Harassment at Infosys: Ex-Employee Files Lawsuit

SiliconIndia   |   Friday, 10 August 2012, 13:22 IST   |

Satya Dev Tripuraneni, a US citizen and former employee of Infosys in the U.S., has filed a lawsuit in a federal court of the Northern District of California on August 2nd claiming harassment following his complaint against visa-fraudin the company, NDTV said in a report.

Tripuraneni alleges that even though he informed about the misuse of B1 visas to the Infosys management, no action was taken; instead he was subjected to harassment. He was an account manager with the US branch of Infosys and has worked for the firm for five years.

According to the lawsuit, Infosys also cheated its clients by billing them fraudulently for employees brought from India and they also took extra money from the clients for taxes.

This recent case of visa fraud came as big blow to Infosys, India's second largest software services provide, as it is the second lawsuit the company is facing over visa-fraud.

Infosys confirmed the lawsuit and said, "Shortly after Tripuraneni filed his complaint with the Infosys whistleblower team, per our policy, the company launched a comprehensive investigation of his allegations," the statement said.

"That investigation is continuing. As for comments on the legal matter, we are choosing to concentrate our attention and resources on the investigation. We feel this is the prudent and responsible course of action at this time," it said.

The case comes just a few days before the Jack Palmer case is set to go on trial. Last year,Palmer a software project manager at Infosys has complained about harassment and discrimination from his superiors and co-workers ever since he complained about visa fraud at the company.

Palmer accused that Infosys’s brought Indian employees to U.S on B-1 visas which are short term and less costly, instead of H-1B visas.

Palmer had to face serious problems at his workplace following the complaint; he was not given any work assignments, was denied bonuses and moreover was subjected to death threats as well.

"They did the worst thing they could do to someone who is used to working 80 hours a week," Palmer said. "They sit me at home and cut me off from everything. My life is floating in Infosys purgatory." He filed a lawsuit last year asking federal prosecutors to open a criminal investigation.

The trial of the case is scheduled to begin on 20th of this month in a U.S. court, after a negotiation process between the two parties failed.

கொஞ்சம் சினிமா கொஞ்சம் பாப்கார்ன் - 10 Indian Films in Toronto Film Festival

SiliconIndia   |   Thursday, 09 August 2012, 17:14 IST

Bangalore: 10 Indian films are set to be screened at the upcoming 37th Toronto International Film Festival, which will be held from September 6-16.Here is the list of the movies-

Gangs of Wasseypur

Gangs of Wasseypur is a crime movie co-written, produced and directed by Anurag Kashyap, which revolves  around power struggles, politics and vengeance between three crime families. The movie is divided into two parts, since it is not possible to screen a five plus hour movie in Indian theatres. Manoj Bajpai, Richa Chadda, Tigmanshu Dhulia plays the prominent roles in part 1 and Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen in the second part.

 Shanghai

Shanghai is a political thriller film directed by Dibakar Banerjee, starring Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee. It is based on a French movie Zand a novel by the same name and the film is all about four individuals who find themselves tied up into a horrible game of crime and politics. It received positive reviews from all top critics of India.

Peddlers
Peddlers is a movie by debutant filmmaker Vasan Bala and it has Gulshan Devaiah, Kriti Malhotra and Nishikant Kamat in the lead roles. The movie takes us through the city of Mumbai and tells the story of a lady on a mission, a man living a lie and an aimless wanderer. Talking about his first film, Vasan Bala says, "It's great that the film has been selected at Toronto after Cannes. Since the French press sighted a very American independent influence on the film, I am quite curious how it will be received here’’, reports Richa Bhatia of TNN.

Ishaqzaade
Ishaqzaade is a romantic drama film written and directed by Habib Faisal, andproduced by Aditya Chopra . The film which stars debutant Arjun Kapoor(as Parma) and Parineeti Chopra (as the Muslim girl Zoya) received mixed response from the critics. Ishaqzaade portrays the passionate love story of two rebellious individuals.
 

Miss LovelyMiss Lovely is an Indian drama film directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. The Hollywood Reporter (a prominent magazine) noted that "Miss Lovely sets out to prove that Indian cinema can be as rambling, pretentious and frustratingly opaque as a European art movie [and] succeeds rather too well."The movie is about the fascinating and notorious C-grade film industry of the 1980s and it follows the journey of two brothers, who created sex-horror films during that time period.

Mumbai’s King
Mumbai’s King is directed by Manjeet Singh and stars Rahul Bairagi, Arbaaz Khan and Tejas Parvatkar. The film revolves around the lives of two kids, Rahul and Arbaaz who roams the streets together and escapes the harsh realities of their lives by gambling, roasting stolen potatoes, stealing an auto rickshaw for a joyride, and chasing girls. Later on when they grow up, they have to undergo many difficult circumstances in their lives.
 

The Bright Day

‘The Bright Day’ by  Mohit Takalkar tells the story of a young man named Shiv who has a very supportive family, a close group of friends and leads a normal life; but he leaves all these family bonding and sets out on a journey to discover what he seeks in the outside world. He enjoys adventure and freedom and also learns different philosophies about life.

Theseus’ Ship

‘Theseus’ Ship’ directed by Anand Gandhi tells four different stories together -- of a brilliant blind photographer, a monk’s ethics put to test; an obsessive compulsive clockmaker and a young stock broker.

“The title is an illusion to the philosophical paradox. Each character has a strong ideological philosophy, in a constant state of introspection like the blind photographer who is constant dilemma to access her own art, that constant dilemma of whether your art is great or not attracted me to the subject,” Gandhi said.

English Vinglish

English Vinglish is an Indian drama film directed by debutant director Gauri Shinde and produced by R. Balki. The film marks the comeback of Sridevi after 14 long years and it also features French actor Mehdi Nebbou, Adil Hussain, and Priya Anand.Sridevi plays the role of a housewife, who joins an English speaking course in order to please her husband and family.

Shahid

The film directed by Hansal Mehta has Rajkumar Yadav in the lead role along with Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur. The movie is all about the true story of a Lawyer and human rights activist by the name Azmi who was killed by unidentified assailants in his office in the year 2010. ‘Shahid’ takes us through the life of an individual who really struggles to come to terms with the injustice and inequality that surrounds him and later on he is wrongfully accused and imprisoned.

 

Management Tip of the Day - Apply the Right Kind of Pressure to Innovators

Too many managers unintentionally kill innovation by relying heavily on carrots and sticks to motivate employees. When it comes to creativity, there's good pressure and there's bad. For example, avoid applying extreme time constraints. Competitive pressure with coworkers can also be a killer. Instead, use positive pressure in the form of a challenging assignment that's tough but that the team has the skills to solve. If you give people an important problem that no one else has been able to crack, it can supercharge motivation and creativity. - Today's Management Tip was adapted from "What Doesn't Motivate Creativity Can Kill It" by Teresa Amabile and  Steve Kramer. .

Quote gems - Japanese Proverb

"The reputation of thousand years may be determined

 by the conduct of one hour."


-Japanese Proverb

Stipulation of compensation for delay in Clearance of Local Cheques

RBI/2012-13/165 
DPSS.CO.CHD.No.284/03.06.03/2012-13August 13, 2012
The Chairman and Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer 
All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs / 
Urban Co-operative Banks / State Co-operative Banks / 
District Central Co-operative Banks
Madam / Dear Sir

Stipulation of compensation for delay in Clearance of Local Cheques
As you may be aware, banks are required to specify the time line for
 realisation of local and outstation cheques in their Cheque Collection Policies
 (CCP) including the compensation payable for delayed credit, if any.
 However, on perusal of the Cheque Collection Policies (CCPs) and
 Compensation Policies of various banks, it is observed that there is
 no mention about the compensation in respect of the delay in
 realisation of local cheques. Instances of delayed credit to customers' 
accounts without any compensation for the delayed period beyond the
 time line indicated in the CCPs, in respect of local cheques, have been 
brought to our notice.
2. In this regard, a reference is invited to our 
circular DPSS. CO. (CHD) No. 873/03.09.01/2008-09 dated November 24, 2008,
 in terms of which, banks are required to specify the time line for realisation 
of cheques, including local cheques, in their respective CCPs. Paragraph 
4(ii) of the circular also states that in case of local cheques, banks 
shall permit usage of the shadow credit afforded to the customers' account
 immediately after closure of relative return clearing and in any case, 
withdrawal shall be allowed on the same day or maximum within an hour 
of the commencement of business on the next working day, subject to usual safeguards.
3. In view of the above, banks are advised to reframe their CCPs to include 
compensation payable for the delayed period in the case of collection of local 
cheques as well. In case, no rate is specified in the CCP for delay in realisation 
of local cheques, compensation at savings bank interest rate shall be paid for
 the corresponding period of delay.
4. As regards the realization period and compensation for delayed credit pertaining
 to outstation cheques, the instructions contained in paragraph 4(iii) of our circular
 dated November 24, 2008 remain unchanged.
5. Banks may note to give publicity to their revised CCPs through display board
in branches and on their website for better customer service and dissemination of 
information. A copy of revised CCPs formulated may also be forwarded to us.
6. The above instructions are issued under Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement 
Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
7. Please acknowledge receipt and ensure compliance.
Yours faithfully,
(Vijay Chugh)
Chief General Manager

Management Tip of the Day: Demonstrate Your Credibility as a Leader

HBR: 10 AUG 2012

One of the most critical traits of an effective leader is credibility.  If your team doesn't believe in your ability to do your job, you'll struggle to motivate them. Don't assume your credibility is apparent.  Make an effort to establish it from the beginning by showing your willingness to work hard, modeling the behaviors you're trying to encourage in others, and keeping promises and meeting deadlines.  Always be prepared for meetings and presentations. Hold others accountable, treating them fairly and consistently.  And, use your power and influence for the benefit of others.  Remember that once you've established it, it's important to continue to demonstrate your trustworthiness credibility for the long term. Today's Management Tip was adapted from the Harvard ManageMentor Online Module: Leading and Motivating.

கொஞ்சம் சினிமா கொஞ்சம் பாப்கார்ன், - Molly Aunty Rocks

Revathy and Prithviraj in Molly Aunty Rocks.

vijaygeorge :The Hindu :9 Aug 2012


Ranjith Sankar’s Molly Aunty Rocks, starring Revathy in the lead, is the story of a middle-aged woman who gets into a battle of wills with a young, egoistical revenue officer played by Prithviraj.

There is no stopping Molly Aunty! This middle-aged woman, a no-nonsense bank clerk, who is not afraid of doing what she feels is right, is the protagonist of writer-director Ranjith Sankar's forthcoming film, Molly Aunty Rocks. Veteran actor Revathy plays the character in the film, the shooting of which is going on inside a bank at Sultanpet in Palakkad.

Prithviraj acts as Pranav, an egoistical Indian Revenue Service officer who enjoys throwing his weight around. “When Molly and Pranav meet it’s a clash of wills. They happen to lock horns after a particular incident and because of their egos both of them refuse to relent,” says Ranjith, who directed Passenger andArjunan Sakshi.

Molly was good in studies and soon after her graduation she got a job in a scheduled bank. She marries Benny (Lalu Alex), who belongs to an aristocratic family from Thrissur. After her marriage, she takes leave and goes to live in the United States with her husband and two daughters. Now, 20 years later, she comes back to Kerala and is posted at the bank’s Nemmara branch, near Palakkad. She lives alone and the locals find her a bit odd, especially because of her peculiar style of dressing. However, she is not one to be bothered about what society thinks, narrates Ranjith.

The scene being canned depicts the aftermath of a confrontation between Molly and Pranav. Sizzling with anger, Molly tries to get the last word in and tells Pranav that she will make him apologise for his actions. Sivaji Guruvayur, who plays the bank manager, tries to pacify them.

Says Ranjith: “I had approached Revathy for a role in Mayflower but she was not too keen on doing what she called ‘stereotyped’ roles. Then I told her about Molly and she agreed to it instantly!”

While the crew is getting ready for the next shot, Revathy adds: “I think, it was perhaps for the first time in the last 10 years or so that I was this intrigued by a story; a story which focusses solely on a middle-aged woman; a story that was not about her husband, children or family issues but about her own life and career. Molly is a character I could relate to and there are many like her around us. She lives by certain principles, which she believes is right but is not one to impose it on others.”

Prithviraj also seems to be impressed by the storyline of the film. “Molly Aunty Rocks is the story of this middle-aged woman and a young man, but it is not a love story. Pranav revels in the power and authority that comes with his job and Molly Aunty is a person who instinctively questions it. This is a light-hearted film that has been told in a new way. It’s really quite different from the usual pattern where a film with a middle-aged woman as a protagonist would rarely be about herself but would be about the people related to her.”

KPAC Lalitha dons a significant role in the film and stars as Molly’s snooty mother-in-law, who has always thought that her son married below him.

Molly Aunty Rocks, produced under the banner of Dreams N’ Beyond, is set to hit screens in September. Cinematographer is Sujith Vasudev and the music director is Anand Madhusoodhanan. Stills are by Hari Tirumala.