Employment News 18 October 2013

Employment News 18 October 2013-Tech news, Sports News October 2013

Microsoft releases Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 upgrade as a free download. It addresses some of the gripes people have had with Windows 8, the dramatically different operating system that attempts to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs.

it features a touch-enabled tile interface resembling what's found in tablet computers. On the other, there's the old desktop mode where the keyboard and mouse still reign. The update adds some new finger- and gesture-friendly shortcuts for touch-based apps, while restoring some respect for the desktop mode that a billion PC users have become accustomed to.

The Window 8.1 update is free for current owners of Windows 8. Downloads started at 7 a.m. (1100 GMT) Thursday in New York, which corresponded to the start of Friday in New Zealand. Simply go to the Windows Store app to find it. 

It may take a few hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale Friday local time. That's also when people will be able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1.

India, China to sign border defence cooperation agreement (BDCA)

India and China are set to sign a border defence cooperation agreement (BDCA) when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Beijing next week.

The agreement would rejuvenate the stalled three-step border settlement process that the two countries had agreed to in 2005. This agreement is part of the second step: working out a framework for a final border settlement.

The government source noted that the Sino-Indian border remains violence-free, with no deaths or shooting for several years. “Intrusions are down this year, compared to last year,” the source said. China, he said, had been sending many signals that it wanted a “stable, steady and mature relationship.”

The two would also hold a general conversation about economic issues, including addressing India’s concerns about a nearly $29 billion trade imbalance and China’s suggestions for a non-dollar “currency arrangement”.

China's GDP grows 7.8%

Chinese government said on Friday-China's gross domestic product expanded 7.8% year-on-year in July-September.

The National Bureau of Statistics said---

GDP figure matched the median forecast of in a survey of 11 economists by AFP. Growth for the first 9 months of the year came in at 7.7%,

"The overall national economy realised steady growth and enjoyed good momentum.

Infosys’ Kris Gopalakrishnan joins IIT, Madras board of directors

IIT-Madras on Thursday announced that Infosys co-founder and alumnus of the institute, Kris Gopalakrishnan.

Gopalakrishnan, who is executive vice-chairman of Infosys Technologies, joined IIT-Madras in 1975 and graduated four years later with an MSc in physics and MTech in computer science.

Strike by 2.3 lakh Uttarakhand government employees

About two lakh employees of 57 departments began a statewide indefinite strike demanding at least three promotions during their service period, removal of anomalies in the pay structure, and an effective transfer policy.

Expressing displeasure at the government’s failure in issuing orders on demands that were accepted over two months ago

Britain opens nuclear market to China

Britain’s Finance Minister says his government will allow a Chinese company to own a majority stake in a new nuclear power plant as it tries to curb demand for fossil fuels.

George Osborne made the announcement while he visited a nuclear power plant in southern China.

Mr. Osborne’s statement made no mention of a specific project but Britain’s first nuclear power plant in 20 years is being developed by French company EDF in Hinkley in southwestern England.

LG G Pad tablet to sell for $350 in US on November 3

LG says it will start selling a tablet with a high-definition screen starting Nov 3 in the US for $350, putting the price in line with Apple and Samsung tablets of similar size.

RBI to issue Rs 10 banknotes with Raghuram Rajan's signature

Reserve Bank will shortly issue Rs 10 denomination banknotes with rupee symbol bearing the signature of new governor Raghuram G Rajan.

Rs 10 denomination Banknotes incorporating rupee symbol on the obverse and reverse, without inset letter in both the numbering panels, in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 bearing the signature of Raghuram G Rajan, Governor, RBI,

The design of these notes to be issued now is similar in all respects to the Rs 10 Banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series- 2005 issued earlier, it added further.

George Fernandes associates to form anti-Congress forum

George Fernandes have come together to launch Samata Manch, an anti-Congress political platform that is likely to partner BJP-led National Democratic Alliance ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections. 

Samata Manch will be launched on October 23, with an immediate aim to "liberate politics from secular vs communal line-up and discourse that Congress is deliberately working on ahead of elections

With founders including sundry socialist leaders and rebels who have fallen out with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be launched a week before Left parties are scheduled to organise a convention of secular parties against growing communal threats." Nitin Gadkari is slated to represent BJP at launch of Samata Manch.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed today

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17 October 2013 to promote people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

Theme for the year 2013 is: Working together towards a world without discrimination: Building on the experience and knowledge of people in extreme poverty.

United Nations General Assembly in 1993 by resolution 47/196 designated International Day for the Eradication of Poverty to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. 

Fighting poverty remains at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda.

Canada offers Malala honorary citizenship 

Canada will offer honorary citizenship to Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai. 

Malala will become just the sixth person to be granted honorary Canadian citizenship after South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama British business magnate Aga Khan and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday. 

Malala was the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize nominee. 

Last week, she won the European Union's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize and was welcomed at the White House by US President Barack Obama. 

The Pakistani Taliban, however, has said that Malala had done "nothing" to deserve a prestigious EU rights award and vowed to try again to kill her. 

Govt eyes marketing North East in global tourism fest 

Over 150 foreign delegates from the US, the UK, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, Russia, South Korea and Sweden will take part in the three-day International Tourism Mart beginning on Friday at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a senior tourism official said. 

The foreign delegation will mainly comprise international tour operators and senior media personalities, he added. The Tourism Mart was being organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

The main objective of this tourism conclave is to sell brand North East to the outer world. We have everything in the North East but what we are lacking is marketing them," India Tourism Deputy Director General Sanjay Shreevats said.

North East has so much variation in its culture that a glimpse of a big country can be seen and the proposed conclave aims to showcase the diverse culture of the region to the world, he added.

Although hundreds of domestic delegates will take part, our focus will be on foreign invitees," Shreevats said, adding, that so far, over 160 foreign delegates have confirmed their participation. 

CCEA increased the Minimum Support Price of Wheat by 50 Rupees per Quintal

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 17 October 2013 enhanced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by 50 rupees per quintal to 1400 rupees for the fiscal, starting April 2014.

The CCEA accepted the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. 

The MSP of red gram and mustard was also hiked by hundred rupees per quintal each.

MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers.  The government took this step to encourage farmers to cover more area under the crop in the ongoing rabi season.

The crop's sowing begins in October and harvesting begins from April onwards. The government procures wheat from farmers during April-June

Union Cabinet Approved A Committee on Babhli Barrage Project

The Union cabinet of India approved on 17 October 2013 the appointment of a three-member supervisory committee headed by a representative of the Central Water Commission on construction of Babhli Barrage issue.

The other two members of the committee were including one representative from the state of Andhra Pradesh and one representative from the Maharashtra.

The Supreme Court was directed the Centre to constitute a three-member Supervisory Committee to deal with the Babhli Barrage issue on 28 February 2013.

About The Babhli barrage

The Babhli project / barrage is a controversial reservoir project being constructed by Maharashtra state across the river Godavari.

The project brought dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states.

Infosys to hire over 8,000 new employees in Pune

Indian IT major Infosys will recruit more than 8,000 employees in Pune over the next six months as part of its expansion plans for which it getting an additional 150 acres in the city. 

Infosys already employs over 15,000 IT professionals at its existing facilities in in Hinjewadi Phase-II at growth across verticals, like finance, insurance, banking, energy, retail and manufacturing

Switzerland to share tax information with India

India is among 58 countries that are signatories to the OECD mutual tax information-sharing convention. But for automatic information sharing, India will have to sign another pact with the Swiss government. 

It has a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Switzerland, it may not be adequate. 

On October 15, Switzerland signed the OECD's multilateral convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters that provides for sharing of investments details with member countries automatically.

India had amended its DTAA with 81 countries and signed tax information exchange agreement with some tax havens for automatic exchange of information.

India has been getting information from several other countries on its citizens who have made investments abroad — some of which may be legal — through this automatic route. 

One such information from France and later Denmark and Finland had details of over 2,000 bank accounts of Indians in those countries. France had even shared a list of 700 Indians' bank accounts in Geneva-based HSBC Bank, which was part of a stolen data.

HSBC cuts 300 jobs in Retail

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) said on Thursday it will discontinue its retail broking and depository business in India as profit margins are shrinking with trades shifting to derivative options from cash market, and retail investors preferring gold, real estate and bank deposits to stocks.

The bank will now continue to invest in other businesses it operates, including retail and commercial and investment banking, wealth management, asset management, capital markets and insurance services capital markets.

Book Walking With Giants, a memoir written by former Finance Secretary G. Ramachandran,

Union Minister for Rural Development  Jairam Ramesh today released the book Walking With Giants — a lesson in modern Indian history a memoir written by former Finance Secretary G. Ramachandran.

Ramachandran’s career spanned from the late 1940s to mid-1980s when the country went through significant changes in policy and administration.

The book, Jairam Ramesh said in his address at the formal launch, is not just about anecdotes and incidents but a “source of archival information” and “original source material for those trying to understand the economic and political history” of India.

Ramachandran’s book “strikes the middle path” in representing the views of politicians and bureaucrats.

The book is a “deep discussion” of the issues that shaped India’s history during the times when leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh at the Centre, and Rajaji, Kamaraj and Anna Durai at the State level were in power.

The foreword to the book is written by Y. V. Reddy, chairman, 14th Finance Commission, and a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

 Former NSEL head Anjani Sinha arrested

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police today arrested former managing director and chief executive of the beleaguered National Spot Exchange (NSEL) Anjani Sinha.

Before arresting him, he was interrogated by EOW for several hours; yesterday he had been interrogated at length by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

 Sinha was arrested for his role in the Rs 5,600-crore payment crisis at the NSEL which has affected 13,000 investors across the country, police said.

This is the third arrest in the case; earlier the police had arrested Amit Mukherjee, a former assistant vice-president of the exchange on October 9, while Jay Bahukhundi, another former assistant vice-president, was arrested the next day.

Taking the blame for not informing the board about increasing exposure and risk of widespread defaults, Sinha stated the management allowed the exchange to function and did not stop trading due to fear of widespread defaults.