16, Dec 2023
The “Kishori Utkarsh Pahel” success continues in Ankleshwar Block of Bharuch District
National, 16th December 2023: Kishori Utkarsh Pahel is an adolescent girls health awareness and leadership-building initiative of Bharuch District Administration, supported by DCM Shriram Foundation and implemented by BharatCares (by SMEC Trust). This collaborative project is also supported by ICDS and the District Women and Child Development Department, Bharuch, District Primary, Secondary, and Higher Secondary Education Department, Bharuch, and District Health Department, Bharuch.
The initiative is a catalytic approach structured as an aspiration-building program among adolescent girls, both school-going and non-school-going. It focuses on the overall empowerment of adolescent girls residing in villages who are deprived of further quality education and exposure. The first phase completed intensive training of over 4000 Kishoris from 122 villages of Jhagadia block of Bharuch district and well-groomed Village Jagrut Kishoris are engaged into village level developmental programs.
This collaborative program recently achieved another remarkable milestone as the implementing partner BharatCares has completed outreach of Kishori Utkarsh Pahel (KUP) reaching out to 6,704 kishori (adolescent girls) aged 10 – 19. Out of the total Kishoris, 5359 are school-going and 1345 are non-school-going from the 59 villages of Ankleshwar block. Total of 69 government primary school teachers are trained as Master Trainers, across 74 schools who will impart training at the school level.
The training covers six different modules namely, adolescent health, menstrual hygiene management, nutrition, knowledge and convergence of government schemes and programs, legal protection and rights of adolescent girls, and leadership development. It also provides in-house training, exposure visits, and capacity-building programs. With a yearning to provide the best for the kishori, the team incorporated two more topics into the modules – financial literacy and the importance of millet in daily diet.
For those who are unable to attend the sessions during school timing, a special session is planned considering their convenience. Moreover, another key achievement is, all non-school-going girls will be re-enrolled under GSOS (Gujarat State Open School).
On completion of in-depth training, Kishoris will undergo micro and macro assessments and the best-performing kishori from each village will be recognized as the Gram Jagrut Kishori who will further participate into exposure visits and intensive trainings so that they can come out as a leader and contribute in village level developmental initiatives.
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- By Rabindra
16, Dec 2023
The Around.Us Application Elevates Travel Experiences with an Innovative Approach to Exploration
The Around.Us application streamlines user searches through an interactive map, showcasing the top 10 points of interest near their location worldwide. To explore these popular places, various options are available, such as geolocation, searching by location, or using keywords. Whether navigating a city, neighborhood, or street, Around.Us provides a list of the 10 nearest major points of interest, focusing on the essentials.
“This idea occurred to me during a stay in Carnac, in Brittany. I wanted to show my children a dolmen. By typing that word into Google, I got 15 creperies as results. As for Google Maps, it did provide me with a list of megalithic tombs, but it was impossible to know which one was the most interesting,” explains the creator of the application, Jean-François Pillou, also the founder of the website CommentCaMarche and the director of CCM Benchmark, Journal Du Net, and Linternaute (Figaro Group). He aims to offer new perspectives and ease of discovery to all travelers looking beyond the ordinary.
Uncovering hidden treasure
Beyond the must-see attractions, the application reveals a multitude of lesser-known monuments and sites. With its 16,000 filters, everyone can embark on discovering local heritage, natural sites, or forgotten monuments: from fountains to train stations, museums to haunted houses, suspension bridges to remarkable trees, and public gardens. Curious explorers around the world can enjoy locating these attractions. Around.Us references over 12 million selected sites, selected and ranked according to their popularity on a scale of 1 to 5 flames. This ensures visitors don’t miss major sites and also sparks interest in more secretive locations.
The enriched content of the application allows users to use it as a genuine travel guide. When a user clicks on the bubble or the frame of the place of interest, they discover a detailed sheet with its history, anecdotes, practical information, exact location, and a link to the website. Synthesized through an algorithm, the information is updated daily.
Enhancing the Journey for Indian Users
The creation of Around.Us was fueled by a desire to enhance the travel experience for adventurous travelers, setting it apart from traditional map applications such as Google Maps and Apple Maps. The application concentrates on the top 10 points of interest useful from a tourist perspective, providing a curated list that enriches travel experiences in a particular location.
India has emerged as a key user base, contributing to almost 150,000 out of the ever-growing 750,000 downloads. Currently, the number of daily users from India ranges between 3000 and 5000 users, accounting for around 20% of the 15-25K daily users globally.
Strong engagement has been seen from cities such as Patna, Lucknow, Indore, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Agra, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Guwahati which are home to lesser-known monuments and sights with historical and cultural significance.
Expanding the Horizon
The application now features an impressive 12 million points of interest, including panoramic viewpoints, making virtually every city in India navigable through the Around.Us application. There are currently 97,000 tourist points of interest in India, including 27,000 geographical locations and 2,700 areas with heritage designations (World Heritage Sites, Monuments of National Importance, State Protected Monuments).
Community-Driven Curation
The curation process for the Around.Us application involves a proprietary algorithm, and in the future, the application plans to leverage its user community to further enrich the database with new locations, data, visuals, and videos. This community-driven approach ensures the application’s continuous improvement in utility and accuracy while continuously engaging the travellers it caters to.
Around.Us in numbers:
Available in 8 languages
Downloaded over 750,000 times since its launch in June
12 million monuments listed
Between 10,000 and 20,000 simultaneous users
250,000 requests per day
200,000 unique visitors in September 2023
16,000 keywords
16, Dec 2023
Chola Finance continues its dedication towards “Swaccha Odisha Gram Vikas Scheme in Odisha”
India, 16th December 2023: Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited (Chola), the financial services arm of Murugappa Group, reiterates its commitment towards environmentally sustainable energy for remote areas of Cuttack District. Even today the rural community in Odisha continues to face challenges like lack of access to basic infrastructure and services such as safe water and sanitation. Through its CSR project ‘Swaccha Odisha Gram Vikas phase VI’, Chola has provided to build individual household toilets connected by overhead water tanks. Additionally, solar panels will be installed to dig borewells, and supply electricity to each house.
Odisha with its rich cultural heritage and steady rise in literacy rate, grapples with inadequate access to clean water, insufficient sanitation facilities, health and education. Chola Finance is committed to provide better infrastructure facilities for health and sanitation and create awareness in remote areas on safe drinking water, sanitation and health.
For the FY2023-24, the ‘Swaccha Odisha Gram Vikas phase VI’ project will be implemented in Ekdal, Harijan Sahi and Bhaliadihi villages in Cuttack district of Odisha catering over to 500+ villagers. This mission will provide healthy living and create a sustainable environment for the people.
In order to mitigate continuous power cut in the region, the solar panels will be installed in the respective villages to provide uninterrupted electricity. This will help the people to run their water motors without any electricity issues. The power cables will be directly connected to the installed solar panels which will be helpful to reduce energy consumption and promote the use of clean energy.
In addition, there will be a series of awareness sessions conducted on safety hygiene, sanitization, healthy toilet practices to provide sustainable livelihood and training on minimal repair and maintenance of the solar units for smooth operation of the water supply line.
Mr. Ravindra Kundu, Executive Director of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating, “Chola Finance is focussed towards helping India achieve its Sustainable development Goals. As a part of nation building, we are thrilled to reiterate our commitment towards sustainable energy, taking strides towards a cleaner, greener future. By embracing renewable resources and cutting-edge technologies, we aim to drive positive change and inspire others to join us on this impactful journey. This mission will benefit the people of Ektal, Harijan Sahi and Bhaliadihi villages in Cuttack with better infrastructure for clean and healthy sanitation facilities. This is our sixth phase of the initiatives carried out in Odisha. We are looking forward to the impact we will bring through our continuous work in Odisha and aim to contribute towards cleaner and greener environment”
16, Dec 2023
2023 National Special Olympics Bharat Speed & Figure Skating Championship Concludes at Iskate by Roseate
Gurugram,16 th December 2023: The 2023 National Special Olympics Bharat Speed and Figure Skating Championship successfully concluded today at ISKATE – India’s largest indoor ice skating rink located in Ambience Mall, Gurugram. The event was graced by the presence of Ms. Mallika Nadda, Chairperson, Special Olympics Bharat who felicitated and motivated the athletes. Esteemed dignitaries including Shri Jai Parkash Dalal, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare – Haryana, Shri Om Prakash Yadav, Minister of State Social Justice & Empowerment – Haryana, Shri Om Prakash Dhankar, National Secretary BJP, Shri Nayab Singh Saini, State President, BJP Haryana also attended the event.
More than 50 intellectually disabled athletes from Special Olympics Bharat, representing eight states across India, participated in this prestigious event. The competition featured two disciplines, speed skating and figure skating, with participant athletes in the age group of 15-30 years. During the championship, participants were selected for the upcoming Special Olympics World Winter Games slated for 2025 in Turin, Italy.
Commenting on the championship, Ms. Mallika Nadda, Chairperson, Special Olympics Bharat, shared, “As we strive to offer the best training facilities at Special Olympics Bharat, the presence of ISKATE, a state-of-the-art ice skating rink, is a true asset. Beyond being a hub for ice skating enthusiasts, it exemplifies a dedication to fostering winter sports in our nation. Events like these are key to discovering talents and inspiring children, particularly those with special needs. Wishing these children all the best in their upcoming pursuits.”
Commenting on the same, Mr. Karan Rai, Business Head, ISKATE by Roseate, said, “As part of our CSR initiative, ISKATE takes pride in offering training sessions to figure and speed skating athletes affiliated with Special Olympics Bharat, promoting inclusivity and a shared passion for the sport. Wishing the athletes all the success, ISKATE continues to extend its unwavering support to them, a dedication that has persisted for more than a decade.”
ISKATE, the only sporting venue in India to host All India National Figure and Speed Skating Championships since a decade has been committed towards developing winter sports like Figure Skating, Speed Skating and Ice Hockey in India. At ISKATE School, athletes can not only compete at a world class indoor ice skating facility throughout the year, but also gain knowledge, training and expertise from accomplished Indian and international coaches during training camps and championships conducted regularly.
16, Dec 2023
IRB Infrastructure Trust (Private InvIT) – emerges as the preferred Bidder for NHAI’s TOT-13 Concession in the States of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
New Delhi, December 16, 2023: IRB Infrastructure Trust (an Associate of IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited), has emerged as the preferred bidder for the TOT-13 concession announced by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Viz. Tolling, Operation, Maintenance, and Transfer of Kota Bypass and Cable Stay Bridge on NH-76 (New NH-27) in the state of Rajasthan and Gwalior-Jhansi section in the State of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
The 110.28 Kms (~441 Lane Kms) long project is under Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) model and involves upfront consideration of Rs. 1,683 Crs to be paid to the NHAI after achieving financial closure to secure tolling rights for 20 Years (revenue linked Concession Period), within stipulated timeframe.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Virendra D. Mhaiskar, Chairman & Managing Director, IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd., said, “This is second consecutive TOT win for us in a span of just a month and half, which is another testament of our strengths. This has strengthened IRB Infra’s leading position further in TOT space, which involves upfront payment of ~Rs 22,000cr to the government across 4 projects and expands our total asset base to ~Rs 77,000 Crs.” He added, “We express our sincere gratitude towards all authorities and stakeholders for their continued high trust and confidence in IRB. We would leave no stone unturned to achieve operational excellence to ensure the world class travel experience to the users.”
After the project getting awarded, the Company’s aggregate Order Book will reach approx. Rs. 37,500 Crs including TOT 12 and TOT 13.
16, Dec 2023
Signature Global Foundation’s Project Pathshala Brightens the Future of Government Schools
Signature Global, a leading real estate developer in Gurugram, is making significant strides in community service through its CSR arm, the Signature Global Foundation. As part of their initiative, Project Pathshala, the foundation conducted a successful event on 14th and 15th December 2023 in two government schools in Gurugram.
Signature Global Foundation visited the Government Primary School in Basai, benefitting 700 students, followed by the Government Senior Secondary School in Basai, impacting 1539 students, to conduct a series of activities, including the distribution of study materials, renovation of schools’ infrastructure, providing drinking water facility, and more.
Project Pathshala actively promotes education in government schools across Gurugram and encompasses a range of community service programs aimed at enhancing education in government schools. Signature Global Foundation’s initiatives underline the company’s holistic approach to corporate social responsibility, creating a positive ripple effect in the communities it serves.
On this occasion Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman of Signature Global group expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “Our commitment to education and community welfare is at the core of Signature Global’s values. We aim to uplift government schools and provide a conducive learning environment through Project Pathshala. It was extremely delightful to come across so many students, help them in various segments, and provide them with better access to learning. The success of our endeavours in Naurangpur, Kadarpur, Gadoli Khurd, Nawada Fatehpur, Basai, and Kakrola motivates us to continue making a positive impact on the education landscape in Gurugram.”
16, Dec 2023
OTTplay Premium Adds More Regional Flavor with aha Telugu & Tamil, Deepening Roots in the Market
National, 16th December 2023: India’s first AI-powered streaming, recommendation, and content discovery platform, is thrilled to announce the strategic on-boarding of aha, a dynamic addition to its premium content lineup “aha”, renowned for its high-quality Telugu and Tamil-language content, brings a unique flavor to OTTplay Premium’s platform. This collaboration enhances the diversity of available content while also playing a crucial role in strengthening OTTplay Premium’s presence in the regional market.
With an extensive array of exclusive Telugu & Tamil movies, original series, and engaging shows spanning various genres, aha Telugu & aha Tamil with OTT play Premium is set to captivate the audience with its diverse and culturally rich content. This partnership is a testament to OTTplay Premium’s commitment to delivering unparalleled entertainment experiences to its subscribers and strategically aligns with aha’s expertise in providing top-notch Telugu and Tamil-language content.
“We are pleased to announce the addition of aha Telugu & aha Tamil to the OTTplay Premium portfolio. This collaboration extends beyond content expansion; it represents a transformative shift in the essence of entertainment. This partnership transcends boundaries; it’s a fusion of quality, cultural resonance, and the sheer joy of storytelling. We are confident that this collaboration will not only redefine streaming experiences but also establish a lasting connection with our esteemed regional audience” said Mr. Avinash Mudaliar, CEO and Co-founder, OTT play.
Mr. Ravikanth Sabnavis, CEO of aha, said, “We are delighted to announce this strategic partnership with OTT Play, a pivotal step in our ongoing mission to become an integral part of every Telugu and Tamil household. In the dynamic landscape of digital entertainment, aha envisions itself not just as a leading Telugu and Tamil OTT App but as a cultural companion for families across regions. With OTT Play, we are excited to amplify our efforts and reach an even wider audience. OTT Play’s reputation as a key player in the digital streaming realm aligns seamlessly with aha’s vision, making them an invaluable strategic partner on our journey. Together, we aim to redefine the entertainment experience, ensuring our exclusive content resonates with viewers on a profound level. As we forge ahead, we are eager to share the excitement and joy that our content brings to the OTT Play family.”
OTTplay Premium subscribers can now enjoy a seamless transition to aha’s Telugu & Tamil content, exploring a wide range of options from blockbuster movies to critically acclaimed original series, all while tapping into aha’s expertise in delivering exceptional Telugu and Tamil-language entertainment.
The expansion of the content horizon ensures that OTTplay Premium continues to be a go-to destination for entertainment enthusiasts seeking variety, quality, and innovation. This exciting collaboration reflects OTTplay Premium’s dynamic approach to staying ahead in the competitive streaming landscape, fostering creativity and audience engagement.
16, Dec 2023
Chtrbox’s social media wing ChtrSocial wins mandate for health-snacking brand Gouri’s Goodies
16th December, 2023; Mumbai, India: Leading influencer marketing agency, Chtrbox’s social media marketing arm, ChtrSocial has bagged the social media mandate for Gouri’s Goodies, a trailblazer brand in the health-snacking industry. As a part of the mandate, ChtrSocial is responsible for driving the brand’s digital presence and engaging with the audience through innovative social media strategies. Along with social media marketing, their responsibilities include end-to-end production, seamless shoot coordination, thoughtful design elements, and expert management assistance.
ChtrSocial aims at establishing Gouri’s Goodies as a lifestyle choice, beyond just a snack brand. ChtrSocial conceptualized and recently launched the brand’s maiden digital campaign ‘Guilt-free with Gouri’ along with a complete packaging and website refresh to follow soon that will converse with it’s customers in the same tonality. Kickstarting this brand campaign, ChtrSocial has started off with humanizing the brand with the story and face of it’s founder Gouri Gupta serving the audience with a relatable recall-worthy identity and a channel to imbibe her persona in the thought-provoking edutainment content on ‘guiltless living’. The campaign emphasizes the brand’s commitment to making living more wholesome and enjoying every bit of it, just like their tasty guiltless goodies.
Speaking on the account win, Chtrbox’s Darshil Shah, Director, ChtrSocial, said, “We are on a mission to humanize brands and it is great to have clients onboard who are ready to invest their efforts alongside us for the same. We are excited to work closely with Mrs. Gouri Gupta and tell their story to the world. We are equally vested in her vision of the much-needed shift from mindless to guilt-free living and there couldn’t be a better way to spread that message than through Gouri herself.”
Speaking on awarding the mandate to Chtrbox and ChtrSocial, Gouri Gupta, Managing Director, Gouri’s Goodies, said, “At Gouri’s Goodies, we believe in the power of food to bring people together, and partnering with ChtrSocial allows us to extend that philosophy into the digital realm.
This collaboration is not just about sharing delicious treats; it is about creating a community that values shared moments, meaningful conversations, and the joy of connecting over a shared love for good food. The energy and excitement of the ChtrSocial team is something that we have always appreciated.
We are delighted to collaborate with ChtrSocial, an agency that shares our commitment to fostering meaningful connections. Together, we look forward to elevating the culinary experience, sparking delightful conversations, and building lasting connections through this exciting collaboration.”
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16, Dec 2023
Probus Insurance joins hands with Disney+ Hotstar for Pro Kabaddi League 2023
Mumbai, December 2023: After an overwhelming response during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Probus Insurance, one of the fastest-growing Insurtech brands, yet again joined hands with Disney+ Hotstar for Pro Kabaddi League 2023. Like their previous association, Probus will again be the exclusive partner for the Action Replay bug for Pro Kabbadi League Season 10, featuring their brand ambassador, Bollywood celebrity Hrithik Roshan.
Pro Kabaddi League is the most popular Kabaddi league in the world. In a testament to its widespread popularity, the PKL League achieved a staggering viewership of 435 million during its last season, resonating with a diverse audience from avid sports enthusiasts to casual viewers, making it one of the most-watched sporting events in the country after the IPL.
Rakesh Goyal, Managing director of Probus, said in the announcement, “We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with exclusive rights for the Action Replay Bug for Pro Kabaddi League this season. Probus has a strong local footprint of 800+ cities, serving 15000 pin codes, where most of our penetration is rural. With this tie-up, we aim to reach out to the rural belt, where Pro Kabaddi League is also making the sport an aspiration for the people in Tier 2 3 cities, touching diverse segments of the population. This is exactly where our brand ethos binds us together, boosting the purpose of this association.”
Dhruv Dhawan, Head – Ads at Disney+ Hotstar, said, “At Disney+ Hotstar, it is our constant endeavour to enable our advertisers to meet their business goals by leveraging our tentpole events. We are delighted to associate with Probus across our marquee sports properties, such as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and now the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10. We hope to continue to build on this association in the future as well.”
Probus’s online platform presents an array of insurance products, including motor, life, health, and SME. Having surpassed 1000 crore premium in the last year, the company has achieved a significant milestone. Aligned with IRDAI’s goals, Probus aims to expand into rural markets by deploying Bima Vahak, a specialized distribution channel, in every Gram Panchayat nationwide.
16, Dec 2023
Inauguration of M.L. Pendse Centre for Cancer Survivors and Symposium on Conflict Resolution Draws Legal Luminaries to Kaivalyadham
Lonavla, this Sunday, on 16 th December 2023, saw a bevy of legal luminaries make a bee line for Kaivalyadham, one of the world’s oldest Yoga Institute, to inaugurate the M.L. Pendse Centre for Cancer Survivors and Lifestyle Diseases, (Project Anand) and deliberate on an intense topic of Internal and External Conflict Resolution.
The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud inaugurated the M.L. Pendse Centre for Cancer Survivors and Lifestyle Diseases, which has opened in Kaivalyadham’s premises. He recalled the huge impression that was made on him by Justice M.L.Pendse, a very deeply respected and beloved judge of the High Court of Bombay. In his speech, he called Kaivalyadham an ‘oasis’ of greenery and simplicity in the landscape of our State, which needed to be preserved and emulated. He recalled his own experiences of being the caregiver for a cancer stricken family, and the need for their wellbeing and sustenance. He was deeply appreciative of Kaivalyadham’s scientific research, education, and contribution of yogic therapy to our society.
This Centre inauguration was accompanied with a very interesting symposium on ‘ Conflict Resolution, Internal and External’ . The Bombay Bar Association was the co -organiser of this Symposium, which was attended by more than 350 people, including judges, lawyers, doctors, chartered accountants, bureaucrats, mediators and other professionals.
Alongwith the CJI, Mr. Justice Abhay Oak, Judge , Supreme Court of India, Mr. D.K.Upadhyay, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, and retired Judges like Justice Srikrishna, and Justice Ramesh Dhanuka attended this inauguration. All of them spoke about how Yoga has personally helped them in bringing stability to their health, and bringing integrity to their decision making capacities.
Session 1 of the symposium focused on Creating Conducive Grounds towards Conflict Resolution.
This session was presided over by an illustrious panel- Justice Ramesh Dhanuka, Dr. Mahesh Karindikar, Neurosurgeon, Smt. Manisha Verma , IAS, and Dr. Ananda Balayogi , Yoga expert, moderated by Ms. Tanu Mehta, Mediator, all of whom shared their experiences and drew the attention of the audience to a mind boggling platter of perspectives. The session brought to fore the reality that we need to develop ‘empathy’ for any resolution with an adversary. Practices of Yoga, which help us see our own wholesomeness, and develops oneness of people, can help build empathy, was a thought that was well received by the audience.
Session 2 was about Bringing balance between the emotional mind and the rational mind.
Renowned scholars and professionals from diverse walks of life joined this session- Justice Mridula Bhatkar, Dr. Alok Sharma, neuro scientist, Dr. Birendra Saraf, Advocate General, Dr. Rajan Welukar , Academic, were the elite panelists and moderating the session was Advocate Mr. Ashvin Bhalekar.
Some very simple yet thought-provoking instances were put forth that laid emphasis on the balance of an emotional mind and a rational mind to make the best decisions of life. Examples were analysed from Mahabharat to Mahatma Gandhi, and from Israel to South Africa to examine the function of the primitive and the higher levels of brain and how yogic psychology can repair the balance
between these two minds in our brains.
Enabling self-reflection in law and in consciousness was the subject of discussion for session 3 .
The session had the entire room engulfed in deep thought and contemplation with the intelligent panelists- Justice B.N. Srikrishna, Dr. Bhushan Upadhyay, IPS, Dr. Praseeda Menon Psychologist Mr. Prathamesh Popat, Mediator, ably moderated by CEO Mr. Abdul Nasir Shaikh, presenting factual evidence drawn from personal experiences on the significance of reflecting upon self to be able to
achieve the desired outcome.
