ICSI Proposes Broad-Based Entrance Test

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is a premier professional body set up under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Company Secretaries Act, 1980, for the regulation and development of the profession of Company Secretaries in India. It functions under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The Institute, being a pro-active body, focuses on best and top-quality education to students of Company Secretaries Course and best quality set standards for CS members. The Institute has over 56,000 members and about 3.5 lakh students on its roll.

Addressing the press conference CS Ranjeet Pandey, President, The Institute of Company Secretaries of India, outlined major achievements and initiatives of the institute and briefed the media about the important role played by Company Secretaries in the Corporate sector.

CS Ranjeet Pandey said, “The Institute came up with its new curriculum for Executive and Professional Program students to ensure the cutting-edge knowledge insights with renewed excellence towards New ICSI 2022. Examination for Executive Programme under the New Syllabus was successfully conducted in December, 2018 and for Professional Programme the same shall be conducted in June, 2019”  

Talking about the achievement of the institute, he said “Institute caters to create awareness about the profession of Company Secretaries among thousands of Schools and Students. The Institute has renewed and signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Science Olympiad Foundation for conducting the 3rd International Company Secretaries Olympiad as scheduled on December 20, 2018 and January 31, 2019.The Institute has created a Grievance Solutions Cell which is monitoring the communications received through the Support Portal. The Call Centre established by the Institute is available to all the stakeholders. “

He further added “under ‘Shaheed Ki Beti’ initiative, the saved amount will be transferred to the dedicated corpus and will be utilised for the education/ welfare of the daughters of martyrs. Also The Institute has created ‘ICSI Students Education Fund Trust’ which encourages and motivates both economically backward & academically bright students to pursue the Company Secretaryship Course. The Institute launched an ICSI Signature Award Scheme in January, 2016 under which top rank holders in B.Com. Final Examinations in reputed universities and also specialized programmes/ papers of IITs / IIMs are awarded a Gold Medal and a Certificate.”

The Institute launched the Study Centre Scheme, in collaboration with reputed colleges in different locations.

SPECIALISED COURSES BY ICSI

PMQ Courses

The Institute has Launched PMQ Course in specialized subject, namely, Banking Law and Practice, Insurance Law and Practice, Capital, Commodity and Money Market; Intellectual Property Rights-Law and Practice; and International Business- Law and Practice, Launched PMQ Course in Competition Law and Restructured PMQ Course in Corporate Governance. The Institute has also launched a Course on Valuation.

ICSI – Contact Program for Certificate Course on Certified CSR Professional Certificate Course in GST launched Educational Course on ‘Valuation of Securities or Financial Assets’

About The Institute of Company Secretaries of India:

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is a premier professional body set up under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Company Secretaries Act, 1980, for the regulation and development of the profession of Company Secretaries in India. It functions under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The Institute, being a pro-active body, focuses on best and top-quality education to students of Company Secretaries Course and best quality set standards for CS members. The institute has over 56,000 members and about 3.5 lakh students on its roll.

Second time mother Becomes first in India to give birth to triplets at the Age of 52

A 52 year old woman, Mrs. Sunita Kadam (Name Changed) from Pune has become first in India to give birth to triplets conceived through IVF at Pune's Saishree Hospital.

The two out of three are baby boys and one girl. Well in this case 2 kids were born healthy while the third was little weak, and was kept in NICU. Ultimately after few days the kid recovered. It was not an easy journey to parenthood for Mr & Mrs. Kadam, as they tried to have baby through IVF in Hyderabad and Pune Hospitals before. There was no positive result even after multiple attempts.

"This is really happy moments for our family to have three babies in First attempt at Saishree Hospital," Says Mrs.Kadam.

A triplet pregnancy after in vitro fertilization is a procedure-related complication that should be prevented by replacement of two embryos only.

The obstetric outcome of triplet pregnancies in our population indicates that triplet pregnancies after IVF treatment have to be prevented. Selective embryo reduction is acceptable for few patients only and can therefore not be seen as a solution. Replacement of three embryos results in triplet pregnancy in an unacceptably high percentage. Replacement of two embryos only gives acceptable IVF results and is the method chosen in the IVF program to prevent triplet pregnancies. However, mother denied for fetal reduction  and wanted to give birth to triplets which is very rare.

Doctors at SaiShree Hospital Dr.Yeshwant Mane and Dr.Girish Pote, practicing IVF treatment for many years, said IVF for twins or triplets requires transferring of dual or triple embryos into the womb, which also reduces  chances of failure, which otherwise is higher in single-embryo transfer or normal IVF.

"In this case, mother's physical health and fetal well being played a major role in IVF success and birth to triplets." Said Dr. Pote Further he added, “We have a very great team in our center. We provide advanced treatment and facilities to our patients. And now we are happy to announce that we have delivered 101 live babies till December 2018 through IVF.”

Saishree Hospital has started its IVF center 16 months ago and till December 2018 '101' live babies in which 40 singles (Boy/Girl), 29 twins and 1 triplet were born through IVF. Now these triplets played big role to cross the number.

ISRO to Organize Space Exhibition on February 15, 16 and 17, 2019

Giant Leap – Taking Space Technology To Schools

Suresh Naik Space Education Center’s Multi - pronged Initiative.

Suresh Naik, Ex-Group Director ISRO, a well known senior space scientist from Pune, along with Mr.Suhas Punekar, Managing Director ‘Punekar Educational Initiaves’ is leading a movement, aiming to give a huge thrust to Space technology education, a fascinating subject which is fast catching the imagination of the students across the country.

As part of this initiative, a highly popular and educative space exhibition by the world-renowned premier organisation of the country, ISRO is being organised in Pune on February 15, 16 and 17, 2019 details about which are given in the adjoining block. Co organiser for it is the prestigious College Of Engineering Pune (COEP) whose students, to their credit, have the distinction of making the student-satellite ‘Swayam’ which was launched by ISRO. ISRO’s Exhibition. Highlights of ISRO Space Exhibition include a set of posters related to ISRO satellites and their applications, Chandrayaan/ Mars mission; scaled down models of ISRO rockets, satellites; a working model showing satellites orbiting around earth; video documentaries show on mars mission and chandrayaan mission; how to join ISRO – IIST. Also ISRO’s Geo portal-BHUVAN website will be demonstrated during the exhibition.      

      

It will be a great opportunity for the youth not only to learn about ISRO’s history and glorious space missions through posters, models & videos but also to interact with ISRO’s scientists in person.

CubSat Revolution Starts in the country.

"Students thrilled taking first steps to Satellite Technology”.

The low cost of implementation, short preparation time, simplicity of design and the fascinating nature of the subject like Space Technology make this concept of ‘Suresh Naik CubSat workshop’ an excellent practical opportunity for students to take their first steps in space. 

"Punekar Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd" along with "Suresh Naik Space Education Center" Pune, are set to drive a revolution in innovation in Space Technology with an exciting 2 days' premium educational event, comprising of Satellite design, its construction & launching by the school students. 

The first ever CubSat workshop was conducted by us in a School in Pune in July 2018 with resounding success. Since then more than 800 students from various schools in Pune & Lonavala have zealously participated in this exciting workshop.

It is noteworthy that the space technology has been taken to even village school students near Pune through this highly interesting educational mission.

The workshop aims at simulating space environment of real space mission with an objective of providing the basic knowledge of space science, satellites, electronics and embedded systems followed by the on-hands activity by the students'-groups under the guidance of experienced trainers.

This mission is ideally designed to provide the first-step-training to the school students for the development of real satellite. That is why the name "CubSat".

These desirous students are given a specifically prepared brief syllabus based on which an entrance test (MCQ) is conducted. Based on the performance the students are selected. Separate tests are conducted for students of 6th to 8th class & 9th to 12 th class. 

In this novel workshop a miniature satellite, weighing about 350 grams fitted into a structure slightly bigger than a soft- drink can and equipped with a parachute would be assembled by groups of 5 students each.

The students also make the parachute & the ground station as a part of the workshop. A specially designed kit provides the students with all the parts, materials & tools. After the integration, the system is tested by the students on the ground before the launch.

The climax of this dramatic mission would be the launching of the CubSats. The students really enjoy watching their selfmade CubSat flying 15/20 m high with the help of drone, after getting detached the satellite descending gracefully with the help of a parachute, and at the same time transmitting the atmospheric data in real time wirelessly like air temperature etc. using a ground station also built by them.

The mission is guided by the eminent space scientist Suresh Naik, Ex-Group Director ISRO & the present Chairman of International Space Society, who is well known as a 'crusader for popularising Space Science' among the students of the country since the last two decades. 

Suhas Punekar, the Chairman Punekar Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd has planned to take this immensely interesting & inspiring educational mission to thousands of school students in Maharashtra and other parts of the country and start a revolution in the field of spreading the knowledge about the fascinating Space Technology.

On 15th February 3rd event of the SSEC & PEI will take place in the auditorium of the Ganesh Kala & krida Munch, in which the website-sureshnaikcubsat.com would be launched followed by an interesting talk on Space Technology related topic by Prof. Suresh Naik and others to the students.

ISRO Space Exhibition.

Venue: Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. Near Swargate. Pune.

Dates & timings for students:

February 15 & 16: 9 am to 7 pm.

February 17: 9 am to 1 pm.

Dates & timings for general public:

February 15 & 16: 4 pm to 7 pm.

Admission to the exhibition:

Entirely free; but for the students interested schools should contact for admission passes

Contact:  Ms. Anita:- 9422344601

               Ms. Leena:- 8380075631

Address:- Nakshatra, Bhagyoday Nagar, Lane-1,opp Konark E –square near Satyanand Hospital, Londhe Khurd, Pune- 411048

Time & dates for collection:

From: 09 February-10 am 5 pm. to 13 February 10 am to 5 pm.

Note: The students of every school will get admission to the exhibition only during the time slot & date mentioned behind their admission pass.

CEEAMATECH-2019 event For Electrical engineering, Exhibition starts from today

Organized by Consulting Electrical Engineers Association Of Maharashtra. (CEEAMA)

Event managed by: FAIRACT

·         CEEAMATECH-2019 Exhibition started, from 8^th February 2019 at Chinchwad.

·         Mega event for electrical engineering fraternity

·         Creating pool between consulting electrical engineers, Contractors, suppliers, product manufactures

·         Manifesto for devolvement of Statutory procedures to ensure Electrical safety.

·         Engineering students contribution in event for encouraging them to become future entrepreneur

The inaugural function of the event took place at the hands of Mr. Ranjan Mathur(Director of Engineering MIS ACER solutions), Mr. Anil Bhandari (Honorary president of CEEAMA), Mr. Mohan Kelkar (Treasurer of CEEAMA), Mr. Suhas Keskar (Secretary- CEEAMA), Mr. Arvind Gadre (Director- CEEAMA), Mr. Vinayak Vaidya (Director-CEEAMA), Mr. Ambuj Rastogi (Director- CEEAMA).  

CEEAMA was formed in 2004 with an aim to create a platform for consulting electrical engineers fraternity. Consulting Electrical Engineers Association of Maharashtra (CEEAMA) is registered under companies Act 1956, under section 25 as amended.

Current focus areas covered by CEEAMA are:

1.    Electrical Safety

2.    Energy Conservation

3.    Solar Power

CEEAMA conducts training programs for members and other electrical engineers to educate them in said areas in the form of workshops, factory visits and discussions related to case studies. This helps in lifting bench mark of engineering knowledge within CEEAMA associates. Members work in different areas of electrical consultancy & engineering and share their experiences and newly gathered knowledge.

CEEAMA website www.ceeama.org is geared to cater to new generation of electrical engineers by sharing the knowledge DIGITALLY.

CEEAMATECH is series of technical events arranged by CEEAMA every year. CEEAMATECH 2019 is 7^th in this series. 

On the Occasion, Mr. Anil Bhandari (Honorary president of CEEAMA) said, “Exhibition is opportunity for manufacturers to show case their products, display new technologies. This will provide unique opportunity to electrical engineers to know details on range of products available, and opportunity to witness new state of the art technologies.”

“Various technical presentations and panel discussions for all three days will be excellent opportunity for young Electrical Consultants & engineers to learn about electrical safety, electrical accidents - reasons for accidents, statutory regulations for electrical safety. These programs will also highlight ongoing CEEAMA efforts and follow up with government authorities related to electrical system stability, creating chartered electrical engineers to help Industry and government authorities implementing electrical safety” He added.

Some of the reputed companies participating in CEEAMATECH-2019 are as follows:

ABB India Ltd, Polycab Wires Pvt. Ltd, PR Kabel, Sterling & Wilson, C & S Electric Ltd, Consul Neowatt, Delta India Electronics Pvt. Ltd, LAPP India Pvt. Ltd, Success Engineers, Jindal Rectifiers.

About CEEAMATECH-2019:-

CEEAMATECH-2019 -7^th Exhibition & Conference on Electrical Industry organized by CEEAMA held today at Auto Cluster at Chinchwad, Pune on 8^thFebruary, 2019. After grand success of CEEAMATECH 2017, this was a mega event & exhibition for all electrical engineers and those associated with electrical engineering. Here vendors have showcased their products, technologies and capabilities for Electrical Consultants -who are product specifiers, Electrical Contractors who install & commission various electrical equipments

India's First Sailing Lit Fest which will kick off in Mumbai tomorrow, January 29, 2019

Acclaimed filmmaker, actress and activist Nandita Das joined for a special session with Former First Lady of Britain Cherie Blair opened the fest and bat for India's widows on behalf of the Loomba Foundation. The revenue generated at this festival was donated to the widows of the country.

The Irrawaddy Literary Festival takes place in a Buddhist Stupa that houses the world’s largest book written in gold.
The Shanghai International Literary Festival uses one of the world’s most photographed backdrops – its skyscrapers.

The Mountain Echoes Lit Fest is held in one of the world’s cleanest landscapes of Bhutan.

The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival takes place in the 14 ethereal villages immersed among lush green paddy fields.

And now Mumbai is all set to have a Lit Fest that uses its most famous citizen as its venue – The Arabian Sea.

India’s Maximum City hosted India’s first ever Lit Fest on the sea – The Queensline Lit Fest - three days of incredible dialogue and debate by some of the world’s greatest minds – with the spectacular views of Mumbai’s imposing skyline at a distance and sunsets to die for.

Queensline Lit Fest, India’s first literary festival on the sea, took place from 29-31 January 2019 in Mumbai.

It was inaugurated by world-renowned barrister and former first lady of the UK, Cherie Blair, on 29 Jan at 12.30 pm.

The festival takes place on board Mumbai’s brand new addresses on the sea — Queensline Neverland and Queensline Sea YAH — ships that can each accommodate 400 people.

Queensline owner and founder of the QLF Shripriya Dalmia Thirani said, "Space is vital for any sort of intellectual discourse. India is a place for debates and literature. Queensline isn't a cruise ship or just a floating restaurant. It is Mumbai's  brand new address on the sea - its deck the venerable new spot for everything creative. This is the first of out large creative events - the first ever Lit Fest on the sea. We have some of India's greatest minds talking about the issues of the present - from faith and religion to women and widows. It will be a massive draw and we already have a major interest in the festival."

Originally from Turkey, these ships have been visited by Queen Elizabeth, too. They have now been converted into Mumbai’s largest dining rooms on the sea.

This unique Lit Fest will feature some of the best minds from the literary world. The participants and guests will be able to listen to the stalwarts from the world of books and also witness Mumbai’s sensational views.

On 30 January, India’s most renowned photographer Raghu Rai will be in a conversation with festival director Kounteya Sinha, from 4 pm to 6 pm. On 31st January, 5 pm Manisha Koirala is in conversation with veteran writer and critic Uma Nair. Boats will carry VIPs and passengers from Gateway of India to the ship all the three days.

Quotes:

"CEREBRAL DISCOURSES have become common in India - it definitely shows how debate and discussions are intrinsic to the DNA of a common Indian. Mumbai is a Mecca for such incredible festivals. Queensline which is now Mumbai's largest dining room on the sea is clear of its intention - it wants its deck to be Mumbai's latest cultural hub - a place people can engage, talk about arts and culture, watch performances under an open sky glistening with stars and come up with brilliant solutions to our urban and rural needs through debate and dialogue. QLF 2019 will open Mumbai's greatest asset - the Arabian Sea as a place where great minds meet and engage says, Kounteya Sinha - internationally renowned curator and QLF festival director."

2 kg Baby born with ‘Transposition of the great arteries’ congenital heart disease, successfully operated at Jupiter Hospital

A serious & rare open heart surgery performed on 6 days old baby boy with the aid of donation from Mukul Madhav Foundation, Jupiter Foundation and Have a heart Foundation.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Abhijeet Naik, Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Rahul Saraf Paediatric Cardiologist, and managed in a dedicated paediatric ICU under the guidance of Dr. Shrinivas Tambe, Consultant Neonatalogist and Paediatric Intensivist. 

A 6 days old baby born with congenital heart disease underwent an open heart surgery. The baby born with the condition ‘Transposition of the great arteries’ at a government hospital and then was shifted to Jupiter Hospital as an emergency case. The surgery (Arterial switch) was performed on 8th December under ‘Hruday Sparsh’, an initiative by Jupiter Hospital.

Transposition of the great arteries is serious and rare heart defect present at birth due to abnormal development of fetal heart.  In condition of ‘Transposition of the great arteries’, the aorta is connected to the right ventricle, and the pulmonary artery is connected to the left ventricle — the opposite of a normal heart's anatomy. That changes the way blood circulates through the body, leaving a shortage of oxygen in blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body. Without an adequate supply of oxygen- rich (red) blood, the body cannot function properly and patient faces complications or death if not operated.

Dr. Abhijeet Naik, Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon said, “This baby had a condition ‘transposition of the great arteries’, which requires an emergency surgery called as ‘Arterial Switch Operation’. The risk factor in this surgery around 10 percent in babies who weighs less than 2.5kg, the good thing is we are able to do such complex cases in Pune”.

Dr. Rahul Saraf Paediatric Cardiologist said, “Hruday Sparsh, an initiative by Jupiter Hospital with Jupiter Foundation and other trusts, we are trying to help as many patients for their treatment in congenital heart diseases. This is the unique case where with the help of Mukul Madhav Foundation, Jupiter Foundation and Have a Heart Foundation it was done successfully.”

“This is the second life for my baby. For which, we are very thankful to the Jupiter Hospital and doctors who helped and saved our baby from this dangerous disease”. Said patient’s father Shri Padam Manharek Bhujel

The surgery was performed by Dr Abhijeet Naik and his team including Dr Rahul Saraf Paediatric Cardiologist, and managed in a dedicated paediatric ICU under the guidance of Dr. Shrinivas Tambe, Chief Intensivist at Jupiter Hospital, Baner.

The parents of the baby are from Nepal and his father works as a security guard in Pune. They are from a very poor socio-economic background so the surgery was performed under ‘Hruday Sparsh’, an initiative by Jupiter Hospital to spread awareness and providing medical and surgical treatment to the patient in the lower socio-economic background, so they can lead a healthy and happy life.

Harrassment” despite clear guidelines by Ministry of Consumer Affairs: QNET

QNET, a leading multinational company in the e-commerce direct selling space has come under scanner by the authorities in the last few days. With over 60 arrests being made various questions are being raised by the Commissioner of Police in Cyberabad.

The company has now however issued a statement expressing disappointment over the police action. QNET in India operates through its sub-franchisee Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Russel Stamets, Legal Advisor to Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd in a statement said, “We are disappointed to know of the arrests of our Independent Representatives (IRs) which have taken place in Hyderabad.”

He added that “The action goes entirely against the Stay granted to Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd by the Supreme Court in March 2017 and the requirement that all States first ensure their compliance with the Direct Selling Guidelines issued by Ministry of Consumer Affairs in September 2016, to which Telangana is no exception.”

According to the company officials, Vihaan Direct Selling is in full compliance of the direct selling guidelines issued by both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In the past, various courts from the State of Karnataka have passed orders quashing complaints against Vihaan and stating that the ‘QNet business is not a Ponzi scheme’.

Expressing surprise by the conduct of authorities in Hyderabad, he said that “Such actions which undermine what the Court(s) have ordered and damages inevitably the brand image of the company.”

Terming the acts/conduct as “harassment” he added that, “in Hyderabad certain consumer complaints date back to October 2018, and well after the 30-day refund period has passed. The company has commenced internal investigation and taken all necessary action in this regard.

The company has a grievance redressal mechanism to address any complaint for any products bought from it. This also has to comply with the requirements of the terms of purchase and in law by complaints/returns being made within a 30-day buy-back period as stipulated by the model Guidelines. Any consumer is expected to directly approach the company for a resolution of his grievance.”

As per the Direct Selling Guidelines which have been adapted by the state, Consumer grievances ought to be treated under The Consumer law and not as wrongful criminal action resulting in arrests.

In the direct selling industry, the Independent representatives (IRs) are not officers or employees of the company. The companies operating in Direct Selling have policies and procedures which they are supposed to adhere to. 

Atul and Rahul Kirloskar under SEBI Scanner for Insider Trading

Eight years ago, on 6 October 2010, some members of the Kirloskar family including Atul Kirloskar and Rahul Kirloskar had sold 13.5% of Kirloskar Brothers Limited shares worth about ₹275 crore before financial results were reported on 8 October 2010. In 2012, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) sent a letter to the company seeking transaction details.

Following this, Kirloskar Brothers Limited hired law firm AZB and Partners to conduct a forensic audit to verify allegations of insider trading. The audit found that few members of the Kirloskar Family, including the two brothers, mis-stated in a regulatory disclosure that they were not in possession of unpublished price-sensitive financial information while seeking clearance to sell Kirloskar Brothers shares. The code of conduct for promoters and other key management personnel requires them to take the board’s clearance before transacting in the company’s shares.

“The financial performance of Kirloskar Brothers was discussed collectively by the promoter group individuals on a regular basis,” the AZB report said.

When AZB went through the pre-share sale clearance declaration, it found that the promoters had declared they did not possess any unpublished price-sensitive information at the time of share sale.

“However, while examining records of Kirloskar Group-Management Operating Board (KG-MOB), annual operating plan (AOP) and other relevant financial information circulated or discussed with the promoters or board of directors in meetings, it was found that financial performance of the company was discussed collectively by the promoter group on a regular/periodic basis. Contrary to the disclosure made by the promoter group individuals, the information could be constituted as price sensitive,” AZB said in its report.

Sebi norms for insider trading mandate that a share sale cannot be done while in possession of unpublished price-sensitive information or UPSI.

The audit report added that the relevant AOP providing forecasts for fiscal 2010-11 was circulated to the directors by the finance department of Kirloskar Brothers on 31 March 2010.

In response to media queries, a spokesperson for Atul and Rahul Kirloskar said: “As far as we are aware, no investigation is pending in respect of the said transaction undertaken in 2010.” The person added that they reserve legal rights on factually incorrect statements.

Sandeep Phadnis, associate vice president and head secretarial at Kirloskar Brothers declined to comment on the forensic audit, but added that they were unable to comment on any query at this stage as the issues are sub judice.

Encourage young minds to think critical, challenge themselves in chess and life: Viswanathan Anand

•          Grandmaster played with 12 students simultaneously

•          Top 10 participants were honoured with Prize money, trophy and certificate.

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the Edify Chess Tournament against the 12 champions in 1:12 match, a unique tournament organised by Edify International School and Pune District Chess Association held at Edify International School Hinjewadi.

This was the unique chess tournament for school student aged between 5 and 16 years. The preliminary rounds were held on November 17- 18, 2018, which witnessed around 486 participants from Pune.

While interacting with media Grandmaster said, “I am very happy, that Edify International School is focused and passionate in building these critical skills by encouraging the young minds to think critically, to challenge themselves to do things every day they couldn’t do before, both in chess and life to accept winning and losing outcomes gracefully.”

Ms Priya Anand, Head of School said, “This was the most unique opportunity for students of Pune as it gave them an experience to play with the Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand. Huge thanks to everyone who participated in this event. It was an exhilarating experience to compete with fellow competitors.”

Mr. Joseph D’Souza, Chairman, Pune District Chess Association said, “It is a Golden opportunity for the budding youngsters of Pune, who have qualified to pit their skills with the legendary five times World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand. For others it was the witnessing the games and learning from the nuggets of wisdom given by the Legend himself.  Kudos to Edify International School & Pune District Chess Association for providing this excellent opportunity to the Chess fraternity of Pune.”

The top 10 participants Kashish Jain, Shivraj Pingle, Digambar Jail, Keval Nirgun, Advait Patil, Prem Mhetre, Sahil Dhobale, Yuvraj Patil, Aryan Singla and Dhiren Mor were honoured with prize money, trophy and certificates. And Atharva Bagul and Chhavi Bafna were felicitated with a medal by Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand. The prize money for top 10 participants was 1) Rs.10, 000/- 2) Rs.6000/- 3) Rs. 4000/- 4) Rs. 2500/-, 5)2500/- 6) Rs. 2000/- 7) Rs 2000/- 8) 2000/- 9)2000/- and 10) 2000/-

The Edify International School offers a broad, rich and challenging curriculum based on the world-renowned IB programmes. It promotes a strong foundation in the academic disciplines, a broad exposure to the liberal arts, and selective opportunities to pursue individual interests.

Media contact: Aspire PR & Strategies Pvt. Ltd, Shekhar Wagh  9967348414, 9689966141-020 24488778

Indian developers contribute actively to open source projects: DigitalOcean Currents Report

Developers in India are more likely to contribute to open source than developers from other countries, with more than two-thirds (68 percent) actively participating.

23rd Nov, Bangalore India: DigitalOcean, the cloud services platform designed for developers brings out key developer cloud trends through its quarterly Currents report. In the fifth edition of Currents, they focused entirely on open source, to coincide with the movement’s 20-year anniversary. They asked more than 4,300 respondents around the world about the state of open source, including how they and their companies use it and what inspires them to support the community.

The following are some key findings from the report: 

• Twenty years in, just over half of developers surveyed are contributing to open source projects (55 percent). However, that is less than what companies expect from their employees: three out of four respondents said their companies expect them to use open source software as part of their day-to-day development work.

• Two of the most prominent barriers preventing developers from getting involved in open source are not knowing where to begin, and doubting they have the right skills. Companies not giving their employees time to contribute is also a large factor.

• Of the five major tech companies — Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple — developers overwhelmingly said Google is most supportive of the open source community, followed by Microsoft. Apple ranked last.

• There’s a disconnect between companies’ encouragement of open source within their organizations, and their actual investment. Only 18 percent of respondents said their company is a member of an open source-related organization, and 75 percent said their company invests $1k or less every year in donations to open source.

• Newer developers actively contribute more to open source than veteran developers: While 55 percent of respondents said they actively contribute to open source projects, developers with five or fewer years of experience were significantly more likely to contribute (60 percent) than developers with six or more years of experience. This participation boost from newer developers aligns with the overall perception that the open source community is healthy and growing (89 percent).

Prabhakar Jayakumar, Country Director, DigitalOcean India says “This year marks both the 20th anniversary of the open source movement, as well as the 5th year of Hacktoberfest, our annual month-long celebration of open source. DigitalOcean Currents highlights the latest trends among developers in the cloud and our latest edition carries interesting insights on the potential of open source software”.

• Developers want an easier entry point into the open source community: 45% of developers listed “difficulty knowing how to get started” as the primary barrier preventing them from contributing to open source projects. Other key challenges included developers feeling they don’t have the right skills to contribute (44%) & companies not offering time for employees to contribute (30%).

• Companies expect developers to use open source technologies at work, but don’t invest as much in the broader community: Nearly three out of every four respondents said their companies expect them to use open source software as part of their day-to-day development work, but only 18 percent of employees said their companies actively participated in open source organizations (e.g. Apache Foundation, Node.js Foundation, Cloud Native Computing Foundation). The cost of participating in these organizations is the biggest barrier (38 percent), and 75 percent of respondents said their companies also donated just $1k or less to these organizations in the last year.

• Javascript, Python and PHP are among the top 3 programming languages that developers primarily use when engaging with open source

• Companies evaluating open source technologies look primarily for ones that are widely used, and have great documentation and active maintainers. At the same time, poor documentation and security concerns are a few reasons why companies opt against open source.

About DigitalOcean:

Founded in 2012, DigitalOcean provides the easiest cloud platform to deploy, manage, and scale applications of any size, removing infrastructure friction and providing predictability so developers and their teams can spend more time building software that customers love. DigitalOcean has a $200 million run rate and a community of 3.5 million developers with 12 data centres across the globe. In addition to its headquarters in New York, DigitalOcean has an office in Cambridge, Mass. and remote employees around the world. For more information, simply visit http://www.digitalocean.com or follow @digitalocean on Twitter.

Truefitt & Hill - World’s oldest luxe barbershop from London comes to Koregaon Park

• First outlet in Pune
• Total 19 outlets in India

Pune: 29th November, 2018: Having groomed the Monarchs of Great Britain for 200 years through nine consecutive reigns, Truefitt & Hill (T&H) continues the legacy by bringing their sophistication to the most prestigious address in Pune, Koregaon Park. The uber millennial of KP can now dedicate a day to themselves for all their grooming needs as T&H brings their world renowned grooming services along with its first spa service in the city of Pune.

Brought to India by the Lloyds Luxuries Ltd., which has acquired the Master Franchise License for not just India but also Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar and Vietnam, the venture looks promising.

Started by Krishna Gupta & Istayak Ansari in 2013, Lloyds Luxuries Ltd aims at creating an atmosphere of total relaxation and ultimate comfort for their male guests. Through this, they wish to encourage grooming for men greatness. “Our aim is that the customer should ultimately feel revitalized and renewed when it’s time to leave. We don’t just offer a service; we offer an experience. Grooming yourself is a daily necessity, we provide you with the most luxurious atmosphere and highly skilled barbers and staff to turn that into a luxurious experience. The highlight of our Pune store is Spa services which we have recently introduced at some of our stores and will add in more of our future stores”, says Krishna Gupta.

The store at Koregaon Park is spread over 2000 sq. ft., with Retail Section, a Royal suite, Barbering section, Pedicure suite, Foot Spa suite and two Massage rooms. Offering a quintessential feel with its classy interiors in mahogany wood adding chic blue wallpaper creating a contrast, makes for a complete relaxing environment.

Truefitt & Hill worldwide is in 12 countries including India and present in cities: London, Canberra, Baku, Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai, Salmiya, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Chicago, Washington and Indian Cities.

Speaking on the occasion, Istayak Ansari said “We currently have 19 operating stores across India in 11 Cities. We have 7 Truefitt & Hill stores in Mumbai, 3 in Bengaluru and one each in New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur,  Kolkata, Chandigarh, Chennai & now in  Pune.  We are also opening our first International store in Dhaka, Bangladesh in affluent neighbourhood of Gulshan Avenue.”

About Truefitt & Hill

The prestigious history of Truefitt & Hill began in 1805 during the reign of H.M. King George III. Since then, the clientele has included members of the male like of the Royal Family, as well as members of visiting Royal households. Their barbers hold Royal Warrant to H.R.H., The Duke of Edinburgh. It has provided discerning gentleman with the finest grooming products and services. The elite clientele also include the Business leaders, Members of Parliament, Ambassadors and Diplomats and visiting Dignitaries. Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock and Laurence Olivier are few of their renowned clients. Apart from London T&H, they now have the luxe barber shop in Chicago, Toronto, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Baku, Canberra, Beijing, Seoul.

Superior and distinct services offered by Truefitt and Hill are The Royal Shave and Haircut, Classic Shave and Haircut, other hair treatments, Royal manicure & pedicure, head massage, facials, etc. and offer complimentary valet service, Wi-Fi, refreshments with every visit.

They also have an exclusive VIP Room called Royal Suite for that special engagement, business meeting, or simply just to relax and unwind!

Truefitt & Hill Koregaon Park

Address: 5, Galaxy Garden, North Main Road, Koregaon Park (Next to Starbucks), Pune