Bengaluru: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Bengaluru is all set to host its Annual Management Conclave – ‘Alchemy 2017’on 8th&9th September, 2017. The Management Conclave provides a quality platform for highly esteemed speakers from various sectors of the industry to come together and give keynote addresses to management students bybecoming a part of stimulating panel discussions. This year, the Conclave is structured around the theme‘Vivartanam Bharate’which means ‘Transforming India’.

India is presentlyundergoing change. Today, it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But, will it be able to sustain its growth in this financially progressive and technologically driven environment? With this uncertainty in our minds, we are making an attempt to question industry experts about their views on the same. The theme aims to take forward the dialogue on how effective the tools of transformation have been over the years and questions what the future holds for us.

Keynote Speakers:
1. Mr. Rajat Jain, Executive Vice-Chairman, Neva Garments Ltd., Non-Executive Director, Xerox India
2. Mr. Sunder Madakshira, Head- Marketing, Adobe India Pvt. Ltd.
3. Mr. D.K. Hota, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Earth Movers Ltd.
4. Mr. Ram Manohar Reddy, Author and Former Editor, The Wire/EPW
Alchemy is structured around three panel discussions on some burning questions surrounding the business world today.

Panel 1:Technological Singularity
Can machines think? What will be the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on the future of our country?This panel discussion aims to throw light on how the industries are adopting automation and machine learning to change the way they work and deliver superior value.

Panel 2: Bankable India?
Financial Inclusion will help in capitalizing on the demographic dividend and including businesses previously unaccounted for. Or will it? This panel discussion is an attempt to understand how financial inclusion will change the current business scenario in India. What should the businesses do to remain relevant in the market?

Panel 3: GST – Good and Simple Tax?
It is said that GST is the single biggest reform in India since independence. But is it?
This panel discussion topic is an attempt to understand the implications that GST will have on the Indian economy and to analyse how it will complement other Indian Government policies that are aimed at boosting the economy.

Alchemy 2017 teaser: http://bit.ly/2eAqdqe
Glimpse of Alchemy 2015: http://bit.ly/2wvDbvu

Bengaluru: As many as 2,000 BJP members including party workers and leaders were arrested in various parts of Karnataka state inconnection with Mangaluru Chalo Bike rally being organized by BJP even if the state government has denied the party from holding the rally.

BJP workers have been arrested in Mysuru, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hubballi and Bengaluru on Tuesday and Wednesday when they tried to hold bike rally to Mangaluru as a rally is scheduled on September 7 in the coastal city.

Lok Sabha MP, State BJP Yuva Morcha president Pratap Simha, former minister, SA Ramadas, senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa, MLA CT Ravi, MLA BY Raghavendra and others reportedly arrested and released by the police in the last two days.

Meanwhile, BJP is expected to hold protest march in Mangaluru city on Thursday even if the police department has denied permission to hold Mangaluru Chalo rally as scheduled.

State BJP unit is expected to hold protests within a few days as the state government managed to stop the party unit from holding Mangaluru Chalo Bike Rally and state party president BS Yeddyurappa is expected to announce next protest programme soon.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The CBI has summoned former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm, agency officials said.

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day, they said.

It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels– BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri– to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company.

The FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars and acquired the “high-value premium land” through a benami company Delight.

It alleged that Yadav, “dishonestly and fraudulently”, managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

(PTI)

Mumbai: A Special TADA Court on Thursday awarded the death penalty to two convicts, life sentences to two others, including gangster Abu Salem, while giving 10 years jail to one accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Special Judge G.A. Sanap pronounced the death verdicts on convicts Mohammed Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan for their role in the blasts, said Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve.

Besides Salem, the Special Court awarded life sentence to Karimullah Khan and 10 years rigorous imprisonment to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

The Special Judge also slapped varying amounts of fines on the convicts after finding them guilty on various charges, including murder, conspiracy to hatch the blasts, supplying arms and ammunition, and other serious offenses, Salve told media persons after the ruling.

All the six accused were earlier pronounced “guilty” by the Special Court on June 16, including Mustafa Dossa, who died on June 28.

The much-awaited verdict on the quantum of sentencing came 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts and nearly 80 days after they were found guilty (on June 16) by the Special Court.

On a quiet afternoon of March 12, 1993, the country’s commercial capital was shattered by a series of 13 blasts in quick succession at various locations in the city and suburbs, creating the worst unprecedented mayhem in the country, killing 257 and injuring 700 others.

The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs 27 crore.

(IANS)

Myanmar’s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (left) offers a toast to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a dinner at the Presidential palace in Naypyidaw on Tuesday.(AP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed concern over “extremist violence” in Myanmar’s Rakhine and “violence against security forces” but skipped mention of the alleged persecution of Rohingya Muslims, which the United Nations says could turn into a humanitarian catastrophe.

Modi also praised Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s “leadership” amid mounting criticism of an alleged state-sponsored persecution of the minority Muslim community, forcing an estimated 1.25 lakh people to flee to Bangladesh and India.

Myanmar has an estimated 1.1 million Rohingya people.

“We share your concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine state and violence against security forces and how innocent lives have been affected,” Modi said in a joint statement with Suu Kyi at Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw.

“We hope that all stakeholders together can find a way out in which unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar is respected,” he said, adding “peace, justice, dignity and democratic values for all” can be achieved.

Suu Kyi, the de-facto leader of Buddhist-majority Myanmar, thanked India for taking a strong stand on the “terror threat” faced by her country.

She said India and Myanmar jointly can ensure that terrorism is not allowed to take root on their soil or on the soil of neighbouring countries.

Modi is expected to raise the issue of Rohingya exodus into neighbouring countries.

The Indian government says it will deport an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas staying illegally in the country.

The leader of Buddhist-majority Myanmar has come under pressure from countries with Muslim populations over the crisis, and on Tuesday UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing and regional destabilisation.

In a rare letter expressing concern that the violence that has raged for nearly two weeks could spiral into a “humanitarian catastrophe”, Guterres urged the UN Security Council to press for restraint and calm.

The latest violence in Rakhine state began 12 days ago when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution, and some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that cow vigilantism has to stop and it is not permissible under the law.

It also directed the states to appoint nodal officers in each district to take steps to prevent such incidences of violence and act against the perpetrators.

“This must stop. What action have you taken? It is not permissible. There has to be some kind of action,” a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar said.

The remarks came as advocate Indira Jaising drew the court’s attention towards the violence being unleashed by the vigilante groups across the nation on mere suspicion of beef consumption.

Directing the appointment of nodal officers, the court instructed the Chief Secretaries of the states to file affidavits on the action taken, including the deployment of highway patrols.

It also asked the Centre why under Article 256 shouldn’t it be held responsible to prevent such incidents.

The court order came on a batch of petitions, including by Tushar Gandhi — the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: Outraged over the gunning down of one of their own, Gauri Lankesh, prominent journalists from across the city gathered at the Press Club of Bangalore here, and demanded justice amid call for standing up to “forces” trying to the “muzzle” the voices of dissent.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in the Rajrajeshwari Nagar, Karnataka police chief R K Dutta said.

An outspoken critic of the Hindutva politics, Lankesh was the editor Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, besides owning some other publications.

The Club has demanded that the attackers be identified and brought to book in a swift manner.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) also staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar.

The Delhi unit of the forum said the killing of senior Kannada journalist was an example of “politics of intolerance”.

The KUWJ also said it is an “attempt” to muzzle the voices of criticisms.

“She was not only a journalist but a social activist who shared the concerns of the society. This murder is similar to the killings of M M Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare,” KUWJ said in a statement.