1. Tata Steel elevates T V Narendran as global CEO, MD.
Tata Steel has elevated T V Narendran as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director globally, the company said on Tuesday.
“The Board of Directors of Tata Steel Ltd at its meeting on October 30, 2017 had decided to elevate T V Narendran as CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel globally,” the has company said in a statement.
Narendran joined Tata Steel after completing his MBA from IIM Calcutta in 1988. His career has spanned many areas - in India and abroad — including marketing and sales, international trade, supply chain and planning, and operation and general management, it said.
He was appointed as Managing Director of Tata Steel for India and South East Asia on November 1, 2013.
During his 4 four years tenure as MD, India and South East Asia, “Tata Steel successfully executed and commissioned one of the largest greenfield projects in India - Kalinganagar steel plant — and also enhanced its ability to deliver to higher value segments like steel for automotives,” the statement added.
The company further said Koushik Chatterjee has been reappointed as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for a period of 5 years with effect from November 9, 2017, after his present term expires Novermber 8, 2017. He will report to Narendran.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Gandhinagar to attend silver jubilee function of Akshardham temple.
After surviving a terror attack in 2002, this temple complex continues to echo with spirituality, spreading the message of service to others as the only path to divinity.
Gandhinagar`s Akshardham Temple is a repository of faith with breath-taking architecture and a tradition of service.
`Akshardham` literally means the divine abode of God. This institution before self completes 25 years. This complex was inaugurated on October 30, 1992 with the blessings of BAPS Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The organisation has spread the message of Bhagwan Swaminarayan across the world.
This abode of spirituality was attacked by terrorists in 2002. It`s structure though remained unscarred by the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special connect with this temple. He will be a part of the silver jubilee celebrations on November 2.
PM looked up to Pramukh Swami Maharaj as a father figure. In 2016, on his demise, PM Modi paid his tributes at the complex in Gandhinagar.
3. Ajay Bisaria Named India’s Next High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Seasoned diplomat Ajay Bisaria, currently the Indian ambassador to Poland, has been appointed the country’s top envoy to Pakistan. This was announced by the external affairs ministry on Wednesday. The 1987-batch IFS officer will succeed Gautam Bambawale, who was last month posted to China. “He is expected to take up his assignment shortly,” the ministry said in an official statement.
Bisaria’s posting comes at a time when there is chill in Indo-Pak ties following a series of terror strikes in India, including Uri and Pathankot attacks, by Pakistan-based terror groups.
India had also pulled out of the SAARC summit, to be hosted by Pakistan last year, citing cross-border terrorism from that country. After training at the Foreign Service Institute here, Bisaria chose Russian as his language of specialisation and was posted at the Indian Embassy in Moscow (1988-1991) where he was attached to the economic and political wings of the Embassy.
Bisaria also held position of the private Secretary to the prime minister from 1999 to 2004. From January 2015, he has served as India’s Ambassador to Poland, based in Warsaw, with concurrent accreditation to Lithuania.
4. K Satchidanandan selected for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram.
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1 (PTI) Noted Malayalam Poet and literary critic, K Satchidanandan, has been selected for this years Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala governments highest literary honour.
The award is for his contributions to Malayalam literature and poetry, Culture Affairs Minister A K Balan told reporters, announcing the award.
Instituted in the name of Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language, the award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
Satchidanandan s literary career began with the publication of Kurukshetram, a collection of essays on poetry (1970) and Anchusooryan, a collection of poems (1971).
Since then he has published several books of poetry, criticism, plays, travelogues and translations of poetry and plays and edited several magazines like Jwala, Uttaram and Pachakkutira besides many anthologies of poetry and essays in Malayalam, English and Hindi, among others.
He was also a former editor of Indian Literary Journal and former secretary of Sahitiya Akademi. PTI UD BN.
5. Central Government allocated Rs 109 crores to promote tourism projects in Puducherry.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said the Centre has earmarked Rs 109 crores to promote tourism projects under ‘Swadesh Darshan’ in the Union Territory. Addressing public on the occasion of the 63rd Liberation (De facto) day of Puducherry here, he said, “Tourism has been given priority by the administration and the government intended to promote Puducherry as a vibrant tourism destination.”
The Union Tourism Ministry has already earmarked Rs 109 crores for Puducherry to promote heritage and spiritual tourism under ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme. He futher said the Rs 1,828 crore smart project being implemented in Puducherry through a specially floated statutory organisation called Puducherry Smart City Project limited would be yet another feather in the cap of the administration.
Earlier, the Chief Minister took salute at a march past presented by various contingents.
Speaker V Vaithilingam,Ministers, legislators of the ruling Congress, the French Consul General Catherine Suard, Director General of Police S K Gautam, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida and secretaries of various departments of the government were also present. Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam became free from the French rule on November 1, 1954.
6. Fake news named Collins Dictionarys official Word of the Year for 2017.
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London — After a US presidential campaign dominated by charges of fake news, Collins Dictionary has designed the term the Collins Word of the Year 2017.
The word — two words actually — will be added to the next print edition of the dictionary.
Collins said on Thursday the use of the term rose 365 percent in 2016. It is defined as "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting".
The term has been picked up by US President Donald Trump, who routinely characterises critical reports as "fake news" in his tweets.
Collins` head of language content Helen Newstead said the term "fake news" has been inescapable this year.
She said it has contributed to "the undermining of society`s trust in news reporting".
7. Forbes names Chanda Kochhar the most powerful woman in India.
The Indian women on the 14th edition of the annual rankings include ICICI Bank’s MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar (ranked 32); Roshni Nadar Malhotra, executive director and CEO of HCL Enterprise; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (64), Chairman and MD of Biocon; Shobhana Bhartia (92), Chairperson and Editorial Director, HT Media Ltd and Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra at rank 97.
Kochhar leads the country’s largest private sector bank while Mazumdar-Shaw’s Biocon is a pioneer in the field of biopharmaceuticals and clinical research, Bhartia’s HT Media is a media house with interests ranging from newspapers and radio stations to online job portals and education. Chopra, a Bollywood actress, who made rapid strides, globally in the media and entertainment world, is also the UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador.
“The 100 women on the list represent a new dynamic of influencers and are transforming industry culture. They’re women who are building billion-dollar brands, calling the shots in the financial markets, and crisscrossing the globe to broker international agreements,” said a Forbes statement issued on November 1.
8. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list.
Mrs Merkel clung to the top spot again for the seventh consecutive year ahead of Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May who ranked as number two on the list.
The 63-year-old German was awarded the honour for the twelfth time altogether. It comes as she faces fierce opposition at home for the poor election results that let a far-right party - Alternative for Germany - into parliament.
But Germany is the world`s fourth largest economy and the largest led by a woman.
Mrs May came in second place with the challenge of Brexit placing her firmly among the world`s most powerful women in politics. The Prime Minister`s negotiating position with Brussels at the helm of Brexit has guaranteed her a place at the forefront of the list.
However, they controversially ranked Mr Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, at number 19, while Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the United Nations was featured at number 43.
Despite the fact that America has never elected a woman as president, Forbes praised the emergence of women leaders internationally.
It placed Jacinda Arden, 37, New Zealand’s new leader at number 78.
Forbes said this “year’s top women in politics are at the forefront of efforts to reshape and retain global alliances.”
9. Seventh Asia Ministerial Energy Roundtable Held in Bangkok.
he Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan will be on an official visit to Thailand from November 1-2, 2017, to participate in the IEF 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7). India is the current chair of International Energy Forum (IEF) which is promoting the AMER, which is a biennial event bringing together Energy Ministers and experts from Asian countries.
At the 7th AMER, Pradhan will participate in the Ministerial Roundtable and speak on “Natural Gas: Overcoming Market and Policy Hurdles to the Golden Age of Gas” along with Energy Ministers from Qatar, Brunei and Senior Representatives from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Energy Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Brunei are also participating in the AMER.
The countries
Energy Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Brunei are also participating.
10. Kenneth Juster Confirmed as the Next US Ambassador to India.
Kenneth Juster, a top economic expert on India, was on Friday unanimously confirmed by the Senate as the next U.S. Ambassador to New Delhi, filling a key position as the two countries push forward their strategic ties.
Mr. Juster, 62, is an old India hand who played a key role in developing the landmark Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal.
He will replace Indian-American Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India. The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Mr. Verma resigned from the post after the swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the U.S.
Mr. Juster’s nomination confirmation was agreed by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee by voice vote, reflecting the bipartisan support for him in the Congress.
His appointment comes at a time when President Trump sees an important role for India in South Asia.
11. Trump will make his first official visit to Japan on November 5.
Little less than a year ago, America’s allies in Asia nervously watched as Donald Trump railed against them one by one.
During the election campaign he castigated South Korea and Japan for not sharing enough of the financial burden for America’s military presence in those countries, and later accused Japan of being a currency manipulator (and called the US “dummies” for letting it happen). He also insulted the leader of arguably the most loyal US ally in the region, Australia’s prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Trump will embark on his longest trip abroad so far in his presidency—starting in Japan on Nov. 5 and ending in the Philippines. He’ll spend two days in Japan, and in addition to meeting with prime minister Shinzo Abe will also meet with the emperor (paywall).
12. Trump will make his first official visit to Japan on November 5.
NEW DELHI: Renowned Hindi litterateur Krishna Sobti has been chosen for this year`s Jnanpith Award, the Jnanpith Selection Board announced on Friday.
"The Jnanpith Selection Board has announced the recipient of the 53rd Jnanpith Award for the year 2017 today in a meeting. It went to eminent Hindi Litterateur Krishna Sobti," the board said in a statement.
Born in 1925 in Gujarat, now in Pakistan, Sobti, 92, is known for experimenting with new writing styles and creating "bold" and "daring" characters in her stories who were ready to accept all challenges.
Her language is highly influenced by the intermingling of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi cultures.
"Sobti is a path breaking novelist. She has immensely enriched Hindi literature," the statement by the board chaired by noted scholar, writer and critic Namwar Singh, said.
Others on the decision making body included Girishwar Misra, Shamim Hanfi, Harish Trivedi, Suranjan Das, Ramakant Rath, Chandrakant Patil, Alok Rai, C Radhakrishnan, Madhishudhan Anand and Leeladhar Mandloi.