Three NIT students drown in waterfall in Assam
Haflong (PTI): Three students from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar, drowned in a waterfall in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, officials said on Sunday.
The incident took place at the Bulchol (Hmunthajao) waterfall, located in Bolsom Bagan of Harangajao on Saturday afternoon, they said.
"The tragic mishap occurred when the group of NIT students visited the scenic but remote waterfall for an outing. After getting information, our teams rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation," a senior official of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said.
The deceased students have been identified as Sauhard Rai (20) and Sarbavartika Singh (20) from Uttar Pradesh, and Radhika (19) from Bihar.
Rescue efforts were hampered due to poor mobile connectivity and inaccessibility of the area, making communication and coordination difficult, he said.
"A medical team was kept on standby to respond to any emergency situation. All the three students were retrieved from the water, but declared dead by doctors," the DDMA official said.
The authorities have expressed grief over the incident, and urged people to exercise caution while visiting waterfalls and other tourist spots, especially during the post-monsoon season when water currents remain unpredictable and hazardous.
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Oracle lays off around 12,000 employees in India, another round likely within a month
New Delhi (PTI): US-based IT firm Oracle is believed to have laid off approximately 12,000 staff in India, with another round of layoffs expected within a month, impacted employees said on Tuesday.
Globally, the company has fired around 30,000 employees.
"In India, around 12,000 employees have been laid off. The company is planning another mass layoff within a month," said two people impacted by the retrenchment, including one from the company's human resource department.
The company has approximately 30,000 employees in India, including those affected by the layoffs.
Oracle declined to comment on the development.
Oracle, in an email sent to staff, said the employees were informed about certain organisational changes and "because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant".
The company has offered 15 days' salary to each employee who has completed a year of service in India, in addition to one month of unpaid wages till termination date, leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility and pay for a one-month notice period.
Oracle has also offered a two-month salary as a top-up.
However, the severance package is available for those who voluntarily and amicably resign from the company.
An ex-employee of Oracle, Merugu Sridhar, said that he was laid off in September for protesting against the 16-hour work shift that the company has in India.
"I contacted my friends and those who are in human resources. They shared that most of the Indians working in the US with the company have been impacted because the local laws there are very strict when it comes to the retrenchment of their citizens," Sridhar said.
