News
Bengaluru may soon become a City That Never Sleeps
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN,
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, January 9: India’s tech capital Bengaluru may soon become a round-the-clock city. It is a challenging mission while the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact lives, but one with the potential to boost the country’s untapped night economy.
The Karnataka government is working on implementing a recent order that allows shops, restaurants, malls, and other establishments that come under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1961, to remain open 24X7 to help generate employment and revive its sagging economy.
Establishments that serve alcohol, however, are not covered under this order and will have to follow deadlines as before.
Bengaluru, home to more than 10 million people, including a substantial millennial population that works in tech start-ups and the IT sector, is the main target location.
The transition, however, may be challenging as the southern city’s dreams of becoming a global city are hobbled by a crumbling public, security and transport infrastructure, and unplanned growth.
“In such a situation (pandemic), there isn’t much use. We can do it occasionally but customers rarely come around these times. Such a proposal should also be supported by keeping public transport and government offices open 24X7,” Chandrashekar Hebbar, the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants’ Association, said.
The association is expected to meet the chief minister next week to present its views.
“This is a progressive move and helps unlock growth in the economy. Once the permissions are given, infrastructure creation also follows as we have seen earlier when deadlines were extended from 11pm to 1am in several cities,” Anurag Katriar, President of the National Restaurants Association of India, said.
Restaurants such as Hotel Empire, one of the few that remain open till about 1.30am, are holding a board meeting later this month to see if they will stay open all night.
“Policing anyway is round-the-clock and if we see any localities that have such places who want to remain open 24X7, we will augment our resources based on this.” Praveen Sood, Karnataka’s Director General of Police, said.
The Covid-19 crisis has worsened matters with people used to home deliveries of food and groceries and fearful of stepping out. The metro does not operate beyond 11.30pm.
“The night-time economy unlocks new demand. It opens up retail and transport and growth would come from that,” said Nitin Pai, Co-founder and Director of Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in public policy.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
