Google’s plan to talk about caste bias led to ‘division and rancor’

FILE PHOTO: A sign is pictured outs a Google office near the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File PhotoThe rising Hindu nationalist movement that has spread from India through the diaspora has arrived inside Google, according to employees and an activist on caste bias. In April, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the founder and executive director of Equality Labs – a nonprofit that advocates for Dalits, or members of the lowest-ranked caste – was scheduled to give a talk to Google News employees for Dalit History Month. But Google employees began spreading disinformation, calling her “Hindu-phobic” and “anti-Hindu” in emails to the company’s leaders, documents posted on Google’s intranet and mailing lists with thousands of employees, according to copies of the documents as well as interviews with Soundararajan and current Google employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about retaliation. Soundararajan appealed directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who comes from an upper-caste family in India, to allow her presentation to go forward. But the talk was canceled, leading some employees to conclude that Google was willfully ignoring caste bias. Tanuja Gupta, a senior manager at Google News who invited Soundararajan to speak, resigned over the incident, according to a copy of her goodbye email posted internally Wednesday and viewed by The Washington Post....

Read More........ → July 19, 2023

Be your own man: Tata's advice to Cyrus Mistry

Mumbai: Be your own man, Ratan Tata has advised Cyrus Mistry, who will succeed him at the helm of the $100 billion Tata group two weeks from now. "I don't think it is right to have a ghost to shadow over somebody," says Tata, dismissing any notion that his larger-than-life persona would linger even after he retires on December 28 when he turns 75. The Tata patriarch has told Mistry, 31 years younger, "you should be your own person, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to". Tata spoke about his 50 years with the group, 21 as its chairman, the highs and lows of his tenure, his equation with Mistry and his post-retirement plans during an expansive interview to PTI in his office at "Bombay House", the group headquarters. Mistry, currently Vice Chairman of the conglomerate that spans automobiles, IT, hotels, tea and steel across 80 countries, has been working closely with Tata to prepare for the transition. Have you passed on a success mantra to  Mistry?,  the  outgoing  chairman  was asked. "No, I told him the same things that I told myself when JRD (late J R D Tata) handed over the mantle to me. The first reaction of anybody is to be Mr J R D Tata because you are filling his shoes. "I instantly told myself, 'I can never do that'. I will never be him much as I try to imitate him. So I took a decision to be myself and to...

Read More........ → December 15, 2012

IBM and Samsung poised to win £900m Emergency Services Network contract over BT

The news comes after BT signed a separate ESN contract last weekIBM and Samsung are set to secure a £895m contract to deliver user services for the UK’s new Emergency Services Network (ESN), leaving BT and its Italian partner Leonardo out of the deal, according to a recent Telegraph report.The Home Office’s decision marks a key step in the long-delayed and over-budget ESN project to modernise communication systems for police, fire, and ambulance services in the UK.BT had been considered a frontrunner for the contract, which includes managing emergency responder accounts, supplying devices, and developing “push-to-talk” functionality. However, industry sources suggest concerns over awarding multiple contracts to BT may have influenced the decision.Just last week, the UK incumbent won a £1.29 billion contract to provide the ESN’s network infrastructure.The ESN project has faced significant challenges, including Motorola’s controversial departure in 2022 after a clash with regulators over alleged overcharging. Since then, the Home Office has struggled to replace the user services provider, which has led to delays and escalating costs.IBM’s selection brings fresh momentum to the ESN but raises questions about whether it can navigate the programme’s long-standing technical and operational challenges. These include integrating commercial mobile networks with the bespoke ‘push-to-talk’ functionality critical for first responders. With...

Read More........ → January 10, 2025

Sachin Tendulkar’s Emotional Farewell Speech

"Well my friends.. please settle down, let me talk, I will get more and more emotional. My life between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that the wonderful journey is coming to an end. I would like to thank all the people who have played an important role in my life. I have a list here but I apologise if I forget someone. The most important person in my life, my father, who passed away, is the man I have missed so much. He told me at the age of 11 to follow my dreams but to not take shortcuts. To be a nice person and to try my best. Every time I have done something special and shown my bat, that has always been for my father. I do not know how my mother coped with a naughty child like me. For her, it was most important that I remained healthy and fit and she took care of me. Even before I played for India, the day I started playing cricket she began praying for me. A big thank-you to my mother for all of her sacrifices. During my school days, I stayed with my uncle and my aunt. After a hard day's cricket, my aunt would feed me so I could play the following day. I was like a son to them. My eldest brother always told me that he had 100% faith and confidence in me and he know I would give it my all. The first cricket bat I had was presented to me by my sister who still fasts for me when I play. My other brother has sacrificed his career to make sure I get the very best treatment. He introduced me to my coach and...

Read More........ → November 16, 2013

Second Presidential Debate: Clinton, Trump spar over lewd comments, emails

St. Louis (US): Republican Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton sparred over a number of issues including the billionaire’s lewd comments about women and the former State Department Secretary’s deleted emails, in the second presidential debate here on Sunday night. The two presidential nominees accused each other with Clinton saying Trump was “not fit to be the President”, while the billionaire taking on her over the whole birther claim against President Barack Obama, saying: “You owe Obama an apology.” Beginning the debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked about the 2005 video in which Trump made lewd comments about women, saying: “You bragged that you sexually assaulted women — do you understand that?” Responding to Cooper, Trump said: “No that’s not what I said. This was locker room talk… I am not proud of it but this is locker room talk.” He then pivoted to terrorism and “bad things happening” in the world. Taking on Trump over the issue of lewd comments, Clinton said: “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking over the last 48 hours about what we heard and saw.” Clinton said though she had differences on policies and principles with the Republican candidates in the past but for Trump, she said: “…he was not fit to be president and commander in chief.” “I think it’s clear to anyone who heard it (video) that it represents exactly who he is. We’ve seen him rate women on their appearance, ranking them from one to 10…...

Read More........ → October 14, 2016