Annapurna Pariwar Celebrates Baldin

Annapurna Pariwar recently celebrated Children’s day with slum children in Pune. A children’s day is celebrated in December every year to showcase the talents of these young children and to spread awareness about child rights to improve their welfare.

Annapurna looks after over 600 children under their ‘Vatsalyapurna’ project. It runs a unique chain of low cost Day Care Centre’s for children of poor working women. Annapurna Pariwar has been working for the empowerment of slum women since last three decades. An early childhood development intervention for slum children has thus become the focus of Annapurna.

A variety entertainment programme was organised for the kids from every centre to display their skills and enjoy by singing and dancing to the tune of local songs. In last 14 years Annapurna has set up 16 Day Care centre’s in 14 slums in Pune and 4 Day Care centre’s in Mumbai and has given an opportunity to 40 women to have self-employment. These centre’s today look after more than 600 slum children in Mumbai and Pune.

Dr. Medha Purao-Samant, MD Annapurna Pariwar said, “Slum children are almost always left unattended when parents are at work or are looked after by their eldest sibling. Children thus miss out on their childhood as a result of poverty. Poverty deprives them of the capabilities needed to survive and develop.”

She further stated that, “Around the world, poor girls and boys are victims of sexual abuse and are deprived of education. We are therefore working everyday on all fronts to provide long-term, sustainable and positive change for children, to ensure their protection, to end violence against children and to provide them with their right to education and offer good prospects for the future.”

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14th Convocation Ceremony at Symbiosis International (Deemed) University

“We need to unleash our energies as far as education is concerned. Once we liberated human energies, restrictions were never helpful. As long as we were restrictive, we grew very moderately. “, Shri ArunJaitley.

Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, held its 14 th Convocation ceremony on December 17th ,2017 at their Lavale campus. Shri Arun Jaitley Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Government of India graced the event as the Chief Guest.

“Today the world is highly competitive. The survival of the fittest, where what background or status you belong to does not matter. India is today highly aspirational, it’s becoming impatient. And therefore, that itself is now compelling governments and regimes to act. In twenty years from now, if we continue to grow at a pace of 7.5% growth which is our normal potential, India is yet not a satisfied nation. It wants to grow faster.”, Arun Jaitley.

Dr. Prof. S.B. Mujumdar, Chancellor SIU, talked about the inception and the journey of Symbiosis, from Cultural Centre to Educational Centre and now an International University, with its objective to bring Indian and foreign students together.

The prestigious D.Litt. degree was conferred upon Mr. Rahul Bajaj, politician and chairman of Bajaj Group and Prof. Philip Altbach, a leading global scholar in higher education with a nuanced ability to interpret Indian higher education to the rest of the world.

Vice Chancellor, Rajani Gupte, presented the annual report, revealing Symbiosis’ ranking 61st amongst the top 100 Universities in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2017. She also mentioned SIU’s latest patents and its association with an International project- Erasmus+ programme. SIU ranked 144 among BRICS Universities by the QS World University Rankings.

During this convocation ceremony, over 5000 students were conferred diplomas, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate degrees. In addition, 12 gold medallists were bestowed for academic excellence. The prestigious Prof. S.B. Mujumdar ‘Outstanding Foreign Student of the Year’ award was established last year. In continuation of his life long mission to offer learning opportunities to foreign students in India. This unique award and a prize money of Rs. 1 Lakh from his personal  savings is a recognition of the exemplary achievements of students, studying anywhere in India. This year it was presented to Mrs. Marzia Rahmanyar, Afghanistan. She studied gender, culture and development studies at Savitribai Phule, Pune University.

Pro Chancellor, Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar thanked the guests, and on behalf of the students. The

convocation ceremony concluded with caps tossing high.

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International Research Organization honors heath care fraternity for their outstanding work

Pune, 25 December 2017: Renowned, talented and reputed health professionals and organizations from India were awarded for their outstanding work in their respective fields in the second edition of the Indian Health Professionals Awards 2017 organized by Pune-based International Research Organization for Life & Health Sciences (IROLHS) held in Delhi on December 23^rd.

The second edition of the Indian Health Professionals Awards 2017 organized by Pune-based International Research Organization for Life & Health Sciences (IROLHS), Smile Nation in association with Green Park Dental received an overwhelming response. More than 250 doctors were rewarded from 25 states of India at the hands of sports legend former Indian sprinter Padma Shri Milkha Singh. The event was held in Delhi at The Venetain- Castles & Banquets, Rajouri Graden.

This year’s award ceremony witnessed presence of leading names from diverse sectors. Professionals from various categories were awarded for their excellence in the field of healthcare delivery, research, new innovations and rural social service for betterment of society and health education. The nominees were judged by an independent jury comprising experts from the medical and Dental field.

The mega initiative witnessed get together of the who's who of the healthcare sector in one place to discuss, network on issues that are so pertinent to this Industry. The discussion highlighted the issue related to securing India's health concerns. The event witnessed leaders from private & government organizations, policy makers, representatives from the government & key people from sector affiliates, all assemble to recognize & applaud the achievements of the best health care providers.

The event was graced by Hon. Shri Haribhai Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Hon. Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Union Minister of State for Finance & Vice President of BJP Uttar Pradesh, Shri Kuljeet Singh Chahal, General Secretary, BJP Delhi Sate, Shri Naresh Kumar, IAS Officer, Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council, Shri Madhup Vyas, IAS Officer, North, Commissioner, DrDilraj Kaur, IAS Officer, Additional Commissioner in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Padma Shri Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS, Delhi.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Swapnil Sunil Bumb, Founder & CEO, IROLHS and the stalwart behind the initiative said, “We are thrilled with the response that we received for the second edition of the awards. It is a matter of great pride that the award is growing from strength to strength every passing year. I strongly feel that such awards can definitely boost the outstanding contribution of the healthcare professionals for the betterment of society and health education. It is with this perspective IROLHS & Smile Nation come together to hostIndian Health Professionals Awards. We strongly feel The Indian Health Professionals Awards can become an exchange of idea forum where the stakeholders from the healthcare sector can discuss, deliberate and put forth their solutions to the issues plaguing the healthcare industry.”

Awards Category

Distinguished Orthodontist

Distinguished Prosthodontist

Distinguished Pedodontist

Distinguished Public Health Dentist

Young & Most Promising Dean

Distinguished Endodontist

Distinguished Young Dental Achiever

Distinguished Periodontist

Dental Leadership Award

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Secondary Schooling Anytime Anywhere through a Mobile App

The above charts depict clearly that out of 27.4 crore of the country’s student population, the attendance in secondary school is only 52% ( as per the chart circled in red), the school drop-out  rate being 35%. According to Census Data, 8.4 crore Indian children don’t attend school. Poverty, lack of availability and accessibility are the major reasons why children drop out of school. While the government’s emphasis has been majorly on providing primary education to promote literacy in India, there has been little focus on secondary education, which is imperative for skill development.

AAS Vidyalaya aims at making secondary education available and accessible to students across the country, harnessing the power of smartphone and internet penetration in the country. AAS meaning hope in Hindi, stands for Anytime Anywhere School and is the brainchild of Mr. Vikas Kakwani, an IIM and IITian, who proclaims himself to be a product of education. AAS Vidyalaya is a virtual school – a mobile app, built for millions of students who cannot go to school, in order to bring the school to them. The Social School operates exactly like a regular school with a dedicated class-teacher, timetables, subject periods and regular assessments.

Instead of bringing children to the school AAS gets the school to the children- Students can attend school from anywhere and teachers can work from home, while parents can seamlessly monitor day-to-day progress of the students. One can attend classes, interact with subject teachers; class teacher, take tests, and monitor their progress with this app. AAS has been launched for secondary education with CBSE curriculum, while the plan is to add other boards soon. AAS holistically brings in flexibility and cost benefits for students, teachers, as well as parents, thereby strengthening the educational system at the grass root level.

“The idea is to create a virtual school available for everyone- a school ‘For the People, By the People’”, says Vikas Kakwani who believes that the only way India can benefit from its demographic dividend is when everyone in the country is educated.

To download the app and find an entire school in your hand, click here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.org.vidyalaya.android

Website:

http://www.vidyalaya.org.in/

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MONTEGRAPPA ARMONIA PEN

When everything comes together “just so”, when all is right with the world, the condition is judged to be “harmonious”. Pen manufacturer Montegrappa has used this observation as the focal point for its new, entry-level writing instrument. Called “Armonia”, acknowledging its Italian roots, the pen embodies all that represents a perfect marriage of form and function … with flair.

Armonia is a slim design of medium length, enabling it to suit the hands of both male and female owners. It also imparts a degree of subtlety and discretion, the pen encouraging the words that flow from it to do all the speaking. And while it is an affordable writing tool, it is also purely a product of Montegrappa, with cleanly-shaped barrel and cap in shiny, pitch-black resin and stainless steel trim.

Despite the simplicity, Armonia is rich in detail. Its embellishments include a circumferential band around the lower section of the cap, which is engraved with the “Montegrappa” signature. The cap is also adorned with the brand’s 1912 symbol. Its pocket clip is sinuous, ending in the company’s rolling-ball that ensures smooth ingress and egress from a pocket.

Armonia is designed to serve all manner of writer, and is thus available in the three formats of fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint, as preferred by the user. The fountain pen can employ both converter and cartridge filling systems. Its nib is enriched with a Greek fret etching and is offered in Fine, Medium and Broad writing grades.

Harmony is the blending of complementary voices, notes or tones. It also describes the “chemistry” between simpatico human beings. Montegrappa presents Armonia as the ideal “first pen’, the perfect gift for the graduate, the student, newlyweds or anyone embarking on another chapter in life’s journey.

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Racold wins Most Energy Efficient Appliance of the Year

December 20, 2017: Racold, India’s largest provider of water heating solutions has been conferred the “Most Energy Efficient Appliance of the Year” award in the storage water heater category. It is the only brand in the category to receive this award.

The prestigious award by Bureau of Energy Efficiency was presented to Racold’s Head of Research and Development, Mr. Abhijit Banshelkikar by the Hon'ble Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh with the chief guest as Hon’ble President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony in Delhi.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power felicitated the winners out of 322 energy efficient companies from select sectors across India.  The BEE recognises innovation and achievements in energy conservation by industries and manufacturers of BEE star labelled appliances. The awards are also recognition of their demonstrated commitment to energy conservation and efficiency. The award is under a new category of awards which has been introduced this time as “Appliance of the Year”, which recognises the most energy efficient model in six product categories of Air Conditioner, Ceiling Fan, Refrigerator, Storage Water Heater, Television and Pumps.

This is the 8^th consecutive BEE win for Racold with the first BEE award being conferred in 2010.

As a part of its key strategic initiatives, Racold has successfully created awareness about environmental consciousness among the society at large. Racold has been strengthening year on year, its energy efficient product portfolio in electric storage water heaters, resulting in outstanding growth in its sales of star rated water heaters. Racold’s parent company, Ariston Thermo’s target is to realize 80% of its total business from highly energy efficient or renewable energy products by 2020.

Speaking about the recent honour, Mr. V Ramnath, Managing Director, Ariston Thermo Private Limited, said, “Racold has placed energy efficiency at the heart of its sustainable growth strategy and is deeply committed to energy conservation. Our product portfolio consists of highly energy efficient water heating solutions that contribute decisively to the reduction of energy consumption without compromising on quality, efficiency and comfort. We have always worked towards development of the society and are strong advocates of producing energy efficient products for our audience.”

Racold recently launched a new range of aesthetic storage water heaters, the Andris across the country

designed by the renowned Italian designer Umberto Palermo, Andris is a premium designed water heater which is meant to enhance the aesthetic of the bath space.

A combination of compact design and thick injected PUF insulation makes it a very energy efficient water heater, which is also validated by its 5star rating from BEE.  Andris is also rated 8 bar that enables it to withstand high pressure and makes it suitable for high rise buildings Racold has also recently rolled out its latest brand campaign with a social message “caring about your parents”- #PowerofHotShower.

About Brand Racold

Racold is a flagship brand of Racold Thermo Pvt. Ltd. Racold as a brand is synonymous with breakthrough innovation, premium quality and complete customer satisfaction. As a further testimony to their continuous delivery on performance, they have been the first to obtain quality and performance certifications as per IEC, CE and other similar International standards.

With a complete range of Electrical, Gas and Solar water heaters and Heat Pumps, Racold provides complete water heating solutions to all the sectors i.e. domestic, commercial and industrial. Racold focuses on consumer insight led innovation which has led to technological features like Programmable cycle, Smart Bath Logic and Eco sense.

Racold has won the prestigious National Energy conservation award consecutively 7 times in a row from 2010 to 2016. This award has been instituted by BEE in the electric storage water heater category.

Racold has been awarded as the ‘Most Trusted Brand in India’ in water heater segment by the Brand Trust report 2016 based on research conducted by Trust Research Advisory (TRA). The award is a testimony to the dominance that the brand enjoys in the customer’s mind

About Ariston Thermo Group

Ariston Thermo Group is the global leader in thermic comfort solutions for domestic, commercial & industrial spaces.

All over the world, Ariston Thermo is synonymous with comfort, energy efficiency and respect for the environment, thanks to its high efficiency products, its plants in compliance with the most advanced production standards and excellent pre- and after-sales customer support services.

The 1.43 billion Euro group employs 6900 people worldwide and manufactures over 7 million products per year, and over 35 million components. With 22 state-of-the-art production units in 13 countries, Ariston Thermo Group has a global presence in 150 countries with Ariston as its flagship brand.  Over 6 million households choose us every year and more than 250 million people experience the comfort of Ariston Thermo products. The company invested over 69 million Euros across 19 R&D centers in 12 countries. The company has significant presence in Europe and Asia, with production sites in Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. There is now a major thrust on Renewable energy, through solar water heaters and systems. By 2020, the group aims to have 80% of its business coming from high efficiency and renewable solutions.

About Ariston Thermo India Private Limited Ariston Thermo India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ariston Thermo Group, Italy, is responsible for marketing, sales and service of “Racold” products in India.

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deAsra's One-day Workshop on Finanacial Management to become a Successful Entrepreneur

On Friday, deAsra Foundation organized one day workshop on ‘Small Business Financial Management’ for new & existing entrepreneurs at S M Joshi Auditorium, Pune. The workshop was held for the entrepreneurs who are looking for the guidance in how to grow business by managing financial management & its importance.

deAsra is known for giving a hassle free approach to upcoming businesses by giving them a mentor to guide through the entire process flawlessly.

Mr. Sudhir Gijare, retired Deputy General Manager of State Bank of India, with an experience of 40+ years in Financing SME’s, risk management etc. guided the attendees. He quoted that “Entrepreneurs need to keep a close check on their expenses without affecting customer satisfaction”

Along with deAsra Foundation’s Mr. Prakash Agashe also stated that, “Strong financial literacy and management is a key skill for any successful entrepreneur to ensure the sustainable development of scalability of a business.”

The workshop touched upon financial management and moved on to financial strategies for growth, financial planning, cash flow management, risk management and resource management. The workshop helped participants to interpret and understand financial and economic data to support the key management tasks of planning, decision- making and creating value within the business and how to assess the risks and opportunities using financial data.

The workshop which was also attended by Mr.R R Shantapaa, Mr. Onkar Kumar, Mr.Shashikant M Choudhari, Mr.Anil Sawant, Mr.Amit Anand, Mr.Nitin Bhargave Chief Manager Lavale, Mr Rajesh Kumar Baitha, and  Mr Umesh Joshi all from Bank of Maharashtra. The workshop received a huge response and was attended by 100+ businessmen, who benefitted from the valuable insights which were shared by experts.  

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