JGU Announces Academic Scholarships and Research Fellowships for 2020 Graduates

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

Unique Support Programme to Aid 200 Students amidst Covid 19 Disruption on Jobs and Careers

Wednesday, 22July, 2020: O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) announces 200 Research Scholarships for Undergraduates and Fellowships for Master’s and Ph.D. Graduates of 2020. This is an unprecedented and extraordinary initiative taken by the University to secure the future and alleviate the anxiety of its students where careers have been adversely affected by Covid 19. In all 200 JGU students graduating in 2020 will benefit from the programme.

 The Teaching & Research for Intellectual Pursuit (TRIP) Fellowship programme will support 100 high quality academic careers for (Master’s and Ph.D.) students amidst Covid 19 related impact on jobs and careers. Under the career support plan,100 JGU graduates (Master’s and Ph.D.) of its 2020 batch will receive generous Fellowships from the University.

JGU has also announced 100 GRIP Scholarships (Graduate Research Immersion Programme) for all the graduating students of JGU with a view to focussing on research and institutional mentorship for young and aspiring researchers. The six-month GRIP Scholarship will provide financial support along with accommodation and other benefits and privileges.

“Amidst the ongoing global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are cognisant of the predicament that the graduates of universities in India and around the world are facing,” said, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University. “We believe that JGU must help and support our students, especially during these extraordinarily difficult times.

The decision of JGU to offer 200 Scholarships and Fellowships to the 2020 graduates of JGU is a landmark initiative in higher education that will invest in the future of young and aspiring academics and research scholars. The Fellowships (for Masters and PhD. Students) and the Scholarships (for Undergraduates) are part of an effort to help the graduating batch of 2020 find meaningful ways to be engaged in research with a view to empower the development of next general academics, researchers and teachers. This will help the students in their overall career progression by providing them pathways in the pursuit of academic careers,” Professor Kumarsaid.

 The 100 Teaching & Research for Intellectual Pursuit Fellowships offers students with the opportunity to gain holistic academic experience in a two-year fellowship programme to develop their academic & research capabilities, intellectual competencies, teaching skills with a pedagogical understanding of the learning ecosystem. The TRIP Fellowships will financially support the 2020 graduates of JGU from the Master’s and Ph.D. programmes to develop pathways to a career in academics that will also help overcome the uncertainties in the career trajectories of students caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The TRIP Fellowships will support the academic and research inclined graduates of JGU to further sharpen their research skills and produce journal articles and publications of international standards working with the leading scholars and researchers of JGU. It would also further the agenda of producing high quality academics and researchers for Indian and global higher education institutions in law, management, social sciences and humanities.

The six-month GRIP Scholarships Initiative addresses the challenges faced by our graduating students, enabling them to navigate the ongoing crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The ensuing lockdown and lack of opportunities or clarity to pursue learning or career streams has created uncertainty for many students. The objective of this programme is to support graduating students in their overall career progression and transition into their higher education or professional careers. The programme will provide unique and wide-ranging opportunities for GRIP Scholars to interact with industry experts, practitioners, lawyers, judges, leading national and international academics and researchers, journalists, government officials, and institutional leaders who are regularly hosted at JGU as part of the University’s broad institutional agenda of advancing intellectual debates, discussions and collaboration across disciplinary areas and boundaries.

The TRIP Fellowship is a two-year programme, which will commence in October 2020. The TRIP Fellows & Academic Tutors will be selected through a competitive process from the Master’s students graduating in 2020 and from the Ph.D. students who have successfully completed their thesis defence. After the successful completion of responsibilities under the TRIP Fellowship, the TRIP Fellows & Academic Tutors would be considered for the position of Assistant Lecturer in JGU and could be a part of the JGU faculty.

City Today News

(citytoday.media)

9341997936

Canadian Wood’s webinar on ‘Architecture with wood in India’ 

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

presents industry stalwarts and the country’s best woodwork projects

Mumbai, July 2020

FII-India, popularly known as Canadian Wood has been actively promoting building with wood in India using wood legally sourced from the sustainably managed forests of B.C., Canada. In case of structural applications of wood it works closely with architects, developers, contractors, and hospitality professionals and extends technical support by suggesting appropriate species and grades most suitable to the type of construction chosen or preferred, i.e. T&G (Tongue & Groove), WFC (Wood Frame Construction), posts-and-beams or even hybrid in tandem with local stone/bricks. It also conducts educational seminars and training workshops that help create awareness about its wood species, specific applications, and appropriate methods of use.

As a part of this continued effort during the COVID19 period, Canadian Wood introduced webinars on topics of interest to the wood working industry at large. Its third webinar titled ‘Architecture with wood in India’ conducted on July 24, 2020, was a part of the continuing series and a first-of-its-kind virtual panel discussion, presented by Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) and sponsored by Artius Interior Products Pvt. Ltd.

The webinar began with a warm welcome by Ms. Nadira Hamid, CEO, ICBC and opening remarks by Hon. Andrew Smith, Minister (Commercial), High Commission of Canada. This was followed by an introduction of the event curator & moderator Prof. Gurdev Singh by Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India. Prof. Gurdev Singh is an industry icon and the Ex-Dean of the School of Environmental Design and Architecture, Navrachana University. With over 40 years of invaluable experience in the field of architecture and several awards at national and international levels to his credit, his portfolio includes Teaching, Design (Architecture, Interior and Urban), Project Management and Construction Coordination, Quality Control and Site Management, as well as experience on projects as an Owner/Builder.

As the webinar progressed exciting sections began to slowly unfold itself in the form of extensive, informative presentations by eminent Indian architects namely Ar. N Mahesh from Iyer & Mahesh, Ar. Gurpreet Singh from Aakar Design Consultants and Ar. Kamal Malik from Malik Architecture. Each glorified through their unique pieces of work the various features, strengths, and possibilities in the world of architecture with wood.

Ar. N Mahesh is known for his decades of experience in reviving traditional timber architecture in India using ‘Green’ reforested timber. He presented beautiful pieces of work that drew inspiration from heritage architecture in Kerala and merged it with the technological prowess of changing times. His presentation showcased rich examples of wooden buildings and captivating visuals of projects spanning across premium hotels and resorts like the Ananta spa & resort – Rajasthan, the Lalit resort & spa, Bekal – Kerala and the Zuri Kumarakom resort & spa – Kerala to name a few. Besides these, he also showcased an eye-catching structure, his prized possession called the ‘Bell Museum’ located in Trivandrum. The building’s interiors featured successful use of Canadian manufactured Tongue and Groove panelling made with western hemlock, one of the five Canadian wood species available across India.

This was followed with a presentation by Ar. Gurpreet Singh who unveiled some truly exemplary work. His projects included well-recognized and awarded ventures like the Royal Academy of Bhutan and large scale in-making projects like the Dining hall for the World School of Environment in Coorg. He also showcased Aakar Villa; a luxury private villa displayed at 1970 sq. ft. in Himachal Pradesh. The villa exhibited how Canadian Wood specie Douglas-fir was optimally used to build posts-and-beams, multiple doors and windows that created a beautiful open space in oneness with nature.

The final presentation was made by Ar. Kamal Malik. His slides were iconic in their representation of his love for nature and the inspiration drawn from it. He defined architecture as a synthesis of ‘Ecology’ and ‘Spirit’. ‘Ecology’ implying a seamless, cohesive, and integrated approach to design and ‘Spirit’ implying balance, understanding and tranquility. His pieces of work included a luxury resort in Morgiri in Lonavala and in Alibaug where he elaborated upon how nature united with the applied contemporary architectural elements.

The three presentations were followed by a very engaging panel discussion, innovatively curated by Prof. Gurdev Singh. The event finally concluded with an insightful Q&A session of the panelists with the well-informed audience. The queries raised by the enthusiastic audience to the panelists clearly indicated the rising positive sentiment and trend towards use of wood in structural applications – we see an emerging trend of country homes, farm houses and resorts especially in hills and coastal areas being designed with wood (from sustainably managed forests) as the most ecofriendly building material.

Commenting on the response to the webinar, Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India said, “Canadian Wood is delighted to have the three stalwarts of architecture together as panelists on this platform along with Prof. Gurdev as the curator and moderator. It has been an enriching experience for us to listen and see them share their experience and expertise with the audience on the topic of “Architecture with Wood in India”.

It has been highly satisfying, encouraging and inspiring for us have had such an illustrious team of panelists on the Canadian Wood webinar – Ion behalf of Canadian Wood, thank Architects Mahesh, Gurpreet and Kamal from the bottom of my heart to having spared time for not just today but for having put in many hours preparing their presentations with their respective teams in their offices. Needless to mention that we are also thankful to Prof. Gurdev for being a great sport and taking on the mantle of being the curator and moderator for this webinar.

I must acknowledge the support and encouragement from Hon. Andrew Smith – Minister (Commercial), High Commission of Canada in India and thank him for taking time out for the webinar to further strengthen Indo-Canadian business ties. Needless to mention that without the support and collaboration of ICBC this webinar would not have been possible – so thank you Nadira for being such a sport. I also thank Ms. Bhawna Sharma – Director of Artius Interior products, Gurgaon for sponsoring the webinar and sharing with the audience the great work that Artius is doing with the Canadian Wood species.

Last but not the least, this webinar would not have been a success without the registration and participation of such an enlightened audience. There is a lot for us to take from this webinar and be encouraged to keep such conversations alive on the Canadian Wood forum. I assure our stakeholders that we intend continuing to organize more such sessions with eminent personalities connected with wood from India and abroad.

City Today News

(citytoday.media)

9341997936

Dettol & PVR Cinemas come together to enable ‘safe and hygienic’ movie viewing experience

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

⮚     Enabling a fully Immersive Movie Viewing Experience for the Customers with safety & sanitization measures powered by Dettol

Bengaluru, 24 July 2020: Dettol, the leading germ protection brand, today announced its partnership with PVR Cinemas, India’s largest and the most premium film exhibitor. The partnership will help create a safe, hygienic, and enjoyable movie viewing experience for its customers once the cinemas can open in accordance with government guidelines and permissions. Adhering to the ‘new normal’, the partnership program will enable & develop enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols for the guests across 175 properties operating in 70 cities across the country.

Research by Global monitor indicates that consumers have heightened hygiene concerns when venturing outside the comfort of their house, and trust in cleanliness standards will be critical to restarting any business operations. Therefore, it has become highly critical for industries to implement an effective system to ensure standardized hygiene practices to protect oneself and others from this pandemic.

Commenting on the partnership, Pankaj Duhan, Chief Marketing Officer, RB Health South Asia, said, “Even as the lockdown conditions get progressively eased, the Indian consumers concern on germs exposure and desire for protective measures remains very high. As India’s #1 trusted brand for germ protection, Dettol is pleased to partner with PVR for a safe return of the Indian families to a cutting-edge cinema viewing experience.  Our aim is to partner meaningfully together with PVR to provide best in class Dettol germ protection – proven Dettol products to be used in expert vetted protocols so that the consumer is reassured and confident of a safe and hygienic viewing experience.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas said, “We have spent the last few months brainstorming amongst ourselves and with the world leaders in our industry to come up with best and safest practices for our customers to return to the movies. Having left no stone unturned in ensuring their well-being across all levels, we are pleased to partner with Dettol to guarantee an even cleaner and safer viewing experience. We are positive that the people would enlist the same trust in us as they have in the past decades of our relationship with them.” 

PVR Cinemas will implement stringent hygiene protocols, social distancing and food safety measures, along with minimal human contact across all touchpoints.  All employees will be undergoing health screening daily and fortnightly; and will be wearing PPE gear, face masks, gloves and face shields for extra protection. Further, the entire premises undergo an EPA approved complete ULV sanitization process at regular intervals which helps in coating the surface with anti-microbial layers with electrostatic machines for up to thirty days.

Over 80 years, Dettol has been the trusted partner of health, for millions of mothers across the country, to protect their family by preventing illnesses and infections. In the ongoing battle to contain the spread of COVID-19, Dettol has been instrumental in driving behavior change and the adoption of recommended hygiene practice across India. As a hygiene leader and No. 1 germ protection brand, Dettol continues to

drive the organizational purpose and fight in action- to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.

City Today News

(citytoday.media)

9341997936

Voot Select takes its premium content to regional audiences 

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

~ Brings to its Kannadiga audiences best of Indian originals – Asur, Marzi, The Raikar Case & Illegal, in Kannada~

Bengaluru, 24th July, 2020 – Fulfilling every entertainment need of its diverse and multi-cultural userbase, Voot Select is all set to make its regional content slate more dynamic and relevant to its audience with the launch of its Originals – Asur, Marzi, The Raikar Case and Illegal in Kannada. Furthering Viacom18’s existing content proposition in the  the Kannada market, Voot Select’s new language play will enable viewers to enjoy the platforms’ incredible Hindi original content in their local language and overturn the language barrier. While Asur, The Raikar Case and Illegal are all live on the platform, and will be followed by Marzi.  Apart from this, the subscribers will also get exclusive access to popular Kannada movies like Bell Bottom, Ayogya, Kirik Party and other movies like Thrayambakam, Eedhiga Bandha Suddhi, Dayavittu Gamanisi, Theory, Alamelamma on Voot Select.

Commenting on the new offerings, Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select, Youth, Music, and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “When we launched Voot Select, the idea was to share compelling stories with the audience all over the country. The appetite for regional content consumption is huge and by making Voot Originals available in Kannada, we are not only expanding our reach but also adding to the content experience of our audiences in Karnataka.  We as a network already have a strong presence in the Kannada market with Colors Super, Colors Kannada Cinema and  Colors Kannada with its content available 24 hours on Voot Select. With this move, the viewers can now access its premium Originals and movies in the language of their comfort and choice.”

Expressing his views on the announcement Neil Bhoopalam said, “Being a theatre and stage actor, I have had plenty of opportunities to work with people from different parts of the country and understand the demand to consume different genres of content. The Raikar Case has been appreciated by the audience all over India and I hope my viewers down South also enjoy watching the show and appreciate my performance in it.”

Illegal star, Kubbra Sait said, “Shooting for Illegal has been a very special experience for me as an actor. Being a Kannadiga, I get a lot of requests from fans and friends to work in Kannada based projects and this gives me the perfect platform to come closer to my fans. I cannot wait to see the reactions of the audience.”

With the introduction of this language proposition, Voot Select has opened a myriad of opportunities for the regional markets. With the most compelling stories and top notch premium content, the Kannada speaking audience can surely look forward to some of the finest content in their own language.

Voot Select’s premium content will soon launch in multiple languages including Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and Telugu.

City Today News

(citytoday.media)

9341997936

Former Partner, EY and a former CEO join Hindustan Zinc Board

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

24 July 2020 Bangalore: Zinc and Silver mining major, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a subsidiary of India’s largest diversified natural resources company Vedanta Ltd, announced the appointment of Anjani K Agarwal, a former senior partner of EY and Akhilesh Joshi, former CEO of HZL as Directors on its Board effective August 1, 2020.

The Udaipur-headquartered HZL is the largest producer of zinc, lead and silver in India and has ambitious growth plans.

Anjani Agrawal retired from EY in June 2019after a 40 year long professional career, 26 of which were spent as Partner at the global consulting firm.He has worked with the Union Government and NITI Aayog on several policy matters and has been guest faculty at the Indian School of Business and SDA Bocconi.

Said Agrawal on his appointment, “Hindustan Zinc is amongst the most successful value-creation stories post privatization and has made significant progress over the years. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, Management team and its young talent pool for sustainable development of the business for the benefit of all stakeholders.” 

Akhilesh Joshi is a first-class minemanager, whobegan his career at HZL in 1976 and was appointed as COO and whole-time director in the period between 2008-2012. Further, he took over as the company’s CEO and whole-time director in the period between 2012-2015. He was designated as President of Vedanta’s Global Zinc Business during 2015-2016. He is the recipient of National Mineral Award 2006, by Govt. of India for his outstanding contribution in Mining Technology and Business Today Best CEO Award (Core Sector) 2013.

Said Joshi, “Hindustan Zinc has a great legacy, it has been in the forefront in leveraging best in class technology and innovation. It is my privilege to be part of this great company again and contribute to its growth vision.”

City Today News

(citytoday.media)

9341997936