After Jio Institute, Centre extends deadline to favour Vedanta group
Institute of Eminence issue
NEW DELHI, July 12: While a controversy rages over 'Institute of Eminence' tag being granted to yet-to-start Jio Institute, it has now emerged that the government may have been generous to at least one more private company trying to foray into higher education segment in India too.
The New Indian Express has learnt that special extension of one month was granted to Vedanta group's proposed Vedanta University in Odisha to allow them to apply for the coveted tag that promises to grant complete academic and financial autonomy.
The proposed university, however, did not make the final cut even though its application, along with others, is still under consideration, authorities in the Union Human Resources Development Ministry and the University Grants Commission told this newspaper.
On being asked, HRD secretary (higher education) R Subrahmanyam confirmed that the deadline was extended on a request by the proposed Vedanta university.
"The application by the Jio Institute was on schedule, but Vedanta university had asked for an extension as they were delayed in making the application," he said.
In the 'Greenfield' category, Jio Institute competed with Airtel which had applied for Bharti University (Satya Bharti Foundation) in Delhi, and Vedanta University in Odisha.
KREA University, which has former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan as its adviser; Indian School of Business, Hyderabad; Indus Tech University in Delhi; and Acharya Institutes of Bangalore were among other applicants.
On Monday, the ministry had granted six institutes—three each in public and private sectors— 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) status.
This kicked up a massive controversy as many questioned the government's motive behind promoting an educational institute by a private player that is set to even start its operations.
Officials in the HRD ministry, meanwhile, said the applications for the IoE tag, which was first announced in the Union Budget 2016-17, was invited beginning September 13 and applicants were given a time period of 90 days. An extension of one month was given later.
Documents seen by Express suggests that Reliance Foundation, which promises an initial investment of Rs 9,500 crore in the proposed institute, claimed "deep relationship with global top 50 universities and global network of prominent thought leaders with Reliance Board having leading academicians and even Nobel laureates".
It also said, in its presentation to an empowered expert committee headed by N Gopalaswami, which was tasked with selecting the institutes, that its promoter is the largest private sector company in India and largest corporate spender on social initiatives across education, health and rural transformation and that it has expertise in conceptualising and implementing large-scale game-changing initiatives be it textiles, refinery or digital.
The proposed institute detailed its experience in education by mentioning about Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Reliance Foundation Schools educating over 15,000 students, and deep involvement in changing education landscape through Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology.
"The Jio Institute had also said that it desires to be the youngest global top 100 universities and be a force multiplier to leapfrog India's development in private education sector," an HRD ministry official said.
Courtesy: www.newindianexpress.com
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US warns shipping firms they could face sanctions over paying Iranian tolls in Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal
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The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.
China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions
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Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.
Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel.
