NUSI bags prestigious award promoted by ISWAN

NUSI bags prestigious award promoted by ISWAN

The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) has been honoured with the 'Best Welfare Organization of the Year - 2015' award, promoted by the United Kingdom based International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).

At a function held at the premises of the IMO in London on June 9, 2015, the prestigious award was presented to NUSI General Secretary-cum-Treasurer, Mr Abdulgani Y Serang, by the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr Koji Sekimizu.

Expressing gratitude for the honour bestowed upon by ISWAN, Mr Abdulgani Y Serang said, "NUSI has a long history of dedication and commitment towards the welfare of seafarers and their families. 

“This highly respected award has further motivated us to strive harder for seafarers, with passion and with enthusiasm."

ISWANpromotes the welfare of seafarers worldwide.

Organizations like the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), Hunterlink Recovery Services (Australia), and Trinity House (UK) had been shortlisted by ISWAN for 'Best Welfare Organization of the Year - 2015' award. The judging panel constituted for the award included the President of the International Shipping Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping, Mr MasamichiMorooka; the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers'

Federation, Mr Steve Cotton; the Chairman of the International Christian Maritime Association, Fr Bruno Ciceri; and Celebrity British Journalist & Author, Ms Rose George. 

NUSI was finally selected by the eminent jury for the illustrious award that recognizes the Union's excellence in providing welfare services and facilities for the seafarers. 

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) organised ICSI Convocation 2015 – eastERN region on 12th June, 2015 at Kalamandir, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata

ICSI Convocation - eastERN region 2015

 

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) organised ICSI Convocation 2015 – eastERN region on 12^th June, 2015 at Kalamandir, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata.

Hon’ble Justice AmitavaLala, Former Acting Chief justice, Allahabad High Courtawarded the Associate Membership of the Institute to recognise the achievements of the students at ICSI CONVOCATION – EASTERN REGION 2015.

 

Chief Guest Hon’ble Justice AmitavaLalain his/her Convocation Address said that learning is a continuous process and it will go on and said that by learning a professional can become indispensable for an organisation. He said a person should not succumb to ego and try to learn from everyone. He said a person needs to be a servant first to be a better master later. He said humility is also important and arrogance to a learned professional is a strict no and nothing in this world is above honesty, ethics and integrity. 

He said a Company Secretary’s role and responsibility is increasing and at the same time he also needs to be bold and proactive. In the last decade in India, the job, the profile, the scope of workand the importance of the responsibilities that the Company Secretaries handle has grown leaps and bounds.

As we enter an era where we are looking to have a regulatory regime that is more compliant to the practices around the globe, it’s important for each of these company secretaries that work in India to keep themselves completely updated is to the new regime in India, new compliances, new regulations, and also the various practices around the world.

Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Managing Director, Century Plyboards (India) and Guest of Honour in his address congratulated the new members and said all of them should keep educating themselves in different ways and he said every member should find a coach or mentor, a person whom they have faith on and who will guide me accordingly. He said in his personal journey as an entrepreneur he had multiple failures and said every successful passes through the phases of failure, anger and dejection and so on. He also said to be successful, a person should be self-motivated and should be in the right spirit and should rise above the basic needs . He ended by quoting that “not taking the risk is the biggest risk.” 

CS Atul H Mehta, President, Council of the ICSI in his Presidential Address, congratulated the new members and said that a CS is a specialist in corporate laws. Specialisation, up gradation, and how a person communicates always makes the difference. An entrepreneur who sets up a business is conversant in pricing and marketing but a CS guides them through laws and compliances. A CS also at the same times needs to be updated with the latest developments in business and should go beyond the Companies Act.

He advised that, each of the students should consider investing in oneself so as to witness the transformation which will happen in each one. President, ICSI said that, “with this investment which is essentially long term one will gain market appreciation over time. Like companies which practise good governance gain in their value overtime and provide long-term gains in the form of dividends and price-appreciation, members should too govern themselves well. He also added that, “The need to remain credible is the most critical challenge today as words hold out for you, employers, being credible is nothing else but doing what you say and saying what you do. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong has always been the most challenging assignment in life which is never taught in the classrooms”. 

CS Mamta Binani, Vice- President, Council of the ICSI and Programme Director in her address congratulated the new Members and quoted “it is our attitude that determines the altitude to which we could reach”. She said the new members need to thank their parents who have been with them during their student days and should promise them in return to be on their side. She said each one of us are our own future writers and we should be determined to reach the goal when we begin our professional careers and the most important thing is to have faith in oneself. She also said in the journey of life there would be lot of negativity but we have to decide what we should hear and what not and not to get distracted from the path and enjoy the journey called life.

CS Santosh Kr Agarwala, Council Member, ICSI in his welcome address, congratulated the New Members and said that the new members will be part of a great transition from Company Secretaries to Corporate Governance professionals, He said Companies Act have given new scope to CS. The Introduction of Secretarial Standards and Secretarial Audit are important milestones and the government have recognised the importance of the CS. He also stressed that a young member need to be dedicated and ethical too in the performance of his duties and responsibilities. 

CS Sunita Mohanty, Chairperson, EIRC of ICSI and Programme Co-ordinator in her address then congratulated the new members and wished them luck in their professional career and said that they should uphold the values and ideals which is expected from them as members of this prestigious profession. She said to the new members that face challenges and develop capabilities and upheld the importance of a Cs in an organisation and adhere to the code of conduct. She ended by urging the new members to evolve themselves as a perfect human being and said “great things always begin from inside”. She also introduced the dignitaries to the audience.

CS Mamta Binani Vice- President, Council of the ICSI and Programee proposed the vote of thanks to the Chief Gust, Guest of Honour, President, ICSI, Council Member, ICSI, ICSI - EIRC members, EIRO Officials and the new members and their families for making the Convocation a success.

Complete Protection for Mobile Phones and Tablets

Complete Protection for Mobile Phones and Tablets

Mobile Protection helps to better safeguard mobile phones and tablets

AppsDaily Solutions Private Limited, India’s leading Mobile application development and Distribution Company introduces its latest offering “Mobile Protection’. AppsDaily “Mobile Protection” is a complete security solution for Smartphones & Tablets against Theft, Damage & Virus. It consists of features like Anti-Theft, which lets the user locate their lost or stolen device through GPS tracking and by remotely monitoring the activities on the phone. Its antivirus feature lets users scan their device against harmful viruses and malicious software.  It also comes with Free Insurance which covers the customer’s mobile phone against Theft, Burglary, Physical and Liquid Damage.

Today mobile phones have evolved from being a medium of communication to being a medium of existence. With the innovation in technology and the data associated with it, people have now started living online. In such a scenario where not only a person’s Contact Numbers but also their email IDs, Photographs, Messages, WhatsApp Conversations, Bank Account Details, Travel Tickets and other such confidential information are accessible through Mobile Phones, it becomes very important to protect that phone.

“The mobile landscape has changed dramatically since AppsDaily launched in 2009. Everything has evolved, from what we do on our phones to the threats that face them,” said Arun Menon, founder and CEO of AppsDaily. Theft or loss of the mobile phone is not the only threat that is. The complex matrix of information that flows in and out of the mobile brings with it its share of problems. Malware and viruses can wreck the database turning life into a catastrophic chaos.

According to Yahoo, one out of every 5 Android application is a Malware and the number of Malwares is just increasing at an alarming rate. AppsDaily Mobile Protection automatically scans apps as users install them, blocks undesirable software that can lead to data loss and other unexpected errors. In addition to safeguarding the device from virus, it also helps locate lost and stolen mobile phones and provides a remote lock to protect personal information. It also has features like SOS (Save our Soul) for emergencies, Contacts Backup & Restore, SMS Backup & Restore, Data Privacy, Call Filter (DND), SMS Scheduler, Task Manager, Call Barring and comes with Free Theft & Damage Insurance. AppsDaily Mobile Protection has already done more than 31 million virus scans on customers phone, it has backed up from than 500 million contacts till date. The total value of phones insured by AppsDaily last year was Rs.25 billion with insurance partner ‘New India Assurance’, the largest general insurance company in India.

AppsDaily’s key strength is first-of-its-kind India-wide retail distribution network to sell Mobile Apps and Services to smart phone customers. It is Operational in 700+ cities with more than 700 distributors spread across 10,000+ outlets and more than 3 million satisfied and paid customers. AppsDaily is one of the only companies in India which is combining the latest technologies and Apps of the digital Internet.  AppsDaily had recently received an investment of over INR 100 billion from investors like Qualcomm, Zodius, Kalaari capital, Ru-net, Mumbai Angels and has won the Global Red Herring Award For Innovative companies of 2014.

Vandana Gandhi becomes the first Indian woman to receive Dubai Government’s excellence awardfor her consistent contribution in the pre-school education space 

·         Pre-school chain keen on starting India operations soon 

·         First company in the schooling sector, led and managed by 100% women workforce honored for its excellence, innovation and contribution to UAE’s economic development

·         Nursery’s “Child for Child” program supports orphans in India‎ and internationally

 

Ms. Vandana Gandhi, Founder and CEO of UAE’s largest Nursery chain, British Orchard Nursery, makes India proud by becoming the first ever Indian woman to receive Dubai Government’s highly coveted Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business (MRM) Award for business excellence and outstanding achievements. This is the first time in the history of these awards that a woman entrepreneur has received such a distinguished honor. British Orchard Nursery becomes the 1st in schooling sector run by an almost 100 percent women workforce, which makes this award all the more desirable. The 8th cycle of GCC wide Business Performance program recognized the nursery chain's contribution to UAE’s economic development and commitment to quality.

 

The Nursery chain plans to foray into international market including India through franchising and joint venture partnerships. Commenting about the India plans, Vandana Gandhi, CEO and Founder, British Orchard Nursery chain says, “We have plans to bring our unique curriculum to India and are certainly looking for suitable partners who can become part of our growth story in India. With more Indian women joining the working population, we are optimistic that our model will be successful here too. Through our franchise partners, we intend to simulate the same quality and excellence standards”. 

Vandana Gandhi, the woman behind the initiative is enthusiastic about this and has been recognized at multiple platforms for her consistent contribution in the pre-school education space. She elaborates, “Striving to outperform, we have created a robust measurement based teaching model that demonstrates an outstanding curriculum linked to children's assessments”.  

On winning the recent award, she says, “I am humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award. This is no mean feat for the nursery service industry sector, especially when we have to deal with the sensitivities of human emotions. Handling little children and laying the foundation for greater future achievements is a challenging but rewarding task. Awards like these reinforce our faith and commitment towards the cause of providing quality pre-school education. We as a team are proud of our achievements and all this has become possible because of the support of the UAE Government and the leadership of rulers which provides a very conducive environment for business success”. 

British Orchard Nursery is involved in various charity initiatives in UAE as well as in India. The BON 'Child for Child program' supports the poor, needy and orphan children internationally.  For every child who gets educated in UAE, a needy child is supported. 

About Vandana Gandhi: Vandana is a versatile personality with varied interests in Calligraphy, Yoga, Scriptural Studies, Squash, Table Tennis etc, other than creating stimulating surroundings and interesting concepts for the young minds. A Masters in Education with distinction, she is currently perusing Doctorate of Education from University of Birmingham, U.K.

She has won numerous leadership and excellence awards such as GR8 woman award, Feigenbaum excellence, Emirates Woman and Women in Leadership awards for her outstanding achievements.Having done a bit of her schooling in Dubai, she completed her Bachelor’s degree from Mithibai College, Mumbai and thereafter took Post Graduate Diploma in International Business Administration from NMIMS University, Mumbai. One could easily accolade Vandana, for bringing in a lot of new concepts and innovation to the idea of preschool education in UAE. She Introduced and conceptualized first of its kind ‘GymJuniorz’, a child’s Gym and Fitness center, to be incorporated within the curriculum. She also introduced the idea of Corporate Franchising to successfully run and operate a work place nursery for children of women employees of various UAE Government departments. She enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures and is committed to make a difference in the society by ensuring that the children at her nursery grow as competent and confident learners.  

About British Orchard Nursery:British Orchard Nursery is the Middle East's largest nursery chain to be ISO 14001, 18001 and ISO 9001:2008 quality certified. Dedicated to helping children reach their highest potential, British Orchard Nursery is a well-established nursery chain, holding a reputation for excellence and a deep commitment to developing young minds. Their passion for providing quality care and education is evident in their success and increasing number of branches. The nursery now occupies 14 sites across the UAE, with branches in Bur Dubai, Jumeirah, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai Media City, JBR (Dubai Marina, RTA, Dubai Women’s College,Deira, DEWA, Dubai Municipality, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi (AlNahyan, & Al Bateen) and ADCO. Over the years it has become a well-trusted centre of excellence in UAE for early years’ education. It follows British National Early Years Curriculum, with the addition of structure and progression, whilst still adhering to OFSTED (The British regulatory body) guidelines.   

The Nursery chain has won numerous awards over the years including a Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA) as well as Dubai Human Development Appreciation Award (DHDAA) 2014. Having highly trained staff and fantastic facilities, the nursery caters to children from 6 months to 4+ years. Remarkably, the many facilities include an extensive gym and fitness centre specially designed for juniors, developing healthy practices through their “Gym-Juniorz” program, expertly promoting children's strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, self-confidence and self-esteem. The curriculum is planned to meet the needs of each child as an individual, ensuring that all seven areas of learning are interlinked throughout the day, providing in-depth and fulfilling learning experiences for children to explore, create, discover and study. The nursery provides extended care for children through their afternoon apple's club and also fun filled and stimulating experiences at their holiday camps.

SuperProfs launches a mobile app for exam preparation

 

 

SuperProfs launches a mobile app for exam preparation

Students preparing for competitive exams like CA, CS, GATE, UPSC and IIT-JEE can now watch high quality video lectures, online and offline, of India’s Best Professors on their mobile/tablet,

 

SuperProfs – India’s Largest Online Platform for Exam Preparation, today announced the launch of a mobile app to connect India’s best professors for competitive examswithlakhs of students from across the country.

The mobile app allows students to prepare for their exams anywhere, anytime – even on very slow Internet connections. Additionally, students can download the video lectures in the app on their phone and watch them offline. This would help students in tier 2/3 towns with poor Internet connectivity in carrying out their preparation without any hassles.

Data from global research and analysis firm emarketer, reported that India will surpass US in smartphone use to 200 Million+ users by 2016 becoming the second largest market in world following China. India contributes to about 9.5% of overall app downloads all over the world – world’s second largest contributor and this number is rapidly increasing. People have started using mobile apps for connecting with friends, grocery shopping, booking tickets etc. It is therefore quite logical that soon students would be using these mobile apps for something as fundamental as their studies as well. More and more people in India are beginning to stress on the importance of education. This has created a surge in the market for professional course training. Global forecasts by marketsandmarkets predicts mobile learning apps to reach a Market size of $ 37.60 billion by 2020.

SuperProfs is the first and the largest online platform which brings live and recorded classes of India’s Best Professors for competitive exams online, so that students can prepare for their exams, anywhere, anytime. As of date, it has more than 75,000 registered students and around 200 professors from across India, teaching courses for CA, CS, IIT-JEE, GATE and UPSC/IAS. It has developed a proprietary technology which allows HD quality video streaming at extremely low bandwidths, which means students can watch the classes even at as low as 100 Kbps network speed (typical 2G connection). SuperProfs has now brought the same disruptive technology to a native mobile app for best viewing experience.

Speaking about the latest innovation, Piyush Agrawal, CEO and founder of Superprofs.com said“ The concept of mobile apps in exam preparation is still nascent in India, although with increasing smartphone penetration, the prospect to innovate in the $ 8 billion exam coaching market space is extensive. Superprofs Mobile app could cater to over 5 crore students in the country, who prepare for competitive exams every year”

“In less than 4 weeks of its launch on the Google Play Store, we have seen more than 1000+ downloads of the mobile app. Students have given excellent ratings and reviews to the app and are especially liking its capability to play videos even offline. This is helping students who are on move or have poor Internet connectivity.  As compared to traditional coaching institutes, where students end up spending a lot time in commuting or listening to monotonous lectures in a group, SuperProfs mobile app saves time for the students by allowing them to personalize their exam preparation strategy and giving them access to the best professors, at the comfort of their home. More and more students are taking the benefit of this today and we expect to cross the 10,000 downloads milestone in the next few weeks” he added.

Prof SudhirSachdeva, one of the most popular professors for Law, stated that “smart phones have become a very important part of our lifestyles. The device is a boon for Indian educators to connect with their students faster and better. Superprofs App is seamless with its curated content and high quality videos that can be accessed 24/7. The unrestricted viewing and unlimited download facility will further aid students in understanding difficult concepts thoroughly. Mobile learning and E learning are proving to be constructive steps in enhancing the access for best quality education amongst all “

The mobile app can be downloaded from google playstore or using the link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.superprofs.

About SuperProfs - SuperProfs is a product of Aurus Network, which was founded in 2010 by alumni of IIT Kanpur and Stanford University, with a vision to make quality education accessible to masses. It is backed by investors like Kalaari Capital, IDG Ventures and Indian Angel Network. The company has developed a core technology, which allows live streaming of HD quality classroom sessions at extremely low bandwidths, thereby making it possible for students from remote areas or on the move to become part of any classroom. With more than 75,000 students registered across various verticals and 200+ professors, Superprofs is growing at a very fast pace to become a dominant player in online exam preparation space.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) observes CAPITAL MARKETS WEEK

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) observes

CAPITAL MARKETS WEEK

L to R:CS Atul H Mehta, President, The ICSI(Addressing); CS Rupanjana De, Secretary, EIRC of ICSI,CS Santosh K Agrawala,Programme Director & Council Member, The ICSI; Shri N.K.Bhola,Regional Director(ER& NER), MCA, Shri P.Srinivas, MD & CEO, UBI; CS MamtaBinani, Vice President, The ICSI,CS SunitaMohanty, Chairperson, EIRC of ICSI and CS MakarandLele, Chairman, Financial Services Committee and Council Member, The ICSI

As part of its initiative towards creating awareness amongst investors and to promote good governance in Capital Markets, The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is observing ICSI CAPITAL MARKETS WEEK on the Theme :Capital Markets- The Engine for Economic Growth from May 25-31, 2015 across the Country. A mega Programme in this series was  held at Kolkata today .

Shri P Srinivas,MD & CEO,UBI, Chief Guest congratulated ICSI for organizing the CAPITAL MARKETS WEEK  as the Institute has been actively engaged in promoting the interest of the Investors and the orderly development of the Capital Markets in India. He expressed that Capital markets are an important source of financing for the corporate sector and thus are vital for economic development. He further added that the momentum in the Indian Capital Market have started after the liberalisation of 1991. FDI infused a lot of money in the capital market. He also said that a better regulated capital market automatically brings development for the country and a strong regulated capital market instils confidence among the investors that their money is safe. He said the role of a CS as a Key Managerial Personnel is of responsibility as he takes care of Corporate Governance, Board of Directors and important disclosures. A CS in a corporate is an ombudsman for the investors in the company. 

Shri N.K.Bhola, Regional Director (ER & NER),MCA,Govt. of India, Guest of Honour in his address spoke that the CS plays a vital role in ensuring good corporate governance for companies and for their clients. He said these type of programmes are a good initiative done by ICSI as it also helps in Investor Awareness and protection. He said these programmes also create awareness about role of CS in capital markets and how CS helps in ensuring that companies follow fair business practices and good corporate governance. 

CS Atul H Mehta, President, The ICSI, in his presidential address. said that ,”Company Secretary, over a period of time, have developed themselves as professionals having core competence in compliances and corporate governance, moving from their traditional role of Company Secretary of the Company. They are now popularly known as governance professionals and are more frequently called upon to guide the Corporate Boards on various strategic, governance and compliance issues.  Under various securities laws such as Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, Depositories Act, 1996, Regulations and Guidelines issued by SEBI under SEBI Act, 1992 and the Listing Agreement of the Stock Exchanges for Equity, Debt listing, IDRs, Company Secretaries have been recognized to verify compliances and to issue certificates. 

He  also informed that , The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has accorded its approval to the Secretarial Standards on Meetings of the Board of Directors (SS-1) and General Meetings (SS-2) specified by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

Section 118(10) of the Companies Act, 2013 mandates companies to observe Secretarial  Standards with respect to General and Board Meetings specified as such by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. Secretarial Standards apply to all companies. One Person Companies are excluded, he explained. 

CS MakarandLele,Council Member, ICSI and Chairman Financial Services Committee,ICSIsaid it  is a historical moment for the Institute as The Institute of Company Secretaries of India is first institution to issue SECRETARIAL STANDARDS anywhere in the world and that will be effective July 1, 2015 and around 8 lakh companies in India  will  have to comply with these Secretarial Standards to be fully compliant under Companies Act 2013. Secretarial Standards will create enormous confidence in minds of investors particularly fund managers and overseas investors as these investors are very much concerned about good governance practices and sound procedures.  Consequently, this will lead to more flow of capital into India, new projects, more modernization and expansion, added President, ICSI. 

CS Santosh K Agarwala, Council Member and Programme Director,in his speech highlighted the Secretarial Audit and said that, the Companies Act, 2013 mandates every listed company and public companies with paid up capital exceeding Rs.50 crore or turnover exceeding Rs.250 crore to annex with its Board’s report made in terms of sub-section (3) of section 134, a Secretarial Audit report, given by a company secretary in practice. He also said that the CS has got good professional knowledge of Capital Market and Company Law and emphasized that a CS has developed himself to be a governance professional. 

CS MamtaBinani,Vice President,ICSI in her speech said that Capital Markets teach us discipline, innovation and invention. She said by organizing these type of programmes we are sending a signal to the government to strengthen capital markets.  

CS SunitaMohanty,Chairperson,EIRC of ICSI welcomed the dignitaries on the dias.In her  welcome address, she said that the Capital Markets play a pivotal role in the development of economy. The Stronger the Capital Market, the better the prospects of economic development. Hence, a developed, dynamic and vibrant capital markets immensely contributes to economic growth and development. 

CS Rupanjana De,Secretary,EIRC of ICSI offered the vote of thanks to the dignitaries,participants,press and so on. 

It is in this backdrop, three sub – themes have been devised to deliberate upon in the technical sessions during the ICSI Capital Markets Week programmeMicrofinance-Growth Engine for Tiny Industry,Investor Protection and Rebuilding Investor Confidence, Convergence of Company Law and Securities Laws. Distinguished speakers including CS Vinod Kothari, Practicing Company Secretary (Past Chairman, EIRC of ICSI), Ms Monika Halan, Editor, Mint Money, Shri Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Chairman & MD, Bandhan Financial Services Ltd will deliberate upon the sub-themes during the three technical sessions.

Nationwide events  such as Academic Development Programmes, panel discussions, lectures, interactive meetings with capital market regulators/stock exchanges and investor awareness programmes are being   held by the respective ICSI Regional Councils and Chapters" during  this week.