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)

Bhima-Koregaon: When new Dalit leadership faces off with Hindutva project

The educated Dalit doesn't just want a ride on the bus of democracy; it wants to be at the steering wheels

Maharashtra saw violent protests after clashes between Dalits and some Maratha groups in Bhima Koregaon. Dalits had gathered in Pune to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon. These clashes and the subsequent protests brought the focus back on Dalit assertion and its conflict with Hindutva politics. The writer analyses this conflict in this Business Standard Special.The determination and force of the response of the Dalits to the violence at the Bhima Koregaon has unsettled the BJP governments of the state of Maharashtra and the centre. It has also baffled the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This time it has not been easy for the BJP and the governments to denounce the protests the way could do in the past. Previously the Student leaders of the JNU were successfully branded as anti-national. The students and teachers of the Ramjas college of the university of Delhi were also declared anti-national. Before them, the student unrest - mainly led by Dalits - at the central University of Hyderabad was condemned as casteist and anti national. This time the response from the centre’s of power has been slightly complex.

It is true that the RSS tried to blame the violence at the Bhima Koregaon on Umar Khalid and Jignesh Mevani. It did say that the Bharat tere tukde honge gang was responsible for the violence. But interestingly, this time this allegation could not create the kind of frenzied attack on these leaders as we have seen on the previous occasions directed at Kanhaiya, Umar and others.

Student leader Umar Khalid and the newly elected MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani were targeted specifically. Criminal cases were registered against them claiming that it was their provocative speeches which led to violence. But again, these two leaders have not been pushed to back foot. Instead of going defensive, the Dalit leaders have blamed the RSS for the violence and have been demanding the arrest of Guruji Bhide and Ekbote. Prakash Ambedkar has even allaeged that the PMO is saving these accused. The RSS is struggling. How did it happen? Let us try to understand the new situation.

Jignesh Mevani has made it clear after the atrocity at Una that he wouldn’t let the BJP and RSS have respite even for a moment. He is also articulating an alternative vision of development and politics for the Dalits which is much more than getting representation in the electoral politics for them. Even after entering the assembly in Gujarat through elections he has made it clear that his fight would continue on the streets. (more)

Protests in Mumbai, trains halted over Bhima-Koregaon violence

The protesters stopped local train services at the Govandi and Chembur railway stations of the Harbour Line

The anger over marking the 200th anniversary of Bhima Koregaon battle in pune district of Maharashtra continued on Tuesday as protestors disrupted suburbs and local train services on the Harbour Line.

The protesters blocked roads in several areas of Mumbai, forced shops to shut down and also attacked a journalist of a television news channel.

The Dalits called for a Maharashtra bandh tomorrow.

In a latest development, the central railway suspended suburban services between Kurla and Vashi on its harbour corridor and is running special services between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section.

An announcement regarding the same is being made at all stations of the central railway.

Angered over the death of a person at the event organised to mark the anniversary in Pune yesterday, several groups of people had come out in protest this morning in the eastern suburbs of Chembur, Vikhroli, Mankhurd and Govandi, and forced shops and establishments to shut down, an official said.

A news channel journalist was attacked by a group of protesters in the Amar Mahal area. However, he escaped unhurt, eyewitnesses said.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Priyadarshini, Kurla, Sidharth Colony and Amar Mahal areas on the Eastern Express Highway, took out processions and raised slogans against the government and the administration, he said.

The protesters stopped local train services at the Govandi and Chembur railway stations of the Harbour Line.

Central Railway's Chief PRO Sunil Udasi said the agitators came out on tracks and stopped the suburban services, though the railways has nothing to do with the incident.

The event to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, in which forces of the East India Company defeated Peshwa's army, was yesterday marred by incidents of violence, in which one person was killed.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community -- then considered untouchable -- were part of the East India Company's forces.

However, some right-wing groups in Pune had expressed opposition to celebration of the British victory. Read more

Private doctors end strike as NMC Bill goes to Parliament panel

NMC Bill seeks to replace MCI and also proposes allowing practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homoeopathy and Ayurveda, practise allopathy after completing a 'bridge'

Private doctors called off a strike against the proposed National Medical Commission(NMC), after the government decided to refer the Bill in this regard to a parliamentary standing committee. Doctors argue the Bill does not allow representation of private doctors, doctors from states and students.

K K Aggarwal, immediate past president of the Indian Medical Association, says: “Issues of doctors working in the private sector are different from government doctors. Also, the government should not be part of this committee if it wants to make the NMC an autonomous body.”

Also Read : Modi, Tendulkar most popular parliamentarians on Facebook in 2017

The NMC Bill envisages a four-tier structure for the regulation of medical education, with a 20-member body at the top. The proposed NMC has five doctors; the others are to be government officials. The protesting doctors say they have been kept away from electing their own representatives on the body. And, that they'd be answerable to bureaucrats than those from their own profession.

Among the other things the doctors are protesting at is that they will have to pass a separate examination before being given a licence to practice.

The Niti Aayog recommended doing away with the Medical Council of India, replacing it with the NMC. This new committee was supposed to have representatives from states to look into medical education and practice. The government decided on the move on the argument that doctors guilty of breaches of law and so forth were flourishing despite complaints were not being addressed. There have been cases where doctors accused of corrupt practices were appearing at international medical fora.

VIP treatment: Woman blasts minister as flight delay makes her miss funeral

Watch: Woman doctor lashes out at Union Minister Alphons over flight delay

Imphal (Manipur), Nov 22 (ANI): A ruckus was created at Imphal Airport after a woman doctor lashed out at Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Alphons Kannanthanam, after her flight got delay due to VVIP arrival schedule at the airport. The woman shouted at Alphons saying she had to attend to a critical patient but got late because of the delay.

Union minister K J Alphons was confronted by an enraged woman passenger at the Imphal airport over the delay in her Kolkata-bound flight she was taking to rush to Patna to attend a funeral of her relative.

Alphons on Wednesday said he was not responsible for the delay of the flight due to VVIP security protocol after a video footage of the passenger identified as a lady doctor arguing and directing her ire at him on seeing the minister at the Imphal airport went viral.

The video of the incident that happened on Tuesday showed the woman complaining to Alphons about the flight being delayed due to VIP movement.

Alphons, who is Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, had come to Imphal to attend the Northeast Development summit which was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday. President Kovind's aircraft was due to land in Imphal around the time of departure of the Kolkata-bound aircraft.

"I have to reach Patna. The body is waiting, otherwise the body will decay. I am a doctor, I know that. The body is still at home," the woman can be heard pleading with Alphons, who tries to soothe her anger. She was also heard asking Alphons to give in writing what time her flight would take off.

The woman was booked on an IndiGo flight from Imphal to Kolkata from where she had to take a connecting flight to Patna.

On her repeated insistence to give her in writing as to what time the flight would depart, the minister is heard saying he does not have the authority to do so. (more)

Qatar offers visa-free entry to India, 79 other nations amid Gulf crisis

Energy-rich Qatar's economy took a hit since Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain moved to isolate it

Qatar announced on Wednesday it was scrapping visa requirements for visitors from 80 countries as it weathers a boycott by four Arab states and gears up to host the World Cup in 2022.

Under the new policy announced by Qatar Airways and authorities, citizens of 33 mostly European countries can enter without a visa for 90 days in single or multiple trips during a 180-day period.

Americans, Britons, Canadians and citizens of 44 other countries can enter visa-free for an initial 30 days on single or multiple trips, and can extend that for a further 30 days.

Energy-rich Qatar's economy has taken a hit since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain moved to isolate it two months ago over allegations it supports extremists.

Also Read : Current Affairs on News

The quartet of Arab nations is particularly irked by Qatar's ties with Iran and its support of Islamist opposition groups. Qatar denies it backs terror groups and says the allegations against Doha are politically motivated.

The four countries cut diplomatic and transport links with Qatar in June, and barred Qatar from using their airspace and shipping lanes.

In a related development, the UAE and Bahrain today sought to clarify a statement made the day before by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which said both countries had agreed to open up some of their airspace, including new "temporary or contingency" routes, for Qatar Airways.

The two, in statements carried on the UAE's and Bahrain's state-run news agencies, said that they had not agreed to open up their airspace in full to Qatari flights but to only allow Qatari aircraft to use their airspace located above international waters.

Loneliness may be a greater public health hazard than obesity: Study

Loneliness and isolation may actually lead to early death, researches say

Loneliness may be a greater public health hazard than obesity, according to a study which found that social isolation may put people at an increased risk of early death.

"Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need - crucial to both well-being and survival," said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor at Brigham Young University in the US.

"Extreme examples show infants in custodial care who lack human contact fail to thrive and often die, and indeed, social isolation or solitary confinement has been used as a form of punishment," said Holt-Lunstad.

"Yet an increasing portion of the USPopulation now experiences isolation regularly," she said.

To illustrate the influence of social isolation and loneliness on the risk for premature mortality, Holt-Lunstad presented data from two research reviews.

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The first involved 148 studies, representing more than 300,000 participants, and found that greater social connection is associated with a 50 per cent reduced risk of early death.

The second study, involving 70 studies representing more than 3.4 million individuals from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, examined the role that social isolation, loneliness or living alone might have on mortality.

Researchers found that all three had a significant and equal effect on the risk of premature death, one that was equal to or exceeded the effect of other well-accepted risk factors such as obesity.

"There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators," said Holt-Lunstad.

Virat Kohli only Indian in Forbes highest paid athletes list, earns $22 mn

Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with a total pay of $93 mn; Serena Williamssole woman listed

Current Affairs : Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole sportsperson from the country to feature among the world’s 100 highest paid athletes in the latest Forbes list topped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kohli, 28, has been ranked 89th on the 2017 Virat Kohli In Forbes List of ‘The World’s highest paid athletes’ with a total pay of $22 million, which includes $3 million from salary and winnings and another $19 million from endorsements.

Describing Kohli as the “Indian cricket phenom”, Forbes said the sports star has “for good reason” already drawn comparisons to all-time great Sachin Tendulkar.

It added that Kohli has continuously shattered batting records and in 2015 was named the captain of the Indian national team, making him one of the youngest players to ever hold the job.

It noted that last year, Kohli made nearly $1 million in salary and match fees from his national team play, and he’s also among the Indian Premier League’s highest-paid players thanks to a $2.3 million salary from Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“The vast majority of his income, however, comes from one of the sports world’s most impressive sponsorships portfolios,” Forbes said.

The list has been topped by Ronaldo with a total pay of $93 million. American basketball star LeBron James comes in at the second spot with $86.2 million, followed by Argentine footballer Lionel Messi (3) with $80 million, tennis star Roger Federer (4) with $64 million and American basketball player Kevin Durant. Read Full Story >>>

Gujarat HC issues notices to developers of 'Pokemon Go'

Gujarat HC issues notices to developers of 'Pokemon Go'

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the developers of location based-augmented reality game Pokémon GO, following a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the game in India, alleging it not only hurts religious sentiments but is also a threat to national security.

The court issued notices to San Francisco-based developer of the game, Niantic Inc, the Centre and the Gujarat government.

According to the PIL by one Alay Dave, the image of eggs in the augmented reality game appear in places of worship of various religious groups. The petitioner has said eggs are considered non-vegetarian food, and it is blasphemous to carry non-vegetarian food inside a place of worship of Hindus and Jains. "People playing the game get their points in the form of virtual eggs which generally appear in the places of worship of different religious groups. To find eggs in temples of Hindus and Jains is blasphemous, and my client has sought a ban on the game from the country," the petitioner’s lawyer Nachiket Dave said. Read more

Swachh Bharat, Skill India 'transformative' schemes: Pranab Mukherjee Edit

Swachh Bharat, Skill India 'transformative' schemes: Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday hailed the Narendra Modi government's initiatives like Digital India,Swachh Bharat and Skill India as "transformative in nature".

"President of India President Mukherjee believes these programmes are transformative in nature and their successful implementation will alter the landscape of the country," said a reply on Facebook live chat from the President's page, where a question and answer session was organised on the eve of his four years in office.

The replies were made by Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President.

Mukherjee urged Indians to dedicate themselves to the service of the nation.

"Citizens of India should dedicate themselves to the cause of the nation and society through constructive contribution to these programmes in every possible manner," he said in reply to one question.

The President also stressed the importance of teachers, saying: "Teachers are like the soft and skillful hands of a potter. They mould the destiny of thousands of students, in turn shaping the future of a nation."

In another reply, it was said that he "loves teaching and remembers his days as a teacher fondly".

Mukherjee was a teacher in Suri Vidyasagar College of West Bengal before joining politics.

However, the live chat evoked a lukewarm response from some net-savvy citizens who said very casual and "easy" kinds of questions were asked.(more)

It's a good to have contagious winning habit: Virat Kohli

It's a good to have contagious winning habit: Virat Kohli

Winning is "contagious" and Indian Test captain Virat Kohli feels that it is a "good habit" that his boys can create in order to become a formidable Test team anywhere in the world.

India trounced West Indies by an innings and 92 runs well inside four days in the first cricket Test of the four-match series.

"We want to create winning habits, good habits. And you know, winning is contagious. If we learn to win Test matches, then we'll learn how to win Tests everywhere. We will learn how to play in different situations and we will know exactly what to do when a certain situation is going a certain way," Kohli told mediapersons after a thumping victory against the hosts.

"We want to be consistent side, we need to set ourselves goals and look to execute that rather than looking at the opposition which I think this team is willing to do," said Kohli after the win.

"That for me is a very pleasing thing as a captain and for the team as well. Everyone understands the way we want to play on the field - where we need to bat, how we need to bowl, etc. We need to be comfortable with what the team requires and I think that's the most important for this team going forward."
(more)

What is happening in Kashmir? 10 new developments

What is happening in Kashmir? 10 new developments

Ten days after Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani was eliminated by the armed forces, Kashmir continues to see massive unrest, with the violence claiming over 40 lives.

The valley has seen protestors pelting stones, along with incidents of mobs attacking camps of armed forces. This has led to counter-attack by the security personnel too. The region has seen a complete standstill due to the curfew, with reports of people being unable to access healthcare facilities.

The unrest is likely to hit the Parliament as well as the Monsoon Session has commenced.

Here are ten updates to know on the situation in the region.

1. Nearly 2,000 additional CRPF personnel have been sent to Kashmir following the death of a protestor. The incident took place when a mob tried to barge into an army camp in Bandipora district of North Kashmir.

2. Stone pelting incidents continue to rise, with the latest ones being in areas of Kunzer in Baramulla and Eidgah in Srinagar.

3. Protests have intensified in the valley. On Monday, a PDP legislator was injured after a mob attacked his vehicle and turned it over. The legislator was on his way to Srinagar, according to a report in NDTV.

4. Former J&K CM, Omar Abdullah, has called the ten-day period as one of the worst in the past decade or so. "This is one of our worst periods in the last decade or so — certainly after the twin summers of 2008 and 2010. What led to it, that is fairly obvious – one of the two things happened: either the state government and its various intelligence wings completely failed to assess the fallout of Burhan Wani’s death; or having assessed it properly, they failed to put into place adequate measures to deal with the fallout,", he said in an interview to The Indian Express.

5. Citing violence and unrest, schools in Kashmir have extended their summer and Eid vacation till July 24.

(more)