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NEW YORK: Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the accompanying del-egation at the residence of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the UN on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Talks during the meet-ing dealt with the bilateral relations and ways of de-veloping them in various aspects of co-operation,

Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York.

Amir meets Modi

especially in the politi-cal and economic areas, to serve the interests of the two friendly people. Modi expressed thanks to the Amir for the good treatment for the Indian community in Qatar. The Amir and Modi also ex-changed views on the latest developments in the region. The meeting was attended by their excel-lencies members of the official delegation accom-panying the Amir.

MUMBAI: E-commerce gi-ants Amazon and Flipkart have created over 1.4 lakh temporary jobs across sup-ply chain, last-mile connec-tivity and customer support in preparation for their fes-tive sales that kicks off later this month.

Amazon.in, in a state-ment , said it has created more than 90,000 seasonal employment opportuni-ties across its fulfilment centres, sortation centres, delivery stations, partner fulfilment network and cus-tomer service sites. Similar-ly, Walmart-owned Flipkart has added over 50,000 direct jobs across its supply chain, logistics arm and customer support.

It expects to have in-

Festive season: Amazon, Flipkart create 1.4 lakh temporary jobs

creased the indirect jobs through the seller network by 30pc over last year tak-ing it to 6.5 lakh in the run up to its Big Billion Days sale, a Flipkart statement said. Like in offline retail, e-commerce companies see a significant jump in sales during Dusshera and Di-wali. The Sept-Nov period typically generates a major-ity of annual sales of these companies, which prepare months in advance for the sale events. Amazon said it has created seasonal posi-tions in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru , Ahmedabad and Pune, along with indirect opportunities through its fulfilment partner networks such as its trucking partners

and packaging vendors. “This year, we have created opportunities for close to double the number of sea-sonal associates compared with the last festive season. These seasonal associates will augment our capabili-ties to serve our customers better and ensure faster de-liveries across the country,” Amazon India Vice Presi-dent (Customer Fulfilment) Akhil Saxena said.

Customer serviceThe US-based company

said it has 15 customer service sites across 11 cities that offer support to the cus-tomers with pre-and post-order customer services through e-mail, chat, social media and phone calls in

Kannada, English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Also, it has ramped up capacity of its fulfilment centres (ware-houses) to more than 26 million cubic feet of storage space for sellers inventory this year. It has doubled the presence of its delivery ser-vice partner network with more than 1,400 delivery stations present across 750 cities.

Flipkart said it has trained hires in various aspects of supply chain in-cluding handling hand-held devices, PoS (point of sale) machines, scanners, various mobile applications and ERPs (enterprise resource planning) as well as finer aspects of customer service, delivery and installation.

The entire process of hir-ing and upskilling is being done in accordance with the government’s National Skill Development Mission and will significantly spur the local employment and economy, Flipkart said in a statement.

“At Flipkart, however, our aim is to benefit the entire ecosystem with our initiatives and that is ex-actly what our Big Billion Days aims to do. With new employment opportunities across geographies and the prospect of scaling the sell-ers’ businesses, we aim to stimulate local industries and foster the creation of a robust economy,” Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krish-namurthy said.

DUBAI: Sales prices over the last 12 months witnessed the sharpest drops in villas in Jumeirah Village (13pc), apartments in Dubai Land (19pc), Discovery Gardens (15pc) and Dubai Sports City (15pc). Rent and sales prices continued to drop across most parts of Dubai in the third quarter of 2019, according to a new report from Core.

According to the report, sales prices over the last 12 months witnessed the sharpest drops in villas in Jumeirah Village (13pc), apartments in Dubai Land (19pc), Discovery Gardens (15pc) and Dubai Sports City (15pc). Apartments in Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Village and Business Bay, however, saw an uptick in average sales prices as newly devel-

House rents, sales prices drop in Dubaioped projects in those areas are in higher price ranges, thus elevate the average prices. The report notes that older stock in those same areas continues to show subdued performance.

“The positive offset of the ongoing softening of the sales market is that it is defi-nitely a buyers’ market with both individual property owners and developers be-ing flexible and in line with market conditions,” said Prathyusha Gurrapu, head of research and advisory at Core. “The secondary sales market, mainly the mortgage market, has seen an uptick over the last three years, re-flecting that the sales market is increasingly being driven by end-users.”

The report forecasts that almost 29,500 units will

be delivered by the end of 2019, with approximately 16,500 already delivered year to date, primarily in Dubai Land, Jumeirah Village Circle and Triangle, Meydan, MBR City, Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai South.Area-specifi c falls

“With existing inventory and future stock brought to the market over 2019-2020, sales prices are forecast to remain under pressure in the foreseeable future as the market gradually adjusts to supply and demand dynam-ics on the back of ongoing reforms,” Gurrapu added.

The report also noted that certain areas saw notable rental declines -- particular-ly Discovery Gardens (13pc) and Dubai Land (12pc) as competition intensified in the affordable market seg-

ment and more options be-come available. On the other hand, centrally located dis-tricts such as Business Bay, Dubai Marina and DIFC saw low rental falls when compared to outer areas. “We expect rental prices to remain under pressure in 2019/2020 and the rental market to continue being tenant friendly with many tenants looking to move by upgrading to bigger units within new projects or simi-lar or lower rents,” Gurrapu said. “Those choosing to stay are negotiating various incentives such as rent-free periods, longer contract terms, multiple cheques, refurbishment of units and contribution to utilities as tenant retention becomes increasingly challenging for landlords,” she added.

NEW DELHI: NRIs with valid Indian passport can apply for Aadhaar on arrival, without the 182-day waiting period, with the govern-ment issuing a notification in this regard. Following the notification, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has also come out with a circular stating

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presenting Punyabhushan Award to eminent Archeologist Dr GB Deglurkar organised by Punyabhushan Foundation in Pune.

King Salman opens new terminal at Jeddah airport

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inaugurates new terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman officially opened the new airport terminal at King Abdul Aziz International airport, Jeddah.

The new airport terminal, which had a soft opening in August this year, currently operates flights to three in-ternational destinations and 21 domestic airports, and is expected to significantly improve the kingdom’s op-erations for people travelling to Makkah to perform Haj and the Umrah. The 810,000 sq m terminal includes 220 boarding counters and 80 self-service machines for check-in, and 46 gates for departures and arrivals.

With a capacity for 30 million passengers annually,

according to the Saudi Press Agency, the long-term plan is to handle more than 80 million passengers per year

by 2035, as Saudi Arabia pushes ahead with reforms

that will see a sharp rise in tourist numbers.

The airport handled a re-cord number of 41.2 million

passengers last year, accord-ing to GACA.

World Bank’s Georgieva approved as new IMF chiefWASHINGTON: Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgie-va was confirmed as managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the IMF said, becoming the first person from an emerging economy to head the global lender.

A center-right politician who grew up in Bulgaria under communism, Geor-gieva has built a reputation during her time at the World Bank - where she has been on a leave of absence from her post as chief executive officer during the IMF nomination process - and the European Commission as a tenacious straight-shooter, champion of gender equality and leader in the global fight against climate change.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected as Manag-ing Director of the IMF and

grateful for the trust that the Fund’s global membership and the Executive Board

have placed in me. I want to pay tribute to my prede-cessor, Christine Lagarde, a great leader and a dear friend, whose vision and tireless work have contributed so much to the continued suc-cess of the Fund”, Georgieva said in a statement after the IMF selected her as the IMF’s

Kristalina Georgieva

next Managing Director—the 12th since the Fund’s incep-tion in 1944—for a five-year term, starting on October 1.

“It is a huge responsibility to be at the helm of the IMF at a time when global economic growth continues to disap-point, trade tensions persist, and debt is at historically high levels. As I noted in my statement to the Executive Board, our immediate priority is to help countries minimize the risk of crises and be ready to cope with downturns. Yet, we should not lose sight of our long-term objective – to support sound monetary, fis-cal and structural policies to build stronger economies and improve people’s lives. This means also dealing with is-sues like inequalities, climate risks and rapid technological change”, she said.

UAE private sector employment rises to 5.1mABU DHABI: Employment in the private sector rose by one per cent in the second quarter of 2019 to 5.1 million, accord-ing to new figures released by the UAE’s Central Bank. The previous quarter, private sector employment rose by 0.1pc.

Data provided by the Ministry of HR and Emiratisation show that employees in the private sector represented about 81.5pc of all employees registered at the ministry by the end of 2018, compared with 80.7pc at the end of 2017. Of the UAE’s 5.1 million private sector employees, 26.9pc are based in Abu Dhabi, compared with 51.6pc in Dubai and 21.5pc in the country’s north regions. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, employment grew by 0.5pc in the second quarter of 2019, compared with a 1.2pc increase the previous quarter.

NRIs can now apply for Aadhaaron arrival without 182-day wait

that “NRI after his arrival in India, shall be entitled to obtain Aadhaar number”.

The modalities for appli-cation remain more or less unchanged, a UIDAI source said adding that NRIs with Indian passport can now ap-ply for biometric ID on arrival or by scheduling a prior ap-pointment, thus doing away

with the requirement for a mandatory 182-day waiting period. UIDAI circular said valid Indian passport will be accepted as proof of identity, proof of address (PoA) and date of birth document.

“In case NRI’s passport does not have Indian ad-dress, he shall be allowed to submit (Contd. on page 2)

UAE fi rms to invest up to $7b in India-UAE food corridor: GoyalDUBAI: UAE entities are expected to invest up to $7 billion (Dh25 billion) in India’s food sector in the next three years as part of the UAE-India food corridor project that aims to secure the UAE’s food security, Piy-ush Goyal, Minister of Com-merce and industry, said.

These entities, coordi-nated by Dubai-based Emaar Group, plan to invest up to $5 billion in mega food parks and similar facilities in various Indian cities, and up to $2 billion in contract farming, sourcing of agro commodities and related infrastructure, he said.

Emaar in a statement said, “Emaar Group is coor-dinating (Contd. on page 2)

2 EMIGRATION Friday, September 27, 2019

Published by IPEPCIL Publications LtdRNI No.: MAHENG/2018/76663

Publisher: Supreet M.J.Editor : E.L. VaidyanathanVolume No.: 1, Issue: 101

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LIPSYNCH “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”

— Winston Churchill.

Modi-Trump bonhomie

No doubt, the Houston jamboree of the Indian diaspora, addressed both by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, was a runaway

success. The “Howdy, Modi” event was a blockbuster that showcased the strength of the Indian community and high-lighted the personal equation between the leaders of the two largest democracies in the world. Modi is a show man par excellence and has drafted Indian diaspora communities in several countries for advancing his strategic objectives, largely aimed at his constituents back home. The diaspora in the US is of pre-eminent significance given its increasing political clout and the centrality of the US in India’s strategic set-up. Trump’s active participation at the rally and his all-out open effusive support for India were a reflection of the community’s influence in the US --- both financial and vote bank.

The chemistry the two leaders shared and their mutual admiration were on display as both addressed their con-stituents. Terrorism and immigration are issues which are close to the heart of Modi and Trump and they make no bones about it. There was enough common ground to build over and differences were swept aside for the moment. Trump named fighting “radical Islamic terrorism” as a key common interest of the two countries, triggering a standing ovation by the audience. Trump also emphasised border security, a controversial topic in both the countries. Modi presented the ending of autonomy for J&K to the cheering crowds as a significant achievement of this government. The rally galvanised the diaspora in support for Modi’s politics in India and enticed Trump. The US president‘s implied endorsement of Modi’s Kashmir policy was music to the ears of those in the audience, but the underlying principle of his America First nationalism that it has no role to play globally other than protecting its own interests could lead to outcomes not to India’s liking.

At the end, some questions remain unanswered. Modi was overwhelmed to endorsing President Trump in the ensuing US elections. This should have been avoided as meddling into the domestic politics of a host nation can cast a long shadow on future relations. Also, no matter what the personal equation between the two leaders, the fundamentals need to be addressed and on these, there is still disagreement in both sides.

The anticipated trade agreement is being worked out and some significant irritants remain. Yet, the relations between India and the US are on a positive footing and the US stance on Article 370 has given Indian diplomacy a boost. Modi triumphantly securing Trump’s visible support sent out a strong signal to the rest of the world. Modi ‘s political tango with Trump would further solidify the larger-than-life global persona being built around him which will be used by the BJP to the hilt in the forthcoming assembly elections and can pay off. The present warmth and bonhomie between Trump and Modi is welcome. But how long will it last? That’s a million dollar question. Only the time will tell.

Editorial

Punjab Tourism Minister Charanjit Singh Channi (standing centre) appealed to the Indians living in the UK to visit Punjab as the state was doing its best to attract NRI tourists. The Punjab minister is in UK to promote Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations.

US-Indian Neomi Rao sworn-in as judge

NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio an-nounced the new commis-sioners of the Commission on Gender Equality, with In-dian American Sasha Ahuja named among the group.

The commission is an agency tasked with sup-porting city agencies in dismantling institutional barriers for women, girls, transgender and gender non-binary New Yorkers. The list of new appoin-tees includes strong leaders across a variety of diverse fields including healthcare, law and nonprofit. The new commissioners will work with CGE and the current commissioners as partners and ambassadors for CGE’s work and the broader gen-der equity efforts of the de Blasio administration.

In addition to Ahuja, who serves as the chief of staff at Girls for Gender Equity and chair of New

Sasha Ahuja Named to NYC’s Commission on Gender Equality

Sasha Ahuja

York City’s Equal Employ-ment Practices Commission, the other members include Ivelyse Andino, Sherry Ha-kimi, Chanel Porchia-Albert, Ellyn Toscano and Dr. Jillian

Weiss. “New York City is committed to using every tool we have to create a truly equal city for all New York-ers, no matter their gender,” said de Blasio in a statement. “These new members bring invaluable expertise to the Commission and will con-tinue our work in the fight

for gender equity.”Established in June

2015, the CGE works to effectively address issues of inequity and discrimina-tion facing women, girls, transgender and gender non-binary individuals re-gardless of their ability, age, ethnicity/race, faith, gender expression, immigrant sta-tus, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. CGE works with various city agencies to help progress the mayor’s goal of reduc-ing gender-based inequity, by advancing a safer, more inclusive and economi-cally mobile city for all New Yorkers.

The commission contin-ues to strive towards gender equity across New York City through the support and partnership of city agen-cies, commissioners, and community partners. Ad-ditionally, the de Blasio ad-ministration has continued

its commitment to making great strides towards gender equity with key legislative advancements including the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act; Gender “X” Marker Bill; Diaper Chang-ing Accommodations Law; and Expanding Lactation Accommodations.

“New York City’s man-date to promote gender equity – especially through a racial justice lens – could not be more urgent. I am eager to use my role as a Commissioner on New York City’s Commission on Gender Equity to ensure that folks most directly im-pacted by systemic inequity in our city have a seat at the decision making table to in-fluence policy that impacts their lives,” said Ahuja in a statement.

Ahuja has a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Thomas Cook in UAE unaffected by collapseUAE: Thomas Cook offices in the UAE say they are unaffected by the collapse of Thomas Cook in the UK because they are affiliated with the Indian branch of the 178-year-old company.

A spokesperson from Ros-tamani Travels said: “We are not affected because we are affiliated with Thomas Cook India, which is a completely different entity. “We are only indirectly affected by the collapse because customers keep calling to try and cancel their holidays, but we are having to explain that we are in no way affiliated with the collapse. Hopefully this [speaking to the press] will help clear this confusion,” the spokesperson added.

The official Thomas Cook office in Oud Mehta, which is owned by TravTips Travel and Tourism LLC, also confirmed it was “business as usual”, and

confirmed that they were the official franchisee for Thomas Cook India in the UAE, while acknowledging that Rostamani Travels also sold Thomas Cook India packages. A third office, Travel Incorporated also confirmed they were af-filiated with Thomas Cook India and were therefore not affected by the UK closure.

All offices referred us to a statement from Madha-van Menon, the chairman of Thomas Cook (India), which read: “With the re-cent developments relating to the iconic British Travel Company, Thomas Cook PLC, being reported in the media, it is imperative to highlight that Thomas Cook India Group is a completely different entity since Au-gust 2012 when it was ac-quired by Fairfax Financial Holdings (Fairfax), a Cana-da-based multinational firm

with varied interests across the globe as well as in India.

“Post-transfer of its en-tire stake in Thomas Cook (India) to Fairfax, Thomas Cook UK ceased to be the promoter of Thomas Cook (India) from the said date and since then Thomas Cook UK has had no stake in Thomas Cook (India) . The last seven years have been fruitful as we continue to grow and build our legacy as an independent entity after Fairfax Financial Hold-ings acquired a 77pc stake in Thomas Cook India Ltd. (TCIL) in 2012.”

Meanwhile, UAE resi-dents who have used Thom-as Cook India tour packages received the company’s statement distancing itself from the UK company’s col-lapse. Rajesh Ravindran, an IT manager in Dubai, said he was among the custom-ers who received the mail.

WASHINGTON: Indian American former White House of-ficial Neomi Rao was formally sworn-in to her post in the federal appeals court. The Washington Post reports that Rao was sworn in during a ceremony attended by prominent members of the legal community and high-profile figures from the Trump administration, where she once worked.

Former White House counsel Don-ald McGahn, who recommended Rao for the job and was instrumental in President Donald Trump’s successful judicial nominations, emphasised her diverse experience in government.

“She’s been on the field of play and made tough decisions at the highest levels,” McGahn said, be-fore alluding to Rao’s difficult Senate nomination process, according to the report. “She stood the test under pressure and adversity.”

Also in attendance were two Supreme Court justices: Brett M. Kavanaugh, whom Rao replaces on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and Clarence Thomas, for whom Rao was a law clerk. After being sworn in by Thomas, Rao (46) addressed the standing-room-only court-room filled by Washington’s interconnected community of lawyers, judges, Justice Department officials and former Supreme Court law clerks. Rao, the former White House regulator czar, said she brings to the bench an up-close experience with the “checks and balances at work” and a “practical understanding of the powers and limitations” of the respective branches of government, the report said.

Neomi Rao

UAE fi rms to invest up to $7b in India-UAE food corridor...(Contd. from page 1)with the Government of India in respect of the in-vestment relating to food security in the UAE. The investment will be made by other UAE entities, the details of which will be declared at a later stage.”

It was reported earlier that the idea of the joint food corridor for the UAE’s food security was inspired by India’s strategic petro-leum reserve in Padur in south India, in partnership with Abu Dhabi National

Oil Company, ADNOC. Likewise, the UAE could have a food reserve in India.

“They [UAE entities] have expressed their in-terest to invest up to $5 billion in mega food parks, logistics and warehouse hubs, fruits and vegetable hubs in various Indian cities, which would create 200,000 jobs across India,” said the minister who was in the UAE earlier this week on an official visit.

The proposed projects are in various cities, such as

mega food parks in Kutch in western state of Gujarat and Aurangabad in western state of Maharashtra, Goyal said.

A f o o d p a r k i n Pawarkheda in central state of Madhya Pradesh, logis-tics and warehouse hub in Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh, fruits and vegetables hub in Nashik and warehousing hub in Bhiwandi in Maha-rashtra are other projects, he explained.

The UAE entities plan to make an indicative in-vestment up to $ 2 billion

in contract farming, sourc-ing of several agro com-modities, setting up of food parks and other related infrastructure for food pro-cessing, the minister said.

They are considering western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra for the proposed projects and the possibility of eight food parks is being cur-rently evaluated, Goyal revealed.

The food export pos-sibilities to the UAE and wider region are explored,

which will turn into a win-win situation for both India and UAE, he said.

Reports in 2018 said that India had suggested to the UAE leadership it could be a partner in the UAE’s food security.

Although India grows enough food for its 1.3 bil-lion people, 30 per cent of that food is wasted for lack of appropriate infrastruc-ture for storage, processing and transportation, which could be built by the UAE’s investments.

NRIs can now apply...(Contd. from page 1)any of the other UIDAI-approved PoA documents as proof of address,” said the circular. It may be recalled that in her budget speech on July 5, Finance Minister Nirmala Sithara-man had said: “I propose to consider issuing Aadhaar card for non-resident Indians with Indian passports after their arrival in India,” without the stipulated waiting period.

Indian IT fi rms increase local hiring in US on tight visa normsBENGALURU: Indian IT services companies are in-creasing their local hiring numbers in the US, despite higher costs, to counter the increasingly stringent norms of the H-1B visa pro-gramme that allows compa-nies to temporarily employ foreign workers in the US in specialty occupations.

On September 13, Infosys said that it plans to hire 1,000 people locally by 2023 for its just-launched Technology and Innovation Center in Arizona. The company has surpassed its “spring 2017 commitment to hire 10,000

American workers as part of its ongoing efforts to acceler-ate the pace of innovation for US enterprises”, it said.

In June, Wipro Ltd an-nounced the opening of a new centre of excellence in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of the US, for which it will hire 100 people locally over the next two years to boost its already substantial presence in the region.

India’s largest IT services provider Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), already has about 30,000 US employees, making it the largest employer in the US among Indian peers.

Tourism industry has huge job potential: Nitin GadkariNEW DELHI: The second edition of tourism and hos-pitality buyer-seller meet the ‘India Tourism Mart 2019’ was inaugurated in New Delhi recently. Speak-ing on the occasion, Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari, said that tourism sector has employment poten-tial and this is the most important agenda for the government.

He expressed faith that the Tourism Ministry will show great results given its commitment to promote tourism and travel in the country. He adds “Great positive outcome can be expected from the well or-ganised Mart and the type of stake holders who are par-ticipating. India is a diverse country language, which fascinates and attracts new tourists. We are focusing on cleanliness and infrastruc-ture which will also boost the tourism sector.”

Boeing’s top 737 Max buyer in India weighs 100-Jet Airbus dealNEW DELHI: India’s SpiceJet Ltd. is weighing an order for at least 100 Airbus SE planes as Boeing Co. grapples with the fallout over its grounded 737 Max. The budget carrier, a major global customer for the Max, may buy a “sizeable” number of Airbus A321LR and XLR jets to accommodate a planned expansion, SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh said. No decision has been made, he said, and the airline would consider a competing midrange jetliner if Boeing decides to build one. Airbus has “pushed us hard since the day we started flying Boeing aircraft, and of course with the current problems, they’ve pushed us harder,” Singh said in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York. “They have made us a commercial offer and we are evaluating it.”

The discussions with Airbus threaten Boeing with a high-profile defection at a time when the US planemaker is enmeshed in one of the biggest crises in its 103-year history. SpiceJet, India’s second-largest airline, has 13 Max jets already in its fleet and has committed to buy as many as 205 of the single-aisle workhorses as it expands ca-pacity to handle the nation’s fast-growing demand for air travel.

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Fun Corner

Sudoku Puzzle 98 Answer

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Sudoku Puzzle

Drinking water from copper glass im-proves health and

also neutralises the toxins present in the body. Drink-ing water from copper glass improves health and also neutralises the toxins pres-ent in the body.

According to Ayurveda, when we drink the water which is stored overnight in a copper vessel particu-larly early in the morning, it helps in balancing the three doshas – kapha, vata and pitta.

It’s always better to sit and slowly sip water to reap its benefits and drinking from a copper vessel is all the more beneficial for us.

The water should be present in the vessel for at

Use copper vessels for its many benefitsleast eight hours to get its benefits. Due to the natural insecticidal properties of copper, water is sterilised and health-related proper-

ties are imbibed in the water.

For those who have a cough, they should put a tulsi leaf in this water and drink regularly to reduce it. Copper is an essential trace mineral required by the

body to perform vital func-tions. It has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-carcino-genic and anti-inflammatory properties.

It not only im-proves health but also neutralises the toxins pres-ent in the body. Our system cannot synthesise copper, so we need to get it from various di-etary sources.Benefits of drink-

ing copper-treated waterStimulates digestive sys-

tem: Due to the disinfectant properties of copper, the stomach bacteria are de-stroyed, and the problem of inflammation becomes less. It also cleans the diges-

tive system which helps in proper digestion as well as excretion.

Helps reduce weight: Are you unable to lose weight even after eating fibre-rich vegetables, fruits and following all other weight loss measures? Try and drink at least a litre of copper treated water throughout the day. In ad-dition to stimulating diges-tion, this water helps in reducing excess fat in the body.

Helps in repleni-shing wounds: Due to the an-ti-bacterial and anti-viral properties of copper, wound healing becomes faster as there are fewer chances of infection. Copper helps in increasing the immunity,

production of new cells and coping with internal bowel injuries, especially early stomach wounds.

Rheumatoid arthritis: Due to its ability to re-move inflammation, copper helps in relieving arthritis pain and at the same time strengthens the bone.

Fighting cancer: Cop-per acts as an antioxidant and help in counteracting free radicals in the body, which is the main cause of cancer.

Improves skin: Copper helps in the smoothening of face tissue, improves skin health also helps in melanin production. So there are many more reasons to in-clude copper treated water in your routine.

Consuming unhealthy food, high in fat and sugar, may have neg-

ative long-term effects on spatial memory, a study con-ducted in rats suggests.

Spatial memory is re-sponsible for the recording of information about one’s environment and spatial ori-entation.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, investigated cognitive func-tion in rats that alternated between a ‘cafeteria diet’ of foods high in fat and sugar — like pies, cake, biscuits and chips — and their regular, healthy diet.

Over a period of six weeks, the rats were fed junk food in intervals of either three, five, or seven consecutive days, separated by their healthy chow diet.

The researchers at the Uni-versity of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia found that the rats’ spatial memory recognition deteriorated in

Junk food consumption may harm spatial memory: Study

increments according to their pattern of access to junk food — the more days in a row they ate junk food, the worse their memory got.

“Anything over three days a week of eating badly impact-ed memory in these animals,” said Professor Margaret Morris from the UNSW School of Medical Sciences, and senior author of the study.

The researchers tested the rats’ spatial memory by first familiarising them with two objects.

They then repositioned one of the objects and mon-itored the rats’ ability to recognise a change in their environment.

A healthy animal, Morris explained, would be more likely to explore the object that had been moved.

“We all know that a healthy diet with minimal junk foods is good for our overall health and performance, but this paper shows that it is critical for optimal brain function as

well,” she said.Morris and her team pre-

viously showed diet-related changes in rats’ hippocampus-es, which she explained as the part of the brain responsible for helping us find things and navigate spaces.

“This particular brain re-gion is important in all of us. It’s also already known to be affected in humans by poor diet,” she said.

In addition to the reduced spatial memory recognition, the study also identified phys-ical differences between rats who consumed the junk food on the three-day and five-day intervals.

The rats who were fed the cafeteria diet on the five-day schedule were consider-ably heavier, longer and had greater fat mass than those on the three-day schedule.

Their metabolic profile also bore a closer resemblance to those on the seven-day schedule than those on the three-day schedule.

The study adds to existing research on cognitive function and unhealthy diets — but it differs from the body of evidence in important ways.

Many existing studies test animals that have unre-strained access to junk food, which doesn’t resemble how junk food is consumed by humans.

“I think these kinds of experiments where animals have access only some of the time is a better model. I hope this paper starts to add to a more accu-rate idea of what hap-pens when we eat un-healthily part of the time, not all of the time,” said lead author of the paper, Michael Kendig.

The researchers said that while the study produced important results, more re-search was needed before the findings could be translated to humans.

Washing your veg-gies before cook-ing can be a tir-

ing task, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp out on the process. Popular chef Uma Raghunathan, who runs the handle @masterchefmom, shares her tips on how to ensure your produce is clean and fresh before you begin your culinary process.

* Uma follows a two-wash process — first, she washes the produce under running water, and then drops the cut products into a small-holed colander for

another c l e a n -ing. This ensures m a x i -

mum removal of outside bacteria.

* Adding natural clean-ers like vinegar, lemon, salt or baking soda to a bowl of water before washing will ensure that the produce is properly cleaned.

* For vegetables like lettuce and cabbage, she

running water, as they are the dirtiest of produce. Us-ing the vinegar solution is also helpful here.

* Certain vegetables such as ladies finger can-not be washed after cutting. Therefore, ensure it is prop-

erly cleaned beforehand.* For those houses with

low amounts of water, Uma says produce can be washed by collecting water in two bowls, and adding vinegar to one.

The produce can soak in the vinegar mixture for five minutes, and then rinsed off in the other.

* Green vegetables are sprinkled with some water at the grocery store. Ensure that these are patted dry and stored with some tissue or covered in newspaper to ensure they last longer.

peels apart the first layer of leaves and discards them. She then washes the veg-etable leaf-by-leaf.

* Trickier vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower require more attention. She cuts them up into florets,

which she boils in a water and vinegar solution for five minutes.

* Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and yams require repeated cleaning with the force of your fin-gers to remove additional dirt.

* Certain fruits like apples, strawberries and grapes, have a thin layer of wax on them. She recom-mends soaking these in a 8:1 ratio of water and vin-egar to remove this coating.

* Mushrooms must be thoroughly cleaned with

Wash what goes in your mouth

Your wellness

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) released a notifica-tion for a recruitment drive to fill several vacant posts. The JSS looks to fill a total of 1,140 vacancies through this drive. Applications have been invited for the recruitment of Block Sup-ply Officer, Block Wel-fare Officer, Sub-Divisional inspector-cum-Law and other posts through JG-GLCCE-2019 or Jharkhand General Graduate level combined competitive Ex-amination 2019. The inter-ested candidates can only apply online on the Com-mission’s official website – jssc.nic.in. The last date to submit the application

JSSC releases notification to recruit for 1,140 posts

form online is October 17, 2019. Only the residents of Jharkhand would be con-sidered eligible for these posts.Important dates

Start of online applica-tion- September 18, 2019

Last date of online ap-plication- October 17, 2019

Vacancies: A total of 1,140 vacancies are there. The vacancies have been listed for the following posts:

Block Supply Officer – 223 Posts

Block Welfare Officer – 139 Posts

Assistant branch officer – 362 Posts

Co-Operative Extension officer – 241 Posts

Sub-Divisional inspec-tor-cum-Law – 170 Posts

Planning Assistant – 5 Posts

Educational qualifica-tion: Candidates applying for all the above-mentioned posts would be required to be at least graduates.

Age: The minimum age for these vacancies is 21 years. However, there is age relaxation for SC, ST, OBC candidates.

Application fee: The applicants need to pay an application fee of Rs 1,000. However, for candidates belonging to SC and ST category, the application fee is Rs 250. Application fee once submitted will not be refunded.

Salary: The candi-dates, if selected, will get a monthly salary up to Rs 34,800. The additional grade pay is Rs 4,600. The candidates selected for the post of ‘Planning Assistant’ candidates would get Rs 20,200. For ‘Planning Assis-tant’ candidates, the grade pay is Rs 2,800.

Exam pattern: There will two types of exam- Preliminary and Main. The Prelim examination will consist of multiple-choice questions. A total of 120 questions will be there and a time of two hours will be given to the candidates. For more details, the candi-dates need to visit the of-ficial website at jssc.nic.in.

NEW DELHI: Researchers at IIT-Delhi are working on a honey blockchain to check the problem of adul-teration. The technology, researchers say, will not just help increase transparency about the various stages that a batch of honey goes through, but will also help track the origin of the prod-uct and check false claims. The project is part of an ini-tiative where private firms fund research by students and staff at IIT.

The blockchain technol-ogy records transactions at every stage where honey changes hands — right from the honey collector to the aggregator who then sells it to the processor — to make sure there is a clear

IIT-Delhi developing blockchain to plug adulteration of honey

record of where the product has come from. The import of Indian honey has been banned by several countries in the past over adultera-tion.

Rahul Dewan, COO Sri-jan Technologies Pvt Ltd which is funding the study at the institute, says India’s internal quality and testing standards are not rigorous enough. “India’s honey en-tering into UK and EU has been under the scanner for adulteration and pres-ence of antibiotics such as ‘streptomycin’… If importers and consumers around the world are able to trust the quality of the honey they are consuming, grassroot bee-keepers and bee-collectors get better rates,” said Dewan.

Kavya Dashora, assistant professor at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology and the prin-cipal investigator in the project, said regular testing of each batch is not easy and is also expensive. “This is a business that runs on trust. Honey either comes from the wild or from apiaries. The produce can then travel through a number of hands and this is where the chance of adulteration is highest. A block chain ledger records transactions at every stage of the value chain. This can enable the honey industry and exporters to establish trust as consumers can be sure of the origin and the journey from production to the counter,” Dashora said.

BITS Pilani, IIT-Kanpur, La Trobe to research on smart citiesNEW DELHI: The Asian Smart Cities Research and Innovation Network (AS-CRIN)—developed by La Trobe University (Australia), along with its partners IIT Kanpur and BITS Pilani—was announced during a visit to India by La Trobe’s vice-chancellor, Prof John Dewar.

“The aim of this initia-tive is to build a critical mass of resources, know-how and targeted research strength from the three uni-

versities, along with close engagement with industry and local government, to deliver impact for the sus-tainability, liveability and efficiency of cities across Asia,” La Trobe said in a statement.

The research network will include La Trobe-IIT Kanpur Research Acad-emy and a joint PhD and research framework with BITS Pilani—which will be supported and guided by a network of ‘industry cham-

pions’—who will comprise senior leaders from corpo-rates, consulting houses, SMEs and the government.

Key themes for research and industry collaboration are around infrastructure and technology; economic development; mobility and transport; health and well-being; education; urban planning; governance and engagement; security and safety; culture and heritage; and energy, water and waste.

Prof Dewar said, “I’m

delighted to deepen our re-lationship with IIT Kanpur and BITS Pilani to create a powerhouse of research and industry collaboration to address the pressing global challenges brought about by urbanisation in Asia.”

More than 70 academics from the three universities have joined the research and innovation network, with the aim of creating new joint research professorships and a joint PhD programme with more than 50 PhD scholar-

ships offered.Prof Abhay Karandikar,

director of IIT Kanpur, said the institute specialises in smart energy grids that are the backbone of any Smart City. “We are not only conducting state-of-the-art research in this area but have also put our work into practice by implementing a smart energy grid in our campus,” he said.

“Combining our expertise in this this area with the re-search strengths of La Trobe

University will bring us cutting-edge results for the benefit of rapidly urbanising Asian cities,” he added.

Prof Souvik Bhattacha-ryya, vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani, said, “We want to take our collaboration with La Trobe to the next level, introducing a joint doctoral programme. We are combining our expertise to address new challenges in Smart Cities. This covers many areas, from mobility and transport to sanitation

and waste management, us-ing disruptive technologies such as IoT, AI, machine learning, blockchain and real-time data analytics.”

In 2018 , La Trobe launched an innovation competition called Technol-ogy Infusion Grand Chal-lenge where UG students apply skills gained in their studies to solve societal or industry problems in Smart Cities. Entries to the second year of this annual competi-tion are now open.

IN FOCUS6 Friday, September 27, 2019

GULF FAQsI am employed by my current employer on an employment contract of unlimited duration wherein I have completed two months of probation period. My employ-ment contract states that either I or my employer can terminate the employment contract during probation without notice period. Recently, I received a job offer from a company in another country and I am eager to take it up. I intend to resign without serving a notice period to my current employer as mentioned in my employment contract. If I tender resignation from current employment during probation period, would it attract an employment ban in the UAE?

It may be noted that generally, free zone authorities in the UAE may have their own employment rules and regula-tions. However, if a free zone authority does not have its own set of employment rules and regulations, then the provisions of Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 regulating employment relations in the UAE (“the Employment Law”) and the subsequent ministerial decrees are applicable. As you have not mentioned the free zone where you are employed, therefore your query will be addressed in accordance to the provisions of the Employment Law and the subsequent ministerial decrees. As per the provisions of Ministerial Decree (765) of 2015 on Rules and Conditions for the Termination of Employment Relations (the “Ministerial Decree no. 765 of 2015”), an unlimited duration employment contract is terminated when either the employer or an employee terminates the employment contract any time provided the terminating party notifies the other party and continues to abide by the contractual obligations for the duration of the notice period. This is in accordance with Article 1 (II) (2) of the Ministerial Decree No. 765 of 2015 which states: “An employment relation between employer and employee may be terminated as follows:

1) In the case of unlimited (not term-bound) contracts, an employment relation is terminated if any of the following in-stances occur:

2) One party acts, at any time, to ter-minate the contract subject to notifying the other party and continuing to honour con-tractual obligations for the duration of the notice period, which cannot be less than one month and cannot exceed three months.”

It may be pertinent to note that the party who terminates the employment contract unilaterally without adhering to the conditions listed in Article 1 (II) (2) of the Ministerial Decree No. 765 of 2015 may have to bear the legal consequences for early termination of employment. This is in accordance with Article 1 (II) (3) of the Ministerial Decree which states: “An em-ployment relation between employer and employee may be terminated as follows:

1) In the case of unlimited (not term-bound) contracts, an employment relation is terminated if any of the following in-stances occur:

2) One party (employer or employee) acts unilaterally to terminate the contract, without complying with the legal condi-tions described in (B) above and without reason of non-compliance by the other party; in this case the terminating party bears any legal consequences of early termination.

In all instances of termination described in this Article (1), either employer or em-ployee may refer to the judicial system to seek indemnification or recover other rights under the Federal Employment Law and its implementing decrees.”

Based on the aforementioned provisions of law, an employment contract may be terminated by serving the notice period as mentioned in the employment contract. Since your employment contract specifically states that during probation period both employer and employee may terminate the employment contract without notice period, there may be no requirement of serving notice period to your employer related to termination of your employment agreement. However, the said provision of your employment contract may be only valid if it is registered with the concerned free zone authority.

If your employment contract is not registered with the free zone authority concerned, you may have to serve the notice period in accordance with the afore-mentioned provisions of Ministerial Decree No. 765 of 2015. Further, even if your employment contract is registered with the free zone authority and your employer disagrees to terminate your employment contract without notice period stating that the provision of the “no notice period” is

Notice period: go by your job contractnot within the provisions of Employment Law or ministerial decrees then you are entitled to contest the decision of your employer in accordance with Article 7 of the Employment Law. It states: “Any stipulations contrary to the provisions of this law, even if it was made prior to its commencement, shall be null and void unless they are more advantageous to the employee.” Based on this, the clauses re-lated to notice period in your employment contract may be null and void. However, such clause may still suffice as it is ad-vantageous to the employee.

Nevertheless, termination of employ-ment within six months of joining the job may attract an employment ban on you to work in the free zone where you are em-ployed or anywhere in the UAE in future for a specified period of time as decided by the free zone concerned or Ministry of HR and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Article 1(II) (1) of Ministerial Decree No. 766 of 2015 on Rules and Conditions for granting permit to an employee for employment by a new employer, states: “The two parties (worker and employer) mutually consent to terminating the contract provided the worker has completed a period of no less than six months with the employer, the latter provision is waived for workers that qualify for skill levels 1, 2 and 3, as per the ministry’s classification.” Based on the aforementioned provision of Ministe-rial Decree No. 766 of 2015, the free zone authority concerned or the MOHRE may impose an employment ban on you in the free zone or in the UAE in future if you are not a skilled professional as mentioned in MOHRE’s classification. However, even if the free zone concerned bans you from employment for a stipulated period, you may look for job in other free zones or mainland companies in the UAE. Further, imposing of employment ban is absolute discretion of the MOHRE or the free zone authority concerned.

Driving licenceHow do I secure a new driving licence

or any document that will allow me to drive in the UAE? This is for someone who doesn’t have a visa or Emirates ID card. My visa was cancelled and I left the

country in 2017. I have a photocopy of it and it is valid until 2022. I am planning to return and find a job but I have lost my UAE driving licence. How I can replace my lost licence before getting a visa and ID card as the employers I am speaking to need people with a licence?

It is a relatively simple process to replace a lost driving licence, although the exact procedure and point of contact varies between emirates. However, this can only be carried out by those with a UAE residency visa. You cannot request a replacement licence until you have a new job and the visa and ID card have been issued. However, he can confirm to an employer that you have a driving licence that can be revived following official em-ployment in the UAE. The reissuance of a licence only takes a few days.

Job offerI’ve received a job offer but if I sign

and return it to the company, does that mean I have to join them? I am waiting to hear back from another company I would prefer to join, but I don’t want to lose the existing offer in case the other option does not happen. Both are with private companies. What to do?

There was a change to UAE Labour Law regulation in 2016 and this means that an offer letter to an expatriate is now legally binding if both parties have signed. It effec-tively becomes a legal contract that can only be dissolved if both parties agree to do so. Once it has been signed, the employer cannot change the terms offered without agreement and the onus is on the employer to ensure the employee understands the terms before the official labour contract is lodged with the Ministry of HR and Emiratisation, or is submitted to the relevant free zone. If an individual signs an offer letter but wants to back out, they can be subject to a ban and/or penalty depending on the type of contract. If you are not sure they want to join the company, it would be advisable not to sign any agreements that could be binding.

Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan addressing the curtain raiser press conference on 5th edition of India International Science Festival 2019 in New Delhi.

Judicial inquiry into death of Pak Hindu medical studentDUBAI: A court in Pakistan has finally ordered a judicial inquiry into the case of the death of a Hindu medical student, Nimrita Kumari, in Sindh province.

According to reports, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for a judicial inquiry into the Kumari death case, following demand from the family.

The SHC has written a letter to a session judge in Larkana, a town in Sindh province, over the death of the medical student who was in her final year.

The session judge had sought the SHC’s permission for a judicial inquiry into

the matter over the provin-cial government’s request, Geo TV reported.

Kumari’s brother and father are yet to register a case and that consultations are being done with high officials over the registra-tion of a first information report (FIR).

The investigating officer said that the police had com-pleted interviews of senior professors, both her room-mates and 40 other people in the college, while her class-mates Mehran Abroo and Shan Ali were under arrest.

Kumari, a student of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University’s

(SMBBMU) Bibi Aseefa Den-tal College (also known as Chandka Medical College), was found dead on Septem-ber 16, the university admin-istration had said. Initial re-ports suggested that she had allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan in her room in the university’s hostel.

Nimrita Chandani was a bright medical student, her dead body been found from her hostel room, it’s not a suicide case, her death is suspicious we demand independent enquiry about her death. #JusticeForNim-rita Kumari’s death and subsequent forensic report

declaring her death as sui-cide, sparked anger among people, especially her family members who refused to ac-cept he post-mortem report calling for a judicial inquiry.

According to the prin-cipal of Larkana’s Chandka Medical College, Professor Dr K Das Dholia, the initial post-mortem report ascer-tained the cause of Kumari’s death to be suicide.

The initial post-mortem report also confirmed there were no indication or marks of torture on her body, Pro-fessor Dholia added, noting further that samples from Kumari’s body were sent to labs in Karachi and Larkana.

Emirates NBD launches UAE’s fi rst digital business bankDUBAI: Emirates NBD announced that it has created E20., the UAE’s first digital business bank for entrepreneurs and small and meduim-sized Enterprises, SMEs, businesses.

In a press release issued by Emirates NBD, E20. will enable start-ups, sole proprietors, freelancers, gig economy workers, fintechs and insurtechs and small-to-medium sized companies to open a bank account and carry out their day-to-day banking requirements easily through a mobile app as well as access a variety of services to help them in managing their business.

Commenting on the an-nouncement, Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD, said, “Emirates NBD has a shared commitment to the growth and development of young businesses in the UAE and we are pleased to be launching E20, a custom-built digital business bank that will support the courage of entrepreneurs and enable start-ups as well as emerging and established small business owners to access banking services and more, seamlessly and conveniently, helping them focus more of their time on growing their business.”

According to a recent report released by Dubai Chamber in conjunction with the UAE Ministry of Economy on the banking challenges faced by new and emerging businesses, nearly 65pc of UAE entrepreneurs surveyed believe that banking is the first challenge they face, with opening a bank account taking up to three months in some cases.

However, the digital bank will enable business custom-

ers to promptly open a bank account, carry out local and international transfers, as well as make bill payments, all on their smartphones.

Asian men arrested for selling, possessing illegal tobacco in UAEDUBAI: A group of Asian men were arrested in Al Ain city for illegally processing banned tobacco, commonly known as ‘Niswar’ and sell-ing them to residents.

Abu Dhabi Police said the men were caught pro-cessing the illegal chewing tobacco from a small factory in their home located in Al Safra neighborhood in the industrial area of Al Ain.

The men could then pack the Niswar in small sized-packages and sell it to various Asian workers.

The force also confiscated raw materials and high-risk processing equipment, in-cluding blenders and shred-ders that were being used in

the manufacture of Niswar at the small factory.

The force had raided the men’s house after getting tip offs from their sources.

Police investigations have revealed that the Asian men were staying in the country illegally after their visas had expired.

Niswar is commonly chewed by Asian men in UAE being the cheapest form of chewing tobacco.

Municipality inspectors in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are constantly monitoring areas to protect the public from harmful goods, and through their joint cam-paigns with police, pursue all types of illegal activities.

Municipality inspectors had in the past years discov-ered niswar sold to Asian workers under counters at some grocery shops in the emirate.

Custom authorities also seize any amount of niswar and other banned tobacco found being smuggled into the country and then inform the municipality to take action.

Health officials and po-lice have always issued warnings on the use of the illegal chewing tobacco.

According to health au-thorities, Niswar poses a significant threat to the health of people and causes adverse impacts to humans.

World’s largest underwater park opens in Bahrain MANAMA: Dive Bahrain, the world’s largest under-water theme park spanning an area of 100,000 square metres – complete with a sunken Boeing 747 – is now open to diving enthusiasts.

The site, in close proxim-ity to Bahrain International Airport, has a 70 metre-long decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece, the largest aircraft ever to be intention-ally submerged.

The world-class project was developed in close cooperation between the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibi-tions Authority (BTEA) and the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE).

CORPORATE NEWS 7Friday, September 27, 2019

Union Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin Gadkari addressing the 16th Global SME Business Summit 2019 in New Delhi. Secretary MSME Arun Kumar Panda and other dignitaries are also seen.

IT services and BPO (Business Process Out-sourcing) major Wipro

would provide an online platform named Noomis to FEBRABAN, which is an association of various financial services compa-nies based in Brazil.

Noomis would help the finance professionals con-nect, exchange views, share updates, news and blogs on latest financial market trends for the upcoming information technology trade show, CIAB.

Noomis is built on digi-tal cloud technology and would provide reliable,

Wipro to build ‘Noomis’ for Brazilian industry

analytical and unbiased information via news re-ports, blogs, videos and

newsletters that will enable participants to stay updated on financial market trends.

The IT major said that it has partnered with FEBRA-BAN on the project de-velopment front, which includes the design and delivery of the first phase of the online platform.

Wipro has also created workflows and the edito-rial publisher module for content management in the platform.

“We are pleased to work closely with FEBRABAN to provide digital solutions for quick issue resolution and improve customer experi-ence. Our deep expertise and experience in working with global financial insti-tutions will help us provide best-in-class services to the Brazilian banking indus-try,” said Mukund Seeth-araman, vice-president and head (Latin America), Wipro Limited.

Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (RCF) has set aside a capex

of Rs 900 crore for this financial year for imple-mentation of major proj-ects, including the Talcher

Fertilizer in Odisha, and revamping of existing proj-ects, a senior company official has said.

“We have Rs 900 crore

RCF mulls Rs 900cr capex plan to fund expansion in FY20

capex for FY20, which will be spent towards our joint venture project Talcher Fer-tilizer, the revival of Brah-maputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation, revamping of other existing projects,

exploring joint venture opportunities in Syria and Jordan among others,” RCF CMD Mesh Dhatrak told media persons.

The funds for the in-vestment will be raised through internal accrual and NCDs, he added.

Ta lk ing about the Talcher Fertilizer, he said, the estimated project cost is Rs 13,277 crore, which is a JV with Coal India, GAIL and Fertilizer Corporation of India.

“Our share in the proj-ect is around Rs 1,100 crore, of which we have already spent around Rs 150 crore. The rest we will put in this financial year,” he added.

The success of this proj-ect will be a game-changer and will pave a way for-ward to the production of chemicals and fertilizers from abundantly available coal resulting in less de-

pendency on gas imports, he said.

“It will also help in meeting much-needed urea production capacity for the eastern part of the coun-try,” he added.

Talking about overseas opportunities, Dhatrak said, RCF is exploring investment opportunities for the development of rock phosphate mines and production of phosphoric acid in Syria and Jordan.

“We are still in the due diligence phase and are ex-ploring opportunities with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Fertilizer. Our team will visit Syria and Jordan this December to see the feasibility of the project,” he added.

The Indian direct sell-ing industry grew around 13pc in 2018-

19 with sales totalling around Rs 13,000 crore, in which wellness products contributed over half of the total volume, said a IDSA report.

Besides, the industry also contributed around Rs 2,500 crore to the exche-quer during the period, ac-cording to the Indian Direct Selling Association’s (IDSA) Annual Survey 2018-19.

“North region contrib-uted to around 27pc of the direct selling sales in the country in FY 2018-19. This was closely followed by the west region with approximately 25pc of the direct selling sales,” the report said.

The Indian direct selling industry was at Rs 11,670 crore in 2017-18. Accord-

Indian direct selling industry rises 13pcing to the report, the total number of direct sellers in India stood at around 5.7 million, in which the in-dustry comprised an almost equal number of male and female direct sellers.

Out of the total industry sales, over 50pc came from wellness products, which include weight manage-ment supplements, energy bars and drinks.

“This is followed by cos-metics and personal care, which include products such as cosmetics, skincare, fragrances etc., contributes more than one-fourth of the sales by IDSA members during 2018-19,” it said adding these two categories combined contribute more than 80pc of sales.

Maharashtra accounts for the highest share in total industry sales with 13.3 pc, followed by West

Bengal (9pc).These figures include

the sales of 21 IDSA mem-bers and the non-member direct selling entities, it added.

According to IDSA Chairman Vivek Katoch, the sector was helped by the model guidelines is-sued by the government for direct selling.

However, he also added that there are some chal-lenges faced by the indus-try as misconceptions of relating it with the Ponzi schemes and illegal selling of direct selling products by e-commerce majors.

The global direct selling industry stood at around $ 192.9 billion in 2018 with a 1.2pc, in which Chi-na topped the chart with 18.5pc share, followed by the US with 18.3pc share, the report said.

Pine Labs, a merchant focussed company, has announced that it has

entered into a strategic alli-ance with Federal Bank, a leading private sector bank, to offer equated monthly instalments (EMIs) on debit card-based offline transac-tions to all the bank’s cus-tomers.

The objective of this as-sociation is to provide the af-fordability solution to debit card holders of Federal Bank, by way of POS based EMI solutions. It will allow 5.7 million Federal Bank debit card holders to instantly avail loan on EMI at the Pine Labs terminals.

Speaking on the associa-tion, Venkat Paruchuri, Chief Product Officer, Pine Labs said, “We are excited about partnering with Federal Bank

Federal Bank partners with Pine Labs to enable debit card EMIs

to offer instant EMI for their debit card customers with the help of our cloud-based merchant payment platform that powers this quick, safe and seamless digital experi-ence. We hope that we will together build more innova-tive technology solutions to cater to the requirements of the diverse customer base, in the future.”

Nilufer Mullanfiroze, Senior Vice President & Country Head-Retail Assets & Cards, Federal Bank said, “Our endeavour is to of-fer customer-centric digital solutions to our customers, backed by analytics and technology. In line with our guiding principle of being ‘Digital at the fore, human at the core’, we are happy to partner with Pine Labs to offer instant EMI on debit

cards to our customers. This initiative will provide the convenience of credit and EMI to debit card users, in the most hassle-free man-ner.”

Today, Pine Labs enables equated monthly instalment (EMI) offering via credit and debit cards for 85,000 mer-chants across 120,000 stores in India. Pine Labs has built a network of over 90 brands and 19 banks and financial services organizations that empower EMI transactions for customers. Last month, Pine Labs signed a memo-randum of understanding (MoU) with Bank of Baroda for instant EMI for millions of debit card holders of the bank. It already powers debit EMI for Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI and HDFC Bank customers.

Indian Railway Cater-ing and Tourism Cor-poration (IRCTC), the

railways’ online ticketing, tourism and catering arm launching its Initial Public Offering (IPO), in a bid to raise approximately Rs 645 crore at the upper end of the price band.

The IPO, with a price band of Rs 315 to Rs 320 per equity share, will open on September 30, 2019 and close on October 3, 2019.

The issue comprises an offer for sale of 2,01,60,000 shares of face value of Rs 10 each by the President of India, acting through the Ministry of Railways (The selling shareholder). Out of the total issue size, 1,60,000 equity shares are reserved for eligible em-ployees. The company has offered a discount of Rs 10 per equity share on the offer price for the retail

IRCTC’S IPO to open on Sept 30category and to eligible employees.

The company will not receive any proceeds from the offer and all proceeds shall go to the selling share-holder.

The book running lead managers to the offer are IDBI Capital Markets & Securities Limited, SBI Capital Markets Limited and YES Securities (India)

Limited.IRCTC operates one

of the most transacted websites, www.irctc.co.in, in the Asia-Pacific region with transaction volume averaging 25 to 28 million transactions per month during the five months ended August 31, 2019. It has also diversified into other businesses, includ-ing non-railway catering

and services such as e-catering, executive lounges and budget hotels, which are in line with its objec-tive to build a “one stop solution” for customers. Currently, IRCTC operates in four business segments, namely, internet ticketing, catering, packaged drink-ing water under the “Rail Neer” brand, and travel and tourism.

The GVK group, which is in the process of de-veloping Navi Mum-

bai International Airport, will be spending Rs 8,500 crore in the first phase to cater to 10 million passen-gers per annum, Chairman of the infra major G V K Reddy said.

The airport is a public-private partnership venture in which the GVK-led Mum-bai International Airport has a 74pc stake with CIDCO, the Maharashtra govern-ment’s nodal agency for the project, holding the remain-ing 26pc.

The greenfield interna-tional airport will be built on 1,160 hectares in phases

GVK group to spend Rs 8,500cr on Navi Mumbai airport phase-Iand eventually cater to 60 million passengers per year.

“In the first phase, it is going to be about Rs 8500 crore. It goes in phases. It will be 10 million pas-sengers (in the first phase). Maybe by spending another Rs 2,500 crore or Rs 3000 crore, another 20 million can go ahead. The project is on track and going on well,” Reddy told shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of GVKPIL (GVK Power and Infrastructure Limited).

The concession agree-ment for Navi Mumbai Inter-national Airport was signed on January 8, 2018 between Navi Mumbai International Airport and City and Indus-

trial Development Corpora-tion (CIDCO).

GVK, which currently manages the Mumbai In-

ternational Airport through its subsidiary GVK Airport Developers, said Yes Bank would be the lead bank and mandate lead arranger

for phase I and phase II of the Navi Mumbai airport project.

The initial concession

period is 30 years from the appointed date which is extendable for a further 10 years.

Navi Mumbai Inter-

national Airport Pvt Ltd proposed and submitted a master plan to CIDCO and also provided performance security as per the terms of the concession agreement.

The company has ar-ranged its debt funding requirements for the phase-I of NIMIAL project from Yes Bank Limited and is in the process of finalising the financing and security documents.

Ninety-four per cent of land development works have been completed as on April 30, 2019, and about 85 per cent of structures at the site have been demolished and vacated by CIDCO, Reddy said.

Samsung, the coun-try’s largest consum-er electronics and

smartphone brand, on Thursday launched Sam-sung Finance+, an offline digital lending platform with instant offers on Galaxy smartphones.

This lending platform

Samsung India launches Samsung Finance+

will provide financing to prospective consumers to buy Galaxy smartphones.

Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India said that Samsung is launching Samsung Finance+ at over 5,000 stores in 30 cities across the country. “Samsung plans to reach to 10,000 outlets in 100 cities by the end of 2019,” he said.

The main effort is to provide a mechanism for financing smartphones for millions of Indians who currently do not have a credit history.

For this offering, Sam-sung has tied up with DMI Finance, which will do the credit assessment at the back end, and pro-vide the finance to end customers. This facility can be availed in any Samsung outlet or any other multi-brand outlet.

Singh said that the platform is fully digital and paperless.

“Nearly all consumers applying for finance will end up getting an offer on the Galaxy smartphones,”

he said.“At Samsung, consum-

ers are at the heart of ev-erything we do. Samsung Finance+ is a testimony of our consumer-centric innovation. It is also a ‘Make for India’ initiative towards financial inclu-sion and Digital India. We are confident that Samsung Finance+ will touch the lives of millions of consumers in India,” he said.Fast processing

Consumers buying a Galaxy smartphone at Samsung stores equipped with Samsung Finance+ platform can opt for easy finance on their smart-phones.

All they have to do is to log in to the in-store Samsung Finance+ ap-plication on a Galaxy Tab. After filling is their personal details for a simple KYC verification and credit scoring, they will get an offer screen on various Galaxy smart-phones. The entire jour-ney is fully digital, fast and convenient.

Mesh Dhatrak

8 89th Saudi National Day Celebration Friday, September 27, 2019

EXCHANGE RATESEXCHANGE RATES

Rates are subect to change without notice. Errors &omissions excepted

As on 26th September, 2019 (In rupees)

Currency Buying Selling

Australian Dollar 46.40 49.40 Bahraini Dinar 183.70 193.70British Pound 86.15 89.15Canadian Dollar 52.05 55.05Emirati Dirham 18.80 19.80 Euro 76.15 79.15 Kuwaiti Dinar 228.35 238.35Omani Rial 179.50 189.50Qatari Riyal 18.00 20.50 Saudi Riyal 18.40 19.40 Singapore Dollar 49.9 52.90 Swiss Franc 70.00 73.00US Dollar 69.70 72.20

Source:

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Indian Personnel Export Promotion Council (IPEPCIL) President Mr. Abul Rehman CH, Treasurer Mr. Kalimulla Sharif and Vice President Mr. Moham-med Moulana felicitating Saudi Consul General His Excellency Saad Zafer Algarny on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Gulamali Gheewala congratulating Saudi Consul General His Excellency Saad Zafer Algarny on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Arif Gulamali presenting memento to Saudi Consul General H.E. Saad Zafer Algarny on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Farook G. Ghewaala congratulating Mr. Sami Yahya Tomehi (Vice Con-sul) on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Ansar Mohammed congratulating H. E. Saad Zafer S. Al Garny (Consul General)and Mr. Sami Yahya Tomehi (Vice Consul General) along with Mr. P. A. Aboobacker on the ocassion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Indian Personnel Export Promotion Council (IPEPCIL) President Mr Abul Rehman CH and Treasurer Mr Kalimulla Sharif with Mr. Sami Yahya Tomehi (Vice Consul) on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Majed Al Dossari (Vice Consul), Mr. Sami Yahya Tomehi (Vice Consul), Mr. Arif Gulamali, Saudi Consul General His Excellency Saad Zafer Algarny, Mr. Gulamali Gheewaala and Mr. Farook Gheewaala on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

Mr. Haider G.K. Vahora congratulating Saudi Consul General His Excellency Saad Zafer Algarny on the occasion of 89th Saudi National Day celebration in Mumbai.

The first World Expo to be held in the Mid-East, Africa and South

Asia (MEASA) region, Expo 2020 Dubai, is expected to attract 25 million visits between Oct 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021.

The Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, has announced that it is on scheduled to deliver the “world’s great-est show”. Sheikh Ahmed, also chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman Dubai Airports and chairman and chief executive of Emir-ates Airline and Group, con-vened the meeting to hear the

Expo 2020 Dubai will be world’s greatest show

latest updates in preparing to host the Expo next year.

The high level taskforce, entrusted with steering prog-ress on the largest event ever held in the Arab World, reaf-firmed its commitment to hosting an exceptional Expo, adding that developments are on track. Sheikh Ahmed said: “It was a very productive meeting, at a time when all our efforts are concentrated toward fulfilling the pledge made to deliver an exception-al World Expo. It deserves to be the world’s greatest show, and we are on track to deliver the event on time. We are sparing no effort in pursuit of this goal, and with it, we will

honour the whole country, the people of the UAE, and our wise leadership.”

During the meeting, the National Media Council pre-sented progress of construc-tion of the UAE Pavilion, while officials from Expo 2020 updated the commit-tee on the status of the three Thematic Pavilions --- Op-portunity, Mobility and Sus-tainability, Dubai Exhibition Centre and the Expo Village, and shared developments related to international par-ticipants and ticket prices.

Last week, it was an-nounced that the final piece of the Al Wasl dome has been lifted into place, represent-

ing a significant milestone in the construction of the centre piece of the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Enclosing a space of 724,000 cubic metres and standing 67.5 metres tall – higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa – the 130-me-tre-wide domed steel trellis encircles Al Wasl Plaza, a structure that will be the heart of the Expo 2020 site. The first World Expo to be held in the MEASA region, Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract 25 million visits between Oct 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021. The six-month celebration will welcome more than 200 international participants, including 192 nations.

The collapse of Thomas Cook, one of the old-est tourist travel com-

panies in the world, will be a “big, big blow” to the tourism industry in Goa, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa Savio Messias has said.

The head of the travel and tourism industry association in Goa, a state where nearly 1.48 lakh British tourists landed on holiday in 2018,

Thomas Cook collapse toadversely hit Goa tourism

also said, that flights char-tered by the UK-based Thom-as Cook ferried nearly 2,000 tourists every week to Goa, during the tourism season from Oct-March. “Thomas Cook is a very reputed com-pany, bringing in British tourists. British tourists are loved by the local Goans and the hotel industry. Thomas Cook has been operating for the last -30 years in Goa. And losing out on Thomas Cook is

a big, big blow to the indus-try,” Messias said.

“Last year, they were getting around 2,000 pas-sengers per week. On an average, a passenger stays for around 14 days, some-times 21 days and some-times seven days also. If you count the number of room nights, it is very, very large,” Messias pointed out. British tourists rank second in the list of international

GoAir adjudged punctual airline

According to data released by the Di-rectorate General

of Civil Aviation (DGCA), GoAir – India’s fastest grow-ing airline, has emerged as the most punctual airline in Aug 2019, thereby creating history in the Indian avia-tion sector. This is the 12th month in a row that GoAir has achieved the distinction of being on top of on-time-performance (OTP) charts.

As per the data, GoAir registered 85.1pc OTP, the highest among scheduled domestic airlines in Aug 2019.

During Aug 2019, GoAir flew 13.91 lakh passengers with barely 0.85pc cancel-lations as against an indus-try average of 1.61pc for scheduled domestic airlines in Aug 2019. The airline had 0.4 complaint rate per 10,000 passengers in Aug 2019. Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said: “To-day GoAir has done proud the entire Indian Aviation sector, DGCA and the min-istry of civil aviation. Today GoAir has shown the world that where there is a will, there is a way for airlines too”.

arrivals in Goa, after Rus-sians. Goa has been a tra-ditional winter vacation for Europeans, especially from Russia and UK, who arrive in the coastal state to beat the freezing cold winters in their countries. Several hotels, according to Messias, were likely to face hard-ship in Goa, because they were entirely dependent on Thomas Cook for filling up their accommodation.

Dadasaheb Phalke award for Big B

Megastar Amitabh B a c h c h a n w a s named this year’s

Dadasahab Phalke winner, Indian cinema’s highest honour for an artiste.

Information and Broad-casting Minister Prakash Javadekar confirmed the news in a Twitter post.

“The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for 2 generations has been selected unani-mously for #DadaSahabPhal-ke award. The entire country and international community is happy. My heartiest Con-gratulations to him. @nar-endramodi @SrBachchan,” Javadekar tweeted.