A Royal Cause
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, arrived in India on April 10 and visited several places of interest in Mumbai, Delhi and the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. A Rs 23 lakh-a-table charity dinner was hosted by the royal couple, which was attended by Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, among others. Proceeds from the gala dinner are to go to three charities working for children - Magic Bus, ChildLine and Doorstep.
Friend of India
Nicolas Sarkozy, Former French President
Hailing himself as a friend of India, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is all for India getting a permanent seat in the UN Security Council (UNSC). According to him, it's "absurd" to imagine that the largest democracy in the world is not a permanent member of the UNSC. Sarkozy, in India recently, also emphasised that India must have "fair and visible" rules if it wanted more foreign investments. "Majority of the (French) companies want to come to India. But I can see both visible and invisible barriers. Friendship has a meaning if it translates into concrete steps," Sarkozy said.
The Next Buffett?
Ajit Jain, Berkshire Hathaway
Ajit Jain may fill in the big shoes of Warren Buffett. The India-born who manages the Berkshire Reinsurance Group, was recently praised by Buffett in his annual letter to shareholders. Reportedly, Buffet described Jain and Greg Abel - Abel heads Berkshire's energy business - as "world-leading" performers who are "better business executives" than the octogenarian himself.
Big Loss
Anant Ambani, Son of Mukesh Ambani
It has always been easier for the rich to get things done in the world. This includes losing weight, too! Recently, 21-year-old Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, stunned the world by losing a mind-boggling 108 kg in 18 months. Though rumours are rife that he underwent gastric bypass surgery, some media reports suggest that he lost weight by following a strict diet and rigorous exercise. The routine included a 21-km walk, yoga, cardio and functional exercises.
A Costly Lesson
Smriti Irani, Union HRD Minister (Photo: Chandradeep Kumar)
Studying at IITs may get out of the reach of the aam aadmi. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has proposed a new fee structure for IITs. 'General category' fees have been increased by 122 per cent to Rs 2 lakh per year, from Rs 90,000. HRD Minister Smriti Irani has promised to give a total fee waiver for differently-abled students, students from the scheduled castes and tribes community, and those belonging to families with an annual income of less than one lakh rupees. Irani said that the move is likely to benefit nearly 50 per cent of all the students enrolled in India's top engineering institutes.