Pak army dares India
New delh Dec. 23: Foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon has made a reference to a dimension of the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai which, taken to its logical conclusion, makes an appropriate Indian response inescapable. Addressing Indian ambassadors and high commissioners from around the world on the opening day of their two-day conference here on Monday, the foreign secretary noted that the terrorists had made no effort whatsoever to cover their tracks.
Sources familiar with the heads of mission conference said this indicated, according to Mr Menon, that the calculated brazenness was intended to convey the message to New Delhi that the Army was fully in control in Pakistan, and was daring India to do whatever it could.
According to the Indian reading, the Pakistan Army controls all levers of power, though there has been a visible decline, over time, in the popular esteem that it enjoys. Inviting an Indian reaction to the Mumbai assault is seen as a stratagem to rally national opinion around the armed forces. Such a move is also said to signal that the Indians must get used to deal with the Pakistan Army once again, rather than with the notional civilian government. Source : Deccan
Ban on new Tasmac shops
Chennai Dec. 23: In a major relief to women, the chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday announced that no more new IMFL outlets would be allowed in Tamil Nadu. Also, the liquor shops will close an hour early, at 10 instead of 11 at night, effective January one. The government action followed an appeal made by PMK leader Dr S Ramadoss who led a delegation to meet the chief minister at the secretariat on Monday to press for total prohibition in the state. Mr Karunanidhi responded by offering to bring in prohibition but in a phased manner.
An official release on Tuesday said the government had closed down over 1300 bars in addition to 128 retail outlets of TASMAC across the state over the last two years. As a precursor to bringing about total prohibition, it had now been decided not to open new IMFL outlets and also reduce the shop timing. “Further changes being gradually introduced will be announced from time to time,” the press release added. Source : Deccan
Lost car in TN? You are lucky
New Delhi, Dec. 23: Your vehicle got stolen in Tamil Nadu? Chances are very high that you get it back, if one goes by a latest government data. But if you are in Delhi and your vehicle got stolen, the scene is just the opposite where there are only 20 per cent chances of its recovery. According to figures provided by National Crime Records Bureau, 86.7 per cent of the stolen vehicle last year were recovered by the Tamil Nadu police after arresting 2,558 people. Out of the 2,888 vehicles stolen in the state last year, the report said, police recovered a whopping 2,504 vehicles.
This is not the first time that Tamil Nadu earned this laurel with the state registering similar feat in 2005 and 2006. Meanwhile, only one out of five vehicles stolen from Dehil is recovered by police, the report said noting that only 1,782 out of 8,874 vehicles stolen from the metro was recovered from the thieves. Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of vehicle thefts last year in the country with 13,910 cases. However, only 25 per cent of the vehicles — 3,595 — were recovered. Maharashtra is followed by Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in the list of states which have the highest number of cases of motor vehicle thefts.
Only 22 per cent of the 9,485 vehicles stolen from Uttar Pradesh were recovered last year while 26 per cent of 8,822 vehicles stolen from Madhya Pradesh were recovered, the NCRB report said. Interestingly, Chhattisgarh — had no cases of stealing of buses, trucks and tempos. Source : Deccan
Sahitya awards list announced
New Delhi, Dec. 23: Seven novelists are among 21 litterateurs who were on Tuesday chosen for the National Sahitya Academy awards for this year. Six poets, five short story writers and three critics were also selected for the coveted award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque, which will be given away at a function on February 17 next year. K.P. Appan, a well-known critic who died earlier this month, won the award for his collection of essays in Malayalam, Madhuram Ninte Jeevitham. Another prominent winner is Hindi novelist Govind Mishra who got the award for his novel, Kohre Mein Kaid Rang.
The award for Maithili and Telugu will be announced later, M.H. Venkateswaran, officer on special duty in the Sahitya Academy said. The novelists, who were selected for the award are Rita Choudhury (Assamese), Vidya Sagar Narzary (Bodo), Srinivas B. Vaidya (Kannada), Ashok Kamat (Konkani), Shyam Manohar (Maratghi) and Mitter Sain Meet (Punjabi). Sarat Kumar Mukhopadhyay (Bengali), Champa Sharma (Dogri), A.O. Memchoubi (Manipuri), Pramod Kumar Mohanty (Oriya), Om Prakash Pande (Sanskrit) and Jayant Parmer (Urdu) were the poets selected for the award.
Among short story writers, Suman Shah (Gujarati), Shri ‘Kirat’ (Nepali), Dinesh Panchal (Rajas-thani), Badal Hembam (Santhali) and Melanmai Ponnusamy (Tamil) were the winners. Kashmiri writer Nabi Aatash and Sindhi writer Hiro Shew-kani, both critics, also won the award. Source : Deccan
No biz deal with Satyam: WB
Hyderabad Dec. 23: The World Bank has admitted that it has banned Satyam Computers from doing business with it for eight years. An official of the bank said the decision had been made on the basis of charges of data theft against the Hyderabad-based company. A spokesperson of the company, however, refused to give details, saying the company did not comment on specific clients as part of its policy.
The development adds to the miseries of Satyam, which is already fighting an investor backlash over the company’s scuppered attempt at bailing out two companies promoted by chairman Ramalinga Raju’s relatives. Reports had first surfaced in October detailing how Satyam had been implicated by the World Bank on charges of data pilferage, which were quickly denied by both the company and the bank. Today’s admittance comes after months of “stonewalling and denying” reports about Satyam being barred from doing business with the bank till 2016, the news report says.
The decision was made in February and the ban was implemented in September. Top information security official at the bank, Mr Robert Van Pulley was quoted by FOX News, saying the company was meted out the sanctions due to “improper benefits to bank staff” and “lack of documentation on invoices”. Source : Deccan
Citi’s India tech arm now goes to Wipro
Bengaluru Dec. 23: IT services giant Wipro has taken advantage of low market valuations to acquire the troubled Citigroup’s India technology services captive in an all-cash deal worth $127 million. The captive, Citi Technology Services Ltd., operates out of Mumbai and Chennai while employing 2000. Citigroup has recorded losses in the last four quarters and is under tremendous pressure to rationalise expenses, including technology costs — the financial firm reportedly employs more software developers than Microsoft! The sell of the captive unit, then, would help Citi take out some of the costs related to infrastructure management as well as application development maintenance (ADM) services provided to its affiliates across the world.
This is the second sale of a Citi captive announced in quick time to an Indian vendor — earlier, TCS announced the acquisition of Citigroup Global Services Limited, a BPO arm.
The relatively small-sized purchase, however, packs great importance for Wipro. On the business commitment front, today’s agreement provides for the delivery of at least $500 million in service revenues over the next six years from Citi. This apart, the Indian services firm acquires multiple tangible as well as intangible assets. First, the buy gives Wipro access to Citi — an aspirational customer for any service provider. The deal gives exclusivity as well: whatever infrastructure management work Citi brings into India, Wipro would be the sole services provider.
Third, the amount of outsourcing in the infrastructure space executed by BFSI companies has been minimal thus far — security concerns and the service’s mission critical nature have been the major bottlenecks. Citi was successful in demonstrating such services can be executed from a remote location. The acquisition, thus, provides Wipro with tremendous reference value. “The buy positions Wipro very strongly. Our ability to gain more market share as well as wallet share globally will increase with this transaction,” senior vice president with the firm Prasanna GK says.
The purchase, he adds, brings is experienced people, domain expertise required to serve a global bank, and lastly, knowledge around regulatory compliance. Citi Technology Services in India had been working on packages around investment, retail and core banking. In infrastructure services, the unit has expertise in database, network, besides desktop administration among others.
“More importantly, the acquisition brings in the Citi context; the knowledge about their infrastructure and application environment. It goes a long way in building our capability from a pure service line perspective,” senior vice president of Finance Solutions at Wipro Soumitro Ghosh says. Wipro’s infrastructure services business has been growing between 48 and 50 per cent CAGR over the last five years, making it one of the fastest growing units within Wipro.
It is also one of its largest practices contributing 17 per cent of the firm’s global IT services revenues. The business, including India and the Middle East, employs more than 15,000 employees currently. The firm now believes the purchase would hasten the business' growth even further. In calendar year 2008, Citi Technology Services’ revenues are expected to be about $80 million. Source : Deccan
Comat promises 15,000 jobs
Bengaluru Dec. 23: Social enterprise Comat Technologies on Tuesday announced that it had entered into an MoU with the Government of Karnataka to provide jobs to 15,000 rural youth in the state over the next one year. Comat will provide job-oriented skills through a combination of “on-the-job” and “computer- based” training. Candidates, then, will be certified and presented for job opportunities across the state and outside. A release from the company stated that it has entered into tie-ups with several companies for job opportunities to candidates trained.
The job-oriented training will be imparted from Comat’s 800 Nemmadi telecentres. “Employability will prove to be one of our biggest issues in the immediate future. We will certify those undertaking the training in a move to tangibly increase their employability quotient. Upon certification, training and certification fees will be reimbursed to successful candidates by the Government of India,” director of Apex Hi Tech Institute SJ Amalan said. “This program, while providing real life experience to trainees, also teaches them valuable job skills that are in great demand today. We are very confident that our training will make candidates job-ready within two months and provide many unemployed youth a great platform for launching their careers,” chief operating officer of Comat Shashi K Patil remarked. Source : Deccan
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