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Vienna world No. 1, Hyderabad best in India for quality of living
London: Austrian capital Vienna emerged as the city with the best quality of living in the world, while Hyderabad, ranked 138th, was the best Indian city to live in, according to the Mercer Quality of Living Rankings 2015 released on Wednesday.
Overall, European cities dominate the rankings along with major cities in Australia and New Zealand, according to the Mercer website.
Zurich (Switzerland), Auckland (New Zealand) and Munich (Germany) are in the second, third, and fourth positions respectively. In the fifth place, Vancouver (Canada) is the highest-ranking city in North America and the region’s only entry in the top 10.
Singapore, in 25th place, is the highest ranking city in Asia.
Among Indian cities, Pune (145) came in second to Hyderabad. Both cities rank higher for quality of living than the country’s more traditional business centres, Mumbai (152) and New Delhi (154). Considerable rise in population in Mumbai and New Delhi in the last few decades has increased existing problems, including access to clean water, air pollution and traffic congestion.
Sri Lankan capital Colombo, with a rank of 132nd, is the city with the best quality of living in South Asia, while Japanese capital Tokyo (44) topped the ranking among East Asian cities.
The report also took note of the emerging cities in East Asia: Cheonan (98) in South Korea, and Taichung (99) in Taiwan.
Chinese cities Xi’an and Chongqing (both ranked 142nd) are also emerging as business destinations. Their main challenges to improving quality of living standards are clean water provision and air pollution.
However, advances in the telecommunication and consumer sectors have had some positive offsetting effects on their ranking.
Despite concerns about economic growth, the cities of western Europe continue to offer a stable environment for employees and employers. Western European cities take seven places in the top 10. The lowest ranking cities in western Europe are Belfast (63) in Northern Ireland and Athens (85) in Greece.
San Francisco (27), Boston (34), and Honolulu (36) are the highest-ranking US cities.
Dubai (74) ranks highest for quality of living across the Middle East and Africa region.
Ranked 230th, Baghdad is the lowest ranking city in the region and on the overall list.
The annual survey is conducted to “help multinational companies and other employers compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments”.
Slagin Parakatil, principal at Mercer said: “Cultures, societies, and comparatively different climates, as well as political instability, high crime rates, and poor infrastructure can be difficult to navigate and settle down in for employees and their families.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.