General Affairs
Delhi's Air Quality 'Very Poor', No Marked Change
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NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' due to the presence of substantial amount of particulate matter, largely due to atmospheric conditions, on a day the odd-even restriction came into force.
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) had yesterday said that air quality in Delhi was expected to deteriorate over the next few days with a possible rise in the level of particulate matter due to fall in minimum temperature and calm wind movement.
Officials said the air quality remained "very poor" today due to atmospheric conditions that did not allow pollutants to get dispersed.
While a section of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party attributed the sharp drop in PM 2.5 figures between early morning hours and afternoon to the car rationing experiment, scientists said pollutants usually touch their peak in the dawn and then gradually fall.
SAFAR stations, located in various areas the city, displayed 'very poor' real-time Air Quality Index, which was in line with the forecast of the Union government body that was released yesterday.
In no marked change from yesterday, the average levels of PM 2.5 was around 180 microgrammes per cubic metre, three times above the safe limit of 60. The corresponding safe limit of PM 10 is 100.
Central Pollution Control Board's real time AQI for the Punjabi Bagh, R K Puram, NSIT Dwarka and Anand Vihar stations were 'severe' at 5 PM.
"The boundary layer, beyond which pollutants cannot escape, comes near the earth's surface during the early morning hours resulting in the accumulation of pollutants. So the spike that was observed around 5.30 AM and the subsequent fall is understandable," Project Director, SAFAR, Gufran Beig said.
Scientists also said that a straightforward comparison of today's pollution figures with last year's data would be "misleading" as weather was colder which had resulted in more pollution.
Tomorrow onwards, a sharp spike in the volume of PM 2.5 is expected due to possible fall in minimum temperature and calm wind movement, with it rising to 192 first and 201 by January 3. The corresponding figures for PM 10 are expected to be around 334 and 349.
Air quality is considered 'very poor' by Indian authorities when level of PM 2.5 ranges from 120 to 250 microgrammes per cubic metre.
NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' due to the presence of substantial amount of particulate matter, largely due to atmospheric conditions, on a day the odd-even restriction came into force.System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) had yesterday said that air quality in Delhi was expected to deteriorate over the next few days with a possible rise in the level of particulate matter due to fall in minimum temperature and calm wind movement.
Officials said the air quality remained "very poor" today due to atmospheric conditions that did not allow pollutants to get dispersed.
SAFAR stations, located in various areas the city, displayed 'very poor' real-time Air Quality Index, which was in line with the forecast of the Union government body that was released yesterday.
In no marked change from yesterday, the average levels of PM 2.5 was around 180 microgrammes per cubic metre, three times above the safe limit of 60. The corresponding safe limit of PM 10 is 100.
Central Pollution Control Board's real time AQI for the Punjabi Bagh, R K Puram, NSIT Dwarka and Anand Vihar stations were 'severe' at 5 PM.
"The boundary layer, beyond which pollutants cannot escape, comes near the earth's surface during the early morning hours resulting in the accumulation of pollutants. So the spike that was observed around 5.30 AM and the subsequent fall is understandable," Project Director, SAFAR, Gufran Beig said.
Scientists also said that a straightforward comparison of today's pollution figures with last year's data would be "misleading" as weather was colder which had resulted in more pollution.
Tomorrow onwards, a sharp spike in the volume of PM 2.5 is expected due to possible fall in minimum temperature and calm wind movement, with it rising to 192 first and 201 by January 3. The corresponding figures for PM 10 are expected to be around 334 and 349.
Air quality is considered 'very poor' by Indian authorities when level of PM 2.5 ranges from 120 to 250 microgrammes per cubic metre.
PM Narendra Modi Greets Nation On New Year; Visits President and Vice President
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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted the nation on New Year, hoping that 2016 brings peace and prosperity in everybody's lives.
He met President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari to extend the greetings to them personally.
"As the year 2016 begins, my greetings & good wishes to everyone. May 2016 bring joy, peace, prosperity & good health in everyone's lives," PM Modi tweeted.
He drove to Rashtrapati Bhavan to greet President Pranab Mukherjee. "Greeted Rashtrapati ji on New Year. We had a wonderful interaction," the Prime Minister tweeted later.
After meeting the Vice President, PM Modi tweeted, "Had a very good meeting with Shri Hamid Ansari. We exchanged New Year greetings."
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted the nation on New Year, hoping that 2016 brings peace and prosperity in everybody's lives.He met President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari to extend the greetings to them personally.
"As the year 2016 begins, my greetings & good wishes to everyone. May 2016 bring joy, peace, prosperity & good health in everyone's lives," PM Modi tweeted.
He drove to Rashtrapati Bhavan to greet President Pranab Mukherjee. "Greeted Rashtrapati ji on New Year. We had a wonderful interaction," the Prime Minister tweeted later.
After meeting the Vice President, PM Modi tweeted, "Had a very good meeting with Shri Hamid Ansari. We exchanged New Year greetings."
Government To Make LPG Available To All In 3 Years
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NEW DELHI: Government today declared 2016 as the 'Year of LPG Consumers' while unveiling plans to make the clean cooking fuel available to all households by end of 2018 and roll out online bill payment facility and transparent gas cylinders.
"The 2016 will be Year of LPG Consumers. We will work to increase accessibility and availability of the cooking in the country. In coming three calender years 2016, 2017 and 2018, we will set an ambitious target to provide clean cooking fuel to entire population," Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
The minister was speaking at a function to launch LPG emergency helpline number 1906 for the cooking gas consumers across the country. The consumers can call on this helpline to seek assistance to deal with gas leakage.
Mr Pradhan asked the ministry and the top brass of oil marketing companies' to make the number toll free. As for today, normal call rates will apply.
About the availability of LPG in the country, the minister said that there are 27 crore subscribers in the country, of which 16.5 crore are active subscribers and oil marketing companies cover about 60 per cent of the population.
He said: "We want to cover 100 per cent population. But we have to keep in mind their affordability and accessibility issues. We hope that a large proportion of population will avail the facility with the increase in their purchasing power due to economic growth, in next three year."
About rolling out LPG online bill payment service, the minister said: "The pilot experiment is on. We will launch this service during the 2016 calender year."
On the launch of composite transparent cylinder, the minister assured that it will be a reality in the financial year 2016-17.
NEW DELHI: Government today declared 2016 as the 'Year of LPG Consumers' while unveiling plans to make the clean cooking fuel available to all households by end of 2018 and roll out online bill payment facility and transparent gas cylinders."The 2016 will be Year of LPG Consumers. We will work to increase accessibility and availability of the cooking in the country. In coming three calender years 2016, 2017 and 2018, we will set an ambitious target to provide clean cooking fuel to entire population," Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
The minister was speaking at a function to launch LPG emergency helpline number 1906 for the cooking gas consumers across the country. The consumers can call on this helpline to seek assistance to deal with gas leakage.
About the availability of LPG in the country, the minister said that there are 27 crore subscribers in the country, of which 16.5 crore are active subscribers and oil marketing companies cover about 60 per cent of the population.
He said: "We want to cover 100 per cent population. But we have to keep in mind their affordability and accessibility issues. We hope that a large proportion of population will avail the facility with the increase in their purchasing power due to economic growth, in next three year."
About rolling out LPG online bill payment service, the minister said: "The pilot experiment is on. We will launch this service during the 2016 calender year."
On the launch of composite transparent cylinder, the minister assured that it will be a reality in the financial year 2016-17.
Republic Day Parade To Be Short and Crisp This Year
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NEW DELHI: The Republic Day parade this year will be shorter by at least 15 minutes. The government plans to hold a 90-minute parade instead of the nearly two hours, cutting down the number of marching military contingents and clubbing together the mechanised ones. The number of tableaux will also be fewer.
Senior officials told that decision to cut down was taken at the "highest level". Last year -- when US President Barack Obama was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade - the march past was thought to be long.
"Beating the Retreat" - that signals the end of the celebrations and returning of the contingents - will also undergo change, with Indian music being fused with martial tunes.
Also, unlike previous January 26 celebrations, all tableaux and music bands will be showcased for three days - till January 29 - at the Red Fort to allow more people to participate.
Top defence ministry sources told that the number of the Army's marching contingents has been reduced from 8 to six. The Navy will also be one contingent short - deploying 2 instead of the usual three. The Air Force will be putting up a single marching contingent. The six Central para- military forces will be putting up only 3 marching contingents instead of one contingent each.
The fly-past by the IAF, however, has been retained.
The veterans of the forces will not march, they will ride in tableaux.
Another possible change is that instead of individual mechanised contingents, composite contingents will be put up.
"Earlier, tanks, air defence, guns and artillery used to be showcased in individual columns. This year, several elements could be put in a single contingent, an officer said.
The Navy will showcase "Make in India" and put up models of the indigenously made aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and indigenously made submarine INS Kalvari.
The Air Force will showcase its "Humanitarian and Disaster Relief" activity and put up models of the new acquired heavy transport aircraft C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globe Masters and the Mi-17 Helicopter, which are extensively used in relief and rescues activity.
The Army will showcase the theme "Marching ahead with Incredible India".
Also, the dais for this year's chief guest, French President Francois Hollande, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be covered. This decision was taken after last year's embarrassment, when President Obama and the US First Lady, along with President Mukherjee, had to brave rain during the parade.
NEW DELHI: The Republic Day parade this year will be shorter by at least 15 minutes. The government plans to hold a 90-minute parade instead of the nearly two hours, cutting down the number of marching military contingents and clubbing together the mechanised ones. The number of tableaux will also be fewer.Senior officials told that decision to cut down was taken at the "highest level". Last year -- when US President Barack Obama was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade - the march past was thought to be long.
"Beating the Retreat" - that signals the end of the celebrations and returning of the contingents - will also undergo change, with Indian music being fused with martial tunes.
Top defence ministry sources told that the number of the Army's marching contingents has been reduced from 8 to six. The Navy will also be one contingent short - deploying 2 instead of the usual three. The Air Force will be putting up a single marching contingent. The six Central para- military forces will be putting up only 3 marching contingents instead of one contingent each.
The fly-past by the IAF, however, has been retained.
The veterans of the forces will not march, they will ride in tableaux.
Another possible change is that instead of individual mechanised contingents, composite contingents will be put up.
"Earlier, tanks, air defence, guns and artillery used to be showcased in individual columns. This year, several elements could be put in a single contingent, an officer said.
The Navy will showcase "Make in India" and put up models of the indigenously made aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and indigenously made submarine INS Kalvari.
The Air Force will showcase its "Humanitarian and Disaster Relief" activity and put up models of the new acquired heavy transport aircraft C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globe Masters and the Mi-17 Helicopter, which are extensively used in relief and rescues activity.
The Army will showcase the theme "Marching ahead with Incredible India".
Also, the dais for this year's chief guest, French President Francois Hollande, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be covered. This decision was taken after last year's embarrassment, when President Obama and the US First Lady, along with President Mukherjee, had to brave rain during the parade.
Congress Attacks Government On State Of Economy: Highlights
- NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram targeted the government over the country's economy. Here are the highlights from his address:
- At beginning of 2015, the government confidently predicted 8.1 to 8.5 per cent growth of the economy in 2015.
- Promises of government jobs, infrastructure were premised on high growth of GDP.
- None of the promises have materialized. On the contrary 2015 has ended in a subdued note.
- GDP is not likely to be higher than 7-7.5 per cent.
- Which means it will be the same as or less than 2014-15
- It is stuck in a groove. Economy is a car running on two wheels.
- Exports are in 12 successive months of decline compared to the previous year. This is unprecedented. Acute distress in rural India especially in farm sector. Rural wage growth neutral.
- MSP deliberately kept low. Net sown area Rabi is lower than last year
- Downside risks to agricultural production this year.
- Just travel to rural India and talk to farmers. Deep resentment of tardy implementation on MGNREGA.
- Crop insurance unavailable.
- Old age pension scheme severely pruned
- Education loans practically stopped.
- Demand for security.
- People are unable to point to any scheme.
- Anger and angst of rural India is reflected in recent elections in GJ, CG and MP
- Urban India is not much better. Food transport electricity and water.
- Increase in crime, lack of jobs and growing intolerance has caused much grief.
- No evidence that promised jobs are being created.
- At beginning of 2015, the government confidently predicted 8.1 to 8.5 per cent growth of the economy in 2015.
- Promises of government jobs, infrastructure were premised on high growth of GDP.
- None of the promises have materialized. On the contrary 2015 has ended in a subdued note.
- GDP is not likely to be higher than 7-7.5 per cent.
- Which means it will be the same as or less than 2014-15
- It is stuck in a groove. Economy is a car running on two wheels.
- Exports are in 12 successive months of decline compared to the previous year. This is unprecedented. Acute distress in rural India especially in farm sector. Rural wage growth neutral.
- MSP deliberately kept low. Net sown area Rabi is lower than last year
- Downside risks to agricultural production this year.
- Just travel to rural India and talk to farmers. Deep resentment of tardy implementation on MGNREGA.
- Crop insurance unavailable.
- Old age pension scheme severely pruned
- Education loans practically stopped.
- Demand for security.
- People are unable to point to any scheme.
- Anger and angst of rural India is reflected in recent elections in GJ, CG and MP
- Urban India is not much better. Food transport electricity and water.
- Increase in crime, lack of jobs and growing intolerance has caused much grief.
- No evidence that promised jobs are being created.
Business Affairs
Sensex ends in green; Nifty ends New Year's Day near two-month high
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The S&P BSE Sensex kicked off year 2016 on a flat note and ended the day 43 points higher, while broader CNX Nifty staged a late rebound to end at its highest level in nearly two months above its key support level of 7,950.
Participation in the domestic markets remained weak on Day 1 of January F&O series as most of global equity markets stayed closed to observe New Year's Day.
The 30-share index ended the day at 26,160.90, up 43.36 points, while broad-based 50-share index quoted 7,963.20, up 16.85 points at close.
Market breadth remained positive with 17 of the 30 Sensex components ending the day in green.
Investors back home are now looking towards the second week of January for signs of a recovery in corporate balance sheets when Indian companies report quarterly earnings."IT, pharma will do well, private sector banks in the second half of the year will do well and cement will do well on infra spending," Gaurang Shah, vice president of Geojit BNP Paribas said while listing his preferred sectors for 2016.
Stock of Adani Ports was the best performer on Sensex and added 2.8 per cent.
Shares of IDBI Bank gained 1.12 per cent after the government gave its go-ahead to the bank to raise Rs 3,771 crore during the year, by way of Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
Shares of aviation companies such as SpiceJet, Jet Airways and IndiGo rallied up to 14 per cent on New Year's day after the oil companies cut aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 10 per cent on Thursday on account of low crude oil prices globally.
The prices have slumped about 24 per cent from the January 2015 level.
The stock of SpiceJet hit its fresh 5-year high of Rs 85.90, up 14.15 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). It ended 9.44 per cent higher.
Shares of Jet Airways added 8.28 per cent after gaining 10.84 per cent to log its fresh 52-week high of Rs 778.60. The scrip hogged limelight also because it debuted from January series on F&O segment.
Stock of InterGlobe Aviation, which operates low-cost airline IndiGo, also rose as much as Rs 1395.50, up 13.08 per cent. It settled the day 8.73 per cent up.
Overnight, US markets closed lower partly in reaction to the release of disappointing economic data. The S&P 500 fell 0.94 per cent on the last trading day of 2015 and lost 0.71 per cent for the year. The Dow Jones lost 2.23 per cent for the year, its first annual decline since 2008, while Nasdaq Composite gained 5.73 per cent after surpassing levels not seen since the dot-com bubble in 2000.
The S&P BSE Sensex kicked off year 2016 on a flat note and ended the day 43 points higher, while broader CNX Nifty staged a late rebound to end at its highest level in nearly two months above its key support level of 7,950.
Participation in the domestic markets remained weak on Day 1 of January F&O series as most of global equity markets stayed closed to observe New Year's Day.
The 30-share index ended the day at 26,160.90, up 43.36 points, while broad-based 50-share index quoted 7,963.20, up 16.85 points at close.
Market breadth remained positive with 17 of the 30 Sensex components ending the day in green.
Investors back home are now looking towards the second week of January for signs of a recovery in corporate balance sheets when Indian companies report quarterly earnings."IT, pharma will do well, private sector banks in the second half of the year will do well and cement will do well on infra spending," Gaurang Shah, vice president of Geojit BNP Paribas said while listing his preferred sectors for 2016.
Stock of Adani Ports was the best performer on Sensex and added 2.8 per cent.
Shares of IDBI Bank gained 1.12 per cent after the government gave its go-ahead to the bank to raise Rs 3,771 crore during the year, by way of Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
Shares of aviation companies such as SpiceJet, Jet Airways and IndiGo rallied up to 14 per cent on New Year's day after the oil companies cut aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 10 per cent on Thursday on account of low crude oil prices globally.
The prices have slumped about 24 per cent from the January 2015 level.
The stock of SpiceJet hit its fresh 5-year high of Rs 85.90, up 14.15 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). It ended 9.44 per cent higher.
Shares of Jet Airways added 8.28 per cent after gaining 10.84 per cent to log its fresh 52-week high of Rs 778.60. The scrip hogged limelight also because it debuted from January series on F&O segment.
Stock of InterGlobe Aviation, which operates low-cost airline IndiGo, also rose as much as Rs 1395.50, up 13.08 per cent. It settled the day 8.73 per cent up.
Overnight, US markets closed lower partly in reaction to the release of disappointing economic data. The S&P 500 fell 0.94 per cent on the last trading day of 2015 and lost 0.71 per cent for the year. The Dow Jones lost 2.23 per cent for the year, its first annual decline since 2008, while Nasdaq Composite gained 5.73 per cent after surpassing levels not seen since the dot-com bubble in 2000.
Job market eyes over 10-lakh hiring, hefty hikes in New Year
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Good news awaits the job market in the New Year with the companies expected to add more than 10 lakh employees to their payrolls and dole out hefty salary hikes in the range of 10-30 per cent for right talent in 2016.
According to HR experts and headhunters, the year 2015 saw a bullish trend in terms of hiring activities and the same is likely to continue in 2016 on favourable economic growth forecast and the emergence of a startup ecosystem in various sectors including retail, finance and technology.
Besides, the job market can get a further boost from the entry of new global players including in the manufacturing space and into the sectors that have been opened further for foreign investments.
"The organised sector in India is set to create about one million new jobs in the calendar year 2016," Rajesh Kumar, CEO pf MyHiringClub.com & JobPortal.co.in said.
Besides, the salary hikes and bonuses in India are expected to be in the double digit this appraisal season.
According to a new survey by MyHiringClub.com, a recruitment platform, most employers are optimistic about their hiring plans in 2016. The survey covered 5,480 companies across 12 industry sectors in 21 major cities.
The latest TimesJobs.com Job Outlook 2016 survey of over 1,614 employers across India also shows positive hiring plans by nearly 60 per cent of the surveyed organisations. The survey covered over 1,614 employers across India.
"With the government's Digital India and Make in India push, manpower demand is bound to increase in core technology and manufacturing sectors in 2016," TimesJobs.com COO Vivek Madhukar said.
The e-commerce and startups will add a significant number of jobs this year, he added.
On salary front, HR experts forecast handsome pay hikes and the hikes could be much higher for the top talent. The Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, which call for a hefty hike in salaries of the government employees, are also expected to have a ripple effect in the private sector.
"In year 2016, average raise of the salary will go around 12-14 per cent wherein the key performers salary hike can hit as good as 25-30 per cent," executive search firm GlobalHunt's Managing Director Sunil Goel said.
According to Naukri.com Chief Sales Officer V Suresh, "2016 will be an year to cheer for job-seekers across sectors. Our Naukri Hiring Outlook also predicts IT/ITES and BFSI to sustain the momentum gained in the coming year as well."
Echoing similar sentiment, staffing firm Teamlease Managing Director Ashok Reddy said "We are expecting a 10-12 per cent increase in hiring in 2016 as favourable growth forecast coupled with renewed faith in the ongoing reforms and fast clipped consumer spending is expected to boost the employment scenario".
The major quarterly hiring surveys also predict a bullish start for the year 2016.
According to global executive recruitment firm Antal's Global Snapshot, nearly 88 per cent of companies in India have hiring plans for 2016. The quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey puts India as the most optimistic among 42 countries in terms of hiring plans for the first three months of 2016.
"In the white-collar space, 2015 saw a huge impetus from highly funded start-ups with the largest ones ramping from a few hundred to a few thousand people. If the funding continues in 2016, we will see more jobs being created there," said Harpreet Singh Grover, CEO & Founder of CoCubes Technologies, an assessment platform.
Experts believe that initiatives like 'Make in India' can entail significant job creation in the manufacturing, automation sectors in the coming year. The plan to create 100 smart cities is expected to fuel the job growth further.
"As major expansions are poised to materialise by next September, hiring will become more proactive, especially before the appraisals in March 2016," Satya D Sinha, CEO of executive search firm MANCER Consulting said.
According to Spectrum Talent Management's Co-Founder Vidur Gupta, the significant rise in job numbers in 2016 would be largely owing to couple of new horizons opened through technology in engineering/ITeS/Pharma/E-Commerce.
Other promising areas include bio-science which is going to create a slew of vacancies in the coming year, said Rajesh Tripathi VP and Head of HR at GHCL.
Rituparna Chakraborty, President of Indian Staffing Federation, said the IT sector is likely to create around 2.7 lakh jobs, while nearly 1.5 lakh jobs can come in e-commerce.
Other major areas for job creation include digital marketing (about 1.5 lakh) and banking and finance (three lakh).
The retail and automobile sector also have huge job creation potential.
"Overall there would be a significant growth in terms of organised sector jobs in 2016 and sector-wise, recruitment in the startup space is going to be very strong. Other bullish sectors include BFSI, IT-ITeS and green energy mostly solar," K Pandia Rajan Chairman Ma Foi Group said.
Saurabh Gupta, Director of Clickjobs.com, said, "With increase in the overall industries across all sectors, be it telecom, industrial goods, infrastructure or services, the entire hiring activities would see an increase in numbers and the focus would be on technical qualifications in 2016."
Good news awaits the job market in the New Year with the companies expected to add more than 10 lakh employees to their payrolls and dole out hefty salary hikes in the range of 10-30 per cent for right talent in 2016.
According to HR experts and headhunters, the year 2015 saw a bullish trend in terms of hiring activities and the same is likely to continue in 2016 on favourable economic growth forecast and the emergence of a startup ecosystem in various sectors including retail, finance and technology.
Besides, the job market can get a further boost from the entry of new global players including in the manufacturing space and into the sectors that have been opened further for foreign investments.
"The organised sector in India is set to create about one million new jobs in the calendar year 2016," Rajesh Kumar, CEO pf MyHiringClub.com & JobPortal.co.in said.
Besides, the salary hikes and bonuses in India are expected to be in the double digit this appraisal season.
According to a new survey by MyHiringClub.com, a recruitment platform, most employers are optimistic about their hiring plans in 2016. The survey covered 5,480 companies across 12 industry sectors in 21 major cities.
The latest TimesJobs.com Job Outlook 2016 survey of over 1,614 employers across India also shows positive hiring plans by nearly 60 per cent of the surveyed organisations. The survey covered over 1,614 employers across India.
"With the government's Digital India and Make in India push, manpower demand is bound to increase in core technology and manufacturing sectors in 2016," TimesJobs.com COO Vivek Madhukar said.
The e-commerce and startups will add a significant number of jobs this year, he added.
On salary front, HR experts forecast handsome pay hikes and the hikes could be much higher for the top talent. The Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, which call for a hefty hike in salaries of the government employees, are also expected to have a ripple effect in the private sector.
"In year 2016, average raise of the salary will go around 12-14 per cent wherein the key performers salary hike can hit as good as 25-30 per cent," executive search firm GlobalHunt's Managing Director Sunil Goel said.
According to Naukri.com Chief Sales Officer V Suresh, "2016 will be an year to cheer for job-seekers across sectors. Our Naukri Hiring Outlook also predicts IT/ITES and BFSI to sustain the momentum gained in the coming year as well."
Echoing similar sentiment, staffing firm Teamlease Managing Director Ashok Reddy said "We are expecting a 10-12 per cent increase in hiring in 2016 as favourable growth forecast coupled with renewed faith in the ongoing reforms and fast clipped consumer spending is expected to boost the employment scenario".
The major quarterly hiring surveys also predict a bullish start for the year 2016.
According to global executive recruitment firm Antal's Global Snapshot, nearly 88 per cent of companies in India have hiring plans for 2016. The quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey puts India as the most optimistic among 42 countries in terms of hiring plans for the first three months of 2016.
"In the white-collar space, 2015 saw a huge impetus from highly funded start-ups with the largest ones ramping from a few hundred to a few thousand people. If the funding continues in 2016, we will see more jobs being created there," said Harpreet Singh Grover, CEO & Founder of CoCubes Technologies, an assessment platform.
Experts believe that initiatives like 'Make in India' can entail significant job creation in the manufacturing, automation sectors in the coming year. The plan to create 100 smart cities is expected to fuel the job growth further.
"As major expansions are poised to materialise by next September, hiring will become more proactive, especially before the appraisals in March 2016," Satya D Sinha, CEO of executive search firm MANCER Consulting said.
According to Spectrum Talent Management's Co-Founder Vidur Gupta, the significant rise in job numbers in 2016 would be largely owing to couple of new horizons opened through technology in engineering/ITeS/Pharma/E-Commerce.
Other promising areas include bio-science which is going to create a slew of vacancies in the coming year, said Rajesh Tripathi VP and Head of HR at GHCL.
Rituparna Chakraborty, President of Indian Staffing Federation, said the IT sector is likely to create around 2.7 lakh jobs, while nearly 1.5 lakh jobs can come in e-commerce.
Other major areas for job creation include digital marketing (about 1.5 lakh) and banking and finance (three lakh).
The retail and automobile sector also have huge job creation potential.
"Overall there would be a significant growth in terms of organised sector jobs in 2016 and sector-wise, recruitment in the startup space is going to be very strong. Other bullish sectors include BFSI, IT-ITeS and green energy mostly solar," K Pandia Rajan Chairman Ma Foi Group said.
Saurabh Gupta, Director of Clickjobs.com, said, "With increase in the overall industries across all sectors, be it telecom, industrial goods, infrastructure or services, the entire hiring activities would see an increase in numbers and the focus would be on technical qualifications in 2016."
2015: Essar e-mail leak, other corporate houses engaged SC
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A verdict castigating RBI for "withholding" information about defaulters, failed bid of jailed Sahara chief Subrata Roy to walk out of prison and matters of Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis and Adanis engaged the Supreme Court in 2015 which also saw the Essar e-mail leak case alleging a political-bureaucratic-corporate nexus.
The year gone by also brought huge relief to telecom major Bharti Cellular's chief Sunil Bharti Mittal and Essar's promotor Ravi Ruia as the apex court in January quashed the CBI court order summoning them as accused in a graft case of additional spectrum allocation during NDA rule in 2002.
However, the relief to Ruias was shortlived as the biggest bombshell was dropped in March by an NGO which came out with the leaked internal e-mails of Essar Group showing high and mighty from the world of politics, business, bureaucracy and media in nexus before the top court which is examining the issues raised in the petition for CBI probe.
Bad luck for Essar's Ravi and Anshuman Ruia continued as the apex court in September dismissed their plea challenging the special CBI court's jurisdiction to hold trial against them in a case arising out of the probe in 2G spectrum scam.
Luck was also not in favour of Roy as his repeated efforts to impress the top court with various plans to garner Rs 10,000 crore to walk out of the jail failed.
Along with the hearing on Sahara chief, the proceedings relating to coalgate engaged the Supreme Court throughout the year which saw former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla getting a relief from appearing as accused in a trial court in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal block Talabira-II in Odisha.
Names of Singh's former cabinet colleagues P Chidambaram and DMK's Dayanidhi Maran echoed in various proceedings due to Aircel Maxis deal matter in which the DMK leader has been chargesheeted.
Chidambaram's alleged role in giving FIPB clearance to the venture in 2006 as the then Finance Minister was covered by the CBI in its probe report placed in the top court which was monitoring the investigation in the matter having overseas ramification.
While top corporates and politicians were hogging the limelight in the corporate legal matters, the Supreme Court at the fag end of the year gave a body blow to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by castigating it for shielding the defaulters by not disclosing their names under the Right to Information Act.
Telecom major Vodafone Mobile Services Ltd (VMSL) faced opposition from the Centre which approached the apex court against the TDSAT order allowing provisional merger of the licences of four entities - Vodafone East, Vodafone Cellular, Vodafone South and Vodafone Digilink into VMSL.
The apex court asked VMSL to pay Rs 2,000 crore to the government in pursuance of the proposed merger of licences of its four entities into itself.
However, issues of gas pricing saw Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in tug of war with the Centre over Krishna Godavari basin and Panna, Mukta and Tapti Oil and gas fields.
While the petition filed by CPI-M's Gurudas Dasgupta and an NGO was vigorously contested by RIL, the company got a relief when the apex court rejected Centre's plea seeking removal of a foreign arbitrator appointed by it.
Much before the Reliance Jio service was launched, it was also a subject matter in the Supreme Court after a PIL filed by an NGO challenged the grant of 4G licence to the company and sought quashing of the permission by the government for providing voice telephony on Broadband Wireless Access spectrum and pitched for a court-monitored CBI investigation in the alleged Rs 40,000 crore scam.
Corporate houses like Tatas and Adanis also got relief from the Supreme Court which restrained the Maharashtra government from imposing penalty on the sales tax levied on Tata Sons Ltd over the use of the TATA brand name by its subsidiaries while Adani Power Ltd had a temporary relief on the issue of compensatory tariff payable to it.
Real estate majors Supertech and DLF also had a tough time in the apex court. While observing that "developers cannot take investors for a ride," the top court directed Supertech to refund the money of the house buyers whom the real estate major wanted to relocate them from the site of construction which was in violation of the law.
DLF was in the news over the proceedings related to the deposit of Rs 6,630 crore fine imposed on it by Competition Commission of India as the court said that its appeal would be commenced only after full payment of the amount.
Nestle, maker of popular noodle Maggi, also made headlines in the apex court as the company as well as food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were battling against each other over the ban on the 2-minute fast food.
A verdict castigating RBI for "withholding" information about defaulters, failed bid of jailed Sahara chief Subrata Roy to walk out of prison and matters of Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis and Adanis engaged the Supreme Court in 2015 which also saw the Essar e-mail leak case alleging a political-bureaucratic-corporate nexus.
The year gone by also brought huge relief to telecom major Bharti Cellular's chief Sunil Bharti Mittal and Essar's promotor Ravi Ruia as the apex court in January quashed the CBI court order summoning them as accused in a graft case of additional spectrum allocation during NDA rule in 2002.
However, the relief to Ruias was shortlived as the biggest bombshell was dropped in March by an NGO which came out with the leaked internal e-mails of Essar Group showing high and mighty from the world of politics, business, bureaucracy and media in nexus before the top court which is examining the issues raised in the petition for CBI probe.
Bad luck for Essar's Ravi and Anshuman Ruia continued as the apex court in September dismissed their plea challenging the special CBI court's jurisdiction to hold trial against them in a case arising out of the probe in 2G spectrum scam.
Luck was also not in favour of Roy as his repeated efforts to impress the top court with various plans to garner Rs 10,000 crore to walk out of the jail failed.
Along with the hearing on Sahara chief, the proceedings relating to coalgate engaged the Supreme Court throughout the year which saw former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla getting a relief from appearing as accused in a trial court in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal block Talabira-II in Odisha.
Names of Singh's former cabinet colleagues P Chidambaram and DMK's Dayanidhi Maran echoed in various proceedings due to Aircel Maxis deal matter in which the DMK leader has been chargesheeted.
Chidambaram's alleged role in giving FIPB clearance to the venture in 2006 as the then Finance Minister was covered by the CBI in its probe report placed in the top court which was monitoring the investigation in the matter having overseas ramification.
While top corporates and politicians were hogging the limelight in the corporate legal matters, the Supreme Court at the fag end of the year gave a body blow to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by castigating it for shielding the defaulters by not disclosing their names under the Right to Information Act.
Telecom major Vodafone Mobile Services Ltd (VMSL) faced opposition from the Centre which approached the apex court against the TDSAT order allowing provisional merger of the licences of four entities - Vodafone East, Vodafone Cellular, Vodafone South and Vodafone Digilink into VMSL.
The apex court asked VMSL to pay Rs 2,000 crore to the government in pursuance of the proposed merger of licences of its four entities into itself.
However, issues of gas pricing saw Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in tug of war with the Centre over Krishna Godavari basin and Panna, Mukta and Tapti Oil and gas fields.
While the petition filed by CPI-M's Gurudas Dasgupta and an NGO was vigorously contested by RIL, the company got a relief when the apex court rejected Centre's plea seeking removal of a foreign arbitrator appointed by it.
Much before the Reliance Jio service was launched, it was also a subject matter in the Supreme Court after a PIL filed by an NGO challenged the grant of 4G licence to the company and sought quashing of the permission by the government for providing voice telephony on Broadband Wireless Access spectrum and pitched for a court-monitored CBI investigation in the alleged Rs 40,000 crore scam.
Corporate houses like Tatas and Adanis also got relief from the Supreme Court which restrained the Maharashtra government from imposing penalty on the sales tax levied on Tata Sons Ltd over the use of the TATA brand name by its subsidiaries while Adani Power Ltd had a temporary relief on the issue of compensatory tariff payable to it.
Real estate majors Supertech and DLF also had a tough time in the apex court. While observing that "developers cannot take investors for a ride," the top court directed Supertech to refund the money of the house buyers whom the real estate major wanted to relocate them from the site of construction which was in violation of the law.
DLF was in the news over the proceedings related to the deposit of Rs 6,630 crore fine imposed on it by Competition Commission of India as the court said that its appeal would be commenced only after full payment of the amount.
Nestle, maker of popular noodle Maggi, also made headlines in the apex court as the company as well as food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were battling against each other over the ban on the 2-minute fast food.
ATF cut by 10%, but non-subsidised cooking gas rises Rs 49.5
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ATF or jet fuel price was on Friday slashed by 10 per cent but rates of non-subsidised cooking gas LPG were hiked by Rs 49.5 per cylinder on global trends.
Also, rates of non-subsidised kerosene were cut by Rs 1.05 per litre to Rs 43.19 a litre.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price in Delhi was reduced by Rs 4,428 per kilolitre (kl) or 9.99 per cent to Rs 39,892.32 per kl, oil companies announced on Friday.
This is the second reduction in a row. Prices were cut by 1.17 per cent on December 1.
Rates vary at different airports because of differential local sales tax or value-added tax (VAT).
Jet fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of an airline's operating costs and the price cut will reduce the financial burden on cash-strapped carriers.
No immediate comment was available from airlines on the impact of price reduction on passenger fares.
Simultaneously, the oil firms raised prices of non-subsidised LPG, which consumers buy after exhausting their quota of subsidised cooking fuel, by Rs 49.5 per 14.2-kg bottle.
Non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) now costs Rs 657.50 in Delhi.
This is the third hike in rates in as many months.
Non-subsidised LPG price was last hiked by Rs 61.50 on December 1. Prior to that rates were increased by Rs 27.5 per cylinder on November 1.
Non-subsidised or market-priced LPG is one that consumers buy after exhausting their quota of 12 bottles of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year.
Subsidised LPG costs Rs 419.33 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi.
Also, the price of non-subsidised kerosene, available outside the ration shop, has been hiked to Rs 43194.82 per kl or Rs 43.19 per litre, from Rs 44,246.47 per kl.
This is the third reduction in rate in one month. Prior to this, price of non-subsidised or non-PDS kerosene were cut by about 25 paise on December 1 and 50 paise on December 16.
Subsidised kerosene currently costs Rs 14.96 a litre in Delhi.
The three fuel retailers - Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum - revise jet fuel prices, non- subsidised LPG and non-subsidised kerosene rates on the first day of every month, based on the average international price in the preceding month.
ATF or jet fuel price was on Friday slashed by 10 per cent but rates of non-subsidised cooking gas LPG were hiked by Rs 49.5 per cylinder on global trends.
Also, rates of non-subsidised kerosene were cut by Rs 1.05 per litre to Rs 43.19 a litre.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price in Delhi was reduced by Rs 4,428 per kilolitre (kl) or 9.99 per cent to Rs 39,892.32 per kl, oil companies announced on Friday.
This is the second reduction in a row. Prices were cut by 1.17 per cent on December 1.
Rates vary at different airports because of differential local sales tax or value-added tax (VAT).
Jet fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of an airline's operating costs and the price cut will reduce the financial burden on cash-strapped carriers.
No immediate comment was available from airlines on the impact of price reduction on passenger fares.
Simultaneously, the oil firms raised prices of non-subsidised LPG, which consumers buy after exhausting their quota of subsidised cooking fuel, by Rs 49.5 per 14.2-kg bottle.
Non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) now costs Rs 657.50 in Delhi.
This is the third hike in rates in as many months.
Non-subsidised LPG price was last hiked by Rs 61.50 on December 1. Prior to that rates were increased by Rs 27.5 per cylinder on November 1.
Non-subsidised or market-priced LPG is one that consumers buy after exhausting their quota of 12 bottles of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year.
Subsidised LPG costs Rs 419.33 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi.
Also, the price of non-subsidised kerosene, available outside the ration shop, has been hiked to Rs 43194.82 per kl or Rs 43.19 per litre, from Rs 44,246.47 per kl.
This is the third reduction in rate in one month. Prior to this, price of non-subsidised or non-PDS kerosene were cut by about 25 paise on December 1 and 50 paise on December 16.
Subsidised kerosene currently costs Rs 14.96 a litre in Delhi.
The three fuel retailers - Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum - revise jet fuel prices, non- subsidised LPG and non-subsidised kerosene rates on the first day of every month, based on the average international price in the preceding month.
E-commerce revenue may touch $38 bn in 2016: Assocham
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India's e-commerce market is likely to touch $38 billion mark in 2016, a massive jump over the $23 billion revenues clocked by the industry in 2015, according to an Assocham study.
"Increasing internet and mobile penetration, growing acceptability of online payments and favourable demographics have provided...the unique opportunity to companies to connect with their customers," said the study.
While the buying trends during 2015 witnessed a significant upward movement due to aggressive online discounts, rising fuel prices and wider and abundant choice will hit the e-commerce industry in 2016, it pointed out.
On the other hand, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is growing rapidly as a stable and secure supplement to the e-commerce industry.
Shopping online through smartphones is proving to be a game changer, and industry leaders believe that m-commerce could contribute up to 70 per cent of their total revenues.
The paper reveals that Mumbai ranks first in online shopping followed by Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
The study also noted that one out of three customers currently makes transactions through mobiles in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.
"In 2015, 78 per cent of shopping queries were made through mobile devices, compared to 46 per cent in 2013," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
In 2015, the highest growth rate was seen in the apparel segment, almost 69.5 per cent over last year, followed by electronic items, up 62 per cent, baby care products, up 53 per cent, beauty and personal care products at 52 per cent and home furnishings at 49 per cent.
Rapid growth of digital commerce in India is mainly due to increased use of smartphones. Mobiles and mobile accessories have taken up the maximum share of the digital commerce market in India, noted the study.
Moreover, almost 45 per cent online shoppers reportedly preferred cash on delivery over credit cards (16 per cent) and debit cards (21 per cent). Only 10 per cent opted for internet banking and a scanty 7 per cent preferred cash cards, mobile wallets, and other such modes of payment.
The 18-25 years of age group has been the fastest growing age segment online with user growth being contributed by both male and female segments.
The survey highlights that 38 per cent of regular shoppers are in 18-25 age group, 52 per cent in 26-35, 8 per cent in 36-45 and 2 per cent in the age group of 45-60. Nearly 65 per cent online shoppers are male and 35 per cent female.
The products that were sold most in 2015 include mobile phones, ipad and accessories, MP3 players, digital cameras and jewellery, among others.
India's e-commerce market is likely to touch $38 billion mark in 2016, a massive jump over the $23 billion revenues clocked by the industry in 2015, according to an Assocham study.
"Increasing internet and mobile penetration, growing acceptability of online payments and favourable demographics have provided...the unique opportunity to companies to connect with their customers," said the study.
While the buying trends during 2015 witnessed a significant upward movement due to aggressive online discounts, rising fuel prices and wider and abundant choice will hit the e-commerce industry in 2016, it pointed out.
On the other hand, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is growing rapidly as a stable and secure supplement to the e-commerce industry.
Shopping online through smartphones is proving to be a game changer, and industry leaders believe that m-commerce could contribute up to 70 per cent of their total revenues.
The paper reveals that Mumbai ranks first in online shopping followed by Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
The study also noted that one out of three customers currently makes transactions through mobiles in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.
"In 2015, 78 per cent of shopping queries were made through mobile devices, compared to 46 per cent in 2013," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
In 2015, the highest growth rate was seen in the apparel segment, almost 69.5 per cent over last year, followed by electronic items, up 62 per cent, baby care products, up 53 per cent, beauty and personal care products at 52 per cent and home furnishings at 49 per cent.
Rapid growth of digital commerce in India is mainly due to increased use of smartphones. Mobiles and mobile accessories have taken up the maximum share of the digital commerce market in India, noted the study.
Moreover, almost 45 per cent online shoppers reportedly preferred cash on delivery over credit cards (16 per cent) and debit cards (21 per cent). Only 10 per cent opted for internet banking and a scanty 7 per cent preferred cash cards, mobile wallets, and other such modes of payment.
The 18-25 years of age group has been the fastest growing age segment online with user growth being contributed by both male and female segments.
The survey highlights that 38 per cent of regular shoppers are in 18-25 age group, 52 per cent in 26-35, 8 per cent in 36-45 and 2 per cent in the age group of 45-60. Nearly 65 per cent online shoppers are male and 35 per cent female.
The products that were sold most in 2015 include mobile phones, ipad and accessories, MP3 players, digital cameras and jewellery, among others.
General Awareness
Harpal Singh – A cancer researcher knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
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An Indian-origin cancer research expert Harpal Singh Kumar has been presented with a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his influential work on prevention and treatment of cancer.
- Harpal Singh, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has been honoured for being influential in promoting research into the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and cancer care.
- He chaired the Independent Cancer Taskforce and authored the NHS Cancer Strategy “Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes. A Strategy for England 2015-20”.
- He has pushed for measures to reduce smoking and ban sun-beds for under-18s.
- He has been actively involved in setting up the Francis Crick Institute as aworld-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation.
Other Awards
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Samir Desai, founder-CEO of Funding Circle for his work in the field of financial inclusion.
- Raminder Singh Ranger, chairman of Sun Mark Ltd, for his services to business and community cohesion.
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Kala Patel, managing director of Kiddycare Ltd Nurseries, for services to childcare business.
- Daljit Lally, deputy chief executive of Northumberland Country Council for services to integrated care.
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Rekha Mehr, founder of Indian sweets inspired bakery Pistachio Rose, for services to entrepreneurship and enterprise.
- Ayesha Hazarika, chief of staff to the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, forpolitical service.
British Empire Medal
- Aatin Ashok Anadkat, managing director of Hotel Maiyango for his services to entrepreneurship.
In total, 1,196 people have received an award in 2015. There are 578 successful women candidates in the list, representing 48% of the total and 5.7% of the successful candidates come from ethnic minority backgrounds.
About Knighthood
- A knighthood is one of the highest honours an individual in the United Kingdom.
- It cannot be bought and it carries no military obligations to the Sovereign.
- The Queen or a member of the Royal Family acting on her behalf confers knighthoods in Britain, either at a public investiture or privately.
- An Indian-origin cancer research expert Harpal Singh Kumar has been presented with a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his influential work on prevention and treatment of cancer.
- Harpal Singh, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has been honoured for being influential in promoting research into the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and cancer care.
- He chaired the Independent Cancer Taskforce and authored the NHS Cancer Strategy “Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes. A Strategy for England 2015-20”.
- He has pushed for measures to reduce smoking and ban sun-beds for under-18s.
- He has been actively involved in setting up the Francis Crick Institute as aworld-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation.
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)- Samir Desai, founder-CEO of Funding Circle for his work in the field of financial inclusion.
- Raminder Singh Ranger, chairman of Sun Mark Ltd, for his services to business and community cohesion.
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)- Kala Patel, managing director of Kiddycare Ltd Nurseries, for services to childcare business.
- Daljit Lally, deputy chief executive of Northumberland Country Council for services to integrated care.
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)- Rekha Mehr, founder of Indian sweets inspired bakery Pistachio Rose, for services to entrepreneurship and enterprise.
- Ayesha Hazarika, chief of staff to the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, forpolitical service.
British Empire Medal- Aatin Ashok Anadkat, managing director of Hotel Maiyango for his services to entrepreneurship.
In total, 1,196 people have received an award in 2015. There are 578 successful women candidates in the list, representing 48% of the total and 5.7% of the successful candidates come from ethnic minority backgrounds.About Knighthood- A knighthood is one of the highest honours an individual in the United Kingdom.
- It cannot be bought and it carries no military obligations to the Sovereign.
- The Queen or a member of the Royal Family acting on her behalf confers knighthoods in Britain, either at a public investiture or privately.
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