General Affairs
Over 10,000-Year-Old Camping Site Discovered in Ladakh
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NEW DELHI: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered an ancient camping site dating 8500 BC in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating humans were camping in the area 10,500 years ago.
The site was unearthed at 14,000 feet above the sea level on the way from Saser La to Ladakh, an official release said.
While exploring in Nubra valley during 2015-16, ASI Joint Director General SB Ota noticed a section, exposed due to road construction, showing successive layers comprising burning residue.
A charcoal sample collected from the site, which was sent to Beta Lab, Florida for radiocarbon, dated it back to 8500 BC.
Realising the significance of the evidence, a team of ASI officials were sent for further inspection last month.
Further, charcoal samples from lower and upper deposits sent for dating have provided radiocarbon dates of 8500 BC and 7300 BC respectively, indicating repeated human activity at this camping site for about eight hundred years, the release said.
Preliminary studies of charred bones collected from the site, carried out by PP Joglekar of Deccan Collage, Pune, have shown the presence of Gorel and Yak, it added.
The site was unearthed at 14,000 feet above the sea level on the way from Saser La to Ladakh, an official release said.
While exploring in Nubra valley during 2015-16, ASI Joint Director General SB Ota noticed a section, exposed due to road construction, showing successive layers comprising burning residue.
A charcoal sample collected from the site, which was sent to Beta Lab, Florida for radiocarbon, dated it back to 8500 BC.
Realising the significance of the evidence, a team of ASI officials were sent for further inspection last month.
Further, charcoal samples from lower and upper deposits sent for dating have provided radiocarbon dates of 8500 BC and 7300 BC respectively, indicating repeated human activity at this camping site for about eight hundred years, the release said.
Preliminary studies of charred bones collected from the site, carried out by PP Joglekar of Deccan Collage, Pune, have shown the presence of Gorel and Yak, it added.
5 Policemen Injured In Grenade Attack In Jammu And Kashmir's Pulwama
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SRINAGAR: At least five policemen were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists on a police post in Pulwama district of South Kashmir today.
Terrorists threw hand grenade at Kakapora police post at around 8.50 pm, a senior police officer said.
He said the grenade exploded inside the compound, causing minor injuries to five personnel.
Terrorists threw hand grenade at Kakapora police post at around 8.50 pm, a senior police officer said.
He said the grenade exploded inside the compound, causing minor injuries to five personnel.
All Should Speak In One Voice On Balochistan: Minister Venkaiah Naidu
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NEW DELHI: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to the Congress party to speak in one voice with the nation on India's stand on international issues like Balochistan which also figured in PM's Independence Day speech.
Mr Naidu said all parties should avoid making statement which hurts India's interests after senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid attacked PM's statement on PoK and Balochistan.
"As far as international issues are concerned India should speak with one voice. But unfortunately Congress party is not speaking with one voice within the party also. There is a statement from Salman Khurshid, there is a statement by Kapil Sibal, subsequently a statement given by Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
Mr Khurshid said the main opposition party must bear with the country on issues of national interest.
Try to understand the implications. We must all speak with one voice. Our neighbor is aiding, habituating (sic) and funding terrorism in the country continuously. It can't go on like this," Mr Naidu said on the sidelines of an event in Delhi.
Mr Khurshid had yesterday accused PM Modi of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.
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But Congress distanced itself from the remarks and asked the government to raise the issue of "atrocities in Balochistan and PoK" in bilaterals with Pakistan as also at international forums.
Taking a strong note of Pakistan's position on Kashmir, Mr Naidu said that Kashmir is integral part of India.
"Government of India and state government are capable of handling Kashmir. There is an elected government in the state," he said.
"They are trying to give us lectures about Kashmir, that's why we have told them what is happening in Balochistan, PoK and Gilgit. Let them focus about human rights violation masscare and atrocities there," Mr Naidu added.
Mr Naidu said all parties should avoid making statement which hurts India's interests after senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid attacked PM's statement on PoK and Balochistan.
Mr Khurshid said the main opposition party must bear with the country on issues of national interest.
Try to understand the implications. We must all speak with one voice. Our neighbor is aiding, habituating (sic) and funding terrorism in the country continuously. It can't go on like this," Mr Naidu said on the sidelines of an event in Delhi.
Mr Khurshid had yesterday accused PM Modi of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.
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But Congress distanced itself from the remarks and asked the government to raise the issue of "atrocities in Balochistan and PoK" in bilaterals with Pakistan as also at international forums.
Taking a strong note of Pakistan's position on Kashmir, Mr Naidu said that Kashmir is integral part of India.
"Government of India and state government are capable of handling Kashmir. There is an elected government in the state," he said.
"They are trying to give us lectures about Kashmir, that's why we have told them what is happening in Balochistan, PoK and Gilgit. Let them focus about human rights violation masscare and atrocities there," Mr Naidu added.
NEET Results Out, Girls Outperform Boys
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NEW DELHI: Girls outnumbered boys in qualifying the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, as per the results declared by CBSE today, even though there were 11,058 males compared with 8,266 female applicants in the top 15 per cent.
A total of 4,09,477 candidates -- 2,26,049 girls, 1,83,424 boys and four transgenders -- cleared the examination. One transgender candidate was in the top 15 per cent.
According to data released by CBSE, which conducted the examination, of the 8,02,594 registered candidates, 7,31,223 appeared for the examination.
The CBSE also released a list of top performing candidates as per which Het Shah secured the first rank scoring 685 marks out of 720, while Ekansh Goyal (682) came second and Nikhil Bajiya (678) stood third.
The counselling for seats in medical and dental colleges is expected to begin soon.
In a release, CBSE said that in compliance with the Supreme Court directives, it had conducted NEET-I and NEET-II on May 1 and July 24, respectively.
It said that while declaring the result of both NEET-I and NEET-II as a combined result of National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-UG, 2016, the orders of the Apex Court have been complied with.
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All critical issues were placed before the Oversight Committee comprising former Chief Justice R M Lodha, Dr. S K Sarin and former CAG Vinod Rai. With the help of experts, difficulty level of both the question papers of NEET-I and NEET-II was ensured to be similar, CBSE said.
NEET-I was conducted at 1,040 centres in 52 cities all over India and abroad and NEET-II was conducted at 739 centres in 56 cities in India.
A total of 4,09,477 candidates -- 2,26,049 girls, 1,83,424 boys and four transgenders -- cleared the examination. One transgender candidate was in the top 15 per cent.
The CBSE also released a list of top performing candidates as per which Het Shah secured the first rank scoring 685 marks out of 720, while Ekansh Goyal (682) came second and Nikhil Bajiya (678) stood third.
The counselling for seats in medical and dental colleges is expected to begin soon.
In a release, CBSE said that in compliance with the Supreme Court directives, it had conducted NEET-I and NEET-II on May 1 and July 24, respectively.
It said that while declaring the result of both NEET-I and NEET-II as a combined result of National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-UG, 2016, the orders of the Apex Court have been complied with.
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All critical issues were placed before the Oversight Committee comprising former Chief Justice R M Lodha, Dr. S K Sarin and former CAG Vinod Rai. With the help of experts, difficulty level of both the question papers of NEET-I and NEET-II was ensured to be similar, CBSE said.
NEET-I was conducted at 1,040 centres in 52 cities all over India and abroad and NEET-II was conducted at 739 centres in 56 cities in India.
Nations With 'Facade Of Human Rights' Are 'Hypocrites Of The Worst Kind': MJ Akbar
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NEW YORK: The nations which use the "facade of human rights" to sponsor terror are "hypocrites of the worst kind", Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
In New York to lead India's 70th Independence Day celebrations, Mr Akbar asserted that India is a nation which believes in "faith equality" and not faith "supremacy" as he called terrorism a major threat to human rights.
"Terrorism is the biggest enemy of human rights. Those who use the facade of human rights in order to sponsor barbaric terrorism are hypocrites of the worst kind," Mr Akbar said.
"We (India) do not believe in faith supremacy. Nations created in the name of faith supremacy are coming apart along the fault lines of a failed idea," he said on Monday after unfurling the tricolour at the Indian Consulate in a ceremony attended by several members of the Indian community.
"That is why Bangladesh happened in 1971 and that is why Balochistan is simmering now," the journalist-turned-politician said on his maiden visit to the US after assuming charge.
Mr Akbar's remarks came on a day when back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to Pakistan's atrocities in the restive Balochistan province and the PoK, prompting a sharp reaction from across the border.
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In his address to the community members, Mr Akbar said India represents the very essence of human rights.
"This is the moment to tell the world and ourselves that the greatest enemy of human rights is terrorist and terrorism.
Faith equality emerges from the ancient philosophy of our nation. The challenge to civilisation and the challenge to stability is coming from those, including in our neighbourhood, who believe in faith supremacy rather than in faith equality, who believe that one faith is supreme or superior to others," he said, in another veiled reference to Pakistan.
He underscored that India believes in freedom and equality for every faith not just before the law but in society as well, adding that freedom is not simply the right to vote but it is the right to express oneself everyday.
"In India, I am a proud Indian Muslim and in my country the Azaan has been heard for 1,400 years and shall be heard for 1,400 years. It emerges out of the belief and will of the Indian people," he said.
Mr Akbar noted the Indian Constitution, created under the "inspiration" of Mahatma Gandhi and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, represents a "template" of modernity, a template for the future and for the whole world.
"Freedom is engrained in our constitution. Nobody can take away our freedom," he said.
"Our mission for the next 70 years is very clear. It is to turn India and put it on the high table of prosperity not just for some but prosperity for all. That is true nationalism," he said.
He highlighted that India's constitution is built on the pillars of economic equity and gender equality.
"Around us we have seen gender regression. You cannot be a modern nation anymore if you do not have gender equality. The days of making women into second class citizens is over and it cannot be sustained," he said.
On economic equity, Mr Akbar reiterated PM Modi's clarion call that the days of poverty alleviation are over and the era of poverty elimination has begun.
"The poorest of the poor must feel they are part of the narrative of our rising prosperity. And the first benefits of prosperity belong to them. This is the mission that Prime Minister Modi has set for our nation for the foreseeable future," he said.
In New York to lead India's 70th Independence Day celebrations, Mr Akbar asserted that India is a nation which believes in "faith equality" and not faith "supremacy" as he called terrorism a major threat to human rights.
"Terrorism is the biggest enemy of human rights. Those who use the facade of human rights in order to sponsor barbaric terrorism are hypocrites of the worst kind," Mr Akbar said.
"We (India) do not believe in faith supremacy. Nations created in the name of faith supremacy are coming apart along the fault lines of a failed idea," he said on Monday after unfurling the tricolour at the Indian Consulate in a ceremony attended by several members of the Indian community.
"That is why Bangladesh happened in 1971 and that is why Balochistan is simmering now," the journalist-turned-politician said on his maiden visit to the US after assuming charge.
Mr Akbar's remarks came on a day when back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to Pakistan's atrocities in the restive Balochistan province and the PoK, prompting a sharp reaction from across the border.
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In his address to the community members, Mr Akbar said India represents the very essence of human rights.
"This is the moment to tell the world and ourselves that the greatest enemy of human rights is terrorist and terrorism.
Faith equality emerges from the ancient philosophy of our nation. The challenge to civilisation and the challenge to stability is coming from those, including in our neighbourhood, who believe in faith supremacy rather than in faith equality, who believe that one faith is supreme or superior to others," he said, in another veiled reference to Pakistan.
He underscored that India believes in freedom and equality for every faith not just before the law but in society as well, adding that freedom is not simply the right to vote but it is the right to express oneself everyday.
"In India, I am a proud Indian Muslim and in my country the Azaan has been heard for 1,400 years and shall be heard for 1,400 years. It emerges out of the belief and will of the Indian people," he said.
Mr Akbar noted the Indian Constitution, created under the "inspiration" of Mahatma Gandhi and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, represents a "template" of modernity, a template for the future and for the whole world.
"Freedom is engrained in our constitution. Nobody can take away our freedom," he said.
"Our mission for the next 70 years is very clear. It is to turn India and put it on the high table of prosperity not just for some but prosperity for all. That is true nationalism," he said.
He highlighted that India's constitution is built on the pillars of economic equity and gender equality.
"Around us we have seen gender regression. You cannot be a modern nation anymore if you do not have gender equality. The days of making women into second class citizens is over and it cannot be sustained," he said.
On economic equity, Mr Akbar reiterated PM Modi's clarion call that the days of poverty alleviation are over and the era of poverty elimination has begun.
"The poorest of the poor must feel they are part of the narrative of our rising prosperity. And the first benefits of prosperity belong to them. This is the mission that Prime Minister Modi has set for our nation for the foreseeable future," he said.
Business Affairs
Reliance Jio's free mobile service may be reason for congestion: COAI
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Industry body COAI said on Wednesday its members have provided Reliance Jio Infocomm sufficient capacity to support 10 times more customer base it currently claims and attributed congestion in the network to free calls and data service the company is currently offering.
Reliance Jio had earlier asked telecom regulator Trai to take action against dominant players, including Airtel, for denying it interconnection in "breach" of the licence agreement.
The industry body also countered RJIL claims of having 1.5 million customers in the trial phase and, citing reports, alleged that Mukesh Ambani led firm has activated 2-3 million subscribers.
"If you give away free calls and data then people will consume tonnes of data which would be extremely high compared to normal usage. Then you push that traffic in other networks. We don't understand any other reason for congestion," Cellular Operators Association of India Director General Rajan S Mathews said.
He sought testing by independent expert to ascertain the reason for congestion in RJio network.
He said COAI members, which include Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, have given 400 interconnection ports on an average which can support 15-20 million customers using telecom services as per average subscribers on any other network.
"Our understanding is that they have 2-3 million users. Our members operators have given them sufficient number of ports to support up to 15-20 million users. We await the launch of their commercial services," Mathews said.
No immediate reply was received from Reliance Jio on the matter.
Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL), a unit of Reliance Industries, said absence of incumbent operators to provide it points of inter-connection (PoIs)-connection between their facilities, equipment and network-led to unusually high call failures during its beta run.
"The current number of PoIs provided or being provided to RJIL are far from adequate and this is more than evident from the fact that the current call failure rate is in excess of 65 per cent, resulting in more than 1.6 crore call failures per day between RJIL and the networks of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea," RJIL said in a letter to Trai.
Industry body COAI said on Wednesday its members have provided Reliance Jio Infocomm sufficient capacity to support 10 times more customer base it currently claims and attributed congestion in the network to free calls and data service the company is currently offering.
Reliance Jio had earlier asked telecom regulator Trai to take action against dominant players, including Airtel, for denying it interconnection in "breach" of the licence agreement.
The industry body also countered RJIL claims of having 1.5 million customers in the trial phase and, citing reports, alleged that Mukesh Ambani led firm has activated 2-3 million subscribers.
"If you give away free calls and data then people will consume tonnes of data which would be extremely high compared to normal usage. Then you push that traffic in other networks. We don't understand any other reason for congestion," Cellular Operators Association of India Director General Rajan S Mathews said.
He sought testing by independent expert to ascertain the reason for congestion in RJio network.
He said COAI members, which include Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, have given 400 interconnection ports on an average which can support 15-20 million customers using telecom services as per average subscribers on any other network.
"Our understanding is that they have 2-3 million users. Our members operators have given them sufficient number of ports to support up to 15-20 million users. We await the launch of their commercial services," Mathews said.
No immediate reply was received from Reliance Jio on the matter.
Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL), a unit of Reliance Industries, said absence of incumbent operators to provide it points of inter-connection (PoIs)-connection between their facilities, equipment and network-led to unusually high call failures during its beta run.
"The current number of PoIs provided or being provided to RJIL are far from adequate and this is more than evident from the fact that the current call failure rate is in excess of 65 per cent, resulting in more than 1.6 crore call failures per day between RJIL and the networks of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea," RJIL said in a letter to Trai.
Renault to widen India network to meet demand for Kwid
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Renault India will be opening 30 more dealerships by December, taking their number to 270 as against the earlier plan of 240, to meet growing demand for flagship entry-level car Kwid that has become a runaway success for the French auto major.
The largest European carmaker in the country also hopes to close the year with over 5 per cent market share, up from 4.5 per cent as of end June and 1.5 per cent prior to the launch of the Kwid 10 months ago.
"I don't see any chance of the entry-level car segment saturating anytime soon. With 24 per cent of the total market, this still is the largest market and in this segment we are among the top three players for the past seven months, consistently grossing up over 7,000 units every month. For the past two months, we are grossing up 9,000 each.
"And to our pleasant surprise a lot of demand is coming from tier III & IV markets. To meet this, we've reworked our market strategy to open 30 more dealerships by December, which will take our total network to 270 this year (up from 240 planned earlier). In fact, as per our 2014 plan, we were to have only 280 by December 2017," Renault India Chief Executive Sumit Sawhney told a select group of reporters in Mumbai.
He said the company ended 2015 with 205 dealerships and today the number is 220.
"As much as 70 per cent of the planned 65 new outlets will come up in small towns."
In July, Renault reported a 610 per cent spike in sales at 11,968 units as against 1,686 units in same period in 2015, thanks to the Kwid.
Apart from the customer and dealer trust in brand Renault, his optimism comes from a host of external factors such as a favourable monsoons and resultant good festive sales, rising corporate profits and the 7th Pay Commission award, which will leave lots of money in the hands of the millions of Government employees.
Asked about the waiting period for the Kwid, he said it was around three months and added the company was selling an average of over 7,000 units every month. "We want to bring this down to one-month or so."
Refuting criticism that Renault is a one-model wonder, after the tapering off of its first success story that the mid-level SUV Duster has become, he said, "I don't think the Kwid is a one-time wonder nor we are a one-model car company.
"We're among the top 3 in all the three segments that we operate in with Kwid for the entry level, Duster for the mid-segment SUV market and Lodgy in the MPV market. We've been selling over 7,000 Kwids for the past seven successive months, we've been selling over 2,000 Dusters since the past 30 months and 600 Lodgys now," he said.
Renault India will be opening 30 more dealerships by December, taking their number to 270 as against the earlier plan of 240, to meet growing demand for flagship entry-level car Kwid that has become a runaway success for the French auto major.
The largest European carmaker in the country also hopes to close the year with over 5 per cent market share, up from 4.5 per cent as of end June and 1.5 per cent prior to the launch of the Kwid 10 months ago.
"I don't see any chance of the entry-level car segment saturating anytime soon. With 24 per cent of the total market, this still is the largest market and in this segment we are among the top three players for the past seven months, consistently grossing up over 7,000 units every month. For the past two months, we are grossing up 9,000 each.
"And to our pleasant surprise a lot of demand is coming from tier III & IV markets. To meet this, we've reworked our market strategy to open 30 more dealerships by December, which will take our total network to 270 this year (up from 240 planned earlier). In fact, as per our 2014 plan, we were to have only 280 by December 2017," Renault India Chief Executive Sumit Sawhney told a select group of reporters in Mumbai.
He said the company ended 2015 with 205 dealerships and today the number is 220.
"As much as 70 per cent of the planned 65 new outlets will come up in small towns."
In July, Renault reported a 610 per cent spike in sales at 11,968 units as against 1,686 units in same period in 2015, thanks to the Kwid.
Apart from the customer and dealer trust in brand Renault, his optimism comes from a host of external factors such as a favourable monsoons and resultant good festive sales, rising corporate profits and the 7th Pay Commission award, which will leave lots of money in the hands of the millions of Government employees.
Asked about the waiting period for the Kwid, he said it was around three months and added the company was selling an average of over 7,000 units every month. "We want to bring this down to one-month or so."
Refuting criticism that Renault is a one-model wonder, after the tapering off of its first success story that the mid-level SUV Duster has become, he said, "I don't think the Kwid is a one-time wonder nor we are a one-model car company.
"We're among the top 3 in all the three segments that we operate in with Kwid for the entry level, Duster for the mid-segment SUV market and Lodgy in the MPV market. We've been selling over 7,000 Kwids for the past seven successive months, we've been selling over 2,000 Dusters since the past 30 months and 600 Lodgys now," he said.
Tata Motors hikes Tiago prices by up to Rs 6,000
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Tata Motors has hiked the price of its recently launched hatchback Tiago in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 as the introductory pricing period ended this month.
The Mumbai-based auto major had launched the compact model in April, priced between Rs 3.2 lakh and Rs 5.6 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI: "Yes, there is a marginal increase in Tiago prices. As you must be aware that we launched the Tiago with an introductory pricing, which usually is offered for around three months but we have extended to five months for our customers."
The Tiago, which was officially named Zica, had to be renamed following the mosquito-born disease of similar name.
The car comes on a completely new platform (new Revotron 1.2-L petrol engine and the first 1.05-L Revotorq diesel engine).
The company has added a second shift at its Sanand-based manufacturing facility to ramp up the production to reduce the long waiting period for the car.
"The response to the car has been very good and we have ramped-up production to meet the growing demand," the spokesperson said.
The company has over 30,000 bookings for the hatchback.
Earlier this month, Maruti Suzuki India had hiked prices of its various models by up to Rs 20,000. Hyundai Motor India had also hiked prices by up to Rs 20,000 across models from August 16, to offset rising input costs and impact of rupee depreciation.
On the other hand, Ford India has slashed prices of select variants of its compact sedan Ford Aspire and Figo hatchback by up to Rs 91,000 to increase sales.
Tata Motors has hiked the price of its recently launched hatchback Tiago in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 as the introductory pricing period ended this month.
The Mumbai-based auto major had launched the compact model in April, priced between Rs 3.2 lakh and Rs 5.6 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI: "Yes, there is a marginal increase in Tiago prices. As you must be aware that we launched the Tiago with an introductory pricing, which usually is offered for around three months but we have extended to five months for our customers."
The Tiago, which was officially named Zica, had to be renamed following the mosquito-born disease of similar name.
The car comes on a completely new platform (new Revotron 1.2-L petrol engine and the first 1.05-L Revotorq diesel engine).
The company has added a second shift at its Sanand-based manufacturing facility to ramp up the production to reduce the long waiting period for the car.
"The response to the car has been very good and we have ramped-up production to meet the growing demand," the spokesperson said.
The company has over 30,000 bookings for the hatchback.
Earlier this month, Maruti Suzuki India had hiked prices of its various models by up to Rs 20,000. Hyundai Motor India had also hiked prices by up to Rs 20,000 across models from August 16, to offset rising input costs and impact of rupee depreciation.
On the other hand, Ford India has slashed prices of select variants of its compact sedan Ford Aspire and Figo hatchback by up to Rs 91,000 to increase sales.
Housing appoints former Amazon executive as Chief Product and Technology Officer
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Real estate search portal Housing.com announced the appointment of Vivek Jain as Chief Product and Technology Officer.
"As part of his role, he will focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player," the company said in a release.
Vivek has over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. At Amazon, Vivek was the Bandwidth Product/Business Head for the cloud division (Amazon Web Services) where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing, the company's release said.
Vivek returned to India in 2014 to join Jio (subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited) as Vice President where he was part of Chairman's leadership team and was charged with building the company's digital media business and the core leadership team.
Jason Kothari, Chief Executive Officer, Housing.com while commenting on Jain's appointment said, "Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek's addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the company."
Real estate search portal Housing.com announced the appointment of Vivek Jain as Chief Product and Technology Officer.
"As part of his role, he will focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player," the company said in a release.
Vivek has over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. At Amazon, Vivek was the Bandwidth Product/Business Head for the cloud division (Amazon Web Services) where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing, the company's release said.
Vivek returned to India in 2014 to join Jio (subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited) as Vice President where he was part of Chairman's leadership team and was charged with building the company's digital media business and the core leadership team.
Jason Kothari, Chief Executive Officer, Housing.com while commenting on Jain's appointment said, "Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek's addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the company."
India's Internet users to grow over two-fold by 2020: Report
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Buoyed by Internet penetration in rural areas, the number of web users in India will see a two-fold rise at 730 million by 2020 against 350 million at the end of 2015, a latest report said.
India, whose Internet user base is second largest after China, will remain the fastest growing market, according to 'The Future of Internet in India' report by Nasscom and Akamai Technologies.
The report said that 75 per cent of new Internet users in India will come from rural areas.
An overwhelming majority (75 per cent) of new users will consume data in local languages, it said.
"India's Internet consumption has already exceeded the US to become number two globally...By 2020, the Internet is expected to penetrate deeper in hinterlands of the country, helping create more opportunities for everyone," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar said.
Buoyed by Internet penetration in rural areas, the number of web users in India will see a two-fold rise at 730 million by 2020 against 350 million at the end of 2015, a latest report said.
India, whose Internet user base is second largest after China, will remain the fastest growing market, according to 'The Future of Internet in India' report by Nasscom and Akamai Technologies.
The report said that 75 per cent of new Internet users in India will come from rural areas.
An overwhelming majority (75 per cent) of new users will consume data in local languages, it said.
"India's Internet consumption has already exceeded the US to become number two globally...By 2020, the Internet is expected to penetrate deeper in hinterlands of the country, helping create more opportunities for everyone," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar said.
General Awareness
India sparks in the GII ranking among the Central and South Asian Nations
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According to the rankings released by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), India climbed 15 spots, from 81 last year, to 66 in the Global Innovation Index (GII) and maintained the top spot in the Central and South Asia regions.
GII 2016 Theme: “Winning with Global Innovation”
Global Innovative Index :-
Global Innovation Index (GII), a ranking co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations.
- The Global Innovation Index is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation. It is published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, in partnership with other organizations and institutions and is based on both subjective and objective data derived from several sources, including the International Telecommunication Union, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
- The index was started in 2007 by INSEAD and World Business, a British magazine. The GII is commonly used by corporate and government officials to compare countries by their level of innovation.
Top 3 Countries :
Rank County 1 Switzerland 2 Sweden 3 UK
India’s Ranking:-
India, 66th is the top-ranked economy in Central and Southern Asia. This report showing particular strengths in tertiary education and R&D, including global R&D intensive firms, the quality of its universities and scientific publications, its market sophistication and ICT service exports where it ranks first in the world. India also over-performs in innovation relative to its GDP.
- In market sophistication, India was at ranked on 33 positions from 72 position, which was tapped by domestic market scale – a new addition to the section.
- India scored high on tertiary education and R&D, the quality of its universities and scientific publications, its market sophistication and information and communication technology service exports, where it ranks first in the world, according to the index.
- India has all the ingredients needed to become a global driver of innovation including strong market potential, an excellent talent pool, and an underlying culture of frugal innovation.
- India ranks second on innovation quality among middle-income economies, overtaking Brazil. “Relative weaknesses exist in the indicators for business environment, education expenditures, new business creations and the creative goods and services production,”
- India has the ability to create a unique spot in innovation history to meet its own market requirements by using its cultural advantages of frugality and sustainability
- The commitment of India to innovation and improved innovation metrics is strong and growing, helping to improve the innovation environment.
- India saw improvement in sections such as institution, human capital and research, market and business sophistication.
- In market sophistication, India was at ranked on 33 positions from 72 positions, which was tapped by domestic market scale – a new addition to the section. Interestingly, the domestic market scale ranked 3rd on the poll. However, the ease of protecting minority interest was at 8th position from the 7th position of the previous year’s data.
- Further, the business sophistication was at 57th rank from the 116th which was led by new indicators such as intellectual property payments, ICT services imports and research talent business enterprises.
- With the government initiating various measures in order to boost the foreign investors has also been acknowledged the improvement was not only driven by just performance but also some changes in survey methodology such as addition of new indicators.
- In foreign direct investment net inflows, India stood at 86th place from the last year’s position of 98.
- India saw a record 53% increase in FDI in last two years as the investment climate strengthened due to steps initiated to curb growth, price stability and fiscal prudence which also improved the overall macroeconomic stability
It is noted that Among the GII 2016 leaders, four economies — Japan, the U.S., the UK, and Germany— stand out in “innovation quality,” a top-level indicator that looks at the caliber of universities, number of scientific publications and international patent filings. China moves to 17thplace in innovation quality, making it the leader among middle-income economies for this indicator.
- According to the rankings released by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), India climbed 15 spots, from 81 last year, to 66 in the Global Innovation Index (GII) and maintained the top spot in the Central and South Asia regions.GII 2016 Theme: “Winning with Global Innovation”Global Innovative Index :-Global Innovation Index (GII), a ranking co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations.
- The Global Innovation Index is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation. It is published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, in partnership with other organizations and institutions and is based on both subjective and objective data derived from several sources, including the International Telecommunication Union, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
- The index was started in 2007 by INSEAD and World Business, a British magazine. The GII is commonly used by corporate and government officials to compare countries by their level of innovation.
Top 3 Countries :Rank County 1 Switzerland 2 Sweden 3 UK India’s Ranking:-India, 66th is the top-ranked economy in Central and Southern Asia. This report showing particular strengths in tertiary education and R&D, including global R&D intensive firms, the quality of its universities and scientific publications, its market sophistication and ICT service exports where it ranks first in the world. India also over-performs in innovation relative to its GDP.- In market sophistication, India was at ranked on 33 positions from 72 position, which was tapped by domestic market scale – a new addition to the section.
- India scored high on tertiary education and R&D, the quality of its universities and scientific publications, its market sophistication and information and communication technology service exports, where it ranks first in the world, according to the index.
- India has all the ingredients needed to become a global driver of innovation including strong market potential, an excellent talent pool, and an underlying culture of frugal innovation.
- India ranks second on innovation quality among middle-income economies, overtaking Brazil. “Relative weaknesses exist in the indicators for business environment, education expenditures, new business creations and the creative goods and services production,”
- India has the ability to create a unique spot in innovation history to meet its own market requirements by using its cultural advantages of frugality and sustainability
- The commitment of India to innovation and improved innovation metrics is strong and growing, helping to improve the innovation environment.
- India saw improvement in sections such as institution, human capital and research, market and business sophistication.
- In market sophistication, India was at ranked on 33 positions from 72 positions, which was tapped by domestic market scale – a new addition to the section. Interestingly, the domestic market scale ranked 3rd on the poll. However, the ease of protecting minority interest was at 8th position from the 7th position of the previous year’s data.
- Further, the business sophistication was at 57th rank from the 116th which was led by new indicators such as intellectual property payments, ICT services imports and research talent business enterprises.
- With the government initiating various measures in order to boost the foreign investors has also been acknowledged the improvement was not only driven by just performance but also some changes in survey methodology such as addition of new indicators.
- In foreign direct investment net inflows, India stood at 86th place from the last year’s position of 98.
- India saw a record 53% increase in FDI in last two years as the investment climate strengthened due to steps initiated to curb growth, price stability and fiscal prudence which also improved the overall macroeconomic stability
It is noted that Among the GII 2016 leaders, four economies — Japan, the U.S., the UK, and Germany— stand out in “innovation quality,” a top-level indicator that looks at the caliber of universities, number of scientific publications and international patent filings. China moves to 17thplace in innovation quality, making it the leader among middle-income economies for this indicator.
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