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In a small village in Zambia, a teenager carries the key to her <keyword id="21911075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bicycle" source="keywords">bicycle</keyword> lock around her neck like an ornament. Her father, the leader of the hamlet frowns upon it. But it has little to no effect on her, because the bicycle was her key to freedom, and symbolic of the agency she now had over her life. <div type="image" title="Students of Government Manorama Vidyapith Girls High School in Patna (2009)" agency="BCCL" msid="113057493" hostid="261"></div> Similarly, a girl in her neighbouring village would deflate her cycle’s tyres every day, and bury the key somewhere far from the reach of her brother, to stop him from using it. Why were these young women so territorial and proud over a seemingly modest mode of commute to their school? How is it related to Bihar, and how has something as small and insignificant as a bicycle paved the way for a broader movement of woman empowerment? Read on to find out! <h2>Bihar’s Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana</h2>Being one of the most impoverished states in India, Bihar is plagued with a large gender gap in school attendance. This gap in attendance in schools only grows with age. The enrollment of girls in primary school is satisfactory, largely due to the availability of primary schools and the introduction of schemes like the midday meal. However, distance remains a huge barrier in the hinterlands, pushing them further away from attending secondary school. In 2006, the Nitish Kumar-led state government, launched the Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana, a pioneering cash-for-kind program to empower girls through education. The program initially provided ₹2000 to 14-year-old girls enrolled in 9th grade, enabling them to purchase bicycles. This initiative was designed to address one of the most significant barriers to education for girls in Bihar—long distances to secondary schools. But, how profound were the implications of this policy intervention? In 2008, <a href="https://www.nishithprakash.com">Professor Nishith Prakash</a> from Northeastern University and <a href="https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~kamurali/index.html">Professor Kartik Muralidharan</a> of the University of California, San Diego embarked on a study to gauge the policy’s impact with support from the International Growth Centre (IGC). Their research found that this bicycle program increased age-appropriate secondary school enrolment for girls aged 14-15 by 32%. It also reduced the gender gap in enrolment by 40%. Moreover, the number of girls appearing for and passing the 10th-grade exam rose by 18% and 12%, respectively. The success of this initiative highlighted the transformative power of providing a bicycle. Inspired by the Bihar program's success, Professor Prakash later collaborated with <a href="https://worldbicyclerelief.org">World Bicycle Relief (WBR)</a> and Zambia's Ministry of General Education to implement a similar initiative in the Southern province of Zambia. <h2>After Bihar, why Zambia?</h2>Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that has made significant strides in improving access to primary education with near-universal primary school enrolment. However, the story, when it comes to girls in secondary education, is markedly different. The drop-off for girls, as they transition to secondary education is stark. According to the World Bank’s 2015 report ‘Policy Brief: Zambia,’ their enrolment fell to just 61% at the lower secondary level. The same report states that girls drop out of school at double the rate of boys in Grade 7 and triple the rate of boys by Grade 11. <h2>A tough road to secondary school</h2>Transitioning to, and completing secondary education is particularly challenging for girls, primarily due to barriers like school fees, long distances to school, and societal factors such as teenage pregnancy and child marriage. These challenges are even more pronounced in rural areas. Additionally, this transition to secondary school often coincides with the onset of menstruation, which brings its own set of challenges. The lack of menstrual hygiene facilities in schools, coupled with the stigma and lack of awareness surrounding menstruation, further exacerbates the already significant gap in girls' education. Nearly 98% of girls in their sample reported walking to school, spending an average of 110 minutes commuting just one way, as reported in a <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">new study</a> authored by Professor Nishith Prakash and his collaborators. Alarmingly, 35% of these girls reported experiencing sexual harassment during their commute, highlighting just how perilous a journey many face in their pursuit of education. This <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">intervention</a> was introduced in Zambia, providing bicycles to girls in 100 schools across three districts, and the results were promising. Overall absenteeism dropped by 29%, translating to an additional five school days per year for girls in the Southern Province, where the average primary school student missed 18 days annually. Girls in the schools who received the bicycles were 38% less likely to drop out of school compared to those in the schools who did not receive the bicycles. <h2>Pedalling towards a safer commute</h2>The impact of these bicycles extended beyond just improved attendance. The program also led to enhanced perceptions of safety among the girls. One year after the intervention, girls in the treatment group reported a 22% reduction in instances of being teased or harassed on their way to school. Additionally, the probability of girls missing school or leaving early due to safety concerns dropped by 39%. Post the success of this program, the United States Agency For International Development (USAID) awarded $3.5 million to fund bicycles for growth initiatives to increase access in rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. Additionally, the Ministry of General Education (Zambia) scaled up the cycle program in several districts in Zambia. Simply put, the bicycles in Bihar and Zambia gave young girls the agency of making choices for themselves. While the immediate benefit of these programs was providing the means for women to travel to school, the long-term impact reveals significant shifts in attitudes among both the women involved and the communities around them! But did you know that the use of bicycles to provide women with this much-needed agency isn’t new and was actively instituted by women during the suffrage movement of the 19th century — a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States? <h2>Corsets to cycles: The Suffrage movement &amp; bicycles</h2> <div type="image" title="A woman with a bicycle in early 1900s" msid="113057788" hostid="261"></div> In the late 19th century, during the American industrial revolution, a seemingly simple invention sparked a movement that would forever change women's lives — the bicycle. As the country experienced a ‘bicycle craze,’ the first wave of the women’s rights movement was gaining momentum. The bicycle quickly became more than just a mode of transportation; it became a powerful symbol of change and progress in the fight for women’s emancipation. In fact, the introduction of the bicycle revolutionised women’s fashion, breaking away from restrictive corsets and long skirts that had previously hindered their mobility. Instead, women began to adopt more practical, comfortable clothing that allowed them to cycle freely. The image of the ‘new woman’ emerged — educated, sporty, and career-oriented — with a bicycle as her constant companion. In 1895, at the age of 80, suffragist leader <keyword id="23037502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elizabeth-cady-stanton" source="keywords">Elizabeth Cady Stanton</keyword> predicted the power of the bicycle in transforming the lives of women. Having the ability to be self-reliant, often for the first time in their lives, would encourage them to be more courageous in other areas as well. While back then, their fight was for their right to vote in political elections, times have changed. Women have to fight different battles — some new and some old — to realise and utilise their potential. What has remained constant in this journey is the bicycle! Susan B. Anthony, another suffragist leader further opined, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood.” Had she known that several decades later, this simpleton mode of transport would continue to improve the lives of young women in remote parts of the Global South, she would’ve been happy to her heart's content! If something as mundane as access to mobility has historically brought such great results, what can be done to bring greater mobility for women in policy-making today? Professor Nishith Prakash suggests that mobility needs to be thought of in a broader context. Mobility in the case of women isn’t just freedom to be able to go from one place to another. There are multiple actors at play, including their actual safety and the perception of feeling safe in an environment. Cultural norms in most societies across the globe, and in India, automatically grant the power of key-decision making to men. For these archaic norms to be challenged, he suggests changes in curriculum from early childhood. Reiterating the importance of agency in making choices for themselves, there need to be jobs for them to want to step out of the confines of their homes. And once they do, nothing can stop them from cycling away to their freedoms!

SIMPLY PUT: Two Wheels, One Mission — Bicycles empowering girls in Bihar and Zambia, a call-back to 19th century Suffrage movement

Online ed-tech platform <keyword id="14134943" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="physicswallah" source="Orion">PhysicsWallah</keyword> is planning to invest USD 10 million (about Rs 82 crore) in phases in its school-integrated programme <keyword id="2371584" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vidyapeeth-school" source="Orion">Vidyapeeth School</keyword>, which is currently available in 39 schools, a top company official has said. "<keyword id="17210096" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vidyapeeth-school-centre" source="Orion">Vidyapeeth School Centre</keyword> is a school-integrated programme, which is designed to integrate the concepts and skills required for CBSE exams, along with <keyword id="6392660" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jee" source="Orion">JEE</keyword>, and NEET preparation into regular classroom instruction, thereby minimising the need for separate coaching classes for the students," PhysicsWallah Vice President <keyword id="4384057" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="imran-rashid" source="Orion">Imran Rashid</keyword> told PTI. Currently, the programme is rolled out in 39 schools across 34 districts spread across 10 states in the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, he added. "We are planning to invest USD 10 million in phases, of which USD 5 million will be spent in setting up infrastructure in the schools and the rest USD 5 million will be utilised for creating top quality content, pedagogy development and academic upgradation. We are investing Rs 8-10 lakh on setting up the infrastructure in each school," Rashid said. PhysicsWallah is looking at rolling out the Vidyapeeth School programme in 300 schools by 2025-26, school sessions in tier III-IV cities, he added. "We aim to expand our reach to tier III-IV cities and towns across the country, thus boosting access to quality education in remote areas. We are charging less than Rs 2,000 a month per student for providing services, including live classes, real-time doubt-solving applications, modules and tests, among others," he said. The programme, rolled out on April 17, offers benefits to grade 11 students who are preparing for CBSE and JEE/NEET exams and will mainly focus on 4 subjects - Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology, Rashid noted. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-new-electric-bikes-in-india-in-2023/articleshow/96269089.cms">Best upcoming electric bikes in India in 2023</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/smallest-countries-in-the-world-by-population-as-per-unfpa/articleshow/99664132.cms">Small is Beautiful: The population of these countries is below one million as per UNFPA</a>

PhysicsWallah to invest USD 10 million in its school-integrated programme

Amid a continued heat wave, the <keyword id="6360371" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jharkhand" source="Orion">Jharkhand</keyword> government has announced to close all schools in the state till Wednesday, an official said. "All schools in the state will remain closed till June 14, in the wake of the continued heat wave prevailing in the state," an official of the <keyword id="47831" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="school-education" source="Orion">School Education</keyword> and Literacy Department informed in an official release on Monday. Ranchi office of the <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> Meteorological Department on Sunday issued a heat wave alert for the state till June 15. It advised people to avoid going out in the daytime from 11 am to 3 pm. According to <keyword id="6366970" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="imd" source="Orion">IMD</keyword>, there is less probability of any change in the day temperature in the next 4 to 5 days in the state. Several parts of the country are grappling with severe <keyword id="6371478" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="heatwave" source="Orion">heatwave</keyword> conditions. Earlier on Sunday, IMD Scientist Naresh Kumar issued an advisory on the prevailing heat situation in the country. "Talking about the heatwave conditions in India, the main heat wave zone currently is East India. The heat wave conditions are prevailing in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. For this, the IMD issued an orange alert in these regions. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are also coming under the influence of heatwave. North coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be affected by heatwave for next 5 days," he said. The official added that Andhra Pradesh can expect a severe heat wave for the next two days and temperature can rise 6.5 degrees above normal. "Apart from this, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha will be affected by heat waves for the next 2 to 3 days. For Sunday the orange alert has been issued in Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh. In the other places, the intensity is less so we have issued a yellow alert and also there is rainfall intensity in this region within 2 to 3 days so the other places can expect some relief," the IMD official said on Sunday. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mumbai-flat-sizes-have-shrunk-20-in-past-five-years-but-other-metros-show-improvement/articleshow/100932947.cms">Mumbai flat sizes have shrunk 20% in past five years but other metros show improvement</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/oyo-to-bring-on-board-300-hill-station-hotels-by-august/articleshow/100934363.cms">OYO to bring on board 300 hill station hotels by August</a>

Jharkhand announces school closure till June 14 amid heat wave

<keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> government has announced closure of all <keyword id="37180" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="schools">schools</keyword>, colleges and coaching institutions till April 11 amid rising coronavirus cases across the state. The decision was taken by the crisis management group of the state government after Chief Minister <keyword id="6358190" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword> consulted officials at a high-level meeting on Saturday to consider shutting down of the schools and colleges amid surge in <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> infections. Nitish has directed officials not to allow any large public gathering and put a cap on the number in marriage and birthday parties. The Chief Minister has also asked Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh, who is also the chief of crisis management group, to ramp up the rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests in every district of the state. The officials have also been instructed to ensure that people adhere to the Covid protocols at railway stations, bus stands and market places, as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the pandemic. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-estimates-pandemic-could-cost-it-around-3-billion-quick-look-at-projects-to-take-the-biggest-hit/slidelist/81869940.cms">NASA estimates the pandemic ballooned costs by $3 billion — here are the projects to take the biggest hit</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-5-5-billion-british-fintech-start-up-may-have-200-jobs-to-offer-in-india/articleshow/81867620.cms">A $5.5 billion British fintech start up may have 200 jobs to offer in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/for-revolut-india-is-just-the-first-in-a-series-of-countries-it-plans-to-enter-in-the-next-18-months/articleshow/81883114.cms">For Revolut, India is just the first in a series of countries it plans to enter in the next 18 months</a>

Bihar government announces closure of schools and colleges till April 11 amid rising COVID-19 cases across the state

Keeping in view the call for <keyword id="6379373" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharat-bandh" source="Orion">Bharat Bandh</keyword> against the <keyword id="13558307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnipath-scheme" source="Orion">Agnipath scheme</keyword> on Monday, Bihar government temporarily suspended the Internet services in 20 districts. The suspension has been already in place in 12 districts since June 17 and the state government decided to add eight more. "The suspension of the Internet services has given positive results and the violent incidents have reduced drastically in Bihar. The agitators and anti-social elements were failing to spread rumours in the state," an official in the Home Department claimed. The Internet services have been suspended in Kaimur, Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Buxar, Nawada, West Champaran, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Vaishali, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Darbhanga, Gaya, Madhubani, Jahanabad, Khagaria and Sheikhpura. The telecom service provider companies have sent text messages to the consumers that the Internet services have been closed for Monday. Though, the consumers of these districts will continue to avail voice calling facility. Meanwhile, the Bihar government has enhanced the securities of BJP offices in 11 districts. The Bihar Police deployed Shasastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel at the offices of BJP to prevent any untoward incidents. The 11 districts are Supaul, Kishanganj, Purnea, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Nawgachiya, Banka, Katihar, Madhepura and Motihari. In every BJP office, one platoon comprising 30 personnel has been deployed. Security has also been beefed up for the leaders of the saffron party in Bihar. BJP leaders in the rank of state president Sanjay Jaiswal, Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi, MLA Dr C.N. Singh, MLA Aruna Devi, MLA Vinay Bihari and others were targeted during the protests against the <keyword id="287364" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnipath" source="Orion">Agnipath</keyword> scheme on Thursday and Friday. Following the attack on BJP leaders, the Center has given Y-category security to 10 BJP leaders of Bihar. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/agnipath-scheme-protest-section-144-imposed-in-gurgugram-kota-jaipur-faridabad-and-ayodhya/articleshow/92329214.cms">Agnipath protests: Bandhs, school closures and the Section 144 make a comeback</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/agniveer-why-are-thousands-of-youth-up-in-arms-against-the-agnipath-scheme/articleshow/92284069.cms">Why are thousands of youngsters up in arms against the Agnipath scheme?</a>

Bharat Bandh against Agnipath: Bihar suspends Internet services in 20 districts

With a win in nine seats and leads in three others, the CPI(ML) on Tuesday is all set for an impressive performance in the Bihar Assembly elections. The <keyword id="6360542" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="communist-party-of-india">Communist Party of India</keyword> (Marxist-Leninist), often working in the margins of mainstream politics, fielded 19 candidates, most of them students and youth leaders, in the elections. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79142084" title="Bihar Election Results 2020: With 40 seats still hanging in the balance, NDA widens its lead but RJD continues to be the single largest party" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> According to the latest trends as of 11:50 pm, CPI(ML) has won nine of the 19 seats and is leading in three. The CPI(M) which competed on four seats has won two seats, and the CPI which contested in six seats has also won two seats. With the win in nine seats and leads in three others, the CPI(ML) hopes to be the biggest gainer in the Grand Alliance. In the 2015 assembly election, the CPI(ML) had bagged three seats. It had won seven seats in the 2005 polls. The party secured six seats in the 2000 election and in 2010, it had failed to get any seat. "The leads so far are on expected lines and we hope to catch up in three more seats. This was a different kind of election. This was more of a people's movement. We banked on young candidates like student leaders, candidates who were part of farmer struggles and working class people. That seemed to have worked. "The 25-point campaign charter of the Mahagathbandhan is the demands emerging in the course of the teachers' movement, skill workers' movement over the last few years. The Left parties have set the agenda, the people of Bihar set the agenda for us. This is a big gain for the Left," CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said. Party leaders also highlighted how cadres worked among the poor, became first responders in crisis among their constituents and led movements against unemployment, corruption in education and farm rights, to gain the trust of voters. "We have been working with the poor in the state since the 1990s, mainly with the Dalits and the EBCs. We have played the lonely vocal opposition voice in the Vidhan Sabha on the rights of the poor. Over the last five years, we have built an image which is based on goodwill and faith. Electoral victories are not just about numbers, it is about chemistry. This time things came together. "This election, wherever the RJD and CPI(ML) have come together, the Grand Alliance has done well," N Balaji, the national president of CPI(ML) students' wing All India Students Association, said. On his party's decision to go with the RJD despite being opposed to it earlier, Balaji, who campaigned extensively in Bihar, said the party (RJD) currently led by Tejashwi Yadav and the one led by his father Lalu Prasad were "two different entities". CPI(ML) leaders also pointed out that this was perhaps the first time that the youth and student leaders had actively participated and some even contested the elections. Out of the 19 candidates that the party fielded this time, six are under 35 years of age and 10 are below 50. Among the party's winning candidates, Sandeep Saurav, 33, won from Paliganj constituency after defeating the JD(U) candidate. Saurav, a former JNUSU general secretary and an AISA activist, gave up his job as an assistant professor to fight the polls. CPI-ML's other candidate Manoj Manzil, 36, won by over 50,000 votes from Agiaon. He was earlier arrested after filing his nomination from the constituency. Manzil is known for leading the 'Sadak Par School' movement in Bhojpur against unemployment. He is also a prominent leader among the Dalit community. Ajit Kumar Singh (34), who won the Dumraon seat, is the state president of Revolutionary Youth Association. He is a former AISA Bihar state secretary and has completed his doctoral studies in history of farmers' agitation in Bihar. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/checkout-here-bihar-assembly-election-2020-results-and-updates-online/articleshow/79142084.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Outcome of 28 constituencies announced, NDA leads with five more seats than the Grand Alliance</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/prime-minister-modi-hits-out-pakistan-and-china-during-sco-summit-attempts-are-being-made-to-rake-bilateral-issues/articleshow/79148767.cms">Prime Minister Modi takes a dig at Pakistan and China during SCO summit — ‘attempts are being made to rake up bilateral issues’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down for over four hours— users complain of frozen timelines and likes</a>

Bihar Election Results 2020: Leftist parties see their vote share increase as CPI(ML) wins 9 seats and leads in three others

<ul><li>Metal and mining magnate <keyword id="6354819" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anil-Agarwal" source="Orion">Anil Agarwal</keyword> has announced investments of ₹1.8 lakh crore in the past one week.</li><li>After building his fortune with metals, <keyword id="781" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="agarwal" source="Orion">Agarwal</keyword> is now turning his gaze to semiconductor chips, a key to the modern world’s lifestyle.</li><li>Here’s the story of a boy from Bihar who made it, knowing only two English words – “yes” and “no”.</li></ul> Metal and mining magnate Anil Agarwal is in the news yet again – this time around, it’s for announcing an investment of ₹1.54 lakh crore to set up a semiconductor chipset manufacturing plant in Gujarat, in partnership with Taiwan-based Foxconn. In the same breath, Agarwal also announced an investment of ₹25,000 crore in Odisha – a key investment for <keyword id="28423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vedanta" source="Orion">Vedanta</keyword> – topping up his initial investment of ₹80,000 crore in the coastal state. Clearly, money’s not in short supply for Agarwal, but it wasn’t always the case for the man who hails from Bihar and knew only two English words – “yes” and “no” – when he came to Mumbai in the 1970s. Over the past five decades and then some, Agarwal built a metal and mining empire and got the first Indian company listed on the London Stock Exchange – Vedanta. So how did a boy from Bihar who knew the two most basic English words go onto list his company in the heart of the English world? Here’s a peek into how. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="86453777" title="Girish Mathrubootham, the son of a retired bank officer who built a $13 billion company in just 10 years" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Starting small" comment="subhead" text="Starting small">Starting small</cmsannotation> Agarwal was a teenager when he joined his father’s business of aluminum conductors and scrap metal trading. Born in a marwadi family, taking up his family business might seem like such an obvious – yet stereotypical – thing to do. While his father’s business was not where he would make money, it would become a founding block of his future success. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="City of dreams calling" comment="subhead" text="City of dreams calling">City of dreams calling</cmsannotation> At 19, Agarwal left the comfort of his family home and Patna, leaving for the hustle of Bombay. It would take two more decades for the city that made him rich to be renamed to Mumbai, and a lot would change in Agarwal’s life in this time. Agarwal never went to a college, let alone a business school. But within a small time, he acquired his first company which was on the brink of bankruptcy. Unsurprisingly, it was a copper company named Shamsher Sterling Corporation. He cobbled up ₹16 lakh – a handsome amount for the 1970s – from his own savings, friends and family. Agarwal still ran his primary business of trading in scrap metal – for the next 10 years, he ran both side by side. In 1986, he created Sterlite Industries which would go on to become the largest producer of copper in India, but its beginnings were earnest and small. The company launched an IPO in 1988 to finance its polythene-insulated jelly filled copper telephone cables plant. Seven years later, Agarwal acquired an 83% stake in Madras Aluminium, a ‘sick’ company, for ₹55 crore. This would set the tone for Agarwal’s business strategies over the next few decades, wherein he would identify undervalued assets and turn them around into huge revenue streams. For instance, Agarwal acquired a mine in Tasmania for a paltry sum of $2.5 million and turned it into a $100 million annual revenue stream. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="91829090" title="Understanding Gautam Adani’s rise: a story on how to generate wealth via hope, equity and of course debt" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> He also acquired Hindustan Zinc, another PSU sold by the government as part of its divestment program, in 2002. At the time of acquisition, it was said that the company had a reserve for five years, and a manufacturing capacity of 1.5 lakh tonnes of zinc per annum. However, now the company is still operational and has expanded its capacity to 1 million tonnes. Agarwal<a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2014/anil-agarwal-simplicity-determination-vedanta-resources"> said</a> in an interview that the company has reserves for another 40 years. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="From an 8x9 feet rented office in Mumbai to London" comment="subhead" text="From an 8x9 feet rented office in Mumbai to London">From an 8x9 feet rented office in Mumbai to London</cmsannotation> When Agarwal arrived in Mumbai, all he had was a tiffin box and bedding. He shared a room with seven other people for ₹21. Agarwal rented out an 8x9 feet office to buy and sell scrap metal. Following decades of hard work, sharp business acumen and acquiring undervalued assets, it was time for Vedanta to go global. But what triggered Vedanta’s listing at the London Stock Exchange was Agarwal’s involvement with Harshad Mehta – in a bid to make a comeback, Mehta drove up the prices of three stocks – Agarwal’s Sterlite, and Videocon and BPL. “My wife, Kiran, thought I was crazy when I told her that we are moving to London overnight. She went to our daughter Priya’s school and asked them for a 6-month leave because she was sure we would be back by then,” Agarwal shared in a note. Agarwal reached the English shores and got Vedanta Resources listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in 2003, making him the first Indian to get a company listed on LSE. Over the next decade, Vedanta acquired several mines across Africa, Australia and other regions. After mining and metals, Agarwal turned his eye to oil and natural gas, announcing a $9 billion deal to acquire Cairn India, the country’s largest private sector oil producer. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The $20 billion mega-merger of 2012" comment="subhead" text="The $20 billion mega-merger of 2012">The $20 billion mega-merger of 2012</cmsannotation> In 2012, Vedanta Resources Plc announced a merger of its Indian firms – Sesa Goa, Sterlite, Vedanta Aluminium, and Madras Aluminium into a single entity named Sesa Sterlite. The merged entity, Sesa Sterlite, was valued at over $20 billion, making it the seventh largest global diversified natural resources major. At the time, Agarwal said it would result in a savings of ₹1,000 crore every year. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Taking Vedanta private" comment="subhead" text="Taking Vedanta private">Taking Vedanta private</cmsannotation> Getting Vedanta listed on the LSE was one of Agarwal’s dreams, but 15 years later, in 2018, the mining magnate delisted the company and took it private. The “why” of it is easy to understand – Vedanta was undervalued during the commodity slump of 2018, and a majority of the capital expenditure had already been made by then. Agarwal sensed an opportunity to take the company private at a lower price and reap the rewards during the next cyclical upswing of commodities. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Looking ahead" comment="subhead" text="Looking ahead">Looking ahead</cmsannotation> With the semiconductor chipset shortage hurting the electronics and automobile industry globally, and countries trying to reduce their dependence on China for this crucial piece of tech, Agarwal has shifted his focus with the ₹1.54 lakh crore investment announcement in Gujarat. Will it come to fruition or not is a story for another day, though. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/gautam-adani-just-1-billion-away-from-becoming-the-second-richest-person-in-the-world-as-per-bloomberg-index-report/articleshow/94242575.cms">Gautam Adani is $1 billion away from beating Jeff Bezos as the second richest person in the world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/gautam-adani-a-story-on-how-to-generate-wealth-via-hope-fomo-and-of-course-debt/articleshow/91829090.cms">Understanding Gautam Adani’s rise: a story on how to generate wealth via hope, equity and of course debt</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/meet-girish-mathrubootham-founder-and-ceo-of-freshworks/articleshow/86453777.cms">Girish Mathrubootham, the son of a retired bank officer who built a $13 billion company in just 10 years</a>

Anil Agarwal – how a Bihar boy who knew only ‘yes’ and ‘no’ went onto list the first Indian company on London Stock Exchange

Around 19.26 per cent polling was recorded before noon on Tuesday in 94 <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> Assembly segments in 17 districts, though it was expected to pick up speed as the day progressed, an official said. Muzaffarpur district with 26.09 per cent polling led the table, followed by Gopalganj at 24.12 per cent. West Champaran district registered 21.99 per cent polling by 11 am. Polling percentage in Sheohar was 19.25, Sitamarhi 20.22, Madhubani 18.13, Vaishali 20.33, Samastipur 21.76, Begusarai 19.01, East Champaran 15.76, Darbhanga 15.65, Siwan 15.96, Saran 16.69, Khagaria 19.57, Bhagalpur 20.08, Nalanda 20.20, and Patna 18.16. Officials received a few complaints about non-functioning EVMs and VVPATs in six districts. A group of women in Gopalgang refused to vote at a polling booth after alleging that the EVM had been tampered with. An official at the election control room in Patna said booth number 89 in Darbhanga, 121 in Gopalgang, and 136 in Muzaffarpur reported technical glitches and errors in EVMs during mock polling in polling booth in Ugiyarpur constituency. During the second phase of polling, first-time voter Priyanka, 19, came on a bicycle to cast her vote along with her grandmother in the Raj Bhavan polling booth on Tuesday morning. "I am very happy to cast my vote for the first time. I pressed the EVM button while keeping the jobs issue in mind," she said. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi cast his vote at Kumhrar's St Joseph High School in Patna district. "I appeal to the people of Bihar to come out and cast their votes by following Covid norms," he said. During the polling, some voters raised objections over the VIP treatment to Sushil Modi. Many voters claimed that they had been standing in queues for half an hour but he just arrived and cast his vote without standing in a queue. Chandrika Rai, Janata Dal-United candidate, also cast his vote in Vaishali. He lashed out at Lok Janshakti Party President Chirag Paswan and said that he did not know the ground realities in Bihar. "He lives in Delhi, wears branded clothes and follows 5-star culture. He doesn't know the ground situation in Bihar," he said. As per the Election Commission, Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district is the largest Assembly segment going to polls in the second phase, with 3.34 lakh voters, including 1.78 lakh males, 1.56 lakh females, and 12 transgenders. Cheria Bariyarpur is the smallest segment with 2.48 lakh voters, including 1.30 lakh males, 1.17 females, and 12 transgenders. Polling in 94 Assembly segments in 17 districts will be held from 7 am till 6 pm. The polling in some sensitive constituencies will end at 4 pm as per the Election Commission (EC) directions.

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