Vol 6 Issue 35 by G Plus

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INSIDE

Volume 06 | Issue 35 June 22 - June 28, 2019 Price `10

Education Minister does a volte face on his ‘driver-licence renewal’ remark PG 02

Nehal Jain @NehalJain96 hief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated Ambubachi Mela, 2019 in the presence

International Day of Yoga celebrations in picture on the Centre Spread PG 12-13

PG 03

CM Sonowal inaugurates Ambubachi Mela 2019

PIL filed to stop govt from transferring elephants to Gujarat

occasion. “Assam is known for its hospitality and age-old tradition of according the highest respect to pilgrims and visitors. And this year’s Ambubachi Mela will be no exception as the state, keeping up its tradition on a constant

Cotton University receives 2507 applications for Arts degree courses Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03 (With inputs from Antarixa Bhardwaj & Yukti Jain)

ith the ongoing admission season in colleges, Arts degree courses remained the most popular among students seeking admission in Cotton University as the university saw the maximum number of applications this year to study Arts courses. The university received a total of 2,507 applications for 470 seats

in degree courses in Arts stream. In terms of cut-offs too, Arts courses had the highest cut-off marks with Political Science registering a cut-off as high as 96.3%, while the History cut-off stood at 96%. Further, the university received 2,335 applications for its BSc courses for a total number of 485 seats. With the high number of applications, the authorities informed that they had to increase the number of seats from 485 to 508. According to academic registrar SK Dutta, the university has been witnessing more applications for

Arts courses. “We have seen a trend over the past five years that more numbers of applicants want to pursue Arts degree courses as compared to Science - which was the previously preferred choice,” informed Dutta. Officials informed that the total seats include students from the extra-curricular activities and persons with disability quota. Further, a few undergraduate degree courses in Arts saw very few applications in Cotton University. These included Bengali, Persian and Arabic.

Many takers for commerce stream CM (2nd L)Sonowal lighting the ceremonial lamp during the inauguration of dharmagurus of Akhadas, satradhikars and spiritual gurus of Assam and northeast at a function held at Sonaram HS School playground in Guwahati. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel, Assam Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma, chairman of Assam Tourism Development Corporation Jayanta Malla Baruah, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) Biswajit Pegu, Commissioner of Police Deepak Kumar, Union Minister Rameswar Teli, Gauhati MP Queen Ojha, and members of the Kamakhya Devalaya Committee also graced the

high, will embrace lakhs of devotees during the five-day religious congregation”, said Sonowal. Stating that the Assamese people are known for their hospitality, the chief minister also urged the stakeholders to ensure hassle-free visit to the Kamakhya Temple by the pilgrims during the Ambubachi Mela. The highlight of this year’s inauguration ceremony was a performance by renowned folk and classical singer, Padma Shri Kailash Kher. As thousands of devotees thronged Sonaram field, Kher enthralled the gathering with his magical voice. n

his year, KC Das Commerce College in Guwahati saw three times the number of applications for the BCom course with more than 1,800 applications. The college offers 600 seats in the BCom course. The authorities informed that all 600 seats have been filled for BCom, which is also the most popular course in the college. The college followed the online application process for admissions this year. Further, the college has a total of 300 seats in higher secondary which were also filled. The college had to then demand for more seats for the HS batch and finally took in 329 students, informed authorities. Further, the admission process for BBA, BCA and PGDCA courses are yet to be completed in the college, said officials. On the other hand, at the Guwahati Commerce College (GCC), the authorities received 934 applications in total against 300 seats for Higher Secondary course. The

File photo of admission process in one the city’s colleges applications, however, saw a dip in GCC this year as compared to the last year with the college receiving around1,300applicationsasagainst 450 seats in 2018. Additionally, this year GCC saw 2,200 applications against 615 seats

in the degree course. The college authorities told G Plus that the cutoff remained at 75.5% for CBSE and SEBA boards. n Continued on Page 09

In The News

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Education Minister does a volte face on his ‘driver-licence renewal’ remark Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

tate education minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, did a volte face on a recent controversial remark

of his. The remark had sparked state-wide protests by Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET)-qualified teachers on June 18 and the minister hastened to add that TET teachers need not reappear in Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) examinations.

In a recent live radio interview with All India Radio, Guwahati, Bhattacharya, while responding to a question by a TET-qualified teacher on air, had said that TET teachers will have to renew their qualification or the certificate of the examination similar to

drivers’ licences which need to be renewed from time to time. “We have already initiated the process to extend the validity of their certificates and we sent letters to the central government regarding the matter,” said Bhattacharya while changing his stance on

the remark. Bhattacharya further said that the transfer process of the TET-qualified teachers will once again begin in the state. The minister faced flak for his comment from the teachers as well as various student bodies in Assam. n

‘Driver’ the new ‘chowkidar’ for TET teachers

rior to the volte face, in a unique form of protest, TET-qualified teachers in the state prefixed the word “driver” in front of their names on social media to condemn the education minister’s remarks where he compared TET teachers’ certificate to a driver’s licence that needed to be renewed from time to time. Taking the cue from Modi government’s

We strongly oppose the minister’s comments on TET teachers. They should be given due respect by the government as teaching is a very noble profession.”AASU general secretary, Lurinjyotri Gogoi. #mainbhichowkidar campaign, the contractual teachers of Assam have taken on the prefix “driver” on their Facebook and Twitter handles. There are close to 41,000 contractual teachers working in different parts of Assam who have been demanding regularisation of jobs for the past many years. Talking to G Plus, Diparnav

Ghosh, general secretary of TET teachers’ association said that they have started a movement. He said, “All TET-passed teachers who are working in Assam are serving teachers and we felt humiliated when the minister compared our certificates to drivers’ licences as we have been continuously working since passing the examination.” He added that they have strongly condemned the minister’s remark asking the teachers to re-appear for the examination. Teachers informed that after passing the examination and getting the certificate, if someone does not work, the certificate has a validity of seven years. In such a case, they would have to reappear for TET for a new certificate. Regarding the minister’s latest remarks, Ghosh said that Bhattacharya is unsure about his statements and is changing his stance often. “He later again said that only those who want to become regular will have to appear for TET.” “However, in our case, it is unfair for us to take the examination again as we have been serving since receiving our certificates,” said Ghosh. The teachers said they are not paying heed to the minister’s comments and are demanding the chief minister’s intervention. One of their major demands includes, “unconditional regularisation with full pay protection.” In the wake of Bhattacharya’s

TET teachers staging a protest in Guwahati comments, the contractual teachers informed that they are renewing their demands of regularisation of their jobs. The teachers have also called for a state-wide agitation. “All district committees of TET teachers will submit a memorandum to the chief minister through the respective deputy commissioners,” said Ghosh. Close to 500 contractual teachers from Kamrup metro and rural districts gathered near the deputy commissioner’s office in

Guwahati on Tuesday, June 18, to protest against the government for not regularising their jobs. They took out a rally under the banner of “All Assam Primary TET Qualified Teachers Society” (AAPTQTS) and protested outside the DC office on Tuesday and also submitted a memorandum to him. “We are compelled to protest against the government as it is not paying any heed to our demands. We are seeking chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s intervention to solve our issues,”

said Rajiv Ranjan Dhar, vice president of AAPTQTS. Further, the TET teachers from across the state are planning to intensify their movement if the government fails to take any positive step for their welfare, they informed. “If we do not receive a favourable response, all teachers from across the state will gather at Dispur in a “Dispur Chalo” agitation programme on June 29 to protest against the government for our long-standing demands,” said a teacher. n

Student bodies criticize remark

n the other hand, the remark of the education minister has also been slammed by student bodies in the state as many student organisations have condemned the minister’s comments and have extended their support to contractual teachers. All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) general secretary,

Lurinjyotri Gogoi, informed G Plus, “We strongly oppose the minister’s comments on TET teachers. They should be given due respect by the government as teaching is a very noble profession.” He added that they are also supporting the teachers in their pursuit of regularisation of their services. “The teachers who are working currently in Assam have earned

their position on merit and talent. We have demanded that the authorities should take necessary steps in their regard,” said Gogoi. Similarly, general secretary of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Palash Changmai said, “The minister should not have used such derogatory terms for teachers and the government should take strong steps to make them permanent.” n

Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya

In The News

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

PIL filed to stop govt from transferring elephants to Gujarat Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

he Assam government had given the go-ahead for four captive elephants to undertake a perilous 70hour journey from Assam to Gujarat to take part in a religious function in Ahmedabad. The Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad which hosts the annual Rath Yatra, had sought these elephants to fill in for those that died last year. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Gauhati High Court to restrain Assam government from transferring/ dispatching the four elephants from Tinsukia to Ahmedabad for the annual festival that’s scheduled to be held on July 4, 2019.

“Avinava Prayash” an NGO of Guwahati, represented by its Secretary Urmi Mala Das and Nandini Baruah (both animal rights activists) have filed a PIL on Friday, June 21, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India challenging the action of the government of Assam, in the Forest Department, which has taken a decision to transfer on lease four elephants, including two females, and to transport them by railway wagons from Tinsukia to Ahmedabad. Senior Advocate Bhaskar Dev Konwar is appearing for the petitioners and permission has been granted to list the PIL on June 24, Monday. The petitioners have contended that the decision of the state government is in violation of the relevant provisions of

the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and relevant orders of the Supreme Court of India in this regard. Moreover, dispatch of the elephants in railway wagons in the prevailing heat-wave conditions in north Indian states, would subject the animals to extreme stress, pain and cruelty and they may not survive the long journey of 3,106 kms, which would take several days to traverse. The order for dispatching the elephants was signed by the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wild Life), Assam, and the Conservator of Forests, (Eastern Assam Circle), Jorhat is looking after the entire process of transporting the elephants. Sources from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) have confirmed that they received

Wildlife activists criticise Assam Forest dept’s decision

ods such as beatings and are also kept chained. “In the days preceding the move, the forest department reached out to several experts in the state to weigh in on the matter. Despite warnings and dissuasion, the government has given the green signal. This foolhardy action is an eye opener to the workings of the bureaucracy without heeding the opinions of the experts,” said a wildlife expert. Similarly, members of the opposition Congress party File photo of Manilal Valliyate, CEO and Veterinarian of PETA India have also raised concerns over the Valliyate further statden and Principal Chief matter. ed that experts have also Conservator of Forests, Assam MP Gaurav warned of the dangers Ranjana Gupta, has drawn Gogoi requested Union of transporting the elthe ire of wildlife activists Environment and Forest ephants for such a long across the nation. Minister Prakash Javadistance, forcing them to PETA India, a popular dekar to immediately stop work in the heat and also animal rights organisathe process of transporof the risk of these anition, has questioned Astation of four elephants mals ending up in illegal sam Forest Department’s from Assam to Gujarat. wildlife trade. decision to transport four “Transportation of He also explained that elephants from Assam to animals is always riskPETA recommends the Ahmedabad to take part prone. Many wildlife use of mechanical elein the Rath Yatra at Jaganactivists have opposed phants or other humane nath temple. the decision of the state approaches instead of real Manilal Valliyate, CEO government,” Gogoi said elephants in processions and Veterinarian of PETA in a letter to Javadekar. or events because captive India said that transportHowever, officials in elephants are kidnapped ing the elephants is an the forest department from their families, apparent violation of the continue to remain tighttrained and controlled Supreme Court’s directive lipped. through inhumane methwhich states in an order on n he Assam government’s move to transport four elephants, confirmed in a transit permit order issued by Assam’s Chief Conservator of Forest (Jorhat circle) Ranjan Kumar Das and signed by the Chief Wildlife War-

May 4, 2016 that persons who are in possession of elephants shall not transfer the animals out of state or part with them by way of transfer. “Abused elephants would never bless, only curse their abusers,” the CEO added.

an application on Tuesday to transport the four pachyderms from Tinsukia in upper Assam to Ahmedabad, along with an advance of Rs 1,500. A source in the railway department informed G Plus that the elephants will be taken in a VP coach (a closed non-AC wagon roughly the size of passenger coach usually used to transport goods) which will be attached to a passenger train. The NFR officials confirmed that there will be provisions of water and a vet will be accompanying the animals on board. “All of the four elephants belong to private owners. Out of the four, DNA profiling of two hasn’t been done and the Assam government has shown undue haste in micro-chipping them,” a wildlife stakeholder, under condition of

anonymity, told G Plus. He added that the bigger issue, however, is that if the elephants in question are being transferred to Ahmedabad in Gujarat by way of lease, and if there is any money or other consideration involved in the transfer, it would be in violation of Section 43 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The petitioners have also contended in the PIL that 53 elephants from Assam who have been given on lease to outside states have not been returned. A big black marketing racket in regard to transportation of elephants from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has grown which has come to light. The lease period was for six months, nine months and one year respectively, but, even after expiry the elephants were not transported back. n

4 In The News Snippets Women’s ethnicwear brand to host exhibition in Ghy

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Headless corpse near Kamakhya Temple: Human sacrifice or cold-blooded murder? Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

naya, a premium women’s ethnic-wear brand based out of Kolkata, is all set to host its first stand-alone exhibition on June 29 and June 30 at Vivanta by Taj in Guwahati. The exhibition will begin at 10.30 am and will feature garments such as sarees, salwar suits, lehengas, gowns, draped sarees and much more. “Onaya specialises in fulfilling the requirement of various Indian occasions. We have collections meant for attending all Indian wedding-related events, such as sangeet functions, bridal party, reception etc, and we specialize in providing ethnic wear for women,” said Sandeep Jain, founder of Onaya. He added that the garments sold at Onaya are exclusive as they are produced by the brand itself and these designs are one-of-a-kind as well.

Four camps set up for devotees of Ambubachi Mela

he Kamrup (M) District Administration has constructed four camps for the lodging of the devotees visiting Ambubachi Mela that will start from June 22. The camps are situated in Pandu, Naharbari, Badipara and Fancy Bazar. The Fancy Bazar camp, which is the largest, is situated in Old Central Jail campus and has a capacity to host 20,000 devotees. Kamrup (M) deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu was quoted by News Live as saying, “We are providing all the required facilities to the devotees coming for the Ambubachi Mela. “From their lodging to water requirements, to medical facilities and especially the security, we are arranging everything in a structured manner. “Our preparations are in good swing and all the camps will be ready before the event. Those devotees who have arrived early, we are providing them with whatever facilities they need.”

headless body of a woman was recovered from the Nilachal Hills, a few metres from Kamakhya Temple, on June 19. While city police is currently investigating the murder, locals suspect it to be a case of black magic. The body was recovered from the stairs which lead to the Durga Temple on the hills. This route is seldom used by devotees of Goddess Kamakhya. Police also recovered some flowers, a packet of incense sticks and other materials used for worship from near the body. “It could be a case of human sacrifice. Some people might have done this after getting driven by superstitious beliefs. It could also be that she was murdered elsewhere and the body was dumped here to make it look like a case of human sacrifice,” a police officer at the site told journalists. The police were searching for the decapitated head with the help of a sniffer dog. Stating that the amount of blood found at the spot was less, they said it would be premature to jump to any conclusion. “Whether it was murder or human sacrifice would be known after post-mortem. The identity of the woman is yet to be ascertained and no arrest has been made so far,” informed Suprativ Lal Baruah,

The headless corpse within the temple premises as found by the police Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Guwahati (West). City police is currently investigating the matter but locals suspect it to be a case of black magic. However, speaking to G Plus, Mohit Chandra Sarma, chief of the temple management committee discarded the involvement of black magic and called it a coldblooded murder. “Kamakhya Temple is a sacred place where women are worshipped. Ambubachi Mela, to be specific, glorifies the power of “She.” We conduct Kunwari Puja

and present phal daan (donation of fruits) to the widows during this period. In a holy place and time like this, we never expected to find a female dead body,” Sarma said. “Whoever has committed the crime must be mentally-ill to have committed a gruesome act like this one. The police must arrest the culprit as soon as possible and also provide him with treatment because it’s not safe to have people like him/her roaming around freely,” he added, expressing concerns of security. It must be mentioned that the district administration and police

are gearing up to host Ambubachi Mela in the city from June 22 and have claimed to have beefed up the security in and around Kamakhya Temple. This incident, however, has raised questions on the security arrangements ahead of the festival. Reacting to the questions, ADCP Suprativa Lal Baruah informed G Plus that the security in and around Kamakhya has been beefed up further following the incident. “A security plan has been worked out to ensure that nothing untoward happens,” he said. n

Recovery of dead body could affect Ambubachi footfall

ue to the recovery of the dead body just two days ahead of the Ambubachi festival, the footfall during the festival is likely to have an adverse effect. Sources at the Kamakhya Devalaya Committee informed G Plus that there could be a decline of footfall during the ensuing festival. It must be noted here that according to head count, Ambubachi Mela 2018 was attended by over 20 lakh devotees and the administration are expecting a 20% increase in the footfall this

year, that is, 25 lakh devotees. However, with the headless body being recovered, a lot of devotees are in a state of shock and fear. “I visit the Kamakhya Temple every year during the Ambubachi festival along with my family. This year, too, we had reserved our tickets to Guwahati but cancelled it at the last moment because the incident instilled a sense of fear in my parents’ mind,” a devotee who visits the temple with his 12-member-strong family told G Plus. Similarly, a local resident of Guwahati said, “This incident has

put our holy Kamakhya Temple in a bad light. I’m sure this murder cannot be the doing of any of our people. It must have been the shakti tantriks from other states who throng the temple during the festival.” It is often thought that the age of tantra and dark arts have passed but in Kamakhya, it is a way of living. It is all the more noticeable during the Ambubachi Mela. This period is considered to be the most important time for the shakti tantriks. They come out of seclusion during this time and display their powers. It is said that

they also bestow boons and help the needy. Most of the kaul tantras are believed to have originated in Kamrupa. It is a common saying that one is not a complete tantrik unless he pays his respects to Goddess Kamakhya. It is said that the tantriks and sadhus here are capable of performing miracles. Many people go on a pilgrimage to Kamakhya to be blessed with marriage, children, wealth and other desires. They even claim to be able to cast an evil spell on others but they use this power judiciously. n

City

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Dist Admin issues vehicular restrictions for Ambubachi Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

he Kamrup (M) district administration has put restrictions on the movement of vehicular traffic in the city on the occasion of Ambubachi Mela. The restrictions have been put on Kamakhya temple and its surrounding areas, particularly on MG Road, DG Road, TR Phukan Road and

the road that leads to the temple from the foothills of the mountain. While the administration has put restrictions on all kinds of vehicles entering beyond the foothills of the temple, they have arranged for special ferry services for old patrons, differently-abled individuals, pregnant women and women carrying babies, all of which will be provided by the administration. Following traffic rules will

be effective from June 22 to 26, 2019 – 1. No inter-district and long distance buses operating under ASTC will be allowed to enter DG Road, MG Road and TR Phukan Road of the city. 2. No goods carrying commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter from Jalukbari Rotary and Maligaon and Bharalumukh on DG Road. 3. No two-wheelers will be allowed to enter the

road leading from Kamakhya foothills to Kamakhya temple. 4. All material carrying vehicles that have been issued special passes will be allowed to enter only after 12AM up to 7AM. The vehicle users have been directed to send back the vehicles as soon as they’ve been unloaded. 5. Parking of vehicles from June 22 to 26 to be prohibited in the stretches of DG Road (from Maligaon Chariali to Bharalumukh point), PNGB

Road (from Maligaon Chariali to Kamakhya Railway Station) and Maligaon-Pandu Road. “All airport goers are requested to avoid DG Road for commuting. They’re requested to use the National Highway instead, and also travel ahead of time, to avoid missing their flights in case of traffic jams,” emphasized Prasanta Saikita, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic. n

Guwahati gears up to host its biggest religious fair

he Ambubachi Mela Parichalana Committee, along with the district administration and Assam Police, has geared up to host the biggest religious fair in Assam from June 22 to 26, 2019. With the aim to carry out the celebrations maintaining law and order situation in the city, the committee has installed 300 CCTVs in the premise. A total of 120 permanent security workers, 400 scouts & guides, 400 volunteers, and 140 temporary security workers have also been arranged by the committee to

oversee the security of devotees. Additionally, 210 permanent and 200 temporary sanitation workers have been arranged by the committee to ensure cleanliness in the devalaya premises. The use of plastic has been prohibited in the temple premises and the entire area has been declared a tobacco-free zone. The state government will be spending around Rs 23 lakhs in maintaining cleanliness in and around the Kamakhya temple along with supply of drinking water through temporary pipelines and illumination of

streets during the Ambubachi Mela. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is responsible for maintenance of cleanliness in the area. For the same, GMC has installed around 100 dustbins in and around the temple and the rest-camp premises. Meanwhile, to keep the city open-defecation-free during the Mela days, the government has spent more than Rs 30 lakhs. In view of the Mela, altogether 35 modular toilets, 545 latrines, 275 bathrooms and 30 toilets will be set up at the rest camps located

at Fancy Bazar, Pandu, Naharbari and Baripara. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department will supply water pouches at the camps and other locations during the Mela days. PHE officials said that the department is preparing to supply lakhs of water pouches to the devotees.

The Kamakhya Devalaya will close its gates at 1:40:18 AM on June 22 marking the beginning, prabriti, and will reopen at 2:04:22 AM on June 26 marking the end, nirbriti. The gate will open for public from 6 AM. n

6 City

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Zoo Road multi-level automated car parking fails to attract users, GMDA blames public Yukti Jain yuktija4788626

he multi-level automated car parking facility situated in the middle of the city’s Zoo Road area continues to wear a deserted look as people are unwilling to park their cars inside the facility. The facility, which is located near Sraddhanjali Kanan on RG Baruah Road, is the first multi-level automated car parking facility not only in Assam but also in northeast. Built with an investment of Rs 14.38 crores, the parking facility can accommodate 302 four-wheeler vehicles and 25 two-wheeler vehicles at a time. However, nearly after two years of its inauguration, the facility is hardly being used by the local public.

Reality check

According to Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) which undertook the project of building the parking facility, people do not want to change their lifestyle by welcoming a high-level facility. Speaking to G Plus, GMDA CEO Moloy Bora said, “People are not using the facility maybe because they are not accustomed to such a high-level technological facility.

accommodating 250 four-wheeler vehicles at a time.

People are very well settled in their own lifestyles and are unwilling to bring a change in that. Another reason might be that the people haven’t gained much confidence in such a system

New plans

Work on shelved automated car parking facility at MMCH, Panbazar to start within 3 months: GMDA yet.” Bora also feels that it is high time that the residents should become inclined towards such facilities and show some more sympathy towards their beloved city, Guwahati. It’s worth mentioning that the automated parking was constructed to ease the horrendous traffic snarls of the city and the locality in particular. The city otherwise has very little scope for systematic and wellmanaged parking spaces. In most of the areas, people are seen parking their vehicles haphazardly on the roadsides. An official from GMDA told G Plus, “People prefer manually operated facilities rather than such technology because they

The automated car parking facility at RG Baruah Road | G Plus photo have an opinion that it’s their car and they will park it as and where they wish to. In an automated facility, you have to hand over the car key to the operators, who will then lift the car to a certain level. In order to take out the car, you have to come and again ask for your keys and wait for the system to bring the car down. People have also been appointed to look after the vehicles; back-ups are in plan if there is any electrical outage. But people are still unwilling to use such facilities. This kind of attitude slows and de-motivates the work of the department.” The official also noted that people should not mind paying

a small amount of money while parking their cars. The automated car parking near Sraddhanjali Kanan charges Rs 15 per hour for four-wheeler vehicles and Rs 5 per hour for twowheelers. Another automated multilevel car parking facility is coming up at Panbazar area. According to GMDA, it will take another three months to start the balance work on the facility, which will be situated adjacent to Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Panbazar. To be constructed with a government fund of Rs 11 crore, the facility will be capable of

Despite the not-so-welcoming attitude of the people towards the existing multi-level car parking spaces, GMDA is planning to develop new parking spaces across the city. Discussions are on to identify lands for new parking spaces in various places including Dispur and Panbazar. GMDA is planning to build a parking lot on the ground that is currently lying vacant in front of the Assam Secretariat in Dispur, which was earlier used by Dispur treasury and police stations. In addition, GMDA was planning to use the land near Panbazar Textbook Compound for parking purposes, but eventually had to give the land away to its owners, Assam Textbook Corporation, after GMDA failed to utilize it. Discussions are also underway to introduce an initiative where used lands owned by private parties can be taken on lease for construction of parking spaces. The GMDA official said, “This ambitious initiative is at a very early stage. If it materialises, we will look for lands that are situated on the main roads for the better use and convenience of the people. However, we are yet to make a proposal on that front.”

MCI sanctions 174 additional MBBS Seats in 6 medical colleges of Assam G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he ministry of health & family welfare has sanctioned 174 additional MBBS seats under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota for six medical colleges of Assam. The ministry, on June 21, issued a notification accepting the proposal of Medical Council of India (MCI) and directed the counselling authorities for filling up the MBBS seats under EWS quota as per rules in forthcoming academic year 2019-20. Expressing happiness, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa

Sarma tweeted, “Happy to share~Medical Council of India has sanctioned 174 additional #MBBS seats under Economically Weaker Section quota for 6 medical colleges of Assam, taking total available seats to 900. Will address aspirations of many who wish to pursue medicine. Grateful.” As per the

notification 30 seats have been increased in Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, taking the total number of seats to 200; 25 seats have been increased in Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta, taking the total number of seats to 125; 44 seats have been increased in Gauhati Medical College, taking the total number of seats to 200. A total of 25 seats have been increased in Jorhat Medical College & Hospital, taking the total number of seats to 125; 25 seats have been increased in Silchar Medical College, taking the total number of seats to 125 and 25 seats have been increased in Tezpur Medical College & Hospital, taking the total number of seats to 125. n

Concern

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

GMC fails to develop vending zones, 30,000 vendors swarming city streets Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

ith thousands of street vendors swarming the city, official vending zones have become a necessity even as the Guwahati Municipal Corporation

Even after five years of the Street Vendors Act 2014 coming into effect, GMC has failed to implement it in Guwahati. While the administration has identified eight vending zones, it hasn’t been successful in developing them. (GMC) has failed to take a step in this direction despite being armed with the Street Vendors Act since the last five years. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood & Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 man-

dates a survey of the street vendors in all the cities, registration of such vendors and identification of locations to provide fixed vending zones to the vendors. After the Act was passed, a survey was completed in April 2015 to identify the vendors and as per the results there were 7,183 street vendors in the city. At that point in time, there were 497 food vendors, 727 cloth vendors, 661 fruit vendors, 2,044 vegetable vendors, 194 fish vendors, 82 meat vendors, 1,163 paan/tamul vendors, 183 chana/puchka/ bhel puri vendors and 1,631 others. However, a source in the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) informed G Plus that the numbers have tremendously increased and the city, at present, has approximately 30,000 vendors occupying the streets. Every month, hundreds of new street vendors are added and the only solution to the problem is to stop new vendors from occupying the streets of Guwahati, the source added. The administration had identified a total of 58 vending zones across the city. The zones might have been identified but they were never notified, a GMC source said. The source added that in the past nothing much had happened and therefore now, the urban lo-

protested against by various vendors who’ve been demanding for separate vending zones and had also approached the Gauhati High Court for the same. The Court had then asked the GMC to fix the vending zones at the earliest. “Because of the eviction drives, we feel like peddlers of clothes. We run when the GMC and the police chase us. This is so bad for business. Due to the evictions we have lost area. We sell only in small quantities as we have to be ready to flee with our goods when the officials come. There is no variety and we sell less stock,” said Hari, who has been in the business for over 20 years. In January 2018, the GMC

Snippets Vivanta by Taj in Guwahati to present menu from ‘Sonargaon’ restaurant in Taj Bengal Kolkata

S A roadside vending zone in the city | G Plus photo cal body has decided to develop the eight identified zones. The GMC source further added that a survey to identify the zones was conducted earlier but the traffic police department didn’t approve of the results. Due to the delay in completion of official formalities, vendors of Guwahati still remain deprived of authorised vending zones and other facilities as mentioned in the relevant Act. According to the Act, all street vendors who are identified in the survey should avail identity cards or certificates of vending. The Act says, “Every street vendor, identified under the survey, who has completed the age

of fourteen years or such age as may be prescribed by the appropriate government, shall be issued a certificate of vending by the Town Vending Committee.” But in Guwahati, work on issuing certificates is yet to be initiated. According to NULM officials, the process will start once relocation of vendors in the notified vending zones is completed. “Despite formation of the Town Vending Committees, no work has been done for the welfare of vendors. The Vendors’ Act speaks about various facilities for vendors, but we have not availed anything,” alleged a member of the Street Vendors’ Association of Assam. n

Street vendors dissatisfied with alternative trading premises uwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the District Administration have been carrying out drives against street vendors to “keep Guwahati clean and free from congestion on the footpaths or even on the street.” The vendors however have expressed dissatisfaction with the alternative arrangements made for them and staged a strong protest demanding a better arrangement for relocation. “We will continue selling our products on the street if we are not relocated to better places,” Prantosh Kundu, a seller, told G Plus. The eviction drives had been

had decided to set up vending zones in the city to deal with the collective problems of the people, vendors and the administration. The authorities soon after announced six vending zones. However, the setting up of vending zones continues to be a far cry with their development works yet to begin. “We have identified a total of eight vending zones in the city so far - Borbari, Kachari, Ganeshguri, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari, Fancy Bazar Ful Gali, GMC market and Lakhtokia (Railway Gate No. 2). The engineers have prepared detailed project reports (DPR) but they’re pending approval,” informed Sanjib Das, city project

manager, NULM. Although the administration had enumerated 7,183 vendors, it should be mentioned that these vending zones combined have a capacity of only 769 vendors. “Technically speaking, to accommodate all the 30,000 vendors, over 3 crores sq ft of land area is required. So it’s technically not possible for the administration to give space to all of them,” expressed a source in the GMC. Due to such problems, places like Ulubari, Uzan Bazar, Sarabbhati, Lal Ganesh, Chandmari, Beltola and so on are witnessing a huge increase in the number of vendors occupying the footpaths and even parts of the streets. n

onargaon, the very name brings to mind the picture of an idyllic village, residents in harmony with nature and their surroundings. This idyllic scenario has been captured and recreated in the village-themed restaurant named “Sonargaon” at the Taj Bengal Kolkata, which is known to serve authentic North, North Western and Bengali food. Vivanta, Guwahati is honoured to present an A-la carte menu of the timeless Sonargoan, in the premises of the 7 restaurant from the 21st to 30th June for lunch and dinner. With signature items like the Ajwain Jhinga, Machali Gandhoraaj, Raan Sonargaon, Panchphoron Paneer Tikka, Sarson Ka Phool to Dal Sonargaon washed down with a Rabri Lassi or Aam Porar Sharbat, this pop up aims to give patrons a taste of the wide range of Indian dishes available in the Northern and North Western frontier provinces of the country. Location: Restaurant 7, Vivanta, Guwahati, Timings: Lunch & Dinner from 21st to 30th June 2019

GMC cancels NOC of Da Vue restaurant

he no-objection certificate (NOC) issued for Da Vue restaurant at Hotel Shoolin Grand in the city has been cancelled by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). It should be noted that a family was allegedly attacked by employees of the Guwahati-based restaurant, Da Vue, on June 2. The video capturing the incident went viral on YouTube. Police have already arrested four members of the staff after the

incident and an FIR has also been lodged against them in Dispur PS.

8 City

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Rains bring temporary respite from poor air quality Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

ith the change in season, Guwahati is witnessing an improved air quality over the past three months. This was revealed by data from the Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) on air quality in Guwahati. As per the data, the air quality index (AQI) as recorded in six

different monitoring stations in March this year was 144. Further, the quality of air improved and the AQI became 104 in April and this further became better as the AQI recorded in May was 62. The AQI is based on data recorded from six different air quality monitoring stations at various places in Guwahati. The air quality index is used to measure the pollution levels in air and is an indicator of how clean or polluted the air is. It also indicates the health effects of breathing

polluted air. An AQI of 51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory’ and is linked to minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people. Further, AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘moderate’ and is associated with breathing discomfort to people with lung disease, heart disease, children and older adults. Further, the PCBA data showed that PM 10 levels have also become better in Guwahati over the past three months. PM 10 is an air pollutant which is particulate

Earlier, the PCBA data showed that during November 2018, the pollutants in the air- both PM 2.5 as well as PM 10 were recorded to be much higher than the prescribed level. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the prescribed safe limit for PM 2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre and for PM 10 it is 100 micrograms per cubic. However, the average PM 2.5 level as recorded for November was 97.9 while the average PM 10 level was 162.2. n

matter measuring 10 micrometers or less in diameter. While PM 10 level was 165 in March, it declined to 106 in April and further went down to 62 in May. Currently there are six air quality monitoring stations in Guwahati and 23 stations all over the state which help in measuring different parameters of air quality. Further, the air quality is usually at its worst around Diwali festival in the months of October and November, say experts.

Meteorological changes behind better air quality: Experts

okul Bhuyan, senior environmental engineer at PCBA told G Plus that meteorological conditions are the reason behind the recently improved air quality. “During the dry season when there is no rain, the suspended particulate matter (often

hazardous in nature) in the air remain high. However, when it rains, all particulate matter precipitate along with the rain.” Bhuyan added that the air quality is set to improve further as the monsoon period progresses. The pollutants in the air are the highest in the dry season and start increasing from

September onwards when the rains stop, he said. Additionally, Guwahati was selected as part of 102 nonattainment cities by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The ministry of environment had released a draft of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in April 2018. In the draft,

the CPCB are violated. The NCAP is a national programme to tackle the increasing air pollution across the country. It suggests several measures to reduce air pollution levels in a collaborative approach. Accordingly, Guwahati was mandated to make the air action plan to better its air quality. n

Guwahati had featured among the ‘non-attainment cities’ along with Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar and Silchar from Assam. A total of 94 cities had earlier been identified as non-attainment cities. Non-attainment cities are those in which the prescribed Ambient Air Quality Standards as set by

Proposed air action plan to tackle air pollution submitted

alking about the steps taken by the state pollution control board to improve air quality, authorities said that the board has formulated a combined action plan which will be implemented together by the Public Works Department (PWD), Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), PCBA and the transport department. The plan has been submitted to the CPCB, said officials. “PWD will ensure black topping of all roads, so that road dust does do not float and pollute the environment,” informed a PCBA official. Similarly, the transport

department will be involved for controlling and managing traffic and vehicles in the city while the GMC will spray water on the roads to reduce dust particles. The transport department will also keep a check on pollution levels of vehicles, which is another major cause of air pollution in

File photo of an earlier seminar on air quality management in Guwahati

the city. Authorities informed that the comprehensive action plan has been prepared in consultation with all the concerned departments. “The combined action plan was prepared last month. It was submitted a few months earlier too but the CPCB didn’t approve of it since it didn’t comprise allocation of budgetary provision,” said a source. Apart from this, officials informed that mass awareness programmes will also be implemented in the city by the PCBA in collaboration with the transport department. EOM n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

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Cover Story

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Infrastructural developments the need of the hour fROM Page 01

any city colleges still lack proper infrastructure and face shortage of qualified teachers which prove to be a hurdle in providing quality education. Sources at Guwahati Commerce College (GCC) informed that the college was

forced to reduce the number of seats for its degree course from last year because of the nonavailability of teachers and the widening of the teacherstudent ratio. Further, principal of KC Das Commerce College, Dr Hrishikesh Barua, informed G Plus that there’s a lot which the government can do. “There is a paucity of space on campus which poses problems.

Case filed against premier city school by student’s parents

case has been filed against Miles Bronson Residential School in Borjhar, Guwahati at Azara police station for the alleged harassment of parents

the entire year’s fees before withdrawing his enrolment from the school. The victim, who hails from Boko area in Assam, joined the hostel on June 9, 2019. He is a student of

of a student who was subjected to ragging in the hostel. According to the complaint, the student had been tortured mentally and physically by his seniors. He was neither allowed to study nor allowed to have his meals. Allegedly, seniors used to snatch the victim’s pocket money from him, too. When the student informed his parents, they approached the principal of the school, who as per the complaint, instead of giving importance to the matter asked the parents to pay

HS first year in the Commerce stream. Speaking to G the officerPlus, in-charge of Azara police station, Ashok Dutta said, “We are currently investigating the matter and strict action will be taken if the allegations are proved to be correct. As per the provisions of Assam Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998, ragging can lead to punishment of up to six months imprisonment or fine which may extend to Rs 10,000 or both. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) also has provisions to prevent ragging. n

We have also requested the government from time to time for allotment of space,” he said. Further, Dr Barua added that the college is in immediate need of teachers. He further said that the college is soon going to start digital classrooms. Additionally this year, courses of degree arts have had a high number of applications in B Borooah College too. A senior official from B

Borooah College told G Plus that the government needs to pay heed to infrastructural development in the college. “There is a need to provide proper classrooms and electricity. We require additional space urgently because, with the introduction of the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), more classrooms and space is required for new courses

and subjects which would be offered to the students to choose from,” said the source. The source added that the number of vacancies of professors is also very high. “In the chemistry department there are only five teachers working in two shifts and we have only three teachers in the mathematics department - these are two major courses,” informed the official. n

10 City

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Despite awareness, underprivileged women prefer cloth over sanitary napkins Yukti Jain yuktija4788626

espite a lot of initiatives being taken up to create awareness on menstrual hygiene, women belonging to the underprivileged section of the society still prefer using cloth instead of sanitary napkins during their periods. With some schools installing sanitary napkin dispensing machines and opening menstrual hygiene rooms, the female fraternity have now got a lot more options to choose a napkin over a piece of cloth. However, a number of issues including pricing and taboos associated with menstruation have been holding women back from using sanitary napkins during such days. In order to get a clearer picture on the subject, G Plus visited the city’s Bamunimaidan area and Hairjan Colony in Ulubari to meet the women living in those areas.

Why cloth over pad?

When asked about what led them to use cloth, one of the women named Katputli (24) who lives in the railway colony, Bamunimaidan told G Plus, “I have

Representative image been using cloth since my childhood. I have never felt the need of using a pad. Although there are times when I felt less-than-confident about using cloth, I am now accustomed to it.” A mother of five children, Katputli currently lives with her family in one small room made of bamboo and tin. Another woman, Radhika Kaur (25) (named changed), said that buying a sanitary napkin is a matter of luxury for her even though she had tried using the napkins provided by the government school - Adarsh Hindi Vidyalaya – where her daughter

studies and which were brought in by her daughter. According to her, those napkins were not up to the mark and did not fulfil their actual purpose properly. Radhika said, “This is because we cannot afford the high-priced pads and the ones that we get from the government school are very thin and causes itching. They don’t even provide these pads regularly.” “We sometimes use pads and sometimes cloth, but most of the time its only cloth,” she added.

Periods still a taboo?

The high price of the sanitary

pads is not the only reason that has been holding women back from using a napkin during their periods. Age-old taboos related to menstruation have also prevented women from using sanitary pads and discussing about menstrual hygiene and other related issues out in the open. However, females living in well-to-do urban areas are slowly coming out and talking about it. But women in slum-like areas still feel shy when they hear the very word “menstruation.” The women met by G Plus in the Bamunimaidan area were no different. When asked about their preference, young girls aged about 13-14 years had a blush on their faces and ran inside their homes. Sitting within the four walls of their homes, the girls and their respective mothers later said that they cannot talk about it openly and without inhibitions in front of their brothers/sons. The women staying in Harijan Colony, Ulubari, have also been facing the same awkwardness as the women of the railway colony in Bamunimaidan. Purnima Chettri (30), mother of two college-going boys, said, “We don’t talk about periods openly. I

have always used cloth and have little knowledge about the kind of hygiene that needs to be maintained during periods. I can neither afford sanitary napkins nor talk about it. Moreover, there is no time for me to invest in my well-being because despite all the discomfort that comes with periods my work has to be done by me only.” However, Meena Kaur, neighbour of Purnima in Harijan Colony, mentioned that one of her young relatives uses napkins provided by Child-Friendly Guwahati - a project launched by church bodies and civil society in Guwahati. A lot of people from the civil society feel that bio-degradable pads could be a solution while addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene. Prachi, founder and director of a Delhi-based NGO, Vyomini, said, “We manufacture bio-degradable pads and distribute them across Delhi including the underprivileged areas at an affordable price. For instance, we sell a pack with 6 pieces of napkins at Rs 20 to these people.” Prachi also added that her NGO is considering coming to Guwahati to make people aware of bio-degradable pads. n

Black soft shell turtle eggs of Jor Pukhuri shifted to Assam State Zoo Antarixa Bhardwaj @guwahatiplus

he turtles that have been living in Jor Pukhuri of the city’s Uzan Bazar area for decades have got a fresh lease of life after some of them along with their eggs were shifted to Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden. Altogether 34 black soft shell turtles eggs have been shifted from the pond that abuts Ugratara Temple for the greater cause of saving the species from extinction. After shifting, the eggs were artificially incubated and tiny turtles aged only 25-30 days are currently roaming around their present habitat in the zoo. According to the Ugratara Temple managing committee, the turtles will be kept in the state zoo for a while and then eventually be released into the wild, probably in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Speaking to G Plus, Ugratara Temple managing committee advisor Naba Sarma said, “The

of the pond and shift them to a protected area.” Shifting of the turtles from Jor

File photo of turtle hatchlings turtles usually come out of the pond and lay eggs in the surrounding area. Sometimes people come and take away the eggs. Keeping in mind that these turtles are endangered, we have taken the step to let them out

Pukhuri will also serve another cause. It will help reduce the population at the overcrowded pond, which is currently home to 12 different species of turtles, among other aquatic animals. Kailash Sarma, president of

Ugratara Temple managing committee said, “One of the reasons of shifting the black soft shell turtles is that they are carnivorous (feeding on other animals) in nature which will destroy other aquatic lives in the pond, including ducks. The overcrowding of the turtles would also destroy the ecosystem of the pond. Only a limited number of turtles will be kept in the pond while the rest will be let out to other protected places. We have plans to save around 10,00050,000 turtles and release them in the wild in the next 10 years.” The black soft shell turtle or Bostami Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) is a species of freshwater turtle found in Assam as well as Chittagong and Sylhet areas of Bangladesh. In 2002, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified it as an extinct species. While shifting the turtle eggs from Jor Pukhuri, the Ugratara Temple managing committee

took the help of an NGO called Help Earth. The NGO looked after the artificial incubation of all the turtle eggs that were collected from Jor Pukhuri. General Secretary of Help Earth, Dr Jayaditya Purkayashtha told G Plus, “The cost of this project is zero. We are also working with Nagshankar Temple in Biswanath Chariali of Sonitpur district to help save the turtles living in the pond of that temple from extinction.” Help Earth has also partnered with Hayagriva Madhav temple committee in Hajo to save the turtles living in the pond situated near the temple. As part of the project, the caretakers of Hayagriva Madhav temple have been nurturing the endangered turtles of the temple pond and have been protecting them from harm. The NGO has also teamed up with the temple authority in a breeding programme. n

Guest Column

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Getting Started in Business

GUEST COLUMN

The author, in this Part – IV of his Entrepreneurship Series, gives a broad but detailed outline on how to get started with a business by way of finance, testing business models, team formation and management and general attitude.

o you want to be an entrepreneur? Got a plan? Have a product? No idea, what’s next? No matter, if you’re a first-gen entrepreneur, running a small business, or even trying to do something on the side, let’s start with some basics. Where’s the money?

Figure out how you’re going to finance the company.

To start a business, you need money for licenses, equipment, software, legal fees, operating expenses and much more. Running a food truck to selling a mobile application, there’s a ton of costs involved in establishing a set-up. Unless you’re a consultant or advisor, selling “gyan” or specific knowledge, most traditional or nontraditional businesses require financial investment. This is called “working capital” and typical fund-raising can happen from bank loans, angel investors, venture capitalists (small & large), government funding (rare for initiations unless you’re selected for incubation), and even friends and family. New ideas on fund-raising involve crowd-funding or kick-starter campaigns (online) but this can require a bit of technology knowledge (which is surprisingly easy to learn). However, all of this means that you will have to sacrifice some stake or part of your business for the original investment and this can be in various forms and manners – essentially, you lose control over the decision-making process to some extent. If you have saved funds and/or stockpiled some cash (however, wherever), you can also consider “bootstrapping” your company - another word for self-funding and not giving up ownership too fast. If you really believe in your product or service, bootstrapping is the best plan which gives your product or service time to gain traction, catch attention and drives up the value of your business. Eventually, this means you can demonstrate to investors your early successes and how capital

influx can grow the business when it’s time to shift gears. Consider technology – do your research as much as possible.

Who’s with you?

Have a good team – this cannot be stressed enough. Jack Ma famously insists on hiring people smarter than him. Steve Jobs would hire the best and refuse to manage them, claiming that his job was only to hire them and show them where he wanted to go. For smaller startups, the quality of people makes or breaks your product/service. In such situations, hiring costs play a very important role and most businesses work from the premise of what they “think” they can afford. This practice has negative after-effects. Define the role first, minutely, and then

Unless you’re a consultant or advisor, selling “gyan” or specific knowledge, most traditional or non-traditional businesses require financial investment. This is called “working capital.” – “Dhandamein Naak Mat La” – leave your nose (ego, pride) at home, don’t bring it to the market.

Understanding market dynamics and requirements defines your success and growth. For a bootstrapper, timelines are very important – how long can your funds sustain you till you find your niche? Try to structure small PoC’s (Proof of Concepts). A proof of concept is an easy exercise to set up dry or test runs for your product/ service in any given market. An example is a young and very skilled baker of my acquaintance, who has started cloud selling and setting up a home-based outlet before engaging directly into the market with substantial investments. She’s building up her brand and creating a client list which will help in the long run. For any business, creating impact and value with a strong client list is essential. Have a plan – stick to it, till it doesn’t work. Then adapt and plan again.

Who’s doing your books?

review market rate for the skills required – only then, should you consider cost to company for resource-building. If you can afford it, get the best your money buys. If you’re bootstrapping, then it’s a policy of beg, borrow or steal - whatever it takes to get the work done. Build a scope of the work required and see if you can outsource to friends and family. Network extensively – in short, ASK for HELP, often loudly and to as many people as possible. You’ll be surprised by the goodness of people, in these hard times of competition and personal gain. There’s an old Gujarati saying

What are you selling? We are all selling, something or the other, all the time. Understanding the need for your product/service is crucial. Find your niche and exploit it by utilizing all aspects involved. If you’re selling communication services, consider all streams like ghost-writing, editing, coaching freelancers, brand pitches – understand the market. If you’re considering the food industry, understand what sells and consider what is actually required. Business viability is not necessarily what you’re good at – many more might be better at it than you.

Lighter and faster

Scan the QR code

Get the G Plus app

Hire a cheap lawyer, get cheap results – this is an old saying. The same applies for any given business model. If you have to hire a professional, get the best you can afford. Your “books” are your accounts and money/fund management. Don’t settle for a cheap accountant – you will need local-specific knowledge and detailed expertise with your local rules, regulations and taxes. Find a person who deals extensively for your industry specifically and pay for advice during the planning stage itself. Money saved is money earned – having a structure in place is imperative before taking a single step on investment of time, effort or money. This is one area where technology doesn’t help. So beware of online services which seem to be cheaper.

What’s your outreach plan?

Have a story to tell? Be a Citizen Journalist Get in touch with us, Contact/WhatsApp

8486002318/8486002320

Debashish Goswami Figure out your marketing strategy. People need to know that you’re selling or providing a goods/service before you can generate sales. A business owner never stops selling or marketing their products/ services. Spend at least 40% of your planning in building a pitch and then once your product/ service is on the ground, ensure 40-50% of your time is kept for pitching. Sell online/ offline, network extensively, build relationships even if you don’t sell, constantly build your prospecting pipeline. Creating leads and converting them to long-term paying customers is an exhausting process and takes weeks or even years. Keeping all of the above in mind, it’s also necessary to remember this – “Be Flexible.” In a shifting technical and political landscape, the rate of change in the past 2 decades has been exponential. What works yesterday might be irrelevant today and so on. To grow with the market, original planning must envisage and keep space for change and re-structuring as per market requirements. The best way to achieve this is to keep plans open-ended and run a wide coverage on the early documentation process, so that change is not inhibited by original plans and models. No one can plan for the challenges your company might face five or even two years ahead of time. Instead of spending a year working on business models or developing an idea, just go and start – test your idea in small segments, run focus groups with friends and family and close networks or even the people around you. Ensure your documentation is in place, however.

Most importantly Don’t Quit.

Business is war and while battles are won or lost, the war is never over till you say it’s over. n

12 Centre Spread

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

5th International Day Assam celebrated the 5th International Day of Yoga along with the rest of the country on June 21. The government of Assam celebrated the day

health & family welfare Pijush Hazarika and other dignitaries took part. DGP of Assam, Kuladhar Saikia, Guwahati city police commissioner, Deep

Goswami were also among the officials present on the occasion. The celebration was organised by National Ayurvedic, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani,

the celebration at Sarusajai Stadium. International Day of Yoga or Yoga Day has come into existence since 2015 after Prime Minister Narendra Mod

g at Raj Bhawan

akin Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi spe

DC Biswajit Pegu (L) and CoP Deepak Kumar

DGP Kuladhar Saikia (L) a

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

Yoga in progress at

Raj Bhawan

CM Sonowal led the official Yoga Da

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Centre Spread

y of Yoga celebrations at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati, where chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, minister of state for

pak Kumar, Kamrup (M) DC Biswajit Pegu and Ayurvedic, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) Assam director Monalisa

, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) Mission along with Kamrup (M) District Administration. Around 8,000 people from all walks of life took part in

di proposed the idea of celebrating the day in 2014. This year, Modi celebrated Yoga Day in Ranchi, wearing an Assamese gamocha around his neck.

Siddhartha Bhattacharya, CM Sonowal (2nd L) and ministers Pijush Hazarika on the right

Minister Pijush Hazarika

The fun aspect of Yoga was not missed

and CS Alok Kumar

ay at Sarusajai Stadium

Director of AYUSH, Monalisa Goswam

Asanas and more asanas

Yoga instructor from Art of Living Foundation

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019 T

Missing a Mayor

et me recall for you “Ward Talks.” It was an initiative of G Plus where we took accountability to the micro level of the wards of the city and discussed issues pertaining to each ward with the respective ward councillors and area sabha members in the presence of the general public who essentially were residents of that ward. In our attempts to gain a wider reach and greater accountability, we often managed to rope in Guwahati’s Mayor, the local police OC, GMC and GMDA authorities, the media and, on most occasions, the local MLA. The meetings were animated, issues were discussed threadbare, ideas for improvement of each ward were bounced and finally a score card prepared that basically held the minutes of the meeting as also the issues that needed to be addressed within a given timeframe. Good old days when the GMC council of elected representatives was in place! Since 31st July 2018 however, the citizens of Guwahati have been left bereft of representation and the consequences are there for all to see today. The city is in a total mess basically with haphazard and seemingly unplanned construction of footpaths and dividers (and not roads for some strange

reason) going on, unabated vendor settlements on any footpath that one can come across giving a picture that the whole city is one large vending zone, random electrical outages with no one to complain to, messy vehicle parking all over, overflowing garbage bins and an apathetic municipal body et al. Well, it’s been virtually a year now and the city’s council elections seem to be the last thing on anyone’s mind. When the previous council’s tenure ended on 31st July last, the assumption was that an election would be held immediately. That was not the case perhaps because the general elections were slated for May 2019 and an adverse result in the city against the incumbent state government might have sent bad signals to the rest of the state. Whatever be the case, it is now imperative that the GMC council elections be given top priority simply because Guwahati is presently being treated as an orphan and its upkeep seems to be nobody’s business. A city as large as this and which is considered the metro of the northeast needs its Mayor and only then some accountability will set in. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

A motorist’s nightmare For a city that still hasn’t understood the correct use of the ‘hazard light’, the fact that people have started giving way to an ambulance on the road, seems to tell us that all is not lost. This driving etiquette took people quite some time to come to terms with. The city is currently in need of serious driving lessons. We are well aware that the DTO has in the past doled out licenses and/or has had “agents” within the premises arrange them as required (and yes, if you know how to, you can find them still!). The DTO has been accused of having dalaals at the office premises who arrange licenses for as low as Rs. 300, as a “convenience fee,” which of course is my fancy way of avoiding the word “bribe.” The agents were the evil that would help you acquire a license quickly; by skipping the queues and getting to the test. However, as time has passed and the agents became “acceptable”, skipping queues has now led to skipping tests, which of course is no good. The city is now flooded with illiterate drivers who do not understand a service lane from a highway or the correct use of a hazard light. Of course, the city is struggling with an acute drinking water problem, joblessness, skyrocketing real-estate prices, vegetable syndication and others, bad drivers are only making it worse. There is a reason why the Uber and Olas of the city are failing. It is because that small rectangle card (issued to a driver) is not just a license to drive; rather it proves that you are eligible for making correct decisions on the road. But when the bearer has not been tested correctly, the city is bound to be a nightmare to drive in. Forget Bombay and Delhi’s stressful driving. Once you conquer the streets of Guwahati, everything else is just pfft…!

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Doctors and patients: A healthy balance needed

ot every individual living in this world possesses the unique quality to develop within themselves the wondrous skill of treating a person suffering from an ailment in a way that not only is the person cured physically but his mental wellness also gets a gigantic positive boost. These highly skilled, dedicated and hardworking individuals are known as doctors - professionals who command a lot of respect in the society because even the flat line of an insensate heart can be revived with different techniques only by them. The doctor’s impact in the society is as vibrant as the sunlight that regenerates new horizons of positivity among people. Someone had quite rightly said, “Doctors are no less than deities whose reassuring words are sometimes more powerful than medicines.” However this deliberation is to bring into focus the prime reasons regarding the major imbalance that seems to have crept in regarding the doctor-patient relationship of the day, making it one of the most controversial topics of recent vintage. The salubrious balance between the doctors and their patients has, of late, been severely fragmented giving rise to a number of disputes and wrangles between them such that my lucid description of the doctor-patient relationship in the opening paragraph stands undermined. So, let’s try and analyze the core reasons behind these incessant wrangles, these disputes just to understand which party might be more at fault that are more or less unacceptable and then confabulate about solutions that could resolve the prevailing predicaments. Coming to medical science, every physician, after getting the MBBS degree, has to take the “Hippocratic Oath.” And a part of the Hippocratic Oath states that a doctor must treat his patients with all his knowledge and judgement without ignoring, and also must abstain from all intentional wrongdoings and

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

actions. Disappointingly, the truth seems otherwise with a certain group of doctors. In a recent show that was

People should accept that doctors are not deities who can alter the natural death of a person; every time a person dies, the doctor must not be at the receiving end of their anger and agitation. But if a wrong treatment is suspected, resorting to legal recourse is the right thing to do. aired on a private news channel, a discussion was held to bring to light the unwarranted acts of a group of doctors whose utter negligence towards their patients was the core reason behind their deaths. In the show, a lady said that the absence of a senior renowned doctor (to whom she made a number of urgent calls) was consequential to the death of her child. On the other hand, an eminent journalist said that doctors’ failure to provide his wife basic first aid proved costly, leading to her death. Such cases seem to have become very common. Secondly, there are also numerous cases of wrong treatment that seriously hampered patients’ health. There was an instance, where a doctor diagnosed a patient with tuberculosis prescribing high dosages of streptomycin. After proper investigation, it was found that the person was suffering from avitaminosis and not tuberculosis. In that scenario, the high dosages of the antibiotics were instrumental in causing severe dehydration in the patient. Moreover, there are also cases where threats to patients’ lives were because of the insincerity of surgeons. Cases like lacerating the intestine while removing the appendix, stitching a person’s gut leaving the surgical gloves inside the body or making a person go completely blind while doing

rBetter coordination required

ophthalmic operations etc are very common to descry which are not indicative of a healthy situation. Further, cases of homeopathic doctors prescribing allopathic drugs without proper knowledge are only worsening the scenario. These facts definitely raise a question in front of a group of doctors: are they are being sincere to their Hippocratic Oath? Such blunders by a section of doctors result in the victims’ families being forced to suffer and subsequently resort to some heinous crimes like bashing up the doctor almost to death, causing damage to the hospital involved or resorting to other forms of vandalism. Such acts however, cannot be accepted at all. Therefore, a salubrious balance between both the groups must be established at the earliest. For this, the errant group of doctors must realize that they should be more professional and more oriented towards serving their patients rather than be defensive about their omissions. Although it is said that, “To err is human,” the doctors should understand that to err every single time while saving a patient’s life is not something that the society would accept. On the other hand, members of the patients’ families should also accept that doctors are not deities that can alter the natural death of a person; every time a person dies, the doctor must not be at the receiving end of their anger and agitation. But if a wrong treatment is suspected, then resorting to legal recourse is the right thing to do. (The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and G Plus may not subscribe to the same) n

Letter to the Editor

According to me, for a better education system the co-ordination and communication between the different educational boards, council and university is very essential regarding the design of course syllabus, conducting examinations and declaration of results. The student-teacher ratio should be maintained in all the educational institutions along with the minimum required infrastructure. I also think that it is very necessary to introduce effective career counselling sessions in all educational institutions in a proper and planned manner. Dr Buljit Buragohain GIMT, Tezpur

In Focus

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Girl accuses man of ‘groping’ her on city bus in Guwahati Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

n a video that went viral on social media, a young lady was seen accusing a middleaged man of touching her inappropriately while travelling in a bus in Guwahati. Posted on a Facebook page, ‘Amar Sadia,’ the video has attracted thousands of viewers online. The incident took place on June 10 inside a crowded city bus when the victim was on her way to Downtown Hospital to check on her grandmother who had met with an accident. According to the victim, the accused, identified as one Habibur Rahman, “misbehaved” with her and tried to touch her “private parts.” It should be noted that there has been some contention on the name of the accused. Some have alleged that his real name is Swapan Debnath and that he owns a SIM card store. However, this has not yet been confirmed. Following the incident, the girl filed a complaint at Dispur Police Station on June 19. The

police said that the investigation is on to apprehend the accused. It should also be taken into account that the victim has a YouTube channel, “Moi Rashmita” where she posted the video of the incident. The video received 1,67,000 views on the popular video-sharing website, which has led the public to question the authenticity of the

girl’s allegation. “Why has she filed the case so late? Why didn’t she file the case before? First, she uploaded the video on YouTube. After being unable to get many views, later she uploaded on Facebook. She is doing everything just for publicity,” said Pyxis Papumani, a citizen of Guwahati on Facebook.

However, many have also taken the victim’s side, saying that even though the incident was posted on social media, she might have been assaulted by the man and that we shouldn’t start blaming the victim and let the proper authorities handle the case. “Shame on such kind of society who doesn’t even utter

a word and we call ourselves civilized, should break the hands of such kind of people,” said Ranita Paul, a sympathiser. Another controversial element that this incident brought up was in regard to the rising communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Some have claimed that the victim and the accused were working together and wanted to defame the Muslim community. This came to light after the man’s name in the video was alleged to be fake as he used a Muslim name to create disturbance. “The name is Habibur Rahman ... enough said,” wrote Navoday Das, on Facebook. In response to this, other users pointed out that they would not adhere to this communal attitude. “I guess both are spreading religion-based hatred to gain popularity. Bring them together in some news channel, where proper investigation should be done,” said another user, Nisar Ahmed. While the legitimacy of the incident is yet to be proved, it has caused uproar on various topics relating to the condition of our present society. n

Followers of G Plus’s digital channels react to the ‘groping’ incident with their comments Shankar Sharma

Along Anar

Gunojit Deka

Seemakhi Gogoi

‘Dekaloraikorile mile!’ Wow! Salute to such mind-set. I was wondering why she used the particular sentence. It’s okay if a young guy touches her inappropriately but in this case she only has problem with the older ones.

Unfortunate. But it would be unwise of me to speak on behalf of the girl since the Indian laws are biased to a large extent towards their favour. And moreover, I too have faced harassment from girls in city buses in the past for “manspreading” unintentionally.

Nisar Ahmed

Sopon Debnath is the original name of the man. Police should find both this YouTuber girl and this old man. I guess both are religion-based haters and trying to get attention. Bring them together in some news channel and do a proper investigation. There should be a face to face session on television. Only then the truth will come out.

Bhaswati Chatterjee

Sad part was that nobody intervened to help the woman and the culprit just walked away. What if something like this happens to your friend, girlfriend or sister? Silence only encourages the culprit! I hope this goes super viral and I also hope the girl has taken legal action against the man.

Proper investigation should be done. The way she’s shouting on top of her voice is not justified. The person too should be given a chance to tell his side of the story. It’s very easy to blame the person next to you. In certain situations, not only women face harassment, men face it too. This kind of issue may spoil someone’s life. I’m not supporting this man but can’t fully agree just because she is a female. She could have filed an FIR instead creating so much of drama around.

Arnab Deb

It’s a publicity stunt. The girl is a YouTube creator and the person is involved with the girl. The name of the person is Sopon Debnath who introduced himself as Habibur Rahman. Why are those people trying to defame the Muslim community? Earlier the girl gave idiotic comments on the Bishwanath Chariali incident. Strict action should be taken immediately.

I had seen the video of this girl calling an unknown person for gaining popularity and blaming men. You can find videos of this girl on YouTube. She is a cheater. This video was uploaded on 10/6/2019 on her YouTube channel, and she uploaded on Facebook only for popularity. I feel there is a high possibility that the girl is at fault. I still remember a similar incident that spoiled a man’s life. I am not backing the man here but investigation is necessary before judgement. I hope media does not play one sided role which can spoil someone’s future.

16 Feature

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Educational system: Reinvent the process radically

an we think of a composite system of education instead of fragmenting it? This will radicalise educational systems. It is true school is the basis of education. But is it an absolute necessity that one must compulsively pursue what is called higher education? In other words a degree must preclude employment opportunities. What if we lay a solid foundation till the K 12 level integrating education with basic foundations of language, science, social sciences with core competences in skills such as verbal and written, aesthetic such as media and films and also technical vocational education such as design, crafts and say the more rudimentary but necessary in unorganised sectors, as for example repairing of equipments to cite an example? We need education which is holistic at these levels keeping in mind a basic employability potential. At the same time we need to narrow the degree bias or obsession and at the intermediary level prior to joining collegiate or university education there is a necessity to introduce also short term diploma and courses of certification. This can either be

integrated with school education or could be an alternate extension of it. Education is mediated. It mediates between the world of work and the world of learning. In that sense it is a continuing and continuous process but the basics, the foundations have to be well grounded in school education. The continuity or the higher echelons of learning can come as a choice driven by academic and research interests. Adult learning is imperative but it may not always be compulsory. The fetish to pursue a degree or a masters degree can be

obviated if, at the college level, advanced diplomas are introduced which are of quality and exceptional standards. This will also impede the growth of private uni-

My point in this essay is that employability, self employability, adjudicating finer senses, giving equal opportunities to the talented must all go into the making of a holistic and robust educational system. versities and coaching classes. A diploma or certification skill will stand on its own right not meant to be compared to a degree but with employability in mind. Unless we radicalise our views on education there will be no change or innovation in a system. The rat

race for hundred percent marks will continue. At the school level more emphasis should be given to aesthetic vocational skills such as music and performing arts. We have created hierarchies in the system preferences egregiously given to science and commerce students in the battle for wits. This is misplaced; intelligence varies according to sensibilities and the spirit of communication and its aesthetics. Again in school education we can have home schooling a kind of adjunct to distance and open learning. Our methodologies must be clear, not only our pedagogies.

Anyway we have not evinced much change from the learning by rote method. Radicalising education is all about aptitude markers; what the student feels, knows and wants - to study. It is essentially learner-centric and not so much teacher-centric. The teacher is a facilitator and motivator. Once education is connected to talent and skill then the fear of failing or one time failure will be suitably addressed, by flexibility, giving more time to complete courses. Why only twelve years in school? Make it up to fourteen as an upper limit. Segregating education as school, college and university is compartmentalising it. Education is a holistic world view not to be learnt in segments. Yes we can have higher echelons of learning but the mismatch between employment and education must go. And this can go by radicalising it, having alternate modes in terms of course content and pedagogy at a solid foundational level at school. Regarding the latter, technology must play a vital and cat-

alytic role. We must extend the classroom and create more classrooms vide technological abetment. It is the visual and the aural which appeals to a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senses

and hands on work to many. Synergising the classroom with the world of applications is another factor. Some students have cerebral skills. Some do not, they have practical skills. In this manner, education will be demystified and we will have no student elites. Once the fundamentals of a solid school education are worked out we can contiguously think of adult and continuing/professional education. My point in this essay is that employability, self employability, adjudicating finer senses, giving equal opportunities to the talented must all go into the making of a holistic and robust educational system. Not to create hierarchies and a preferential system. Not to address failures but successes. The latter can be gauged by aptitude and self interest of the learner, also an innate flair for things around her world and her observations. It is sensitivity in education which matters not tautological expressions and commercial iconoclasm. If at all it has to be iconoclastic it has to reshape typical models and introduce atypicality with guts overthrowing inhibitions even of grades and marks. It must impose new challenges from within and without and rework status of courses and the four walls of a classroom. The fault lines in the education system have led to exploitation in the form of private tuition, coaching classes and capitation fees. School education is the foundation for other continuities of

education such as college, university and research education but it must be made self-sufficient and autonomous so that choices for

Ananya S Guha the future can be made easily and transition to it is smooth. At the same time it can be made stand alone with particular emphasis on skills and aptitude. Simply making the echelons of education interdependent and hierarchical is to invest education and its bearings a caste and class status. What about those who cannot afford higher education? So structurally education is a pyramid and those who complete only school education are unwanted. So when we refer to categorisation of education above we mean that the super imposition of educational structures for employment is a myth which must be dispelled and unplugged. Otherwise how do we explain doctoral degree holders working in schools and engineers working in banks? This lopsided aspect has created serious schisms in our learning systems. We must reinvent the process radically. The symbiotic essence of education is undoubtedly important but it must work as a standalone method especially after school, 12 plus to generate work and giving an opportunity to alternate between work and education. The world of work and the world of education are intricate layers of connection. Part time or â&#x20AC;&#x153;sandwichâ&#x20AC;? courses must be introduced at collegiate levels in off-campus modes initiated by e-learning or technology-aided learning. (The author is a retired Senior Regional Director of the Indira Gandhi National Open University New Delhi. He has about

thirty eight years of academic, administrative and teaching experience) n

Trotter

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Man feels cheated after supposedly ‘buying’ house for $9,100; gets strip of grass instead

Florida man thought he had landed a steal deal after paying $9,100 (approximately Rs. 6.3 lakh) for a villa in Tamarac, only to be told that he had bought just the strip of grass in front of the villa. According to a daily, Kerville Holness purchased what he thought was a villa during a Broward online auction. Instead, he got a 1-footwide, 100-foot-long strip of land on Northwest 100th Way in Spring Lake. To add to his woes, Florida officials now say he is stuck with the deal, as state laws do not allow the refund he is seeking. The strip of land that Holness owns starts from the curb where

two mailboxes have been installed and goes under the wall separating the garages of two adjoining Spring Lake villas. It extends into the backyard of these homes. Speaking to the daily, Holness said that property appraiser pictures linked to the auction site showed the villa as being the parcel he was bidding on. “It’s deception,” he said adding, “There was no demarcation to show you it’s just a line going through [the villa duplex], even though they have the tools to show that.” However, the appraiser’s site and information on the county’s tax site, also show the negligible value of the property, saying that

the land takes up only 100 square feet and that the property is onefoot wide. The county also put a warning on the online auction site on Thursday telling investors to “do your research.” The bottom line? Read the fine print before buying anything on the internet. (Source: ndtv)

103-year-old sets a new world record for 50-metre dash

ere she is, as the Scorpions would say, rocking the 50-meter dash like a hurricane. Recently, 103-year-old Baton Rouge native Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins set a new world record in her division — the women’s 100-plus — by completing the 50-metre dash at the Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in just 46.07 seconds. Amazingly, this isn’t the only world record Hawkins holds. In 2017, the former teacher set her first world record (which she still holds) by finishing the 100-meter race in less than 40 seconds. “I thought it’d be neat to run at 100, and do

the 100-yard dash,” Hawkins told KRQE. Although family members say she has always been active, she only started running fairly recently — lacing up her sneakers for the first time at the age of 101. Hawkins, who credits the sport with keeping her mind and body sharp, says she has no plans of slowing down any time soon. Her preferred method of training? Walking around her garden. “I have an acre of land and I have 50 kinds of trees and I’m working on them all the time,” Hawkins said. While the “Hurricane” nickname is certainly befitting, the worldclass athlete has a better suggestion.

“I like the flower lady better.” Aside from maintaining her personal health, Hawkins has a nobler goal each time she picks up the pace. “I hope I’m inspiring other people to be healthy and to realize you can still be doing it at this kind of an age,” she said. (Source: msn.com)

Insta couple who say getting a job ‘isn’t an option’ seeking funds for their travels

husband and wife have been criticised after asking people to help fund their £9,000 trip to Africa. Catalin Onc, who is in his mid-20s, currently lives with his wife Elena Engelhardt at his mum’s house and wants to take part in the trip to raise awareness about mental health. His mum has two jobs to support them. So it came as a bit of a sting for some people when they got the begging bowl out saying they needed cash for their tandem bike ride from Germany to Africa. They set up a GoFundMe telling people that getting a job was not an option because there are few trades that they are qualified for. The couple said, “Some will just tell us to get jobs, like everyone else and stop begging. But when you have the impact we do on others’ lives, getting a job is not an option. We could model and make fast money, but we don’t want to advertise consumerism. A normal job at this point would be detrimental.” One person responded on Instagram saying: “Your mum works

two jobs to pay for your trip, don’t you think that’s impacting her mental health? It’s sad this isn’t all a joke, the self-importance you have is ridiculous.” Another added: “Or like, you know, get a job and pay for your little cycling trip yourself?” So far they have raised £180 of their target. Catalin added: “At this very moment, my mother is funding us, she works two jobs and has not much herself. We didn’t ask her for money but she loves that she is able to help. Mum, I want you to know that it is not only us but hundreds of others that benefit from your help.” Following criticism for their begging Instagram post, the couple respond-

ed saying: “This is how I feel when people make money the biggest topic. Having tattoos, a pretty girlfriend and followers on Instagram opens doors for us, it’s true. “We could live a lavish lifestyle and only show that like most people on social media do. We choose not to. We have seen how people are around us when we have money and when we don’t. I wish you all could experience this. Some people are quick to judge and speak. At this very moment we don’t have much, we are accepting money from my mother and also donations but we don’t hide that. This situation is teaching us a lot.” Speaking about the motives for their bike ride, one man asked: “I like you both a lot and have been following your posts for a while now but I just don’t really get how this helps people with mental health issues like me? This just seems like an adventure and a fun trip for you both and it has no significant reason to help anyone else in any way.” (Source: metro.co.uk)

University of Lynchburg adding Harry Potter class to its curriculum

hile it’s not exactly an invitation to Hogwarts, students at Virginia’s University of Lynchburg are getting just about the next best thing. This fall, the campus is adding a Harry Potter-themed class to its curriculum as a general education course. The university is in the process of changing some of its course offerings and streamlining classes in recognition of its modern students. Dr Sharon Foreman, director of general education, said of the new curriculum: “It is very targeted towards 21st century students who are going out into a global society and so we want faculty, staff and administrators to know what that means, what it looks like, and to experience it first-hand.” Faculty have decided providing an education for a global society includes offering courses like the upcoming “Harry Potter and the Good Life,” which will ask students to read JK Rowling’s books alongside the

works of philosophers to create connections between the past and present. University of Lynchburg coordinator of integrated seminars, Amy Merrill Willis, said that the course’s instructor, Devin Brickhouse Bryson, is “going to be introducing philosophical concepts from Plato, Socrates and Aristotle, and asking students to think about the Harry Potter series in depth.” Although there may not be a sorting hat or Butterbeer involved, the class sounds like a creative way to engage students in philosophy and critical issues, all the while focused on the beloved Harry Potter series. (Source: mentalfloss)

Indian family branches out with novel tree house

hen the Kesharwanis decided to branch out and expand their family home, they came up with a novel way of dealing with an ancient giant fig tree in their garden: they built the house around it. Now the thick trunk of the 150-year-old tree is the central feature of their residence, growing through the middle of the building in the city of Jabalpur. “We are nature lovers and my father insisted that we keep the tree,” said Yogesh Kesharwani, whose parent built the house in 1994 with the help of an engineer friend. “The tree is some 150 years old. We knew it was easy to cut the tree but difficult to grow one like it,” he said. The fig tree, known as peepal in Hindi, is considered sacred by many in India and cutting one down is considered inauspicious. “We believe that 350 million gods and goddesses reside in one peepal tree. The tree is also mentioned in the Geeta,” (a Hindu religious text), said Kesharwani. His wife can pray without having to leave home, sitting

before the tree in the mornings. The family also wanted to send the message that people can put down roots in the middle of nature without destroying anything. The four-storey building is a local landmark because of its unique facade. Leafy branches jut out from the windows, dwarfing the building and prompting curious looks from passers-by. “When the house was first built, engineering students used to come here to try and understand the unique design,” Kesharwani said. The tree has never caused any practical problems to the family, insisted Kesharwani. “We don’t even realise that the tree exists because it doesn’t come in our way. It just stands there silently.” (Source: AFPnews)

18 Review

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Arjan Bajwa, Suresh Oberoi, Kamini Kaushal, Adil Hussain, Nikita Dutta, Soham Majum Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Movie Review

Kabir Singh

hahid Kapoor steps into Vijay Devarakonda’s shoes in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh, a remake of the director’s own 2017 Telugu smash hit Arjun Reddy. The Bollywood actor, and the rest of the cast, represent the only alterations effected in this totally redundant reiteration of the tale of a young orthopaedic surgeon who goes on a self-destructive rampage when the medical college junior he loves is prevented from marrying him. Every shot, every scene, every camera angle and every line from Arjun Reddy is replicated in Kabir Singh, leaving one wondering why the director felt the need to mount a separate Hindi version

in the first place when all that he has done is give us the same film all over again with merely the language and setting changed for the benefit of a pan-Indian audience. He could have well dubbed Arjun Reddy and re-released it nationwide. In any case, Kabir Singh is a hugely problematic film. The bloated, overlong love story seeks to lend a veneer of normality to acts of dreadful delinquency and sickening misogyny by painting an empathetic portrait of a wayward doctor who lets heartbreak get the better of him, in the process endangering the life of a patient every time he picks up a scalpel to perform a surgery. The film’s protagonist, already dealing

with serious anger management issues, goes completely over the edge and turns into a womanizer, an alcoholic and a drug addict when the Sikh girl (Kiara Advani) he thinks he owns marries another man under pressure from her orthodox family. As all hell breaks loose and his life and career spiral out of control, the audience is expected to summon sympathy for a painfully self-absorbed character who cannot see beyond his own nose. His insolence and sense of entitlement know no bounds. It is one thing to be a flawed hero wronged by circumstances but quite another to be an insufferable lout born with the belief that a woman cannot but play along when a man makes up his mind on matters of the heart. One key scene from Arjun Reddy is inexplicably done away with in Kabir Singh. It robs the protagonist of the only moment in the three-hour drama where he makes the right noises, however faux. He takes umbrage at sexist remarks about air hostesses that a bloke who has just jetted in from London makes. The hero is livid and gives the guy a piece of his mind. This sequence is obviously meant to underscore that our man is not all bad. He has the right ideas until he is unsettled by rejection. Kabir Singh provides no such glimpse into his mind. Kiara Advani is trapped in a role that requires her to be no more than a sounding board designed for periodic ego massages for the male protagonist. Veteran actress Kamini Kaushal, playing the hero’s sagacious, sensitive granny, endeavours to inject some warmth into the story. Unfortunately, Kabir Singh is beyond redemption. Strictly for Shahid Kapoor fans. Review from NDTV. n

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Asus 6Z

he Asus 6Z is a well-priced phone with some seriously powerful hardware and a rotating camera system that not only eliminates the screen notch, but also aims to give users the best possible quality for selfies. Design: For a phone with a 6.4-inch screen, 5000mAh battery and mechanical camera module, the Asus 6Z is pretty slick. It doesn’t feel bulky. The front of this phone is completely minimalist, with really nothing other than the screen to be seen. The chin is very slightly thicker than the rest of the borders, but that’s only visible when the screen is on. Of course the main attraction is the flip-up camera module. There are two cameras with a dual-LED flash and laser autofocus sensor

between them. When you tap a button in the camera app or trigger face recognition, the module will flip up so the cameras face forwards. The mechanism is a bit loud and it takes over a second to flip fully. You can also rotate the module manually and have it open at any angle. The blue-ringed power button is low down on the right so it’s within reach, and the volume rocker is right above it. Asus has put an unusual fourth button on the right of this phone; a multifunction Smart Key that is set to trigger various Google Assistant

functions but can be customised to do several other things. This button isn’t very reachable but has a dotted texture so you don’t mistake it for anything else. There’s a USB Type-C port on the bottom, and many people will be very happy to see a 3.5mm audio socket next to it. There’s also a speaker which works with the earpiece as a stereo pair. The tray on the left can accommodate two Nano-SIMs and a microSD card. Specifications and Software: The phone has a top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. This is an octa-core chip with a mix of eight Kryo 485 Silver and Gold CPU cores for power efficiency and performance respectively, in addition to an integrated Adreno 640 GPU. The 6.4-inch screen has a fullHD+ 1080x2340 resolution. It sup-

ports the HDR10 standard with a maximum brightness of 600nits, and Asus says it can display the full DCI-P3 colour space. It’s made using Gorilla Glass 6 which is slightly rounded at the sides. Asus has launched this phone in three variants in India: you can get 6GB of RAM with 64GB or 128GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. There’s also dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5 with aptX

HD support, NFC, dual-band GPS plus other international navigation systems, and FM radio. The box includes a transparent hard plastic case, an 18W charger, USB Type-C cable, an Asus ZenEars Pro headset tuned by 1More, two extra pairs of rubber ear tips, and a SIM eject pin. Verdict: Asus has thought of plenty to do with the rotating camera module and has tried to compensate for not having an immediately available front-facing camera, but it might take some getting used to. The main advantages of this design are that you get a clean, notchfree screen, and very high-quality selfies. On the downside, face recognition isn’t as frictionless and the mechanical module does need to be handled with care. Review from NDTV Gadget. n

Fiction

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

My Land’s End

was quite tired waiting up for them to arrive; but the chance to meet my friend Raja’s sister Dheera and her friend Rosie who were visiting him from Kolkata was enough enticement to stay awake and also just nurse the one drink I had mentally decided to have before they arrived. It was the month of December with the chill coming in and they wanted to come for a rabbit hunt with me just to experience the thrill of a hunt. Finally I heard his car horn at the gate and I went out to receive them. They were late as the two young women had waited to cook a chicken dish for us and it was around 11 pm when we were off in my jeep to a new tea section in the garden where I had previously shot some rabbits. We did see a couple of rabbits but the ladies wilted in the end and did not want to kill them so we just saw them running around in the glare of the lights for some time before returning to the bungalow. They had got their thrill and fun and I was also happy for them. None of us were keen to have dinner just then so I asked them if they wanted to come out for a night picnic to my personal favourite place about 10 kilometres away which I had discovered during the first month of my joining our garden and which I fondly called “Land’s End.” This place was a very big meadow used for grazing the cattle of the nearby villages and it was adjacent to the spot where the Boroi River joined up with the Brahmaputra forming eddies making a lovely sound all yearround. It was a beautiful place with some big Peepul trees where the wind rustled though its leaves and offered me a cool shade to pitch my tent whenever I came there either for the night or the day. I visited this place more during hot summer days when I spent some Sundays writing poems or sketching pictures and listening to music on my small cassette player. During winters I came to this place at times for hunting the wild geese that came to feed in their thousands on the sweet pea and kesari dal cultivation on the riverine islands dotted all over the mighty Brahmaputra river. I had some friends in the local village nearby and used their country boats and their guidance as they knew the area well. I brought only a very few of my very close friends there and of course my family who also camped with me a few times on the sandbanks. I spent countless hours here beneath the big tree watching the river Brahmaputra in the different phases of the season and never got tired of hearing the sounds of the water during high floods and meandering winter currents. Here I truly got to appreciate how man is only a small speck in the macrocosm of life - a journey like the river touching different banks as we meet friends and make

lovely memories. Coming back to that night with my friend and the two young women we drove for about half an hour and arrived at “Land’s End” carrying our dinner with us and some drinks. The moon was up and the scene there was ethereal with the pale moonlight illuminating the white sand banks in the distance. The river sounds were softly playing in the background and my guests admired the place mesmerized by the stark beauty. Dheera and her friend had never been to a place like this though they were both well travelled and had been working in a Singapore bank straight after college. Soon with the drinks the conversation and laughter peaked and we ate our dinner leisurely all the while admiring nature at her best from close quarters. Suddenly we made out a group of people walking up to us with a lantern and two dogs that started barking when they came close to us. Raja was getting a bit alarmed but I recognized some of the intruders. They also knew me; they had come to see who had come there so late at night and I explained to them that we had come to see this place and enjoy a night picnic with some city dwellers. Everyone was relaxed as they sat down close by and I requested them to tell a few stories of the river and floods. A young man in the group who had a large herd of buffalos for milk production told us how he had to send his animals to graze on the sandbanks which had very good grass for them and they fattened up for about two months. The sandbanks had large patches of rich alluvial soil where the grass grew in abundance and was rich in nutrients most

The moon was up and the scene there was ethereal with the pale moonlight illuminating the white sand banks in the distance. The river sounds were softly playing in the background and my guests admired the place mesmerized by the stark beauty. beneficial for his buffalos to increase their milk production. But there was the danger of tigers that often swam across the river from the Kaziranga sanctuary in the distance on the other side of the river. Tigers were very good swimmers and at times they came to these sandbanks perhaps having hunted there before and this young man had to guard his buffalo herd. On one such occasion, he and his uncle were there when a tiger attacked at dusk and his uncle, while trying to fend off the beast with a big stick and a dao, was badly bitten in his hand. The buffalos were always kept in a corral like enclosure and a big buffalo could put up a fight. But that time the tiger attack had come earlier before the men lit the fire which was used to scare off all predators. They were lucky as the tiger was driven off and the young nephew was able to stem the

blood flow with a tight Ranjan Kumar Choudhury cloth when ranjanchou@hotmail.com hearing the commotion letters as we had struck some other herders had come in up a friendship and we met once force to help them. They were again when she was back to spend ferried back to the mainland a week with Raja in the summer; and his uncle was able to receive in fact we used to meet regularly timely medical help which saved after work either in his bungalow his life. or my place and once in the weekly However he had to carry the club day. That was the problem scars all his life. By the end of his in Tea. One just could not build story the two young women came a relationship on a long distance up closer to me and asked if any basis and though Raja knew and tigers would come that night. I after a few drinks we used to open assured them that there was no up it was too late as she came danger and I was quite happy back in the winter in December to boost up their morale. It was to attend the annual club night getting close to 4 am and becoming with her husband whom she met a bit chilly when the group left in Kolkata and got married due to wishing us all the best and also lit family pressures. I realized then a small fire to keep us warm. We that this was why Raja had been thanked them for their company avoiding me in the past few weeks and I warmed up the last bit of as he did not want to break the coffee in the kettle and as it was news to me. I wished them both a Sunday and a holiday we could the very best but Dheera and I did wait and see the sunrise soon. not look at one another directly. I Thus once more we sat silently, was definitely crestfallen and the huddled in some blankets that I next day I spent the whole day at had hurriedly packed up from the Land’s End thinking about what house, and watched the eastern could have been. The silence and sky light up slowly around six at earthy feeling that I always got dawn as the crimson red sun rose from going to that place was like dispelling the light mists in the a healing balm to my soul and I sky with the birth of a new day. It learnt to get over her and move on. was a magical setting with one of The years rolled by and I heard my favourite numbers by Ritchie that within a year of her marriage Blackmoore of Rainbow called Dheera had separated from her “July Morning” playing in the husband and had remarried a few background. None of us wanted years later settling in Mumbai. In to leave that lovely place and the the meantime my little paradise women thanked me profusely for on earth the Land’s End was eaten this fantastic outing but it was up by erosion and it is only a third actually I who was on song with of the meadow that I had known; Raja also genuinely happy at how the big Peepul tree was felled and the evening had played out. a few small ones remain now. I Dheera and I kept in touch had stopped going there since. n mainly through a few cards and

20 Fun Jayashree Bose

24th & 28th June will be great days to schedule important meetings & share ideas with seniors. On 27th June, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. On 26th June, you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work. Be careful while dealing with the opposite gender on 23rd June, ladies should avoid blind dates.

22nd June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host important meetings on this day. Lay low on 26th & 27th June as you are bound to have disagreements with people at work or there could be changes in your work place.

Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, jbose@jayashreebose.com

Use June 26th to host meetings, share ideas with superiors & network with business associates. Avoid hosting any meetings on 28th June as you are bound to have disagreements. On 25th June, you will feel others are ungrateful especially your seniors or parents. 22nd June will be a slow day for you.

June 27th & 28th will be great days to connect with seniors & share your ideas with them, you could host important meetings on these dates. You will feel betrayed by someone at work or your seniors on 24th June. It’s not a day to trust others with your secrets.

28th June will be a great day to share ideas with seniors & build a relationship with them, host important meetings on this day. On 24th June, be careful of your words & actions, as you will create your own problems. On 23rd June, you will be betrayed by someone close to you.

26th, 27th, 28th June will be excellent days to schedule important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. On 22nd June, try to keep a low profile. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with seniors on 25th June, as you might not get the outcome you desire.

22nd & 27th June will be great days to share your ideas with seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. Watch your words & actions on 26th June, as you could create your own problems. You could have a fall out with one of your workmates or your seniors on 23rd June.

26th June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day. 27th June will be a slow day for you. Go out for a Sunday brunch or coffee on 23rd June, just connect with your parents & your seniors.

24th June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day. Avoid hosting any meetings on 22nd & 25th June, as things will not go according to plan. 28th June will be a slow day for you.

Avoid meeting up with seniors or extended family on 25th June as things will not go according to plan. 24th June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day. On 23rd June, be careful while dealing with your parents or superiors.

22nd, 23rd & 26th June will be great days to share your ideas with seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. On 23rd June, you should spend time with your parents & connect with them. Watch yourself on 24th & 27th June, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation.

You are going to have an amazing week. 22nd, 23rd, 26th & 27th June are ideal days to mingle with seniors, people at work & build your work network. Host a brunch/evening coffee, invite seniors or catch up with your parents on 23rd June. Avoid hosting any meetings on 25th & 28th June, as things will not go according to plan.

Sudoku 9 3 8 9

8 7 5 5 6 4 9 6 5 2

Le moment de briller (Dare to Shine) is the official logo of which ongoing sports tournament?

Professor Steven Stern has a day job as a professor of Data Science at Bond Business School, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia. However, he is the custodian of what contentious system of resolving something in the world of sports?

Which popular dessert derives its name from the French verb for blow out?

Identify this famous dish which shares its name with a popular animation film from 2007? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert By Scott Adams

curio-city

Which famous hotel chain started off as a Root beer franchise shop of A&W Root beer in Washington DC in 1927?

3 7

Daily Sudoku: Fri 14-Jun-2019

hard

5 last 4 8week 7 3solution 2 1 6 9 9 7 6 5 1 8 3 4 2 9 1 5 6 8 4 7 2 3 3 1 2 9 6 4 5 8 7 6 7 3 1 5 2 4 9 8 8 9 1 4 2 7 6 5 3 8 4 2 9 7 3 6 5 1 6 3 5 8 9 1 7 2 4 3 8 1 7 6 5 9 4 2 4 2 7 3 5 6 9 1 8 2 9 6 4 3 1 5 8 7 1 5 4 2 7 9 8 3 6 7 5 4 8 2 9 3 1 6 2 6 9 1 8 3 4 7 5 5 6 7 2 4 8 1 3 9 7 8 3 6 4 5 2 9 1 4 Sudoku: 2 Thu 9 20-Jun-2019 3 1 7 8 6 5hard Daily

1 3 8 5 9 6 2 7 4 hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week insipience knackered

1. 2. 3. 4.

Monabari Tea Estate JW Marriot FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system, the mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited overs’ match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. After the retirement of Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, he has been taking care of this system. Souffle Ratatouille

Owned by McLeod Russel Private Limited, situated in Biswanath district of Assam, it is the largest tea estate in size not only in Assam but entire Asia, producing 3 million kgs of tea every year. What estate is this?

5. 6.

9 6 5 8 1 7 8 9 2 1 8 6 5 1 7 9 6 7 4 1 6 3 7 3 5 2 2 3 1 Daily Sudoku: Thu 20-Jun-2019 hard 1 5 6 2 4

Daily Sudoku: Fri 14-Jun-2019

curio-city

These predictions are based on the month of birth and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.

noun adjective [in-sip-ee-uhns] [nak-erd] Archaic. British Slang. lackexhausted; of wisdom; foolishness. very tired

Crossword Across

Down

1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin-operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Role of rice in Vaastu Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

ore than 65% of the world’s population reside in countries like China, India, Bangladesh and a host of other South East Asian countries. In all these countries rice constitutes their staple diet. Besides the food value of rice, it is used in many rituals in these countries. Western and European countries use rice as confetti in weddings and other rituals. During Makar Sankranti in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, there is a separate community festival of harvesting rice by chanting songs and hymns. Vaastu as well as Feng Shui have a high regard for rice. The rice bowl is supposed to indicate the fortune of a family. In villages of India, the richness of people is measured by the possession of the number of rice storage bowls or bhorals.

There are certain rules

he rice urn should be kept hidden from general view. It is like hiding your money or jewels.

for storing rice. Some of them include: he rice urn should never be allowed to be empty. It is considered bad luck for the household to run out of rice. So fill it up before it is empty.

Vaastu says that the rice bowl should be kept in the southwest, west or south of the kitchen or store as it is one of the heaviest items.

The rice urn should be always kept closed. Besides keeping it away from rats and cockroaches, keeping the rice urn closed means your wealth is protected.

The rice cooker or pot should not be kept upside down after washing because it signifies that it is empty. It should be kept upright.

Plastic containers should not be used to store rice. Ceramic or clay pots are better to store rice so that the earth energy is obtained. Wooden urns are also not bad. Feng Shui recommends that some real money like coins wrapped in red packets should be kept at the bottom of the rice urn.

This is supposed to increase the family wealth. Every

Tips to keep cool this summer

year, this should be topped up with a fresh red packet.

In Mahabharata, there is a story of Draupadi being tested by Lord Vishnu when he comes in the guise of a hungry sage at an odd time and demands food or else there would be dire consequences. There was nothing in the house but there was a grain of rice left in the rice pot. Draupadi offered that grain of rice to lord Vishnu and he was pleased and blessed her. Thus, it is said that the rice bowl should be never kept empty.

Have you tasted life yet? Have you ever tasted failure?

ummer is here and the sun is scorching in its full glory. While the daylight outside is most welcome, the humid weather and heat wave are not. In this season, it is essential to take care of yourself and make sure you don’t fall ill. Here a few tips to keep you cool this hot and humid season.

The one that tastes just like medicine, With obnoxious smell and bitter savour, The one you hate, but the one that makes you better. Like that one pill you’ve to swallow, Every day before going to bed, Telling yourself that it’ll all be a bit better next day.

Drink water

Hydrating during this warm and humid weather is extremely essential. So make sure you drink a lot of water and schedule water breaks all throughout the day.

Eat foods that have high water content

Certain foods that have high water content are ideal for this season and eating them will keep you hydrated. Fruits and vegetables like watermelon, citrus limon (mousumbi), cucumber etc.

Eat Curd

Try and eat curd after lunch as it acts as an amazing cooling agent and it also aids in digestion.

Eat more vegetables As mentioned above, eating vegetables will aid in keeping you cool this summer as they have high water content. These vegetables can be eaten raw, boiled or cooked.

Have you ever tasted success? It’s like your first snort of cocaine, The best high you can ever have, The addiction that follows and If you get carried away, you get carried away. Have you ever tasted loneliness? It’s just like beer or like black coffee, You hate it when you first try it, But then you get the hang of it and It’s everything you ever wanted. Or the first cigarette you lit,

Drink liquids

You end up choking yourself but

Being hydrated is something that cannot be stressed enough. So, drink liquids such as lemonade, sugarcane juice and coconut water that keep you cool and prevent dehydration.

Then you can’t stop, can you? To be continued...

Antriksh Somany

22 Buzz

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

10 city school students win South Asia Maths Ninja Challenge 2019

en Students from NPS International School were awarded certificates for winning the South Asia Maths Ninja Challenge 2019 on June 20, 2019.

Students from Grade I to Grade XII participated in the online contest which took place from April 21 to May 10 to make Mathematics more interesting and to create innovative ways to

approach this subject. Students from countries such as Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Mauritius participated in this challenge. n

Assam girl wins gold at international taekwondo tournament

odali Barua from Tezpur, Assam has won gold in the 2nd edition of Indian Open International Taekwondo Championship held in Hyderabad where players from

25 countries participated in the tournament. Earlier, Rodali had participated in the World Taekwondo Championships in Korea in 2017 and she also won gold in the 35th National Senior Kyorugi

and 8th National Senior Pumche Taekwondo Championships held at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Rodali is the daughter of Anupam Barua and Runa Barua from Tezpur. n

Assam Karatekas shine at National Championship

ssam became runnersup in the KAI Sub-junior and Senior National Karate Championship which concluded at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on June 12. In the sub-junior category, Assam won six gold, four silver

medals. Hosts Delhi secured the third spot in the sub-junior category winning three gold medals. For Assam, Hemphu Bonjang won a gold and a silver medal while Edwik Mazumdar won one silver and a bronze. In the senior group, Delhi,

and four bronze medals to stand second while West Bengal topped the table with nine gold

Services and Arunachal Pradesh bagged the top three positions respectively. n

GU teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book released in Melbourne

nvisible Waves, Visible Changes: Community Radio Movement in Bangladesh,â&#x20AC;? a book jointly edited by Dr Ankuran Dutta of Gauhati University and Professor Mohd Sahid Ullah of Chittagong University, was released at Deakin University, Melbourne, on June 7. The book was launched at the International Conference on Citizen and Community Media by

scholars of mass communication of three continents, Dr Usha M Rodrigues of Deakin University, communication specialist Russell Anderson, UNESCO Chair Professor of the University of Hyderabad, Professor Vinod Pavarala, Dr Christina Spurgeon of Queensland University of Technology and Dr Emmanuel Munyarukumbuzi of University of Rwanda. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

Assam teen walks the ramp at Milan Fashion Week Men’s 2019

angkan Rabha, a 19-yearold boy from Assam, has become the first model from northeast India to walk the ramp at Milan Fashion Week Men’s 2019. He walked for Zenga, a fashion brand based in Milan that makes men’s clothing and accessories. Rabha is a student at Icon Academy, Guwahati and was quite excited at the offer to walk for the popular Italian brand. “Couldn’t ask for a better start. With the banner, @zegnaofficial Thank you so much for letting debut at your show,” he wrote on his Instagram account. The Milan Fashion Week Men’s 2019 was held from June 14 to June 17.

Guwahati girl among top 5 finalists in Super Dancer - Season 3

ayashree Gogoi, a 7-yearold from Assam, has made her place in the top five in ‘Super Dance Season 3,’ a dance reality show for children. The winner of the show will be selected from these finalists based on who manages to secure the maximum number of votes.

The winner will be announced on June 23, following the counting of votes. Super Dance is a dance reality show for children, which airs on Sony TV. The judges in the show include veteran actor Shilpa Shetty, choreographer Geeta Kapoor and film director, Anurag Basu.

Short film ‘Letters from Deuta’ features in multiple film fests Kalyan Kumar Kalita

n the occasion of Father’s Day, June 16, a short film depicting the emotional relationship between father and daughter was released. The film, written and directed by

well-known film-maker Arunjit Borah, produced by Gopal Jalan under the banner of “Jalan Films” is titled “Letters from Deuta” (Letters from my Father). The conce pt of the film

“Letters from Deuta” was by Prashant Dagha, whereas dialogues have been penned by Rajdweep. The film is about the emotional journey of a daughter and her father through the letters preserved. It is a story that depicts that life can prove to be the best journey if you master the art of living. The key roles in this 17-minute

length short film have been essayed by Namita Bharali, Priyashree Kashyap, Prachi Das, Aditya Gogoi, Prashant Dagha, Arunjit Borah, Rupesh Tambe, Farha and some creative artists of TikTok Model Agency, Mumbai. The film’s cinematography has been done by Gyan Gautam, edited by Rantu Chetia, promo editor is Prodip Paul, mixing engineer Boloy Kumar Doloi, art director Sujanya Kolte,

Rima Das’s ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ to feature in LIFF 2019

R sound designer is Manas Protim Goswami, DI colorist is Prathvesh Hegde, makeup by Sakshi Goel and Team whereas costume by Priyanka Harishchandra. The film’s chief assistant director is Pranjal Goyari, assistant director Aditya Gogoi, production controller Rupesh Tambe and music-vocal by Mayur Nagpal. The film has alre ady be e n screened at various film festivals. It received official selection at the 5th Darbhanga International Film Festival 2018, 8th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2018, Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati 2018, 4th International Short Film Festival Pune 2018, Inshort Film Festival 2018, Nile’s Diaspora International Film Festival 2018 and it was also selected in the semi-finals in Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival 2018, Los Angeles Cine Fest. It also got the Jury Special Mentions Award in Heritage Short Film Competition 2018.

ima Das’s film “Bulbul Can Sing” is all set to screen at the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival 2019 in London, United Kingdom. The film has already been screened at various film festivals across the world and has also won many awards. The film, Das’s third fe ature film, stars Arnali Das, Manoranjan Das, Banita Thakuriya and Pakija Begam and is about

three teenage best friends in rural Assam, northeast India, who are forging their distinct personalities. But as the girls secretly meet boys, they soon come face to face with outmoded cultural traditions that challenge their family and place in the community, but most importantly their bonds as loyal friends. The London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) 2019 will be held from 20th June to 29th June in London.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | June 22 - June 28, 2019

PIC OF THE