Latest news with #Balakrishnan
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
S'pore seeks to play constructive role in global efforts on ocean-related issues: Vivian
Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan delivering Singapore's national statement at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, on June 10. PHOTO: MFA NICE, France – Singapore is a small island state, and the oceans and seas are 'inextricably tied' to the nation's survival and well-being, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on June 13. 'That is why we have always sought to play a constructive role in global efforts on oceans-related issues,' he said in an e-mailed statement to The Straits Times on the final day of the United Nations Ocean Conference. The event in Port Lympia in Nice, France, is held from June 9 to 13. 'The oceans enable maritime trade, food and energy security, and support livelihoods,' said Dr Balakrishnan. 'These are vital to Singapore as a country with trade about three times our GDP and one which depends on imports for our energy and food resources.' Maritime transport moves more than 80 per cent of goods traded worldwide. Other than being a source of seafood and recreation, the ocean also generates 50 per cent of the oxygen people need, absorbs 25 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, and captures 90 per cent of the excess heat generated by these emissions. As a small low-lying island with no buffer, Singapore is also highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change on the oceans such as sea-level rise, coastal degradation or marine pollution, he added. The minister said Singapore has been participating actively at the UN Ocean Conferences. Singapore served as one of the vice-presidents of the conference. Dr Balakrishnan had also chaired a plenary session at the event. This year's summit, which gathers representatives from 193 countries, is in its third iteration . Its aim is for countries to adopt an 'action-oriented and inter-governmentally agreed declaration', dubbed the Nice Ocean Action Plan, according to the United Nations. Various issues were discussed at the conference and its side events, including how to better finance marine conservation, such as through new financing instruments like coral reef bonds, and the importance of developing countries being given assistance to build capabilities to study their marine environments. Previous editions of the UN Ocean Conferences were held in 2017 and 2022. Korea will host the fourth one in 2028. Dr Balakrishnan said the summit is an important platform where countries mobilise action for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. 'This includes reaffirming the international community's commitment to uphold the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos),' he said. Unclos sets out the legal framework for all activities carried out in the oceans and seas. In 2023, Singapore helped to broker an agreement under Unclos on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity outside national jurisdictions. Among other things, the treaty paves the way for marine protected areas to be established in waters outside national jurisdictions, which cover over two-thirds of the ocean. The High Seas Treaty, officially called the Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, will enter into force after 60 countries ratify it. Singapore ratified the agreement in September 2024 – one of 51 countries to have done so, so far. Dr Balakrishnan said the summit helps to advance collective efforts to protect the oceans, including getting more countries to ratify the BBNJ Agreement. ST checks showed that almost 20 countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, had ratified the agreement over the course of the conference. Countries are also urged to make voluntary commitments on ways to ensure the health and resilience of the ocean during the summit. In his delivery of Singapore's national statement, Dr Balakrishnan had said Singapore would be renewing 15 of the past voluntary commitments it made to support ocean health, and undertaking 12 new ones. New commitments include efforts to restore coral reefs and seagrass meadows in the Republic. Dr Balakrishnan also said that as the protection of our global commons in the oceans requires collective efforts, Singapore is also committed to providing capacity building assistance to developing countries. Under the Singapore Cooperation Programme's Sustainability Action Package, Singapore has conducted over 60 courses for more than 1,600 officials covering issues from rising sea levels to the law of the sea. Audrey Tan is an assistant news editor overseeing sustainability coverage. She has reported on the environment for more than a decade and hosts the Green Pulse podcast series. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
G. Balakrishnan, former Vice-Principal of St. Joseph's College, passes away
G. Balakrishnan, former Vice-Principal and head, Department of English, St. Joseph's College, died on Thursday in Tiruchi. He was 80. He is survived by his wife and two sons. A well-known name in quizzing circles, Balakrishnan was born and brought up in Tiruchi, and was a familiar face as a judge or quiz-master in regional school and college competitions. His eloquent style of conducting quizzes in English and Tamil earned him a large fan base. Starting off in 1970, Balakrishnan conducted his 1,000th quiz in 2010, and kept up his interest in the game even after retiring from St. Joseph's College with 35 years of service behind him. He was known to research his quiz programmes extensively and was a specialist in themed quizzes. A skilled orator, Balakrishnan had broadcast at least 100 programmes on All India Radio Tiruchi on a variety of topics.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Happiest Minds Technologies appoints Anand Balakrishnan as CFO
Mid-tier IT services company Happiest Minds Technologies has appointed Anand Balakrishnan as its chief financial officer (CFO) effective June 12. Balakrishnan will be reporting to managing director (MD) Venkatraman Narayanan , who will cease to hold the position of CFO, which he held over the past decade, the Bengaluru-based company informed in a stock exchange filing. Prior to this, Balakrishnan served as CEO at Mindteck , a publicly-listed IT services company, steering the company back to profitability during his six-year tenure. Balakrishnan has over 20 years of experience in financial management , accounting, and strategic leadership and has held senior positions at several organisations, including PwC, KPMG, Marsh McLennan (formerly JLT), GE Healthcare, and Mindteck. A chartered accountant, cost accountant and an American certified public accountant, Balakrishnan was appointed as the CFO designate at Happiest Minds Technologies in May. Live Events 'He brings a strong blend of financial acumen and strategic thinking that aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue driving innovation, delivering value to our stakeholders, and building a sustainable and growth-focussed organisation,' said Narayanan. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Happiest Minds Technologies has operations in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East, offering digital transformation services for enterprises and technology providers. On Thursday, the company's shares ended weaker by nearly 1.5% to end the day's trade at Rs 610 apiece on the BSE Sensex, which closed lower by 1%.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
'This was never over': 52 years after school tiff, 2 men in their 60s assault Class 4 classmate to settle scores
A decades-old schoolyard fight in Kasaragod has reignited after 52 years, leading to a violent confrontation. Balakrishnan, 62, allegedly attacked his former classmate, V J Babu, over a quarrel from their Class IV days. K ASARAGOD: While most childhood fights are forgotten with time, a decades-old schoolyard fight have simmered for decades and resurfaced violently in Kasaragod 52 years later. Balakrishanan, 62, of Maloth House in Kasaragod reopened a schoolyard scuffle by attacking his Class IV classmate and getting himself landed in a police case. Vellarikundu police have booked two elderly men, both classmates, for allegedly injuring an elderly man over the fight which took place in their primary school days. According to V J Babu, 62, a native of Vellarikundu, he was attacked by Balakrishnan and another classmate Mathew Valiyaplackkal at Malom town on Monday. He alleged that the attack was in retaliation to an old quarrel which had erupted between Babu and Balakrishnan when they were studying in Class IV at Natakkallu Aided UP School in Malom 52 years ago. As per the FIR, the accused, Balakrishnan and Mathew, were Babu's classmates at the school and there were quarrel between Babu and Balakrishnan while they were studying in Class IV. On Monday, Balakrishnan along with Mathew confronted Babu at Malom town around 1pm and while Balakrishnan restrained him by grabbing the collar of his shirt, Mathew allegedly hit him on the face and back of the body with a stone, causing injuries. Babu lost two teeth, and was admitted to the Govt Medical College Hospital at Pariyaram in Kannur. Babu claimed the long-standing grudge held by Balakrishnan led to the attack. Babu said he had beaten up Balakrishnan once when they were studying in Class IV, following which an argument had erupted between them and Balakrishnan held a grudge about it. However, the trio had been behaving like friends in the ensuing years. Vellarikundu SHO T K Mukundan said an FIR has been registered against Balakrishnan and Mathew under sections 126(2), 118(1) and 3(5) of BNS and investigation was on in the case. Meanwhile, efforts are on to settle the case out of court as Babu was willing to settle the case if the accused is ready to pay him Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation.
News18
10-06-2025
- News18
Kerala Man Attacked By Former Schoolmate Over Spat That Happened 50 Years Ago
Last Updated: The victim, VJ Babu, was allegedly assaulted by his former classmate, Balakrishnan, and another man, Mathew Valiyaplakkal, over an incident from their childhood A 62-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by a former schoolmate and another individual in Kerala's Kasaragod district over a disagreement that dates back more than 50 years. The victim, identified as VJ Babu, was attacked by his former classmate, Balakrishnan, and another man, Mathew Valiyaplakkal, in what police described as a grudge rooted in their childhood. The assault took place on June 2, just a few days after an informal school reunion. According to police, Babu and Balakrishnan, who studied together in fourth grade, got into a heated verbal argument during the reunion. The dispute centred on an incident from their school days, where Balakrishnan claimed Babu had attacked him when they were children. Although the argument at the reunion appeared to have been resolved, it seems the bitterness from that childhood spat had not fully faded, India Today reported. A few days later, Balakrishnan, accompanied by Mathew Valiyaplakkal, confronted Babu once again. This time, the confrontation escalated quickly into violence. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Balakrishnan grabbed Babu by the collar, while Mathew struck him on the face and back with a stone. Babu sustained injuries during the attack and is now receiving medical treatment at Kannur Government Medical College Hospital in Pariyaram. The Kasaragod police have arrested both men, Balakrishnan and Mathew, for their roles in the assault. They have been charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means, and acting with a common intention to commit the offence. First Published: June 10, 2025, 17:37 IST
