This is regarding this year's Technology Senate awards, I am posting my email conversation with Express Computer. It clearly shows how the awards are just the mockery and there is manipulation in this whole process. I invite comments from fellow CIOs regarding this as this injustise can happen with any CIO in future.
As you can see that no body from Expess group bothered to reply till the Technology Senate summit and award ceremony was over and delegates returned back to India. Ms Utsah Kohli from their Delhi office called me on 31st August 2010 and promise for future and nothing about what had already happen and why this happen.
Should we allow ourselves to be used by these media groups for their benefits? We CIO community should raise the voice fearlessly against this injustise. Please suggest what measures we CIOs should adapt to end these manipulations in future?
Here is my email conversation with Indian Express to decide yourself what had happen---
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Fw: Express Intelligent Enterprise Awards Jury Meet, 7th August,2010
31-08-2010
utsah.kohli@expressindia.com
To atulbansal@hotmail.com, biju.mathews@expressindia.com, dinesh.gulati@expressindia.com
From: utsah.kohli@expressindia.com
Sent: 31 August 2010 07:06AM
To: atulbansal@hotmail.com
Cc: biju.mathews@expressindia.com; dinesh.gulati@expressindia.com
Dear Mr Bansal
Thank you for taking out time to speak to me today . We will definitely take into account all your suggestions and have noted down your observations to ensure that the Tech Senate 2011 is more transparent and the participants very clearly know the selection criteria for the senate invite, as well as your suggestion of finalists being present at the award ceremony.
Thank you for patronising us and for writing to us.
Please do feel free to contact me anytime in the future in case you have any observations, suggestions or feedback regarding our business.
Warm regards
Utsah
Utsah Kohli
Sr. Group Manager ( Corporate Plans & Implementation)
The Indian Express Limited
9&10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi -110002
Tel. No.: ( 011) 23702100 -07
Mobile : 9818094941
Fax: ( 011) 23702135
----- Forwarded by Shekhar Gupta/DELHI/IENM on 08/20/2010 02:33 PM -----
atul bansal <atulbansal@hotmail.com>
08/20/2010 02:17 PM
To
<rng@expressindia.com>
cc
<biju.mathews@expressindia.com>, <editor@expressindia.com>, <prashant.rao@expressindia.com>, <shekhar.gupta@expressindia.com>
Subject
FW: Express Intelligent Enterprise Awards Jury Meet, 7th August,2010
To,
Mr. Viveck Goenka ji,
Chairman & Managing Director,
The Indian Express Group,
Mumbai
Respected sir,
This is for your kind attention regarding Express Enterprise Awards 2010 for excellence in IT, I had written to Mr. Biju and others about the irregularity and manipulation in this award and request for an reply. I failed to get any reply from them regarding this.
Express Group always stand for truth and journalism of courage following the values laid by Late Shri Ram Nath Goenka Ji. I personally have very high respect for Express Group. To answer my doubt I was expecting a reply but failed to get any from them. It is quite strange that executive from media group opt for not giving any reply at all on this matter.
It is my humble request that please look in to this matter so the dignity of the awards remain intact and truth should come out.
Best regards,
Atul Bansal
AVP IT, Stewart & Mackertich Wealth Management Ltd.,
Mumbai
M 09869201875
From: atulbansal@hotmail.com
To: technologysenate@gmail.com; biju.mathews@expressindia.com
CC: vinita.hassija@expressindia.com; stanley.moses@expressindia.com; pushkarvw1971@gmail.com; utpal.almoula@in.ey.com; sarika.mehta@in.ey.com
Subject: RE: Express Intelligent Enterprise Awards Jury Meet, 7th August,2010
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:33:27 +0000
Dear Biju,
With reference to the Express Enterprise Awards 2010 for excellence in IT, our project shortlisted among top three in BFSI category, I representing Stewart & Mackertich Wealth Management Ltd., Mumbai have attended the jury on assigned date. I was having a great respect for Express Computer Awards for excellence in IT awarded to CIOs of the organizations who had done some exceptionally good projects in three categories of awards.
I meet Ms Vanita of Express Computer in E n Y office on that day. I asked her specifically what's the procedure and when you are going to declare the winner? She told me that Express Computer will get the verdict from the jury & we will kept it secret and will announce the winner at our Technology Senate 8.0 venue at Hong Kong only. I had pointed out to her very specifically that if this is the process and if you are announcing the winner at Hong Kong at award night than all finalist should be there and her answer was affirmative. I told her that though I am the finalist and I am here and already faced the jury too but still I have not received the confirmation to attend the Technology Senate. What will happen if jury announce me winner? She was in surprise and assures me that see will look in this matter and get back to me on Monday 9th.
I failed to get any response from her and then I called her on Tuesday and left the message as she was busy in some meeting. In the evening, she called me and informed that we (Express Computer) have received around 600 registrations and that's why my name is not in final list. In response I counter question her that as per her statement winners of the awards will be announce at Hong Kong and if finalist are not there the actual winner may not be there at all. She contradict her statement again that Express Group knows that and we will ensure that winner is in invite and confirmed list, was shocking information to me.
This statement clearly tell whole the story-
1. that all shortlisted top 3 nominated CIOs will not be at the award night as Express Computer decided to drop few finalists which they know well before this process starts that those cannot be winner at all
2. that Express Computer already decided to whom the award is to be given and invite the CIO of the that company and get the confirmation to attend the Tech Senate 8.0. I remind you this whole process of inviting and confirmation started weeks before this jury session
3. that there is doubt that company's name, reputation & size is paying important role to be winner and not the quality of the project
4. that there is manipulation in the whole process
5. that this whole process is just a eye wash and mission is to collect as much projects as they can which can serve the Express Computer as material to print as case studies all through the year and also to satisfy the event sponsors by announcing the big IT budget company as winner
6. that transparency of the process and creditability of Ernst & Young too as Process Advisor (along with Express Computer) is on spot as they are involved in this process of selecting the winner.
Here matter is of principles, ethics, fair practices, transparency, and not me attending the Tech Senate as delegate. Mr. Biju, will you please oblige me by giving answers of these questions raised and help me to clear my doubts on this matter.
Hoping to hear from you.
warm regards,
Atul Bansal
AVP IT,
Stewart & Mackertich wealth Management Ltd, Mumbai.
M-9987562611/9869201875
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 12:42:18 +0530
Subject: Express Intelligent Enterprise Awards Jury Meet, 7th August,2010
From: technologysenate@gmail.com
To: atul.bansal@smifs.co.in; atulbansal@hotmail.com
Dear Sir,
Congraluations, You have been shortlisted among the top 3 Nominations of - Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Category for the Express Intelligent Enterprise Awards.
You are requested to attend the Final Jury Meet to be held on August 7, 2010 at E&Y Office, Mumbai. The detailed address is given below.
Venue: Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd
18th Floor, Express Towers
Nariman Point, Mumbai-21
Time: 9.45am to 10.00am.
Category - Banking, Financial Services and Insurance
Kindly note, a presentation slot of 10mins is alloted to the shortlisted nominees.
For any queries please be free to contact Stanley Moses - 9819616663
Thanks & Regards
Biju Mathew
Asst. Vice President
The Indian Express Limited
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