News for 'Universal Service'

Uday Kotak will be non-executive board member in Kotak Mahindra Bank

Uday Kotak will be non-executive board member in Kotak Mahindra Bank

Rediff.com15 Jul 2023

Ahead of the end of his term as the Kotak Mahindra Bank's chief executive and managing director, Uday Kotak has said he will be a "non-executive board governance member and a strategic shareholder" going ahead. In the private sector lender's annual report, the last such message from him as the MD and CEO before he relinquishes the position at the end of 2023, Kotak reminisced about the institution's journey, pointing out that Rs 10,000 invested in 1985 is worth over Rs 300 crore today. "Going forward, I see my role as a non-executive board governance member and a strategic shareholder with a long term perspective of nurturing a world class institution," Kotak said in the annual report.

PM Modi flags concerns over bias in AI

PM Modi flags concerns over bias in AI

Rediff.com27 Aug 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for a global framework for ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as he flagged concerns surrounding bias in such modern technologies and their impact on the society. Days ahead of the G20 Summit, the prime minister also made a strong case for developing an integrated approach to deal with issues concerning cryptocurrencies. Modi, addressing B20 Summit India 2023 organised by CII, said India is preparing a global framework for Green Credit and urged industry leaders to adopt life and businesses with emphasis on planet positive actions.

China helping Pak army build defence infrastructure along LoC: Officials

China helping Pak army build defence infrastructure along LoC: Officials

Rediff.com25 Jun 2023

The officials said that the recently developed SH-15, a 155 mm truck-mounted howitzer gun, has also been spotted at some places along the Line of Control after it was displayed on Pakistan Day last year.

Wishes pour in as PM Modi turns 73

Wishes pour in as PM Modi turns 73

Rediff.com17 Sep 2023

The prime minister will be part of the launch of several development initiatives on his birthday.

Can Praveen Sood Get CBI The Public's Trust?

Can Praveen Sood Get CBI The Public's Trust?

Rediff.com25 May 2023

He takes over the CBI in challenging times. The perception is that the agency is reduced to being an instrument of blackmail and intimidation by successive governments.

Of tuition fees and service tax

Of tuition fees and service tax

Rediff.com9 May 2006

Wipro appoints Satya Easwaran as India head

Wipro appoints Satya Easwaran as India head

Rediff.com18 Apr 2022

IT major Wipro Limited has appointed Satya Easwaran, a former senior executive at consultancy KPMG, as its India head. Easwaran will be in charge of strengthening Wipro's business in India across key industry sectors through strategic consulting, transformation and modernisation engagements, it said in a statement on Monday. "India is a strategic market for Wipro and I am excited to welcome Satya to champion our bold ambition for growth and leadership here.

Bengal cabinet okays replacing governor with CM as chancellor of varsities

Bengal cabinet okays replacing governor with CM as chancellor of varsities

Rediff.com7 Jun 2022

The cabinet also agreed to the proposal to remove the governor from the post of the 'visitor' of private universities and give it to the state's education minister instead.

WhatsApp resumes after nearly 2-hour global disruption

WhatsApp resumes after nearly 2-hour global disruption

Rediff.com25 Oct 2022

Meta, which owns the popular messaging app, said it has fixed the glitch, and the service was back.

Micro-caps may give alpha returns in bull market

Micro-caps may give alpha returns in bull market

Rediff.com5 Jul 2023

Notwithstanding the risk involved, analysts are upbeat on micro-cap investing as India remains in a firm bull market. Moreover, these stocks are available at relatively cheaper valuations compared to large, mid and small caps, assuring alpha returns. With a market-capitalisation (market-cap) of up to Rs 10,000 crore, micro-cap stocks are outside the purview of Nifty 500 stocks, and are ranked from 501 to 750 in the market-cap ladder.

DoT diverted Rs 33,682.86 cr rural telephone money, says CAG

DoT diverted Rs 33,682.86 cr rural telephone money, says CAG

Rediff.com12 May 2015

The Universal Service Obligation fund was set up in April 2002 and a statutory status was given to it.

Modi calls for global framework for ethical use of AI, flags bias

Modi calls for global framework for ethical use of AI, flags bias

Rediff.com27 Aug 2023

Modi called business communities and governments to work together to ensure usage of ethical AI as "we have to sense the potential disruptions in different sectors. This problem has to be solved under the global framework."

UK Announces 99 Scholarships For Indians

UK Announces 99 Scholarships For Indians

Rediff.com30 Jun 2022

The fully funded scholarship includes tuition, living expenses and travel cost for a one-year-postgraduate programme.

Swaminarayan temple in Sydney defaced with anti-India graffiti

Swaminarayan temple in Sydney defaced with anti-India graffiti

Rediff.com5 May 2023

A prominent Hindu temple in Sydney was defaced by "anti-social elements" on Friday with anti-India graffiti on the walls, in the latest incident of vandalism against Hindu temples in Australia ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country later this month.

Now, G Parameshwara jumps into K'taka CM race

Now, G Parameshwara jumps into K'taka CM race

Rediff.com16 May 2023

'I have faith in the party high command. I have certain principles. I can also take about 50 legislators and do the shouting, but for me the discipline of the party is important. If people like us don't follow things, there won't be any discipline in the party. I have said that if the high command gives me the responsibility, I will take it up. I have not said I won't'

'We Are Destroying The Constitution'

'We Are Destroying The Constitution'

Rediff.com4 Jul 2023

'We have to make people aware that the Constitution belongs to us.' 'We are the people who decide who will govern on our behalf.'

The Cadet Who Won President's Gold Medal At NDA

The Cadet Who Won President's Gold Medal At NDA

Rediff.com8 Jun 2023

Afrid Afroz, 21, who was adjudged best cadet at the NDA's 144th course, will join the Indian Air Force and hopes to be a fighter pilot.

Direct tax collection rises by 41% to Rs 3.54 lakh cr in Q1

Direct tax collection rises by 41% to Rs 3.54 lakh cr in Q1

Rediff.com25 Jul 2022

Net direct tax collection in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal rose by 41 per cent to Rs 3,54,569.74 crore, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha. During the April-June period of 2021-22, the government had collected a net direct tax of Rs 2,50,881.08 crore. At the same time, net indirect tax collection including Goods and Services Tax (GST) and custom duty increased by 9.4 per cent to Rs 3,44,056 crore as against Rs 3,14,476 crore in the first quarter of the previous fiscal, he said in a written reply.

Are India's Toppers Ready For Life?

Are India's Toppers Ready For Life?

Rediff.com31 May 2023

I feel it is utterly silly to disproportionately celebrate academic achievements in school and college when there is so much life and transformation by life yet to happen, states Shyam G Menon.

Indians not only brilliant in Spelling Bee, but...: PM in Congress

Indians not only brilliant in Spelling Bee, but...: PM in Congress

Rediff.com23 Jun 2023

Prime Minister Modi's remarks on Thursday came during his address to a joint session of the US Congress. He attributed a big part of the success of India-US ties to Indian-Americans.

Roger Moore: On Her Majesty's Service

Roger Moore: On Her Majesty's Service

Rediff.com24 May 2017

In photos: Remembering the longest-serving James Bond.

China is Britain's largest threat, has targeted India: Rishi Sunak

China is Britain's largest threat, has targeted India: Rishi Sunak

Rediff.com25 Jul 2022

China represents the "largest threat" to Britain and the world's security and prosperity this century and there is evidence to suggest it has targeted countries from the US to India, UK prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak said on Monday.

Bandhan sprints into new role as universal bank

Bandhan sprints into new role as universal bank

Rediff.com23 Aug 2016

With over Rs 15,000 crore in deposits, its strategy is a hit for now, but the real test will come when it starts lending to retail and corporate customers in a big way

SC rejects legal status for same-sex marriage, bats for queer rights

SC rejects legal status for same-sex marriage, bats for queer rights

Rediff.com17 Oct 2023

Directing the Centre, states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure the queer community is not discriminated against, the CJI, who is heading the constitution bench, said queer is a natural phenomenon known for ages and is neither urban nor elitist.

Govt reshuffles bureaucrats, Air India chairman is aviation secretary

Govt reshuffles bureaucrats, Air India chairman is aviation secretary

Rediff.com22 Sep 2021

Air India Chairman Rajiv Bansal has been appointed as the new aviation secretary as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Wednesday. K Rajaraman, additional secretary in the department of economic affairs, has been appointed as secretary, department of telecommunications, a personnel ministry order said.

Women twice as likely as men to suffer from long Covid, says US study

Women twice as likely as men to suffer from long Covid, says US study

Rediff.com19 Oct 2022

Researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, US, estimate that globally 63 per cent of those with long Covid during the first two years of the pandemic were female.

British Indian doc's call for Delhi to suspend Covishield use finds support

British Indian doc's call for Delhi to suspend Covishield use finds support

Rediff.com6 Feb 2023

A number of Indian medical experts on Monday supported calls from an eminent British Indian cardiologist for a full safety review into the use of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, administered in India as Covishield, over feared serious side effects such as heart attack and stroke.

Asim Munir Wants His Generals In Pakistan Army

Asim Munir Wants His Generals In Pakistan Army

Rediff.com4 May 2023

Aware of simmering dissensions within the top echelons of the army, Munir has moved slowly in reshuffling senior generals, observes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W, India's external intelligence agency.

Broadband in 5 lakh villages in 18 mths

Broadband in 5 lakh villages in 18 mths

Rediff.com28 Mar 2011

The whole process will take 2-3 months, which includes advertising, examination of the tender and signing of the agreement.

21 bids for DoT's rural phone project

21 bids for DoT's rural phone project

Rediff.com28 Feb 2007

The Department of Telecommunications has received 21 bids from telecom operators and infrastructure service providers for the Rs 2,395 crore (Rs 23.95 billion) rural telephony project.

Indian-origin MIT professor Hari Balakrishnan bags Marconi prize

Indian-origin MIT professor Hari Balakrishnan bags Marconi prize

Rediff.com1 Mar 2023

Hari Balakrishnan, an Indian-origin MIT professor, has received the prestigious Marconi Prize for his fundamental discoveries in wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems.

Ratan Tata invests in startup Goodfellows

Ratan Tata invests in startup Goodfellows

Rediff.com16 Aug 2022

Industry leader Ratan Tata on Tuesday announced an undisclosed investment into startup Goodfellows that offers companionship to senior citizens as a service. The octogenarian industrialist has been an active backer of startups ever since he retired from the helm of the salt-to-software Tata Group. The company is founded by Shantanu Naidu. Cornell University-educated Naidu, 25, is a general manager in Tata's office and has been assisting Tata since 2018.

AI peeing incident: We fell short of addressing situation, says Tata chief

AI peeing incident: We fell short of addressing situation, says Tata chief

Rediff.com8 Jan 2023

Chandrasekaran also said that "We fell short of addressing this situation the way we should have."

Interested in working with OpenAI? Please feel free to email Sam Altman

Interested in working with OpenAI? Please feel free to email Sam Altman

Rediff.com9 Jun 2023

If you are interested in working with OpenAI, feel free to email Sam Altman. In a free-wheeling fireside chat with university students on Thursday in Delhi, the CEO of OpenAI and his team seemed eager to welcome bright young IT practitioners of India into the OpenAI work space. Asked about the steep degree requirements for applying to tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, Altman said that his company was open to hiring undergraduates and even college drop-outs.

New Congress govt in Himachal puts all recruitments on hold

New Congress govt in Himachal puts all recruitments on hold

Rediff.com13 Dec 2022

As per the orders issued on Monday by the chief secretary, appointments of all chairman, vice-chairman, and nominated members in boards and corporations, autonomous bodies, cooperative institutions and other committees, including temple committees and urban local bodies be terminated forthwith.

King Charles III: The monarch who has a great love for India

King Charles III: The monarch who has a great love for India

Rediff.com6 May 2023

He last visited India in November 2019 and also celebrated his 71st birthday with schoolchildren in Mumbai and earlier this week he told British Indian peer Lord Karan Bilimoria at a pre-Coronation reception that he looks forward to making a State Visit to India soon.

Governor-CM Rifts: Democracy At Risk

Governor-CM Rifts: Democracy At Risk

Rediff.com6 Jul 2023

Governors must be impartial, fair, and above narrow politics to uphold the values and spirit of the Constitution. But in a rapidly changing political culture where the unstated rule is to crush the Opposition, such values have no meaning. At stake are Constitutional values, federalism and governance, asserts Ramesh Menon.

Life of Pi revolves around next-gen cloud services

Life of Pi revolves around next-gen cloud services

Rediff.com6 Jan 2017

Hyderabad-based Pi Datacenters wants to be the first destination of choice for enterprises in data and cloud services.

Rahul Gandhi had no political clearance for London visit?

Rahul Gandhi had no political clearance for London visit?

Rediff.com25 May 2022

Another Member of Parliament, Professor Manoj Jha from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who also went for a function in which Rahul Gandhi was participating in London, had all due permission including -- the due political clearance.

White House Is Ready To Welcome Modi

White House Is Ready To Welcome Modi

Rediff.com21 Jun 2023

As soon as you enter the White House you get a sense of the frenzied pace of preparation for Prime Minister Modi's visit, Rediff.com US Contributor Abhijit J Masih discovers on a visit to 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday morning.