News

The World Economic Forum, where only 16 per cent of the delegates this year are women, on Saturday heard impassioned arguments for gender quotas to boost female participation in the workplace. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, told the assembled global elite she had been opposed to quotas until a moment early in her career when she was told she would not progress because she was a woman.

Seven persons under the category of foreigners, NRI and PIO were today selected for the Padma awards. Indian-American businessman Ashok Kumar Mago was selected for the Padma Shri. Mr. Mago, Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based business and investment consulting company, Mago & Associates, has helped raise millions of dollars for Dallas Asian organisations. Others selected for the Padma Shri are Dr. Siddharth Mukherjee (oncologist) from the U.S., Dr. Vamsi Mootha (biomedical research) also from the U.S., and Dr. Sengaku Mayeda (literature and education) from Japan. Those awarded the Padma Bhushan include Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne H. Rudolph for literature and education (U.S.) and Anisuzzaman, eminent faculty of Bengali language at the University of Dhaka (literature and education), Bangladesh. — PTI

The summit meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Japan here on Saturday was a continuation of the efforts to forge closer security, political and defence ties by putting in place new building blocks and expanding the horizons of ongoing initiatives.

China has overtaken India to become the largest contributor of Foreign Direct Investment to Nepal over the first six months of the current fiscal year, underlining the rising Chinese economic presence — and strategic influence — in the country, according to new figures. Investment from China reached $174 million between July and December, accounting for over 60 per cent of the total FDI commitment, the Chinese State-run Xinhua news agency said, citing a new report released by Nepal’s Department of Industry.

Come February 22 and the Raj Bhavan here will explode with a blaze of colours as Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi inaugurates this year’s spring festival, Basantotsav. The annual event will be open to public free of cost, a Raj Bhavan release said. Ghingaroo  (Crataegus Crenulata), which is consumed by wild animals and birds and is used by local people to put up fences around fields, has been chosen as the event’s theme, it said. — PTI

First weekly programme is about Japan Beginning today (January 26), All India Radio will launch a new programme on India’s relations with other countries. The first programme, to be broadcast on AIR FM Gold at 4.30 p.m., will focus on Japan to coincide with the visit of its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for Republic Day celebrations.

The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai, has been selected for the National Communal Harmony Award 2013 in the organisation category. Mohinder Singh of Delhi and N Radhakrishnan of Kerala have been selected for the award in the individual category.