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MUMBAI: TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2019 • VOL. No. 1 • Issue No. 42 • IPEPCIL PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD. • 8 PAGES • PRICE: ₹ 8

Now, Saudi tourist visa for travellers RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved electronic visas for foreign visitors to attend sporting events and concerts as the world’s top oil exporter tries to diversify its economy and open up its society. Previously, Saudi Arabia had no visa designed specifically for tourism purposes and visas could only be granted to particular groups on a limited basis. According to officials, the Saudi Arabia visa application will only take a few minutes to complete online

and there will be no need to go to an embassy or consulate. Once the application is approved, it will be sent to the applicant by email. This new move symbolises a change for the kingdom, which was known to be one of the most difficult countries to enter. Saudi Arabia allowed tourist visas for the first time in Dec last year when the Formula-E race was held in Riyadh. All visitors to Saudi Arabia are required to have a valid passport with at least six months validity, in addition

Passport of 45 NRIs cancelled NEW DELHI: The government has cancelled passports of 45 NRIs for abandoning their wives, Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi has said. The Integrated Nodal Agency made to look into the matter has been issuing Look-Out Circulars to absconding husbands in cases of NRI marriages and 45 passports have been impounded by the external affairs ministry, Gandhi said. The agency is chaired by secretary in the

women and child development minister Rakesh Srivastava. Gandhi said the government had also introduced in Rajya Sabha a bill to give justice to the women who have been abandoned by their NRI husbands, but expressed dismay that the bill has got stalled in the upper house. The bill envisages registration of marriages by NRIs, amendment of the Passports Act, 1967 and Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

to the appropriate visa and a return ticket, with all necessary documents. Economic reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman aim to lift total tourism spending in the kingdom — by local citizens as well as foreigners — to $46.6 billion in 2020 from $27.9 billion in 2015, the government has said. “Embassies and consulates will be able to issue the visas within 24 hours of receiving a request,” a TV channel reported. It (Contd. on page 2)

Indian passport services go online in Oman MUSCAT: Indian citizens in Oman who wish to renew or apply for new passports will only be able to do so online now. This has been announced by the Embassy of India in Oman. From March 3, 2019, the Global Passport Seva Programme came into effect enabling people to apply for their passports through the portal. The current process of passport renewal will last until March 10.

Pension option for staff of public sector insurance companies NEW DELHI: The government has decided to allow one more opportunity to employees of public sector insurance companies who joined the service by June 28, 1995, to opt for pension as a retirement benefit. In April 1997, employees of Life Insurance Corporation, General Insurance Corporation of India, National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company, United India Insurance Company

and New India Assurance Company were offered a similar opportunity. But many eligible employees could not exercise the option. There has been a long-standing demand for another chance. To mitigate the hardships of such employees of whom many have retired, the government has decided as a welfare measure to allow one more opportunity to employees of public sector insurance

Indian economy to grow at 7.3pc, says Moody’s

NEW YORK: Even as the global economy will further weaken in 2019 and 2020, India’s economy will grow at 7.3pc in both the calendar years as it is less exposed to the global slowdown, Moody’s said. “We expect India’s economy to grow around 7.3pc in both the years,” the US-based rating agency said in its quarterly Global Macro Outlook for 2019 and 2020. Its outlooks are based on the calendar year (Jan-Dec). Suggesting downside risks to global growth and slowing of the monetary policy normalisation in 2019, it said: “The global economy weakened significantly in the fourth quarter of 2018 and will continue to weaken throughout 2019 and into 2020.” However, it said India and Indonesia are poised to grow at a relatively stable pace, though below their re-

spective potential. “While not immune, India and Indonesia are less exposed to a slowdown in global manufacturing trade growth than other major Asian economies and emerging markets,” it said. Moody’s said the govern-

ment spending announced ahead of elections this year will support near-term growth in India by increasing consumption. Also, RBI is likely to maintain its current monetary policy stance after some tightening last year. In the Interim budget in February, the govern-

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar presenting PhD to students at the 13th convocation of Dr DY Patil University in Nerul, Thane district, Maharashtra.

ment had announced a special relief package for the distressed farmers and tax breaks for middle-class earners through tax rebates and an increased standard deduction. “Together, the direct cash transfer programme for farmers and the middle class tax relief measures will contribute a fiscal stimulus of about 0.45pc of GDP,” it said, adding that the Indian household spending growth will remain stable. RBI cut its benchmark policy rate in Feb and changed the policy stance to “neutral” from “calibrated tightening” after witnessing falling inflation since mid2018. It fell to 2.04pc in Jan, largely because of declining food prices. Moody’s said the overall strength of the banking system, which got capital infusion from the government in Feb is

improving but it remains a constraint on the economy. These measures, combined with the application of the prompt corrective action framework, which requires timely recognition of bad loans and their resolution through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, are helping to address solvency and asset quality challenges. According to RBI, nonperforming assets declined to 10.8pc in Sept 2018 from a peak of 11.5pc in March 2018. The central bank expects this ratio to improve further to 10.3pc in March 2019. “In fact, with rangebound oil prices, export growth has outpaced import growth for the last two years. Fiscal spending on infrastructure and the rural economy should continue to support domestic activity,” Moody’s said.

companies who joined service on or before June 28, 1995 to opt for the pension scheme of their respective organisations in lieu of contributory provident fund. The decision is expected to benefit 42,720 employees (serving and retired) of which 24,595 are of Life Insurance Corporation and 18,125 of other companies, said an official statement issued by the Department of Financial Services.

Air India not to accept cancelled tickets of Jet Airways MUMBAI: As Jet Airways continue to face severe financial problems, Air India has said it would not accept any passengers who have got cancelled tickets of Jet. Generally, when an airline cancels a flight due to some exigencies, other airlines accommodate the former’s passengers in their flights. The airline, which has got its flight cancelled, has to pay other airlines for passengers accommodated. “With immediate effect and till further notice, Jet Airways (India) and Jet Lite Limited documents (including FIM and endorsed/involuntary rerouted/rebooked/exchanged/re-issue documents) are not to be accepted for travel on Air India flights,” said an order of Air India dated March 1. FIM stands for Flight Interruption Manifest. Around 15 aircraft of Jet have been grounded by the lessors due to non-payment. Jet is trying to raise funds for its operations as it has a debt of around Rs 8,200 crore currently. Moreover, its pilots have been threatening action as there have been delays in salary payment.

States urged to join Udan NEW DELHI: Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has called upon state governments to join the regional air connectivity scheme –Udan -- to realise the growth benefits from the multiplier effect of travel and tourism. Inaugurating the third edition of “Wings 2019” here, the junior civil aviation minister said that in order to make air travel affordable and accessible to the common man, states would have to be integral partners in the scheme and join hands with airlines and other stakeholders. “It is in the states where the action is. It is they who will have to drive the process and become beneficiaries of growth,” he said at the event which was jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the ministry of civil aviation. The states, he said, would have to envisage having facilities to accommodate wide-body aircraft from their airports. On Jan 25, the

central government awarded contracts to 11 companies to operate fixed-wing and seaplane services under the third round of Udan scheme connecting destinations like Ambala, Amravati, Campbell Bay and Car Nicobar among others. Accordingly, the ministry issued “Letter of Awards” for 73 proposals involving 235 regional connectivity scheme (RCS) and wa-

ter aerodrome routes which were received under the third round of RCS-Udan. This was the first time that proposals for connecting tourist destinations and seaplane services have been awarded. In the current scheme, the support fund for routes connecting tourist destinations will be provided by the ministry of tourism. (Contd. on page 2)

Forex reserves at $399.21b MUMBAI: The country’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $944.7 million to $399.217 billion in the week to Feb 22 due to increase in foreign currency assets. In the previous week, the reserves had increased by $150.2 million to $ 398.272 billion. In the reporting week, foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, rose by $928.6 million to $371.99 billion. Expressed in US dollars, foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of

non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves. The reserves had touched a record high of $426.028b in the week to April 13, 2018. Since then, the forex kitty has been on a slide and is now down by over $31b. Gold reserves remained unchanged at $22.764b in the reporting week, the data showed. The special drawing rights with IMF rose by $5.3m to $1.460b. The country’s reserve position with IMF increased by $0.8m to $2.993b.

OCI cards to be printed in New Zealand WELLINGTON: There is some good news for members of the Indian diaspora as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards will now be printed in Wellington, New Zealand. Presemntly, OCI cards are being printed in India. An OCI card allows a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely. As part of government of India’s continuous endeavour to simplify, improve and expedite provision of consular services, the high commission of India

in Wellington has started the printing of Overseas Citizen of India cards with effect from Feb 28. The printing of OCI cards in New Zealand will result in further reduction in processing time of OCI applications, thereby benefitting all persons of Indian origin in New Zealand, Samoa and Niue. “Once the printing process is streamlined, our aim is to bring down the processing time of OCI applications to 30 working days from the cur-

rent 40 to 50 working days,” a source said. OCI was introduced in view of considerable demands from the people of Indian diaspora particularly in developed countries. Overseas Citizenship of India scheme was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005, granting certain privileges to the foreigners of Indian origin for travelling to and staying in India, acquiring property in India and in certain financial, economic and educa-

tional matters. The scheme was launched during one of the PBDs. OCI CARD PRIVILEGES: • Multiple-entry multi-purpose life-long visa to visit India (special approval is required for research, mountaineering, missionary activities, journalism and to visit restricted / protected areas). • Exemption from reporting to police authorities / FRRO for any length of stay in India; parity with NRIs in certain finan-

cial, economic and educational matters except for acquisition of agricultural or plantation land and In matters pertaining to inter-country adoption of Indian children. • Parity with domestic Indians in an entry to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and in a matter of tariffs in airfares in domestic sectors in India. • Eligible for grant of Indian citizenship under Section 5(1) (g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 after completion of five years

as OCI card holder, provided he has resided in India for one year out of five years before making the application. • However, OCI card holders do not have any voting rights and are not eligible for election to parliament or state legislatures or for holding constitutional posts such as president, vice president, judges of supreme court/high court etc or to hold any public office under the union or any of the state governments.

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2 Indian-origin man gets jail for fraud NEW YORK: An Indianorigin man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison and ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution for being convicted of mail fraud and embezzlement. Dinesh Shankar (41) of San Jose, California, was sentenced to 33 months in prison as a result of the mail fraud conviction for embezzling from a medical device company, Attorney David Anderson said. In addition to the prison sentence and the $2.6 million restitution, he was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release. Shankar will begin serving his sentence this year. According to the plea agreement, from March 2013 until Jan 2018, Shankar was an employee of a medical device company. Beginning July 2013 until Dec 2017, he submitted false expense reports and false invoices to the company’s finance

department, causing the company to pay more than half-a-million dollars in excess of the legitimate expenses and expenditures for services provided to the company. In addition, Shankar admitted that he created false invoices that appeared to be issued by six different entities, which were actually fictitious business names for entities that he controlled. He prepared the false invoices to make it appear that the entities provided testing and quality assurance services to his employer when, in fact, they had not provided the services. Shankar admitted he caused a total loss to the company of about $2.5 million. A federal grand jury indicted Shankar in April last year charging him with six counts of mail fraud. He pleaded guilty to one count in November and the remaining counts were dismissed.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

Gold demand in India improves DUBAI: Looks like it’s time to buy gold and jewellery as prices of the yellow metal continue to fall persistently, posting its biggest weekly decline since Nov 2018 last week. Analysts forecast that the prices will remain under pressure in the near future but will pick up in the later part of the year --- 24-carat gold could gain nine per cent and cross Dh170 per gm by end-2019 from the present level of Dh156.75. As a result of a dip in prices, some major Dubai jewellery retailers, as well as in India and China, are reporting higher customer footfall and sales. Gold demand in India improved following a fall in local prices, while some investors in other major Asian centres sold the metal back to make use of relatively higher prices while delaying purchases on expectations of a further correction. “Jewellers are buying in a phased manner as prices have corrected. They

are expecting an improvement in retail demand in coming weeks,” said Harshad Ajmera, the proprietor

some jewellers are expecting a further fall in prices. They are not covering their full requirement,” said a Mumbai-

positive for the gold buyers,” he said. Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, noted that a

of JJ Gold House, a wholesaler in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata. Dealers in India were offering a discount of up to $2 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, down from last week’s $6. The domestic price includes a 10pc import tax. “As of now prices are correcting,

based dealer with a bullion importing bank. Shamlal Ahamed, managing director for international operations at Malabar Gold and Diamonds, said they are witnessing a significant increase in the customer footfalls in the past few days. “The overall price trend these days is still very

combination of continued demand for stocks, a stronger dollar, rising US bond yields and the recent rejection at $1,350 an ounce all helped attract profit-taking in yellow metal. Vijay Valecha, chief investment analyst at Century Financial, observed that international gold spot prices

have declined 4.1pc in the last two weeks driven by seasonality and profit-booking. “Sentiments are likely to be negative in the near term but demand could pick up in the later part of the year on an uncertain economic outlook and dovish monetary policy,” he said. “The current global economic expansion, which began in 2009, is well past its prime and we could be heading into a recession in 2020. This economic uncertainty along with a benign interest rate environment should propel gold higher by 8.5pc from the current levels to $1,400 per ounce by the year-end. We could see the UAE 24-carat gold rate at Dh171.40 by the end of the year.” Traditionally, he said, gold demand tends to soften after the end of the Chinese New Year, as well as the peak of Indian wedding season. Also, $1,340 to $1,360 is a strong resistance zone in the international gold market where sellers come into play.

RAK beckons investments from Kerala Jay Chaudhry climbs into KOCHI: If “Made in Kerala” products are popular anywhere outside Kerala, it would definitely be in the Gulf region. But, Ras Al Khaimah or RAK, one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE with a significant population comprising Malayalee NRIs, is an odd exception. Despite the potential, there is not much of a presence for brands from Kerala in the emirates. Abdullah Rashid Al Mansoori, chairman of Global Management & Organiser Exhibitions, is determined to change this. Mansoori, was in Kochi for two days, convincing companies from Kerala to push their brands in Ras Al Khaimah and set up their facilities, factories and warehouses at the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ).

“RAKEZ has offered 20 to 50pc discount for companies coming to the zone, including setting up warehouse, office, real estate and healthcare. Ras Al Khaimah will also give unlimited visas for workers of companies from Kerala,” he said. Ashwin Khanna, sales team leader at RAKEZ, flew down to Kochi the other day to interact with potential businesses and invite them to invest in the economic zone. RAK is now focusing on building a competitively stronger economy. Being a logistic hub with seaports, international airport and multi-lane superhighways, companies can easily access the trade flows between the east and the west. Mansoori said RAK is one of the fastest grow-

ing economies in the UAE with the presence of large industries, strong support from the government departments and modern and developed road network, cost-effective company setup and resident population with high spending potential. RAK is hosting a fiveday exhibition titled “Made in Kerala-2019” from April 9 to 13. “Even though we offer a discount of 20 to 50pc, we are confident that within five years, these companies will bring the capital back,” Mansoori said. Made in Kerala 2019 is targeted to promote the various brands of Kerala in the UAE to avail Kerala’s businesses a platform to explore new opportunities, to exhibit the growing potential Kerala and to encourage Foreign Direct

Investment and to promote sectors in Kerala which have the strong market potential. Hence, the product sectors on focus at the Expo would include health and wellness, education, travel and tourism, finance and investment, home and living, fashion and food products. While Kerala-based companies in Ayurveda, tourism, organic food and handmade products offer immense scope for the RAK market, Mansoori said there is also potential for Kerala to lure business from the emirate. “This exhibition can be used by Kerala tourism and other sectors to attract visitors/investors into Kerala,” he said. About 40 companies have already expressed interest to participate in the “Made in Kerala” expo.

world’s richest club

NEW YORK: Decades before he joined the business.” Fuelled by the rapid rise of cloudranks of Silicon Valley’s super rich, Jay based computing, companies are increasingChaudhry lived with his parents in a Hi- ly tethering more and more of their business malayan village without running water. to online networks. While this allows them The founder of Zscaler Inc. is now part of a to gather unprecedented levels of operational growing wave of billionaires who information, it also exposes their have built cybersecurity businessfirms to more cyber threats. Data protection laws and highes. Chaudhry (60) and his family profile cyberattacks -- such as the benefit from stakes in the San Joseworld’s largest airline data hack based firm worth almost $3.4 billast year -- are equally forcing comlion. He along with six other cyberpanies to reconsider their internet security software tycoons emerged defences. At the same time, Westwith 10-figure fortunes in the past year are worth about $10 billion ern governments have expressed combined, according to the Bloomconcern that China’s intelligence Jay Chaudhry berg Billionaires Index, and togethservices are snooping on foreign er represent the latest wealth surge among citizens through products sold by telecom the founders of internet-focused firms. giant Huawei Technologies Co. The sector “I do look sometimes back and say, has minted at least seven billionaires in the ‘Whoa,’” Chaudhry told a TV channel. “My past 12 months. “The world runs on largesuccess so far has mainly been because I have scale networks and data systems that are very little attachment for money. My obses- inherently complex and highly connected,” sion is really to make sure that the internet said Awais Rashid, professor of cybersecuand cloud are a safe place for everyone to do rity at the University of Bristol in England.

Neha Kakkar to US-Indian Medha VP of perform in Dubai Pennsylvania varsity

DUBAI: Bringing energy and making the festival of colours Holi, more memorable, Neha Kakkar will have Dubai dancing to her hit Bollywood numbers at an ensuing Holi Masti event. The singer will be headlining the Holi festivities at Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre Dubai on Friday, March 22. The day-long entertainment event will start at 10.30am and will feature a separate kids’ area, food and beverage stalls and much more. Neha Kakkar, the rockstar and glamour queen of the Indian music industry will be belting out her blockbuster hits including Dhating Naach, Kala Neha Kakkar Chashma, Sunny Sunny, London Thumkada and Kar Gayee Chull along with the popular Holi songs. Music by DJ Pierre Ferns, DJ Ricky, DJ Chirag and DJ Praveen Nair and DJ Essam will also get people grooving. Tickets are available on Platinum List Dubai and priced at Dhs99 for one person, Dhs179 for two people and Dhs299 for four people.

Published by IPEPCIL Publications Ltd RNI No.: MAHENG/2018/76663 Publisher: Supreet M.J. Editor : E.L. Vaidyanathan Volume No.: 1, Issue: 42 Published at: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103. Printed at: Inquilab Offset Printers Ltd., 156, D J Dadaji Road, Tardeo, Mumbai-400 034, Maharashtra, India.

PENNSYLVANIA: The University of Pennsylvania and its president Amy Gutmann announced that it has named Medha Narvekar as its next vice president and secretary. Narvekar will officially assume the posts on July 1. The Indian American executive has worked in Penn’s Development and Alumni Relations office for 32 years, beginning shortly after she earned an MBA from Penn’s Wharton School. Most recently, she has served as senior associate vice president of DAR, working closely with the president and many trustees. “Medha is both renowned and respected across Penn,” Gutmann said in a statement. “Very few people know Penn as well or have worked so successfully with so many

people across our university. Her extensive experience across all areas—including working directly with trustees, overseers and Penn’s

NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court held that special allowance is part of basic wages for EPF dues computation, retirement fund body EPFO has decided to take a stringent action against those firms which will not take into account such component in PF contributions. The apex court in its judgment has ruled that special allowance is part of the basic wages for comput-

ing the employees provident fund (EPF). The employer as well as employee pay 12pc of basic wages each

Medha Narvekar

most generous donors—gives her a unique capacity to step into the important position of vice president and secretary.” Narvekar earned a BA from Swarthmore College in 1981 and her Wharton degree in 1986. In addition to her new

responsibilities, Narvekar will continue to provide support to DAR, serving as liaison from Development to the President’s Office. In this capacity, the university report added, she will continue to have a reporting relationship to John Zeller, senior vice president of DAR, and remain a member of the DAR senior management team as the university moves through the final phases of the Power of Penn fundraising campaign. Narvekar, when she takes over this summer, will succeed Leslie Kruhly, who retires at the end of June but who has agreed to remain at Penn through the end of 2019 as a senior adviser to the president to help with the leadership transition in the secretary’s office.

Saudi ninth most powerful country: US study JEDDAH: A US study has ranked Saudi Arabia as the ninth most powerful country in the world in terms of political and financial influence. Saudi Arabia was described as a “Middle East giant” and the Kingdom has very large oil reserves and exports to many countries around the world, and millions of Muslims visit Makkah throughout the year for pilgrimage. The study published by the Business Insider magazine listed the US at the top of the list, followed by Rus-

sia, China, Germany and Britain. The study considered the country’s political and financial influences in their rankings, as well as its international alliances, the strength of its military and how it acts as an international leader. They come as part of US News and World Report’s “2019 Best Countries” ranking conducted in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, which surveyed more than 20,000 people on their opinions of 80 countries.

NRI killed in road mishap

MOHALI: An NRI (45) from the UK was killed in a road accident on Airport Road near Sector 68 here. The victim has been identified as Sanjiv Kumar, who arrived here last month. According to the police, Sanjiv was travelling in a cab, which was hit by a speeding Creta from the rear side. Sanjiv was coming from his cousin’s house and heading towards Phase-1, where he was staying. The police said the victim died on the spot, while the cab driver, Rupinder escaped unhurt. Creta driver Somal Soni also received minor injuries in the incident. Somal’s father is a police inspector posted at Fatehgarh Sahib. Sanjiv is survived by towards contribution for sohis wife, a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter, cial security scheme run by who are in the UK. According to one of his relatives, Santhe Employees’ Provident jiv came here on Feb 18 and was supposed to go back on Fund Organisation (EPFO). March 9. A case has been registered against Somal.

EPFO warns employers States urged to join...

(Contd. from page 1) Subsequently, flight operations are expected to connect destinations like Kushinagar, Jharsuguda, Saharanpur(Sarsawa), Guwahati River Front, Nagarjuna Sagar, Statue of Unity in Gujarat among others. According to the ministry, 16 unserved and 17 underserved airports, along with six water aerodromes and 50 served airports would be connected, based on the proposals identified for the award.

Now, Saudi tourist visa...

(Contd. from page 1) did not specify when the visas would become available. As part of Prince Mohammad’s agenda, the kingdom has ended a nearly 40-year ban on cinemas, allowed music concerts, including performances by Western pop stars and organised international sporting events. There are a number of tourist attractions being developed in Saudi Arabia, including Amaala and Al Ula.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

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Five-fold rise in hiring by IT firms NEW DELHI: Jobs are back in IT! The $167 billion industry, which was singing a dirge on rampant job cuts, irregular hiring patterns and reneging job offers made at campuses until a year ago, have risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Data collated from the top four IT companies reveal that there has been a five-fold increase in hiring during the first nine months of the current financial year as compared with the overall hiring made in 2017-2018. IT majors such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro and HCL have together hired more than 70,000 people, with TCS leading the pack adding 22,931 employees in the nine months to December 2018, followed by rival Infosys adding 21,398 people, Wipro (12,456) and HCL (12,247). Analysts say that this surge could be to stabilise the busi-

ness following strong attrition through the past year amid rising tide of newer technologies, pressure on traditional businesses and growing protectionism in their main markets. Thanks to the inflow of large deals and with new digital opportunities picking up, the IT majors are once again ramping

up their operations. Besides hiring afresh, they have also begun to spend on upskilling employees. According to Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder of hiring firm TeamLease Services, tier 2 and tier 3 cities, will benefit from this demand, as

these cities have a strong talent pool. Salaries are projected to rise by 10-13pc in 2019, and the highest paid technology areas are going to be big data analytics, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence developers, she observed. The IT staffing industry is pegged to grow at 14-16pc per annum

to hurt their margins. TCS, which secured deals worth $5.9 billion during the December quarter, said it has hired more employees to meet that demand which weighed on the margin. “We’ve been adding people. The costs primarily are higher because of the people cost,” said V Ramakrishan, chief financial officer, said. TCS’ margin stood at 25.6pc in the December quarter. That’s below the guided range of 26-28pc and also the biggest sequential decline since AprilJune 2017-18. On hiring The surge in hiring by IT and garner $5.3 billion by firms could be to stabilise busi2021, contributing to the new ness following strong attrition, age of technology. say analysts. While this is good news for DISCLAIMER IT professionals as it comes Readers are requested to verify and make appropriate enquiries to satisfy themselves about the veracity of an advertisement in the backdrop of a major before responding to any published advertisements in this newspaper. NEWS AND NRI CONNECT, its publisher and owner IPEPCIL Publications do NOT vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s lay-off season in last two products and /or services. In no event can the owner, publisher, printer, editor, director, employees of this newspaper/company years, it is not exactly so for be held responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever for any claims and /or damages for advertisements in this newspaper. the companies as it continues

         

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Careers in biotech shaping up: Sheffield lecturer FIEO seeks more products NEW DELHI: Recently, the British Council had organised Biotechnology Mission in South India, whose objective was to develop partnerships in areas of biotechnology at South Indian higher education institutions. “Research in biotech as well as antimicrobial resistance is growing in both academia and pharma industry,” says Dr Lynda Partridge, senior lecturer, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, UK, who was part of the mission. In an interview to a leading business newspaper, she said that with increased investment, “there are many new career opportunities for graduates looking to implement change in this field around the globe.” University of Sheffield has

launched the MSc Antimicrobial Resistance course. What is the need for this study area? Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to global public health. It

occurs when the microbes that cause infection survive exposure to a medicine that would normally kill them. There may be 10 million deaths per year by 2050 due to antibiotic resistant microbes unless we step. University of Sheffield has a strong history

in this area; Sir Howard Florey carried out first clinical trials of penicillin in Sheffield, and warned of the possible dangers of antibiotic resistance in his Nobel Prize acceptance

speech in 1945. We need a better understanding of the spread of resistance. That’s why experts at Sheffield’s Florey Institute developed this course. Who is the programme aimed at? It’s aimed at students with an interest in infec-

tious diseases, antibiotics and their use in healthcare and infection control. What are the career opportunities? Graduates will be equipped with specialist knowledge and transferable skills needed to pursue careers as research scientists or consultants for biotechnology or pharmaceutical giants, policymakers for public health organisations or NGOs, or careers in academia in the areas of microbiology, immunology and beyond. What are the alternatives to antibiotics? If we can understand the way microbes infect and spread in our bodies, we can develop new therapies. Approaches we’re investigating include anti-adhesive therapy (to prevent microbes from

‘sticking’ to the cells in our bodies in the first place) and the development of new vaccines. You’re developing a new eye infection treatment with LV Prasad Institute… Eye infections can lead to loss of sight. In India, it’s estimated that 840,000 people a year may be affected by this ‘silent epidemic’. A team of scientists and clinicians from University of Sheffield and LV Prasad Institute are developing a treatment that doesn’t rely on conventional antibiotics. We’ve identified a way of preventing microbes from establishing an infection on the surface of the eye, which can be applied without the need for timeconsuming diagnosis, even in rural areas.

under MEIS via e-commerce MUMBAI: Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has sought inclusion of jewellery and auto compo-

nents under the export incentive scheme via e-commerce to boost outbound shipments. Commenting on the draft e-commerce policy, FIEO president Ganesh Kumar Gupta said only a few items such as handicraft, handloom, books, leather footwear and toys avail exports incentives under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). “The list requires im-

mediate expansion as many MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) units exporting auto components, are deprived of MEIS,” he said. The proposed policy should bring uniform definition of e-commerce as various acts and policies define the world differently, Gupta said. The limitation of Rs 25,000 for e-commerce exports or imports through courier, should be either removed or enhanced to Rs 5 lakh, so that high-value shipments can be exported through courier mode, availing fast-track facility. It is ironical that e-commerce retail exports are still in the manual mode and the need of the hour is that the entire e-commerce transaction should be carried out through electronic module, he added.

RBI extends KYC deadline by 6 months Essar Oil gets environment nod MUMBAI: Providing a major relief to e-wallet companies, the Reserve Bank of India has extended deadline by six months for compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) norms, for prepaid payment instrument (PPI) issuers. The earlier deadline was February 28. The RBI had said it had received requests from various stakeholders to increase the timeline given the difficulties in undertaking Aadhaar e-KYC and time necessary to put in place alternative systems for completing the KYC process. U p a s a n a Ta ku , c o -

founder and director at MobiKwik, said the extension will give it more time for completing the full KYC process for its users. “Mobile wallets have been instrumental in driving digital payments in India. This announcement will ensure increased adoption and growth for digital payments. It will in turn have a positive impact on the financial inclusion story,” she said. The extension will also offer players more time to chart out strategy for compliance, Payments Council of India (PCI) chairman Vishwas Patel said. “If the extension had

not come through, our members could have lost 80-90 per cent of their user base. Physical KYC is not only a time consuming effort but also an expensive process. Operators will now get more time to strategise on the road map,” he added. PPIs are instruments that facilitate purchase of goods and services, including financial services and remittance facilities, against the value stored on such instruments. E-wallet companies were caught in a bind over looming deadline as companies were apprehensive that they will not be able to meet the

central bank’s deadline to complete KYC of all customers by February-end. The largest player in the ecosystem, Paytm did not respond to queries. “ Po s t t h e A a d h a a r judgement, the entire PPI industry was anxiously awaiting clarity on how to do KYC moving forward. This six-month extension will help settle things down smoothly,” Hemant Gala, head of Payments, Banking and Financial Services at PhonePe, said. Amazon, which operates Amazon Pay, said the extension in KYC timeline will “ensure customers are not impacted adversely”.

AHMEDABAD: Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production (EOGEPL) has received environment clearance for exploring shale gas reserves in its Raniganj block in West Bengal, an official said. This follows the government’s decision to allow operators freedom to explore both conventional oil and natural gas as well as nonconventional sources like coal-bed methane (CBM) and shale reserves within a exploration acreage. Essar operates India’s highest producing CBM block in Raniganj. Previously, companies could explore only oil and

natural gas or CBM depending on their licence for the block. The official said the expert appraisal committee (EAC) in January 29 meeting allowed Essar to drill 20 wells to explore shale gas in its Raniganj CBM block. It has been awarded an exploration lease for shale gas, CBM and hydrocarbons in the Raniganj block. EOGPL has got approval to drill 20 shale wells at a cost of Rs 10 crore. To start with, it will drill five wells in the block to test the shale potential. When contacted, company Managing Director and CEO Vilas Tawde said: “We will start off with collecting the

data. For this, we will need to drill the coal, identify the sweet spot and then drill horizontally for almost a km. Thereafter, we will analyse the coal, the shale, the strength of the shale, and the required volume. If this exploration is successful, we plan to drill around 220-250 wells that will require an investment of Rs 7,000 crore,” he said. EOGEPL has invested around Rs 4,000 crore in the Raniganj block, which will produce 1.7 million standard cubic metres per of gas from coal seams (CBM) in the next two years and ramp up to 2.5 mmscmd in the next three to four years.

Rajvardhan Azad appointed as chairman of Bihar university commission NEW DELHI: Bihar government has appointed Dr Rajvardhan Azad, former chief and professor of ophthalmology at the All India Institute of Medical sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, as the chairman of the revived Bihar state university service commission, which will carry out appointment of teachers in the understaffed universities of state. The commission was dissolved in 2007 and 10 years later in 2017 Bihar legislature passed the Bihar state university service commission Act to fill large-scale vacancies, which is hampering quality in higher education in the state. A similar

move was made in 2011 also and the bill for the revival of the commission was passed from both houses of the legislature. However, it could not get the gubernatorial assent on the ground that it was a money bill. Azad, who received the prestigious BC Roy National Award for eminent medical Teacher by Medical Council of India in 1987, will have tenure of three years from the date of notification or till the age of 72 years. The notification was issued by the department of education. Azad served as chairman of various bodies, including national task

the field of retinal force on ROP disease, more so in (retinopathy of retinopathy. He esprematurity), All tablished ROP unit India Collegium along with neoof Ophthalmolonatology departgist (AIOS), family ment of AIIMS and benefit schemewas responsible All India Ophthalfor training many mological Society young ophthalmol(AIOS), ophthalmic education ogist in managecommittee Asia ment of ROP. Pacific Academy “I have devoted of Ophthalmolmy entire life to ogy, Ophthalmic teaching. I have Instrument & Apserved in various pliances, Bureau capacities and will of Indian Stanstrive to give my darad, and headbest to the commisquarter committee sion for strengthenAll India Ophthaling Bihar’s higher mological Society education,” he said RP Centre for Ophthalmic (AIOS). Sciences, AIIMS, he made after receiving the notifiWhile working in Dr numerous contributions in cation.

Azad, son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, also contested the Lok Sabha election once in 2014 from Godda. The appointment of Azad finally sets the ball rolling for the commission, which will also have six other members. The selection of members is likely to be completed soon. A separate notification for the constitution of the commission was also issued with the one for the appointment of the chairman. At present, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is vested with the power of appointment of assistant professors. BPSC had advertised 3364

vacancies in 2014. The interview process got underway in 2015 and is yet to be completed. Before that, the appointment of lecturers was made in 2003 on the basis of 1997 advertisement by the commission, which then existed. The universities in Bihar are facing a huge vacancy, estimated to be over 7000 and still growing, This is precisely what led to the creation the commission after the matter was raised several times in the Bihar assembly. Despite recent appointments by the BPSC, several colleges and departments are running with inadequate teaching strength, with the situation worse in rural areas.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

5

NATIONAL JOBS & CAREERS

CSIR-UGC NET 2019: Registration closes on Mar 18 NHAI invites applications for 141 posts

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he online registration process for Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) UGC NET examinations June 2019 has already started on February 25. The examination is scheduled to be conducted on June 16. Candidates can apply for the exam by visiting the official website of CSIR at csirhrdg.res.in. Click on the link for applying online to proceed. The link for registration is not opening at the moment. Candidates may have to wait and try after some time. Candidates must carefully read the detailed instructions contained in the information bulletin before applying for the examination. A candidate can apply

either for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) OR Lectureship (LS). He/she may indicate his/her preference while applying. If a candidate applies for JRF

and fulfils the eligibility criteria for lectureship too, he will be considered for both JRF and lectureship. If a candidate is found to be over-aged for JRF, he/ she will be automatically considered for lectureship

only. A candidate should submit only one application. If he submits more than one, the application sent last will be considered. In order

to avoid last minute rush, apply as early as possible. The last date to apply for CSIR-UGC NET for JRF/LS June 2019 examination in March 18. The examination is held to determine the eligi-

bility candidates for the award of Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and for determining eligibility for appointment as Lecturer in chemical sciences, earth, atmospheric, ocean and planetary sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences. The award of Junior Research Fellowship to the successful eligible candidates depends on their finding admission/ placement in a University/ National laboratory/ Institution of higher learning and research. Note: Go through the information bulletin and notification for CSIR-UGC NET for JRF/LS June 2019 examination to know details about eligibility conditions, exam centres, how to apply and much more.

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he National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued notification for a number of posts. Applications have been invited for 141 manager and deputy manager posts. Candidates interested to apply may do so on or before May 8 through prescribed format. Applicants who wish to apply for these posts must have a degree in Civil Engineering from any university or institute recognised by the government. Candidates having required experience in the relevant field will be preferred. Things to remember Important dates Last date for application submission: May 8 Vacancy details Manager (Technical) – 24 positions

Maha govt to set up GRC for students

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o address the complaints and issues of students, the Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department has issued a government notification for setting up a Grievance Redressal Cells (GRC) at the college, university and institutional levels. Besides, there will be a Lokpal in each university to decide on the appeals against Institutional and University Grievance Redressal Cells. Officials from the Higher and Technical Education Department, the colleges or recognised institutions and various departments of an university are expected to set up the GRCs to address the complaints or issues of the students. The issues not resolved at the departmentlevel of universities and at the college level can be

referred to the Institutional and University GRCs respectively. Each university will appoint a Lokpal or ombudsman for hearing the appeals against the orders of the Institutional and

government must ensure its effective implementation to ensure that it does not become just another complaint box, like the ones found in many government departments. Also,

University GRCs. Even as the state government has decided to set up the students’ grievance readdresal cells at college and university levels, the

the government’s decision to exempt appeals before the Lokpal in matters of revaluation or remarking of answer sheets deprives a large number of students

from seeking further remedy in this frequently faced issue. “At present, there is no such grievance redressal mechanism at the college or university level. Now, students can raise various issues, including denial of admission on merit, irregularities in admission process, admission rejected without reason, not following reservation rules during admissions and non-payment of scholarships. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to have such a mechanism for the students,” Vinod Tawde, Minister for Higher and Technical Education, said while addressing the media. “The universities and the colleges are expected to set up these mechanisms and Lokpal in the next two

to three months. It should be effective from June when the new academic year starts,” Tawde added. As per the norms, a Lokpal can be a retired district judge or retired vice-chancellor or registrar or principal. Senior professor, head of the departments, principals can head GRCs. While the GRCs are expected to resolve the complaints in 50 days, the Lokpal would resolve the grievance in 30 days. There are total 14 universities in the state to which these GRCs and Lokpal will be applicable, said another official. The official said the colleges or recognised institutions and universities are expected to develop a dedicated online portal, where students can lodge their complaints.

Deputy Manager (Technical) – 117 positions Eligibility criteria Educational Qualification: Candidates having a degree in Civil Engineering from any university/institute recognised by the government may apply Salary Manager (Technical): Those selected may get Rs. 15600-39100 as per as per 7th CPC Pay Matrix-12 Pay Scale Band 3 Deputy Manager (Technical): Selected candidates will get Rs. 15600-39100 as per as per 7th CPC Pay Matrix-11 Pay Scale Band 3 How to apply Applicants may apply through online mode on or before May 8. They may apply at NHAI official website

www,nhai.gov.in. Interested candidates can apply to the post through the online mode on or before 8 May 2019. Candidates can refer to the official website for more details.

In November last year, the NHAI had invited applications for 70 posts for young professionals (Finance). Jobs were invited on a contractual basis. Of above said vacancies 37 were for unreserved while 18, 10 and 05 positions were reserved for Other Backward Class (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

CP Thakur appointed as CUSB chancellor

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ajya Sabha MP and former union minister Dr CP Thakur has been appointed as the chancellor of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), Gaya. A notification to this effect was issued on March 1. Thakur, who received the prestigious Padma Shri and BC Roy Awards, will have tenure of five years. He succeeds former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, whose term ended last year. President Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the central universities, appointed him. After Thakur’s name got the Visitor’s nod, the department of higher education, ministry of human resource department, issued the communique for the

CUSB to notify the same. Thakur’s name was also promptly included in the CUSB website. CUSB vice chancellor, Prof Harish Chandra Singh Rathore, said the position was vacant for a long time and it was good to have to a famed personality as the chancellor. “He will preside over the board meeting and convocation,” he added. Thakur, a famous doctor, said he had all his life remained associated with academics and worked with integrity. “I will try to contribute whatever best I can for the institution,” he said. Established under the Central Universities Act, 2009, CUSB shifted to its new sprawling campus at Panchanpur, approximately 12 kms away from Gaya, last year.

Dry eye disease to affect 50pc urban Indians by 2030 New drug may help delay ageing in humans

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early half of India’s urban population is likely to be affected by dry eye disease by 2030, making it a bigger health concern than lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart attack, pointed out a recent study by researchers from LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). The study pointed out that area of residence, socioeconomic affluence and professional work, including computer-based vocations, could play a role in determining the percentage of risk. Men in their twenties and thirties and women in

their forties and fifties are vulnerable to the disease, researchers said. LVPEI Centre for Ocular Regeneration director Dr Sayan Basu who carried

out the study along with Dr Anthony Vipin Das analysed data records of 1.45 million patients using LVPEI’s indigenously developed eyeSmart

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system. The study estimated that based on current incidence rates, 45pc of India’s urban population is likely to be affected by dry eye disease by 2030, roughly translating to a staggering 275 million people. Even rural India is likely to see 17 million new dry eye disease patients every year according to the study. “Dry eye disease not only affects the patient’s vision but also disturbs their quality of life,

causing anxiety and depression, often affecting their professional productivity. However, if detected early and treated appropriately, patients can lead a normal,” Dr Basu said. “At times, dry eyes can be associated with serious medical conditions such as arthritis, which if neglected can lead to irreversible visual impairment and blindness. Therefore, it is critical that people at risk get screened for the condition and seeks timely relief,” he added.

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esearchers, including one of Indian origin, have developed a promising drug that significantly increases muscle size, strength and metabolic state in aged mice, and may help delay ageing process in humans. As we age, our bodies increasingly lose the ability to repair and rebuild degenerating skeletal muscles, said researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in the US. Beginning around age

Your wellness

Oral typhoid vaccine may protect against other infections

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ral typhoid vaccines, which have with weakened strains of Salmonella, may also protect against other infections, according to a study that could impact vaccination strategy in the developing world, where infectious diseases are common and where broader protection could potentially save many lives. Typhoid fever is a bacterial bloodstream infection caused by Salmonella Tophi that is estimated to affect between 11-18 million people and cause between than 128,000190,000 deaths annually worldwide. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study presents promising first data on the ‘nonspecific’ immune response

triggered by the live oral typhoid vaccine Ty21a. “Live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines are low-cost, well-tolerated and easily administered. These vac-

cines could potentially be included in global vaccination programmes, not just for their impact on Salmonella, but also for their off-target, non-specific beneficial effects,” said Shaun Pennington from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK.

Previous evidence has suggested that some liveattenuated vaccines, such as those for measles and polio, can stimulate the human immune system to generate a wider protective response and lower allcause mortality. In order to investigate whether Salmonella vaccines might offer similar protection, the researchers vaccinated a small group 16 healthy adults in the UK with the Ty21a vaccine and studied its impact on their immune system over the course of six months.

They looked at immune responses targeting Salmonella as well as those targeting a range of other pathogens. The changes they observed to levels of infection-fighting white blood cells (monocytes) and immune system messengers (cytokines) suggest that Ty21a can strengthen the immune response against subsequent, unrelated infections. “The next step is to observe whether these responses also occur in children in low-income settings where their impact would be greatest,” said Melita Gordon from University of Liverpool in the UK. “We’d like to conduct further clinical studies, where we will be able to

assess the wider impact of our observations in conferring protection against other common infections, not just Salmonella,” said Gordon, who was the study’s principal investigator. The study adds that the ability to manipulate live-attenuated Salmonella so that they express components of other pathogens could make their findings particularly exciting for future ‘vector vaccine’ design. “Salmonella vector vaccines could provide Salmonella-specific protection, vectored-pathogen protection and non-specific protection, making liveattenuated Salmonella a hugely powerful ‘triple threat’ tool for global vaccine development,” said Gordon.

in muscle stem cells that appears to be responsible for their age-related dysfunction, and then developed a small molecule drug that limits the effects of this protein,” said Stanley Watowich, an associate professor at UTMB. “By resetting muscle stem cells to a more youthful state, we were able to rejuvenate them so that they could more effectively repair muscle tissues,” Watowich said. In the study, aged mice with a muscle injury were treated with either the drug or a placebo. Following seven days of drug treatment, researchers found that the aged mice that received the drug had more functional muscle stem cells that were actively repairing the injured muscle.

35, muscle mass, strength and function continually decline as we get older, according to the study published in Biochemical Pharmacology. This can dramatically limit the ability of older adults to live fully active and independent lives. “There are no treatments currently available to delay, arrest or reverse age-related muscle degeneration,” said Harshini Neelakantan, a research scientist at UTMB. “These initial results support the development of an innovative drug treatment that has the potential to help the elderly to become fitter, faster and stronger, thus enabling them to live more active and independent lives as they age,” Neelakantan said. “We identified a protein

Fun Corner Sudoku Puzzle 







 













     

  

  

  

  





  

  

  

  

  





  

  

  

  

 

      





Puzzle #: 42

 



 

 

Rules: To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every digit from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes. Solution for Puzzle #42 will be in next issue. Sudoku Puzzle 41 Answer   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  



  

  

  

  

  

  



  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Difficulty : Medium

IN FOCUS

6

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

GULF FAQs I had TB, will I get UAE residence visa? I am an Indian origin British citizen, currently employed by a bank in London but travel between the UAE and UK on a regular basis for work-related matters. I was recently approached by a major oil and gas company in UAE and have accepted a senior role offered by them. I am aware that one must undergo a medical examination at the time of obtaining a residence visa in the UAE. Nevertheless, I am slightly hesitant regarding the medical fitness test as I was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 2003 while I was on post-graduation holiday in Germany and treated at a private medical hospital for over two months. The medical expenses were borne by the UK government as part of the EU rules. I returned to UK later and completed my medication before starting a fulltime employment and thereafter, never experienced any medical issues related to TB. Further, if I undergo medical fitness check in Abu Dhabi, I am not aware if the X-ray will reveal the old TB scar. Will I get the UAE residence visa? For the purpose of residence visa, all matters related to the medical fitness tests in the UAE fall under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Prevention (the health ministry). Since you were cured of TB several years ago, you can apply for your residence visa and, thereafter, travel to the UAE. It would be prudent to travel to the UAE with all your medical records duly notarised and legalised from the UK, UAE embassy in the UK followed by attestation from Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation in the UAE. The same set of documents may be filed with the health ministry if you fail in the medical fitness test due to TB scars from the past. You may also contact the health ministry and the office of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs, Abu Dhabi, for any further queries in this regard. Further, your prospective employer may guide and provide you necessary assistance in the event TB scars are shown on the Xrays after conducting medical fitness test.

Defamation I am aware that there is a monetary fine or jail term or both imposed on an individual if he/she is found guilty by a court in UAE of defamation published in social media. Can an employee in an organisation claim redressal from his employer for defamation at the workplace in Dubai? What should an employee do when he has been prevented from being promoted due to defamation consistently being pointed at him through memos and emails to senior management of his organisation? Pursuant to the queries, it should be understood that defaming an individual on social media is a criminal offence in the UAE. This is in accordance with Article 373 of the Federal Law No.3 of 1987 of UAE on issuance of the Penal Code (the “Penal Law”), which states: “Detention for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding Dh10,000 shall be imposed upon anyone who, by any means of publicity, disgraces the honour or the modesty of another person without attributing any particular act to the defamed party. Detention for a period not exceeding two years and a fine not exceeding Dh20,000 or either of these two penalties, shall apply if a public official or one who is in charge of a public service has been abused during, because of, or while performing his duty or public service and if the abuse affects the honour or injures the reputation of families, or if it is noticed that it is intended to achieve an illegal purpose. Nevertheless, if the abuse is published in any newspaper or printed media, it shall be considered an aggravated case.” Further, it should be understood that an employer may guide, advise or ask for explanations orally or in writing from its employees with reference to the work performance of its staff. Therefore, any warning letters or memos with appropriate words and subject issued to the employees may not be treated as defamatory letters or memos. However, if the employer issues notices or memos with inappropriate words containing abuse, discrimination, personal, religious or sexual comments, these may be treated as defamatory words and liable for defamation under the Penal Law and anti-discrimination law of the UAE. If

the employee feels the letters and the memos issued to him by the employer are discriminatory, he is entitled to file criminal complaint against the employer in accordance with Article 6 of the Federal Decree Law No. 2 of 2015 on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, which states: “Any person, who commits any act of discrimination of any form by any means of expression or by any other means, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than five years and by a fine not less than Dh5 lakh and not exceeding Dh1,000,000 or either one of these two penalties.” If an employee feels that the memos and letters addressed to him are not related to his work or workplace as stipulated in Article 109 of Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 regulating Employment Relations in the UAE (the Employment Law), he may approach the Ministry of HR and Emiritisation and file a complaint against the employer. The aforementioned Article 109 of the Employment Law of UAE reads: “No disciplinary penalty may be imposed on an employee for any act committed by him outside the workplace, unless such an act is connected with the work, the employer or the responsible manager. It shall also be unlawful to impose more than one penalty or to combine a disciplinary penalty with a deduction of part of the employee’s remuneration as mentioned in Article 61 of this Law.”

Two dates of birth I am currently working in a school in Sharjah. My school has asked me to retire since my date of birth on my passport is 25/07/1957. However, my date of birth on the secondary certificate (10th) is mentioned as 21/01/1958. Can I use my 10th class certificate as my proof of birth year? My school has stopped giving me my increment and allowance since 2018 based on my age (above 60) as per my passport. What should I do to get compensated Pursuant to your queries, the age factor may not be considered a criteria to determine the increment and allowance of an employee in the UAE. It should be noted that the date of birth mentioned in the passport of an individual shall be considered for all official purposes in the UAE and not any other dates mentioned in other documents. Since Jan 2011, the Ministry of HR & Emirtisation has been accepting requests for work permits of individuals over the age of 60 years up to the age of 65, thereby enhancing the retirement age from 60 to 65. As per the prevailing provisions, for all employees working in private sector entities registered under the federal laws of the UAE, the retirement age is 65 years. However, the age limit of 65 years for retirement may be further increased considering the individuals’ nature of work, his credentials, expertise which is important for the entity he is working for. Further, granting of increment is discretion of the employer but the company cannot stop your other allowances from your remuneration if these are mentioned in your employment contract registered with the Ministry of HR. This is in accordance with Article 60 of the Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 regulating Employment Relations in the UAE . Based on the aforementioned provision of law, if your employer has deducted allowances which are part of your employment contract you may inform the school that it is unlawful. Therefore, they should pay you the arrears since 2018 along with your end-of-service benefits on or before your last working day. In the event the employer disagrees to pay the allowances, you may approach the ministry and file a complaint.

Child’s visa Can a husband and wife combine their salaries to apply for the residence visa of their child (our combined salary is Dh6,000)? In the UAE, the combined minimum salary of husband and wife to sponsor their child is Dh10,000. Such criteria of combined salary requirements to sponsor their child in the UAE may be treated as special case by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner’s Affairs (GDRFA) who may consider such application on its merit. You may contact the GDRFA in the UAE for further guidance in this.

UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdulla BIn Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for the Federal National Council Anwar Gargash (centre) with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi.

Thomas Cook India expects at least $5m boost on buying of Digiphoto DUBAI: Thomas Cook India expects a boost of at least $5 million to its bottom line after acquiring a 51pc stake in Dubai-based Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging for an enterprise value of $40.6 million , its chief executive said. The acquisition could generate $5m to $8m a year for Thomas Cook India over three years, Mahesh Iyer told a TV channel following the signing of the agreement. The travel company’s investment in DEI, which has agreements for photography in about 40 attractions in the UAE, comes as it seeks to boost the number of visitors from India to the MidEast. “DEI runs end-to-end photography solutions for

Burj Khalifa and Ski Dubai and we send a lot of travellers from India and the world to o Dubai, so we can bundle xpethese experiences,” I y e r s a i d . “ Tr a v el has moved f r o m becomming a commodity to n exbeing an periencee and we believe this will enhance travellers’ experiences.” DEI, established in 2004, operates in 14 countries and has more than 150 photography partnerships in 250 attractions,

according to its website. With a 3,700-strong staff, it has offices in Orlando, Kuala Lumpur, L Singapo Singapore, Bali, Hon Kong Hong and Mumb a i . T Thomas C o o k India is targeting growth in annuv al visitors from India MidE to MidEast and expects its investment in DEI to boost tourist flows. Thomas Cook India flies about 25,000 visitors from India to the MidEast every year and is targeting compounded annual visi-

tor growth of 12 to 13pc per cent over the next three to five years, Iyer said. “Dubai is a growing market and its proximity to India makes it attractive for short haul breaks,” he said .The company’s acquisition of DEI, its second deal in the MidEast since 2016, will be earnings accretive immediately as DEI is a profitable company with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortsation of $6.1m in 2018, according to Iyer. Thomas Cook India could make more acquisitions in the MidEast of travel and travel-related companies if it finds the right opportunity at the right price but is not currently in negotiations.

Indian High School CEO honoured NRI arrested in rape case DUBAI: Dr Ashok Kumar, CEO of The Indian High School, Dubai, was honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2019 GESS Education Awards in Dubai last week, presented in association with Taaleem. Honouring outstanding achievements in the field of education from 11 countries around the world, including the UAE, Finland, UK, US and Saudi Arabia, thousands of submissions were received from as many as 45 countries, making this year’s edition of the awards the biggest to date. An educational leader with more than 30 years of experience in the educational sector, Dr Kumar was recognised by the judges as a leader with a track record of successfully managing various groups of

educational institutions. Ros Marshall, CEO, Taaleem, said: “Dr Kumar is an exceptional person who came into the region and has certainly made a difference in his time here. He led the Indian High School to an Outstanding rating by the KHDA in the DSIB school inspection cycle for six consecutive years. His commitment to improving education both nationally and internationally was recognised when he was awarded a National Award for Best Principal in 2001, given by then Minister of Education for IndiaDr Murli Manohar Joshi. He has also been honoured in the UAE with the Shaikh Hamdan Award for his distinguished school and school administration.”

NEW DELHI: A non-resident Indian was arrested from the IGI airport in the national capital for allegedly raping a woman he had met on a matrimonial site in 2017. The accused has been identified as Ravinder Singh, a native of Jalandhar district in Punjab. According to the police, the woman filed a case on March 27, 2018 stating that she came in contact with Singh through the matrimonial website. On Dec 12, 2017, Singh reportedly intoxicated the victim and raped her. He later convinced her that he would marry her soon, but instead left Delhi, senior police officer Vijayanta Arya said. Thereafter, the victim learnt that Singh was already married and was living in the UK where he used to work as a security guard, the officer said. As part of the investigation, raids were conducted in the accused’s village in Punjab, but he did not join the probe, police said, adding a lookout circular was also issued against him. Singh was apprehended from the airport while he was returning from UK to visit his family in Jalandhar.

Over 10m visited Abu Dhabi in 2018 ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi welcomed 10.27 million international visitors in 2018, with the emirate also posting figures showing incredible growth over the last three years, Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) said . The numbers were boosted by the addition of a number of events and enhancements to all of its specialised tourism sectors, improvements to its infrastructure and significant development of its cultural assets. DCT Abu Dhabi said more than 10 million visitors came to the UAE capital last year, made up of both day-trippers and overnight guests, with the hotel guests increasing by 3.94pc compared with 2017 at one

of the emirate’s 168 hotels or hotel apartments. The key markets of India, the US and China have all posted double-digit growth for hotel guests in 2018 with India and China remaining the two top markets for overseas visitors and UK — the top European source market. “We are incredibly pleased to see these positive metrics, as year on year we have exceeded the already ambitious targets set for Abu Dhabi’s growth,” Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at DCT Abu Dhabi said in a statement. “We are now firmly established as a world-class cultural destination. With the emirate’s natural beauty as a stepping off point,

Abu Dhabi has steadily enhanced its touristic and cultural proposition until today, visitors can now enjoy incredible options in entertainment — both sporting and artistic — retail, dining and hospitality, as well as top class cultural venues for visual and performing arts experiences. The soaring visitor figures we have seen are evidence of the increase in global appeal of our emirate.”He also said they looking forward in 2019 to hosting the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. “We have also courted cruise tourism with the opening of the new Mina Port and the Bani Yas Island beach cruise stopover. We have also just signed a memorandum of under-

standing with the Emirates Medical Association to tap into the booming sector of medical tourism.” The first component of the ambitious Saadiyat Cultural District, the first universal museum in the region attracted more than one million visitors in its first year and put Abu Dhabi on the world’s “cultural map” . The reopening of the Al Hosn site was also a significant event for cultural tourism in Abu Dhabi, with the oldest building in the emirate, now a museum showcasing Abu Dhabi’s history and Emirati culture, reopening to great acclaim in late 2018. The cruise sector provided more than 3.5 lakh visitors to the emirate in 2018.

7

CORPORATE NEWS

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

Startups offer more efficient healthcare: EY Future group to assist 7-Eleven’s India entry

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he Indian health care system is being reshaped by three forces: increasing health care demand, technological ubiquity and rising patient awareness, said a report from Ernst & Young (EY). The adoption of emerging technologies and tools by healthcare players, especially startups, have the potential to offer solutions to meet increasing demand by improving affordability and accessibility, added. According to the survey, 82pc of life sciences and healthcare startups offer improved affordability, accessibility and efficiency in their products and services leveraging emerging technology. Titled ‘Life Sciences 4.0: Transforming Healthcare in India’, the report said that the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases and an aging population are the major factors leading to increasing demand

for specialised healthcare in India. The survey was conducted among 60 life sciences and healthcare startups in the country. About 35pc of startups surveyed

say that taking feedback from patients and physicians was one of the most important success factors, followed by a focus on product innovation, and industrial and technical know-how. Indian life sciences companies have started taking small, experimental steps on their 4.0 journey. Some key areas where these firms have start-

ed adopting digital technologies include patient engagement, physician engagement, smart mobile apps for appointment bookings, R&D efficiency, and supply chain manage-

ment. “Today, in India and globally, technological advancements are redefining products and enabling customisation of services in the healthcare industry. Emerging technologies for example, robotics, blockchain, 3D printing and artificial intelligence and scientific breakthroughs such as gene editing have led to the transformation

of life sciences companies’ business models,” said Sriram Shrinivasan, Global Emerging Markets Health and Life Sciences leader and National Health Services Sector leader, EY. 42pc of the survey’s respondents feel that receiving timely and substantial funding will provide an opportunity for driving further business growth, while 38pc feel product innovation and rising market potential due to rising incomes, health and technological awareness also have a key role to play. 23 pc also pointed towards strong government support as a responsible factor for attaining the next level of business growth. “Going forward, life sciences companies must invest in the three new capabilities: personalization, customer engagement and data literacy,” Shrinivasan added.

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arking its foray into India, Japanese-owned convenience retailer 7-Eleven has signed a franchise agreement with Kishore Biyani’s Future Group. The new master franchisee plans to build 7-Eleven stores as well as convert some of its existing stores to the 7-Eleven brand, the companies said in a joint statement. The first store is expected to open in 2019. 7-Eleven, which has more than 67,000 stores across 17 countries, said that internationally popular products, beverages, snacks and immediately consumable fresh foods with recipes developed for local tastes will be part of the initial convenience offering. The entry of 7-Eleven is expected to modernise the smallretail environment and bring greater convenience to shoppers. “7-Eleven is among the most iconic global brands

in the food retail landscape. Kishore Biyani, founder & We are proud to bring this Group CEO, Future Group.

globally trusted convenience store to India and build new pathways together that will offer Indian customers greater convenience,” said

As per the tie-up, 7-Eleven will support Future Retail to implement and localise the 7- Eleven business model.

IOB bags EASE awards

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ndian Overseas Bank (IOB) has announced that it has won the Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) Awards in two out of eight categories. The award was framed as the reforms agenda for PSBs, and covers themes such as customer responsiveness, responsible banking, and credit offtake. IOB won the awards under ‘reforms excellence’ and ‘deepening financial inclusion and digitalisation’ categories.

Rubique ties up with banks, NBFCs Basic salary, special allowances must

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he four-year-old fintech start-up, which is now focussed on personal loans, business loans and credit cards, sees co-lending providing better margins, when compared to the revenue stream from being a marketplace for lending products. “Co -lending will be nothing but a private label product for our platform. While we will bring technology, data and distribution for the co-lending, banks are giving us the credit line. With co-lending, we are having skin in the game. Co-lending will also help us cater to segments that are not currently available,” Jeet told media persons. Jeet, who founded the start-up, also said Rubique would eventually move towards becoming an NBFC from the point of view of regulatory reasons and the

need to scale up co-lending. “We are not looking to become an NBFC from the perspective of building book. We may take the NBFC licence for regulatory reasons. We will eventually move there if we have to do scale up co-lending,”

he said. For co-lending, Rubique has so far tied up with two banks and two NBFCs. Rubique, which is on an assisted online model with 10,000-plus business associates, is looking to close the current fiscal with loan disbursements of

L&T Fin to raise upto Rs 1500-cr through secured NCDs

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&T Finance Limited, the NBFC arm of infrastructure company L&T, plans to raise upto Rs 1500 crore by means of secured NCDs (Redeemable Non-Convertible Debentures). The tranche 1, which opens on March 6 and closes on March 20 this year, offers various options for subscription and the yield on redemption of up to 9.35 per annum. There is also an option of early closure or extension, the company said. The secured NCDs proposed to be issued have been rated AAA by leading rating agencies indicating that the instruments with this rating are considered to have the highest degree

of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations. Such instruments carry lowest credit risk. The proceeds raise through the means of NCDs will be used for onward lending, financing, refinancing the existing indebtedness of the company and for general corporate purpose, the company said in a statement. The lead managers to the issue are Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd, A K Capital Services Ltd., Axis Capital Ltd and Trust Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd. Catalyst Trusteeship Ltd is the Debenture Trustee and Link Intime India Pvt Ltd is the registrar to

be combined to calculate PF: SC

Rs 1,250 crore, revenue of Rs 35 crore and 90,000 credit cards issued. For the he Supreme Court next fiscal, the aim is to has ruled that emachieve disbursements of ployers cannot segRs 4,000 crore, get about 2.1 lakh credit cards issued regate ‘special allowance’ and realise Rs 147 crore from basic wages while calculating provident fund revenues, Jeet added. deduction from employees and their matching contribution. What this essentially means is that the Employees Provident Contribution (EPF) will be on the total amount including all the allowances paid to an employee and not just on the basic salary. How will the ruling af“Our aim to touch more cities and co-lending will fect the employees: The impact of such a help us grow next fiscal. For next two years, our decision could be twofocus is mainly to grow – fold. One, the contribution reach more cities, add new towards EPF will be on a products. We are now at higher amount and hence six cities and we want to less take-home pay for the expand to 30 cities next employee as the allowances will also be clubbed fiscal,” he said.

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with the basic wages. And, secondly, the retirement benefit will see more inflows as higher monthly PF contribution will move into the employee’s PF account. Currently, as per the salary structure, the em-

special allowance etc. even though they form a part of the total salary or cost to the company. Presenting a judgment related to EPFO and certain establishments, the Court has ruled out that the al-

ployees are supposed to contribute the mandatory 12pc of their Basic Salary or Wage (10pc for certain establishments) towards their PF. The other emoluments are shown as different allowances such as house rent allowance,

lowances in question were essentially a part of the basic wage camouflaged as part of an allowance so as to avoid deduction and contribution accordingly to the provident fund account of the employees. The Supreme Court rul-

ing is unlikely to impact those with basic salary and special allowances above Rs 15000 a month. In its judgement, the top court said “The wage structure and the components of the salary have been examined on facts, both by the authority and the appellate authority under the PF Act, w h i c h have arrived at a factual conclusion that allowances in question were essentially a part of the basic wages camouflaged as part of an allowance so as to avoid deduction and contribution accordingly to the PF account of the employees”.

JSW Steel, Duferco Intl ink $ 700 m pact

Hasmukh Adhia is BoB Chairman

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SW Steel said that it has inked a 5-year advance payment and supply agreement with Duferco International Trading Holding for $ 700 million. The pact executed on 27 February entails a financing structure, which will provide “JSW long term funding to complement its plans for future growth secured by committed exports of steel products to DITH,” JSW Steel said in a statement. For Duferco International Trading Holding (DITH) the transaction assures a captive supply of various steel products from JSW over the term of the advance payment and supply agreement. “The transaction further

cements the long-term relationship between the two groups which have partnered together in various commercial ventures during the past 15 years.

In the past, JSW and DITH have entered into similar trade financing arrangements on a smaller scale but for a longer term, all of which were

The deal is the largest trade finance facility to have been arranged in the Indian steel sector,” the statement said.

successfully executed and completed. The deal has been arranged and financed by the global banks - BNP

Paribas, Citibank, Credit Suisse, ING, Mashreqbank, Natixis, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank acting as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, the statement said. “The structured longterm trade finance transaction is an important deal in diversifying the sources of financing for JSW Steel. This not only enables JSW to raise funds at competitive rates but also assures incremental volume of sales in export markets leveraging the widespread global network of the DITH Group Companies,” Seshagiri Rao, JMD and Group CFO said. JSW Steel is the flagship company of the diversified $ 13 billion JSW Group.

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he government on March 1, appointed former Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia as the chairman of stateowned Bank of Baroda (BoB). Bank of Baroda is set to become the third largest lender of the country after amalgamation with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank effective 1 April. The board of the bank has already fixed March 11, 2019, as record date for issuing and allotting equity shares of the BoB to the shareholders of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank. As per the Scheme of Amalgamation, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held.

Solar Energy Corp of India auctions 750 MW solar power Adani’s Jharkhand SEZ project okayed

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he state-owned Solar Acme has bagged 250 Energy Corporation MW capacity project in of India (SECI) has auctioned 750 MW of solar power which was bagged by Acme, Fortum, Palimarwar and Sitara at a tariff of Rs 2.48 per unit, a source said. The solar tariff of Rs 2.48 per unit quoted in the auction was close to Rs 2.44 per unit achieved for the first time in May, 2017, in the auction conducted the reverse auction held for Bhadla solar park. on March 1, while For-

tum, Palimarwar and Sitara won 250 MW, 40 MW and 100 MW, respectively. The second lowest tariff was offered by Rs 2.49pc unit for 360 MW. The SECI had invited solar tenders for 750 MW capacities to be executed at any

location in India. Te c h b i d s t o t a l l i n g 1,620MW were received against the tendered capacity of 750 MW by 13 companies. “I am confident that with this addition of 250 MW capacity, ACME will strive to achieve highest efficiency in solar power generation and strengthen its partnership with the Govt in building a strong nation & economy,” said an expert.

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he government has approved a Rs 14,000 crore special economic zone (SEZ) project of Adani Power in Jharkhand, which will export entire power generated to Bangladesh, an official said. The project was approved by highest decision making body on SEZ – Board of Approval – chaired by the commerce secretary, in its meeting on February 25, the government official said. Adani

Power (Jharkhand) Ltd has It has received formal sought approval for setting approval for the land in up of sector specific SEZ possession of 222.68 hectare area and in principle approval for remaining 202.32 hectare. Two supercritical units of 800 MW each would be set up with an investfor power at villages – ment of Rs 14,000 crore Motia, Mali, Gaighat and which would include setadjacent villages in Godda ting up of a water pipedistrict, Jharkhand over an line and power evacuation area of 425 hectare. system.

8

Travel / Entertainment

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

GoAir launches Kannur-Abu Dhabi flight

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bu Dhabi Airports has welcomed GoAir’s launch of four new flights between Kannur International Airport (CNN) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), connecting the two cities with flights operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. GoAir’s inaugural flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was received with much fanfare on Saturday, as the Indian subcontinent remains one of the most popular destinations for travellers departing from

Abu Dhabi. In addition, Kannur itself is a popular leisure and business destination within the state. Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “India is a key travel market for Abu Dhabi International Airport and we are always eager to strengthen our connectivity to the Indian subcontinent, enhancing further our services extended to our dear customers.” Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “As one of our most promis-

ing new partners, we are pleased to welcome GoAir’s flights to Abu Dhabi. India has always been one of our largest and most important areas of operations and we look forward to ensuring GoAir’s guests enjoy a comfortable and efficient experience throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport, where we continue to deploy world-class smart travel solutions, attractive retail offerings and relaxing lounge spaces.” “This additional service to Abu Dhabi reflects the capital’s status as a key

‘Rasbhari’ to compete at Film Fest in France

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ctress Swara Bhasker’s “Rasbhari” will be competing at the Series Mania International Festival in France. Produced by Tanveer Bookwala, the Applause Entertainment’s comingof-age series will also be showcased at the festival, which will be held from March 22 to 30. It is being claimed that “Rasbhari” is the first Indian series to be selected for the Short Forms Competition at the fest. “The artiste in me was thrilled to be a part of a unique narrative like Rasbhari and I’m now beyond thrilled to know that our series has been selected for the prestigious Series Mania International Festival,” Swara Bhasker told a TV channel. Produced and co-created for Applause by Tanveer Bookwala, written by Shantanu Shrivastava and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt, Rasbhari tells a love story set

in Meerut. Swara plays the role of a stern English teacher who is the object of attraction for Nand (Ayushmaan Saxena). The show also features Rashmi Agdekar, Pradyuman Singh, Neelu Kohli and Chi-

tion is a strong validation of this belief. Working in close collaboration with team Applause, Tanveer, Shantanu and Nikhil have created a sparkling gem of storytelling, which is now

Swara Bhasker

tranjan Tripathi and the title music has been composed by Chirantan Bhatt. “We are delighted to represent India at the esteemed festival. Good content has a global resonance and our selection into the much sought after Series Mania Competi-

finding an audience across borders and continents. We are excited to showcase this labour of love at the festival and are looking forward to stream it soon for viewers all over the world,” said Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause Entertainment.

destination and transit hub and forms a part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network,” De Groof added. Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said Abu Dhabi was the airline’s fourth international destination after Phuket, Male and Muscat, and 28th destination sequentially. “GoAir is delighted to partner with Abu Dhabi Airports. It is heartening to note that both GoAir and Abu Dhabi Airports were established in 2006 and are celebrating 13th anniversaries this year,” he said.

Indian Personnel Export Promotion Council (IPEPCIL)’s President Abdul Rehman CH, General Secretary Dr Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan, Ghulam Peshimam and PP Vijayan at the Kuwait National Day function in Mumbai.

Environmentalists flay Singapore’s eco-tourism S

ingapore is creating a vast eco-tourism zone in a bid to bring in more visitors, but environmentalists fear the development will damage natural habitats and are already blaming it for a series of animal deaths. While it may be best known as a financial hub with scores of high-rise buildings, tropical Singapore is still home to patches of rainforest and an array of wildlife, from monkeys to pangolins — also known as scaly anteaters. In one green corner of the city sits a zoo and two sister attractions — a night safari and river safari — that have long been big draws for foreign and local visitors. Now jungle is being cleared in the same area to make way for a bird park, a rainforest park and a 400-room resort, to

create a green tourism hub it is hoped will eventually attract millions of visitors a year. But the project in the Mandai district has ruffled the feathers of environmentalists. They believe that rather than promote biodiversity, it is too imposing for the area, will destroy forest habitats and they say insufficient safeguards were put in place before work began — leading to animals being killed on roads. The row has highlighted concerns about rapid development in space-starved Singapore and worries that some of the country’s more wild and green corners are being lost only to be replaced with something more artificial. “I think you are getting your priorities wrong if you are replacing natural heritage with captive breed-

ing,” Subaraj Rajathurai, a veteran wildlife consultant, said. With the new development, it appears that “mak-

ing money was more of a priority than finding the balance and preserving biodiversity”, he added. But Mandai Park Holdings, which is overseeing the project through its development arm, insists work is being carried out sensitively and will bring improvements. The district, which sits next to a protected nature reserve

and has been earmarked for development for years, is mostly abandoned villages and farmland that have been swallowed by the surrounding jungle. Work is already well under way in an area that is home to animals including flying lemurs and deer, with construction cranes looming over hillsides stripped bare of jungle. A major focus of concern has been the animal deaths on the main road leading up to the zoo as forest is cleared. Several deer, a critically endangered pangolin and a leopard cat are among animals to have perished after straying in front of vehicles, according to environmentalists.

San Francisco’s Golden Bridge beckons you!

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an Francisco is indubitably one of the most modern cities in the world with several world famous corporations maintaining a presence and Silicon Valley located nearby, yet this metropolis quaintly opts for old-fashioned public transport in the form of cable cars and streetcars. San Francisco is a coastal megacity yet at times it can

feel like a foggy hill station full of picturesque views. A city built on several undulating hills, San Francisco offers amazing vistas almost everywhere you turn. A cable car drops people off at the top of a hill from which one can see Lombard street running perpendicularly, far into the distance. San Francisco is one of the richest cities in the world

Golden Bridge

yet on almost every downtown street corner, one can see several homeless people and panhandlers, their meagre belongings packed into

supermarket carts. The city’s salubrious climate and liberal attitude is why they seek refuge here. But it is a tragic irony to see an ageing, homeless person right across the street from the headquarters of Twitter! Despite being a densely packed urban area, this bustling metropolis has several green oases. The Golden

Saudi Arabia to turn major tourist attraction

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Gate Park is bigger than New York City’s huge Central Park. Even better: just 20 km

to the north of San Francisco is a sprawling expanse of forest called Muir Woods,

with its treasure trove of Coastal Redwoods, the tallest type of tree in the world.

Rights of air passengers released

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ivil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has released the passenger charter which specifies rights of air travellers. It states that if a domestic flight is expected to be delayed by over six hours, then the airline would offer an option of “alternate flight” to the passenger within that time or it will refund the full amount. It also said that if a passenger is informed of flight cancellation less than two weeks before departure, the airline must offer an alternate flight to passenger or refund the ticket completely. At the time of booking, the airline must clearly “indicate” the amount of

refund money that will be given to passenger in case of cancellation, the charter states. If any passenger is denied boarding due to over booking of a flight, the pas-

senger would not be liable to hold airline for compensation if he or she is given an alternate flight within one hour of original flight’s departure, it states.

Subscription Form Name ................................................. Address .............................................

ourists will be offered ment Authority, said earlier ing billions of dollars in number of foreign visitors as .......................................................... special “event” visas to this year that infrastructure sports and entertainment well as encourage domestic .......................................................... visit Saudi Arabia as investments in the next de- as it seeks to reform and di- tourism and create jobs for part of plans by the Kingdom .......................................................... to become a major global enPin Code ............. Mob.: ................... tertainment destination. The new one-off visas will allow Email ................................................ foreign visitors to choose Draft No. .............. Amount ............... from the growing number of Bank .................... Branch ................ sporting, entertainment and business attractions available EXCHANGE RATES Duration Issues By Post By Courier in the country. th As on 04 March, 2019 (In rupees) 6 Months 52 375/1000/Announcing the new visa category, the Saudi cabinet 1 year 104 700/1500/Currency Buying Selling said embassies and consulAustralian Dollar 48.95 51.45 ates would be able to issue Bahraini Dinar 183.55 193.55 Date ................. Signature ................. the visas within 24 hours of British Pound 92.35 95.35 Demand Draft to be drawn in favour of “IPEPCIL receiving a request. Under Canadian Dollar 52.05 54.55 Publications pvt ltd.” payable at Mumbai. the visa upgrade, the KingMoney Order to be sent to: IPEPCIL PublicaEmirati Dirham 18.80 19.80 dom’s General Investment tions (This subscription form should be filled in Euro 78.90 81.90 Authority, General Sports and posted along with M.O details) Kuwaiti Dinar 228.3 238.3 Authority and General EnOmani Rial 179.35 189.35 tertainment Authority will Qatari Riyal 19.00 20.00 provide the foreign affairs Saudi Riyal 18.40 19.40 King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is being held in Saudi Arabia. ministry and state security 9010, 9th Floor, Ozone Biz Centre, Singapore Dollar 51.10 53.60 with details of events at least cade would reach SR240 bil- versify its economy, part of young Saudis. Formula ESwiss Franc 69.30 72.30 Mumbai Central (E), Mumbai - 400008. two months beforehand. The lion ($64 billion) and would a wide-ranging Vision 2030 motor racing, WWE wresUS Dollar 69.90 71.90 Mob.: 8898261303, 9730073400 details will then be included contribute SR18 billion to the programme introduced by tling and world title boxing Source: Rates are subect to change Email: [email protected] in the visa system. country’s economy and gen- Crown Prince Mohammed events have also been added without notice. Errors & Phone: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103. Turki Al-Sheikh, chair- erate 2.24 lakh jobs by 2030. bin Salman. The Kingdom to the country’s sporting cal- omissions excepted man of the General EntertainSaudi Arabia is invest- is hoping to increase the endar in the past 12 months. Printed by Supreeth MJ and published by him on behalf of IPEPCIL Publications Pvt Ltd. and printed at Inquilab Offset Printers Ltd.,156, D J Dadaji Road, Tardeo, Mumbai-400 034, Maharashtra and published from Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. • Editor: E.L. Vaidyanathan • Volume No.: 1, Issue No. 42 • RNI No. MAHENG/2018/76663. PUBLICATIO NS PVT. LTD.