Harper Government Drops India From List Of ‘Preferential Regime’, Increases 3% Import Tax

Source: International Business Times

Amid negotiations for Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries, Canadian federal government this month decided to increase the tax on goods coming from India recently.

While announcing its budget, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty last week said that from January 1, 2015 onwards, its government will impose an extra three percent tax on goods coming from India.

India was one of the 72 countries that the Canadian government decided to drop out from the list of “general preferential regime” which offers lower tariff for export.

Canada introduced the special tariff system in 1974 to offer preferential market access to the list of developing countries.

Other than India, Canada removed Indonesia, South Korea, Israel, Mexico and Argentina and other BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa from the special tariff deduction list.

However, the government decided to retain some of the India’s neighboring countries- Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka under the list of lower tariff imposition.

According to Stephen Harper’s government, the decision was based on the economy status criteria set by the World Bank.

Though India was excluded from the favorable list, it is believed that the removal from the list won’t  impact India’s export if the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries is signed in time.

“Both governments have targeted to complete the agreement by the end of 2013. If that’s the case, clearly any potential impact of the removal from GPT (General Preferential Tariff) becomes irrelevant,” Business Standard quoted  the Former Canadian High Commissioner to India and Incoming President of the Canada-India Business Council Peter Sutherland, as saying.

The two countries have vowed to conclude the CEPA by end of this year. In an email sent to the International Business Times last February, Canadian government’s spokesperson Jennifer Chiu said that Canada could produce almost 40,000 new jobs once the CEPA was tabled.

The latest and the seventh round of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement talks between the two countries was held in New Delhi February.

Fix education so we don’t have people without jobs, conference told

Source: MetroNews

Canada must fix its educational system to ensure that a looming demographics shift doesn’t leave result in a “people without jobs and jobs without people” scenario, experts warn.

“The demographic time bomb that’s ticking is getting louder and louder,” said John Manley, president and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, which hosted a conference on the issue in Toronto on Monday.

“There’s a mismatch between the training and education that’s being offered, and the jobs that are being created.”

The influence of the postwar baby boom generation has long been known, but the potential impact is staggering. According to Rick Miner, former Seneca College president, by 2036 those under the age of 15 and over the age of 65 will represent 65 per cent of the Canadian population, compared with 44 per cent in 2010.

“That means nearly two-thirds of the population will be over 65 or under 15, compared to the population working full-time. That’s frightening,” Miner said.

These demographic changes can be mitigated by getting more people into the workforce who have been traditionally under-represented including immigrants, aboriginals, women, those with disabilities, those in their early 20s and older workers.

Miner also believes there also needs to be a revamp of post-secondary education, where institutions must work together.

He noted high school students sometimes do an extra year to get into a particular university program. And even after university, some graduates can’t find work so they return to do a community college program — meaning it can be as many as six or seven years of schooling, post-high school.

Others at the conference also cautioned that preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow is difficult, especially given that 25 per cent of today’s jobs didn’t exist 30 years ago.

Linda Hasenfratz, chief executive officer of auto parts company Linamar Corp., added that young people are often encouraged to study something they love, with promises they’ll find a job in the end.

“It doesn’t always work out that way,” Hasenfratz said, adding sometimes they discover they studied what they love, but they can’t get a job that gives them the level of income they want.

She believes more training needs to be done in secondary school, where students can be exposed to skills used by carpenters and machinists as a building block for learning.

They might then choose a skilled-trades apprenticeship or community college to become an engineering technologist, or university to become an architect, based on initial exposure to carpentry, she said.

Others also warned that job demands can fluctuate dramatically so governments and educational institutions must react carefully to deal with shortages. For example, teachers were desperately needed, so more teacher training spots were added. But now universities continue to graduate new teachers even though there are few job openings.

CAW economist Jim Stanford added that the top three jobs of the future are truck driver, retail clerk and health care assistant.

“We should be realistic about where the jobs are,” he said, adding if society needs truck drivers, those jobs need to be valued with appropriate wages and working conditions.

“There is a cultural bias against blue-collar occupations against the idealized white-collar occupations,” he added.

Adnan Sami to get Canadian honour

Source: Times of India

Singer-composer Adnan Sami will be honoured with an Award of Recognition in Canada for his contribution in the field of arts, culture and music. He feels “blessed”. He will receive the award March 21 by the speaker at the Legislature at Queen’s Park, the Ontario Parliament, Canada.

A special reception for him will also be organised by Shafiq Qaadri, member of Provincial Parliament, Etobicoke North, and he will be given a guided tour on the floors of the Parliament.

“I bow my head in humility for receiving this honour from such an esteemed house,” Adnan said in a statement.

The ability to make people smile through his music, is what makes Adnan happiest.

“God has blessed me with the in-born talent for which I pour my heart out in the form of music. I can never stop thanking god because my music influences people in their respective lives. If my life and music brings a smile or makes a difference in any individual’s life, then there is nothing beyond for me as a god’s gift,” he added.

Adnan, who recently launched his new album ‘Press Play’, will also take to the stage at the Roy Thomson Hall at Toronto, Canada, for a performance March 22.

As a classical pianist, he has rendered solo performances before heads of state. He also carved a niche for himself as a successful Indi-pop artist with songs like Tera chehra and Lift kara de.

‘India is compelling example for Commonwealth’

Source: The Economic Times

LONDON: India is a compelling example for the Commonwealth nations on issues of human rights and democracy, Canada’s special envoy for the 54-member grouping has said.

Describing India as a “powerful, significant and important player in the Commonwealth,” Senator Hugh Segal, Canada’s special envoy for Commonwealth renewal, said, “We believe that both on issues of human rights and democracy India is a compelling example for the rest of the Commonwealth.”

He said “India’s presence is fundamental. India’s influence around the world is increasing because of the power of its economy, remarkable exports in terms of trade and technology and skills sets. It is one of the fundamental pyramids of the Commonwealth and fundamental to its survival and success.”

“Canada has always viewed India as an important bilateral ally and we see them as partners in efforts to modernize the Commonwealth and make it as effective in people’s lives as humanly possible.

“India has been a partner of growing significance. It has invested in the Commonwealth. It has been very active on issues like Commonwealth scholarships and technical assistance.”

He said aid from India to other Commonwealth countries has been a great value and importance and “we believe that the interest India has taken for championing human rights and other issues as it relates to Sri Lanka is a very constructive force.”

“A constructive force of engagement and we respect Indian participation and contribution. We also feel India can do even more.”

Anaroop Kerketta Wins Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award 2013

By Sparsh Sharma

Mr. Anaroop Kerketta from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) IIT Bombay won the third Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award for 2013.  The short animation Inside My Mind was selected by the jury and the public from 15 finalists.  The Consul General for Canada in Mumbai, Mr. Richard Bale presented award to Mr. Anaroop Kerketta during the Best Animation Film (BAF) Awards Ceremony at the FICCI Frames Conference 2013 in Mumbai.  The winning short film can be viewed online.

The Government of Canada and Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology (Seneca) in Toronto, Canada in association with Mumbai’s Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects are excited to have sponsored this award for the third edition of the Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award 2013 (ICSIA 2013). Seneca and Frameboxx will provide Mr. Kerketta with a one-week training session in animation and visual effects at Seneca, a return economy class ticket from Mumbai to Toronto, as well as accommodation and living expenses for the week. Each year this competition provides an opportunity to Indian students to showcase their artistic creativity, animation technique and innovation.

On presenting the award, Richard Bale said “Canada is home to leading animation firms and technology and has a lot to offer through its innovative training institutions. Anaroop Kerketta will now have the exciting opportunity to work with leading technology and an exceptional talent pool in Canada.”

The jury consisted of Mark Jones from Toronto’s Seneca College, Steve Kahwati from Toronto’s 728 Digital Pictures, Munjal Shroff from Mumbai’s Graphiti Multimedia, Kireet Khurana from Mumbai’s Climb Media, and Richard Bale Consul General for Canada in Mumbai. The winner was selected based on a combination of technical marks from the jury and votes from the general public at the online poll portal.

Canada supports Safe Drinking Water Project in India

Source: Connect – Canada in India

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Québec non-governmental organisation (NGO) SOPAR are working with Indian NGO Bala Vikasa on a unique project to provide safe drinking water, in a cost-effective manner, in many villages in Andhra Pradesh, India. With the first plant installed two decades ago in Gangadevipally, Canada has supported Bala Vikasa in setting-up over 250 such water systems. A noteworthy recent development on the project has been the use of Any Time Water machines, which dispense 20 litres of water by swiping a card at the machine, similar to the principle of an automated teller machine (ATM).

Vote for your favourite student animation

Source: Connect – Canada In India

Choose the winner of the third annual “Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award 2013” by voting for your favourite student animation clip. Results will be announced at the Best Animation Film Award Ceremony at FICCI Frames on March 15. The winner will receive one week of training at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada, sponsored by Seneca College and Frameboxx.

Canadian highlights at this year’s FICCI Frames, March 12-15, include participation by the Province of Ontario and Michael Longford, from York University, as a key delegate.

India launches Canadian satellites

Source: Connect – Canada In India

Two Canadian satellites were launched on board Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C20 rocket from the spaceport at Sriharikota, India, on February 24. The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) NEOSSat is the world’s first experimental microsatellite designed to detect and track space objects, debris and satellites, and, Canada’s Department of National Defence satellite Sapphire is Canada’s first dedicated operational military satellite. Team Connect spoke with CSA on their latest satellite and the cooperation with India, check it out!

Imax sets its sight on Bollywood and India’s audiences

Source: BBC News via Indian Economic Business News

With 689 movie theatres in 52 countries, the large-screen cinema operator Imax has emerged as a truly global player in the world of films. The Canadian company has yet to conquer India, home to the world’s second largest film industry after Hollywood. More than a decade after first entering India, there are still just four Imax theatres in India. And even as the company guns for growth, their number is expected to barely hit double digits by the end of this year. Mr Gelfond said it is difficult to compete in a country with as strong a cinema culture as India’s In India, Bollywood films that are often low-budget are shown all over the country, often in small, local cinemas where tickets cost $2-3. This makes it much harder to sell an altogether different entertainment proposition that costs five times as much or more, he says. Imax’s latest India strategy is much more comprehensive than its previous ones. At its core is a partnership with Bollywood production company Yash Raj Films Studios to shoot Dhoom 3 in the Imax format, in an effort to build on the success of blockbusters Dhoom and Dhoom 2.

Canada-India research centre builds healthier communities

Source: Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada via Indian Economic Business News

Communities in Canada and India will be the first to try out new technologies related to water quality, infrastructure and public health, owing to the new India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS). The centre was announced in November as the winner of the Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence competition, an NCE initiative introduced in the 2011 federal budget. “Canada needs to be connected to an international supply of ideas, research, talent and technologies in order to prosper in an increasingly competitive global environment,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in announcing the competition results. “This new Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence will build stronger bilateral research ties and create valuable learning opportunities while generating positive economic and social benefits for both countries.” Major Canadian and Indian universities, as well as various private and public sector partners in Canada and India, will pool their expertise in IC- IMPACTS’ efforts to develop and implement better ways of providing safe drinking water, building sustainable and affordable infrastructure, and preventing and treating diseases in the two countries.

Canada at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit

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Source: Connect – Canada in India

Canada’s participation at the 2013 Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), January 31 – February 2, included delegations from the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Québec. The Premier of Manitoba, Greg Selinger, delivered the keynote address at a panel discussion on “Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change and Mitigating Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Associated Co-benefits” on February 2. The Québec delegation included Minister of International Relations Jean-François Lisée and Minister for Industrial Policy and the Banque de développement économique du Québec Élaine Zakaïb. Former Premier Jean Charest also attended the event. DSDS, an annual event organized by India’ The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), is an international platform for exchange of knowledge on sustainable development

Indo-Canada Friendship Cup at Leh

att358b7Source: Connect – Canada in India

In keeping with a tradition dating back to 2001, residents of Leh, Ladakh welcomed Canadian expatriates for an ice hockey tournament at the highest skating rink in the world from January 18-20.  This year, in preparation for the tournament, Canada’s ILSC Education Group held an equipment drive, and as a result received over 28 bags of donated hockey equipment for the Ladakh Winter Sports Club and other groups in the region. Read more on our Facebook page.

Hyderabad Metro, GIFT City in `Strategic 100’ infra projects

Source: Hindu Business Line via Indian Economic Business News

Hyderabad Metro Rail project has been selected as one of the top 100 strategic global infrastructure projects to be showcased at the forthcoming Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum being held in New York during February-March, 2013. Apart from the Rs 14,132 crore ($2.6 billion) Hyderabad Metro Rail project, two other Indian projects have also figured in this prestigious list: GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech city) costing Rs 72,600 crore ($13.2 billion) and Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project costing Rs 60,000 crore ($10.89 billion). “Strategic 100” is a list of the top 100 infrastructure projects selected through a rigorous selection process on the basis of their potential to make significant difference to their cities/region/country in terms of overall performance and competitiveness. The list has been prepared by an American agency after undertaking research of a large number of major infra projects in 66 countries.

BAE Systems to support education and healthcare programmes

Source: Business Standard – PwC EdLive

BAE Systems, the global defence, security, and aerospace systems firm, joined hands with Smile Foundation (an NGO) to support education and healthcare programmes in India.

The company is committed to support the educational mainstreaming of over 1,000 children aged between 6 to 16 years across seven rural and urban locations in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

It will also help establish and operate a purpose-built mobile medical unit called ‘Smile on Wheels’ equipped with the latest equipment, trained personnel, and supplies to serve selected underserved population clusters of Bangalore.

Canada at 2012 Agro Tech in India

Source: Connect – Canada in India

Three Canadian provinces, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, formed the Canada pavilion at India’s 10th agro technology fair, Agro Tech 2012, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chandigarh from December 1 to 4. Canadian companies in areas including swine genetics, forage products, flax oil, animal feed mixers, canola oil, agri-consulting companies, grain storage and handling systems, and food development centres showcased their expertise.

Canada and India build closer educational ties

UniversityWorldNews, Issue 128, 2010

India is focusing on giving their students a global experience, and a new bill being passed by the Indian Parliament would bring vast progress and easier access for international universities.

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, author of Indian Higher Education: Envisioning the future and a West Bengal Government member of staff addressed a conference in Ottawa held by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada to promote India-Canada ties in higher education. He stated that with the right foundation, appropriate student recruitment, joint research project ventures and Government support, closer ties can be achieved.

The main reason towards this collaboration is to lessen the unfamiliarity of Canadian Universities and their reputation in India. Raising awareness is critical in overseas development work. Mr Agarwal mentioned that there were about 28,000 Indian students studying in Australia in comparison to a meager 2800 in Canada. Development of offshore campuses, collaborating with Indian institutes and extensive marketing are the ways to go for establishing strong presence in India. In the lines of Virginia tech and Georgia University, US opening off shore campuses in

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Schulich School of business, York University, Canada has already taken a step forward to offer collaborative programs with SP Jain School of Management, Mumbai, India.

According to Mr Shashishekhar Gavai, Indian High Commissioner to Canada, research collaboration was another option of consideration. He mentioned that McGill and Carleton universities are interested in setting up Canada-India centres to address the Indian immigrants in Canada.

On India’s part, India has 26,200 educational institutions with over 15 million students which is expected to grow twice as much in the next few years due to the increased growth of middle and upper classes. Mr Agarwal would like to increase the number of mature students enrolling for post graduate programs, something that Canada has been successful at. He is expecting Canada to diversify growth in areas in addition to Management and Engineering.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted a roundtable discussion with 15 presidents from Indian universities. With premiers of Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec visiting India and expressing interest in pursuing closer ties with the Indian higher education system, 15 Canadian university presidents met in India in November to make progress. India has become a global giant that without considering Indian market there is no real global experience. These programs will also provide tremendous opportunities for Indian students looking to acquire world-class management training and prepare them for global careers in India and around the world.

This Indo-Canadian collaboration will provide students a diverse international perspective and an opportunity to synthesize Western efficiency and Eastern ethos.

Envisioning Equity in Global Development Agenda

Ms. Sheena Joseph in conversation with Prof. P R Ramanujam

The Pan Commonwealth Forum (PCF) brings together more than 70 countries and about 1000 participants to address the key issues relating to access and equity in education through application of open and distance learning.

This article addresses the key facts of the 6th PCF event (PCF6) and its significance for IGNOU.

Vision:
“PFC6 envisioned an immediate possibility of combining the experiences of the developed and the developing worlds in providing equal opportunities with the global agenda of development implying equitable distribution of benefits through innovative open distance learning methods and programs.”

Mission:
“To give an opportunity for practitioners, researchers, planners and policy makers in the field of open education and development to share their experiences in shaping the future policies of open learning with a view to achieving Millennium Development Goals by 2015 as committed by the UN.”

Significance of the four themes in current global scenario:
According to Prof. Ramanujam, Social justice should only answer the highly complex and contradictory picture of tremendous prosperity vs. extreme poverty. Democratizing education and skill set development would empower people leading to community development.

Empowerment, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity are the four themes which go hand in hand with mutual respect, dignity and social justice for every person.

Key Functions of PCF Committees:
Prof. Ramanujam believes that expertise and guidance provided by several international committee members on strategic planning and implementation of the events are keys to success of PCF ever year. The diversified local committees play a significant role in integrating, evaluating, selecting abstracts & papers and reviewing the conference progress. Moreover, they provided expert advice to the PCF6 secretariat on performing complex tasks on a daily basis. Their combined effort helped carry forward the simultaneous pre conference events and the grand finale in Cochin.

Significance of PCF6 for IGNOU:
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) and COL (Common Wealth of Learning, Canada) jointly organized PCF6. This event coincided with the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of IGNOU that concludes on November 19, 2010. Several pre‐conference workshops were conducted by Commonwealth of Learning, IGNOU and many other institutions which commenced on November 18, 2010.

According to Prof. P R Ramanujam:

India as an emerging power should significantly focus of education. PCF6 will gain more importance in the wake of three major bills to be passed by the Indian Parliament on The National Council for Education and Research, Educational Tribunal Bill, and the Foreign Universities Bill.

In today’s world, PCF6 can offer considerable insights on reforming the educational agenda at all levels after passing the Right to Education Act.

Web Savvy Futuristic Indians – TCS Survey 2010

Confident, Optimistic, Career Oriented and Socially Connected – Yes, this article relates to Indian Youth.

TCS polled over 10,000 school students between the ages of 12 and 18 across 11 cities in India during 2009‐10 to understand the emerging trends for their second annual “The Web Generation 2.0 Survey”. Key results suggest that India’s youth are more likely to possess a mobile phone, seamlessly progress towards mobile internet, prefer spending time online and embrace social networking sites in a uniquely Indian way.

In terms of education preferences, though they have a pre‐conceived notion that the grass is greener abroad, many students have been considerable to the values of Indian education as well. Although young, they are focused on building key innovative skills and expect substantial salaries while considering future career opportunities.

Statistics illustrate that nearly half of India’s total population are under the age of 20, i.e. about 459 million, and are classified as youth (source: NCEAR).

According to Mr. Ajoy Mukherjee, VP Head, Global Human Resources, this sizeable generation would play an incredibly significant role in taking the nation in a positive direction.

He stated that the survey would not only help TCS choose the cream of the lot, but also provide guidance on communicating with this part of socially connected India.

Survey highlights elucidate that Google (85%) and Wiki (77%) are the ways of life for the students to source information. Home internet access is significant at 86% in the Metro and 79% in Mini Metro areas. 85% of them are ‘hooked’ on to one or more social networking sites. It should be noted that there are more Orkut users (71%) than Facebook (65%) users. It is not surprising that IT (81 %) & Engineering (80%) are conside