Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) partners with Airtel DTH; Organizes Largest Counselling Session for NEET in India on Aakash Paathshala

 Bengaluru, 26^th February 2021: Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), the national leader in test preparatory services in partnership with Airtel DTH has recently launched the Aakash Paathshala - A Counselling series exclusively for Airtel DTH subscribers. The upcoming episode on ‘How to Score 600+ in NEET’, to be aired this Sunday, 28th February is poised to address key issues regarding the preparation for NEET. 

 

After the phenomenal success of the first two episodes of Aakash Paathshala, aired on February 14 and 21, on popular demand of the students, the Aakash Paathshala ‘Gurus’ are all set to help students prepare and plan their strategy for the highly competitive NEET UG (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test) for admission into MBBS/BDS and other undergraduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/ Dental Colleges/ Institutes in India.   

 

Highlights of the Episode on NEET to be Aired on 28th February 

• Format of the Paper - marking scheme, important subjects/ topics 
• Scoring 600+ Do I have it in me? 
• Is preparing from NCERT textbooks sufficient? 
• How should I choose a college? What rank should I aim for? 
• How can I improve on my weak subject? 
  
   
  
  Commenting on the value that these sessions bring to a student’s life, Mr Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Aakash Edutech Pvt Ltd (AEPL) said, “The response to ‘Aakash Paathshala’ has been very encouraging so far. The series has generated massive viewership & excitement among students and parents. We see a very healthy engagement of students via comments and chats and it clearly outlines the need for ‘Counsellors’ and experts who can guide these students as they work their way towards their dream careers”. 
  
   
  
  Through Aakash Paathshala, the panel experts from Aakash Institute will guide students with the important subject matters, what career opportunities students should explore post completion of Class X depending on their strengths, ways to improve time management and identifying practices to secure higher scores in competitive exams. The series will also underline the pivotal role of parents in helping students identify the right career and how they can be a prime source of inspiration and encouragement for the students who are in a sensitive stage owing to the high level competition across the world. 
  
   
  
  Subscribers of Airtel DTH can watch Aakash Pathshaala on Aakash EduTV - channel #467 for JEE and #478 for JEE.  
  
   
  
  The Aakash Paathshala episodes will also be streamed live on the official YouTube channel of Aakash Digital - https://www.youtube.com/aakashdigital. 
  
   
  
  About Aakash EduTv 
  
  Aakash EduTV is India’s first dedicated TV channel for Medical and Engineering entrance exams preparation. Launched by Airtel Digital in collaboration with Aakash Educational Services Limited, Aakash EduTV is available exclusively on Airtel Digital TV and provides high quality coaching sessions to students across India who are preparing for entrance exams such as JEE/Advanced and NEET. Best-in-class faculty of Aakash will teach the students through LIVE interactive classes and help students learn key concepts and solve problems. 
  
  Starting at just Rs 8.23/ day, Aakash EduTv - JEE and Foundation is available on Airtel DTH Channel No. 467 and Aakash EduTv - NEET is available on Airtel DTH Channel No. 478. To subscribe, customers can give a missed call on 8800990055. 
  
  About Aakash Edutech Pvt. Ltd. 
  
  Aakash EduTech Private Limited(AEPL) is a leading online learning platform that caters to the K12 segment and also offers comprehensive online test preparation services for students preparing for Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations. A subsidiary of the prestigious AESL group (Aakash Educational Services Limited), AEPL comprises two distinct divisions namely, Aakash Digital and Meritnation. 
  
    
  
  Aakash Digital powerfully leverages the over 30 years of Aakash academic legacy and discipline to bring to the students an edu-tech platform that helps them prepare for JEE, NEET and other competitive exams online by bringing quality coaching, similar to that being offered in Aakash classroom, to their laptops, desktops, tablets and mobiles. Aakashdigital.com offers powerful online courses for JEE, NEET and Foundation (Class 8-10) to help students prepare for these competitive exams from the comfort of their homes. 

Sunteck Realty Limited rating affirmed ‘AA-’ with the outlook upgraded to ‘Positive’

 Bengaluru, 26^th February 2021: Sunteck Realty Limited, Mumbai’s premium real estate developer announced its long-term issuer rating affirmation of ‘AA-’ with the outlook upgraded to ‘Positive’ by India Ratings & Research (Fitch Group). The short term issuer rating has been affirmed “A1+”. 

 

The upgrade in Outlook reflects the credit rating agency’s expectation of an improvement in the business profile of Sunteck due to acceleration in the already consolidating residential real estate market, with the pandemic-related disruptions having constrained demand and supply from unorganised real estate developers. The outlook upgrade is also supported by the resilient operating performance of Sunteck despite the pandemic. The price point diversity across completed, ongoing and new project launches, prudent financial policies, strong credit metrics and cashflow visibility also provided conviction to the outlook upgrade.  

 

Commenting on the same, Mr. Kamal Khetan, Chairman and Managing Director, Sunteck Realty Ltd. said: “This affirmation of ‘AA-’ credit rating with upgrade in outlook to ‘Positive’ by India Ratings is a reflection of our continued focus on prudent cash flow management along with financial discipline. Strong operating cash flows has aided us in the further reduction of our already negligible debt. We intend to maintain this discipline going forward and focus on financial flexibility to grow our business. Our ongoing focus on execution driven by our strong in-house construction capabilities will continue to generate sustained cash flows for us. The availability of inventory across our brands and pricing spectrum creates flexibility to offer projects based on needs of various customer segments. With a strong uptick on sales front across our portfolio of projects, especially in the mid-income and aspirational segments, we remain confident of emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing consolidation in the industry basis our balance sheet strength, established track record and operational cash flow visibility.” 

 

   

About Sunteck Realty 

Sunteck Realty Limited (SRL) is one of the fastest growing Mumbai-based luxury real estate development companies. SRL has an immaculate track record of having one of the lowest net Debt/Equity ratios, financial prudency and sustainable growth. The company focuses on a city centric development portfolio of about 38 million square feet spread across 27 projects. Sunteck Realty has differentiated its projects under five brands - ‘Signature’: Uber luxury residences, ‘Signia’: Ultra luxury residences, ‘Sunteck City’: Premium luxury residences, ‘Sunteck World’: Aspirational luxury residences, ‘Sunteck’: Commercial & Retail developments. The company has been a trendsetter in creating iconic destinations such as the flagship project, Signature Island at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Sunteck City in Oshiwara District Centre (ODC), Goregaon and SunteckWorld at Naigaon - the largest township of MMR’s western Suburbs. 

 

Disclaimer 

Certain statements in this document may be forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like regulatory changes, local political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward looking statements. Sunteck Realty Limited will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. 

An impressive 135 students from Aakash Institute qualify the Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) Exam; Now Eligible for INMO

 Bengaluru, 22^nd February 2021: An impressive 135 students from Aakash Institute, the national leader in test preparatory services, have cleared the prestigious Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) Exam. The assessment was jointly conducted by the Mathematics Teachers Association of India (MTAI), Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) and Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) – HBCSE (TIFR). 

The qualified students will now compete nationally in the stage 2 of the Olympiad known as the Indian National Mathematic Olympiad (INMO). 

The number of students clearing the IOQM exam from Aakash Institute has increased consistently year on year, with this year seeing 15 students from Class 9^th clearing the exam, 42 from Class 10^th, 61 from Class 11^th and 17 from Class 12^th. In 2019, 90 students from Aakash Institute had cleared the exam, 115 in 2020 and 135 in the recently declared result. 

Congratulating the students on the impressive results, Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) said: “We are very proud of our students who have made exemplary results even in this tough situation. We would like to congratulate all our students who have cleared the IOQM exam 2021. This is a huge step towards achieving their JEE dreams. We would also like to thank the parents for extending their support. The credit goes to the hard work put in by our students and faculties as well as the quality test preparation imparted at the institute. I wish them all the best for the next round.” 

Previously known as Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad (PRMO) and Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO), the National Olympiad Programme in Maths has changed the name of PRMO/RMO to IOQM for the year 2020-21. There are certain modifications made in the examination pattern and also the number of stages has been reduced to 5 which were earlier 6.   

The student undergoes some theoretical and experimental sessions and only 35-40 students from all over India compete against each other to Qualify for International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC). The camp provides the orientation at all levels of theoretical, experimental, and observational (for astronomy) tasks to students. Emphasis is laid on developing conceptual foundations and problem-solving skills.  

 

Moving forward, only 4-6 students who qualify for Pre Departure Camp undergo some rigorous training programme at HBCSE for which special laboratories have been developed. To help the students, resource persons from different institutions across the country are invited to the training camps. 

The last stage which is International culminates with the participation of the Indian students (4-6) in the International Mathematical Olympiad. The students are accompanied by 2-4 teachers or mentors. 

Aakash Institute aims to help students in their quest to achieve academic success. It has a centralized in-house process for curriculum and content development and faculty training and monitoring, led by its National Academic Team. Over the years, students from Aakash have proven selection track record in various Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams, Competitive and Olympiads. 

About Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) 

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) provides comprehensive test preparatory services for students preparing for Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, School/Board Exams and Competitive Exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads.  AESL believes that the “Aakash” brand is associated with quality coaching and a proven student selection track record in various Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, Scholarship exams & Olympiads. 

With over 33 years of operational experience in the test preparatory industry, the company has a large number of selections in Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams and several Class 9th and 10th level Scholarship exams/Olympiads, a pan India network of 215+ Aakash Centers (including franchisee), and a student count of more than 250,000. 

The Aakash group also owns the famous K-12 EdTech brand, Meritnation.com as well. 

SAI International Education Group hosts the first session of ‘SAI Thought Leadership’ - a series of captivating discussion sessions with a focus of developing the Nation

 Bengaluru, 22^nd February 2021: SAI International Education Group, one of the leading education institutions of India today hosted the first chapter of “SAI Thought Leadership”, a series of discussion sessions with a focus on the development of the nation. Mr Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority, Chief Spokesperson, Covid 19, Govt of Odisha, Co - founder Mindtree and Best-Selling Author graced the occasion as the esteemed speaker along with Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, Advisor cum Working President, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan, Govt of Odisha, Founder Mentor, SAI International Education Group.  

SAI Thought Leadership is a vital learning platform where luminaries, each a leader of prominence and trend setter in their own field, engage in deliberation on a plethora of relevant issues and subjects with a focus on the holistic development of the individuals and the nation. The erudite speakers, via their deeply enriching talks will not just develop civic competences, regulate thought processes but act as pathfinders and problem solvers. Each session will be followed by a stimulating face to face conversation between the esteemed speaker and Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, Advisor cum Working President, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan, Govt of Odisha, Founder Mentor, SAI International Education Group. 

 

The topic of discussion for the session hosted today was “Moving the Mountains: Managing Crisis” and Mr Subroto Bagchi emphasized on an action plan on how leaders, educational institutions / organizations should combat crisis prevalent in the current scenario. Shri Subroto Bagchi emphasized upon 20 different strategies to manage crisis the three things required in the time of crisis i.e., by Creating Caution, Creating Urgency and most of all Creating Hope. 

While addressing to the question on how to handle crisis, should one be the law-abiding Ram or the law breaking Krishna, he said, “I know it’s a trick question but Ram and Krishna both are incarnations of Vishnu. These kinds of situations created in mythology actually establish a simple idea. It is that the truth which will always be present itself in contradictions. You have a choice to either get lost in the truth or face the contradictions” These kinds of difficult situations based in mythology are only created to push us to ask deeper questions. In mythology we must know that, ‘In Krishna, Rama is speaking and in Rama, Krishna is speaking”. 

On being asked which book of his should be read first he said, “I think a lot of people love ‘Go kiss the world’ and a lot of people love ‘Professional’. I feel Professional is actually very relevant today. Go Kiss the World works because it is the story of every family. I think it is crucial for young professionals of today to read ‘Professional’. 

Quoting on dealing with the crisis situations of Odisha, he said, “Moments of crisis, is a time for innovation, not a time for running a normal business; the greatest thing that happened in Odisha during the times of pandemic was we gave every Sarpanch the powers of a collector to handle the migrant workers situation. The second greatest thing that happened was, we understood that the best people to feed the people returning to the village were the mothers and sisters in the village. The self help groups were given monetary support to handle the feeding of the migrant workers, the Government realised that this is a crisis which cannot be fought from the Secretariat but from the villages. It is also extremely crucial for a leader to conserve energy to fight the crisis. We need to create social memories to make sure that when the crisis hits again, we know how to tackle the crisis. We deal cyclones in Odisha not with money but with social memories. Crisis is the time to build bonds and memories.” 

While speaking at SAI Thought Leadership Dr Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, thanked Subroto Bagchi and requested to him talk about Startups in Odisha and encourage the young entrepreneurs to bring about a transformation in the State.  

 

As one of the leading educational institutions of India, the prime focus for SAI International Education Group has been to bring about a radical change in the education dimension by fostering a community of educators, parents, students and institutions, in a bid to make education more relevant in these changing times. Therefore, in accordance with the National Education Policy, the genesis of SAI Thought Leadership took shape with the vision to inspire leaders who have withstood the test of time, armed with a heightened sense of equanimity. The SAI Thought Leadership is an excellent occasion where the keynote speakers show a sense of solidarity, to give something back to society, by playing an integral part that leads to enrichment of the audience. 

About SAI International Education Group: 

SAI International a leading educational group began a pioneering revolution in the K-12 and under graduate educational scenario of Odisha. The group is led by the Founder& Mentor, Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, a passionate Edupreneur, pursuing his dreams for the enhancement of education sector. It encompasses SAI International School, SAI Angan, SAI International College of Commerce and SAI International Residential School. The group strives to be one of the finest centers of learning and knowledge in the country, creating world class leaders endowed with Indian values and global outlook. 

The Heartfulness Institute announces the winners of its “Essay Competition to inspire value-based thinking in students”

 

• Bengaluru, 22^nd February 2021: The Heartfulness Education Trust announced the winners of its 28th edition of the “Heartfulness Essay Event’ launched in September 2020. Through a virtual event on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, 40 national winners and around 280 state winners were announced by Mr. Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), Guide of Heartfulness along with Upasana Kamineni, Vice-Chairperson Apollo Hospitals,, Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Badminton Coach, Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Abhinav Bindra, Founder and CEO, Abhinav Futuristics Private Limited, and Former Olympian; and Manasi Joshi Indian para-badminton player, the current World Champion and a changemaker. The leaders inspired the students by sharing their real-life stories at the ceremony. 
  
   
  
  Each year the Heartfulness Education Trust, part of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) in collaboration with the UNIC - United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan, hosts the event to inspire youth to inculcate value-based learning as part of their life. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the continuity of the essay event was preserved by the participation of more than 30,000 students from approximately 5,000 institutions across the country to write on ‘Thought pollution - root cause of all ills’ and ‘Poverty is not just a lack of money’ in English and ten regional languages. 
  
   
  
  Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), Guide of Heartfulness said, “We live in an environment that is overloaded with information. We have lost the art of contemplation, reflection and discussion that has tremendously impacted the psyche of our younger generation. The essay event is an enabler to instil these virtues in the youth of today, to motivate them to lead a life based on values. Heartfulness is preserving traditional, sustainable and effective learning methods, to fuel young minds with wisdom so that they can shape better communities tomorrow.” 
  
   
  
  Ms. Upasana Kamineni, Founder URLife.co.in, and Vice-Chairperson CSR, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “It is inspiring to see the continued interest and commitment by young minds and academic institutes to be part of this 28-year-old movement that encourages value-based way of life. Reflection and contemplation are crucial facets not just for a better society but also for one's well-being. I congratulate each one of you and wish you all the best.” 
  
   
  
  Mr. Abhinav Bindra, Founder and CEO, Abhinav Futuristics Private Limited, and Former Olympian said, “Initiatives that sharpen the minds of young minds is the need of the hour. It is imperative for us to create better opportunities for our youth to shine in all fields. The competition is one such platform where millions of students are getting an opportunity to showcase their talent.”  
  
   
  
  “The foundation for excellence whether in sport or in life is always built on the values. We have been able to create several world class badminton players at the academy because of stringent focus on disciplining the mind and the body. Youngsters of today need the guidance on how to bring about this discipline in their thinking process to strive towards their goals”, said Mr. Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Badminton Coach, Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. 
  
   
  
  Manasi Joshi, Indian Para-Badminton Player said, “challenges in life can be overcome when we are able to connect to the strength within. The early years of our life play a very vital part in how we maximise our inherent potential. Being able to connect to the strength requires constant introspection and this ability needs to be shaped as early as possible. I am glad that the Heartfulness Institute is doing its bit to create that inspiration for millions of youths across the country in the form of this ongoing event.”   
  
  
  The annual ‘Heartfulness Essay Event’ is a unique competition. It was initiated in 1992 with a vision to introduce value-based thinking through reflection, discussion, and contemplation, for shaping young minds and the leaders of tomorrow. The contest allows ample time for the participants to delve into the topic by discussing it with their peers, teachers, and others. Participants attempt to contemplate and reflect on the topic to shape the essay from their personal experience. 
  
   

List of National Winners for the ‘Heartfulness Essay Writing Event – 2020’:
English:   Category 1	1st Prize	Ms. Swatantra Parmar	Std 12th	Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
	2nd Prize	Ms. Devangana Prasad	Std 12th	Welham Girls School, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
	3rd Prize	Mr. Tyeb Ismail	Std 10th	Sharada Vidyaniketan, Mangalore, Karnataka
English:   Category 2	1st Prize	Ms. Marukukku Supriya	UG Student	Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College for Women, Marredpally, Telangana
	2nd Prize	Mr. Babuji Dandigunta	PG Student	BITS PILANI, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
	3rd Prize	Ms. Leeann Eva Sequeira	UG Student	Don Bosco College, Panjim, Goa
Hindi:  Category 1	1st Prize	Ms. Pragya GD	Std 11th	Goenka Public school, Dwaraka, New Delhi
	2nd Prize	Ashray Kala	Std 12th	Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
	3rd Prize	Kashish Chalana	Std 11th	Blooming Dales International School, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan
Hindi:  Category 2	1st Prize	Ms. Chetna	PG Student	Aggarwal College Ballabgarh, Ballabgarh, Haryana
	2nd Prize	Ms. KM Sweta Mishra	UG Student	Manohar Lal Degree College for Teacher Education, Vill. Sarosi, Uttar Pradesh
	3rd Prize	Ms. Harshada Shrawan kumar	UG Student	Vidya Prabodhini College of Commerce, Education, Computer & Management, Bardez Goa

 

Heartfulness Programs: touching and transforming lives everywhere  

About Heartfulness:  Heartfulness offers a simple set of meditative practices and lifestyle changes, first developed at the turn of the twentieth century and formalized into teaching through Shri Ram Chandra Mission in 1945 in India with a goal to bring peace, happiness and wisdom one heart at a time. These practices are a modern form of Yoga designed to support contentment, inner calm and stillness, compassion, courage, and clarity of thought, as the first step towards a purposeful life. They are simple and easily adopted and are appropriate for people from all walks of life, cultures, religious beliefs and economic situations, who are over the age of fifteen. Ongoing training in the Heartfulness practices is going on at thousands of schools and colleges, and over 100,000 professionals are meditating in corporations, non-governmental and government bodies worldwide. More than 5,000 Heartfulness Centres are supported by many thousands of certified volunteer trainers and millions of practitioners in 160 countries. 

Sharp Spike in Cases of Mature Cataract and Dry Eyes during Pandemic

 Bengaluru / February 23rd , 2021: The ongoing pandemic has led to increased severity and morbidity in eye conditions of people in Bengaluru because of delayed treatment and lifestyle changes due to the pandemic, according to eye surgeons at Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital. The elderly people have been particularly impacted, with cases of mature cataracts going up as much as five times compared to the period before the pandemic. Incidence of severe dry eyes has also risen three times as people have been spending more time glued to digital screens. 

Said Dr. Ram Mirlay, Regional Head – Clinical Services, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, Bengaluru: “During the last one year of the pandemic, patients have been worried about contracting coronavirus if they visited a hospital. Most people with pre-existing eye problems did not go for regular follow-ups during the lockdown and even afterwards, leading to aggravation of their condition. Others with newly developed eye problems waited to consult the doctors, which led to serious consequences, including loss of vision. In the last three months of 2019, before the pandemic had hit fully, just 10 percent of all cataract patients coming to our hospital were suffering from mature cataract. In the last quarter of 2020, this figure jumped to 50%, a five-fold increase.” 

He added: “We have also noticed worsening of existing cases of glaucoma in many patients as they hesitated to come for regular follow-ups. People with diabetes ignored their period eye check-ups, leading to severe complications in their retina. Pandemic has had a huge socio-economic impact too. Many cataract patients coming to us are opting to get operated in only one eye, as they are running low on finances due to reduced income.” 

Said Dr. Archana S, Regional Head – Clinical Services, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Bengaluru: “Cases of severe dry eyes due to digital eye strain jumped from 10% before the pandemic to 30% now, as working from home led to loss of work-life balance and people got habituated to looking at digital screens for long hours. Those working on digital screens blink much less than normal, and even the blinks are not fully complete. This, coupled with glare and flickering of screens, has led to a big spike in incidence of digital eye strain and dry eyes. To give relief to the eyes, the rule is that for every 20 minutes of computer work, you should look away for 20 seconds to objects at least 20 feet away, or, better still, look out of the window.”

She added: “It is important for people to not neglect their eye problems in pandemic times. To begin with, tele-consult is a good option and, in many cases, should be enough to get the right advice. Sometimes the doctor will advise to consult in person. That is the time when not doing anything can aggravate a minor eye problem to a more serious one. Rather than delaying treatment, choose an eye hospital where all safety precautions are being implemented.”

Said Dr. Ram Mirlay: “Diabetic patients above 50 years old need to get their eyes screened at least once a year by an ophthalmologist, as over 30% of them go on to develop some form of diabetic eye disease, including vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy. Such patients should be extra careful in the pandemic time and do not hesitate to visit a hospital for regular check-ups. Any delay can create more severe complications, including loss of vision. This is true for Glaucoma patients too. If their condition is unstable or they develop unusual symptoms such as eye pain or changes in vision, they should see the doctor immediately.” 

About Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals:

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital a comprehensive eye hospital offering a one-stop solution for eye ailments; was started in the year 1957. Now the hospital is in its 61st year of offering quality services in eye care. It has 80+ hospitals across India. With a visible footprint in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andaman, West Bengal, and Rajasthan. A tertiary eye care centre at Mauritius marks its first step towards establishing an international presence extended up to 13 branches covering the Indian Ocean region, African countries and East Asia. For more information, pls visit: http://www.dragarwal.com/ 

PGI.S, THE PREMIER GLOBAL PUBG PC ESPORTS FESTIVAL HOSTED BY KRAFTON (A SOUTH KOREAN ENTITY), KICKS OFF IN SOUTH KOREA

 Bengaluru, 19^th Feb 2021 : KRAFTON, Inc., responsible for entertainment properties such as PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG), launched PUBG Global Invitational.S(PGI.S) - a global LAN/online hybrid tournament where the world’s top PUBG PC esports teams will compete for a share of a $3.5 million USD prize pot. 

 

The event runs till March 28^th , with 32 rosters from eight different regions participating in weekly showdowns with prize money increasing as the competition progresses. The tournament is primarily held offline at Studio Paradise in Incheon, South Korea, however due to the current COVID-19 situation, some of the teams will compete online from their home regions. 

Based on Rank Decision matches which took place from February 5-7, the highest ranked 16 teams participated in Weekly Survival matches on February 8 to battle it out for a place in the Weekly Grand Finals. Once a team wins a Weekly Survival match, they progress to the Weekly Grand Finals immediately - with their place taken by the next highest ranked team from Rank Decision Matches. The four top ranked teams at the Weekly Finals will take home a share of the prize pot. This process continues over eight weeks, with a one-week break in the middle for an additional PUBG esports tournament.  

 

The share of prize money offered in each weekly event will grow as the tournament progresses, and the team that secures the most earnings by the end of the event will be crowned champions. A full run-down of the PGI.S format and rules can be found here.

PGI.S schedule: 

• Week 1 Weekly Survival Matches: Monday 8 February, Tuesday 9 February and Wednesday 10 February, starting from 15:30 IST.  
• After the opening week, weekly Survival Matches will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 15:30 IST. 
• Weekly Finals Matches: To take place every Saturday and Sunday throughout the event from 15:30 IST. 
• Survival Tournament: March 5-7, a specialty tournament within PGI.S.
  

• All matches will be broadcasted globally on various platforms in over 17 languages. For our passionate PUBG fans in India, KRAFTON has partnered with NODWIN Gaming to offer Hindi broadcasts via local streamers - Gamingpro Ocean, NODWIN Gaming, PAiN FyXs, Sparky Gaming and Ansh TY. Please see below for a list of broadcast links in various languages:  
  
    

• English - https://www.twitch.tv/pubg  
• English - https://www.youtube.com/pubgesports  
• Gamingpro Ocean - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZmfb_gIPxsJ_aGmcWNOzlA 
• NODWIN Gaming - https://www.youtube.com/user/LordNODCasting 
• PAiN FyXs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8l-0ywUNKt3XBfobuzXGwA 
• Sparky Gaming - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgww-Z5nK8uqX2lM5lzgKDw 
• Ansh YT - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClHbJ2iUOVlgyG8-Y-CNzpA 
  
   
  
  KRAFTON, Inc. will once again be holding the Pick’Em Challenge - an event where fans predict the winner of PGI.S in order to win prizes. Fans can earn free voting coupons, and purchase PGI.S items, by visiting the in-game esports tab. Reflecting KRAFTON, Inc’s. commitment to rewarding PUBG esports players, the $3.5 million USD prize pot will be supplemented by 30% of all revenue made from the Pick’Em Challenge.

          For the latest information onPUBG esports, please visit https://www.pubgesports.com/en.   
 
About KRAFTON, Inc.
KRAFTON, Inc. is a collective of independent game development teams responsible for various  entertainment properties, including PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, ELYON, and TERA. The name, which is derived from the word craftsmanship, is an acknowledgement of the company’s never-ending pursuit of innovation and creating engaging experiences. KRAFTON currently consists of PUBG Studio, Striking Distance Studios, Bluehole Studio, and RisingWings. For more information about KRAFTON, please visit https://www.krafton.com.  

Airtel appoints “Neeraj Jha as Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs”

 Bengaluru, 19^th Feb 2021 : Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider, has appointed Neeraj Jha as Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs. 

 

Neeraj Jha will report to Gopal Vittal – MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel Ltd. and will be responsible for leading Airtel’s brand advocacy, reputation and communication efforts. In addition, he will provide oversight and support to the other Bharti Group entities.   

Neeraj Jha brings with him over 24 years of experience across journalism and industry. Prior to joining Airtel, he was Head of Corporate Communications and Company Spokesperson at HDFC Bank. During his 14 years tenure at the Bank, he leveraged elements like the business and digital capabilities of the Bank, its management depth and human face to build a strong image and leadership position for the Bank. 

 

“We are pleased to have Neeraj on board to spearhead Airtel’s corporate reputation mandate. I am confident his rich experience will add immense value to Airtel.” said Gopal Vittal.  

 

On his appointment, Neeraj Jha had this to say, “I firmly believe I’ve joined a culture, an ethos that’s committed to the cause of connecting the nation, its people, households and businesses. From healthcare to education to entertainment, it brings this and much more today to the lives of millions of people making them better, easier and more productive. Airtel is an iconic brand that generations in the New India have grown up looking up to. I'm humbled and honoured to be part of it.” 

 

Neeraj can be reached at neeraj.jha@airtel.com and 9820910828.  

Deendayal Port Trust to sign MoUs of Rs. 3,823.70 crores at “Maritime India Summit 2021”

 Bengaluru, 19^th Feb 2021 : Deendayal Port Trust (DPT), one of the major port trusts in India will sign 15 MoUs of Rs. 3,823.70 crores at “Maritime India Summit 2021”scheduled to happen on 2nd to 4th March 2021.

These MoUs will be majorly signed between DPT and IOCL, EMAMI, and AEGIS Power Supply. MoU will also be signed with Timber Association to develop furniture park and Coast Guard Jetty. Apart from these DPT will also sign MoUs for the greenery of the port area and construction as well.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is also in process of finalizing more than 44 MoUs to be signed in conjunction with the summit. These MoUs will be signed with different coastal states and stakeholders of the sector. The MoPSW is looking forward to closing over 400 MoUs during the Maritime India Summit 2021.
 
These MoUs are focused on attracting investment, skilling, and generating employment in the sector. The signing of these MoUs will help in streamlining the process of ship maneuvering resulting in more business to the ports and economic stability to the sector and its stakeholders.

The MIS 2021 will provide a unique platform that will have a physical and virtual presence of prominent shipping and transport ministers/ dignitaries from across the world. Maritime States of India will participate in the Summit through dedicated sessions. The Summit will also include an exclusive CEOs’ forum and various thematic/ breakout sessions. 

Great Lakes Institute of Management hosts Narayana Murthy as part of its ‘Distinguished Thought Leadership Series’

 Bengaluru, 19^th Feb 2021 : Padma Vibhushan Mr. Narayana Murthy, Founder, Infosys graced Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai in a virtual fire-chat session organized by the institute. Mr. Murthy addressed a strong audience of 750+ participants and shared his insights based on the experience and observations over the years. 

 

During the session, Mr. Narayana Murthy touched upon some key topics. He started off with his definition of an entrepreneur and explained that entrepreneurs come with bright and powerful ideas.  His latest venture is all about unleashing the power of young Indian minds. He highlighted few qualities than an individual should possess to become an entrepreneur. Some of these qualities include competency, leadership, learnability and a sound value system. He further elaborated and said that an entrepreneur should transform the power of ideas into job and wealth creation. He then touched upon the topic of whether the Indian I.T companies have moved up in the value chain system? He said that, Indian companies have been doing work that is of high value for their customers and are now focusing on higher per capita productivity. But the sector still remains as reactive problem solvers which needs to change and a more proactive approach is the need of the hour.  

 

He then spoke about the role of using luck to one’s advantage. Hard work plays a key role in shaping your career. He said, ‘’Chance favours the prepared mind’’. When you fail as an individual, it is important to introspect your failure, analyse, decide on the next step and then act accordingly. He then spoke about how entrepreneurs can handle multiple roles in their initial stages of entrepreneurship. He was quick to add that his philosophy of choosing a team is to pick bright youngsters, review constantly and give them an opportunity to grow. He also emphasized on developing checklists and have constant dialogue with the team which can help and improve upon what you are doing at that point of time. High learnability, discipline and hard work are keys to enhance productivity. Mr Murthy also said that, he personally prefers learnability over experience for skills.  

 

He next addressed the concern wherein I.T. sector pays higher remunerations than some other sectors and we are losing great talent in the sectors. He addressed the companies from different sectors and said, they need to sit down and ensure that the workplace provides a learning experience. Companies should visit campuses and sell jobs to students and provide better compensation. He added that, students nowadays prefer careers where there is learning involved. Also, curriculum in colleges need to keep pace with the industry demand and in-company training programs should be a key area of investment for the companies to groom talent. He then stressed upon the New Education Policy and rued the lack of constant research and innovation in Indian educational institutions. He mentioned that the New Education Policy (NEP) is certainly going to improve the quality of education. He called for a change in the mind-set of the society and said that the focus should be upon instilling curiosity, problem solving, open-mindedness, respect other’s opinions and not afraid of learning among the youngsters. He said that there is a need to embrace these traits in our cultures and then change will follow.  

 

Speaking during the event, Dr. Suresh Ramanathan, Dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management, said “We are honoured to have the magnanimous presence of Mr. Narayana Murthy. His wisdom, knowledge, experience and vision is unparalleled and today’s event was a chance for our students to pick on his thoughts and learn from the man himself. His idea of originality, problem-solving, creativity, importance of values and sense of balance can truly go a long way in shaping our society and empower the youth of tomorrow. I also want to thank our esteemed audience who were part of this momentous occasion and we will continue to invite leaders who can be a source of inspiration for our students and other generations.” 

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Also, please find the link to the recorded session by Narayana Murthy addressing students 

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15tCXrJGYn9pzf4NA3zcysbhskgtOgN7_/view?usp=sharing

About Great Lakes: Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai founded in 2004 by Padma Shri Awardee Dr. Bala V Balachandran is one of the premier B-schools in India. Great Lakes has, within a short span of 15 years emerged as a top-ranked business school. Great Lakes has 50+ full time faculty and 150+ visiting faculty including over 25+ international faculty from top global schools like Yale, Kellogg, Stanford, and Harvard. Further collaborations with world’s leading institutions like University of Houston, University of Bordeaux, Hongkong University of Science & Technology (HKUST), University of Missouri, Kansas, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago and Babson College etc., have helped Great Lakes in globally benchmarking its programs. 

Great Lakes, Chennai, was accredited by Association of MBAs (AMBA), UK in 2014 and became the youngest B-school in India to receive this prestigious international accreditation. In 2015, Great Lakes, Chennai also received international SAQS accreditation and in 2017, its two-year PGDM program was accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). For the years 2018 -2019, Great Lakes was ranked No.1 in India by Analytics India for its Analytics program. Great Lakes, Chennai was ranked 5th by Outlook India among top private MBA institutions, 9th by Business India, 15^th by Business Today and 18^th by NIRF among top 10 Indian B-Schools. It was also placed in Super League 2 category by Business Standard in the year 2019. 

Led by exceptional academic faculty, steered by an outstanding advisory council, and buoyed by the international collaborations, Great Lakes has been constantly innovating to stay ahead of the needs of our businesses and community. It is the first B-school in India to offer full time specialization in Analytics and first to introduce AI and Machine Learning specialization.  

Great Lakes has a 30-acre LEED Platinum rated green campus in Chennai and a second campus in Delhi-NCR. In the year 2019, Great Lakes Gurgaon campus received the prestigious AMBA accreditation and was also ranked among the top 5 emerging business schools by the National HRD Network (NHRDN) for the year 2018-2019. Great Lakes Gurgaon was also ranked 13^th by Business World for its one-year program in the year 2019. 

Great Lakes offers One Year full time MBA (PGPM) for experienced professionals, Two-year MBA (PGDM), Part Time Executive MBA for senior managers, and Weekend Executive MBA Program. Great Lakes alumni currently numbering 8800+, work at world renowned organizations both in India and overseas across 30 countries.