Cognizant Hosts Sixth Edition Of ‘Cognizant Health Challenge’ In The Midst Of Work-From-Home

* Over 18000 employees and their families take part in the fully-virtual eight-week challenge focused on ‘Wellness at Home’ 

Cognizant recently hosted the 2020 edition of the Cognizant Health Challenge, the company’s annual fitness initiative for its employees and their families. As the company’s employees continue to work from home, the eight-week challenge organized in partnership with HealthifyMe, India’s largest wellness app, was entirely virtual this year. More than 18,000 employees and 1,000 employee families across India participated in the challenge focused on “How to keep fit while being at home”.

As part of the challenge, 30 live webinars, including six on nutrition, eight exercise and workout sessions, and 11 mental health sessions were organized. Six 'Fun Friday' sessions saw celebrity guests such as tennis stars Somdev Devvarman, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Purav Raja and comedians Praveen Kumar and Jagan Krishnan, speak about physical and mental health and their own fitness regimens.

In view of the pandemic, the accent was on innovative indoor exercises such as yoga and indoor aerobics that can be done with minimal or no equipment. Employees collectively logged in over 1.70 lakh surya namaskar sessions, over 30,000 high-knee marching sessions, and about 10,000 skipping sessions. Disruptions to routines and social engagements caused by the pandemic have led to increased stress and anxiety. The health challenge therefore laid special emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. The challenge also included special workshops focused on parenting and emotional wellness for expectant mothers.

Participants clocked in over 880 million steps covering over 6.75 lakh kilometers and burning a total of 843 lakh calories, resulting in a cumulative weight loss of over 4,500 kilograms. Employees used the HealthifyMe app to maintain an online food diary. Nearly 15 lakh food logs were recorded and over 11 lakh glasses of water were consumed by participants. Over 600 prizes including Apple Watches, Fitbits, BTWIN bicycles and Nutribullets were awarded to challenge winners and weekly lucky draw winners. 

“The wellbeing of our employees, which is our top priority even during normal times, has become a lot more critical as we navigate the challenges thrown up by the pandemic,” said Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman and Managing Director for India at Cognizant. “By continuing the tradition of Cognizant Health Challenge despite the changed circumstances, we have been able to not only help our employees and their families stay healthy, but also create vital moments of togetherness and camaraderie during these times of remote working and social distancing.”

The Cognizant Health Challenge is part of a whole host of employee engagement and wellness initiatives at Cognizant that span physical, mental and emotional wellness and allied topics such as financial management, parenting, relationship counselling and much more. With work from home becoming the norm, Cognizant was quick to adapt to a virtual model that includes self-paced courses, a dedicated Employee Assistance Program, and webinars to offer continued support for employees and their families as they get through the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Participant Quotes

“The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined lives in many ways, especially for working professionals.  The stress of the situation has taken a huge toll on physical and mental health of employees. Managing life and work and creating a balance needs discipline and motivation. When I think of the Cognizant Health Challenge, I am reminded of a quote I once read: ‘Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.’  The challenge drives all of us to be more disciplined with our health and work towards healthy lifestyle changes in exercise, diet, sleep and mental wellbeing. The challenge also pushes us and our teams beyond comfort zones, with a singular focus on long-term health.”

Ganesh Kalyanaraman, Senior Vice President, Cognizant

“I have been an active participant in the Cognizant Health Challenge since its inception. Over the years, the challenge has helped me acquire the discipline needed to achieve work-life balance and improve health and wellness parameters such as nutrition, hydration, exercise and sleep.  The challenge has something for everyone—from beginners who want to take their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle to seasoned marathon runners like myself. I have seen my colleagues acquire long-term, sustainable health solutions after participating in the challenge. And doing it is as a team multiplies the fun; your friends are there to encourage you all the way!”

V M Chinni Krishnan, Vice President, Cognizant

Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services And Paying Guests Topped Online Searches In January

A study undertaken by Sulekha.com, India’s leading AI-driven tech platform for expert services has unveiled interesting trends and insights about the service categories that have seen an increase in January 2021.

This study is based on visits and searches by nearly 3,00,000+ users across top 8 cities that landed on Sulekha in January 2021.

Key findings of the study:

* The Top 3 service categories that have seen a spike in online searches include Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services and Paying Guests.

* The top 5 cities that are leading in online searches across service categories include: Chennai Delhi and Bangalore followed by Hyderabad and Mumbai.

* In Chennai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Paying Guests, Domestic Help Services and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 20% since December 2020.

* In Delhi, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Placement Consultancies and Job Training. These services have grown by 21% since December 2020.

* In Bangalore, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies, Domestic Help Services and Paying Guests. These services have grown by 19% since December 2020.

* In Hyderabad, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Vehicle Rentals, and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 15% since December 2020.

* In Mumbai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies, Vehicle Rentals and Job Training. These services have grown by 25% since December 2020.

* In Pune, the top 3 services that are leading include: Paying Guests, Placement Consultancies and Job Training. These services have grown by 18% since December 2020.

* In Kolkata, the top 3 services that are leading include: Job Training, Domestic Help Services and Vehicle Rentals. These services have grown by 15% since December 2020.

* In Ahmedabad, the top 3 services that are leading include: Job Training, Domestic Help Services and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 16% since December 2020.

Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha.com, said, “It’s interesting to note the increase in online searches for services like Paying Guest stays and Domestic Help Services. Last year, due to the pandemic, people were extremely sceptical to allow domestic help and paying guests into their houses. But with the decline in COVID cases, these services seem to slowly get back on track.”

ELMS Sports Foundation Set To Initiate Second Edition Of High-Performance Leadership Program

* Last date for accepting applications is March 1, 2021

After having successfully upskilled the country’s top sports administrators and stakeholders through the inaugural batch of India’s first-ever High-Performance Leadership Program, ELMS Sports Foundation, with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation as Knowledge Partner and with the expert guidance of one of the leading sports education institutions in the world Loughborough University, announced the start of the second batch of the online program from March 20, 2021.

The first cohort of the program included Olympians Aparna Popat, Shiva Keshavan and Neha Aggarwal alongside other international athletes, representatives of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and state governments, elite sports clubs as well as NGOs associated with athlete management. This one-of-a-kind program is now open for everyone who fits its eligibility criteria.

“We have received a tremendously positive response during the induction of the first batch and I’m extremely happy to announce the second batch. Along with Abhinav Bindra Foundation and Loughborough University, we have successfully created a pool of High-Performance leaders who have developed the ability to not only contribute to the growth of the Indian sports ecosystem but also lead and created meaningful engagement and an environment for sports and sportspersons to thrive. I hope many more sports administrators can benefit from this curriculum and accelerate the growth of Indian sports,” ELMS Sports Foundation co-promoter Vita Dani said.

"High Performance Sport has seen a resurgence over the years owing to the potential of our athletes, guidance of our coaches and also due to the know-how of our sports leaders and administrators. These leaders and administrators not only create an athlete-centric approach but also execute plans with perfection. After the success of the first cohort of the High-Performance Leadership Programme, we are delighted to invite applications for the second batch, as we take concrete steps in taking Indian sport to greater heights in a sustainable manner. Come join us on this journey," India’s only Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra added while urging interested candidates.

The ongoing pandemic has helped us witness and understand the importance of being skilled and innovative. While live sport has taken a hit and is making a slow recovery, High-Performance leaders will play a crucial role in the growth of the sporting ecosystem with their innovation, efficiency, and unique skill-set. Having Abhinav Bindra Foundation as the Knowledge Partner, ELMS Sports Foundation’s High-Performance Leadership Program has been developed with an active collaboration from Loughborough University and many other national and international experts to upgrade knowledge, skills and abilities of sports administrators and train them to become process and result-oriented simultaneously in order to achieve sustainable growth.

Registrations are now open for this seven-month online certificate program with the last date to apply being March 1, 2021. Candidates can submit their application on bit.ly/HPLP2Form. The fees for the program is INR 40000 + GST (one-time) while INR 35000 + GST for candidates who are sponsored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, State Sports Departments or government bodies like SAI, SAG, NIS, etc. as well as any of the national sports federations.

To know more visit, http://www.highperformanceleadershipindia.com or read the brochure here: http://bit.ly/HPLP2_Brochure

Apply now: bit.ly/HPLP2Form

Message ELMS on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/message/K6D6ZDMAYN6FC1          

Uttarakhand Tourism Ministry Encourages Tourism Through Discovery’s New Title Explore Uttarakhand

* The two-part special film introduces hidden gems of Uttarakhand – from places of thrilling adventure sports to yoga retreats that heal mind and the body

* The films on Adventure Tourism, and Health and Wellness Tourism will be aired on Discovery Channel on 20th February 2021 at 7 PM and 21st February respectively

Discovery Channel, the leading real-life entertainment channel from India in collaboration with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) is all set to present a sublime new original two-part film titled ‘Explore Uttarakhand’. Providing audiences the chance to engage through stunning visuals of Uttarakhand, the film is all set to premiere on 20th February and 21st February on Discovery Channel, and explores spiritual yoga destinations and adrenaline packed adventure sports that go on in the snow filled mountains of the state.

Through this two-part film, viewers will get to witness the scenic Uttarakhand and familiarize themselves with its adventure sports and treasure of yoga and wellness. The film documents adventure activities in Uttarakhand that are some of the most challenging in the entire Indian subcontinent, attracting adrenaline seeking sport professionals and enthusiasts from all around the globe. Along with that, the ancient science of Yoga which was found by Indian sages thousands of years ago actually traces its beginning to Uttarakhand.

Speaking about the film Satpal Maharaaz, Minister of Tourism, Uttarakhand said, “Uttarakhand is a beautiful state which holds the privilege of being in the path of the mighty Himalayan Ranges that consist of some of nature's most extreme and unpredictable patterns. There are many famous shrines and places here like our Chardham, Hemkund Sahib, Haridwar and Rishikesh and others that have attracted tourists from all over the world. Uttarakhand which has also become preferred film destination in past years is also attracting tourists from all around the globe. Through Explore Uttarakhand on Discovery Channel, we humbly welcome you to this divinely blissful and fabulous state of ours.” he added.

Secretary Tourism Mr. Dilip Jawalkar said, “Uttarakhand is a heavenly destination when it comes to offering various adventure activities to tourists. From last few years we are constantly working to develop infrastructure to promote adventure and wellness tourism in Uttarakhand. The documentary film “Explore Uttarakhand’’ made by the Discovery Channel will play an important role to reach national and international audience.”

“We, at Discovery, believe in bringing factual stories to our audiences that not only entertain them but leave them with an enriching experience and a better understanding of the world. The two-part documentary is a visually stunning film that captures the tremendous beauty of the state of Uttarakhand and the Himalayan Ranges. We are delighted to join hands with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board to bring to the fore hidden gems from the destination, aiming to inspire people to experience the mesmerizing beauty and versatility the state has to offer.” said Megha Tata, Managing Director- South Asia, Discovery Communications India.

Watch visually stunning film Explore Uttarakhand on 20th and 21st February only on Discovery Channel India

About Discovery India:

Discovery Communications India, country’s leading real life entertainment player, is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content through its portfolio of 14 channels including Discovery Channel, Discovery HD, Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD, TLC, TLC HD, Investigation Discovery, Investigation Discovery HD, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Kids, DTamil and sports channels Eurosport and Eurosport HD.  The company recently launched India’s first aggregated real-life entertainment streaming app Discovery Plus. Available on Android, iOS and on the desktop / mobile web and Fire TV, the app offers more than 40,000 hours of content, across 40+ genres including Science, Adventure, Food and Lifestyle, in the language of your choice. 

Kioxia And Western Digital Announce 6th-Generation 3D Flash Memory

* Innovations in Scaling and CMOS Placement Deliver the Companies’ Highest Density and Most Advanced 3D Flash Memory Technology to Date

Kioxia Corporation and Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), today announced that the companies have developed their sixth-generation, 162-layer 3D flash memory technology. Marking the next milestone in the companies’ 20-year joint-venture partnership, this is the companies’ highest density and most advanced 3D flash memory technology to date, utilizing a wide range of technology and manufacturing innovations.

“Through our strong partnership that has spanned two decades, Kioxia and Western Digital have successfully created unrivaled capabilities in manufacturing and R&D,” said Masaki Momodomi, Chief Technology Officer, Kioxia. “Together, we produce over 30 percent1 of the world’s flash memory bits and are steadfast in our mission to provide exceptional capacity, performance and reliability at a compelling cost. We each deliver this value proposition across a range of data-centric applications from personal electronics to data centers as well as emerging applications enabled by 5G networks, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.”

Beyond Vertical Scaling – New Architecture Leverages New Innovations

“As Moore’s Law reaches its physical limits across the semiconductor industry, there’s one place where Moore’s Law continues its relevancy — that’s in flash,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, President of Technology & Strategy, Western Digital. “To continue these advances and meet the world’s growing data demands, a new approach to 3D flash memory scaling is critical. With this new generation, Kioxia and Western Digital are introducing innovations in vertical as well as lateral scaling to achieve greater capacity in a smaller die with fewer layers. This innovation ultimately delivers the performance, reliability and cost that customers need.”

This sixth-generation 3D flash memory features advanced architecture beyond conventional eight-stagger memory hole array and achieves up to 10 percent greater lateral cell array density compared to the fifth-generation technology. This lateral scaling advancement, in combination with 162 layers of stacked vertical memory, enables a 40 percent reduction in die size compared to the 112-layer stacking technology, optimizing cost.

The Kioxia and Western Digital teams also applied Circuit Under Array CMOS placement and four-plane operation, which together deliver nearly 2.4 times improvement in program performance and 10 percent improvement in read latency compared to the previous generation. I/O performance also improves by 66 percent, enabling the next-generation interface to support the ever-increasing need for faster transfer rates.

Overall, the new 3D flash memory technology reduces the cost per bit, as well as increases the manufactured bits per wafer by 70 percent, compared with the previous generation. Kioxia and Western Digital continue to drive innovation to ensure continued scaling to meet the needs of customers and their diverse applications.

The companies detailed the related innovations in a joint presentation at the ISSCC 2021 show earlier today.

About Kioxia

Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with memory by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. Kioxia's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH™, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, SSDs, automotive and data centers.

About Western Digital

Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. As a leader in data infrastructure, the company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk®, and WD® brands.

Aditya Birla Education Academy, Johns Hopkins collaborates For Talented Youth To Bring Online Programs For Advanced Learners

Aditya Birla Education Academy (ABEA), India’s leading professional development institute, has collaborated with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) to offer scholarships for CTY’s Online Programs for advanced learners in India. Both ABEA and CTY aim to identify and support the needs of bright young learners in India through these online programs at reduced rates up to August 2021. Through this cooperation with CTY, Aditya Birla Education Academy is providing a 5% scholarship on tuition fees and reduction in the application fees up to August 2021. This scholarship can be availed by only first 50 advanced learners who apply to ABEA. Students in grades 2 through 12 can qualify through participation in the CTY Talent Search and demonstrating high ability in either quantitative or spatial reasoning (for math and science courses) or verbal reasoning (for humanities and writing courses).

CTY offers more than 200 challenging, engaging, and fun virtual courses, which are conducted by expert instructors who specialize in teaching advanced concepts to bright students. Courses are available in real-time, independent, and student-driven, collaborative formats. One can understand in detail about CTY courses in computer science, critical reading, engineering, history, mathematics, science, social science, world languages, and writing by attending a virtual information session or by visiting CTY's website.

Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder, and Chairperson, Aditya Birla Education Trust, said, “We, at Aditya Birla Education Academy, are dedicated to offer unique, rigorous and relevant courses to learners in the country who are looking to upskill themselves in this dynamic environment. In this endeavour, we are happy to extend our cooperation with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth with a special scholarship to fulfil the learning needs of bright young minds in India to enrol in CTY’s Online Programs for advanced learners. I am confident that students will find tremendous value in these enriching courses.”

Mr. Samuel Robfogel, Senior Director for International Initiatives at CTY, said “CTY is committed to providing students with high ability around the globe with the optimal level of challenge to help them develop their academic talents. We are pleased to cooperate with Aditya Birla Education Trust to advance this work in India.”

About Aditya Birla Education Academy

Aditya Birla Education Academy (ABEA) is India’s leading professional development institute for teachers. ABEA aims to engage educators in the new-age global processes of education and empower them to evolve into the best knowledge-givers they can be, as they nurture young minds and contribute towards shaping the future. ABEA also facilitates unique and innovative courses for students, in order to impart new-age skills that are on par with the best in the world.

About Aditya Birla Education Trust

Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET) is an organisation committed to the cause of education and mental health, with an objective to nurture young minds. Right from establishing the Aditya Birla World Academy, an International School with an Indian soul, to The Aditya Birla Integrated School, which acknowledges the need to cater to children with different learning needs, ABET has always prioritised the importance of a child’s overall development. Further under the aegis of ABET, the Aditya Birla Education Academy provides professional development opportunities for educators, and engages, empowers and equips them to contribute towards shaping the future of young minds. In an endeavour to stamp out stigma surrounding mental health concerns, ABET has established Mpower, a holistic mental health care initiative, which has become the pioneer of mental health awareness in the country. Aditya Birla Education Trust runs under the zealous leadership of its passionate and committed Founder & Chairperson, Mrs. Neerja Birla.

About Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

A world leader in gifted education since 1979, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing the talents of academically advanced pre-university students around the world. CTY serves bright learners and their families through research, advocacy, and counseling, as well as its signature gifted and talented summer, online, international, and family programs.

Amazon Prime Video Announces Shahid Kapoor's Digital Debut In New Raj & Dk Series

* Created, Written and Directed by Raj and DK, this is Raj and DK’s next collaboration with the streaming service, after their spectacularly successful series, The Family Man

Amazon Prime offers incredible value with unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, Amazon Originals, ad-free music through Amazon Prime Music, free fast delivery on India’s largest selection of products, early access to top deals, unlimited reading with Prime Reading and mobile gaming content with Prime Gaming, all available only for ₹129 a month. Customers can also watch latest shows and more by subscribing to Prime Video Mobile Edition. Prime Video Mobile Edition is a single-user, mobile-only plan currently available for Airtel Pre-Paid customers

Amazon Prime Video today announced to have commenced production on an upcoming yet-to-be-titled Amazon Original Series featuring Shahid Kapoor in the lead. The quirky drama thriller is created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, and will mark the digital debut of actor Shahid Kapoor. Filled with Raj and DK’s trademark dark and wry humour, the series will mark the director duo’s new collaboration with Amazon Prime Video following spectacular success of The Family Man which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories. The show is co-written by Sita R Menon, Suman Kumar and Hussain Dalal.

“At Amazon Prime Video, we take pride in being home to some of the best talent and storytellers from India and across the world,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India “Shahid Kapoor is an incredibly gifted actor and we are excited to have him join the Prime Video family with a brand new exciting collaboration with Raj and DK. This is a fresh and unique combination that we’re confident will be a hit with our customers!”

Talking about his digital debut, Shahid Kapoor said, “I have been keen to collaborate with Raj and DK for a while. My favourite Indian show on Amazon Prime Video is The Family Man. I couldn’t think of anyone better for my digital debut than them. Amazon Prime Video is a fabulous service and it’s a privilege to work with them. I loved the story idea when I first heard it and since then it has been an exciting ride so far! Can’t wait to share this series with the audience.”

“For us the objective is always to challenge ourselves to do better with every film or series we do.” said the creator duo Raj and DK. “This is our favourite script and has truly been a labour of love. We found a perfect match in Shahid! He was always our first choice for this series. We hit it off immediately, and have been on the same page from the first time we spoke. Shahid is an exciting actor to watch and work with! The intensity he brings to his roles is amazing. Our long-standing relationship with Amazon Prime Video makes us feel more responsible towards every series we do with them. They have been fantastic partners. And we can't wait to create this series!”

There will soon be an announcement on the surprise cast featured in the series.

The new series will join the thousands of TV shows and movies in the Prime Video catalog. These include Indian films Soorarai Pottru, V, CU Soon, Nishabhdam, Halal Love Story, Middle Class Melodies, Maara, Bheemasena Nalamaharaja, Mane No. 13, Penguin, Law, Sufiyum Sujatayum, Ponmagal Vandhal, French Biriyani, Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi, Coolie No. 1, Durgamati, Chhalaang, among others along with Indian-produced Amazon Original series like Bandish Bandits, Tandav, Breathe: Into The Shadows, Paatal Lok, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, Four More Shots Please S1 and 2, The Family Man, Mirzapur S1 and S2, Inside Edge S1, and S2, and Made In Heaven and the award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. All this is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali.

Prime members will be able to watch the new series anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost.

Customers can also watch the new series by subscribing to Prime Video Mobile Edition. Prime Video Mobile Edition is a single-user mobile-only plan. All Airtel customers on pre-paid bundled packs get 30-day free trial of Prime Video Mobile Edition. Subsequently, customers can activate Mobile Edition through recharge bundles starting at an introductory offer of ₹ 89.

Prime Video is available in India to Prime members for just ₹999 annually, or ₹129 monthly. New customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/ prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.