Haseena Hediyal Fighting Her Disability - Enabling Dreams in Haveri

Haseena Hediyal, fighting through her disability, hailing from the marginalized community has been awarded with an appreciation Certificate for Social Services by District Administrative Authority. Having worked extensively on vulnerable children for years and the disabled community for ages, these recognitions would empower her to sensitise people on their plight.

Haseena after being conferred will work more intensively for people with disabilities and also for the rights of children. Haseena will continue to play an important leadership role for the holistic community development in several villages across Haveri.

Over the years, Haseena has referred and admitted around 200 children Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRCs) across Haveri and Davangere. She also has carried out regular advocacy activities and ensured to activate a closed NRC at Haveri District PHC. She then continued to monitor Anganwadi Centers , with a special focus on identifying SAM  children along with working for the empowerment of disabled, school dropout children. She single handedly has impacted lives of thousands of children through her intervention.

In 2006, she joined The Association of People with Disability (APD) and started working for disabled children. Her profile included identifying and mobilizing disabled children, monitoring their education, enrolling them, raising awareness in the community, advocating with local governments to issue disabled certificates for those children and ensuring benefits such as free health check-ups and other socio-economic supports from the governments.

“I was born as a disabled child. I lost my mother at an early age of 4 and did not receive proper care and support from in my childhood. Life experiences shaped my journey and made me resolute to bring about a sustainable change in the lives of children. Every struggled made me strong and every denial shaped my will. Today, with the responsibility I have been entrusted upon makes me hopeful to bring about an impactful change in the lives of people,” said Haseena.

In 2012, Haseena was inspired by Mr. Mariswamy from Samajika Parivarthana Janandolana (SPJ) a program supported by CRY. The organisation’s stand on malnutrition resonated with her wish to work on the same issue. She identified over 700 SAM children, and in the process, she was very active in conducting mother’s meeting (pregnant and lactating) providing awareness on nutrition, care for 0 to 6 years children.

Her recognitions is not only empowering but also gives hope to people with disability that through proper determination and grit one can overcome the hardest challenges in life.

Key Trends of Fintech and Banking Sector Across India in 2019

Mr. Ravi B. Goyal, Chairman & MD, AGS Transact Technologies Ltd.’s views on trends in the Fintech and Banking sector in 2019.

“The last few years in Indian Fintech witnessed a digital revolution prompting transformational changes in the way businesses function today. This year saw continuous efforts by the Government of India to drive our economy towards a less-cash and more digital economy; the impact of revolutionary policies/guidelines introduced in late 2018 visibly catapulted the growth of digital transactions. Introduction of interoperability and increasing role of UPI QR code-based mobile wallet payments has contributed to simpler payments and cost-efficiency for merchants and provided consumers more power to choose from the available methods. As reports suggest, in the first four years UPI transactions witnessed an increase from 100,000 monthly transactions to 1.15 billion monthly transactions with the annual run rate of transactions flowing through UPI being about 10 per cent of India's GDP.

Overall, 2019 was the year of an expected collaboration between Banking & Fintech. India continues to be one of the top markets globally for mobile wallet adoption. Offers such as the cashback and discounts provided by mobile wallets gained increased attention of cost-conscious customers. RBI’s proposal to introduce new prepaid instrument for purchase of goods & services up to Rs 10,000 will provide further impetus to digital banking as the loading /reloading of such PPI will be only from a bank account and used for making only digital payments. Further, the introduction of first-ever UPI QR based feature on ATMs to withdraw/deposit cash re-affirms that Cash & digital modes of payments will continue to coexist and would act as a bridge for customers graduating from cash to digital payments.

The digital industry also observed advent of multiple innovative but niche apps that have contributed to customer convenience. For instance, being able to educate one’s child or leveraging RFID to refuel a vehicle with just a click; this new generation of apps open the possibility of a very different kind of collaborations between Tech & FinTech players in the near future.

The next few years will see an increased dependency on smart technologies with improved adoption of mobile payments becoming the norm. Customers will continue to benefit from UPI QR, interoperability will drive digital payments in 2020 and pave the way for financial inclusion in the country.”

Ever tried Makhani Chole with Achari Bhature or Chilly Garlic Chole with Paneer Bhature?

Beeji De Chole Bhature offers 5 Flavours of Chole and 3 Types of Bhature, in the hope that the various combinations will appease different taste buds! This is the first time that customers get to customize India’s favorite Street Food - Chole Bhature. Beeji De Chole Bhature was created with a vision to give this all-time favorite street food a new avatar and serve it to the nation through the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) route.

Established on 30th May, 2017, by a Chole-Bhature-crazed fan, Amandeep Singh, and his wife Anu Gulmohar, the first restaurant was opened at Omaxe Gurgaon Mall, Sohna Road, Gurgaon. The recipes were drawn from his mother Naina’s (a popular home chef in Gurgaon) repository. The second outlet opened in June, 2019, at Bestech Center Point, A-Block, Sushant Lok -1, Gurgaon.

Beeji De Chole Bhature offers Classic Chole, Makhni Chole (creamy, less spicy than Classic), Mitthe Chatkare (sweet and chatpate), Chinese and Chilly Garlic (spiciyyy) flavours. Customers can pair it with Classic Bhaturas or with Paneer stuffing or Achaari stuffing. The result is a familiar taste yet different and new.

Beeji, the brand’s mascot, means Grandma in Punjabi culture, and like every loving grandmother she makes sure that her kids are eating good food. Beeji De Chole Bhature makes its bhature with 50% Atta and 50% Maida and uses Soya Bean Oil to fry the Bhature. The brand is popular for its less oily bhature since the very beginning.

The team at Beeji is constantly listening to feedback of its reviewers and customers, and they have all helped the brand improve. Today, Beeji De Chole Bhature has gained its own little group of supporters who have been regulars at Beeji’s for over two years.

Syed Kirmani Plays Santa to Meet Patients on Christmas Eve at Manipal Hospitals

Syed Kirmani, Veteran Cricket Star was at Manipal Hospitals to meet patients and played Santa to them on Christmas Eve. He spent some quality time with a few patients to bring smiles on their faces.

A Memorable Christmas Eve Comes Alive at Orion Mall, B'lore

With an immensely exciting Christmas Eve celebration, Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway spreads the joy and warmth of the season in a memorable fashion. Held on December 24th, the spectacular Christmas Parade started off the celebrations on a high note. The evening was also embellished by Santa, marching musicians, elves, dancing mascots, icy roller skaters, a tall candy clown, Segway Santa, rolling elf, and tall toy soldiers. Owing to the creativity and novelty in its execution, this Christmas season has turned out to be a memorable one for the mall’s patrons. The Christmas Eve celebrations marked another exciting chapter in what is turning out to be Orion Mall’s most thrilling Christmas season yet.

“Right from the start of this Christmas season, we were committed to the idea of giving our patrons something that redefined their expectations of a Christmas celebration. By applying ourselves in figuring out new ways to reinterpret the traditional Christmas motifs, an element of surprise was maintained all the way through. Much like all the activities that preceded it, the Christmas Eve celebration was met with rapturous appreciation from our customers. I believe we’ve achieved what we set out to do – Give our customers a Christmas they can cherish for a long time“opines Vijay Kumar Bhatia, Sr. GM – Orion Malls.

Discovery Channel’s ‘India 2050’ Unravels the Potential Dangers of Uncontrolled Environmental Degradation

India is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change as per a recent report*. This data is not surprising considering that India has 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world**.

What will happen if India were to continue walking down this path of environmental destruction? How will the thriving cities of India look then? Discovery channel presents a glimpse of the future if nothing is done about it right now with ‘India 2050’, a thought-provoking documentary, that premiers on December 29, 2019 at 9:00 pm.

The documentary begins with Jaipur, known as the Pink City of India, but imagined as in 2050, completely buried under piles of sand. It then moves into the future of currently flourishing metropolises of Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, giving viewers a terrifying glimpse of what is to come, for each of these metro cities. 

Highlighting the importance of the show, Sai Abishek, Director–Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery, said, “India 2050 shines light on what could lie-ahead if we don’t change. It is a wake-up call, urging each one of us to emerge from our collective slumber to act before it gets too late.”

Highlighting industrial damage to the ecosystem in the show, Amitav Ghosh, author of Great Derangement, says, “We cannot in any way absolve companies and corporations of playing a role in this because we know now that there’s been a huge systematic, well-funded climate denial machine! It was really the role of money, which has actually held up any kind of climate action for a very long time now.” While, Environmentalist and Climate Change Expert Chandra Bhushan, warns, “We are going to leave our children a planet which is going to be much harsher than what we have today.”

While presenting this alarmist view on the future, the film also highlights a larger crisis that humanity is likely to face - the crisis of environmental migration and climate refugees, the effects of which we are already facing in 2019 in certain patches in the Sundarbans and on India’s east coast. Going forward, experts predict this to be the single most urgent crisis to be faced by every country in the world as sea levels will continue to rise and glaciers will continue to melt bringing about unprecedented and irrevocable changes to human life as we know it.

“We don't have time anymore. In the month of August 2019, within 12 days, India received more than a thousand extreme and heavy rainfall events! You're getting to see the worst impacts of climate change and they're happening now!” says, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment, highlighting the need for immediate action. “People like us are protected. We believe… and it's our arrogance which has created the problem. Because we believe nothing can affect us! We will ramp up, we'll put on another air conditioner - the heat outside goes on. If there is no water, we’ll buy bottled water. But we're not worried about a dying river - because we still get clean water in our taps,” she further adds highlighting human apathy as one of the key reasons as to why we haven’t been able to come together as a species to counter climate change in any way.

Watch ‘India 2050’ as it premieres on December 29 at 9 PM only on Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel HD, Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Spread Christmas Cheer to Underprivileged School Children

Highlights

* As a part of ICARE initiative, 200 TKM employees (ICARE Champions) came together at the Government Higher Primary School, in Banashankari, Bangalore to beautify Government School
* TKM Employees engage with children through various activities including: mural painting, making clay and science models and serve food as a part of the activity
* Marking Toyota’s 10th ICARE initiative, this activity benefitted over 200 children from grades 1st to 8th at the school
* Toyota’s ICARE intervention engages its employees to contribute to a bigger social cause in the fields of Health, Education and Environment

In-line with its consistent efforts to motivate and encourage employees to partake in social causes, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), today, conducted its 10th ICARE activity at the Government Higher Primary School, in Banashankari, Bangalore. More than 200 ICARE Champions (TKM employees) came together to engage with the students through various activities including: mural painting, making of clay and science models and serving food to the students, bringing a smile to their faces and elevating their spirits. With an aim to encourage creative thinking in children and enhance quality of education, this activity benefitted more than 200 students at the school.

‘ICARE’– an employee voluntary initiative, is an effort aligned with the company’s commitment to sustained community development. This drive actively involves the employees and strives to enhance their understanding on various societal issues, contributing to address vital needs within TKM’s CSR framework. Since its launch in 2017, ICARE has grown manifold and managed to create a large impact in the society. Under ICARE, Toyota employees have earlier restored a Government School, facilitated specialized health camps, conducted recreational day with orphan children, initiated eco-campaign amongst school children through eco-painting of school premises, built playground with recycled material, installed road safety structures for smooth traffic flow, took part in the restoration and maintenance of Bannerghatta National Park and extended support to families affected by cyclone in Odisha.

Mr. Sameer Sudhindra Desai, ICARE Champion, participating in the cause said, “I am very happy to participate in this activity as it gives me an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of these bright young minds. I am thankful to TKM for constantly motivating us to serve the community and work towards the betterment of the society. Such activities not only benefit the society but also help us become better human beings.”

Mr D Pradeep Kumar, another volunteer under ICARE Program said, “We are thankful that the company has created platform for their employees to come together and make a difference to the community. Being an ICARE champion, has given me a different perspective about life. I have been participating in all the ICARE initiatives, since its launch. I personally feel elated by contributing to the society and as well as networking with my peers. We are happy to be part of ICARE success story”

Present at the activity, Mr. Naveen Soni, Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “We have always believed in putting our collaborative efforts to bring happiness in the lives of the community members and achieve long-term sustainability. Through ICARE, we intend to inspire our employees to be actively involved in noble causes and empower them to be the change creators in the society helping them grow as a responsible citizen. We believe that focusing on the development of children and providing adequate facilities will help them become change makers of tomorrow. We work with the local authorities to identify critical needs of the children and design initiatives to enhance their overall learning experience as we believe in providing quality education at the grass root-level. Through this activity, we intend to bring down the school drop-out rate by creating a wholesome learning experience for the children at the school. We will continue focusing our efforts to issues that need our intervention and strive to make a key contribution that will empower the community members.”

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, over the years, has initiated several sustainable projects to accelerate access to quality education in the country. The company has reconstructed 9 Government schools, in Ramnagara and Mysore District,

Under the Government’s national campaign to provide clean sanitation facilities for girl child in India, Toyota has pledged its support to ‘Swachh Bharat – Swachh Vidyalaya’ by constructing sanitation facilities at identified schools by the Government in three locations across India. Till date, TKM has constructed more than 890 units of sanitation facilities in 293 government schools across India, including: 124 units in Varanasi (UP), 592 units in Ramnagara district, 80 unit in Bangalore (Karnataka) and 94 units in Vaishali (Bihar).