In collaboration with the Indian subsidiary of the US-based Cisco Systems Inc, the Bangalore-based Parikrma Humanity Foundation (PHF) hosted the Intra Parikrma Spelling Bee finals to mark the launch of Cisco’s CEED technology connecting Parikrma schools in Bangalore, on July 12. CEED ‘boxes’ sponsored by Cisco enable students and staff of all four PHF schools to communicate inter se using real-time video conferencing technology. “Cisco Systems is the largest IT networking company in the world, which also invests in scalable and self-sustaining programmes using cutting-edge technology to meet some of society’s biggest challenges through its CSR (corporate social responsibility) programmes. Cisco’s social investment programmes focus on four areas — education, healthcare, economic empowerment and disaster relief,” said Dinesh Malkani, president of Cisco System (India), speaking on the occasion. Added Shukla Bose, founder-CEO of PHF: “PHF is a non-profit organisation providing the best English language education to poorest children from the slums of Bangalore, since its inception in 2003. We value our association with Cisco Systems and are thankful to the company for its sustained support to PHF.” SBI-Oracle’s D-Change The State Bank of India (SBI) and Oracle India have launched a ‘D-Change’ initiative which supports prime minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India and Digital India programmes. Under the initiative, employees from both organisations, including senior leadership, will support education and learning, women’s empowerment and skills development in rural India. Oracle and SBI volunteers will help to enhance IT literacy among high school students, teachers and parents of over 100 SBI-supported government schools through an initiative named ‘Digital kushalta ki aur’. The first project to be launched under D-Change will be initiated at the Rotary Bangalore Vidyalaya, Bengaluru and Mandal Parishad High School, Kondapur in Hyderabad on August 6. “For more than two decades, Oracle employees around the world, including here in India, have volunteered their time to improve the quality of life in communities where we live and work. Today, we extend our 20-year-old relationship with SBI to support India’s mission of creating a digitally empowered society. Through this programme, we will leverage SBI’s financial expertise and expansive reach with Oracle’s technology expertise to bring about substantial change in the community and support the development of a skilled economy,” said Loic Le Guisquet, president, EMEA and Asia Pacific of Oracle, addressing a media conference in Bangalore on August 1. Enactus India national champion A students team of the Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Delhi, recently crowned champions of the Enactus India National Competition, will represent the nation at the Enactus World Cup in Toronto, Canada from September 28-30 to compete with national champion teams from 34 other countries. Teams from IIT, Delhi and Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, were the first and second runners-up in the national competition. The Enactus India National Competition provides a platform for student innovators to present unique social projects to leaders of India’s business and industry. This year, the national competition attracted 67 teams from higher education institutions countrywide who showcased their…
