Tata Tea Leaf Celebrates Chhath Puja with Unique Festive Pack in 2019

Tata Tea Leaf, a tea brand curated for Bihar and Jharkhand, celebrates the spirit of Chhath Puja by bringing out a special festive pack.

A very historic festival which comes with all its grandness and vibrancy, Chhath Puja holds great significance for the Sun God. It is a time when people spend sleepless nights in gearing up for the preparation of the festival. Starting with preparing festival signature sweets at home – Thekua, to visiting Ghats to offer Arghay, water to the Sun God with a Soop, tray of Puja elements, everything surrounding the celebration adds a tinge of extra zeal and joy of Chhath. Bihar and Jharkhand, during this time, are thronged by devotees who religiously perform prayers to seek blessings from Surya to live longer with all health and TT Buff LEAF With Dannedaar 250g 3D 19092019 (002) (002)prosperity.

Puneet Das, Vice President Marketing -India said, “Chhath Puja is the biggest and most renowned festival celebrated across Bihar and Jharkhand. It is associated with a lot of faith, excitement and joy. With the new festive pack of Tata Tea Leaf, we aim at celebrating this glorious festival with great grandeur. TATA Tea Leaf Chhath Puja pack aims to bind the festive feel over a special cup of tea while celebrating with the entire family.”

The brand rejoices the positivity associated with Chhath Puja and has created a pack that resonates with enthusiasm of the festival. The festive pack is an effort to add little spark to the festival by being a part of the celebration. Tata Tea Leaf’s festive pack is designed by keeping in mind the fine details of the festival which brings alive the essence of Chhath Puja.The relatable visual symbols show an ornamented woman performing Arghay, prayer by offering water to the Sun God with a beautifully decorated Soop, a traditional tray with Puja elements in it. The visual language of the pack with color scheme, symbols and imagery, are inspired by Chhath Puja and are chosen carefully to adorn the already festive looking base gold pack, to radiate positivity. To further add a touch of glee, TATA Tea Leaf offers a pack of Bourbon biscuit to relish with the refreshing cup of Tata tea and enjoy the festivities!

Bentley Systems Announces Winners in Infrastructure 2019 Awards

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading global provider of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud services for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, has announced the winners of the Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards. The annual awards program honors the extraordinary work of Bentley users advancing design, construction, and operations of infrastructure throughout the world.

Twelve independent jury panels of industry experts selected 54 finalists from 571 nominations submitted by more than 440 user organizations in more than 60 countries.

Bentley Systems acknowledged 18 Year in Infrastructure Awards winners and nine Special Recognition Awards winners at a ceremony and gala on October 24 at the conclusion of the Year in Infrastructure 2019 Conference in Singapore.

Year in Infrastructure 2019 Special Recognition Awards winners:

Advancing Urban Planning through Digital Twins
Civil Engineering and Development Department, Hong Kong SAR Government and AECOM
The Town Plaza Urban Design Study for the Establishment of the Kwu Tung North, New Development Area
Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region

Advancing Industrial Sustainability through Digital Twins
MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Ltd.
Henan Jiyuan Iron & Steel, 80MW High-Temperature Ultrahigh-Pressure Gas Power Generation Energy-Saving Renovation Project
Jiyuan, Henan Province, China

Digital Cities Award for Comprehensive Roadway Digital Twins
Shenzhen Highway Engineering Consultant Co., Ltd.
Yangang East Interchange Project
Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China

Digital Cities Award for Comprehensive Water Digital Twins
Águas do Porto, EM
H2PORTO Technological Platform for the Integrated Management of Porto’s Urban Water Cycle
Porto, Porto, Portugal

Advancing Infrastructure Resilience through Digital Twins
Italferr S.p.A.
The New Polcevera Viaduct
Genova, Liguria, Italy

Advancing Construction Industrialization through Digital Twins
Heilongjiang Construction High-Tech Capital Group Co., Ltd.
Smart and Digital Application in Heilongjiang Construction Industry Modernization Demonstration Park
Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China

Advancing Economic Infrastructure through Digital Twins
CCCC Water Transportation Consultants Co. Ltd. (WTC)
SAPT Automatic Container Yard and Housing Project in Pakistan
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Advancing Digital Workflows through Digital Twins
Mott MacDonald / Systra Designers working with Balfour Beatty / Vinci Joint Venture
High Speed Two Sectors N1 and N2 Main Works Civil Contract
Birmingham, Country North Sectors, United Kingdom

Bentley Institute Knowledge Advancement Advocate Award
Alison Watson, chief executive and founder, Class of Your Own

The winners of Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards for going digital advancements in infrastructure are:

4D Construction
Mortenson, Clark – a Joint Venture
Chase Center and Warriors Mixed-use Office and Retail Development
San Francisco, California, United States

Bridges
PT. Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk.
Design and Build Harbour Road 2 Project
North Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Buildings and Campuses
Voyants Solutions
Detailed Design, Tendering and Project Management Services for Establishment of 12 IT/Hi-Tech Parks in Bangladesh
Bangladesh

Communications and Utilities
POWERCHINA Hubei Electric Engineering Co., Ltd.
Technology Application in Miluo Western 220kV Substation Project
Miluo City, Hunan Province, China

Digital Cities
Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Changjiang Ecological Environmental Protection Group Co.
Application of Digitalization in Jiujiang Smart Water Management Platform
Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China

Geotechnical Engineering
ARUP Singapore Pte Ltd.
Tanjong Pagar Mixed Development
Singapore

Manufacturing
Hatch
Sulfuric Acid Plant Project in the DRC
Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mining and Offshore Engineering
Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
China Three Gorges New Energy Dalian Zhuanghe III (300MW) Offshore Wind Farm Project
Dalian, Liaoning, China

Power Generation
Hunan Hydro & Power Design Institute
Hanjiang Yakou Shipping Hub Engineering Project
Yicheng, Hubei, China

Project Delivery
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)
Seamless Information Sharing and Integration Across Multiple Platforms Using ProjectWise
Columbia, South Carolina, United States

Rail and Transit
Italferr S.p.A
AV/AC in Southern Italy, Napoli-Bari Route
Napoli-Bari, Campania-Puglia, Italy

Reality Modeling
MMC Gamuda KVMRT (T) Sdn Bhd
Drone Surveying for BIM and GIS Data Capture - Malaysian Metro Megaproject
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Road and Rail Asset Performance
Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd
Pan Borneo Highway
Sarawak, Malaysia

Roads and Highways
Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC
Foth Transforms, Connects, and Revitalizes Cedar Falls, Iowa Corridor
Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States of America

Structural Engineering
WSP
WSP Delivers Optimized Design for Complex Basement under Iconic Admiralty Arch
London, United Kingdom

Utilities and Industrial Asset Performance
EPCOR Utilities
Implementing Risk Based Asset Management for Power Distribution
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
Jacobs Engineering Group and Singapore’s National Water Agency, PUB
Tuas Water Reclamation Plant
Singapore

Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Networks
Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, BAM Nuttall Joint Venture
Thames Tideway Tunnel
London, United Kingdom
       
Detailed descriptions of all nominated projects are in the print and digital versions of Bentley’s 2019 Infrastructure Yearbook, which will be published in early 2020. To review the past editions of this publication, access Bentley’s Infrastructure Yearbooks.

Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care’ to Offer Solutions to Yamaha Customers

India Yamaha Motor (IYM) Pvt Ltd continues to factor exciting, stylish and sporty attributes into customer experiences with the Season 2 launch of The Call of the Blue. The campaign that is designed to impart Yamaha’s unique experiences to the customers in India is now ready to roll out another enduring excitement as the company announces the new “Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care” program from October2019. The all new “Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care” program can be availed by both existing and new Yamaha two wheeler customers for the whole range of current two wheelers offered by the company in the domestic market.

In line of its commitment to uniquely drive customers’ emotions towards the excitement and sportiness of Yamaha, the newly announced program will further improve customer experiences with the brand through a“one stop maintenance solution”. The company will offer three-fangled service commitment – time-based service that is, 90 minutes’ of vehicle service time, service quality, by deploying professionally trained Yamaha technicians and service care including roadside assistance, extended warranty, pick and drop and annual maintenance contracts (AMC). While time-based commitment can bring methodical servicing and precision, expert technicians cultivating their technical skills under Yamaha’s global pedigree will offer finest solutions to the challenges of servicing, repairs and maintenance. Alongside, service care will match the experiences of the customers with The Yamaha Uniqueness in such a way that the excitement and sportiness of the Yamaha two wheelers remain fresh and invigorating, thus driving the whole Yamaha experience to come in full circles.

Mr Ravinder Singh, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Planning, Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt Ltd. said, “The impact of after sales in auto industry is central to the customer perception of the brand – more the hassle free experience, more the brand will linger on to the minds of customers. Yamaha is a brand of unique experiences. As Yamaha introduced amazing excitement in the two wheeler market with The Call of the Blue, it is equally now substantial for the company to retain and improve the experiences of every customer. ‘Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care’ is brazen in The Yamaha Uniqueness to adequately maintain the similar performance and sportiness in the customers’ Yamaha two wheelers year after year from the time of purchase. The whole program is designed to identify, diagnose and offer optimum maintenance to the Yamaha two wheelers. Yamaha will begin to roll out YAMAHA LIFETIME QUALITY CARE plans to the existing and new customers based on their usage patterns and choices from October 2019 onwards.”

Nurturing Future-Ready Students Across Indian Cities and Towns

Education is evolving at a fast pace to keep up with changes that we see all around us. Technology is now an integral part of our lives and children today are digital natives. Education has come to mean much more than the chalk and talk methods of yesterday. The roles of teachers have evolved and today they are facilitators – helping children discover passions and training them across multiple capabilities. Pramod Srinivas, Founder, The Global Indian School (TGIS) speaks about this and more in this interview.

1. What is the relevance of the CBSE curriculum in terms of the current skills requirement for future professionals?

There is no doubt that the Central Board of Secondary education (CBSE) makes you study rigorously. However, apart from that, it is a curriculum that provides room to develop skills. It also helps in nation building and leadership. CBSE has a compact structure that is to be followed while allowing for a number of professional traits such as leadership, project management, and interactive abilities that help with conflict resolution, and other such value added skills to be easily incorporated. Each school has its own approach to how these skills are included.

2. What is the changing role of the teacher, and how can parents and educational institutions support that new role?

The chalk and talk method is no longer the way to teach. Classrooms have become more collaborative. Many schools now believe that the role of the teacher is not to teach, but to facilitate and therefore teachers are now facilitators. At the same time, they inspire students to learn and impart skills with the tools provided by the school. Teachers need to upgrade their skills as they play multiple roles of teachers, counsellors, guides, etc.

For parents to understand the changing role of teachers, it is important that they are oriented in the changing approach to education. Today, employability skills are few and if we do not train students correctly, through these collaborative means, it will continue to remain this way. Parents should be made to understand that blackboard teaching and learning by rote methods are no longer relevant. The approach to sustainable learning is what will equip students for the future. This is something that New Age schools are able to do.

3. How can schools help students discover their passions?

There are steps to this. You have to focus on interests of the child and what they are inclined towards. These interests and choices keep changing, based on the teachers they are attached to. By the age of 10 teachers can identify the passion of a child. Ideally portfolio files should be made and passed from one class teacher to the other with each passing year. Passion, skill sets etc., can be noted in this and developed upon. Back in the day, class teachers would remain the same for a few years and this was a great approach as they could understand a child more intimately. This knowledge can help schools initiate programs that encourage children to explore their passions.

4.      How can schools adapt their curriculum to the technologies that kids are already using?

It’s the 21st century when it comes to education, bringing in technology is an absolute requirement. Today’s children are digital natives and it comes easy to them. But, we still need to work at making students hands-on and not completely tech-dependent. Programs that can be used as digital enhancements to school curriculum. Collaborative tools that can be accessed online can be incorporated. Tools like blogging, videos, podcasts, webinars and others can help students study remotely as well.

5. How can educators provide effective intervention in the early years so all students are on an even track in school?

We can make a world of difference if we understand students well. Children can be divided into four groups - Kinesthetic, linguistic, audio-visual and spatial, based on which they can be provided with differentiated worksheets gradually bringing them to one level. While we would not want to encourage mediocrity, the idea is to ensure class disparity is not too high. The CBSE system makes way for the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation System which is done at regular intervals and this helps a lot in bringing students at par.

Early learning intervention from schools provide support for parents with children who have developmental disabilities or delays. The purpose of early learning intervention is to minimize children’s chances of being left behind in their educational potential as they enter pre-school or elementary school. Early intervention is not just related to learning difficulties or milestones but can be associated with behaviour and other aspects as well like socialization as well. We at TGIS, observe and have milestone checks, and inform parents when we find academic delays.

6. What are the USPs of The Global Indian School and what can both parents and students look forward to?

As a school we have worked on a global curriculum that is presented to children in a personalized and holistic manner. We are also going to be a completely non-biased and an inclusive school, of children with disabilities, irrespective of gender and race. We believe that equal opportunity is everyone’s right. Every child is important to us and we understand that every child is also unique. Some of our USPs are:

· E-Qube - a skill-based program that teaches children critical thinking, skill-based problem solving and life skills. Students are taught to be empathetic, which is the need of the hour.

·Parents are offered an orientation to understand the changing education eco-system and evaluation methods.

·Portfolios are created for students and differentiated assessment sheets are provided to them.

·Concepts such as flipped classrooms (where class work and home work could be inter-changeable); Wonder Time, Choice time, (giving time to answer all those curious questions with hands-on work); DEAR learning programs; a strong library and reading program and many such concepts are our USPs.

We also have Signature programs – TGIS Dayitva- that opens opportunities for community development, wildlife interaction, collection programs for charity, community care etc. TGIS Pariyavaran is to help children understand about new career options that pertain to the environment such as rainwater harvesting to cloud seeding and more. The idea is to make children aware of these opportunities.

ITIs Sign Partnership with 719 Private Companies Over Last 6 Months

In the six months since its revamp by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Dual System of Training (DST) has had a significant impact on the skilling ecosystem by partnering with 719 corporates and private partners for training programs. This is a huge jump from the 136 MoUs that were signed in the three years prior to the revamp. Interestingly, NSTI Noida alone has signed 37 of the over 700 MoUs in the past few months.

The DST scheme was introduced in 2016 with the objective of enabling industries and establishments to partner with the Government and Private ITIs for conducting training programmes towards fulfilling skilled manpower requirements. With this aim, 719 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with the partners for training programs. The DST combines theoretical training from ITIs and practical training from Industry partners thereby strengthening industry linkages and providing hands-on experience to students on industries latest technologies and techniques.

The revised scheme guidelines were issued in January 2019 and are much more relaxed with greater adaptability towards industry requirements and with wider coverage of ITIs. Under the DST scheme, training is imparted to meet the industry’s skilled workforce requirements. After the training, trainees are awarded National Trade Certificate (NTC) that give them an edge with regard to employability.

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), said, “The dual system allows cooperative learning and production that allows for greater innovation and targeted training. Candidates getting dual training fast become specialists, increasing demand for their services. We have been actively encouraging ITIs to participate in the DST program so that new ITI trainees are industry-ready. The newly revamped scheme has been so well received that we expect the impact on the overall skilling ecosystem to be significant.”

Among the changes in the revamped scheme, ITI & NSTI principals can now directly sign MoUs with industry without interference of DGT or states. The eligibility criteria for industry participation has been eased where now an engineering trades industry can have a minimum of 40 employees instead of the earlier 200, while the minimum turnover requirement has been brought down to Rs. 1 crore per year for the past three years, against the earlier Rs. 10 crore. The duration of the practical training portion of the course has also been made flexible and adaptive to the industry schedule. All the 138 plus courses under CTS have been brought under the ambit of DST, as against only 17 courses earlier. ITIs are exclusively permitted to conduct training under DST with deemed affiliation in the 3rd shift.

ACT Fibernet Upgrades Internet Speed and Data Limits in Bengaluru at No Additional Cost

ACT Fibernet, India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP (Internet Service Provider) upgraded internet speed and data limits across all broadband plans for existing customers in Bengaluru. The demand for fast and stable internet connectivity has been incessantly rising, the newly upgraded plan will enable users to enjoy uninterrupted internet services with phenomenal speeds at no additional cost.

As part of the move, ACT Fibernet has upgraded ACT Swift plan to 40 Mbps speed with 200 GB FUP limit from 15 Mbps speed and 100 GB FUP limit, ACT Rapid has been upgraded to 75 Mbps speed with 350 GB FUP limit from 40 Mbps speed and 220 GB FUP limit. Similarly, ACT Rapid Plus has been upgraded to 75 Mbps speed with 350 GB FUP limit from 50 Mbps speed and 240 GB FUP limit, ACT Blaze has been upgraded to 100 Mbps speed with 450 GB FUP limit from 75 Mbps speed and 320 GB FUP limit, ACT Storm has been upgraded to 150 Mbps speed with 650 GB FUP limit from 100 Mbps speed and 400 GB FUP limit.

Likewise, ACT Lightning has been upgraded to 200 Mbps speed with 800 GB FUP limit from 125 Mbps speed and 550 GB FUP limit, ACT Incredible has been upgraded to 250 Mbps speed with 1000 GB FUP limit from 150 Mbps speed and 875 GB, ACT Essential has been upgraded to 250 Mbps speed with 1500 GB FUP limit from 150 Mbps speed and 1200 GB FUP limit,  ACT Advance has been upgraded to 250 Mbps speed with 2000 GB FUP limit from 150 Mbps speed and 1650 GB FUP limit, ACT Progress has been upgraded to 250 Mbps speed with 2500 GB FUP limit from 150 Mbps speed and 2200 GB FUP limit and ACT Giga has been upgraded to 1000 Mbps speed with 3500 GB FUP limit from 2500 GB FUP limit.

Speaking on the upgraded plans, Mr. Sandeep Gupta, COO, Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd.  commented, “A reliable home broadband network plays an imperative role to the overall internet experience of a user. At ACT Fibernet we believe in bringing the best to our customers and the latest upgraded plans will provide superior internet experience especially around gaming, entertainment through 4k and HD movies /TV series and downloads without any additional cost”.

CRY Organizes South India Round Table Consultation of National Policy for Children 2013

Child Rights and You (CRY) working towards child rights for the last 40 years in collaboration with Karnataka State Commission on the Protection of Child Rights organised a consultation to review the National Policy for children (NPC 2013) of the country. Various civil society organisations, Dr. Anthony Sebastian, Chairperson Karnataka SCPCR, Mr. P. Suresh, Chairperson Kerala SCPCR, Ms. Ganta Hymavathi, Chairperson, Andhra Pradesh, various NGOs, senior officials from CRY along with a host of  academia, judiciary, were present on the occasion.

For the first time the event saw such a culmination of luminaries from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Kerala.

Issues pertaining to education for all children without any discrimination, taking stronger accounts of missing children and ensuring better hygiene and sanitation were some of the points that saw consensus. Also, fortifying Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and better implementation of the Public Distribution system and Mid-Day Meal system were simultaneously brought under focus which comprised of some of the main state mandates from southern region of India. A proactive approach to address malnutrition with a special focus on children from disadvantaged sections of the society is required is the need of the hour.

In the review process, members showed concern about the recent status on the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey. The fact that 5 percent of India children are overweight and 35 percent of them being stunted shows the urgent requirement in re-assessing the nutritional policy for children. Also, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB 2017) data reflects that in the last 5 years, crime rates against children have increased by 200 percent, making policy mandates on protection another important area of concern among the representatives.

The objective of the consultation was to undertake a multi-stakeholder’s review through a consultative process with the various representatives from the system and the civil society. Similar process will be undertaken across all regions of the country and the collated version will be sent to the policy makers and influencers.

These consultations looked at having a diverse range of inputs from practitioners, academicians, experts, representatives from government and quasi bodies, to name a few, Health & Nutrition, Education & Development, Protection and Participation encompassed the review.

 The criticality of NPC 2013 lies in the fact that it is holistic in nature as it addresses all the rights of children. It is imperative that all the stakeholders responsible for children, Government officials, and representatives from civil society, commissions come together and act together with accountability. The inputs from all the state SCPCR’s and representatives from various sectors not only helped in identify the gaps better but brought about the need of a cohesive action plan with an unitary motive to better protect child rights,” said Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY.

“We need to strive towards ensuring that there is 100 percent enrolment and zero percent drop outs in children. The review must take into account that education not only empowers but also provides a safe and secured environment for children. The policy updates must be in accordance to that. Also the fact that there is lot of ambiguity in cases of missing children needs to be addresses that brings in more accountability and streamlines the process,” said Dr. Anthony Sebastian, Chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

CRY: Child Rights and You is an Indian NGO that believes in every child’s right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow and play. For 4 decades, CRY and its 850 initiatives have worked with parents and communities to ensure Lasting Change in the lives of more than 2,000,000 underprivileged children, across 23 states in India.