Start the Fashion Calendar - Mirchi Face of Fashion at Mantri Square

September has always been an important month for Fashion, with brands showcasing their Autumn/Winter Collection to eager consumers. Mantri Square launches the festive season of the year, introducing Mirchi Face of Fashion – a hunt for the city’s new young Fashionista!

Sandalwood sweetheart, Shanvi Srivastava will not only mentor, but will also be the evening’s showstopper, walking the ramp with the Top 20 finalists, who have been chosen after an arduous month of auditions.

Speaking on her role as mentor, Shanvi Srivastava says, “I am extremely happy to be a part of Mirchi Face of Fashion. Somewhere I feel that I will be helping in making a young girl’s dream come true, and there is no better feeling than that. Excited and happy to be able to choose Ms Fashionista 2019!”

Choreographed by celebrity choreographer, Rajesh Shetty, the finalists will compete for the title of Ms. Fashionista at the Grand Finale on Sunday, September 22, 2019, 4:30pm onwards at Mantri Square mall. Along with winning the crown and a host of prizes, the winner also get the chance to audition in Sandalwood’s next blockbuster to be directed by Mahesh Kumar, who will be on the panel of judges along with Shanvi Srivastava.

To make the evening more memorable there is also included a scintillating performance by Bengaluru’s loved band Vasu Dixit Collective who will be kick-starting the show with an exhilarating performance.

Speaking on this, Mr. Nitin Bir, Head – Mall Management stated, “Mantri Square has always had the honour of being one of the fashion destinations of Bengaluru. We try and cater to all the fashion needs of our patrons by offering an array of collection to choose from under ethnic, western casual, office-wear, evening wear, athleisure wear, etc. With Mirchi Face of Fashion, we want to highlight the latest offerings to all our young trendsetters.”

Stay Free in Dubai When You Fly First, Business Class on Emirates

As the heat of the Dubai summer begins to wane, an opportunity to experience the vibrant Emirate with a stopover in October, November or early December awaits passengers travelling with Emirates. The offer is valid for all flights from Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi to Europe, the Americas or Africa.

Customers who book their tickets between 24th September and 3rd October for travel ending 10th December 2019 to destinations on the three continents in First and Business Class will receive free hotel accommodation provided the transit time is 10 hours or more.

First and Business Class passengers will receive two nights’ accommodation at the Address Downtown or Address Dubai Mall, two of Dubai’s swankiest hotels. “The end of the year is one of the best times to visit Dubai, especially for those seeking adventure and thrilling outdoor experiences the city is renowned for,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ VP for India and Nepal. “We are always looking to give our passengers the best value and we hope that our offer for a free stay at our global hub will help them experience the excitement of not just one, but two destinations during their trip.”

The offer spans a 10-week period, with the exception of the week of 15th – 22nd November.

Customers are entitled to a single room per ticket or a double room for two adults travelling together, subject to availability. One child under 12 years of age is permitted to share accommodation with the parents in the same room, with existing bedding. The offer does not include Dubai visas.

One of the most dynamic hubs of entertainment and travel experiences, Dubai has a host of mega-events for culture, music and sports enthusiasts during the period of the free stay offer. These include the ‘Wake Up Call’ Music Festival (10th – 12th October); the staging of Phantom of the Opera (16th October – 6th November); ‘Insomnia’ – Dubai’s biggest gaming festival (October 17th – 19th); ‘Party in the Park’ with Fatboy Slim, The Kooks and Richard Ashcroft (31st October – 2nd November), One-night tribute to Aretha Franklin (14th November); the Dubai Rugby 7s (5th – 7th December) and Kylie Minogue at the Dubai Rugby 7s (6th December).

Trend Micro Finds IoT Is a Hot Topic in Cybercriminal Underground

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released new research detailing a fast-growing market for IoT attacks. Cybercriminals from around the world are actively discussing how to compromise connected devices, and how to leverage these devices for moneymaking schemes.

Trend Micro Research analyzed forums in the Russian, Portuguese, English, Arabic, and Spanish language-based underground markets to determine how cybercriminals are abusing and monetizing connected devices. The results reveal that the most advanced criminal markets are Russian- and Portuguese-speaking forums, in which financially driven attacks are most prominent. In these forums, cybercriminal activity is focused on selling access to compromised devices – mainly routers, webcams and printers – so they can be leveraged for attacks.

“We’ve lifted the lid on the IoT threat landscape to find that cybercriminals are well on their way to creating a thriving marketplace for certain IoT-based attacks and services,” said Steve Quane, executive vice president of network defense and hybrid cloud security for Trend Micro. “Criminals follow the money – always. The IoT market will continue to grow, especially with landscape changes like 5G. While IoT attacks are still in their infancy, we also found criminals discussing how to leverage industrial equipment for the same gain. Enterprises must be ready to protect their Industry 4.0 environments.”

According to Trend Micro’s findings, most conversations and active monetization schemes are focused on consumer devices. However, discussions on how to discover and compromise connected industrial machinery are also occurring, especially the vital programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used to control large-scale manufacturing equipment. The most likely business plan to monetize attacks against these industrial devices involves digital extortion attacks that threaten production downtime.

Additionally, the report predicts an increase in IoT attack toolkits targeting a broader range of consumer devices, such as virtual reality devices. The opportunities for attackers will also multiply as more devices are connected to the internet, driven by 5G implementations.

Trend Micro urges manufacturers to partner with IoT security experts to mitigate cyber-related risks from the design phase. End users and integrators should also gain visibility and control over connected devices to be aware of and curb their cyber risk.

The full report, The Internet of Things in the Criminal Underground, can be found here: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/the-internet-of-things-in-the-cybercrime-underground.

Leather Sector has Potential to Create 2 Million Jobs Over Next 5 Years: Mahendra Nath Pandey

Speaking at a ceremony today where more than a thousand candidates in the leather sector were awarded Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Certificates in Chennai, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Govt. of India said the Leather Sector is an Export driven sector and has the potential to create 2 million jobs in the next 5 years. The Government of India had recently announced in the Budget of 2019 that export duty be rationalized on raw and semi-finished leather increasing opportunities in the sector.

Dr. Pandey distributed Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certificates to the graduating trainees under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) of Skill India, who were trained, assessed and certified on their existing skill sets across leather companies with the due effort of the Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC). The certification ceremony was graced by Dr. Nilofer Kafeel, Minister for Labour and Employment, Govt. of Tamil Nadu.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship works closely with the LSSC under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) which encourages skill development to boost employability and productivity of youth by incentivizing skill training.  Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), under PMKVY, certifies skills acquired informally and drives youth to venture into aspirational job roles. For the industry, formalizing the skills of employees will give a clear picture about the available skill sets, skill gaps and the need for upgradation to achieve desirable quality and productivity benchmarks. The outstanding candidates, certified under RPL, were given Best in Class Employer Scheme and HRD Scheme certificates during the ceremony.

As of last week, more than 2 million candidates across the country have received RPL under the PMKVY (2016-20). As per the latest report (17 September), of the 2.78 million candidates enrolled, 2.70 million have been trained while 2.15 million have been assessed and 2.03 million have been given certificates.

The ministry has also proposed to execute Mochi Swabhimaan Initiative nationwide where leather sector skill council will support the cobbler community, providing a better environment to work in, with kiosks and umbrellas, towards an increased emphasis on dignity of labour.

Lauding the efforts of LSSC, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship stated, “Globally, India is the second largest producer of leather garments and footwear and with this phenomenal market potential, the sector seems promising in the years to come. When we look back at our past, India has always had a rich heritage of leather crafts like footwear and accessories. These were prepared by highly skilled craftsmen from various clusters like Agra, Kanpur, Ambur and other regions. Today, these skills need to be preserved and people should be encouraged to make them a means of sustainable livelihood. At the same time India has many institutions of higher learning like FDDI, CFTI and CLRI where research and design is continuously taken up to support the industry. I am glad to see the outcome of your RPL programs undertaken in close collaboration with the industry. I congratulate all the candidates who are receiving their certificates today and wish them better opportunities for continued learning and career development. I wish you all great success and I extend continued support to LSSC team and all their partners.”

“The Government of India has allowed 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector and rationalized export duty on raw and semi-finished leather. The sector employees over 2.5 million people and has potential to create 2 million jobs in the next 5 years,” he further added.

India accounts for about 13% of the world’s leather production. Footwear and Leather products in the world. The leather and leather products industry contributes less than 1% to India’s GDP and Footwear industry contributes about 2% to India’s GDP. Indian leather industry has huge potential for exports. It can reach USD 9.0 billion by 2020, from the present level of USD 5.85 billion. India has trade agreements with Japan, Korea, ASEAN, Chile etc., and is negotiating Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with European Union, Australia etc.

“Fashion and trends have a great influence in this industry. There are many opportunities for entrepreneurship in traditional leather trades and new forms of leather substitutes. We need to cater to basic needs as well as luxury segments, with vast potential for exports. On this occasion, I would advise the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to review their manufacturing processes in terms of quality of output and wastage reduction by skilled professionals,” said Dr. Pandey.

“Technology has had a huge impact on every industry and leather is not left behind. While your manufacturing set up and factory premises need quick upgrades you should also focus on today’s e-commerce scenario. This brings in the need for multiskilling the workforce in the leather industry, since they will need appropriate digital skills to interact with online systems and a global customer base. I hope you are already taking these steps in this direction to expand your global outreach,” said the Minister.

To recognize and enhance the value of skilled manpower, LSSC has successfully implemented the RPL program to certify the workforce as per the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). The certification will contribute to the mobility of the workforce and will reduce employer dependence for recognition. Particularly, for the women who form a large chunk of the workforce, RPL will encourage them to enhance their skills basis their certification levels. 

New Party Founded by Denizens of Bengaluru, Aims to Make the City a Model City

A political party, Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), with a vision to make Bengaluru a model city and having an ideology of good grassroots governance, was launched in the city today. The party will focus only on the municipal elections in the Greater Bengaluru Area, primarily the BBMP. BNP seeks to follow the objective of sustainable, inclusive and balanced development of Bengaluru.

Founded by a few passionate denizens of Bengaluru, the members of the party include people who have worked tirelessly at the grassroots over the past few years. The members, through the various platforms, have brought about changes at the grassroots in the fields of solid waste management, animal welfare, water conservation, wastewater management, clean energy, good roads, education, healthcare, etc.

“Bengaluru has been witnessing a rapid deterioration in the overall quality of living with a water crisis, bad roads, poor garbage management, stinking stormwater drains, frothing lakes, etc. And there does not seem to be an end in sight. The existing parties and elected representatives have completely failed us," said N S Mukunda, Governing Council Member of BNP.

“A number of citizens have been fighting for the cause of Bengaluru through various platforms which have yielded good results over the past few years. However, these solutions are at the local area level and most problems of the city still remain unaddressed. It is time for the denizens of Bengaluru to unite and bring about the change that we desire and deserve," said Prathap Rao, Governing Council Member of BNP.

“Through BNP, we aim to bring about a change by fighting the system from the inside, rather than from the outside. We believe that local governance is all about execution which has so far been grossly lacking due to a variety of factors. BNP commits itself to keep the Bengaluru denizen at the core and work towards delivering the basic amenities like pothole-free roads, garbage-free localities, sewage-free storm water drains, working street lights and so on,” said Srikanth Narasimhan, Governing Council Member of BNP.

BNP has committed itself to representing the interests of every stakeholder of Bengaluru -- be it animals, trees, lakes, the environment or the citizens. The face of the party is the most important person in Bengaluru today – the Bengaluru citizen, whether living in a slum or an apartment, whether working as a domestic help or as an IT professional, whether a young student or an elderly citizen.

With a team having experience in different facets, BNP would create manifestos for the various functions of BBMP as well as ward-level manifestos which will be a benchmark for what needs to be done for the city.

With the party seeking to contest all 198 wards in the BBMP elections, its basis lies in the support from the Bengaluru denizen who is yearning for a change in the governance of Bengaluru.

Students Paint Vigyan Samagam in the Colours of their Imagination

Picking up their favourite brushes and a sting of bright colours, students of Tunbridge High School with great excitement participated in a Painting Competition, organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Mumbai, Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi together. Over 300 enthusiastic students from class 6th to 10th standard, participated in this competition expressing their inner Picasso.

With the theme Vigyan Samagam and 7 mega projects, children put in their best efforts to showcase their talent by portraying scientific understanding in the most creative manner. 

Keeping in with “Vigyan Samagam”, a unique and first ever mega science exhibition in India, organized by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Mumbai, Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi in unison, this competition saw students from various age groups competing together.

Judging the thought behind the paintings of each student, the judges unanimously announced Safa Fathima of 6th Standard as the winner, while admiring her artistic skills in representing Vigyan Samagam. The judges also praised Mohammed Jawed of 8th standard and Sriya of 6th standard for their creativity and awarded them as the first and second runner-up.

While appreciating the concept of ‘Go curious and unleash the power of your mind’ behind organising Vigyan Samagam, Kim Noble, Principal, Tunbridge High School said that by organising these kind of activities, the organisers are persuading kids to increase their interest in science and enabling future scientists.

The judges were extremely impresses with the creativity of kids and praised their participation spirit. They also suggested that such activities should be conducted regularly for kids in order to inculcate awareness in them.

The event concluded with the organizers distributing informative material to both the students and the teachers about Vigyan Samagam.

A lot of activities are being organized at various schools in Bengaluru to promote Vigyan Samagam. The overall concept behind this mega science exhibition is to demonstrate the technical ability and scientific acumen of Indian Scientists in global mega science projects like CERN, FAIR, INO, ITER, LIGO, MACE, SKA and TMT.

Schools and colleges who would like to participate in the ongoing weekly sessions conducted by various projects can register themselves on the VITM website www.vismuseum.gov.in and attend the sessions.

Vigyan Samagam is currently open for public till September 28 at the Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum, Bengaluru. The exhibition will remain open on all days from 10:00 AM till 06:00 PM including holidays. For additional details, science lovers are requested to visit the website www.vigyansamagam.in and its social media handles. They can also download and installed the specially created App Vigyan Samagam for further inputs.

Samsidh Mount Litera Zee School, B'lore to Compete for HDFC ERGO Insurance Awareness Award Junior – Quiz 2019

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s leading non-life insurer, declared Samsidh Mount Litera Zee School, Bengaluru as the winners of the Zonal Round – South of the Insurance Awareness Award Junior – Quiz, 2019, conducted in Chennai today. The team, represented by the young achievers – Aditya Gupta and Rohan Ram Reddy - competed with the qualifiers of the city rounds from Chennai, Calicut, Hubli, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Vishakhapatnam, Kochi Mangalore, Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Salem to proceed into the Grand Finale.

HDFC ERGO Insurance Awareness Award Junior Quiz is national level competition for school students of 8th and 9th standards. The objective of this initiative is to build awareness about insurance amongst young minds and the population, at large. In this fourth edition of the Insurance Awareness Award, HDFC ERGO has conducted workshop in 1,000 schools in 50 cities covering 2,40,000 students. The Quiz is also a test of wits of these students and brings forth a healthy competition in a fun and engaging manner.

HDFC ERGO representatives conducted educational townhalls and insurance workshops across 12 cities in the South Zone for over 60,000 students of class 8th and 9th from 240 schools. In addition, HDFC ERGO seeks to involve parents in helping the participants understand the concept of insurance and in the process, learn more. One winning team from each of the 11 cities, travelled to Chennai to compete with the other schools teams to proclaim the title of National Champions of the HDFC ERGO Insurance Awareness Award Junior - Quiz 2019. 

Speaking about the Zonal Round – South, Mr. Mehmood Mansoori, President - Shared Services & Online Business -  said, “We congratulate the team from Samsidh Mount Litera Zee School, Bengaluru, for being the  winners of the Zonal Round – South and extend our best wishes for the Grand Finale of the HDFC ERGO Insurance Awareness Award Junior Quiz! We are very excited with the response that we got from the schools, students and parents and feel that our larger objective to spread insurance awareness in a sustained manner is being achieved. We thank the schools and parents for joining this campaign and helping students learn about insurance at this early age”

The team from Samsidh Mount Litera Zee School, Bengaluru had earlier contested with 20 schools from the city to qualify for the Zonal Round - South. The team is now set to challenge the Zonal Round winners from North, East and West for the National Championship Title, to be held in Mumbai on September 30, 2019.