PKL 2018, Day 16 highlights: UP claim 2nd win in PKL 6, beat Pune 29-23

A terrific second-half performance by the Bengaluru Bulls saw them register a comfortable 42-34 victory over Haryana Steelers in the Inter-Zone Challenge Week of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season six.

In the second match on day 16 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 2018) season six, Rishank Devadiga UP Yoddha came victorious against Puneri Paltan as they defeated them by the score line 29-23. This was the only second win for UP in the Pro Kabaddi 2018. For UP Yoddha, Prashanth Kumar Rai scored 8 raid points in 16 attempted raids while their top defender was Nitesh Kumar who scored 3 tackle points in 6 attempted tackle. Meanwhile for Puneri Paltan Monu scored 7 raid points in 13 attempted raid.

In the first match, a terrific second-half performance by the Bengaluru Bulls saw them register a comfortable 42-34 victory over Haryana Steelers in theInter-Zonee Challenge Week of Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season VI. The architect of their win was raider Pawan Sehrawat who scored 21 raid points and single-handedly tormented the Steelers' defence. For Haryana Steelers, Vikas Kandola got 14 points while Monu Goyat scored nine points but it wasn't enough as they suffer their sixth defeat of the season. In the first few minutes of the match, it was the raiders who got their teams going.

Pawan Sehrawat, Monu Goyat scored points as Haryana Steelers led 3-2 after three minutes. Rohit Kumar got his first raid point of the match in the fourth minute as Bengaluru Bulls trailed 3-5. Another raid by Rohit leveled the scored at 5-5 for Bengaluru Bulls in the sixth minute. It was the battle of the raiders in the first half with both defences having a hard time to get tackle points. Bengaluru Bulls scored just two tackle points in the first half while Haryana Steelers got three. Monu Goyat scored with a two-point raid in the 18th minute. Haryana Steelers went into the break holding a slender two-point lead with the score 15-13 in their favour.

Bengaluru Bulls started the second half strongly as first Pawan Sehrawat came up with a super raid in the 24th minute. The Bulls then inflicted the first all out of the match in the 25th minute to lead 21-17. Pawan Sehrawat came up with another super raid in the 28th minute as Bengaluru Bulls led 26-18. Vikas Kandola scored with four points with two raids an saved his team from two all outs. Bengaluru, however, inflicted an all out in the 32nd minute to lead 32-23. Bengaluru Bulls were in a commanding position as they led by eight points with less than five minutes to go. Vikas Kandola got another raid point for the Steelers in the 37th minute as Haryana were left to reduce the margin of defeat.

TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MATCH

Ind vs Eng 5th Test Day 4 highlights: Rahul, Rahane take India to 58/3

Courtesy the twin hundreds by the former Alastair Cook and current skipper Joe Root, England declared their second innings on 423/8 with a massive target of 464 for Team India

On Day 4 of the fifth and final India vs England test match of the Specsavers Test series, Alastair Cook will be taking the field for one last time in his international career. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja followed up on his good bowling show of 4-79 with a gutsy 86 not out to take India to 292 in the first innings. But England captain Joe Root and Cook dug in as England extended their lead in the second innings. With India’s tour of England coming to end, it has been observed that despite the 3-1 series scoreline, England and India are two well-matched teams, with strong fast-bowling attacks and flawed batting line-ups. This has provided captivating four Tests to date with plenty of ebb and flow, but the reason for England’s victory has been that it has been they who have risen to the occasion whenever crucial moments have presented themselves.

India vs England 5th Test Day 4 live score

Alastair Cook's farewell test: Achievements

Before the start of the fifth and final test, England’s highest run-getter, Cook, announced his retirement and it was apparent that in his final international appearance he would show his batting masterclass. He scored a fifty in the first innings. It was a coincidence that Cook was playing his swansong Test against India, against whom he had debuted as well. His highest Test score of 294 also came against India at Birmingham during the 2011 series. One of the high points of his captaincy certainly was leading England to a 2-1 series win against India in India back in 2012.

Alastair Cook international record

Planning to buy Samsung Note 9? Here's what it will cost in India

The Note 9 smartphone would be available in India in three colours Midnight Black, Ocean Blue and Metallic Copper

Electronics major Samsung has said it will start shipping its premium flagship ' Samsung Note 9 ' in the Indian market, priced Rs 67,900 onwards.

The device, which was unveiled on Thursday at the Barclays Centre in New York, is available for pre-booking in India with availability expected to begin later this month.

"Galaxy Note 9 will be available in 128GB and 512GB variants and will be priced at Rs 67,900 and Rs 84,900, respectively," Samsung said in a statement. It, however, did not disclose the date of availability.

The Note 9 smartphone would be available in India in three colours Midnight Black, Ocean Blue and Metallic Copper, it added.

The Note 9 will be available in select markets from August 24, 2018, it had announced on Thursday.

In a separate statement, telecom operator Bharti Airtel said the Note 9 (128 GB) will be available through its online store.

"Customers can pre-order the smartphone on the Airtel Online Store starting August 11, 2018 and Airtel will begin the delivery of the device starting August 22, 2018," it added.

The Note 9 will compete head-on with Apple's iPhones as well as OnePlus' smartphone among other smartphones in the premium smartphone category in the Indian market.

ALSO READ: Better than iPhone? Samsung Galaxy Note 9 creates flutters in Apple camp

The premium smartphone segment in India is niche but mirrors global trends in terms of growth. While the category accounts for less than 10 per cent of the Indian market in terms of shipment, the value contribution is higher. Estimate suggest that quarterly smartphone shipments in the category range between 1-1.5 million units.

Earlier this year, Samsung had unveiled the latest edition of its other flagship Galaxy S9, priced at Rs 57,900 onwards.

According to market watchers, Samsung is betting heavily on the success of its flagship devices in India, which is among the largest smartphone markets.

Globally, the premium smartphone market accounts for almost one-fifth of the total market. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung's Note series contributes to roughly one-tenth of the global premium smartphone market.

It features 6.4-inch display, 12MP dual rear and 8MP front camera and 4,000 mAh battery. It will have two variants -- 6GB RAM/128GB internal memory (expandable up to 512GB) and 8GB RAM/512GB internal memory (expandable up to 512GB).

Samsung has incorporated bluetooth capability in its signature S Pen stylus, which can be used to control music playback and camera shutter. Besides, the company has also added artificial intelligence (AI) features to enhance camera capabilities.

Fake news crackdown: Modi govt wants WhatsApp, Facebook to be responsible

The government is more concerned with Telegram, fast becoming the preferred medium for many people

The government has said it expects popular social media applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook, which have large user bases in the country, to be responsible.

In a bid to check the spread of fake news through social media and messaging platforms — leading to mob lynching in some cases — the government is exploring the possibility of blocking WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. The government is also trying to curb child abuse and pornography spread through these platforms.

The government has already issued notices on WhatsApp to keep a check on content. But, it is more concerned with Telegram, fast becoming the preferred medium for many people.

Sources said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had expressed concerns about Telegram to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Based on the letter from MeitY, DoT had asked the telecom and internet service providers to provide inputs about blocking mobile apps.

ALSO READ: Social media with large user base should behave responsibly: IT Secretary

Asked about the blocking of mobile apps, Information Technology (IT) Secretary Ajay P Sawhney said, “We are always in touch, and anytime we have a concern we flag it. We expect all platforms to behave in a responsible manner, especially those with a large user base.” He, however, said whenever the need arises, the government acts according to the IT Act in order to remove contentious content.

Sources told Business Standard it was very difficult for the government to ensure content had been blocked or taken down. In case of Telegram, which does not have a huge user base in India yet, the government wants to strengthen its enforcement mechanism.

Telegram claims its cloud chat data is stored in multiple data centres around the globe that are controlled by different legal entities spread across different jurisdictions. The relevant decryption keys are split into parts and are never kept in the same place as the data they protect. As a result, several court orders from different jurisdictions are required to force them to give up any data.

“Thanks to this structure, we can ensure no single government or block of like-minded countries can intrude on people’s privacy and freedom of expression,” Telegram explained on its website. Read more

Nooyi - the Indian executive who broke glass ceiling in corporate America

Nooyi is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and Yale University

Chennai-born Indra Nooyi not only broke the glass ceiling in corporate America when she was named CEO of global beverage giant PepsiCo in 2006 but, through her journey, inspired millions of young Indians who dreamed of and aspired to emulate the success the India-born woman achieved in America.

PepsiCo on Monday announced that Nooyi will step down on October 3 after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as CEO. PepsiCo's Board of Directors unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta, 54, to succeed 62-year-old Nooyi.

Nooyi, one of the most powerful and influential business leaders in the world, was regularly featured on the power lists compiled by Forbes and Fortune magazines. She was also among the few female executives to lead global corporate giants.

Apart from being a prominent face of women leadership across the world, she was also the epitome of success for the millions of young Indians who aspired to be like her as they watched her journey through the ranks of PepsiCo and eventually leading the global conglomerate. She was among the first of a handful of India-born executives to helm global corporates.

She was appointed as CEO in 2006, becoming PepsiCo's fifth chief executive in its 41-year history, and the first woman. MasterCard's President Ajay Banga, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were all named to the top jobs in their companies in the years that followed.

Nooyi was also very vocal about the challenges women faced in trying to find a balance in managing their home and work. She had famously said at an Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado in 2014 that women "cannot have it all."

ALSO READ: PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi to step down as CEO, Ramon Laguarta to take over

She had told the Aspen audience that she has died "with guilt" several times in her life as she tried to bring up her two daughters with her husband. She recounted that she felt guilty for not being able to attend several activities at her daughters' school as she could not take time off from work.

Nooyi said she was disappointed at her mother's reaction to her "great news." She said her mother told her "let the news wait. Can you go out and get some milk."

She recalled her mother telling her, "let me explain something to you. You might be president of PepsiCo. You might be on the board of directors. But when you enter this house, you're the wife, you're the daughter, you're the daughter-in-law, you're the mother. You're all of that. Nobody else can take that place. So leave that damned crown in the garage. And don't bring it into the house. You know I've never seen that crown."

A staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton for president, Nooyi had also expressed her disappointment when Clinton lost the presidential elections in 2016. She had said Clinton's loss left her daughters and PepsiCo's employees devastated and there were serious concerns among the company's workers, especially the non-white employees, about their safety in an America with Donald Trump as its president. (Read more)

Apple iPad Pro 2018 to get Face ID, gesture-based UI, lose 3.5mm audio jack

The next-generation iPad Pro models are also reported to have trimmed-down dimensions when compared with the current generation models, according to a report on Japanese technology portal Macotakara

US-based technology giant Apple is working on the iPad Pro 2018, which is reported to get some of its features from the iPhone X. These include the advanced facial recognition and gesture-controlled user interface. The next-generation iPad Pro models are also reported to have trimmed-down dimensions when compared with the current-generation models, according to a report on the Japanese technology portal Macotakara.The iPad Pro 2018 models are reported to come in 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch screen formats with edge-to-edge screen. Both the models would feature Apple’s advanced facial recognition biometric set-up, which uses an infrared camera, dot projector, flood illuminator, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor and front camera to 3D-map the user's face. In terms of dimensions, the iPad Pro 2018 with a 10.5-inch screen is reported to have a compact profile with dimensions measuring 247.5 x 178.7 x 6 mm, compared with 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1mm for the current-generation model. Similarly, the 12.9-inch model would also have a trimmed dimension of 280 x 215 x 6.4mm, compared with 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9mm in the current model.

ALSO READ: Apple developing app to comply with DND rules, end stand-off with Trai

The iPad Pro 2018 models are also reported to lose the 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been missing in the iPhone models of the past few generations.The recent information around the upcoming Apple iPad Pro 2018 stands in line with the predictions of Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities who has seldom been wrong. The analyst had earlier predicted that there would be two new iPad Pro models, the 11-inch model to replace the 10.5-inch model and a 12.9-inch model. Though the report on the Japanese technology portal still bets on a 10.5-inch screen, there are chances that we see an 11-inch model eventually.

Kuo also predicted that the new iPad Pro models would have Face ID, which has been reaffirmed in the recent report. The all-screen display with gesture-based navigation also hints at no Home Button on the front and iPhone X-like user interface, which was also predicted by Kuo earlier.

Reliance Jio effect: Bharti Airtel posts Rs 9.4-bn loss in India operations

Total revenues were also down by 8.6 per cent to Rs 200 billion for the June 2018 quarter, compared to Rs 219 billion last year

Bruised by an intense tariff war in the telecom sector, Bharti Airtel has reported a net loss of Rs 9.4 billion in its India operations during the quarter ended June. The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led firm, set to be dethroned by Vodafone Idea as the country’s largest telecom operator, had reported a net profit of Rs 8.3 billion for India in the same period last year.

However, helped by an exceptional gain of Rs 5.15 billion, the telco has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 970 million for the June quarter. Without this gain, Airtel would have reported a net loss on a consolidated basis. The exceptional gain relates largely to creation of deferred tax asset in Nigeria. This was partially offset by network refarming programme and costs pertaining to the business combinations completed during the quarter. The consolidated net profit was down 73.5 per cent for the reported period to touch Rs 970 million against Rs 3.67 billion last year.

Total revenues were also down by 8.6 per cent to Rs 200 billion for the June 2018 quarter, compared to Rs 219 billion last year. The net debt of rose to Rs 1.02 trillion at the end of June 30. Incumbent operators have maintained that Reliance Jio’s “predatory pricing” was responsible for their margins crashing.

ALSO READ: Chief technology officers of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel resign

The high-decibel tariff war is not likely to end anytime soon as Jio continues to disrupt the market. Mukesh Ambani-owned Jio has touched a customer base of 200 million within two years of starting its commercial operations, making the company the fastest to achieve the milestone.

“Industry pricing continues to remain untenable,” said Gopal Vittal, managing director and chief executive officer, India & South Asia, Airtel. On an optimistic note, he said the company’s mobile data traffic surged 355 per cent in India on a year-on-year basis, led by successful bundles, content partnerships and handset upgrade plans.

“Q1 FY19 has seen our highest quarterly capex spends of Rs 78.87 billion. Our investments have led to some opex headwinds in this quarter, but we remain focused on structural cost containment through our war on waste programme,” Vittal said.

Low tariffs continue to take a toll and the company’s average revenue per user (ARPU) in India, a key metric to gauge the profitability of any telecom operator, decreased to Rs 105 a month. The ARPU for the March quarter was Rs 116. During the last quarter, Airtel completed the acquisition of Telenor because of which its customer base in the country rose to 344 million. The consolidated Ebitda margin fell to 34 per cent in the last quarter compared with 35.6 per cent in the corresponding quarter last year. Consolidated Ebit also dropped by 43.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 16.80 billion.

From assembling furniture to special lunchboxes: How Ikea aims to win India

IKEA, which sells affordable furniture that people assemble themselves, in a research found that Indians would be unlikely to buy furniture which they would have to assemble together themselves

Ikea built a global empire selling affordable furniture that people assembled themselves. For its first store in India, the Swedish retailer is upending its business model.

The India store, set to open next month in the southern city of Hyderabad, will feature Ikea’s first in-house furniture-assembly team, with 150 full-time employees. Ikea created the optional service after research indicated many Indians would be unlikely to buy bookshelves and tables they had to screw together.

The store will also have items tailored for Indian preferences, such as lunchbox sets to carry multiple-course meals, pans to cook Indian flatbread, and mattresses containing coconut fibres, which many Indians find cooling. The outlet’s 1,000-seat restaurant will be Ikea’s biggest to date, serving samosas and biryani as well as Swedish meatballs made with chicken or vegetables because most Indians don’t eat beef or pork.

“This is the moment of truth,” said Juvencio Maeztu, the company’s deputy chief executive, who spent the past six years preparing for the India launch. “India is an opportunity to make the next 75 years of Ikea.”

Ikea, like many big Western retailers, is betting that India’s mushrooming middle class and young population will spur demand for the company’s products. Roughly half of India’s 1.3 billion people are under the age of 25. While only a small minority can afford an Ikea bed or table set today, incomes and aspirations are rising. The country’s home-furnishings market expanded more than 90 Per cent over the past six years to $34.45 billion as of March, Indian retail consultancy Technopak estimated.

ALSO READ: Store launch delayed over construction issues, faulty fire alarms: IKEA

Among the retailer’s potential customers is Nitin Pai of Bangalore. Mr. Pai liked the Ikea bookcases he bought in Singapore so much that he looked for a local carpenter to copy the design. Until IKEA makes its debut in Bangalore, the 44-year-old hopes the company’s arrival in India will create better options. “Higher expectations will cause domestic competitors and those elusive carpenters to raise their game,” he said.

Getting India—the world’s second most populous country—right has never been more important for Ikea. Its global sales growth has slowed sharply in recent years, while its profit has been squeezed by heavy investments in e-commerce and new channels.

Ikea has considered doing business in India for years, having first established a presence in 2007 only to run into a raft of regulations limiting foreign investment in the country’s retail sector.

In the past month, the announced date of the company’s India opening has been delayed twice. A spokeswoman said Ikea still has more work to do on the store. (more)

Honor 9N India launch today: Watch live stream, know expected price, specs

The Honor 9N would sport an optimised notch-based screen and 2.5D curved glass design with 12-layer Nano coating on the back for a mirror-like effect

Honor, the online subsidiary of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is all set to launch the Honor 9N in India on July 24. The Flipkart-exclusive smartphone would sport an optimised notch-based screen and 2.5D curved glass design with 12-layer Nano coating on the back for a mirror-like effect.

The Honor 9N is reported to be a renamed version of the Honor 9i, launched in China some time ago. In terms of specifications and features, the Honor 9N is expected to sport a 5.84-inch fullHD+ notch-based screen stretched in a 19:9 aspect ratio. The phone would be powered by Kirin 659 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. This is the same processor that has been used in most of Honor’s budget smartphones, including the Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7X and Honor 9i (Indian version).

However, the Honor 9N processor might support Huawei’s recently announced GPU Turbo technology, which the company claims to boost graphic performance by up to 60 per cent and processor efficiency by 30 per cent.

ALSO READ: GPU Turbo aims to address smartphones' graphic performance challenge: Honor

In terms of imaging, the Honor 9N would have a dual camera set-up on the back and a single-camera unit on the front for selfies. The rear cameras would feature a 13-megapixel primary sensor mated with a 2MP depth-sensing lens. The selfie camera would feature a 16MP lens, which would also double up as a biometric utility for the face-unlock mechanism. Powering the device would be a 3,000 mAh battery.

As for the price, the Honor 9N is expected to be priced somewhere between Rs 12,000 and Rs 18,000. However, this is a speculative price and the official price, sale information and colour details would be added soon after the launch.

Sprint queen Hima Das: Is she the next big thing in brand endorsements?

Will brands line-up to sign her up or will she go the Dipa Karmakar way?

Last week was crazy. My WhatsApp was inundated with forwards on the FIFA World Cup. All kinds of stats, stories, anecdotes, jokes and footage on England, Belgium, Croatia and France were coming in from friends and acquaintances without too many filters or discretion being exercised. So, in the middle of all that chaos, I almost missed the first message on Hima Das winning a gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championship 2018 in the 400 metres at Tampere in Finland. But then in the space of the next couple of hours I received (I counted) 22 forwards of the video showing Hima Das’s dash to victory and glory. It was as if India had finally found its own hero amongst all the noise and hype of the FIFA being played by everyone else, but us. And, the forwards did not stop. Almost out of nowhere background stories about Hima started to fill up my inbox. Again, I counted. 31 of them over the next 4 hours. Finally, a video of Hima Das on the victory podium started to pour in. A video of the young champion, India’s national anthem playing in the background, and Hima with tears hesitantly rolling down her cheeks. The video actually brought tears to my eyes too. This time the count on the forwards exceeded 50. Overnight, Hima Das had become the darling of the nation, a sensation recognized the very next day by Amul with a hoarding headline that said, “Das pe dus!”.

Not since Dipa Karmakar attained the 4th position in the Women’s Vault Gymnastics event at the Rio Olympics in 2016, had I witnessed such mass adulation and euphoria. There were many similarities in the Dipa-Hima stories. Underprivileged backgrounds. Both from the North East. Almost no formal coaching. No facilities. Just a lot of grit, determination and loads and loads of hardwork. Entirely self-driven, supported by poor families, unsung heroes no one had expected to win on the global stage. So, in all the WhatsApp messages (I am not very active on Twitter, hence did not keep track on that) there was surprise (in fact wonder would be a more appropriate word to use). There was the usual lament about lack of support and encouragement to these emerging heroes and many many hopes that these newly minted champions would make India proud many more times in the future.

Das will soon be back home, I am sure to a hero’s welcome. I am sure the Minister of Sports will escort her to meet the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Prime Minister. It is after all the done thing. There will be lots of media coverage. Lots of social media commentary too. More stories will emerge about her impoverished past. A couple of stories on her coach for sure.

ARTICLE SOURCE : BS

At 107,487, India accounts for 1/5th of global deaths from floods in 64 yrs

India is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change

India Floods : India accounts for one-fifth of global deaths due to floods, according to government data that lend perspective to a new World Bank study that says climate change will lower the standards of living of nearly half of India’s population by 2050.

As many as 107,487 people died due to heavy rains and floods across India over 64 years between 1953 and 2017, according to Central Water Commission data presented to the Rajya Sabha (Parliament’s upper house) on March 19, 2018. Damage to crops, houses and public utilities was reported to be Rs 365,860 crore–or as much as 3% of India’s current gross domestic product–the data show.

“The main reasons of floods have been assessed as high intensity rainfall in short duration, poor or inadequate drainage capacity, unplanned reservoir regulation and failure of flood control structures,” according to the reply to the Rajya Sabha.

With heavy rains sweeping western India, many cities such as Mangaluru, Mumbai and Junagarh have flooded during the 2018 monsoon season. Over 30 people died in floods that inundated 58 villages, The Times of India reported on July 7, 2018.

Climate change will exacerbate flooding

“Temperatures have been rising across the [South Asia] region, and are projected to continue increasing for the next several decades under all plausible climate scenarios,” the World Bank study, published on June 28, 2018, said.

These changes will result in more frequent flooding, greater water demand and increased heat-related medical issues.

South Asian cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Dhaka and Karachi–that are home to over 50 million people–face a substantial risk of flood-related damage over the next century, the report said.

India is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change. It has increased the frequency of downpours as well as the gaps between rainy days during the monsoon, as IndiaSpend reported in January 2018 and February 2018.

As India’s climate warms, extreme weather, such as intense rain and floods, is predicted to worsen.

The new World Bank study mentioned above said the worst affected states by 2050 would be Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Seven of the 10 most affected districts will belong to Vidarbha, Maharashtra.

Article Source : BS

Lakshadweep's new islands to be thrown open - only for 'high-end' tourists

Checks are to be placed on the movement of tourists to ensure the ecology of the place is not disturbed

Planning to spend a long weekend with family and friends in one of the newly opened Lakshadweep islands? Be prepared to shell out a little more than you thought. If things go as planned, the Centre will develop 12 new Lakshadweep islands under its island development programme but limit their access to ‘high-end’ serious adventure and fun tourists – those who won’t mind spending more than Rs 15,000 for a one-night stay in some of the world’s most exotic and unexplored places.

The number of tourists visiting these newly opened spaces will also be planned and closely monitored to ensure the highly fragile ecology of these coral islands does not get harmed.

The visits will only be on a prior booking basis, and there will be no drive-in facility.

According to senior officials, the movement of tourists will also be limited to a specific area in the newly opened islands, so that the privacy of locals and tribal people, many of whom have their own personal communities cut off from the outside world, is maintained.

“We won’t allow this (opening of islands for tourists) to impact the much-cherished and highly fragile ecological and environmental characteristics of the Lakshadweep islands,” Farooq Khan, administrator of the Lakshadweep islands, told Business Standard.

He said the Centre in the first phase planned to build around 150 rooms in the inhabited and uninhabited islands of Lakshadweep in association with private parties. Of these, 84 rooms would be in the inhabited islands of Bangaram and Suheli.

Resort owners who exceed their allocated quota of rooms would be penalised and their licences would be cancelled to ensure that there is no crowding of resorts in the islands.

Of the 12 identified islands in Lakshadweep, for which permission has been granted to develop as tourism destinations, the work in the first phase will start on 10 – Minicoy, Kadmat, Agatti, Chetlat, Bitra, Bangaram, Thinakarra, Cheriyan, Suheli and Kalpeni.

Among these, the first five are inhabited and the remaining not.

Lakshwadeep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks, with a total of about thirty-nine islands and islets. Of these, fewer than half are inhabited.

Development of the new islands in Lakshadweep is part of the Centre’s ambitious programme of holistic development of 26 islands in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar for which it formed an Island Development Agency in June last year.

Along with the NITI Aayog, the government plans to develop these islands into tourist attractions on the lines of popular Southeast Asian beach destinations.

Article source : BS

IIT, IIM students get more than double the salary than other grads: Report

Candidates proficient in new-age skills like machine learning and data science are found to be hired largely from the top IITs

As employers look for quality talent, engineering graduates from top IITs are fetching 137 per cent higher salary package than an average engineer, while management graduates from top IIMs are getting 121 per cent more than an average MBA graduate, according to a report.

In IITs, computer science or information technology graduates are receiving the highest annual package of Rs 6.9 lakh per annum, global online talent measurement solution provider Mettl said in its campus hiring report 2018.

The report said candidates proficient in new-age skills like machine learning and data science are found to be hired largely from the top IITs.

"New IITs are catching up fast with top NITs in terms of compensation packages offered, especially for CS or IT graduates where new IITs have surpassed top NITs," it said.

In a region-wise analysis of management institutions, the report observed that west India held a leading position with 17 per cent higher compensations than the average salary recorded.

ALSO READ: More MBA graduates are choosing tech jobs, and Silicon Valley is hiring

The report is the result of a survey conducted by Mettl across 194 institutes in the country, comprising 114 engineering and 80 management institutions, during January to June period, for placement for FY 2017-18.

It said graduates from the technology domain received the higher average salary package of Rs 14.8 lakh per annum post MBA.

The general management roles accounted for the maximum number of hires at 31 per cent, while roles in senior management were the highest paid jobs commanding 118 per cent more than the average salary of MBA graduates, it added.

Mettl chief executive and co-founder Ketan Kapoor said in the present age, there is a rise in demand for skilled candidates across all domains and employers have taken the campus route to attract quality talent to meet this demand.

"However, employers face many challenges during campus placement drives. From early attrition to inability to retain candidates even after rolling out lucrative offer letters, companies face a major challenge that needs to be resolved in order to build loyal future leaders," he added.

Article Source : BS

Apple App Store turns 10 with 500 mn weekly visitors in 155 countries

Subscriptions are up 95 per cent from 2017, and as of June 2018, developers have earned over $100 billion from the App Store

Customers in 155 countries are visiting Apple App Store more often, staying longer and downloading and using more apps than ever before, the Cupertino-based iPhone giant has said.

App Store, that will turn 10 on July 10, now sees 500 million weekly visitors and hundreds of stories on the "Today" tab that have been read by more than 1 million people.

"When Apple introduced the App Store on July 10, 2008, with 500 apps, it ignited a cultural, social and economic phenomenon that changed how people work, play, meet, travel and so much more," Apple said in a statement on Friday.

With the introduction of in-app purchase (IAP) in 2009, customers could download an app and then pay to unlock different levels and functionality.

By June 2010, $1 billion were paid out to developers from IAP and paid apps.

Subscriptions are up 95 per cent from 2017, and as of June 2018, developers have earned over $100 billion from the App Store, the company informed.

"In its first decade, the App Store has surpassed all of our wildest expectations. We could not be more proud of what developers have created and what the next 10 years have in store," said Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, Apple.

According to Marco Arment, a long-time iOS developer, App Store has been by far the easiest way for developers to reach the most people with his apps.

"It eliminated the friction and overhead of setting up our own distribution and payment systems, making development far more accessible to everyone and letting us focus on our true passion: making the best apps we can," he said.

Later, start-ups including Instagram, Calm, Uber and Instacart embraced features like the iPhone camera, Apple Pay, GPS and Location Services to deliver on-demand and personalised experiences -- with many creating billion-dollar businesses that started with apps in the App Store.

"At the same time, both traditional companies and those that started as websites, such as Twitter, Facebook, eBay, Yelp, Airbnb and Amazon, began building apps to meet changing customer behaviour," Apple said.

The App Store brought gaming mainstream owing to the Multi-Touch technology on iPhone and iPad and the convenience of playing on the go.

Article Source : BS