pursue such illegal activities ever again. Right now, we are focusing on ensuring that the legality is totally addressed.

How far has your scholarship and financial aid programmes been successful? Has the university been able to attract meritorious students on scholarship and aid schemes?

You know, I have always believed that in any university system particularly in India, we have to have the ability to attract the best possible talent. When we do that, the talent may not necessarily be in a position to pay the full tuition fee. So, we go out of our way to ensure that we are in a position to attract the best talent and give scholarships to the deserving ones. We have been successful at that. I have also gone to the extent of announcing this to a larger audience as the details of the scheme should reach the beneficiaries.

The focus isn’t on increasing the number of scholarships but to identify the most meritorious students and help them in whatever way we can. This point has been conveyed to the

admissions team and concerned officers so that it is properly communicated to the beneficiaries. For instance, meritorious students also get a free waiver, meaning they don’t have to pay any tuition. There was a cap set for this, but now we are increasing this as much as possible. We also try to identify highly accomplished students in various other fields – national-level players in various sports etc – who also receive significant aid.

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Holistic Grooming Over the first 10 years of its existence, Alliance University’s focus was on the professional success of its students. But success on this front has equipped the university to focus on more holistic development of its students. It status as a primarily professional university has been a challenge in this regard.

But under Dr. Angur’s guidance, Alliance is now ensuring more holistic development by including more humanities courses into its professional programs, whether it is engineering, business, law, or other programs. This is ensuring that Alliance graduates are not only benefitting their companies, but their communities due to ethical behavior.

Has Alliance University entered into any new tie-up with a foreign university for the purpose of student and faculty exchange?

At this point, we already have nearly 45-50 collaborations worldwide. I am not really looking at increasing that number as the focus is on attending to the existing relationships we have with some of the leading universities in the world. We want to manage relations well and build on our shared values.

Numbers don’t really have much

meaning. Ultimately, there should be better relationships, shared understanding, benefits to our students etc. So, the quality of collaborations matter to us more.

Bangalore being the start-up and ecommerce capital of India, what are the initiatives for tapping into this massive potential for your students?

We have been having an incubation centre for almost 9 years now.

However, what we have done is that we are introducing different ways by which our services can be utilized more fully, not only by our own students but also the general public. I am bringing in some extra talent into that, different ways for startup companies to become members of the incubation centre, providing them with the required skill sets.

Which is the next major initiative being planned by

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Alliance University?

India’s education system continues to face problems pertaining to the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which despite steadily increasing, is still far below the world average. This ratio is only about 20% in India, that is only 1/5th of those in the age group of between 18-24 are in college. The rest of the 80% who aren’t enrolled in any college, also need to improve their skill set if they are to get proper jobs.. There is a Centre for Skill Development that we have created at Alliance University, which has been named after my parents – Girija Angur & Gundappa Angur National Centre for Skill Development is the name of the institute. We have essentially invested in it – me and my wife – and designed courses in conjunction with the National Skill Development Centre. We are trying to cater to the youth that isn’t part of the higher education system, but can develop specific skills relevant to the job market. This centre has just been launched and we hope to build on this part. This tells you that as a university and institution of higher learning we are not only focused on ensuring our

Scholarships that Beckon If you have high scores in your plustwo, graduation, or post-graduation, Alliance is calling you. Top scorers get even full tuition fee waivers, while high scorers get partial waivers and deferred fee payments. What is more, Alliance is also offering scholarships to top national-level performers in nonacademic fields like sports, arts etc, which is something most private universities are not offering in the country. Alliance draws its scholarship programs from best international practices in the West, where fine students flock to the best institutions based on the superior financial aid provided.

students are employable but that section of society that would have otherwise been deprived of higher education. The centre has been housed near the campus itself and the infrastructure will be solely dedicated to the workings of the Centre. We are also in touch with major industrial houses for funding.

Universities like MIT and Harvard have been making their course available freely over the web. Does Alliance University use such resources or encourage its students to rely on

premium content?

Yes, we believe this is a part of the future of education. Institutions of higher learning worldwide have embarked on this Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) approach for over 10 years now. Many Indian universities are also doing this in one way or the other.

Alliance University isn’t far behind and here we encourage students to add to the plethora of courses taught in campus. These are either free courses or ones with minimal financial investment. We have also been offering such courses and will be more engaged in this aspect in the near future.

committed to the creation of knowledge by making our research much more useful to the society at large. That part of it is the core proposition of who we are and what we stand for. What we want to communicate more is how well we can do it and how soon we can do it. This will be the central focus of the workings of Alliance University. I have great pride to be a part of this university and to contribute in my own way to the larger community, both in India as well as abroad.

What are some of the other aspects you wish to address in the coming years?

Alliance University, in a short span of around 10 years, has developed into one of the leading universities for higher education. We look at what the future holds and strive every day to make a mark in higher education in India. We are also

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HEALTH

GENETIC TESTING DURING PREGNANCY CAN EMPOWER PARENTS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO PRENATAL TESTING, INFORMATION IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING. KNOWING AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT A CONDITION CAN ALLOW PARENTS TO SET UP A SUPPORT NETWORK OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND CONNECT WITH OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE A CHILD WITH A SIMILAR DIAGNOSIS

e are a society obsessed with information. We’re constantly connected, click-click-clicking to access a steady stream of news, data, and social-media updates. Curiosity is a powerful motivator, but there’s one area in which our thirst for knowledge has been inconsistent: genetic testing.

DNA tests have become du jour in the past decade. Technological advances and access to genomic testing translates into the ability to see what’s beneath the hood of our chromosomal cars.

We’ve become obsessed with ancestry tests like 23andMe and finding out our babies’ sexes before they’re born, but we often shy away when it comes to more serious curiosities. Even though you can now easily find out if you carry the genetic mutations or changes for recessive diseases like spinal muscular atrophy, we often don’t test for these genetic glitches because we “just don’t want to know.” But it’s important that we find out.

There’s no doubt that genetics is complicated, and maybe it’s that lack of certainty that deters some people from diving into their DNA. Genetic disease can be confusing, with some mutations definitely resulting in disease and others leading only to increased risk. Some genetic diseases require that

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both parents have a mutation in order to stand a chance of having an affected child; others can be triggered by just one parent possessing a mutation. It’s a bit of a crapshoot.

With so many diseases and conditions transmitted in different ways and identifiable at different stages of pregnancy, it’s no wonder that some women choose to forego prenatal testing at all; adopting a head-in-thesand approach can be easier to cope with than grappling with the uncertainties raised by a DNA test.

But when it comes to prenatal testing, information is always a good thing.

Knowing ahead of time about a condition can allow parents to set up a support network of family and friends and connect with other parents who have a child with a similar diagnosis.

They can learn more about the condition with which their fetus has been diagnosed, seek out medical specialists ahead of time, and choose to deliver at a hospital that has the PREGNANCY IS NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE; THINGS CAN AND DO GO AWRY. WORLDWIDE, AN ASTOUNDING 8 MILLION BABIES— 6% OF BIRTHS—ARE BORN WITH A BIRTH DEFECT, MANY OF WHICH CAN BE TRACED TO GENETICS.

appropriate level of care for a baby with special needs.

Being surprised by an unexpected diagnosis on the day of delivery turns what should have been a joyous day into a day marked by confusion and fear.

Pregnancy is not a perfect science; things can and do go awry. Worldwide, an astounding 8 million babies—6% of births—are born with a birth defect, many of which can be traced to genetics.

But even when the baby you give birth to may not be the “perfect” baby you expected, arming yourself with information ahead of time can make a big difference in how you process the experience of having a child with special needs. In 1987, Sesame Street writer Emily Perl Kingsley wrote about reconciling reality with expectations after the birth of her son, Jason, who was born

in 1974 with Down syndrome.

“When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, ‘Welcome to Holland.’

‘Holland?!?’ you say. ‘What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy!

I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.’”

Some women decline genetic testing because they say that even if they receive a concerning diagnosis, they wouldn’t alter the course of their pregnancy anyway.

But that’s rarely the case. As one genetic counselor told me, she’s never had a couple do absolutely nothing

SOME WOMEN DECLINE GENETIC TESTING BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT EVEN IF THEY RECEIVE A CONCERNING DIAGNOSIS, THEY WOULDN’T ALTER THE COURSE OF THEIR PREGNANCY ANYWAY. upon learning that their fetus has a health issue. “When people say they wouldn’t do anything differently,” she said, “that’s simply not true.” Do anything differently is often code for abortion, yet ending a pregnancy is just one option upon receiving concerning genetic-test results.

Many parents decide to continue an affected pregnancy. Other women turn down the offer of genetic testing either because they’re overwhelmed by its complexity or because they mistakenly think they’re in the clear because they have no family history of genetic conditions. But family history, while useful, is a poor predictor of potential problems.

Consider autosomal recessive diseases such as cystic fibrosis, which affects one in 2,500 white babies. (It’s less common in African American and Asian populations). If both parents carry the same genetic mutation, their children have only a 25% chance of developing the disease. Compare this with autosomal dominant mutations such as BRCA, often called “the breast cancer gene.” If either parent has a BRCA mutation, there’s a 50% chance of passing that same genetic change to a child. Then there are conditions such as Down syndrome, which aren’t typically inherited and instead occur randomly around the time of conception.

Just because no one in your family suffers from a recessive disease doesn’t mean you’re not a carrier of it. Think back to those autosomal recessive diseases such as cystic fibrosis that occur only if both parents carry a mutation. Each pregnancy conceived by these “carrier couples” only has a 25% chance of developing the disease—that means there’s a 75% chance that any child will be diseasefree. A mutation for one of these diseases could be unknowingly passed down for generations before two partners with the same mutation find one another and make a baby that has the unfortunate luck to inherit both problematic mutations.

We are no longer living in an era in which women have no choice but to remain in the dark about the health of their unborn children. All parents stand to benefit from knowing about potential problems ahead of time, which allows them to be proactive and take charge.

Genetic testing before and during pregnancy can empower parents to make the decisions that are right for them, whether the itinerary of parenting leads them to Italy, Holland, or somewhere in between.

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HEALTH

SALARY GAP OF INDIAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BANK CEOS WILL LEAVE YOU SHOCKED! It was always known that private sector bank CEOs in India take home a sizeable salary compared to their public sector counterparts. However, even with the range of benefits accrued to them, the salary earned by public sector lenders is far more disproportionate than once believed. ndia’s government-led public sector bankers are a poorly paid lot, at least compared to their private sector counterparts.

Take for instance Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson of State Bank of India, the country’s largest publicsector lender, which is among the world’s top 50 banks. The company commands a market share of 23% in deposits and 21% in advances, higher than any other bank in India. Yet, in 2016-17, Bhattacharya took home a salary of Rs28.96 lakh, a little less than 5% of the amount paid to ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, who helms India’s largest private-sector bank.

Kochhar earned a total compensation of Rs6.09 crore in the same period.

The disparity becomes even more glaring when Bhattacharya’s pay is

Arundhati Bhattacharya

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stacked against the salary of Aditya Puri, managing director of HDFC Bank. Puri, India’s highest-paid banker, bagged a princely sum of Rs10.05 crore in 201617. And SBI is not an isolated case. Even at Punjab National Bank (PNB), another large public-sector bank (PSB), former CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian earned a salary of just Rs 30.45 lakh.

Other honchos like Yes Bank’s Rana Kapoor receives a remuneration of Rs. 6.87 crore, compared to Bank of Baroda’s P S Jayakumar and Dena Bank’s Ashwani Kumar who pocket just Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 27 lakh respectively.

RAJAN HAD ADVOCATED FOR THE NEED TO INTRODUCE OTHER BENEFITS, SUCH AS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS (ESOPS), TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL COMPENSATION STRUCTURE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

Chanda Kochhar

While top bankers at PSBs are entitled to a number of allowances and perks, experts say these hardly minimise the salary disparity.

“As compared to private banks, the CEOs of PSBs enjoy multiple benefits– (a) car, driver, house at a prime location, reduced rate of interest for loans etc. As you move up the ladder, the benefit magnifies,” Ajay Shah, head of recruitment services at Teamlease, a human resources service company, said.

“But even after taking the fringe benefits into account, the income gap is still disproportionate.”

Even former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan once said, jokingly, that he felt underpaid. Before he stepped down from his position last year, he drew a monthly salary of just Rs2.09 lakh and had highlighted the fact that the relatively lower earnings made it hard for India’s state-owned banks to attract talent.

“One of the problems, of course, is that as with all public sector entities, you overpay at the bottom and underpay at the top…” he had said. “Yes, you feel that you are doing the job for the broader public but you just make it harder to attract top talent.”

Rajan had advocated for the need to introduce other benefits, such as employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), to improve the overall compensation structure in the public sector. The Banks Board Bureau, a committee set up by the Indian government, has also recommended introducing ESOPs and performancelinked incentives to improve the governance of PSBs. In the private sector, top employees rely heavily on stock options to boost their earnings.

HDFC’s Puri, for instance, liquidated ESOPs worth Rs57 crore in the last fiscal year. For comparison, it would take SBI’s Bhattacharya close to 200 years to accumulate this sum at her current salary.

India’s PSBs are in the midst of a bad loan crisis, and the shortage of quality talent is compounding their woes. But with such low salaries, it’s no surprise that employees are more interested in the private sector instead.

WHEN THE SIXER KING PLAYED A PRANK ON THE MASTER BLASTER! YUVRAJ SINGH MADE A SURPRISING REVELATION ABOUT A PRANK ONCE PLAYED ON HIM BY NONE OTHER THAN INDIAN BATTING LEGEND SACHIN TENDULKAR HIMSELF! BUT, WE KNOW YUVI ISN'T THE KIND WHO WOULDN'T LET THINGS PASS ON. ack when he was a newbie on the team, cricketer Yuvraj Singh hadn’t seen much of the world, nor tasted a range of global cuisines. His idol Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, was a veteran in these off-field matters too. And so it was that one day, Yuvi, Sachin and a handful of their teammates landed up at a Japanese eatery for lunch. “I had never been to a Japanese restaurant before,” Yuvi recalls. “Realising this, Sachin said, ‘Yeh wasabi badi tasty hai,’ so I took a huge bite. For two whole minutes I couldn’t breathe. I felt like a train was roaring through my head and all the steam was coming out of my nose! That was a bad experience!”

Those who know the pungent taste of Japanese horseradish will feel empathy for Yuvraj, but don’t feel too bad because Yuvi has had his ‘revenge’!

“Sachin was the biggest prankster on the team,” Yuvi tells me, “so pulling a prank on him wasn’t easy.” It took months for Yuvraj to achieve a fitting rejoinder, but the batsman feels the wait was worth it. “We were in New Zealand and we were eating around a Jacuzzi. I told Sachin, ‘On the other side, there’s a dish with ham in it that is very tasty.’ He likes ham, so off he went to get some. The moment he stepped closer to the Jacuzzi, I pushed him in with all his clothes on! He fell in and tried to pull me along, but I ran away. That was fun,” Yuvraj recalls. Good thing Sachin wasn’t a wet blanket about it!

CHINA FLEXES INTERNATIONAL MUSCLE,

TO SET UP FIRST OVERSEAS BASE hips carrying Chinese military personnel departed Zhanjiang in southern China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday to set up a support base in Djibouti.

Shen Jinlong, commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, read an order on constructing the base in Djibouti, and conferred military flag on the fleets.

The establishment of the PLA Djibouti base was a decision made by the two countries after friendly negotiations, and accords with the common interest of the people from both sides, according to the PLA navy.

The base will ensure China's performance of missions, such as escorting, peace-keeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and west Asia.

The base will also be conducive to overseas tasks including military cooperation, joint exercises, evacuating and protecting overseas Chinese and emergency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways.

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HEALTH

IT PAYS TO SLEEP: INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM THE ONLINE MATTRESS-MAKER CASPER SPECIALIZES IN SELLING CUSTOMERS A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP. BUT CASPER EMPLOYEES CAN ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR GETTING SOME MUCH NEEDED WORKOUT AND SLEEP!

long with a growing number of companies, Casper is looking for ways to incentivize employees to exercise and get enough rest. But rather than offering a traditional gym discount, Casper gives employees cash rewards for working out—wherever, and however, they please. The goal is to promote healthy habits among employees, and drive down healthinsurance costs in the bargain. But the program also raises an important question: How much information should employers have about what workers do when they’re off the clock?

Casper co-founder Neil Parikh explains that employees track their exercise and sleep via IncentFit, a fitness-reward app

designed for company use. They use the app to “check in” at their desired gym or fitness facility. (Location-based algorithms ensure that you really are at SoulCycle, not on your couch.) IncentFit also rewards running, walking, or biking milage tracked via fitness apps or devices like Fitbit.

Payment is distributed monthly: $20 per fitness facility/class visit, $0.20 per mile walked, $4 per mile ran, $2 per mile biked, and $50 per race completed. The startup has also extended the benefit to rest, encouraging employees to track nightly sleep via IncentFit for $2 per night.

Through IncentFit, Casper employees can earn a monthly maximum of $130 for exercise and $60 for sleep—a $190 cap set by Casper’s leadership. As context, in New York City, this is enough to fully reimburse an all-access pass at gyms like Crunch ($120 per month) and Planet Fitness ($20 per month), four SoulCycle classes, or six Pure Barre classes. And, if you sweat it out enough, you could make a serious dent in upper-crust gym Equinox’s $240 all-access monthly fee.

“When a startup comes to us and says, ‘Hey, we have a cool product to help your employees’ health,’ we’re almost always the first in the industry to pilot,” says Parikh, who adopted Incentfit shortly before Casper launched in 2014.

Today, more than half of the company takes advantage of the fitness and sleep rewards, and in the past month, 69% of employees registered with Incentfit earned money.

Casper is not alone in offering such

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benefits. A handful of health insurance companies now offer financial discounts for hitting exercise goals, which they usually market to employers (not individual customers), incentivizing them to encourage their team to wear Fitbits or Jawbones. At Clif Bar & Company, employees are encouraged to workout for 30 minutes a day on the company’s dime. If they skip the 30minute break and put in nine-hour days for nine work days in a row, they can instead take a full paid tenth day off— which they’re encouraged to spend actively. Hootsuite, the social media managing platform, also suggests employees block out some paid work time for exercising at their in-office gym and yoga studio. And a 2013 study in the journal Translational Behavior Medicine found that when given the choice between paying 20% more for health insurance or exercising more, the majority of people picked fitness.

The Incentfit program is “about motivating people to be healthier,” says Parikh. “We’re always trying to find ways to quantify and motivate people to take positive social behaviors. We can provide a gym membership, but so often it just sits on the shelf. Financial rewards actually motivate behavior.”

While studies have yet to determine whether fitness trackers change inactive people’s long-term habits, research does show that trackers provide people with accountability and motivation. But critics warn there are risks to allowing companies to monitor their employees’ activities.

“Helping people become more selfaware about fitness and wellness habits is very brand consistent for Casper, given their focus on sleep, and very much tethered to how the modern employer thinks holistically about healthy employees,” says Liane Davey, an organizational psychologist and author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done. “But as an employee, I’d be very nervous about this benefit, particularly who has access to sensitive exercise and sleep data.”

It’s impossible to prevent implicit bias

from slipping into our decision making, Davey says. So if an employer’s bias is that people who work out are more driven, more responsible, or healthier, the company may start to think that regular gym-goers are more suitable for management or have better stamina. If an employee is exercising a lot and sleeping little, implicit bias may lead an employer to view the worker as obsessive, less focused on work, or— especially at a sleep-focused company— harming their own productivity.

If the same HR person or manager with access to your exercise and sleep intensity is also evaluating your merit and eligibility for a promotion, such implicit biases will almost certainly be at play, says Davey. This ought to worry both employees and leaders who care about equality. At Casper, management does not have access to individual employees’ exercise and sleep data— only employees can see their own records. However, management can see how much each employee is paid through the Incentfit program monthly, which is indicative how much each employee hit the gym.

Even if employers aren’t monitoring workers’ data, there are other downsides

to such programs. At Casper, Parikh says that the exercise benefit has inspired many employees to work out together— a great way to build camaraderie. But for those who physically cannot exercise, don’t want to exercise, or simply aren’t at the fitness level of their peers, this phenomenon is a breeding ground for bias, says Davey. If you keep passing on yoga after work, your peers may start to think of you as lazy, unhealthy, unfriendly, or unmotivated.

Parikh, however, emphasizes that the program is entirely optional. “We don’t force anyone to participate,” he says, “it’s about individual empowerment, and that has to come from within.”

In the long run, the benefit will likely incentivize those who already work out

Wto determine hile studies have yet whether

fitness trackers change inactive people’s long-term habits, research does show that trackers provide people with accountability and motivation.

frequently and have little impact on the behavior of those who don’t, according to Davey. That means it’s better for a company’s brand than for lowering health-insurance costs or increasing productivity.

She suggests that companies would do better to think holistically about their employees’ health—and to avoid tracking it. The best option is to pull healthy activities into the office, during the work day. Activities like meditation, group walks, or stress-management during lunch, coupled with leaders encouraging employees to take a break and participate, are far more likely to spark positive peer pressure and engage those who opt out of post-work wellness, she says.

Plus, getting active during the work day speaks volumes about management’s belief that a healthy mind and body is just as (if not more) important as your 5 pm deadline.

“You’re never going to have perfect exercise or wellness policy,” says Davey, “and Casper deserves praise for encouraging values and behaviors they believe in.” But it’s worth sweating over the details of even the most alluring benefits.

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HEALTH

How To Develop A Successful Morning Routine Dr Travis Bradberry, best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, is an early riser. But what really is the secret of his and countless other people’s success? Here he takes us through his daily time table and why it’s essential to start early to be well ahead of the curve. tarbucks continues to grow relentlessly, with CEO Howard Schultz planning to open 500 new stores a year over the next five years.

Much of this growth will happen in China, where Schulz is undeterred by the recent economic slowdown.

starts every morning at 4:30 a.m. He rises early to make time for his employees, his family, and himself. He starts his morning by sending motivational e-mails to his employees, and then he exercises by taking his dogs for a walk, before disconnecting from technology to eat breakfast and drink French Press coffee with his wife.

While many factors contribute to Starbucks’ immunity to economic trends, most are driven by Schultz.

Starbucks’ massive size hasn’t stopped him from realizing his vision of creating a company that’s about much more than making money selling coffee; Schultz is committed to selling an experience and a lifestyle, both of which are inspired by a trip to Italy as a child, where he was drawn to the cafe scene.

Few of us have hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in our values, but we can all develop the same discipline that Schultz demonstrates each morning— and it isn’t just a morning thing; it pays dividends all day long. Research shows that early risers are more proactive than night owls, they’re more agreeable and conscientious, and they’re happier than people who sleep in.

Schultz is fiercely loyal to his values.

When asked how he balances his values with strategic thinking, he said, "Unfortunately, we live in a sea of mediocrity in all walks of life. We live amid a fracturing of civility. Everywhere we go as consumers, we’re getting people who don’t want to reach into our hearts or know who we are; they want to reach into our wallets and get some money. The only way we can succeed and sustain growth is linked to the basic elements of one cup of coffee, one customer, and one barista at a time."

Schultz views company strategy and his personal values as one and the same.

To this end, he has put massive amounts of money into healthcare for Starbucks’ employees (even those who are part time), into free college education for all employees, and into campaigning for human rights.

Schultz's loyalty to his personal values

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There are many ways to utilize the early morning hours effectively, but some of the best ideas come from ultra-successful

people like Schultz. Here are eight of my favorites.

Drink lemon water Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up spikes your energy levels physically and mentally. By improving nutrient absorption in your stomach, it gives you a steady, natural energy buzz that lasts the length of the day. You need to drink it first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) to ensure full absorption. You should also wait 15– 30 minutes after drinking it before eating (perfect time to squeeze in some exercise). Lemons are chock full of nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, drink the juice of half a lemon (a full lemon if you’re over 150

pounds). Don’t drink the juice without water because it’s hard on your teeth.

Exercise It’s not just Schultz who exercises early in the morning; Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Disney’s Bob Iger all wake up well before 6:00 a.m. to get their bodies moving. While their ungodly wake-up hours and exercise routines may seem crazy, research supports the extra effort. A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically.

A second study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol found that people who exercised daily had more energy and a more positive outlook, which are both critical for getting things done. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses.

Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you’ll have the time for it, and it improves your self-control and

energy levels over the course of the entire day.

Disconnect While Schultz starts his day with a motivational e-mail to his employees, after this, he disconnects and dedicates his time to exercise and family. When you wake up and dive straight into emails, texts, and Facebook, you are far more likely to lose focus, and your morning succumbs to the wants and needs of other people. It’s much healthier to take those precious first moments of the day to do something relaxing, which sets a calm, positive tone for your day.

Eat a healthy breakfast Eating anything at all for breakfast puts you ahead of a lot of people. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be obese, they have more stable blood-sugar levels, and they tend to be less hungry over the course of the day. And these are just the statistics for people who eat any breakfast. When you eat a healthy breakfast, the doors to a productive day swing wide open. A healthy breakfast gives you energy, improves your shortterm memory, and helps you to concentrate more intensely and for longer periods.

Practice mindfulness Mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular among highly successful CEOs. Its growth in the business world is largely due to the huge dividends it pays in productivity and overall well-being. Research shows that mindfulness fights off stress by reversing the fight-or-flight response, improves your ability to focus, boosts creativity, and increases your emotional intelligence.

Set goals for the day Benjamin Franklin was obsessive about planning his days. Each morning, he would wake up at 4:00 a.m. and meticulously piece together a schedule.

There’s a clear message to take from Franklin’s habit: prudent goal setting pays dividends. When you plan out your day as carefully as possible, your chances of successfully accomplishing your goals skyrocket. I like to set my daily goals after my mindfulness practice, because the added calm and clarity help me to set effective, specific goals.

Make certain your goals are realistic There’s no point in setting goals if they aren’t realistic. Take the time to ensure that your schedule for the day is doable by assigning times to your to-do list. A good rule of thumb is to make your day as top heavy as possible. Think about the things that have the ability to advance your career, no matter how daunting the tasks, and schedule them first. When you complete difficult tasks first, you carry positive energy and a feeling of accomplishment into the rest of your day.

Vague goals such as “I want to finish writing my article” are counterproductive, because they fail to include the “how” of things. The same goal rephrased in a more functional way would read something like this: “I am going to finish my article by writing each of the three sections, spending no more than an hour on each section.” Now, you have more than simply something you want to achieve—you have a way to achieve it.

Finally, say no No is a powerful word, which will protect your precious mornings. When it’s time to say no, avoid phrases such as “I don’t think I can” or “I’m not certain.” Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments, and your morning time is an important commitment. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco showed that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression.

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HEALTH phone's manufacturing.

Jio Planning a Rs.500 4G Phone?

Reliance Jio is set to make some big announcements at its annual general meeting (AGM) on July 21 in Mumbai. Though the company has not specified anything in particular, its executives talk of some big announcements that are going to have the monumental effects on the phone industry in India. Among the announcements, the most important one is expected to be the launch of a cheap 4G feature phone, which is rumoured to be priced as low as Rs 500.

Though even if the price is not this cheap, there is every indication that the Jio Feature phone will be the cheapest 4G in the market by all accounts. Along with the Jio 4G feature phone, the company is also expected to announce some new "value-for-money" tariff plans for Jio users.

The idea within Jio is that even though Jio has acquired over 100 million subscribers, it ought to now look at the next wave of growth. And that growth, the company believes, is going to come from people who currently use feature phones with 2G. The company hopes to offer these people a way to upgrade their experience to 4G and it hopes to do so by enticing them with a 4G phone that is affordable compared to the ones

that are already available in the market.

There have been rumours in the past also that the Mukesh-Ambani led company could soon launch a 4G VoLTE supporting feature phone. According to an ET report that cites the HSBC report, the phone could cost Rs 500 and there are also speculations that the company is in talks with Chinese handset makers like the Techchain and Uniscope for the

The cheap Jio phone can also help the company take on Airtel and others, which have seen faster growth than Jio in the last few months.

According to a note from Rajiv Sharma, HSBC director, the new Jio device could be priced "at a paltry Rs 500 to lure 2G subscribers to directly switch to 4G. (this means) Jio (is) subsidising each handset by as much as Rs 650-975)."

A Rs 500 feature phone with VoLTE support when launched could potential change the entire telecom industry in India. There are many users who do not have the access to 4G network and are on 2G/3G connections which have a poor coverage. Jio has over 100 million subscribers in India presently. Offering 4G connections at such minimal price will help company gain more traction and increase its consumer base.

The cheap Jio phone can also help the company take on Airtel and others, which have seen faster growth than Jio in the last few months. Although Jio grew at a very rapid pace when it was free, in the last few months the pace at which it is adding subscribers has slowed down considerably. This is also probably the reason why the company on Tuesday overhauled all its existing plans for both post-paid and prepaid users. It has extended the validity for all recharges above Rs 309. It is now offering more data and longer validity at same prices.

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HEALTH

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, GOOD THOUGHTS

DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF DISABILITY IN THE WORLD WITH THE MAJOR CHUNK OF SUFFERERS FALLING UNDER THE AGE OF 25 YEARS. ADOLESCENCE IS A PHASE MARKED BY UTTER CHAOS, NOT ONLY IS THE TEENAGER BATTLING WITH PHYSICAL AND HORMONAL CHANGES BUT PSYCHOLOGICAL ONES TOO. A RECENT STUDY CONDUCTED

BY THE EXPERTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE NOTES THE FACT THE GIRLS AND BOYS REACT DIFFERENTLY UNDER DEPRESSION.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry and noted girls to be twice as likely to suffer from depression at the age of 15 as compared to boys. It was also found that while boys are more prone to experiencing long-term depression, their female counterparts may experience it in bouts.

Also, men are more likely to face severe consequences of depression as compared to women. The findings led to examining how certain regions in the brain react differently in men and women under stressful situation or depressive spells. Experts therefore called for more sex-specific treatment and preventive measures during early adolescence.

While your diet can play a major role in making you feel better, experts note that certain food items may also go a long way in reducing or checking inflammation in the brain that can cause mood swings or depression. Your gut health is also closely related to how you feel. 'Leaky gut' or persistent indigestion or stomach discomfort may also send signals to the brain that may make you more susceptible to stress. We list down few ingredients that are easily available and may help you mitigate stress and stave off depression.

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Fluids There is nothing like 'fluid therapy', starting from H2O to your regular lemonade, coconut water or spiced buttermilk - ensure that you go natural and not bank on packaged, sugar-laden, fizzy drinks.

Berries and green veggies The more colour you add to your diet, the better it is for your physical and mental health. Berries can be had anytime of the day. These come packed with essential micronutrients, and antioxidants that help in reducing the oxidative stress on your brain. "Berries and fruits like cherries and grapes along with dark green vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, these can really help uplift and maintain your mental health," noted Dr. Simran Saini, Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi.

Carotene rich foods Basically, all orange-yellow coloured foods are loaded with carotene and are excellent for tackling depression and other mental ailments.

By Debjani Arora

A VIRAL TWEET PUTS MENTAL HEALTH IN CAREERS IN GLOBAL LIMELIGHT

Woman’s tweet on mental health goes viral, in India we are far from tackling the situation with such ease.

Will employers in India be more reciprocative towards employees who suffer from mental health problem?

Yesterday when I was at the hospital, I saw that my social media timeline was abuzz with the news of a woman’s tweet about her boss’s positive response to her leave application, urging for a leave to take care of her mental health. This old tweet (tweeted in June) suddenly garnered attention and was retweeted some 12,000 times. I was wondering why so much fuss over an old tweet and then I realised that the retweets are proof enough that people have finally started appreciating an open dialogue, communication about mental health.

Here are eight modern day signs of depression everyone should know.

The tweet was from Madalyn Parker, a Michigan web developer at live-chat platform Olark, who suffers from depression and anxiety. Her boss thanked her later for being so open and frank about her condition. In a social setup where we are globally fighting this stigma attached to mental health, such occurrence is rare. Read to know what happens to your brain when you suffer from depression.

When the CEO responds to your out of the office email about taking sick leave for mental health and reaffirms your decision. pic.twitter.com/6BvJVCJJFq madalyn (@madalynrose) June 30, 2017 In India, we still keep mum about mental health issues as it raises eyebrows and question one’s wellbeing in the context of being productive, creative and also a stable enough to get along with life. In a bid to stop discrimination and apathy towards people suffering from mental health problems the mental healthcare Act, 2017 was brought to action.

However, this is just a small step in fighting the stigma that has clouded our thoughts and opinions about people suffering from mental health problems.

Why we don’t talk Just a few days prior to World Health day on 7th April 2017 WHO had released data which states that over 300 million people are living with

someone who is suffering from such troubles, the problem escalates and then we face the consequences. Probably this is the reason why the social media goes crazy when someone takes things positively pertaining to mental health problems; this is the reason why such tweets go viral.

depression. The number of people with depression increased more than 18 per cent from 2005 to 2015. Depression is an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, says the report. It is not surprising that we wake up to news of people committing suicide without reaching out for help.

Often people suffering from depression don’t talk, because there is a culture prevalent among us that provokes inaction more than action, about not only depression and mental health matters but also other social issues like molestation, sexual harassment and rape. However, these days we are making the right noise about mental health with campaigns, slogans and help lines for those suffering from depression.

But it is still a long way till we make a person suffering from depression capable enough to fight the stigma, come out in open and ask for help.

What we should do We need to be vigilant and reciprocative towards mental health patients. Probably the more we say, ‘It’s ok,’ ‘Let’s get help,’ ‘I understand,’ ‘I am with you in this,’ these statements can have a positive effect on people who are suffering from depression and instil a culture of help and healing. Since we stay quiet and most times don’t know how to react to

In India, where it’s difficult to procure maternity-paternity leaves or medical emergency leaves from employers, seeking leave to get mental health help is a far-fetched reality.

Many organizations don’t even have the provision for sick leaves and people have to do away with their privilege leaves during an emergency. Stress, competition and peer pressure makes most of us prone to depression and anxiety, but we hardly see any steps taken to counter this. This is the reason why many suffer in silence, leading to consequences that aren’t very heartening.

Recently there have been enough noises and changes happening to address issues related to woman’s health like extending the maternity leave from three months to six months and organisations coming out in open offering paid leave for women during their first day of periods, we are hopeful that even mental health would get its due. With such tweets making the rounds, we can be hopeful that in our country too a leave application sent to address mental health issues will be reciprocated positively by employers, even if the news goes viral or not.

Our take home lesson Rather than being apathetic, being empathetic towards people who have the courage to come out and talk in open will make a huge difference. Even if we don’t tweet it out to support a person suffering from mental health problems, a hug, a reassuring pat or even a smile can help them fight the prejudice and come out victorious while fighting their own demons.

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RESEARCHERS MOVE NEARER TO A HIV-1 VACCINE According to a new study, researchers have discovered a process protecting the body from autoimmune disease appears to prevent it from creating antibodies that can neutralize the HIV-1 virus, a finding that could possibly help lead to a vaccine that stimulates production of these antibodies. The team sought to better understand how the body’s own immune system might be getting in the way of neutralizing the HIV-1 virus. The group knew that some patients infected with HIV-1 developed what are known as ‘broadly neutralizing antibodies,’ or bnAbs, that can protect against a wide variety of HIV-1 strains by recognizing a protein on the surface of the virus called Env. But the patients only develop these antibodies after many years of infection. Because of shared features found in a number of HIV-1 bnAbs, scientists suspected the inability or delayed ability to make these type of protective antibodies against HIV was due to the immune system suppressing production of the antibodies to prevent the body from creating self-reactive antibodies that could cause autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus. At the same time, patients with lupus showed slower rates of HIV-1 infection. Scientists believe that’s because these autoimmune patients produce self-reactive antibodies that recognize and neutralize HIV-1. The process by which the body prevents the creation of antibodies that can cause autoimmune disease is known as immunological tolerance. Torres wanted to break through that tolerance and stimulate the production of antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1.

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“We wanted to see if people could make a protective response to HIV-1 without the normal restraint imposed by the immune system to prevent autoimmunity,” shared Raul M. Torres, PhD, professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The researchers first tested mice with genetic defects that caused lupus-like symptoms.

They found that many of them produced antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1 after being injected with alum, a chemical that promotes antibody secretion and is often used in vaccinations. They treated normal mice with a drug that impairs immunological

Scientists believe that’s because these autoimmune patients produce self-reactive antibodies that recognize and neutralize HIV-1.

tolerance and found that they began producing antibodies capable of neutralizing HIV1. The production of these antibodies was increased by alum injections. And if the mice were also injected with the HIV-1 protein Env, they produced potent broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of neutralizing a range of HIV-1 strains.

An every case, the production of these HIV-neutralizing antibodies correlated with the levels of a self-reactive antibody that recognizes a chromosomal protein called Histone H2A. The researchers confirmed these antibodies could neutralize HIV-1. Torres explained, “We think this may reflect an example of molecular mimicry where the virus has evolved to mimic or look like a self protein.” Read more about the factors that increase your risk for HIV Torres suggested that the difficulty in developing a vaccine against HIV-1 may be because of the ability of the virus to camouflage itself as a normal part of the body. “But breaching peripheral immunological tolerance permits the production of cross-reactive antibodies able to neutralize HIV-1,” shared Torres.

Since the research was done on animals, scientists must still determine its relevance for HIV-1 immunity in humans. “The primary consideration will be determining whether immunological tolerance can be temporarily relaxed without leading to detrimental autoimmune manifestations and as a means to possibly elicit HIV-1 bnAbs with vaccination,” he concluded.

The study was published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

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INDIA PREPARING NEW WAGE CODE The Union Cabinet is likely to give approval to the Code on Wages Bill that seeks to mandate minimum wages as a right for all employees.

According to a report in Financial Express, the code will then be open for discussions in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

This move is being viewed as one of the first steps taken by the Labour Ministry to embark on a series of labour reforms in the country. The bill which seeks to create transparency in the labour sector has been approved by an inter- ministerial panel on labour, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Here are five things the Code on Wages seeks to change: It aims at reducing disparity in minimum wages across states.

The Centre will set a minimum wage across sectors and states would have to comply with that. However, states can provide for higher minimum wage in their jurisdiction, over and above the wage fixed by the Centre.

Currently the minimum wages provision is only applicable to scheduled industries or establishments. The Code on Wages seeks to ensure universal minimum wage for all industries and workers.

It will also cover those workers who are getting monthly pay of higher than Rs 18,000. The Centre will also revise the minimum wages from time to time to ensure they are relevant to the times.

The Code on Wages will subsume the Minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Payment of Wages Act of 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976.

In fact, 44 labour laws will condensed into four codes-- wages, industrial relations, social security and safety, health and working conditions by the Labour Ministry.

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INDIA DONATES TO PHILIPPINES TO TAKE ON ISIS Joining hands in the battle against the Islamic State in the city of Marawi, India has rushed financial assistance of $500,000 (approx. Rs 3.2 crore), in the troubled Mindanao province, 800 km south of Manila, says a Times of India report.

This is the first time India is sending financial aid to another country for relief and rehabilitation from deadly terror groups.

The moves follows a conversation between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Philippines’ foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on July 6. Swaraj had expressed “sympathies and condolences for the tragic loss of life in the Marawi city”.

Jolted by an attack on Marawi on May 23, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have launched joint patrols to control the movement of militants across their archipelagic region.

The fighting has claimed the lives of at least 90 soldiers, 380 terrorists and dozens of civilians, according to reports quoting the local police chief.

Almost the entire population of about 200,000 have fled but it is understood that there are still hundreds of civilians who cannot escape.

With this financial aid, India is now the largest donor for the crisis. China, which is Philippines’ new best friend, donated 15 million pesos (approx. Rs 1.9 crore).

RESTAURANTS SHOULD REDUCE RATES: HASMUKH ADHIA RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND EATERIES SHOULD CUT RATES ON FOOD ITEMS IN THEIR MENU TO REFLECT THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO SET OFF TAX PAID ON INPUTS UNDER GST, REVENUE SECRETARY HASMUKH ADHIA SAID.

estaurants, hotels and eateries should cut rates on food items in their menu to reflect the benefit of being able to set off tax paid on inputs under GST, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said today. He also said that GST will be levied on entire sum of food bill, including service charge, in a restaurant, while the value of alcohol or alcohol products consumed will attract VAT. Previously, a service tax was levied on the bill. But the tax the hotel or restaurant operators paid on inputs could not be set off against the tax on final bill. This facility, called input tax credit (ITC), is available in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

Adhia further said that the tax department has received representation for transition provision of lease service industry. As per the GST provisions, ITC will not be available for central excise already paid on cars which are on lease.

“There are a lot of representations on this about transition for lease service industry. We are looking at the representation but we are not sure how to handle this,” Adhia said.

“Most of the restaurants should revise downward the rate charged on food items in their menu because of ITC which is now available. So ITC should be accounted for now in form of reduction in the value of supplies which they are giving,” Adhia said in GST Master Class. Under the GST regime, while nonairconditioned restaurants attract 12 per cent tax, AC restaurants and those serving liquor will attract 18 per cent.

Adhia further said that anything that is served as part of restaurant bill will be subject to GST, barring alcohol on which Value Added Tax (VAT) will be levied. “On the entire value of food bill, including service charge, on that portion also GST will apply,” he said.

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Volvo V90 Cross Country Launched @ Rs 60 lakh Volvo's latest offering, the V90 Cross Country is now available at a starting price of Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom and is available only in variant, D5 Inscription. olvo Cars have introduced the V90 Cross Country, a station wagon based on the S90 sedan in India at a price of Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom. Like the S90 and the XC90, the V90 Cross Country will also be underpinned by the company's SPA (Scalable Platform Architecture) platform. The station wagon would carry forward the Thor's Hammer LED headlamp setup with DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps) from the S90 and is also offered with vertically positioned LED tail lamps, 20inch alloy wheels, skid plates at both ends, redesigned bumpers as well as Aluminium brushed roof rails. Inside the Volvo V90 Cross Country, the most prominent change when compared to the S90 sedan is the replacement of faux wood inserts with silver. That said, the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit which also supports control for air conditioning, as well as entertainment options, has been carried forward from the S90. Steering mounted audio and phone controls are also

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offered as standard and the Volvo V90 Cross Country is offered only in one variant, D5 Inscription.

Powering the Volvo V90 Cross Country is the existing 2.0-litre D5 turbocharged diesel engine. However, for the station wagon, the engine has been retuned which now produces 235 hp of power and 480 Nm of torque. That is 45 hp of power and 80 Nm of torque more than the S90. This retuned engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

This engine and gearbox combination is also offered with an all-wheel-drive system with different driving modes, Eco, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road. In terms of practicality compared to the S90 sedan, the V90 Cross Country has a larger boot volume of 590 litres which can be expanded further to 1,526 litres by folding down the second row of seats. These seats can be folded down using switches in the boot for added convenience. For added convenience, the V90 Cross Country also has electrically adjustable front seats as well as an electrically adjustable lumbar

support. Safety features on the Volvo V90 Cross Country include multiple airbags for the occupants, Emergency Brake Assist (EBS), Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS), Hill Start Assist, Park Pilot Assist and City Safety.

Currently, there is no competition for the Volvo V90 Cross Country in India with this body style, however, the Swedish carmaker expects to attract buyers from the sedan as well as the SUV segments. For cars like the Volvo V90 Cross Country, GST or Goods and Services Tax has worked in favour as they have to pay considerably lesser tax.

The tax structure before the implementation of GST included Excise Duty, NCCD (National Calamity Contingency Duty), Infra Cess, CST (Central Sales Tax) and VAT (Value Added Tax) wherein VAT varied from one state to the other. This attracted close to 55 percent tax which is now 43 percent hence aiding in the price cuts for cars like the V90 Cross Country.

Under GST, the tax on cars is now 28 percent with additional cess of 15 percent for the cars categorised in SUVs.

Jeep Compass Gets Ready for Launch

It was recently announced that the Jeep Compass will be launched in India on July 31. This will be the brand's most affordable SUV and will be launched in three variants for now, with two engines on offer. We not only did a road test of the Jeep Compass recently, but also a full-blown comparison with it taking on the Hyundai Tucson and the Tata Hexa.

But before the launch, here are five things you need to know about the Jeep Compass: 1. The engines The Jeep Compass diesel debuts the Multijet II engine in India. It produces 173PS of power and 350Nm of torque The Jeep Compass debuts the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel Multijet II engine in India.

It produces 173PS of power at 3,750rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1,750-2,500rpm. The 1.4-litre turbopetrol Multiair engine, which will be offered on the Jeep Compass, produces 162PS of power

and 250Nm of torque.

2. Transmission and drivetrain The diesel variant of the Jeep Compass will only be offered with a 6-speed manual when it is launched in August.

The automatic will be available later in the year The diesel variant of the Jeep Compass will be sold with just a 6-speed manual transmission when it is launched, while the petrol will come with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. According to Jeep, a diesel automatic will be on offer later in the year. Both engines will come with 4x4 and 4x2 options. The 4x4 system has four modes -- Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud. Unlike the Jeep Compass's Trailhawk variant, which isn't available in India, this one doesn't get a 4x4 low setting.

3. Variants The Jeep Compass's interior looks luxurious and is well built. However, there aren't too many storage spaces

The Jeep Compass will be launched in India in three variants - the base Sport, mid-spec Latitude and the top-end Limited. While all variants will get 4x2 as standard, only the Limited trim can be optioned with 4x4. As you would expect, the amount of features and

equipment will vary between the different variants.

4. Price The Jeep Compass is especially handsome from the front profile. It looks larger than it actually is thanks to the 7slat grille and the large bumper There are plenty of stories floating around about the expected price of the Jeep Compass. We think that the ideal price for the Jeep Compass should be between Rs 16-22 lakh. Anything more and it will be fighting a tough battle with cars like the Hyundai Tucson and the Volkswagen Tiguan. And this brings us to the next topic.

5. The competition If Jeep manages to price the Compass between the Rs 16-22 lakh mark, then there's no other vehicle like it in that price range. It will sit between the comparatively less premium sevenseater Hexa and the more luxurious Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan.

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HIGHER EDUCATION PIONEER SRM UNIVERSIT IS NOW AT AMARAVATI!

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As SRM University gears itself up for a new chapter in its prolific history, there are very few of its counterparts that can match up to its steady progress. This has been best exemplified by the recent launch of its campus at Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, where SRM University is focusing on establishing a multi-stream research University having the faculties of engineering and technology to start with. The new campus has reportedly enrolled 240 students to its various engineering courses.

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From engineering to medicine and from liberal arts to management, SRM has an ambitious plan to be in the top world class universities in ten years with 20000+ students and 1500 faculty members. The campus is based in sprawling 200 acres of land and it will be globally connected whilst being regionally transformative.

Perkins and Will, American architects who have designed some of the leading universities in the world, are the architects for this new institution. Perrett Laver and Society, global search firms from UK, are involved in the recruitment of senior leadership roles and faculty.

When it comes to professional development of students, SRM

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University, Amaravati is presently setting up partnerships with world renowned universities especially from the US, the UK and Singapore.

The objective is clearly to evolve into a top ranked University with global connections offering relevant programs aimed at societal impact. The university has been one of the pioneers of research-based education and flexible curriculum thereby fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and innovations.

Perhaps what should excite prospective students the most is the tie-up with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA in the

design and development of its curriculum through the use of MITx and MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) course material with relevant local content into the courses offered. The SRM faculty will take part in annual design camps to learn techniques to blend MIT course material with relevant local content.

This will mainly be for subjects like calculus, electromagnetic theory, classical mechanics and computer programming. These courses will incorporate the concepts of hybrid learning by utilising both traditional and technologically enabled teaching methods. Students would relish the absolute scholastic advantages being a SRMite.

“SRM is embracing a new method of learning, not before seen in India.

We will emphasise practical and application oriented learning via projects and lab courses rather than monologues that are the typical feature of our classrooms. We would like to create a world class environment for our students here at SRM University and we want to help them create tomorrow,” said P. Sathyanarayanan, president of SRM University.

The university has also signed a MoU with EFREI, one of France’s leading specialized engineering institution, for student and faculty exchange. It is also establishing centres of excellence (CoE) in renewable energy (solar and wind), space technology, Internet of Things (IoTs) and CRISPR. The Centre for Blue Economy, being established at the Amaravati campus, is a one-of-

its-kind CoE in the country.

Prospective students will get an opportunity to be involved in ambitious projects such as the “Mission to Moon”, “Jal-Janak Rail (Hydrogen Powered Train)” etc.

“We live in an increasingly interconnected world that faces challenges and complex problems on a global scale. At the start of the 21st century, SRM University is uniquely prepared to tackle these challenges through its breadth of scholarship; its entrepreneurial heritage and pioneering faculty.

The era of globalization means many things to SRM: undertaking research and real-world approaches on issues relating to science and technology; exchanging ideas and collaborating with global universities; and providing overseas opportunities for undergraduates and staff alike” says Dr P. Sathyanarayanan.

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With Amaravati being refashioned along the lines of a global city with a capital infusion of Rs. 50,000 crores, there is no doubt that it will be a prime investment destination and industrial hub. This will stand to benefit SRM University students who can find ample opportunities to work as interns in nearby companies. This should ensure an easier gateway to find placements with global companies.

SRM group of institutions began its journey in 1969 with the setting up of primary school and then upgraded to the status of Matriculation Higher Secondary school in 1981. SRM swiftly expanded its wings to grab the most aspiring disciplines of collegiate education in the fields of engineering, medicine and health sciences, management, pure science, liberal arts and Law. By 2015 SRM was made up of three separate Universities: SRM University Chennai, SRM University Haryana and SRM University Sikkim. Now SRM has launched its fourth institution: SRM University, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

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