TEMPLETON PRIZE 2014

Czech priest and intellectual Tomas Halik has won the 2014 Templeton Prize, joining the ranks of past winners such as Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.

Tomas Halik (65) is a person, whose work is aimed at seekers, the segment of those asking questions about religious and spiritual issues but unaffiliated with religion or atheism.

Halik pushed for religious and cultural freedoms after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and became a leading advocate of dialogue among different faiths and non-believers.The Prague philosopher's many written works in various languages try to give a spiritual diagnosis of modern times.

Since 1997 Halik has taught the sociology of religion at Charles University in Prague.  He authored numerous books like Patience With God and Night of the Confessor.

In 2011 he received honorary title Man of Reconciliation 2010 and he also received The Knight’s cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2012.  

Halik was at the British Academy for the announcement but the prize will be formally awarded in London in May.

TEMPLETON PRIZE 2014

• The award was established in 1972 by the late Sir John Templeton. The Prize is a monetary award of 1.1 million Euros and is the largest annual award in terms of cash in the world.
• It honours a living person for his exceptional contribution of affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical work.
• The first winner of Templeton was Mother Teresa in 1973. The two recent winners were Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu in 2013 and the Dalai Lama in 2012.

IOC SOLD 10% GOVERNMENT STAKE TO OIL AND ONGC

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sold 10 percent of government stake (for 5340 crore rupees) to the Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 14 March 2014. Earlier, government shareholding in IOC was 78.92% which has now reduced to 68.92 percent.

The aim of this deal was to encourage the disinvestment programme by the government of India. Till date, overall disinvestments have raised about 10434 crore rupees. This transaction was an Off-market transaction. Both the OIL, ONGC together bought 5 percent stake each at 220 rupees per share. This was for the first time for OIL to hold shares in IOC whereas, ONGC’s holding in IOC increased to 13.77 percent from 8.77 percent.

MICHELLE BACHELET SWORN-IN AS PRESIDENT OF CHILE FOR SECOND TERM

Michelle Bachelet was sworn-in as the President of Chile in Valparaiso. The 62-year old Michelle, the socialist leader took the oath of the office on 11 March 2014. She succeeded the conservative President Sebastian Pinera.

In the Presidential election conducted in December 2013, Michelle won 62 percent of the vote in the second round against the 38 percent vote won by the conservative leader Evelyn Matthei.

This is her second term in the office and with this swearing-in she became the first Chilean President in over half a century to return for the second term.

The presidential sash was accepted by her from Isabel Allende, the President of Senate and this passage of the sash from one woman to another has happened for the first time in Chile’s history.

Earlier, she held the position of the President of Chile between 2006 and 2010. In the first term as the President, she was the first female president of Chile. Constitution of Chile that is one of the richest countries in Latin America barred immediate re-election of Michelle to the Presidential post.

FPSB APPOINTED FORMER SC JUDGE SRIKRISHNA AS ITS CHAIRMAN

Justice (Retd.) BN Srikrishna on 11 March 2014 was appointed as the Chairman of Financial Planning Standards Board India (FPSB). He will succeed Dhirendra Swarup, the former chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Srikrishna is a retired judge of Supreme Court and has served as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. He has also served as the Chairman of the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) set up in March 2011 by the Union Ministry of Finance. He also headed the Sixth Central Pay Commission set up by the Union Government on 5 October 2006.

About Financial Planning Standards Board India (FPSB)

Financial Planning Standards Board India is a Public–Private Enterprise and a Professional Standards setting body for Financial Planners in India. FPSB India proactively guides the development and promotion of standards for financial planning professionals to benefit and protect the public in the country. FPSB India closely works with all the stakeholders’ viz. the Government, the Regulators, the Industries/Associations, the Corporate, the Media and the General Public to achieve its objectives.

FPSB's members are nonprofit organizations from 25 territories around the world. The territory members include 24 countries and 25th territory is Israel, which is its Associate member. SBI, LIC, ICICI, Axis Bank, UTI AMC are among the financial institutions that has established it.