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Wipro Celebrates Five years of Wipro earthian

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Wipro earthian – India’s largest sustainability education program for schools and colleges

wipro_earthian

Bengaluru: Wipro Ltd. (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today celebrated with the winning teams, the fifth edition of Wipro earthian program. The program provides a platform for learning about sustainability within the education process in schools and colleges.

The 2015 edition of the annual Wipro earthian program received over 1,300 submissions from across India, out of which 10 schools and 10 colleges have been selected as winners by an independent expert jury.

The winning institutes were awarded a certificate each along with cash prizes. The awards were distributed by Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Ltd. as part of a special day-long event at Wipro’s Sarjapur Campus, Bengaluru. The event saw achievers from different walks of life share learnings with the students, along with a unique musical performance by the Manganiyar Classroom.

Wipro earthian is India’s largest sustainability education program for schools and colleges. It is designed to act as a catalyst for fostering excellence in sustainability thinking and action amongst youth. The fifth edition of Wipro earthian saw the inclusion of a new theme, ‘Biodiversity’. This is in addition to the already existing theme- ‘Water’.

The first segment of the program was focused on encouraging a level of understanding of the themes through various activities detailed out in booklets. In the second segment of the program, the schools were asked to submit essays that conveyed the essence of their understanding of the chosen topics.

The winning teams will now be involved in a long term continuous engagement program, which will help introduce them to various activities that enable a deeper understanding of issues pertaining to sustainability and help implement projects in their schools. This joint, collaborative engagement brings the winning institutes, Wipro, and expert sustainability partners together.

Over the years, more than 25,000 students and 6,500 teachers from 6,300+ schools and colleges have participated in Wipro earthian. The program has further reached out to more than 100,000 students and 10,000 teachers, via partners in 21 states, 45 districts, 2,000+ colleges and schools and also through digital channels.2015 has seen a threefold increase in participation since the first edition of Wipro earthian.

Anurag Behar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Wipro Ltd. said,“The purpose of Wipro earthian is about finding ways to infuse sensibility towards sustainability in education, in schools and colleges. It is not only about thinking of issues of sustainability as a matter of awareness, it’s also about how you can integrate it in the experience of education. It is a long term journey and at this five year milestone, we are truly honoured that this program has been brought to life by the participating institutes who have taught us valuable lessons from their towns and cities.”

The winning schools include Adarsha Rajakiya Uccha Madhyamik Vidyalay, Saratar, Sirohi, Rajasthan, Bharat Mata Higher Secondary School, Bilaspur, City Montessori, Kanpur, GB Public School, Melmarvarthur, Government Secondary School, Bongten, Sikkim, Jidd School and Acharya Baal Shastri Jaambekar College of Special Education, Chiplun, Maharashtra, Lead India School, Dwaraka Nagar, Warangal, Poira High School, Goa, Purva Madhyamik Vidyalay, Itonja, Lucknow, Rajakiya Uccha Pratamik Vidyalay, Godawas, Barmer, Tejaswi Vidyaranya School, Korremula, AP, Vidya Valley School, Pune, Zilla Parishad Prathmik Shala, Bhayarwadi, Maharashtra.

The winning colleges include IIM Kozhikode, Kerala, IIM Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, National Institute of Science and Technology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Xavier University Bhubaneswar, Odissa.

After Bengaluru, three Nigerians ‘assaulted’ in Hyderabad

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Nigeria-Hyderabad

Hyderabad: After the assault and stripping of a Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru, three Nigerian nationals were allegedly assaulted in Hyderabad by a group of around 10 locals who hurled “racist” comments.

However, Hyderabad police dismissed it as a “minor brawl” between one Nigerian and a local youth.

One of the trio, Orolabe Ibidola, said the incident had occurred last night in Hakimpet area when he was returning home from a religious place when some local youths allegedly passed “racist” comments against him.

Ibidola, a degree student, claimed when he sought to know the reasons for their comments, the locals assaulted him.

“After beating me up, the locals then beat up two other Nigerian youths,” he claimed.

He also said one of the attackers was carrying a knife. However, Banjara Hills Police Station Inspector P Murali Krishna said there was a “minor brawl” between a Nigerian and a local youth following arguments over a road accident.

“We have registered a case under IPC Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) against the local youth following a complaint by the Nigerian youth,” the told PTI.

The Inspector said they have received a counter complaint from local residents against the Nigerian, alleging assault by the latter.

A probe into the incident is on, Krishna said. After the incident, a group of Nigerians residing in the city held a protest outside the police station last night.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru private varsity VC held on rape charge

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Madhukar G Angur

Bengaluru: The vice chancellor of a private university here has been arrested for allegedly raping a 33-year-old woman, the police said on Saturday.

“We have arrested Madhukar G. Angur on Friday night on a complaint by the victim’s mother, who charged him with sexually abusing her daughter over a period, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) M.B. Boraingaiah told IANS.

Angur (55), a divorcee, is the vice-chancellor of Alliance University, set up in 2010 at Anekal on the city’s southern outskirts.

“The victim is the accused’s niece, who has been working in the university’s administrative office since 2011. As the complaint is filed by her mother, who is his sister, we are interrogating them and others in the family,” Boralingaiah said.

Based on the written complaint, a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the accused under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the complaint, the victim and the accused have been in relationship for a couple of years as Angur had promised to marry her but betrayed.

“The victim’s mother said her daughter went into depression and is under counselling to recover from the trauma of betrayal and deceit by the accused,” the IPS officer added.

The accused also threatened the victim against complaining to the police or anyone else and blackmailed her mother with threats to “expose” their family.

(IANS)

SC can’t question Muslim personal law: Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind

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Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

New Delhi: Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind, the powerful body of Muslim clerics, has said that Muslim personal law flows from the Holy Quran and cannot be subjected to any scrutiny by the Supreme Court based on principles of the Constitution.

“Mohammedan law is founded essentially on the Holy Quran and this cannot fall within the purview of the expression ‘laws in force’ as mentioned in Article 13 of the Constitution, and hence its validity cannot be tested on a challenge based on Part-III of the Constitution (guaranteeing fundamental rights, including right to equality),” the JUH application filed through advocate Ejaz Maqbool said.

The assertion by the body marks a fierce challenge to the intent to extend the principle to gender equality to Muslim women and can open a fresh phase in the debate on whether personal laws based on religion can trump the Constitution. The debate will require the BJP-led government to spell out its stand on the fraught issue.

Last year, while entertaining a petition, a two-judge bench of Justices A R Dave and Adarsh Goel had directed registration of a separate PIL to consider the rights of Muslim women as there was no safeguard against arbitrary divorce (triple talaq) and second marriage by Muslim men during subsistence of their first marriage. The court had issued notice to the attorney general and National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa).

On Friday, a bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi took up the petition titled ‘Muslim Women’s Quest for Equality’ and agreed to make JUH a party to the proceedings and sought responses from the JUH, the AG and Nalsa on the questions posed by the SC in six weeks. All India Muslim Personal Law Board is also expected to request the SC to make it a party in the case.

The JUH also referred to Article 44, which figures as a provision in the Constitution, providing that the state shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.

But the JUH said, “Article 44 envisaging UCC is only a directive principle and is not enforceable. This article by implication recognizes the existence of different codes applicable to different religions in matters of personal law and permits their continuance until the state succeeds in its endeavour to secure for all citizens a UCC.”

It said the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, a legislation brought by the Rajiv Gandhi government to step around the SC directed equality in maintenance for Muslim women in Shah Bano case, provided for the rights of Muslim women in matters of divorce and maintenance.

(Agencies)

Modi govt withdraws customs exemption on 74 drugs, prices to rise

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Narendra_Modi

New Delhi: As many as 74 drugs, including life saving ones used for treating cancer and HIV, will see sharp rise in prices as the government has withdrawn customs duty exemption on their imports.

 

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) last week issued a notification withdrawing exemption of levy of basic customs duty on as many as 74 drugs.

The medicines on which customs duty will now be imposed include the ones used for treating kidney stones, cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy, life-threatening heart rhythm disorders, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, bone diseases, antibiotic to treat infections.

Besides, drugs used for bacterial infections, leukemia, anesthetic medication, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus cells, allergies, arthritis, lupus and ulcerative colitis might also see spurt in prices.

Also drugs used in blood dilating medicine or for treating menopause, glaucoma, anogenital warts, poisoning by a chemical or pesticide, growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone would also attract customs duty.

“The withdrawal of exemption from basic customs duty for certain drugs and medicines including life-saving drugs is intended to provide protection to the domestic manufacturing industry and enhance the attractiveness of make in India initiative,” KPMG India Partner and Head of Indirect Tax Sachin Menon said.

“An increase has also been made in the customs duty rates of certain life saving drugs such as abciximab, anti-rabies immunoglobin, FSH, procarbazine and saquinavir to 35 per cent,” Deloitte in India Senior Director MS Mani said.

These changes signify the intention of the government to promote domestic manufacture of these items as imports would now become more expensive, Mani said.

Menon said the move seems to be in line with the government’s objective to rationalise the duty exemptions.

(Agencies)

Hashim Amla refuses to give interview to ‘underdressed’ Indian TV anchor

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hashim-amla

New Delhi: Former South African Test skipper Hashim Amla refused to be interviewed by an Indian TV anchor as she was underdressed.

According to a media report, the 32-year-old was unhappy with the anchor’s short dress and low-neck top.

He put forward his condition to the organizers, who asked the anchor to return after being appropriately dressed.

In the past, the staunch Islam follower had once refused to endorse ‘Castle’ beer ad on his team jersey.

Amla recently stepped down as the Test skipper of the Proteas Test team after his team’s poor show against India and England.

(Agencies)

Over 350 run in SIBM-B’s Life Dart 5k fundraiser

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SIBM

Bengaluru: A total of Rs.1, 95,000 was raised through Life Dart 5k Run conducted by the Rotaract Club of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bengaluru (SIBM-B).

The event, conducted in association with Rotary Indiranagar (District 3190) and Social Responsibility Committee of SIBM-B,saw over 350 runners taking part. The proceeds from the event will go to MAD (Make A Difference), anNGO which mobilises young leaders to ensure equitable outcomes for children in shelters across India.

Participants came in from various organisations including the Indian Air Force, CISF, Infosys, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Wipro.

The occasion was flagged off by national level badminton player,Mohit Kamat, winner ofUSIC World Railways Championship in Russia.

Deepak Singh of the Indian Air Force was felicitated for finishing first (15 Mins 43 Secs) while Mohit Saini & G. Ram finished second and third respectively. Amongst women, Jyoti K stood first. Nine-year-olds Harsh Vardhan and Tejas were the youngest runners.

Swati Waghamare, President, Rotaract Club of SIBM-B said, “Life Dart came into existence to inspire people to run for a cause, to make a difference in the lives of those in need. During the journey we inspired new hopes.”

Abhinav G.,Secretary of Rotaract Club of SIBM-Bsaid,“It is an honor to be associated with Rotary, an organization of international repute. The constant inputs given by Rotarians and the support of our team were instrumental in pulling this off successfully.

MIFF 2016 Documentary Film Awards presented

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Mumbai International Film Festival

Manipuri documentary film Phum Shang has won the Golden Conch Award for the “Best Documentary Film” (upto 60 minutes) at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Animation & Short Films, MIFF 2016, which ended on 3rd Feb, 2016. Swiss film My Name Is Salt and Indian entry Placebo shared the Gold Conch award for the “Best Feature length” Documentary Film.

52 miniute documentary Phum Shang, directed by Hao Bam Pabankumar an alumnus of the Satyjit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkatta, critically examines the serious environmental problems faced at the Loktak lake. The largest fresh water lake in North East India characterised by its unique floating biomass, known as “Phumdi”, is today considered a dying lake due to unchecked human activity. Pabankumar wins the Golden Conch Award and a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakhs.

My name Is Salt directed by Mumbai born, Zurich based Farida Pacha is a film about the journey of thousands of families to the Rann of Kutch to extract whitest salt in the world. Chandigarh based film maker Abhay Kumar’s 96 minutes film Placebo explores the stress & pressure faced by medical students.

My Name Is Salt also won the “Best Cinematographer” award for Lutz Konermann, while Placebo won the Award for “Best Editor”. Placebo was also declared the Most Innovative Film in the competition section.

Debanjan Nandy’s animation film Chhaya bagged the 1st prize in the Animation Category of International Competition.

Mumbai filmmaker Devashish Makhija’s Agli Baar shared the “Best Short Fiction Film” honours with the UK entry Solo Finale by Ingo Putze.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the “Best Debut Film” of a Director went to Far From Home by Copenhagen, Denmark based film maker Nitesh Anjan.

List of Awards – International Competition

Golden Conch – “Best
Documentary Film” (upto 60 minutes) Phum Shang
Haobam Paban Kumar
Imphal, Manipur

Golden Conch – “Best Feature length Documentary” My Name Is Salt & Placebo Farida Pacha Zurich, Switzerland
& Abhay Kumar. Chanidgarh, India

“Most Innovative Film” Placebo Abhay Kumar,
Chandigarh, India Dada Saheb Phalke Award for “Best Debut Film” Far From Home Nitesh Anjan, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Best Animation FIlm”
Chhaya Debanjan Nandy
Mumbai, India

“Best Short Fiction Film”
Agli Baar & Solo Finale
Devashish Makhija
Mumbai, India Ingo Putze
London, UK

Key awards in National Competition

“Best Documentary” (upto 60 minutes) Famous In Amdavad
Hardik Mehta Vadodara, Gujarat

“Best Feature Length Documentary” Fire Flies In The Abyss Chandrashekhar Reddy, Bangalore, India

“Best Short Fiction Film” Alice & Last Mango Before The Monsoon Satinder Singh Bedi Chennai, India
Payal Kapadia, Mumbai, India

IDPA Award for “Best Student Film” Going Home;
Niranjankumar Kujur,
Lohardaga, Jharkhand, India

The International Jury for the Festival comprised prominent documentary makers Don Askarian from Germany, Jesper Andersen from Denmark, Mathiue Roy of Canada, Siddharth Kak & Gitanjali Rao.

Mike Pandey, Uma DaCunha, Biju Dhanapalan, Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) & Jane Yu (Taiwan) were the members of the National Jury.

MIFF 2016 showcased over 385 films under International & National competition, MIFF Prism, Indian Premiers, Jury retrospectives, Animation & award winning films, Children’s documentary films, North East package, FD & PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) films, homages et al.

NATO chief: Russian airstrikes in Syria undermine peace talks

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presents the 2015 NATO annual report during a press conference in Brussels, January 28, 2016. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presents the 2015 NATO annual report during a press conference in Brussels, January 28, 2016. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

by Al Bawaba

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that Russia’s increase in airstrikes is undermining Syria peace talks in Geneva, Reuters reported.

“The intense Russia airstrikes, mainly targeting opposition groups in Syria, is undermining the efforts to find a political solution to the conflict,” Stoltenberg told Reuters upon arriving for a meeting of EU defense ministers in Amsterdam.

Stoltenberg also defended claims that Russia had again violated airspace in Turkey, a NATO member.

“The increased Russia presence, the air activity in Syria, is also causing increased tensions and violations of Turkish airspace … violations of NATO airspace,” he said. “This creates risks.”

Since Monday, the Syrian army and forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad have made advances in a push to encircle and rout out rebels in the eastern part of Aleppo. The assault has been backed by Russian airstrikes and has also cut off a key supply route to the Turkish border.

Australia considers strict screening of Muslim refugees

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Controversial leaked document proposes new assessments for 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees to stop “extremism”.

Australia said last year that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its regular intake [Bilal Hussein/AP]

Australia said last year that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its regular intake [Bilal Hussein/AP]

by Al Jazeera

A leaked government document calling for enhanced screening of Australia’s humanitarian refugee intake from Syria and Iraq has attracted widespread criticism from opposition parties and members of the Lebanese community, who were singled out as being prone to “extremism”.

The sensitive Cabinet document, which was leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday, recommends that the government applies “additional screening criteria” to 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are set to resettle in Australia as part of the country’s response to the refugee crisis in the Middle East.

“It is expected that some refugees from this conflict will bring with them issues, beliefs or associations that lead them to advocate or engage in politically motivated or communal violence,” the leaked document said, explaining why additional screening was required.

“This new framework will introduce … an enforceable integration framework to assess migrants’ suitability for life in Australia, a revamped citizenship test and citizenship pledge to strengthen [refugees’] accountability … and enhanced access, use and protection of sensitive information to strengthen intelligence-led risk-based decision-making [when assessing refugees],” the document said.

Prepared by the Department of Immigration, the draft document also recommended that enhanced screening processes should be extended to other areas of the humanitarian resettlement programme, on a “risk basis”.

Australia announced in September that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its 2015 humanitarian intake of 13,750 refugees.

So far, only 20 Syrian refugees have been resettled under the programme.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Friday they have not read the leaked document.

“I can just say that we will continue as a government to ensure that we do everything we can to keep Australians safe at home … and we will do everything we can to ensure that we maintain control of our borders,” Turnbull told Adelaide’s 5AA radio station.

The opposition Labor Party’s immigration spokesman Richard Marles said the proposals were an “enormously regressive step”.

“This verges dangerously down the path of putting in place a discriminatory immigration policy,” he told the ABC. “If this is where the government wants to take us, we are returning to a very dark past indeed.”

The smaller opposition Greens party went further, with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young saying the leaked document was a “direct attack on people seeking asylum and … designed to stop them from permanently resettling in Australia”.

While not the focus of the new recommendations, the document also riled members of Australia’s large Lebanese community, who were singled out as evidence of why the government should adopt tougher screening standards.

“The most prominent ethnic group among Australian Sunni extremists are the Lebanese,” the document said.

“The majority of this cohort can be linked to the wave of humanitarian migration to Australia as a result of the Lebanese civil war.”

Australia’s Lebanese Muslim Association issued a statement on Friday rejecting the accusations, saying the leaked document “further isolates and vilifies the Muslim community”.

“These accusations do nothing more than fuel division within communities and create obstacles to community cohesion,” said Samier Dandan, the association’s president.

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