UK is Committed to Strengthening UK-India Defence Ties at Aero India

The UK will attend Aero India 2019 in force again this year, reflecting the importance of the UK-India defence relationship. Industry and government representatives will be present to promote some of the world’s most innovative defence and aviation technologies and strengthen relationships with Indian partners. The UK Pavilion, organised by ADS UK Ltd and the UK Department for International Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation (DIT DSO), will host around twenty UK companies.

The UK delegation will include Air Marshal Stuart Evans RAF (Deputy Air Commander, Allied Air Command), Ms Fleur Thomas (Director Export Policy, UK MOD), Air Vice Marshal Nigel Maddox (Senior Military Adviser to DIT DSO) and Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG (British High Commissioner to India). Speaking about UK objectives for the show, Sir Dominic said:

“The UK is proud to have a defence partnership with India that benefits both our countries immensely. In the last year, we have worked together in multiple areas: our services have strengthened naval and marine links through Exercises Indradhanush and Konkan; and the visit of the Indian Navy to the Queen Elizabeth – the most advanced aircraft carrier of its class in the world – gave us the opportunity to explore potential joint work on naval capabilities.

“We want this strong relationship to continue. Future defence technologies are increasingly going to be delivered by collaborative programmes, in which India has the potential to take its place. Last year at Farnborough Air Show, the UK launched its Future Combat Air Strategy, which committed £1.9Bn of Government funding to develop next-generation combat air technologies, including via international partnerships. This week, we look forward to exploring with India the potential for future collaboration, through which we could jointly build knowledge, security and prosperity.”

National Health Protection Scheme, Priority of Government: D V Sadananda Gowda

Mr D V Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizer, Statistical and Programme Implementation, Government of India, said here today that the Government’s focus was on improving access to affordable medical care and contribute to the National Health Protection Scheme, even as India continues to maintain its leadership position in manufacturing and supply of high quality generic medicines.

Mr Gowda was speaking at the 4th International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices organized by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India jointly with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Mr Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Government of India, while stressing on the development of infrastructure and affordable healthcare through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, said that the Government was taking measures to make the Indian pharmaceutical sector a Rs. 3 lakh crore market.

Mr K J George, Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries, Government of Karnataka, said that the state government plans to set up a special pharmaceuticals SEZ in Hassan and Pharma Parks in Bengaluru and Mangalore, which forms  a part of the Government of India’s aim of investing over USD 50 billion by 2025.

Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India,  stated that considering the increased involvement of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in the medical devices manufacturing sector, WHO will provide technical support to the sector to upgrade manufacturing standards.

Mr S Sridhar, Chairman, FICCI Pharma Committee said that industry believed in universal healthcare at affordable price for all Indian citizens, adding that this is a long term plan and requires a joint effort of the Government, industry and other stakeholders to collectively own this vision.

Mr Badhri Iyengar, Chairman, FICCI Medical Device Forum, said that it was important to look at having a unified healthcare regulator which could act as a bridge between the industry and the Government to create one window for facilitating business.

Drug regulators from over 30 countries including Russia, Kenya, the UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia & Uzbekistan participated in the event. The event also saw participation of drug regulators from 15 states across India.

A FICCI-KPMG Knowledge Paper “Evolution to revolution: by use of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics in pharma” was also released at the event.

Micro Focus Completes Acquisition of Interset to Further Expand Cyber-Security Expertise

Micro Focus has announced the acquisition of Interset, a worldwide leader in security analytics software that provides highly intelligent and accurate cyber-threat protection. The addition of this predictive analytics technology adds depth to Micro Focus' Security, Risk & Governance portfolio, and aligns with the company's strategy to help customers quickly and accurately validate and assess risk as they digitally transform their businesses.

Interset unlocks the power of user and entity behavioral analytics (UEBA) and machine learning to furnish security professionals with the most-advanced technique for executing rapid and accurate threat-detection analysis. The technology will accelerate Micro Focus' delivery of a more-robust UEBA offering and help drive deeper data insights across security and operations that are necessary to execute on the company's SecOps Analytics vision.

"Security is at the heart of every organization, and perhaps never more so than as they implement their digital transformation initiatives and leverage emerging technologies to better predict and take action on credible threats," said John Delk, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Security, Risk & Governance at Micro Focus. "Micro Focus recognized that an even more advanced analytics ecosystem was needed to assist in this journey, and we identified Interset as a critical addition to our strategy."

Interset has achieved a strong reputation in the market with software that has been proven in key verticals – energy, critical infrastructure, high-tech, aerospace, defense and government – where threat detection is at a premium. The technology will supplement Micro Focus' Big Data analytics software, Vertica, and add additional value to Micro Focus ArcSight – the world's leading real-time correlation engine – to deliver a highly differentiated cyber-security solution.

"The combination of the Interset technology with Micro Focus' broad security portfolio is a powerful combination that will produce a level of protection that will be unmatched in the market," said Mark Smialowicz, Interset's Chief Executive Officer. "Our 'Data In, Intelligence Out' methodology will deliver an even-more complete set of benefits for our combined customers – allowing them to leverage near real-time information to address both immediate- and long-term threats."

Key attributes of the Interset technology include:

Extensible analytics – With multiple use cases out of the box – including inside threats, targeted attacks, and fraud – the technology eliminates the need for expensive product consultations and customization.
Principled math – The software utilizes a growing library of more than 350 proven machine-learning and advanced-analytics models, applying them to both events and entities, to yield a highly accurate means of detecting, connecting, and quantifying high-risk behaviors.

Scalable Big Data – The flexible, open platform combines an advanced-analytics engine with open-source, big-data technology, including Kafka, Spark, Phoenix, Hadoop, HBase, Elasticsearch, ZooKeeper, d3, and Kibana. It can be deployed in the Vertica, Hortonworks or Cloudera infrastructures, scaling to meet the needs of the largest, most-sophisticated environments.

World’s argest open-air painting display exhibition at Vega City Mall

The coming weekend, Vega City Mall is going to explode with colours – every colour and every shade, of every size and every shape. Even knowing this, the spectacle is guaranteed to surprise every visitor. Welcome to the world’s largest open-air painting display exhibition, presented by Breathe Entertainment and Powered by Silicon City Academy.  The event will be held on 23rd and 24th February 2019, From 10am to 6pm at Vega City Mall, Bannerghatta Main Road

The event will be inaugurated on 23rd February by His Grace Most Rev. Peter Machado Arch Bishop, Bengaluru , Karnataka , Worshipful Mayor Smt. GangambikeMallikarjun, along with Shri. Ramalinga Reddy, Senior Congress Leader, Ex. Home Minister, Govt. of Karnataka in the presence of Mrs. Sowmya Reddy, Jayanagar MLA, Ravi, Director, Silicon City Academy and Celebrity guests like Actress Nishvika.

Spread over two days, on display will be, not dozens or hundreds, but 10,000 paintings, drawn by amateurs and professionals, in free hand and oil canvas, by men, women and children, from 5 year-olds to 90-year-olds, and many of them coming with a social message for the social good, including some award-winning paintings.

The organisers are eying an entry into the London Book of Records and multiple other records. This incidentally is not something new but actually par for the course for Breathe Entertainment, as they already eligible           for Guinness Book of Records and the Limca Book of Records, for hosting the largest number of people of all age groups painting under a single platform.

The 10,000 paintings on display at Vega City Mall Bannerghatta Main Rd, Bengaluru, comprise the on-the-spot paintings drawn by the participants at the latest Colorothon-11 event held in Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium Jayanagar a few weeks back and those of the previous edition.

So many of the people expected to participate in the painting exhibition at Vega City  Mall will be the very ones who drew it in the firs place! They will be glad to know that their works will be auctioned at a very nominal price starting from Rs 100 to the public and the sale proceeds donated to Om Ashram Trust, an old-age home.

The two-day exhibition will also include a slew of entertainments on the side, such as, performance by India's Got Talent artists, Drums Circle, musical bands  and more, to ensure families and have their dose of weekend fun.

After eleven successful editions of Colorothon held across several cities in the country, Kishore Joseph of Breathe Entertainment, said similar painting exhibitions on such a large scale will shortly be held in other cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and  Lucknow.

We are associated with this great initiative, because, said Dr. K S Sameera Simha, Academic Chairman, Silicon City Academy, it’s a unique platform which brings together people with no caste, creed and religion under a single platform to appreciate art. This is what we aim to stress and propagate through children,” said Dr. K S Sameera Simha.

Time to go bonkers over colours and add a bit of colour to the lives of the deprived...

GIIS Ushers Next-Generation Learning with Launch of SMART Campus

Global Indian International School (GIIS), a premium quality international educational institute, launched its flagship SMART Campus. The Campus combines 21st century pedagogy with state-of-the-art facilities to provide a holistic, innovative and disruptive education, allowing GIIS to nurture future-ready global citizens. Mr. Ng Chee Meng, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Member of Parliament Pasir Ris – Punggol GRC officially opened the SMART Campus in the presence of the High Commissioner of India to Singapore, Mr. Jawed Ashraf.

Commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Mr. Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India to Singapore said, “Today is an occasion that will be remembered as a milestone in schools. There are a few things that struck me when I visited this SMART Campus. The first being that it is architecturally brilliant, shaped like a nest that nurtures the leaders of tomorrow. It is technologically state-of-the-art and yet fosters a sense of human interaction and teamwork. The campus does not only encourage learning but also instills creativity and imagination. It is the globalizing face of India and still connected to its heritage. For all its innovation and the brilliance of its campus, GIIS is producing students that are not only equipped to deal with the challenges and the opportunities of the 21st Century with technological skills, but with all those attributes that are important to build leadership and to be the force of change in society.”

The SMART Campus provides learning opportunities that focus on individuality, leadership and experimentation amongst. The 9GEMSTM Model promotes value-based learning beyond academics through a holistic development framework which emphasizes academic and sports excellence, visual and performing arts, personality development, innovation and creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership, universal values and ethics, community and care and overall skill development amongst all students.

Atul Temurnikar, Co-Founder & Chairman of GIIS, said: “Today is a very special day for us as we unveil our SMART Campus to the world. GIIS is committed to nurturing global citizens who are future-ready for any job they choose. The SMART Campus allows us to expose our students to technology and disruption at every step of their educational journey from the day they join GIIS. Our multi curricula offering coupled with 9GEMSTM Model instils four key skills in all our students – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity – that further prepares them for the challenges of tomorrow."

Speaking at opening, Minister Ng Chee Meng, said: “The SMART Campus is the latest addition to our energetic Punggol Kampung. The Campus is designed to meet the learning needs of students and develop 21st century skills. By so doing, every student is afforded an opportunity to get an all-rounded experience for them to excel in the increasingly complex and globalised world. GIIS has struck a good balance between academia and future skills development, with the SMART Campus furthering their commitment.”

The SMART Campus will leverage proprietary data analytics software to improve learning and teaching outcomes across the school’s infrastructure. These include 92 digitally connected SMART classrooms connected with 2GB fibre networks, more than 40 skills-based studios, 8 SMART science, composite and design technology labs, 4 multipurpose halls for sports and performances, and unique concepts like Student Innovation Rooms, Flipped Classrooms and Learning Commons for collaborative learning.

The SMART Campus is also equipped with technologies such as Sports Performance Enhancing Data Analytics System (SPEDAS) to enhance student performance in sports, and smart features including facial recognition to ensure safety of students across the Campus.

Aiming to have a low carbon footprint, the SMART Campus also champions green initiatives. These include motion sensors, using natural materials like terracotta on the building façade to increase air-con efficiency, and conserving water through all available resources.

The SMART Campus offers multiple International curricula including International Baccalaureate (IB), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Global Montessori Programme (GMP). This is the flagship campus of GIIS, which has two other campuses in Singapore at East Coast and Mountbatten. Students benefit from the option of seamless movement across all 23 GIIS Campuses in 7 different countries across Asia and the Middle East.

Infosys Unveils Free Learning App Platform for Engineering Students

InfyTQ is a free platform open to all engineering students in their third and fourth years across India
The country’s second-largest IT services firm Infosys on Saturday announced the launch of ‘InfyTQ’, a digital platform to offer learning and engagement experiences to engineering students in the country. InfyTQ is a free platform open to all engineering students in their third and fourth years across India, Infosys said in a statement.

The platform encourages holistic development by imparting technical as well as professional skills, helping them become industry-ready, it added. InfyTQ, available on both mobile and desktop, includes content, courses, and news as well as online assessments and certification.

“With InfyTQ, students will benefit from the always-on, anytime, anywhere learning, catered through a continuous transfer of digital skills and expertise from the Infosys innovation ecosystem. The platform will also assist students to stay connected with the organisation, keep up with the latest happenings, and familiarise themselves with Infosys’ culture and value system,” it said.

The learning courses will be centered around conceptual and practical aspects of technology. This includes extensive hands-on learning to aid application of concepts in the real world. The platform will evolve and offer advanced learning materials and enable virtual programming environments for certain sets of students to further hone their technical skills, the statement said.

In addition, the platform also offers courses on professional skills to help students navigate the art of effective contextual response, inter-personal relationships, communication and e-mail, and etiquette, among others, it added.

BEL to Display Electronic Warfare, Military Communication Devices at Aero India 2019

Bengaluru-based defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited plans to showcase its wide range of capabilities at the Aero India show 2019.

The company will showcase military communication products, radar systems, missile systems, naval systems, C4I Systems, electronic warfare systems, avionics, anti-submarine warfare systems, tank electronics, electro optics, gun/weapon system upgrades shelters, unmanned systems, homeland security, life support systems (atmospheric water generator), cyber security and professional electronic components.

BEL will also showcase its R&D capabilities by launching/demonstrating some of its new products/technologies.

Military communication
BEL’s display in the area of radar will include products/models/panels of active electronically scanned array radar, quick reaction surface-to-air missile radar and other modern radars for automatic detection of first-round location of artillery weapons (weapon locating radar), border surveillance and detection of low flying targets (BFSR-XR and Aslesha).

BEL will display products for data and voice communication between systems, High Capacity Radio Relay, Software Defined Radio — Airborne, Data Diode used to create a physically secure one-way communication channel from one network to another, Secured Tactical Computer, Rugged Panel-PC, Data Link Radio Frequency Unit for exchanging information at a much higher data rate and indigenous Ku Band Satcom for wideband satellite communications from vehicles in motion over rugged terrain.

Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare and avionic products on display will include Head Up Display for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), identification of friend or foe for aircraft and helicopters, Drone interception and countermeasure system, EW suite for fighter aircraft, self-protection suite for helicopters, Data Link for onboard communication on aircraft, VSAT Monitoring System, Aerostat Balloon and Ground Control Station and Direct infrared counter measure to intercept and counter threats.