Men dominate LinkedIn 'Power Profiles' list for India
New Delhi, Aug 23 : In a reflection of the power equation in the society, men outnumber women by a large margin in the fifth edition of LinkedIn's Power Profiles list for India released on Thursday.
In the list divided in eight categories, women have the upper hand only in two categories -- "Human Resources" and the newly introduced "Social Impact" - areas where women are traditionally thought to be good at.
In the rest of six categories -- Technology, CEOs, Finance, LinkedIn Influencers, Internet, and Marketing & Advertising -- representation of women pale in comparison to men.
Out of the 73 professionals in the list, which is a showcase of the "most-viewed" professionals in India, 28 are women (38 per cent).
In the previous year's LinkedIn Power Profiles list, women's representation was 16 per cent.
According to a Deloitte report last year, women hold just 12.4 per cent of board seats in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actor Priyanka Chopra, Paytm Founder Vijay Shekar Sharma, Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari and Xiaomi India Managing Director and Global Vice President Manu Kumar Jain are among those who are featured in this year's LinkedIn Power Profiles list.
This year, the "CEO", "Internet", and "Technology" categories feature new names such as Flipkart CEO and Co-Founder Binny Bansal, H&M India Country Manager Janne Einola, Myntra and Jabong CEO Ananth Narayanan and Nearbuy.com Co-Founder and CEO Ankur Warikoo.
Women leaders Debjani Ghosh, President at NASSCOM; Nisaba Godrej, Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products; and Suchita Salwan, CEO and Founder, Little Black Book are also some of the new entrants to this year's edition.
"LinkedIn Power Profiles 2018 is a celebration of the most viewed professionals in India, those who are great examples of strong professional brands that inspire our 50+ million members across the country," Srividya Gopani, Director, Brand and Consumer Marketing, Asia-Pacific and China, said in a statement.
"These Power Profiles have not only had exciting journeys, but they participate in meaningful dialogue, offer perspectives, and continue to engage all our members, including young career starters," Gopani added.
The "Marketing and Advertising" list features veterans from some of the most talked about trendsetting brands of the year including Apple (Parul Mattoo, Apple India Head), Nykaa.com (CMO Hitesh Malhotra) and Jio (Satyarth Priyedarshi, Head of Product Marketing for JioChat).
Reliance Jio's Vice President of HR, Harjeet Khanduja has also been a LinkedIn Power Profile in the ‘HR' category in 2016, and now once again in 2018.
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Himachal’s Sammoo village does not celebrate Diwali due to centuries-old 'curse’; Here’s why
Hamirpur: The residents of Sammoo village in Hamirpur district located in Himachal Pradesh are continuing a centuries-old tradition of not celebrating Diwali. No houses are lit during the festival, no special dishes are prepared, and no sounds of crackers are heard.
This is an ancient custom that people have been following for ages due to the fear of a curse from a woman who committed Sati on Diwali, according to a PTI report.
The legend goes that, many years ago, the woman who had left for her parent's home to celebrate Diwali received news that her husband, a soldier in the king's court, had died. The woman, who was pregnant, was devastated and burnt herself on her husband's pyre. It is believed she cursed the villagers, declaring that they would never again be able to celebrate Diwali.
As a result, the village has not celebrated the festival since, with elders reportedly warning younger generations that celebrations would invite misfortune, disaster, and deaths.
Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi stated that since she got married and moved to this village, she has never witnessed Diwali being celebrated. “Even if the villagers settle outside, the curse of the women won’t leave them. Some years ago, a family from the village settled far away were preparing some local dishes for Diwali when their house caught fire. The people of the village only worship Sati and light diyas in front of her,” Pooja Devi was quoted as saying by the news agency.
The report also cited another village elder, who has lived through more than 70 Diwalis without celebration, mentioning that whenever someone attempts to celebrate, tragedy strikes the village.
“For hundreds of years, people have refrained from celebrating Diwali. On the day of Diwali, if a family, even by mistake, bursts crackers and makes dishes at home, then disaster is sure to happen,” the report quoted another villager.
The people in the village have tried a lot of measures, such as havans and yagyas, to get rid of the curse. However, nothing has reportedly worked.
