1. The Sharp Divide Within Infosys
With the Rs 1200 crore acquisition of Panaya, Infosys’ new CEO Vishal Sikka has taken a step forward in the company’s turnaround in his new technology-led strategy. While the company is doing much better than it was in June 2014, when he took over, there seems to be a vertical divide within between those who agree with his style of working and those who do not. What has not gone down well with Infoscians is the fact that post Sikka, many of the top, well-performing brass in the company have either quit or been sidelined, while Sikka has brought in many of his former Sapient colleagues at key positions.
2. The Petroleum Ministry Strikes Back
It was a whiplash action waiting to happen. Only the timing of the arrest of five people—among them, two petroleum ministry staffers, a senior journalist running a petroleum news website and a former scribe currently on the RIL payroll—has set the buzz going. For well over a decade, countless petroleum ministers and officials have been heard airing their disgust at the fact that even discarded drafts of internal papers were being leaked. One of the first acts of petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on taking charge was to tighten up things by installing cameras and web-based securityware. The effort seems to have borne fruit. Pradhan is vowing tough action. On its part, RIL has stated it will launch an internal probe.
3. The Long Drawn Saga Of Ram Reddy
The arrest of Deccan Chronicle chairman T. Venkattram ‘Ram’ Reddy and his brother Vinayak Ravi Reddy in Rs 357-crore Canara Bank fraud case might just be the tip of the iceberg. If legal and political sources are to be believed, they may not be out on bail anytime soon. Ram Reddy and his wife Manju Reddy were recently seen in public at the wedding of Rajiv Reddy, grandson of senior Congressman and industrialist T. Subbarami Reddy. The couple seemed cool and composed, say wedding guests. It appears Ram’s arrest came as a surprise—even to family and close friends.
Math
Rs 61,991 crore SBI’s gross non-performing assets. It also committed Rs 75,000 crore for clean energy generation.
Billionaire Party
Top three gainers and losers in wealth, 2014-15 (Figures in Rs crore)
Global poverty
Countries with the largest share of the world’s extremely poor
- 32.9% India
- 12.8% China
- 5.3% Bangladesh
- 8.9% Nigeria
- 4.6% Congo
NB: People living on less than $1.25 a day
8 million No of LED bulbs distributed by the Modi regime, as claimed in a newspaper ad. In reality, distribution starts in March.
Mojo
Now I know when you’re reading my e-mail
Sidekick is an app that allows you to track the precise moment people open your e-mail. It works by planting an invisible picture in each mail—when that has been downloaded, a notification lets you know that the e-mail has been opened. The app also notifies when someone clicks on a link in the e-mail. Creepy!
Mind
This week we learnt about…Apple’s Car Project
The company known for revolutionising mobile devices and computers is taking a quantum leap. Apple is apparently working on developing a car—and it is not just a concept. While we’re waiting with bated breath, The Guardian ran a cheeky piece listing the ‘speed bumps’. Here are five of the best: the first model will crash, a lot. Bono will be on the stereo, whether you like him or not. It’ll cost twice as much as a Google car, which is also a bit bigger. The built-in GPS will be Apple Maps (Good luck!). And you can be sure the battery will run out by 4 pm every day.
