Presi tie-up with Birmingham Univ
on Thursday signed an MoU with the
. The tie-up will lead to collaborations between the two institutes and students' exchange programmes, aimed at excelling in the fields of economics, finance and governance.
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The partnership will subsequently be extended to other social science areas as well.
"It's a matter of great pleasure that students will have exposure to education, research and work through this exchange programme," said Presidency VC Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty, urging students to take advantage of this opportunity.The head of the economics department at the University of Birmingham, Anindya Banerjee, visited the city for the ceremony. "This MoU is a small step towards achieving something big," he said. Presidency registrar Debajyoti Konar pointed out the MoU would be especially advantageous for economics BSc students. "They can pursue courses, such as MSc in economics and financial economics as well as MSc in money, banking & finance. The process of initiating MSc in big data and analytics is on for Presidency students. There are also chances of acquiring scholarships for Indian students," he said. Presidency has tie-ups and MoUs with other global institutes, such as Hiroshima University in Japan, Waseda University in Japan, SOAS University of London, London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, University of Groningen in the Netherlands, La Sapienza in Italy, Virginia Tech in the US, The University of Chicago, Sciences Po, Paris and Sciences Po, Lille.
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First Post
22 minutes ago
- First Post
Suhail Chandhok exclusive on growing a team in non-cricket market: 'We are a nation that loves heroes, not necessarily the sport'
U Mumba CEO and TV presenter Suhail Chandhok, in this exclusive chat with Firstpost, spoke about the challenges he faces as sports administrator, India's sporing culture and the future of Indian sports. Suhail Chandhok has worn many hats, including those of a cricketer, an actor, a TV presenter, and now CEO of U Mumba. However, he says that the transition to the administration side of this industry was 'natural' for him. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Suhail spoke about his journey, the challenges of being a young CEO, and his belief in building the right team culture. His love for sport began on the field, and when his playing days ended, he found a job as a TV presenter/commentator, doing stints for the Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Premier League, and other sports. Now, Suhail has moved to the business side with kabaddi becoming his launchpad. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the financial side, Suhail revealed that sponsorship for non-cricket leagues hovers between Rs 3.5-5 crore a season, but he stressed that media rights are the real game-changer and play a big role in revenue generation. Suhail urged that more media platforms must back Indian sports. 'I think sponsorship is always something that is going to dictate a measure of success in some sense but I think that's not necessarily right, because sponsorship is only one metric of value. For instance, yes, you know, some teams are more successful than, let's say, three or four other leagues, whether it be volleyball, kho-kho, tennis, or badminton.' 'However, I think there is value that each sport brings to its own niche. Having said that, it has roughly been around the four to five crore mark in terms of sponsorship. That goes up and down, it yo-yos between three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half, five crores per season. 'Media rights are a big unlocking value, and I think we have to understand that media rights will always drive the overall value of a sport, of a franchise, of a team. That will continue to dictate value. However, that's where the market plays a big role. Today, we're again heading into what is potentially a monopoly market of Jio and Star coming together and I do hope that unlocking value continues. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Suhail also warned about the growing trend of big conglomerates controlling all the stakes in major sporting leagues in India, especially in terms of broadcast. 'We shouldn't lean on a monopoly market. I do hope to see more and more media houses come in that want to house sport, whether it be global entities entering India, like Netflix and the WWE deal. It's a great dictate for what the future of sport might look like. When you look at the effect that a Formula 1 movie has had, or a Drive to Survive show has had, or WWE now being on Netflix, I do hope more global platforms look at Indian sport and Indian leagues as a potential. I think the next ten years are going to be very strong for India, and more platforms need to enter the market.' Suhail on taking PKL to next level The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has already grown into one of the biggest sporting leagues in India, second only to the IPL in stature. Suhail opened up about the gaps that can be filled by the PKL organisers to make the league even bigger in India. 'I think listening to the franchises' needs a little bit more is important. All of us – all 12 teams – are looking to work with the PKL to grow the sport. What we need to do is unlock the true value of the sport. While the league, as an entity, is largely owned by the broadcaster, I think we still need to separate the two and work with the teams, the stakeholders of the sport, and others who are genuinely trying to promote it.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We must also clamp down on any rubbish that's going on. We need to be very stern and focused on the progress of the sport in one clear direction. The league has done a fabulous job of building it to where it is today, but now it's the league's responsibility to take it up an extra notch. How do we commit to the future of the sport when we already have such strong stakeholders?' 'In terms of stature, I think only the IPL is a rival. We have the Kotak family, the Screwvala family, the Adanis, JSW, the Bachchans, Capri Global, and other private investors in the mix. This is a strong core group of team owners who are not looking for a quick exit, which means the sport is in safe hands. When the sport is in safe hands, it's our responsibility to stay true to it, unlock its value, and not stunt its growth.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Suhail believes that it is important to support new entrants because it will only help the sport grow. 'It's equally important to support others around the sport who are trying to do good for it. At Elev8 India Sports, we follow a 'copyleft' policy – we want to see more and more people come in. It's not about copyright and blocking; it's about allowing people to enter, contribute, and help the sport grow. Kabaddi is still at a nascent stage, so we need more people to talk about it, work for it, and build it up. Blocking new entrants will only curb enthusiasm and growth.' Suhail stressed that growing the sport is not just the league's job, but a shared duty for everyone involved. 'Everyone has a responsibility to help the sport grow. At the same time, we must educate players about what is right and wrong. Addressing certain issues today will help the sport clean up its act for the future as well.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Suhail on issues non-cricket leagues face Suhail also talked about the challenges that a growing sport like kabaddi faces. He said that when big money enters a sport suddenly, it can sometimes distract players from the true motivation of why they started playing in the first place. 'When a lot of money comes into the sport very very quickly, players stop understanding what the true value of why they are playing this game. You start to play for the auction or you start to play for your personal value rather than the value of a team. I think it's only very natural. It happened with the IPL when there was sudden unlocking of value where players started playing for their franchises rather than playing for their nations. Rather than committing to the calender of a country, they started playing where the money was. That is happening with kabaddi as well and I think helping players understand why they are playing this sport, why the sport has give them so much.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'So, player education is important. At Elev8 India Sportz Yuva Series we do a lot of financial literacy, we do a lot player psychology, we work with players understand anti-corruption, what their true value is.' Suhail on positive and negative trends in non-cricket leagues Suhail said the most promising sign is that Indian sports culture is slowly expanding beyond cricket. However, he pointed out that India's tendency to idolise individuals rather than the sport itself is a major issue. 'I think the trend is that we are leaning towards not just cricket. And I think that's something that has to happen for a country to become a true sporting nation. Firstly, there's one big challenge in India: we are a nation that loves heroes and not necessarily the sport. When I worked on the badminton league, people would rush to watch your PV Sindhu versus Saina Nehwal.' 'But when you had a Carolina Marin facing off against a world number two and number one at the time, the stadium would be empty. So we appreciate heroes and not the sport, and I think that needs to change for India to take steps towards becoming a true sporting nation. However, look at the flip side — while we turned up in large numbers to watch a javelin event, we may have all turned up in 10,000 numbers to watch a Neeraj Chopra.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'But when you get there and watch Neeraj Chopra, you start to understand what the sport of javelin even is. So I think it takes a hero to bring about awareness to a sport and vice versa. But at the same time, I do hope that while 10-15,000 people turned up to watch a javelin event in Bangalore — and I think that's a sign that India is heading in the right direction — I hope that tomorrow, when Neeraj Chopra is not necessarily the only guy that's there, at least 5,000 people do turn up to watch a javelin event.' 'And I think that's going to be the hallmark of success going forward. Because while we are talking about a 2036 Olympic bid, I hope that we understand that we have to build sporting culture, and that starts with everyone playing a sport. When you play a sport, you'll automatically tune into watching a sport. And I think that's what I want for all of us to do.' 'But I think the trend is very positive — more and more people are taking to a tennis court, a badminton court, a table tennis table, a pickleball court, a paddle court, playing football with their friends, playing kabaddi with their friends in their neighborhood.' Suhail on turning down offers from IPL teams Suhail revealed that he turned down management offers from teams in three different sports, including IPL franchises, before joining U Mumba at what he called 'the right time.' 'I unfortunately can't give you a full disclosure on those. All I will say is it's been across three different sports. I think the timing was such that it came at the right time with kabaddi. Since then, there's been a couple of others as well, including IPL teams. I will come back to I guess cricket in many ways and forms was one opportunity that, that came and went. I just thought that it would've taken a much bigger commitment in terms of time, and I don't think I would've been able to do broadcast at all if I took on a slightly larger commitment as well,' he said. 'Uh, but also I think it was the ability to do it at the right time, right? And I've always been someone that believes that things happen when they need to happen. And I think, you know, saying yes to the right opportunity is absolutely critical as well. There have been opportunities not just in India, but outside of India as well — again, very exciting stuff. And it's always nice to know you're wanted, right? I think that means you're doing something right.' Suhail on his equation with U Mumba owner Ronnie Screwvala While Suhail doesn't own a stake in U Mumba, he has full autonomy in running things as a CEO. He also acknowledged that he leans on his father-in-law, Ronnie Screwvala (owner of parent group U Sports), for advice related to the finances of the team. 'Unfortunately, not (on being asked if he owns a stake in U Sports). I am purely here as a consultant and a CEO. But look, I think there are positives and negatives to being so closely related to a franchise and to the owner of a team, especially when someone is of Ronnie's stature as well. I think he's an extremely hard taskmaster, and I think with that comes two sides, right? You have to have a great deal of transparency and honesty with yourself and, therefore, with him as well, and I was very clear about it when I took on the role." 'I think there's even more pressure when you take on a role where you're so closely related. There's so much more that you have to have in terms of belief so that you can put aside anything that anyone could potentially say. The good thing is that everyone knows I come in with a lot more sporting knowledge than many others here, and I think that for me was the number one conversation I had with Ronnie. I said, 'You know what? If it's a business decision, if it's something related to finance, I want to make sure that the door to you is open and I can come and have a chat and get the advice I need from you. But when it comes to sporting decisions, they have to be mine and mine alone.' And, you know, to this date, he's honoured that.' 'But at the same time, when it comes to the business side of things, I have the ability to tap his brain, and I think that's something wonderful to have. So while there is the added pressure of that, I think when you have the conviction of knowing you know the subject better than anyone else, you go in with that confidence.'
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bihar's electoral overhaul: Balancing integrity and inclusion in India's democracy
The Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent initiative to undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has ignited a fervent debate, blending legal imperatives with political undercurrents. Announced in June, this comprehensive exercise, the first of its kind in the state since 2003, aims to update voter lists with July 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. With Bihar's Assembly elections looming later this year, the timing has amplified concerns about potential disenfranchisement, particularly among migrant workers and marginalized communities. Yet, at its core, the SIR represents a statutory effort to safeguard the sanctity of India's democratic process—one that demands a balanced scrutiny of its legal foundations, procedural rigor, and societal impacts. The ECI's authority to conduct such revisions is firmly rooted in the Constitution. Article 324 grants the Commission sweeping powers over the 'superintendence, direction, and control' of elections, including the preparation and maintenance of accurate electoral rolls. This is reinforced by Article 326, which enshrines universal adult suffrage, entitling every Indian citizen aged 18 or above—barring disqualifications like non-residence or criminal convictions—to vote. These provisions underscore a commitment to inclusivity while empowering the ECI to eliminate inaccuracies that could undermine electoral fairness. Parliament has translated these constitutional ideals into actionable law through the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Section 21 of the Act explicitly authorizes the ECI to prepare and revise electoral rolls, a process elaborated in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Under Rule 25, revisions can be intensive, summary, or hybrid, allowing flexibility based on need. An intensive revision, as chosen for Bihar, involves meticulous steps outlined in Rules 4 to 23, including door-to-door enumeration and verification. This ensures thoroughness, requiring enumerators to collect details from households and cross-check against a list of 11 specified documents, such as passports, driving licenses, or ration cards—expanded from seven in previous exercises, which the Supreme Court has noted as a 'voter-friendly' measure. The rationale for reviving an intensive approach after over two decades is straightforward yet profound. Bihar's population has surged, with urbanisation and migration reshaping its demographics. The 2003 revision, the last comprehensive one, predates significant shifts, including the exodus of millions for work opportunities elsewhere. Bogus entries—deceased voters, duplicates, or those who have relocated—persist as a perennial threat, potentially distorting outcomes and violating the 'one person, one vote' principle. The ECI's drive seeks to purge these anomalies while enrolling new voters, especially the youth turning 18. As of July 12, over 74 per cent of Bihar's approximately 7.9 crore electors had submitted enumeration forms, indicating robust participation in the process. This high response rate suggests the exercise is gaining traction, though challenges remain in reaching remote or transient populations. However, SIR has not escaped controversy. Critics, including civil society groups, allege it risks mass exclusion, with reports emerging of draft rolls containing errors like incorrect photographs or entries for deceased individuals. Petitions before the Supreme Court, led by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), claim that around 65 lakh names were omitted from the draft roll without adequate justification, disproportionately affecting migrants, the poor, and minorities. These groups argue that the process violates statutory rights, as voters have a legal entitlement to remain on rolls unless proven ineligible. The exclusion of Aadhaar as a verification document has been praised for broadening options but questioned for its potential to complicate verification in a state where digital access varies. In response, the ECI has emphasised that SIR is a routine purification effort, not a deletion drive. It has assured the Supreme Court that no name will be removed without prior notice, a reasoned order, and appeal rights. The Commission maintains that it is not legally obligated to publish a separate list of excluded voters or reasons for omissions, viewing the draft roll as a provisional document open to corrections. During ongoing hearings, the apex court has sought details on the 2003 revision's methodology, signalling a desire for transparency in historical precedents. Notably, while individual voters have filed thousands of objections, no recognized political party has formally flagged errors in the draft, per ECI reports. This absence of partisan complaints underscores that the controversy may stem more from apprehension than widespread malpractice. The debate extends beyond Bihar, highlighting systemic tensions in India's electoral framework. Similar revisions in other states, like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in recent years, have faced scrutiny for alleged biases, yet they have ultimately bolstered roll accuracy. The political stakes are high in Bihar: the state's 243 Assembly seats could see shifts if migrant voters—estimated at over two crore—are underrepresented. Demographic data from the 2011 Census, adjusted for growth, reveals that Scheduled Castes and Muslims, often economically vulnerable, form significant voter blocs; any perceived exclusion could erode trust in the system. Objectively, the ECI's actions align with global best practices for electoral hygiene. Countries like the United States and the United Kingdom periodically purge rolls to combat fraud, though with safeguards against voter suppression. In India, the ECI's recent delisting of 334 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) as part of broader clean-up efforts reflects a proactive stance against electoral malpractices. However, implementation on the ground matters. House-to-house surveys, while thorough, can be susceptible to human error or bias in a polarized environment. Enhancing digital tools, such as the Voter Helpline app, could mitigate this, allowing self-verification and reducing dependency on enumerators. The Supreme Court's observations in related matters offer valuable guidance. In the ADR vs. ECI case on electronic voting machines, the court cautioned against 'blind distrust' that breeds scepticism, urging evidence-based reforms and trust-building through dialogue and transparency. As echoed in Paragraph 37 of that judgment, democracy thrives on harmony among citizens, judiciary, representatives, and electoral bodies. Para 38 expresses hope that the system will reflect the electorate's true mandate. These principles apply aptly here: while the ECI's authority to decide the timing and mode of SIR is exclusive, fostering public confidence requires proactive disclosure and inclusive outreach. Bihar's SIR embodies the delicate balance between electoral purity and inclusivity. Legally sound and procedurally robust, it addresses long-standing flaws in voter lists, yet its success hinges on equitable execution. As petitions unfold in the Supreme Court, stakeholders must prioritize evidence over rhetoric. A transparent, participatory process will not only fortify Bihar's upcoming polls but also reinforce India's democratic resilience. By embracing continuous improvement, as the apex court advocates, we can ensure every eligible voice is heard, unmarred by doubt or exclusion. (The writer is a senior Advocate)
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
PM Modi raises pitch for ‘Samriddh Bharat'
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave a clarion call for making a "Samriddh Bharat" by becoming self reliant in fields ranging from fighter jet engines to energy and Artificial Intelligence, as he announced a task force for next generation reforms, GST changes as big gift for Diwali, and a state-of-the art defence shield dubbed "sudarshan chakra." Modi's consecutive 12th Independence Day speech was focused on the theme of "aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) at a time India and the world is facing growing US protectionism, as he highlighted the rising global selfish interest. "We should not waste our energy on shortening the line of any country. We have to make our line longer with full energy. The world will acknowledge our mettle if we can do it. (kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye apni urja hamein nahin khapaani hai. Hamein poori urja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karaa hai. Hum agar apni lakeer lambi karate hain to duniya bhi hamara loha manegi.)," Modi said in his 103-minute address from the ramparts of Red Fort on the country's 79th Independence Day. Citing his 25 years of experience as the head of a government, he said, "If we choose this path, then no selfish interest will ever be able to entrap us." Modi's longest Independence Day address for any prime minister was peppered with several announcements, including a national deep water exploration mission for self-reliance in energy and a high-powered demography mission to deal with the "serious crisis" of demographic changes effected by infiltrators. His sweeping call for "swadeshi" (Made in India), self-reliance and innovation in a gamut of sectors, including semiconductors, social media, fertiliser and pharma, came amid a strain in the country's ties with the US, with President Donald Trump doubling tariffs on Indian imports to a whopping 50 per cent after singling out India for purchase of Russian oil to pressure it on trade. Sporting a saffron turban, Modi, however, made no direct reference to the issue as he doubled down on his emphasis on self-reliance and "swadeshi". The task force on reforms will make time-bound recommendations for adapting India to become developed by 2047, he said. "It is the call of the hour that we need not fret in the times of crisis but should work to improve our abilities and accomplishments," he said. Indian manufacturers' mantra should be "daam kam, dum jyada" (less price, better quality), he added. India can do it, he said noting that toy producers have begun exporting after he had in a 'Mann ki Baat' episode called for boosting domestic production and the need for stopping their import. The prime minister likened his call for "Samriddh Bharat" (prosperous India) to the freedom fighters' goal of "Swatantra Bharat" (independent India).
