Panchayat, local body polls are on: J&K chief secretary
The panchayat and the local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir are on despite the boycott by the two main regional parties, state Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said on Monday.His comments come on a day the Peoples Democratic Party said it would boycott the elections, saying the security situation was not conducive for holding these polls.The party’s decision comes days after its arch-rival, the National Conference, announced its decision to boycott these elections until the Centre and the governor administration clarify its position on Article 35-A, which gives special rights to the people in the state.”Panchayat and local bodies polls are on. The decision was taken in July,” Subrahmanyam told reporters when asked if the polls would be postponed.He said the process of issuing notification for the polls would begin within a week. “For the urban and local bodies polls, the voter-list drafts have been published and the delimitation and reservation of constituencies has been done. The actual notification will be issued by the CEO (chief electoral officer, J&K) in a few days.” A month after that, the CEO will notify the dates for the panchayat polls. He is just waiting for notifying the dates for urban and local bodies polls, the chief secretary added.Asked about the security scenario, K Vijay Kumar, the adviser to Governor S P Malik, said it was being reviewed based on the requirements and there would be a flexible plan based on the dynamics.
Subrahmanyam and Kumar visited the south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Shopian, Anantnag and Pulwama to have first-hand appraisal of the scenario and ensure on-spot redressal of public grievances, an official said.
Baseer Ahmad Khan, divisional commissioner, Kashmir; Muneer Ahmad Khan, ADGP (law and order); and S P Pani, IGP, Kashmir; accompanied them, the official added. eople.
BUSINESS 10/SEP/2018
Infosys inks 3-year deal with Australian Open
India’s second largest software services firm Infosys said Monday it has signed a three-year partnership with the Australian Open as its official digital innovation partner.Infosys will leverage its expertise in emerging technologies like Big Data and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence as well as Virtual and Augmented Reality, to provide unique, innovative and engaging experiences for fans, Infosys said in a statement.The financial details of the deal were, however, not disclosed.Partnering with Infosys is an exciting next step in our ongoing quest to innovate the Australian Open and engage new audiences across the world,” Craig Tiley, Tournament Director, Australian Open, said.Tennis Australia is the governing body of tennis in Australia, promoting and facilitating participation the sport at all levels, as well as conducting national and international tournaments and eventsThe partnership is about creating new ways of experiencing the Australian Open, Infosys CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh said”We are really excited about the opportunity to showcase how digital technologies can enhance the boundaries of this tournament, to change the way the Australian Open is watched, analysed and played,” he added…
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ENTERTAINMENT 10/SEP/2018
Frieda Pinto promises surprise for Indian audience in ‘Mowgli’
Andy Serkis promised his “Mowgli” will be closest to Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’, which was set in the dark forests of India, and now actor Freida Pinto has revealed that the home audience will be treated with a “surprise” once the film releases. The 33-year-old actor, who plays Messua in the movie, says the way Serkis has shot the film is “phenomenal” and Indian-orgin actor Rohan Chand has done an excellent job as Mowgli.”I have been waiting for ‘Mowgli’ to come out. It has been a long wait. It has been three years since we shot for it. So, it is going to be absolutely phenomenal. In terms of performances, Rohan Chand is going to blow everyone’s mind. He is a perfect Mowgli. “Everyone in the team, including Andy Serkis, are on top of their game. Specifically for Indian audience, there is a little surprise, which I don’t want to ruin right now. We need to wait just a bit more. Indian audience is going to love it,” Freida told PTI in an interview. In the film, the audience will see Mowgli try and assimilate himself into the world of humans in an Indian village. Serkis also voice stars as the fun-loving bear, Baloo and Christian Bale lends his voice to the sombre panther, Bagheera – the man-cub’s friends. The voice cast also includes Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, Naomie Harris as Nisha, Peter Mullan as Akela, Jack Reynor as Mowgli’s brother Wolf, Eddie Marsan as Vihaan, Tom Hollander as Tabaqui and Matthew Rhys as Lockwood. Freida is working on two more projects
