With a vision to make India a superpower in the world of para sports, Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) in association with Border Security Force (BSF) will be conducting its 3rd Divyang National sports training camp at STC, BSF Bengaluru, starting July 9th till July 13th, 2018. Over 200 Para Athletes are expected to undergo training in various sports with the objective of training them to international glory at the 2020 Paralympics. The camp will be inaugurated by Commissioner of Police, T. Suneel Kumar IPS. Bengaluru.
Launched last year, ‘Mission 100’ is an aim to find and coach the most talented 100 para athletes who can represent India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Through this camp, BSF along with AMF is determined to scout for the best, train, coach and support the participants at every step so that they can represent India at the global platform.
Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Mehta said, “The national training camp is an annual feature where BSF along with AMF brings experienced and fresh talent together at one place. The main objective of the camp is to educate our Jawans and civilians about para sports, screen their abilities and strengths to then recommend an appropriate sport”. The foundation has been supporting para athletes in sports like Swimming, Cycling, Wheelchair Tennis, Athletics, Shooting, Arm wrestling and power lifting.
Apart from screening, counselling and training, the foundation also works tirelessly to raise funds and provide the athletes with appropriate para equipment and funds required,” he further added.
Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) is a non –profit organisation helping people with disabilities to pursue sports. In last three years, AMF along with BSF has reached over 120 Para athletes and won over 50 national and international medal counts. The foundation is also associated with armed force of the country like BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSI and CISF where they counsel and train the Jawans who got injured in the line of duty and help them become professional athletes at highest level giving them sense of sustenance.
Almost two-decades since it was notified as an industrial area, Vasanthanarasapura—a tiny hamlet in Tumakuru district abutting the Chennai-Mumbai National Highway will get a major facelift and in less than a year the village could be the next big industrial hub of Karnataka.
To develop the Tumakuru node as part of the ambitious Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) scheme, the state government on Friday inked a pact with the Centre. Under the CBIC, the state government has identified Vasanthanarasapura as a primary node. With the help of the Centre, it plans to develop industrial infrastructure favouring setting up of small, medium and large-scale industries besides ensuring residential and commercial development.
According to Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, the area could be a key area accommodating several industries with potential of creating thousands of jobs, benefiting at least five adjoining districts. Already dotted with industries including the mega food park inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, the industrial area was short of infrastructure including food, accommodation, fire safety and security measures.
Lack of infrastructure had forced the workers in the area to adjust with whatever facilities that was available in the nearby villages as they could not afford to live and travel from Tumakuru, located 27 kms from the industrial area. However, the latest decision of the state government making the area as a primary node is likely to turn around the situation on all fronts.
Demanding infrastructural push, Parameshwara said, “If the area be connected with a dedicated electric train or extended Metro services or an elevated corridor linking up with the international airport, there is no doubt it would beckon investors with plenty of opportunities.”
The Tumakuru node will receive an investment of about Rs 50,000 crore creating job opportunities for 2,20,000 people. According to Alkesh Sharma of Government of India, the node will be developed close on the lines of Dholera industrial area in Gujarat and in less than a year, the new facilities will be offered for industries.
A team of engineering students has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can identify areas prone to waterlogging, and may help metro cities avoid tedious road congestions caused by monsoon showers. The researchers, including Aman Bansal and Apoorva Gupta from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) in New Delhi, combined rainfall, traffic, and location data to predict the severity of water logging in the vulnerable areas. "In a lot of developing countries, including India, the issue of waterlogging is persistent. In 2016, the roads of Gurgaon were flooded leading to severely waterlogged streets, which left thousands of people stranded for several hours. In Mumbai too, such incidents are very common," Rishab Gupta from NSIT.
"The damages caused by such occurrences triggered us to find a practical and feasible solution," said Gupta, one of the lead authors of the study that was presented at the Institute of Electricals and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 15th International Conference on Smart City in Bangkok last year. The study was initially done on Manila, the capital city of Philippines which has similar environmental conditions like cities in India.
"We first marked the areas in Manila already established to be prone to waterlogging, based on data obtained from previously conducted surveys," Gupta said.
The areas susceptible to waterlogging were located with the help of past travel time data (the time taken to travel from one point to the other) sourced from smartphone-based cab service Uber, and elevation data of the area.
The intensity of waterlogging was calculated based on the rainfall data and the day of the week, as traffic on weekends is significantly less than that on weekdays.
"After we ran this data through our trained neural network, we verified the vulnerability of those locations and even came up with more areas defenceless against waterlogging," he said.
The data was fed into an artificial intelligence system that consists of a neural network that can derive patterns in the information fed to it.
The system was trained by the students to reveal a water logging intensity score using an algorithm which could determine the extremity of the problem in the area.
"Our work can be easily modulated for Delhi as the Uber data for Delhi is available now. I can produce the results in 5-10 days," said Gupta.
"This system can be trained to detect patterns on an hourly basis and for the future as well, which is something that even Google can't calculate," Gupta said. Previously researchers used the Internet of Things (IoTs) - a network of small electronic devices installed in different locations to gather data about moisture, traffic, etc. However, the high cost of these devices made the project economically unviable.
Previously researchers used the Internet of Things (IoTs) - a network of small electronic devices installed in different locations to gather data about moisture, traffic, etc. However, the high cost of these devices made the project economically devices installed in different locations to gather data about moisture, traffic, etc. However, the high cost of these devices made the project economically unviable.
"The fact that we could easily access travel time data for free from Uber which is like an open repository of traffic data made things simpler and feasible for us, and gave a practical appeal to the technology," Gupta said.
The system can also be used for pinpointing accident-prone areas and times in a city, for dynamically deciding strategic points for positioning of ambulances, calculating the effect of festivals and holidays on traffic, and can also be employed in urban road planning, he said.
RBS India, the innovation & operation hub of The Royal Bank of Scotland, has set up an industry forum titled ‘Disability Smart’, to mainstream the disability inclusion agenda in organizations. The forum came together to discuss how organizations and persons with disabilities, can work together to create an environment, that engages, enables and empowers persons with disabilities, and establish a truly inclusive culture in companies.
Pankaj Phatarphod, Managing Director & Country Head of Services, RBS India said, “For us at RBS, inclusion is about ensuring everyone can bring the best of themselves to work every day, celebrate differences and find ways to turn them to our advantage. Over the last few years RBS has supported the development of disability friendly products and services and contributed to the development of disability and inclusion learning. This forum provides a unique platform to discuss how more organizations can become disability smart.”
Anuranjita Kumar, Managing Director, Human Resources, International Hubs, Royal Bank of Scotland further added, “Globally, more than a billion people live with a disability and the number is growing each passing day. Data indicates that their potential to contribute effectively at work is often impacted, not by their disability, but by the impediments around them. Being Disability Smart means supporting our colleagues with disabilities with workplace adjustments, so they can do their job to the best of their abilities.”
Andrea daCosta, Director, Programme Management, RBS India and Lead, Diversity & Inclusion – Disability Smart workstream, shared “Disability awareness begins by understanding the human element and market reasons, and it’s critical to thereafter proceed along the inclusion continuum. This progression requires more in-depth knowledge, creative solutions and a change in mindset. This is where leveraging collaboration plays a vital role to deliver tangible outcomes”.
The forum’s participant profile, comprising leaders from GIC’s (Global In-house Captive), experts from the field and persons with disabilities, discussed how organizations can drive accessibility, employability and development of persons with disability, to establish a truly inclusive and enriched environment.
Online training provider Simplilearn announced has its partnership with Lovely Professional University (LPU) to offer certification courses in a variety of high-demand digital technologies to their undergraduate and postgraduate Engineering and Science students as part of LPU’s online internship program.
With a joint focus to make students job-ready with the latest digital skills, the partnership will allow students to access a blend of online self-learning, live instructor-led classes and hands-on practical training. All students of LPU’s online internship program will be required to enroll in their choice of Simplilearn’s digital technology courses. Upon completion of the course, they will receive certifications from Simplilearn and relevant industry bodies.
Designed by industry experts who work in their fields of study, all courses are supported by 24/7 online teaching assistants and include assessments and hands-on capstone projects that will provide the students with the real-world experience that is sought after by employers.
“The next generation of talent needs to be armed with emerging digital skills before they enter the competitive workforce, and we are proud that this partnership with Lovely Professional University to make this possible,” said Simplilearn Founder & CEO, Krishna Kumar. “It's encouraging to see that universities are taking measures to prepare their students for the jobs of the future on their own rather than depending solely on hiring companies to train them.”
LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal said, “LPU is a university which is closely working with industry. The present collaboration with ‘Simplilearn’ will definitely help our students to be job-ready as per the latest requirements of the industry. Thus, this initiative is to prepare students industry ready from day one of their career start and get absorbed on high pedestals even in the initial stages. I also want to share that LPU is already tied up with Google, SAP, Microsoft and more to work closely with industry so that innovative ideas of production be brought forth.”
In addition to training working professionals and enabling enterprises to build a digital-ready workforce, Simplilearn has partnered with leading universities and colleges in the United States to help students build industry-relevant skills and achieve their career goals in high-demand fields such as Big Data, AI & Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing, Cyber Security and other technologies.
Ravish S, Ratan Khanda and JP Rajakumar emerged on top in the closely contested Castrol Super Mechanic regional semi-final for bike mechanics held in Bangalore. The winning trio will be competing with 21 other champion mechanics representing seven other regional semi-final winners for the coveted title of Castrol Bike Super Mechanic. The three national winners will represent India at the Castrol Asia Pacific Bikes Super Mechanic contest to be held in Thailand in November 2018.
The Bangalore regional semi- final event witnessed keen contest by over 180 qualifying mechanics selected from the one lakh mechanics who had registered to participate from across the country. The regional qualifiers competed in theory and practical rounds, which tested their skills and knowledge about two-wheelers as well as lubricants. The participants also attended a training session on bike repair and maintenance. One of the highlights of this year’s event was the interaction between mechanics who had already participated in last year’s event, sharing their experience and tips with the first time participants.
Commenting on the event, Kedar Apte – Vice President Marketing, Castrol India said, “I would like thank the mechanics for their trust, support and overwhelming response to the Castrol Super Mechanic Contest this year. Compared to last year, we have seen an increase of 50% in the overall participation and this really encourages us to make this a bigger and better event. Through the Castrol Super Mechanic programme, we aim to provide a platform where mechanics can showcase their knowledge and skills and also support them in updating them on the latest trends and technologies emerging for bikes and lubricants.”
Celebrating his win, Ratan Khanda said, “I vowed to win this year after missing out last year & prepared hard this time. I have to thank my seniors & teachers for preparing me for this. I would like to thank my parents in this moment of happiness.”
The All India finals of the Castrol Super Mechanic Contest will be held in Mumbai with the national winners representing India at the Asia & Pacific Castrol Bike Super Mechanic contest.
At the 41st RIL Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai, it was a big day for Jio. RIL revealed the next big plans of Jio after the Jio SIM and JioPhone. The event also marked the company's foray into the broadband market.
The meeting was kicked off by company's chairman Mukesh Ambani who announced the launch of company's first-ever optical-based wireless connection called Jio GigaFiber. For a brief period, the stage was taken over by Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani and Kiran Thomas who talked about the JioPhone and its new capabilities. They also launched a high-end variant of JioPhone dubbed JioPhone 2.
Unlike the previous RIL AGM, this year's event was more about gadget-focussed launches. The company last year had announced new plans along with the JioPhone but this year was about only gadgets and software. No new recharge plans may be because the company in the past few months has already brought number of changes to its tariffs including a new postpaid recharge plan.
At he RIL AGM 41, there were several announcements that surprised us. The company announced its foray into the smart home gadgets and also highlighted the process of turning an ordinary house into a smart home using these gadgets.
Mukesh Ambani also unveiled the company's plan to enter into the country's thriving e-commerce sector to take on Amazon and Flipkart. "As Reliance transitions to become a technology platform company, we see our biggest growth opportunity in creating a hybrid, online-to-offline new commerce platform," said Ambani while addressing the meeting. " We shall create this by integrating and synergising the power of Reliance Retail's physical marketplace with the fabulous strength of Jio's digital infrastructure and services."
The company also announced that it has more than 215 million userbase now in just 22 months of the launch of Jio. There are more than 25 million JioPhone users in India now.
Now before you get all confused with what all was announced at the event and when can you expect to launch in India, here's a neat rundown of everything that Ambani and his team announced at RIL 41 AGM. Take a look:
* Jio GigaFiber broadband service: The star of the show-- Jio GigaFiber--is the company's optical-based broadband service that aims to connect 50 million homes in India. The beta trials for the service is already running in several cities and the registrations will start from August 15. The company said that the area with the highest number of registrations will be preferred first. Jio engineers will come to your doorstep to set up the connection. The connection will include and router and a Jio GigaTV set-top-box. The Jio router will provide ultra-fast wireless connection and offer wall to wall WiFi coverage.
* Jio GigaTV set-top box: Your Jio GigaFiber connection will also include a GigaTV set-top box that will offer more than 600 HD channels, 1000s of movies and songs. The set-top-box will also take voice commands in most of the Indian languages and also offer the multi-party video-conferencing facility.
* JioGigaTV calling: This is one unique feature launched by the company at its 41RIL AGM. With JioGigaTV feature, you can make voice and video calls from TVs connected to Jio GigaFiber and GigaTV set-top box. The feature will also allow you to call from TV to phones or tablets connected to some other network.
* YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp for JioPhone: The company announced new capabilities for JioPhone. Starting August 15, both JioPhone and the new model of JioPhone will support Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
* JioPhone 2: The company announced a new model of JioPhone with horizontal screen and QWERTY keypad called JioPhone 2. It supports voice commands in 15 Indian languages and has a dedicated button for the voice assistant. The JioPhone 2 runs on KAI OS. It features a 2.4-inch QVGA display and supports dual-SIM slots (Nano). The phone will retail at Rs 2999 and will be available for buying from August 15.
* Smart home gadgets: Jio also wants to try its hands on smart home gadgets. The company announced a range of products under its umbrella of Smart Home solutions. The company will sell products like audio dongles, video dongles, smart speaker, smart plug, surveillance cameras, video doorbells, smoke sensor, water leak sensor, gas leak sensor, and likewise. These devices can be managed remotely also with the help of Jio SmartHome app.
* E-commerce platform plan: Last but certainly not the least, Ambani also unveiled the company's plan to enter into the commerce platform. The company will do it by collaborating company's offline Reliance Retails stores with Jio's digital infrastructure.
