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Progress towards Family planning goals significant but needs to pick up pace   FP2020 report progress reports lauds India’s decision to expand new methods of contraceptive in the family planning program More number of women around the world now have access to modern contraceptive method however this progress is slow on keeping pace with the projections made during the 2012 London summit on family planning. According to the ‘FP2020 Commitment to Action 2014–2015’ Progress Report, although an additional 24.4 million women and girls now have access to modern methods of contraception, this is 10 million fewer than the benchmark for 2015 projected at the time of the 2012 London Summit. There is an increasing concern that India, one of the 69 FP2020 focus countries committed to FP 2020 goals, has to catch up on accelerating the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (a measure of the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of mo...

Shri U.K. Sinha, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), inaugurated Bandhan Bank's Prabhadevi branch in Mumbai, today. This is Bandhan Bank's 600 th  branch in the country. Bandhan Bank commenced its operations on August 23, 2015, with 501 branches, 2,022 Door step Service Centres (DSCs) and 50 ATMs across 24 Indian states. The bank was inaugurated by        Shri. Arun Jaitley, Hon'ble Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in Kolkata at a grand function attended by regulators, policy makers and luminaries from financial sector and corporate India. Bandhan is the first bank to be set up in eastern part of India post-Independence. Currently, Bandhan Bank operates across 27 Indian states through a network of 599 branches and 183 ATMs, being served by more than 20,000 employees. Since its launch, the bank has collected deposits to the tune of Rs. 4,700 crore catering...

On Good Governance Day,  Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad , Minister of Communications and Information Technology, launched a unique eLearning programme called OLabs ( http://www.onlinelabs.edu.in ) which enables high-school students to perform virtual science-lab experiments online. Under this nationwide initiative, 30,000 teachers across all states in India will be provided free training to teach students how to use OLabs. The eLearning programme will be hosted on the National Knowledge Network (NKN) to support its scaling to millions of students across the country. Olabs – short for “Online Labs” – has been developed by Amrita CREATE ( http://www.amrita.edu/create ) , an educational technology research initiative of Amrita University under the guidance of the university’s chancellor, Mata Amritanandamayi, in association with CDAC, Mumbai, under a research grant from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. Said  Vice Chancellor of Amrita University...

The much awaited poster of the upcoming movie Love Shagun was unveiled today. The poster features all the characters of the movie in turn reflecting their personalities. The film stars, Anuj Sachdeva, Niddhi Subbaiah, Manit Joura, Taran Bajaj, Vikram Kochar, Simpy Singh and Shamin Mannan. The story revolves around JD who is a strong believer of astrology and his roller coaster love life that is filled with confusion and drama. ‘Love Shagun’  is directed by Saandesh Nayak, produced by Isha S Nayak under the banner of Saanvi Nayak Films. The film is scheduled to release on  26 th  Feb, 2016.

Mumbai, December 28 th , 2015:  Actress Ridhima Sud has been receiving rave reviews for her role in Kajarya. Not many are aware that the actress had to go through intense research for her role where she had to trail a real journalist in order to get into the skin of the character. While preparing for the film she actually witnessed the trial of the accused men in the Nirbhaya incident. Standing at a 15 feet distance from the accused the actress was horrified at the scene. The defense lawyer only seemed to be concerned with finding his 15 minutes of fame as described by her.   "Nobody tells you it's not OK to cry at one of these things. I was in tears from feeling rage and the kind of pain that only a woman can feel for another..." exclaimed Ridhima. The story of Kajarya revolves around female infanticide where Ridhima plays the role of a reporter. The film is a top contender for the National Awards to be held next year. The Nirbhaya incident is one that...

Mumbai, December 28 th , 2015:  Christmas is the season of giving back, doing good and celebrations! Upholding this spirit of Christmas actress Jacqueline Fernandes celebrated the festival with her fans in a unique way. She started by thanking them for their utmost love and devotion through a special video on Facebook followed by sending personalized gifts to her numerous fans across the globe. Jacqueline loves her fans immensely and this sweet gesture on her part has further strengthened the bond.  She engages with them regularly on all social media platforms and the Christmas season made this interaction all the more fruitful and endearing. Watch Jacqueline bring in the Christmas cheer  here: bit.ly/ChristmasWithJacqueline The actress will be next seen in her first international venture – Definition of Fear

Mumbai (India), December, 2015:  Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited  (“L&T Infotech ”), one of India’s global Information Technology (“ IT ”) services and solutions companies and a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited (“ L&T ”), today announced being named as one of the  ‘Star Performers’  and ‘ Major Contenders’  in the service provider landscape for Analytics in Global Insurance in Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix TM   Assessment  2015. The report titled “ IT Outsourcing in Global Insurance – Service Provider Landscape with PEAK Matrix ™ Assessment 2015: Driving Differentiation through Digital ” (the “ Report ”) assessed 21 leading application outsourcing (“ AO ”) service providers based on parameters related to scale and scope of operation, technology, domain investments, delivery footprint, innovation, buyer satisfaction and resultant market success in the context of a given outsourcing function. According to the Report, the dis...

Creates Awareness for the need to support the education of the Girl Child 22 nd December 2015, Mumbai: Actress Elli Avram, fresh from the success of Abbas Mastan’s film ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon’ celebrated Christmas with children from Smile Foundation at Gaylord’s Bake Shop joining the popular heritage restaurant in treating them to a range of delicious goodies while drawing attention to the immense need for increasing support and awareness on the issue of education of the girl child.  The event was an initiative with the Smile Foundation with the intention of helping raise awareness about the importance of educating the girl child and the need of education in every child’s life to help eradicate poverty, ignorance and prejudice. The Smile Foundation is a national level development organisation directly benefitting over 300,000 children and their families every year, through 158 welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood and women empowerment in more than 700 r...

93.5 Red FM Bajao for a Cause with the Baby Boomers Mumbai, 22nd December 2015 – 93.5 Red FM , as a part of their CSR initiative ‘ Bajao for a Cause ’ visited old-age homes in Mumbai to spend time and share the Christmas festivities with the elderly, on Monday, December 21. ‘ Bajao for a Cause ’ is Red FM 's social initiative, which highlights different causes every year. Red FM partnered with the Max Foundation last year and helped them raise 25 lacs towards cancer relief, while the 2013 edition with National Association for the Blind raised about 50 lacs towards Braille kits. As a part of this initiative, this Christmas, Red FM RJs along with select listeners and celebrity guests – comedian Naveen Prabhakar and Singer Suresh Wadkar , among them, will travel to the old age homes around Mumbai in a festive themed, open roof, double-decker bus, ‘Khushiyon ki Gaadi’ , started from Red FM Studios on Monday morning. Suresh Wadkar visited Lotus Home; Worli ...

India, December 17th, 2015:  Leading Ethnic wear brand Soch announces the much awaited  Red Dot Sale  in all outlets across India from  December 17th, 2015 till February 1st, 2016 . The sale features a variety of elegant saree’s, salwar kameez, kurti’s, kurti suits and bottoms for women at unbeatable prices. The exclusive Red Dot Sale brings a wide range of designer ethnic wear from its existing collections and fresh designs brought in especially for this limited offer. The Red Dot sale include season's best sellers such as the irresistible Rivaz, Zoha, Sarah, Venus, Sia, Ivy, Viana, Ira and Azzure collections which will be available on discount during this period. The offer showcases an array of ethnic wear that is both stylish, yet traditional with intricate designs and bright vibrant colors.   The sale also features the brand's new ravishing line of collections - Taamara, Eva, Bliss and Iris, a splendid range of kurtis, sarees, salwars, tunics and...

Mumbai, 19th December 2015  -  Ashok Kumar , Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), was honoured with the Sanctuary Legend Award at the prestigious Earth Heroes event held at National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) auditorium in Mumbai today. The Legend Award is a new honour started Sanctuary Asia this year. With a career in wildlife spanning over five decades Ashok Kumar’s contribution to conservation is immeasurable. A pioneer in many ways, he has a strong hand in ensuring that Sansar Chand, the most dangerous wildlife trader ever to have operated in India, stayed behind bars. He set up TRAFFIC in India and conducted a milestone seizure of tiger derivatives during his tenure there. At a time when nobody spoke about seeking protection for wildlife through tougher laws, he sought to plug loopholes and pushed for effective implementation of wildlife laws. In 2002, following a case filed by him, protection to the Tibetan antelope was g...

Also introducing a complete range of biking accessories including helmets, stickers & CNC parts for personal customization Mumbai, March 19, 2015 Have you always dreamed of owning a power-packed, muscular and roaringItalian superbike? If the answer is yes, your dreams are just about to come true! DSK Motowheels, one of India’s most well-established and strongest players in the superbike industry and the legendary Italian superbiking brand, Benelli, announced the launch of their most affordable bike till date, the DSK BenelliTNT 25!DSK Benelli also unveiled its complete range of biking accessories for the TNT 25, during this launch .

Arnab Goswami, President-News & Editor-in-Chief, Times Now and ET Now was awarded the IMPACT Person of the Year 2015, instituted by the exchange4media Group, for his outstanding contribution in the field of journalism Mumbai, December 17, 2015:  The Exchange4media Group held its annual IMPACT Person of the Year Award 2015 in Mumbai. The Chief Guest on the occasion was Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad. After a stringent selection process, Arnab Goswami, President-News & Editor-in-Chief, Times Now and ET Now was awarded the IMPACT Person of the Year 2015, instituted by the exchange4media Group, for his outstanding contribution in the field of journalism. His achievements were acknowledged by Annurag Batra and Nawal Ahuja of exchange4media Group and Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors. In his address, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Cabinet Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Government of India, said, “I have s...

Mumbai, 18 th  December, 2015 : There has been a buzz around Ghayal Once Again ever since the teaser came out about a month ago and this excitement is turning into euphoria amongst the fans with the trailer releasing yesterday. Sunny Deol marks his return to his Ghayal avatar 25 years after the first installment of this franchise, which not only proved to be a blockbuster, but also redefined the Action Genre for the youth thronging the cinema halls. Sunny manages to do exactly the same this time around by performing outstanding real time action stunts in the trailer. The trailer features four youngsters who battle all odds and stand up against the most powerful man in the country. The action packed adventure starts when Sunny steps in as their savior. The film promises to be an out and out action entertainer that would kick start 2016 with a knock out experience for the audience. Watch Sunny Deol make you completely ‘Ghayal’ at: http://bit.ly/GhayalOnceAgain-Trailer...

Purab Kohli who has been shooting with Arjun Rampal and Farhan Akhtar for Rock On 2 has a new found passion for Functional and Fitness training- all thanks to none other than Arjun Rampal. Apparently watching the dedicated Arjun workin gout on the set in the gym, Purab got inspired too. Not just that,  Arjun  Rampal actually became a personal fitness expert on the sets and helped Purab achieve his target.  Though Arjun didn't have any mentor in the initial phase of his career, the actor turned himself into one to his juniors. Purab said  "Arjun has gotten me addicted to ab work outs. When ever time permitted during our busy Sched in Meghalaya we boys would hit the gym. Arjun carried some interesting equipment with him and he would let me have a go at it. The first time we worked out together me made me do close to 2000 crunches. I was in serious pain the next day but now it's almost 2 months s...

First Bank in India to Launch Bus Booking via Mobile Banking Appfor Travel across India’s Kona Kona Mumbai, December 16, 2015: Kotak Mahindra Bank’s(KMB) Phone Phone Mein Kotak campaign showcases how KMB’s mobile banking app and Hashtag Banking features have transformed and simplified the way people lead their lives. As a sequel to KMB’s popular Kona Kona Kotak campaign, Phone Phone Mein Kotak explores the change that is sweeping across India as a result of technology, innovation, and customer orientation. To further strengthen its mobile banking features, KMB has become India’s first bank to offer booking of bus tickets on its mobile banking app. Customers can now seamlessly book bus ticketsfor travel across India’s konakona at discounted prices, without concerns of transaction failure. KMB offers secured checkout solution where customers can make payment directly from theirbank account or using their credit card. This innovation expands KMB’s travel suite on the app, which...

Mumbai 14th December 2015: Amidst the luminous presence of head honchos, the  WILL Forum India  successfully launched the book, ‘Leadership By Proxy: The Story of Women in Corporate India’ during the  8th WILL Annual Leadership Conference- 2015  at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on December 14, 2015. The conference gleamed with industry chiefs like  Rishi Gour, CEO, Sodexo India; Dilip Puri, CEO, Starwood Resorts; KG Ananthakrishnan, CEO, MSD Pharma; Sita Ramaswami, International Finance Corporation; Aruna Jayanthi, CEO, Capgemini India; Guy Mansfield, Total Oil India; Omar Domen, CEO, Castrol India, and several others as awardees.  Following the book launch, the 8th WILL Annual Leadership Conference- 2015 bestowed awards upon CEOs for  ‘Top Ten Best Employers for Women Companies’  in India- for the first time in the country! “Internal study at Sodexo- India proved gender balanced subsidiaries outperformed non gender balanced by a great margin”, said...

Bollywood's new found talent Sanah Kapur who made her debut in the star studded movie ‘Shandaar’  has bagged her first award for her outstanding performance.  The young and talented actress received the ‘Best Debutant Award’ at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards 2015.   Being a viewer’s choice award, Sanah Kapur successfully proved that she is truly the audiences most favorite. Even though ‘Shandaar’ didn’t go well on the box office, Sanah’s immense talent was highlighted and appreciated by everyone.  Her realistic performance has inspired many of her female fans (overweight fans) who now take Sanah Kapur as their role model and have accepted themselves as they are.  It is being known that Sanah has been receiving many compliments from her fans on various social media platforms who have mentioned that she is an inspiration to them. The appreciation hasn’t just been on web but also in reality! A source close to Sanah, told us that incidentally when Sanah had g...

    Introduces the revolutionary Electro-Adsorption Technology (EAT) For Uncompromised Purity Mumbai, December 15, 2015 : Whirlpool of India, a subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances unveils its latest path breaking water Purifier, ‘Destroyer’ armed with Electro-adsorption technology. Destroyer water purifier is a 5-stage filtration system comprising of an external pre-filter and the unique ‘EAT Filter’ which gives you the power of 4-filters in one. It eliminates most of  the harmful impurities like microorganisms, organic & chemical impurities and heavy metals while retaining essential minerals – unlike any other water purifier!   Destroyer:   Quick Facts: Tank Capacity : 6 liters Stages of filtration: 5 stage (Pre-filter + 4 in 1 EAT filter) Life of EAT filter: 8-9 months Life of Pre-filter: 3-4 months Flow rate: 0.8 - 1 LPM (4 times RO F...