London: In a glittering ceremony held at the prestigious House of Lords, British Parliament, the Institute of Directors (IOD) bestowed the esteemed Distinguished Fellowship 2023 Award upon Dr. Ronald Colaco, an eminent NRI celebrated worldwide for his outstanding philanthropic endeavors. The event, part of IOD's Global Convention, was graced by a distinguished gathering of corporate luminaries and dignitaries from across the globe.
The ceremony was attended by notable personalities, including The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, UK, Hon. Paul Scully MP, Minister of London and Parliamentary Undersecretary of State (Minister of Tech and Digital Economy), Govt. Of UK, Lt. Gen. Surinder Nath, PVSM, AVSM (Retd.), President IOD, India. Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, VP of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), UK, The Rt. Hon. Lord Swraj Paul of Marylebone, PC, Sadguru Sri Madusudhan Sai, Spiritual & Social Leader, India, Gopichand P Hinduja, Chairman, The Hinduja Group, UK, Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera, PC, Chair of Nomination and Governance Committee, UK, Mohit Ralhan, Global CEO & Managing Partner of TIW Capital, Singapore, Dr. Tayer Kamali, UAE Chairman of Board of Trustees, Abu Dhabi School of Management, and UAE Chairman of IOD, India, Navin B Chawla IAS, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Ashok Kapur, IAS (Rtd.), Director General of Institute of Directors, India, Srinivasan Sathyamoorthy, Former Auditor General of India and Advisor, TIW Capital, India, Desh Deepak Verma, IAS, Former Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India.
This grand occasion was attended by hundreds of eminent personalities, directors, and CEOs from over 20 countries. Dr. Colaco, previously honored by the World Book of Records, London, during the Indo-UK Summit in 2022, received the Certificate of Excellence for his exceptional contributions to Karnataka’s societal upliftment. His pioneering services, spanning over three decades, were recognized in more than 25 fields, leading to this remarkable achievement.
The Distinguished Fellowship 2023 Award was conferred upon Dr. Colaco by The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Hon. Paul Scully MP, and Lt. Gen. Surinder Nath, PVSM, AVSM (Retd.), President IOD, India, on behalf of the Institute of Directors, India. The certificate was signed by Justice M N Venkatachaliah, the Former Chief Justice of India and Chairman of Institute of Directors.
In addition to this prestigious honor, Dr. Colaco was recently recognized as the “ASIAONE Global Indian of the Year 2022,” joining the ranks of luminaries such as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, and Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani. Times Now media, in collaboration with ICICI Bank, also bestowed upon him the “Global NRI of the Year 2017 award in Philanthropy,” a testament to his unwavering commitment to social welfare.
Dr. Colaco's accolades, spanning countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, London, Europe, and several Middle Eastern nations, have earned him more than 44 prestigious awards, solidifying his status as a global beacon of philanthropy and social change.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vadodara: The main accused in the March 14 car crash in Vadodara, Rakshit Chaurasia, had smoked marijuana but was not under the influence of alcohol, according to the primary report from Gandhinagar’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Chaurasia, a 20-year-old law student, was driving a speeding car that rammed into two-wheelers near Muktanand crossroads in Karelibaug, killing a woman and injuring several others.
The FSL’s findings, as cited by police officials, revealed that Chaurasia’s blood sample tested positive for marijuana. Two others who were in the car with him—Praanshu Chauhan and Suresh Bharwad—also tested positive for the same. All three have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Chaurasia has also been booked under s. 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which deals with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He is currently lodged in Vadodara Central Jail. Chauhan has also been arrested, while Bharwad remains absconding.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 4, Panna Momaya, the blood reports confirmed drug consumption. "They were driving the car after smoking marijuana," she said.
CCTV footage showed the car speeding before taking a sharp turn and hitting the two-wheeler. In the moments before the crash, Chaurasia was seen behaving erratically, shouting "another round, another round," followed by chanting “Om Namah Shivay” and calling out a girl’s name, “Nikita.”
Later, Chaurasia told reporters that a pothole caused the accident and claimed he was driving at 50 km/hr. He also said the airbag deployment had obstructed his view.