IA Vol 2, Issue 24, Feb 1-15, 2023

Australia Day & Indian Republic Day 2023 – Bilateral Celebrations

Australia Day on the 26th of January 2023 at SunPAC, Sunnybank, in Brisbane.

In line with the FICQ’s tradition, representatives from Australia’s First Nations people, three levels of government, Indian Consular representative, and community and business leaders got together to celebrate this annual event. Held under the aegis of the National Australia Day Council, Brisbane City Council (BCC), Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner, Cr. Angela Owen and Cr. Steven Huang, this remarkable day was sponsored by Bravus Mining & Resources, Springfield City Group, SBS and

and

On its 74th Republic Day, India slams vandalisation of temples in Australia

the statement read.

R-Day: Marching contingents display India’s military might

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Strongly condemning the recent vandalisation of Hindu Temples in Australia, India, on its 74th Republic Day, asked Canberra to ensure safety and security of its community there, and take swift action to prevent further such incidents.

“The frequency and impunity with which the vandals appear to be operating are alarming, as are the

graffiti which include glorification of anti-Indian terrorists,” the Indian High Commission in Australia said in a strongly-worded statement on Thursday.

“These incidents are clear attempts to sow hatred and division among the peaceful multi-faith and multi-cultural Indian-Australian community.”

Between January 12 to 23, three Hindu temples in Melbourne were defaced with anti-India graffiti in Melbourne by Khalistan supporters.

The vandalisation of Hare Krishna Temple in Melbourne’s Albert Park came days after the walls of Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs and BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park were defaced with anti-India slogans.

“Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time,”

In addition, the Indian High Commission in Canberra also conveyed its concerns to the government about the referendums in Melbourne and Sydney, announced by the proscribed Khalistan group, Sikhs for Justice.

India said that its concerns have repeatedly been shared with the Australian government, and hoped that not only will the perpetrators be brought to justice but suitable action will also be taken to prevent further attempts.

“It has been highlighted to the Australian government to ensure the safety and security of members of the Indian community and their properties in Australia, and to not allow the use of Australian territory for activities detrimental to the territorial integrity, security and national interest of India,” the statement said.

Indians in Australia said they are “angry, scared and dismayed by the blatant display of religious hatred towards the peaceful Hindu community by Khalistan supporters”.

Toyah Cordingley murder: Court allows Rajwinder Singh’s extradition to Australia

Singh, 38, had moved an application in Delhi’s Patiala House court seeking to give his consent for extradition to Australia earlier this month.

According to ABC News, after court’s approval, Singh’s extradition request needs to be signed off by the Ministry of External Affairs.

This could happen within the month, but by the end of February at the latest, according to lawyers, it reported.

Singh, who had earlier wished to go to Australia and contest the case there, claimed that he did not kill Toyah Cordingley.

information leading to his arrest. Singh, who originally hails from Buttar Kalan in Punjab, used to work as a nurse in Innisfail, Queensland, IANS reported earlier.

“On November 4, via Twitter, the Australian High Commission had declared a reward of one million Australian dollars on the arrest of Singh, an Indian-origin Australian citizen, who had committed the gruesome murder of an Australian woman on October 21, 2018 in Queensland and had been absconding ever since,” said police.

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) A Delhi court has allowed extradition of Indian-origin Rajwinder Singh, accused of killing a woman at a beach in Queensland in 2018, from India to Australia to stand trial, media reports said.

“Australian Police should investigate the case,” he said. Cordingley was walking her dog on Wangetti Beach, 40 km north of Cairns in Queensland, when Singh allegedly killed her in 2018.

Around three months ago, the Australian Police had declared a million dollar reward for any

According to a senior police official, the Interpol had also issued Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the accused and the CBI had got a non-bailable warrant, under the Extradition Act, issued against him from the Patiala House court on November 21, 2022.

Singh was arrested from near GTKarnal road in Delhi on November 26 last year by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) The Republic Day parade began from Kartavya Path in New Delhi after a 21-gun salute was performed. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

India slams vandalisation of temples in Australia, calls swift probe

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS)

Condemning the recent vandalisation of two Hindu temples in Australia, India on Thursday said it has taken up the matter with the government there and expects investigation and swift action against the perpetrators.

“We are aware of a couple of temples that have been vandalised in Australia... We strongly condemn these such actions,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a weekly briefing.

“These actions have also been publicly condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders and religious associations there,” Bagchi said.

The vandalism of Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs, Victoria, on January 17 came just days after alleged Khalistan supporters defaced the walls of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park with anti-India graffiti.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said that the Indian Consulate-General in Melbourne has taken up the matter with the local police.

Requesting a thorough probe into

the incident, India has taken up the matter with the Australian government to prevent such incidents in future.

“We have requested expeditious investigation, action against the perpetrators and, of course, measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” Bagchi said.

“The matter has also been taken up with the Australian government -both in Canberra and in New Delhi, and we are looking forward to the action that we’ve requested,” Bagchi added.

Khalistani supporters, Indians clash in Australia; 2 arrested

New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) A scuffle broke out between the Indian diaspora and Khalistan supporters in Australia during a referendum called by the banned Sikhs For Justice for the creation of an independent Sikh state, local media reported.

The brief fracas broke out at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday after a group of pro-India supporters waving national flags arrived at the voting site in Federation Square, Melbourne, The Age reported.

The Victoria Police, which used pepper spray to quell the protests, said two men, aged 34 and 39, were arrested and issued a penalty notice for their riotous behaviour.

In several videos posted on Twitter, Khalistan supporters were seen attacking Indians with sticks in broad daylight. They were also seen snatching and damaging the Indian Tricolour.

Reacting to the videos, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted: “I strongly condemn anti India activities by pro Khalistani in Australia. Anti-social elements that are trying to disrupt the peace & harmony of the country with these activities, must be dealt with strongly and culprits must be brought to books.”

this year’s chief guest, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi are among the dignitaries present at the venue.

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Colourful tableau of Culture Ministry at R-Day brings out theme of ‘Nari Shakti’

PM, HM Shah, others greet people on Republic Day

BJP chief J.P. Nadda said, “Best wishes to all the countrymen on the 74th Republic Day. Our democracy becoming progressive and mature should create a sense of duty, opportunity and equality in the heart of every person of India. I bow down to all the great personalities dedicated to our unity, integrity and sovereignty.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also extended his greetings to the people. He tweeted in Hindi that today it is most important to safeguard the basic tenets of the Constitution like justice, equality, brotherhood, socialism and secularism.

Greeting the public, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Wishing a very Happy Republic Day to all my beloved fellow Indians.,” he tweeted. “Unity, Harmony, Equality and Sovereignty - the pillars of our Constitution and the soul of our Republic.”

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders on Thursday greeted citizens on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister termed this year’s Republic Day “special” as the nation is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit’ Mahotsav. Everybody should unite to fulfill the dreams of the great freedom fighters of the country, he added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to greet the nation on the occasion. “Today, I salute all those freedom fighters, constitution

makers and brave soldiers who have dedicated their lives to liberate, strengthen and protect the country,” he wrote.

Exending his greetings Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called this day an opportunity for all Indians to strengthen the country’s constitutional traditions. “Happy Republic Day to all the countrymen. This day is an opportunity for all Indians to strengthen the country’s constitutional traditions and rededicate themselves to the resolve to build a new India. Salute to all the constitution makers and freedom fighters of India.

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu, in her speech on the eve of Republic Day, hailed the Constitution and “the spirit of India”. “India became the fifth largest economy in the world. It needs to be underlined that this achievement comes against the backdrop of high economic uncertainties around the world. This has been made possible by timely and proactive interventions from the Government,” the President had said on Wednesday. This happens to be the first Republic Day celebrations hosted at the ceremonial boulevard after Rajpath was renamed Kartavya Path last year.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Cultural extravaganza ‘Vande Bharatam’ programme of the Ministry of Culture remained one of the star attractions at the national Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Thursday.

As many as 479 artists selected from a national level competition performed in front of the entire nation on the theme ‘Nari Shakti’.

During the grand parade, the artistes, through their vibrant and energetic performance, enthralled the audiences and brought out India’s diverse cultural and artistic heritage in the true spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

The music for the ‘Vande Bharatam’ was composed by Raja Bhavtharini and Aloknanda Das Gupta and the composition is infused with Hindustani, Carnatic and contemporary Jazz elements.

A colourful tableau of the Ministry of Culture with the title ‘Shakti Rupen Sansthita’ was also showcased at Kartavya Path. The tableau is based on the ‘Shakti’ form of goddess.

Several folk dances celebrating the goddesses were brought on one platform through this tableau.

Officials said that the dance festival has been organised under the joint aegis of Union Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Defence. It is an all

India dance festival, which aims to reflect its vibrancy to the whole world through dance, promoting the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ among the people. Artists from every corner of the country have competed for the second edition of this competition which started on October 15, 2022. There were three stages in this competition - state, zonal and national and the prescribed age limit for participation was 17 to 30 years. The grand finale of the competition was organised on 19 and 20 December 2022 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

45 fighter jets including Sukhoi, Rafale perform during R-Day parade

Sarang and AEW&C participated in the Fly Past.

Apart from this, a daring motorcycle display by the Corps of Signals Dare Devils team at Kartavya Path on Republic Day was also the attraction.

The fighter jets Rafale, Sukhoi, MiG displayed various formations including Baj, Prachanda, Tiranga, Tangail, Vajrang, Garuda, Bhima, Amrit and Trishul over the Kartavya path which was witnessed around 65,000 attendees.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) The grand finale of the 74th Republic Day parade presented the Fly Past, a stunning air show by 45 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters

of the Indian Army.

The 50 aircraft including old and modern jets and helicopters like Rafale, MiG-29, Su-30, Sukhoi-30 MKI Jaguar, C-130, C-17, Dornier, Dakota, LCH Prachanda, Apache,

Along with this, the concluding Vertical Charlie maneuver was performed by the Rafale fighter aircraft of the Air Force. The function ended with the national anthem and the release of tricolor balloons.

Main Battle Tank Arjun, Nag Missile

PM Modi thanks world leaders for their R-Day wishes

PM Modi said: “Grateful for your warm greetings my dear friend @EmmanuelMacron on India’s Republic Day. I share your commitment to work together for success of India’s G20 Presidency and 25th anniversary of India-France Strategic Partnership. India and France together are a force for global good.”

Modi also thanked Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda for his wishes.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked world leaders for extending their greetings on India’s 74th Republic Day.

In response to a tweet by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Modi said: “Thank you Prime Minister @AlboMP. Greetings to you and to the friendly people of Australia on Australia Day.”

In response to a tweet by French President Emmanuel Macron,

“Thank You @cmprachanda ji for your warm wishes!” Modi tweeted in response to Prachanda’s wishes.

Responding to Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering’s wishes, Modi said: “Thank you @PMBhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering for your warm wishes! India is committed to its unique partnership with Bhutan for progress and prosperity of both our nations.”

In response to a tweet by President

of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the Prime Minister said: “Thank you for your warm greetings, President @ibusolih. Glad to see the sustained progress achieved by India-Maldives partnership, underpinned by common democratic values.”

In response to a tweet by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi tweeted: “Thank you for your warm wishes for India’s Republic Day, PM @netanyahu. Look forward to further strengthening our strategic partnership.”

Responding to Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth’s wishes, Modi said: “Thank you, PM @KumarJugnauth. In our shared journey as modern Republics, our two countries have been partnering closely in people-centred development. Looking forward to taking our cherished partnership with Mauritius to even greater heights.”

System (NAMIS), BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicle of SARATH, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, K-9 VajraTracked Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun, BrahMos Missile, 10 Meter Short Mobile Network Center and Aakash (new generation equipment) in Span Bridge, Mobile Microwave Node and Mechanized Column were also the main attractions.

Earlier, six contingents of the army including the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Punjab Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Bihar Regiment and Gurkha Brigade marched past on Kartavya Path.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) marching contingent was led by Deputy Commandant Rohit Singh. The ICG, with 157 ships and 78

aircraft, is capable of countering threats at sea.

The continuous surveillance of the ICG has led to the seizure of banned substances worth over Rs 14,546 crore since its inception, including Rs 2,620 crore in 2022 alone. Its reach and capability was demonstrated during flag hoisting on 100 remote inhabited and uninhabited islands as part of the ‘Amrit Mahotsav of Independence’.

Also marching on the Kartavya Path were contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led by Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta, Railway Protection Force led by Assistant Commissioner of Security Saurav Kumar and Delhi Police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police

Shweta S Sugathan.

The contingent of Border Security Force (BSF) marched past on camels under the command of Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Khichi. For the first time, women camel riders participated in the parade.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) boys’ marching contingent, comprising 148 Senior Division Cadets, was led by Pujari Shivanand, Senior Under Officer, Maharashtra Directorate. Sonali Sahoo, Senior Under Officer, Odisha Directorate led the NCC Girls Marching Contingent consisting of 148 Senior Division Cadets drawn from all the 17 Directorates.

UP teacher refuses to sing national anthem; probe ordered

Aligarh (UP), Jan 27 (IANS) A Muslim teacher at a government primary school in Iglas is now in the eye of storm for refusing to sing the national anthem and offer floral tributes to pictures of Bharat Mata and Goddess Saraswati.

The incident took place in the school during Republic Day celebrations and a video clip of the incident is now going viral on social media. Hasmuddin reportedly said that his religion allows him to bow his head

only before Allah and he would not sing paeans to any other entity.

In the video clip, other teachers can be seen trying to persuade Hasmuddin to follow the rituals.

Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Satyendra Singh said that he had been apprised of the video clip and had taken the matter seriously.

“I have ordered a probe and will initiate stern action as soon as the report if given to me,” he said.

Youths seen disrespecting Tricolour, probe on

Lucknow, Jan 27 (IANS) The police have initiated a probe into a video, going viral on social media, in which a group of boys are seen disrespecting the Tricolour.

The boys are seen sitting on the bonnet of a moving car with a flag tied on the side.

The video, apparently, was made on Republic Day and went viral on Thursday evening.

A senior police official said on Friday: “We are probing the matter and the accused are being identified. Action will be taken in accordance with law.”

R-Day: Marching contingents display India’s military might

theme ‘Indian Navy - Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’.

It showcased the Indian Navy’s multi-dimensional capabilities, Nari Shakti and indigenously designed and built assets under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign.

The major part of the tableau was showcasing the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Navy. A model of the new indigenous Nilgiri class ship was also on display along with a Dhruv helicopter deployed by Marine Commandos. Models of indigenous Kalvari class submarines were displayed on the sides.

Pro-Khalistan supporters sans mass support behind attacks, vandalism of temples

By Dr Sunil Mukherjee

During the grand parade, the major attraction was the Indian forces marching contingents and their military equipment. Notably, this year the marching contingents of the Navy and the Air Force were led by women officers.

The Indian Army troop of 61 Cavalry was led by Captain Raizada Shaurya Bali. The 61 Cavalry is the only serving active regiment in the world to have a combination of all ‘State Horse Units’.

Main Battle Tank Arjun, Nag Missile System (NAMIS), BMP-2 Infantry

Combat Vehicle of SARATH, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, K-9 VajraTracked Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun, BrahMos Missile, 10 Meter Short Mobile Network Center and Aakash (new generation equipment) in Span Bridge, Mobile Microwave Node and Mechanized Column were the main attractions.

A total of six contingents of the army including the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Punjab Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Bihar Regiment and Gurkha Brigade marched during the parade.

Another highlight of the parade this year was the tableau of ex-servicemen titled ‘Towards India’s Amrit Kaal with Sankalp’ - A Veteran’s ‘Commitment’. The presence of soldiers provided a glimpse into the contribution of veterans over the last 75 years and their initiatives in shaping India’s future during the ‘Amrit Kaal’.

The Navy contingent was led by Lieutenant Commander Disha Amrit. The marching contingent includes three women and six Agniveers for the first time. This was followed by the Navy tableau, which has been designed on the

The rear part of the tableau was displaying models of autonomous unmanned systems being developed indigenously under the IDEXSPRINT Challenge.

The Indian Air Force contingent led by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy consisted of 144 airmen and four officers. The tableau of the Air Force, designed on the theme ‘The Power of the Indian Air Force Beyond Borders’, displayed a revolving globe. It highlighted the progress of the IAF, enabling it to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as well as conduct exercises with friendly countries.

Light Combat Aircraft Tejas

MK-II, Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachanda’, Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft Netra and C-295 Transport Aircraft were also displayed here. The tableau also displayed a team of Garudas in combat gear with laser designation equipment and specialist weapons.

On its 74th Republic Day, India slams vandalisation of temples in Australia

Recently the IANS, while quoting local media in Australia, reported that a scuffle broke out between the Indian diaspora and Khalistan supporters in Australia during a referendum called by the Sikhs for Justice for the creation of an independent Sikh state. It is worth mentioning that the Sikh for Justice is banned in India for spreading separatism in India. The recent event went something like this as reported by IANS quoting The Age: When a group of pro-India supporters waving national flags reached the voting site in Federation Square, Melbourne, Khalistan supporters attacked them with sticks in broad daylight. They were also seen snatching and damaging the Indian tri-colour. In response the Victoria Police used pepper spray to quell the protests, and two men, aged 34 and 39, were reportedly arrested and issued a penalty notice for their riotous behaviour. Further media reports, as quoted by IANS suggest that two men were injured at the demonstration -- one with a head laceration and the other with a hand injury -- and police are continuing to investigate the injuries.

The incidents of violence seem to be a precursor to the Khalistan Referendum campaign being run across the world by pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice, calling for a new state that would take in the Punjab regions of northern India and Pakistan.

Reacting to the videos that were uploaded on Twitter, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted: “I strongly condemn anti India activities by pro Khalistani in Australia. Anti-social elements that are trying to disrupt the peace & harmony of the country with these activities must be dealt with strongly and culprits must be brought to books.”

Talking to The Australia Today, in response to the attacks, as reported by IANS, a terrified Lovepreet Kaur (name changed), who is an IndianAustralian, said, “My parents who live in Jalandhar have told me these Khalistanis are very dangerous and will not hesitate from attacking.”

Furthermore, IANS reports that in the month of January alone, Khalistan supporters attacked three Hindu Temples in Melbourne with anti-India graffiti.

Meanwhile, India has strongly condemned the incidents, asking Australia to bring perpetrators to the book and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.

On Republic Day, the Indian High Commission in Canberra issued a statement asking the Australian government to ensure the safety and security of Indians with referendums being planned in Melbourne and Sydney, reports IANS.

Hinduism grew by 55.3 per cent to 684,002 people.

India slams vandalisation of temples in Australia, calls swift probe

Makrand Bhagwat, Hindu Council of Australia’s Victoria state President, had told Australia Today that “any kind of hatred and vandalism against places of worship is not acceptable and we condemn it”. He promised to raise the issue with the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Multicultural Minister of Victoria.

Melbourne Hindu community member Sachin Mahate had said, “If

these Khalistan supporters have the courage they should go and draw graffiti on the Victorian Parliament building rather than target peaceful Hindu communities’ religious places.”

According to census data, Hinduism is the fastest-growing religion in Australia. In the 2021 Australian census, Hinduism grew by 55.3 per cent to 684,002 people.

Khalistani supporters, Indians clash in Australia; 2 arrested

injury -- and police are continuing to investigate the injuries, The Age reported.

The Khalistan Referendum campaign is being run across the world by pro-Khalistan Sikhs For Justice, calling for a new state that would take in the Punjab regions of northern India and Pakistan.

The attack came despite the Indian community in Australia informing the police about the planned protest at the Federation Square in Melbourne, The Australia Today reported.

“My parents who live in Jalandhar have told me these Khalistanis are very dangerous and will not hesitate from attacking,” a terrified Lovepreet Kaur (name changed) had told The Australia Today.

In the month of January alone,

Khalistan supporters attacked three Hindu Temples in Melbourne with anti-India graffiti.

Strongly condemning the incidents, India asked Australia to bring perpetrators to the book and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.

On Republic Day, the Indian High Commission in Canberra issued a statement asking the Australian government to ensure the safety and security of Indians with referendums being planned in Melbourne and Sydney.

“These incidents are clear attempts to sow hatred and division among the peaceful multi-faith and multi-cultural Indian-Australian community,” the Indian Mission in Australia had said.

multi-cultural Indian-Australian community.”

A media report said that the Australian Hindu Association Inc has written a letter to the Minister of Police in Victoria seeking an investigation into Hinduphobic crimes committed by Khalistani-elements in the Australian state. Adrressing the letter to Anthony Carbines, Minister of Police of Victoria state, the organisation expressed concerns of Australian Hindus about the organised attacks on Hindu Temples.

Keeping the reports of these activities into perspective it is apparent that the pro-Khalistan elements in various countries and in India are attempting to revive the Khalistan movement of 1980s and 90s in India by whipping up sentiments of the Operation Bluestar and 1984 riots in Delhi after the assassination the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Misguided elements in different countries are being led by organisations like Sikhs for Justice inciting them to start committing hate crimes against Hindu temples and attack Indians who celebrate Indian ethos of multiculturalism, equality for all and religious tolerance. The recent wave of violence in Australia makes it amply clear the proKhalistan elements have no support base, and therefore they have been frustrated to commit hate crimes against members of a community which respects the Sikhs as their own.

Quoting the Indian Mission in Australia, IANS reports: “These incidents are clear attempts to sow hatred and division among the peaceful multi-faith and

Hindus and Sikhs have historically revered each other’s religious and cultural identity. Every Indian has reverence for the Sikh gurus, acknowledging their supreme sacrifice for Dharma, and what was their greatest Dharma? It was the protection of humanity and observance of human values. Pro-Khalistani elements which have their genesis in India’s politics of the late 1970s and 1980s leading up to the 1990s, are the by-product of a degenerative

political environment in Punjab. Then the Khalistani movement was usurped by state and non-state players in Pakistan that have been attempting to take revenge against India for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Acts of violence and vandalism in Australia and other countries by certain elements which do not like to see a strong India emerging, do not enjoy any mass support. With elections due in India in 2024, disruptive forces have in all likelihood been unleashed in an apparent attempt to destabilise India’s strong democracy. These attempts may best be described as political aberrations that can be addressed as a law and order problem and dealt accordingly without the media acting irresponsibly and reporting such incidents as if these have any mass political base. That India has never done what Sri Lanka did with the Tamil minority since Independence of the Island nation by resorting to the policy of majoritarianism is there for the analysts of history to see and appreciate. The Sri Lankans themselves have understood their historical blunder and want to rectify it. It is, therefore, imperative that the Indian government must act swiftly and impress upon the governments of other countries to act against any attempt to disrupt the amity among members of the Indian diaspora for fulfilling parochial interests of certain elements that have it made it their business to create fissures in a strong and cohesive society and destroy amity among its members. The message is loud and clear- the Sikhs are known for their humanity, philanthropy, valour, love and amity, and the brotherhood of Sikhs and Hindus in India and other countries is unshakable as their destinies are intertwined by a common history and nationhood.

(The writer is a political analyst and independent researcher. The views expressed by him are his own.)

Two men were injured at the demonstration -- one with a head laceration and the other with a hand

EDITORIAL

Significance of 26 January for Australia & India

Finding causes to celebrate

By Vinod Mirani

The entertainment industry in India seems to be in a celebratory mood. So much seems to be happening with it, all at the same time.

Last week, a song from S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’, ‘Naatu Naatu’, won the Golden Globe. Besides this, the film has been a hot favourite on the awards circuit. ‘RRR’ has caught the fancy of the western audience, the media as well as the film fraternity there. What is good about ‘RRR’ is that it is not an imitation of any Hollywood film, nor does it lift western culture as if it has always belonged to us.

26 January is a day of mighty significance for both Australia and India, notwithstanding stark differences in history of the day for both countries. While for the Indians the day marks the celebrations for becoming a Republic after winning freedom from the colonial yoke, the day is also celebrated as Australia Day which has the significance of serving as a day of national unity and the largest annual civic event in the country. It is in this ethos of ‘unity in diversity’ that both Australia and India strive to celebrate and strengthen. The Indian Republic Day is not all about showcasing its military prowess, as much as it is a day of celebrating multiculturalism and emerging as a nation-state despite all the diversities that the country has to contend with.

And just like India, Australia is a nation that is built on the edifice of multiculturalism. It is the pragmatic necessity of both nations that they must encourage multiculturalism as the bedrock of the nation they have built over centuries of toil and sacrifices. The strength of both the nations is their ability to forge a culture of understanding, tolerance and cooperation. The recent events of vandalism of temples in Australia ought not to be interpreted as a general statement of its populace; rather it is the act of some misguided elements which are prevalent in every society no matter how culturally developed it may be. Australia has evolved as a nation and it has emerged stronger as a democracy. And every democracy has to overcome challenges such as occasional incidents of intolerance and hatred perpetrated by certain misguided elements and vested interests. India has had its own share of religious and linguistic intolerance and hatred since its early days of Independence and thereafter. But great nations like Australia and India are not deterred by such unpalatable incidents. That no religion harbours any ill-will against any other is often lost in oblivion. That religions are meant to unite mankind rather than create fissures and festering wounds is often not paid attention to.

But 26 January is a day of celebration as also a day to remind

oneself of all the sacrifices that have gone before a nation could be built. Indians have suffered for ages trying to build a nation before Independence. Then once achieved, it was the resolve of the people to usher in an era of progress for all irrespective of all the human-made differences. That is why India became a Republic and its democratic credentials are impeccable.

Similarly, Australia has had its own challenges wherein the country has ensured that none i.e. no section of the society feels that it is being ignored or left out in the progress of the nation. That this nation allows its people the right to freedom of speech is the biggest proof of its commitment to freedom and democracy. There will be problems in a multicultural society; but by allowing multiculturalism to thrive a major leap in the history of human culture has been made, Like India in practice, Australia also believes and adheres to the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which implies the world is one family. It is owing to similar principles and values that Australia and India have been able to forge ties that have gone beyond mere trade relations. The two nations have encouraged cultural exchanges and cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. And this is precisely why both the nations understand each other’s foreign policy imperatives better than most others.

From religious values to ancient philosophy, from cuisine to cricket, from trading potential to cultural exchanges, from joint exercises of the forces to similar views on peace initiatives in the world, Australia and India understand and appreciate each other’s position. Both the nations believe in free and fair elections as the basis of a strong and vibrant democracy. Australia is as much a supporter of international peace and stability as India is, and both the countries are in favour of a multipolar world rather than a unipolar or bipolar one. While Australia is by far a much more developed country than India is, the latter has aspirations and it is on its way to catch up with the world’s very economically influential countries.

World Economic Forum should do more than mere rhetoric

The films we send officially as Indian entries to the Oscars are always pathetic. An example is ‘Gully Boy’. Now, what was Indian or original about it? It looked like a coterie was at work -- the kind that often decides which film wins popular awards, but it still didn’t make any sense to send ‘Gully Boy’ for the Oscars?

The US, where you send a film for Oscars, has hundreds if not thousands of ‘gully boy’ stories, of Rap artists and other musical stars emerging from their gullies and ghettos. Rap originated in the US in the 1960s. You in India discover it now, make a film and send it as an Oscar contender as if you made something novel!

Also, how can you follow a rotation method like, we sent a Hindi film last time, so let us send some other Indian language film this time!

The irony is that, the coterie which celebrated the choice of films like ‘Gully Boy’ is not at all happy with ‘The Kashmir Files’ making it to the Oscars long list along with six other Indian movies, including ‘RRR’ and the official selection, ‘Chhello Show’!

They may not acknowledge that ‘The Kashmir Files’ is a huge commercial hit -- in fact, the year 2022’s biggest success -- besides being a true

account of the Kashmir genocide. It does not matter what the others from his fraternity may think, but ‘The Kashmir Files’ maker, Vivek Agnihotri, decided to celebrate the recognition of the film as a true account of the events of that time as well as to commemorate January 19 as the Kashmir Hindu Genocide Day. The film was theatrically re-released, despite it being streamed on the OTT platform, ZEE5. The tickets are available for Rs 99. The cinema chains -- PVR, Inox and Cinepolis -- celebrated the Cinema Lovers’ Day on January 20 and offered all tickets for all films playing in the theatres at Rs 99 for a day.

‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’, ‘Bhediya’, ‘The Kashmir Files’, ‘Drishyam 2’ and the Marathi film ‘Ved’ are among those presently running at cinemas. Even as they try out new ways to get viewers, Imax plans to expand its footprint to 100 screens in the next 10 years.

Though not much in the news, ‘Bhediya’, a horror comedy, has been celebrating its 50-day run. Like in the good old days, when films celebrated their 100 days, 25 weeks, 50 weeks and so on, and put up posters all over city walls, Bhediya posters are on display only on socialmedia.

On his part, Ritesh Deshmukh is celebrating the success of his home production, ‘Ved’ (Marathi), by adding the parts shot for the film but not included in it so far. The film is now the second highest grosser in the Marathi language after the earlier hit, ‘Sairat’.

Hindi stars may grudge the South Indian films succeeding big time in the Hindi belt, at the same time they have no scruples about adopting the South hits for remakes. Ajay Devgn’s ‘Drishyam 2’ and Ritesh Deshmukh’s ‘Ved’ (Marathi) are both remakes of southern originals. ‘Drishyam 2’ is from the Malayalam film of the same name and ‘Ved’ is the remake of the Telugu film, ‘Majili’.

The Hindi film industry as well as its makers, which love to celebrate all occasions, real or imaginary, sadly, have little to celebrate today. Films, big or small, are failing and the stars, expected at least to bring in initial footfalls, seem to have lost their drawing power. There were days when any and every occasion was a reason to celebrate for the Hindi film industry. A mere announcement and the signing of a star, a mahurat or the completion of a film and then its

release -- each occasion was celebrated with fanfare, with cocktails and dinner parties. That was not the end: if the film achieved a landmark, say, completing 100 days, the celebrations continued.

We have not had anything to celebrate in recent times. Yash Raj Films and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’, releasing this week, has a lot riding on it. It could be an occasion to celebrate even as the film garners a thumping initial draw, something that has not been happening with Hindi films for a long time.

The film has been in the media and embroiled in a controversy over the last few weeks and that is expected to bring in curious initial viewers. The film also has an opportune release week timed with the Republic Day long weekend.

Will there be celebrations? The Mumbai film fraternity is not known to celebrate the successes of other makers and stars. Yes, the failures are celebrated. One star’s failure is a cause for all other stars to celebrate. But, only this once, one wishes everybody, all industry folk, wish for ‘Pathaan’ to prove to be successful and also celebrate. After all, it is all about the industry you belong to which is in peril.

Ageing Dalai Lama attracts huge crowds to Buddhist sacred site

By Kalinga Seneviratne

The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, recently concluded a three-day speaking engagement at Bodhgaya, known as the ‘land of enlightenment’ that has attracted over 100,000 mainly Tibetans from across the world.

The huge response surprised the organisers, as the event coincided with the Indian media talking about a new wave of Covid sweeping the country. Covid was far from the mind of pilgrims and devotees -- even though many wore face masks as requested by the local government authorities.

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Nepal, Japan and Laos. Without a local Buddhist community in Bodhgaya (most of the population here are Hindus and Muslims), the monasteries here are dependent on foreign pilgrims for their upkeep.

The Dalai Lama’s visit has provided a much-needed fillip to pilgrim tourism here. Most of the monasteries were closed to visitors for almost two years, Nangzey Dorjee, secretary of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), said.

The Bihar government constituted a committee to step in to help the monasteries.

The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2023 was held recently in the Swiss city of Davos. While the theme ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’ seemed to resonate well with the global reality as it exists now, the conclusions arrived at by the attendees were quite optimistic. What was, however, conspicuous was the absence of Russians oligarchs for obvious reasons, though in meetings like this one, they have in the past made it a point to attend. But this year was different. And their absence made it easier for Ukraine to press the international community for more aid to fight a war

which seems to be more becoming a war between NATO allies and Russia than being one meant only for Ukraine. Of course in Davos the war assuming such a complexion was never discussed. Instead much revolved around economic considerations. The near consensus was that the economies of the US and Europe are out of the scare of recession. This may be welcome considering the fact that recession in the US or the EU would have had its reverberations elsewhere as well, particularly in the developing world. But the central banks of most of the developed economies cautioned against complacency and emphasised the fact that they will keep the interest rates high to keep the inflation under control. However, concerns were raised and rightly so that while the rich countries may go overdrive in protecting their workforce, energy resources and supply lines, the poor countries may have to bear the brunt of all that. The poor countries have historically looked upon the rich countries to bail them out of trouble and support them as they develop their economies. But such dependence may not augur well for them on all occasions. Pakistan and Sri Lanka can be cited as examples.

According to police estimates, about 100,000 people converged at a large open field next to the sacred Mahabodhi Temple, where the ‘Bo’ tree under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment is located. Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue, who has lived in Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama, for the past four decades, followed him to Bodhgaya. He thinks the main reason for the large crowds is that “Covid has suppressed people’s aspirations”, and this is an opportunity to get back to spiritual and family bonding.

“Not everybody can go to Dharmsala. But this space attracts you because you not only get to see the Dalai Lama and get his blessing; there is also the Bodhgaya temple. And it is surrounded by so many pilgrimage sites,” he said. Before the coronavirus pandemic, about half a million pilgrims were visiting Bodhgaya to pay homage to the scared �Bo’ tree that gave shelter for the Buddha to attain enlightenment.

The Mahabodhi temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, and it is the most sacred site of pilgrimage for Buddhists from across the world, like the Vatican is for Catholics or Mecca is for Muslims.

Around the Mahabodhi temple complex are many temples depicting the diverse culture and architecture of Buddhist countries and communities, such as those from Thailand,

“Main source of income (for monasteries) is a donation. Donation from the devotees this was their sole maintenance income. Other than now and then, there is no provision of funding from the government side,” he said.

“All temples function on the basis of the devotees’ offerings (so) there were deadly problems (and in addition) local people had no work.

All other temples depend on this temple,” added Dorjee.

The large number of pilgrims visiting here does not mean the local temples get most of their donations. There are also rows of donation booths for monasteries and other Tibetan Buddhist institutions across India, Nepal, Bhutan, lining up the street opposite Mahabodhi Temple.

“Whenever there is any prayer gathering like this, donations are natural because people think this is a way to contribute from their hard-earned money, to contribute towards monasteries where young children who study Buddhism are being nurtured. So, you see, it’s always a generous effort by people to contribute to Buddhist education and nurturing of young monks,” explained Tsundue.

People were giving generously at many of the stalls, with volunteers issuing receipts for each donation.

“Every family would make sure that they split 1000 or 10,000 or one lakh rupees into small changes,” Tsundue said.

Hence, local vendors were doing brisk business selling bundles of 10-, -20-, or -50-rupee notes to devotees in exchange for those of larger denominations. This enabled pilgrims to make even smaller donations.

Built around the monasteries is a typical pilgrim tourism town with hundreds of hotels, cafes, souvenirs and other shops, heaps of street vendors and a huge number of beggars who are attracted to Bodhgaya because of the compassionate mindset of the pilgrims visiting here.

Souvenir shop owner Lolu, who was doing brisk business, said, “during the pandemic, my shop was closed (and) I even didn’t have enough money to eat”, and added with a smile “Dalai Lama has brought good karma for me”.

“Dalai Lama has been coming here often (before Covid),” said Dorjee.

“He is one of the rare figures and not only for Buddhism; he is also a world figure, he is exceptional.”

Dalai Lama, now 87, arrived at the grounds in a golf cart and had to be assisted by two monks to walk to the stage and be seated. However, his mind seems alert, and so is his thinking faculty. He delivered a lecture of more than an hour each day without any hesitancies or stammering.

At the back of the minds of many of the Tibetan devotees here seemed to be for how long they could hear his teachings and be in the vicinity of

his charismatic personality. Reflecting on the global attraction of Tibetan Buddhism and culture today and the fact that there were many non-Tibetans here, such as westerners, Vietnamese, Thais and many ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia, Professor Geshe Ngawang Samten, vice chancellor of the Central Tibetan University in Sarnath in India, said that it is because of Tibetans not having a home of their own that its Buddhist traditions have spread far and wide.

Professor Samten also pointed to a special quality of Dalai Lama’s teachings that elicits worldwide appeal and admiration. “He attracts (attention) because he is very rational; his mind is very scientific,” he said.

“The way he addresses the issues either in individual life or in social life, (he does it) through understanding the situation and providing a tool or solution that can be implemented through the transformation of a person (or) the transformation of a social system (or) through the transformation of the education system.”

“That is what people appreciate. He is not in favour of propaganda and propagation of Buddhism,” said Professor Samten. “Always he advises that don’t propagate it, do not convert other communities and people who are already within a religious kind of system. So that is his kind of attitude.”

J’khand couple quit corporate jobs, turn model farmers, pioneer app-based irrigation

While returning home, there was only one thing in their mind that there is a life in the village too. If we do something here, we may get more or less money, but the happiness and peace we will get in comparison to that will be the most valuable. Needless to say that in just two-and-a-half years, the couple have set an example for others.

In the second year in 2022, this production reached 210 tonnes and the total business reached about 10 lakh rupees.

is a mobile app based on sensor and digital technology, through which it is possible to irrigate crops even while sitting at a distance.

By Shambhu Nath Choudhary

Ranchi, Jan 29 (IANS) A couple hailing from Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district, who left their corporate jobs and turned to farming, have become model farmers scripting an inspiring success story for others.

The couple- Vinod Kumar used to be a bank manager, while his wife Radhika worked in a multinational corporate company- in Pune.

Institutions like NABARD and

IFFCO Kisan are impressed by their success. These organizations have selected them for the pilot project of Automated Irrigation System in Jharkhand. They have become the only farmers in the state, who can irrigate the crops grown in their fields even while sitting far away through the mobile app.

Bumper crops ranging from watermelon, cucumber, bitter gourd to nanua are being grown in their fields. Hundreds of tons

of vegetables grown by them are reaching other states of the country as well as outside the country’s borders- Bangladesh.

In 2020, during the Covid period, when uncertainties prevailed over everyone’s mind and heart, about life and career, they were busy in multinational jobs, hundreds of kilometers away from their home, in Pune. It was not an easy decision for the couple to leave everything all of a sudden and return to the village.

WFI row a wake-up call for sports bodies to prioritise women athletes’ safety

have burst that bubble.

No doubt, things have improved drastically for Indian athletes in the last few years. Whether it’s a male or female sportsperson, they have far better access to facilities, coaches and grounds. Even people in general have changed their mindset towards the country’s female athletes. But the bigger question is whether these women athletes are feeling safe at practice, during trials or even competitions. Are they having a sense of security to perform at their best?

Vinod’s village is in Harhad under Churchu block of Hazaribagh district. He decided to try his hand at farming with new techniques. He had not enough land in the village for farming. So, he took 18 acres of land on lease for 10 years in Darhwa and Kusumdih of Rabodh village, which was generally considered barren. This land used to remain fallow for seven-eight months in a year.

After some research and discussion with agricultural scientists, he started watermelon cultivation here. Adopting drip method for irrigation, in the very first year in 2021, he grew 150 tonnes of watermelon.

Vinod says that along with this, cultivation of cucumber, bitter gourd, nanua, chilli and tomato was also started according to the season. Last year about 150 quintals of cucumber, 100 quintals of bitter gourd and 100 quintals of nanua were produced. To link crops to the market, he formed Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) with local farmers.

Vinod is the CEO of FPO- Dadi United Rural Producer Company Ltd. Through this, crops are being easily sold on the digital platform at a reasonable price. Buyers from other districts of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and markets as far as Bangladesh are themselves reaching here and picking crops from the fields. Impressed with their success, NABARD and IFFCO Kisan have selected the couple for the automated irrigation system pilot project. It

In this system, a tower is installed in the farm, which gives mobile command signal to the irrigation machines present in the farm. The information about the present moisture content in the soil is obtained from the plant installed in the field. Then accordingly, one can irrigate from anywhere through one’s mobile operated app. Information about all the parameters including moisture in crop leaves, ground temperature, wind speed and weather is available on this app. Vinod is currently using this technique on five acres of land. He has divided his five acres of land into four parts and irrigates 1.25 acres at a time through the app. It is the first project of its kind in the state. After its success, other farmers of the state will also be able to use this technique.

UP: ‘Quack’ cuts vein during delivery, mother-baby die

Meerut, Jan 27 (IANS) In a shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, a woman and her new-born baby died after a quack allegedly cut a vein during a C-section surgery.

The cut led to severe blood loss leading to the death of the woman and the baby.

The incident reportedly took place at the Ratan nursing home located at Parikshitgarh Road in Mawana town. The family of the victim have alleged extreme medical negligence by the doctors.

According to reports, the pregnant woman was brought to the nursing home when she started having labour pain.

Following the incident, the family members of the woman created a ruckus at the nursing home and allegedly indulged in vandalism.

Witnessing the anger, the doctor and nursing home staff fled the scene. The police finally reached the nursing home and sent the woman’s body for post-mortem.

The victim’s family has filed a complaint with Mawana police alleging negligence of the doctors.

The woman’s husband Krishna Dutt said: “I admitted my wife Seema to the Ratan nursing home in Mawana after she suffered labour pain. The nursing home staff told me that she would have to undergo C-section.

By Avinash Kr Atish

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) In an unprecedented move, India’s top wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and others, staged a protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on January 18, levelling serious charges of sexual harassment against him and the coaches of the federation.

The wrestlers in a letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also alleged financial misappropriation and misgovernance in the WFI and claimed that the coaches and sports science staff were ‘incompetent’.

The WFI hit back and said that the protest was baseless and driven by a “hidden agenda to dislodge the current management”, which led to even sharper reactions from the wrestlers. Eventually, the PT Usha led Indian Olympic Association and

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur intervened, heard the grievances of the wrestlers and promised them full justice. Not satisfied with the assurance, the grapplers had multiple meetings with the minister, some of which were late night. This eventually led to the stepping aside of the under-fire Brij Bhushan till an oversight committee probes the allegations and submits its report.

The oversight committee led by the legendary boxer Mary Kom is currently handling the day-to-day activities of the WFI and also looking into the allegations made by the wrestlers.

Last week’s protest should definitely be a wake-up call for the other sports bodies in the country to address serious issues and prioritise the well-being and safety of Indian women athletes.

The Indian sports administrators often claim that they have a ‘robust’ system, which gives a level playing field to athletes irrespective of their gender. However, the recent development and serious allegations

The wrestlers, who have levelled serious allegations against the WFI chief, are top sportspersons, who have brought many laurels for India. If they are not feeling safe, one can only imagine the plight of women athletes at the lower division levels where they often don’t raise their issues and even if they do, most people don’t care.

So, it’s time for the Indian government, sports ministry and other federations to address the issue and create an environment where women athletes can speak up about their difficulties and discomfort. If they receive a complaint, they must take action against the culprits. Apart from sports, there are many sectors and industries in the country which have seen issues of sexual misconduct and the action taken there has set precedents.

If the allegations turn out to be true, then the Sports Ministry must take strong action, which will ensure justice to the athletes and allow others to raise their issues, eventually leading to a healthy Indian sporting ecosystem.

Air India’s progress has been ‘nothing short of stunning’, says CEO

he added.

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Air India

CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday said that its progress over the last 12 months has been “nothing short of stunning and there is of course, much more that needs to be done”.

Tata Group took over debt-laden Air India a year ago, on January 27, 2022, from the Central government, marking the beginning of a new journey for the carrier.

“Taken together, the progress over the last 12 months has been nothing short of stunning, even if so much of what we have been working on has been behind the scenes, building platforms and capabilities so that our future ambitions can take flight.

There is of course much more that needs to be done, and everyoneinternally and externally - is hungry for us to do it,” he said.

During the last one year, total operating aircraft increased by 27 per cent to 100 while the number of

average daily flights increased by 30 per cent and weekly international flights increased by 63 per cent.

Besides, 16 new international routes were launched or announced and frequency increased on nine others.

Average daily passenger uplift increased by 72 per cent while average daily revenue has doubled and average daily frequency per domestic route has increased by 81 per cent.

The Air India CEO also talked about merger of Air Asia or Vistara with Air India and a few other initiatives.

“Even as we work on improving Air India, we have not shied away from other ambitious actions, such as merging Air India Express with Air Asia, or Vistara with Air India, or kicking off the establishment of a new InfoTech Centre, or an Aviation Academy. And that’s not to mention our much talked-about shortand-medium term fleet expansion,”

Talking about challenges, he said, “As we step into year two of Air India 2.0, we acknowledge that in any project of scale, there will be challenges along the way. More than our successes, it is how we respond to our lapses that will define us.” Campbell said that transforming any organisation entails deep cultural shifts, which is why we have put such a high priority on communicating with you, and on improving policies, practices and support systems, not just benefits. Fostering integrity, accountability, collaboration and trust are keys to future success, and must be guiding lights.

“We will continue to communicate and roll out new things, being clear about the rising expectations we must all meet, how these relate to you and how we will support.

Air India is on a journey to greater heights, and we want all of you to rise with it,” he added.

Air India has witnessed many controversies during the past couple of weeks regarding the peeing incident which occurred on November 26, 2022. The airline has faced criticism from various quarters for not taking timely action and has been penalised by the aviation regulator on two such cases.

During delivery, the doctor reportedly cut one of the veins of the woman. This led to severe blood loss ultimately leading to the death of the mother-baby duo.

During the surgery, the allegedly unqualified doctor cut a stomach vein that led to continued blood loss. This created a panic among nursing home staff who advised me

to take my wife to another hospital. But minutes later, my wife and the infant died.”

A police spokesman said that the matter was under investigation.

Air India reviews in-flight alcohol policy after ‘pee-gate’

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Air India has reviewed its existing in-flight alcohol service policy, and made some adjustments for better clarity.

The move came after the airline drew flak following the ‘pee-gate’ incident, wherein a flyer named Shankar Mishra reportedly urinated on an elderly female passenger in a drunk state on board a New York-New Delhi flight in Novermber last year. Mishra is presently under judicial custody.

“We have reviewed our existing in-flight alcohol service policy, taking reference from other carriers’ practices and inputs from the US National Restaurants Association’s (NRA) guidelines. These were largely in line with Air India’s existing practice, though some adjustments have been made for better clarity. Also, NRA’s Traffic Light system has been included to help the crew recognise and manage possible cases of intoxication,” an Air India spokesperson said on Tuesday. The airline said that the new liquor policy has been included in the training curriculum.

“The new policy has now been promulgated to the crew and has

been included in the training curriculum. Air India remains committed to the safety and well-being of our passengers and cabin crew, including but not limited to the responsible service of alcohol,” said the spokesperson.

Earlier, Air India had said that the alleged perpetrator in the November 26 peeing case had not been served excessive alcohol by the crew, adding that he did not appear intoxicated to the crew.

“In light of the mitigating circumstances and the financial detriment already incurred by the crew during their period of de-rostering, Air India deems the licence suspension

of the Commander as excessive and will be assisting him with an appeal,” said Air India.

On January 20, aviation regulator DGCA had imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the licence of the pilot-in-command of the New York-New Delhi flight. The regulator had also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on the director of in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge her duties. As per the regulator, the incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on the AI-102 flight on November 26, 2022 came to the notice of DGCA on January 4, 2023.

Peaceful screening of BBC documentary at Jadavpur University

Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS) A controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was screened peacefully within the premises of the prestigious Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata without any resistance either from the state administration or from any group opposing the content of the film.

The screening of “India: The Modi Question” on Thursday evening was organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the students’ wing of the CPI(M).

Over 200 students of the university were in attendance, according to Suvankar Majumdar, a member of the JU’s zonal committee of SFI.

“The screening was conducted peacefully without any resistance or disturbance,” he added.

On Friday, the SFI will screening the documentary within the campus of the Presidency University (PU).

The screening will take place at the badminton court within the PU campus at 4 p.m., SFI’s Kolkata

district president Debanjan Dey told IANS.

“A formal email informing the PU authorities of the roposed event has already been sent,” he added.

On Tuesday night, high drama prevailed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi, with student members alleging that they were attacked with stones while watching the controversial documentary.

There was similar tension over the two separate initiatives by Congress and CPI(M)’s youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) for screening the documentary in Thiruvananthapuram.

There were reports of clashes there as well.

The Central government had earlier termed the BBC documentary as propaganda against the Prime Minister and the country.

Rival groups screen BBC documentary, ‘The Kashmir Files’ at Hyderabad University

groups were urged to maintain peace and tranquility in view of the forthcoming end semester exams starting next week.

Earlier, on January 21, a student group had organised a screening of BBC documentary without permission from university authorities.

Visuals of some students watching the documentary in an open area on the campus went viral on social media after the same were posted by a group called Fraternity Movement.

The organisers had put up a projector to screen the first part of the documentary series.

Ministry should’ve suspended WFI a long time back: Sports activist Rahul Mehra

By BHAVYA CHAND

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) The ongoing feud between the grapplers and the Wrestling Federation of India and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, against whom female wrestlers have levelled charges of sexual harassment, is a major topic of discussion nowadays.

Speaking to IANS on the issue in a telephonic interaction, sports activist and advocate Rahul Mehra gave his take on the entire episode and how it is impacting the athletes.

Hyderabad, Jan 27 (IANS) For a second time in less than a week, BBC’s controversial documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 2002 Gujarat riots was screened by a group of students at University of Hyderabad while the rival group responded with the screening of Hindi film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

The screenings late on Thursday triggered mild tension on the campus of the central university, also known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU)

Students Federation of India

(SFI)-HCU organised screening of the documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ on the Republic Day.

“More than 400 students turned out for the screening rejecting the false propaganda and the attempts of ABVP to create unrest and the administration to disrupt the screening of the documentary,” the SFI-HCU said in a social media post.

“SFI-HCU salutes the student community who have stood for freedom of expression and campus democracy,” it added.

As a counter to the SFI programme, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ based on the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir due to killings by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

There was mild tension when a group of students belonging to ABVP staged a protest at the main gate against the university authorities for not allowing equipment for screening of the movie into the campus.

ABVP leaders alleged that the security staff manhandled the ABVP workers when they were bringing the projector. They wanted to know how SFI was allowed to bring projector and other equipment to the university premises.

Both the groups went ahead with the screening despite an appeal by the university administration not to do any screening on the campus. According to UoH Registrar Devesh Nigam, Dean-Students’ Welfare had counselled the student groups not to organise any screening in view of the law and order issue. The student

“BBC documentary ‘India : The Modi Question’ which was removed from YouTube screened in HCU by the Fraternity Movement- HCU unit,” reads a tweet from the Twitter handle of Fraternity Movement on January 21.

ABVP lodged a complaint with the university authorities about the screening of the controversial documentary of the British broadcaster. The university officials had said that they initiated a probe and were waiting for a report from the security department.

Police said they have received information about screening of the documentary on the university campus but no written complaint was filed.

The screening was reportedly organised at Resistance Area on the campus where massive protests were held in 2016 after a Dalit student Rohith Vemula had committed suicide due to alleged harassment by university authorities.

The Central government condemned the BBC documentary series describing it as propaganda to push a discredited narrative.

Man marries daughter-in-law in UP

his third son also died sometime later.

Kailash got his widowed daughterin-law, Pooja, married again but the wedlock did not last, after which she returned home and started living in her husband’s home.

Kailash, without informing anyone in the neighbourhood or the village, quietly married Pooja and it was only after the photograph went viral that people came to know about it.

He said that the WFI is the culprit, who made the country’s wrestlers sit on protest but more than the federation it’s the sports ministry, who is responsible for the entire fiasco.

“Athletes are also humans, they are also made of the same blood and the same flesh and they also think the way we do. Just a matter of fact they are stronger than anybody else. They have goals they want to achieve and they are quite focused on that so to say that they won’t be impacted obviously is not the truth. The question is, why did matters come to such a state where they should be impacted? Why should they be sitting on protest? Mehra said. “Who made it happen? It’s the federation bosses, especially the president of the WFI. The federation is the obvious culprit but more than the federation, it’s the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which has a regulation, a binding mandated document in the form of the National Sports Development Code of India, passed in 2011. And in more

than 12 years they didn’t even bother to see whether the federation is violating their directives.”

He added that the federation has been violating the norms for 12 years and the ministry is guilty of not having suspended the wrestling body a long time back.

“So, the ministry is guilty of not having suspended or derecognized this body a long time back for the simple reason that he is a MP from the ruling party and therefore they’ve intentionally behaved like an ostrich and put their heads in the sand,” he said.

This is not the first instance when allegations of sexual harassment have rocked Indian sports. In January 2020, an FIR was registered against a coach for allegedly harassing a woman cricketer. In July 2021, seven sportspersons accused coach P Nagarajan of sexual harassment, who already had a complaint filed against him and was reportedly abusing athletes for years.

Speaking with reference to other instances of sexual harassment,

Mehra said the case where harassment is by a colleague and the case of the WFI chief are different as a coach cannot exploit the same power as the head of the federation.

“The biggest disservice you will do to sports is to equate a coach’s sexual harassment with the sexual harassment by the person who is wielding so much power, like the president of the WFI. There’s a small coach who is misusing his position of power, but here, a very powerful person, a Member of Parliament five times.

“This kind of instance that happened with other coaches is absolutely uncollated because those are cases of sexual harassment by a colleague. This is sexual harassment by a person who is in a dominant position, who’s in a position to mess up your entire selection process, file false charges against you to ensure that your career is completely dead and buried. So, rules are there, regulations are there, laws are there but the problem is people are violating it,” he said.

BFI’s sole focus is to get publicity: After wrestlers, pro-boxer Neeraj Goyat speaks up

By Chetan Sharma

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) A week after the country’s top wrestlers protested against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, professional Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat has now come out with shocking accusations against the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). Speaking to IANS, the Haryana pugilist said that the BFI is no better than the WFI.

publicity.

“Even Vikas Krishan needed help after the Tokyo Olympics. Vikas Krishan Yadav was injured and the federation did not even know the name of the hospital in which he was treated. If he had won a medal, the BFI president would have been the first to receive him at the airport and click a picture,” Goyat said.

Gorakhpur, Jan 27 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a 70-year-old man has married his 28-year-old daughter-in-law in Chhapia Umaro village, here.

Inspector J N Shukla of Barhalganj police station said that he had seen the photograph on the social media and would now inquire about the marriage.

Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant visits Jagannath temple ahead of marriage

“I am happy that I had a very good darshan of Lord Jagannath. I pray for his blessings,” he told the media outside the temple. He remained inside the main temple for around 10 minutes and offered prayers to the trinity, before visiting Maa Bimala, Maa Laxmi and Mahavir temples, said a servitor.

Earlier, Anant arrived in Bhubaneswar from where he drove straight to Puri. Security arrangements were tightened for his visit to the Puri temple.

The Ambani scion had also visited Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on Monday and sought the blessings of the Goddess.

Bhubaneswar, Jan 24 (IANS)

Business tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s younger son Anant Ambani on Tuesday visited the Jagannath temple in Puri and sought blessings before his marriage. This is his first

visit to Puri after getting engaged to Radhika Merchant.

Junior Ambani expressed happiness after having darshan of the holy trinity at the temple.

On January 19, Anant got engaged to Radhika Merchant, daughter of Shaila and Viren Merchant, at the Ambani residence Antilia in Mumbai.

“I am proud of our wrestlers. They at least came out and said what they felt was wrong. Our boxing federation is no differ. The officials (of BFI) just want to click photos with those athletes who win. Only victory matters to them. They don’t care about those who lose, or why they lose,” said the 31-year-old, who took to professional boxing back in 2012.

“Amit Panghal was sure to win a medal at the Olympics, but unfortunately lost out in the pre-quarters.

After the loss, he was mentally and physically broken, and the federation didn’t feel the need to speak to him,” Goyat said.

Revealing the sad affairs of state in BFI, the boxer said that the federation’s only concern is to get

“The federation’s only concern is to get publicity. This is the case with all the sports federations in India. Government should disband them all and start afresh. A rule should be implemented which states that in order to be top brass, one must have sporting achievements. make it compulsory.

They have hired a foreign coach who doesn’t know anything about Indian boxing style and what our boxers need to deliver at the international level,” he added.

Tokyo 2020 was seen as the Olympics where Indian boxing would shine on the global stage, much like some of the boxing powerhouses in the world. But in turn, it was a reality check for many as pugilists crumbled under pressure. If things have to improve by Paris 2024, the work needs to start now.

In 2021, Ajay Singh, also the

chairman of Spicejet airlines, was re-elected the Boxing Federation of India’s President, defeating Ashish Shelar in the polls.

He was first elected the President of BFI on 25 September 2016. Since then, at the Olympics, men’s boxing failed to deliver medals, but women boxer Lovlina Borgohain saved the face.

There is a lot of hope from Lovlina, world champion Nikhat Zareen and other women pugilists in the upcoming tournaments. But men’s boxers are struggling big time and the BFI must find the answers!

Chopper carrying Sri Sri Ravi Shankar makes emergency landing in TN

Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS) A helicopter carrying Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and three others made an emergency landing at the Ukiniyin tribal hamlet in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district on Wednesday.

The spiritual leader was travelling to Tirupur from Bengaluru.

The other people in the chopper were two of his assistants and the pilot.

Sources told IANS that the

helicopter made the emergency landing due to poor weather conditions and the pilot complained of difficulty in navigating.

Kadambur police who rushed to the spot on receiving the information told IANS that all the occupants of the chopper were safe.

The helicopter took off after an hour when the weather situation improved.

Photographs of the ‘couple’ are now going viral on the social media. Kailash Yadav, who works as a chowkidar at the Barhalganj police station, lost his wife 12 years ago and

Aus kids failing to meet literacy, numeracy standards: Report

educational attainment are three times more likely to fall behind than their peers.

The report calls for the next fiveyear national strategy to focus on better-supporting teachers and help schools implement evidence-based teaching techniques.

The current agreement is set to expire in 2024 after federal, state, and territory education ministers decided in December to extend it for another year.

Responding to the Productivity Commission report, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare described the findings as damning.

“This report makes it clear that we need serious reform in education,” he said on Friday.

Doctors renew calls for Australian sugar tax

Canberra, Jan 20 (IANS) Australia’s top doctors’ body on Friday renewed calls for a tax on sugary drinks, warning the country risks being left behind on the issue.

According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), a tax of 40 cents for every 100 grams of sugar added to beverages would help lower the obesity rate and raise funds for public health campaigns, reports Xinhua news agency.

It said if Australia joined 85 countries and regions around the world in implementing such a tax, the government could collect an extra A$814 million ($563 million) annually in revenue.

president, said in a statement on Friday.

“Over a 25-year period, we estimate this would result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4,400 fewer cases of heart disease and 1,100 fewer cases of stroke.”

A report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in August found that, as of 2018, twothirds of Australian adults -- or 12.5 million people -- were overweight or obese.

Separate studies have revealed Australians consume twice as much sugar on average as is recommended.

Canberra, Jan 20 (IANS) Tens of thousands of Australian school children are failing to meet the minimum literacy and numeracy standards every year, a new report issued on Friday has found.

The Productivity Commission released its scathing assessment of the five-year, A$319 billion ($220 billion) National School Reform Agreement (NSRA), finding it has done little to improve student outcomes since being agreed upon by federal, state, and territory governments in 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.

The commission found the

agreement lacks clear and measurable targets, reforms to improve outcomes for students from poor backgrounds, and meaningful reporting on the reform activity of governments.

In the annual National Assessment Program --Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests, which are administered to students across the country in grades three, five, seven, and nine, about 90,000 students fail to meet minimum standards each year.

Indigenous students, those from regional and remote areas and those with parents who have low

“I don’t want us to be a country where your chances in life depend on who your parents are, where you live or the color of your skin. But we are now. This report tells us that.”

He said it highlights three big areas where investment and reform are really needed, which is to help kids from disadvantaged backgrounds who are falling behind to get up to basic literacy and numeracy standard, to make sure the teacher workforce is more effective, and the third is the health and wellbeing of students.

Australian cyberbullying hits concerning level: Official

500 times in the past 12 months, reports Xinhua news agency.

Monday marked a year since the Online Safety Act came into effect, giving the eSafety commission additional powers to prevent online harm.

Under the legislation, Commissioner Julie Inman Grant can issue a cyberbully with a notice requiring them to remove abusive content, stop their actions or apologize to their victims.

Canberra, Jan 23 (IANS) Online bullying among Australian children has reached a concerning level, the nation’s eSafety commissioner warned on Monday.

The office of the commissioner said it has probed over 1,680 cyberbullying complaints in total and has asked social media companies to remove offensive content more than

Those who do not comply can be hit with court injunctions or fines.

At the time, then Communications Minister Paul Fletcher declared that the new laws would make the internet safer for all Australians by holding perpetrators accountable.

Despite the new powers, Grant said bullying complaints increased 69

per cent in 2022 in a “post-pandemic surge”.

“We are seeing the tenor and tone of this youth-driven cyberbullying content escalating to concerning levels,” she said in a statement.

In addition to investigating complaints, the commissioner’s office is also preparing for emerging technologies and helping new companies develop safety features.

“We have an opportunity to positively shape the technology landscape to reduce the potential for harms related to the metaverse, generative AI and quantum environments, all of which are looming in our near future,” Grant said.

“This will help eSafety be a nimble, anticipatory regulator when these technologies reach full maturity and saturation.”

“Australians drink enough sugary drinks to fill 960 Olympic swimming pools each year. We need something to help people choose water instead,”

Danielle McMullen, the AMA’s vice

The AMA pointed out that the average 375-milliliter can of soda contains up to 50 grams of sugar -- double the daily recommended amount.

On average, Australians consume

2.4 billion liters of sugary drinks every year.

Under the organisation’s proposal, the tax would be worth approximately 16 cents per can, which it said would be enough to “break the addiction”.

“Australia is falling further behind the rest of the world in implementing a sugar tax,” McMullen was quoted as saying.

Tens of thousands rally to protest against Australia Day

Canberra, Jan 26 (IANS) Tens of thousands of people attended “Invasion Day” rallies held across Australia’s major cities, calling for changing or abolishing the date as the country celebrates Australia Day.

In Melbourne, a large crowd assembled outside the state’s Parliament House on Thursday morning, holding placards and the Indigenous flag, with loud cheers breaking out, reports Xinhua news agency.

“I believe that January 26 should be recognized as a day of mourning, as opposed to Australia Day celebration, because it’s not a celebration for the indigenous people,” one of the protesters, Amilia, told Xinhua.

“I think this day represents a massive genocide that happened to our First Nations, indigenous Aboriginal Australians... Some people think we can change the date, but most people just want to abolish the date or change it to a day of mourning where people can actually cry and remember what actually happened instead of celebrate.”

According to local media reports, similar scenes were seen across Australia’s other major capital cities. In Sydney, thousands of protesters

packed into Belmore Park. Marchers were seen carrying placards that read: “stop the genocide”.

A candlelight dawn service began in Brisbane at 4 a.m. local time in Musgrave Park, followed by a flag-raising ceremony at Jagera Community Hall.

The crowd kicked off the Invasion Day march around 11.30 a.m., with protesters chanting: “End black deaths in custody!”

Since 1994, Australia Day has been marked on January 26 as a national public holiday in every state and territory.

However, on January 26, 1788, Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove to claim the land as a British Colony.

The celebration is regarded as a painful reminder of the beginning of British colonization and the dispossession of First Nations peoples. The public holiday referred to as “Invasion Day” for the indigenous communities has sparked heated debates and rallies in recent years calling for a change or abolishment of the date to make the national day more inclusive of Indigenous Australians.

Australia to sign global education treaty

Canberra, Jan 24 (IANS) The Australian government said on Tuesday that it will sign up to a global education agreement to benefit international students.

Education Minister Jason Clare and Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor confirmed that Australia will endorse the Unesco Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education, reports Xinhua news agency.

Developed in 2019, the treaty will make it easier for students to have their school qualifications recognized in another country, allowing them to pursue further study there. It will also allow tertiary students to transfer their study credits to an institution in another country.

“Australia’s ratification of the global convention is a significant education milestone,” Clare said in a statement.

“The 1.4 million students who study at our universities each year can now have even greater confidence that their Australian qualification, whether undertaken onshore,

Canberra, Jan 21 (IANS) More than 17,000 weapons were surrendered in the first year of Australia’s permanent national firearms amnesty, the government revealed on Saturday.

The government released the first annual report on the amnesty program, which allows Australians to hand in unregistered, illegal or unwanted weapons without facing punishment, revealing 17,543 weapons were surrendered in the first 12 months, reports Xinhua news agency.

The permanent amnesty was set up in mid-2021 following temporary programs in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and again in 2017.

According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, there are approximately 260,000 illicit firearms in circulation in Australia.

Among the weapons handed in between July 2021 and June 2022 were 8,140 rifles, 2,896 shotguns

offshore or online, will be recognised in other countries, helping them to access higher education abroad, as well as pursue greater employment opportunities.”

Australia is one of the biggest international education markets in the world, hosting about 750,000 student visa holders in 2019 prior to the Covid-19 pandemic restricting international travel.

“Australia has a comprehensive

education and training system with established pathways across school, vocational education and training, higher education and employment,” O’Connor said.

“Being part of the Global Convention will boost international recognition of Australia’s world-class, vocational education and training graduates who are equipped with skills ready for the jobs of the 21st century,” the Minister added.

and 789 pistols.

“It is an important measure to reduce the number of firearms circulating in our community, and

keep Australians safe,” the country’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said on Saturday.

Over 17,000 weapons surrendered under Australian gun amnesty

Indian-American astronaut nominated for promotion to US Air Force brigadier general

By Arul Louis New York, Jan

27

(IANS) US

President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari on the moon mission team for promotion to an Air Force brigadier general, according to the Defence Department.

The nomination announced on Thursday will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments.

The US Air Force uses the same ranks as the Army, which considers brigadiers to be one-star generals.

Chari is a member of the Artemis

Indian-American Republican Party challenger picking up support to head party

team of astronauts preparing for the US mission of returning to the moon.

In 2021, he commanded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) crew to the International Space Station where he served for 177 days and conducted a spacewalk.

Before joining NASA, Chari was an Air Force test pilot with a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aeronautics and astronautics.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @ arulouis)

Indian-American prof to lead top scientists in Texas

In his new role, Thakur, who is a Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Houston (UH), will help coordinate and guide the TAMEST Board of Directors in planning strategy, programmes and communications.

New York, Jan 26 (IANS) IndianAmerican professor Ganesh

has been named vice-president of the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) for a term of two years.

“I am privileged to become the vice-president of TAMEST and love that I get to work closely with other prominent research leaders across the state and the world to promote research in medicine, engineering, science, and technology, developing the next generation of scientific leaders within the state of Texas and across the world,” Thakur said in a statement.

TAMEST’s mission is to bring together the state’s brightest minds in medicine, engineering, science and technology to foster collaboration, and to advance research, innovation and business in Texas.

Thakur is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Inventors, and a recipient of the Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI) grant.

At University of Houston, he is helping lead the nation in cutting-edge research and further elevate future generations of students and faculty while spearheading new breakthroughs in STEM fields, according to a TAMEST statement.

He has published over 100 journal articles and conference papers, besides holding five patents.

Thakur earned his doctorate in petroleum and natural gas engineering (PNGE) from the Pennsylvania State University in 1973.

He also has an MBA from Houston Baptist University and received his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

Multiple Indian-Americans charged with dental practice fraud

to launder the fraud proceeds, a Department of Justice (DOJ) release said on Thursday.

The individuals were charged with operating and participating in a series of dental practices and related companies (the Savani Group) that engaged in visa fraud, health care fraud, wire fraud involving federal tax evasion, and money laundering.

Dentist brothers Bhaskar Savani, 57, and Niranjan Savani, 51, owned and controlled the Savani Group dental practices.

New York, Jan 27 (IANS) Eight

Indian-Americans are among 12 dental practice owners and co-conspirators who have been charged for allegedly engaging in a multifaceted racketeering conspiracy through a multi-state network of dental practices in the US state of Pennsylvania. The defendants were allegedly part of a wide-ranging scheme to defraud Medicaid, US Immigration authorities, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and

The third brother, Arun Savani, 55, owned and managed the Savani Group companies and was responsible for the Group’s financial affairs. The trio allegedly conspired to recruit foreign workers for US work visas while concealing the workers’ true job titles and responsibilities.

Sunil Philip, 57, who was an outside accountant for the Savani Group, allegedly engaged in a wire fraud scheme to evade federal taxes along with the three brothers.

The Savani brothers, along with two other employees of Savani Group, allegedly executed a scheme to use nominee owners of “on paper” dental practices to obtain and continue to profit from Medicaid contracts after managed care companies terminated the Savani Group dental practices’ Pennsylvania Medicaid contracts.

They also allegedly conspired to place adulterated and misbranded dental devices in US commerce, according to the DOJ.

Vivek Savani, 35, Bharatkumar Parasana, 55, and Hiteshkumar Goyani, 39, and Piyusha Patel, 41, were employed under the H1-B visa program under the pretense of serving in specialty occupations for the Savani Group but actually performed office support roles for the Group’s dental practices.

Bhaskar, Arun, Niranjan and Sunil Philip made their initial court appearances on January 20 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

India-born FedEx CEO to get 2023 Horatio Alger Award

success,” he said in a statement.

“I’m honored to join an incomparable list of Members and look forward to meeting the Scholars and supporting them through their college years and beyond.”

Thiruvananthapuram-born

Subramaniam is a product of IIT Bombay, and has more than 30 years of global experience across strategy and operations at the FedEx, a $94 billion transportation company.

He was recently awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award -- the highest civilian award in India for overseas Indians.

New York, Jan 24 (IANS) India-born

Raj Subramaniam, President & CEO of FedEx Corporation, will receive the 2023 Horatio Alger Award -- given to “esteemed individuals” who overcome adversity to achieve professional and personal success.

Subramaniam, 55, joins 13 exceptional business, civic and cultural leaders from across North America who have been awarded for “remaining committed to education and charitable efforts in their communities despite facing adversities”.

“I strongly believe that through hard work and perseverance, one can overcome adversity to achieve

Under Subramaniam’s leadership, FedEx donated three Boeing 777F charter flights of oxygen concentrators, PPE, and other critical supplies to help India combat Covid-19 in May and June 2021.

“Mr Subramaniam embodies the power of the American Dream,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director, Horatio Alger Association. “His commitment to education and building a better life for himself is admirable, and he will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration for our Scholars.”

Subramaniam immigrated to

By rul Louis New York, Jan 27 (IANS) IndianAmerican Harmeet Dhillon, who is mounting an insurgent campaign against the party’s leadership, is picking up support in her bid to head the party at a pivotal moment when former President Donald Trump’s future hangs in the balance.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is emerging as a potential challenger to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, expressed support for Dhillon on Thursday calling for a change in the leadership of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Chandigarh-born Dhillon, who proudly broadcasts her Punjab roots with the Twitter handle “@pnjaban” is running against the current chair Ronna McDaniel in the organisational elections to be held on Friday.

Chair since 2017, McDaniel has faced criticism for the party’s string of failures - the loss of the House of Representatives in 2018 and the Senate and the presidency in 2020, and poor performance in 2022’s mid-term elections.

“I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC, I like what Harmeet Dhillon said about getting the RNC out of DC,” DeSantis said in an interview with the founder of the conservative Turning Point USA group who is also backing her.

Dhillon’s platform for the leadership includes decentralising the party organisation by setting up more regional centres away from Washington, DC, to build the party’s grassroots and reduce the influence of lobbyists and self-serving politicians.

“RNC needs to be setting the vision and the leadership for the party. Not Congress. Not beholden politicians,” she said. She also wants to better use technology for campaigns.

Dhillon has picked up support from two state committees, Nevada and Washington, the heads of the

party in four states, Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts and Wyoming, and from several high-profile party donors, as well as media figures influential within the party.

Alabama state Republican committee passed a vote of no confidence in McDaniel’s leadership.

According to Dhillon’s website 29 of the 168-member RNC have openly endorsed her.

Although she had been close to Trump and served as one of his lawyers during the last election and the House probe into the January 2021 riots, her performance in the party election against the establishment would also test Trump’s clout as he prepares to run for the party’s nomination next year.

DeSantis’s endorsement has contributed to making the chair’s election a sort of referendum on Trump.

McDaniel has closely aligned herself with Trump, while Dhillon has not openly gone against him during the campaign, while repudiating Trump’s continued claim that he was the rightful winner in 2020.

Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, who immigrated to the US as a child, drew national attention when she said a Sikh prayer at the opening of a session of the Republican National Convention in 2016 -- the first time a non-Abrahamic religion figured in a national party convention.

Her Sikh religion has come up in the campaign for the chair with accusations that there has been a whispering campaign about her faith.

An RNC member, Solomon Yue, went public about a video of her convention prayer being circulated to make her religion an issue.

Several Republicans joined in condemning it.

Dhillon tweeted, “No amount of threats to me or my team, or bigoted attacks on my faith traceable directly to associates of the chair, will deter me from advancing positive change at the RNC.”

McDaniel denounced the attacks on Dhillon because of her faith, pointing out that she herself belongs to the minority Mormon religion, which is often attacked.

She is the granddaughter of a former Michigan governor and niece of Mitt Romney, who was the unsuccessful Republican Party candidate for President in 2012.

Dhillon, whose law practice takes on discrimination cases, mainly of conservatives, has been associated with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is reviled by many Republicans and gives some of them pause.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @ arulouis)

British-Indian doc blames UK hospital for her suicide: Report

London, Jan 23 (IANS) A 35 year-old British-Indian doctor, who ended her life in June last year, had blamed the hospital where she worked for her death, according to a suicide note shared by her parents.

Junior doctor Vaishnavi Kumar, who worked at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said in the letter that the working environment “just broke me”.

“I am sorry mum, I can blame the whole thing on the QEH,” she wrote in her note, which was not read out during her inquest last year, the BBC reported.

Kumar said in her note to her mother that her mental health had declined while working at the QEH and she was “now a nervous wreck”.

America in 1987 to attend Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering.

In 1991, he graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a master’s in business administration and joined FedEx as an associate analyst later that year.

Since 1984, the Horatio Alger Association has awarded annual need based scholarships to high school students who have displayed dedication to pursuing higher education despite significant obstacles throughout their lives.

As a Horatio Alger awardee and member, Subramaniam will support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education.

He will be formally inducted into the Association during the Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington from March 30 through April 1.

In 2022, the non-profit educational body awarded more than $16 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to over 1,600 students across the US and Canada.

The inquest found that Kumar ended her life after she struggled to cope up with “bullying and condescension at work”, and often returned home crying.

Kumar’s parents told the BBC they had now released her final words in an attempt to help other junior doctors.

“She must have gone through a huge amount of bullying and stress

otherwise she is not the girl who would have done this,” Dr Ravi Kumar, who believes the QEH “destroyed” his daughter, told the BBC.

“So people who have done this have done a huge amount of damage and that makes me angry,” the heartbroken father said.

Before moving to QEH, Vaishnavi Kumar worked as a chief registrar at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals where she was seen as an outstanding trainee and a mentor for other junior doctors, with strong leadership skills, the report said. Her struggle at QEH began around December 2021 and she committed suicide on June 22, 2022.

The QEH comes under the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which is recognised as one of the leading NHS trusts in the UK with more than 20,000 members of staff.

Gill said staff and former staff members described being harassed over several years, leading to counselling, depression and extended periods off work.

According to the BBC, UHB is currently subject to three separate reviews following reports of staff saying there is a “climate of fear” at the Trust.

The Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board announced a three-part review into the culture at UHB.

The first report is expected at the end of January 2023.

‘Sikh’ struck on head in hate-motivated assault in Canada

Toronto, Jan 23 (IANS) A man, apparently a Sikh, was allegedly struck on the head, causing his turban to fall on the ground, by an unidentified man, who also made “derogatory comments” at a subway station in Canada, police said.

Police officers responded to an assault call at the Bloor-Yonge Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway station following the incident last week.

Upon reaching the scene, police found that a man had been struck on the head causing his “religious head covering” -- which they later identified as turban -- to fall on the ground.

The suspect allegedly passed derogatory comments at the victim before he left the TTC station, the Toronto Police said in a statement.

The victim, whose age or religious affiliation were not released by the police, sustained minor injuries on his head.

However, a report in Omni News, a multicultural and multilingual broadcaster in Canada, confirmed the identity of the victim as Sikh in

Last month, British-Sikh MP from Birmingham Preet Kaur Gill had called on the Health Secretary to initiate an independent inquiry into the alleged bullying culture at the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB). its report.

The suspect was last seen wearing a blue hat and a black jacket and was carrying a black bag.

“After consultation with the specialised Hate Crime Unit, the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence,” the Toronto police said in its statement.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said police are investigating the hate-motivated assault of a man at the subway station. “Our transit system - and

city at large - must be safe places for all and free of hatred, without exception,” Tory tweeted after the incident.

“Hate has no place in our city. We must all call out and stand together against discrimination and violence,” he said.

Condemning the incident, the Toronto Transit Commission said that they will continue to assist Toronto Police in the course of their investigation.

Thakur

Pakistan’s economy at risk of collapse

don’t restart soon, some of the losses will be permanent,” said the founder of Macro Economic Insights, Sakib Sherani, Geo News reported.

Citing analysts, Financial Times reported that Pakistan’s economic situation is “becoming untenable”, and maybe in a similar situation as Sri Lanka if the situation persists. The publication also warned that if the “situation persists” then the country may default in May.

EU ministers discuss challenges of migration from third countries

News reported.

The analyst said that the government’s steps are helping the market recover and increasing the confidence of the investors - who were in a difficult position due to the uncertainty over the revival of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme.

Stockholm, Jan 27 (IANS) “The migratory situation in the European Union (EU) is strained”, the member states’ Justice and Home Affairs Ministers agreed at their Council meeting here.

Karachi, Jan 26 (IANS) British publication Financial Times has warned that Pakistan’s economy is at risk of collapse with the government’s “failure to revive” an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal, Geo News reported.

According to the report, rolling blackouts and a severe foreign currency shortage are making it difficult for businesses to continue operations.

Shipping containers full of imports are piling up at ports as the buyers are unable to secure the dollars to pay for them, it added, Geo News reported.

“Associations for airlines and foreign companies have warned that they have been blocked from repatriating dollars by capital controls imposed to protect dwindling foreign reserves. Officials said that factories such as textile manufacturers were closing or cutting hours to conserve energy and resources. The difficulties were compounded by a nationwide blackout on Monday that lasted more than 12 hours,” reported the UK newspaper.

“Already a lot of industries have closed down, and if those industries

“Every day matters now. It’s simply not clear what the way out is,” said Abid Hasan, a former advisor to the World Bank, adding, “Even if they get a billion [dollars] or two to roll over, things are so bad that it’s going to be just a band-aid at best.”

Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told the FT that the country has “drastically” reduced imports in an attempt to conserve dollars.

“If we just comply with the IMF conditionalities, as they want, there will be riots in the streets. We need a staggered programme... The economy and society cannot absorb the shock or cost of a front-loaded programme,” Iqbal said.

Following the Pakistani rupee’s devaluation in the open and interbank markets, the benchmark index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rallied and gained by more than 1,000 points, Geo News reported.

Commenting on the development, Arif Habib Limited’s Head of Research, Tahir Abbas, said that the rupee’s steep fall has triggered a positive sentiment in the market.

“The driving factor behind the market is the rupee’s market-based exchange rate. This has helped clear the uncertainty that was surrounding the investors,” Abbas said, Geo

Abbas added that with a mini-budget expected within the next eight to 10 days, the tariffs of gas and electricity might also witness an increase and more taxes might be be imposed - also the global money lender’s conditions.

The Pak rupee posted its biggest single-day decline against the dollar in more than two decades, after rapidly depleting foreign exchange reserves and an unyielding IMF forcing the government to relax its grip on the currency, The News reported.

Following the government’s decision to end its control over the rupee-dollar exchange rate as part of the IMF condition, the Pak currency slid 9.61 per cent, or Rs 24.5, to a record low of Rs 255.43 against the US dollar compared to Wednesday’s close of Rs 230.89.

The over 9 per cent decline was its highest since October 30, 1999, when the currency had slumped 9.4 per cent.

“The State Bank of Pakistan is seemingly adjusting the exchange rate to the market rate - closer to open market to address the widening difference between the official and open market rate and to curb the flow of dollars through the informal market,” said Saad Ali, a capital market expert, The News reported.

Deadly knife attacks in Spain, Germany spark outrage across Europe

Algeciras “terrible”, and offered his “most sincere condolences” to the relatives of the victim who died.

Sanchez pledged to carry out an investigation into the events leading up to the attack.

On Thursday, Spain’s ministry of the interior stated that a suspect had been arrested and was in the custody of Spain’s National Police, although the suspect was not identified.

Rome, Jan 27 (IANS) A spate of violence in Spain and Germany that left several people dead and many injured has drawn outrage from leaders this week.

On Wednesday, one person was killed and another hospitalised after a man carrying a large machete-type knife carried out attacks at two churches in Algeciras, southern Spain. Also on the day, a man armed with a knife killed two people and injured at least seven others on a train in northern Germany, Xinhua news agency reported.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the attacks in

Algeciras is a busy port city that connects the Spanish mainland with the North African country of Morocco.

In Germany, the attacker was injured during his stabbing spree, and later hospitalized. Authorities have said he will be interrogated when he is able to speak, but the motive for the attack is currently unknown, and the suspect has not been identified in this case either.

Sabine Sutterlin-Waack, minister of the interior for the German region where the attack took place, told television reporters that she was “shocked and horrified that

something like this has happened.”

The incidents in Spain and Germany come on the heels of an attack in Paris two weeks ago, where a man wielding a metal hook left six people injured at the Gare Du Nord (Paris North Station).

On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced the “brutal and blind violence” of the attacks in Spain and Germany, and expressed Italy’s solidarity with the two countries.

A similar attack took place in Italy last October, when a man grabbed a knife off a supermarket shelf and stabbed six people, one of whom died. The attack happened during Meloni’s first week as prime minister.

Media reports have noted an increase in the number of violent attacks in recent months. Although there is no consensus on possible reasons for the increase, local media has speculated that deteriorating economic conditions and increasing sentiment against migrants could have a part to play.

Egypt discovers oldest, most complete unroyal mummy

said Hawass, the director of the Egyptian excavation team working with the Supreme Council of Antiquities at Gisr el-Mudir area in Saqqara.

He explained that new discoveries indicated that the site comprises a large cemetery.

According to Hawass, a tomb that belonged to Khnumdjedef, an inspector of the officials, a supervisor of the nobles, and a priest in the pyramid complex of Unas, the last king of the fifth dynasty, is the most important one among the new discoveries.

Khnumdjedef’s tomb is decorated with inscriptions of daily life.

The second largest tomb belonged to Meri, who was a keeper of the secrets and assistant of the great leader of the palace.

The mission also found a third tomb for Messi, who is a priest of King Pepi I Meryre, the third king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, and nine beautiful statues, which include one for the priest and his wife, several servant statues, and statues representing individuals.

“There is an urgent need to strengthen the external borders, increase returns, and prevent irregular migration,” they said, according to a statement issued by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

“Difficulties in returning third country nationals who are not entitled to stay in the EU is a major challenge for many member states,” Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

“Current return rates are not acceptable, and negatively affect the reception capacity, as well as the legitimacy of (the EU states’) national asylum and migration systems,” it added.

The Ministers agreed on the need for more effective cooperation with countries of origin, and for comprehensive migration partnerships and effective readmission agreements with third countries to prevent irregular migration and improve

returns.

They agreed that the EU should use both positive incentives and restrictive measures and that all relevant policy areas, such as visa policy, development cooperation, trade and diplomatic relations, must be used.

The EU member states also support the introduction of restrictive visa measures in relation to third countries that do not cooperate on returns, the statement said.

The two-day informal meeting, which also addressed the fight

against organised crime in the digital age, ends on Friday.

Since the height of the migration crisis in 2015, the EU has implemented measures to control external borders and migration flows better.

As a result, irregular arrivals to the EU have been reduced by more than 90 per cent.

The EU and its member states are intensifying efforts to establish an effective, humanitarian and safe European migration policy.

Pak to recover plots from influential people as austerity measures

Islamabad, Jan 26 (IANS) Pakistans National Austerity Committee (NAC) has suggested that multiple plots of land be reclaimed from individuals in positions of power and influence, such as civil and military bureaucrats, judges, and other members of society, media reports said.

All plots given away at throwaway prices will be recovered and auctioned to pay off the growing public debt, Geo News reported. The committee recommended reducing salaries/perks for parliamentarians by 15 per cent and reduction in government employees’ salaries by 10 per cent till June 2024. The committee also recommended installation of pre-paid metres in gas and electricity sectors all over the country.

The NAC assigned the Finance Ministry to work out the financial impact of each recommendation for attaching to the final version of the report. According to rough and initial estimates, the NAC recommendations could save the national exchequer resources ranging from Pak Rs 500 billion to Rs 1,000 billion annually, if implemented in their true letter and spirit, Geo News reported.

The NAC also recommended slapping a ban on foreign visits and only obligatory visits should be allowed with the permission of competent authority. It recommended the adoption of an e-procurement system at all tiers of government.

“As a technocrat, we have finalised major recommendations without consideration of any powerful

segments as we proposed austerity for all segments of the society, including parliamentarians, civil and military bureaucrats, judges and any other influential groups,” one member of the NAC told The News.

India, Pakistan came ‘too close’ to nuclear conflagration: Pompeo

By Arul Louis

New York, Jan 25 (IANS) India and Pakistan came “too close” to a nuclear conflagration during the 2019 confrontation with both sides believing the other was preparing to deploy nuclear weapons, according to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He recounted in his book, “Never Give an Inch”, his frantic night-time diplomatic efforts to get the neighbours to stand down after getting a call from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warning him that he believed Pakistan was readying nuclear weapons for a strike and India was considering its own escalation.

“I do not think the world properly knows just how close the IndiaPakistan rivalry came to spilling over in a nuclear conflagration,” he wrote.

But, he added, “the truth is, I don’t know precisely the answer either. I just know it was too close”.

He was woken up at night while he was on a visit to Hanoi with a call from Jaishankar who told him that “he believed the Pakistanis had begun to prepare their nuclear weapons for a strike”.

“India, he informed me, was contemplating its own escalation. I asked him to do nothing and give us a minute to sort things out,” Pompeo wrote.

Working with John Bolton, who was then the US National Security Adviser, from their Hanoi hotel room he “reached the actual leader of Pakistan. General (Qamer Javed) Bajwaa”, he wrote.

Cairo, Jan 27 (IANS) Egypt’s renowned archaeologist Zahi

Hawass has announced the discovery of “important tombs hosting a 4300-year-old mummy” in the Saqqara necropolis near the Pyramids of Giza.

“The mummy is the oldest and most complete unroyal mummy found in Egypt to date,” Xinhua news agency quoted Hawass as saying in a press conference on Thursday.

The mummy of a man, Hekashepes,

covered with gold leaf, was found inside a large rectangular limestone sarcophagus in a room located under a 15-metre-deep shaft, the archaeologist said.

He added that many stone vessels were seen around the sarcophagus, which was completely sealed when the mission discovered it.

“The oldest mummy is part of the important discovery of a group of tombs that date back to the fifth and sixth dynasties of the Old Kingdom,”

Hawass added that the mission uncovered another 10-metre-deep shaft comprising a set of beautiful wooden statues, three stone statues representing a person named Fetek, an offering table, and a stone sarcophagus that contained his mummy.

The Egyptian mission also found many amulets, stone vessels, tools for daily life, and statues of the funerary deity Ptah-Sokar at the site, he added.

“I told him what the Indians had told me. He said it wasn’t true. As one might expect, he believed the Indians were preparing their own nuclear weapons for deployment.

“It took us a few hours, and remarkably good work by our teams on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad, to convince each side that neither was to convince each side or the other was not preparing for nuclear war,” Pompeo added.

Taking credit for the de-escalation, he wrote: “No other nation could have done that, but we did that night

to avoid a horrible outcome.”

He acknowledged the work of Kenneth Juster, who was the then US envoy in New Delhi, calling him “an incredibly capable ambassador” who “loves India and its people”.

Pompeo, who was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency before becoming the Secretary of State, recounted in the book his four years in former President Donald Trump’s cabinet.

The book subtitled, “Fighting for the America I Love”, lays out how he

aggressively implemented Trump’s ‘America First’ vision.

Writing about his efforts to deepen ties with New Delhi, Pompeo wrote that he “made India the fulcrum of my diplomacy to contract Chinese aggression”.

“I chose to devote serious quantities of time and effort to make India the next great American ally,” he added. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @ arulouis)

Honouring India’s enormous culinary legacy

For all foodies out there, try these delectable step-by-step recipes from some of the industry’s most well-known chefs

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

As we celebrate the 74th Republic Day, some individuals start their day by watching the flag-hoisting ceremony, while others start slowly, expecting to spend the holiday relaxing. In any case, everyone will be surrounded

by the essence of this national event. But, as we all know, no Indian event is complete without authentic Indian cuisine. So, for all foodies out there, why not try these delectable step-by-step recipes from some of the industry’s most well-known chefs?

Cashew nuts Paste 20gm

Mustard seeds 1gm

Ghee 10gm

Method

Orange rice: Heat the ghee in a big pan and add the mustard seeds.

Once the seeds splutter, add onions and sauté for a minute. Add tomato puree and stir for a while. Add salt, red chili powder, and garam masala. Cook till the ghee is released and starts floating to the surface. Add the cooked rice and mix with the masala.

White rice: Heat ghee and add the mustard seeds till they start

A few iconic recipes have survived over time in Indian manuscripts; these long-lost dishes are the cornerstones of the renowned Indian cuisine that the rest of the world enjoys today.

Anirudh Deshpande, the executive chef at The Westin Goa, carefully selected these recipes to pay homage to these Golden meals and serve them with a modern twist.

The Fara Taco with Ahuna Gosht is one of the specialty dishes from the Trendsetter Kitchen of the Westin, Goa.

Fara are lentil-filled dumplings that come from Eastern Uttar Pradesh’s sun-kissed plains. The dish is typically prepared to commemorate the Harvest Festival and represents happiness and wealth.

While Ahuna Gosht has roots in the prosperous farmlands of Bihar. The meal is a lamb stew cooked in one pot with whole garlic cloves, spices, and the meat’s own fat and curd.

The Dum Pukht way of cooking, which the Nawabs of Lucknow under the direction of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah have rather mastered, is the main cooking technique used by Ahuna Ghost.

For Ahuna Gosht I Yield: 1 portion

Ingredients

Mutton curry cut 250gm

Onion Finely Chopped 20gm

Tomato Paste 20gm

• Ginger Paste 10gm

• Garlic Paste 10gm

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder 02gm

Garam Masala Powder 02gm

Coriander Powder 02gm

Turmeric Powder 01gm

• Cumin Powder 02gm

• Green Chili Chopped 02gm

Ginger Julienne 01gm

Chat Masala 02gm

Lemon 01gm

• Oil 100gm

• Salt To Taste

Chopped Coriander to Garnish 10gm

Cinnamon 01gm

Cardamom 01gm

Method Heat Oil in a pan and add Cinnamon, Cloves, and Green Cardamom and sauté it for half a minute

Add chopped onions and fry this until it’s golden brown, after which

you need to add a fresh ginger garlic paste

Add the mutton and cook it till it turns brown and then sprinkle all the spices

Add a fresh tomato puree and adjust the seasoning as per your taste cook for a few minutes and then let it sit for a while whilst it simmers

Once the gravy is of a medium-thick consistency garnish with Chopped Coriander, and grated ginger and put it aside to cool to stuff the fara

For Fara I Yield: 3 portions

Ingredients

• 4 cups White Urad Dal (Split)

• 1 cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)

1 cup Arhar dal (Split Toor Dal)

Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon Garam masala powder

• 1/3 teaspoon Turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder

1 tsp Asafoetida

3 cloves Garlic

2 Green Chillies, paste

• Salt, as required

For tempering

Oil, as required

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds

10 Curry leaves

• Asafoetida (hing) , A Pinch

For garnish

Coriander (Dhania) leaves, a few springs chopped

Method

Soak the urad dal, chana dal, and mutter dal for about four to five hours.

Make a coarsely ground yet fine paste of all dals and mix in the dry masalas, garlic, and chili paste (salt as required)

Meanwhile prepare the dough by adding wheat flour, water, and salt.

Make thick puri out of the dough and add the dal paste on one side of the puri and cover with the other side like a resting taco

Cook the far in a steamer for about 20 to 30 minutes, then cool.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, curry leaves, and asafoetida and sauté the fara

Once it is done, stuff in the Ahuna

Gosht and garnish it with fresh coriander

Day, Abhijeet Bagwe, Executive Chef of Novotel Mumbai International Airport, creates Gulab Jamun Pannacotta to highlight the primitive sweet meal with a touch of extrinsic cuisine from a different country. When it comes to flavourings, Pannacotta has a silky texture and a vanilla flavour, which matches to the fried ball of a dough produced from milk solids and semolina soaked in an aromatic syrup.

For making pannacotta

1cup milk

• 1cup cream

• ½ cup of sugar

1 ready gulab jamun

2 ml of vanilla essence

Pinch of saffron

• 5 grams of gelatin

spluttering. Add salt, cooked rice and mix very well.

Green rice: Grind the green chillies, spinach and cashew nuts in a mixer grinder (with water) till they turn into a thick paste.

Heat the ghee and add mustard seeds till they splutter. add green paste and mix well Saute till the raw smell is gone.

Add the remaining cooked rice, salt and mix well.

Arrange the three types of rice according to the national flag of India and serve hot!

On the occasion of the 74th Republic

Oil 100ml

Butter 50gms

Ghee 40gms

• Chilly Powder 1tblspn

• Garam Masala Powder 3tblspn

Cumin Powder 3tblspn

METHOD:

Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and boil it to perfection.

For the carrot rice, heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds,mustard seeds,curry leaves,onions,garlic and saute well. Once onions go translucent, add the carrot puree and cook well, add boiled basmati rice, cream,garam masala powder and mix to get a saffron colored rice.

Check for seasoning

For the spinach rice, heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds,mustard seeds,curry leaves,onions,garlic and saute well.Once onions go translucent, add the spinach puree, chopped corriander, mint and cook well, add boiled basmati rice, cream, garam masala powder and mix to get a green colored rice.Check for seasoning.

For the curd rice, heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds,mustard seeds,curry leaves and saute well. Once cold add curd, cream, basmati

For making Rabri

• 4 cups of milk

1 Cup of sugar

Edible colour orange

Edible colour green

• How to make

For making pannacotta heat sugar, cream and milk together with vanilla essence.

Add gelatin into a mixture and cool it down, in your desired mould put half piece of gulab jamun and pour pannacotta mixture with saffron into your mould.

For making rabdi reduce milk and sugar up to 20 percent, devide into three and add food colour Do plating as per the image.

Chef Jerson Fernandes, Culinary

rice, chopped ginger,salt and mix well. Check for seasoning. For the tomato sauce, boil tomatoes, make a concasee, temper it using garlic, onions, salt, pepper, chilly powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.

Start plating by using a ring mould brushed with butter to plate the 3 flavors of rice one above the other to resemble to colors of the flag.

Top it with beaten curd and a rolled crispy papad and fresh sprigs of corriander/garden greens.

The tomato sauce has to be poured around the molded rice.

The beaten curd has to be mixed with cumin powder and lined on the side, over which u place roasted peanuts, chana dal, fried red chilies, curry leaves, and edible flowers of your choice(either rose petals or baby sunflowers)

Accompany with a lemon wedge to squeeze before eating.

Chefs tip: Always brush butter/oil on the inner surface of the ring mould to ensure the rice grains don’t stick to it while demoulding. Ensure while roasting the papad, it is hot while being rolled to get the desired shape and finish. If it’s cold, it will break while rolling.

Ingredients

Cooked rice 300gm

• For orange rice

• Small onion (chopped) 20gm

Tomato purees 50gm

Red chili powder 2gm

Garam masala 1gm

• Mustard seeds 1gm

Ghee 10gm

• Salt to taste

• For white rice

Ghee 20gm

Mustard seed 1gm

• For Green Rice

• Boiled Spinach (puree) 50gm

• Green chilies 02nos

Director at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, has created a Tiranga Masala Bhat meal that captures the essence of Republic Day. The recipe is meticulously executed to ensure that the colours and flavours of the recipe complement one another. The meal is a mash-up of actual joyful celebrations, with each item representing our country’s prosperity, diversified culture, traditions, rich flora and fauna, and proud legacy. Some of the dish’s primary elements include organic components sourced from farmers—our actual heroes—natural colours from fruits and vegetables, and locally sourced ingredients to promote sustainability. Efforts have been made to retain the authenticity of the dish, yet giving it a twist of taste and flavor. The dishes are integral to the patriotic celebrations of every Indian for the

emotional connect they possess.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 300gms

Spinach Paste 100gms

Carrot Paste 100gms

• Curd 50gms

• Cream 150gms

• Chopped Onions 150gms

Chopped Garlic 30gms

Cumin Seeds 1tblspn

Mustard Seeds 1/2tblspn

Curry Leaves 2 sprigs

• Red Chillies 4-5nos

• Salt To Taste

• Pepper Powder to Taste

Tomato Puree 200 gms

Peanuts 100 gms

Chana Dal 100gms

• Corriander 1 sprig

• Mint 1 sprig

Ingredients

• 500 gms urad dal

• 1 kg idli rawa

• 5 gram cooking soda salt (as per taste) for colour: tricolour idli

50 gms carrot puree

50 gms spinach puree, blanched

2-3 okra

Method

• Wash and soak urad dal and idli rawa separately. urad dal needs to be soaked for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

Drain the excess water and start grinding the urad dal with some salt in a wet grinder or blender to prepare the batter.

Add some water if needed and blend till you get nice frothy thick and smooth batter.

Squeeze out excess water from rava and add to the urad dal batter. mix well and keep aside for fermentation in a warm place for a few hours.

• Boil carrots and blanch spinach

separately and put it in a blender for fine puree for the colour.

Once the batter is ready, take some batter in 3 separate bowls. add the carrot puree and spinach puree to the 2 parts of batter separately and stir nicely to get the desired colour. keep the 3rd part of batter as it is.

• Take the idli mould, insert muslin cloth, sprinkle some water and keep aside. preheat the idli steamer.

• With a help of a spoon, first add the orange colour idli batter in the idli mould then the plain idli batter and the third with the green idli batter.

Cut one okra and place it on the centre of white layer of the idli batter.

Cook the tricolour idlis in the preheated steamer for about 15 to 20 minutes. idlis should be soft light and fluffy.

Remove the tricolour idlis and serve hot with sambhar and chutney.

Tiranga Masala Bhat

Gulab Jamun and Saffron Pannacotta with trio of Rabri

Tiranga Pulao by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa

AHUNA GOSHT FARA

TRICOLOUR IDLI by Chef Anand Rawat, Corporate Chef Head at Noormahal Palace Hotel, Karnal

Indian Consulate in Perth celebrates India’s R-Day

PushpinderOberoi gets Hind Rattan Award 2023

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

India’s 74th Republic Day was celebrated at the Consulate in Perth on 26 January with enthusiastic participation of diaspora and friends of India, including Indian armed forces veterans, representatives of business associations, Dr Jags MLA

and YazMubarakai MLAand members of Indian-origin Fijian community. Consul General Amarjeet Singh Takhiunfurled India’s national flag followed by reading out of Indian President’s address to the nation and cultural performances. Celebrating International Year of

Millet, participants were served millet-based dishes, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Kids were presented with gifts for preparing inspiring paintings stressing the need for maintaining high standards of cleanliness.

India’s Republic Day celebrated at Indian High Commission

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

Hospitality and Tourism consultant and Gold Coast local PushpinderOberoihas received “Hind Rattan Award 2023 “at BharatiyaPravasi Divas in India in January 2023.He has been awarded

the prestigious award for his multicultural Community service, social welfare and business.Besides, he has also been recognized for his involvement in maintaining an emotional bond between India and non-resident Indian and for maintaining good bilateral relationship

between Australia and India. In a message after receiving the prestigious award Oberoi wrote, “Jai Hind. Proud to be Gold Coaster,Queenslander and Australian, and above all proud to be an Indian.”

Indian Republic Day celebrations at CGI Sydney

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

IIndia’s 74th Republic Day was celebrated at High Commission of India, Canberra on 26 January.

High Commissioner ManpreetVohra unfurled India’s National tricolor.

At the outset he congratulated the gathering on India’s Republic Day which coincided with Australia Day. Then he called upon members of

the Indian diaspora in Australia to remain united amidst its characteristic multi-lingual, multi-religious and multicultural nature and keep doing the good work they are already doing in Australia as everywhere else in the world. He lamented the recent tragic events of vandalism in the country by some anti-social elements. Then he read Indian President’s message

to the nation.

Members of the Indian diaspora, Friends of India and other community members participated on this auspicious occasion. Celebrating the International Year of Millet 2023 and to promote awareness, millets based refreshments were served on the occasion.

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

CConsul General, Sydney Manish Gupta unfurled the Indian national flag on the occasion of the 74th Indian Republic Day celebrations on 26 January 2023 at Consulate General of India (CGI), Sydney. Members of the IndianAustralian community and friends of India joined the celebrations.

World Hindi Day celebrated

Kite Festival organized in Canberra

Bollywood Gala Ball organized

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

Kite Festival was organised at Patrick White Lawns in Canberra recently.The event

saw a full day fun-packed event, witnessing massive turnout of the local community. On the occasion, the High Commission of India,

Canberraorganised an exhibition on millets’ products, promoting awareness of the health and other benefits of millets.

Kite Festival organized

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

The Consulate General of India, Sydney in collaboration with Indian cultural association organized a Kite flying festival at Castle Hill Showground on 15 January 2023 on the auspicious occasion

of MakarSankranti. Around 10,000 people participated at the festival. Consul General Manish Gupta attended the celebrations. It was a joyous celebration of community spirit and multicultural Australia.

MakarSankranti is a Hindu

observance and a festival. MakarSankranti is celebrated with social festivities such as colourful decorations, singing and asking for treats in some areas, fairs, dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts.

Indian Abroad Newsdesk

On the occasion of two years of Australian Indian Events Co (AIEC), a luxury evening of Bollywood Gala Ballwas organised on January 25 to celebrate Bollywood Music and India’svibrant culture at the rooftop venue on the Gold Coast

the Nineteen at the Star. An exclusive Audio-video production, upgraded sound, lights and Fx were the highlights.

DjAshu-Dj Deep, KautukansMoitensured that none stopped dancing. There were also

performances by popular groups such asTapori Squad and Prana Dance academy. Prom Dance and Groovy Bollywood moves enthralled the audience. Strict cocktail dress code was adhered to by the participants at the Ball.

Australia Day & Indian Republic Day 2023 – Bilateral Celebrations

Sustainable Homes.

Mr Zain Chamadia and Mr Siddharth Nagpurkar, joint masters of ceremonies for the evening, played their roles with aplomb, engaging the stellar assembly of dignitaries, community, and business leaders in attendance.

Celebrations commenced with a traditional lighting of lamps, followed by the ‘Acknowledgement of the Country’ by Aunty Peggy Tidymann. Students of Sargam Music Academy

enthralled those present with their melodious renditions of both the Australian and Indian national anthems.

Various distinguished speakers spoke at length, celebrating a truly multicultural Australia and how the Indian diaspora led the way in ensuring ‘Unity in diversity’ was the bedrock of community prosperity and harmony.

The celebration also included cultural performances; Jugalbandi - an

instrumental medley by Subash and group, contemporary fusion dance by Ms Taleatha Wright-Morgan, instrumental music performance by Rudro Roy, didgeridoo playing by Glenn Barry, a foot-tapping dance performance by Rhythm Dance group and an absorbing interactive activity about India and Australia by the MC.

Harmony Cup, a friendly game of cricket between the Australian Community XI and the Indian Community XI team, was organised on the day at Gibson Park (South Oval), Stafford. Thanks to the fabulous work behind the scenes by Queensland Sub District Cricket Association, Mr Sathish RajendranBrisbane Super Kings, Mr Ashutosh

Misra - Queensland Cricket and Mr Krishnan Menon - Secretary FICQ.

An entertaining game played in the right spirit, with India Community XI lifting the trophy. The bilateral celebrations concluded with a vote of thanks by the Assistant Secretary, Mrs Sunita Avadhani. FICQ, led by its President, Mr Anoop Nannuru, thanked

everyone for continuing to celebrate this event by uniting all the Indian and Australian Communities year after year. The executive team of FICQ worked tirelessly together with the greater Indian and multicultural communities to make this event a resounding success.

By Seema Chauhan, Public Relations Officer, FICQ

Multiculturalism an opportunity to accept each other, celebrate unity in diversity: TAG president

The Telugu Association of Gold Coast (TAG) has been at the forefront of popularising Telugu culture and is instrumental in establishing a distinct identity of the Telugu community in Gold Coast. In an interview to Indian Abroad, president of TAG Dr Shailendhra Kumar Bethi talks about the goals, objectives and achievements of the Association.

1. What inspired the creation of the Telugu Association of Gold Coast (TAG) and how successful has it been so far in fulfilling its goals and objectives?

Answer: TAG’s main objective is to preserve the cultural and ethnic identity of the Telugu community in the Gold Coast. Our mission is to support one another and foster a sense of togetherness and connectedness; celebrate cultural values and transmit ethnic identity; to adopt acquire and adjust to the Australian culture without losing the ethnic identity; become a cultural hub in the Gold Coast that promotes and sustains traditions, language, literature and arts by collaborating with other peak bodies. I would welcome you to visit our webpage www.telugugc.org for further details on our vision, mission and values besides a calendar of activities we

are involved in. Our membership is steadily on the rise and so is our collaboration with other local and regional entities such as the GC Hindu Cultural Association, GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin), Queensland Telugu Association, Brisbane Telangana Association and many more. TAG is now an active member of peak bodies such as the Federation of Indian Communities in Queensland and the Federation of Telugu Associations in Australia. We are celebrating more diverse cultural events than ever before in order to sustain the traditions in a foreign land. Our annual flagship event Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami attracts over 300 spectators and showcases the vibrant Telugu traditions across a genre of performances drawn from our local community. Besides, the popular flower Festival of Bathukamma, the annual communal feast of Karthika Vanabhojanalu and Vinayaka Chavithi are some of the events to remember.

For the past year we have been running regular weekly online literary discourses directly in collaboration with scholars from India. For the first time we ran a successful blood donation campaign to support Queensland Health’s drive and have resolved to make this an annual event.

2. In relation to the Ashtaavadhaanam on 25th February, could you enlighten about the event, its significance for the Telugu community in particular and others in general. How much response do you anticipate for this event from the members of the community?

Answer: For the first time ever in the state of Queensland, TAG is proud to host Ashtaavadhaanam in collaboration with the Queensland Telugu Association and the Brisbane

Telangan Association. The purpose of this is twofold: to celebrate the beauty of Telugu language and raise its awareness among the next generation in a foreign land.

Avadhaanam is an ancient literary process and has its origins in Sanskrit. It was subsequently adopted by the modern Telugu poets in an attempt to showcase the mastery and command of language using both wisdom and wit. Abadhaani is the performer and the panel (who are also scholars) of questionnaires are referred to as Prucchkalu.

While there are several forms of Avadhaanam, the most common is Ashtaavadhaanam that has eight Prucchakas, each posing a question to the Avadhaani on a specific issue and expects the Avadhaani to respond in a poetic form in a specific metre. Avadhaani is often disturbed deliberately by an irrelevant speaker called aprasthutha prasangi and equally distracted by other Prucchakas, by their questions. It is upon the Avadhaani to respond appropriately whilst equally making the whole process entertaining and humorous. This is a complex test of cognitive capacity and draws on the Avadhaani’s ability to sustain extreme attention, retain information, reasoning, creativity, and knowledge on poetic forms, metres (chandassu), besides a broader understanding of current affairs, literature and many more.

You can find more information in a short TED talk on “the art of avadhaanam”.

The Avadhaani, Sri Kalyan Chakravarthy Tatavarthy garu is a contemporary, young, dynamic scholar and a software engineer. He has embarked on a selfless journey to raise awareness on Telugu language and literature and founded Tatavarthy Gurukulum, with a sole intention to drive Telugu language and poetic forms to the next

generation thus making it accessible to the modern communities. He is the first and the only Avadhaani in Australia so far. He has so far completed 61 Ashtaavadhaanams and is on a quest for more. We are expecting approximately 150 community members to attend but the true extent of community participation and the impact of this event is to be seen.

3. Since you took over as president, what challenges have you had to face in spearheading the activities of this association? Are you satisfied with the contributions made by the Association in the life of the members of the Telugu community in Gold Coast?

Answer: TAG is a not-for-profit organisation and all the executive committee members are voluntary and dedicated participants united by a single resolve to preserve the culture, traditions and ethnic identity. I am no exception in walking the tightrope of work, and personal life

while being mindful of my moral responsibility for the community I live in.

I have no doubt that we have many unsung heroes among us who continue to help our community in their own capacity. No effort is too small. This is a great example of acculturation and TAG aspires to nurture this quality among the children and the youth of today.

4. What other events are you planning in the months ahead?

Answer: Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami is our annual flagship event in the month of April 2023. Final details are yet to be confirmed.

5. In your personal life, what kind of difference has your association with TAG brought?

Answer: We are all shaped by our thoughts, which in turn are influenced by the values we believe in and form one’s character. In his book, The Road Less Travelled, Scott Peck, describes love as the “will to

extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own and another’s spiritual growth and enunciates further by stating that if you love something, it is of value to us, and when it is of value to us, we spend time with it, enjoying it and taking care of it”. I can say that TAG has given me the opportunity to cherish our traditions with the wider community, grow and put my own values into action.

6. Finally, how far the ethos of multiculturalism in Australia helped associations like TAG in enlivening the grand culture of the community?

Answer: Multiculturalism gives us the opportunity to accept each other, celebrate unity in diversity, understand equality among us all, develop fraternity and thus contribute to the collective development of the society in which we live. While we all are separated by languages, we are united in our resolve and ambition to build a great nation.

Congress launches ‘hath se hath jodo’ campaign

Modi government.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress posted: “As we celebrate the biggest festival of democracy today, we announce the launch of the #HaathSeHaathJodo campaign.

After the immense love received for #BharatJodoYatra, we are sure that the Haath Se Haath Jodo campaign will also win everybody’s hearts.”

The party workers will deliver a letter written by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and a “charge sheet” against the Central government to each household.

During the programme which is scheduled to end on March 26, party workers will reach out to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, six lakh villages and 10 lakh booths.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had said, “This programme ‘hath se hath jodo’ will take forward the Congress party symbol and the political message from the Bharat Jodo Yatra.”

Several leaders of Haryana’s ruling BJP-JJP join Congress

However, he said that this is a tough task as in some states the organisation is weak, but it will be accomplished.

In the letter, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “There is a palpable economic crisis brewing - joblessness among the youth, unbearable price rise, severe farm distress, and a complete corporate capture of the country’s wealth.”

He wrote, “People are worried about losing their jobs, their incomes are falling further, and their dreams of a better future are shattering and there is a deep sense of hopelessness across the country.

“Today, even our plurality is under threat. Divisive forces are attempting to turn our diversity against us - different religions, communities, regions are being pitted against each other. These forces, which are only a handful in number, know that only when people feel insecure and scared can they sow the seeds of hatred for the ‘other’.”

Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 27 (IANS) The Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Friday entered Kashmir where it will conclude on January 30.

A large number of people who were waiting to receive Rahul Gandhi, joined the Yatra near the Banihal tunnel that leads to the Valley. Former chief minister and vice president of National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah drove to Banihal town where he joined Rahul. Interestingly, Omar Abdullah also wore a white T-shirt to match Rahul

who has all along the BJY been sporting a white T-shirt.

Local Congress leaders -- G.A.Mir and Raman Bhalla -- received Rahul Gandhi when he reached the Valley after crossing the Banihal tunnel. The footmarch started from Kanyakumari in September 2021 and will end in Srinagar on January 30.

The conclusion of the Yatra will be marked by a public rally at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar which will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.

Congress gave birth to corruption: K’taka CM Bommai

Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Reacting to the complaint filed by Congress leaders with the High Ground police station against BJP leaders accusing them of indulging in illegal practices to woo the voters, he told media persons here on Wednesday that this shows to what level they have stooped.

to five MLAs have been found with evidence.

The Commercial Tax officials have caught and fined four persons in Kunigal. Details will be collected and get it enquired. In spite of all these, the Congress leaders are trying to create confusion among the people, he said.

Chandigarh, Jan 25 (IANS) Half

a dozen leaders of Haryana’s ruling BJP-JJP, comprising former legislators, on Wednesday joined the Congress along with hundreds of supporters amidst the presence of Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state unit chief Chaudhary Udaybhan.

Those who joined the Congress included former MLA and JJP candidate from Bhiwani, Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj, former minister Mangeram Gupta’s son and JJP leader Mahavir Gupta, and BJP Kisan Cell’s state Vice President Satish Rana.

The joining ceremony took place at the meeting of party delegates, MLAs, former MLAs, working presidents and senior leaders convened under the ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’ campaign.

Hooda said in the last few months, over 15 former MLAs of other parties, including the BJP and the JJP, and 50 prominent leaders have joined the Congress.

“Leaving the ruling parties, the leaders and workers are joining the Congress. This shows the people are definitely going to vote for a Congress government in the state in the next elections,” he said.

Former Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra, who has been made Haryana’s convener for ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo’ campaign, congratulated the leaders and workers for the success of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana.

“The yatra has given a new direction to the country and the party. This direction has to be taken to every village, booth and every house under the campaign ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’,” he said.

Addressing the meeting, Udaybhan said the Congress has got tremendous strength due to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“The ‘Haath Se Hath Jodo’ campaign starting right after this will pave the way for Congress’ victory in 2024 as the BJP at the Centre and the BJPJJP government in the state have betrayed the people,” he said.

Six million people in Pakistan facing acute food insecurity

6,000 per vote.

On AICC General Secretary and incharge of Karnataka Affairs Ranjit Singh Surjewala, Bommai said, “It was old. The inquiry was going on into all those who got selected as teachers without writing the examination when the Congress Party was in power. They owe reply for it.”

Bengaluru, Jan 25 (IANS) The whole country knows that it was the Congress Party that gave birth to corruption and illegality, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said while responding to Congress’ complaint filed against former water resources minister and BJP leader

“Somebody will give reply and others will give the clarification and reply. The Congress Party has promised to give Rs 2,000 for every woman and 200 units of power free for every family. Everyday they are announcing new promises. If the same yardstick is applied, are the Congress leaders not guilty? Are they not making new promises to woo the voters?” Bommai questioned.

The Chief Minister said the distribution of the pressure cookers to the voters with the pictures of four

They are sure of losing the election because of which they are filing such complaints. There is police and law and let there be inquiry, he said. “We can also file hundreds of such complaints against them but ultimately it is the people who will decide. People also know them well and will take a decision. We need not learn from them. They are free to do whatever they want,” he added. While addressing a public gathering on Tuesday, former water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi announced that the BJP would give Rs

“If the jobs have been sold it was during the Congress government regime. The inquiry will reveal everything. In Kalburagi, a police constable was made DIG and filed FIR after his retirement. This is the Congress policy. The business of the Congress Party was to sell jobs while in power and leave the accused when they were arrested. Knowing this, the people had sent the Congress Party to home and they will do it this time also,” he explained.

K’taka: War of words between Congress, BJP leaders turns ugly

parties in the state, ruling BJP and opposition Congress are indulging in ugly fight. The leaders are getting personal and targeting one another.

Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar launched an attack on Wednesday against former minister and BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi. “I have not asked him to remove his pants,” he stated, referring to the alleged sex-CD scandal.

Bengaluru, Jan 25 (IANS) As Karnataka inches closer to assembly elections, two major national

Ramesh Jarkiholi had sought a CBI inquiry against Shivakumar. He had also attacked Begalavi Rural MLA

Lakshmi Hebbalkar that it is time for her to go.

Shivakumar, referring to Jarkiholi, stated, “he was the person who destroyed Congress party. Who facilitated operation lotus and ensured Congress-led coalition government.” Congress MLA from Sringeri K.B. Raje Gowda, while attacking BJP and Hindu activists, used the word ‘children of prostitute’. He had also targeted BJP, RSS and religious mutts and later apologised for his remarks, stating that the abuse he

used should not be a part of any individual’s culture.

Karnataka BJP President, Nalin Kumar Kateel’s remarks that questions should be asked on love-jihad and not on roads and infrastructure, also stirred a huge controversy.

BJP state unit had also launched an attack on late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi that they died because of their own mistakes. The BJP has also alleged that they initially nursed terrorism, which in later stages took their lives.

Islamabad, Jan 25 (IANS) A new report from the World Bank has revealed that an alarming six million people in Pakistan are currently experiencing acute food insecurity as a result of the devastating floods that hit the country last year.

The floods, which took place between June and August 2022, resulted in the death of more than 11 million livestock and the destruction of over 9.4 million acres of cropland in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh, which are already among the most food-insecure regions in the country, Samaa TV reported.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the number of people experiencing food insecurity is projected to increase to 8.5 million between September and December. The World Bank’s food security update, issued in January 2023, also highlighted a significant increase in food inflation in Pakistan.

The food inflation rose from 8.3 per cent in October 2021 and 15.3 per cent in March 2022 to 31.7 per cent

in September 2022, and then to 35 per cent in December 2022.

The report attributed the high food inflation to the high incidence of climatological shocks, the depletion of foreign currency reserves, and the depreciation of local currencies, which have made healthy food less affordable in South Asia.

The update also noted that food production in the region has been widely disrupted by the floods caused by higher-than-normal monsoon rains in some parts of South Asia and less-than-normal rainfall in other parts.

In December 2022, year-on-year consumer price inflation for food prices was 7.9 per cent in Bangladesh, 7.4 per cent in Nepal, 35.5 per cent in Pakistan, and 64.4 per cent in Sri Lanka.

The World Bank has urged the government and international community to take urgent action to address the growing food insecurity crisis in Pakistan, Samaa TV reported.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday launched nationwide ‘Hath se Hath Jodo’

campaign, under which it plans to reach out to people and make them aware about the “failures” of the

Indian Real Estate investment grew by 32%: Report

of USD 7.8 million, according to consulting firm CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd.

On a quarterly basis, investments in Indian real estate stood at USD 2.3 billion in the October-December quarter, growing by 64 per cent

Q-o-Q and 115 per cent Y-o-Y, CBRE said in its report titled ‘India Market Monitor 2022’.

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Indian real estate investments grew by 32 per cent Y-o-Y to an all-time high

Covid,

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Amid the growing layoffs, there has been a surge in the number of patients coming from various companies -both office-goers and those working from home -- with panic anxiety attacks and depression as they fear losing control over their immediate future plans, mental health experts said on Monday.

About 3,000 tech professionals are losing their jobs on an average daily in the month of January, including thousands in India.

According to health experts, the last 2-3 years of Covid lockdowns, deaths, and fear of re-infection, and now massive layoffs, have resulted in extreme stress for Indian professionals.

Dr Saumya Mudgal, Senior Consultant, Psychiatry, Max Hospital in Gurugram, told IANS that there has been a drastic increase in the number of patients coming from MNCs.

“These patients are usually presented with the issues of panic anxiety

Foreign investors took the lead with a 57 per cent share in the overall Real Estate investment volume in 2022. Investors from Canada accounted for nearly 37 per cent of the foreign capital inflows, followed

and panic disorder with agoraphobia and there is quite an increase in such patients. Some of them are already taking medications and the requirement of medication has gone up and the severity of symptoms has gone up,” Dr Mudgal told IANS. According to her, there are a lot of people coming with fresh or recent onset symptoms of anxiety and adjustment issues pertaining to anxiety or mixed anxiety.

Layoffs and loss of employment are very stressful experiences for most people. It is a time filled with uncertainties, economic challenges and loss of control over your future.

According to Dr Rishi Gautam, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC, this can lead to significant impact on a professional’s mental health and cause anxiety, depressed mood, shock and grief.

“It affects sleep and appetite, increases risk of unhealthy consumption of drugs and alcohol, causes worsened irritability, loss of self-esteem, family discord etc,” Dr Gautam told IANS.

Dr Arti Anand, a senior clinical psychologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, said that the pandemic and massive layoffs both knocked out the working class without any warning.

“This leads to fear and stress. The way to deal with it is to be able to

by those from the US (15 per cent).

It said that Domestic investors contributed the remaining 40 per cent of the total investment in 2022.

Overall, institutional investors led the 2022 investment activity with a share of nearly 51 per cent, followed by developers at 32 per cent. Delhi-NCR led investment activity, followed by Mumbai; cumulatively, the two cities accounted for over 56 per cent share of the investments in 2022. Land and development sites dominated investments with a share of 48 per cent, followed by the office sector with a 35 per cent share.

use your available resources, not to panic and stop thinking negatively about the future,” she advised.

Health experts said that to cope in these uncertain times is by maintaining supportive relationships with friends and family, exercising regularly and practicing mindfulness.

Keep a positive attitude and outlook.

Stay away from generalising negative thoughts like “I will never have a job again or I will never enjoy my work again etc,” said Dr Gautam.

Divya Mohindroo, Founder, Embrace Imperfections and a counselling psychologist, told IANS that those impacted in the current layoffs need to deal with it practically, rather than emotionally.

“Start making a list of potential employers, research about available opportunities and companies, look for avenues to upskill and even diversify into other sectors, if required,” she advised.

“Approach employers while being mentally prepared to describe their situation while pitching their candidature. It is also important to network - with friends, ex-bosses and colleagues,” she said.

All professionals should share their work responsibilities with colleagues at work and family members at home, which will help them not only be accountable but also feel light about their life and tasks in hand,” Mohindroo noted.

Get prepared for deeper layoffs in 2023, predict business economists

“down from 22 per cent this fall”.

This is the first time since early days of the Covid pandemic that more business leaders anticipate jobs shrinking at their firms.

The findings indicate “widespread concern about entering a recession this year”, according to NABE President Julia Coronado.

San Francisco, Jan 24 (IANS)

Deeper layoffs are coming in 2023 as most business economists have predicted that their companies will cut payrolls in the coming months, media reports said.

According to a report in CNN citing a new survey, only 12 per cent of economists -- surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) -- anticipate employment will increase at their firms over the next three months,

With more Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Google joining the ongoing layoff season, about 3,000 tech employees are now being laid off per day on average in January globally, including in India.

According to the survey, a little more than half of the business economists feel the risk of a recession over the next year at 50 per cent or higher, which means more layoffs in the offing in 2023.

More than 65,000 employees have

About 44 per cent of the capital inflows in site/land acquisitions were deployed for residential developments, while 25 per cent went into mixed-use developments, said the report.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, said: “The record investment inflows, the highest ever for the sector, reflect the resilience and growth potential of the Indian real estate sector.

“Undeterred by global headwinds, equity inflows into the sector are expected to remain steady in 2023.

Additionally, we hope to see the listing of India’s first retail REIT in 2023, which would enable investors to expand their investment horizons.”

Gaurav Kumar, Managing Director, Capital Markets and Residential Business, CBRE India, CBRE India,Asaid, “There is a possibility that some large institutional investors could diversify their portfolios by incorporating industrial and logistics (I&L), retail, and Date Centre (DC) assets. We may potentially see a few new set of investors in the real estate segment.”

On Investment Outlook, the report said that Capital flows likely to remain steady; investors expected to remain cautious amidst recessionary fears in the US and Europe. The year 2023 could see the listing of India’s first retail REIT, which would widen investment avenues for investors.

While a few large institutional investors with a strong presence in the office sector in India could diversify their portfolios by including I&L, retail and DC assets, we could also see the entry of some new investors in the Indian RE landscape

US govt sues Google over its monopoly on digital advertising market

Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and eight states have sued Google over its alleged monopoly over digital advertising technology products.

Filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the complaint alleged that Google monopolises key digital advertising technologies, collectively referred to as the “ad tech stack”, that website publishers depend on to sell ads and that advertisers rely on to buy ads and reach potential customers.

Website publishers use ad tech tools to generate advertising revenue that supports the creation and maintenance of a vibrant open web, providing the public with unprecedented access to ideas, artistic expression, information, goods and services.

Through this lawsuit, filed late on Tuesday, the DOJ and state Attorneys General seek to restore competition in these important markets and obtain equitable and monetary relief on behalf of the US citizens.

“The complaint alleges that Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful conduct to eliminate or severely diminish

any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

As alleged in the complaint, over the past 15 years, Google has engaged in a anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct that consisted of “neutralising or eliminating ad tech competitors through acquisitions”, along with wielding its dominance across digital advertising markets to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products and thwarting the ability to use competing products.

“In doing so, Google cemented its dominance in tools relied on by website publishers and online advertisers, as well as the digital advertising exchange that runs ad auctions,” according to the DOJ. Google responded in a blog post that the lawsuit “attempts to pick winners and losers in the highly competitive advertising technology sector”.

“DOJ is doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow,” said Dan Taylor, Vice President,

Global Ads.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said that the landmark action against Google “underscores our commitment to fighting the abuse of market power”.

“We allege that Google has captured publishers’ revenue for its own profits and punished publishers who sought out alternatives. Those actions have weakened the free and open internet and increased advertising costs for businesses and for the United States government, including for our military,” Gupta added.

In 2020, the Justice Department filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolising search and search advertising. The Google search litigation is scheduled for trial in September 2023.

Cut 20% jobs at Alphabet, key investor tells Sundar Pichai

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Hedge fund billionaire and investor Sir Christopher Hohn has told Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to reduce more jobs and bring the headcount to 150,000, that would require him to slash 20 per cent overpaid jobs in total.

20 per cent,” wrote Hohn, founder of The Children’s Investment Fund Management (TCI) that holds a $6 billion stake in Alphabet. The billionaire further said that the management should also take the opportunity to address excessive employee compensation.

been sacked by 166 tech companies to date.

Google’s parent company Alphabet announced to lay off 12,000 employees, or about 6 per cent of its workforce.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella last week said the company will be “making changes that will result in the reduction of our overall workforce by 10,000 jobs through the end of FY23 Q3 (third quarter)”. Amazon earlier announced to lay off 18,000 employees globally, including nearly 1,000 in India.

Music streaming giant Spotify on Monday announced to slash 6 per cent of its workforce, or about 600 staffers, globally.

In 2022, over 1,000 companies laid off 154,336 workers, as per the data by layoffs tracking site Layoffs.fyi.

Mann showcases Punjab as investment destination

by excellent infrastructure, power, skilled human resources and the best industrial and work culture to spread their business.

Extending a red carpet welcome to the industrialists, he said the government was always open for new ideas and innovations to boost the industrial growth in Punjab. “The day is not far away when Punjab will emerge as the industrial hub of the country,” Mann said.

Inviting the captains of the industry to visit the state in the Invest Punjab Summit slated to be held next month at SAS Nagar, the Chief Minister said that the Invest Punjab Summit being organised on February 23-24 will prove to be a milestone in giving a major fillip to the industrial growth of the state.

Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS) Punjab

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday visited the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and showcased the state as the most preferred investment destination across the country.

The Chief Minister, while interacting with the media after performing the bell ringing ceremony at the BSE here, showcased Punjab as a land of opportunities and invited companies to invest in the state.

He said entrepreneurs will be immensely benefited by investing in the state, which is rapidly emerging as the industrial hub of the country.

“Punjab has complete communal harmony, peace and amity, which are mainly responsible for overall development and prosperity in the state,” he said.

The Chief Minister urged the industrialists to make optimum use of this congenial atmosphere backed

He said the government has already finalised the arrangements for this mega event. Mann said the main motive behind giving fillip to industrialisation in the state is to reverse the trend of brain drain in the state by opening new vistas of employment for the youth.

On the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of the BSE, Sundararaman R., felicitated the Chief Minister.

Google’s parent company Alphabet has eliminated 12,000 jobs or 6 per cent of its workforce.

In a letter that has gone viral on social media, Hohn told Pichai that the decision to cut 12,000 jobs is a “step in the right direction”, but it “does not even reverse the very strong headcount growth of 2022”.

“I believe that management should aim to reduce headcount to around 150,000, which is in line with Alphabet’s headcount at the end of 2021. This would require a total headcount reduction in the order of

“The median salary at Alphabet in 2021 amounted to nearly $300,000, and the average salary is much higher. Competition for talent in the technology industry has fallen significantly allowing Alphabet to materially reduce compensation per employee,” he argued.

In particular, Alphabet should limit stock-based compensation given the depressed share price, Hohn added. Over the last five years, Alphabet more than doubled its headcount, adding over 100,000 employees, of which over 30,000 were added in

the first nine months of 2022 alone. Last week, Pichai said that he was “deeply sorry” for reducing the workforce by approximately 12,000 roles, and took “full responsibility for the decisions that led us here”.

Traders’ Body terms GST one of most complicated taxation system, urges FM for review

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Terming GST one of the “most complicated” taxation system, Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to announce review of GST taxation system and all Acts and Rules concerning retail trade and One Nation-One Licence Policy for domestic trade.

In its pre-Budget wishlist, it has also urged for effective pension scheme for traders, insurance scheme for traders as per scheme applicable in state of Uttar Pradesh.

The traders’ body also sought separate credit rating norms for small businesses, easy access of finance to traders by the Banks and other financial institutions, formation of Fast Track Courts for disputes including payments in businesses and dishonouring of cheques under section 138 of the Income Tax Act and creation of Special Trade Zones in the country.

It has also sought a policy for organising Trade Fairs and Exhibitions of Indian products within the country and over the globe to give boost to both internal and foreign trade.

The CAIT has also asked the FM to declare incentives for adoption & acceptance of digital payments among the trading community.

The CAIT has also demanded

rolling out of e-commerce rules, e-commerce policy, formation of an E-Commerce Regulatory Authority, National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and a separate Ministry for Internal Trade both at the Centre and States.

CAIT National President B.C.Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal while releasing the “Budget Wish List” said that the GST has emerged as one of the most complicated taxation system and as such a total review of the system is needed to make it a simple taxation system which can be complied by the traders and easily and must augment substantial revenue to the Government.

The retail trade of the Country is fraught with large number of Acts & Rules and many of them are few decades old and have lost their significance in the present scenario and therefore there is an emergent need of review of all such Acts & Rules and the Acts & rules which have lost relevance must be abrogated.

Bhartia and Khandelwal further said that traders in India have to obtain hoards of licenses for conducting business activities and therefore on the pattern of One Nation- One Tax , there should be One National- One License policy of the Government to

bring much ease of doing business

which has been greatly advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Both the trade leaders also demanded that line special economic zone, the Government should set up Special Trade Zones on the outskirts of villages with one window facility for obtaining Government clearances. Such a step will not only boost the rural economy but will also provide enormous employment opportunities.

They also said that dishonouring of cheques has become too rampant and there is no sanctity of cheques as also there are often payment disputes between traders which takes a long time for resolution from courts. Therefore, in order to ensure speedy redressal of such disputes, formation of Fast Track Courts is very necessary to meet the ends of justice.

First

now layoffs: Indian professionals undergo tremendous stress, anxiety

Festive Fashion

Rangriti’s Exclusive Lohri Collection

As the winter crop sowing season comes to a close, Lohri ushers in the beginning of the harvest season. Considering that Lohri is the first holiday to be observed following New Years, it is a time for fun and celebration. Through delectable cuisine,

sweets, dhol, music, bhangra, and gidda dance, the celebration lifts the spirits. The women’s attire lets the evening shine through. The most elegant and magnificent dress is donned, and their families display their love and blessings by giving them gifts.

Celebrities stunned in Platinum jewellery at Golden Globe Awards

The 2023 awards show season was off to a glamorous start as Hollywood’s most notable celebrities showcased an array of breathtaking platinum jewellery designs at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards. “Since platinum is naturally white, it enhances the brilliance of diamonds and coloured gemstones, while

holding these important stones most securely,” said Platinum Guild International CEO Huw Daniel. “It’s the ideal setting for celebrities to wear on the red carpet.”

Platinum jewellery is made of 95% pure platinum with minimum use of other ingredients – making it the finest metal available to us today. Platinum is the metal of choice for

most red-carpet events around the world.

The most prominent platinum jewellery trends at the Golden Globe Awards were dramatic earrings as seen on Selena Gomez and Hilary Swank, and statement necklaces worn by Lily James and Hannah Einbinder.

Platinum Guild International is pleased to share that leading red

carpet jewellery brands such as Harry Winston, De Beers, Tiffany & Co., Fred Leighton, Kwiat, Rahaminov, Lorraine Schwartz, and Mindi Mond chose to style A-list celebrities in naturally white platinum.

The following stars selected platinum jewellery to celebrate their achievements:

Rangriti’s ethnic selection, features an array of distinctive, and stunning statement of Indian clothing.

Rangriti’s jhumkas, which one cannot remove their eyes from, can be used as an accessory to complete the Indian style. They had a large range of premade selections that add diversity and joy. Salwar

kameez, plazo, straight-cut suits, lehengas, indie shirts, kurtas, slim-fit pants, dresses, jackets, coats, woollen suit sets, and many other items are included in the selection. They provide vivid and lively hues like purple, pink, red, and green in unique materials like georgette, chanderi, and viscose.

• Sunflower diamond necklace (25.31 carats), set in platinum

Sunflower diamond earrings (4.35 carats), set in platinum

• Sunflower diamond ring (2.35 carat), set in platinum

Sparkling cluster diamond ring (2.31 carats), set in platinum

memorable.”

• Tiffany Victoria® diamond vine necklace, set in platinum Tiffany Victoria® alternating graduated necklace with diamonds, set in platinum

Tiffany Victoria® Vine tennis bracelet with diamonds, set in

Anya Taylor-Joy in jewellery by Tiffany & Co. set in platinum

platinum

Tiffany Victoria® Cluster tennis bracelet with diamonds, set in platinum

• Tiffany Victoria® diamond Vine band ring, set in platinum

Janelle

Fred Leighton, c 1950 diamond

stylized leaf brooch by Sterle (worn in hair), set in platinum

Kwiat Legacy Fireworks earrings with diamonds, set in platinum

Fred Leighton Art Deco diamond bracelet, set in platinum

• Fred Leighton 1920’s diamond bracelet, set in platinum

platinum

Fred Leighton c 1910 Old European twin stone ring, set in platinum

Fred Leighton, c 1910 Old European cut diamond ring (3.50 carats), set in platinum

• Kwiat classic round brilliant cut diamond eternity band, set in platinum

Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger®

Hands necklace with diamonds in platinum and gold Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger®

Hands bracelet with diamonds in platinum and gold

• Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger®

Cones with petals ear clips in platinum and gold

Fred Leighton Edwardian diamond filigree pendant necklace, set in platinum

• Kwiat marquise pear shape diamond pendant earrings (5.0 carats each), set in platinum

• Fred Leighton Art Deco diamond bracelets, set in platinum

• Fred Art Deco cabochon sapphire and diamond line bracelet, set in platinum Fred Leighton Art Deco cabochon sapphire and diamond ring, set in platinum

• Diamond bypass ring (6.03 total carats), set in platinum

• 1960’s diamond spray pendant earrings by David Webb, set in platinum

• A 1930’s diamond bracelet, set in platinum

• Two 1950’s diamond rings, set in platinum

Siddharath Bindra, MD Rangriti comments, “Rangriti’s collection will gather praise from all. Styled

and draped in numerous techniques shall create a buzz and make your occasion

Elizabeth Taylor to Lady Gaga – have all dressed in platinum for the red carpet

Selena Gomez in jewellery by De Beers set in platinum

• Earrings with diamonds, set in platinum

Laverne Cox in jewellery by Fred Leighton and Kwiat set in platinum

Kaley Cuoco in jewellery from Rahaminov set in

James in jewellery by Fred Leighton and Kwiat set in platinum

Jean Smart in jewellery by Fred Leighton set in platinum

Lily James in jewellery by Harry Winston set in platinum

Hannah Einbinder in jewellery by Tiffany & Co. set platinum

5 Makeup Trends Of 2023

a wide array of pastel hues and metallics, this trend is perfect even for the holiday season.

More Blush

Blush is making a comeback in 2023 as it has become a staple in many makeup routines. The emphasis of blush is not only limited to adding a pop of color to the cheeks but is also used as a tool to bring warmth and life to the face. Case in point, Alia Bhatt’s dewy makeup look. You will see many experimenting with different shades and techniques to achieve a natural-looking flush, from powder blush to cream blush.

SUGAR Cosmetics’ Contour De Force Blush and Face Fwd >> Blush Stick gives that much-needed flattering effect and lets you ace the blush trend like a true aficionado.

Futuristic Metallics

6 Celeb-Approved Nude Eye Makeup looks to steal

For individuals looking for a natural and subtle appearance, naked eye makeup styles are a go-to. They have a special allure for romance. Any onlooker can be fascinated by these understated and elegant appearances. Nude eye makeup is a timeless and adaptable choice, whether you want to keep it simple for every day use or create a romantic and seductive atmosphere for a special occasion. Try these methods for creating the ideal nude eye makeup appearance if you want to create a lovely and stylish look. They are worth taking, believe us.

Brown Eyeshadow

2023 promises to be an exciting year in makeup, and the upcoming trends are a reflection of that. From bold and dramatic eyes to striking lip looks, and unique face embellishments, there is plenty to explore. In this article, we will dive into some of the most popular makeup trends of 2023 and how celebrities are incorporating them into their own looks. Whether you’re looking to add some edge to your everyday routine or make a statement for an event, these trends are sure to inspire you.

Sharper Cat-Eye Wing

One of the most prominent trends in 2023 is the longer and sharper cat-eye wing. This classic look is

being taken to new heights with more dramatic wings that extend well beyond the outer corners of the eyes. To achieve this look, use a liquid eyeliner with a fine tip to create a clean and precise line, and then extend the wing outwards and upwards. Give it to Camila Cabello who is known for creating crisp edges with her eyeliner

Is Here To Stay

Y2K

It’s worth noting that this was a trend particularly popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but you can still see some influences of it in current makeup trends today. Take notes from Dua Lipa’s Y2K makeup style. The futuristic makeup trend comes in a soft, playful palette. With

Futuristic metallics are another trend that is expected to be big in 2023. This look is all about using metallic shades and glossy finishes to create a high-shine, otherworldly aesthetic. From silver and gold to shades of chrome and iridescent, the possibilities are endless. You can easily achieve this look by applying metallic eyeshadows or highlighters to your lids, cheekbones, or lips. Having said that, use SUGAR Cosmetics’ Eye Love Jelly Eyeshadow like Khushi Kapoor and nail the future look.

Lashes

Finally, lashes are going to be a key trend in 2023. This can include everything from dramatic and bold false lashes to OTT mascara that volumizes and emphasizes the lashes. Lashes have been a constant trend and they will continue to be one.

Not Just Men, Even Women Suffer From Receding Hairline

Over-treated hair can lead to hair loss due to the toxic chemicals

Including fish, meat, and pulses in your diet can bring a lot of changes.

reduce dandruff and unblock hair follicles that may be blocked by excess oil. You can apply pure aloe vera gel to your scalp and hair a few times per week.

On days when the classic black eyeshadow seems a bit too OTT, then there’s brown to the rescue. A brown smoky eye will make your eyes pop without looking too much. It’s also perfect for a day look. Moreover, it looks so good that you can easily wear it at work. Along with a little blush and kohl, you’ll put together an iconic look.

Shimmer Touch

If you’re a gal who loves her bling just like Disha Patani, then this look is for you. Opt for shades like dark brown, dull golden or silver that add the right amount of sparkle for a nude eye makeup look. Add a couple of coats of mascara and tons of lip gloss for a dewy, shimmery look. We’d suggest a liquid eye shadow that’s super easy to use and highly pigmented, so you don’t need to be a pro for using these.

Glossy Gush

Glossy – followed by anything will always be a hit. Kiara Advani wears sheer eye shadow on her lids along with thick black eyeliner and glossy lips, and looks absolutely breathtaking! One neat way to recreate this look is by using the highlighter on your lids and your cheekbones. Then pick a tinted gloss for your lips, and you’re good to go! SUGAR

Cosmetics’ Own The Light Liquid Highlighter is perfect for this job. Its high-shine finish and blendable

consistency make the job very easy and quick.

Pastel Eyes

If we’re talking nude eye makeup look, why not actually apply a matte nude eyeshadow! To create Athiya Shetty’s easy-breezy look, pick a colour that’s closest to your natural skin tone. Apply that shade as a base and then blend it out with a colour that’s slightly darker. This will add some depth and warmth to your eyes. Lastly, seal the deal with multiple coats of lengthening mascara and you’re done! This natural eyeshadow look is perfect for coffee dates!

Soft & Subtle Nudes

If you’ve got small eyes, then listen closely. Because this pastel pink nude will not only bring out your dive vibe but also make your eyes pop. Just like Alaya F, apply a white kohl on your lower lash line to make

your eyes look wider and more awake. The little shimmer action that’s going on is a big plus and elevates this simple look. Get the look with our SUGAR Cosmetics’ Eye Love Jelly Eyeshadow. It is a unique jelly-consistency eyeshadow that’s available in 8 jaw-dropping shades! It also leaves behind a hint of shimmer to give your eyes a 3D dimension.

Pink Wink

Pink will always remain a cult favourite! Take a leaf from Kriti Sanon’s minimal pink eyeshadow look that’s simple yet elegant. You can get her look by applying a nude pink eyeshadow as the base and then blending a slightly darker pink shade on the outer corner. If you want to make it pink-er you can apply a sleek line of our pink eyeliner too!

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

Losing your hair might cause you to lose confidence and cause emotional stress. There are several reasons why you can be dealing with a receding hairline; history of the family, stress, inadequate nutrition, too much perspiration, illness, age, treatments or medications, and changes in Hormones

Some of the reasons are difficult to deal with but mostly a lot are under our control and can be reversed to a lot of extents. There are a lot of medical treatments available in the market that you can try but why go for extreme steps when you can try natural ways of treating your problem?

Time to look at some natural solutions for receding hairline according to Dr. Blossom Kochhar–

• Having the right diet that promotes hair growth, you should also create a healthy meal plan with a dietitian if you’re experiencing hair loss, especially one that is high in protein and iron. Consuming a quality multivitamin daily will help keep your nutrition levels in check, which will intern promote hair growth.

• There is nothing that a good oil massage can’t cure. We have heard of a variety of oils to promote hair growth but Bhringraj oil isn’t the kind that you hear about every day, it is quite popular in Ayurveda therapy as well as medical science. This oil really has the best reputation for all that it can do for your hair. The oil overall helps to treat dandruff and dry scalp, reduce hair fall, increase blood circulation, add sheen, promote hair growth, and even prevent premature greying. You can simply warm it up, apply it on your scalp and roots thoroughly and keep it on for 30 minutes before rinsing it off.

Over-treated hair can lead to hair loss due to the toxic chemicals found in dyes and styling products. Choose your hair styling products wisely. Research and consult the specialist to choose the right product. Take extra care of your hair in winter, and use homemade hair masks by mixing a banana with milk or cream to moisturize your hair and prevent breakage.

• Amla, the Indian gooseberry is a treasure trove of benefits for health and beauty. To combat thinning hair, use dry gooseberry powder to shampoo your hair.

You may alternatively use it as a hair tonic to make the most of the amla benefits for hair.

Aloe vera has long been used for treating hair loss and hair thinning. It also soothes the scalp and conditions hair. It can

• If you can handle the smell of onion juice, you may find that the benefits are worth it. Onion juice has been to promote hair growth and successfully treat patchy alopecia areata — an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks the hair follicles and causes hair loss on various parts of the body. Onion juice is also thought to improve circulation. A 2015 study with animals showed improved keratinocyte growth factor, an important mediator of hair follicle development and growth.

To consume onion juice, blend a few onions and squeeze out the juice. Apply the juice to your scalp and hair, and leave it in for at least 15 minutes. Then, follow up with shampoo. Regular exercise and reduced stress levels help minimize hair loss. Stress and anxiety are major causes of hair loss. Being stressed or having a shock to the system can disrupt the natural growth and rest cycle of the follicle, causing them to stop growing or begin falling out.

• Essential oils should be your best friend if you are suffering from receding hairline, these oils are used in homeopathic medicines as they have very few side effects and are useful to improve the health of the hair. Rosemary [8], Lavender, Juniper, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Tea tree, etc. are those essential oils that have non-inflammatory properties.

Popular social media figure, Dolly Singh, and Rad Living, an up-and-coming premium domestic soy candle brand, have teamed up to launch an exclusive line of scented soy wax candles. With themes of manifestations and affirmations for a good start to usher in a new year, it consists of fifteen varied variants. The collection is a true representation of Singh’s on-screen persona, embracing eccentric declarations for 2023 like “25 din mein paisa double,” “Saccha Pyaar,” “I Am My Own Sugar Momma,” “Great Sex, No Stress, Big Checks,” and “Saste Nashe.” Sandalwood Rose, Green Lush, Almond Shea, Jasmine Cedar, French Lavender, and Chocolate Rose are just a few of the aromas that make up the collection’s signature notes, each of which perfectly complements the affirmation inscribed on the candle.

Elaborating further Dolly says, “I’m extremely delighted to partner with Rad Living to give my audiences an immersive experience. This step for me marks not just my maiden attempt at becoming an entrepreneur but has a lot to do with manifestation of dreams which forms the ethos of this collaboration. My father sold candles in his gift shop in Nainital and my mother manufactured candles at home and sold them to retailers around town to add to the family income pool. My connection with candles is not a new found fascination but travels

back to my childhood. During our growing up years, my brother and I were extra hands to my mother and used to chip in and assist her. From drawing eyes on the wax rabbits and bears, to sprinkling glitter on romantic couple candles, I was part of the whole candle making process. Our house always smelled like wax and candle making as a process has always been close to my heart. Therefore, this collaboration is even more special and personal as I’m launching my own line of candles and I couldn’t be more excited and grateful!”

Vineet Arora, Founder & CEO, Rad Living adds, “While India boasts of a rich history of aromas, scents and flavors, ironically the benefits of ambient fragrances are rather overlooked in our daily lives. We started Rad Living with the sole purpose

of making ambient fragrances approachable, relatable and inclusive through our wide variety of fragrances and designs. We strongly believe that this collaboration with Dolly holds the potential to truly open up conversations and spark a light of fragrance in many more lives in India and hopefully soon, in the world. We are grateful for the phenomenal response and feedback that we have received from all our customer. We hope we keep adding light, aroma and cheer in every life we touch!”

This scented candle collection, which was introduced on December 13th, 2022, on Rad Living’s website, are toxin-free, burn cleaner, and last longer than typical paraffin wax candles because they are richly scented with essential oils and fragrance oil mixes.

What to keep in mind when buying hair clippers

clipper.

CHOOSE BETWEEN CORDED AND CORDLESS

Hair clippers normally come in two varieties: corded and cordless. A corded hair clipper, which can only be used when plugged into an outlet and functions without a battery that runs out of power and needs to be replaced, is frequently more powerful and can be used for longer periods of time.

On the other hand, a cordless hair clipper is more flexible and rechargeable. This type can be used anywhere because it does not tether you to an outlet. However, you run the danger of running out of power midway through your haircut if you don’t routinely charge a cordless clipper.

LOOKING FOR A PROFESSIONAL CORDED HAIR CLIPPER?

The extra-wide, high-quality t-type stainless steel blades are self-sharpening and increase the effectiveness of your cut.

Take note of the hair clippers & accessories provided.

Guidelines are those plastic clip-on guards that keep the blades away from the hair while yet allowing for exact length cutting. Professional hair clippers will all include some guides. A comb, brush, hair scissors, micro trimmer attachments, and extra blades are just a few of the many extras that some professional hair clippers provide. Having all the necessary instruments makes haircutting less stressful. Keep an eye out for replacements’ availability in case of damage as well.

SELECT THE PROPER BLADE SIZES

Depending on the product, professional hair clipper blades come in a variety of sizes. As a result, when

buying a clipper, the blades need to be both the right size and sharp. The majority of hair clipper sets feature eight blade guards, each of which is numbered in ascending order and represents the amount of hair that will be left on your head (your hair will be shorter the lower the suggested number). For instance, the number one guard is the place to go if you want a buzz cut. You can also use a hair clipper unprotected to remove hair off the skin.

VERIFY THE TYPE OF MOTOR IT HAS

The motor is the actual beating heart of the hair clipper, yet it’s not a feature that many customers think

about before buying. The motor in the hair clipper powers the blades so they can precisely cut your hair, much like the engine in a car. The three different types of clipper motors are the magnetic motor, the pivot motor, and the rotary motor. The magnetic motor is simple, perfect for a plain cut, and has a large cutting volume despite being less powerful than the other two. Despite operating at a slower pace, pivot motor hair clippers are more powerful than those with magnetic motors. They have the ability to cut hair that is heavy, thick, or moist.

One of the most prominent trends is the longer and sharper cat-eye wing

Smell the scent of ‘Saccha Pyaar’ & ‘I Am My Own Sugar Momma’

Dolly Singh & Rad Living collaborate to launch one-of-a kind scented soy candles

On days when the classic black eyeshadow seems a bit too OTT, brown to the rescue

Rare and Exquisite Crafts from Remote Villages of India

A display that features rare, exquisite, and richly deserving of a platform to highlight craftsmen from India’s hidden corners has been put together by Tarasha Artisan Direct. This is an endeavour to help these artists be able to continue their financial situation after the pandemic.

In the exhibition, artists from Kashmir to Kutch, Kerala, the

North East, and Karnataka will each present their culture and expertise via their arts and crafts.

On clothing, one can find wonderful examples of traditional crafts like Lambadi from Tamil Nadu and Kasuti, a rare and vanishing embroidery from Dharwad in Karnataka. For those with an interest in architecture or interior design, there will be a variety of intriguingly created

and curated items, including rugs, leather lamps, and home temples. The main objective is to use design to change the widespread traditional impression of Indian crafts and craftspeople.

Additionally, a “Design Showcase” area showcasing the results of the collaboration between designers and artisans as well as seminars and

performances providing a window into the fascinating world of the handcrafted will be present.

Event Dates - 20th to 22nd January

2023

Time – 11am to 8pm

Venue - The Vintage Garden in Bandra, Mumbai.

Entry- Free

9th century Chola era ‘hero’ stone unearthed in TN

ATamil history enthusiasts’ group Thonman Varalatru Aaivu recently unearthed a rare 9th century Chola era ‘hero’ stone in Sindhapuri village near Harur in Tamil Nadu. Sources in the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) told IANS that the students of the Dharmapuri Arts College are supporting the endeavour of the history enthusiasts’ group to unravel the 9th century Chola period stone.

The History Department of the Dharmapuri Arts college has conducted a detailed study on the stone and found that it belongs to the 9th or 10th century era.

The history department in its study found that the stone was rare and that the socio- cultural aspects related to the stone gives a clear indication that it belongs to the

Chola period and that it was carved around the 9th or 10th century to honour a small king of the Chola dynasty.

The stone depicts the hero holding a sword in one hand and jewellery in the other hand and researchers of archeology and architecture told IANS that this type of Chola stone was rare and that further studies would unravel the mystery of the Adhiyaman dynasty and its connection with the Chola dynasty.

S. Illantharayan, of Thonman Varalatru Aaivu told the mediapersons that this particular hero stone has not been registered with the ASI and that they have appealed to the Government of India to protect such stones in Chalakudy Junction.

ASI all set to begin excavation at Purana Qila again

the latest excavation is the exposure and preservation of the trenches that were excavated in the previous years (2013-14 and 2017- 18).

During the closure of the previous season’s excavation, evidence of layers predating the Mauryan period was found. During this season’s excavation, focus would also be to accomplish the traces of Painted Grey Ware finding in stratigraphic context. Identified as an ancient settlement of Indraprastha, a continuous habitation of 2500 years at Purana Qila was established in earlier excavations.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to begin excavationAat Delhi’s Purana

Qila again.

Officials said that the objective of

Officials said that the excavation will be led by Vasant Swarnkar and would be the third season of excavation at Purana Qila after excavations in 2013-14 & 2017-18.

The findings and artefacts unearthed in earlier excavations comprises PGW, belonging to 900BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods. Excavated artefacts such as sickles, parers, terracotta toys, kiln-burnt bricks, beads, terracotta figurines, seal and dealings etc. excavated earlier are now displayed at the Archaeological Museum inside the fort complex.

Purana Qilla, the 16th-century fort, was built by Sher Shah Suri and second Mughal emperor Humayun. The fort is standing on a site with thousands of years of history. Prof B.B. Lal also carried out excavation works inside the fort and its premises in the year 1954 and 1969-73.

Well-known educator, author, philanthropist and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty was in Jaipur on Thursday where she shared the secrets of how she became a storyteller and a writer.

At an event titled ‘In Conversation with Sudha Murty’, organised jointly by Rajat Book Corner and Puffin Books in collaboration with FICCI Flo, Murty said, “When I was young, I used to live in a small village in Karnataka. Due to lack of electricity, I used to listen to stories from my grandmother for hours. I learnt to imagine from that phase of life. In my stories, the characters and places are all real, but the stories are fictional. When you learn to imagine, you can prepare yourself to become a writer. For me, writing about my life experiences is my favorite genre. When I write a book, I become a child myself.”

Murty, who’s married to the co-founder of Infosys, N.R. Narayana Murthy, discussed some of her old writings, new book ‘The Magic of Lost Story’ and life experiences at the special event organised at the Totuka Bhawan here.

The highlight of the programme

was a panel discussion involving children from Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mussoorie, who not only asked Murty questions, but also reminded her of her childhood, and her innocence and mischievousness.

“I take out time from writing books, travelling and my foundation to watch movies. Earlier, I used to keep many DVDs, but today in the era of OTT, DVDs are not that useful anymore. But I have still kept the DVDs of some of my favourite movies. I love watching Hindi films, they teach you to be in sync with imagination,” said Murty, who was awarded the Padma Shri for social work in 2006.

Earlier, Mohit Batra from the Rajat Book Corner and Jayanthi Dalmiya and Mudrika Dhoka from FICCI Flo welcomed Murthy at the programme.

“There is no age to become a writer, just inspire the world with your characters,” Murty said on her writing experience.

At the end of the programme, Murty had a lovely moment with the children during a book signing session when she signed their books, answered their questions and clicked photos with them.

The day that marks the beginning of spring season

Indian festivities that marks the beginning of spring is Basant or Vasant Panchmi

By Olivia Sarkar

One of the well-known Indian festivities that marks the beginning of spring is Basant or Vasant Panchmi.

This holiday is also known as Saraswati Puja, which is a homage to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of gyan, or knowledge, art, and culture.

This blessed holiday is observed with much joy, enthusiasm, fervour, and devotion. Yellow costumes are worn by people to symbolise

the mustard fields of Punjab and Haryana. First-time students at the school are urged to write their first words in front of the Goddess Saraswati Pooja on this day.

People tend to celebrate Basant Panchami in a variety of ways depending on the locality. For instance, many Hindus celebrate this auspicious event by honouring Goddess Saraswati, who is revered as the source of all creative energy and power. Hindu mythology holds that Goddess Saraswati, a representation of skill, education,

learning, and the arts, was born on this day. This is the rationale behind the devotion of Goddess Saraswati in various locations.

Celebrations in Punjab and Haryana

People in Punjab and Haryana fly kites to honour the festival’s spirit. Women cook delightful treats like Meethe Chawal, Makki ki roti, and Sarso ka saag in homes.

Celebrations in West Bengal

People in Bengal celebrate Saraswati Puja. The youngsters plan and

carry out all of the puja ceremonial preparations on this particular day. After the puja is finished, they leave to have fun with their family. Even educational institutions like colleges and schools participate in the holiday by holding Saraswati Pujas.

The men wear yellow dhotis and pyjamas, while the women typically wore yellow sarees. In addition to this, the people also make a variety of treats and sweets, including rajbhog and payesh.

Celebrations in Odisha

In Odisha, people perform puja

and present fresh yellow flowers to Goddess Saraswati in temples on the day of Basant Panchami.

Celebrations in Assam

The Basant Panchami customs and rituals are carried out in Assam early in the morning. Most people start their days off early by cleaning their homes and performing other household duties, especially cleaning the shrine area. People change new garments and congregate for prayer once all the cleaning has been completed.

artisans

One of the well-known

I love watching Hindi films, they teach you to be in sync with imagination: Sudha Murty

1980s

‘We aim to create a living record of a historic time’

By Vishnu Makhijani

For those who have lived through the Covid-19 pandemic, life will never be the same again. “A World On Hold” (Om Books International) brings you first person narratives by 20 writers, among them Shashi Tharoor, Vidya Balan and Nonita Kalra on what it means to those who have survived and lived to tell the tale.

“In the simplest terms, the book is an outcome of a late-night conversation between two friends who found themselves hopeless and helpless in the face of a global pandemic,” the book’s editors, Divita Aggarwal and Surabhi Sundaram, told IANS in a joint interview.

Bestselling author, actor and TV producer Anirban

Bhattacharyya’s ‘The Hills Are Burning’ (Fingerprint) offers a glimpse into the early years of the formation of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the atrocities and human rights violations the locals suffered at the hands of the ruling CPI-M government and the police to quash the movement and to project the Gorkhas as the antagonists.

Set in Kalimpong, the story recounts actual events of the Gorkhaland Agitation of the late 1980s in the hills of West Bengal. The book narrates the most violent days during those years and uncovers the heart-rending times when the people of the town had to choose between the GNLF protests or becoming the next victims at the hands of the CRPF.

Three 16-year-old friends studying in a boarding school in Kalimpong - Tukai, Norong and Rupesh experience love, friendship, loyalty but are forced to grow up when they come face-to-face with death, destruction and violence.

The author uncovers the buried reports, details of the human rights violations and the heart-rending story of a town and its people who were caught in the crossfire of a revolution.

The Wonder Years meets The Killing Fields in this emotional, sensitive, funny, heart-breaking true story of

love, loss, memories, longing and a revolution.

Commenting on the book, Bhattacharyya said, “Memories are ephemeral. They have the tendency to dissipate with age, or tend to attach a different meaning as it ages. I wanted to write about the real stories about the ordinary people of Kalimpong who were caught in the crossfire of the GNLF andolanbefore these stories vanished from the collective consciousness of the people with passing time. Many of the brutal stories had been buried or erased by the powers of that era. My wish was that future generations should be made aware of what had happened. The book is also about my friends and me - a coming-ofage memoir juxtaposed against the agitation.”

Anirban Bhattacharya is the creator, producer, and writer of the hit truecrime TV show ‘Savdhaan India’ as well as the producer of the hit series ‘Crime Patrol’ and ‘Fear Files’.

Besides, he has penned two truecrime books, ‘India’s Money Heist: The Chelembra Bank Robbery’ and ‘The Deadly Dozen: India’s Most Notorious Serial Killers’, as well as written a children’s book, ‘The Adventurous 6: The Sinister Summer Holiday’. He has also served as the Content Head at Channel [V] and The Walt Disney Company (India), and acted in movies like ‘Sui Dhaaga’ and ‘Mission Mangal’.

Was refused entry to Bhopal Lit Fest as I’m gay: Onir Dhar

“Even though we both experienced different impacts of the pandemic (Divita, the industrial and economic and Surabhi, the on-ground realities), we were aligned on our motivation: to contribute to the situation, bring to focus what people were going through, and most importantly create a living record of this historic time. Where uncertainty, loss of opportunities and fear was staring at us, all we wanted to do was document this transformational period. There was a seismic shift in the psychological, social economical aspect of life and so, we decided to make sure we never forget this,” they added.

As two young writers who hadn’t written non-fiction before, they struggled with narrowing down on how to do justice to a topic as grave, detailed and layered as the pandemic. Hence, they decided to tell it as it was, in the raw, unfiltered voices of those who were living through it.

“The aim was not to tell our reimagination of these peoples’ stories or our own experiences,” they said.

The selection process of the narrators was guided by their curiosity as well as the most prominent sectors affected (the knowledge of which they gained through news, social networks, and personal anecdotes. Examples of a few unique choices are Tanyel Kazim, a higher-education practitioner based in the UK who was laid off during the pandemic. Or Sunash Sharma, who volunteered to be a part of vaccine trials. They wanted to tap into unheard, or less heard of stories which the mainstream wasn’t covering but were equally important.

“Throughout, the larger aim was to have diverse voices and very nuanced narrations. For example, we wanted to have an influencer as a contributing narrator, discussing how content creation has evolved in the pandemic. Another industry we wanted to tap into was travel. So, we decided to club the two together and

bring on board a travel influencer, Shivya Nath. Similarly, we wanted to hear from a working mom and cover the culinary sector. So, we brought Shilarna Vaze, a celebrity chef. The goal was to ensure that every narration is layered and relatable,” Aggarwal and Sundaram explained. They write in the Preface that “conversing about these ordeals proved more therapeutic than triggering-both for the narrators and us”.

“Writing about the pandemic our approach to it, especially emotionally. It pushed us to constantly innovate. Learning about accounts such as that of frontline workers, allowed us to be more resilient and grateful. This journey helped in widening our perspective and having a more open-minded outlook towards this experience.

“When the world was still grappling with the first wave of coronavirus, we started writing this book with a clear mission: to document stories of unprecedented bravery, innovation, and emotion. Today, as we look back on the narrators we interacted with and how they have progressed over the past year, we realise their stories not only matched our expectations but also exceeded them. It is the stories of these twenty narrators and those of the entire world’s population that has reminded us of exactly how much strength we carry in us.

“We not only accepted that we now live in an unrecognisable world, but also deeply felt every emotion that comes with it. Smoothly, almost instinctively, we transformed every aspect of our day-to-day life. That is a sign of unparalleled optimism. We have also learnt how to channel a similar strength to other personal

and professional aspects of life. It’s safe to say, we, along with everyone we know, are getting back to square one. Only this time, we are more courageous, more informed and a lot more hopeful,” Aggarwal and Sundaram maintained. Fortitude is the common thread running through the narratives in the book.

“At its very core, ‘A World On Hold’ is a book that celebrates having courage in pain and adversity. Stories of a flight attendant, who chose to remain anonymous, bring out the courage of flying in unprecedented times. Her narrative brings out the sense of responsibility that airline-industry workers felt. Despite multiple personal hardships, she considered it her duty to bring home Indians who were stranded abroad. “On-the-ground reporting brings out scenes of fear and grief in hospitals. But even in this, there is a glimmer of hope, a story by an anonymous police-officer who drove women in labour, to hospitals. There was anguish and heartache everywhere. But even in the bleakest of times, there was a ray of hope, guided by courage. There were people, ordinary people like you and me, who went above and beyond to help another,” the editors explained. In-depth interviews with then Editor of Harper’s Bazaar India, Nonita Kalra (currently Editor-in-Chief of TataCliq Luxury) bring out the crises faced by lifestyle publications: how does a glamorous magazine stay relevant at this juncture?

How does an editor steer a team, boost morale even as a publication changes and innovates at its core?

Parliamentarian and author, Shashi Tharoor offers invaluable insights into the political workings of India’s

response to the global pandemic. Actor Vidya Balan’s story brings out the challenges faced by the Indian film industry; the multi-crore industry had to shift - almost overnight - from creating for the big screen, to adapting to OTT platforms.

Quoting Francis Bacon, they said: “Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason.”

What next? What’s their next book/ project on?

“We’re currently conducting primary research for India’s first book documenting untold stories of women in war roles. Across the armed services, women make up merely 0.5 per cent of per cent of the active-duty 1.4 million army personnel (2021) Undoubtedly, this representation is small and marginally growing -- and their stories tend to be less often told to make room for legacies left by men who have shaped the narrative of service to the country.

“To be potentially published by a national publisher and adapted into an audio-visual format by an OTT platform, ‘Women In War’ will detail stories of fearless women in defence who have excelled at jobs that once weren’t even open to them. Their own stories, in their own words. Or of those who were with them in their final moments. The first-of-its kind non-fiction book aims to bring to you stories of astonishing fearlessness, and gets you closer than ever before to the personal bravery that Indian military women display in the line of duty,” Aggarwal and Sundaram concluded.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

Bhupendra Kumar Modi’s trilogy examines the intricacies of Hinduism

By Vishnu Makhijani

Filmmaker Onir Dhar -- one of the most heard voices for LGBTQ rights in India, said on Sunday that he was refused entry to the Bhopal Literature Festival on Friday just because he is a gay.

“I deliberately chose the word gay since that is the reason why I was not allowed to deliver my speech at Bhopal,” said Onir, the writer of the book “I am Onir and I am gay,” at a curated session on the closing day of 14th session of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) 2023 here on Sunday evening.

Onir was to deliver a speech on Friday at Bhopal’s Bharat Bhavan at a curated session “Making Literature LGBTQ Neutral”.

However, his speech was cancelled at the last moment reportedly because an anti- LGBTQ group threatened to protest his presence.

On Sunday, Onir said in Kolkata that it seemed that the objection was more about him rather than the issue to be discussed at the curated session.

“I heard that the subject-tagline was changed. However, later, I heard another fellow speaker, who is a trans-person, also delivered her speech in the session and she spoke

exactly what she was supposed to speak. There I realised that the objection was more about me rather than the issue, which really kept me worried. But anyway! I was sad then. But I am sad no more. I am getting an opportunity to speak here,” Onir said. He said that much before his book came out, “I made my orientation clear on social media”.

“But still in this country, some people kept on asking me whether it was true that I am gay. When I grew up, there was not much scope in literature or advertisement or anywhere to express the feeling. But today, I feel happy when someone passing through an airport or a bookstore, clicks the picture of the cover of my book and sends it to me claiming that I really make them feel proud,” Onir said.

Colours were added at the 14th edition of AKLF following the presence of Pulitzer prize-winning iconic writer Alice Walker; bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, actor Dhritiman Chaterji, Australian author John Zubrzycki, poet Jeet Thayil, author Anuja Chauhan among the speakers at the literary festival.

Right from a young age, Bhupendra Kumar Modi, an Indian-born Singaporean businessman and philanthropist whose vision is evolved in the motto of ‘One Sun, One Earth, One Family, One Future’ had the opportunity to interact with various religious groups in the country and listen to their philosophic discourses.

“What impressed me most was the philosophy of the Hindus, which in the plenitude of its wisdom and range of its thoughts seemed unsurpassed. It answered many questions that arose in my questioning mind relating to life and even after life,” he says.

The quest led to his authoring three books over an 11-year-period that examine the nuances and intricacies of Hinduism. Now released as a set, these three books are a valuable one-stop guide to all that there is to be known about what is perhaps the oldest religion in the world.

“It was while studying Chemical Engineering at Banaras Hindu University that I began to see the scientific basis of Hindu thought. It became dear to me that there was more to Hindu mythology than met the eye. Behind every story was a proven theory that latter day science has since attested to,” Modi, the son of Gujarmal Modi, the founder of the Modinagar industrial township on the outskirts of the national capital, writes in the first book, “Hinduism, The Universal Truth”.

“I had the privilege, both while studying abroad and during my frequent business trips to countries in Europe American and the Far East to meet friends professing other religions and I could notice the vast difference between Hinduism -- or Sanatana Manna -- and the newer religions. It fell to my part to explain to these friends such as were interested in knowing more about Hinduism what ‘Sanatana Dharma’ is all about,” Modi writes.

The second book, “India and Hinduism”, is the Big Bang, pointing to the three power centres of the world -- three countries with a population of over 250 million -India (Bharata), the US and China.

At the historic Millennium World Peace Summit organised by the UN in New York in August 2000, Modi writes, “more than 1,200 religious and spiritual leaders of several faiths and beliefs of the world were present to discuss the role they could play in bringing peace to the world at large. The largest delegation (of) 108 revered spiritual leaders were from Bharata”.

“During the Summit, the organisers in particular and the delegates in general realised that the ‘spiritual dimension’ presented by the Himalayan traditions could provide a direction towards long-term solutions to the conflicts in the world. Dharmagurus emphasised that the single largest malaise was ‘man is not at peace with himself, the collectivity, the environment and

the ecology’. They explained that it was only when the ‘spiritual dimension’ generated peace at individual level could one become a member of a ‘spiritual collectiveness (society)’ that would ensure co-existence, cooperation and co-creation among the family of nations.”

“As seen with the eyes of a Bharatiya, this book makes a humble attempt to explain the role of ‘Bharata and Sanatana Dharma’ for heralding world peace,” Modi writes. The third book, “Different Paths, One God”, sums it up beautifully.

“Today, when the world is moving toward the dismantling of geographical boundaries, then it is our duty to

caution ordinary people about those who bind themselves into religious boundaries and create a frenzied situation for their own self-interest. People who make religion an instrument of fulfilling their own vested interests can be found in every religion, In such a situation, teachers of all religions, after mutual dialogue, should strengthen the feeling of equality among them all. They can establish a world organisation to propagate the actual aim of religion and separate and control those who make religion a means of fulfilling their vested interests,” Modi writes.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

‘The Hills Are Burning’ recounts the Gorkhaland Agitation of the late

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari

India is strewn with natural beauty and historical masterpieces across the length and breadth of it. Stretching from the mighty peaks of the Himalayas in the north to the

tropical beaches in the south, India’s expansive borders encompass an incredible range of contrasts, landscapes, cultures, and religions. Wise people across generations have vouched that the best way to

experience a journey is to hop on a train or go for long car rides. A few kilometres may lead you to the foothills, mighty plains of the north that are rich, enigmatic, and full of stories. Here are some royal, luxurious hotels lying in the route from

Kashmir to Kanyakumari that might give you an experience rooted with the local culture and surrounding areas for travellers to explore with partners, friends, and extended family.

Built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1910, The Lalit Grand Palace was once a royal residence. Its landmark chinar tree is where Mahatma Gandhi met with Maharaja Hari Singh during India’s Partition. Besides views of the Dal, the 113-room palace offers a temperature-controlled pool, a spa, two restaurants and a bar. There are butlers on call and a 24x7 concierge service that can plan a wazwan meal at the hotel as well as other

experiences in the valley.

You can never go wrong when vacationing in the Indian Himalayas.

Situated near Rishikesh, Ananda in the Himalayas is one of the most luxurious and best resorts in India. It is also a leading yoga retreat in India. Ananda in the Himalayas is big on nature and it can be seen in their stay facility. Everything is designed to fit with their nature theme.

Noor Mahal Palace, Karnal

You can never go wrong when vacationing in the Indian Himalayas. Situated near Rishikesh, Ananda in the Himalayas is one of the most luxurious and best resorts in India. It is also a leading yoga retreat in

India. Ananda in the Himalayas is big on nature and it can be seen in their stay facility. Everything is designed to fit with their nature theme.

The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort boasts views-to-kill-for and lavish accommodations equipped with all modern amenities, including an Ayurveda Spa. The luxury tents are inspired by the canopied shelters

made for the royals during their caravans. Each tent is temperature-controlled and features a bathroom with private garden views along with a temperature-controlled swimming pool.

Marvellous palace architecture, intricate décor, hand painted walls and ceilings, spacious lawns and beautiful sights, this place should definitely be on your Gram. Enjoy the outdoors, the spa table, and lounging in your room, equally. For

the restless, obsessed with productivity, there are indoor games as well as sports, which includes lawn tennis, basketball, cricket and more. The restaurant’s vibe of bringing everyone together for a feast cannot be missed.

The place was owned by the Nizams of Hyderabad. This hotel is a perfect definition of luxury offering a breathtaking view of the city and

spreads over 32 acres. The rooms and suites are charming beyond words. Enjoy warm hospitality and service that make you feel at home.

Stretching over 26 acres, Umaid Bhawan Palace is located on the highest point in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It features 347 rooms and was built between 1928 and 1943. Currently, it also serves as the residence of the former royal family of the city. The

architecture of the palace is a mix of Classical Revival, Indo-Saracenic and Western Art Deco. Highly influenced by the Renaissance and Rajput heritage, this palace is a paradise for every history aficionado.

A 16th-century traditional Kerala home structure, smack in the middle of the awe-inspiring backwaters, is a part of nature’s mystique in God’s Own Country. The property is world-recognised for its uber-luxurious yet traditional accommodation well-equipped with modern

amenities and the open-roof bath creates the perfect place for guests to have an exquisite experience. Visitors can also avail some of the best Ayurvedic treatments and wellness packages specially curated for the mind, body and soul, during their stay.

Undoubtedly one of the best luxury resorts in Kanyakumari, Conveniently located at a walking distance from the shore, Each room and suite comes with views of blue ocean on the one side and offering tourists a glimpse of the typical quaint town on the other

end. Enjoy a game of table tennis or pool, or lounge around the elegantly designed swimming pool and taste some delicious continental and seafood. And to burn away those holiday calories, the hotel has wellequipped gym too for you.

A harmony of a defined architecture, spacious lawns, kids play area and tree blue swimming pools. The resort is a collection of luxurious rooms, villas and cottages are aesthetically furnished and

beautifully designed to offer you every comfort and luxury. The setting, facilities, spa, cuisine and its whole philosophy is dedicated for your personal wellness in a luxurious environment.

Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kerala

Annai resort and spa, Kanyakumari

The Oberoi Sukhvilas, New Chandigarh

The Lalit Grand Palace Srinagar

Ananda Resort, Himalaya

Sparsa resort, Kanyakumari

Air India to use cloud software app to enhance end-to-end safety management

management, including real time intelligence, reporting and status of in-flight incidents, Air India said on Monday that it has decided to use Coruson, a cloud software application.

The safety data software application, which will be online with effect from May 1, will weed out the requirement of paperwork to a large extent and ensure automated processes relay critical information to key personnel and authorities without delay. This will also lead to timely action, the

airline said in a statement.

Air India is also separately engaged in procuring iPads for pilots and crew members and when introduced, Coruson will also be available on these devices as well.

The development comes as the flag carrier faced a lot of criticism due to the delayed reporting of some serious incidents, including the November 26, 2022 urination incident.

Has Earth’s inner core stopped rotating? Debate rages

oscillation in the rotation of the inner core coincides with periodic changes in the Earth’s surface system and that there is an interaction between different layers of the Earth.

Earth’s inner core is made mostly of solid iron, and can rotate separately from the outer parts of the planet.

shifting back towards subrotation. If so, something is probably happening to the magnetic and gravitational forces that drive the inner core’s rotation,” said the report.

The researchers also explained that we’re not likely to encounter any world-ending scenarios.

In Monday’s statement, the airline further said that it has always been according top priority to safety of its passengers and crew, and this tie-up with Coruson is another step in that direction.

Ideagen software covers all aspects of risk, giving the airline full visibility of safety data from maintenance of the aircraft through to cabin crew checks on board.

It will provide Air India complete visibility across the airline’s entire organisation, allowing it to access

the latest data and use this to spot and mitigate potential risks, thereby enhancing safety of operations.

Commenting on the development, Henry Donohoe, Head of Safety, Security and Quality, Air India, said: “We are going for a significant and substantial upgrade of our existing systems and processes to ensure seamless flow of intelligence and data on a real time basis. Coruson is trusted by the aviation industry globally for risk mitigation, auditing and training.

“Its induction will go a long way in enhancing our capabilities for the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew, particularly at a time when Air India is rapidly expanding its network on both national and international routes.:

Ideagen’s customer base of more than 11,400 includes more than 250 airlines and all of the top aerospace and defence companies including British Airways, Emirates, Boeing, Airbus, BAE and the US Navy.

70-plus Indian startups show exit door to 21K techies, more pink slips coming

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) As global layoffs deepen, Indian startups are not far behind and have sacked thousands of employees in the past 3-4 months, with many more to be given pink slips in the coming months amid deepening funding winter.

20 per cent of its workforce due to uncertain market conditions.

New York, Jan 24 (IANS) Earthquake data has hinted that the inner core of the Earth has stopped rotating faster than the rest of the planet, but not all researchers agree, according to a Nature report. The rotation of the Earth’s solid inner core may have recently paused and could be reversing, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience.

The authors showed evidence that

The liquid outer core essentially decouples the 2,400 km-wide inner core from the rest of the planet, so the inner core can spin at its own pace.

“We were quite surprised,” said Yi Yang and Xiaodong Song, seismologists at Peking University in Beijing, who reported the findings.

Yang and Song now say that the inner core has halted its spin relative to the mantle.

“The data hint that the inner core might even be in the process of

The reversal also won’t strongly affect Earth’s magnetic field -- resulting in a pole reversal where north becomes south and vice versa.

“The inner-core rotation is more likely to be related with the periodic fluctuation of the magnetic field changes,” Song said, adding, “The fluctuation is too small to change its sign from positive to negative.” Song said that “we haven’t seen a full cycle of the predicted seven-decade oscillation and the team will be pursuing more recent data to test models and predictions”.

ChatGPT’s paid version available for $42 a month for some early users

showing $42 per month. He said that paid system responds faster than the free version.

However, another Twitter user posted that “I very much wanted to pay for a plan but 42$ is just too much”.

ChatGPT last reported over a million users. ChatGPT Professional will be always available (no blackout windows), fast responses from ChatGPT (no throttling) and as many messages as you need (at least 2X regular daily limit).

In India, more than 21,000 employees have been laid off by more than 70 startups to day, including from unicorns like BYJU’S, Ola, MPL, Innovaccer, Unacademy, Vedantu, Cars24, OYO, Meesho, Udaan and many more.

The edtech sector has laid off the most employees, with 16 edtech startups laying off more than 8,000 employees to date.

With the onset of January, more and more Indian companies are slashing jobs across the spectrum. The new year has already seen more than 16 homegrown startups sack employees in the country.

Social media company ShareChat (Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd) has laid off

Backed by Twitter, Google, Snap and Tiger Global, ShareChat has about 2,300 employees, and the layoff impacted about 500 people at the company, Healthtech unicorn Innovaccer has sacked nearly 245 employees, or about 15 per cent of its workforce, across teams in India and the US.

Innovaccer cofounder and CEO Abhinav Shashank cited an “uncertain macroeconomic environment” as the reason behind the job cuts, according to an internal mail sent to employees and accessed by leading startup news portal Inc42. This was the second layoff at the company in around 4-5 months’ time amid the deepening funding winter and recession fears.

In September last year, Innovaccer laid off nearly 120 employees, or less than 8 per cent of its workforce. Online food delivery platform

Swiggy confirmed that the company is laying off 380 employees as food delivery growth slows.

MediBuddy, an end-to-end digital healthcare platform in India, has laid off 8 per cent of its workforce, around 200 people, across all departments as a restructuring exercise.

Homegrown online vehicle repair platform GoMechanic, backed by Sequoia India, has laid off 70 per cent of its workforce as the startup struggles to raise funds amid serious concerns of accounting troubles.

The company has asked the remaining staff to work without pay for three months, according to reports.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Some ChatGPT users on Monday posted on social media that they have been granted access to a “ChatGPT Professional” version which costs $42 a month.

OpenAI, the Microsoft-owned AI company that developed the sensational chatbot, was yet to confirm the pricing.

AI developer Zahid Khawaja posted the screenshot of ChatGPT pricing,

AI research organisation OpenAI has said it will soon monetise its ChatGPT platform, after seeing a mammoth response to its AI chatbot that can write poems, essays, emails and even codes.

The Microsoft-owned company said it is “starting to think about how to monetize ChatGPT” as a way to “ensure long-term viability.”

“Working on a professional version of ChatGPT; will offer higher limits and faster performance,” said Greg Brockman, President and CoFounder, OpenAI.

“If you are selected, we’ll reach out to you to set up a payment process and a pilot. Please keep in mind that this is an early experimental programme that is subject to change, and we are not making paid pro access generally available at this time,” said the company. Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Microsoft is planning to infuse $10 billion into OpenAI that will value the company at nearly $29 billion.

Canada to commercialise world’s first photonic-based quantum computer

Ottawa, Jan 24 (IANS) Canadian

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a new federal investment to build and commercialise the world’s first photonic-based, fault-tolerant quantum computer.

According to a news release from the Prime Minster’s website, the

investment of 40 million Canadian dollars ($32 million) will enable Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc., a Toronto-based Canadian quantum computing company, to develop the quantum computer which will have the potential to provide world leading capabilities to help solve complex data problems and could be used in a variety of sectors such as finance, transportation, environmental modelling, and health, Xinhua news agency reported.

Supported through the government’s Strategic Innovation Fund, this project of 177.8 million Canadian dollars ($142 million) is expected to create 530 new highly skilled

positions in the high-tech and quantum computing fields, the release said.

Earlier this month, Canada launched its National Quantum Strategy, which invests an additional 360 million Canadian dollars ($288 million) to help solidify Canada as a global leader in quantum technologies. Founded in 2016, Xanadu, with the mission to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere, leads the development of PennyLane, an open-source software library for quantum computing and application development.

FBI accuses N.Korean govt-backed hackers for $100 mn crypto heist

another.

The FBI said in a statement that the North Korea-based Lazarus Group (also known as APT28) cyber actors “are responsible for the theft of $100 million of virtual currency from Harmony’s Horizon bridge reported on June 24, 2022”.

Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has accused a North Korean government-backed hacker group for a $100 million crypto heist last year.

The cryptocurrencies were stolen from Harmony’s Horizon bridge, which allows users to transfer cryptocurrency from one Blockchain to

“On Friday, January 13, 2023, North Korean cyber actors used RAILGUN, a privacy protocol, to launder over $60 million worth of ethereum (ETH) stolen during the June 2022 heist,” said the FBI.

A portion of this stolen ethereum was subsequently sent to several virtual asset service providers and converted to bitcoin (BTC).

A portion of these funds were frozen, in coordination with some of the virtual asset service providers.

The FBI also published 11 cryptocurrency wallets where the remaining $40 million in stolen bitcoin were moved to.

The agency said that it continues to identify and disrupt North Korea’s theft and laundering of virtual currency, which is used to support North Korea’s ballistic missile and Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes.

“The FBI will continue to expose and combat the DPRK’s use of illicit activities -- including cybercrime and virtual currency theft -- to generate revenue for the regime,” it said.

DPRK is the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) As the world goes gaga over the real-life use cases of ChatGPT, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella has said that the next major wave of computing is being born as we turn the world’s most advanced AI models into a new computing platform.

In a conference call with analysts after posting quarterly results, Nadella said that we’re going to lead in the AI era, knowing that maximum enterprise value gets created during platform shifts.

“We have the most powerful AI supercomputing infrastructure in the cloud. It’s being used by customers and partners like OpenAI to train state-of-the-art models and services, including ChatGPT,” said Nadella.

Last week, Microsoft made its Azure OpenAI service broadly available,

San Francisco, Jan 24 (IANS) In a significant move, Elon Musk-run SpaceX has completed its first-ever, full flight-like dress rehearsal for its deep space rocket Starship that is likely capable of taking astronauts to Mars, the company announced on Tuesday.

The space company conducted a “wet dress rehearsal” with the 395-foot-tall (120 metres) Starship at its Starbase facility in South Texas, the US. “Starship completed its first full flight-like wet dress rehearsal at Starbase. This was the first time an integrated Ship and Booster were fully loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant,” SpaceX said in a tweet.

The dress rehearsal test will “help verify a full launch countdown sequence, as well as the performance of Starship and the orbital pad for

and already over 200 customers from KPMG to Al Jazeera are using it.

“We will soon add support for ChatGPT, enabling customers to use it in their own applications for the first time. We announced the completion of the next phase of our agreement with OpenAI,” the Microsoft CEO informed.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced a multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, the developer behind AI-driven ChatGPT.

The tech giant, which infused $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, did not divulge the investment amount in the “third phase of our long-term partnership with OpenAI”. Earlier reports had claimed Microsoft may infuse up to $10 billion in OpenAI.

Nadella said that the age of AI is

flight-like operations,” the company added.

Starship consists of a giant firststage booster called Super Heavy and a 165-foot-tall (50 metres) upper-stage spacecraft. Both elements are designed to be fully reusable, and both will be powered by SpaceX’s next-generation Raptor engines.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit.

upon us and Microsoft is powering it.

“We are witnessing nonlinear improvements in capability of foundation models, which we are making available as platforms,” he added.

satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb, according to the company.

Microsoft infuses billions of dollars in ChatGPT developer OpenAI

San Francisco, Jan 23 (IANS)

Microsoft on Monday announced a multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, the developer behind AI-driven ChatGPT which has become a rage.

The tech giant, which infused $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, did not divulge the investment amount in the “third phase of our long-term partnership with OpenAI”. Earlier reports had claimed Microsoft may infuse up to $10 billion in OpenAI.

“We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratise AI as a new technology platform,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft.

“In this next phase of our

partnership, developers and organisations across industries will have access to the best AI infrastructure, models, and toolchain with Azure to build and run their applications,” Nadella added. Microsoft will now increase its investments in the development and deployment of specialised supercomputing systems to accelerate OpenAI’s groundbreaking independent AI research.

It will deploy OpenAI’s models across its consumer and enterprise products and introduce new categories of digital experiences built on OpenAI’s technology.

This includes Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service which empowers developers to build cutting-edge AI applications through direct access to

OpenAI models, said the tech giant.

“The past three years of our partnership have been great,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.

“Microsoft shares our values and we are excited to continue our independent research and work toward creating advanced AI that benefits everyone,” he added.

As OpenAI’s exclusive cloud provider, Azure will power all OpenAI workloads across research, products and API services.

The age of AI is upon us and Microsoft is powering it: Satya Nadella

Musk’s deep space rocket Starship completes 1st flight-like dress rehearsal

New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) With a view to enhance end-to-end safety

Your guide to eating right as per Ayurveda in 2023

treat diabetes complications like weakness and frailty.

Make dinner as your lightest meal and lunch the heaviest

Your digestive fire is at its peak at midday, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. As a result, according to Ayurveda, you should eat your biggest meal of the day at midday, when your inner fire is blazing and you are more likely to be able to digest and assimilate food.

‘Taraka Ratna episode highlights need for defibrillator in public places’

Hyderabad, Jan 30 (IANS) Heart attack among youngsters is common nowadays and multiple reasons have been attributed to it.

Changing lifestyle, sedentary behaviour, smoking, alcohol intake, improper food habits, obesity are few of the causes.

By Dr Nitika Kohli

New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANSlife) One of the central principles of Ayurveda is that no two people are alike, and no two people have exactly the same nutritional demands. There is no “one-size-fits-all” Ayurvedic diet because of this. The optimum diet is determined by a person’s constitution, sometimes referred to as their “dosha type” or “mind-body type”, according to Ayurveda. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are the three types of doshas.

The doshas are mind-body forces that control all aspects of how our bodies operate, including how our bodies seem, how powerful our digestion is, how our thoughts and words flow.

Eat unprocessed and whole foods

The Ayurvedic diet states that increasing prana is the best way to raise ojas, the source of life force

in the body. Foods that are rich in prana come directly from the earth. Their prana is the result of the fusion of the energies of the sun, the water, and the earth. One of the whole foods you can include are almonds. Ayurveda holds almonds in high regard for their nutritional value and ability to balance vata. When used in food preparation, almonds are well known as a rejuvenator, tonic, and nourishing nutraceutical product (functional food). It was also mentioned in many compound medicinal formulations with pharmacological effects in the ancient Indian medical systems.

Almonds may be beneficial for prameha conditions. Ayurveda classifies obesity, prediabetes, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome as clinical disorders that together make up the Prameha syndrome.

Almonds may be consumed to

Eat a lighter, well-prepared supper at least three hours prior to going to bed, and aim to get to bed at or before 10:00 p.m. Eating a large, filling meal late at night might tax your body as it goes through its night-time “rest and repair” cycles. Follow the 70-30 rule

In our families, we have been taught to finish everything on our plate, but according to Ayurvedic wisdom, one should only eat until you are satisfied. That would be about enough when you start to burp! Be careful not to overeat or consume meagre portions that leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied. Always consume between 70 per cent and 8 per cent of your appetite to allow the food to mix properly and continue to be digested. The 70-30 rule, which states that 70 per cent of your stomach should be filled and 30 per cent should be empty, should always be followed.

(Dr Nitika Kohli, Ayurveda Expert)

Female, male hearts respond differently to stress hormone activity.

arrhythmias and heart failure and how different sexes respond to medications, according to the study published in Science Advances.

The team built a new type of fluorescence imaging system that allowed them to use light to see how a mouse heart responds to hormones and neurotransmitters in real time.

The mice were exposed to noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine.

Doctors say sudden cardiac arrest is a devastating complication among this age group. In the case of Tollywood actor Taraka Ratna (39), the video shown in the media suggests he suddenly collapsed, probably due to heart attack leading to arrhythmias (electrical irregularity) followed by stopping of heart(cardiac arrest).

According to Dr Hari Ram, Senior consultant and head, interventional cardiologist, SLG Hospitals, in this case immediate bystander Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation (shock) along with the correction of the cause of cardiac arrest is the treatment of choice.

“Each second’s delay decreases the chances of survival. Bystander CPR can be initiated by the public also, we need to give training to the public regarding the basic level of CPR. Cardioversion/Defibrillation is available in hospitals only (Defibrillator), these types of

machines called AED (Automatic external defibrillator) can be made available in public areas and the public needs to be trained,” he said. The cardiologist says while AED are available in airports and hotels, people need to know how to use this device. Delay of initial treatment leads to decreased blood supply to all important organs like heart, brain, liver, kidney, gut and lungs. Health bulletin released by Narayana institute of cardiac sciences mentioned that resuscitation time (ROSC time) was 45 minutes which is very high which can lead to multiple organ failure. The doctors in Kuppam immediately did balloon angioplasty and placed on Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) and vasoactive drugs. He remained in a critical condition on maximum support.

Dr Srinivas Jakkinaboina, Senior consultant and Head, Critical care medicine from SLG Hospitals predicts the condition of Taraka Ratna might be critical. The challenge before doctors is maintaining the tissue perfusion to all the organs by adequate blood pressure and oxygen.

They can take the help of Veno Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for maintaining BP and oxygen,

Kidney support can be given with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy(CRRT).

While supporting all the organs the corrections are made to improve the cardiac function either by surgical or non surgical methods.

Brain function needs to be assessed during this process at regular intervals. As ROSC time was high so there is need to have a close watch on brain function.

“We pray to god for his speedy recovery, we analysed whatever is the information from the medical bulletin release. We all know prevention is better than cure. Everyone should know our numbers in terms of BP, blood sugar, cholesterol and also to undergo cardiac evaluation in terms of ECG, TMT and 2D ECHO if we encounter any symptoms,” he said. Lifestyle modifications in the form of regular exercise, healthy diet, quitting alcohol and smoking are important for the heart, he added.

Researchers working on Covid vaccine that people can drink

San Francisco, Jan 23 (IANS)

Researchers are working on a Covid-19 vaccine that people may drink instead of receiving with a needle, expanding their focus onto mucosal vaccines, which include nasal vaccines as well as “swish and swallow” oral vaccines.

“The differences in electrical activity that we observed are called repolarisation in the female hearts. Repolarisation refers to how the heart resets between each heartbeat and is closely linked to some types of arrhythmias,” said Jessica L Caldwell, first author of the study.

“The study reveals a new factor that may contribute to different arrhythmia susceptibility between men and women,” Caldwell added.

New York, Jan 22 (IANS) Female and male hearts respond differently to the stress hormone called noradrenaline, a study in mice has revealed.

The findings may have implications for human heart disorders like

Noradrenaline is both a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with the body’s “fight or flight” response.

The study also noted that however, some areas of the female heart return to normal more quickly than the male heart, which produces differences in the heart’s electrical

In this study, the researchers were interested in looking at factors that may contribute to arrhythmias.

Arrhythmias are a type of heart disorder where the electrical impulses that control heartbeats don’t function properly.

Are Covid vaccines affecting the heart, inducing other non-communicable diseases?

team wrote.

In the context of cardio-vascular diseases (CVDs), since a causal relationship has not been demonstrated between Covid-19 vaccination and the onset of hypertension, and patients with hypertensive crisis rarely need hospitalization, Covid-19 vaccinations show substantial benefits compared to its risks.

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) While the Covid-19 vaccines are saving lives, serious side effects, inducing inflammation in the heart, have been reported after vaccinations, along with other premature non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

However, new research now claims the reported adverse events are low in number.

According to the WHO, more than 850 million cases and over 6.6 million deaths from Covid have been reported worldwide.

Currently, the death rate has been reduced due to the decreased pathogenicity of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, but the major factor in the reduced death rates is the “administration of more than 12.8 billion vaccine doses globally”.

According to a paper published in open-access scientific journal MDPI, the scientific community must investigate the entire spectrum of Covid-19 vaccine-induced complications so that necessary safety measures can be taken, and current vaccines can be re-engineered to avoid or minimise their side effects.

“We describe in depth severe

adverse events for premature metabolic, mental, and neurological disorders; cardiovascular, renal, and autoimmune diseases, and reproductive health issues detected after Covid-19 vaccinations and whether these are causal or incidental,” the researchers wrote.

In any case, “it has become clear that the benefits of vaccinations outweigh the risks by a large margin”, they added.

However, pre-existing conditions in vaccinated individuals need to be taken into account in the prevention and treatment of adverse events.

Diabetes and Covid-19 have a bidirectional relationship. In addition to causing new onset or worsening

pre-existing diabetes, diabetes and hyperglycemia are linked to a worse prognosis in Covid-19 patients.

However, despite the likelihood that severe hyperglycemia is exceedingly uncommon in Covid-19 vaccine recipients, “it is essential for clinicians to be aware of these side effects and anticipate severe hyperglycemia in individuals exhibiting post-vaccination symptoms such as excessive urination, excessive thirst, vision problems, and fatigue,” the

“Regarding arrhythmia, although a case of paroxysmal ventricular arrhythmia was reported for the BNT162b2 vaccine, no causal association was found,” said the researchers.

Moreover, exposure to Covid-19 presents a significantly higher risk of developing arrhythmia. The trend of Covid-19 vaccine-related myocarditis, on the other hand, is comparable to that of other viral infections, with a greater prevalence among teenagers and young adult males.

Most notably, the risk of myocarditis and hospitalisation in this group of vaccinated individuals is lower than that in unvaccinated Covid-19 patients, said the paper. Regarding neurological disorders, mass vaccinations have confirmed that the risks of acquiring severe neurological complications are by far much lower for individuals vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines than individuals who tested positive for Covid-19, it added. NCDs, also known as chronic diseases, are non-transmissible diseases of often long duration. Examples of NCDs include mental health conditions, stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease.

The vaccine, called QYNDR, completed its phase 1 clinical trial and is currently waiting on more funding to conduct the more detailed, advanced trials that could actually bring the vaccine to market, reports CNET.

“The QYNDR vaccine is pronounced ‘kinder’, because it’s a softer way to deliver a vaccine,” Kyle Flanigan, founder of QYNDR’s maker, US Specialty Formulations, was quoted as saying.

Moreover, the report said that promising clinical trial results from

New Zealand offer hope that QYNDR will be a viable option for protection against the string of Covid-19 variants circulating now.

“It’s really challenging to have a vaccine survive making it through your digestive system,” Flanigan said.

“We were able to figure out how to get a vaccine past the stomach and into the gut and have it be effective and induce the appropriate response,” she added.

Scientists are hopeful that mucosal vaccines will not only protect against severe diseases and death, as revolutionary mRNA vaccines and boosters have but also ward off infections, the report said.

Different from traditional vaccines, mucosal vaccines enter through our mucous membranes, either through our nose (as in the much-discussed

nasal Covid-19 vaccine) or through our gut (as in the orally suspended QYNDRs).

Mucosal vaccines have been supported as viable, or even preferable, options for combating Covid-19 infections due to the different types of immunity they produce and the fact that it begins right where the virus enters our bodies, the report mentioned.

92% population in Beijing to get Covid by January end: Study

Hong Kong, Jan 24 (IANS) Around 92 per cent of the population in the Chinese capital of Beijing will have Covid by January 31, a new study published in peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine has revealed.

Nearly 76 per cent of people in Beijing had contracted Covid-19 as of December 22.

It was expected to reach 92 per cent by January 31, according to researchers from the University of Hong Kong, reports South China Morning Post.

For the study, the researchers tracked the reproduction rate of Omicron variant BF.7 in Beijing in November and December, after China eased its zero-Covid policy. There was a surge in cases across the country after the policy changes.

The study estimated that the reproduction rate jumped from 1.04 on November 11 to 3.44 a week later - meaning that “one person with the virus could infect 3.44 others”.

Their modelling had shown an estimated peak of 1.03 million daily cases on December 11.

“Surveillance programmes should be rapidly set up to monitor the spread and evolution of Sars-CoV-2 infections, and further work should be done to track the transmissibility, incidence and infection rate of the epidemic,” the researchers wrote.

The number of people with severe Covid-19 infections had peaked on January 5.

The country reported about 13,000 Covid-related deaths in hospitals between January 13 and 19.

China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that 681 hospitalised patients died of respiratory failure, and 11,977 died of other diseases combined with a Covid infection.

Disturbed sleep during teens may increase risk of multiple sclerosis

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Having insufficient and disturbed sleep during the teenage years may increase the subsequent risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study has shown.

According to the study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, clocking up enough hours of restorative sleep while young may help to ward off the condition.

The researchers note that MS is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, including smoking, teenage weight (BMI), Epstein-Barr virus infection, sun exposure, and vitamin D.

“Insufficient sleep and low sleep quality during adolescence seem to increase the risk of subsequently developing MS. Sufficient restorative sleep, needed for adequate immune functioning, may thus be another preventive factor against MS,” said the researchers. Moreover, the researchers said that shift work has also been linked to a heightened risk of the condition, particularly at a young age, but

whether sleep patterns -- duration, body clock disruption, and sleep quality -- might affect this risk hasn’t been fully assessed.

While conducting the study, the researchers asked participants about their sleeping patterns at different ages, length of sleep on work or school days, and at weekends or on free days.

Among the sleep patterns -- short sleep was defined as less than 7 hours/night, adequate sleep as 7-9 hours, and long sleep as 10 or more hours.

The difference in sleep timing between work/school days and weekends/free days was calculated among teenagers between the ages of 15-19, and the changes were categorised as less than one hour/ night, 1-3 hours, and more than three hours.

Compared with sleeping 7-9 hours/ night during the teenage years, the researchers note short sleep was associated with a 40 per cent heightened risk of subsequently developing MS, after accounting for a range of potentially influential

factors, including BMI at age 20 and smoking.

However, long sleep, including at weekends or on free days, wasn’t associated with a heightened MS risk.

Similarly, subjectively assessed poor sleep quality during this time period was linked to a 50 per cent increased risk of developing the condition, said the study.

Further, sleep timing differences between work/school days and weekends/free days did not appear to be significant, also the findings remained similar when those who worked shifts were excluded.

Lokasamgraha as one’s dharma

duty of everyone in the kingdom (including the king). Anyone who does not perform the duty with the Lokasamgraha in mind is destroying the Loka. It is the duty of the king to punish such people. The king has to also motivate people to work toward the welfare of society.

By Paddy Krishnan

Dharma in Hinduism is not absolute and nor is it a set of fixed rules. Dharma is all about choosing the right action based on reflection. This is exactly what Krishna emphasises in the Bhagavad Gita. But what is right is hard to define. Can one define what is right in terms of material benefits for oneself? As noted in Purusharthas, getting wealthy (Artha) and satisfying one desires (Kama) are not bad provided one follows Dharma. This appears to be a circular dependency in defining the right action. In this article I will focus on how Dharma can be phrased as Lokasamgraha or social justice.

Lokasamgraha is derived from Loka (meaning society or universe) and Samgraha (meaning to hold together). So Lokasamgraha represents the welfare of society or the universe. Other interpretations include holding all the people together, working for the good of others, and focussing on the unity of the world.

The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita have numerous statements that directly mention Lokasamgraha. Bhishma in Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata advises Yudhishtra.

Yudhishtra has been crowned king after the end of war and is seeking advice on how to rule. Bhishma states that Lokasamgraha is a prime

The Bhagavad Gita in chapter 3 verse 26 states that the wise should inspire those who are not so wise to perform the right actions. That is, the wisest persons’ duties include being an example to others. The wise should not use their power to force people to change their behaviour. One must educate and encourage the others to change their behaviour voluntarily. So Lokasamgraha takes into account other people’s interests and focus.

The Bhagavad Gita in chapter 3 verse 12 states that anyone who lives for themselves are thieves as they are offering nothing in return to society. The Bhagavad Gita in chapter 3 verse 20 mentions Lokasamgraha directly. It states that King Janaka attained perfection (or Moksha) because he performed actions only for the good of masses.

This issue is reiterated in chapter 3 verse 25 where those who perform actions for their own benefit are ignorant while the wise perform actions wishing for the welfare of the world.

The story about how King Janaka focused on ruling the kingdom is interesting. Janaka wanted to renounce the world and become a Sannyasi. His wife told him that renunciation does not mean giving up the world. Rather, it is a state of one’s mind. She tells him that he should rule the kingdom without expecting anything for himself (Nishkama Karma) and by giving up his Ahamkara (or ego). Thus he should be doing his duty (or Dharma) as king. As Janaka was a good king, he ruled the kingdom with a total focus on Lokasamgraha. A leader is said to succeed only when the followers succeed.

Transcendent leaders do not care about the power for their benefits but use the power in a strategic way to help all living beings. Thus the focus is not on oneself but the welfare of the society. That is why, the actions of the sage Kaushika who had vowed to always tell the truth were not deemed to be right. A few honest people were hiding in a cave trying to escape from some robbers. When the robbers asked where the honest people were hiding, Kaushika pointed to the cave where they were. Since Kaushika’s action was not about society but focussed on his vow, he was punished for being truthful. Lokasamgraha provides the framework for discussing the notion of fairness, including distribution of duties and rewards. This is not about an individual’s right but about public welfare. Depending on the scope of Loka, the notion of Lokasamgraha applies to everything in the universe including animals, plants, and inanimate resources. Hence environmental issues are also covered by Lokasamgraha. It requires one to take a holistic view when measuring the impact of one’s actions. Thus Lokasamgraha covers all the Lokas in Hinduism such as the Devaloka (the world of the Gods), and the Pitrloka (the world of the ancestors). The notion of yagna or sacrifice is interpreted as the process of sacrificing oneself for the welfare of the Lokas (or greater good). Thus yagna is not a ritual to please the Gods but a technique to liberate oneself from Ahamkara. Lokasamgraha takes a system view of the universe. That is, almost everything is interdependent on each other. Nothing is truly independent. Thus, one’s actions will impact everything. Ignorance is when we fail to recognise this. So rather than curtail people’s freedoms, Lokasamgraha aims to bring a cooperative spirit and identify a unity of purpose. In modern systems thinking, Lokasamgraha can be

related to co-initiating (i.e., discover common intent) and co-evolving (i.e., take actions that considers the impact on the whole system).

Lokasamgraha is also emphasised, perhaps indirectly, in other Hindu writings. For example, the Shanti Mantras such as “Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah, Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, Ma kashchit dukkahbhag bhavet” from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad asks the Divine to ensure that everyone and everything is free from suffering.

Bhakti is also about Lokasamgraha. Bhakti towards Shiva is showing kindness and providing assistance to all. It is said that Shiva is pleased only when happiness is spread. This is like a parent being happy when siblings help each other. Bhakti towards Krishna is about seeing joy and suffering in everything as joy and suffering respectively in oneself. Even the definition of Dana (charity) is about Lokasamgraha using Artha. Artha is needed for Dana and it is important to engage in Dana that benefits society without expecting anything in return. The popular phrase “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” stems from the principle of Lokasamgraha. Everyone in a family has to work to keep the family together. So, if the entire world is one family, one has to work for the benefits of the others.

I will conclude with the story of the half-golden mongoose from the Mahabharata. After the war, Yudhishtra performed a major yagna for the welfare of his subjects. Suddenly a half-golden mongoose appeared and rolled around around the place where the yagna had been performed. Yudhishtra was puzzled and asked the mongoose what was happening. The mongoose narrated a story about how a family who were starving gave up their food to feed a stranger whose needs appeared to be greater than theirs. The mongoose came in contact with

some of the food scraps that were lying on the ground. The parts of his body which came into contact with the scraps became golden. This was the power of the sacrifice of the family who were starving. After that the mongoose was visiting all the places where major yagnas were conducted in an attempt to see if the rest of his body would become golden, i.e., the yagnas had the same power as the family’s sacrifice. Since rolling around Yudhishtra’s place of yagna did not change the mongoose, the mongoose concluded that Yudhishtra’s yagna was inferior to the family’s sacrifice. Yudhishtra

then realised that acts of kindness, even when one is suffering, are superior to Vedic rituals. Pure virtue (with no expectation in return) is supreme and represents ideal Lokasamgraha.

Paddy Krishnan is a computer scientist, who got his BTech degree from IIT-Kanpur and PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Being very interested in Hindu philosophy, he maintains a blog at www.goldcoasthindu. wordpress.com

Experts fear politics over Ramcharitmanas may dent people’s faith in it

text penned in the Awadhi language by Tulsidas in the 16th century, has been caught in the midst of the conflict between political parties.

They believe that Ramcharitmanas has been the centre of political criticism for the first time in its rich history.

In several places, its Sunderkand is recited by the Ramayana Mandals on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

According to historians, Ramcharitmanas, which consists of 12,800 lines divided into 1,073 couplets and seven kandas, is considered a popular work of Awadhi literature (Hindi literature).

Senior political analyst K. Vikram Rao said that raising questions on the text is basically irrelevant as it is a 500-year-old book. Its readings have been prevalent in Hindu weddings in India.

Rao added that the sudden questioning of it in 2023 reveals a certain motive of Hindus becoming

Another Ayodhya seer announces bounty on SP leader for ‘Ramcharitmanas’ remark

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya who disrespected Ramcharitmanas.

Mahant Raju Das of Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya has made this announcement.

Earlier Paramhans Das of Tapasvi Chhavni had announced a reward of Rs 500 for anyone who cuts the tongue of Maurya.

Former Minister and SP leader Maurya had recently triggered a controversy by alleging that certain verses of the Ramcharitmanas insulted a section of the society.

Paramhans Das also criticised the

SP for appointing Maurya as the General Secretary of the party. “Instead of taking action against Swami Prasad Maurya, the Samajwadi Party has appointed him as general secretary of the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maurya said: “I will continue to oppose the conspiracies of insulting tribals, Dalits, backwards and women in the name of religion. The way an elephant is unperturbed by barking dogs and does not change its path, I too will not change my stance towards getting dignity for those (tribals, Dalits, backwards and women).”

“unified.”

He said: “Secular Hindus can support the view that this is an attempt to secure votes.”

Rao added that Ramcharitmanas has never been a subject of controversy if seen through the national perspective.

He commented: “Ram Manohar Lohia himself was an atheist. He started the Ramayana Mela. Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh also used to visit this fair. I don’t know why the people of his party are raising questions.”

Analyst Ratanmani Lal said that the discussion on the Ram Mandir issue will start in the next few months.

“The talk of the temple’s inauguration in January, 2024 is coming to light. In such a situation, the support of the Hindus may go to the ruling party. The opposition will definitely try to weaken this support, which is why they are questioning the book and the characters instead of raising questions about Ram Mandir,” he

added.

Honoured with the Sahitya Bhushan award and well versed in spirituality, Pramodkant Mishra said: “It is foolish to question the character of Lord Rama and it is not a matter of politics. Those who want to achieve cheap popularity engage in politics on this. The book is widely read in every household. This epic composed by Goswami Tulsidas, 500 years ago cannot become a means of selfishness.”

He claimed that questioning the scriptures is a cheap means to get popularity.

Samajwadi Party National Spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said that objections are raised on a book if it creates a rift in the society, however this is not done by political leaders but by religious ones.

BJP state spokesperson Avneesh Tyagi said: “Ramcharitmanas is the book of faith of Hindus. It is considered epic. Opposing it shows mental bankruptcy.”

The beginning of the dispute: Retired Professor and writer K.S. Bhagawan from Karnataka stirred a controversy by making objectionable remarks against Hindu deity Lord Ram.

He commented: “He [Ram] used to sit and drink alcohol with Sita during the day, so Lord Ram is not ideal.”

Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar while addressing the students at the convocation of Nalanda Open University in Patna, alleged that Ramcharitmanas is a book that spreads hatred and divides the society.

Uttar Pradesh’s SP leader and Legislative Council member Swami Prasad said that the Shudra community was insulted in the Ramcharitmanas.

He said that certain couplets should be removed from such books or they should be banned.

Amid falling footfall, devoted Hindu pilgrims continue to visit Ajmer shrine

New Delhi, Jan 30 The footfall of Hindu pilgrims arriving at Dargah Khwaja Saheb, Ajmer, has plummeted after alleged provocative speeches made by people connected to the shrine following the controversy about remarks made against Prophet Muhammad some time back. However, some devoted souls are still descending for the pilgrimage with same fervour.

Ram Vilas, a self-acclaimed mystic, from Tiwaripur village in Chandauli district, UP, has arrived in Ajmer with his wife and some of his followers.

“The call of Khwaja has to be answered. I come here every year with my followers. For the last seven years, my wife is also accompanying me. We are seekers of spirituality. We quench our thirst from every divine well,” he says.

Originally a farmer, Ram Vilas has taken to the life of a travelling mendicant. “As soon as my family reaps

the crop, I pack my jhola (sack) and leave for pilgrimage to any holy place, be it Badrinath, Mathura, Ajmer, etc. My family never prevents me from embarking on such pious voyages,” he says.

He shrugs vehemently when asked whether he has ever faced any discrimination in Ajmer. “I began coming here almost 30 years back.

Since my first visit to this day, I have always felt welcome. Perhaps more welcomed than my Muslim fellow pilgrims. In fact, I became a sort of sufi-sadhu figure only after people started treating as a pious soul, after return from such pilgrimages,” he says.

He adds that people began to follow him after his speech became a discourse on secrets of religions. “I quote and narrate incidents from the lives of great Hindu and Muslim saints like Khwaja Gharib Nawaz and people listen to such stories with rapt attention and their regard

for you increases. Indian people are basically people of faith. They love people who help them find serenity in their chaotic lives,” he says. His wife Titari Devi says it was difficult for her initially to travel to far-off places with her husband. “But his passion rubbed on me and I am now his fully dedicated co-traveller in this mystic quest,” she says. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Ayodhya, Jan 30 (IANS) Yet another priest in Ayodhya has announced a reward of Rs 21 lakh for beheading

By Vivek Tripathi Lucknow, Jan 28 (IANS)

Political experts believe that the Ramcharitmanas, a famous Hindu

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) England’s

all-rounder Nat Sciver was named as ICC women’s ODI cricketer of the year for 2022. She becomes the second cricketer from England to have won the coveted award after wicketkeeper-batter

Sarah Taylor won the honour in 2014.

Nat beat competition Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, South Africa pacer Shabnim Ismail and New Zealand’s leg-spin all-rounder

Amelia Kerr to win the award.

She had a 2022 to remember, amassing 833 runs at an average of 59.90 and at a strike-rate of 91.43, including smashing five half-centuries and two centuries to put further accolades on an already impressive playing resume.

The majority of those big scores came during the Women’s ODI World Cup, with Nat helping herself to a team-best 436 runs, including a career-best 148 not out off 121 balls in the final against Australia coming in a losing cause.

Nat walked in with England in a spot of bother at 38/2 and remained there until the end, unsettling the bowlers with her eye-catchy strokes. The

all-rounder hit 15 fours and a six in her knock that could have led her side to World Cup glory if not for losing partners at the other end. She finished third in the overall run charts for the tournament, behind Alyssa and Rachael Haynes, but recorded a better average than Australia duo.

If her exploits during the World Cup weren’t enough, Nat returned from a short break to manage her mental health in December to help England record a 3-0 series sweep over the West Indies in the Caribbean.

During that series she scored knocks of 90 and 85 to unsurprisingly finish as the leading run-scorer for the series with an eye-catching 180 runs at an average of 60. Nat will be next seen in the Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in South Africa from February 10-26, which will mark her return as England’s vice-captain.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam named as ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year 2022

leg-spinner Adam Zampa, West Indies’ opener Shai Hope and Zimbabwe’s off-spin all-rounder Sikandar Raza.

Azam played only nine ODI matches in 2022, but the 28-year-old made them count as he smashed three centuries, a further five half-centuries and only really failed with the bat on one occasion.

He has been at the top of the men’s ODI player rankings since July 2021, scoring 679 runs at a stunning average of 84.87 in the nine matches he played in 2022, registering eight scores of more than fifty, three of which he converted into hundreds.

England captain Ben Stokes named ICC Men’s Test cricketer of the year for 2022

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) England captain Ben Stokes has been named as the winner of the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2022 award, two days after being named as captain of ICC Men’s Test team of the Year for 2022.

Tests.

His inspirational leadership has now built up a confident and attacking unit, who won nine out of 10 Test matches under his tenure in 2022.

114 against Australia in Lahore. Set a daunting target of 349 by Australia, Azam put on a masterclass in chasing a total. Walking out to bat when his team needed 231 from 187 balls, Babar almost took his side home with an exceptional display of shot-making.

Azam brought up his hundred off just 73 balls, his fastest ever in ODI cricket and stuck around till the 44th over. The rest of the batters finished the job as they recorded their highest-ever successful chase in ODIs, with Azam deservedly named Player of the Match.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Pakistan captain Babar Azam was named as winner of the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022 award, winning the coveted honour for the second year in a row. He defeated competition from Australia’s

As a captain, Azam had a memorable year as captain of the Pakistan ODI team, winning three out of three series. Pakistan were unstoppable in the ODI format, losing just one match (against Australia) out of nine. His best effort in ODIs this year was

ICC also said Richard Illingworth won the award for Umpire of the Year in 2022. Illingworth, who played nine Tests and 25 ODIs for England as a left-arm spinner from 1991-1996, had won the honour earlier in 2019 and is now a twotime ICC Umpire of the Year.

CLOSE-IN: Women’s cricket - A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Ranji Trophy tournament. There have been one triple and 18 scores of double centuries, over 40 scores of 150 plus runs and close to a century of centuries. These are phenomenal numbers and truly reflect the focus, fitness and mindset of the new breed of Indian batters.

One name that shines out like the North star, having had 3 years full of buckets of runs, is Sarfaraz Khan from Mumbai. He unfortunately has had, as one lightly conjectures, a piece of bad luck. This has been the case for many consistent performers playing in the domestic circuit.

He also becomes the third England cricketer to win the award after Alastair Cook (2011) and Joe Root (2021), beating competition from compatriot Jonny Bairstow, Australia’s left-handed opener Usman Khawaja, and South Africa fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada, all of whom managed to find a place in the ICC Test eleven for 2022. Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, has changed the fortunes of English Test cricket in 2022. Struggling for results and at the rock-bottom of the World Test Championship standings, Stokes took over an English side that was struggling for confidence. Before he was appointed as captain, England had been beaten in each of their four most recently completed series and had won just one of their previous 17

Under Stokes, England completed series victories over New Zealand and South Africa at home, beating India in the one-off postponed Test at Birmingham to level the series at 2-2, and hammering Pakistan 3-0 away from home in a historic tour in December.

Stokes has repeatedly stated about taking the fear of failure away from the players and that has reflected in the ultra-aggressive brand of cricket that England play under him. He has also led the charge by example, having a good year with both bat and ball.

He had scored 870 runs, including two centuries and four half-centuries and also scalped 26 wickets at an average of 31.19. His assertive batting style saw him net 26 sixes across the year and just short of 100 fours.

In the historic 3-0 series victory

in Pakistan happening before Christmas, Stokes’s side averaged 5.50 runs per over, and the attacking batting was matched by the captain’s assertive decision-making. An inspired declaration by Stokes in a high-scoring affair in Rawalpindi gave England the time to win the match as the sun was setting, in what will go down as one of England’s greatest away wins. Stokes will be seen in Test action when England tour New Zealand for two Tests in Mount Maunganui and Wellington in February 2023.

By Yajurvindra Singh

The famous line by Juliet: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, from the play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, seems quite appropriate for cricket in India.

The recent success, as regards the selling of the Rights of Women’s IPL cricket tournament, truly reflects the progress that has been made by both the BCCI and cricket as a sport, in India. The game of cricket is the true benefactor, as it smells as sweet when played by either men or women.

The reason why India’s marketing gurus find the property enticing is that Indian Women’s cricketers bring in a feel of amateurism in the way that they play the game. They instil a breath of fresh air, a different look to the sport. It enables one watching it to enjoy cricket at a pace that is easier to follow.

Men’s cricket, on the other hand, has become a contest, wherein, it has become professional with a serious outlook. The game of cricket and cricketers are thoroughly scrutinized. Whereas, in women’s cricket one accepts errors and blunders and enjoys the naivety that it brings about. There is joy in watching women play the game in the way one enjoyed men playing it many years ago.

Love for cricket was the only factor that kept men’s cricketers engrossed in the sport in the past. Although the reason to play is no different now, the game has taken a turn into becoming a serious one to pursue. The fun element and laughter that once prevailed in playing the game of cricket by boys and men at all

levels of the sport, seems to have lost its charm. Cricket now seems to be a business in which winning has become the most important factor.

Women’s cricket, on the other hand, has still the aura of being in the embryo stage. Although it has gone through many years of difficulty and hardships in the past, the IPL in April this year should catapult it into a huge leap for the better in the future.

I can still recall my conversation a decade ago, when I met the present Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, at the MCA indoor nets. She was a girl from Haryana who had left the comfort of her home. She was nestled into accommodation in Mumbai, struggling to make two ends meet. She desired to continue playing cricket for India and to bring laurels to the country. The lack of facilities is what brought her to Mumbai, the Mecca of Indian cricket, along with several others from around the country. Harmanpreet along with the likes of Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Smriti Mandhana are household names now. Their success should catapult women’s cricket in India to another level.

The platform is set for women’s cricket to flourish; however, the challenge would be for the BCCI to structure facilities for them to excel. Girls aspiring to play the sport should be taken care of in every manner possible by providing them with the security and needs that are necessary in all respects.

At the other end of the spectrum is India’s domestic cricket. With the season in full flow, one is astounded by the runs scored by batters in the

Jaydev Unadkat, the fiery left-arm fast bowler from Saurashtra, was another case in time. Fortunately, after 10 years of being in oblivion, he managed to get selected and has performed well enough to retain his place in the immediate future.

The irony of the domestic Indian cricket circuit is that established and BCCI-contracted players rarely play in any of the tournaments. The annual Indian International cricket calendar makes it difficult for them to do so. This makes the contracted players exclusi’ve and comfortably secured. The problem that surfaces is that the domestic performers do not get a window in which to stake their claim for an India cap.

Furthermore, without the top 35 Indian cricketers in the fray, there always is an element of doubt about the quality of domestic performances. The Indian A team tour was a good initiative as an incentive for an aspiring player. However, most other countries do not have the quality or quantity of players in their fold. In India in the earlier times, the Duleep and Irani Trophy matches were the selection trials for an Indian side playing in India or touring abroad. Both these tournaments have lost their lustre and therefore the domestic performers are now hoping to get recognized via the IPL route.

Indian cricket needs to find a solution or else the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and many more will remain in the wilderness waiting for the elite lot to get injured or come in as replacements when they are on a rest and recreation break. They end up with a short stint as drink boys for their efforts.

seam-bowling

England all-rounder Nat Sciver named ICC women’s ODI cricketer of the year for 2022

SELFIEE

RELEASE DATE: 24 February 2023

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Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui slams ‘Mission Majnu’: Hire some good researchers

Bollywood has the answer. I mean come on, yaar with all the money you have, hire some good researchers to do homework on us. Or allow me to help.”

He shared Pakistanis “don’t wear skull caps, surma and tawiz”, which Sidharth was seen donning to play his character Tariq in the film directed by Shantanu Bagchi.

Siddiqui wrote: “Make sure to take notes - no, we don’t wear skull caps, surma, tawiz; no, we don’t ask janab about their mijaz; no, we don’t go around throwing adaab.”

poorer execution, poorest research’.

Adnan took to Instagram to share his thought. The actor, who has worked in the Hindi film ‘Mom’ starring late actress Sridevi, wrote: “How much misrepresentation is too much misrepresentation?

He added: “There’s so much in #MissionMajnu that’s distasteful & factually incorrect. The hero’s saviour complex would’ve accentuated more if the villain was shown at par. A weak antagonist embellishes even weaker protagonist.”

He said “Poor story, poorer execution, poorest research. Next time, come and visit us. We are good hosts. Will show you how we look like, dress up and live.”

Priyanka Chopra responds to criticism of her use of surrogate

accounts, reports ‘People’ magazine. The news that their baby girl was born via surrogate was met with commentary and criticism that was hard for the new mom.

“I’ve developed a tough hide when people talk about me,” she told ‘British Vogue’. “But it’s so painful when they talk about my daughter.

I’m like, ‘Keep her out of it.’”

“I know what it felt like to hold her little hands when they were trying to find her veins,” she continued, referencing the fact that Malti was born three months premature. “So no, she’s not going to be a gossip.

I’ve been really protective of this chapter of my life with my daughter. Because it’s not about my life only. It’s hers too.”

As per ‘People’, Chopra Jonas went on to confirm that her use of a surrogate was medically necessary.

“I had medical complications,” she explained. “This was a necessary step, and I’m so grateful I was in a position where I could do this. Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for six months.”

The audience’s content preferences have changed in the last three years. This change has been catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which even after three years, refuses to slow down.

Today, there is a clear demarcation in the mind of the audience about what they want to watch in theatres, because let’s face it, going to the cinema is not a cakewalk because it involves some effort and then there are the hidden costs of fuel, parking, food and beverage, and not to forget the mind-numbing traffic and pollution.

According to Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor, who is gearing up for his web-series debut in the crime-thriller series ‘Farzi’, all said and done, good content will always work. He furnishes the recent example of the breakout success of last year’s ‘Kantara’.

The Kannada film, which has been written and directed by its lead actor Rishab Shetty, has broken new grounds and territories courtesy its rootedness and honest storytelling, something that will define the success of a film in the post-pandemic world.

Shahid told IANS: “How would you judge a film like ‘Kantara’, man? It was not a spectacle when it was released. Of course, it is a spectacle to watch but it was the audience that made that film what it has become now.”

Delving deeper, he said: “It’s more about how cinematic experience a film could provide. I agree that there is a clear demarcation between different content pieces but I don’t see this as a change in trend. I just feel that multiple things have happened in the last three years and the differentiation is what I want to watch at home and what I am willing to watch in the theatres.”

Sharing his observation and insights, he expressed: “One thing that I have observed in the audience is that they are not willing to pay their hard-earned money for mediocre content. Unless your content is good, it has a certain scale, it has a certain entertainment quotient, it won’t work. The audience wants to watch good content. They are willing to walk into the theatres but you have to bring your A-game to the table.”

One may sit down and analyse the impact of the pandemic on the film industries across the world, but at a human level, the pandemic’s initial phase was very challenging for everyone more so for the film fraternity because to put their work together they had to leave behind the social distancing and come together.

Changing the course of conversation, the actor said: “Another thing is that the pandemic was very challenging for the entire fraternity because we work under certain conditions, this is a collaborative medium and there is a certain way

of working.

“For instance, for ‘Farzi’, we hardly met before the shoot, we were constantly on Zoom calls trying to brainstorm from the confines of our homes staying as much safe as we could.

“Filmmaking is a very touch and feel kind of a job, if you have to do a recce, you will have to visit the location and mark the boundaries for the shots, the props or the production design.”

Shahid plays an artist turned counterfeiter in ‘Farzi’. Shedding light on his character, he said: “I found this character to be a very interesting dichotomy since he is an artiste, he creates something but his creation causes destruction to the economy in the long run.

“What I really love about Sunny (the character) is that I don’t think he knows what he is or what he is capable of. I never judge the characters that I play, it’s okay with me if people judge them or even hate them. My job as an actor is to put conviction and believability in my characters.”

He further mentioned: “My favourite line of this character from the series is that he says he is helping the system by actually putting in more money. Every criminal has a justification for their actions and so does he.”

‘Farzi’ will be available to stream on Prime Video from February 10.

Kangana Ranaut mortgaged her properties while making ‘Emergency’

celebrated her first birthday earlier this week.

Malti’s birth was announced in a joint statement from Chopra Jonas and husband Nick Jonas, shared on their respective social media

Noting that critics are unlikely to change their minds about her, Chopra Jonas levelled, “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’ve been through. And just because I don’t want to make my medical history, or my daughter’s, public doesn’t give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were”.

‘USA Today’ names NTR Jr on its list of Best Actor Oscar hopefuls

and Critics Choice Awards.

Now, in more good news for the talented actor (especially after the BAFTA snub for ‘RRR’), the website of the influential American publication ‘USA Today’ has shortlisted NTR Jr as one of the hottest contenders for a Best Actor Oscar.

The website has predicted that NTR Jr’s Komaram Bheem performance in ‘RRR’ will not go unnoticed by the Academy when it gets down to vote for the shortlists.

Previously NTR Jr was also mentioned by ‘Variety’ among their unranked predictions for the 2023 Academy Awards, and now ‘USA Today’ has predicted that the Man of the Moment will be among the nominees for Best Actor. That’s good news for the film and its maker, S.S. Rajamouli, despite his recent statement that he makes films to earn money and not just to win awards.

On the work front, NTR Jr will begin shooting for his upcoming 30th and as-yet-untitled film, now only known as NTR30, directed by Koratala Siva of ‘Janatha Garage’ fame. The film will hit the cinemas on April 5, 2024. The actor also has NTR31 on the cards which will be helmed by ‘KGF’ director Prashanth Neel.

Actress Kangana Ranaut has wrapped up the acting schedule for ‘Emergency’. In a post on social media, she hinted about enemies who worked over time to stop her from making the film, and shared that she had to mortgage her properties while making it. Taking to Instagram, Kangana shared a string of BTS pictures from the sets of the film and shared a long note about her experience working on ‘Emergency’.

The actress mentions: “As I wrap Emergency as an actor today, a tremendously glorious phase of my life comes to its full completion... It may seem I sailed through it comfortably but the truth is far from it.”

“From mortgaging all my properties, every single thing that I owned to being diagnosed with dengue during the first schedule and having to film it in spite of alarmingly low blood cell counts, my character as an individual has been severely tested.”

“I have been very open about my feelings on SM but I didn’t share all this, honestly because I didn’t want people who cared to worry unnecessarily and those who desperately want to see me fall and were doing everything to make me suffer, I didn’t want to give them the pleasure of my pain.”

She added: “At the same time I want to share with you all that if you believe just working hard for your dreams or for what you want is enough, think again because that’s not true...You must work hard that’s given even if you are worthy you will be tested beyond your limits and you mustn’t break.”

“Hold on to yourself till you can ... you are fortunate if life spares you but you are blessed if it doesn’t.... if you break and shatter in pieces... celebrate... Because it’s time for you to reborn. .It’s a rebirth for me and I

feel alive like never before...Thanks to my tremendously talented team for making it happen for me.”

“P.S all those who care about me please know that I’m in a safe place now ... I would have not shared all this if I wasn’t ...please don’t worry, I only need your blessings and love.”

The actress will be seen playing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in ‘Emergency’.

The film, directed by Kangana, also stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair, Satish Kaushik, Milind Soman and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles.

Kangana also has Sarwesh Mewara’s ‘Tejas’, in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian Air force pilot. Her film ‘The Incarnation: Sita’ is in pipeline.

Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui has slammed ‘Mission Majnu’ starring Sidharth Malhotra for ‘misrepresentation’ of Pakistanis in the movie, which he tagged as ‘distasteful’ and ‘factually incorrect’ and slammed it for ‘poor story,

Shahid cites ‘Kantara’ as example of why only spectacles seem to work

‘Quantico’ actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas is addressing criticism of her use of a surrogate. The actress, 40, shared with ‘British Vogue’ her journey to motherhood and life as a mom to daughter Malti Marie, who

Tollywood star and ‘RRR’ lead actor NTR Jr has been in the global limelight after the pan-India movie’s wins at the Golden Globes

Kangana

warns

Bollywood to stay away from politics amid ‘Pathaan’ success

your success and do good work, stay away from politics.”

However, the ‘Dhaakad’ actress’ tweet did not go down well with many users.

“Enjoy your success and do good work. Stay away from politics. Wonder who needs to hear that most,” a netizen commented.

One said: “Aap Bollywood se nahi ho? Aap Hollywood se ho? Aap kyun aisi baatein karti ho?”

Saints in UP set up ‘Dharam Censor Board’ to monitor film content

Saints at the ‘Magh Mela’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj have set up a ‘dharam (religion) censor board’ that will now check insult of Hindu deities and culture in films, documentaries, web series and other mediums of entertainment.

A 10-member censor board has been constituted under the chairmanship of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to check defamation of Hindu traditions.

On Saturday morning, actress-filmmaker Kangana Ranaut warned Bollywood and

“Chalo #Pathaan ko side mein karte hai.. another example of ‘triumph over hate’ is how your last 9 movies tanked one after another. Audience has rejected @KanganaTeam we know you are desperate now to be where Smriti Irani is,” wrote another. “Stay away from politics? look who’s talking,” said a user.

Kangana had earlier said that the film shows ‘enemy’ Pakistan in good light.

Raveena Tandon all set for as-yet-untitled OTT show after ‘Aranyak’

The makers are keeping the show title and the storyline under the wraps currently.

Sharing her excitement, Raveena Tandon, said: “I’m extremely elated to be a part of the show. This show is going to be very special for me as I’ve always liked to challenge and reinvent myself with every character I’ve ever played and this show has given me just that, all I can say is, stay tuned for some fun!”

The yet-to-be-titled show will stream on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar, with its title and streaming date to be announced soon.

After an overwhelming response to her streaming show ‘Aranyak’, Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon, who reigned in Bollywood in the

1990s and was recently awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country, is set to star in another OTT show.

Gaurav Banerjee, Head, Content, Disney+ Hotstar & HSM Entertainment Network, Disney Star, said: “It brings us immense happiness to announce our association with Raveena Tandon.

The board’s guidelines, released on Thursday, will screen entertainment content on the pattern of the Censor Board.

Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said that many veterans associated with religion and culture had been included in this board. At present, he himself was handling the responsibility of the chairman of this board. He added that this board would act as a guide to prevent any filming or broadcast of a video or audio insulting Hindu gods and goddesses

or cursing the culture.

Steps would be taken through the board to stop the production of films that insulted Hindu deities. He said that production of films, series and serials distorting Sanatan culture for cheap popularity would not be tolerated.

He added that it had been created to help the censor board and the government. The board would contact

all the filmmakers and directors making serials and web series and inform them in this regard. Despite this, if films and serials were produced that were “anti-Hindu” and hurt the faith, then an appeal would be made to the Hindu society to not watch them.

Along with this, if needed, protest would also be lodged through different mediums, he said.

‘Chhatriwali’: Comedy loses its way in sex education

Directed by Tejas Deoskar.

Starring Rakul Preet Singh, Sumeet Vyas, Satish Kaushik, Rajesh Tailang and Dolly Ahluwalia. Cinematography: Siddharth Vasani. Music: Mangesh Dhakde, RohanRohan, Sumeet Bellary and Durgesh R. Rajbhatt. Bollywood has found a safe haven on the streaming platforms and is hell bent upon exploring themes that were earlier either forbidden or had no takers.

Baras Ki’, and later she acted in TV shows such as ‘Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani’, ‘Jeet’, and ‘Guns and Roses’. After doing Hindi TV shows, she appeared in several Punjabi movies including ‘Saadi Love Story’, ‘Jatt and Juliet 2’, and ‘Naughty Jatts’. Neeru further talked about her sister and the advice she gave about Harry to her.

“Luckily my sister knew him for a long time and she kind of arranged this whole thing. She told me that he is the perfect match for me. And I must admit he is quite hot. So, that’s how I fell in love and got married to him. He is my best friend and I feel that ever since I got married, I have become more successful.”

She graced ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ along with her co-star Satinder Sartaaj and director Vijay Kumar Arora to promote their upcoming film ‘Kali Jotta’.

After the huge success of ‘Vicky Donor’, a film about sperm donation, a number of so-called taboo subjects have found their way into mainstream narratives. ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’ on erectile dysfunction, ‘Padman’ on menstrual hygiene and ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ on gender diversities, to name a few. In the latest, ‘Chhatriwali’, the themes are male contraceptives and safe sex. No harm in dealing with a subject that may not be still discussed openly in families, although everyone seems to be aware of condoms in big and small towns alike.

Set in Karnal, Haryana, the film is about Sanya Dhingra (Rakul), an unemployed chemistry whiz, who is looking for a job and uses her skills to fight an important social taboo by taking sex education classes for young people.

The trouble with such films is that the filmmakers don’t really know whether to make it a comedy or layer it with educational messages. The result obviously is chaos!

issues among women.

Of course there are bound to be problems galore, right from her family to her boyfriend, whom she later marries, to her in-laws not liking it if she told them that she works in a factory manufacturing condoms. So she used all tactics possible to ensure that no one gets to know about her job. Now that’s quite a challenge, isn’t it? But Sanya manages it pretty well, until the point comes when she has to spill the beans.

Actress Neeru Bajwa recently spilled the beans on her decision to never get married and how later she fell in love with Harry Jawandha and got married to him.

She shared: “I never wanted to get married, and I always thought that I would be single forever because I am not those romantic kinds rather I am very practical. But you know

‘Boycott Bollywood’ won’t

they say when the love of your life walks in everything seems surreal, bells start ringing, the wind starts blowing and you get this strange feeling.”

“And honestly, all these things happened when I saw Harry and for a fact, the first time I saw him I knew I was going to marry him.”

Neeru made her acting debut in 1998 with Dev Anand’s film ‘Main Solah

help,

Listening to Neeru’s love story, Archana Puran Singh also talked about her marriage with Parmeet Sethi. She shared: “They say it right that marriages are made in heaven. The way successful marriages sustain, and the way couples find each other feels like God has made these matches.”

“When you meet a perfect partner, they will help you rise and that is Parmeet for me. He is my best friend and my best buddy. He bears with all my torture but supports me in everything.”

‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ airs on Sony Entertainment Television

we are a nation of ‘Movie Bhakts’: Javed Akhtar

16th Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), said on Friday that Indian cinema is one of the strongest goodwill ambassadors in the world and hence Indian films should be respected.

Answering a query by IANS at a presser on the sidelines of JLF on the current ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend, Akhtar said, “This ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend will not help.

People in India love movies, be it in north, south, west or eastern part of the country. We are a nation of ‘Movie Bhakts’... It is in our DNA to listen to stories, to tell stories, and this has been the trend for ages. Our stories always come along with songs... Hindi films did not invent it. One should respect Hindi cinema.”

By Archana Sharma Jaipur, Jan 20 (IANS) Acclaimed poet, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, who is here to attend the

“Our films are released in 35-36 countries worldwide. Indian cinema is one of the strongest goodwill ambassadors in the world. If we

start doing a headcount, our stars are better recognised in the world than even Hollywood stars. You go to Egypt or Germany and tell people ‘I am an Indian’, they immediately ask if you know Shah Rukh Khan. Our films spread goodwill in the world,” Akhtar added.

Reputed author and documentary film-maker Nasreen Munni Kabir, who was sitting next to Akhtar, recollected an incident during the release of the film ‘Veer Zara’ in Germany.

“It was a special screening. Tom Cruise was staying in the same hotel where the screening took place. When someone from the hotel said, ‘Oh! it’s Tom Cruise’, the crowd shouted, ‘No, we have come for Shah Rukh Khan’. That is the amount of love people have for Indian cinema abroad,” she said.

Shying away from going the whole hog, the film teeters on morality lessons and making the female protagonist have her way as she propagates safe sex so that unwanted pregnancies don’t cause health

Only a few months back, another film, ‘Janhit Mein Jari’, had Nushratt Baruccha playing a similar character. Both films handle almost same old tiresome issues; men not being comfortable with protected sex, a female sales executive not revealing her job to her parents and family, who throw a fit when they do get to know what their favourite daughter or bahu is up to, plus of course, innumerable lessons on how these subjects are not to be spoken directly or straightforwardly, and so on.

In a scene where her jethani (Prachee Shah) falls ill as a result of

a number of miscarriages, the family dares not utter a word to the chauvinistic husband (Rajesh Tailang) about the mishap. He seems educated but has his way when it comes to fulfilling his sexual desires unguarded. The film does touch upon some relevant and oft-repeated dilemmas confronting married women in most middle-class families. The film thus becomes a tad boring and repetitive. What keeps your interest alive is its lead, Rakul Preet, who tries to infuse energy and at times sensitivity to her lines. She gets just the support she needs from Vyas, who never lets us down. Both complement each other and make the most of the stereotypical situations with their earnestness. But as I said earlier, both get restricted because of the predictable script.

The cinematography is passable and there’s nothing to write home about the film’s music.

If you are on a holiday and have nothing better to do, you could watch this less-than-two-hour social/family drama, if you please!

‘Serious prejudice’: SC protects Leena Manimekalai from arrest over Goddess Kali poster

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to filmmaker Leena Manimekalai in multiple FIRs lodged against her for depicting Hindu goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette in a poster of her documentary. A bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and P.S. Narasimha said: “At this stage, prima facie, it appears that the institution of FIRs in multiple states would be a matter of serious prejudice to the petitioner. We are inclined to issue notice so that all the FIRs shall be consolidated in one and the same place in accordance with law.”

Advocate Kamini Jaiswal, assisted by advocate Indira Unninayar, represented Manimekalai in the apex court. She said that FIRs have been filed against the petitioner arising out of the short film in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi.

“As a result, it has been submitted that the petitioner is likely to be subjected to coercive proceedings arising out of the same film in diverse states. Moreover, a look out circular has been issued against the petitioner in Bhopal. The FIRs to which reference has been... are those which are within the knowledge of the petitioner,” noted the bench, in its order.

The bench said pending further orders, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner either on the basis of the FIRs which have been instituted against her, or pursuant to any other FIR which may have been lodged or may be lodged hereafter in respect of the same film.

“Issue notice returnable on 20 February 2023,” it said.

The petitioner sought a direction to quash all the FIRs registered against the filmmaker in various states over the poster of her documentary titled “Kaali”.

The plea filed by Manimekalai said: “She is also aggrieved that instead of taking action against

the dangerous cyber violence that she faced thereafter, the State has targeted its actions against her. Such State action is violative of her rights to creative interpretation as a film-maker under Article 19(1) of the Indian Constitution. It is also violative of her rights to life, liberty and reputation, and, safety and safe passage under Articles 21 r/w 19(1).”

The plea added that petitioner and her family are concerned that she is not in a position to return to India from Canada where she is presently staying, given the danger to her life and personal liberty - at the hands of the state on the one hand, and vigilantes on the other.

Neeru Bajwa never wanted to get married, thought she would stay single forever

asked them to ‘enjoy their success’ and ‘stay away from politics’ amid the roaring success of Shah Rukh Khan’s latest release ‘Pathaan’.

Kangana wrote: “Bollywood walon yeh narrative banane ki koshish mat karna ki iss desh mein tum Hindu hate se suffer kar rahe ho, agar maine phir se yeh word suna

over hate’ toh tum logon ki wahi class lagegi jo kal lagi thi. Enjoy

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