Tag Archives: business
Student with low vision excels in Grade 12 exams
Student with low vision excels in Grade 12 exams Muaz Shabandri / 7 June 2013 Sitting close to the exam room window and reading his question paper with an electronic magnifier, Sajjad Kalam, comes across as any ordinary student taking his exams. A closer look at his paper and one gets to know the difficulty with which he has to read and answer the questions written on a sheet because of limited vision. “I have difficulties in reading and that’s why I have to put more efforts in reading and writing with clarity,” says Sajjad. Sajjad has a medical condition, which limits his vision by as much as 80 per cent. Having to wear thick glasses and still use an electronic magnifier, the student was given special provisions taking into account the extra time taken by him to read. Defying all odds, Sajjad, who is a student of The Millennium School, Dubai, scored 83 per cent in his Grade 12 exams and his results put a smile on the faces of friends and teachers who helped him through his studies. “I was very happy to hear his results and it reflects the hard-work of the student, his parents and the teachers who have taught him,” said Senior School Supervisor (Boys) Syed Ali. Simple tasks like finding a page in the textbook called for help from classmates, as the numbers were too small for his eyesight. Teachers at the school have also played a big part in helping Sajjad understand the curriculum. “From Grade 5 to 9, we used to give him a question paper on a larger sheet so that he could read easily,” said one of his teachers. Sajjad has always been popular among his friends because of his humble and loving nature. Ratan Koshy and Parmeet Singh, two of his close friends have made every effort to be by his side whenever there have been any difficulties. The two students have even been recognised by the school with special awards. While finishing the exams is the first step in stepping into the right career path, Sajjad has no qualms about taking up higher education. He plans to take up an undergraduate course in business administration and move ahead in life. muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
NRI pension scheme to roll out in three weeks
NRI pension scheme to roll out in three weeks Sajila Saseendran / 7 June 2013 The Indian government is set to roll out a social security plan for expatriate Indians in the UAE that is expected to mainly benefit tens of thousands of blue-collar Indian workers. The official launch of the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojna (MGPSY) is scheduled to be held in three weeks, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, M.K. Lokesh, said on Thursday. “We have requested the Minister (of Overseas Indian Affairs) to come over for the launch. We are waiting for his date for launching it in three weeks.” He was speaking to Khaleej Times after an interactive session with India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, organised by the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC) in Dubai. The MGPSY scheme is a Pension and Life Insurance Fund that promises a contributory pension, resettlement savings and life insurance for expatriate Indians, who require emigration clearance. An Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) stamp is put on an Indian passport when the holder has not completed Grade 10. Most of the blue-collar Indian workers, who constitute about 60 per cent of the nearly two million Indian expatriates in the UAE, fall under the ECR category and are set to benefit from the project introduced by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA). Lokesh said the government had already entrusted two banks, the Bank of Baroda and the State Bank of Travancore, to facilitate the scheme in the UAE where the government is making the overseas launch of the project. A pilot level project was launched in Kerala after the MOIA secured the cabinet approval for the scheme last year. Ahead of the launch in the UAE, officials from the banks, with assistance from Indian missions, have launched a campaign targeting labour accommodations to raise awareness about the benefits of the scheme among the potential beneficiaries. The ambassador said awareness drives to popularise the scheme will be conducted through the Indian Workers’ Resource Centre, as well. The ministry has also made awareness materials available at the offices of the Protectors of Emmigrants, who monitor the overseas employments of Indians with ECR passports. At Thursday’s session moderated by the ICWC Convener K. Kumar, the Chairman of Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust K. V. Shamsudheen said the scheme would receive more subscribers if the government provided an auto-debit facility from NRI bank accounts in India, thus avoiding additional leg work and service cost every month. In his reply, minister Ahmed said the government would look into that provision subject to its compliance with the existing regulations. Meanwhile, expatriates from the state of Kerala stand a chance to benefit from one more pension and welfare scheme launched by the state government. Chairman of Pravasi Welfare Board of the Kerala government P.M. Abdul Salam, who is in town to raise awareness about the scheme, said only about 125,000 of the estimated 5 million beneficiaries have subscribed to the scheme launched in 2009 even though it is not limited to those holding ECR passports. “People should understand the significance of such welfare programmes, especially in the current scenario where several expatriates are forced to return home due to new labour laws being enforced in some Gulf countries,” he pointed out. Shamsudheen said the MGPSY scheme, like the Kerala model, should also cover expatriates with lower income instead of limiting it to the ECR category. “There are several poor Indians who do not require emmigration clearance. The government should consider including such people also for this scheme that will be a big solace to those from the lower economic strata especially when they return home.” sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dates Festival gets a spiritual flavour
Dates Festival gets a spiritual flavour (Wam) / 6 June 2013 This year’s Liwa Dates Festival will be held in the Western Region city from July 18 to 25. The ninth edition of the festival, being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs with total prizes of Dh5 million, coincides for the first time with the Holy Month of Ramadan, which is expected to add a spiritual atmosphere to this cultural event, said the Committee for Festivals, and Cultural and Heritage Programmes in Abu Dhabi. It is anticipated to attract a large number of people, especially since the visiting hours at the venue will be from 9pm to 2am daily. Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Advisor for Culture and Heritage in the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman for the Committee for Festivals and Cultural and Heritage Programmes, expressed his pride in the position the Liwa Dates Festival occupies on the cultural and heritage level in the UAE. He highlighted the festival’s importance of the tradition that has celebrated the date season for generations. The committee manages many festivals as well as cultural and heritage programmes, notably ‘Million’s Poet’, ‘Prince of Poets’, the cultural programme ‘Al Shara’, Liwa Dates Festival, Al Dhafra Festival, Abu Dhabi Poetry Academy and New York Film Academy. The committee also aims to include further activities that add to the cultural inventory, and those that greatly boost promotions for Abu Dhabi and its cultural humanitarian message to the world. Continue reading
