Indian Abroad November 1-15, 2021 Vol 1 Issue 18 by IndianAbroad

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

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Modi meets Indian diaspora in Rome Dr JAGADISH KRISHNAN: From an assiduous physician to an exemplary leader - Page 5

Walk Together organised in Gold Coast -Page 4

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi -Page 7

New Delhi/Rome, Oct 30: On the first day of his visit to Rome ahead of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Indian diaspora in the Italian capital city. On Friday, the Prime Minister

met and interacted with several Indologists and Sanskrit experts from Italian universities. "The Prime Minister noted their interest in Indian culture, literature and practice of yoga and Ayurveda

Kejriwal invokes Lord Ram ahead of assembly polls in 5 states Indian Community Centre in Perth inaugurated -Page 9

Where are Indians travelling to this festive season? -Page 22

Devi Mahatmyam: Glory of the Goddess -Page 27

Keeping up with heritage brocades -Page 29

New Delhi, Oct 29: Ahead of Assembly elections in five states, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has started chanting Lord Ram's name to garner votes. Earlier this week, the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener performed an aarti at Saryu river, offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi and visited Ram Lalla in Ayodhya during his two-day trip to the holy city on October 25 and 26. If that is not enough, he has announced to participate in a Diwali Pooja at Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium, where preparations are on to install a 30-ft-tall replica of Lord Ram for the evening event. Post his return from Ayodhya and about a week ahead of Diwali, Kejriwal has asked people to join him in 'Diwali pooja' via their television sets. "I will perform Diwali Pooja with my cabinet ministers at 7 o'clock on November 4. I would like

two crore people of the capital to join me," he said in an address with 'Om Jai Jagdish' tune playing in the background. In 2020, he performed Diwali Puja at Akshardham Temple. On October 27, the chief minister also added Ayodhya to the Mukhyamantri Tirth Kalyan Yojna -- a scheme under which Delhiites are provided free travel by AC trains and stay in AC hotels. "Ayodhya has made it to the list of Mukhyamantri Tirth Kalyan Yojna in addition to other pilgrimage sites like Jagannath Puri, Ujjain, Shirdi, Amritsar, Jammu, Dwarka, Mathura, Tirupati, Rameshwaram, Haridwar, Bodh Gaya. The Delhi government will assist those who want to visit Ram Lalla in Ayodhya free of cost," the Chief Minister said while making the announcement. Continued on page 13

and lauded the role played by them in strengthening the ties between India and Italy," a release from the Ministry of External Affairs said at New Delhi. Modi also met and interacted with various organisations, including the representatives of Italian Congregation for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The Prime Minister appreciated their contribution in several social activities, including spreading the message of Bhagavad Gita in Italy, the release said. He also interacted with the community members and the representatives of Italian Hindu Union-Sanatana Dharma Samgha and lauded the role played by them in propagating Indian culture in Italy. In a separate meeting, the Prime Minister met representatives of Sikh community and institutions involved in the commemoration of Indian soldiers, who had fought in Italy during World War I and World War II. "The Prime Minister paid tributes to the valour shown by Indian soldiers in these wars," the release added. Modi is in Rome for the 16th G20 Summit two days, after which he will head to Glasgow for the UN COP26.

SRK goes to fetch Aryan Khan from jail on bail

Mumbai, Oct 30: For the second time in two days, Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan drove out in a motorcade on Saturday to fetch his son Aryan, who is expected to be released on bail soon. Shah Rukh Khan left his Bandra home 'Mannat' at around 8 a.m. with aides, lawyers and security even as it transpired that it could be several hours more before Aryan actually walks out of the Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) at Chinchpokli. The megastar took a break at a fivestar hotel en route, partook in some light refreshments and kept a vigil in the vehicle for Aryan, who he last met inside the ARCJ on October 21. ARCJ Superintendent Nitin Waychal

confirmed to the hordes of mediapersons teeming outside the jail that Aryan's bail documents have been received and scrutinised. "The pre-release formalities are currently underway inside the jail. He did not get any special treatment... He is likely to be released between 10 a.m. and 12 noon along with other inmates," Waychal added. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police have deployed huge security, barricades and roadblocks at various points to stop the fans of both SRK and Aryan crowding around the actor's home and near the ARCJ, besides many lining up the roads from Bandra to Chinchpokli, a distance of around 15 km.

Canberra capital eases Covid curbs Canberra, Oct 29: Coronavirus restrictions in Australia's capital Canberra have eased significantly as residents of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) were no longer required to wear facemasks outdoors from Friday. For the first time since early August, Canberra's arts and entertainment venues including cinemas and theatres have reopened for up to 75 per cent of their seating capacity, reports Xinhua news agency. Patron caps for hospitality venues have been increased to a maximum

of 25 people inside. Households can have up to 10 visitors, up from five previously, and up to 30 people can gather outdoors. Fitness classes and team sports have also been given the green light to resume. The ACT has the highest Covid-19 vaccine rate in Australia, with more than 92 per cent of the population aged 12 and over fully inoculated. Australia on Friday morning reported 1,934 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases, 10 of which were in

the ACT. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said 85.2 per cent of people over 50s and nearly 90 per cent of those over 70s have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. He announced A$180 million ($135 million) in funding for primary care networks to support Covid-19 patients recovering at home. "As we open up, we know that there will be more cases that will be treated at home because people will be fully vaccinated," he said.

Karnal welcomes home deported son Vishal Jood 2 4-year-old Vishal Jood who had been sentenced to twelve months imprisonment in New South Wales in September this year, was released recently after being incarcerated for six months since April. The youth who hails from Karnal in the Indian state of Haryana was deported back to India and is now back in his hometown. “Attempts to undermine Australia’s social cohesion will not be tolerated,” tweeted Australia’s Minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs Alex Hawke corroborating Jood’s expulsion from Australia after he got his parole. At the time of his arrest, he had been residing in Australia on an expired student visa. Continued on page 10

Deepika: Being an athlete played a big role in shaping my personality -Page 34 www.indianabroad.news

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Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

BANGLADESH RIOTS 4 arrested in B'desh over Protests continue in NE states against B'desh communal violence

IANS

Agartala, Oct 21: Protests against the recent communal violence in Bangladesh continued in Tripura and other northeastern states with the CPI-M and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday urging the government in Dhaka to protect the lives and properties of the minorities and their religious institutions. A VHP delegation on Thursday met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner (AHC) in Agartala, Mohammad Jobayed Hosen and urged him to request the Dhaka government to ensure action against those who carried out the violence.

The VHP sent a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the AHC demanding to protect the lives and properties of the Hindus and punish the perpetrators. The Communist Party of IndiaMarxist's (CPI-M) Tripura Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said that fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh as part of their pre-planned conspiracies attacked the minorities in the violence which ended last week. "We believe that the Bangladesh government would take strict action against those who attacked and

vandalized the houses and properties of minorities," said Chaudhury, who is also the central committee member of the Left party. In a separate event, 13 mass and social organisations also on Thursday jointly met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner demanding full protection of the minorities. In view of the violence, a three-day film festival of the Bangladesh government in Agartala, which was scheduled to commence on Thursday, has been postponed "due to unavoidable circumstances". "In the proposed film festival, 34 films, mostly on 'Mukti Yuddha' (1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh), were planned to be screened from October 21 to 23 in the Rabindra Satabarshiki Auditorium," an official told IANS. As per media reports, the mob violence erupted in Comilla on October 13, after unconfirmed posts went viral on social media about the alleged desecration of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue, following which Hindu temples were vandalised. Reports quoting Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad, the death toll in the communal violence in Bangladesh has increased to six, while at least 70 Hindu temples and scores of houses and huge properties were damaged across the country.

Jamaat leader pleads guilty to communal attack in B'desh Dhaka, Oct 22: Jamaat-e-Islami leader Kamaluddin Abbasi has pleaded guilty to his involvement in an attack on a Durga puja mandap in Bangladesh's Hajiganj earlier this month. He made confession on Thursday evening in the court of Chandpur Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Kamaluddin. In his statement, he also revealed the names of the other persons involved in the incident, said Milan Mahmud, superintendent of Chandpur Police. A group of the militants attacked the Hajiganj Bazar temple after 8 p.m. on October 13. When the police tried to control the situation, there was a clash with the attackers.

IANS

A total of five people were killed in the ensuing violence. CCTV footage of the attack showed Abbasi leading the violence. About 5,000 unidentified persons

have been accused in 10 cases of the nationwide violence, and the police have arrested 29 people so far. According to Mahmud, an operation is underway to nab the other perpetrators.

vandalising Hindu temple

IANS

Dhaka, Oct 17: Four people, including an Imam, were arrested in Bangladesh's Kishoreganj district in association with the vandalisation and looting of a Hindu temple. According to the police, the arrested persons -- Mamunur Rashid, 22, two teenagers aged 15 and 16 and Kafil Uddin, a 50-year-old village doctor -- admitted to their crimes on Saturday. The violent incident took place on Friday at the Kali Mandir in Kadim Maijhati area. The miscreants entered the temple, vandalised five idols and fled. The attack took place just as the worshipers were preparing to immerse the idol. According to the police, Rashid, who

Dhaka, Oct 19: The death toll in the communal violence in Bangladesh has increased to six, while at least 70 Hindu temples were vandalised across the country, said Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad. The spate of atrocities started on October 13 in Cumilla district, which quickly spread to other parts of the country including Chandpur, Noakhali, Kishoreganj, Chittagong, Feni and Rangpur. So far, seven police officials of Rangpur and Feni were withdrawn on an instant order issued by President Abdul Hamid. But the Responsible officer in charge of Kotwali, Chittagong, is still in his charge. Sixty-six families in Rangpur's Boro Karimpur fishing village have been displaced after their homes were destroyed in the violence. The perpetrators also vandalised two shops and two temples in the area, looted all valuables and cashes. The Hindu fishermen on Monday said their neighbourhood was attacked from all sides. Meanwhile, the country has also witnessed continued protests against the violence. On Sunday, thousands of people blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka for around three hours. Joydeep Datta, a Dhaka University student, placed a seven-point

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had put them in jail. To put an end to human suffering and genocide caused by neighbouring country was the 'Raja Dharma' (duty of a ruler) and 'Rashtra Dharma' (duty of a nation) of our country," he said. He said that whenever there is a necessity, India has stood with justice and humanity. "The 1971 war was fought on this basis. Even today, the country is treading the same path and in future also it will continue to be on the same path," he noted. About the 1971 war, Rajnath Singh said India had to manage on many fronts, and the victory would not have been possible without politico-military synergy. "On one hand we had to support the Mukti Bahini movement, on the other hand we had to deal with lakhs of refugees on

IANS

Dhaka, Oct 23: Seven persons have been killed and several others injured in an attack on a madrasa at a Rohingya camp in Bangladesh's Ukhiya upazila of Cox's Bazar district, officials said. The deceased have been identified as Hafez Md. Idris, 32, Ibrahim Hossain, 24, Azizul Haque, 22, and Md. Amin, 32, Madrasa teachers Nur Alam, Hamidullah, 55, and another student Nur Kaiser, 15 The militants on Friday attacked Darul Ulum Nadwatul Ulama AlIslamia Madrasa, 8th APBN deputy captain Kamran Hossain told IANS. Among the injured, three died on the way to hospital, he said, adding that a person named Mujib was detained in this connection.

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demand in the protest programme. The demands include highest punishment of the attackers, renovation of the affected temples, establishing a separate ministry or commission for the minorities and compensation for the looted shops and houses of Hindus. A five-member representative of the protesters went to the Prime Minister's Office to place a memorandum with the demands. The protesters later withdrew their blockade setting a 24-hour ultimatum to fulfil their demands. "If the government doesn't fulfil the demands, we will block the Shahbagh intersection again and continue our protest," said Joydeep. "We want exemplary punishment for those involved in these attacks," demanded Prof Mihir Lal Saha, provost of DU's Jagannath Hall, during the protest. In a separate programme on Monday eveving, the Progressive Student Alliance staged a demonstration in front of the National Museum and demanded punishment of the attackers, ensuring safety of minorities and resignation of the home minister for "his failure to provide security to minorities". In Chittagong, different organisations staged protest programmes demanding arrest and exemplary punishment of the attackers. Members of the Chattogram Mahanagar Puja Udjapan Parishad formed a human chain in front of

New York, Oct 22 (IANS): While asking Bangladesh authorities to protect Hindus, the international group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said law enforcement should act "with caution and restraint". "The authorities need to be de-escalating violence, not shooting live ammunition into a crowd," HRW's Asia Director Brad Adams said in a statement issued by the group here. "Bangladesh authorities are dealing with an extremely stressful situation that could easily escalate into even more bloodshed, unless law enforcement acts with caution and restraint," he added. HRW's statement did not identify or directly condemn those carrying out the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, but turning to India it said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has "called on Narendra Modi's government to quell communal violence in India, where the ruling party has fueled violence targeting the minority Muslim community". However, HRW acknowledged that "Hindus, who make up about 10 per cent of Bangladesh's Muslimmajority population, have repeatedly come under attack". "Since the first attacks, mobs have torched dozens of Hindu homes and vandalized temples and statues throughout the country." The HRW statement quoted a Bangladeshi human rights group, Ain o Salish Kendra, as reporting that "at least 3,679 attacks on the Hindu community since January 2013, including vandalism, arson, and targeted violence" have taken place.

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IANS

Chattogram Press Club. "If the attacks are not stopped, we would be compelled to declare tougher programmes," they said. In Cumilla, a 20-member delegation of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) on Monday visited puja mandaps of Nanua Dighirpar area, which came under attack on October 13. In Tangail, members Hindu community formed a human chain and staged demonstration in front of the Tangail Press Club and Shaheed Minar. At Rajshahi University, several hundred students and teachers formed a human chain at the university's Paris Road. In Munshiganj, a human chain and protest rally was held at noon. In Narayanganj, hundreds of people under the banner of ISKCON and Sree Sree Radhagovinda Temple brought out processions and marched through different streets. In Lalmonirhat, several thousand people staged a demonstration and brought out a protest procession in the town.

HRW asks for protecting B'desh Hindus, but calls for law enforcement 'restraint'

IANS

Bengaluru, Oct 22 (IANS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that what Lord Rama did in Lanka, and and Lord Krishna did in Mathura, the Indian armed forces did the same in Bangladesh in 1971. He was speaking at the inaugural session of three-day conclave under Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations at Yelahanka Air Base here organised to celebrate the comprehensive victory of Indian armed forces that led to the birth of Bangladesh. "1971 war was not fought for taking land, or gaining control of skies... the main objective of the war was humanity and upholding the highest traditions of democracy. The neighbouring country which imposes martial law and emergency rule, instead of handing over power to Banga Bandhu's party leaders

Around hundreds of people were arrested over the attacks and the spread of communal hatred on social media. BGB personnel were deployed in 24 districts and security was beefed up at places of worship, police claimed.

Death toll in Bangladesh communal violence reaches 6

7 killed in What Ram did in Lanka, Krishna in Mathura, attack on Indian Army did in B'desh in '71: Rajnath madrasa in B'desh the East Pakistan border. Fourth was to ensure China does not meddle on the northern front and India was also obliged to retain its credibility with the international community," he said. He praised that the Indian government's decision to forge friendship ties with the then Soviet Union proved crucial as the world's other powers declined to support India. "When the 14 day war was waged from December 3, 1971, India was fully prepared politically, diplomatically, and militarily. The 14 day war had decimated Pakistan's army and became a glorious chapter in the history of Indian armed forces. The world witnessed the largest military surrender - of 93,000 soldiers - after the Second World War," he added. It was a triumph of 'dharma', he said. "When I say Dharma it won't mean a particular religion. The total Bangladesh war was managed by General Sam Manekshaw, a Parsi by religion; Indian Air Force chief was P.C Lal, a Hindu; Northern sector Air Marshal Latif was a Muslim; Eastern front was led by Jagjit Singh Aurora a Sikh; Major General J.F.R. Jacob who marched to Dhaka to negotiate surrender with Pakistan was a Jew. "It did not make any difference, all fought for humanity," he maintained. The scholars say that it was a classic example of a just war. Instead of military victory, India without taking any political control handed over the reins of the country to the local leaders, he said.

is an Imam, led the attack. Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shamsul Alam Siddiqui told IANS that Birendra Chandra Bormon, the vice president of the temple, lodged a case naming eight persons and some 35 unidentified others on Friday night. At least four persons have been killed and 70 others injured in the incidents of violence including attacks on Hindu temples across the country in the last three days. The radical attackers vandalised, torched, and looted more than 70 puja venues, 30 homes, and 50 shops of the minorities, according to Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC).

IANS

Adams said that Hasina "is facing a critical moment to show in words and action that she is serious about her party's commitments to democracy and human rights" and "her calls for an end to the violence should lead to transparent investigations and real legal protections for the Hindu community in Bangladesh". The statement said that "authorities have reportedly filed at least 71 cases in connection with the violence and arrested 450 people" and added that Hasina "has promised strong action, declairing 'Nobody will be spared. It doesn't matter which religion they belong to'". Backing up its call for restraint by law enforcement, HRW said: "The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials states that security forces must 'apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms,' and that 'whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: (a) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved; (b) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life'."

QUEENSLAND

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Wellbeing Day Festival held in Brisbane W

ellbeing Day Festival, the biggest non-profit community wellbeing festival featuring yoga, meditation, mindfulness, kirtan, wisdom, ayurveda and more, was organised the riverside Orleigh Park in Brisbane on 17 October. The event brought the best artists from the community with inspiring, personalised and uplifting programs featuring everything wellbeing and self-care. The community-conscious event featured fun yoga asanas sessions, yoga wisdom talks, health and wellness workshops, live kirtan bands and mantra meditation. There were also kids yoga, mindful kids activities and family fun activities, besides vegan food stalls. Over 50 volunteers and 30 presenters were engaged in organising this wellbeing festival to make it a true community grass roots event at the riverside Orleigh Park. The event featured a series of classes, sessions and workshops in six different zones, and over 20 programs were offered in four hours.

Walk Together organised in Gold Coast W

alk Together Gold Coast, which is organised and supported by the Gold Coast Multicultural Network, took place on 23 October, starting from 10am at the Broadwater Parklands Great Lawn. 2021 has marked Walk Together Gold Coast’s tenth year and featured local communities and services celebrating of Australia's shared

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humanity, regardless of their background, culture, or faith. Walk Together welcomes Australia’s annual national celebration of Australia’s diversity, designed as a tangible expression of the welcoming, fair, and compassionate society we are committed to building. Queensland Government funded towards this event.

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DESI ACHIEVERS

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Dr JAGADISH KRISHNAN From an assiduous physician to an exemplary leader

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to improve disability access in the area (including upgrading disability parking bays). Do you believe that being a doctor gives you the added advantage of being able to empathize more with the people you will serve during your tenure, thereby raising the expectations of your electorate that solutions to most of their problems will be found at the earliest? I wouldn’t say that I can empathise with people more so than my parliamentary colleagues can. Certainly, the role of a doctor is to find the crux of a patient’s problem and manage or, better yet, fix it, and so approaching problems with that analytical mind is helpful in my current line of work. Often, however, the problems that people come to me are multi-layered and complex, and there is a process to go through before a solution materialises. Once upon a time it might have been the case that a patient would present to me with a throat infection which I could swiftly fix up with the help of antibiotics. This is not the case in my current role! How do you plan to strike a balance between your new role as a legislator, and multiple business commitments, that you have already made?

“

I believe a lot of the skills and life-lessons I picked up in my career as a medical professional are translatable to my work now as an MP. A good GP is one who is approachable, personable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy, all qualities that one would want in their MP, too.

“

n Indian-born Australian politician and general practitioner, Dr Jagadish “Jags” Krishnan was born and brought up in Kotagiri in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Having resided in the United Kingdom, he moved to Perth in 2006 where he worked as a general practitioner and then went on to start his own venture, Perth GP. With the passage of time, his business grew noticeably and his company now has numerous clinics across Perth. He was elected as a Labor member for Riverton in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly at the 2021 state election. In an exclusive interview with Indian Abroad, Dr Krishnan gives as an insight into his thoughts and aspirations. Dr Krishnan, you started your career in medicine in India and then you went to the UK and subsequently you reached Australia and have made WA your karma bhumi, so to speak. What major challenges have you had to face initially along the way and how have you managed to cope with them successfully? My parents worked extremely hard, and whatever success I have had in life is a credit to them and the lessons I learnt from them. They did everything they could to give me the best education possible and to put me in a position to be successful. I know I’m very lucky in this regard. I faced the same challenges that are faced by all who move to a foreign country and must learn a new language. My experience in the UK was challenging but rewarding. I lived in a one-bedroom loft with my young family, which meant I had to sleep on the couch a lot! I was employed as a senior public health officer at St George’s Hospital in Wimbledon, which took a leading role in treating some of the victims in the 2005 London Underground bombings. Leaving the UK not long after that, I settled in Byford, a suburb in Perth, Western Australia. From there I went on to start up several successful medical practices. For over a decade I focused on growing my small business before the opportunity to enter politics with the Labor Party came up, and since then I haven’t looked back. From being a medical practitioner to becoming a politician and now a legislator, did you have to make some necessary mental adjustments to take up the new role? What were the factors that gave you the confidence and the conviction to accept the new challenge of being a legislator? I believe a lot of the skills and life-lessons I picked up in my career as a medical professional are translatable to my work now as an MP. A good GP is one who is approachable, personable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy; all qualities that one would want in their MP, too. Being in parliament means I can strive for what I thought was needed when I was a GP, but on a much larger scale. As a member for Riverton Legislative Assembly, what are some of the basic steps that you plan to implement to contribute to the betterment of the people of Riverton? I’m very proud to say that all the commitments I campaigned on during the election have now been delivered. The ones I was most proud of were the commitments to the schools in the area. Education is one of my great passions and it is enormously important to my constituents in Riverton. My electorate contains arguably the two best public high schools in the state of Western Australia, in Rossmoyne Senior High School and Willetton Senior High School. I was proud to deliver AU$35 million to Rossmoyne and AU$12.5 million to Willetton to deliver new STEM classroom blocks and to upgrade the existing infrastructure in those two schools. Outside of the commitments made during the election, we’re currently running a local campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in the area, hosting forums on cyber security and falls-prevention for the elderly, sponsoring the local sports clubs, and working closely with the councils to see what can be done

I don’t intend to strike a balance between the two. As the MLA for Riverton, my constituents come first. I have stepped away entirely from the running of the business as I don’t think it would be fair to the people of Riverton if I were to divide my attention between representing them and running my business. It’s not in my nature to take half-measures and, in any case, there are people in place who are very capable of steering the business in the right direction whilst I’m busy advocating for my constituents. I have a few ‘legacy patients’ that I’ve cared for since I first came to Perth some 15 years ago, and I check in with them from time to time – usually on the weekend and only if I have no commitments relating to my work in Riverton. Finally, what is your message to persons who wish to follow in your footsteps and replicate your success story? Get involved in your community! The community is only as good as the members that comprise it, and so you should show the initiative and the desire to lead. If you have ideas or feel like you can help realise the change that you want to see, and then strive for it. Tell people about it.

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QUEENSLAND

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Gold Coast Diwali celebrated at HOTA

ach Baliye Events and Ecutas Productions organised the yearly Diwali event Gold Coast Diwali on Saturday, 16 October at Home of the Arts (HOTA) at Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast. The theme of the event was “Mor and Mermaid”. Mor or Peacock is the national bird of India, while the symbolism of Mermaid perfectly represents the venue of the event, Gold Coast. Plus, both of these creatures are known for their striking beauty and grace. Gold Coast Diwali brought various local communities together in an environment full of festivities, entertainment, and exciting cultural experiences. The day-long event featured live performances, music, dance workshops, trade stalls, food and beverages.

GOPIO Gold Coast holds AGM

he GOPIO Gold Coast's AGM was held on Sunday, 17 October at the Tandoor and Curry Hut, Labrador, followed by networking, chai, and snacks. "On behalf of the broader community and members, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the outgoing Executive Committee for their contribution, dedication, and hard work for the last one year," said a statement by the organisation.

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"We look forward to uniting and connecting the Indian diaspora on the Gold Coast, and as the new team, we are determined to work together with all our members and volunteers to bring on board a wonderful experience through networking, social/cultural events, and seamless feedback from all of you to help us improve and grow as a team throughout this tenure," the new team stated.

New Executive Committee for 2021-2022 President: Ms. Seema Chauhan Vice President: Mr. Preetham Krishna 2nd Vice President: Ms. Shruti Thakkar Secretary: Mr. Shrey Baluja Joint Secretary: Mrs. Jessy Kaurah Treasurer: Mrs. Priyanka Daga Assistant Treasurer: Ms. Varsha Badhe Patron: Mr. Pushpinder Oberoi

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FOOD & CUISINE

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi IDLI, SAMBHAR & COCONUT CHUTNEY IDLI

IDLI I NGREDIENTS: • One cup no skin white Urad Dal • Two and a half cups Idli Rawa(you can buy this is Indian grocery shops. Vahini uses Priya Idli Rawa) great tip from Vahini Panda. • Salt to taste METHOD • Wash well and Soak Urad Dal in enough water for about 8hours or overnight. • In a separate big bowl soak Idli Rawa in enough water for the same amount of time. • Next morning grind Urad Dal to a nice smooth paste, like Dahi Bada past, not too runny. • Next step to squeeze out all the water from Rava, with the help of a muslin cloth. • Now mix the Rawa and the Urad paste together.

• Add salt to taste. • Leave it overnight for the fermentation. • (in cold weather fermentation might take up to 16 hours-Another great tip from Vahini Panda.) • Now Take your Idli mould , grease it and put one big spoon full of the batter in each mould. • You will be able to make about 12 idlis at one go. • Now In a big pan put one litre water , bring to boil and set the prepared idli mould to steam. • Lower the heat to medium and let it steam. • In about 20 minutes put a tooth pick and check if it is cooked. • Take out this lot of idlis and repeat the same for rest of the batter.

COCONUT CHUTNEY INGREDIENTS: 4-6 people • One fresh coconut peeled and sliced in small pieces or you can use one cup of desicated coconut instead • Soak the desicated coconut in water before using for chutney , that will make it smooth • Now in a blender put coconut ,1/2 bunch coriander leaves , two table spoon roasted pea nuts • 3-4 green chillies • One tea spoon cumin seeds • Two tea spoon either Amchoor powder(mango powder) • Or two big spoon full of lemon juice. • Salt to taste.

• Blend the above ingredients together in to a smooth paste. • Transfer in a bowl. • Add one cup yoghurt ,whisk it well. • Keep it aside and prepare the garnishing. GARNISHING • In a small frying pan heat one table spoon oil. • Add one tea spoon mustard seeds. • Pinch of hing. • One tea spoon chana dal. • Two dry red chillies broken to small pieces. • And chilli powder to taste. • Garnish the chutney with it. And enjoy with idlis or even on apiece of toast. It is yummy.

strain and use this water in sambar) • Three florettes cauliflower • (cut in small pieces) • 4-5 reddish (cut in small pieces) • 2-3 carrots chopped • 1-2 potatoes, Skinned and chopped. • One inch piece of fresh ginger chopped. • 2-3 green chillies • Once Dal is cooked, Mix it well with a big serving spoon , or even better if you use the whisk or cake beater. • It should be runny but still vegetables can be seen. • Keep it aside and let’s garnish it now. GARNISHING: • One table spoon oil • One tea spoon mustard seeds

• 7-8 curry leaves • One tea spoon cumin seeds • 1/4 tea spoon hing (asafoetida) • 3-4 dry red chillies • one tea spoon chilli powder METHOD • In a small frying pan take one table spoon oil • Add mustard seeds • Add hing • Curry leaves • Cumin seeds and dry red chillies. • Chilli powder • And put it on top of your dal • Now don’t mix the dal • Serve it with the garnishing on top • And chopped coriander leaves • Chopped coriander for garnishing.

MRS. LATA MODI

ello friends, Namaste and Happy Diwali to all ! Hope you all have a great Diwali with your family and friends. Every family must be cooking yummy treats for their family and friends. I know my family will be looking forward to some special kind of yummy food on the dinner table on Diwali night as well. Therefore Today we will be cooking something which My family loves as a treat for them. I am sure every one enjoys Idli, Sambar and coconut chutney. In my household, this is very special , as we don’t cook it all the time. It was a challenge for me once , when my son wanted to eat Idli and I wasn’t sure how to make idlis. Now with the recipe for Idli, provided by my beautiful friend Vahini Panda, I have mastered it. I hope you all like this easy to follow recipe and enjoy.

SAMBHAR

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COCONUT CHUTNEY

SAMBAR (my sanvar recipe is very much influenced by my North Indian cooking) INGREDIENTS: 6-8 people • In a pressure cooker, put the following ingredients and cook until soft • Two cups Toor Dal • 5 cups water • Salt to taste • One tea spoon turmeric powder • Two table spoon sambar masala powder (available at Indian grocery shops) • Two tea spoon coriander powder • Two table spoon tamarind water (in a little saucepan put one cup water, and about 50 gms tamarind, bring to boil. When it’s cooled down,

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QUEENSLAND

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

India Day Fair

OPIO celebrated 75 years of Indian independence with their event India Day Fair 2021, which was held on October 23 at Southbank Plaza, Southbank. With food stalls, live entertainment and Indian cultural shows, the event drew sizeable crowd. "We would like to thank all our dignitaries, invited guests, our sponsors, audience, performers, artists, technical teams, producers, amazing MC's, South Bank Piazza, stallholders, security, back stage crew everyone for making this event a successful event," said a statement by the event organisers. "In August, India celebrated 75 years of independence and yesterday Brisbane's Indian Community officially celebrated at the GOPIO India Day Fair."

Pilot program against racism launched for students

ulticultural Australia launched The Culture Collective, a new pilot program designed to equip students to stand up and speak out against racism as agents of positive change in their schools and communities, on 23 October. The Queensland Government has sponsored this

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program. The Culture Collective is founded on evidence-based best practice, and has been developed with students, for students. The pilot program kicked off at Cleveland District State High School and will see the creation of a safe space where students can expand

their knowledge and awareness of differences and think critically about how to challenge stereotypes when they arise. Multicultural Australia is encouraging 20 pilot schools to take part in this new program to build on their existing inclusion and diversity curricula and foster welcome in

their communities. School principals are invited to register their interest for the program to be delivered at their school. To register your interest, please complete the online form accessible on the Multicultural Australia website at www.multiculturalaustralia.org. au/news.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

nauguration Ceremony of the Indian Community Centre is on this Sunday 17th October, 2021. Hon Premier of WA Mark McGowan and Hon Ben Morton, Special Minister of State and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, will join us in inaugurating the Centre in the presence of dignitaries and members of the community. Venue: Indian Community Centre, 12 Whyalla St, Willetton Date: Sunday, 17 October, 2021 Time: 9.30 am - 11.30 am This is a free event, open to all, and we cordially invite you to join us and witness this historical day along with your friends and family. We do apologise for the short notice as we had to clear a few last milestones before confirming the Inauguration date. We sincerely hope to see you there.

Navrang 2021

Indian Community Centre in Perth inaugurated T he Indian Community Centre was finally inaugurated on 17 October at 12 Whyalla St, Willetton, Perth, where many prominent dignitaries and members of the Indian community were present. Hon Premier of WA Mark McGowan and Hon Ben Morton, Special Minister of State and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, were present at the inauguration. It has long been a vision of the Indian diaspora in Western Australia to have their own community

Consul General of India, Perth, farewelled

centre, and many of the community leaders have put in relentless efforts towards this. The $2.5 Million federal government grant, which was announced in 2019 to build the Indian community Centre in Perth, had finally been signed off on the 74th Independence Day of India last year on 15 August. Indian Society of Western Australia, a not for profit organisation run by volunteers for the welfare of Indian origin people in WA, was the host organisation behind the setting up of the centre.

atraj Productions and Sanskriti Seniors of WA organised a farewell to Hon’ble Consul General of India, Perth, Ms Dantu Charandasi, at Manning Seniors Hall on 19 October. "Hon’ble Consul General has brought Indian community together and promoted Indian culture and art during her tenure, and it is commendable. As the best way to appreciate and express our gratitude for her contribution, Natraj Productions feels privileged to bestow the Natraj Award upon her for 2022," said a statement by Natraj Productions. "Dear Hon’ble Madam Ms Dantu Charandasi thank you for the support and goodwill you’ve shown over the years. These memories are ones that we’ll never forget."

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Brabham Diwali organised in Perth MAWA Sports Fest M B alayalee Association of Western Australia (MAWA) organised the MAWA Sports Fest on October 10 at Harrisdale Pavillion, Harrisdale in Perth. Outdoor games included soccer junior, soccer senior, cricket and

rabham community in Perth saw its first major event of the season at Brabham Oval, on 23 October, when Brabham Diwali was organised. Complete with food trucks, cultural performances, turban tying, kids rides and activities, market stalls, DJ, the diwali event at Brabham offered something for everyone.

athletics, and the indoor games featured chess, carom, cards and scrabble. Besides the sports and indoor activities, the event also featured kids activities, bouncy castle, face painting and live food stalls.

Mawa Perth Under Year10 Soccer Winners FC Perth Players, Kevin Sunny, Jeffrey Aijin ,Augusto ,Eugene, Aadith ,Kevin Joseph, Jithu, Alfie, with George Paul(Manager)and Coach Alphy George

MAWA holds fundraising event in Perth

n its commitment to raise fund for Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF), MAWA organised a “PCHF Fundraising” dinner at Riverton Leisureplex, Riverton, Perth on 23 October. 2021 is the Silver Jubilee Year of MAWA, and in that spirit of cerebration, the management committee of the organisation decided to put efforts in towards giving back to the Western Australian community, and hence the fundraiser. "As a migrant community, the Indian community members in WA,

Karnal welcomes home deported son Vishal Jood TOI

including the children, are emotionally touched by the great health care services provided by PCH. Many of the facilities at PCH are to enhance the well-being experience of children, while they are in the hospital, and are made possible by generous donations from Western Australians. There is a need for additional funding required to face the challenges of the future. Hence, MAWA is raising fund for the PCHF project 'Innovative equipment and Technology'," reads the statement by the oranisation.

Continued from page 1 The 24-year-old youth had been arrested in Sydney on 16 April for alleged targeted attacks against certain members of the Indian community in Australia as per the claims of the NSW police. Vishal’s supporters who include his parents, friends and other members of the Indian community however, claim otherwise. According to them Vishal had raised his voice against the advocates of the Khalistani movement living in Australia as they came across as anti-national and his act of waving the Tricolour, the Indian National flag, was simply an act to exhibit his nationalism. He was apprehended due to his alleged participation in three separate criminal incidents which involved attacks on some Indians. Vishal got into a physical altercation on January 26 this year when he took out a Tiranga Yatra (Tricolour rally) after the farmers’ tractor rally in India had turned violent. However, this ruffled the feathers of anti- farm law protestors among the

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Indians in Australia who reportedly, began to chant anti-India slogans and even attempted to tarnish the Indian flag. When Vishal snatched the flag and unfurled it, violence broke out. In the aftermath of the incident, the NSW police arrested Vishal leveling grave charges of assault and destruction on him. He was then incarcerated in Sydney jail until his recent release. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar approached External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who has assured that all efforts are being made to ensure that Vishal Jood is released at the earliest. Ever since his arrest, a lot of supporters both in India and Australia, had been voicing their objections against his “unfair” detainment. Even Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had approached External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who had then assured that all efforts were being made to ensure that Vishal Jood was released at the earliest.

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

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INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Winging abroad: AirAsia India expected to soon get international flying permit IANS

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS): with AirAsia India getting close to obtaining international flying rights, conglomerate Tata Sons, will in the near future, have four airlines with permits for overseas operations. At present, only Vistara operates on international routes. The development assumes significance since Tata Sons' subsidiary Talace is expected to soon acquire Air India and Air India Express after conclusion of the share purchase agreement (SPA) with the Centre. Both Air India and Air India Express operate international flights. Recently, AirAsia India, in which Tatas own a majority stake, received security clearance to operate international flights, said industry

insiders. Nevertheless, many procedures with the country's Civil Aviation Ministry and the regulator still remain to be fulfilled before the airline commences international operations. These procedures include obtaining permissions for scheduling, slotting, and training. According to industry insiders, these steps might take anywhere up to 2-6 months to fulfil. However, they pointed out that even after obtaining all the permissions, the airline might not fly abroad in the near future, due to the ongoing pandemic. The Bengaluru-headquartered airline is a joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia Investment

Ltd. Commencing operations on June 12, 2014, it flies over 240 direct and connecting routes across India with a fleet of 28 aircraft. On the acquisition of Air India, the Centre is expected to enter into a SPA with Talace by December-end. The Tata Sons' subsidiary had emerged as the highest bidder for the national carrier under the divestment process. It quoted an enterprise value of Rs 18,000 crore for the 100 per cent equity shareholding of the Centre in Air India along with that of Air India Express and AISATS. Out of Rs 18,000 crore, Talace will retain Air India's overall debt worth Rs 15,300 crore, while the rest will be paid to the Centre as the cash component. All in all, Tata Sons' subsidiary Talace will, among other assets such as human resources, get more 140 aircraft as well as 8 logos. In terms of fleet, Tatas will get Air India's 117 wide-body and narrow body aircraft and Air India Express's 24. A significant number of these aircraft are owned by Air India. It will also operate these aircraft on over 4,000 domestic and 1,800 international routes. Additionally, it will get access to Air India's frequent flyer programme which has more than three million members.

Politics on hydel projects over; J&K on way to become power surplus IANS

Srinagar/New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS): In January this year, the Jammu and Kashmir government opened up the water resources of the erstwhile Himalayan state and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to make J&K power surplus and to attract the investment of Rs 35,000 crore into the newly carved out Union Territory. The MoUs were signed for implementation of much awaited mega hydro power projects, including 850 MW Ratle HEP and 930 MW Kirthai-II HEP besides execution of long pending Sawalkot HEP (1856 MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240 MW) and Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258 MW). Besides signing the MOUs nineteen important projects of Jammu and Kashmir Power Department aimed at greater generation, efficient transmission and better distribution of power supply in J&K were also inaugurated. Since then there has been no looking back and efforts are on to make J&K self reliant vis-a-vis power generation.

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The Jammu and Kashmir has numerous hydro resources and is capable of generating 14,867 MW power but during the past 70-years the erstwhile State was only able to generate 3,504 MW electricity. But after the MOUs were signed, the administration claimed that the power generation in the Union Territory would double up in the next three to four years. Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh who visited Jammu and Kashmir recently assured the people that the Government of India is committed to provide all possible support to J&K across generation, transmission and distribution sectors in order to make J&K power surplus, remove all supply constraints and provide 24x7 quality power to all citizens of J&K. During his visit to the UT, Singh along with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, inaugurated six transmission and distribution projects worth Rs 118 crore. The projects that were dedicated to people included 100 MVA,132/33

KV GSS Nowbugh Chadura with 18 Kms D/C 132 kV Transmission Line; Distribution Strengthening works in Circle Bijbehara, Sumbal, Kupwara and Shopian towns; 33/11kV 10MVA Sub Stations at Industrial Estate Khonmoh, Super Speciality SMHS Srinagar completed under the various UT and Central schemes. According to the officials in the recent past Jammu and Kashmir has attained remarkable progress in the power sector. It has enhanced its transformation capacity by 150 per cent and revenue generation has gone up by over 23 per cent. Power politics Prior to August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- politicians in the erstwhile state left no opportunity to play politics over hydel power resources of the Himalayan region. In August 2014, the then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a meeting with the Union Power Ministry had demanded that NHPC should return the power projects to the state. He had claimed that the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan was "a cause of enormous losses to Jammu and Kashmir". "While both India and Pakistan benefited from the treaty, J&K was put to a disadvantageous position," Omar Abdullah had stated. He had termed the treaty as "a hurdle for the launch of a huge water supply project for Greater Jammu to utilise Chenab water to meet the requirements of the people for next 25 years. Three power projects that the Jammu and Kashmir government wanted the NHPC to return were 690-MW Salal, 480-MW Uri and 390-MW Dulhasti.

Punjab orders probe into Amarinder's relations with Pak friend Aroosa Wikipedia

Chandigarh, Oct 22: The Punjab government on Friday ordered a probe into former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's relations with his Pakistani woman friend Aroosa Alam and her relation with the ISI. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa said the government would probe the ISI links of Aroosa Alam. "Captain Amarinder Singh is now saying that there is a threat from the ISI. We will look into the woman's connection with it. Captain kept raising drones issue coming from Pakistan for last four-five years," Randhawa told the media. "Captain Amarinder Singh kept raising the issue of drones coming over from Pakistan for the last four-and-a-half years. So Captain

sahab first raised this issue and later got the BSF deployed in Punjab. So it seems a big plot which needs to be probed," he said. Randhawa, who also hold the Home portfolio, added he asked the Punjab Police chief to investigate the allegations. In political circles, the decision to order probe by the government against its own party's former Chief Minister is seen as a major embarrassment for Amarinder Singh, who on October 19 announced that he would soon announce the launch of his own political party to serve the interests of the people, including the farmers who've been fighting for their rights for over a year now. The former Chief Minister also said he is hopeful of a seat-sharing

arrangement with the BJP for next year's Assembly elections in the state, if the farmers' issues are resolved in their interest.

Akhara Parishad splits, seven Akharas elect own president IANS

Prayagraj, Oct 22 (IANS): In a major development, seven of the 13 akharas that are part of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), have elected the president, general secretary and other office-bearers on their own. The development took place in Haridwar on Thursday. The Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) was scheduled to meet at Prayagraj on October 25 to elect the successor of Mahant Narendra Giri, who died last month. According to sources, the meeting in Haridwar was chaired by ABAP vice-president Devendra Singh Shastri of Nirmal akhara who announced the names of Mahant Ravindra Puri of Mahanirvani Akhara as president and Mahant Rajendra Das of Nirmohi Akhara as general secretary. The surprise move has effectively split the 13-member Akhara parishad into two groups. The first group comprises seven Akharas - Nirmohi, Nirvani, Digamber, Mahanirvani, Atal, Bada Udasin and Nirmal. The other group has six Akharas - Niranjani, Juna, Avahan, Anand, Agni and Naya Udasin. Baba Hathyogi of the Digamber Ani Akhara, which is part of the first group of dissidents, alleged that they decided to elect the office-bearers on their own since they were "under-represented in the ABAP body and often neglected in elections." He said that the seers of most of the seven akharas were "particularly Interestingly, Omar had raised the issue just a few months before the assembly elections were to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. He had upped the ante as his bete-noire Peoples Democratic Party at that point of time had promised people that if it wins the polls it would get all the power projects under NHPC in J&K back. After the National Conference and PDP turned the return of power projects from NHPC into an election plank, the business chambers of both Jammu and Kashmir and civil society members too joined the chorus and sought return of all power projects run by NHPC in J&K. They claimed that there was no justification in its reluctance to handover them to the J&K Government. In March 2015, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) ruled out the return of power projects to J&K. The then Director, Finance NHPC, ABL Srivastava said the Central Government and Union Power Ministry have made it clear in unambiguous words that there is no question of returning these projects to the J&K Government. J&K's power sector revamped After Jammu and Kashmir's complete merger with the Union of India on August 5, 2019, politics that was played over the hydel resources of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a back seat. No one wants these power projects back now as the Union Territory has witnessed a complete change in the power scenario during

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unhappy with the speculations doing the rounds that Mahant Ravindra Puri of Niranjani Akhara, who is also the president of Haridwar's Mansa Devi temple, would be made ABAP president in the meeting to be held at Prayagraj". The seers of the group of seven akharas also wanted Mahant Hari Giri, the incumbent ABAP general secretary, to be replaced. Meanwhile, Mahant Hari Giri termed the announcement of the office-bearers as 'unconstitutional' and not valid under any circumstances. Interestingly, according to ABAP tradition, if a president dies in his tenure, his successor can be chosen only from his own akhara. Narendra Giri, who had died under mysterious circumstances at Prayagraj, was the head of the Niranjani Akhara.

It may be recalled that friction between the akharas has been brewing for some time. Earlier this year, three akharas Nirmohi, Nirvani and Digambar, which subscribe to the Bairagi Vaishnav tradition (unlike akharas like Juna that follow the Shaivite tradition) - had separated themselves from ABAP during the Haridwar Maha Kumbh. They had claimed that ABAP did not raise their issues with the state government and mela administration effectively. They had also demanded fresh elections of the akhara parishad within a month. The split in the ABAP now casts a shadow on the October 25 meeting in Prayagraj.

the past two years. The urban areas are getting electricity 24x7 and the situation in the rural areas has also improved. Recently, the Administrative Council headed by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha authorised the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) to implement smart metering project in J&K. These corporations aim to install 6 lakh smart/prepaid meters across J&K through a wholly owned subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. Currently, 2 lakh smart meters are being installed in Jammu and Srinagar under the Prime Minister's Development Programme(PMDP). The new distribution system will improve the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers. The Smart meters will bring about transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers. The power distribution sector of J&K has a total consumer base of nearly 21 lakhs, out of which metered consumers are only about 50 per cent. A strong power sector in J&K means ease of living, industrialisation and employment generation. The government is putting in all the efforts to strengthen J&K's power infrastructure which has remained

dilapidated for the last several decades. Past practices of delays have become a history and power projects are being executed at an accelerated pace. During the past two years, upgradation of power infrastructure, and languishing projects have been completed in record times. The J&K Lieutenant Governor recently stated: "We have presented an investment plan of Rs 12,000 crore by 2025 in transmission and distribution sectors in order to strengthen infrastructure as well prepare a future-ready power infrastructure. It would not just provide power on demand to all citizens but would also cater to the industrial demand in line with the proposed investment of Rs 28,400 crore under J&K's new Industrial Policy." The revamping of the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir has brought the Union Territory at par with the other states across the country. The bold steps taken by the Central and UT Governments have driven home a point that there is a huge difference between offering lip service and transforming words into action. In January this year, Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall but the Power Department ensured that people do not face cuts and kept the Valley illuminated in the dark winter nights. The change surprised the people as in the past snowfall meant no electricity for many days. People of J&K have realized that the ground situation is changing and it is changing for the good.

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INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

UN representative praises Indian medical students’ viral dance video

United Nations, Oct 22: Karima Bennoune, the Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights, has praised a viral dance video of two Kerala medical students, but said the

criticism of it shows the dangers to "cultural mixing". It also pointed to a creative way to further the cultural rights of everyone, she said on Thursday at an informal meeting of the General Assembly's Third committee that deals with social and humanitarian issues. "We cannot take cultural mixing for granted in a world where it is often under attack," she said citing the negative reactions to the video. "For daring to dance across cultures, the two young people received an outpouring of support, as well as tirades and hate speech on social media that may have been motivated by Hindu fundamentalism, even accusing them of 'dance jihad'," Bennoune said. "The reply from the students to the

criticism was: 'We will still dance together'. This must be our collective reply. "The only way to guarantee the cultural rights of everyone without discrimination in the 21st century is to creatively and vigorously defend open and multiple understandings of culture and identity, and rights-respecting cultural mixing and syncretism," she added. Thrissur Government Medical College students Naveen Razak and Janaki Omkumar dancing in medical scrubs to the Euro-Caribbean pop group Boney M's "Rasputin" went viral on YouTube. The video drew was overwhelmingly praised and criticism was drowned by support for the dancing future doctors.

Kejriwal invokes Lord Ram ahead of assembly polls in 5 states

Continued from page 1

"I was fortunate that I got the chance to bow before Ram Lalla and I wish everyone must get this chance. Whatever capability I have, I will use that to make more and more people have 'darshan' here," he had added. The Delhi chief ministers' references to Ram does not end here. The AAP senior leader had said earlier during an assembly session in March that he wishes to establish 'Ram Rajya' in the city. He had promised all the basic facilities for its citizens in Delhi. Responding to Kejriwal's Ayodhya

visit, UP Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath said, "Earlier those who were indifferent to Lord Ram are now paying obeisance at the lord. It's good. At least they have realised the importance and existence of Shri Ram." Reacting to Yogi Adityanth's statement, an AAP leader said, "Ram does not belong to one particular person or party alone. He belongs to all. If Yogiji thinks that Lord Ram belongs only to him or the BJP, then I am sorry to say but he has a very narrow mind." States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,

Punjab, Goa and Gujarat will go to polls in 2022.

Bihar: Wife of Sitamarhi's 'Robin Hood' wins district council poll

Patna, Oct 27: The wife of Mohammad Irfan, who amassed wealth by robbing people across the country and was recently arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, has managed to win the panchayat election in Bihar's Sitamarhi district. Though a thief, Irfan was involved in social work also. He has made roads and narrow lanes in seven villages of his native Jogia panchayat in Sitamarhi district at the cost of Rs one crore.

Due to his social work in the village, his wife Gulshan Parveen filed nomination for the District Council member and won the election with a big margin. Irfan started stealing nearly 11 years ago. He and his family members were daily wagers. He was unable to give dowry for his sister due to which she remained unmarried. According to a Uttar Pradesh Police official, Irfan moved to other states and started stealing in big

bungalows across metro cities. He never did a recce of a house before committing the crime. The police said he committed theft in all metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Chennai, among other cities. Irfan is the most wanted thief with 40 FIRs registered against him in these cities. A police official said Irfan was involved in a theft in Kavinagar locality of Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and took away cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.5 crore. "We raided his native house in Sitamarhi in September, but were unable to nab him. We recently raided it again on specific information and arrested him. After his arrest, the local people came to know about his thefts in other states," the police official added. Irfan has a good lifestyle and always travels in luxury cars like Jaguar and owns many flats in metro cities. He reportedly has four girlfriends, including a Bhojpuri actress.

Ashish Misra sent back to jail from district hospital Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 27 (IANS): Ashish Misra, son of Union Minister of state Ajay Misra Teni, has been sent back to jail from the district hospital. He will continue his treatment for dengue in the jail hospital. Misra was sent back to jail after a video clip showed him walking around under the custody of jail officials at the district hospital in Lakhimpur Kheri. In the video, Ashish, who seemed 'healthy', was not handcuffed and officials maintained their distance in order to let him walk freely. His police custody had abruptly ended a day early after he had fallen sick and tested positive for dengue. Ashish was then remanded to judicial custody. While his counsel

wanted him to be transferred to a hospital in Lucknow, doctors had said his fluctuating blood sugar and blood pressure could be kept in control in the district hospital itself. The video clip was brought to the notice of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) by the special investigation team (SIT). CJM Chinta Ram, on Tuesday, sent separate notices to the jail superintendent and the chief medical officer (CMO), asking whether it was possible for Ashish to be treated at the jail hospital. The two were asked to reply to the notices by Thursday. Soon after the notice was delivered to the CMO, Ashish was sent back to jail by the district hospital, which claimed that his condition was now stable and it was possible to treat him inside.

MSME exports in UP rise by 38% Lucknow, Oct 27: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Uttar Pradesh have recorded a 38 per cent increase in exports since the government provided them with a platform on e-commerce websites. Additional chief secretary (MSME) Navneet Sehgal said that the state houses around 15 per cent of the country's MSMEs and more than 1,000 micro units are on various e-commerce platforms because of which MSME exports from the state have risen by 38 per cent. "The department is undertaking several measures to connect artisans and micro-enterprises with global e-market places along with cloud service provider networks," he said. Abhijit Kamra, director (global trade), Amazon India, said that to increase the overall share of MSMEs, it was required to leverage new channels of exports. "This is where e-commerce will play a critical role in enabling cross border trade for millions of MSMEs. We launched the Amazon Global Selling program in 2015 to help Indian MSMEs grow and scale through e-commerce exports.

Today, the program has 70,000 plus Indian exporters and have cumulatively crossed USD 3 billion in exports. Thousands of Indian MSMEs and entrepreneurs have emerged as successful global brands for toys, Ayurveda, apparel, tea, leather, jewellery etc," he said. "One of the biggest challenges of traditional channels of exports is the inability of smaller businesses

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after desperate farmers died while trying to get their hands on bags of fertilizers. Earlier while leaving for Lalitpur, Priyanka Gandhi interacted with railway porters at the Lucknow

railway station. The porters apprised her of the challenges they are facing and the economic blow they suffered due to the state government's negligence during the Covid-19 pandemic.

to participate in the process and be a part of the global value chain. E-commerce creates a level playing field for businesses to access foreign markets," Kamra added. C.P. Gupta, chairperson, CII Uttar Pradesh State Council said, in a statement, that there is a need for a strong branding and marketing strategy for Indian MSME products, especially made by micro, tribal and rural enterprises.

K'taka to handover bitcoin scandal probe to ED or CBI

Priyanka Gandhi meets family of dead farmer in Lalitpur Lalitpur (UP), Oct 29: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday met the family of a farmer who died allegedly due to distress over the non-availability of fertilizer. Fifty-five-year-old Bhogilal Pal of Nayagaon died of a cardiac arrest while standing in queue outside a fertilizer shop. He had reportedly been waiting for his turn to purchase fertilizer for two days. Priyanka Gandhi visited Pal's home and interacted with the family members. The Congress General Secretary spent around 40 minutes and assured the family that she would not only raise the issue at appropriate forum but would also help in whichever way she could. She also met other farmers who told her about their problems. They said that they were facing a debt burden too. The Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh has been facing an acute fertilizer crisis in recent weeks. The shortage turning deadly

Jail superintendent P.P. Singh said, "Ashish was discharged from the district hospital on Tuesday evening and returned to jail at around 7 p.m. He was sent to the district hospital to run some tests and the decision to admit him was taken by the doctors there. Currently, his condition is stable inside the jail."

Bengaluru, Oct 29: In a fix over the charges being levelled by the opposition in connection with bitcoin mafia and involvement of BJP leaders in drug peddling, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai government is all set to handover the investigation to either Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case is being presently investigated by the special team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The agency is preparing to submit a preliminary charge sheet in the case. Bitcoins are used to purchase drugs from the darknet. The main accused in the case Srikanth a.k.a Sriki is alleged to supply bitcoins to VVIP customers. Accused Sriki was arrested by City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths last year in connection with drug peddling.

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During investigations the bitcoin scandal has come up. The police have seized 31 bitcoins worth Rs 9 crore later. The CCB had submitted charge sheet in the case in March, 2021. The case was handed over to CID for further investigations. The CCB has initiated action on three bitcoin exchange agencies and 10 poker websites. It was also brought out in the probe that the main accused, Sriki, was into hacking. The CCB sleuths have given inputs regarding hacking to Interpol and also recommended to ED for seizure of property. The case has taken a political turn as opposition Congress has made allegations against the BJP that the government is hushing up the scandal as it involves some of its powerful politicians. The Congress challenged that, if the truth came

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out, many will 'lose their chairs'. Ramalinga Reddy, former Home minister and executive committee member of the Congress has demanded a judicial probe. "Two influential leaders are hand in glove in bitcoin scandal involving drugs. The scandal involves as many as Rs 10,000 crore transactions. The case is being hushed up by the BJP in Karnataka. Why was there so much delay in arresting accused Sriki. If the truth comes out, many BJP leaders will lose their chairs, he stated. State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has said that bitcoin scandal involves police, politicians, industrialists and the BJP wants to close the case. "Closing cases is the strength of BJP", he chided. "I am surprised. According to the information gathered, I didn't know that accounts could be hacked into to this extent. This is definitely a big case," he maintained. Reacting to the allegations, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that a detailed investigation is underway on the case and there was no question of protecting any person, however influential he is. The government will handover the case to ED or CBI, once the investigation is completed, he said. State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra stated that this is a serious case and political leaders should rise above party politics on the issue. There are allegations against the police department and without mercy action will be taken, he added. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah again chided the ruling BJP that why has the case not been taken seriously all these days? "Why is Chief Minister Bommai only talking about handing over the case to ED or CBI now?," he questioned.

AUSTRALIA

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Qantas to launch new Sydney- Int'l students will be able to Delhi route in Dec return to Canberra in 2022 IANS

Canberra, Oct 22: Australia's flag carrier Qantas on Friday announced its plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi in December with three return flights per week, building to daily flights by end of the year. The plan is subject to discussions with the Indian authorities to finalise necessary approvals, according to the company's announcement on Friday. If approved, it would be the first commercial flight for Qantas between Australia and India in almost a decade, reports xinhua news agency. The flights would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand. Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate non-stop. The new route is among an array of movements as Qantas and Jetstar gear up for accelerated border opening. Qantas flights between Sydney to Singapore will resume on November 23 this year, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week. Jetstar will fly from Melbourne

and Darwin to Singapore from December 16 this year. Qantas flights between Sydney to Fiji will be brought forward to December 7 with four return flights a week. Jetstar flights to Fiji will resume on December 17. Flights from Sydney to Johannesburg will resume on January 5, 2022, three months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Flights from Sydney to Bangkok will resume on January 14, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with five return flights a week. Jetstar will also resume flights from Sydney to Phuket on January 12, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December this year, with other destinations to restart in the new year. Due to the current border policy, all these flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents, but Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said he expects tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once

borders reopen to international visitors. He also hailed the scraping of hotel quarantine for arrived international travellers by the state of New South Wales (NSW). "The decision by the NSW government to join many cities from around the world by removing quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers means we're able to add these flights from Sydney much earlier than we would have otherwise," said Joyce. For domestic routes, Qantas and Jetstar are also preparing to ramp up capacity between Melbourne and Sydney as quarantine-free travel is set to resume between Australia's two largest cities. With all these decisions, the group's 22,000 employees, who were stood down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be able to return to work in December. "This is the best news we've had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again," Joyce said.

Australia hits 70% Covid vaccination target Canberra, Oct 21 (IANS): Australia's Covid-19 vaccine rollout has hit a major milestone, with 70 per cent of the adult population fully inoculated against the virus, Minister of Health Greg Hunt said. Hunt said that more than 70 pe rcent of Australians aged 16 and over have received two vaccine doses so far, reports Xinhua news agency. It means the national vaccination rate has now reached the target set by Prime Minister Scott Morrison

to begin the roadmap out of the pandemic. Hunt said the milestone was a major testament to Australians. "I can officially confirm that Australia has now passed the 70 per cent double-dosed vaccination rate for the 16-plus population," he told reporters in Canberra. "It's a memorable number, but it's memorable above all else because it represents the movement at a national level to phase B of our

national roadmap," which was revealed by Morrison in July, Hunt added. It also marks the beginning of preparations for booster shots, with aged care residents set to have priority access, according to Hunt. As the country is still grappling to contain the third wave of the pandemic, the total Covid-19 caseload and death toll stood at 152,024 and 1,590, as of Thursday morning.

Australia launches 'spread freedom' Covid vax push

Financial Times

Canberra, Oct 24: The Australian government on Sunday launched the next phase of its coronavirus vaccination campaign as the country continues to battle the third wave of the pandemic. Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday debuted the government's new vaccine advertising campaign, reports Xinhua news agency. Dubbed "spread freedom", the

campaign emphasizes the benefits of getting vaccinated against Covid-19 such as the freedom to travel interstate and overseas, reminding people that with increasing vaccinations they are able to return to a more normal and free life. Till date, 86.6 per cent of Australians have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 73.1 per cent were fully inoculated. Lieutenant General John Frewen, the Covid-19 Taskforce commander, said Australia was on track to become one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. "We've now got enough vaccines distributed around the country to double dose all Australians who

want to get vaccinated," he told reporters in Canberra. "If you want to be fully protected before Christmas, then you really need to start coming forward now to that first dose to get the whole process done." Australia on Sunday reported 2,240 new locally-acquired Covid-19 infections and 15 deaths. The majority of new cases were in Victoria, the country's second-most populous state with Melbourne as the capital city, where 1,935 cases and 11 deaths were reported. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) recorded nine new cases on Sunday - its lowest daily tally since late September.

80% of rubbish found on Aus beaches is plastic waste IANS

Canberra, Oct 19: Plastic waste accounts for more tha 80 per cent of all rubbish found across Australian beaches, A study based on one of the largest marine debris databases in the southern hemisphere revealed on Tuesday. More than 2,000 organizations and 150,000 volunteer rubbish beachcombers helped compile the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) based on collecting and

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sifting through almost 20 million pieces of discarded plastic, glass, rubber, metal, and paper, reports Xinhua news agency. The Tangaroa Blue Foundation (TBF), an environmental organisation dedicated to the removal of marine debris, began the massive database in 2004. Now researchers from the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation at the University of New South Wales

(UNSW) have worked with TBF to analyse 10 years of the database to create a national map of patterns in marine debris. Their findings unveiled on Tuesday and published in Science of the Total Environment, noted that almost half the debris was from sources such as general litter while 7 percent was from rubbish dumped at sea washing back onto the shore. The researchers also noted the mountainous presence of plastic dwarfed other waste items, and said about 42 per cent of the plastic debris could not even be traced back to its source due to having broken down into minute fragments, known as microplastics. TBF chief executive officer Heidi Tait, who co-authored the study, said the findings would be an effective way to monitor if international efforts to reduce plastic were working. "We need to be really targeted in what changes are put in place to mitigate marine debris, and we need to monitor to make sure we are actually solving the problem," Tait said.

Canberra, Oct 22: Andrew Barr, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), announced on Friday that international students who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to return to Canberra for the start of the 2022 academic year. Under the plan, students who have been inoculated with a vaccine recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will not have to quarantine on arrival in the ACT but will be subject to federal testing requirements, reports Xinhua news agency. "Higher education institutions provide a considerable social and economic contribution to Canberra.

The return of international students will be very welcome news for our city," Barr said in a statement. The international education industry, which was worth an estimated A$1 billion per year to the ACT economy prior to the pandemic, has been crippled by Australia's strict border restrictions. According to peak body Universities Australia, universities lost 1.8 billion Australian dollars in revenue and cut 17,300 jobs in 2020. Paddy Nixon, vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said the return of international students would have major benefits for the city. "Our international students become

IANS

nurses in Canberra hospitals and the allied health professionals that will be supporting Canberrans in their everyday lives," he said. "As our economy starts to rebound, we will need the talents, our international students bring, and we all benefit from the vibrancy they bring to our campus and our city."

Victoria outlines pathway out of pandemic IANS

Melbourne, Oct 24: Authorities in Australia's Victoria on Sunday outlined what life would look like when the state reaches vaccination rates of 80 and 90 per cent. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said there would be a "fundamental change" to health restrictions when the state reaches a 90 per cent rate of vaccination, which is predicted to come around November 24, reports Xinhua news agency. "There will be no caps anywhere." He said. "Masks will only be required in high risk indoor settings, for instance public transport, prisons, hospitals, aged care." He also said that even when this milestone is reached, the "vaccine economy" would remain in place, meaning residents would still need to be fully vaccinated to enter non-essential retail spaces. Victoria recorded 1,935 new locally acquired cases and 11 additional deaths in the last 24 hours.

Despite high case numbers in the state's capital Melbourne, once the state reaches a vaccination rate of 80 per cent, residents who were previously locked out of regional Victoria would be allowed to travel

anywhere within the state. Andrews announced that 91.2 per cent of the state's adult population had received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 73.7 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Rollout of Covid booster shots in Aus to begin soon IANS

Canberra, Oct 24: Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said the rollout of Covid-19 booster shots could start within days, as Pfizer was submitting the required data to fast-track the vaccines. If approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)'s vaccine advisory committee, some frontline healthcare workers and aged care residents could start receiving their third doses, reports Xinhua news agency. "We're in a position that if, by the middle of next week, there is an approval for a third dose of Pfizer, then we would be able to begin immediately," Hunt said. Experts have recommended that Australians have their third vaccination dose six months after their second. Brendan Murphy, the secretary of the Department of Health, said there is no evidence that vaccine protection against severe disease wanes after six months but that booster shots could "give people the best additional belt-and-braces protection". "Antibody levels are only part of the

protection of vaccines," he said. "When you get the infection, if you've got what we call immune memory, even if your antibody levels have fallen, the cells are still there to make antibodies again. If the virus infects you, you will mount an immediate antibody immune response and that is what protects you." On Saturday, Australia reported more than 2,100 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths

as the country continues to battle the third wave of the pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, Australia has reported a total of 158,604 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 1,637 deaths. So far about 86.4 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have received one Covid vaccine dose and 72.5 per cent are fully inoculated, according to the latest data released by the Department of Health.

Australia's largest supermarket chain mandates vaccination for workers IANS

Canberra, Oct 21: Woolworths, the largest supermarket chain in Australia, announced on Thursday that all of its workers must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the beginning of next year. Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said that the move was part of the company's obligation to give workers the "safest possible work environment" as they provide communities with essential goods, reports Xinhua news agency. "We have 170,000 team members across our stores, distribution centres and support offices, and more than 1,200 retail stores. With each store welcoming an average of 20,000 customers a week, a single team member can come into contact with quite literally thousands of people in the course of a normal working week," said Banducci. The proposed mandate would come into effect for workers in the Australian Capital Territory

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(ACT), New South Wales (NSW), the Northern Territory (NT), and Victoria to be fully vaccinated by January 31, 2022. For other states it would be March 31. Following suit, other major supermarkets, Coles and Aldi, have also issued vaccine mandates. While their timelines are still in the pipeline, for most states it would be

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sometime towards the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. The rulings would likely impact a total of some 250,000 workers across the country. "There is a clear and compelling case for a vaccination requirement. This is particularly important as restrictions ease and we see higher rates of transmission," said Banducci.

WORLD

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Biden says US will defend Taiwan if China attacks

Wikipedia

Washington, Oct 22 (IANS): US President Joe Biden said that Washington was committed to coming to Taiwan's defence if it comes under attack from China - a stance that seems in opposition to America's stated policy of "strategic

ambiguity", CNN reported. Asked twice during CNN's Town Hall on Thursday whether the US would protect Taiwan if China attacked, Biden said it would. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that," he said. Biden has made similar statements in the past, only to have the White House say longstanding US policy had not changed toward the island. The US provides Taiwan defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack, the report said. Under the "One China" Policy, the US acknowledges China's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan. In recent weeks, Beijing has sent dozens of warplanes near into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and Chinese President

Xi Jinping has said that "reunification" between China and Taiwan was inevitable. A White House official attempted to clarify Biden's comments on Taiwan after the town hall, saying the President was "not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy" in his remarks about China and Taiwan, the report added. Biden, citing his relationship with Xi, said he wasn't looking to enter a prolonged conflict. "I have spoken and spent more time with Xi Jinping than any other world leader has. That's why you hear people saying Biden wants to start a new cold war with China. I don't want a cold war with China. I want China to understand that we are not going to step back and change any of our views."

India hands over Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail section to Nepal ANI News

Kathmandu, Oct 22: India on Friday handed over the Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail link, built with its assistance, to the Nepal government, paving the way for early resumption of railway links between the two South Asian nations. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepal's Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, Renu Kumari Yadav, were present on the occasion. The executing agency for the project, IRCON International Ltd (on behalf of the India government) handed over the assets of the section to the Nepal Railway Company Limited during the event. To operate the railway line, Nepal had brought two brand new train sets from India in 2020 September but due to Covid pandemic and other logistic issues, the two sides had failed to operate the railway line. Dubbed Janaki Rail, the service has five coaches and can carry 1,000 passengers, sitting and standing, at a time. The train, with a maximum

speed of 110 km per hour, was procured at Rs 850 million from India. These were the Himalayan country's first broad-gauge trains, a new avatar of the historic JanakpurJaynagar railway between Nepal and India which was once a major means of border crossing for citizens from both sides. First built as a cargo line to carry timber from Nepal to India in 1937, the 35 km railway from Janakpur in Nepal to Jaynagar in Bihar was a lifeline for people in Janakpur. People who had seen the colonial-era train chugging along the Nepal-India narrow gauge track were excited to see Nepal's first modern train. The train came but there was a wait for the final operation to link the historic and religiously rich city of Nepal, Janakpur considered the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Rama, with India. Under the Indian grant assistance, the gauge conversion of a 36 km narrow gauge section into broad gauge, from Jaynagar in India to Kurtha in Nepal, has now been

completed. This 36 km JaynagarKurtha section is part of the 68.72 km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link being built under the grant assistance of (Nepali) Rs 8.77 billion, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. This section was earlier a narrow gauge rail link between Jayanagar and Bijalpura. There are a total of 8 stations and halts on the JaynagarKurtha section, which include Janakpur, said the embassy. In Nepal, the railway is one of those many things promised by governments that stir up emotions among people and inspire hope. After K.P. Sharma Oli came to power in 2018, connecting Nepal with both its immediate neighbours — India and China — by trains was his common refrain. When the train arrived last year, the Oli government boasted it as one of its biggest achievements. Once operationalised, this would be the first broad gauge cross-border rail link between India and Nepal, and would further boost trade and commerce activities as well as people-to-people linkages between the two countries, the embassy said in a statement. "Cross-border rail linkages are an important facet of India-Nepal Development cooperation, which include Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link and Jogbani-Biratnagar (18.6 km) rail link, both being constructed under Government of India grant assistance," said the Indian Embassy.

East Africa’s economic growth to rise to 4.1% in 2021: AfDB IANS

Nairobi, Oct 29: East Africa's economic growth is projected to rise to 4.1 per cent in 2021, up from 0.4 per cent in 2020, the African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Thursday. According to the East Africa Regional Economic Outlook 2021, the economic performance will be boosted by the ongoing global economic recovery, Xinhua news

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agency reported. "However, the slow rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and risk of spike in infections could dampen that outlook. The pandemic has had diverse impacts across the region, with countries highly dependent on tourism being the hardest hit," the bank said. The report by the pan-African bank reviews the economic performance

of countries, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The 2021 regional economic outlook analyzes economic growth, its drivers and implications for socio-economic outcomes, including poverty, employment, and income inequality, considering the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. According to the report, the east Africa region remains resilient, and was the only region in Africa to avoid a recession in 2020. The AfDB attributes east Africa's resilience last year amid Covid-19 pandemic to relatively higher economic diversification and the rapid policy responses initiated by governments to counter the impact of the pandemic. The findings indicate that East Africa is expected to experience a stable economic recovery from 2021 up to the medium-term horizon. The pan-African bank recommends a raft of policy interventions required to accelerate the region's recovery and build resilience in the wake of Covid-19, including ramping up vaccinations and designing and implementing economic stimulus packages and recovery strategies toward credible fiscal consolidation programs.

India denounces Pak's defence of China's persecution of Muslims By Arul Louis United Nations, Oct 22: India has denounced Pakistan's efforts to defend China's persecution of its Muslim minority by attacking New Delhi with "false and malicious propaganda." "We condemned the abuse of a UN platform by Pakistan to propagate its false and malicious propaganda against my country, we dismiss and condemn all such efforts with the contempt they deserve," an Indian delegate said on Thursday at a meeting of the General Assembly committee on social and humanitarian affairs. After a group of 43 countries led by France and the US made a scorching criticism of China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority, Pakistan picked up the cudgel on behalf of Beijing. Speaking on behalf of the group that included Turkey and countries from all the continents, France's Permanent Representative Nicolas de Riviere called attention to the "widespread and systematic human rights violations, including reports documenting torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced sterilisation, sexual and gender-based violence, and forced separation of children". "There are severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and the freedoms of movement, association and expression as well as on Uyghur culture," he said. India was not among the 43 countries that signed on to the statement. But rushing to Beijing's defence, the Pakistan mission's Counsellor Saima Saleem praised the treatment of the minorities by China as a "model of inclusive development, social protection, equal treatment and protection of ethnic and religious minorities". She then launched a diversionary attack on India accusing it of "discrimination, persecution and violence as a state policy" against minorities and linked it to "RSS-BJP". Saleem made Islamabad's obligatory reference to Kashmir and also raised the Citizenship Amendment Act, which gives a fast track to citizenship for religious minorities in Muslim-majority neighbouring countries fleeing persecution in their homelands to India. "India is a multi-religious multiethnic and multilingual country

Dawn

of continental proportions and is guided by the principles of democracy, pluralism and rule of law," the Indian delegate said. Replying to the abrogation of Kashmir's special constitutional status that was raised by Saleem, he said: "The residents enjoy more freedom and fundamental rights since all Union laws now apply here. Women in particular relish greater rights and freedom than ever before." The change in status was done to "ensure the extension of all progressive legislations to the Union Territory of Kashmir, and to resume the pace of socio-economic development", he added. Referring to a specific reference made in a report by Fernand de Varennes, the Special Rapporteur for Minority Questions, "regarding statelessness", India's delegate said: "We are disappointed that this issue has been wrongly, and repeatedly linked to the issue of minority rights. Minorities in India enjoy fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution." The discussions in the panel known as the Third Committee showed the growing influence of China through its web of financial and infrastructure programmes in developing countries came to the fore as over 60 countries headed by Cuba jointly made a statement in defence of Beijing against charges of human rights violations and the persecution of Uyghur Muslims. The countries that made individual statements supporting Beijing that sounded like a roll call of those in debt to China included Sri Lanka and the Maldives and many included the renunciation of Taiwan's right to nationhood.

Maldives Mission's MinisterCounsellor Eman Hussain, for example, said: "China has been an important development partner for the Maldives, and our relationship is based on mutual respect of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We, therefore, reiterate our firm commitment to the long-standing One-China policy." With 60 plus countries standing behind it, China's Permanent Representative Zhang Jun made an unusually harsh statement against the "US and a few other countries" that had raised the Uyghur issue: "Your days of bullying and oppressing developing countries are long gone." His rhetoric was a measure of China's growing belligerence to the West and President Xi Jinping's projection of his ambitions for the country. He declared, "China's progress is unstoppable". Zhang accused the US of attempting to cover up its own human rights failings like the "genocide" of Native Americans, the police atrocities against African Americans and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Muslim civilians in the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as the recent Afghanistan debacle. Some countries did not take up China's cause but approached it as a matter of the UN staying out of the internal affairs of countries. Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, for example, said that human rights issues should be discussed in a "constructive, transparent, non-selective and nonpoliticised," manner and "respect the sovereignty of states and not interfere in their internal affairs".

Pakistan PM's adviser leaves without concluding IMF talks

Islamabad, Oct 22 (IANS): Shaukat Tarin, adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, left Washington without concluding the talks that could have led to a much-needed endorsement of the governments economic policies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dawn reported. Tarin, however, left behind Finance Secretary Yousaf Khan to further pursue the talks for the resumption of a $6 billion loan facility that would bring an immediate relief to the cash-starved government by delivering a suspended tranche of $1 billion. Tarin first came to Washington in early October and went to New York on October 15 after a 10-day stay. He was scheduled to fly to London from there, but returned to Washington on Tuesday as an IMF official said at a news briefing that the talks had progressed to "a very good step". Till Wednesday evening, the Pakistan delegation expected a positive outcome and scheduled a news briefing on Thursday morning to share the good news with the media. However, they sent another alert to the media late at night, cancelling

IANS

the briefing, the report said. Later Thursday, Tarin quietly left Washington, hopping on a train to catch an international flight from New York. He may join Prime Minister Imran Khan who is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this weekend. During his two visits to Washington, Tarin met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other

officials twice, and after both meetings each side expressed the hope that the consultations would soon lead to a positive conclusion. They did not, the report added. Pakistani officials, however, still insist that it would be a mistake to say the talks had failed. "I think we are in a good place," said one of them. "We are getting positive vibes."

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POLITICS

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Dilip Ghosh slams Mamata for keeping mum on B'desh violence Wikipedia

New Delhi, Oct 19: Bharatiya Janata Party national vice president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for keeping silent on the communal violence in Bangladesh where houses of Hindus were set on fire and temples were vandalised. So far six persons have died in one of the worst communal flare ups in decades in the country. Ghosh made this comment while participating at an event organised to protest the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. "These kinds of incidents have happened earlier also and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken strong steps. The numbers of such incidents have definitely come down but need to be stopped completely," Ghosh said. Questioning Mamata Banerjee's silence over the Bangladesh violence, Ghosh said, "The so called

'secular' government of West Bengal, which runs to Tripura and Assam at the spur of the moment when something happens there, is totally silent on the issue of Bangladesh violence. Are there not Hindus in Bangladesh? They are being attacked by fanatics, maths and temples have been vandalised, women are being attacked, but the West Bengal Chief Minister is maintaining silence." "Why the spokesperson of the party doesn't say anything? Are they worried about their vote bank? They only care about their vote bank, that's why she keeps quiet," he added. According to Dilip Ghosh, more than 3,600 incidents of attacks on Hindus have taken place in Bangladesh since 2013, in which Hindu women were raped and temples were desecrated. "When the Ram temple movement took place in India, minorities in Bangladesh were attacked, lakhs of Hindus had

to flee from their country and to take shelter in India," he said. He said, "The Bangladesh incident is a well thought out conspiracy against Hindus and is very agonising." Appealing to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Dilip Ghosh said, "Hindus are also the citizens of your country, they have chosen you as prime minister and they are contributing to the progress of your country. Ensure security to Hindus so that they can live in peace in that country." Speaking to IANS, Ghosh said, "Everyone knows that Hindu society is under attack in Bangladesh for a week, during Durga Puja. Durga temples were demolished, seers have been murdered, against which protests are taking place all over the world." "Lakhs of Hindus have taken to the streets in Bangladesh, this is not the first time this is happening. Our demand is to ensure the safety of Hindus there. The Government should take responsibility for this and should not allow such incidents to happen again," he said. He added, "The Indian government has issued a statement on the incident and is in constant touch with the Bangladesh government, which is a friendly country, but we want Hindu citizens to be safe there." On the question if he is satisfied with the action taken by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ghosh said, "The incidents have not stopped, the violence should stop, then action should be taken."

KCR unanimously re-elected TRS President

IANS

Hyderabad, Oct 25: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was on Monday unanimously re-elected as the President of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Rao was elected unopposed to the post for a ninth consecutive term. TRS General Secretary M. Sreenivas

Reddy, who was the election officer, announced Rao's re-election at the party plenary attended by 6,000 delegates from across the state. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, was declared elected unopposed as no other nomination was received for the post.

His election was a mere formality after no other TRS leader filed nomination till Friday, the last day for filing papers. In all, 18 nominations were filed by several TRS leaders, proposing the name of Chandrasekhar Rao as President. Ministers, party MPs, MLAs and other leaders had filed nominations on behalf of KCR. The scrutiny of nomination papers was taken up on Saturday. The plenary later passed a resolution congratulating KCR on his re-election. He thanked the leaders for electing him unanimously for another term. KCR presided over the plenary. He highlighted the achievements of the party during last 20 years and the schemes taken up by the TRS government during the last seven years. He had resigned from the Telugu Desam Party in 2001 to float TRS to revive the movement for statehood to Telangana. The separate State was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

People shouldn't dispute over languages: Assam CM

IANS

Guwahati, Oct 26: Amid the ongoing language controversy in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that a language unites masses and there should not be a dispute over it. He made the remarks while campaigning for the October 30 by-elections to the five Assembly seats. On Tuesday, Sarma addressed two election rallies in Thowra where the Congress-turned-BJP leader Sushanta Borgohain is contesting. The Chief Minister told the people that they should not feel bad about a hoarding in Assamese language that was defaced in Cachar district which led to the arrest of two youths. The hoarding on the "Jal Jivan www.indianabroad.news

Mission" also led to protests from various organisations including the Barak Democratic Front (BDF) and the All Bengali Youth and Students' Organisation (ABYSO). In reaction, few people in Guwahati defaced a signboard in Bengali. "We should work together for an undivided India and a united Assam. We would be very cautious and serious that no one should do anything which may hurt the sentiments of the people of Brahmaputra Valley or the Barak Valley. If anyone hurts the sentiments of other communities, we would only create a difference between the people of diverse communities," the Chief Minister said. "If by mistake a textbook was published in Bengali in the Brahmaputra Valley or a text book in Assamese language circulated in the Barak Valley, people should refrain themselves from giving any kind of reactions. "Language brings people closer, maintains peace and harmony and if due to any minor reason language caused any division among the people, there would be no significance of a language. More people from Assam overcoming the lacunae in languages must be successful in the

all India competitions in education and jobs including in Army and civil services," he added. Reacting on the comments of eminent Assamese litterateur Nagen Saikia's call for the separation of the Barak Valley from Assam, the Chief Minister said that he did not want to comments and that it was his personal opinion. After the Cachar incident, Saikia, winner of the Sahitya Academy Award and former president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha, the state's highest literary body, had suggested the separation of the Barak Valley to maintain peace and tranquility in the state. The All Assam Students' Union had also objected to the defacing of the hoarding, claiming that it was an insult to the Assamese language. Meanwhile, another hoarding of the Industry Department written in both English and Assamese, put up in the neighbouring Karimganj district, was removed after the protests last week. Over four million people, mostly Bengali speaking, reside in the three districts of Barak Valley region -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi.

When Priyanka met Akhilesh on a Lucknow flight IANS

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who is leading her party's charge in Uttar Pradesh, and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav were co-passengers on an afternoon flight to Lucknow and had a brief interaction. Both the leaders were taking Vistara's 1.35 p.m. Delhi to Lucknow flight, and according to sources, they exchanged pleasantries, briefly spoke to each other, and said that they will meet soon. The Samajwadi Party is pitted against the BJP while the Congress leader is fighting for her party's survival in the state. Priyanka Gandhi will flag off "Pratigya Yatra" on Saturday from Barabanki to

Bundelkhand to galvanise support for the party. Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party had fought the 2017 Assembly election in alliance, but failed miserably. Akhilesh Yadav is now stitching alliances with the smaller parties and has asserted that that he will not ally with any big parties. The SP has also alleged that the Congress is being positioned as the main challenger to the BJP by the Yogi Adityanath government itself. It is also smelling a BJP conspiracy in the hype Priyanka Gandhi is getting and claims the ruling party is seeking to promote her "struggles".

BJP, Cong trade barbs over vandalisation of Prakash Jha's set Bhopal, Oct 25: A day after a group of Bajrang Dal members created a ruckus on the set of web-series 'Ashram-3' in Bhopal and smeared ink on its director Prakash Jha, a political war broke out between the BJP and the Congress over the issue on Monday. Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who has often been vocal against right wing politics, called the Bajrang Dal a "group of goons". Attacking Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Singh said, "how long will people of the state tolerate such goons?" "Bajrang Dal, an outfit of the RSS has become a group of goons. It can be seen here in Bhopal," Digvijaya Singh said while reacting to the controversy of 'Ashram-3' shooting in Bhopal. Singh said that Bhopal has become one of the prominent location for film shooting. "Prakash Jha is a popular director. Bhopal police should have provided security to him," Singh added. Responding to Digvijaya Singh's

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remarks, BJP MLA (Hujur-Bhopal) Rameshwar Sharma said, "Will those who are making web-series on Ashram dare to make a film ever on Madrasa?" Earlier on Monday, Narottam Mishra objected to the 'Ashram-3' shooting alleging that director Prakash Jha is portraying a bad image of Hindu

culture and it will not be tolerated. He also said that the state government will introduce some changes with regard to giving permission to film shootings in Madhya Pradesh. He said film directors now would have to submit a copy of the script to the administration to seek permission for shooting.

Varun Gandhi Farm laws may be withdrawn before Punjab, UP polls: Akhilesh questions Central govt's agriculture policy IANS

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): Tweeting a video of a farmer who set his crop on fire as he was unable to sell his produce in mandis, BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Pilbhit Varun Gandhi on Saturday said the Centre should reconsider its agriculture policy as it is the need of the hour. "What has the system reduced farmers to? To do a re-think on the agri policies is the need of the hour," he said. The farmer, identified as Samodh Singh, had been trying to sell his produce in mandis for the past 15 days, Varun Gandhi claimed. Earlier, on October 21, questioning the government's relief policy regarding the floods in the lowlands in the state, Varun Gandhi had said that if people have to help themselves even during such a crisis, then what is the role of a government. He had also questioned the steps taken by the Adityanath government in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that claimed eight lives. The BJP leader has been saying that farmers agitation cannot be suppressed by violence. The saffron party has been facing embarrassment due to Gandhi's recent statements.

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Lucknow, Oct 26: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has expressed the apprehension that the Modi government may withdraw the farm laws in view of the upcoming Punjab and Uttar Pradesh elections and later implement them afresh, once elections get over. Accusing the BJP of only serving the corporates, he said the BJP government is committed to serve the industrialists who have already set up silos and other infrastructure because of the farm laws. "Ho sakta hai, main aaj keh raha hoon aapse ki Punjab ke chunao dekhte hue, Uttar Pradesh ke chunao dekhte hue, ho sakta hai kisano ke kanoon rad kar diye jayen aur phir chunav ke baad naye kanoon phir aa jayenge (There is a possibility, I am telling you today. Keeping in mind the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the three farm laws may be recalled and implemented again in a new form after the elections)," Akhilesh told reporters in an informal interaction. He said the BJP government will

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implement the farm laws afresh after the elections because it is committed to help the corporates who have already spent money on setting up the infrastructure required once the farm laws are implemented. Akhilesh further said the government may soon "sell" the recently inaugurated airport in Kushinagar and added that it is selling away everything primarily to deprive the benefits like reservation in employment which will not be applicable once the project is taken over by a private entity. "Don't be misled by the gala inauguration of the Kushinagar airport recently. For the BJP leaders it was like visiting a property that a common man plans to sell," he said. He said the Kushinagar airport project was conceptualised by his government and Rs 260 crore was allocated in the Budget for its construction. "BJP is doing what it does the best. They are claiming that the Kushinagar project is their initiative," he added.

TECHNOLOGY

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Make full-screen Apple Watch Series Connected home devices posing more hacking risks for Indian firms 7 your perfect lifestyle partner IANS

New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): Nearly 86 per cent of Indian enterprises believe that the shift to remote working during the pandemic has resulted in an increased number of IoT (Internet of Things) security incidents via connected devices at home, according to a new report. Smart home devices such as light bulbs, wearable devices such as heart rate monitors, connected sports equipment, kitchen appliances such as coffee machines, game consoles and even pet technology are among the list of the strangest devices identified in the study.

About 84 per cent organisations in the country have seen an increase in the amount of non-business IoT devices connected to their business network over the past year, according to cyber-security firm Palo Alto Networks. While 73 per cent respondents believe that IoT security regulations are not keeping pace with the amount of IoT connecting devices, thus putting them at risk, 97 per cent believed that their organisation's approach to IoT needs improvement. Connected cameras, connected wearables and connected home devices are some of the non-business devices organisations have found attached to their networks, which could be posing risk to Indian enterprises. "Remote workers need to be aware of devices at home that may connect to corporate networks via their home router. Enterprises need to

better monitor threats and access to networks and create a level of segmentation to safeguard remote employees and the organisationaï¿½s most valuable assets," said Vicky Ray, principal researcher, Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks. Cyber criminals know that one small IoT sensor can provide entry into a corporate network to launch ransomware attacks and more. According to the global survey of IT decision makers by Palo Alto Networks, 78 per cent of respondents from organisations that have IoT devices connected to their network reported an increase in non-business IoT devices on corporate networks in the last year. "IoT adoption has become a critical business enabler. It presents new security challenges that can only be met if employees and employers share responsibility for protecting networks," Ray added.

Apple updates App Store guidelines to empower developers IANS

New Delhi, Oct 23: As millions of app developers demand fair play, Apple has introduced a new set of App Store guidelines that allow developers to contact customers about other payment methods. The company said that the three key changes to the App Store review guidelines support new features in upcoming OS releases, better protect customers and help apps go through the review process as smoothly as possible. Among the changes, developers are allowed to communicate with their customers about other payment methods available outside their app.

Another new guideline says that apps may request customer information like name and email, but the request must be optional for the user and shouldn't prevent them from using the app. "Developers cannot use information obtained within the app to target individual users outside of the app to use purchasing methods other than in-app purchase (such as sending an individual user an email about other purchasing methods after that individual signs up for an account within the app)," Apple said in one of the changes. "Apps may request basic contact

information (such as name and email address) so long as the request is optional for the user, features and services are not conditional on providing the information, and it complies with all other provisions of these guidelines, including limitations on collecting information from kids." Apple said that in-app events are timely events that happen within your app. "To feature your event on the App Store, it must fall within an event type provided in App Store Connect. All event metadata must be accurate and pertain to the event itself, rather than the app more generally," the company said. "Your event deep link must direct users to the proper destination within your app." Both Apple and Google have reduced commission fees for developers from 30 per cent to 15 per cent. Apple offers reduced 15 per cent subscription fees from day one, but that's limited to developers who are part of its App Store Small Business Program, which is available to those who earn up to but don't exceed $1 million in a calendar year.

New Delhi, Oct 23: Smart Watches have made our lives easier with their constant health/fitness monitoring, seamless work-home connectivity and more. While Indians are fast embracing smart watches of all kinds and sizes, Apple Watch is still the gold standard among the wearables. There are simple reasons for its supremacy. Apple Watch has not only redefined health for those who always wanted to lead a fitter life 24/7, it has also become a lifestyle symbol for several Indians. Frankly, wearing an Apple Watch automatically instills that fitness feeling, as if you are wearing your gym, yoga or lifestyle coach on your wrist. With that feeling comes an instant urge to walk, jog, cycle or do mindful meditation, bringing in immense health benefits to the wearer. Moreover, the new, full-screen Apple Watch Series 7 features a larger and more advanced display, enhanced durability, faster charging, new aluminium case colours, and watchOS 8 -- a perfect example to start the festive season as India reopens and you can go out and do things you always wanted to do in the last 18-20 months in the pandemic and lockdowns. Is this your perfect lifestyle partner this Diwali? Let us find out. The stunning display offers nearly 20 per cent more screen area and thinner borders at just 1.7 mm -- 40 per cent smaller than those on Apple Watch Series 6. Apple Watch Series 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. While the wrist is down, the AlwaysOn Retina display is up to 70 per cent brighter indoors than that of Apple Watch Series 6, making it easier to see the watch face without having to lift the wrist or wake the display. The lifespan of the battery has been significantly enhanced. Apple Watch Series 7 provides nearly 18-hour battery life on a single charge -- 33 per cent faster charging compared with Apple Watch Series 6, via a new charging architecture and Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable. In real-life situations with usage like morning walk tracking and occasionally checking emails/iMessages

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and more, we got nearly 15-16 hours of battery life on a single charge. Apple Watch Series 7 wears a stronger, more crack-resistant front crystal. It is also the first Apple Watch to have an IP6X certification for resistance to dust, and maintains a WR50 water resistance rating (a device with a WR50 water resistance rating can survive up to 50 metres of water). The Watch continues to offer indispensable tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG app, and a Blood Oxygen sensor and app. watchOS 8 will help you stay healthy and connected through new workout types, the new Mindfulness app, innovative accessibility features, greater access with Apple Wallet, and more capabilities with the Home app. Apple Watch Series 7 offers two additional larger font sizes, and a new QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath -- allowing you to slide a finger to type. It uses on-device machine learning to anticipate the next word based on the context, making text entry easier and faster. With watchOS 8, larger menu titles and buttons in apps like Stopwatch, Activity, and Alarms also make the screen even simpler to interact with. On the design front, Apple Watch Series 7 features a front crystal with a stronger and more robust

geometry that is over 50 per cent thicker than that of Apple Watch Series 6, making it more crack-resistant without compromising optical clarity. Apple Watch Series 7 introduces five beautiful new aluminium case finishes, along with a range of new band colours and styles. watchOS 8 also debuts additional watch faces designed specially for the larger display on Apple Watch Series 7. For example, the new Contour face takes the dial right to the edge of the display and fluidly animates throughout the day, emphasising the current hour. The classic World Time face, based on heritage watches and ideal for travellers, tracks the time in 24 time zones around a double dial. In India, Apple Watch Series 7 41mm is available for Rs 41,900 (effective price Rs 38,900 after cash-back) and Apple Watch Series 7 45mm is for Rs 44,900 (effective price Rs 41,900 after cash-back). Conclusion: Apple Watch Series 7 delivers significant improvements like largest and most advanced display, enhanced durability and faster charging. From understating your overall health and fitness goals to keeping you connected with family, friends and colleagues for longer hours, the wearable is your perfect lifestyle coach in a post-Covid world that has once again opened opportunities for travel and socialising with people.

Musk says Starship may be ready Instagram testing tools to make it easier for creators to find sponsors for orbital launch next month

IANS

San Francisco, Oct 23: SpaceX's Starship rocket is still under development in southeastern Texas and Elon Musk in a tweet said it could be

ready to make its first orbital flight attempt next month, provided it gets the regulatory approvals it needs. According to TechCrunch, SpaceX will require approvals from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make the attempt, as it has done for all of its previous Starship test flights from its development location outside of Brownsville, Texas. The FAA requires SpaceX to demonstrate that it has taken all necessary security measures to ensure that there is minimal risk if something goes wrong during the launch attempts. SpaceX is developing Starship to take people and cargo to the moon, Mars and other distant destinations.

NASA has already signed on, picking Starship as the first crewed lunar landing system for its Artemis moon programme. Starship consists of two elements, a spacecraft called Starship and a giant first-stage booster known as Super Heavy. Both will be fully reusable, and both will be powered by Raptors, six for the final Starship and 29 for Super Heavy. SpaceX is prepping the vehicle for an orbital flight test in the coming months, a first for the Starship programme. Starship prototypes have launched before, but those were three-engine (at most) vehicles that reached a maximum altitude of about 10 km.

San Francisco, Oct 23: Facebookowned Instagram is testing new tools to make it easier for creators to earn money through its service. The app is now testing affiliate shops, a feature it first previewed at its Creator Week event in June, and a dedicated "partnerships" inbox, reports Engadget. Affiliate shops are an extension of Facebook's existing shopping features, which are already widely available. But the latest version of the storefronts allows creators to link to products that are already part of their affiliate arrangements. Creators will earn commission fees when their followers buy products from these shops, the report said. The company said that for now the shopping feature will only be

available to creators who are part of that affiliate programme. Instagram is also testing new inbox features it says will make it easier for brands to connect with creators for sponsorships. Instagram DMs will get a dedicated "partnerships" section just for messages from brands. The company said this will give those messages "priority placement" and will allow them to skip the "requests" section where incoming messages are often lost. Instagram is testing a new inbox for messages from potential partners. Separately, the app is working on tools to match brands with creators looking for sponsorships. With the tools, creators can identify brands they are interested

Tech Times

in working with directly from the app. While brands would be able to browse creators who fit their needs based on factors like age, gender and follower count. The tools are still in an early stage, with only a handful of companies and creators participating for now. But the company has previously signalled such features could expand significantly.

Google adding 30-minute free AWS sales jump 39% as companies accelerate Cloud journey trials for games on Stadia

IANS

San Francisco, Oct 29: Google's Cloud gaming service Stadia is adding support for free trials to games and it doesn't even require a Stadia account. Google Stadia has opened up the ability to get a 30-minute free trial to its exclusive title Hello Engineer. This option allows players to try out the title without a paid Stadia Pro subscription, reports 9To5Google. Once the free trial starts, players www.indianabroad.news

have access to the full game with the Stadia sidebar showing a countdown timer for how long the trial lasts. This is an experiment Google's running over the next couple of months, and it will come to other select titles in the weeks to come. To experience the game, all players have to do is head over to the game's page on Stadia, where they will find a button offering a 30-minute free trial.

In addition, Google also has a dedicated webpage for other free trials that it might offer in the future. Earlier, Stadia announced that it is launching its first strategy game that responds to touch instead of a controller. The game, titled HUMANKIND, will introduce a new 'direct touch' control method to Stadia for mobile. With the release of HUMANKIND in the genre of 4X turn-based strategy games, Stadia is debuting an entirely new way of controlling games. Instead of relying on a controller, players on Android can take advantage of "direct touch", which sends your on-screen taps through to your game.

New Delhi, Oct 29: Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Cloud arm of Amazon, has seen its revenue increasing 39 per cent to $16.11 billion in the September quarter, as customers of all sizes and across all industries are using AWS as the preferred cloud provider for machine learning services. AWS generated $4.88 billion in operating income in the July-September period. "AWS has seen a re-acceleration of revenue growth as customers have expanded their commitment to the cloud and selected AWS as their cloud partner," said Brian T Olsavsky, SVP and Chief Financial Officer. A lot of customers are accelerating their journey to cloud based on the

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pandemic. "We're expanding our customer base into a lot of different areas, a lot new different customers we add. Many new products highlighted a few of our machine learning products. So we feel really good about the acceleration in growth," Olsavsky said during the company's earnings call late on Thursday. Because of AWS performance, Amazon's Q3 revenue of $110.8 billion represented a two-year compounded annual growth rate of 25 per cent versus a pre-pandemic growth rate in the low-20 per cent range, the company said. For the first time, sales from Amazon services have surpassed its retail sales. While net product sales were $54.9

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billion, revenue from AWS, advertising, third-party seller services and Prime subscriptions were $55.9 billion.

SPORTS

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Ashes: Victoria Premier 'confident' of 80,000-plus fans attending Boxing Day Test IANS

Melbourne, Oct 24: Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews sounded confident of 80,000-plus fans attending the Boxing Day Test, the third Test of the 2021/22 Ashes series, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground at the end of the year. The hope came after the Victoria government announced an easing of lockdown curbs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the coming months. "I want to see 80,000-plus people at the Boxing Day Test on Day One. That is what I want to see. And we are determined to deliver that. It won't be easy, I think selling the tickets will be pretty easy. But we are very confident, very, very confident that we will be able to deliver that,"

Andrews said during a press conference on Sunday. If a large number of crowds attend the first day of this year's Boxing Day Test, then it will be the biggest attendance at a sporting event in Australia since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, only 30,000 spectators per day were allowed to attend the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG. In June this year, Cricket Australia (CA) announced they would sell tickets of the Ashes to full capacity, barring the MCG, for which ticket sales were capped at 85 percent of capacity, pending government restrictions.

"We continue to work closely with venues and governments across Australia to ensure that events are held safely and greatly appreciate their support. In the event that capacities are reduced due to government restrictions associated with the pandemic, we of course guarantee fans full refunds," CEO Nick Hockley had said at that time. Meanwhile, Christina Matthews, the CEO of Western Australia Cricket, has not given up on the hope of Optus Stadium in Perth hosting the final Ashes Test. There are still doubts over Perth hosting the final Ashes Test as'the state's borders are closed to people coming from Victoria and New South Wales. "CA have put a plan in place, the government are about to reply to that. And that's when real negotiations start to happen about how much quarantine is needed, what needs to happen in Sydney, and so forth. Whilst things don't look like they are in a position at the moment, we are far enough away that things could change dramatically," Christina was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. The 2021/22 Ashes will start from December 8 in Brisbane. Australia are current holders of the urn.

IPL: Staggering amounts for new teams has cricket world in awe IANS

Dubai, Oct 25: the cricket world reacted with surprise and awe at the staggering amount bid for the two new teams in the India Premier League (IPL), acknowledging that the Indian league has cemented its place as the most successful T20 event in the world. Even as the other IPL franchises welcomed teams from Ahmedabad and Lucknow to the IPL after RPSG Ventures Ltd. and Irelia Company Pte Ltd. (CVC Capital Partners) won the ownership rights for the two teams. The RPSG Ventures Ltd. were awarded Lucknow as their home base with a winning bid of a whopping IRs 7090 crore. CVC Capital Partners took Ahmedabad as its home base with a second-highest bid of Rs 5625 crore. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had set the ball rolling by commenting on the monies bid for the two teams and soon others followed suit. "It is heartening to see the inclusion of two new teams at such a high

valuation, and it reiterates the cricketing and financial strength of our cricket ecos"stem," Ganguly said. Former Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne summed up the mood of the cricket world in his tweet welcoming the two teams. "Wow! Congratulations to both of the new franchise owners. Staggering amounts of money for each team & shows why cricket has become the 2nd most popular & biggest sport on the planet. $932 & $692 million dollars (USA). Well done to @SGanguly99 & everyone at the @ BCCI on the @IPL," the Aussie spin legend wrote. Former England spinner Monty Panesar poked at the Glazer family, owner of the English club Manchester United, on finishing third in the bidding war, equating it with their team's 5-0 thrashing at the hands of archrivals Liverpool on Sunday. "5-0 over the weekend and now

they come third to pick up a bronze medal #Glazers #CVCCapital #IPLAuction #IPLNewTeam #IPLNewTeams #IPLBidding," Panesar wrote in his tweet. Former England captain Michael Vaughan saw IPL as the most powerful aspect of the game. "With the 2 new franchises going for huge numbers, it's now very clear the IPL is the most powerful aspect of the game now. It's inevitable that we will see more games & longer tournaments ., #IPL," he wrote on the micro-blogging site. Aakash Chopra said the valuation of the new teams has taken the IPL to a whole new level. "So, Ahmedabad and Lucknow it is. The valuation of the new teams has taken the #IPL to a whole new level. Now, the wait to understand the retention rules. I hope that allowing 5 overseas players in the XI is considered as an option for the first 3 years at least," he tweeted. Former India pacer and current selector RP Singh termed it as a great day for Indian cricket. "Indeed, a great day for Indian cricket because two new teams (the second one from #Ahmedabad, a special connect with that city as well!), we will (have) many young talents getting more chances. Congratulations @ BCCI, @SGanguly99 and @JayShah," he wrote. With each team playing seven home and away matches, there was a lot of speculation on how the format will be run, the total duration of the tournament, and the retention policy ahead of the mega auction.

Virat an absolutely amazing talent, says Gavaskar

IANS

Dubai, Oct 26: Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has called Virat Kohli an "absolutely amazing talent" for the innings he played against Pakistan in the 10-wicket loss to the arch-rivals in the ICC T20 World Cup 'Super 12' game on October 24. Following the dismissal of openers KL Rahul (3) and Rohit Sharma (0) early in Powerplays, the India skipper played with a "great sense

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of responsibility", scoring 57 off 49 deliveries to at least give his side a fighting total of 151/7. However, Pakistan, riding on a superb bowling performance from paceman Shaheen Afridi (3/31) and an unbeaten opening partnership of 152 runs between Mohammad Rizwan (79 not out) and Babar Azam (68 not out), scored a 10-wicket win over India. "It was a terrific innings (from Virat)

because India had lost their openers in the powerplay itself, so there was a greater sense of responsibility on Kohli's shoulders because he now had to pace the innings he thought to repair the innings and also get India to a total which they could hope to defend," said Gavaskar on Star Sports on Tuesday. "So, the way he (Virat) paced his innings, the way he chose the shots to break free at times and the six that he hit off Shaheen Afridi. Absolutely amazing talent." Gavaskar also praised Shaheen Afridi's bowling and shed light on how Virat was able to play the pacer. "The way Shaheen Afridi was bowling, he was mixing it up quite well, he was angling the ball across the right hand and he was getting the ball to turn back in after pitching, not so much in the air because you don't get that much help in the UAE. "That's why it was important for Kohli to try and step out so that he would be able to then negate the amount of swing that Shaheen Afridi was getting and that's how he was able to negotiate that and score runs off Shaheen Afridi."

Max Verstappen holds off Hamilton to win F1 US GP

IANS

Austin (Texas), Oct 25 (IANS): Red Bull's Max Verstappen extended his lead in the 2021 Formula One World Championship by holding off Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton to win an absorbing United States Grand Prix at Austin. In yet another captivating duel between the title contenders on Sunday evening that went all the way to the final lap, Verstappen withstood heavy pressure from a charging Hamilton, the seven-time champion, on fresher tyres to claim his first victory in the USA. Starting from pole position, Verstappen lost out to Hamilton at the start, but retook the lead by pitting three laps before the Mercedes driver and taking advantage of his fresher rubber to pump in faster lap times. The high degree of tyre wear at the Circuit of the Americas meant that two pit stops were the order of the day, but while Verstappen made his second stop on lap 29, Hamilton stayed out until lap 37 before pitting again, eventually emerging 12.5 seconds behind the Dutchman. With his tyres eight laps younger than Verstappen's, Hamilton rapidly closed on the Red Bull and had the gap down to 2.6 seconds by lap 47, as Verstappen struggled to carve his way cleanly through the backmarkers. But just when it seemed inevitable that Hamilton would catch and pass

Verstappen, the Briton began to lose momentum in the turbulent air thrown up by the rear of the Red Bull, and Verstappen just managed to eke out his tyre life enough to keep the Mercedes out of DRS range and take a brilliantly composed win. "Of course we lost out at the start so we had to try and do something else," said Verstappen afterwards. "The tyre wear is quite high around this track, we went aggressive and I was not sure it was going to work but the last few laps were fun. A bit sideways through the high-speed corners but super happy to hang on (to win)." Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez survived a malfunctioning drinks bottle to round out the podium places in third place. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took a fine fourth, ahead of the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo. Hamilton's teammate

Valtteri Bottas finished sixth after taking a grid penalty for an engine change, with Leclerc's teammate Sainz in seventh, Xinhua reports. Ricciardo's teammate Lando Norris took eighth ahead of AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda, and the Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top ten. Verstappen's eighth win of the season puts him on 287.5 points, 12 ahead of Hamilton with five races to go. Bottas remains third with 185 points. In the constructors' standings, Mercedes still lead with 460.5 points, but Red Bull have closed up and now have 437.5 points. McLaren are third with 254. The next round of the 2021 F1 World Championship is next weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.

Two Haryana women win silver medals at IUKL World Championship

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS): Demonstrating phenomenal performance at International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL) World Championship in Budapest, Dr Payal Kanodia (35-39 years, 68kg category) and Anshu Taravath (58kg category) of Haryana won silver medals for India in the event held from October 22-24. Trained under M3M Foundation, both the athletes competed with 450 athletes from 32 countries who participated in the tournament. Dr Payal Kanodia, who hails from Tauru in Haryana shared her

experience and said, "I am thrilled to participate in the tournament. It is an honour for me to represent India on an international platform. I am glad that my dedication and hard work is making my state and my country proud." "I am proud to represent India in the IUKL-organised Kettlebell World Championship at Budapest. I have worked very hard during my preparation for the tournament, and I am very happy with my performance. I believe this will make both my country and state feel proud of me. I am thankful to the M3M Foundation

for their unwavering support for my training," said Anshu Taravath. Taravath is a resident of Gurugram and is a certified athlete and coach for kettlebell. She is also the ambassador of the Fit India program of the Government of India and the President of the Haryana Chapter of Sports and Entertainment wing of Women Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (WICCI). Dr Kanodia is also the Trustee of M3M Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, wherein she is proactively working in healthcare, environment and education. Dr Aishwarya Mahajan, President, M3M Foundation said, "It is the endeavor of M3M Foundation to provide a platform to the talented players by supporting them. Under the 'Lakshya' program M3M Foundation is committed such talented players are selected and promoted to pursue them. In India, Kettlebell Sports India Association is credited with promoting sports in the country. It is also a member of the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL). This tournament was scheduled to be organised in 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.

Venkatesh Prasad, Bhogle slam Waqar Younis for calling Rizwan's on-field namaz in front of Hindus special IANS

New Delhi, Oct 26: Former India cricketers Venkatesh Prasad, Aakash Chopra, and noted commentator Harsha Bhogle on Tuesday slammed former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis for his controversial statement that opener Mohammad Rizwan offering namaz "in front of Hindus was very special to him". Rizwan, who emerged as the protagonist in Pakistan's historic win over India at the ICC World T20, had offered Namaz during the dri'k's break in Dubai. A video of Rizwan offering namaz during the drinks break of the match on Sunday went viral. In a conversation with Shoaib Akhtar and Pakistani journalist, former Pakistan bowling coach Waqar said that Rizwan performing Namaz during the match was a special moment for him. "Sabse ache baat jo Rizwan ne ki. Usne ground mein khade hoke Naamaz padhe, hinduon ke beech mein...So that was really something very very special for me. (What I liked the most is what Rizwan did. He stood in the middle of the ground and read the prayers, in front of the Hindus)," Waqar was quoted as saying by Arya News. Waqar's remark did not go down

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well with fans and has irked a few former Indian cricketers too. Reacting to his remarks, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad called Waqar a shameless man. "Hinduon ke beech me khade hoke namaaz padi, that was very very special for me" - Waqar. Takes jihadi mindset of another level to say this in a sport. What a shameless man," tweeted Prasad. Meanwhile, noted Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle also took to Twitter and labelled the statement of the former cricketer as one of the most disappointing things he has heard lately. "For a person of Waqar Younis' stature to say that watching Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus was very special to him, is one of the most disappointing things I have heard. A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible," Bhogle shared a lengthy thread about Younis' controversial statement on Twitter. "You would think that cricketers, as ambassadors of our game, would be a little more responsible. I am sure there will be an apology on the way from Waqar. We need to unite the cricket world, not divide it by

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religion. "I really hope that a lot of genuine sports lovers in Pakistan are able to see the dangerous side to this statement and join in my disappointment. It makes it very difficult for sports lovers like us to try and tell people it is just sport, just a cricket match," he added. Taking cognizance of Waqar's remarks, cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra also tweeted, "Et tu, Waqar!" Babar Azam-led Pakistani t'am defeated Virat Kohli's India by 10 wickets in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 match in Dubai on Sunday. Before this game, Pakistan had never won a World Cup match against India in any format.

T20 WORLD CUP

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Rizwan, Azam end Pakistan's hoodoo Hussain feels England and Pakistan are the strongest sides in the tournament with a ten-wicket win over India IANS

IANS

Dubai, Oct 24: Mohammad Rizwan (79 not out off 55 balls) and Babar Azam (68 not out off 52 balls) displayed wonderful batsmanship to help Pakistan crush India by ten wickets in a Group 2 match of Super 12 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium here on Sunday. The win, set up by Shaheen Shah Afridis opening burst, also meant that Pakistan broke their hoodoo against India in mens T20 World Cups. Electing to bowl first, Pakistan restricted India to 151/7 in 20 overs with Afridi rattling the 2007 champions with a two-wicket burst. Skipper Virat Kohli struck a fighting fifty but India never recovered from the early setback and could not manage a big score. Their bowling was even more pedestrian as Pakistan chased down the score in 17.5 overs to seal and memorable victory. It was a night where nothing went wrong for Pakistan. Chasing 151, Pakistan got off to an impressive start with 43 runs for no loss in

power-play. Rizwan began by carting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for back-to-back boundaries in the opening over. In the next over, Azam started off with a glorious back-foot drive off Mohammed Shami. Shami came under attack in the fifth over as Azam and Rizwan took a four each. India did tighten the screws by not conceding boundaries in the sixth, seventh and eighth overs. But Azam broke the boundary-less spell with a pull over cow corner off Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over. From there onwards, Azam and Rizwan played risk-free cricket by rotating the strike and punishing the bad balls by dispatching them to the boundary rope. It was one-way traffic as India had zero answers to the clinical batting from 'akistan's openers, especially with dew coming into the picture. Azam reached his half-century with a gigantic six over deep mid-wicket off Varun Chakravarthy in the 13th over. Two overs later, Rizwan too reached the fifty-mark with a pull

through cow corner off Jasprit Bumrah in the 15th over. Rizwan began the 18th over by hammering Shami for a six over fine leg followed by back-to-back fours through the leg-side. Azam finished off the chase with a brace, sealing the win with 13 balls to spare. Earlier, India lost openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the first 13 balls of the innings to Shaheen Shah Afridi. While Sharma was trapped plumb in front of the wicket by a yorker, Rahul was undone by a fast inswinger going through the gate to hit the stumps. Suryakumar Yadav hit a six off Afridi and swept Imad Wasim for four. But his promising stay at the crease ended when he was snapped by keeper Mohammad Rizwan diving to his right to catch the poke off Hasan Ali in the final over of power-play. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant led the rebuilding job for India with a stand of 53 off 40 balls for the fourth wicket. Pant was the more aggressive of the two, cutting and swiping off the spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Hafeez followed by carting Ali for back-toback one-handed sixes over square leg and long-off. But in the 13th over, Pant top-edged a slog, which was caught by Khan off his own bowling. After Pant fell, Kohli stepped up and took four boundaries off Haris Rauf and Ali en route his half-century. Ravindra Jadeja swatted Ali over fine leg. But on the next ball, Jadeja was foxed by a slower delivery, holing out to deep mid-wicket. Afridi returned for his final over to take out Kohli with a slower bouncer, top-edging behind. Rauf took out Pandya in the final over, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami ensured that India crossed the 150-'ark, which wasn't sufficient to maintain their clean slate against Pakistan. Brief scores: India 151/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 57, Rishabh Pant 39, Shaheen Afridi 3/31, Hasan Ali 2/44) lost to Pakistan 152/0 in 17.5 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 79 not out, Babar Azam 68 not out) by ten wickets.

Bowlers, Warner shine in Australia's 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka IANS

Dubai, Oct 28 (IANS): Showing signs of returning back to form, David Warner (65 off 42) smashed a quickfire fifty after a fine performance by bowlers as Australia registered a convincing 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super 12 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Thursday. This was Australia's second win in a row and they are now placed second in the Group 1 table with four points, only behind England who are ahead on net run rate. Riding on some fighting knocks by Kusal Perera (35), Charith Asalanka (35) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (33), Sri Lanka posted 154/6 in 20 overs. Mitchell Starc (2/27), Pat Cummins (2/34) and Adam Zampa (2/12) were

the wicket-takers for Australia. Chasing a fighting target for victory, openers Aaron Finch and David Warner gave Australia a flying start, scoring 63 in the Powerplay, the highest in the tournament so far. However, Wanindu Hasaranga brought Sri Lanka back into the game with twin strikes after the fielding restrictions were lifted, dismissing Finch and Glenn Maxwell in his two successive overs. Hasaranga cramped Finch (37) for room with the googly, who chopped a cut onto his own stumps. In his next over, Maxwell (5), who was promoted up the order to keep the momentum going, holed out in the deep to a good running catch on the boundary by Avishka Fernando. Warner, who was under some pressure to find his form, ensured that the two quick wickets did not derail Australia's chase, finding boundaries regularly en route to his fifty. By the time Shanaka dismissed Warner in the 15th over, the asking rate was down to 5 runs per over. Marcus Stoinis (16) and Steven Smith (28) batted sensibly and made sure that Australia don't lose any wickets further. Stoinis, in particular, smoked two fours and a six to finish things off in style as Australia secured a convincing win over Sri Lanka. Earlier, batting first, Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Pathum Nissanka (7)

in the third over of the innings. Nissanka tried to take the aerial route but failed to time the ball well and David Warner took a comfortable catch at the mid-off, leaving Sri Lanka to 15/1 after 2.3 overs. Despite losing the first wicket early, Charith Asalanka took the attack to the Australia bowlers in the powerplay. On the other hand, Kusal Perera played second fiddle as Sri Lanka scored 53-1 after 6 overs. Both Asalanka and Perera were going strong until Adam Zampa broke the stand in the 10th over. Asalanka (35), who was enjoying in the middle, got out to the googly of Zampa. In the next over, Starc dismissed Perera (35) on a perfect yorker. Thereafter, Sri Lanka lost a few more wickets, Avishka Fernando (4), Wanindu Hasaranga (4), in quick succession and were in deep trouble at 94-5, with almost eight overs still left. However, Rajapaksa played a smart cameo (33 off 26) and ensured that Sri Lanka finished with a respectable total of 154-6 in 20 overs. Brief scores; Sri Lanka: 154/6 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 35, Charith Asalanka 35; Adam Zampa 2/12) lost to Australia: 155/3 in 17 Overs (David Warner 65, Aaron Finch 37; Wanindu Hasaranga 2/22).

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Abu Dhabi, Oct 28: Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels that England and Pakistan are the strongest sides in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup. At the same time, he believes that India could come back stronger after suffering a ten-wicket loss at the hands of Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday and pointed out Australia to have a great chance in entering the semi-finals. "England and Pakistan have both made great starts and I think India will come again after losing that first game so emphatically against Pakistan. They are the sides who look the strongest to me at the moment and, with South Africa weakened by the possible absence of Quinton de Kock, Australia have a great chance to join them in the last four," wrote Hussain in his column for Daily Mail on Thursday. Hussain was also of the opinion that England's match against Australia on Saturday will be a tough one and has predicted Eoin Morgan's men to possibly meet India in the semi-finals. "The Aussies will certainly provide England with their toughest test so far in Dubai on Saturday, but Morgan and his team are perfectly placed now to progress to the final stages of this tournament. You can be sure they won't take their foot off the gas - they will keep adjusting to conditions and they will keep improving." "The next week will be about confirming their qualification for the semi-finals and then preparing

themselves for knockout cricket because the way it's going, they could easily face a last-four clash against India. That's when they really will have to be ready." Hussain mentioned his worry about England's middle order not getting much time at the crease, which might cause their undoing in a knock-out match. "The only other area of relative concern is that England have played so well, the batsmen in their middle order who have been short of runs in recent times — Morgan and Livingstone — are not getting opportunities to get into nick. They could suddenly find themselves in a knockout game in a pressure situation and immediately need to hit their straps. But they could get those chances before then in the three remaining group games." Talking about England's eight-wicket win against Bangladesh, Hussain was happy with Jason Roy's knock

of 61 setting the base for a successful chase of 125. "With Jason Roy looking in great touch and England knocking off another below-par target in style, they are looking every inch the best T20 side in the world and now they just have to keep that going. This was a good pitch to play Bangladesh on because it wasn't that slow and the ball wasn't spinning much." Hussain signed off by saying that Bangladesh wasn't in their usual elements and were missing opener Tamim Iqbal at the top. "They are missing Tamim Iqbal as he can get them off to flying starts but there was little of the aggression, passion and heart we usually see from them. Instead, Bangladesh were meek and their supporters would have expected to see more by now from experienced players like Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. But England made sure they were always on the back foot."

My job is to get wickets in middle overs, says Zampa after win against Lanka IANS

Dubai, Oct 28: After a fine performance against Sri Lanka, leg-spinner Adam Zampa on Thursday said that his job in the Australia team is to get wickets in the middle overs and make it easy for the bowlers at the back end in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Showing signs of returning back to form, David Warner (65 off 42) smashed a quickfire fifty after a fine performance by bowlers as Australia registered a convincing 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super 12 match in Dubai. Adam Zampa ( 2/12) had a sensational performance with the ball and got the Player of the Match award. "I find them (Sri Lanka) really challenging. They are very good players of spin, I bowled well tonight and glad I did. I have tended to bowl a little bit in the powerplay, little bit towards the back end in recent times but with the team that we have got, the big three will bowl in the powerplay and Maxwell

bowling a couple of overs, my job is to get wickets in the middle and make it easy for the guys at the back end," said Zampa at the post-match presentation. Talking about the Dubai pitch, the leg-spinner said, "To be honest it (the surface) was quite slow in the first innings, it spun a little bit more than it did in the second innings.

I think the moisture and dew took effect in the second innings." Australia captain Finch also praised Zampa for taking big wickets. "When you're looking at the impact on the game, Zamps was terrific tonight. He was fantastic, got big wickets. That was a world class performance from him," he said.

CLOSE-IN: Unlucky 13 and a wake-up call for the Indian side

he Indian cricket team's progress in the T20 World Cup campaign has received a massive jolt. Pakistan, their arch-rival against whom they have never lost a World Cup event previously, finally beat them on the 13th occasion. Unlucky or not, India were beaten comprehensively at a time when the Indian side looked prepared and ready to conquer all their opponents. The dreaded Indian batting and bowling units looked in complete shambles against the skill and capabilities of their Pakistani opponents. Pakistan seems to be cruising on the way to a semifinal berth after beating New Zealand and now look like firm favourites to win the cup. They have a side that is well represented in all departments of the game. UAE has been their home venue for quite a while and so their players seem completely at ease with the conditions. The Pakistan side has a good batting outfit, with a world-class batter in Babar Azam and a bowling arsenal of pace and spinners as well. They have also been smart to include Shoaib Malik, the oldest player in the cup, whose experience will be necessary when it comes to crunch situations. He has already shown his usefulness; when he guided the middle and lower-order Pakistan batsmen in their match against New Zealand. The defeat for India was definitely

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a huge wake-up call for the side. Coach Ravi Shastri and the teams mentor, MS Dhoni, have to think out of the box. One feels they do need to infuse a constructive change against New Zealand for their crucial match against them on Sunday. Hardik Pandya as a pure batter may have the capabilities of playing a blinder at the end of the innings. However, in his present form it is a risky proposition to include him. He may have a very positive attitude towards life in general, but pursuing with him and the out-of-form swing bowler, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, could be detrimental at this juncture. India, unfortunately, lacks a worldclass pace bowling all-rounder and the closest they have to it is Shardul Thakur. His inclusion would give the side an additional batsman and a bowler who seems to somehow have the knack of picking up wickets. He is being seen as the man with a golden arm. Ravichandran Ashwin, reputed as the world's premier off-spinner, sitting on the Indian bench is rather questionable. His loads of experience and variations should make him an automatic choice in the Indian team. He did show his usefulness, opening the bowling attack in the warm-up game against Australia and India needs him to bolster the attack. The other issue that one sees is in the use of India's leg spinner Varun

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Chakravarthy, effectively. One feels he should bowl when the ball is relatively new, especially when the shine is on. This will give him that extra bit of nip. The slow pace wickets and a softer ball in the latter part of the innings is giving batters time to adjust their strokes against him, even if they have not read his deliveries correctly. A six-pronged attack of the above three along with Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Md. Shami would be an ideal combination for India. Apart from Virat Kohli, the Indian top-order batters may have failed in the match versus Pakistan. However, each one of them is a class act and one has to rely on their excellent pedigree to come forth with all guns blazing in the remaining matches. The quartet along with Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin and Thakur to follow should be good enough to give India a decent batting unit. India is lucky to be placed in Group 2 of the Super 12. The competition in Group 1 is much stiffer as the two qualifying group stage teams to join were Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Both these sides are good enough to cause a surprise defeat to any of the sides in their group. Whereas, Group 2 has Namibia and Scotland and so the only major threat to either India, Pakistan and New Zealand would be Afghanistan.

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Bengaluru Design District to come Soon prepare your artwork as up on 150 acre land: K'taka minister an NFT on Adobe Photoshop IANS

Bengaluru, Oct 21: Investors from Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries have evinced keen interest to set up a world class 'Design District' on the Bengaluru city outskirts besides coming here with various investment proposals, said C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Karnataka's Minister of IT, BT and ST.

The minister, who returned from a four-day visit to Dubai Expo 2020, said that a delegation of investors from the GCC countries like the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt have shown keen interest to invest in the state. GCC is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union comprising countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Narayan said that the proposed Rs 1,000 crore Design District will come up on 100 to 150 acre land. "The proposed design district will be way ahead than the one in Dubai. Industrial designs of all kinds required for any sector will be made available in the proposed design district," Dr Narayan said.

He said that a Bengaluru Design Festival will be held here. The Minister visited the Dubai Design district to explore the Design, Art and technology ecosystem. Narayan said that a delegation from the GCC countries will visit the state in November to sign several Memoranda of Understandings on various investment proposals. "Through Dubai, the Government of Karnataka intends to broad base its reach and strengthen its relationship with other GCC countries," he said. Narayan said that Gulf Islamic Investment (GII) plans to set up its office in Bengaluru to further strengthen the Indo-UAE investment.

Rajasthan to hold investors' summit on January 24-25

IANS

Jaipur, Oct 20: The 'Invest Rajasthan-2022' summit will be held on January 24-25 next year at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC). Investors from all over the world are being invited for the two-day conference, where investment-related decisions will be made on

the spot, Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya said while presiding over a meeting on the summit organised by the Industries Department here on Wednesday. Keeping in view the immense potential for industrial development in the state, domestic and foreign investors would be invited for

making investment in Rajasthan, which would also boost employment and tourism in the state. Arya said that efforts should be made to increase investment in different sectors like electronics, mineral exploration, health infrastructure and medical equipment. He also suggested inviting successful local exporters to the investor summit. Industries Secretary Ashutosh Pednekar said that the summit will see the participation of non-resident Rajasthani investors, both domestic and overseas. He said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other ministers will invite the investors to take part in the summit. There will be events like virtual webinars, national and international road shows, and discussions with diplomats from different countries to connect with the investors.

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 26: Software major Adobe is set to soon launch Photoshop with an option to prepare your artwork as an non-fungible token (NFT) which the creators can link it to their crypto wallet and help tackle NFT art theft. Called 'Content Credentials', NFT sellers will be able to link the Adobe ID with their crypto wallet, allowing compatible NFT marketplaces to show that the art's source is authentic, The Verge reported on Tuesday. According to Adobe's chief product officer Scott Belsky, this functionality will be built into Photoshop with

a "prepare as NFT" option. The functionality will be launched as a preview by the end of this month. Adobe said that NFT marketplaces like OpenSea, Rarible, KnownOrigin, and SuperRare will be able to integrate with 'Content Credentials' to show Adobe's attribution information. NFTs are digital assets that have existed for years, but the last few months have given a fresh lease of life to cryptocurrency and crypto-art. NFTs allow people to buy and sell

ownership of unique digital items in cryptocurrencies, and keep track of who owns them using the Blockchain. NFTs can technically contain anything digital, including drawings, artworks, tweets, animated GIFs, songs, or even video games.

Salman Khan all set to launch his NFT collection with BollyCoin

IANS

Mumbai, Oct 14: Following in the footsteps of megastar Amitabh Bachchan who took the decision to launch his non-fungible token (NFT) collection, Bollywood star Salman Khan too has announced the launch of his NFT collection on social media. Salman took to Instagram on Wednesday where he made the announcement of the launch of his own collection of NFTs that will be available on BollyCoin. BollyCoin is a dedicated, Bollywood-themed NFT started by filmmaker-actor Atul Agnihotri. It allow fans to invest in clips and stills from films, iconic dialogues, posters, unseen footage, and social media content and merchandise from film personalities. Salman shared a set of pictures of himself on Instagram and wrote: "Aa raha hoon main, NFTs leke (I am coming with NFTs). Salman Khan Static NFTs coming on @ bollycoin. Stay tuned, bhai log! www. bollycoin.com#BollyCoin #NFTs #ComingSoon." According to bollycoin.com, the platform has partnered with prominent production houses which such as Salman Khan Films,

Rolls-Royce keen to partner Twitter working on blockwith Indian Navy for its chain-linked 'Collectibles' tab 'Fleet of the Future' Arbaaz Khan Productions, Sohail Khan Productions, and Reel Life Productions.

Going by the website of BollyCoin, it states that the presale and auction will go live from October 2021.

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 20 IANS: As part of the UKs upcoming Carrier Strike Group tour, Rolls-Royce is all set to showcase to Indian Navy customers its capabilities to design, build and deliver customised power and propulsion solutions for Indias naval modernisation requirements. The company also expressed its keenness to explore opportunities for partnering with the Navy with end-to-end solutions for electrification of India's future warships. Speaking about the upcoming tour, Kishore Jayaraman, President (India and South Asia), Rolls-Royce, said, "As India envisions the fleet of the future, our commitment to support the country's defence modernisation and self-reliance goals remains as strong as ever. The Carrier Strike Group tour is a significant opportunity for Rolls-Royce to showcase the results of decades of innovation in naval power and propulsion. "Our experience of supporting the electrification of the Royal Navy's warships over many years is of particular significance, including the design and deployment of the world's first hybrid-electric naval system. We believe that we can bring great learnings and value to any future programme envisioned by the Indian Navy for developing electric warships." Rolls-Royce is the only manufacturer in the world that has provided navalised marine gas turbine generators into front-line integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) powered destroyers and aircraft carriers. Being a key member of the Power and Propulsion Sub-Alliance, www.indianabroad.news

Rolls-Royce was responsible for the design, procurement, manufacture, integration, test and delivery of the Queen Elizabeth Carrier ships' power and propulsion system, which includes the mighty MT30 marine gas turbine and a low voltage electrical distribution system. Abhishek Singh, Senior Vice President (Defence, India and South East Asia), Rolls-Royce, said, "The HMS Queen Elizabeth visiting India is one of the finest examples of technological excellence in naval warfare. We are looking forward to familiarising our Indian customers with Rolls-Royce's capabilities aboard this majestic warship and to explore areas for collaboration to further strengthen the might and range of the Indian Navy." Richard Partridge, Chief of Naval Systems, Rolls-Royce, added, "Rolls-Royce is well-positioned to partner India for the modernisation of its naval fleet with the right mix of products, experience and capabilities to design, build, deliver and support customised naval systems and solutions. Our technologically superior offerings and expertise provide the ideal solutions for developing integrated hybrid-electric and full-electric propulsion for naval vessels, including the integration of the MT30 that brings the most power dense gas turbine to these next generation warships." The Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers operate an IFEP system that is one of the most advanced propulsion systems offering increased power, flexibility and reliability

– best suited for large warships. It provides two MT30 marine gas turbine alternators per ship, rated at 36MW, with the power to propel these vessels beyond 25knots. The MT30 alone delivers huge design benefits through its power density, significantly reducing the number of gas turbines required to power advanced naval platforms. The MT30 also guarantees its power throughout the 50-year service life expectancy of the ship. The QEC also feature a complete Rolls-Royce low voltage (LV) electrical distribution system that distributes enough electricity to power the equivalent of 5,000 family homes. As electrical power system integrators, Rolls-Royce provides solutions for both hybrid and all-electric naval vessels, optimising performance to satisfy electrical load demands of the future such as advanced sensor, propulsion and combat systems. It is also an experienced provider of low voltage (LV) electrical power distribution systems for a range of warship and submarine applications. With over 80 years of naval propulsion experience, Rolls-Royce has pioneered some of the most important technical advances in marine propulsion including the use of aero gas turbines for surface ship propulsion. The company offers a world-leading portfolio of marine products and systems ranging from gas turbines and diesel engines, propulsion, electrical and automation systems, deck handling and innovative unmanned technologies as well as comprehensive customer support for present and future fleets.

San Francisco, Oct 26: Microblogging site Twitter is working on a tab that shows off a user's NFT collection, and it is beginning to look a lot more complete. According to The Verge, the platform first began working on the feature in September -- a tweet from Mada Aflak, a software engineer for Twitter, first showed off the early stages of its experiment in late September. The tweet's video demonstrates how you can connect your crypto wallet from popular providers like Coinbase, Metamask and Crypto. com and then choose one of your NFTs to use as your profile picture. Your full collection of NFTs will be stored in a tab on your profile, labelled Collectibles, the report said

Once selected, your profile picture will have a small badge that verifies that it's a real NFT, it added. Twitter hinted at letting users verify the NFTs they tweet back in September, so that detail doesn't come as much of a surprise. In addition to the Collectibles tab, reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong

revealed that Twitter is working on a view that lets you get a close-up look at an NFT. You will also be able to tap through to a page that shows detailed information about the NFT, including a description, its creator, any properties, as well as some information about the collection.

RIL's Q2FY22 YoY net profit jumps 46% to Rs 15,479 cr Mumbai, Oct 22 (IANS): Conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Friday reported a rise of 46 per cent growth in its year-onyear consolidated net profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. The net profit, on a YoY basis, rose to Rs 15,479 crore. In a regulatory filing, the company reported that its consolidated gross revenue for the quarter rose to Rs 191,532 crore, higher by 49.2 per cent. Besides, the consolidated EBITDA for the quarter rose by 30 per cent to Rs 3 0,283 crore. On a standalone basis, net profit for the quarter was higher by 44.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 9,228 crore. Furthermore, the gross revenue on a statndalone basis for the quarter rose by 68.8 per cent to Rs 108,750 crore. "As the pandemic retreats, I am

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pleased that Reliance has posted a strong performance in 2Q FY22. This demonstrates the inherent strengths of our businesses and the robust recovery of the Indian and global economies," Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D. Ambani said. "All our businesses reflect growth over pre-Covid levels. Our operational and financial performance reflects sharp recovery in the retail segment and sustained growth in Oil-to-Chemicals (O2C) and Digital Services business." Ambani said: "Our O2C business benefited from sharp recovery in demand across products and higher transportation fuel margins." "Reliance Retail continues to grow on the back of rapid expansion of both physical stores and digital offerings resulting in healthy growth in revenues and margin expansion.

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Jio, our digital services business, continues to transform the broadband market in India and set new benchmarks for the industry." He further said that RIL continues to make steady progress in accelerating its foray into new energy and new materials business. "Our partnership approach and the desire to bring India to the forefront of global transition to clean and green transition is underscored by our recent investments in some of the best companies in the world in the solar and green energy space."

HEALTH

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Pfizer says its Covid vax 90.7% How to Ensure you are Looking after effective in kids aged 5-11 your Personal Health and Wellbeing HEALTH BLOG

IANS

Washington, Oct 23 (IANS): Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said their Covid-19 vaccine is safe and 90.7 per cent effective against symptomatic coronavirus in children aged 5 to 11. The companies revealed the data in a document posted on Friday ahead of a meeting of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scheduled for October 26. Pfizer and BioNTech are applying FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) of a two-dose regimen of their 10-microgram dose for children of

the mentioned age group. The two doses would be administered three weeks apart. The data show that the two-dose primary series of the vaccine given to children from 5 to less than 12 years of age confers a high degree of protective efficacy against Covid-19 during a period when the Delta variant of concern predominates in the US. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on

October 26 to discuss whether to authorise the jab. If authorised, it would be the first Covid-19 vaccine for younger children. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently fully approved for people ages 16 and older, and has an EUA for children aged 12 to 15. Friday's announcement comes just days after the White House unveiled a plan to roll out Covid-19 vaccines for children aged from five to 11. "In anticipation of the FDA's independent advisory committee meeting on October 26 and the CDC's (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) independent advisory committee meeting on November 2-3, today the Biden Administration is announcing a plan to ensure that, if a vaccine is authorized for children ages 5-11, it is quickly distributed and made conveniently and equitably available to families across the country," the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. The latest plan "will mobilise a comprehensive effort across the public and private sectors to ensure that we have the supply, the sites, and the support needed to get our nation's children vaccinated and protected against the virus", it added.

Gaya residents to face legal action if unvaccinated IANS

Patna, Oct 24 (IANS): The residents of Gaya who have not taken Covid vaccines will have to face legal action and they will not be entitled to receive food from government shops on subsidised rates, district officials said in an order.

Abhishek Singh, the district magistrate of Gaya, has directed all circle officers, block development officers, CDPOs, and others through video conferencing and asked them to implement the order.

"The officials have been asked to find people who have not taken corona vaccines and intimate them to take the vaccines at the earliest. In case of refusal, they have to face legal action. The district administration has the right to register FIR under Epidemic Diseases Act, 2005," Singh said. "The owners of the government shops have been directed to sell foods only to those who present certificates of Covid-19 vaccine after October 31," he said. The officer further said that the district administration will start a mega vaccination campaign from October 28 to November 7 where those who have not taken the first dose or missed out on the second dose of vaccine will be covered. At present, 24,78,935 people have taken the vaccines in the district.

PM Modi to launch PMASBY from Varanasi on Oct 25 The Statesman

Lucknow, Oct 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the biggest health infrastructure scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY) worth Rs 64,180 crore on Monday from his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. The Prime Minister will be in the state to unveil nine medical colleges from Siddhartha Nagar, and 30 projects worth Rs 5,000 crore, along

with the national medical scheme from Varanasi. Under this scheme, the work of infrastructure, surveillance, and research among others will be carried out in urban and rural areas. The union government announced the PMASBY for the health sector including a set of reforms and initiatives for long-term infrastructure strengthening the public health system.

According to the government spokesman, the PMASBY Scheme with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore over five years had been announced in the budget 2021-22. The Prime Minister will launch the scheme on October 25 during his second visit to UP within a week. Directions have been issued for the participation of healthcare professionals and staff from functional health and wellness centres at the Panchayat level, Block PHCs and CHCs, sub district and district hospitals at the block and district level, and the Government Medical College of Varanasi through virtual means. The measures under the PMASBY scheme for the health sector focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels -- primary, secondary, and tertiary and on preparing health systems in responding effectively to the current and future pandemics/disasters. The scheme provides a much-needed infusion of funds to develop the infrastructure needed for strengthening state health systems and meeting future pandemic needs.

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By Vahini Panda ith the amount of stress we go through in our every day lives these days, it is very important to regularly focus on your personal health and wellbeing and also of people around you. Looking after yourself as a whole is the first step. Health need not be just physical, the physical health is very much also tied in with your mental well-being. If you are feeling unwell mentally it manifests into you physically feeling unwell too. At the same time if you are feeling poorly physically it also has an impact on how you feel mentally. So the 2 are intrinsically interconnected and both are equally important to lead a healthy and happy life. Below are few simple things you can do to maintain and find a balance: Ensure you have a routine which includes a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, protein and complex carbohydrates. Eat at regular intervals. Don’t skip meals. Limit junk food or eating out to 1-2 times a week. Stay hydrated, drink enough water through the day. If you find drinking water challenging, flavour it with something. Hot or cold herbal teas help. Incorporate a routine physical activity into your week. It could be anything from going to the gym, walking, dancing, playing a regular sport or swimming. The important thing is consistency. You have to incorporate this as part of your routine to see the benefits out of it.

If you feel lethargic constantly, drained by the end of the day, not sleeping well, loss of appetite, hair loss or dizziness contact your health professional asap. It could be caused by a deficiency and can easily be rectified by a blood test and taking the relevant supplements. Ensure you get a minimum of 6-8 hours of sleep. Don’t compromise on this as the body needs to rest to replenish and lack of sleep has a huge impact on your routine. How to ensure you are looking after the mental well being for yourself and others? Destress at regular intervals. This could be incorporated into your routine. Like going to a meditation or yoga class, Getting a massage, socialising with people you love are all de-stressors. Find something which gives you lot of pleasure and do that for yourself. Practice mindfulness, self-awareness, gratitude and stay content with what you have. Interact with people who contribute

to your mental well being, if someone is causing you too much distress move away from them. It could be a co-worker, friend or family. Don’t let anyone affect your mental state. If you are getting affected the best way is to distance yourself. There are always ways to do this and help is available, don’t hesitate to seek it. Treat everyone around you with kindness and respect, you normally receive it back. Don’t take out your frustration on others as it doesn’t help you nor others. Stay focussed, don’t let your mind take over, always stay in control of your thoughts and actions. About the Author: Vahini is the CEO and Founder of Health Academy Australia and Health Courses Australia. She is multi faceted in her skills and expertise which is backed by 20 years experience in the areas of education, health, ecommerce and Information Technology. She is a CEO, Passionate business owner, Author, Blogger, Nutritionist, Digital marketing expert and a Mum.

Beijing marathon postponed amid Covid surge IANS

New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS): Chinese authorities have postponed the Beijing marathon until further notice amid a surge in new coronavirus infections in the capital city, the BBC reported. The development comes as the country's top health official warned that a fresh outbreak of cases is expected to spread further. China has reported more than 133 cases across 11 provinces in the last 24 hours and all of them have been linked to the highly transmissible Delta variant, the report said. The latest surge is considered the largest outbreak in the country since Nanjing in August this year. It has raised concerns over China's ability to maintain its zero-tolerance approach to the virus, especially leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, the report added. Held annually since 1981, the Beijing marathon is one of China's biggest local sporting events. The race traditionally begins at Tiananmen Square and ends in Celebration Square in Beijing's Olympic Park. Around 30,000 people were

expected to take part in the marathon, which was scheduled to take place on October 31. Marathon organisers said it was cancelling the event "in order to prevent the risk of the epidemic spreading (and) effectively protect the health and safety of the majority of runners, staff and residents". The latest surge is believed to have been spread by local tour groups visiting other provinces and cities. China has enforced travel restrictions, ramped up testing and urged

heightened vigilance in a bid to stamp out the latest outbreak. Officials have banned travel agencies from arranging cross-provincial tours that involve affected regions, the BBC report said. Since the Covid-19 pandemic was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019, the country has so far reported a total of 96,797 confirmed cases and 4,636 deaths, according to the National Health Commission's update on Monday.

Post-Covid patients in UP report gastro troubles

Lucknow, Oct 25: Patients in Uttar Pradesh who have recovered from Covid-19, are now facing problems related to the gastroenterology system. More and more patients with Covid history are reporting to hospitals with inflamed liver and gut, upset stomach or abdominal pain. Many of these patients are being diagnosed with post-infection irritable bowel syndrome. Anil Gangwar of Lucknow's SGPGI's gastroenterology department, said: "All viral diseases have a tendency to leave behind gastrointestinal issues like rotavirus, dengue etc. A similar pattern is seen in patients of novel coronavirus. Many of these patients showed a pattern of overconsumption of herbal and Ayurvedic drinks like 'kadhas' which caused inflammation of their liver and gut." Covid patients with no prior history of gastrointestinal issues (GI) are now visiting hospitals with trouble in their gut, loose motions, stomach fullness, abdominal pain and allied symptoms.

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IANS

Sumit Rungta, Head of the gastroenterology department at Lucknow's King George's Medical University, said: "Initially, majority Covid patients in ICU had accompanying GI problems. We are still getting patients with persistent GI troubles even after months of having

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contracted Covid-19 infection. "We have not correlated if these GI troubles are a new development or related to Covid-19. It could be because of the virus or because the new normal has become more of a sedentary lifestyle."

TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Where are Indians travelling to this festive season? O ver the past year and a half, travellers have collectively missed milestones, moments together, including occasions and festive travel. With the upcoming festive holidays, lockdown restrictions gradually easing in different parts of the country and activities slowly beginning to normalize, travellers are looking forward to their next trip home to visit and celebrate with friends and family or taking some leisurely time off after being indoors for so long. Booking.com, the digital travel leader connecting travellers with the widest choice of unique places to stay, today shared key booking trends for India this festive season. With borders opening up, Indians are taking to the skies with the UAE, France and UK being the top 3 most booked international destinations by Indian travellers between October 1 to November 30, 2021. For Indians travelling domestically, they are booking destinations across the country from the beaches of Goa on the west coast, to the mountains and hills of Manali and Darjeeling up north. Hotels continue to be the top booked accommodation type by Indians travelling domestically.

Besides hotels, Indians are also looking to stay in alternative accommodations like guesthouses, homestays, hostels, and apartments. Travel trends by Indian travellers travelling internationally: After months of waiting for international travel restrictions to ease and getting completely vaccinated, Indian travellers are also planning their upcoming travels with friends and family to international destinations. UAE, France, UK, Switzerland and Italy are amongst the top 5 most booked destinations by Indian outbound travellers. Top booked international destinations by Indian travellers between October 1 to November 30, 2021: UAE France UK Switzerland Italy Germany Maldives Canada Russia Spain Travel trends by Indian travellers

travelling within India: Travelling within India continues to gain momentum with Indians booking domestic destinations for the upcoming festive season. As per Booking.com data, besides metros like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, leisure destinations such as Goa, Jaipur and Manali are amongst the top 10 most booked domestic destinations for the festive season between October 1 and November 30, 2021, by Indian travellers. Top booked domestic destinations by Indian travellers between October 1 to November 30, 2021: New Delhi Goa Jaipur Mumbai Bengaluru Kolkata Manali Udaipur Darjeeling Rishikesh Top 5 accommodation types booked by Indian travellers travelling within India between October 1 to

Reetu Khodiya

November 30, 2021: Hotel Resort Guest House Homestay Apartmen. Commenting on Indian travel sentiment this festive season, Ritu Mehrotra, Regional Manager, South Asia at Booking.com said, “With the increased pace of vaccination and travel restrictions easing both within India and globally, we are seeing traveller confidence returning. As we near the festive season, travellers are starting to plan their next trip, be it back home to visit family or indulge in leisure travel with friends. While bookings are largely domestic, we are also seeing demand for international travel back on the agenda. And as the demand for travel continues to rise, as a leader in travel, Booking. com will continue to make it easier for people to experience the world in a safe manner. We will continue to offer the widest accommodation choices at great value so travellers can cherish the experience travel has to offer."

Reetu Khodiya

The ultimate cricket stay Keeping a balanced

IANS

diet while you travel

ricket fans can now book the ultimate experience with the official accommodation booking partner for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Booking.com. The T20 Pavillion, a bespoke cricket-themed luxury stay that transforms the Presidential Suite at Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences into a classic cricket stadium. The suite offers guests an all-inclusive once-in-a-lifetime experience during the India vs Pakistan ICC Men's T20 World Cup match on October 24, 2021, packed with quirks and luxuries that is sure to satisfy even the biggest cricket www.indianabroad.news

enthusiast. Additionally, as a part of the experience, guests will also have the exclusive opportunity to meet Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor at The T20 Pavilion. For one night only, guests can soak in the energy of a roaring stadium to enjoy the epic match on a life-sized screen while seated on comfortable sofas -- just like the luxury box seats at the stadium. They can also head to the locker room (dining room) next to the field (living room) to have some energy drinks, just like a cricketer would do or head to the bedroom, transformed into a net practice area. It's got the field, the

pitch, the locker room, pitching nets and cricket memorabilia infused in every element of the room. The booking window opens at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and will be booked on a 'first come, first serve' basis with a check-in date on October 24, 2021, and check-out on October 25, 2021. The T20 Pavilion is priced at Rs 6666 only in honour of all the great sixes smashed at the T20 World Cup. The T20 Pavilion can accommodate up to four guests. Cricket fans can visit the website or mobile app to book this cricket inspired stay.

ravelling calories don't count but it’s important to keep yourself in shape. Working out has become more of a lifestyle than any leisure activity. It indeed gets difficult to maintain timely eating habits. But there are always some ways out if you are willing to choose healthily. Dietitian and Nutritionist Sakina Mustansir shares few ways to keep a balanced diet: Try to eat Homemade food/ cook your own meal: There is an old saying, “ your mood changes when you eat according to the person’s mood who made it.” Even when you cook unhealthy food it becomes healthy when it's made at home. It's always convenient to carry food from home rather than eating at roadside vendors or unhygienic food. So, try to cook your own meal wherever possible. Also carry munching snacks like nuts, dried fruits, peanut butter sandwiches or whole wheat/ multigrain bread sandwiches, protein bars etc. Stay hydrated: No amount of soft drinks or hard drinks will subside the need for water in our body. It’s always recommended to be hydrated. Research shows when you are dehydrated it results in forced hunger cravings. You confuse hunger with thirst and get sugary food cravings or indulge in binge eating. Do you know? Drinking water before every meal cuts the portion size and you end up intaking fewer calories. Don't skip or avoid breakfast: Most of the people skip breakfasts on the trip which makes them more lethargic which enables them to follow healthy eating patterns. If you eat a healthy breakfast your body fills up the nutrients and proteins

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it requires for the day and starves the carvings off. Buffet breakfast is a trap, don't indulge in overeating either. Cater to the energy your body needs at the moment. While travelling, never skip breakfast. Always aim for a good healthy breakfast so as to avoid hunger pangs and binging on unhealthy snacks later during the day. Also carry some uncut fruits or boiled eggs or chickpeas from the breakfast table for later, to keep you energetic for the exploration. Avoid alcohol or sugary beverages: The calories in beverages are more reactive as compared to the calories in solid food. Being on a vacation doesn’t mean your liver is on a vacation as well. Cutting on calories or alcohol fat is more difficult than cutting down the vacation fat. Avoid sodas if that’s convenient. Local cuisine: Usually the most authentic local cuisine also happens to be the healthiest. So while traveling,

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always try the country's authentic cuisine rather than fast food joints and processed foods. This will not only keep you healthy and give you more energy to explore but you will have an opportunity to taste different cuisines and experience their culture. Don't stress about treats: Give yourself a break, don’t keep a count on everything you eat. You always end up eating more if you stress about what you eat all the time. Having a healthy relationship with what you eat is important. Plenty of vegetables are healthier than you are aware of. Any weight you gain while you travel is most likely to be water retention or constipation. You are most likely to reduce this in a span of one week when you’re back to your lifestyle. Be diligent with your exercise or walks while travelling. Pexels

LIFESTYLE

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Wall trends for the fall A

s fall nesting is upon us, striking designs with handpicked colours in a variety of trending wallpaper designs are perfect to spruce up placid walls. If you're looking to dramatically overhaul your interiors, wallpapers are a good option as they are durable and cost-effective. In the long run, wallpapers can add texture and dimension to a space, transforming an ordinary room into something special. Take your pick from muted backdrops to geometric prints from a splash of vibrant hues to intricate patterns. Artisan Furnishings curates a collection for every kind of home this fall: Minimalistic Décor If yours is a minimalistic abode with clean simple designs and home

accessories, covering your wall with a muted colour and simple floral motifs will work like a charm. An interplay of the yesteryear’s cottage core vibe with a contemporary design aesthetic, your walls will play muse to the season of new beginnings. Cover Me in Sunshine Vibrant hues of sunshine orange and yellow with intricately lined patterns in white bring out a certain allure and warmth to your home along with adding a statement to your wall. Paint your home in this subdued backdrop to give it a fresh makeover. Go Rustic with Earthy Tones Invoking the aura of the charming English countryside, the rustic trend blends, neutral backdrops and an earthy colour palette of beige,

Patterns over pattern combining 2 patterns trend

brown and blue. Infusing a sense of tradition and craftsmanship, these wallpapers are designed with ingenuity and love for our diverse roots. Bold Hues on Muted Backdrops Give your home a festive spirit and feel with wallpapers created on a simple colour palette of cream with gold accents. Reminiscent of palaces and their vintage and regal vibe, this wall covering trend goes perfectly for every kind of space. A mélange of Pattern and Prints Uniquely designed patterns on a plethora of backdrops coloured white, cream, beige and bold hues of violet, this trend are perfect for all seasons. Floral motifs and structural designs create a bespoke line of wall arts to bring out the essence of fall in your home.

IANS

Minimalistic Décor

Bold Hues on Muted Backdrops

Go Rustic with Earthy Tones

Why is listening to your gut important? Fresherslive

n 400 B.C, Hippocrates has been quoted saying “death sits in the bowels” and “bad digestion is the root of all evil” showing that the significance of the intestines in human health has been long recognized. In the past, most research on the impact of bacteria in the intestinal environment has focused on gastrointestinal pathogens and the way they cause disease. But in recent times there has been a considerable increase in the study of the positive effects of human microbes on health and wellness. Interest in the functioning of the human microbiome, particularly the gut microbiome, and its role in various diseases, has exponentially increased in recent decades. This unseen world of microbes residing in our body far exceeds the number of cells in our body and is influenced by diet, physical activity,

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antibiotic consumption, physical and psychological stress, etc. In a healthy state, gut microbiomes have myriad positive functions, including the metabolism of non-digestible components of foods, protection from viruses, bacteria and boosting the immune system. Let’s understand this better. WHY IS THE GUT MICROBIOTA IMPORTANT? The human microbiome consists of collective genomes of predominantly bacteria, viruses, Protozoa, Archaea, Eukaryotes, that live symbiotically on and within various sites of the human body, like the oral cavity, genital organs, respiratory tract, skin, and gastrointestinal system, that influences our health to a great extent. GUT MICROBIOTA IS IMPORTANT IN: Fermenting unabsorbed starch and

soluble dietary fibre as well as bile acid metabolism Serves as an important source of vitamins B and Vit K for the host Plays important role in maintaining gut barrier integrity, host immunity development, and regulating host immune response to various antigens at both local & systemic levels Plays a crucial role in CNS microglial function as well as the development and functioning of the enteric nervous system Moreover, research has found links between altered bacterial populations, and the following diseases: Asthma Autism Cancer Celiac disease Colitis Diabetes Eczema Heart Disease Malnutrition Multiple sclerosis Obesity THE HUMAN MICROBIOME HAS AN INFLUENCE ON THE FOUR BROAD AREAS OF IMPORTANCE TO HEALTH: Nutrition Immunity Behaviour Disease THE LINK BETWEEN GUT MICROBIOTA AND GOOD HEALTH Altered composition of gut microbiota is likely to impair the normal functioning of gut microbiota in maintaining host wellness. It can potentially induce selective-increase

of certain microbiota members including pathobionts, leading to dysregulated production of microbial-derived products or metabolites, which might be harmful to the host, causing a diverse range of diseases on local, systemic or remote organs. GUT MICROBIOTA DYSBIOSIS IS IMPLICATED IN MULTIPLE DISEASE CONDITIONS INCLUDING: GI disorders like Clostridium Difficle Infection, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease, Colorectal Cancer Systemic disorders like Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension Autoimmune disorders like SLE, Rheumatoid Arthritis Atopic disorders like childhood Asthma, and Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s Disease, Depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Autism spectrum disorders as well as CKD Going forward, a deeper understanding of gut microbiota and its manipulation with diet and physical activity may provide vital clues to reversing or controlling some of these disorders. Faecal Microbiota Transplantation is now an established therapy in treating diseases like recurrent C Difficle Infection and is emerging as a therapeutic option in many other disorders including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Liver diseases. In the future, the gut microbiota will become a cornerstone of preventive medicine. (Dr Nutan Desai is a Senior Consultant-Gastroenterology, Fortis Hospital, Mulund)

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ART & CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Century-old Nandana Fort Reincarnating images in ruins in Pak set for restoration H IANS

IANS

he century-old Nandana Fort, discovered by Pakistans archeological department three months back which is set for restoration, still showcases its unique and magnificent might, even as it stands in a derelict condition. The discovery of the landmark by the archeological department is a vital first step that would pave the way towards its restoration for it to become a major tourist attraction in Pakistan. The Nandana Fort was constructed by the Hindu king Inder Pal at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet at

Baghanwala village in Pind Dadan Khan district in Punjab province. The site located about 300 km along the salt range highlights architectural similarities to the Katas Raj temple and a shrine built by Hindu Shahi king Jayapal. As per details, the Shahi kings ruled the Nandana Fort until the 11th century when Mehmud of Ghazni expelled them from the area. Historical memories reveal that the building also served as a study centre and was the only fort that remained when Mahmud of Ghazni took over. The fort was also a laboratory of Muslim Persian scientist Abu Rayhan Al Biruni, where he used to measure the circumference of the earth. This is one reason why the building is also known as the Al Beruni Centre. History also reveals that the building remained as a safe haven for Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir as they used to often visit the fort for hunting deer and birds. The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has decided to restore the Nandana fort. According to Punjab Chief Minister's advisor on tourism, Khan has visited the area and a rehabilitation project has already

been prepared in this regard. "The restoration project would be completed by June 30, 2022. As per the plan, an Al Beruni laboratory is being set up, where young scientists and students would be able to conduct experiments," said Asif Mahmood, Punjab CM's advisor on tourism. "The recent excavations by the archeological department would be helpful in determining the accurate age of the building, while valuable pottery and antiquities have also been recovered from the premises," he added. It was also revealed that the Baghanwala village will also be given the status of a model village, which would help in facilitating it with water, telephone line, electricity, gas and internet services. "There will be three steps in the overall process. First is the model village where tourists would be able to stay in good facilities. Second would be at the midpoint, where stalls would be set up, along with washrooms and temporary accommodation. And the third and final point would be at Nandana Fort, where extensive parking, hotels, and rest houses would be constructed," Mahmood said.

Theatre artists switch to Delhi's suburbs, smaller cities to keep shows on

n the wake of Covid-19, lack of funds and fewer audiences, theatre artists have switched to confined and experimental spaces in Delhi's suburbs and smaller cities, leaving the Mandi House area -- the national capital's hub for performing art students and actors -- with a deserted look. "The theatre groups which earlier used to perform at Mandi House have now moved to residential areas like Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar to perform. These places used to be our rehearsing spaces earlier but now since some theatres are not taking up shows and others have increased their booking rates, we are compelled to move to such places," Harshvardhan Chaturvedi -- an actor best known for his performance in the play 'Ek Aur Dronacharya' and 'Bloody Bombay' shared with IANS. Akashara Theatre is the only prominent name amongst the newer substitutes. There might be any sector that has not been hit by the pandemic and Delhi's theatre community is one of them. "Our community has people from all castes, classes, religions and regions in India. However post-pandemic-induced-lockdown, many were forced to leave for their hometowns to help their families and themselves. Others, who

did not, switched to some other occupation. And those who had somehow managed to survive the first lockdown broke down after the second wave. However, our plight still remains to be heard," he added. Just as all the public spaces in the city started opening up after the devastating second wave of Covid-19, the Delhi government had issued orders allowing cinemas, theatres, multiplexes to reopen with 50 per cent capacity from July 26 onwards. "This 50 per cent bar had further given rise to another set of problems as some theatres despite having all the resources had refused to take bookings for they were sceptical of being able to cover their expenses with just half the percentage of audience," a theatre administrator told IANS on the condition of anonymity. However, Shobha Deepak Singh -- Director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra said that they could book Kamani Auditorium, but there weren't enough shows to begin with. Meanwhile, Sri Ram Centre for Performing Arts has increased its booking rates by almost Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. "This has further rendered the community, especially those with a limited budget, helpless," Saif Ansari -- an actor and producer, best known for his

adaptation of William Shakespeare in Hamlet, shared, adding that SRCPA is an autonomous body and is therefore not accountable to anyone. "Due to all of these reasons, we are now performing in smaller cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly in Jaipur," Harshvardhan added. Saif said although they have come up with new places, audiences do not appear in large numbers, "First of all these are lesser-known spaces in suburbs. Secondly, they are confined so people are sceptical of sitting closer due to Covid-19." The number of audiences has reduced from pre-Covid times of 500 to a mere 60-70. "Cinema has moved to OTT platforms but we cannot rely entirely on that as well because of lack of funds, thereby, the equipment due to which it will be next to impossible to stream the live show," he said. Shobha Deepak Singh -- Director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra shared similar woes. "The community at large is doing very badly as there is no money left. There are salary cuts," she said, adding, "In the middle of all this, we try to take back people as per requirements hoping that something would happen." "There is no help from even the government on this front," Singh added.

Kerala Kalamandalam to admit girl students first time in 90 yrs IANS

erala Kalamandalam that teaches the globally recognized art form of Kerala -- Kathakali, has for the first time in its history of 90 years, admitted girl students. In class VII of Kalamadalam, out

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of 10 students admitted, 9 are girl students for its Kathakali course. Kathakali is a highly masculine art form with even the female characters being portrayed by men. The attempt is being welcomed across the world.

However several women had started practicing Kathakali since 1970 and 1990 and K.K. Gopalakrishnan, renowned art critic of Kerala in his research book, 'Kathakali Dance - Theatre', said that some women from foreign countries had trained for some short-term courses in Kerala on Kathakali. Most of these performing women artists were either trained privately by Kathakali masters but this is the first time that Kalamandalam is taking in girl students for its longterm programme. T.K. Narayanan, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Kalamandalam told media persons that giving admission to girl students in Kalamadalam was a demand from several quarters since long and that this academic year the governing body has decided to give admission to girl students in a fulltime programme at Kalamandalam. Training at Kalamandalam from school days would expose the students to the teaching and guidance of experts and a diverse pool of teachers of the institute who have huge exposure and deep knowledge of the subject.

e may have left his dusty hometown of Bhiwani in Haryana decades back, but there is something about the city that refuses to part with him. The many grand havelis there, slowly getting consumed by time and the almost magical wall paintings executed since the 18th century, have over the years become an integral part of artist Ram Partap Verma, precipitating him to write a book and make a documentary film on them. To bring forth the fast vanishing heritage seldom taken notice of by authorities and art historians, the artist recently released his book and documentary film "Wall Paintings: The Vanishing Treasure". Stressing that his journey of four decades as an artist was rooted in that town, he says, "For years I have been working on these projects without any grants or patronage. Frankly, many of the paintings you see in the book cease to exist now as several havelis have been torn down to make way for modern houses. Sadly, a few of them, with pigments on the wall paintings still intact that still exist, are in a pathetic state owing to little interest shown by the owners and the state."

Talk to him about the fact that in Europe, not just the government but locals too understand the importance of heritage in their localities and communities, and do the needful, and the artist says, "Well, that's hardly the case in this country otherwise we would not be seeing couples inscribing their names on monuments across cities, no?" For someone who developed a fascination for the arts during early childhood -- seeing his mother paint images relating to snake worshiping and Shakti on the walls of their house, he says that the movie and book is his tribute to the hometown that sowed the seeds of art deep within him. The artist, who as part of his research spent several months in those havelis, decoding the history of the painters, understanding their styles, deciphering the motive behind the use of particular colours and the social impact of that time on their work, says, "One can easily see the influences of different cultures and time periods on the wall paintings. Honestly, it is tough to trace the evidence of any art school in this region." Elaborating on his research for the book and film, he says that it was neither easy to find the material or

records of the painters. "It meant extensive travels across the country and accessing different libraries, not to mention, elaborate interviews with locals and owners who could be traced," says Verma. "Interestingly, many painters who made the wall paintings of Hindu mythologies were Muslims. This speaks of the composite culture that existed centuries ago," he adds. Decoding these paintings on the walls of havelis of where primary colours like ochre, indigo, and green as secondary have been used, the artist says, "All I hope for is that the remaining wall paintings should be preserved by art foundations and the government."

TN: Ancient Pandyan port of Korkai to be excavated T IANS

he Tamil Nadu government is reaching out to Oceanographers of repute to assist the government in the archaeological excavation process at Korkai, the ancient port city of the Pandyan empire. In a statement on Tuesday, the state minister for Industries, Tamil Culture, and archaeology, Thangam Tenarasu said that several artefacts were recovered from the ancient port city of Korkai showing its maritime connect with Rome, China, and Egypt. The minister said that excavations in Korkai with guidance from oceanographic experts are necessary to prove the town's age and its rich heritage and culture as well as the trade relations it has had with foreign countries. Thangam Thenarasu in the statement also said that the earlier excavations from the Pandyan port town has proved beyond doubt the maritime connections it has had with other countries and that a scientific excavation with the able guidance of expert oceanographers would open new vistas on the town

and its maritime history. He said that several remains unearthed from the site including drainage pipes remains of old houses, baked tiles, conch bangles, iron coins, and pots, prove that it has had a rich heritage and culture even in 785 BCE. The minister also said that the materials unearthed from Korkai during excavations would be on display

at the Porunai (Thamaribarani) museum coming up in Tirunelveli. He also said that the government is also considering the creation of an onsite museum at Korkai. The minister in the statement said that the department is also in the process of preparing an integrated document on Sivakalai, Korkai, and Adichanallur civilisations.

Work begins to restore entrance of Cambodia’s iconic Angkor Wat

ambodia's APSARA National Authority (ANA) has started the work to restore the eastern entrance of the famed Angkor Wat temple, said an ANA news release on Wednesday. The entrance was damaged by the impact from aging, weathers, and vegetation among others, according to the news release, reported by Xinhua news agency. "Although the Eastern Entrance of Angkor Wat was slightly damaged in some parts, such as its stairs, roof, and pediment, maintenance work is needed to avoid the serious damage in the future," Phin Vicheasachara, an archaeologist in charge of the restoration work, said. "Our team needs to study the layout of the entrance and allocate the stones, and then, we're going to clean all the stones and reassemble them in their original places," Vicheasachara added. The restoration work of the eastern entrance of Angkor Wat began on Monday, Vicheasachara said. Located in the northwestern Siem Reap province, the 400 sq km Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination. Prior to the Covid pandemic, the site received up to 2.2 million international tourists in 2019, earning a gross revenue of 99 million US

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dollars from ticket sales. The park received only 6,167 foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 98.4 per cent from a year earlier, the Angkor Enterprise said, adding that it earned 253,809 US dollars in gross revenue from ticket sales during the January-September period this year, down 98.6 per cent year on year. Cambodia on Monday cut the quarantine period for fully vaccinated inbound travelers from 14 days to three days for foreign investors, technical experts, diplomats, and cooperation project managers and coordinators, and to seven days for general inbound travelers, including

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foreign tourists. Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said that a reduced quarantine period bodes well for the tourism industry hard hit by the pandemic. "It's a good sign for our tourism because a shorter quarantine period will encourage investors, business people and tourists to come to Cambodia," she told Xinhua news agency. "With this new quarantine policy, we hope our tourism will start to recover gradually," she added.

LITERATURE

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Ghalib's compassion, plurality is critical for our times: Najeeb Jung

IANS

Forget 'shaken, not stirred', this is hardcore

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS): This truly is the outcome of a lifetime of devotion to the work of Mirza Ghalib from the time Najeeb Jungs mother recited his poetry to him to the time his daughters helped him with the translation by finding the closest words to do justice to the original. It's a journey that began when he was four years old but it was only in mid-2010 that the 70-year-old Jung, a former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, found the right "Ustad" to guide him through the translation process. The outcome is "DEEWAAN-E-GHALIB Sariire-Khaama" (Rekhta Books), a rendering in English of 235 of Ghalib's poems along with the originals in the Roman script. "In these disturbed times, Ghalib's open discourse, his compassion and understanding, and his plurality assume huge importance. He demolishes routinely held views on man, and his relationship with God, or the existence of heaven or hell, or man's allurement for heaven and his fear of hell, sin and goodness. For him truth was not the monopoly of any religion or dogma and the path to truth was open to all. To this end he is critical for our times," Jung told IANS in an interview. "This is precisely why I have done this translation - a step to bring him closer to those who speak Urdu/ Hindustani but their vocabulary is limited, or those who know English and wish to read and understand him. The Roman script needs a bit of practice to familiarise and make reading easy, and the translation gives meaning to the words. I have not provided a commentary to the translations because that would make the book too complex and more of a commentary," he added. It's been quite an inspirational journey and bears telling in its totality. "As I recall, I was around 4-years-old when my late mother (Ammi) made me learn Ghalib. We also did a bit of Iqbal but Ghalib was her passion. So while my friends in class were reciting English nursery rhymes, I was spouting Ghalib - not that I understood the meanings!! I was a popular child in family gatherings for this. In fact, my mother often told a story how Maulana Azad, who was a family friend and we often visited his home at Edward Road, now renamed the Maulana Azad Road, would insist on listening to Ghalib being recited by a 4/5 yearold child," Jung said. As time went by and school (St Columba's) gained importance, Ghalib receded into the background "but Ammi and I continued reciting once in a while to each other. I kept reading the Deewan (in the original) whenever I could, having acquired many editions and prints over time". In early 2000, he was at Oxford as a Visiting Fellow and had access to some outstanding libraries. "I thought I had read enough and should try my hand at translating www.indianabroad.news

the Master for English speaking people or those who understood Urdu but did not have an adequate vocabulary. It did not take any time to realise I was not equipped for the task - neither was my vocabulary so good, nor did I fully comprehend the nuances and depth of his thought. I needed to read much more, and research the various "sharas" (commentaries) by other well know thinkers and writers and therefore to find the right Ustad. The big question was how to get THAT person," Jung explained. As luck would have it, he came to the Jamia Millia Islamia in August 2009 and here began his search for the Ustad. His secretary, Zafar Hashmi, introduced him to Prof Khalid Mahmood who, at that time, was the Head of the Urdu department. "Something clicked" at their first interaction and Jung knew he had found his teacher. "Khalid sahib is not just an extremely good human being, but a profound thinker. He knew Ghalib, but above all, was happy to read and re-read Ghalib, and spend time with me. Let me add, this was a labour of love by him too - and all the hours and years we worked together, there was never any fee paid or even expected. It was a sacred relationship between a master and pupil on a subject they loved and therefore enjoyed working on together," Jung said. From mid-2010 to the end of 2016, every day they read Ghalib; re- read Ghalib, discussed the "ashaar" (nuances of the couplets), looked at commentaries and different interpretations, agreed and at times disagreed. "By this time I felt ready to attempt a translation. The big question before me whether I should translate the whole Deewan or pick out the popular ghazals, already well known through films and popular ghazals sung by the greats like (K.L.) Saigal, Begum Akhtar, Jagjit Singh etc. and stick to translating them. I do not know why I decided to translate the entire Deewan. "It has taken me four years to do this. It has been a back-breaking labour of love, a dream I have lived with. Sometimes, a couplet would not be difficult but some would be back-breaking. For instance, I spent months agonising over the first couplet in the Deewan: Naqsh faryadi hai kiskii shokhi-e-tahreer ka/ Kaaghazi hai pairahan har paikar-etasweer ka'," Jung elaborated. He found it impossible to give true impression to this. So he would wake up at night and think over it, think on it during long walks, during long flights - and never be satisfied. What eventually emerged was: Against whose playful writings can an image petition/For made of paper is the attire of each image. There were more like this and hours were spent looking for words that would convey the most appropriate meaning to what Ghalib meant.

"I would seek out my daughters, discuss the couplet and more often than not, they came up with the right expression. It is difficult for a family to be with a husband or parent obsessed with a passion but play along with him with patience and fortitude. In fact for the latter half of 2020, we were all together in New York with everyone contributing to complete the work. I guess every one of us wished to complete this work as soon as possible. Ten years was enough," Jung said. He also pointed out that Ghalib is multi-layered and that different meanings can be derived from the same couplet. "Take the popular couplet: Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hone tak/Kaun jiita hai teri zulf ke sar hone tak'. The simplest interpretation is of a lover moaning how long it would take for his sighs to take effect and whether he would even live till the beloved was ready. But could it not be a question to God that how long would a person wait for his prayer to be answered, whether he would not be dead till the prayer was answered?" "Ghalib has a strange informal relationship with God. He is a Muslim believing in Allah and his Prophet, but rejects dogma and ritualism and opens a world of modern thought and iconoclasm: Bandagi mein bhi vo aazada o khudbiin hain ke hum/ Ulte phir aaye dar-e-Kaaba agar vaa na hua' (While being a believer, I am so independent and proud/ That I would turn back from the Kaaba were its door not open) "Or even challenging established Islamic belief: Hum ko maloom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin/Dil ke khush rakhne ko Ghalib ye khayaal achha hai' (We know the reality of Paradise but/To keep the heart happy, Ghalib, this thought is good)," Jung said. Has Ghalib received his due in India? "Well, despite Urdu not being widely read in India, and most people having inadequate vocabularies, Ghalib's ghazals have been sung manifold by the best in India. While it is near impossible to sing a ghazal in Qawali form, even that has happened. Masterpiece films have been made commencing from the 1940s when Saigal sahib played Ghalib, to Sohrab Modi's successful film in the early 1950s to the recent TV serial by Gulzar sahib - which will always remain a pure masterpiece bringing Ghalib into our homes," Jung said. In 1969, the government celebrated Ghalib's death centenary with seminars, discussions and even a Mushiara at the Red Fort in Delhi. In addition, the Rekhta Foundation has brought him to the public and vast numbers of non-Urdu speaking people attend these recitations, and talks on him each year. "So while the poetry may not be understood with its subtleties and nuances, Ghalib is most certainly heard, and admired by millions in India - and with time, his popularity grows," Jung concluded.

IANS

n the last quarter of over 25 years experience in his line of work, he felt an acute need to unravel the enigma surrounding spy-craft. Considering the fact that their work has forever been 'viewed' in various ways -- the adventures of James Bond or Ethan Hunt, or demonizing by some as acts of exalted reprobates, author Prabhakar Aloka, whose debut book "Operation Haygreeva" (Penguin) recently hit the stands says that the authentic picture of spying as an instrument of providing security to common man is lost in these such descriptions. "My conviction to write about spy work was further bolstered by Toni Erskine's essay in which he quoted Thomas Hobb's description of agents as 'those who exercise sovereign power as rays of light to the human soul'. This realisation provoked to write the book which opens with the anxiety of a common housewife who is worried about the safety of her husband against terrorist attacks and ends with her satisfaction over neutralisation of the terror module. It took around one year to crystallise my thoughts and about 18 months to write it," the former intelligence officer tells IANS. The book focuses on a multi-city intelligence operation after a series of bomb blasts across Mumbai and Varanasi, foreign tourists being kidnapped by a home-grown terror outfit and an imminent threat on the opposition party leader touted to be at the cusp of forming a new government. As the Chief of the highly covert C3 unit of the Intelligence Bureau, Ravi Kumar leads a team of three novices from the academy guiding them through the tricks of the trade and his unorthodox methodology as they uncover a plot that is much larger and threatens the very fabric of the country's peace and stability. Even as the Hindi film industry woke up to the existence of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) a decade and a half back, the author smiles that the "proportion of truth and creative freedom varies from one narrator to the other", says Aloka who has served in counter-terror, counter-insurgency and anti-Naxalite theatres. Maintaining that secrecy is an essential ingredient for unravelling deliberately hidden facts, Aloka adds that intelligence work consists of process and outcome. "For sustained intelligence work, it is essential that the process remains under wraps and the outcome is not traced

back to the agency. The outcome is achieved by the Police and other agencies. Indian Constitution mandates states to carry out Law and Order, and policing functions. Intelligence assists police forces in carrying out those functions," he says. Talking about the eight episode OTT series planned on the book, the author says that it projects shows the triumph and turbulence a spy has to face in his mission. "It attempts to project the psychological disruptions a spy has to undergo in maintaining his cover." Mention that unlike the west, the spy genre has not really caught up with Indian publishers, and the author feels that it has not got its

due universally despite being the oldest profession in the history of organised society. "Spy work, in its myriad manifestation, has been used to defend the realm or the sovereign. Intelligence historians have pointed out that intelligence as an instrument of national and human security is a missing component in the historiography of nations and states. It is primarily considering the requirement of secrecy to protect processes. Evolution in warfare that has transformed the battleground from physical to cognitive space calls for opening up of the intelligence cycle without compromising the process. It High time that spywork is included in historiography," he concludes.

Has West Bengal dug its own political grave? IANS

ublic policy analyst Sugato Hazra presents a comprehensive account of West Bengals political history tracing the changing leadership, ideologies, and discourse from the birth of modern ideas and nationalism in the state which eventually spread across India to what he contends is its steady movement away from the national mainstream in recent times. "Losing the Plot: Political Isolation of West Bengal" (Niyogi Books) delineates the political character of the state and its people, the dream of its

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early leaders, and the shattering of this in the course of time. The author analyses in great detail the rift between Bengal's leadership and the rest of India since the days of nationalism. He explores West Bengal's regional political narrative and its continuing isolation from the national mainstream despite changes in government. The cultural, economic, and social preponderance of West Bengal in the past, the author says, has given way to an unhappy decline because it has failed to engage with its politics in an effective manner.

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But has West Bengal really lost the plot? Eventually focusing on the outcome of the 2021 Assembly elections that saw the Trinamool Congress return for a third term in spite of the whistle-stop tours of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo, Hazra ascribes this to the state opting for isolation from Hindi heartland politics to maintain its "distinct regional identity". "In the final analysis, Mamata Banerjee's personal popularity in heading the state was stronger than the visiting Modi-Shah duo who had a set narrative. The BJP could not sell its ambitious manifesto to the people who felt that the proverbial one bird in hand was better than the BJP's promised two in the bush. And finally, the age-old antipathy of West Bengal towards the Hindi heartland narrative - an undercurrent that even Mahatma Gandhi had faced in his heydays – was too strong for Prime Minister Modi. Politically West Bengal has opted for isolation from Hindi heartland politics, thereby holding aloft its distinct regional identity," Hazra concludes. Is this premise valid, one wonders. Even so, the book is a valuable addition to the growing political literature in India.

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

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SPIRITUALITY & DEVOTION

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Devi Mahatmyam: Glory of the Goddess Shriguru Maharishi

he Devi Mahatmyam describes the Goddess as the Ultimate. It is relatively new (written around 5th century CE) and is part of the Markandeya Purana. These days scholars do not treat it as a part of the Purana and give it an independent status. This is because worship of Devi predates the Markandeya Purana. Adding Devi’s divinity to the Markandeya Purana made worshipping Devi as part of Hinduism. I had already written about the role of Goddesses in Hindu Dharma. This article is a look at the stories and ideas in the Devi Mahatmyam. The Devi Mahatmyam is a mixture of stories and philosophies on the nature of the Devi or the Great Goddess. She is described as the supreme deity and the Ultimate reality (Brahman). Many scholars consider the Devi Mahatmyam as the earliest text in which the Ultimate is the Goddess. Scriptures before the Devi Mahatmyam had equated male gods like Shiva and Vishnu with Brahman. Note that Brahman is genderless but the Gods with form (e.g., Shiva, Vishnu), who were often equated with Brahman, were male. The Devi Mahatmyam is the first writing that views Devi as the one with form who is equivalent to the Ultimate. Most of the other stories describe various Goddesses as powerful or learned. For instance, in the Kena Upanishad, the Goddess Uma Haimavati is the one who instructs Indra about Brahman. The

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Devi Mahatmyam was written when Shakti came to be recognised as the supreme deity in the Shakta school of worship. She was given the same importance as male deities like Shiva and Vishnu. The Devi Mahatmyam can be interpreted at two levels. On the face of it, it is a collection of stories that describe the battle between the Goddess and her manifestations against the Asuras (demons). By looking deeper, one can see how it reinforces various ideas in the Upanishads and how one needs to control one’s desires, senses, and mind before one can attain Moksha (salvation). The Devi Mahatmyam has an outer frame story where a king and a merchant who are facing difficult situations meet the sage Medhas (meaning intelligence or wisdom). He explains how the various stories about Devi can lead them to Moksha. I will focus on a few stories along with philosophical conclusions. A king who has lost his kingdom because of traitors, meets a merchant whose is thrown out by his own family and has thus lost all his wealth. While the merchant is narrating his story, the king asks why is the merchant’s mind affectionately attached to his family who have cheated him. The merchant indicates that he cannot control his mind. They approach the sage Medhas to see if he can provide a solution. Medhas explains that this universe is created by Devi in her Mahamaya form. Mahamaya is also called Yoganidra. She has the power to keep Vishnu in a state of deep sleep. Because Mahamaya controls Vishnu, she controls this universe and hence Samsara (the cycle of life and death). Because she is the supreme knowledge, she can show humans the path to Moksha. Medhas also explains that one should not admire the universe as this can lead to attachment and thus suffering. The first story is that of Madhu and Kaitabha, two asuras, who arose from Vishnu’s ear wax and attacked Brahma. Because Vishnu was in deep sleep caused by Mahamaya,

Brahma prayed to Devi and requested that she leave Vishnu. When Devi left Vishnu, he was awakened and killed the two demons. While Vishnu had the power to kill the demons, it was dependent on Devi withdrawing from Vishnu. Maya is associated with the power of delusion. In the various Upanishads, Maya creates this impermanent world that distracts humans and prevents them from attaining liberation. But in the Devi Mahatmyam, Maya is an enabling force that helps kill evil. The fact that Madhu (meaning sweet) and Kaitabha (meaning bitter) arose from Vishnu’s ear suggests that evil is often within one (even within the Gods). They can be overcome only by oneself. It is important to recognise that evil may appear to be sweet or bitter. To get rid of evil, one needs to wake up and not be enamoured with this material world. The next story is that of Mahishasura, a buffalo headed demon with a human body. Mahishasura had a boon that he can be killed only by a woman (whom he thought were weaklings and hence posed no threat to his power). Because of the boon, he was very powerful, and all the Devas surrendered to him. Shiva and Vishnu, who normally killed demons, were powerless to help the Devas. This disrupted the world order and the Gods needed someone to kill him. They turned to Devi and each of the Gods gave her their powers. Devi in her various forms first destroys Mahishasura’s armies and then kills him. The story of Mahishasura illustrates what happens when one combines animalistic tendencies with power. Such people can cause a lot of damage and they need to be curbed. Mahishasura’s armies had people like Chikshura (confusion), Chamara (fickleness), Udagra (pride), Udhatha (arrogance), Durdhara (one who bears evil), Durmukha (abusive personality) and Bidala (hypocrisy). All these lead to ego and a sense of invincibility. They needed to killed before power from Mahishasura

could be taken away. By first pinning Mahishasura under her feet before killing Mahishasura, Devi showed that anyone who surrenders to her can attain Moksha. The final story is that of asuras Shumbha and Nishumbha who were brothers. They used their power to control Surya (the sun God), Chandra (the moon God) and Vayu (the wind God). The Gods again prayed to Devi to kill Shumbha and Nishumbha. Devi in the form of the beautiful Ambika appeared in their kingdom. She was seen by Chanda and Munda who are servants of Shumbha and Nishumbha. They wanted her to get married to Shumbha. They goad Shumbha by saying that he has already collected all the wealth of the Devas but somehow he had missed getting Ambika. Ambika, who is great treasure, should be possessed by Shumbha. Shumbha sent his messenger to Ambika asking her to get married to Shumbha. Ambika agreed under the condition that Shumbha should defeat her in battle. The messenger laughed at this but Ambika stated that she had made a vow that she will get married only to the one who can defeat her. Shumbha sent his armies led by various generals including Dhumralochana, Chanda, Munda and Raktabija to fight Ambika. Ambika created various manifestations of herself including Durga, Kali, Chandika, and Maheshwari to kill all of them. The story of Raktabija plays an important role. Raktabija had a boon that whenever a drop of his blood touched the ground, that another Raktabija will appear. Therefore, to kill him, Kali drank up his blood. Shumbha sent his brother to fight Nishumbha who was also killed. Finally, Shumbha confronted Ambika (now called Chamundeshwari as she has killed Chanda and Munda). He complained that Ambika should not get too arrogant, as she had been able to kill his generals only because others Goddesses helped her. At this Ambika, in the form of Durga, explained that she was all

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alone. The various Goddesses seen by Shumbha were just different forms of herself. In the final battle, Ambika killed Shumbha. The Devi Mahatmyam now claims that it is the Goddess, not any other god, who is the supreme deity. Shumbha’s craving to accumulate everything led to him wanting to claim Devi as his own. This is similar to humans wanting to possess all that one finds attractive and desirable. In the story Shumbha represents ego and Nishumbha attachment. Nishumbha is very dear to Shumbha suggesting that ego and attachment go hand-in-hand. Lust is selfish desire and anger is the result of this desire thwarted. Both lead to one’s destruction. Chanda represents giving into desires and thus always chasing something while Munda represents desires that are not acted on. The Devi Mahatmyam makes it clear that both giving in to desire and bottling up desires (i.e., not true Vairagya but fake renunciation) will make one demons. The killing of Dhumralochana (meaning smoke-eyed) represents getting rid of ignorance, while the the story of Raktabija shows that violence (in drinking his blood) is often required to get rid of violence. In life, one needs the terrible Kali to get social stability. Kali getting angry shows that getting angry is not the

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problem. It has to be channelled properly to benefit others. Durga is said to be serene even in battle indicating that a stable mind is required, even one when is angry. There are other stories associated with Devi including her killing an asura by becoming a swarm of bees (hence her name of Bhramarambika). While these stories go beyond what is normally associated with motherly behaviour, Devi is also worshipped as a mother (Janani), and Shakambari (as provider of vegetation that supports life). Overall the aim is to illustrate that one is not in full control of one’s lives and evil (often present in oneself) in many forms has an impact on the way one lives. It is therefore appropriate that Kali, derived from Kala or time, is required to help humans at various times. The Devi’s wrath should be interpreted as the anger needed to rescue oneself from one’s inner demons including greed and lust. At the end, the king and the merchant pray to Devi who is happy to grant each of them a boon. The merchant explicitly asks for Moksha while the king wants his kingdom back, not because he is attached to the kingdom but because he believes that that his duty (similar to Janaka).

BEAUTY

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Get the festive glow Party with these Pexels

teeped in the gentle goodness of Kashmiri Saffron, over the years Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi formulations have come to be an irreplaceable part of skincare rituals among Ayurvedaand wellness-enthusiasts across India. To complement the current products, starting this festive season, the brand will offer the Kumkumadi Brightening Bi-Phase Essence and Kumkumadi Clarifying & Brightening Cleansing Oil across the stores and online boutique. Both new offerings contain Kama Ayurveda’s iconic Kumkumadi

Thailam – the essential ingredient that enhances radiance and brightens dull skin. Shake, Open, Spritz: The Kumkumadi Brightening Bi-Phase essence presents the Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Thailam in an easy-to-use mist, for fresh, radiant skin while at home and even on the go. Containing natural ingredients, including Pure Kashmiri Saffron, Liquorice, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Plant-based emollients, the Bi-Phase is a lightweight formula that plumps, softens & illuminates skin. The non-greasy essence locks in essential moisture in the skin,

while the Kumkumadi Thailam lends a dewy glow; and can be used at any time of the day, across seasons. The Kumkumadi Brightening Bi-Phase is available in 30ml for INR 2,295/-. Get, Set, Cleanse: The Kumkumadi Clarifying & Brightening Cleansing Oil gently removes impurities, environmental pollutants & makeup without drying out the skin. This lipid-replenishing oil is enriched with the Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Thailam, based on an ancient Ayurvedic recipe. It gently lathers on moist skin to deep cleanse and imbue it with an after-rinse glow. Pure ingredients, including Pure Kashmiri Saffron, Liquorice & Indian Madder, Centella Asiatica and Citron Fruit work on the skin to reduce pigmentation, build collagen and retain elasticity, making the Cleansing Oil a perfect addition to skincare regime before a night out on the town or a restful night in. The Kumkumadi Clarifying & Brightening Cleansing Oil is priced at INR 1,995/- for a 100ml bottle.

Turn to the humble coconut for skin care Instagram

hen it comes to skin and hair care, products find it hard to compete with multitasking coconut-based products. While coconut-based hair & skin oil is known to have pre-grooming and conditioning effects on hair, its varied components such as Vitamin E make it an ideal agent for skincare benefits. From the earliest of times, plantbased oils have been used in skin care. There is a renewed interest in coconut-based skin oil in recent times, both to restore skin surface and in skin ailments. Coconut-based skin oil is a very able moisturizer, with studies concluding it's at par and nd in some cases superior to mineral oil as an emollient. Regular application of coconut-based skin oil has been found to improve skin hydration and strengthen the barrier lipids in the skin. Its small particle size allows for easy absorption in the skin,

penetrating to deeper layers easily, providing thorough moisturizing. By reducing water loss from the skin, coconut-based skin oil also helps moisturize the skin for longer. Environmental pollution, over-sanitizing in COVID-times and climatic changes, have a drastic downside of drying out the skin surface. Coconut-based skin oil is a simple, easily attainable and cost-effective product to tackle these side effects. Interestingly, the absorption of coconut-based skin oil into the skin and subsequent breakdown into Monolaurin and Lauric acid – which are known antimicrobial agents, has been observed to improve skin-barrier function in low birth-weight babies. The skin barrier function improvement leads to improved weight gain by better thermo-regulation. Thus, regular massaging with coconut-based skin oil will help fight infections in premature infants and help keep them safe. Touted as an anti-bacterial agent,

coconut-based skin oil reduces bacterial colonization in people with extremely dry skin, prone to itching and rash. Regular use of coconut-based skin oil, an inexpensive and widely available agent, on skin keeps it healthy, moisturized and supple. In cellular studies, coconut-based skin oil has also exhibited anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. What adds to the glorious properties of coconut-based skin oil is its remarkable safety, low irritancy, non-toxic and non-sensitizing nature. With the method of double-cleansing totally in trend, coconut-based skin oil has been successfully used as the first step in the removal of make-up or sunscreen before cleaning the face with a regular cleanser. It is especially gentle to eyes when removing eye makeup, hydrating the delicate area around the eye instead of stripping the natural oils like with make-up removers. Caution is advised while using coconut-based skin oil on the face for acne-prone skin since it is a comedogenic substance. The ultra-hydrating properties of coconut-based skin oil make it an easy option as a body moisturizer, lip balm and to hydrate the cuticles around the nails. In conclusion it has properties that protect and repair your skin barrier. It is an easily available, economical, safe and effective moisturizer for the body skin.

Nykaa acquires home-grown skincare brand

ykaa, one of India’s leading beauty and fashion eCommerce platforms, today announced the acquisition of the Indian skincare brand Dot & Key. This is the first D2C (direct to consumer) beauty brand acquired by the platform and following this investment by the brand, Dot & Key will join Nykaa’s stable of owned brands Founded by Kolkata-based Suyash Saraf and Anisha Saraf, Dot & Key is a new age brand focused on providing solutions to skincare concerns. It offers premium skincare products such as serums, face masks, toners and cleansers. The brand has recently expanded into nutraceuticals under the brand ‘IKWI’, whose products are dermatologically tested and cruelty-free. Ernst & Young LLP was the exclusive advisor on the deal. Commenting on the strategic development, Falguni Nayar, Founder and CEO, Nykaa said, “We are excited to bring Dot & Key into the family in time to serve the demand

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in high-quality skincare by Indian consumers. Their product range presents an exciting opportunity for us as it allows us to extend the brand’s reach to a larger landscape of consumers and enter the nutraceutical space as well. It is a consumer-centric brand with a growing base of consumers and a range of skincare solutions.” “We created a niche brand with Dot

& Key, focused on making products based on consumer needs. Our passion to differentiate ourselves has inspired us to take an unconventional angle to skincare. Nykaa’s position in the beautiful landscape in India and its resources will allow Dot & Key to grow further as a brand and scale to the next level.” said Suyash Saraf, Co-Founder, Dot & Key.

make up tricks

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igital beauty platform Boddess.com aims to be a disrupter in the Indian beauty market segment offering a curation of products to suit customisation and individual needs. Intime for the festive season, Chandni Goyal, Training Manager at House of Beauty and Boddess shares a few tricks to see you through endless nights of partying: Have fun with colour and sparkle—Move away from blacks and browns and experiment with colours complementing your outfit. The traditional smokey eye can be given a touch of glamour with a dab of glitter eyeshadow in the inner corner of your eyes. It will make your eye makeup pop and will be just what is needed for a festive look. Define your eyes with wing eyeliner—Don’t shy from entering the negative space and go all out to draw a bold line to define your eyes and make a statement. Start from the inner corner of the top lid—keep the line thin here, extending along the lash line, going thicker, and finishing with a thick wing towards the outer corner of the eyes. Don’t forget the lashes—They can really make or break your entire look. Add a few generous coats of volumizing mascara and if you are a pro, apply false eyelashes for added depth. Glossy lips—Glossy lips are big this season. Define your lips with a nude-pink lip liner and fill in the same lip liner all over your lips. Top it up with a clear crystal gloss that gives a glass-like shine and makes your lips look fuller and plumper. For the cheeks—A pop of colour that imparts a flushed, radiant glow will round out your look beautifully. This can be achieved with a cream blush,

on the apples of your cheeks, and a layer of highlighter that melts into the skin on your cheekbone. Pinks,

peaches and corals are the colours this season.

Your ultimate festive season beauty checklist A

Yespunjab

fter the long dull period of the pandemic and lockdowns, one must be looking forward to the festival season with new excitement and zest. So obviously you want to look and feel your best. Beauty regimes are not just skin deep, they de-stress and uplift your spirits. Prepare for the special celebrations this festive season with the ultimate beauty wellbeing checklist which will not only make you look good on the outside but also shine from the inside. Rachit Gupta, Director, OxyGlow Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. said, “Festivals are a time to shine bright and invest in a proper beauty wellbeing regime from head to toe. The key is to know what ingredients suit you and choose the brand which ensures good quality products. Especially in the day and time when there is so much stress, pollution, sun damage, etc. One cannot go wrong with the beauty product that they are using. The right products can unleash one’s true beauty and make them refreshed to be able to enjoy the festivities fully.” Headturner - How your hair looks to make a lot of difference to your complete look. But do not forget a proper hair care regime can relax and clear your mind. Start with a good oil massage which provides nourishment to the hair and scalp. It throws the stress right out. Coconut oil, Amla oil, Argan oil and Red onion oil are especially recommended. Special occasions call for special treatment, after a good hair wash deep condition your hair with a mask. A Keratin hair mask works wonders by putting life into your hair. Finish up with a vitamin-enriched serum for lustrous hair. No makeup can match the beauty and softness of a fresh face - get rid of those tension lines and that stress off your skin with a well-rounded face care routine. Start with a D-tan bleach to make your skin brighter. Follow up with a facial kit for cleansing, toning and hydration. Best facial kits are the ones that have activated charcoal or acne treatment. Even

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a gold or diamond facial kit gives excellent results. Cucumber based toners are recommended. This routine would restore your glow and leave you radiant and pampered. Wink, Pout and Brows - We often forget about small things like lips, eyelashes and eyebrows. Don’t underestimate their role in perfecting the look. A dash of castor oil massaged on eyelashes and eyebrows would render a natural shine. For the photo-ready pout start with a natural lip scrub and apply lip balm for hydration and protection. Body positivity - scrub, tone, polish and moisturise for gleaming skin. One can never go wrong with skin moisturizing with shea butter and aloe vera based body lotions. Happy hands and feet - a good manicure and pedicure which massages the tension out leaving the hands

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and feet eased are a must on the list. Opt for products that have Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Aloe Vera. They reduce fine lines, treat sun damage and rehydrate for younger-looking skin. Great nails don’t happen by chance - beautiful looking nails add liveliness, it elevates the look of your attire as much as the right accessories. Shape them and nourish them. Paint them bold or paint them chic to suit your personality. Just before the festive season, we pay attention to our beauty wellbeing, but the best practice is to include the things that suit you in your lifestyle. It is important to repair and rejuvenate to stay well, and feel good. So, take care of yourself with simple regimes and good quality products.

FASHION

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Keeping up with heritage brocades From easy-going kurtas to elaborate saris, brocades continue to be a favourite among Indian designers and celebrities. Its timeless appeal and intricacy make it one of the most luxurious Indian handlooms. Owing to the ongoing festivities, there have been plenty of brocade sightings. Here’s a round-up of all the celeb-approved styles you can bookmark.

THE SARI STORY

STYLISH SHARARAS

CHIC SEPARATES

Kajol was recently spotted wearing a regal Anita Dongre sari finished with pearl and zari embellishments. It was the colour and styling that worked for the actress. Brocade saris are a wardrobe classic – from lighter tones to solid hues, there’s so much to choose from.

Keeping it fuss-free and chic, Aditi Rao Hydari opted for a Raw Mango sharara during one of her recent fashion outings. Brocade shararas are perfect for any occasion – they’re dramatic and can be styled in so many ways. We’re loving the all-green here with just the right punch of pink.

If you’re looking for something more modern, brocade cigarette pants or wide trousers are your best bet. Actress Radhika Apte took the contemporary route by pairing her gold shirt with a pair of striking high-waisted pants. She finished her look with gold jewellery. If you’re looking for something edgy, pantsuits are a great option.

IANS

Soha Ali Khan talks sustainable fashion SOHA ALI KHAN “

One should reuse their clothes. You don’t need to buy new clothes, all the time. We share clothes, amongst friends with similar body types, all the time, whether it’s children’s clothes as well as my clothes.

“

t the recently held Lake Fashion Week X Fashion Design Council of India event which took place in Mumbai, actress Soha Ali Khan was muse for Megha Jain Madaan. The festive collection by Madaan for her label Abstract was a luxurious line of creations. Khan dazzled in a sensational, black, will-powered gown with horizontal gold braiding, while the deep olive train added a regal touch. IANSlife caught up with the celebrity on the sideline of the events to discover her take on fashion.

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Are you looking forward to onground fashion events and the energy that comes with physical shows and appearances? Soha Ali Khan: I am I mean, I think that it's been a while that we've all been at home and the livelihood of artisans, designers makeup artist, hairdressers has suffered. Everyone's looking forward to being backed and last but not least me; there's a different energy, of course. The outfit chosen for you at the show, how does it complement your style?

Soha Ali Khan: I really think that the outfit complimented my body type because it sort of showed off my arms which are very toned and strong. I've been working on them. So I'm happy that they chose, an off-shoulder outfit. The beautiful train, added length which I require a little bit off. So, I think it was very feminine, and I think the silhouette was a good one for me. What are your travel essentials? Soha Ali Khan: Wetwipes, sanitiser, spare masks and water. I would say a book but I haven't read a book since I've become a mother. I would say iPad, cotton wool for ears, and a lollipop. A book, a movie, the gym, or a night out. What is your perfect way to unwind? Soha Ali Khan: If you really work out some point in the day, it just helps you to wind down. So I really believe in physical exercise. Well, I love massages and I really enjoy good conversations with good friends. How do you support sustainable fashion? Soha Ali Khan: One should reuse their clothes. You don't need to buy new clothes, all the time. We share clothes, amongst friends with similar body types, all the time, whether it's children's clothes as well as my clothes. Recycle, you know, if a pair of jeans have started to fray, cut them into shorts, you can also T-Shirts in a number of different ways. So you can recycle, use materials that are good for the planet, don't use plastic and things like this. What is an experience in your life that you're waiting to have? Soha Ali Khan: A goodnight sleep will be great.

LUSH LEHENGAS Whether it’s a red-carpet event, a celebrity wedding or an intimate celebration, brocade lehengas have been the go-to ensemble for many actresses. Known for her love for all things ethnic, Sara Ali Khan was recently spotted in a red and gold lehenga paired with minimal jewels. Another winning style is the crop top and skirt combo.

After Tanishq, Fabindia forced to withdraw advertisement

IANS

abindia, a proudly homegrown brand with 61 years of history in celebrating Indian artisans and heritage across the country was compelled to pull down its festive campaign for its collection 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz'. Ironically, the collection which paid homage to Indian culture received criticism from senior BJP leaders who accused the brand of 'Abrahamisation' of the Hindu festival of Diwali by using an Urdu term. As per the company, 'Jashn-eRiwaaz' stands for a celebration of rituals or festive celebrations. The brand which has endeavoured to bring all that one loves about India to customers around the world was

forced to issue a clarification stating that the 'Jashn-E-Riwaaz' was not its Diwali clothing collection and it's

the 'Jhil Mil se Diwali' collection has yet to be launched.

Grammy nominated Raja Kumari back on stage K

Pinkvilla

nown for being one of the most sustainable denim wear brands, G-Star Raw launched their store earlier this month at the newly opened, Jio World Drive Mall at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The Dutch denim label invites Grammy nominated songwriter and Indian American rapper, Raja Kumari for an evening of electrifying rap and hip-hop tunes at a live performance at RAW FACTORY this evening to be held at the Green Coop area of the Jio World Drive Mall. Raja Kumari’s energy- loud, bold and opinionated, is just as perfect as G-Star's rugged personality, and this event is a unique opportunity to showcase real and raw experiences for its audiences. Back on stage after a while, Raja Kumari's performance will be opened by rapper Shah Rule before she takes over the stage. Complimentary passes are available at the G-Star Raw store at the Jio World Drive, BKC.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

Romantic comedies attract me, says Sanya Malhotra Instagram

ctress Sanya Malhotra says she is organically attracted to light-hearted romantic comedies, and that's probably the biggest reason for her to do the film 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar'. Sanya Malhotra along with co-star Abhimany Dassani, filmmaker Vivek Soni and entire Netflix and the Dharmatic creative team were at the trailer launch of 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar' in Mumbai.

Talking about her reasons for picking up 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar', which is a romantic comedy about a newly-wed couple facing 'LDR' - Long Distance Relationship, Sanya said, "The romantic bit of the script made me choose it. Because as an audience I am also craving to watch romance, nowadays I am organically attracted to light-hearted romantic comedies, so that was the main reason I was attracted to the

character and script. For me, it was love at first sight with Meenakshi's character. I also wanted to work with Dharma Productions, it was my dream." Sanya will be seen playing the role of a south Indian girl from Madurai. So when asked about playing the Madurai girl on-screen despite being a Punjabi, she added, "The role being difficult, see every character has its own journey, as an actor you have to do your homework before you step in front of the camera. But I think Vivek Soni was really helpful and we did a couple of readings before going on sets that really helped me to know my character really well. The script is very well written so the material I had as an actor sorted it out for me. I was really confident that I will be able to do it." The film features new filmmaker Vivek Soni and co-actor Abhimany Dassani, who is just one movie old, so we asked Sanya if that added any extra responsibility to her shoulders. She said, "I don't think about that at all, when I'm doing a film or approaching a character. Things like these don't come to my mind. It might be there consciously but it doesn't show on the forefront, that what might be my responsibility. Being an actor was my dream, I am living my dream, and I am happy with that." 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar' is backed by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment. Starting November 5, it will stream on Netflix.

Debina Bonnerjee's prosthetics for 'Shubho Bijoya' will leave you in shock

Instagram

ebina Bonnerjee is a woman of many talents. From beauty, fashion, skincare to acting, she aces everything that she does. But for her recent short film titled 'Shubho Bijoya', the actress decided to put all these aside so that she could focus on her work and play an

ailing character. In the film, she essays the character of Bijoya, who starts off as a supermodel. This naturally required her to work out and go on a lean protein heavy diet for a few weeks, in order to play the role with absolute perfection. However, her character suffers a setback along the course of the film. This demanded her character to undergo a major physical change which required the actress to sit for hours together at stretch while the prosthetics team did their work of transforming her look. Talking about the experience, Debina said, "As an actor, you are used to sitting on the make-up chair

for hours. But the role of Bijoya was different, the end result made me tear up, that is how emotionally draining it was." She also said that although on the periphery, the experience did make her realise how difficult things get for people suffering from such ailments. "One truly feels for all those suffering from ailments of such kind. This was merely make-up and gear, and my mind and body found it so challenging to get through it so imagine those who are actually suffering. It made me realise that life is so fragile and we must never take it for granted," she added. 'Shubho Bijoya' released on OTT platform Big Bang last week and since then it has received tremendous love from fans across the board. The film directed by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, brings real-life couple Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina together onscreen as a couple after 11 years, one of the reasons that makes 'Shubho Bijoya' a special film that piqued the audience's interest. While Debina plays a girl suffering from an ailment, Gurmeet's character too finds himself in the depths of despair after his character becomes visually impaired.

Divya Khosla Kumar shares new poster from 'Satyameva Jayate 2' Instagram

atyameva Jayate 2' is one film that the audience is eagerly waiting for. The John Abraham-starrer is now all set to hit the theatres worldwide. The film's female lead Divya Khosla Kumar has

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shared a poster of hers from the film on her Instagram. She captioned the image, "Jo Tirange pe jaan deti hai woh bharat maa ki beti hai! (The one who pledges supreme sacrifice for the

tricolour, is the daughter of India) #SatyamevaJayate2 trailer out tomorrow. In cinemas, Thursday, 25th November." The poster shows Divya leading a group of workers and farmers as she holds a pickaxe with burning rage in her eyes, amidst a struggle with the cops. Recently, John had also shared an action-packed poster of him from the film on his Instagram where he first divulged the details about the film's release and the trailer launch. After running into production and release delays for almost a year and a half, the film seems to be finally releasing and it promises to serve a mix of patriotism and vigilantism. 'Satyameva Jayate 2' is the sequel to the highly successful 2018 action film which starred John as the vigilante who kills corrupt police officers in order to cleanse the system. Directed by Milap Zaveri and produced by T-series, the film is slated for a theatrical release on November 5.

Deepika: Being an athlete played a big role in shaping my personality

IANS

eepika Padukone pridefully announces to the world her recent association with the 3-stripes family. She exultantly feels that this alliance helps her connect back with the athlete and fitness enthusiast in her. Adidas joined forces with the global star as her modern and fierce feminist spirit, grit, resilience and active lifestyle choices resonates closely with the brand's core message - 'Impossible is Nothing'. This high-watt partnership between the icon and iconic aims to break down barriers, set new standards, explore limitless possibilities, and empower women all across the globe, both physically and emotionally. Sports has always been an integral part of Padukone's life, who took to social media to share, "Being an athlete and playing sport has played a tremendous role in shaping my personality and helping me become the person I am today. It has taught me values that no other life experience could have. "Today, fitness, both physical and emotional, are an integral part of my lifestyle. I am absolutely honoured and delighted to be partnering with one of the world's most iconic brands - Adidas," she added. With this, Padukone joins the league of exemplary women athletes and personalities from around the globe, who have always made an effort to voice women's hopes, aspirations and passions, backing their free spirit and rebellious streak. For Adidas, Deepika made the most fitting choice because she embodies vitality, resilience, and compassion. Besides, the brand admired her zeal and positive energy, which anchored her during her incredulously transformational personal journey. It makes her one of the most accessible and relatable icons across the globe, sharing how inner strength and fitness helped her to cope with life's tough moments. Expressing her excitement over this

recent partnership, she commented on her Instagram post, "When I was planning my wedding about three years ago, we kept it a secret for a while. Even that wasn't as difficult as keeping this announcement a secret! Now, I feel relieved that this news is finally out!" Taking forward the brand's message, Padukone's presence takes it forward, which is strongly focused on democratising and diversifying sports for women through inspiring personalities. With these shared values, the star-brand duo is set to

create a synergy that inspires both current and future generations to follow their passion uninhibitedly. "As a global youth icon and someone who champions mental well-being and personal betterment, Deepika fits in beautifully with the brand's ambition of creating positive change through sports and movement. We are thrilled to have Deepika join the Adidas family and together, we hope to inspire more women to see and realise their possibilities," said Sunil Gupta, Senior Director, Brand Adidas, India.

Tamannaah among top 10 most influential social media stars in south

Instagram

amannah Bhatia is one of the most famous actresses of the South. With her alluring personality and mesmerising presence, Tamannah has gained a vast section of fandom. Her social media profiles indicate the kind of followers the actress has gained over the years. In a recent survey by Forbes India, Tamannah stands in the tenth position in the list of the most influential social media stars (South India). Forbes India has released the results of their recent survey, by calculating the Instagram influence using various metrics. They released the list of Top 30 Most Influential South Actors on Social Media. Tamannah, who topped as the tenth most influential social media star, expressed her happiness over achieving the feat. The actress also shares the credit with her fans and followers, who she thinks is the main reason behind her success. Forbes India considered the Instagram activity of celebrities from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries over the most recent 25 posts. The influence is represented through Qoruz Score, using a digital tool which calculates the score based on the likes, number of followers, video views, and other social media activity.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

67th National Film Awards: Esha Gupta to star in 'Invisible Rajinikanth, Dhanush, Kangana, Woman' opposite Suniel Shetty Manoj Bajpayee receive honours Instagram

Esha Gupta is all set to star in web series 'Invisible Woman' where she will be seen opposite Suniel Shetty, who is set to make his debut in the OTT segment. 'Invisible Woman' is a noir action thriller produced by Yoodlee Films with Tamil filmmaker Rajesh M. Selva at the helm. Talking about the same, Esha says, "Not long ago, the writing of our films was such that women were restricted to either goodytwo-shoes or oomph vamps. I felt so constricted for a few years. With OTT giving movies a healthy competition, the general writing of stories has evolved. I am getting an array of parts, some of which makes me wonder if I can pull it off. That's really what actors should feel when they get a script." "I played a cop recently in 'Nakaab' and my character in 'Invisible Woman' can't be more different. I genuinely feel the joy of going to work everyday. There's a spring in my step because I am finally getting to play women I know, I have met. Their challenges, ordeals and dilemmas feel real to me. I am working more than I ever have because finally what's offered to me is resonating with me," the actress adds. Ask her about her next and she quips, "You'll have to wait for that one. I hear the announcement is just around the corner." The actress is also said to be filming for MX Player's runaway hit series 'Ashram' in Rajasthan.

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 25: Actors Rajinikanth, Kangana Ranaut, Manoj Bajpayee and Dhanush were feted on Monday at the 67th National Film Awards which were announced earlier this year. The awards are being presented at the Vigyan Bhawan in the capital. Manoj and Dhanush received their awards for Best Actor for 'Bhonsle' and the Tamil film 'Asuran', respectively. Kangana Ranaut was honoured

with the Best Actress award for her performances in the Hindi films 'Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi' and 'Panga'. South superstar Rajinikanth received India's highest film honour Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to the world of Indian cinema. The veteran actor received a standing ovation as he was conferred the award. Rajinikanth's family including his wife Lathaa, and daughter

For Aahana Kumra, 'Call My Agent: Bollywood' is about memorable experiences Instagram

ctress Aahana Kumra, who plays a talent agent in "Call My Agent: Bollywood", is happy with the response the Netflix series has received and said that the show will prove to be an absolutely "fun masala entertainer". Talking about the amazing response to the trailer, Aahana said: "I am glad that the 'Call My Agent' trailer is out and so far, the reviews have been great with positive feedback and everyone is clearly excited to see it. It has been quite overwhelming so far and the show will prove to be an

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absolutely fun masala entertainer." Shedding the light on her character, she said: "'Amal, as a talent agent, has to go through a myriad of emotions everyday because getting actor's jobs, or putting projects together is not everyone's cup of tea." Aahana added: "She is a seasoned talent head and she knows who she is dealing with everyday. There are lots of fragile egos that one has to deal with in the entertainment industry, and Amal is someone who has been in the business for long." The character is also special because this is first time she will be playing a gay character onscreen. "I am playing gay for the very first time, and it was nerve-wracking for me but it was also very exciting, and I also got to share screen space with a very dear friend, Anuschka Sawhney, who is playing my love interest in the show, and it was fun," she says with visible excitement. The series is inspired by the French show titled "Dix Pour Cent", and it also stars a stellar cast of Rajat Kapoor, Soni Razdan and Ayush Mehra. About the experience of working with the talent cast of the show, Aahana said: "I got a chance to work with so many actors, each from a different space, and working with Shaad was magical. I thought I had so much energy till I met Shaad - he is so energetic, he is quick to respond, and he is very sure when he has got a shot." "It is a stellar cast and the reason it has become bigger is because it's going to be streaming on Netflix. The exciting part is that even the original is on Netflix. I admire Camille Cottin and she is phenomenal, so is everyone else from the cast," she added. Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Banijay Asia, the series is directed by Shaad Ali and will be available on Netflix from October 29.

Soundarya Rajinikanth too were present at the event. After receiving the honour, Rajinikanth thanked the central government. "I am extremely happy to receive this most prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. My thanks to the honourable central government. I dedicate this award to my mentor, my guru K. Balachander. This moment, I remember him with great gratitude, and my brother Satyanarayan Gaikwad who's like my father who brought me up by teaching me great values, and spirituality. My friend in Karnataka, bus transport driver, and my colleague Rajbahadur." He recalled his days of struggle. "When I was the bus conductor, he identified the acting talent in me and encouraged me to join the cinema. All my producers, directors, co-artistes, technicians, distributors, exhibitors and the media, press and all my fans. Tamil people - without them I am no body. Jai Hind!" 'Chhicchore' director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Sajid Nadiadwala dedicated the Best Film Award to late Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput, who passed away in 2020. Vijay Sethupathy was awarded the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 'Super Deluxe'. Malayalam film 'Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham' (Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea) received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The film has been written and directed by Priyadarshan, and stars Mohanlal. The actor was also present at the awards show. 'The Tashkent Files' won two awards - Best Supporting Actress, which went to Pallavi Joshi and for Best Dialogue Writer. The 67th National Awards were delayed since last year due to the pandemic.

First look of Kajal Aggarwal's 'Uma' out T

Instagram

he poster of the upcoming film 'Uma' starring Kajal Aggarwal released on Tuesday, gives a glimpse of the characters from the film. Talking about the poster, director Tathagat Singha said, "The post production of the film is on. The poster has the look and feel of the film. It's a slice of life, feel good family entertainer and we are really happy with the way the film is shaping up." The film 'Uma' also features Tinnu Anand, Harsh Chhaya, Meghana

Akshay, Yami announce 'OMG' sequel with striking poster Instagram

Malik, Gaurav Sharma, Shriswara, Ayoshi Talukdar and Kiaan Sharma, was shot in Kolkata in a start to finish schedule. The story of the film is a family drama, set in an aristocratic household with a wedding backdrop where the entire family assembles. The drama unfolds through the multifaceted characters in the house with the arrival of a stranger Uma. Produced by Avishek Ghosh and Mantraraj Paliwal, the makers are yet to announce the release date of the film.

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Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS): Nine years after Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar brought the house down with the satirical comedy- drama film "OMG - Oh My God", and left with a socially relevant message for the insurance sector as well as the audiences to mull over, a sequel is going on floors. Akshay Kumar took to Instagram on Saturday to make the announcement that "OMG2", starring, besides him, Yami Gautam and Pankaj Tripathi, was ready to "reflect on an important social issue". He also released the film's poster and a picture. The poster features Akshay as Lord Shiva rendered in the classic style with hues of blue and yellow. The actor wrote first in Hindi: "'Karta kare na kar sake, Shiv kare so hoye' (Lord Shiva can do what we humans cannot)." And then he added: "Need your blessings and wishes for #OMG2, our honest and humble attempt to reflect on an important social issue. May the eternal energy of Adiyogi bless us through this journey. 'Har Har Mahadev'." Yami Gautam, too, shared the pictures on her Instagram. She captioned the pictures with the caption: "Delighted to announce our film #OMG2! Need your best wishes for this special one," The film has been written and directed by Amit Rai.

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Vol 1, Issue 18 Nov 1 -15, 2021

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