Wednesday, October 16, 2013

National Skills Development Corporation and India @75 announce the 3rd edition of ‘Power to Empower 2013’
The challenge will promote innovative and sustainable solutions to address India’s Skill Development crisis and develop a strong skills ecosystem in India
Oct 14’ 2013 | Delhi, India: Power To Empower (P2E 2013), a national skills development challenge organized by National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) and India@75 recently launched its third edition in mid-September 2013. Supported by the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation, the CSR arm of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, the P2E 2013 Challenge is aimed at identifying, selecting and rewarding the best solutions bridging the gap between the supply and demand of skilled labour in India.
The application period is open now until December 1, 2013 and P2E 2013 invites individuals, groups as well as organisations to apply. Winners of P2E 2013 will receive cash prizes of INR 1.5 lakh and INR 3.5 lakh for the Idea and Operations categories respectively, capacity building support as well as nationwide visibility. For more details, please visit:  www.powertoempower.in
Approximately 53% of employers in India say that skills deficiency is one of the key reasons for entry-level vacancies[1]. Currently, of the 15 million individuals who enter the work force, only 3% undergo vocational training due to limited access to such training opportunities in a fast growing economy. As a result, a majority of India’s population cannot realize the employment opportunities necessary to improve their income and lead a more prosperous life.
Recognizing this, P2E 2013 invites entrepreneurs, students, non-profits, corporates as well as enterprises with innovative and scalable solutions to apply for this challenge and contribute to the development of a sustainable vocational skills ecosystem in India.
Applications for P2E 2013 will be accepted as part of two distinct categories – Idea and Operations. The Idea category will focus only on short ideas with a solution concept developed only on paper whereas the Operations category will be open to those with an existing for or non-profit solution already in place addressing this issue.
The winner of the Idea and Operations categories will receive INR 1.5 lakh and 3.5 lakh cash respectively by the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation, the CSR arm of the Muthoot Pappachan Group. In addition, both winners will also receive access to the high profile capacity building Empretec program, an initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 
Three finalists within each category will also be chosen, and in addition to the winners, will receive national visibility, networking opportunities, passes to high profile events and capacity building support through access to training courses and renowned experts.
The first connector of a winner and the applicant with the highest public votes in each category will also receive a cash reward of INR 10,000 and INR 15,000 respectively.
Complete selection criteria for both the Operations and Idea categories can be found here.
Dilip Chenoy, CEO and MD of NSDC comments, “P2E 2013 is one such initiative that will foster creation of self-sustainable business models in the skilling space in India. The competition aims to propel India’s growth story by creating a large pool of industry ready workmen and also catalyse improved livelihood for millions across the country”.
Rajan Navani, Chairman, National Committee, India@75 further adds, “Now in its third year, P2E has previously helped students realize their entrepreneurial dreams and also provided strategic support to early-stage enterprises with solutions addressing India’s skill gaps.”
Ennovent – an organisation, which accelerates innovations for sustainability in low-income markets – is managing P2E 2013 on behalf of NSDC and India@75. In addition, TiE Delhi-NCR is serving as a knowledge and delivery partner for the challenge and National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) as the key outreach partner.
Applications for P2E 2013 are open now until 1 December 2013. For more details visit www.powertoempower.in
About National Skill Development Corporation:The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one of its kind, Public Private Partnership in India. It aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality, for-profit vocational institutions. It provides funding to build scalable, for-profit vocational training initiatives. Its mandate is also to enable support systems such as quality assurance, information systems and train the trainer academies either directly or through partnerships. Its objective is to contribute significantly (about 30 per cent) to the overall target of skilling/up skilling 500 million people in India by 2022.
About India@75: India@75 is a grassroots initiative aimed at realizing the dream of an inclusive, sustainable and developed India by the year 2022, when India completes 75 years of Independence.  It is a universal vision for India shared by Indians from all geographies and all walks of life. The initiative is incubated and supported by the Confederation Indian Industry (CII).
 About Ennovent: Ennovent is an innovation accelerator. We provide services to accelerate for-profit innovations for sustainability in low-income markets in developing countries. We specialise in helping clients discover enterprises with novel solutions, develop business models to start-up enterprises, provide finance by facilitating early-stage investments and grow operations to scale profit and impact. Since 2008, Ennovent has worked with over 4,800 Network members, 15 Circle members and 10 Solution clients to accelerate over 80 innovations in 10 countries.
 About TiE Delhi-NCR: The Delhi Chapter is among the largest and most vibrant across the vast TiE network. In the last 12 years, of its existence it has emerged as the forum of choice for startups, serial entrepreneurs, VC and angel investors, policy makers and academia. At the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, TiE Delhi plays the role of an ecosystem builder by bringing in multiple stakeholders and values to align with the common goal to foster entrepreneurship. It boasts of an active membership of 1500 members in the Delhi-NCR region and conducts 60+ events in a year.

About Muthoot Pappachan Group and Muthoot Pappachan Foundation: Muthoot Pappachan Group is a diversified corporate conglomerate with presence across various businesses. In financial services, it offers a range of products & services including gold loan, auto loan, affordable housing finance & microfinance through a wide network of over 3600 branches. Muthoot Pappachan Foundation (MPF), the CSR arm of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, facilitates the CSR activities for the entire Group Companies. Its objective is to build a framework of corporate social responsibility with a philanthropic approach in line with business unit objectives. The CSR initiatives are focussed on the areas of Health, Education, Environment and Livelihood (HEEL).


 

16102013

Quake of M7.2 – BOHOL, PHILIPPINES

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude7.2
Date-Time
  • 15 Oct 2013 00:12:37 UTC
  • 15 Oct 2013 08:12:37 near epicenter
  • 15 Oct 2013 04:12:37 standard time in your timezone
Location9.765N 124.022E
Depth56 km
Distances
  • 5 km (3 mi) E of Balilihan, Philippines
  • 21 km (13 mi) SSE of Tibigan, Philippines
  • 22 km (13 mi) NE of Tagbilaran, Philippines
  • 35 km (21 mi) NE of Danao, Philippines
  • 629 km (389 mi) SSE of Manila, Philippines
Location UncertaintyHorizontal: 0.0 km; Vertical 6.3 km


 

16102013

Gauri Monga Takes Opening Day Honours at the 4th USHA DGC LADIES OPEN AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2013

New Delhi, October 15: Home favourite Gauri Monga sank back to back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to grab the lead at the end of Day 1 of the 4th USHA DGC LADIES OPEN AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2013. Gauri finished the day with a score of two under 70, a clear three strokes ahead of second placed Ridhima Dilawari, also of the Delhi Golf Club. Both Gauri and Ridhima put up a fine display of percentage golf, both carding just one bogey through 18 holes, but Gauri’s three birdies on the day, meant she holds a great advantage going in to Day 2.
Gauri’s was also the only sub-par round of the day as most of the field struggled to even save par on a course which has been known to test even the very best. Seher Atwal came in third with a card of three over 75 and defending champion Tvesa Malik finished joint fourth with an eventual score of six over 78.
Some other fancied competitors like Gaurika Bishnoi (seven over 79) who won the Northern Indian Open last week at Gurgaon’s Classic Golf course and Millie Saroha (eight over 80) also finished well within the top 10 to stay well in the hunt. There are 36 more holes to encounter before the winner is decided in this three day event.
ABOUT USHA INTERNATIONAL
Usha International Limited is a trusted house hold consumer durables company with a turnover well over Rs. 2000 crores today. The company is a major supporter of Indian golf and is proud of its long-term association with the sport, covering the entire spectrum of the game. Usha has been associated with ladies golf for over 25 years, and is now the nationwide sponsor of the entire Indian Golf Union (IGU) Ladies Tour. In addition, Usha is committed to supporting golf at the juniors level, sponsoring IGU Junior tournaments in Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, and is closely associated with the Junior Training Program (JTP) at the Delhi Golf Club.


 

16102013
Delhi plays host to World’s Second Largest SmartCards Exposition
-          3 day 15th Edition of International SmartCards Expo 2013 starts on 16thOctober at Pragati Maidan
-          SmartCards Expo – Hailed as the harbinger of SmartCards Revolution in India

New Delhi :  The 15th edition of SmartCards Expo 2013 with its co-located events – e-Security Expo 2013, RFidIndia Expo 2013, BiometricsIndia Expo 2013, e-PaymentsIndia Expo 2013 and India Mobile Forum 2013 is being organized at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from October 16th to 18th, 2013. 

SmartCards Expo 2013 is the No. 1 Smart Card Exposition in Asia and No. 2 in the World with around 175 exhibitors from 20 countries and over 6000 national and international visitors are expected to attend the Exposition over the three day period. SmartCards Expo 2013 is being organized by Electronics Today, India’s First Techno-Economic Electronics Journal and has seen continuous increase in the number of participants and stature of the Exposition.

SmartCards Expo has been hailed by many Industry Experts as the harbinger of SmartCard technology and its applications in India. India has seen promising growth in Smart Card technology applications during recent years. Starting on a humble note with Pilot Projects in the 1990s and passing through a phase of mini projects, Smart Card applications in India have now proliferated into multiple large projects.

Apart from SIM card for Mobile phones, introduced in 1995, government of India has launched a number of large socio-economic projects based on smart card in recent years. These include: Driving License and Vehicle Registration, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Public Distribution System (PDS), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Direct Cash Transfer for food subsidy, Metro Rail applications, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, to name a few.

Major projects like Population Register/National ID card, if and when implemented on a full scale, would be the largest project on Earth. Projects like Voter ID Card, PAN Card, initiated, funded and implemented by the Central Government but currently not on Smart cards, can also be easily integrated on a Multiapplication smart card. Apart from these, there are a number of Financial and Banking applications being introduced on smart card.

A number of projects based on RFID and Biometrics technologies like Unique Identification, Tolling, Automotive RFID applications, Number plates and many others introduced recently, have potential to become huge projects.

SmartCards Expo 2013 will have special Focus on Smart Card technology and applications. The following two International Conferences are being organised during the show:
·         International Conference on Smart Card Manufacturing in India – Prospects & Challenges, on October 17, 2013, which will be Inaugurated by Mr. J. Satyanarayana, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, who will also formally Inaugurate the Exposition.

·         International Conference on Multi-applications ID Card – Opportunities and Challenges,on October 18, 2013, which will be inaugurated by Mr. Anil Swarup, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat.

Speaking on the eve of the exposition, Mr.S Swarn, Editor in Chief, Electronics Today said “The presence of such a huge attendance, by Indian and International participants alike, at the Exposition confirms that there is an exponential boom in the Smart Card, RFID and Biometrics industry in India. Applications of these technologies are currently proliferating into newer socio economic spheres. Recent studies show that India has emerged as the world’s biggest market of biometric applications. E-Payments & Mobile payments are the current buzzwords proving the most effective vehicle for Financial Inclusion. We thank our partners, sponsors and exhibitors and hope they return to join us in our next edition.”

SmartCards Expo is being sponsored by the DEPARTMENT OF electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and supported  by national and International Industry Associations.                             

About  Electronics Today
Launched in 1968 by Mr. S Swarn, the founding Editor-in-Chief and the CEO, Electronics Today is India’s first Techno-Economics Electronics Monthly Journal. Electronics Today is devoted to electronics and IT hardware, components, raw materials and production technologies.Electronics Today contains, a regular Pull- out-SmartCards Today, which brings out the latest news and developments in Smart Cards, RFID, biometrics, e-Security and Mobile communications technologies and industries.

Smart Cards Expo
Ever since its launch in 1999, SmartCards Expo has further accelerated the spread of Smart Card Revolution in India, initiated by Electronics Today since 1997. SmartCards Expo has emerged as No.1 smart card exhibition in Asia and No. 2 in the world. About 175 exhibitors from 20 countries are exhibiting their products and solutions in SmartCards Expo 2013, co-located with e-Security Expo 2013, RFidIndia Expo 2013, BiometricsIndia Expo 2013, e-PaymentsIndia Expo 2013 and India Mobile Forum 2013. The 15th Edition of SmartCards Expo 2013 will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on October 16-18, 2013.


 

Old Spice Brings the MANLY MAN Back

16102013
Image
India’s Mantastic Man, Milind Soman, unleashes the manly scent of Old Spice deodorants

New Delhi, Tuesday, October 15, 2013:

It’s Trans-Atlantic!
It’s Trans-Continental!
It’s The All New Trans-Amazing!

Ace marathon runner and supermodel, Milind Soman & Bollywood youth icon, Vidyut Jamwal, came together to inspire Delhi-ites, to unleash the manlier version of themselves, as they unveiled Old Spice Deodorants, the quintessential male grooming brand.
Taking Delhi by storm with his bare-chested look & seated flamboyantly on a glittery glamorous king size throne, India’s original bare-devil-man, Milind Soman, captured the very essence of manhood, as he revealed the Old Spice deodorants range. The irreverent Mantastic video, an ode to that bolder and more masculine self that every man wants to be, was also showcased.
In the Old Spice videos, Milind Soman, India’s Mantastic Man, has donned different avatars of an Indian man across geographies. The first film, a take on the archetypical North Indian man, has already gone viral garnering over 1.7 million views, truly bringing alive the premise that  ‘With Old Spice, you can feel ‘Mantastic’ no matter where you are from in India’.
The excitement soared further when dashing Bollywood heartthrob Vidyut Jamwal joined Milind Soman as they indulged in Mantastic acts. Smelling & looking like they can do absolutely anything on this planet, they arm-wrestled with one hand while effortlessly lifting heavy dumbbells with the other!
An excited Milind Soman exclaimed, Increasingly Indian men are unleashing the masculine self of themselves and their fans and friends love it! Infact, this reflects in today’s society as well with Bollywood icons, Ranveer Singh and sports icon, Shikhar Dhawan perfectly embodying the trend. Young men are now imitating their new icons & graduating from metrosexuals to a new Manly Man era. I am happy to be the face of this irreverent campaign that will change the prevalent mindset & inspire men across the country to take pride in unleashing a manlier version of themselves.”
 “Release The Man, Man! You don’t need to be forced into living the façade of moisturizing creams or the charade of cheesy romance. It is now time for all Indian men to take a cue from the Mantastic campaign and live true to the definition of a real man. After all, that’s what women prefer & look for in their man today.” added Vidyut Jamwal.
Old Spice brings you a cool range of manly scented deodorants with captivating, refreshing, and long lasting scents, all cooked up in the Old Spice scent kitchen! Manly smelling scents such as Original, Fresh Lime, Musk, & Whitewater; each offer a fragrance that you would want to retain throughout the day! The deodorants range not just increases your awesomeness quotient but instills your self-confidence; helps you take charge of the world and up your desirability factor. The new variants are available in leading retail outlets across India; Old Spice deodorant bottle is priced at Rs. 150/- for 150ml.

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