Thursday, December 3, 2015

Govt launches Green Highways Policy
Dec 3,  2:00 PM
Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today said the government has recently launched the Green Highways (plantation, transplantation, beautification and maintenance) policy 2015 to develop eco friendly National Highways in the country. Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, Mr Gadkari said the policy highlights to arrest soil erosion at the embankment slopes and to prevent glare from the headlight of incoming vehicles.
He said his ministry is taking several steps to reduce the number of road accidents occurring in the country. Mr Gadkari said land for plantations along highways has not been acquired separately. The minister informed the Indian Highways Management Company limited has been assigned the job of empanelment of planting agencies and monitoring of plantations. He said NHAI will act as fund manager for the green highways fund.
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Centre to extend all help to flood hit TN, Puducherry and AP: HM
Dec 3,  1:52 PM
Home minister Rajnath Singh today assured the Lok Sabha that the centre will extend all possible help to the flood affected Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. Replying to a debate on the flood situation in different parts of the country, Mr Singh said the Prime Minister will conduct an aerial survey in the affected areas to take stock of the situation. Mr Singh said the Prime Minister is likely to announce relief package for the rain hit areas. Mr Singh said that around 940 crore rupees has already been provided to the Tamil Nadu government as an assistance to deal with the situation.
Mr Singh said 269 persons have lost their lives in Tamil Nadu where as 54 people in Andhra Pradesh. The Home minister said 40 per cent mobile and telephone connections are not working due to Chennai floods. He said Met department has predicted heavy rainfall for the next two to three days in the state. Mr Singh said the rainfall has broken the record of past 100 years. The Trinamool Congress members demanding special funds for drought situation in West Bengal not satisfied with the Home minister’s response staged a walkout.
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Chennai floods: Death toll hits 269;

Relief, rescue efforts in full swing; PM visiting affected areas

Chennai and its deluged suburbs, flood situation continues to be grim though rain has come down. Surplus water being released in huge quantities from major reservoirs in the adjoining districts continue to cause heavy flooding in many Chennai residential areas. Vehicular traffic is affected in the city and roads are in battered condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Chennai this afternoon to make an aerial view of the flood damage in the city. He will arrive at the INS Rajali naval base at Arakkonam, some 45 kilometer off Chennai by a special flight. From there, he will be inspecting the affected places by helicopter.
The state Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa made a 40-minute aerial survey and took stock of the flood conditions. She later held a review meeting with her cabinet colleagues and senior officials about the prevailing situation. Army troops dropped thousands of food packets from helicopters in and around Chennai this morning, where hundreds of residential areas are engulfed in water. Indian Navy also gave food and water to over 2000 people in Chennai.
The NDRF has pressed into service 100 boats for rescue missions and has deployed three more teams into service. With this, the NDRF has doubled its strength to 1200. Four additional columns of the Army has arrived Chennai for rescue and relief operations. The Indian Air Force is utilizing its Tambaram base for evacuation and relief works.
Meanwhile, the death toll due to flood in Chennai has gone up to 269. It is feared that the figure may go up further. Many air passengers are stranded at Chennai Airport as operations from both the terminals are shut down till Friday morning. Express train services originating from Chennai Egmore station is also suspended today. Suburban train services are truncated at Tambaram Station. Bus services to the southern areas of the state is also hugely affected.

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India marches towards Smart and Sustainable Development

On 350th anniversary of Saint Gobain : Smart Green Summit
Naresh Kumar Sagar's photo.
Naresh Kumar Sagar's photo.
Naresh Kumar Sagar's photo.
Naresh Kumar Sagar's photo.
Naresh Kumar Sagar's photo.
India marches towards Smart and Sustainable Development
Delhi – December 02, 2015: Delhi saw eminent speakers and thought leaders come together for a series of strategic discussions to converse about the various aspects of creating a Sustainable Habitat. Smart Green Summit and Awards 2015, an ET Edge initiative brought together leaders such as Shri. Anant Geete, (Honourable Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Govt. of India), Babul Supriyo  (Minister of State for Urban Development), Mr. Anand Mahajan, (General Delegate for India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, Saint-Gobain) and international speakers namely J. Mayer H, Dr. Nigel Oseland, James Edwards and Peter Griffins, among others.
The celebration comes at the onset of 350th anniversary of Saint Gobain and its success story. “Saint-Gobain believes that it can play an important role in shaping the future by designing, manufacturing and distributing building and high-performance materials, which provide innovative solutions to meet the challenges of growth, energy efficiency and environmental protection. On our 350th anniversary, we aim to strengthen this commitment even further by becoming the reference for sustainable habitat in India and doubling our business in the country in the next few years.” says Mr. Anand Mahajan, General Delegate for India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, Saint-Gobain.
The event was a platform to discuss a more “disruptive” form of innovation needed to bring about significant and systemic change. Shri. Anant Geete, (Honourable Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Govt. of India) said, “The world today is alert about environmental factors and sustainable development. Just like Narendra Modi enlightened at the Climate Change Summit, I would reiterate that we need to understand our responsibility towards environmental changes today and work towards development keeping sustainability in mind. This will help us transform into a developed and Green nation.”
Present at the event, Mr. Babul Supriyo, Hon’ble Minister of State for Urban Development said, “When it comes down to what we can do, we need to become more aware of how we can participate in making our cities smart enough to support the plethora of people moving into urban areas. We have 4041 cities in India, and they are full because rural areas haven’t been taken care of as they should have. With a lot of our cities being ancient, history doesn’t favour you in present times. It actually hurts you more.”
Delivering comfort in a sustainable way through design is an essential element today. Simon Griffiths, (Executive Principal, Aedas) elaborated, “There are always going to be gaps and holes that need to be filled when it comes to planning a city. To develop a city sustainably will take time. We can start to add layers to the city, whether old or new, but maybe the right way of city planning is not to expand outwards, but to consolidate. Rather than consolidate, densify current cities.”
Speaking about the event, Mr. Deepak Lamba, President, Times Conferences Limited, said “Smart Green 2015 is a platform that addresses the most pertinent need of the hour. Sustainability and innovation is an initiative to be taken with utmost priority and what’s imperative is for it to be taken up in a novel manner. With changing patterns of behaviour, we spend more time indoors than outdoors. Consequently, it is important to create a design which is conducive to our senses and takes heed of our surroundings.” The Summit, in the second half also honoured organizations and individuals who have been championing the cause of a sustainable habitat and addressing it through their work.
Smart Green Summit 2015 closed this evening, Mr. Y.C Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC received the Jury Smart Green Award (Lifetime Achievement).
Below is the quote which I would request you to carry this along with the news tomorrow. Attached is the picture of him receiving the Jury Smart Green Leader Award (Lifetime Achievement) along with other images from the summit.
“Team ITC has been hard at work to realise the vision we set out for ourselves almost 2 decades ago. These 2 decades have seen us become a global exemplar in sustainability, which is much more than just being green. If we continue with the way we are, we consume more than what the planet can bear, we are on a track that is not sustainable. We must create a business model that sees us create riches for business and for the environment. “
~
About ET Edge: Times Conferences Ltd., functional under the brand name ET Edge, is an Economic Times initiative founded to empower multiple industries and segments by sharing critical business knowledge through strategic conferences and summits. Encompassing the Indian business vista, ET Edge strives to bring together visionaries and key leaders on its knowledge platforms to create social and business ecology conducive to the positive changes required by the industry. The main aim of this initiative is to channel global business intelligence through summits and conferences in overarching lectures, hands-on workshops, panels, roundtables and case studies. The forums would ensure that senior decision makers are.
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Sonu Sood gifts 50 cycles to his gym members in Punjab
Sonu Sood has always been at the forefront of noble causes and has always contributed to the society in his own way. This time, the talented actor and fitness freak has gone a step ahead and gifted cycles to his gym members on his recent visit to his hometown in Moga, Punjab.
Not many are aware of the fact that Sonu owns a spacious gym in Moga (Punjab) with all modern facilities and all the fitness enthusiasts have been using the services of his gym free of cost.
Like his good friend Salman Khan, who distributed cycles to street kids a few years ago, Sonu too recently distributed more than 50 cycles to his gym members so that they could travel to the gym daily on cycles, which is again a good form of exercise.
Sonu informs, “I have been cycling for many years now, as I believe it’s one of the best forms of exercise. Most of the gym members who stay far had to depend on public transport while some used to drive their motorcycles. But I believe cycling all the way to the gym will help them keep fit. My aim is to see eco-friendly and healthy Punjab. Moga is connected to 80 villages and most villagers walk miles to go to their places of work or come to my gym. People I have given the cycles to are poor and come from far-off villages. They usually travel by bus or get a lift on a bike to come to the gym.
“Apart from being eco-friendly, it is especially feasible in Punjab to use cycles on wide roads as bus services are not that good. It’s quicker for them to reach their destination and remain fit too but most of them can’t afford cycles. What they earn daily they earn and spend. They can’t come regularly to the gym as they miss the bus and I want them to go regularly. People from the villages don’t know anything about fitness and I want them to become more aware. By cycling they burn their calories while doing their work also like the milkman,” Sonu adds.
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Volkswagen Group India announces a voluntary recall

for updating all cars with EA 189 engines in the Indian market

·         Approximately 323,700* cars of Volkswagen, SKODA and Audi in India are equipped with EA 189 diesel engines
·         All owners with respective vehicles will be informed after the required solutions are approved by the competent authorities
·         Technical measures will be implemented at no cost to the customers
·         All vehicles in the customers’ hands are technically safe and roadworthy

Pune/Mumbai, December 01, 2015: Volkswagen Group India has presented its observations, findings and outlines of possible solutions on the EA 189 diesel engines to the Government of India – Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India). The recall will encompass cars from the Volkswagen, Audi and SKODA model range which carry the software that requires to be updated.

The Volkswagen Group India will first present the technical released solution to Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI. Once approved from the competent authorities, the respective brands of the Volkswagen Group in India will carry out necessary actions in a step-wise manner. The existing installed software does not affect the handling, technical safety or roadworthiness of the cars.

As per the records of Volkswagen Group India, from 2008 till end of November 2015, approximately 198,500 cars from Volkswagen, 88,700 cars from Å KODA and 36,500 cars from Audi across various models sold in India have been equipped with the EA 189 engines which include 1.2-litre, 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines. 

All the owners of vehicles with EA 189 engines will be informed by Volkswagen Group India through the respective brands about the technical measures that will be implemented in their cars. All necessary technical measures will be implemented in the vehicles at no cost to the customers.

Volkswagen Group India remains fully committed to the Indian market and will not deviate from its future planned investments, product plans and launches. All brands of Volkswagen Group in India will work strongly towards regaining the customer confidence and trust.

*Figures as on end of November 2015

About Volkswagen Group India: The Volkswagen Group is represented by five passenger car brands in India: Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Å KODA, and Volkswagen. The Volkswagen Group has been present in India for the last 14 years and began its India journey with the entry of the Å KODA brand in 2001. The Audi brand and Volkswagen brand entered India in 2007, while Porsche brand and Lamborghini brand followed in 2012. Each brand has its own character and operates as an independent entity in the market. Volkswagen Group India has over 25 models in India, over 240 dealerships and is operating two plants – Pune and Aurangabad. The Pune Plant has a manufacturing capacity of 130,000 cars per year (in current two-shift system) and is currently manufacturing Volkswagen Polo and Vento and Å KODA Rapid. The Aurangabad Plant assembles various premium and luxury models of Audi, Å KODA and Volkswagen sold in India and has an annual capacity of approximately 89,000. Volkswagen Group India is a part of Volkswagen AG, which is globally represented by 12 brands – Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Scania, SEAT, Å KODA, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, MAN and Volkswagen Passenger Cars.


Volkswagen Group India Media Services
Please note that all our press material will now be available for the media representatives for downloading onwww.volkswagen-media-services.in.
Kindly register on the portal to have full access to the press releases, press information and high resolution images and videos.
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Prof Dr. Dino Wong
Founder & President
Universal Concept of Mental Arithematic Systems (UCMAS) International
Cordially Invites you
For
The 20th International & 14th National Level
UCMAS Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition 2015
Mental Arithmetic & Abacus Stimulating Whole Brain Development In Children Between 4-13 years.
And meet
11000+ Kids/Students from 55+ Countries With 25000+ Parents
On
5th December 2015
At
University Indoor Stadium,
Civil Lines, New Delhi
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Udayan Mane shines in round one with six-under-64


Mumbai, December 2, 2015: Udayan Mane of Bengaluru seized the round one lead at the Rs. 1 crore CG Open 2015 with a superb six-under-64. Abhinav Lohan of Faridabad and Greater Noida’s Mandeo Singh Pathania were in tied second, one off the lead.

Udayan Mane, currently placed fifth in the Rolex Ranking, smashed seven birdies against a lone bogey during his opening round on Wednesday. The 24-year-old rookie, already a winner of two tournaments this year, had a birdie-bogey start on the 10th and 11th. He sank a 20-footer on the 10th before pulling his tee shot into the trees on the 11th that led to his only bogey of the day. Udayan then made a tremendous par save on 15 after almost landing his drive out of bounds. Mane recovered with a spectacular up and down from 60 yards on the 15th to get his round going.

Mane was two-on on the par-5s 16th, 18th and first, that helped him gain three strokes. The well-built six-footer from the Eagleton Golf Resort picked up three more birdies from there on. He came back well after a poor approach on the fourth to make a good up and down for birdie. Udayan finally converted a mammoth 30-footer on the sixth for his final birdie of the day.

Mane said, “I’m delighted with this effort as the conditions were tougher in the afternoon due to the swirling wind. It wasn’t easy to judge distances. The good par save on the 15th really got my round going. I made birdies on all four par-5s having found the green in two shots on three out of four occasions. I made some long putts as well including one from 30 feet on the sixth which I ‘buried’. I did well to get out of trouble on a few holes.

“I enjoy a certain degree of comfort on this course since I played a lot of golf here during my junior days when I stayed in Union Park, Chembur, for two years. The course has undergone renovation since then but I still feel at home here. In fact, as an amateur I finished runner-up here thrice.
“The course is playing fantastic from tee to green and it’s a matter of creating maximum birdie opportunities,” he added.
     
Abhinav Lohan, still looking for his first professional win, produced a brace of birdies early in the round on the 12th and 13thwhere he sank putts from seven and 10 feet respectively. A poor chip led to his first bogey of the day on the 16th. The 25-year-old Lohan then had a dream run of three birdies and an eagle over the next four holes to gain five shots.

Abhinav, who plays at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon, made 15-footers for birdie on the 17th and eagle on the first. He also landed his tee shot within a foot for birdie on the second.  Lohan made a couple of errors in his short game that cost him bogeys on the fourth and sixth before making a last birdie on the seventh.   

Lohan, the 2010 Asian Games silver medalist, said, “It’s a pretty satisfying start to the week. The big positive of the day was the eight birdies I made today. I can’t complain after shooting a five-under but the manner in which I dropped bogeys really hurt. The 15-feet eagle putt was the highlight of the round. A couple of poor chip shots cost me bogeys on the 16thand fourth.

“I had some decent top-20 finishes in the first half of the season but the two top-10s in October were a huge confidence-booster and got me in the mix this season. The runner-up finish in Pune recently got the momentum going for me. The focus over the next three days will be to try and create birdie opportunities by hitting maximum greens.”

Mandeo Singh Pathania, the 2010 CG Open champion, who spent the summer playing competitive golf in Canada, had an eventful opening round of 65. Pathania narrowly missed a hole-in-one on the opening 10th hole where his tee shot hit the flag and set up a tap-in birdie. He picked up four more birdie against a bogey on the first nine to make the turn at four-under.

Mandeo collected birdies on the first, third and sixth to move to seven-under for the day but bogeys on the eighth and ninth played spoilers for him.
Mandeo said, “It was a good ball-striking day for me. I landed it close through the day and found the green in two on three of the four par-5s. I didn’t putt well though. Nonetheless, I have some good memories of this course since I won here back in 2010. I will look to use that to my advantage.”

Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar, Delhi’s Vinod Kumar and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja were in tied fourth at four-under-66.

The Mumbai duo of Anil Bajrang Mane (two-over-72) and Wilson Raj D’Mello (four-over-74) were in tied 63rd and tied 79thplace respectively.
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December 3, 2015
Mr N.K. Sagar
Editor Topix, Europe, Germany-New Delhi
Enkay Sagar Holdings Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi
Dear Mr Sagar,
Invite-Indian Medical Expo & Conference 2016, BIEC, Bangalore Jan7-9, 2016
We are pleased to invite you to participate in INDIA Medical Expo & Conference 2016 –Theme: “India – A land of opportunities in the Medical Technology sector” jointly organized by Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, Karnataka on January 7-9, 2016.
It is the first major comprehensive event in India for the Medical Technology Industry. The program consists of an elaborate Exhibition covering all segments of the Industry along with a well-crafted Conference and an a series of concurrent events, such as CEO’s forum, Investors Conclave, Investors Meet and Buyer-Seller Meets.
The Conference will be a conglomeration of policy makers; national and international leaders from the Medical Technology Industry and academic fraternity. The deliberations will focus on compelling subjects in this crucial sector ranging from “Policy Interventions” to “Scaling of startups” and “Success stories of Make in India” along with other important sessions.
INDIA Medical Expo & Conference 2016 is a platform for enhancing the Medical Technology sector in India and unleash the true potential of Industry in meeting Healthcare needs. Your participation in this program will enhance the level of deliberations and enrich the outcomes through your valuable experience. A brief outline in a 1 pager of INDIA Medical Expo & Conference 2016 is enclosed for your ready reference (click here to download).
For confirming your participation or any queries regarding participation in the Conference & Exhibition please contact:
For Conference: Mr. Rishi Dev Sharma / Mr. Vineet Kumar Sharma (E:vineet.sharma@ficci.com / mdf@ficci.com, M: +91-8053328015, 011-23487493)
For Exhibition: Mr. Mehul Tyagi (E: mehul.tyagi@ficci.com , M: +91- 9999829252)
For Delegate Registration fee of INR 5000/- + service tax as applicable will be charged from all conference delegates. Group discounts are also available for minimum 5 participants @INR 4000/- per delegate.
We look forward to your early confirmation for participation and support in this program.
Thanking you
With Best Regards,
Shobha Mishra Ghosh
Sr. Director
FICCI
Industry’s Voice for Policy Change
Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi 110 001
T: +91-11-2348 7468
F: +91-11-2332 0714
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                                                                                                                 PUBLISHERS TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
 A unique training initiative by German Book Office –http://www.publisherstraining.com/
December 4 and 5, 2015 at India International Centre
German Book Office, New Delhi is all prepared to conduct its second edition of the much awaited annual Publishers Training Programme for Young Professionals in publishing to help those interested in acquiring an edge over and staying abreast of the changes in this age of digital publishing and transmedia content. The same will be held on December 4 and 5, 2015 at India International Centre [Annexe- Lecture Room I] from 10am to 5pm.
The Indian publishing industry is experiencing a rise in the engagement of young professionals who are significantly contributing to the publishing strategy of the future. The face of publishing is also evolving, very competitively, even as there is a dearth of skill development opportunities on new age topics and short term, hands-on training modules. To address this lack, this program is tailored to suitmid-career publishing professionals wishing to acquire expertise in new trends and techniques of global publishing.
The GBO New Delhi aims to attract young and ambitious talent through this program, bringing them closer to the latest developments in trade. This 2 day training programme will unveil the mystery from topics such as commissioning & pitching, digital publishing and publicity, multi-platform strategy and rights management, while participants will learn, from international experts and other star practitioners from India, the know-how for conducting business in a future-ready manner while networking with peer and experts. Striking and aesthetic book design with a throbbing visual culture is one of the prime strengths of German book industry. Hence GBO New Delhi has invited Stefanie Schelleis, Carl Hanser Verlag, Germany to share her expertise in the domain of book design and production at the upcoming programme.
 What does it entail? 
·         An accredited fast-track, concentrated delivery module for trade-centric skill training
·         Development of future managers & leaders in publishing & allied industries
·         An international market overview with contextualized learning
·         A space to meet and interact with industry peers and experts from India and abroad
·         Establish blue-print of a local peer-based learning and exchange network

Why is it needed?

·         To address the shortage of cutting-edge, industry-focussed training programmes
·         To cater to the time & budget constraints of young professionals
·         To bring the emerging leaders closer to the experts for mentoring
·         To encourage across industry collaborations

Who does it cater to?

·         Professionals who wish to further career development and update their area expertise
·         Companies who wish to send their promising young talents to gain hands-on training

Programme 2015:

From Idea to Ink – Commissioning & Pitching in Genre Specific World 
Led by – Karthika VK [Harper Collins India], Arpita Das [Authors UpFront]

Dwelling on the tricks and tips informing the process of contemplating and communicating an effective book proposal to exploring the commissioning landscape, finding genre gaps in the market and preparing a potentially market-ready book idea, this session will be led by noted publishers from MNC and Indie publishing houses offering a no-holds barred session.

Building from the Spine Upwards – Book Design Workshop
Led by – Stefanie Schelleis [Carl Hanser Verlag, Germany], Sunandini Banerjee [Seagull Books]

Book design experts, from Germany and India, will guide you on how to integrate text, imagery and illustration with the eventual goal of building the architecture of a book starting from the font, the page, the palette. There will also be a practical component allowing participants to get their hands on to designing a unique book concept from scratch.

Trading Rights and Negotiating Copyrights
Led by – Dahlia Sen Oberoi [Sen-Oberoi, Attorneys-at-Law], Priya Kapoor [Roli Books]

Offering a practical guide to rights selling, dealing with its nuances and complexities, this session, led by an experienced publisher and a sought-after copyright expert, will have as its focus the way-to-go and best practices of rights exchange in international arena, legalities of content copyrights, copyright enforcement et al.

Scoring on some ‘Viral’ Charm – Publicizing your Book Effectively 
Led by – Anurima Roy [Bloomsbury India]

Book publicity is critical to a book’s success and building its visibility in a busy marketplace is a challenge. Tackling these challenges will be this interactive group session which will be an expert-led, hands-on workshop leading to the actual development and presentation of PR plans tailored to varied book genres and audiences.

To learn more about the profile of the session experts, please visit:-http://www.publisherstraining.com/


About German Book Office
German Book Office (GBO), New Delhi is a joint venture of the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Foreign Ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. Besides promoting German books and the activities of the Frankfurt Book Fair, GBO New Delhi serves as a contact point between the book industry in South Asia, Germany as well as the international book and media industries. Since the beginning of operations in India in 2008, GBO has initiated various projects related to content, publishing and exchange. GBO works with partners across the board, ranging from individuals to international agencies in the sphere of publishing, media, education and digital.http://www.buchmesse.de/en/international/offices_abroad/new_delhi/
For queries, please contact – intern@newdelhi.gbo.org

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