Latest news with #Alva
Hans India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
‘Karavali Connect' brings HR leaders together ahead of job fair
Bengaluru: As part of preparations for the upcoming Alva's Pragati job fair on August 1 and 2, the Alva's Education Foundation hosted 'Karavali Connect – HR Greet & Meet' in Bengaluru on June 5. The event brought together over 85 senior HR professionals and representatives from leading firms to explore employment avenues for youth from coastal Karnataka. Presiding over the programme, former Chief Minister Dr M Veerappa Moily commended the Alva's Foundation for enabling job access for rural youth through sustained job fairs over two decades. 'Dr Mohan Alva transformed Vidyagiri into a hub of learning, helping thousands secure placements in global firms,' he said. He urged HR leaders to prioritise potential over appearance and to support aspirants with a hunger to succeed. Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, the chief guest, said the event reflects a serious effort to connect the region's youth with the corporate world. He noted that his 'Back to Ooru' initiative had attracted major investments, including ₹1,000 crore from two European companies into Mangaluru. Vivek Alva, Managing Trustee of the Foundation, said the job fair is expected to attract over 13,000 candidates across IT, graduate, postgraduate, diploma, and nursing streams. Adani Group Executive Director Kishore Alva praised the region's workforce and called for collective action to develop the coast as a future IT Education Foundation in Moodubidire 35 kilometres from Manglauru city in Dakshina Kannada can be called the first organisation in Karnataka if not in India to host the first privately organised job mela under the branding 'Pragati' The14th edition of Pragati will be held for two days on 7 -8 June 2024. In an explanation of the concept behind 'Pragati,' Vivek M. Alva told Hans India that 'the idea of 'Pragati' built on Corporate Social Responsibility platform, aimed at fostering job opportunities, particularly for rural and marginalised populations, is one of many other initiatives taken up by Alva's conglomerate of educational institutions.' The foundation has successfully conducted 13 Pragati mass placement drives since 2007, demonstrating its ability to generate employment opportunities. Alva's Pragati has organised Udyoga Melas (job fairs) in several locations, including Chikkaballapura, Mangaluru, Belthangady, and Bantwala, in cooperation with governmental agencies and social organisations. The foundation has attracted participants from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nvadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana with an investment of 5 crores. They have gained a great deal by landing positions in prestigious businesses.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Fujitsu getting away ‘scot-free' from Horizon scandal, says postmaster
A Scottish postmaster who was wrongly convicted under the Horizon scandal says Fujitsu is getting away 'scot-free' from its role in the affair. Rab Thomson welcomed the first tranche of Sir Wyn Williams' final report, which was released in London on Tuesday. Mr Thomson spent around 20 years fighting to clear his name after being accused of theft. The 65-year-old, from Alva in Clackmannanshire, was one of the first to have his conviction overturned and was able to do so in advance of a special law being passed at the Scottish Parliament to exonerate Horizon victims. Mr Thomson's mother had worked at the Post Office for 30 years and the accusation of theft against him came a few years after he took over the business. He told the PA news agency: 'I feel quite emotional.. 'There's other stories in there worse than mine, don't get me wrong, but it's heartbreaking for it to come to this length – it's going to drag on to March next year.' He said he had been particularly emotional about the part of the report relating to himself and his mother. Mr Thomson said he and his mother did not speak for a year after the allegation of theft was made against him. He said his mother kept herself in her house following the allegation up until her death, saying: 'People were talking behind her back – 'her son stole from the Post Office'. 'But none of the people that accused me of stealing, some of them have not even come forward and apologised. 'So I don't know how they're feeling, maybe guilt I don't know.' Mr Thomson added: 'If I can get a victory over this, compensation-wise for people out there who haven't had a penny yet and get them as much as we possibly can, then hopefully my mum's up there and she'll be smiling on me.' He welcomed the report but had one caveat, saying: 'The only problem I see is, I don't know why we're not taking on Fujitsu? 'Why is Sir Wynn not taking on Fujitsu? Because at the end of the day it's them that's brought this crisis to us – at the moment they've got away scot-free.' In April, Mr Thomson and others launched the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress (SPJR) group. He has encouraged other Scots affected by the issue to seek redress. Fujitsu has already acknowledged it has a 'moral obligation' to contribute to compensation for those affected by the scandal, pending the outcome of Sir Wyn Williams' inquiry. Commenting on the report, SNP MP Chris Law said: ' Westminster is still dragging its heels in delivering fair compensation and it is essential that the Labour government immediately removes every bureaucratic barrier and blockade so that these victims finally get the justice they so badly need. 'The starkness of this report lays bare the tragedies, and even the loss of life, that came about as a direct result of this scandal. 'After decades of failures and cover-ups by successive Westminster governments, Fujitsu and the Post Office, hundreds of people who worked hard for local communities have been made to fight far too long for justice – there must be no more delays from this UK Labour government.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fujitsu getting away ‘scot-free' from Horizon scandal, says postmaster
A Scottish postmaster who was wrongly convicted under the Horizon scandal says Fujitsu is getting away 'scot-free' from its role in the affair. Rab Thomson welcomed the first tranche of Sir Wyn Williams' final report, which was released in London on Tuesday. Mr Thomson spent around 20 years fighting to clear his name after being accused of theft. The 65-year-old, from Alva in Clackmannanshire, was one of the first to have his conviction overturned and was able to do so in advance of a special law being passed at the Scottish Parliament to exonerate Horizon victims. Mr Thomson's mother had worked at the Post Office for 30 years and the accusation of theft against him came a few years after he took over the business. He told the PA news agency: 'I feel quite emotional.. 'There's other stories in there worse than mine, don't get me wrong, but it's heartbreaking for it to come to this length – it's going to drag on to March next year.' He said he had been particularly emotional about the part of the report relating to himself and his mother. Mr Thomson said he and his mother did not speak for a year after the allegation of theft was made against him. He said his mother kept herself in her house following the allegation up until her death, saying: 'People were talking behind her back – 'her son stole from the Post Office'. 'But none of the people that accused me of stealing, some of them have not even come forward and apologised. 'So I don't know how they're feeling, maybe guilt I don't know.' Mr Thomson added: 'If I can get a victory over this, compensation-wise for people out there who haven't had a penny yet and get them as much as we possibly can, then hopefully my mum's up there and she'll be smiling on me.' He welcomed the report but had one caveat, saying: 'The only problem I see is, I don't know why we're not taking on Fujitsu? 'Why is Sir Wynn not taking on Fujitsu? Because at the end of the day it's them that's brought this crisis to us – at the moment they've got away scot-free.' In April, Mr Thomson and others launched the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress (SPJR) group. He has encouraged other Scots affected by the issue to seek redress. Fujitsu has already acknowledged it has a 'moral obligation' to contribute to compensation for those affected by the scandal, pending the outcome of Sir Wyn Williams' inquiry. Commenting on the report, SNP MP Chris Law said: 'Westminster is still dragging its heels in delivering fair compensation and it is essential that the Labour government immediately removes every bureaucratic barrier and blockade so that these victims finally get the justice they so badly need. 'The starkness of this report lays bare the tragedies, and even the loss of life, that came about as a direct result of this scandal. 'After decades of failures and cover-ups by successive Westminster governments, Fujitsu and the Post Office, hundreds of people who worked hard for local communities have been made to fight far too long for justice – there must be no more delays from this UK Labour government.'
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
The glamorous life of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the millionaire socialite whose life inspired HBO's 'The Gilded Age'
Born Alva Erskine Smith, Alva came from a wealthy family in Mobile, Alabama, in 1853 and married William K. Vanderbilt in 1875. Alva's family spent summers in Newport, Rhode Island, and moved to New York City in 1859. She was educated at a boarding school in Paris before marrying William K. Vanderbilt, the grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt and heir to his fortune. Together, she and Vanderbilt had three children: Consuelo, William Kissam Jr., and Harold Stirling. In 1882, the couple spent $3 million to build a mansion on "Millionaires' Row" on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, their home was known as "Petit Chateau" for its French chateau-inspired architecture. It was located at 660 Fifth Avenue along " Millionaires' Row," where other prominent members of society built their estates. The home took up an entire city block. The 60-room, three-story, white limestone mansion was looked down upon by "old money" families like the Astors, who resented those with "new money" for what they considered attempts to buy their way into elite status. Alva was shunned by the Astors and other members of high society until she hosted a legendary ball of her own in 1883. Caroline Astor excluded the Vanderbilts from her guest list of acceptable New York City families known as "The 400." To win her over, Alva threw an extravagant masquerade ball for 1,200 guests, but would not invite Astor's daughter Caroline until Astor came to visit her home — a plotline that was adapted for Bertha Russell on HBO's "The Gilded Age." For her 39th birthday in 1892, Alva's husband gifted her a summer home in Newport, Rhode Island, known as Marble House. The mansion cost a total of $11 million to construct in 1892, the equivalent of around $387 million today. Marble House was named for the 500,000 cubic feet of marble furnishings within. Marble House also featured a dining room modeled after the Palace of Versailles, a Gothic room displaying a full collection of medieval and Renaissance art, and a grand salon with walls covered in 22-karat gold leaf. She divorced William K. Vanderbilt in 1895 and married one of her neighbors in Newport, financier Oliver H.P. Belmont, a year later. It was rare for women in high society to divorce their husbands during the Gilded Age. If they did, their reputation usually didn't survive the scandal. Alva, however, maintained custody of their children, ownership of Marble House, and received a hefty settlement when she divorced Vanderbilt on the grounds of adultery. In 1895, she forced her daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt, to marry the Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo was in love with another man and had already gotten secretly engaged, but wrote that Alva "would not hesitate to shoot" him if she tried to run away with him, according to the audio tour at Marble House. Consuelo acquiesced to her mother's wishes and wed Charles Spencer-Churchill at Marble House, becoming the Duchess of Marlborough. After a 26-year unhappy marriage, Alva testified that she had forced her daughter into the arrangement, and the marriage was annulled in 1921. On the HBO show "The Gilded Age," Bertha Russell also intends for her daughter to marry a duke despite her love for another man. After her second husband's death in 1908, Alva became an activist in the women's suffrage movement. She leveraged her fortune and Newport home to help advance the cause of women's suffrage. At Marble House, she hosted suffrage gatherings and served tea on a set of dishes that read "Votes for Women." She also wrote the libretto for a women's suffrage operetta, which was performed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote. She bought a headquarters for the National Woman's Party in Washington, DC, in 1929, and served as its president. Alva Belmont served as president of the National Woman's Party from 1921 to 1933. Upon purchasing a federal-style home on Capitol Hill for the National Woman's Party headquarters, the group named it "Alva Belmont House" in her honor. The National Woman's Party donated the house to the National Park Service in 2016. President Barack Obama dedicated the site as the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument. She spent her later years in Paris and died in 1933. At her funeral, she had all-female pallbearers and had Susan B. Anthony's quote, "Failure is impossible," adorn her coffin.
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
‘Karavali Connect' Brings HR Leaders Together Ahead of Alva's Pragati Job Fair
Bengaluru: As part of preparations for the upcoming Alva's Pragati job fair on August 1 and 2, the Alva's Education Foundation hosted 'Karavali Connect – HR Greet & Meet' in Bengaluru on Saturday. The event brought together over 85 senior HR professionals and representatives from leading firms to explore employment avenues for youth from coastal Karnataka. Presiding over the programme, former Karnataka Chief Minister Dr M Veerappa Moily commended the Alva's Foundation for enabling job access for rural youth through sustained job fairs over two decades. 'Dr Mohan Alva transformed Vidyagiri into a hub of learning, helping thousands secure placements in global firms,' he said. He urged HR leaders to prioritise potential over appearance and to support aspirants with a hunger to succeed. Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, the chief guest, said the event reflects a serious effort to connect the region's youth with the corporate world. He noted that his 'Back to Ooru' initiative had attracted major investments, including ₹1,000 crore from two European companies into Mangaluru. Vivek Alva, Managing Trustee of the Foundation, said the job fair is expected to attract over 13,000 candidates across IT, graduate, postgraduate, diploma, and nursing streams. Adani Group Executive Director Kishore Alva praised the region's workforce and called for collective action to develop the coast as a future IT Education Foundation in Moodubidire 35 kilometres from Manglauru city in Dakshina Kannada can be called the first organisation in Karnataka if not in India to host the first privately organised job mela under the branding 'Pragati' The14th edition of Pragati will be held for two days on 7 -8 June 2024. In an explanation of the concept behind "Pragati," Vivek M. Alva told Hans India that "the idea of 'Pragati' built on Corporate Social Responsibility platform, aimed at fostering job opportunities, particularly for rural and marginalised populations, is one of many other initiatives taken up by Alva's conglomerate of educational institutions." The foundation has successfully conducted 13 Pragati mass placement drives since 2007, demonstrating its ability to generate employment opportunities. Alva's Pragati has organised Udyoga Melas (job fairs) in several locations, including Chikkaballapura, Mangaluru, Belthangady, and Bantwala, in cooperation with governmental agencies and social organisations. The foundation has attracted participants from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana with an investment of 5 crores. They have gained a great deal by landing positions in prestigious businesses.
