Latest news with #PAT
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Commissioner supports exemptions for two police recruits
By Sam Sherwood of RNZ The Police Commissioner says he fully supports the Assistant Commissioner's decision to sign off on exemptions from recruitment standards for two recruits. It comes after revelations Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers personally signed off at least two exemptions from recruitment standards. On Wednesday, a police spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Rogers gave at least two approvals in the past year, and records were being checked to see if there were more. "As is already accepted, there had been a practice of discretion applied to some applicants to Police College in relation to the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT)," the statement said. "Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers can recall two occasions in the last year where she gave approval to be applied to two applicants. There was no directive, instruction, or request issued in relation to this. We are searching available documentation to confirm this number. "As with other recruits, those two candidates went on to pass all the tests required to graduate as constables." The statement said Police Commissioner Richard Chambers had made it clear no more discretion was to be applied. This was following the result of an audit showing the use of discretion had become "too widespread for my liking", and it had developed "over a period of years that pre-dated my time as Commissioner". Chambers and Rogers spoke to media at Parliament on Thursday. Chambers said there had been occasions over the years where discretion had been given. "That's the fair and reasonable thing to do for staff who have their own personal circumstances as to why they might need a little extra support, but I've been clear going forward, there'll be no discretion." Rogers did not want to give any of the personal circumstances about the two recruits, but said she "deemed the circumstances of their recruitment process required an exemption and allowed that". "There are extenuating circumstances in a number of these cases, and so I don't want to talk about the personal circumstances. What I will say is the recruit pipeline to enter our initial training phase is a 12-step process. Once they get through that, they enter into the Police College, where they're required to pass all aspects of the training before they graduate as constables, so there's still a robust process for them to go for before they graduate." Chambers said he had spoken with Rogers about the circumstances of the two recruits and "100% support her decision". "Because when you take into account human beings choosing a career in the police that you know they aspire to be part of our organisation, there may be reasons. Sometimes we have to give some flexibility to their personal circumstances. Now that I understand those, which has been since Monday, I totally support the decision." Chambers said he was focused on "moving forward". "That's where I need to put my time and effort, and that's where I've asked my staff to put their time and effort to so that we can be very confident, which I am, that the quality of police officer for our country remains very, very high." Trust and confidence in police was "critical", Chambers said. "I've made a number of statements publicly about a number of things, actually, that sets an expectation and a standard that I know that it's not just me as a commissioner that can be proud of, it's my full executive and it's 15,000 colleagues across the country. "We're not always going to get it right, and I've said that before. You know, we're human beings at the end of the day, and but when, when things don't quite go to plan, you know, we've got to own it, learn from it, and move on, but the focus is moving forward and continuing to be the best that we can be." Politicians clash over police recruitment targets The government committed in its coalition agreements to recruiting 500 more police officers by November - but seems unlikely to meet that deadline. Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the revelations Rogers was involved raised serious questions about whether political pressure had been applied to the Police College to deliver on that promise. "It's pretty clear that people at the Police College themselves don't make these types of decisions, there's a hierarchy in police. "There's been a clear pattern here of recruits not meeting standards and when the government has promised 500 more police it's pretty clear that pressure has been applied to the college and that's not right. "They've delivered around 30 of 500, and they have until November. It's pretty clear they've failed," Andersen said. In a statement, Mitchell's office said a draft report showed "that for the delivery of the 1800 new police target, a discretionary pass was introduced where the literacy assessment standards were not met, which has since become common practice". "This does raise questions about political pressure." Labour, in 2017, committed to recruit an extra 1800 police officers, marking that milestone in June 2023. RNZ has requested a copy of the draft report the minister's statement refers to. "We have made very clear on discovering this practice that it does not meet our expectations and Police have responded quickly with the Commissioner directing that the practice be ended," his office said. "Labour should be upfront with New Zealanders about the mess they created in order to deliver their well overdue and incomplete 1800 new police target, instead of trying to blame this government that had to come in and clean it up." Further comment has been sought from Andersen responding to Mitchell's statements. She said the review made it clear "recruits failed physical tests and got through anyway". "This happened in the past year, under their watch. Mark Mitchell needs to take accountability for his failure to deliver 500 more police." The audit covers 1022 recruits between January 2024 and April 2025. Preliminary findings showed a significant number of applicants were allowed into the college, despite failing preliminary tests.
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Belrise Industries jumps after robust Q4 outcome
Belrise Industries rallied 4.29% to Rs 106.29 after the company reported a 722.3% jump in net profit to Rs 110.02 crore while revenue rose 49% to Rs 2,274.35 crore in Q4 March 2025 over Q4 March 2024. Q4 & FY25 financials are not comparable as it includes the acquisition of H-One India done on 28 March 2025. FY24 PAT includes a loss of Rs 12.26 crore on account of fire that broke out at the companys production plant in Khandewadi, Aurangabad. Profit before Tax surged 554.9% year-on-year to Rs 139.36 crore in Q4 March 2025. Its EBITDA rose significantly to Rs 275.98 crore, up from Rs 174.72 crore in Q4 FY24, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 58%. The EBITDA margin improved to 12.1% in Q4 FY25 from 11.4% a year ago. The company reported a 13.3% jump in net profit to Rs 355.44 crore while revenue rose 10.8% to Rs 8290.82 crore in the year ended March 2025 over the year ended March 2024. PBT rose 18.5% YoY to Rs 445.58 crore in FY25. EBITDA rise 10% YoY to Rs 1021.14 crore in FY25. Through the IPO proceeds, the company has repaid debt to the tune of ~Rs 1596 crore. This will lead to interest cost savings and significant improvement in debt ratios. Shrikant Badve, managing director of Belrise Industries, said "In FY26, the auto component industry is expected to grow at a steady pace led by 2W and PV segments. We believe Belrise is well positioned to benefit from this trend and is estimated to grow faster than the industry at mid-teen levels, supported by strong relationships Tier-1 OEMs. As we move into FY26, we remain focused on expanding our presence in the 4W and CV segments, while continuing to build on our core strengths. Our approach will remain anchored in product premiumization, engineering capability, and operational efficiencies ensuring we scale responsibly and sustainably in the years ahead." Belrise Industries is an integrated automotive component manufacturers with a diverse portfolio of safety-critical systems and engineering solutions. The company's shares were listed on the stock exchanges on 28 May 2025. It was listed at Rs 98.50, exhibiting a premium of 9.44% to the issue price of Rs 90. The stock is currently up 18.10% over its IPO price. The initial public offer of Belrise Industries was subscribed 41.30 times. The issue opened for bidding on 21 May 2025 and it closed on 23 May 2025. The price band of the IPO was fixed between Rs 85 and 90 per share.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Scoop
Preliminary Findings Of Audit Of Recruitment Standards
Police can today confirm preliminary findings of an audit into the application of recruitment standards for police officers. The audit followed the discovery in April that discretion had been applied to some applicants who failed the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT) but were accepted into training at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC). We looked at 1022 recruits from 14 wings which started training between January 2024 and April 2025. There were eight individuals who did not meet all the requirements of the PAT and were allowed to begin training at the RNZPC. A further nine passed individual components of the PAT on different dates, in breach of the policy, and were progressed. The policy requires all components be passed during one testing session. All subsequently passed the Physical Competency Test (PCT) which is required before a recruit can graduate. In the interests of transparency and to assess the full extent to which discretion was being used, the audit was expanded to include all other pre-employment testing over the same time period. This included the psychometric test, the English literacy testing and typing. Police must be proficient in English. Literacy testing is only required of applicants who do not have level 2 NCEA English or higher or comparable international qualifications. Of the 1022 recruits, 267 were required to do the test and 128 did not pass. All applicants passed psychometric testing before beginning at RNZPC but 36 that initially failed were allowed to re-sit without a six-month stand down period between tests. This stand down period is considered good practice by the provider Police uses to administer this test. One person did not pass the typing test, which requires a typing speed of 25 words a minute. All recruits who were given discretion and have since graduated did pass all mandatory tests required to graduate. In response to the findings, the Commissioner has made it clear that the use of discretion falls short of his expectations and standards. He has instructed there is to be no further use of discretion to allow people to enter RNZPC without first meeting all mandatory recruitment standards. There will be no exemptions and no circumstances where discretion is applied. The findings also raised concerns about inconsistencies and confusion around the criteria and application of discretion in some cases. While discretion has long been used in exceptional cases, the audit makes it apparent it has increasingly been accepted as common practise over recent years. Any suggestion a tolerance had developed for accepting lower standards than those set for recruitment is of concern to the Commissioner. The Police recruitment process is designed to be thorough and robust and there are good reasons for the standards required. The literacy assessment is designed to be relevant to the work required of police staff. The ability to communicate well under pressure is critical for an officer's own safety and those of their colleagues, as well as the public. Police is committed to serving our communities by having the best possible people in our organisation. We have an incredible organisation of men and women from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who work hard in, and for their communities. NZ Police officers are proud of the standards that are required to join. We have many staff who have English as a second language. These people add immense value to our organisation and to the communities they work in. That is why ESOL support is available at RNZPC for recruits who need it, as well as other learning support for recruits. However, all recruits must meet the required standard before they begin training with us. Policing is a very rewarding career. The findings from this audit will support our ongoing work to recruit and train world-class police officers. There is guidance and support on preparing for the pre-entry tests on [1] for people who want to join. That includes physical training plans to prepare for the PAT and guidance on how to upskill in areas required to meet the requirements.
Business Recorder
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
2014 sit-in: MWM chief acquitted
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday acquitted Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan (MWM) Chief Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri in cases registered against him and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan in connection with the 2014 sit-in. Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas, while hearing the case, acquitted the MWM Chief after completion of the arguments over the acquittal application. A case had been registered against Raja Nabsir Abbas, PTI founding chairman, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri and others for violating Section 144. The court had already issued an arrest warrant for Qadri for not appearing before the court. Khan had been granted a permanent exemption from appearance in these cases by the court. Two cases have been registered against Khan and others at the Secretariat Police Station. PTI and PAT staged a sit-in in Islamabad back in August 2014. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Embed Indian carbon market in global trade context
The PAT experience Though there are several areas where PAT, launched in 2012, could be implemented better, it has created industry familiarity with a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) mechanism and a good number of accredited energy auditors. The carbon credit trading scheme (CCTS) will reduce the PAT reporting frequency from three years to an annual basisthereby increasing the spend on the MRV as well as speed of emissions reduction. Absent renewable energy, a majority of industrial emissions emerge out of energy consumption. PAT compliance has entailed over ten years of industry efforts to reduce energy consumption. The low hanging fruit of energy intensity has already been picked. Industry majors have invested in best available technology. Without further investment in technology, can the obligated entities reduce emissions further or will they simply bear the cost of purchasing carbon credits from other better performers? Indian carbon market embedded in global decarbonisation PAT was an autonomous measure to discipline industrial energy consumption. It did not function under any multilateral pressure or even context. CCTS on the other hand will have to respond to linkages and contestation with several carbon markets. CCTS will be a tool to defend Indian industry against cheap imports as well as to gain access to carbon conscious export markets. Building the trade dimension into the Indian Carbon market is imperative to create policy and business opportunities. The PAT experience Though there are several areas where PAT, launched in 2012, could be implemented better, it has created industry familiarity with a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) mechanism and a good number of accredited energy auditors. The carbon credit trading scheme (CCTS) will reduce the PAT reporting frequency from three years to an annual basis thereby increasing the spend on the MRV as well as speed of emissions reduction. Absent renewable energy, a majority of industrial emissions emerge out of energy consumption. PAT compliance has entailed over ten years of industry efforts to reduce energy consumption. The low hanging fruit of energy intensity has already been picked. Industry majors have invested in best available technology. Without further investment in technology, can the obligated entities reduce emissions further or will they simply bear the cost of purchasing carbon credits from other better performers? Indian carbon market embedded in global decarbonisation PAT was an autonomous measure to discipline industrial energy consumption. It did not function under any multilateral pressure or even context. CCTS on the other hand will have to respond to linkages and contestation with several carbon markets. CCTS will be a tool to defend Indian industry against cheap imports as well as to gain access to carbon conscious export markets. Building the trade dimension into the Indian Carbon market is imperative to create policy and business opportunities.
