Biography of Kumar Mangalam Birla: Architect of Corporate Excellence and Philanthropic Vision

Kumar Mangalam Birla, the distinguished chairman of the multinational conglomerate, Aditya Birla Group, stands as a beacon of entrepreneurial brilliance and philanthropic commitment. Born on June 14, 1967, into the esteemed lineage of the Birla family, Kumar Mangalam Birla was raised amidst the rich entrepreneurial legacy of his forebears. His journey epitomizes resilience, innovation, and unwavering dedication to excellence.

Biography of Kumar Mangalam Birla

Early Life and Education

Growing up in Mumbai and Kolkata, Kumar Mangalam Birla imbibed the values of diligence, integrity, and responsibility inherent in his family’s ethos. He pursued his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Bombay, followed by becoming a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Eager to broaden his horizons, he embarked on an academic journey abroad, earning his MBA from the esteemed London Business School in the United Kingdom.

Career Milestones

In 1995, tragedy struck the Birla family with the sudden demise of his father, thrusting Kumar Mangalam Birla into the helm of the Aditya Birla Group at the tender age of 28. Despite skepticism surrounding his ability to lead such a colossal conglomerate, Kumar Mangalam Birla’s astute leadership and visionary strategies propelled the group to new heights. Under his stewardship, the Aditya Birla Group diversified into telecommunications, software, BPO, and other emerging sectors, solidifying its position as a global powerhouse with operations spanning across 40 countries and six continents.

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s influence extends beyond corporate boardrooms. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trade constituted by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, as well as holding pivotal roles in committees and advisory boards dedicated to corporate governance and regulatory oversight. His multifaceted contributions include membership in prestigious councils such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce, among others.

Visionary Leadership and Philanthropy

At the heart of Kumar Mangalam Birla’s legacy lies a commitment to transformative leadership and social responsibility. He spearheaded radical reforms within the Aditya Birla Group, championing professionalism and innovation. His philanthropic endeavors extend across borders, with impactful initiatives benefiting disadvantaged communities in India, Thailand, Egypt, and beyond.

Accolades and Recognition

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s trailblazing contributions have earned him numerous accolades and awards, including ‘The Business Leader of the Year’ by The Economic Times, ‘Entrepreneur of the Decade’ by Bombay Management Association, and ‘CNN-IBN Indian of the Year– Business’. His exemplary leadership and unwavering dedication to excellence have garnered global recognition, cementing his status as a towering figure in the world of business and beyond.

Personal Life and Legacy

Beyond the corridors of corporate power, Kumar Mangalam Birla finds solace and fulfillment in his personal life. He shares a blissful marital bond with Neerja Kasliwal and is blessed with three children — Ananyashree, Advaitesha, and Aryaman Vikram.

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s indomitable spirit, visionary acumen, and unwavering commitment to societal welfare continue to inspire generations, leaving an indelible imprint on the fabric of India’s economic and social landscape. His journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of leadership and the enduring legacy of service to humanity.

Thalapathy Vijay, Trisha's blockbuster film 'Ghilli' to re-release on April 20

Thalapathy Vijay and Trisha's successful entertainer, 'Ghilli', is gearing up for a grand re-release in theatres on April 20. Mega Surya Production, the production house, announced the re-release and shared the re-release poster on their official X (formerly known as Twitter) page. This news has got Thalapathy Vijay's fans mighty excited as they are getting ready to celebrate one of the iconic and evergreen Tamil films on the big screens yet again. The racy commercial entertainer was directed by Dharani.

Ghilli Rerelease on April 20

Mega Surya Production shared the poster of 'Ghilli' with the re-release date. They captioned the post, "Get ready to witness the full #Ghilli performance of THALAPATHY @actorvijay sir on big screens once again! Let's celebrate the massiest cult blockbuster of Namma Vijay Anna in theatres this 20th April commemorating its 20th Anniversary!

'Ghilli' will release in theatres worldwide on its 20th anniversary. In Tamil Nadu, the film is expected to take a big opening as it is releasing a day after the state goes to vote (April 19) in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

Written and directed by Dharani, 'Ghilli' is a romantic sports action drama with Vijay, Trisha and Prakash Raj playing the lead roles. For the unaware, 'Ghilli' is the official Tamil remake of superhit Telugu film, 'Okkadu', which starred Mahesh Babu.

'Ghilli was the highest-grossing Tamil film in 2004 and also won several awards. The film was appreciated for the performances, comedy timing, songs and its racy screenplay. Produced by Sri Surya Movies, the film was reportedly produced on a budget of Rs 8 crore in 2004 and made over Rs 50 crore in its lifetime. 

Human rights notice to Andhra Pradesh government over student's suicide

The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Andhra Pradesh government and the state's police chief over a college student committing suicide allegedly due to sexual harassment by a faculty member, officials said on Tuesday.

NHRC Notice: Student Suicide

The NHRC in a statement has observed that apparently, the "negligent and reckless attitude of the authorities" of the institution had led to this incident.\

The Andhra Pradesh Police arrested five people in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday in connection with the death by suicide of a 17-year-old girl who made sexual harassment allegations against her college officials.

She ended her life by jumping to death from a building on the intervening nights of March 28 and 29, alleging that some unidentified persons had threatened to post her objectionable pictures on social media

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that "unable to bear the sexual harassment by a faculty member, a first-year diploma student committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of Chaitanya Engineering College in Kommadi area, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh on March 28", it said.

Reportedly, in a message to her father on his mobile-phone, she had alleged that sexual harassment of girl students is "common in the college and the management was not able to stop it", the statement said.

The commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights and it is a matter of concern.

The NHRC said that accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Andhra Pradesh, seeking a detailed report in four weeks. It should also include the status of the investigation, the rights panel said.

Also, allegations of sexual harassment of other students in the college, require to be "investigated thoroughly" so that the perpetrators are booked and such incidents of violation of the right to life and dignity do not recur, it said.

After poor IPL 2024 start, MI players reach for planned break in Jamnagar

After their poor start to the IPL 2024 campaign, MI have reached Jamnagar for a planned break ahead of their next fixture in the IPL 2024 season against DC. Having lost their first three matches of the campaign, the five-time IPL champions will be hoping to get their season back on track when DC arrive in Mumbai for the match on April 7 at the Wankhede stadium. This will be the second one in their 4-match home stretch, which will end on April 14 with a mega clash against CSK.

Break in Jamnagar

The video shared by a fan on X showed Rohit Sharma and his family being pictured arriving at Jamnagar. It was shown in recent videos on MI's social media handles that they were set for a trip ahead of the match against DC. It was in one of these videos that Ishan Kishan was spotted in a superhero outfit as punishment for being late for a team meeting.

Jamnagar was the same city where the Ambanis hosted Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash with a lot of cricketers being in attendance.

R Ashwin, on his YouTube channel, recently revealed that MI are on a break after their match against RR.

"Mumbai Indians have gone to Jamnagar, the place where the (Ambani) pre-wedding party happened. They are going to chill there," said Ashwin.

Ashwin said that they gave a similar break to Kieron Pollard in 2014 or 15, as he was going through a slump in form. MI made the all-rounder spend time in Goa and upon return, he struck form. This could be the exact mantra MI will be hoping to use to inspire their side to turn things around this season.

4 Dead, 60 Injured As "Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years" Hits Taiwan

At least four people were killed and nearly 60 injured Wednesday by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan that damaged dozens of buildings and prompted tsunami warnings that extended to Japan and the Philippines before being lifted.

Earth Quake in Taiwan, Japan

Officials said the quake was the strongest to shake the island in decades, and warned of more tremors in the days ahead.

"The earthquake is close to land and it's shallow. It's felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands," said Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei's Central Weather Administration's Seismology Center.

Strict building regulations and disaster awareness appear to have staved off a major catastrophe for the island, which is regularly hit by earthquakes as it lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

Wu said the quake was the strongest since a 7.6-magnitude struck in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Wednesday's magnitude-7.4 quake struck just before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) putting the epicentre 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Taiwan's Hualien City, at a depth of 34.8 kilometres.

Three people among a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said.

Separately, a truck driver died when his vehicle was hit by a landslide as it approached a tunnel in the area.

Social media was awash with shared video and images from around the country of buildings swaying as the quake struck.

"I wanted to run out, but I wasn't dressed. That was so strong," said Kelvin Hwang, a guest at a hotel in the capital, Taipei, who sought shelter in the lift lobby on the ninth floor.

Dramatic images were shown on local TV of multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilting after it ended, while a warehouse in New Taipei City crumbled. 

Local TV channels showed bulldozers clearing rocks along roads to Hualien, a mountain-ringed coastal city of around 100,000 people that was cut off by landslides. 

President Tsai Ing-wen called for local and central government agencies to coordinate with each other, and said that the national army would also be providing support. 

The National Fire Agency confirmed the death toll, adding nearly 60 people had been treated for quake-related injuries.

- Regional impact -

In Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, authorities initially issued a tsunami warning but by around 10 am (0200 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had "largely passed".

In the capital, the metro briefly stopped running but resumed within an hour, while residents received warnings from their local borough chiefs to check for any gas leaks. 

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, while nearby Japan experiences around 1,500 jolts every year. 

Across the Taiwan Strait, social media users in China's eastern Fujian province, which borders Guangdong in the south, and elsewhere said they also felt strong tremors.

Residents of Hong Kong also reported feeling the earthquake.

China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province, was "paying close attention" to the quake and "willing to provide disaster relief assistance", state news agency Xinhua said.

Fabrication at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company -- the world's biggest chip maker -- was briefly interrupted at some plants, a company official told AFP, while work at construction sites for new plants was halted for the day.

The vast majority of quakes around the area are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to the depth of the epicentre below the Earth's surface and its location.

The severity of tsunamis -- vast and potentially destructive series of waves that can move at hundreds of kilometres per hour -- also depends on multiple factors.

Japan's biggest earthquake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off Japan's northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 catastrophe also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Japan saw a major quake on New Year's Day this year, when a 7.5-magnitude tremor hit the Noto Peninsula and killed more than 230 people, many of them when older buildings collapsed.

Suriya, Jyotika working out together is the only fitness motivation you need

Jyotika's Tuesday inspiration is a video of herself with husband Suriya, sweating it out at the gym, together. In case you are in two minds about hitting the gym today, the video will serve you the fitness inspiration you require.

Suriya and Jyotika

Jyotika and Suriya, known as Kollywood's power couple, were seen rigorously working out at the gym together. The video had them running on the treadmill, acing pilates, performing lunges, and more such exercises.

In January, the power couple jetted off to Finland for a holiday. The 'Kaathal - The Core' actor shared an adorable video on Instagram. The video is a montage of her best moments from their trip. From watching the Northern Lights to spending quality time together, Suriya and Jyotika had quite a memorable trip. Their kids, Diya and Dev, did not accompany them on this trip.

Sharing a video of the same, Jyotika wrote, "2024 - a year full of travel. January : Finland (Arctic circle) (sic)."

She also added a caption to the video, which read, "Life is like a rainbow. Let's start discovering its colours Found my white 

Meanwhile, on the work front, Suriya is eagerly waiting for the release of director Siruthai Siva's 'Kanguva'. The film, which was scheduled for a grand release in theatres on April 5, is likely to be postponed to the latter half of 2024. The actor will then start shooting for his upcoming film with director Sudha Kongara Prasad.

Biggest wicket you can ever take: M Siddharth thrilled after dismissing Virat Kohli

Lucknow spinner Manimaran Siddharth was over the moon following the dismissal of Bengaluru superstar batter Virat Kohli, calling it the biggest wicket ever. Siddharth dismissed Kohli to claim his first-ever Indian Premier League wicket as Lucknow beat the home side by 28 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. With this win, Lucknow moved up to the fourth spot in the IPL 2024 points table, having won two of their first three matches.

M Siddharth dismissed Kholi

Speaking at the post-match press-conference, Siddharth said he dreamed of taking Kohli’s wicket, while calling his wicket the biggest one you can take. Siddharth bowled three overs, gavng away 21 runs at an economy of 7 while picking the all-impotant wicket of Kohli in the fifth over. He dsimissed Kohli after he'd scored 22 runs off 16 deliveries, having hit two boundaries and a solitary six.

“I had always dreamed of taking his wicket. You can ask anyone. It’s the biggest wicket you can ever take. I’m really happy. I just wanted to keep it simple. I backed my strengths and I knew if I could hit the correct lengths, I could do well for the team,” said Siddharth.

Speaking about pace sensation Mayank Yadav, Siddharth said he’s played him in the nets is is happto see him do well for Lucknow Supper Giants. Yadav claimed three wickets to be adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ for a second successive match in IPL 2024. He also broke his own record for the fastest ball bowled in IPL 2024, clocking in at 156.7 kmph in Bengaluru.

“I've played him in the nets actually. He's really quick and I'm very happy to see him do well. All the players in the Lucknow team and support staff know what he has and he's delivering it at the right time and I'm really happy for him,” Siddharth added.

Yadav picked up three wickets while giving away just 14 runs in his four overs. He dismissed Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green and Rajat Patidar to run through RCB’s middle order. The young pacer has now claimed six wickets in two matches and sits second in the wicket-takers list this season, only behind Chennai Super Kings’ Mustafizur Rahman.

MK Stalin counters PM over Katchatheevu row, ‘What steps have you taken?’

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his allegations against DMK in the Katchatheevu controversy, questioned whether the central government has taken any steps in the past ten years to reclaim the island from Sri Lanka.

MK Stalin counters Modi

PM Modi, on Sunday, alleged that the Congress government, under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, "callously gave away" the strategic Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka and accused the party of "weakening" the country's integrity and interests. A day later, he said, new details "have unmasked DMK’s double standards totally" and claimed that MK Stalin’s party has done "NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests”.

In response, the DMK chief questioned PM Modi and mentioned that he had demanded the Prime Minister to retrieve the island. He also asked whether PM Modi had made any demands in this regard when he visited the head of the Sri Lankan government.

"When the BJP came to power, what did it say in the SC regarding Katchatheevu? They said that we would have to engage in a battle with Sri Lanka if we wanted to get the island back. In the last ten years, how many times has Modi travelled to Sri Lanka? Did he ever demand from them that Katchatheevu should be returned to us? When he met the head of the state of Sri Lanka, did he tell them that Katchatheevu belongs to India? He didn’t mention Katchatheevu on all those occasions," Stalin said.

"The PM who remembers very clearly the events that occurred during the time of Nehru and Indira Gandhi, I want to ask him if he remembers something that happened just two years ago. When he came for an event in Chennai, I presented several demands, and one of the first demands I made was to retrieve Katchatheevu. Do you recall this? Did you even read the memorandum I gave?" the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister added.

He also stated that raking up the Katchatheevu issue has now backfired on the BJP. “This issue has turned against them. They put their hands on the beehive, and now they are trying to escape from it,” he mentioned.

Stalin also claimed that the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, when he was the foreign secretary, in an RTI reply in 2015 claimed Katchatheevu is not a part of India and the party is bringing up the matter due to election.

He also asked the Prime Minister who is “crying over Katchatheevu now” had ever said a word of condemnation against Sri Lanka for “harassing and attacking” fishermen from India.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused DMK of spreading a false campaign on Katchatheevu and for making "irresponsible" statements on the issue. She said the late M Karunanidhi, who was DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister at the time in the 1970s, was aware of the then-ruling Congress's move but did not object, she said.

High Court Grants Divorce To Chef Kunal Kapur Over Cruelty By Wife

The Delhi High Court granted divorce to celebrity chef Kunal Kapur on Tuesday on the grounds of cruelty meted out to him by his estranged wife, saying the woman's conduct towards him was devoid of dignity and empathy.

Grants Divorce To Chef Kunal Kapur

The high court allowed Kunal Kapur's appeal challenging a family court's order denying him divorce and said it is a settled position of law that making reckless, defamatory, humiliating and unsubstantiated allegations against a spouse in public amounts to cruelty.

"In the light of the aforenoted facts of the present case, we find that the conduct of the respondent (wife) towards the appellant (husband) has been such that it is devoid of dignity and empathy towards him.

"When such is the nature of one spouse towards the other, it brings disgrace to the very essence of marriage and there exists no possible reason as to why he should be compelled to live while enduring the agony of living together," a bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna said.

The estranged couple got married in April 2008 and a son was born to them in 2012.

In his plea, Kunal Kapur, who was a judge in the television show "Master Chef", accused his wife of never respecting his parents and humiliating him.

On the other hand, the woman accused him of making false allegations to mislead the court and said she always tried to communicate with her husband like a loving spouse and was loyal towards him.

However, he kept her in the dark and concocted fabricated stories to obtain divorce, she had alleged.

The court said though discords are an inevitable part of every marriage, when such conflicts take the form of disrespect and inconsideration towards a spouse, the marriage itself loses its sanctity.

"It is relevant to mention here that within two years of marriage, the appellant has established himself as a celebrity chef, which is a reflection of his hard work and determination....

"Considering the aforesaid facts, it is only prudent to observe that these are mere allegations made by the respondent to disrepute the appellant in the eyes of the court and such unsubstantiated claims have the effect on one's reputation and therefore, amounts to cruelty," the bench said.