Indian Abroad: May 1-15, 2022; Vol 2 Issue 6

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

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Federal election 2022: Macron’s re-election Climate change may still augurs well for world influence voters’ decision politics Pushpinder Oberoi: Torchbearer of Indian culture in the Antipodes - Page 13

Yatra Music enthrals audience during Vishu celebrations - Page 8

By Indian Abroad Newsdesk

Demolition of India’s constitutional values: Rahul- Page 14

Hyatt Centric brand debuts in the Indian capital - Page 21

The Federal election in Australia has, over the last few elections, seen the dominance of climate policy of various parties as a topic for heated debates and discussions and if statistics are anything to go by, in 2019 polls, climate change determined the pattern of voting for almost 13 % of Australian voters. But this time around, political debates seem to be more over such issues as leadership integrity, crisis management, economic considerations, particularly the cost of living and how it impacts the nation. More significantly, public concerns over matters related to climate change are increasing. A media report quotes the Lowy Institute findings showing that 60% of Australians now feel global warming is a significant and pressing problem. The same poll found that 55% of Australians favour that the government’s energy

policy should prioritise “reducing carbon emissions”.

However, in this election voters seem to be more likely to vote according to considerations of the government’s COVID-19 response and its economic performance.

Then the Morrison government’s tough stance against China may win his party some votes in some electorates, whereas in others with high Chinese voter numbers, his party may find it a tight rope walk to win votes. But the climate change issue might still influence voters, especially due to recent events such as the wild fires of two years ago and catastrophic floods since February this year.

Analysts have said, as quoted in some media reports that about 25 electorates will in all probability determine the next government.

Significantly, seven of these seats were hard hit by the Black Summer

Continued on Page no. 4

A few key issues facing election this year

By Indian Abroad Newsdesk French Presidential elections have always been of utmost significance in world history for various reasons; more so was this year’s election which in the end Emanuel Macron won quite comfortably. Macron’s last tenure as the President has been a mixed bag with his country embroiled in yellow vest movement and then came the pandemic which further added to the discontentment of French people regarding the handling of Covid-19 by his government.

But when it came to choosing between a centrist Macron and a rightwing politician in Marine Le Pen, the voters have once again reposed their faith in the incumbent, rather than go for a rightist ideology.

With Russia-Ukraine war showing no signs of waning anytime soon, the role of the European Union in reining in Russia by assisting Ukraine militarily, through arms and

Continued on Page no. 4

SL President agrees to interim govt without brother as PM

Shakespeare’s hometown on his 458th birth anniversary - Page 23

Creating diamonds out of thin air - Page 25

Why Cica is the answer to your skincare woes? - Page 26

By Indian Abroad Newsdesk There are other issues which the political parties vying for power will have to address during their campaigning for the Federal election of 2022. Some of the key issues that the voters want the politicians to address or are needed to be adequately addressed have to do with healthcare costs, cost of living in general, wage growth and maintaining low unemployment rates.

Healthcare costs One issue which the major political parties have not yet addressed adequately is the issue of rising healthcare costs in the country. A major consumer survey conducted recently found 30% of people afflicted with chronic conditions were not confident they could

afford necessary health care if they became seriously ill; 14% were of the view that they could not pay for health care or medicine because of a shortage of money. This implied that out-of-pocket healthcare costs which were not covered by Medicare or private health insurance were increasing.

Media reports quoting the survey showed that only 35.1% of specialist consultations were bulk billed in 2020-21 compared with 88.8% of GP services. The voters will surely want this issue to be addressed by candidates of political parties in the fray.

Cost of living matters Another survey by the ABC Vote

Continued on Page no. 4

financially would go a long way in bringing back sanity and stability to the economic prospects in Europe.

Macron being a key voice in the European Union, he has a more vital role to play in the politics of the continent.

Therefore, as the newswire Associated Press reports, Russia's war in Ukraine provided Macron with the chance to exhibit his influence on the international stage and highlight his pro-NATO credentials in election debates. Macron was the only front-runner who was in favour of the NATO alliance growing in stature internationally, while other French candidates in the fray held on to divergent views on what ought to be France's role within it, including some leaders favouring abandoning it completely. It will be an understatement to put forth the view that Macron’s victory will pave the way for a stronger NATO which has an important role to protect the

Colombo, April 29 (IANS) To end the current political deadlock, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to form an interim, all-party government with a fresh cabinet, dropping his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, former President Maithripala Sirisena announced on Friday.

Sirisena, who met President

Rajapaksa, along with representatives of 11 political parties who supported Rajapaksa to come to power but decided to stand independent following the recent political crisis, informed the media of the development.

The 11 parties which had insisted on removing PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and the cabinet as a solution to the ongoing political impasse, had also demanded that Friday's meeting could only be with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa but not with anyone else.

According to Sirsena, appointment of a new PM and the Cabinet of the interim government is to be done by the national Assembly consisting of the leaders of all political parties.

"President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is ready to form an interim government, if all the political parties represented in Parliament agree to do so," he said.

At Friday's discussion, the President has also agreed to establish a National Council, of a Prime Minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Inspector General of Police, Attorney General, and the Ministry Secretaries.

Pakistan should not comment on Modi’s J&K visit: MEA New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu and Kashmir.

The MEA's response came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had termed Modi's recent visit to Jammu as "staged".

"I do not understand the word 'staged' that Shehbaz Sharif used.

Everyone knows about the changes in J&K. It means they are trying to present a view that the visit did not take place. Pakistan has no locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan commenting on this matter is wrong," MEA spokesperson Arndam Bagchi said.

He also said that Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome in J&K on April 24 and therefore Pakistan's statement on the PM's visit was absolutely inappropriate.

On whether the Russia-Ukraine war will be discussed during Modi's visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 2-4, Bagchi said. "We would have to wait and see how it goes; it is early for us to say anything as of now.

China permits Indian students to return New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) China has allowed the return of Indian students to its various universities on a "need-assessed basis", according to the Indian Embassy in China.

According to the Embassy, following the meeting of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on March 25, the Chinese side has expressed its willingness to consider facilitating the return of Indian students. In order to facilitate this, the Indian Embassy intends to prepare a list of such students which will be shared with the Chinese side for their consideration.

The embassy has come up with a form and requested Indian students to fill out citing their necessity.

Once the collated information is shared with the Chinese side, it would consult relevant Chinese departments and varsities to verify the list and indicate whether the identified students can travel to China to complete the course.

The Chinese side has also conveyed that eligible students should unconditionally abide by Covid-19 prevention measures, and agree to bear all expenses related to Covid-19 prevention measures by themselves.

Over 23,000 Indian students, primarily studying medicines, are stuck back home due to Covid-19 visas and flight bans by China in attempt to control Covid-19.

Ranbir Kapoor returns to work after marrying Alia Bhatt - Page 30

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Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

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Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

War in Ukraine Risk of nuke war is real: Russia’s Lavrov

Moscow, April 26 (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the risk of a nuclear war is real and should not be underestimated.

He made the remarks in an interview on Monday with Russia's Channel One TV. Lavrov reiterated that in January, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council made a statement on the inadmissibility of a nuclear war, reports TASS News Agency.

"This is our principled position, we are guided by this, and of course I would not want to see these risks artificially inflated now, when the risks are rather significant," the Foreign Minister said, stressing that there are many who want to do this.

"The danger is serious, it is real, it should not be underestimated," Lavrov said.

He noted that during the administration of former US President Donald Trump, Russia had sought the

confirmation of the 1987 statement from Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, the then leaders of the Soviet Union and America, that "a nuclear war was inadmissible".

"Regretfully, we failed to convince our colleagues of the necessity of this move, but we agreed very quickly with the administration of (US President Joe) Biden, and our Presidents made this statement during the Geneva summit last June," TASS quoted the Minister as saying.

In the interview, Lavrov also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of "pretending" to negotiate, calling him "a good actor", the BBC reported.

"If you watch attentively and read attentively what he says, you'll find a thousand contradictions."

He also alleged that since Western has delivered weapons to Ukraine in the wake of Russia's war, the NATO alliance was "in essence engaged in war with Russia".

"These weapons will be a legitimate target for Russia's military acting within the context of the special operation. NATO, in essence, is engaged in a war with Russia through a proxy and is arming that proxy. War means war."

Russia expels 40 German diplomats in retaliatory move

Moscow, April 26 (IANS) Russia has declared 40 German diplomats "personae non gratae" in a tit-for-tat

move, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced. The Ministry summoned German Ambassador to

Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr on Monday in protest over Berlin's decision to declare 40 Russian diplomats working in Germany "personae non gratae" earlier in April, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Ministry called Germany's motives behind the expulsion of the Russian diplomats "unacceptable", and informed the Ambassador that 40 German diplomats would be declared "personae non grata" in a symmetrical response.

Responding to Russia's move, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that it was "expected" but was "in no way justified".

She said the Russian diplomats previously expelled by Germany "did not serve diplomacy for a single day" while those expelled by Russia had "not done anything wrong".

Putin, UN chief meet to discuss Ukraine

Iran doesn’t recognise ‘unilateral sanctions’ against Russia: Ministry Tehran, April 26 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh has said Iran does not recognise "unilateral sanctions" against Russia, official news agency IRNA reported.

As a country targeted with unilateral sanctions for many years, Iran cannot recognise such similar sanctions and embargoes against other countries, Khatibzadeh added on Monday at a weekly press conference.

Stressing that Iran is not a proponent of war, he urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Iranian Spokesman also said the US invaded Iraq "on the basis of a lie" but no country sanctioned Washington.

"The United States cannot be the police, the judge, the jury, and everything in the world," the Spokesman added.

Moscow, April 27 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin met with visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Kremlin to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

Putin told Guterres on Tuesday that the Ukrainian issue arose after the 2014 "unconstitutional coup" in Kiev and people in Donbas remained under blockade and military pressure even after the Minsk agreements on a peaceful settlement were reached, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Russian President, the Donbas "republics" have the right to declare their sovereignty and Russia has the right to recognise their independence and provide them with military assistance in full accordance with the UN Charter.

"Despite the ongoing military operation, we still hope that we will be able to reach agreements on the diplomatic track. We are negotiating and we do not refuse them," he said.

The UN chief proposed creating a contact group where the UN, Russia and Ukraine can discuss the situation together so that the humanitarian corridors are truly effective.

He said that to resolve the situation in Ukraine's Mariupol, the UN is ready to fully mobilise its logistical capabilities and human resources, working together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces.

Guterres also added that the UN is ready in two or three days, together

with the ICRC, to assess the situation at the Azovstal plant in order to evacuate civilians from there.

In response, Putin denied reports that Russian humanitarian corridors are not working and stressed that 130,000 to 140,000 people have left Mariupol with the assistance of Russia and they are free to go anywhere.

The Russian President also offered an opportunity to UN and ICRC representatives to have a look at how Russia treats Ukrainian war prisoners.

Before his trip to Moscow, the UN chief met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the capital Ankara. Guterres will travel to Ukraine following talks with Putin.

Kiev, April 29 (IANS) Ukraine has carried out its latest prisoner exchange with Russia which brought back 45 people, including five injured soldiers, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced here.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Minister said the 45 people comprised 13 officers, 20 soldiers and 12 civilians.

On April 19, Ukrainian authorities rescued 76 people, of which 60 were Armed Forces personnel, while the rest were civilians.

On April 14, there was a 30-for-30 prisoner-of-war exchange and on April 1, Ukraine held an "86-for-86" exchange, 15 of them were women, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

On March 24, Ukrainian authorities carried out a 10-for-10 exchange of prisoners of war.

Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities had also exchanged nine Russian conscripts for the captured mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was abducted on 11 March.

It is also known that exchanges have

been carried out upon the decision of the military leadership.

In particular, at the beginning of the war, a Russian commander captured in Sumy region was exchanged for five fighters of the Territorial Defence Forces on March 1.

On April 15, in Kherson rgion, the military command exchanged 5 Ukrainian soldiers for four captured Russian troops.

Ukraine seeks to seize Russia’s Ukraine carries out latest prisassets for post-war recovery: PM oner exchange with Russia Kiev, April 29 (IANS) Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said his country is willing to seize Russian assets to finance Kiev's post-war recovery.

"The funds of the Russian government and oligarchs will be one of the main sources for filling the Fund for the Reconstruction of our country," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine is in talks with G7 countries over the seizure of Russia's assets, Shmyhal said, adding that Canada has already prepared legislation for such actions, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, Shmyhal said that his cabinet has set up a recovery fund for Ukraine's long-term reconstruction and estimated that the country's full-scale recovery will cost around $600 billion.

Russia has over $600 billion worth of foreign currency reserves held in dollars, gold and other currencies, with about half of them believed to be frozen by the restrictions imposed by Western governments on its central bank.

The head of Russia's central bank has said it was preparing to take legal action to challenge the freeze.

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Federal election 2022: Macron’s re-election Climate change may still augurs well for world influence voters’ decision politics fires and the floods this year. Five of them are marginal seats held by the Australian Labor Party – Dobell, Eden-Monaro, Macquarie and Gilmore in New South Wales, and Lilley in Queensland. When it comes to voters casting their votes considering climate change matters, their voting decisions are influenced by several factors. These factors have to do with their personal experience of disaster and how they were able to recover from the ravages; their perception of Scott Morrison’s leadership on the matter; the government’s policy and the extent of effective implementation in reducing emissions, power prices and energy security; and the rival parties’ own credibility in matters related to active participation in addressing the consequences of climate change and how to stop its further deterioration.

Studies have shown mixed evidence on how extreme weather influences voters’ decisions. Some studies have found that parties with greener policies benefit, other studies find voters will look for economic security after a disaster.

Another of the several important matters more likely to affect voters’ decision is the short-term national emissions target. While the Coalition is for a 26-28% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030, Labor is targeting a 43% cut in the same period. The

Greens and independents are looking for more emission cuts, and would want to frame laws on their targets. Moreover, while the Coalition has no renewable energy target, Labor has promised renewables will comprise 82% of the national grid by 2030. However, this will require provisions for funding in the federal budget, which is so far not sufficient.

In the wake of Australia looking forward to repairing its international reputation, Labor is also offering to host a future United Nations climate conference, which is a chance to showcase to the world the host nation’s commitment to address climate change matters domestically.

Experts feel Australia also needs to work towards reducing its contribution to global carbon footprint which major parties generally shy away from mentioning during their election campaigns.

By and large, if the recently released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is anything to go by, then what it says quite emphatically is that extreme events will inevitably intensify and require more, and better coordinated, responses. This implies that climate change, particularly the effects of global warming, may well continue to shape Australia’s political landscape.

A few key issues facing Aussie election this year Compass found recently that cost of living is voters’ second biggest concern, after climate change. For about 13% of voters the cost of living is the most important concern, staying ahead of other matters such as accountability, defence, health, education and Covid. This is because prices are rising with the official inflation rate for December being at an annual rate of 3.5%. The inflation rate is likely to rise even further due to hike in prices of petrol and food.

It will necessitate the Reserve Bank to raise interest rates adversely affecting the living standards of Australians on mortgages. This could have an impact on election as the government will find it difficult to explain to the voters what it is likely to do to address the issue of rising cost of living. The Labor party may benefit as it has made the cost of living a key plank of its election campaign. But the voters may repose their faith in the incumbent given the uncertain times ahead in economic matters.

Wage growth need of the hour With rising inflation, wage growth becomes an even more important

issue requiring immediate attention.

To date wage growth has been languishing at a low rate making it more difficult for the people to maintain their living standards in the midst of inflation. This issue, therefore, requires addressing.

Falling unemployment due to government initiative However, one thing that goes hugely in favour of the Coalition is that very low interest rates and massive government stimulus, which were originally planned and implemented to address the issue of maintaining people in jobs during Covid, and was subsequently continued beyond the high point of Covid lockdowns and these measures have led to an unemployment rate that is close to 4% and said to be the lowest since November 1974. The unemployment rate in April may further decline to around 3.75%. The Coalition may take full credit for the falling unemployment rates in the country. The unemployment rate must remain at low levels though it is going to be tough in case the Reserve Bank seeks to raise interest rates to control inflation.

interests of its member countries even as the horrific memories of Cold war are back with Russia making an attempt to re-establish its hegemony of the Soviet Union days.

Macron’s coming back to power is the need of the hour considering the increasing dominance of right wing leaders across the world.

Then, as Associated Press reports, observers opine that the re-election of Macron would pave the way for a real possibility for increased cooperation and investment in European security and defence, especially with a new pro-EU German government in place.

Furthermore, traditionally the US and France have been allies and the recent Russia-Ukraine war has brought the two nations closer in matters relate to imposing sanctions

Casino industry lure: Other states want to copy Goa’s ‘original’ sin, says Minister

on Russia. In this international context, the US needs a reliable and strong partner like France to stand by it. Last year witnessed a low in US-France relations, but now with President Joe Biden at the helm in US, both the countries are together on many international issues.

Another issue that will be closely watched now that Macron is at the helm relates to the huge migrant influx into Europe since last year and what stand France takes on this issue. While Macron is expected to take a softer stance, his competitors in the election Le Pen or Zemmour would have framed tougher policies than Macron if they had emerged winners taking such measures as reducing social allocations to nonFrench citizens and capping the number of asylum seekers.

This year’s Amarnath Yatra will be a blockbuster event

Srinagar, April 28 (IANS) After two years of postponement, the Amarnathji Yatra is expected to be the party of the year in the lap of the Himalayas.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration is anticipating six to eight lakh pilgrims, who will trek through the Himalayas in south Kashmir to catch a glimpse of the momentary stay of Lord Shiva in the form of an ice Lingam.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is personally supervising all the Yatra arrangements.

The pilgrimage will begin on June 30 and continue for 43 days till August 11, the day of Raksha Bandhan, as per tradition.

This year it will be a historic pilgrimage with top-notch facilities in place -- safe drinking water, lodging, sanitation, skywalks, spiritual theme parks -- and the administration is ready for all challenges.

With the help of the leadership at the Centre and the enterprising youth of the state, JKUT has signed investment proposals worth Rs 52,088 crore in one year.

In the past six months, 80 lakh tourists visited the Valley, a number that

suggests people have started feeling secure and welcome in the Union Territory. Rather than "negotiating" for peace, the UT administration has uprooted the very eco-system of terrorism.

This historic Yatra is the best representation of the composite culture of Kashmir that extremists do not want to popularise in the media. Every year the pilgrimage is welcomed with open arms in the Valley and the Kashmiris have always had their doors and hearts open towards the travellers. Their generosity and hospitability are well-known.

With a five-tier security cover in place, recently upgraded roads, 75 new tourist destinations, and renovation of religious and historic structures in Kashmir, the UT administration is hoping to retain at least half of the Yatris for an extra 3-4 days' stay in the Valley.

The pilgrimage will give people across the nation a chance to experience heaven in its best phase in three decades. The Naya Kashmir has much to offer and an organic narrative from the Yatris will help spread the word to the rest of the country.

Panaji, April 29 (IANS) Other Indian states now want to commit the same sin Goa committed and are trying to replicate a casino industry, because it is revenue earning, state Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has said. "Other states are also trying it. That means what Goa did in the past and which they thought was a big sin, now other states also want to commit the same sin because it is earning revenue. Everybody gambles. Why gamble in hiding, do it openly in the casino," Godinho told reporters here.

The Transport Minister also said that the casino industry is intrinsically linked to the state's tourism sector and was responsible for a significant spill over effect on the other sectors.

"As you know today in Goa, the casino industry has become one of the main revenue earners. Your flights are coming full, so it is

income for the airlines, your hotels are going full, your taxi fellows are able to hire the taxis for people who come to naturally gamble and enjoy entertainment part of it on these casino ships," Godinho said.

"I consider it as an integral part as far as tourism is concerned. Maybe people used to view it differently in the past, but now there are other states vying to do similar things.

I know at least another two states which are now trying to put up casinos, because they have seen in Goa how the economic wheels are running related to (the) tourism industry with casinos becoming a reality," the Goa Minister also said.

The state has around six operational offshore casinos parked in the Mandovi river off Panaji, while around 10 onshore casinos function from the numerous resorts dotting the state.

Taliban face rising armed resistance from former govt forces Kabul, April 29 (IANS) Factions of the fallen Afghan republic are claiming attacks on the Taliban in many provinces in what seems to be an uncoordinated spring offensive, media reports said.

Those groups are tapping into vast reserves of potential guerrilla fighters from among the hundreds of thousands of Western-trained security forces that served the former government but lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year, RFE/RL reported.

Former leaders of the West-backed republic hope the rebellion will eventually turn into a national uprising against what they view as Taliban rule that has repressed women and alienated ethnic and religious minorities.

They are also banking on attracting help from Afghanistan's weary neighbours and global powers concerned by the return of terrorist groups to the country, which is

already reeling from rising violence by the radical Islamic StateKhorasan (IS-K).

The Taliban, however, consider the resistance small and insignificant.

"There is nothing that has improved since the Taliban seized power," said a former official of the Afghan Foreign Ministry close to the emerging resistance, requesting anonymity because of security fears.

"I am sure we will see a much bigger uprising against the Taliban," he added, RFE/RL reported.

One of the most visible anti-Taliban groups is the National Resistance Front led by Ahmad Masud, son of Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Masud who successfully prevented the Taliban from overrunning Afghanistan until he was killed

by Al-Qaeda assassins two days before the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001, the report said.

Skeletons found in Ajnala belong to Visitors to Fiji no longer need Covid tests Gangetic plain martyrs of 1857: Study

Hyderabad, April 28 (IANS) Human skeletons found in Ajnala town of Punjab eight years ago belonged to residents of the Gangetic plain region, killed in 1857, according to a study.

Dr J.S. Sehrawat, anthropologist from Panjab University, collaborated with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, the Birbal Sahni Institute, Lucknow, and the Banaras

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Hindu University (BHU) to establish the roots of these martyrs using DNA and isotope analyses.

The study was published on April 28 in journal 'Frontiers in Genetics'.

Researchers have used 50 samples for DNA analysis and 85 specimens for isotope analysis.

A large number of human skeletons were excavated from an old well in Ajnala town in early 2014. Some historians believe that these skeletons belong to the people who were killed in riots during the Partition of India and Pakistan. The other prevailing belief, based on various historical sources, is that these are skeletons of the Indian soldiers killed by the British during the 1857 revolt "DNA analysis helps understanding ancestry of people, and isotope analysis sheds light on food habits.

Both the research methods supported that the human skeletons found in the well were not of people living in Punjab or Pakistan. Rather, DNA sequences matched with the people from UP, Bihar, and West Bengal," said Dr K. Thangaraj, Chief Scientist, CCMB, Director, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, and a senior member of

this team.

The results from this research are consistent with the historical evidence that the 26th Native Bengal Infantry Battalion consisted of people from the eastern part of Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh," stated Dr Sehrawat, the first author of this study.

As per historical records, soldiers from this battalion were posted at Mian-Mir, (now in Pakistan) and killed British officers in a revolt.

Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Department of Zoology, BHU, who played a crucial role in the DNA study, stressed that the findings of this study would add a significant chapter in the history of the unsung heroes of India's first freedom struggle.

"Ancient DNA study is a powerful tool not only to understand our past and also help us in understanding historical perspective. He further said that CCMB plans to take up a large-scale ancient DNA study, which would unravel several historical and pre-historical facts," said Dr Vinay Nandicoori, Director, CCMB.

Suva, April 29 (IANS) Effective from May 1, all fully vaccinated visitors to Fiji will no longer be required to produce a pre-arrival negative Covid-19 test prior to entry, a move that reduces costs and lends greater convenience to those travelling to the country, a government statement said on Friday.

The change applies to all visitors entering Fiji by air or sea who were previously required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to their arrival, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Fijian government said that this step is in line with best practice for entry requirements among highly vaccinated societies and follows countries such as Australia and Singapore who have also removed Covid-19 testing as an entry prerequisite.

The requirement to book an in-country pre-Covid RAT test, prior to departing for Fiji remains.

The test must be done within 48-72 hours of arrival.

Commencing May 1, the vaccination requirement for entry into Fiji has also been widened. All visitors above the age of 16 years must now display proof of full COVID-19 vaccination prior to entering the country.

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The lowering of the age requirement for the vaccine prerequisite comes as more children globally are granted access to vaccines.

Fiji's key visitor markets have considerably high coverage of vaccination among those below the 18-year age threshold.

The government said that requiring that all tourists aged 16 years and above provide proof of vaccination prior to visits to Fiji further reduces the risk of community transmission of Covid and allows the island nation to capture a greater percentage of the fully vaccinated tourism market. All other existing conditions for entry remain applicable.

These moves follow Fiji's continued effort to strengthen its in-country testing program and wider community surveillance efforts designed to ensure the safety of visitors and Fijians alike.

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The Covid-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce will continue to review Fiji's entry requirements and safe measures, with a focus on strengthening community surveillance and the robustness of the in-country testing digital platform, supplemented by the already high vaccination rates.

There have been no admissions of Covid-19 positive people to hospitals or deaths in the last four days even though there have been 21 new cases recorded this week, according to Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong in the latest update.

Fiji, which has a population of around 900,000, reported its first confirmed Covid-19 cases in March 2020. It was hit by the second wave in April last year.

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LATA MODI LEAD STORIES COLUMN

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi • • •

TRADITIONAL PUNJABI CHICKEN CURRY

Two tea spoon coriander Two tea spoon cumin powder Fresh coriander chopped for garnishing

STEP ONE MARINATE • Cut the chicken and wash it.

• Now In a big mixing bowl put chicken, add garlic ginger paste, yogurt, two table spoon oil lemon juice and salt to taste • Cover and keep it aside for at least an hour or two

MRS. LATA MODI

H

ello friends, I have always wondered if someone did not eat chicken or meat, how can they cook it so tasty.

My Mum and my grandmother were both strictly vegetarian women, but they both cooked chicken and goat meat for their husbands and kids. Without tasting the dish, how did they always have the perfect amount of spices, I wondered. Now my best friend here in Australia does the same. She is a brahmin, a strictly vegetarian person.

She is married to a very nice Australian gentleman, who likes his meat. And my friend cooks it to perfection, without tasting the final product. My utmost respect

to these women master chefs. The dish we are cooking today is not my mother’s or grandmother’s recipe. Today we are cooking my dad’s very special chicken curry which he cooked on weekends for the family. He had this portable stove and the biggest saucepan I remember, as the number of family was 11, therefore the chicken will be like 4-5 kilos. This recipe is very basic but very tasty.

The trick to this curry is frying the chicken with spices. The more you fry, the tastier it becomes.

Hope you all like the recipe. This recipe is nearly 60 years old, still fresh in my mind. Happy cooking everyone.

PUNJABI CHICKEN CURRY INGREDIENTS: For 4 people • One kilo chicken boneless (cut in to bite sized pieces) • One onion thinly sliced • Two onions fine chopped or put through blender • 10-15 cloves garlic • One inch piece ginger peeled and made into paste

Dubai food festival 2022 all set to tantalise taste buds

WHOLE MASALA • Three bay leaf • Four green cardamom whole • One big black cardamom whole • One small piece cinnamon stick • Four cloves • One cup yogurt • Three fresh green chillies • Two big lemon’s juice • Two big fresh tomatoes grated or blended in mixer jar • Oil for frying onions • One tea spoon turmeric powder

STEP TWO • In a big wok, heat oil and fry the whole spices for 10 seconds • Now add sliced onion and fry a bit • Now add onion paste and fry on medium heat until golden brown • Add tomatoes and chopped chilies and stir for couple of minutes • Now add chicken pieces, leave the marinated chicken in the bowl for now • We have to keep frying the chicken on medium heat until it’s nearly cooked • Now add all the spices and the left over marinade • Keep frying these for another five to seven minutes • Lower the heat, cover and cook until chicken is tender • Transfer into a serving bowl • Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves • Serve with soft rotis or basmati rice

Indian Accent To Open In Mumbai

From 2 may - 15 may DFF will showcase the best homegrown cuisine and concepts created by Dubai’s local food heroes The Dubai Food Festival (DFF), is back! Celebrating Dubai’s global gastronomy status, the 14-day, citywide festival will showcase Dubai’s most exciting culinary offerings.

In its ninth edition, this year’s festival will take guests on an immersive tour of a city home to more than 200 nationalities and renowned for its rich culinary diversity. DFF will showcase the best authentic homegrown cuisine and concepts created by Dubai’s local food heroes, as well as world-acclaimed fine dining restaurants, experiences and masterclasses by leading chefs with views of iconic locations.

Festival favourites, Dubai Restaurant Week and Foodie Experiences will once again headline DFF with exclusive dining experiences.

menus starting from AED150 per person or 2-course lunch menus starting from AED95. Diners in the city will be able to enjoy irresistible dishes using the freshest ingredients – all at an attractive price that saves customers up to 50 per cent when dining out.

This year’s DRW welcomes some of the city's most recognised restaurants, including some of those listed in MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 such as LOWE, Reif Japanese Kushiyaki and Indochine, as well as hotspots that have launched in 2021/22 such as 11 Woodfire and Tamoka. Diners will also be able to enjoy restaurants with iconic views and global names at special DRW prices, including 99 Sushi Bar and Restaurant, Hutong and Inti, to name a few.

Dubai Restaurant Week (6 - 15 May) In partnership with 40 of the city’s best restaurants, Dubai Restaurant Week (DRW) returns on 6 May with specially curated 3-course dinner

Foodie Experiences (2 - 15 May) Those looking for unique, oneof-a-kind food adventures, DFF will welcome the return of Foodie

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Experiences, which will run for the entire duration of DFF (2-15 May) and feature a curated series of prominent chef tables, masterclasses, culinary collaborations as well as out-of-the-box experiential dining concepts.

Highlights for this edition include a sushi-making class with Chef Tatsu at 1004 Gourmet, multi-course menus from would-be-food-waste scraps at Lowe, as well as a Paella Masterclass at Suq Restaurant (Four Seasons), among others.

DFF will also be celebrating Eid Al Fitr with Eid Big Breakfast - which will offer authentic breakfast experiences for both dine-in and delivery, and cater for various nationalities and cultures across the city.

There will also be one-time-only promotions in malls across the city up for grabs and new to DFF 2022, residents will be able to identify their favourite Hidden Gem restaurants in the city with DFF’s Social Eats Competition, to be in with a chance of winning!

The kitchen will be led by Executive Chef Shantanu Mehrotra India's most awarded restaurant, Indian Accent will open its door to Mumbaikars. EHV has signed an agreement with Reliance Industries Limited to open the restaurant by the end of the year. It will be housed in a lovely space overlooking the fountains at Dhirubhai Ambani Square at Jio World Centre in the Bandra Kurla Complex.

The kitchen at Indian Accent Mumbai will be led by Executive Chef Shantanu Mehrotra, who has been the Executive Chef at Indian Accent in New Delhi since its inception under the direction of Chef Manish Mehrotra, who created the Indian Accent menu and has been promoted to Culinary Director. Rijul Gulati will be the Head Chef, and the bar programme will be led by Varun

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Sharma, who runs the award-winning bar at EHV's other restaurant, Comorin. The General Manager of Indian Accent has yet to be named and will report to the Operations Director, Nitin Mathur.

Restaurateur Rohit Khattar, Chairman EHV says, “For many years we have explored locations in Mumbai for Indian Accent and our search has ended at the spectacular Jio World Centre, the new epicenter of Mumbai. Indian Accent has a very loyal clientele of discerning guests from Mumbai. So we are particularly thrilled to be able to bring the Indian Accent experience to this vibrant city and look forward to it embracing us as warmly as New Delhi and New York have.”

Russell Sage Studio, based in

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London, designed the restaurant’s interiors in collaboration with EHV’s Design Director Rohini Kapur. The local architects were Incubis Consultants, and the project was overseen by EHV’s Director Development Vikas Bhasin. Indian Accent, Mumbai will seat 80 people, with two private dining rooms designed in the style of Mumbai’s Art Deco movement.

This follows the announcement of EHV’s upcoming New York restaurant, Koloman, helmed by Chef Markus Glocker, as well as a collaboration with Chef David Thompson for Thai restaurants in India.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

TAG to celebrate Ugadi and Rama Navami Telugu Association of Gold Coast (TAG) is organizing the celebration of Ugadiand Sri Rama NavamiSambaralu – 2022. The

celebrations are scheduled to be held at Robina Community Centre, 196 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robinaon 1st of May 2022.

Yatra Music enthrals audience during Vishu celebrations Yatra Music, a performing arts passion project of Sudha Manian Sitar and her network of dedicated sitar students performed recently for Vishu which was organized by Organization of Hindu Malayalees Queensland (OHM Queensland).

Vishu is a cultural festival, traditionally connected to Malayali new year, which is celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, Mangalore, Udupi region in Karnataka, and some other areas of South India. The OHM Queensland was formed in 2012 with the far sighted motivation and vision from Kerala Hindu culture.

The OHM Queensland is registered with Multicultural Queensland as a non-profitable incorporated organization. The organization provides a platform for all Hindus in Queensland to get together every month without any caste, political or social divisions.

The members are dedicated to educate the Hindu culture to the younger generation.

ICSC Vollyball Shooting team lifts trophy The ICSC Vollyball Shooting team lifted the Vollyball Shooting trophy at the 34th Sikh Games at Coffs Harbour.

The organizers of the Games received appreciation for organizing a very successful event. It has been announced that the 35th Sikh Games will be organized in Brisbane.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

ICCR announces global competition in classical Indian music and dances

Vishu celebrated The Acting Consul General inaugurated and participated in the Vishu (Baisakhi) celebration recently with

Samskruthi Perth and Malayali community by lighting a lamp.

In a bid to recognize the unique and deep association of various citizens from other countries with India and its culture, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has taken the initiative of organizing the Pratibha Sangam Competition which is the first ever global competition organized by it. The performers will be from around the world in the categories of classical Indian music and dances. This competition will be judged by a jury drawn from among the leading exponents of these performing arts in India.

The competition is open to the citizens of Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands,

Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Teheran, Thailand , Trinidad & Tobago, UK, USA, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. However, this Competition is not open for NRIs and PIOs. The competition started on 16th April, 2022.

The participants must be of minimum age of 20 years and maximum age of 35 Years.The cut- off date for determining minimum and maximum age limit is 31 January 2022.

The ICCR is the cultural arm of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India . It has been actively promoting Indian culture outside India through its 37 Indian cultural centers functioning outside India and the Indian diaspora.

Ram Navami celebrated

Coffs Harbour Desi Mela 2022

Brisbane Telangana Association celebrated Ram Navami on 23 April.

The celebrations were marked by

the rendition of Ram bhajan by Smita Nagpurkar, and other devotional songs.

Desi Rocks Productions and Sikh Games presented Desi Mela 2022 at Coffs Harbour on 16th April.

Performances by Harjit Harman, Sarbjit Cheema and Sajjan Adeeb, who performed live at the event, were among the main sources of entertainment.

Queensland Tamil Mandram holds first river event of this year Queensland Tamil Mandram’s first Tamil river event of 2022 was organized on the 27th day of Panguni.

The northern part of Brisbane saw a community get-together in an open space.

Not only the northern part but also families from many parts of the city enjoyed a group-cooked meal savoured in the open. A program was organized on the occasion in which among other events, Rishi, a school student, shared with the attendees how the youngsters perceived the program “Dozhi Discrimination” which was held earlier. Another school student Tharuni shared with the attendees what youngster generally felt about the life of Malala, a right-to-education fighter in Afghanistan.

A special part of the program was the narration of the short stories of writer Thamaraichelvi, who is a resident of Queensland. Using these stories of Eelam Tamils on a variety of themes such as political, death, boat travel, life safety, etc. in Sri Lanka, comrades Rajinikanth and Vijita shared with other guests their reading experiences related to life.

The event was concluded with a discussion on writer Thamaraiselvi’s background of stories and her

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research studies of storytellers.

Also, comrade Saraswati shared with other guests about Shobha Shakti, who is considered the most important of Eelam Tamil writers, and about how these writers are instrumental in bringing about the social change of mind among Tamils.

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INDIA

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Plea in SC seeks nationwide India staring at power outban on Halal products age in multiple states

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a nation-wide ban on Halal certified products and also withdrawal of Halal certification.

The plea, by advocate Vibhor Anand, said: "That the present petition is being filed by the petitioner on behalf of 85 per cent citizens of the country for the enforcement of their fundamental rights provided under Article 14, 21 of the Constitution of India as the same are being infringed and violated. It is being

seen that for the sake of 15 per cent of the population, rest 85 per cent people are being forced to consume the Halal products against their will."

The plea said people who may not be comfortable with halal meat, or for people with religions where only jhatka meat is allowed, no longer have any choice in the matter.

The plea contended that because the acceptance of Halal certification by private organizations like Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and few others mean that the existing government

certification like ISI and FSSAI on consumer products are not enough.

"Because the Halal certification of products is discriminatory towards other communities and imposes a religious belief on the non-followers too," it alleged.

It said that by allowing the demand of one community of Halal certification by the private organisations gives rise to the apprehension to come up the other communities' demand for similar certification on the basis of their religious belief.

The plea contended that the Muslim minority, which is 15 per cent of the population, wants to consume 'Halal' meat, it is being forced upon the rest 85 per cent of the people.

"Now, this 'Halal' certification is not restricted to meat, but it has been extended to even food items, cosmetics, medicines, hospitals, housing societies and malls. It includes snacks, sweets, grains, oils, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, nail polish, lipsticks, etc," added the plea.

The plea urged the top court to issue direction to the Central government to declare all the certificates issued by various organisations as null and void and also direct the Centre to impose a ban on all products which have been Halal certified.

Judicial system should be Indianised; Process shouldn’t be like wedding mantras: CJI

Chennai, April 23 (IANS) The Indian justice delivery system should be Indianised for the benefit of the country's population, said Chief Justice of India N.V.Ramana on Saturday. He also said people should relate and understand the practices, procedures of the courts, the development of the case and efforts should be made towards that.

"It should not be like chanting of mantras in a wedding which most of us do not understand," Ramana said.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying function at the Madras High Court here, Ramana stated that Indian people look up to the judiciary in times of distress with a firm belief that their rights will be protected by the courts.

Ramana said it is necessary to contemplate on how to improve the functioning of the judiciary and reach out to the people to fulfill their judicial needs.

"This is precisely why I have been a strong proponent of Indianisation of the justice delivery system," he said.

According to him, Indianisation of the justice delivery system is a moulding of the judicial system for the benefit of Indian people and is a multi-dimensional concept.

"It calls for inclusivity, providing access to people to participate in the proceedings, removal of language

barriers, reforms in practice and procedure, development of infrastructure, filling up of vacancies, augmenting the strength of judiciary and so on," he said. He said a Judicial Infrastructure Authority both at the national and state level should be set up to implement a National Court Development Project.

"I have sent a comprehensive proposal to the Government of India.

It is pending with the Government," Ramana said. On the judicial vacancies, he said a proposal has been sent to the central government - to increase the sanctioned strength of judges and fill up the vacancies.

Another issue of Indianisation of the judicial system is the language used in the court.

The common citizen cannot relate to the practices, procedures of our courts. Efforts should be to make the general population an active part of the justice delivery process.

The people should understand the ongoing process and development of the case.

"It should not be like chanting of mantras in a wedding which most of us do not understand," Ramana said. On the demand for use of regional language in the High Courts as provided in the Constitution, Ramana said it has been debated several times. There were certain processes that prevented local languages from being adopted in the High Court proceedings. I am sure with the innovation in science and technology and the advancement such as artificial intelligence, some of the issues associated with the introduction of languages in the High Court may be solved in near future, he said.

The practice of law before

constitutional courts should be based on one's intelligence and understanding of law and not mere proficiency in language. It is time some decisions are taken on these issues after assessment of pros and cons.

Inclusivity is one of the dimensions of Indianisation. Any profession having representation from all classes and sections will be beneficial to all, he remarked.

A strong proponent of higher representation of women from all classes and at the levels in the judicial system Ramana also said inclusivity does not stop with that.

"The social and geographical diversity of a nation must find reflection at all levels of judiciary. Then people will feel it is their own judiciary. A judge with a rural background is better placed to appreciate issues concerning the rural population. A judge from the marginalised section can understand issues of marginalised section," he added.

On the demand for setting up of regional benches of the Supreme Court Ramana said he was not aware of the central government's views on the private member bill on the subject introduced by DMK MP P. Wilson.

He said in the same spirit of accessibility, in consultation with other judges in the Supreme Court, a decision has been taken to continue online hearing of miscellaneous cases. On non-miscellaneous cases an advocate can seek permission of the court to appear online.

"This will enable advocates from all over the country to continue their practice before the Supreme Court.

I hope this practice continues," Ramana said.

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Amid rising power demand in the country due to a continued heat wave, India is staring at an electricity crisis heightened by a coal shortage at over 150 power plants.

The coal stock position at the Central Election Authority (CEA) supervised 173 power plants stood at 21.93 million tonnes (MT), which, according to a Nomura report, is less than the regulatory requirement of 66.32 MT as on April 21.

Media reports have suggested that coal inventories had dipped to the lowest since 2014 at the beginning

Meghalaya govt’s ‘e-Proposal System’ wins UN Award

Shillong, April 24 (IANS) The Meghalaya government's Planning Department's key initiative of "e-Proposal System", wins the coveted UN Award - World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022, officials said on Saturday.

The "e-Proposal System", part of Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA), eliminates 75 per cent physical work of files in government departments.

An official of the state government said that Meghalaya was selected among the top 360 projects across the world.

Out of these, UN selects the top five in 18 categories and awards them as Champion Project.

Meghalaya has been selected by the UN as Champion Project in the category of - "The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of Information and

Security beefed up close to high-security Burail jail in Chandigarh Chandigarh, April 23 (IANS) Security was beefed up in Chandigarh on Saturday evening after suspicious material was found close to the high-security Burail Model Jail, close to border in Punjab's Mohali town.

"Suspicious activity was noted close to the Burail jail in Chandigarh. We reached the spot, some objectionable material was found. A bomb disposal team reached the spot.

Prima facie, a burnt codex wire and a detonator was found," Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep www.indianabroad.news www.indianabroad.news

of the financial year to nine days as against the Centre's mandated 24 days' worth of stocks.

While on one hand, the CEA daily coal report said that coal stock at 81 out of the 150 government owned power plants is critical, on the other is the increased power demand -- from 106.6 billion units (BU) in 2019, it increased to 124.2 BU in 2021 to 132 BU in 2022.

"There is a coal shortage and the situation still could have been salvaged, but the early heat has exponentially increased the power demand, widening the

demand-supply gap," said an official from the power sector.

States such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are witnessing powercuts amid low coal stocks.

Earlier on Friday, the Maharashtra government had declared that it is planning to import coal and acquire a coal mine from Chhattisgarh for power generation.

"Coal is not being supplied in the country as per demand, forcing us to consider alternatives to bridge the gap of around 3,500 MW-4,000 MW shortfall between the demand and supply," Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had told mediapersons in Mumbai.

Last week, the state Cabinet authorised the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd to purchase power from elsewhere to tide over the current crisis.

Pawar reiterated that insufficient coal is being supplied to various states by the Centre, and even Maharashtra is not getting the required quantities, though all efforts are being made to ensure smooth power supply and end the ongoing powercuts.

The coal shortage has further been accentuated due to shortage of railway rakes for coal supply of the power plants.

Communication Technologies for development," along with projects from Australia, China, Argentina and Tanzania.

One among these top five would be declared a Winning Project.

Meghalaya e-Proposal System is poised to win the winner award also, for which the award giving ceremony would be held on May 31 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The e-Proposal system now automates sanctions and administrative approvals of all the departments and directorates in Meghalaya and delivers government services with desired outcomes to all the citizens and other stakeholders across Meghalaya in an integrated and seamless manner.

Earlier, the sanctions and approvals would take months to be processed, but now with the automation, the process does not take more than a couple of weeks.

India’s daily domestic air passenger traffic crosses 4 lakh mark

Singh told the media.

The Burail jail is housing several high-profile prisoners.

The assassins of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh -- Paramjeet Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Jagtar Singh Tara -- and murder convict Devi Singh escaped from the Burail jail on the night of January 21, 2004.

Tara, who was arrested in 2015 after the escape in 2004, has been undergoing imprisonment in the Burail jail.

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This initiative has been supporting the state in seamless tracking and monitoring of the schemes and approvals, with the click of button.

Additionally, integration with the government's finance system to process cash transfers and benefits to citizens, has been a game changer in effective and efficient service delivery, an official statement said.

Speaking about winning the UN Award, Vijay Kumar D, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Planning Department, said: "We are thankful to all for voting Meghalaya's Project into the top five. We feel that the e-Proposal System will be a game changer in effective governance and would also inspire other states in the country to adopt similar initiatives."

MeghEA is a flagship initiative of Meghalaya Government, supported

by National e-Gov Division (NeGD), a first of its kind in the country.

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India's daily domestic air passenger traffic crossed the 4 lakh mark on Sunday - for the first time in the last two years, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said on Monday.

In a tweet, he said: "And we hit the 4 lakh mark for the first time in the last two years!"

On Sunday, 407,975 domestic passengers were ferried on 2,838 flights. The total flight movement stood at 5,672.

According to industry experts, lower Covid infection rate as well as lesser restrictions and holiday travel propped up the passenger numbers.

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Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Focusing on filling up vacancies of judges, infrastructure: CJI

Hyderabad, April 15 (IANS) Chief Justice of India Justice N.V. Ramana on Friday said that the judiciary is overburdened and that he is giving priority to filling up vacancies of judges and improving infrastructure to deal with the backlog of cases.

He said after taking over as the CJI, he took up both these issues. "The reason is access to justice is possible only when we provide sufficient number of courts as well as infrastructure so that litigant public can approach the institution for justice," he said at the inaugural session of two-day conference of judicial officers of Telangana here.

"Our judiciary is overburdened. It is an admitted fact and there is no dispute that pendency has increased in courts and the reasons are hundreds. In these circumstances, the feeling is that once you go to court. how many years will it take for the result. It's a big question mark. With the hierarchy of the appeal system in the country, it takes more time," he observed. "That's why I felt it necessary to appoint as many judges

as possible. I don't want to keep even one vacancy in high courts or Supreme Court or district judiciary and also strengthen the system," he added.

Chief Justice Ramana said a detailed survey by the Supreme Court registry in different parts of the country found that infrastructure in courts is very inadequate and he requested the Centre to strengthen it. He urged the judges to come out of fear of pandemic. "Please make sincere efforts to spend extra time in courts, beyond regular court hours," he said and exuded confidence that the judges would do their bit to deal with the backlog.

He told them without improving the internal efficacy of the system, the goal can't be achieved.

"Targeted action and effective case management can make a big difference," he said and advised judges to use alternate dispute resolution methods whenever possible.

The CJI exhorted judicial officers to perform their judicial duties without

Pulwama operation big success, says IGP, Kashmir Vijay Kumar

Srinagar, April 24 (IANS) Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar termed Sunday's operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which three LeT terrorists were killed a big success and congratulated the joint forces for carrying it out in a professional manner without any collateral damage. Police said based on specific input generated by Pulwama police regarding presence of terrorists in Pahoo area of Pulwama, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police and army.

"In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter," police said.

They have been identified as Arif Ahmad Hazar alias Rehan (Deputy of LeT's top commander Basit), Abu Huzaifa aliasA Haqqani (Pakistani terrorist) and Natish Wani alias Haider resident of Khanyar, Srinagar. "As per police records, all the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police/security forces and civilian atrocities," police said. "Pertinently, the killed terrorist Arif Hazar was a categorised terrorist, active since March 2021 and involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police/security forces and

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civilian atrocities besides... several cases were registered against him in Srinagar city. "He was involved in killing of Inspector Parvez in front of a mosque at Menganwari Nowgam on June 22, 2021, killing of PSI Arshid Ahmad Mir near PS Khanyar on September 12, 2021, killing of police personnel Javaid Ahmad at Saidapora Eidgah on June 17, 2021, killing of mobile shop owner Umar Nazir Bhat at Main Chowk Habba Kadal on June 23, 2021, killing of civilian Mohammad Shafi Dar at SD Colony Batamaloo, killing of civilian Rouf Ahmad Khan outside his house at Mejinpora Safakadal on December 22, 2021. "Besides, he was also involved in grenade attacks on police patrolling party at Safakadal and joint Naka party at Rainawari. Moreover, he alongwith his associates was also involved in an attack on a BJP leader's residence at Aribagh, Nowgam Srinagar.

In this terror attack, one police personnel Rameez Raja attained martyrdom and his service rifle was also snatched. He was also involved in attack on two outside labourers at Suthsoo Kalan area of Nowgam on April 22, 2022," police said.

Incriminating materials, and arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.

A case has been registered and investigation has been initiated.

any fear. "I am aware of the increasing physical attacks on judges. I am doing my utmost to prevent such occurrences. Directions were issued to improve security of judicial officers both inside and outside courts," he said.

He requested judicial officers to create a congenial environment for litigants who would be under a lot of stress.

"Always remember the human aspect of the dispute. Law cannot be far from equity. It is important to project the human face of the judiciary whenever you have scope for invoking your discretion. You must sensitise yourself to different vulnerabilities of the parties like minors, women, persons belonging to weaker sections of the society, persons with disabilities etc. They might all have different requirements. Treat everyone with respect."

He told the judges that the role they play is highly significant in the Constitutional scheme.

"Apply your mind independently

Ola says Guwahati rider was overspeeding as father blames firm for accident

on the materials presented before you. For instance, the requirements of criminal procedure code are not mere formalities. They are all important checks on executive excesses and represent substantive rights of the accused."

He pointed out that the law is constantly changing. High courts and Supreme Court give numerous pronouncements on diverse subjects daily, legislations are passed, guidelines and circulars are published frequently.

"You must keep yourself updated.

Learning in this field never stops.

Only when you are aware about changing law and precedents, you will be able to use the same to cases before you and ensure justice."

Chief Justice Ramana said after he took over as CJI, he cleared the file pending for two years to increase the number of judges of the Telangana High Court from 24 to 42.

All praise for Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for sanctioning 4,320 posts in the judiciary, he said at a time when governments were doing away with government jobs and making appointments only on contract basis, this was not a mean achievement.

The CJI also hailed the Chief Minister for translating his dream of setting up International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) in Hyderabad a reality. He noted that with several global companies located in Hyderabad, the centre will ensure early resolution of disputes and thus contribute to strengthening of the economy.

Noting that demands are also coming from Maharashtra and other states to set up arbitration and mediation centres, he suggested that once IAMC at Hyderabad strengthens itself, franchise centres can come up in other states.

The Chief Minister thanked CJI for increasing the number of judges in Telangana High Court. He announced that the government will build residential quarters for all 42 judges of the High Court on 30-42 acres of land near Durgam Cheruvu in the Financial District and requested the CJI to lay foundation stone for the same.

Jaipur police team reaching spot to quell fight attacked, shut themselves in room

Jaipur, April 24 (IANS) The local SHO of Jaipur's Kanota and his team had to shut themselves in a room after they were attacked by people from two groups who were engaged in fighting in the area late on Saturday, police said on Sunday.

The police team had, in fact, come to pacify two groups engaged in a spat in Kanota on Saturday evening, but were attacked themselves. Even the SHO's private vehicle was damaged as the crowd pelted stones on it.

Police officials said that SHO Arun Poonia and his team were not in uniform when they reached the spot and one of the quarelling groups took them to be members of the other group and attacked them.

The team had to take shelter in a room and called the police control room for help. Soon after, a police team, drawn from six stations, reached the site to rescue the SHO and his team which included three policemen. Additional DCP, East, Avnish Kumar Sharma said that

police had received information about a quarrel between the two parties at around 10.30 p.m. near Jamdoli intersection in Kanota area.

Kanota SHO Poonia reached the spot in civil dress with two policemen and came under attack from one of the sides. The windshield and window glasses of the SHO's personal vehicle were smashed with stones and sticks. The policemen locked themselves in a room to save themselves. As the besieged policemen informed the police control room and officials about the incident, teams of Bassi, Tunga, Khoh Nagorian, Kanota, Transport Nagar and Adarsh Nagar police stations reached the spot. Additional forces were also sent from the Reserve Police Line.

Additional forces were deployed to maintain peace and order in the area. The police are searching for the attackers and have registered a case against them under various sections.

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New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) After an Ola customer claimed on social media that a fault in the company's electric two-wheeler led to his son's accident, the ride-hailing major said on Friday that its investigation showed the rider was overspeeding.

Balwant Singh from Guwahati had tweeted on April 15 that his son had met with an accident "due to fault in regenerative breaking where on a speed breaker instead of slowing, the scooter accelerated, sending so much torque that he had an accident". The tweet thread went viral on social media. Ola said it did a thorough investigation of the accident and the "data clearly shows that the rider was overspeeding throughout the night and that he braked in panic, thereby losing control of the vehicle. There was nothing wrong with the vehicle".

The accident happened on March 26 when Singh's son was driving an Ola S1 Pro. "The scooter went airborne before crashing and skidding. My son was hospitalised on March 26 and had a fracture in left hand and 16 stitches in right hand due to fault in Ola S1 Pro," tweeted Singh. Ola said that the scooter's speed on the night of the accident was between 95 kmph and 115 kmph.

At the time of the accident, three brakes were applied together - front, rear and regenerative - bringing the speed from 80 kmph to 0 kmph in 3 seconds. "Road safety is of paramount importance to us. We strongly recommend everyone to ride responsibly, adhere to speed limits and ensure your're wearing a helmet," Ola said.

Confusion galore over Ansar Sheikh’s roots

Kolkata, April 23 (IANS) Confusions continue to galore over the roots of Ansar Sheikh, the prime accused in the case pertaining to the communal violence that broke out in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area on April 16.

Although he owns a luxurious mansion at Kumarpur in Haldia, the prime industrial township in East Midnapore district near Kolkata, his name does not figure in the local voters' list. A top official of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal, who did not wish to be named, said that after being contacted by the Crime Branch of Kolkata Police, the CID did it own cross-checks about Ansar's past and his associations with Haldia.

"Although several theories are doing the rounds about Ansar Sheikh's political affiliations, we did not get any definite information about his active political involvement, at least in Haldia and East Midnapore, be it in the past or now," the CID official said. The second contradiction is about his roots.

While some sources have claimed that he was originally from Assam, some others claimed that he actually hailed from Bihar.

"His association with Haldia started after he married a local woman and later built a two-storey mansion there. In fact, as told to us by the local people, by the in-laws of Ansar Sheikh came from an extremely

humble financial background and their lifestyle improved only after the marriage. According to the local people, Ansar was an ideal son-in-law," the CID official said.

Meanwhile, another controversy has erupted about the contradictory statements made by Trinamool Congress councillor from Ward No. 15 in Haldia, Sheikh Ajijul Rahman, whose picture with Ansar went viral on April 21. On that day, Rahman claimed that although he knew Ansar as a local from Haldia, he could not recollect where the picture was clicked. But now he is claiming that the picture was clicked in 2019 in Delhi.

"I went to Delhi with my family and from there we were supposed to go to Manali. On hearing that I am in Delhi, Ansar came to meet me, since we were known to each other. At that point of time the picture was clicked. That was our last interaction," claimed Rahman, who's also a member of the chairman-in-council of Haldia Municipality.

As reported by IANS on April 19, Ansar enjoyed the image of a philanthropist in Haldia due to his charity works.

He was also quite popular among the neighbours as whenever he used to visit Haldia, he arranged feasts at his mansion where the neighbours were invited.

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10

AUSTRALIA

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Microplastics entering human food supplies in South Australian waters

Canberra, April 20 (IANS) Microplastics are making their way into human food supplies in oceans around Australia, researchers have found.

In a study published recently in Science of the Total Environment, a team from Flinders University sampled microplastic levels on 10 beaches in South Australia (SA).

They found variable concentrations of microplastics in blue mussels and water, warning that it means microplastics have found their way into human food supplies, including wild-caught and farmed fish and seafood in the Southern Ocean, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Our findings shed light on the urgent need to prevent microplastic pollution by working with the communities, industries and government to protect these fragile marine systems," said Karen Burke da Silva, senior author from the university's College of Science and Engineering.

"Low to medium levels of microplastics measured in the common blue mussel, a filter feeder affected by ecosystem conditions, were measured to analyze the main kinds of pollution affecting the environment, and single-use plastic was the main offender."

Microplastics are fragments of

plastic smaller than five millimeters in length.

Experts estimate that there are trillions of microplastics polluting the world's oceans and waterways.

The Flinders University team found that mussel samples collected from near cities and towns had microplastic levels four times higher than those from remote areas.

Plastic types identified included polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), acrylic resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cellulose, suggesting synthetic and semi-synthetic particles from single-use, short-life cycle products, fabrics, ropes and cordage, according to the study.

"The areas examined include some biodiversity hotspots of global significance, including the breeding ground of the Great Cuttlefish in the Northern Spencer Gulf and marine ecosystems more diverse than the Great Barrier Reef (such as Coffin Bay), so cleanup and prevention measures are long overdue," Burke da Silva said.

"Apart from the harvesting of blue mussels, we also need to consider the impact of microplastic particles entering other parts of the human food chain with microplastic pollution expected to increase in the future."

Climate change top issue for Australian voters: Poll Canberra, April 22 (IANS) Climate change, cost of living and the economy are the most important issues to Australians in the general election to be held on May 21, a new poll revealed on Friday.

State broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) published data from Vote Compass, which asks voters where they stand on a series of major issues before telling them which party they most closely align with, reports Xinhua news agency.

It revealed that 29 per cent of voters identified climate change as their most important issue for how they will vote in the election.

However, only 8 per cent of people who said they intend to vote for the governing conservative Coalition identified climate change as an important issue compared to 30 per cent of supporters of the opposition centre-left Labor Party and 50 per cent of people who vote for the left-wing Greens.

The Coalition has promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and has committed to a 2050 net

zero target.

Under Labor's climate policy, emissions would be cut by 43 per cent by 2030.

Cost of living and the economy rated as voters' next biggest concern, with 13 per cent of 97,159 Vote Compass participants choosing each, followed by government accountability, the environment, and healthcare.

More than a third of Coalition voters chose the economy as their biggest issue followed by the cost of living and defence and public security.

Among Labor voters, climate change was followed by government accountability and cost of living.

Only 7 per cent of Labor supporters said the economy was their biggest concern.

NSW unveils school Covid plan Sydney, April 24 (IANS) Authorities of Australia's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) announced the Covid-19 plan for schools as the colder season is approaching.

The Covid smart plan came after the state eased the isolation requirement for those close contacts of confirmed cases, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the new rules that took effect last week, close contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 case will not have to isolate, as long as they have no symptoms.

But those close contacts still have to notify their employer or educational facility about their status, and comply with guidelines including not visiting aged care and hospitals unless a special exemption applies, undertaking daily rapid antigen tests (RATs) before coming into close contact with people outside their household, avoiding contact with elderly and immunocompromised persons, and wearing a face mask in indoor settings outside the home.

In line with the updated rules, teachers and students who are household contacts, but do not have the disease or any symptoms, can return to school, according to the Covid smart plan for schools. They must, however, notify the schools that they are household contacts,

and do a daily rapid antigen test before school and wear a face mask indoors in the next five school days after their household confirmed positive.

More free RATs are expected to be provided to school staff and students to support compliance with these new rules. The authorities also pledged to provide good ventilation for schools with additional air quality measures.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the removal of isolation requirements for household contacts will support continuity of

teaching and learning in schools.

However, the transmission of virus in local schools is still alarming.

According to local media The Sydney Morning Herald, attendance among the state's 823,000 public sector students dropped to about 86 per cent in mid-March, compared with almost 92 per cent during the same period last year.

The fall equates to more than 45,000 students. On Sunday, the state recorded 11,107 new cases, and 1,588 people are being treated in hospitals with 64 in intensive care.

Number of people living in Aus who were born overseas falls after 20 yrs Canberra, April 26 (IANS) The number of people living in Australia who were born overseas has fallen for the first time in more than 20 years, according to government data published on Tuesday.

The data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed that in 2021 there were 7.5 million residents who were born overseas, down from 7.7 million in 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.

The portion of the total population who were born in another country was 29.1 per cent, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from 2020.

It marks the first decrease in the proportion of the Australian population born overseas since 2000 when the figure was 23 per cent.

"While Australia's population increased by 45,000 from June 2020 to June 2021, there was a decrease in the overseas-born population," Jenny Dobak, head of Migration Statistics at the ABS, said.

The decrease reflected reduced overseas migration in and out of

Australia, given the Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The travel and migration intentions of many people changed due to the pandemic, including those migrating to work or study, said Dobak.

"In the first year of the pandemic there were fewer people born

overseas migrating to Australia, as well as fewer people born in Australia departing to live overseas."

The UK continued to be the biggest source of overseas-born Australians, accounting for 12 per cent of the total number followed by India at 9.4 per cent.

Australia accuses China of election meddling

Australia says Chinese military base on Solomon Islands would be ‘a red line’

Canberra, April 24 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared on Sunday that a Chinese military base on the Solomon Islands would be an unacceptable "red line", without adding how Canberra would retaliate, media reports said.

Morrison's government and the US are scrambling to respond to a www.indianabroad.news www.indianabroad.ews

recently-signed security deal between the islands and Beijing, which they consider an "aggressive" move, RT reported.

"Working together with our partners in New Zealand and of course the United States, I share the same red line that the United States has when it comes to these issues," Morrison said. "We won't be having Chinese

military naval bases in our region on our doorstep."

A tiny archipelago sitting around 2,000km off the northeastern coast of Australia, the Solomon Islands made international news last week when it signed a security pact with China. With the island nation reeling from violent protests last year, the deal - according to a leaked draft of the agreement - promises Chinese assistance in "maintaining social order" and allows China's warships to dock at its ports, RT reported.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare insists that the deal was necessary to beef up security and was "guided by our national interests". He stated last week that the agreement does not allow China to set up a military base on the islands, something that Beijing has also stressed.

However, Australia and her allies fear otherwise. "The reality is that China has changed. China's incredibly aggressive, the acts of foreign interference, the preparedness to pay bribes to get an outcome... that's the reality of modern China," Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

Beijing so far has not responded to these allegations of corruption.

Canberra, April 28 (IANS) Australias Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has accused China of attempting to interfere in an election set for next month, saying a recent security deal with a nearby Pacific nation suggested nefarious motives.

In comments to a Brisbane radio station on Wednesday, Andrews warned that Australians ought to be "taking notice of and paying some attention to" China's pact with the Solomon Islands, announced last week, RT reported.

"Beijing is clearly very aware that we're in a federal election campaign here at the moment. Why now?

/IndianAbroadNews /IndianAbroadNews

Why, right in the middle of a federal election campaign is all this coming to light?" she asked, addin: "We talk about political interference and that has many forms."

While it's unclear exactly what impact the China-Solomons deal would have on the May 21 federal election, the ruling Liberal Party has argued that Beijing is hoping to see victory for the opposition Labor Party, as the centre-left faction takes up an increasingly hawkish line toward Beijing, RT reported.

Labor spokesperson Penny Wong blasted Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his supposed weakness

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on China, arguing that the Solomons deal occurred "on Morrison's watch" while warning of "the prospect of a Chinese base less than 2,000 km from Australia's coastline".

Senior Labor lawmaker Jim Chalmers was dismissive of Andrews' remarks, saying that, even by the "incredibly low standards of this government", her criticism "was remarkably desperate and remarkably unhinged", adding that instead of the Chinese Communist Party, "the Australian people will determine who wins" next month's election.

12 11

WORLD

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Ukraine asks IAEA for equipment to safely run nuke plants

Vienna, April 25 (IANS) Ukraine has provided the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with a comprehensive list of equipment it needs for the safe and secure operation of its nuclear facilities in the wake of the ongoing war, Rafael Grossi, chief of the Vienna-based

UN watchdog, announced.

According to the IAEA, The list Ukraine sent covers a range of equipment for different nuclear facilities in the country, and includes various radiation measurement devices, protective material, computer-related assistance,

power supply systems and diesel generators.

“The detailed equipment requirements submitted through the IAEA’s Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE), a secure web site for the exchange of notifications and other emergency-related information between countries, would enable the Agency to effectively coordinate and implement the delivery of support to Ukraine,” Grossi said in a statement on April 24.

Previously, the IAEA had delivered initial equipment to Ukraine when Grossi visited the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant last month and more will be handed over when he travels to the Chernobyl this week.

Since the beginning of the war on February 24, the Russian military has taken control of two nuclear power plants, Zaporizhzhya and Chernobyl, which are now back in Ukraine’s control.

Re-elected Macron vows to ‘heal divisions’ in France Paris, April 25 (IANS) In a victory speech, a mere 90 minutes after he was projected re-elected as French President for a second term on the evening of April 24, Emmanuel Macron, 44, with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face, assured those who did not vote for him: “I am no longer the candidate of one camp, but the President of all.”

But on a more emotional note, on a brightly lit stage in the Place de la Republique in central Paris, his wife Brigitte with him, thousands of people as his audience and the iconic Eiffel Tower glowing in the background, Macron vowed “to heal the divisions that have been expressed in these elections, by ensuring respect for everyone, every day.”

He said: “The years to come will certainly be difficult, but they will be historic and we will have to write them, together, for the new generations.”

According to Ipsos-SopraSteria, computing the result, Macron won with 58.8 per cent votes in his favour compared to 41.2 per cent for his far Right challenger, the 53-year-old Marine Le Pen. The second and final round of the French presidential election, which this was, is a straight contest between two candidates, after a first round eliminates others in the fray a fortnight earlier.

The margin of Macron’s win was narrower than five years ago, when he attracted 66 per cent of votes to the same opponent’s 34 per cent.

This was the first time since Jacques Chirac of the right-of-centre Republican party in 2002, that a sitting president has been granted dual terms by French voters, whose preferences have been quite volatile in recent years.

Macron’s En Marche movement, launched only in 2016, was enthusiastically endorsed the following year at the expense of the long established Republican and Socialist parties. Simultaneously, there has been the steady rise of Le Pen’s ultra-nationalist and racist National Rally party as well as that of the

radical left France Unbowed party of veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon.

In her concession speech, a defiant Le Pen said: “The ideas we stand for are reaching new heights.” Certainly she had gained seven per cent on her showing five years ago.

Melenchon, who narrowly lost out to Le Pen in the first round, also held a post-election rally.

“Let’s get to work without hesitating,” he told his supporters. His objective is to unite the left and green formations in French politics to establish a strong presence in the National Assembly in parliamentary elections in June. An opinion poll broadcast on French television claimed 54 per cent of French voters did not want an En Marche majority to 46 per cent who did. If this transpires to be reality, Macron’s party might only become the largest single party, without winning an absolute majority, as it did in 2017.

As En Marche supporters sipped champagne late into the night to celebrate their success, the conversation was more sobering, with talk of an immediate “third round”. There are fears of public unrest led by the France Unbowed in the run-up to the June elections over Macron’s proposal to raise the retirement age to 65 and the current high cost of living.

Much relieved European leaders

-- for Le Pen posed a major threat to the unity and integrity of the European Union -- rushed to congratulate Macron.

The first foreign Head of state to signal his satisfaction was German Chancellor OlofScholz.

“Your voters have sent a strong vote of confidence in Europe today,” he posted on Twitter.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tweeted: “Together we will make France and Europe advance.”

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Macron’s win “is splendid news for all of Europe”.

Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a Brexiteer who has often been at loggerheads with Macron, said he looked forward to “continuing to work on the issues which matter most to our two countries and to the world”.

Macron’s victory was good news for India. The Indian government has been familiar with Macron since he was a cabinet Minister in the socialist President Francois Hollande’s (2012-2017) government. He has, therefore, represented a continuing and steadfast alliance with India on defence, security, intelligence sharing and economic co-operation since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

Freedom Movement celebrates landslide victory in Slovenia’s election Ljubljana, April 25 (IANS) Freedom Movement (FM), a new center-left party, recorded a landslide victory at Slovenia's general election, defeating the center-right Slovenian Democratic Party led by Prime Minister JanezJansa.

The results of the general election in Slovenia were announced on April 24.

FM, led by Robert Golob, received 34.53 per cent of the vote and will hold 41 out of 90 seats in parliament, which is the highest number of seats that any party has held since Slovenia's independence in 1991, according to the preliminary result from the State Election Commission.

The Slovenian Democratic Party got 23.54 per cent of the vote and 27 seats, Xinhua news agency reported.

Only three other parties also passed the four-per cent threshold for parliament, down from nine parties four years ago. Thus, the parliament will include the lowest number of parties since Slovenia's independence.

The turnout reached 69.69 per cent, up from 52.6 per cent four years ago, and was the highest since 2000.

"High turnout tells it all. It says that people want changes and that they trust us that we will bring those changes," said Golob, who addressed his party over the internet because he is overcoming a Covid-19 infection.

"Let's not forget, trust leads to expectations and expectations lead to our responsibility. Let's dance today but tomorrow a new day starts and tomorrow we start working hard to justify that trust," he added.

The new parliament is due to convene by the middle of May following which Golob is expected to form and lead a new government in a coalition

with smaller parties, most likely the center-left Social Democrats, which got seven seats, and the Left with five seats.

The FM, which was formed in January, pledges to promote a green economy, democratic values, the rule of law and media freedom.

Its main tasks will include battling the Covid-19 pandemic, improving the public health system, curbing the rising cost of energy prices and high inflation and dealing with trade unions' demands for hefty wage hikes.

Breakthrough in Pak-IMF bailout talks as $8bn package approved Islamabad, April 24 (IANS) Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed, in principle, to extend the stalled bailout programme by up to one year and increase the loan size to $8 billion, giving markets the much-needed stability and a breathing space to the new government, the media reported.

The understanding has been reached between Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and IMF Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Sayeh in Washington, sources told The Express Tribune on April 24.

Subject to the final modalities, the IMF has agreed that the programme will be extended by another nine months to one year as against the original end-period of September 2022, the sources added.

The size of the loan would be increased from the existing $6 billion to $8 billion -- a net addition of $2 billion, a senior government functionary requesting anonymity said.

The previous PTI-led government and the IMF had signed a 39-month Extended Fund Facility (July 2019 to September 2022) with a total value

of $6 billion. However, the previous government failed to fulfil its commitments and the programme remained stalled for most of the time as $3 billion remained undisbursed.

Before taking Pakistan's case to the IMF Board for approval, Islamabad would have to agree on the budget strategy for the next fiscal year 2022-23, the sources said.

Also, the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would have

to demonstrate that it would undo some wrong steps taken by the former regime against the commitments that it gave to the IMF Board in January this year.

Pakistan is passing through a phase of political and economic uncertainty and the decision to stay in the IMF programme for longer than original period would bring clarity in economic policies and soothe the rattling markets, Express Tribune reported.

Brazil’s carnival returns after 2-yr suspension Brasilia, April 25 (IANS) After a two-year suspension due to Covid-19, Brazil's carnival returned this weekend, giving a boost to the country's tourism sector.

As millions of spectators enjoyed the traditional celebration at an unusual time of the year, the famous "blocos", or musical troupes, returned to parade in the streets in cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, while samba schools again lit up the Sambadrome. Originally scheduled for the end of February, the carnival was cancelled for the third straight year after an increase in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

However, pressure from the tourism

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sector over fears of another year without its main season of income and employment, led to a rescheduling for the end of April.

Although lacking in thousands of foreign tourists, the carnival was boosted by domestic revellers that pushed hotel occupancy and revived the service sector.

In Rio de Janeiro, the hotel occupancy was between 85 and 90 per cent this weekend, according to the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association.

Other state capitals have also seen high rates, such as 70 per cent in Recife, 65 per cent in Florianopolis, 60 per cent in Natal and 60 per cent in Aracaju.

12

INTERVIEW

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

‘No one has perfect lives but your potential to soar is limitless’

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) We live in a difficult world, easily weighed down by judgement and insecurities, where no one has perfect lives. The key lies in getting past our internal and external limitations, says Radhika Gupta, the dynamic MD & CEO of Edelweiss MF, the youngest and only female CEO in India's financial services sector, who records her journey in an inspiring book titled 'Limitless: The Power of Unlocking Your True Potential' (Hachette).

"We live in a difficult world, where it is easy to be weighed down by judgement and insecurities. People think portfolios are what they see on Twitter, marriages on Insta, and businesses on Excel. The reality is -- no one has perfect lives," Gupta told IANS in an interview.

"We all get rejected, we all feel lost, we have days where we hate what we do and days where we hate how we look. We feel held back sometimes by gender, by socio-economic

background, or whatever else makes us different. How do we get past these limitations...internal and external, and live the maximum version of ourselves, is what I focus on in the book," she added.

It's been quite a roller coaster for Gupta.

In 2005, after being rejected by seven consulting firms back-toback-during campus placements at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), where she was a student at the Wharton School, she tried to jump off the 19th floor of a building.

"I was a 21-year-old college student then and didn't know how to handle being told 'no'. Thankfully, my then classmate and now husband Nalin (came to my rescue (something he still does in many situations) and, as it happens with most of us, my life turned out fairly fine," Gupta writes in the book.

She began her career at McKinsey, and then cut her teeth as an analyst on Wall Street in the mid-2000s at a boutique hedge fund called AQR Capital Management. In 2009, she moved back to India to start her own asset management company with two of her UPenn classmates.

It was named Forefront Capital Management and later sold to Edilweiss Financial Services "and on most days, I wake up thinking I have the best job on earth", she writes.

Comparison and risk form two

important themes in the book, which is liberally peppered with her own experiences and with those of others.

"Comparison is inevitable, it starts from childhood, from your parent's comparing you to what I call 'Sharmajika beta' to you comparing yourself to your classmate. I share my own struggles with comparison, as a naturally competitive person, and how to think about it in a more healthy way," Gupta said during the interview.

"I also talk about risk -- which is easier said than done, because while unicorns sound fantastic in the news, not every start up is a unicorn, and many of us, forget starting up, are scared to even get out of the comfort zone in our day to day jobs," she added.

To this end, Gupta offers a seven-step approach: Kicking The S**T Out Of Rejection Taking Risks, Understanding SIPS (Small is Powerful) And Surviving Blips The Golden AAA --- Ambition, Awareness, Asking Fresh Air And Unaccustomed Earth TGIF- Thank God I'm Flawed Hard Work x A Little Help Choose Your Sky, Learn To Fly. The idea of writing the book, Gupta said, was a "contradiction".

"I always wanted to write it, but never thought it would happen. I have enjoyed writing since a young age, it's one of the few hobbies I have had, but always believed a book is something I would come to much later in life. The Covid induced lockdown and lack of travel changed that, and when Hachette came to me with the idea, after the initial resistance, I said why not. I had also been getting feedback on my social handles, where I have been micro-blogging, to do a long form book," Gupta explained.

She thoroughly enjoyed the journey of putting "Limitless" together.

"I spent time thinking about the themes I wanted to talk about a lot, the issues I had grappled with... and then thinking through the stories I wanted to share, both from my life and those around me. This is not an autobiography, where things are sort of chronological, so the outlining process was important.

"My hope is the stories are authentic and honest, simple and yet meaningful. I spent about six months thinking through the outline, and then another six writing, thinking through the words, the tone. Since my weekdays are very full with my day job, 'Limitless' was essentially a weekend project. And then there was time on edits, versions, and more versions. As I say... it's a real labour of love," Gupta maintained.

Harkening to the Bollywood movie "Dangal", in which the young wrestler Geeta's father (played by Aamir Khan) objects to her coach attempting to change her style and finally tells his daughter, "Attack karkekhel" (play in attack mode), Gupta writes: "My story is the same."

"I have found self-confidence which had wandered off somewhere in a battle of comparisons and a quest for perfection - by embracing my uniqueness, and I have learnt that I am at my best when I play my game my own way, in attack mode.

It's a liberating feeling, to say the least.

"Each of us has an open sky of opportunities; we can fly anywhere we choose to and at the speed we want, because we are all equipped with wings. Those wings may be of different colours, some a little bigger and some slightly smaller than those of the person next to us.

They may be a little imperfect, but nonetheless they are wings to help us soar. If there is one thing I hope this book leaves you with, it is to look past your challenges - internal, external, whatever they may be - and trust in your wings. If you do, you will realise just how far you can fly... because your potential to soar is truly limitless," Gupta concludes the book.

Pushpinder Oberoi: Torchbearer of Indian culture in the Antipodes

the current scenario.

More importantly, overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and moving forward with a positive attitude, and seeing the bright side of the current situation are essential for the success of the industry.

Like the usual run of hotel management graduates from India who migrate abroad for greener pastures, Pushpinder Oberoi’s story could also have been just the story of professional success, which despite being an inspirational one in its own right, would have been rendered into oblivion with the passage of time. However, Oberoi proved when he first migrated to Sweden in 1974 that it is possible for an individual to not only stay connected with his roots and culture but also to foster it even on foreign shores.

During the eight years that he spent in Sweden from 1974 and 1981, he was deeply involved in promoting Indian culture with assistance from the Indian Embassy, Stockholm and the Swedish government.

He also formed and launched the Indo - Swedish Society in Uppsala. Thereafter, he moved to New Zealand and even as his professional career in the hospitality sector grew in leaps and bounds, he continued with his good work by promoting the Indian culture in

www.indianabroad.news

Auckland, Rotorua and Hamilton. He also formed the India-New Zealand Cultural Association. Migrating to Australia in 1993, he went on to launch Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Gold Coast and not surprisingly he has been the President of the community group.

Oberoi, Justice of Peace, Past President of GOPIO Gold Coast, and Multicultural Ambassador of Queensland for Mental Health Foundation, received the Outstanding Contribution award in 2018 as an appreciation for his contribution to the Gold Coast Indian Community and the Global Humanitarian Award in 2020 by the World Humanitarian Drive for his work in Thurrock during the coronavirus lockdown, when he worked to alleviate the pressures of isolation and organised several 'treats' for local people and international students in need of food and financial assistance. Even as his chain of restaurants continues to grow, Oberoi’s involvement with

the spreading and popularizing of Indian culture has also increased.

As the President of GOPIO, Gold Coast Chapter and member of the Australia India Business Council and Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland, he is committed to improving and adding to the India-Australia relationship through business, cultural activities and also through community programs.

In this interview, Pushpinder Oberoi shares with the readers his experience in the hospitality industry over the years and how the industry is dealing with the challenges, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, with a positive attitude.

1. You have been associated with the hospitality industry for the past several years. How have you seen the industry evolve in India and the world over?

Ans- I have noticed the evolution in the hospitality industry in India and the world over.Hotel brands influence travellers in making their decisions. For example, Marriot- Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton, etc., are at the forefront in influencing travellers while making their decisions. Now the hospitality industry does a lot of things like providing services to bring the hotels to the upcoming standards that have to

be maintained. The industry does the job of a consultation advisor and assists in running management training programs as well. In the changing business scenario, the industry has adapted favorably by taking such measures as providing volume discounts to inbound and outbound travellers through aggressive national purchase programs and facilitating online bookings for frITs. All in all, the hospitality industry has become very competitive.

2. What are the challenges being faced by the hospitality industry currently, especially in the context of the pandemic, and what is the possible solution?

Ans- The challenges being faced by the hospitality industry at present are due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has brought forth issues as to how to maintain health and hygiene of the guests. Then there is also the issue related to human resource management in a crisis like this one.

As for the possible solution, first of all there is a need to learn from the current circumstance that has arisen due to the pandemic. Then we need to understand the limitations within which we have to work in the industry with a scope for future research which is much needed in

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3. Being associated with what is one of the most profitable industries- the hospitality industry, how have you managed to keep the humanitarian zeal going, along with the need to build a profitable business?

Ans- Humanitarian zeal and building a profitable business go side-by-side. One has to be a human first (caring and sharing) to build the human resources (employees and people around) through motivation and inspire them to grow. Their growth leads to successful and profitable business.

4. You are the recipient of the “Global Humanitarian Award” from 'World Humanitarian Drive' (WHD).

What is the significance of this award for you, especially from the perspective of being a successful hospitality professional all these years?

Ans- The significance of the “Global Humanitarian Award” bestowed upon me by WHD has been that this award has played a very important role in my life. It has brought more credibility to my personality and encouraged me to do more volunteer services. The community at large appreciates my services and this makes me feel proud of being acknowledged. As a gesture of appreciation for my services, I was appointed Honorary Ambassador for Queensland by the Mental Health Foundation of Australia.

/indianabroadnews

5. You have also been associated with cultural activities across many countries. How have you managed to adapt to diverse cultures?

Ans- I have managed to adapt due to my passion and love for diverse cultures by understanding them and taking time off to get involved with them with my heart and soul, and at the same time ensuring not to neglect my business as well.

6. What opportunities did Australia offer you to grow as a hospitality professional and a caring human being?

Ans- Australia is a multicultural country and it supports multiculturalism, and being based in Gold Coast (the tourism hub of Australia), I got all the opportunity to expand.

If there is a will and passion and with a positive attitude, you can't go wrong.

7. What challenges, if any, have you been facing in carrying forward your humanitarian and cultural activities?

Ans- With a positive attitude and by hoping for the best, you move forward.Challenges come but we have to face them in a positive manner and be determined to carry forward my humanitarian and cultural activities.

8. Finally, what is your advice to the young hospitality aspirants?

Ans- You have to have a passion for what you do and bring you happiness and satisfaction. Be positive and positive things will happen.

Get involved in the local community and build up your profile with the community. They will help you become successful in what you do professionally.

13

POLITICS

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Na qvi snub s U K MP for ‘ Is la mo ph o b i a’ rem ark

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has snubbed UK Labour Party MP Naz Shah, asking her not to convert her prejudiced agenda of 'India Phobia' into 'Islamophobia'.

"Please, don't convert your prejudiced agenda of 'India Phobia' into 'Islamophobia'. Every Indian citizen including Minorities is safe and secure in India. 'Co-existence' is our commitment and 'Inclusivity' is

our culture," Naqvi said in a tweet tagging Naz Shah.

Naqvi's remarks came in response to a tweet by Naz Shah that said: "My message to @BorisJohnson on his visit to India is that our nation's foreign relations must not just be based on trade & internationalism but also on human rights. My plea to the @10DowningStreet is to raise the growing issue of Islamophobia with the Modi Government."

"The rising tide of everyday hate & mob lynching against Muslims in India is becoming worrying," Shah had said.

Earlier on Thursday, India had strongly condemned the visit of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on April 20.

Responding to a question in the weekly media briefing, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, had said that New Delhi has taken note of her visit to a part of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan.

"If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business.

But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable," Bagchi said while briefing the media.

Comments over distribution of ‘Right wing’ newspaper in train put Railways in a fix Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) Indian Railways has found itself in a spot over its comments on the distribution of a Right wing newspaper -- ' The Aryavarth Express' -- in the Bengaluru-Chennai Shatabdi Express on Friday.

The passengers borading from Bengaluru were surprised to find copies of Aryavarth Express in the train which contained controversial articles, prompting the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to issue a warning to the onboard services licensee later.

The Indian Railways authorities were first slammed by Left activists for the distribution of Aryavarth Express copies in the train.

The authorities then assured that the vendor has been advised to avoid such incidents in the future. They also assured that the staff will keep a strict vigil to avoid distribution of such newspapers as inserts.

The clarification from the IRCTC has angered Right wing activists, who questioned the move saying anything related to the interests of Hindus would meet the same fate and whoever spoke in favour of Hindus would be penalised. The

IRCTC then deleted its tweets giving clarification.

The issue started with the distribution of Aryavarth Express along with the officially permitted newspaper in the train to the passengers.

The newspaper carried a lead article that read 'Genocide of Hindus, Sikhs and Budhists under Islamic rule needs to be recognised'. The other news items in the newspaper also spoke about the plight of Hindus.

One of the passengers, Gopika Bashi, a gender justice campaigner, took objection to the distribution of Aryavarth Express in the train.

She slammed the IRCTC on its twitter handle and questioned how a 'blatantly propagandist' newspaper be distributed by it.

Soon Bashi was joined by others who questioned the distribution of a Right wing newspaper in the train.

The IRCTC, on its part, clarified that it was distributed as an insert along with the approved daily.

The Railway Ministry has clarified that its tweet was only regarding distribution of newspapers, and had nothing to do with the content.

Demolition of India’s constitutional values: Rahul

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday accused the Centre of undermining constitutional authorities after it failed to immediately follow the Supreme Court's order of a status quo on

www.indianabroad.news

the demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said its demolition of Constitutional values and shared picture of preamble which is threatened by a

bulldozer.

"This is a demolition of India's constitutional values. This is state-sponsored targeting of poor & minorities," he said in a tweet.

Earlier Congress leaders had termed it "brazen contempt" and a very dangerous precedent of defiance by the civic agency and Delhi police.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave on Wednesday again mentioned the Jahangirpuri demolition matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, saying despite the top court's order, the municipal corporation had not stopped the demolition drive.

Dave said the top court in the morning ordered status quo on the demolition, yet the municipal corporation did not stop the demolition drive at Jahangirpuri.

He urged the top court to ask the secretary general to communicate the court's order to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Mayor NDMC, and Commissioner of Delhi Police.

"Once it's widely reported in the media, this is not appropriate...," said Dave.

The Chief Justice then asked the registry to communicate the court's status quo order on the demolition drive to the respondents in the matter -- NDMC Commissioner, Mayor and Delhi Police Commissioner.

Political temperature soars in Telangana as parties warm up for 2023 state polls

Hyderabad, April 24 (IANS) There is still one-and-a-half years to go for Assembly elections in Telangana but the hectic activities by the main parties are already raising the political dust and heat in the state.

Already in the grip of heat wave conditions, Telangana is also witnessing a rise in political temperatures with the main contenders for power and even the smaller parties vying with each other to catch the public attention.

Padyatras or foot marches, foundation day celebrations and rallies by top leaders have already created a poll-like atmosphere in Telangana, where Assembly elections are due towards 2023-end.

Aiming for a hat-trick of electoral victories, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is gearing up for the fight with foundation day celebrations next week while confident of wresting power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in the midst of a padyatra by its state unit chief Bandi Sanjay.

Looking to regain the lost ground in its former stronghold, the Congress party will be joining the bandwagon with its leader Rahul Gandhi scheduled to address a public rally in Warangal on May 6.

Bandi Sanjay on April 14 embarked on the second leg of his Praja Sangrama Yatra with a bitter attack on the TRS government. During the month-long foot march, Bandi Sanjay will cover 385 kilometres in five districts. He will pass through 105 villages in 10 Assembly constituencies.

Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament from Karimnagar, will walk 10-15 km every day to interact with people to know their problems.

Several union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will join the yatra.

The second leg of the yatra will conclude on May 14 at Maheshwaram in Ranga Reddy district. He has invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the concluding programme.

The first phase of the yatra had started in Hyderabad in August 2021.

It lasted for 36 days covering 19 Assembly constituencies and half a dozen Parliamentary constituencies in eight districts.

According to BJP central leader and in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, Tarun Chugh, the yatra is aimed at liberating Telangana from family rule and to achieve "Golden Telangana" with double engine growth.

However, Bandi Sanjay is not the only politician currently undertaking a padyatra. YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y. S. Sharmila is already on a 'Praja Prasthanam' padyatra to know the people's problems.

Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had launched the padyatra from Chevella on October 20 but had to suspend it due to the election code in force for the Legislative Council elections and the third wave of Covid-19. She resumed her walkathon on March 11.

Sharmila's padyatra is to expose the �failure' of the TRS to fulfil its promises and deliver �Bangaru (golden) Telangana'. She is promising to bring back the welfare rule of her father and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and walks 12-15 km every day to meet farmers, women and other people.

Sharmila, who floated the party on July 8 last year, plans to walk 4,000 km covering 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies and all Assembly constituencies except those coming under the limits of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is also undertaking a padyatra, �People's March' in Madhira Assembly constituency represented by him.

Bahujan Samaj Party state coordinator and former IPS officer

R. S. Praveen Kumar is also on a �Bahujan Rajyadhikara Yatra'. He launched a 300-day-long yatra on March 6.

The 21st formation day celebrations of TRS on April 27 will add to the political heat in the state. The party will hold a day-long plenary in Hyderabad to mark the day.

TRS president and Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao will kick-off the party foundation day celebrations by hoisting the party flag. Later, he will deliver a welcome address and introduce 11 resolutions. The meeting will debate these resolutions and adopt them.

The plenary to be attended by about 3,000 delegates is likely to set the agenda for the party to retain power in the state.

It is after a gap of two years that the TRS will be holding foundation celebrations on a grand scale. For the last two years, the celebrations were low-key due to the pandemic.

KCR, who floated the TRS on April 27, 2001 to revive the movement for a separate state, is likely to not only highlight the tremendous all-round progress the state has made under TRS rule during the last seven years but may also launch a spirited attack on the BJP to counter its determined bid to project itself as a viable alternative.

The TRS chief is likely to come down heavily on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for �discrimination' against Telangana.

The refusal of the Centre to procure paddy from Telangana has already provided fresh ammunition to the TRS to step up its attack on the BJP. KCR, who is also aiming for a larger national role at the Centre, is also likely to reveal his plans to bring together non-BJP parties at the national level to provide an alternative to the BJP. The first week of May will further intensify the political activities with the two-day visit of Rahul Gandhi.

He will address a public meeting at Warangal on May 6 and the next day he will hold a meeting with the party leaders in Hyderabad.

This will be Rahul Gandhi's first visit to Telangana after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and this comes close on the heels of his intervention to put the Congress house in order in Telangana in the wake of differences among leaders coming to the fore.

The second week of May is likely to see the activities gathering further momentum with Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing a public meeting on May 14 to mark the end of the second leg of the state BJP president's padyatra.

After differences crop up, Kerala’s top bureaucrat removed by Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law Thiruvananthapuram, April 25 (IANS) V. Venu, one of the senior-most bureaucrats in Kerala, has been moved out of the Tourism department after differences cropped up with the Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Venu has been serving in the tourism department for close to three decades in various positions and is credited with Kerala tourism success story. He belongs to the 1990 IAS batch and presently holds the additional chief secretary rank.

Ever since Riyas married Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan in 2020, his (Riyas) stocks have been rising.

At the 2021 Assembly polls, he was given a very safe seat Beypore in his hometown -- Kozhikode replacing sitting legislator V.K.C. Mammed Koya.

After winning, Riyas, a first time legislator, was made a cabinet minister and the biggest surprise came when he was given the prized Public Works Department portfolio and also the Tourism portfolio.

With no administrative experience, other than heading the Youth Wing of the CPI-M, Riyas as Minister, was making waves by making surprise inspections in offices and places in his departments with the media

/IndianAbroadNews

always toeing him and giving him good coverage.

Medical professional-turned IAS, Venu along with the present Chief Executive officer of Niti Ayog -- Amitabh Kant, was largely instrumental in first identifying the tourism potential of Kerala in the late nineties and since then Venu has practically held every top post in the Tourism department in the state, till he was removed the other day from the post of Tourism Secretary.

/indianabroadnews

What's more important is that the sudden shifting was effected when Vijayan left for the US for further medical treatment and will be there for three weeks. Incidentally, Venu in the past was moved out from the Rebuild Kerala Initiative and also as Revenue Secretary, but for some reason, he continued to be in the good books of Vijayan. Venu's wife Saradha Muraleedharan is also a high-ranking IAS official here holding key posts.

14

TECHNOLOGY

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Windows 10 version 21H2 is now available to all

San Francisco, April 19 : Tech giant Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 version 21H2 -- which made its debut back in November -is now ready for broad deployment.

According to XDA Developers, this essentially means that anyone checking for updates will now be

able to find and install this version on their machine.

The main audience for Windows 10 version 21H2 is business users who would rather not install a full upgrade that can interfere with their workflow, which would be Windows 11.

Windows 10 version 21H2 is a much smaller risk and less time-consuming, and the only changes made here are geared towards business users, the report said.

All that's new with this version is support for WPA3 H2E standards to enhance Wi-Fi security, GPU compute support in Windows Subsystem for Linux for machine-learning workflows, and simplified deployment of passwordless Windows Hello-enabled systems in business environments.

The report said that Microsoft is not limited to adding features with big feature updates like this anymore, though, so more features can be added over time via cumulative updates. A recent example is the new Search Highlights feature that's available for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The broad availability of Windows 10 version 21H2 comes as Microsoft is preparing to drop support for some older versions of Windows 10 next month.

Hero Electric, Bolt to set up 50K EV charging stations across India New Delhi, April 20: Electric two-wheeler company Hero Electric on Wednesday announced that it has partnered with EV infrastructure provider Bolt to set up 50,000 charging stations in India in the next one year.

As part of the collaboration, Bolt chargers will be installed in more than 750 Hero Electric's touch points across India benefitting over 4.5 lakh customers. Furthermore, around 2,000 Hero Electric riders will avail free of cost Bolt charging units set up at their homes.

"We are delighted to partner with Bolt as its charging network will offer affordable charging solutions further, encouraging the switch to electric vehicles," Sohinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric, said in a statement.

With rising fuel prices, this tie-up is expected to boost EV adoption and the movement towards carbon-free mobility in India.

"Our mission is to enable carbon-free mobility and fasten EV adoption in the country by building a strong charging ecosystem and reskilling mechanics to offer an enhanced EV riding experience," Gill said.

"We are positive that this collaboration will broaden our efforts to reach the set objective. This partnership will benefit the industry overall

and allow e2W riders easy access to charging stations pan India," he added.

The partnership will help both Hero Electric and Bolt achieve their shared goal of providing a robust, affordable and accessible EV charging infrastructure to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

The Bolt charging network will be leveraged both by Hero Electric's enterprise partners and EV customers, significantly curbing range anxiety.

Additionally, Bolt will be integrated within the Hero Electric App and website, offering a one-stop solution for locating a charging station, booking a slot, and payment.

Post-installation of Bolt charging stations, individuals can choose between private/public mode of operation for their charging stations and decide the price depending on existing commercial/EV tariffs.

Moreover, subscription-based plans will be announced for Hero Electric riders to ease their usage, the company said.

Drivers take charge of Uber, Indian riders have nowhere to go New Delhi, April 19 : As cab-hailing platforms grow in sheer size and number in India, local residents are in for more trouble as of late, the drivers have become more aggressive and demanding, forcing people to cancel their rides when drivers do not want to ferry them or find the travel fare less.

For Noida-resident Utkarsh, a local cab wallah has always been a preferred option than calling an Ola and Uber but while travelling to other states, he has no choice but to call an online cab.

This week, two Uber drivers refused to drive him to his destination from the Kolkata airport. He called them to cancel the pick-up but one of them "ended" the trip by terminating it at the airport, for which "he was billed".

For women, taking an Uber has become another hassle in Delhi-NCR and Gurugram, especially during traffic hours and on holidays.

For Meenakshi, while booking an Uber for a mere 5-km distance in Noida, surge pricing happened on a regular day when the sky was clear and there was no holiday.

The Uber app showed the travel fare more than double - Rs 416 -- to the original fare and suddenly, two drivers were willing to accept the ride -- to be paid in cash, obviously.

To her surprise, when she cancelled and booked again, the price went considerably low - at Rs 312 -- and there was no driver ready to take her to her destination then.

The original fare to her destination always used to be around Rs 180-Rs 200.

"I find drivers have become more aggressive. There were days when I used to get drivers with nearly 5-star ratings but now, their ratings are further diminishing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get an Ola or Uber without facing some kind of hassle," she told IANS. Envisioned to lessen the travel woes, cab-hailing platforms like Uber and Ola have come a long distance in India, but riders are increasingly facing more issues.

"Once you board an Ola car, you

cannot change the mode of payment. It has put me in odd situations with drivers when they do not have change for cash transactions and I cannot use UPI or credit card, running around for exact cash change," Delhi-resident Rachel told IANS. Most of the time, Uber and Ola drivers now ask the riders to reveal what fare the Uber app is showing, and then decide if they want to take the ride or not depending on the amount and if it is in cash, forcing the riders to cancel the ride.

When contacted, an Uber spokesperson told IANS that drivers canceling trips goes against the company's promise to bring a magical experience to riders each time they book an Uber.

"We are doubling down on our efforts to ensure a reliable service through driver education and improvements to our app and procedures. We have begun showing the destination of the trip to drivers before a ride begins provided they meet a threshold to reduce potential

friction between riders and drivers," the spokesperson told IANS. On dealing with temperamental issues the riders are facing with driver-partners, the company said it has a clearly defined code of conduct to maintain quality standards on the platform.

"In case of driver's inappropriate behaviour, riders have the option to reach Uber via in-app chat messages and post-trip feedback. They could also make use of our dedicated 24X7 Safety Helpline number for riders to speak directly to a representative of Uber's safety team should they have an urgent, non-emergency issue, during a trip or up to 30 minutes after the trip has ended," said the company.

"Continued negative feedback towards drivers may lead to them losing access to the Uber app," it added.

However, there has been a surge in such incidents as more and more drivers are getting restless and riders are asking cab-hailing platforms to fix their daily woes.

Microsoft announces 2 startup initiatives in India

IIT Madras develops VR tools to tackle maternal & newborn deaths in India

Chennai, April 20 (IANS) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras developed tools using virtual reality (VR), gaming, cloud, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML), to help improve newborn and maternal health India.

Using these technologies, the researchers aim to train the health workers at the primary health cares (PHCs).

The training will begin from PHC health workers in Tamil Nadu under National Health Mission and will later be scaled to other states in India where neonatal health and

www.indianabroad.news

maternal health is very high.

An IIT Madras team at the Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality (VR) and Haptics, called Experiential Technology Innovation Center (XTIC), identified that skill training of the health workers was a major challenge that India was facing, specifically at the primary health centres in rural settings.

Infant Mortality is the biggest contributor is Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) which is death within 28 days of birth. Around 40 babies are lost per every 1,000 births.

“We want to bring this down to single digits and all these initiatives

are towards this direction. We assure that these tools will now be provided to the healthcare workers in delivery points and we will also have special training points,” said Dr Darez Ahamed IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission Tamil Nadu, in a statement.

He requested IIT Madras to also develop tools to train healthcare among numerous others.

The team also launched a SmartFHR project to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). It is aimed at monitoring foetal health using smartphones anywhere and anytime without clinical assistants.

This project also will be scaled subsequently to other states where MMR is very high.

Neonatal Health and Maternal health are crucial to increasing equity and reducing poverty in any country, which leads to solving large broader, economic, social and developmental challenges.

“We need to bring in technology that will be accessible to rural India and this technology is a step in that direction. This was one of the key learnings from Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the statement.

“I am sure Virtual Reality will make an impact not only in healthcare verticals but in other areas as well,” Kamakoti said.

New Delhi, April 20 :Microsoft India on Wednesday announced two new initiatives to help startup entrepreneurs innovate and grow in the country.

Under the Microsoft AI Innovate initiative, the company will introduce its second cohort of startups, as well as a new hackathon for startups to provide resources and support to developers for creating digital solutions.

Microsoft AI Innovate's second season is inviting nominations from software-as-a-service (SaaS) startups whose core applications or services are built using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

"With deepened focus on core AI startups in the second season

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of Microsoft AI Innovate, we are bringing the best of Microsoft's AI capabilities in creating the magic with the power of data and AI," said Sangeeta Bavi, Director, Startup Ecosystem, Microsoft India.

Supported by SaaS Insider, the initiative is designed to help startups scale their operations, drive greater innovation, and build industry expertise.

Across the 10 weeks of the programme, startups get to partner closely with Microsoft's engineering and product teams to build their core AI models.

The company said that selected startups will receive OpenAI preview and credits, access to industry and technology deep-dive sessions

/indianabroadnews

and AI masterclasses by experts and mentoring by startup founders and industry leaders.

The first cohorts of 16 startups from fintech, manufacturing and logistics sectors graduated last month.

Bavi said that the hackathon "provides an opportunity for some of the most innovative ideas to come to life on the trusted platform of Microsoft Azure".

"We are hopeful that both initiatives will help startups build securely and scale faster through the Microsoft ecosystem," she added.

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a new digital and truly inclusive platform for startup founders, offering over $300,000 worth of benefits and credits.

15

BITCOIN UPDATES

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Investors likely to lose up to $545 mn worth Bitcoin in 2022

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Bitcoin investors are likely to lose up to $545 million this year, owing to various reasons like forgetting passwords to their wallets or making a mistake in recording their "seed phrases", according to a new report.

A seed phrase is a series of words generated by your cryptocurrency wallet that give you access to the crypto associated with that wallet.

Analysts have estimated that at least 20 per cent of all Bitcoin is lost and that the majority of those funds are irretrievably lost.

According to new research from CryptoAssetRecovery.com, between $272 million to $545 million of

Bitcoin will be lost this year.

"Crypto gets lost for a host of reasons: People forget the passwords to their wallets; people make a mistake in recording their seed phrases and some die without giving adequate instructions for how to access their funds," according to the report.

"However, this does not include Bitcoin lost to scams or theft.

"While such funds are lost to the original wallet holder, they are not lost to the total money supply of Bitcoin. Those funds will likely continue to circulate," the report noted.

People also unintentionally (or

occasionally intentionally) send crypto to a burn address, or to an address on a different network, and lose it.

A new Bitcoin block reward is issued every 10 minutes, and in 2022, the block reward is 6.25 Bitcoin. The block reward will halve again in 2024, to 3.125 BTC/ block reward.

"Since there are 525,600 minutes in a year, and a block reward is issued every 10 minutes, 52,560 block rewards or 328,500 BTC will be issued in 2022," the report noted.

"It's clear that the vast majority of the approximately 3.8 million lost Bitcoin were lost early in the blockchain's history, before it had any economic value.

Given that between 2-4 per cent of the 328,500 Bitcoin mined in 2022 is likely to get lost, somewhere between 6,570-13,140 Bitcoin are likely to get lost.

"When Bitcoin's price is approximately $41,500, this means that between $272 million and $545 million in Bitcoin alone is likely to be removed from the Bitcoin money supply in 2022," the report claimed.

Bitcoin's price on Wednesday fell below $40,000 as other major cryptocurrencies were trading in the red, according to Coindesk data.

Coinbase unveils NFT marketplace in limited beta New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced that its non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace is now in beta version and accessible to "a small set of beta testers who will be invited based on their position".

The company said now anyone can check out the first version of Coinbase NFT and explore the vast collection of NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain.

"Beta testers will be able to create a Coinbase NFT profile to buy and sell NFTs using any self-custody wallet, whether that's Coinbase Wallet or something else," said Sanchan Saxena, VP of Product, Ecosystem Products, in a blog post.

"For a limited time, there will be no Coinbase transaction fees. We will eventually add fees, which will be in line with Web3 industry standards, and we will provide notice before anything changes," Saxena added.

The company said it is starting with a small set of beta testers who will be invited based on their position on the company's waitlist. It will start at the top of the waitlist and open access to more people over time.

Users can create a profile that

San Francisco, April 19 (IANS) Hackers have stolen nearly $180 million in cryptocurrency from Beanstalk Farms, a decentralised finance (De-Fi) project.

Beanstalk operates a system where participants earn rewards by contributing funds to a central funding pool that is used to balance the value of one token at close to $1, reports The Verge.

"Beanstalk suffered an exploit. The Beanstalk Farms team is investigating the attack and will make an announcement to the community as soon as possible," the company admitted in a tweet.

The hackers exploited Beanstalk's majority vote governance system, a core feature of many DeFi protocols.

The attack was first spotted by blockchain analytics company PeckShield.

The Beanstalk attacker "used a flash loan obtained through the decentralised protocol Aave to borrow close to $1 billion in cryptocurrency assets and exchanged these for enough beans to gain a 67 per cent voting stake in the project".

The attacker then instantly repaid the flash loan, netting an $80 million profit, the report said.

In January this year, hackers stole

crypto tokens worth $120 million from Blockchain-based decentralised finance (DeFi) platform BadgerDAO. Several crypto wallets were drained before the platform could stop the cyber attack.

In December last year, cyber criminals stole cryptocurrency worth $80 million from Qubit Finance, a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform.

The US this week blamed North Korean hacker group Lazarus for stealing $625 million in cryptocurrency from the Ronin Network, owned by developer group Sky Mavis.

Coinbase CEO calls out Apple’s ‘potential antitrust issues’

represents them by curating it with the NFTs that tell their story. Users can connect any self-custody wallet to select the NFTs they want to highlight or hide on their profile.

In the coming weeks and months, the company said it will add more features that will gradually bring the company's vision for a web3 social marketplace to life.

"We are planning to add drops,

minting, token-gated communities, and the option to buy NFTs with your Coinbase account or a credit card," the company added.

"We will also add support for NFTs on multiple chains. And over time, we intend to decentralise more features by moving them from Coinbase tech to decentralised solutions," it said.

Sitharaman raises fears cryptocurrency could be used to fund terror Washington, April 20 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market worldwide and stressed the need for a regulatory mechanism acceptable to all countries to prevent its use to launder money and fund terrorism, which, she said, were big concerns for India.

"I think the biggest risk for all countries across the board will be on the money laundering aspect and also on the aspect of currency being used for financing terror," Sitharaman said at a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Finance Minister is in Washington DC for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank group.

The minister pitched the need for a common international approach on regulating the sector, in addition to all the changes that have taken place in the last few years. "Unless there's going to be a global approach at regulating and also an understanding of the technology even as it keeps evolving, to be on the top of things, and to have technology driven solutions to regulate and monitor. Not so much to interfere, but, of course to keep an eye on � money laundering."

Hackers steal $180 mn in crypto from Beanstalk Farms

The minister had earlier at the seminar raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market. "We are not sure about the veracity of the data, which says the volume is this much or that much. Those numbers are questionable."

India distinguishes between cryptocurrency and crypto assets as a result, and the minister had in February announced a 30 per cent tax on income from these transactions, which includes a 1 per cent deduction at source. "We were trying

San Francisco, April 23 (IANS) Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase's CEO and co-founder Brian Armstrong has called out Apple over "potential antitrust issues" in a recent episode of the Superstream Podcast.

Armstrong appeared on the April 20 episode of Superstream Podcast to talk about the current state of cryptocurrency, entrepreneurship, and the company he co-founded: Coinbase, reports AppleInsider.

Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange platform on desktop and mobile, allowing users to purchase and exchange popular cryptocurrencies. The Coinbase App is the 18th most popular Finance app on the App Store, as pointed out by 9to5mac.

When asked if Coinbase would release its own cryptocurrency hardware wallet, Armstrong pointed out that he does not believe that most people would carry a separate wallet used solely for crypto.

He stated that most people would be more comfortable using something inside of their phones. However, he believes that big tech, and goes as far as naming Apple specifically, does not allow features that would be required to make a user-friendly phone-based wallet plausible.

"Apple so far has not really played nice with crypto, they have actually banned a bunch of features that we would like to have in the app, but

to make sure that we are keeping a trail and also making sure these are going to be eventually compliant with anti-money laundering rules.

Additionally, we are making sure that these kind of operations don't end up inadvertently to funding any kind of terror activities."

Sitharaman had used the seminar to detail India's growing e-economy and plans on entering the cryptocurrency market with its own currency sometime during the year.

/IndianAbroadNews

they just won't allow it - so there's potential antitrust issues there," he said. While Armstrong does not say what features have been banned, he does go on to say that he believes crypto-compatible phones will be necessary in the future and that

they could become popular.

This is not the first time that Armstrong has spoken out against Apple. In 2020, he argued that Apple's App Store regulations stifle innovation in the cryptocurrency space.

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16

BUSINESS

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

TN targets Rs 23 lakh cr invest- TN pays over 2 million euments in manufacturing sector ros to FIDE; 100 days to go

Chennai, April 19 (IANS) Manufacturing sector in the state has to take the centre-stage in economic development so that Tamil Nadu can progress towards the $1 trillion economy by 2030-21, said Minister for Industries Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday.

According to the Policy Note presented in the Assembly

by Thennarasu for 2022-23, Tamil Nadu is recognised for its

well-developed manufacturing eco-system and the state is on track to ensure this sector grows from $48.1 billion in financial year 2020-21 (18 per cent of gross state domestic product-GSDP)AGSDP) to $250 billion in fiscal 2030-31 (25 per cent of GSDP).

Thennarasu said that the Tamil Nadu government is undertaking several measures to attract the approximately Rs 23 lakh crore of

investment in manufacture and for the creation of employment opportunities for 46 lakh persons, which are necessary to achieve its growth target.

In the fiscal 2021-22, the state government has signed 130 MoUs with companies, with a cumulative investment of over Rs 68,375 crore with employment opportunities for over 2.05 lakh persons.

The investments were across areas in focus sectors such as electronics, auto-components, industrial parks, Free Trade Warehouse Zones, IT/ ITeS, general manufacturing, food processing, footwear, pharmaceuticals and textiles, as well as new areas such as furniture manufacturing, EV charging infrastructure and others.

As part of the state's efforts towards achieving the export target of $100 billion by 2030, the Tamil Nadu government is establishing a special fund of Rs 100 crore to develop necessary public infrastructure for exporting organisations in Tamil Nadu with contribution from industry and industry associations, Thennarasu said.

Projects worth Rs 11,495 cr approved in K’taka Bengaluru, April 18 (IANS) In a massive push to the industrial growth, the State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) on Monday approved a slew of industrial projects worth Rs 11,495 crore that would generate jobs for over 46,984 persons in Karnataka, officials said.

This includes Rs 6,000 crore investment from Exide Industries, which will set up India's largest Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing Giga factories for Advanced Cell Chemistry Technology near Bengaluru airport and expected to generate 1,200-1,400 jobs.

The 58th SHLCC meeting held at Vidhana Soudha under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and vice chairmanship of Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh R Nirani cleared the projects.

The High Level Clearance committee has considered and approved 5 new projects and 4 additional investment projects that are expected to further push the industrial growth and generate huge direct and indirect employment opportunities in Karnataka.

Seeking to dispel the notion that Karnataka would lose investments owing to some extraneous factors and apprehensions raised in some quarters, Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani said that the massive investment proposals approved by the government shows the position of Karnataka as a preferred destination for investors.

"These industrial projects have the potential to generate nearly one lakh jobs in the state. Our government has been giving preference to investment proposals that have the potential to create jobs. Our policies, pro-active steps and the prevailing

business ecosystem are encouraging investors to invest in Karnataka. The investor-friendly atmosphere in the state is not available anywhere in the country," Nirani said.

The projects which are approved are Exide Energy Solutions Limited -- Rs 6,002 crore investment in Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing Giga factories at Phase-2 of Hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park near Bengaluru International Airport with the potential of creating over 1,400 jobs.

Nsure Reliable Power Solutions Private Limited -- Rs 1,050 crore investment in Lithium-Ion cell manufacturing near Malur in Kolar with employment potential for 450 persons.

Rs 679.51 crore project by M/s JSW Renewable Energy (Vijayanagar) Limited to generate 130 MW Hydro power with employment potential for 65 persons. Rs 530 crore investment by Web Works India Pvt. Ltd to open Data Services Centre at KR Puram in Bengaluru with job creation for 69 people.

Rs 2,231 crore investment by Tetrarch Developers Limited in social infrastructure activities at Phase-2 of Hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park near Bengaluru airport with employment potential for 45,000 people.

Additional investment proposals of Rs 471 crore investment by M/s ACC Ltd in limestone mining in Kalaburagi; Rs 280 crore investment by M/s Goodrich Aerospace Services Pvt Ltd in aircraft system at Aerospace SEZ near Bengaluru airport; Rs 242.89 crore investment in cement and thermal power plants

by JK Cements Works at Bagalkot; Rs 9 crore investment by CV Projects Pvt Ltd in infrastructure for IT SEZ at Yelahanka were cleared in the meeting.

Chief Secretary to Government, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce and senior officials of various departments attended the 58th State High Level Clearance Committee meeting.

for Chess Olympiad

Chennai, April 18 (IANS) With 100 days to go for the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held at Four Points

By Sheraton Chennai OMR in Mahabalipuram, the Tamil Nadu government has made the necessary payment to the International Chess Federation, also known as FIDE, as per the agreement, an official said.

The Tamil Nadu government is the major sponsor of the global chess event in which over 1,500 players are expected to compete.

The officials are busy finalising the requirements and the tender norms for various services, including construction of a spectator gallery.

The event is set to start on July 28, while the first round will be played on July 29.

"On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government -- the main sponsor of the Olympiad -- issued a cheque to FIDE as per the agreement signed," an official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

An official of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) told IANS that the Olympiad organiser has to pay FIDE a sum of 2,623,000 euros

to cover all financial obligations such as travel expenses for the delegations of some national chess federations, stipends for foreign match arbiters, principals, expenses towards inspections, travel subsidy for participants of FIDE Congress and to provide pocket money to the participants from some countries.

According to the Tamil Nadu government official, planning of the works related to the mega chess event is on and tenders that have to be issued will soon be issued.

The official also said the process of finalising the logo, tag line and others is also on.

While Four Points Sheraton has a huge convention hall, additional civil structure measuring about 25,000 sq ft is required for a spectator gallery and other event related office space, the official added.

Accordingly, tenders for the same will be issued soon.

"FIDE has taken our drawings. It will decide on the event's needs like a noiseless playing area etc. The room and other rates are yet to be finalised," Satish Murthy, Manager,

Four Points Sheraton, told IANS. Similarly, plans for opening and closing ceremonies are also being discussed and will be finalised soon.

Queried about the hotel rooms, the official said that more than 20 hotels on the East Coast Road (ECR) belt and till TIDEL Park in Chennai have been finalised.

"We have to arrive at the rates and make an offer to the hotels. We will take the average hotel room tariff during July-August of the past three years, excluding the Covid-19 years, and also the current rates of the hotels and make an offer. Ours will be a bulk booking, so we expect the rates to be attractive," the official said.

As regards the logistics, the official said that each country's teams will be provided with two/three cars for travelling from their hotel to the playing venue and back.

Going by the number of players and officials, the event may need about 600-700 cars.

Players may not prefer buses as they may not like to discuss their strategy while travelling, he said.

Similarly, tenders for tables and chairs as per FIDE specifications will also be issued.

As for the sightseeing options for the players and accompanying officials, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation will handle that part.

"The security of the players and officials is important. So, the sightseeing trips will be handled by the government," the official said.

On the revenue side, the government is seeking other sponsors and many corporates have expressed their interest and that aspect will also be finalised, he said.

The opening ceremony and technical meeting will be held on July 28.

The first round will be played on July 29, while the last round will be played on August 9, after which the closing ceremony will be held.

The players will have their free day on August 4, as per the schedule.

The departures will be on August 10.

Reliance calls off Rs 24,371 crore Future Retail deal

Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has called off the deal with Future Retail Ltd (FRL) after FRLs secured creditors voted against the scheme.

In a filing with the stock exchanges,

RIL said, “The Future Group companies comprising Future Retail Limited (FRL) and other listed companies involved in the scheme have intimated the results of the voting on the scheme of arrangement by their shareholders and creditors at

their respective meetings.

“As per these results, the shareholders and unsecured creditors of FRL have voted in favour of the scheme. But the secured creditors of FRL have voted against the scheme. In view thereof, the subject scheme of arrangement cannot be implemented.”

The scheme of arrangement was for the transfer of retail and wholesale business and the logistics and warehousing business of Future Group to Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of the company, and Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited (RRFLL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RRVL, for Rs 24,371 crore. The deal was opposed by Amazon and intense legal battles have been waged ever since the deal was announced.

Real-time payments to boost India’s GDP by $45.9 bn in 2026 Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Real-time payments are forecast to boost India's GDP by $45.9 billion in 2026 as real-time payments transaction volumes are set to exceed 206 billion by that time, a new report showed on Tuesday. In 2021, India accounted for the largest number of real-time transactions at 48.6 billion, almost threefold that of China (18 billion transactions) and almost seven times greater than the combined real-time payments volume of US, Canada, the UK, France and Germany (7.5 billion).

According to the report by ACI Worldwide, in partnership with GlobalData and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), the real-time payments helped India unlock $16.4 billion of additional economic output in 2021,

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equivalent to 0.56 per cent of formal GDP. "India's craving for cash may be plummeting, but there is still a great deal more to do. It is time to accelerate our efforts and expand this impact beyond the top tier metropolitan areas and replicate our success for the benefit of the entire country," said Ankur Saxena, Head of India and South Asia, ACI Worldwide, a software company providing real-time payment solutions.

The widespread adoption of real-time payments resulted in estimated cost savings of $12.6 billion for Indian businesses and consumers in 2021.

The growing acceptance of UPIbased mobile payment apps and QR code payments among merchants,

/IndianAbroadNews

combined with the increased use of digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic, helped real-time payments secure 31.3 per cent of total payments transaction volume last year, the report showed.

With consumers increasingly shifting from cash to mobile-based real-time payments, skipping payment cards, the real-time payments' share of the total payments volume is likely to rise to over 70 per cent in 2026. This will result in net savings for businesses and consumers rising to $92.4 billion in 2026, helping generate an additional $45.9 billion of economic output, equivalent to 1.12 per cent of the country's forecasted GDP. "By allowing for the transfer of money between parties within seconds rather than days, real-time

/indianabroadnews

payments improve overall market efficiencies in the economy," commented Owen Good, Head of Advisory, Centre for Economic and Business Research.

"Developing nations continue to drive the majority of real-time volume gains, confirming the industry trend of the strongest growth coming from economies with minimal existing electronic payments infrastructure, and therefore heavier reliance on cash," added Sam Murrant, lead analyst, GlobalData.

"India provides the template for mobile wallet integration with underlying real-time payment systems. Mobile will still be the leading form factor in developed markets," he noted.

18

SPORTS

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

Pak to take part in Asian Track Cycling Championship in Delhi

Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) In a step that may pave way towards hopes of a positive forward movement and de-escalation of tense ties between Pakistan and India, a team of Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) will be travelling to New Delhi to participate in the forthcoming Asian Track Cycling Championship.

President PCF Syed Azhar Ali Shah said Pakistani cycling team will participate in the championship in New Delhi, scheduled to be held from June 18-22.

"The decision about the participation

of the national team in the Asian Track Cycling Championship has been taken in the Executive Council meeting of the federation," said Azhar Ali Shah.

"In this connection, trials for selection of cyclists will be held on May 8 at Cycling Velodrome Lahore.

All affiliated units of PCF, including Pakistan Army and WAPDA, have been directed to field their riders before the selection committee," he added.

It will also be ensured that all the Pakistani riders, who get nominated

by their managers after trial, possess a valid passport for visa application and processing.

It was also highlighted that possession of a valid cycling license is also kept as a mandatory requirement.

The Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) has not accredited the PCF, which is why cyclists have missed participation in various international events.

"In the past, POA did not grant accreditation to PCF in various international sports events due to which the cyclists missed many important international events. POA must change their attitude towards cycling and give due status to PCF," said Azhar Ali Shah.

The trend of cycling in Pakistan does not get the spotlight, even in the local channels, dedicated towards promoting sporting events in the country.

But, the sport is fast increasing its value as club-level cyclists are said to be trained and equipped with international level facilitations to meet the criteria for participation in international sporting events.

Shah urged the relevant sports ministry and its subsidiary quarters to allow PCF to participate in the coming South Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

India to play five-match T20I series vs South Africa from June 9 Mumbai, April 24 (IANS) India will play a five-match T20 International series against South Africa at home less than a fortnight after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League, with the opening match scheduled in New Delhi on June 9.

The five matches will take place across 11 days, concluding with the final game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

This will be India's third T20I series in 2022 at home; they swept both West Indies and Sri Lanka 3-0 earlier this year. And with the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia just a few months away, it will be a good opportunity for the hosts to experiment with their bench strength.

India have a slightly better record against South Africa in the shortest format, having won nine out of their 15 matches, with the Proteas winning six of those.

"We are excited to add these fixtures to the Proteas men's itinerary for the season. It is a massive white-ball season for our team, with an ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia

later this year and the ICC World Cup taking place in India next year," said Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki.

"It goes without saying that game time is vital for our team as they look to get their combinations right.

"We look forward to supporting our

men in a few weeks' time in what promises to be an explosive and highly competitive series."

The schedule: 1st T20I: June 9, New Delhi; 2nd T20I: June 12, Cuttack; 3rd T20I: June 14, Vizag; 4th T20I: June 17, Rajkot; 5th T20I: June 19, Bengaluru.

Fo r mul a 3: K u sh Mai ni gets fir st poi nt s at Im o l a Imola (Italy), April 25 (IANS) Kush Maini, from Bangalore, demonstrated tremendous maturity over the course of a difficult weekend in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship, finishing fifth in the feature race here on Sunday. Maini's Fifth-place finish earned him his first points of the season.

The FIA Formula 3 Championship, with normally 30 cars on the grid, is brutally competitive, with drivers needing near-perfect weekends to finish at the front. Running as a support race to the main F1 weekend, the series will move to the Barcelona race track in Spain on May 20-22.

Despite not being able to show his true potential, the Omega-Seiki and JK Racing-backed driver qualified in 10th place. On Saturday Kush Started the Sprint race 3rd on the Grid and was involved in battles in the top 5 when an unlucky drive-through penalty jeopardised his Sprint Race, with the Indian eventually finishing 20th.

"It's been another weekend of a lot of learning and I'm glad we were able to finish the weekend so strongly," Maini said.

"Fifth is a more accurate reflection of our potential, and I'm confident we could have finished in the top five if other factors had aligned in the Sprint Race".

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Former India women’s hockey captain Elvera Britto passes away New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Former India women's hockey captain Elvera Britto, the eldest of the three famous Britto sisters who ruled the roost for nearly a decade in the 60s, passed away in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Elvera, and her two sisters, Rita and Mae, were synonymous with women's hockey and played for Karnataka between 1960 and 1967, during which they won seven national titles with the three sisters at the helm.

Elvera was conferred with the Arjuna award in 1965 and played for India against Australia, Sri Lanka and Japan.

Condoling her demise, Gyanendro Ningombam, president, Hockey India said, "It is saddening to learn about the passing away of Elvera Britto. She was ahead of her times and achieved so much in women's hockey and continued to serve the sport as an administrator with the State. On behalf of Hockey India and the entire hockey fraternity, we would like to express our deepest condolences to her family."

Oslo chess: Praggnanandha, Carlsen to fight for title in final round

Oslo (Norway), April 28 (IANS) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa will fight it out with World N.o 1 Magnus Carlsen for the Oslo Esports Cup title after losing his penultimate round match in the rapid chess tournament on Wednesday night Three points ahead going into the penultimate round of the $210,000 event, thev16-year-old Pragg suffered a painful defeat against Poland's World Cup winner JanKrzysztof Duda.

It handed world Champion Carlsen a golden opportunity to go level on points with the youngster and

overtake him on the leaderboard due to their head-to-head score.

Carlsen, as always, grabbed the opportunity with both hands by thrashing the lowest-ranked player in the field, Canad's Eric Hansen.

The Norwegian is now hot favourite to win the first Major of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season.

Carlsen, meanwhile, faces the dangerous Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in Round 7 while Pragg is up against Anish Giri. For Pragg, it was nowhere near as comfortable a day as he'd hoped. Game 1 started

unconventionally as Duda played an English Opening with 6.e3 and then the ultra-rare 9.b3.

Duda was allowed to advance a pawn on the f-file to the seventh rank and the result was inevitable.

Pragg resigned on move 65, according to a report by the organisers In the second game, the 16-year-old from Chennai overstretched with 24.c6 and from there Duda was ruthless. Pragg shook his head as he resigned in an impossible position on move 37.

It left the youngster with an uphill struggle needing to win both remaining games on demand just to take it to tiebreaks.

It wasn't to be as the third game ended in a draw after the queens came off. The match ended 2.5-0.5 in Duda's favour.

Asked if he can win the tournament, Pragg said: "I just want to play better chess and then we'll see."

So far, both matches had finished in three games and the third was no different as Liem Quang Le thrashed Play Magnus Group's new ambassador, Dutch No.1 Anish Giri 2.5-0.5. The last match to finish was �which went to a fourth game in which the Azeri needed to win to take it to tiebreaks, which the former won 2-0.

Sakshi Dhoni’s tweet on Jharkhand power crisis goes viral

Ranchi, April 26 (IANS) Sakshi Dhoni, the wife of former India captain and talismanic Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has lent her voice to

/IndianAbroadNews

the deteriorating power situation in her home state Jharkhand, saying that as a tax payer she wants to know the reason for the crisis.

With the state registering

/indianabroadnews

temperatures upward of 40 degrees C, and frequent power cuts becoming the norm, Sakshi tweeted her dismay saying, "As a tax payer of Jharkhand just want to know why is there a power crisis in Jharkhand since so many years? We are doing our part by consciously making sure we save energy!" Reports said that the state's demand for electricity crosses 2500 MW during peak hours and only two units of the Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited, which have a power-generating capacity of about 350 MW, cater to the demand of the state. The rest of the demand is met by the Indian Energy Exchange.

The biggest reason for the latest crisis is the shortage of coal for power plants across the country, and efforts are on to ensure unhindered supply of the commodity soon.

Sakshi's tweet received thousands of likes and re-tweets, with a fan saying, that she was lucky to be staying in Ranchi, where the situation was better compared to other cities.

"Ma'am, that too when you're living in capital (Ranchi), just think what would be the situation of other cities. This became fate of all Jharkhand's people."

MS Dhoni is currently playing in the IPL in Maharashtra where his team CSK has registered just two wins and is languishing in the bottom half of the table.

16

LEAD STORIES HEALTH

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Loss of vision leading cause of anxiety, How to maintain a healthy liver depression in elderly: Experts

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), which accounts for 8.7 per cent of all blindness worldwide, is the most common cause of anxiety, and depression seen among people older than 60 years, health experts said on Monday.

AMD is a disease where abnormal blood vessels grow in the macula - centre part of the retina - causing damage to the central vision and

making it difficult to cope.

Recent projections estimate that globally the number of individuals suffering with AMD will reach 288 million in 2040. In India, the overall prevalence of AMD currently ranges from 1.4 per cent to 3.1 per cent.

The earliest symptom of AMD is difficulty in seeing at night. At a later stage, AMD patients see blind spots and their ability to read, watch television, drive and recognise faces

gets affected. It later progresses to blindness. The impaired vision disturbs the routine of the patients, makes them dependent and also increases functional disability.

"People suffering from AMD, who have lost over 80 per cent of their central vision are more likely to have anxiety and depression. This is mainly as they have plans to retire smoothly, and find it difficult to read and perform recreational activities at this stage in life, which causes frustration and discomfort. Their life involves multiple visits to hospital accompanied with expensive treatments, which adds to deterioration in the quality of life," Dr. Indu Singh, Consultant Retinal surgeon and Director, Dr Daljit Singh Eye Hospital, Amritsar, told IANS. A recent study by International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health also confirmed that AMD has a negative psychological impact, and it reduces the quality of life to levels comparable to severe illnesses like cancer and stroke.

While it is important to go for walks, supervise things at home, to manage depression, Dr. Vishali Gupta, Professor, Vitreoretinal and Uvea, Advanced Eye Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh suggested the patients to engage in activities that they can do within the comfort zone of their vision.

"These patients should use magnifiers, iPads or other low vision aid devices that can help them read the script. Today there are apps that can read books to them. The idea is to keep oneself busy and feel useful," Gupta told IANS. Another way to fight AMD related stress is to go for regular screening in order to avoid worsening of vision. Early diagnosis of AMD can help early treatment and also halt progression to vision loss.

Dr. Daraius Shroff, a retina specialist at Shroff Eye Centre in Delhi, suggested patients with AMD share with family and friends their anxieties to help relieve mental stress as well as to gain support to find solutions to

Modi lays foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Gujarat's Jamnagar in the presence of Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. The video messages from the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and President of Maldives were played on the occasion.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia, Ayush Minister Sabananda Sonowal, MoS for Ayush Munjapara Mahendrabhai and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel were among those present.

Tedros Ghebreyesus termed the centre as a truly global project as

107 WHO member countries have their country specific governmental offices which means the world will come to India for its leadership in the traditional medicine.

He said traditional medicines products are abound globally and the centre will go a long way in bringing the promise of the traditional medicine to fruition. For many regions of the world traditional medicine is the first line of treatment.

"The New Centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medicine, he added. The centres five main areas will be research and leadership, evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity and innovation and technology," said Tedros Ghebreyesus.

He thanked PM Modi for his leadership in providing all the support for the establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in

Jamnagar.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister thanked Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus for his kind words.

The Prime Minister noted Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus's connect with India and his personal involvement in the project of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) he said that his affection has manifested in the shape of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

Prime Minister also highlighted the three-decade long association with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and his family and thanked him for his words and presence.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked the leaders whose video messages were played.

"The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is a recognition of India's contribution and potential in this field. India takes this partnership as a huge responsibility for serving the entire humanity," said Modi.

Jamnagar's contributions towards wellness will get a global identity with WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, the Prime Minister said, adding that more than five decades ago, the world's first Ayurvedic University was established in Jamnagar.

The city has a quality Ayurvedic institute in Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.

"India's traditional medicine system is not limited to treatment. It is a holistic science of life. Ayurveda goes beyond just healing and treatment. Apart from healing and treatment; social health, mental health-happiness, environmental health, sympathy, compassion and productivity are included. Ayurveda is taken as the knowledge of life and it has been deemed as fifth Veda," Modi said.

Prime Minister laid down five goals for the new Center. First, to create a database of traditional knowledge system using technology; second, GCTM can create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves. Third, GCTM should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences. He also asked the centre to explore the possibility of an annual traditional medicine festival. Fourth, GCTM should mobilize funding for research in the field of traditional medicines. Finally, GCTM should develop protocols for holistic treatment of specific diseases so that patients could benefit from both traditional and modern medicine.

PM Modi invoked the Indian concept of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' and prayed for whole world to always remain healthy. He said that with establishment of WHO-GCTM, this tradition will get further enriched.

Pigs can spread deadly antibiotic-resistant superbug to humans: Study

London, April 25 (IANS) Danish researchers have found evidence that pigs can spread dangerous antibiotic-resistant superbug Clostridioides difficile to humans.

A team from the University of Copenhagen and Statens Serum Institut in Denmark found samples of the superbug C.difficile more commonly in piglets and sows than slaughter pigs across 14 pig farms in Denmark.

The difference may be due to the younger pigs having a microbiota composition that makes them more susceptible to a successful

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colonisation, the researchers said.

C. difficile is a bacterium that infects the human gut and is resistant to all but three current antibiotics. Some strains contain genes that allow them to produce toxins that can cause damaging inflammation in the gut, leading to life-threatening diarrhoea, mostly in the elderly and hospitalised patients who have been treated with antibiotics.

"Our finding of multiple and shared resistance genes indicate that C. difficile is a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes that can be exchanged between animals and

humans," said Dr. Semeh Bejaoui from the varsity. "This alarming discovery suggests that resistance to antibiotics can spread more widely than previously thought, and confirms links in the resistance chain leading from farm animals to humans," Bejaoui added. The study was presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) being held in Portugal. In the study, the team investigated the prevalence of C. difficile strains in livestock pigs and the potential for zoonotic spread of antimicrobial resistance genes by comparing to clinical isolates from Danish hospital patients.

Stool samples were collected from 514 pigs in two batches from farms across Denmark between 2020 and 2021. The 184 samples in batch B were collected during slaughtering in 2021. Out of 514 pigs samples, 54 had evidence of C. difficile. Further analyses of 40 samples, found that C. difficile was more common in piglets and sows than slaughter pigs. The researchers speculate that this may be due to the difference in age between piglets and adult pigs -- with the younger pigs having a microbiota composition that

makes them more susceptible to a successful colonisation. In total, thirteen sequence types found in animals matched those found in patient's stool samples. ST11, an animal-associated strain, was the most common. In sixteen cases, ST11 strains in humans and animals were identical.

All isolates from animals were positive for the toxin genes and ten were also hypervirulent, with an even greater capacity to cause disease. In total, 38 isolates from the animals contained at least one resistance gene and overall, resistance was predicted for seven classes of antibiotics, of which the most common were macrolides, beta-lactams, aminoglicosides and vancomycin -- which are important for treating severe bacterial infections.

"Of particular concern is the large reservoir of genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, a class of antibiotics to which C. difficile is intrinsically resistant -- they are not needed for resistance in this species. C. difficile thus plays a role in spreading these genes to other susceptible species," Bejaoui said.

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New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Liver, which is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, after the brain, can be easily damaged if not taken good care of, said experts on the occasion of World Liver Day. World liver day is observed every April 19 to spread awareness about liver related disease.

The liver is a key player in our body's digestive system, and helps in proper digestion, metabolism, removal of toxins, and nutrient storage. The organ plays a vital role in affecting our overall health and wellness, thus to improve its functioning to prevent damage, a healthy lifestyle is important, the health experts said.

"A healthy liver is the key to a long life term. With slight changes in lifestyle you can maintain good liver health," said Dr Ameet Mandot, Senior consultant and Clinical lead - Adult Hepatology and Liver Transplant unit - Global Hospital, Parel, Mumbai.

"Maintaining the health of the liver is quite necessary as it performs many functions and plays a vital role in the human digestive system.

Everything you eat or drink passes through the liver. You cannot survive without a liver. It is an organ that can be easily damaged if you don't take good care of it," added Dr. Abhishek Deepak, Senior Consultant - Gastroenterologist at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida.

The health experts explained that leading an unhealthy lifestyle - with improper diet, lack of physical activity, being overweight, can all lead to conditions like diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, and

abnormal cholesterol levels.

All these are major risk factors for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which then progresses to liver cirrhosis -- latestage liver disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue and the liver is permanently damaged.

Mandot suggested maintaining a healthy diet along with weight management.

"Avoid fatty foods, exercise regularly, consume alcohol responsibly and in moderation, cut down or stop smoking, avoid use of illicit drugs," Mandot noted.

According to Dr. Gaurav Gupta, Consultant & Chief Surgeon, Department of Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mulund, not drinking enough water, taking stress as well as taking some painkillers and other drugs may also contribute to liver disease.

Gupta said that "painkillers containing acetaminophen, paracetamol, and narcotics; sleeping pills; stimulants/ADHD drugs like ritalin, amphetamine; and cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy," can easily surpass a safe threshold of liver tolerance and can cause significant damage to the organ.

"Intravenous drugs can transmit infections like hepatitis B and C, which can also lead to chronic liver disease and even liver cancer," he added.

The experts also suggested to avoid use of contaminated needles, getting proper medical care if exposed to blood, do not share personal hygiene items, practice safe sex, wash hands, follow directions on all medications and importantly get vaccinated.

BJP leader moves Delhi HC to adopt Indian holistic integrated medicinal approach New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay on Tuesday moved a PIL in the High Court seeking directions to the Centre to adopt an Indian Holistic Integrated Medicinal Approach rather than colonial segregated way of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy in order to secure the right to health. In the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Upadhyay said that a substantial proportion of active health workers were found not adequately qualified and more than 20 per cent of qualified health professionals are not active. Around half of the population is living below the poverty line and around 70 per cent dwelling in rural areas and 52 per cent of these doctors are practicing in just five states Maharashtra (15 per cent), Tamil Nadu (12 per cent), Karnataka (10 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (8 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (7 per cent).

Thus, rural Indian areas still remain deprived of medicinal benefits. These results reflected highly skewed distribution of health workforce across States. Since the majority of Allopathic doctors reside in five states, thereby restricting the medical benefits of other states by just providing them with remaining 48 per cent population of doctors, the PIL read. As doctors are confined to a few states but patients reside across India, it has led to introduction of several health care mediators and they are ruining the integrity of Indian health care system as they tend to fetch more money from patients in the name of providing better treatment. This situation is highly un-ethical and illegal as it

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will deprive the diseased individuals from attaining health benefits due to their inability to pay high health expenses, he said. The petitioner also stated that there are 7.88 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors. Assuming 80 per cent availability, it is estimated that 6.30 lakh AUH doctors may be available for service and considered together with allopathic doctors, it gives a doctor population ratio of around 1:1000.

He sought implement a Holistic Integrated Common Syllabus and Common Curriculum of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy for all Medical Colleges in order to secure right to health guaranteed under Articles 21, 39(e), 41, 43, 47, 48(a).

The Centre should be directed to constitute an Expert Committee having Experts of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy to examine Integrated Healthcare Approach of the developed countries and particularly China and Japan, the plea read.

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LEADDIASPORA STORIES

Vol 2, 1, Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Kerala-born teen drowns trying to retrieve football from pond in US

New York, April 24 (IANS) An 18-year-old Kerala-born teen has died while trying to retrieve a football that had fallen into a frigid pond in New Jersey, according to media reports.

The body of Clinten Ajit was pulled from the depths of the pond in New Milford on Friday night by an

emergency service diver, the Daily Voice reported.

He "was apparently doing a good deed" when he went into the pond at about 7 p.m. to get the ball, the news outlet said.

An emergency service worker quoted by it said, "Some kids accidentally kicked a soccer ball in the water and

(he) said he would get it for them. He didn't know how to swim and never came back up".

New Milford Mayor Michael Putrino said: "There's no words that can describe the pain that this family is going through right now. Our hearts are broken. Our town will be praying for (them) tonight."

According to a Gofundme fundraiser set up for his family, Ajit was born in Niranam, Kerala, and immigrated to the US in 2012.

He was in the final year of high school and had been set to study criminal justice at a local university.

On Friday evening, the temperatures were down to about 12 degrees Celsius in New Milford, which is about 35 km from New York City.

Ten-year-old Sam Rueda, who witnessed the tragedy told the CBS2 New York TV: "The water went up to his waist, then it went up to his neck, then he had his whole, full body in the water."

All seven Indian sailors in captivity of Yemen’s Houthis released Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 (IANS) Seven Indian sailors, in captivity of Yemen's Houthi rebels since January 2 along with their UAE-flagged merchant ship Rwabee, have been released, relatives of some of the sailors said on Sunday.

The sailors included three Keralites - Dipash of Meppayur in Kozhikode, Akhil of Alappuzha, and Sreejith from Kottayam - and their relatives said that they have got information about their release. The Houthi rebels had then claimed that the UAE-flagged vessel Rwabee was carrying "military supplies" and that it had entered the Yemeni waters of the coast of Hodeidah without any authorisation. The External Affairs Ministry was in touch with the UN mission to felicitate the release of the Indian sailors.

Two students from Telangana killed in US accident Hyderabad, April 24 (IANS) Two students from Telangana were killed in a road accident in the US. Pavan Swarna (23) of Khammam and his friend Vamshi Krishna Pechetty (23) of Bachupally in Medchal Malkajgiri district were killed in a head-on collision of two cars in Illinois on April 21.

Pavan was at the wheels of one of the vehicles. An American woman driving the other car was also killed.

Three others travelling with Pavan and Vamshi were injured and the condition of one of them is stated to be critical.

Pavan and Vamshi were pursuing their master's in computer science at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale.

Kalyan Dorna, Karthik Kakumanu and Yashwanth Uppalapati were injured in the accident. Kalyan's condition is stated to be critical.

According to information reaching the families of the deceased, the accident occurred when a group of 10 students in two separate cars were returning after shopping.

One of the cars was hit by another vehicle which was being driven by an American.

Vamshi, second son of a bank officer

Varaprasad and JNTU professor Padmaja Rani, had gone to the US five months ago after doing his BTech.

Vamshi's elder brother Shashi Krishna was already settled in the US for the last seven years.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday condoled the death of two students from the state.

"Saddened to hear the loss of two Telangana students in a car accident in Illinois USA," the governor tweeted.

She directed the Raj Bhavan officials to render all possible support to the families in bringing back the bodies with the help of Ministry of External Affairs and to provide medical assistance to three others who were injured.

Indians continue their hold on H-1B visas

E C m ul l ing post al b al l o t s fo r ove rseas vot ers Washington, April 15 (IANS) Indians cornered nearly three-fourths of H-1B visas issued by the US to speciality foreign workers in 2021, continuing their stranglehold on this highly sought after professional ticket to work, live and, finally, settle down in America.

The US approved 407,071 H-1B petitions in 2021 and 301,616 of

them � 74.1 per cent � were for Indian workers, according to the latest report on this topic released recently by the Department of Homeland Security, the government agency that oversees immigration.

Indians accounted for 74.9 per cent of the approved petitions in 2020.

The US allows American employers

to hire speciality foreign workers on H-1B for positions they are unable to fill with local Americans.

Top American companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook are among leading users of this visa programme as are US subsidiaries of Indian IT companies such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro.

These foreign workers are hired either from their countries of birth or residence or from US colleges and universities � Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO, was hired on H-1B when he was studying in the US. They can live and work here for three years and, if approved, another three years. A large number of them go on to Green Cards � permanent residency � sponsored by their employers.

Indians have had a tight grip on the H-B visa programme for years, at that three-fourths mark. People from China have been a distant second � with 12.1 per cent. The next three were Canada with 0.9 per cent, South Korea also with 0.9 per cent and Philippines with 0.7 per cent.

The line-up was the same in 2020, with almost the same numbers.

Indian embassy officials in Yemen begin talks to save life of Kerala nurse

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The Election Commission of India has said that its contemplating postal ballots for overseas voters, an official statement said on Friday.

During his recent visit to South Africa and interaction with the members of the Indian community there, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urged the community to register as overseas voters as the present numbers are abysmally low. He also shared with the members that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated.

The Election Commission delegation, led by the CEC, visited South Africa and Mauritius from April 9-19.

During this visit, a series of meetings were held with the Election

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Commissions of South Africa and Mauritius as well as interactions with the large NRI community in the two countries. Both Election Management Bodies are also MOU partners with ECI. The three countries share a relationship which is fundamental, unique and rooted in the collective experiences and cumulative strength of their people, the statement said.

As the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), which provides a unique platform for exchange of knowledge and information between its members, completes 10 years of its foundation and steps into a new decade, the meeting was positioned at the right juncture wherein it was time to reflect on the way forward for A-WEB as an organisation, it said.

"During the meeting, it was acknowledged that this umbrella organisation had EMBs with a lot of experience and expertise which could assist and advise those EMBs who were looking for further development and upgradation of their systems. It was felt that the focus must now be on increasing membership and enhancing the sense of belonging of the members.

More avenues must be explored so that the members can interact and meet more often," the CEC said.

Sushil Chandra said that South Africa has made big strides in democracy and would be hosting the next General Assembly of AWEB in October 2022. India has a very intense and active association with AWEB and both it and South Africa are its founding members.

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 (IANS) Indian embassy officials in Yemen have established contact with 'responsible' people who are close to the family of a Yemeni national who was killed by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya and her friend.

The meeting was held to discuss the possibility of saving Priya's life which can be done only if the family of Talal Mahdi pardons her for blood money -- compensation paid by an offender or his kin to the family of the victim -- in accordance with the Sharia law and diplomatic intervention, as per Yemeni rules.

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According to sources in the know of things, the Indian diplomats are also wary that excessive media attention on the blood money factor could turn counterproductive.

It was at the initiative of the 'Save Nimisha Forum' working for her release, that retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph agreed to act as interlocutor to see how her life can be saved.

Joseph, along with a team of former and serving diplomatic officials, managed to establish contact with authorities in Yemen.

According to rough estimates, a sum equivalent to Rs 1.50 crore might have to be paid in Yemeni currency and perhaps it could be even more as it includes a fine and other charges.

Meanwhile, a team led by Joseph, including Priya's mother and her young daughter, are awaiting diplomatic clearance to travel to Yemen to have a direct dialogue with Mahdi's family.

Things started to speed up after a Yemeni court last month dismissed Priya's appeal in the murder case of Talal Mahdi, in which she, along with another person, are the prime accused.

The two have been sentenced to

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death for the murder of Mahdi in 2017.

Hailing from Palakkad, Priya, a nurse by profession, reached Yemen in 2012 with her husband. In 2015, with the help of Talal Mahdi, she set up a clinic. By this time her husband and their child had returned home.

Soon, differences cropped up between her and Mahdi and she accused him of torturing her and taking away her passport, making her trip back to her home state impossible.

On July 25, 2017, she injected Talal with sedatives to take back her passport and flee.

But the man collapsed after being administered the sedatives.

Realising that Mahdi had died, the nurse with another person's help, disposed off his body, which was cut into pieces in a water tank.

Four days later, the crime surfaced and both were arrested and while she was sentenced to death, the other person was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The incident came to light when a Kerala gospel worker reached a jail in Yemen to preach. Priya handed over a letter to him describing the entire incident.

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LEAD STORIES TRAVEL

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Hyatt Centric brand debuts in the Indian capital

The glamorous St. Regis Brand will be coming to Goa

The St. Regis Goa Resort is spread across 49 acres and is located on Mobor Beach, a prime beachfront location in South Goa

Each guestroom provides travellers with a compact desk and lounging area for an easy transition from work to relaxation Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hyatt Centric Janakpuri New Delhi, the first Hyatt Centric property in the national capital. The hotel has 224 newly renovated rooms with a playful juxtaposition of colours, textures, and handpicked bric-a-brac to reflect the vibrancy of the city.

The hotel is located close to the Janakpuri West Metro and the

District Center, connecting savvy travellers to the rest of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), serving as a jumping off point for leisure and business guests to explore popular hotspots and easy access to the city's main commercial centre. The hotel is a 30-minute metro ride from business districts such as Connaught Place and Gurgaon, and it has direct metro access to the airport.

It offers a variety of local flavours in casual, relaxed settings, as well as an all-day dining restaurant, Kitchen District, that serves delectable, gourmet dishes with a unique twist on Indian subcontinent cuisines.

Guests can also unwind with a book, a snack, or a cup of chai in the café.

Each guestroom provides travellers with what they need most, including a compact desk and lounging area for an easy transition from work to

relaxation.

To reflect Delhi's distinct spirit, they collaborated with emerging local artists, food producers, and designers. This includes previously unexplored Delhi experiences, street art in hotel spaces, natural bath amenities, and gender-neutral, fashionable wardrobe options for hotel employees.

Easter getaway: Blow off some steam Vembanad. Set amidst 8 acres of lush tropical gardens, the retreat houses ten dedicated Ayurveda Rooms offering holistic treatments, combining the best practices of Ayurveda. Privacy, relaxation, and rejuvenation await CRED members at this retreat.

Renest River Country Resort, Manali: Located off the bustling

Are you ready to unleash the fun at your kind of place?

There’s only one thing better than a weekend - a long weekend. With Easter falling on a Friday, April 15-17 brings the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam. For the ones who do not enjoy large gatherings or crowds, which are unavoidable in bigger cities, it is the perfect time for getaways to nearby locations.

For its members for the upcoming long weekend with exclusive offers, and discounts with an assured 10% cashback as a bonus. Additionally, Axis bank credit cards holders will also get 10x EDGE reward points on their bookings. Below are some of the destinations you can check out:

Trikaya Retreat, Maharashtra: Trikaya is an ideal holiday destination, nestled in the foothills of the Shirota forests, the last of the mighty hills amidst the Sahyadri ranges, built on a hilltop at an altitude of 2226ft above sea level, deep in the western ghats overlooking the Kundali Dam, we offer you an abode in the clouds. For the ones in Mumbai and Pune, it is just a short drive through the hills of Lonavala, making it an ideal long-weekend pick.

Saj Resort by Club Mahindra, Mahabaleshwar: In the gorgeous Metgutad Village along the Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani Road is the Saj Resorts & Spa hotel.

Witness the beautiful waterfalls in Mahabaleshwar, enjoy a boat ride in Venna lake, relish the juicy strawberries and learn the heroic tales of Pratapgad fort.

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Sibaya Beach Resort, Goa: Sibaya is the brand new epitome of tropical beach living from the curators of fine hospitality experiences. Spread across 42 spacious rooms & suites, CRED members can enjoy the stunning views of the lush green garden, undulating coastline, food by the cool cabanas, exotic cocktails and more.

SwaSwara-CGH Earth, Gokarna, Karnataka: Situated on the Om beach, there is little apart from the rhythm of the rolling waves and the meditative hum of birdsong, to disturb your inner explorations.

Crafted in the colours of the Earth, and in harmony with the land that nurtures her, SwaSwara is designed for holistic and transformational experiences; a space where the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga embrace you to rejuvenate body and spirit.

Siri Nature Roost, Chikamagalur: The carefree paradise at Siri Nature Roost is dotted with dramatic and unique architecture, which harkens back to an age when man and nature cohabitated in a single space. For a relaxing time, members can take a walk through the lush green property, enjoy a private pool and jacuzzi, a relaxing spa hour and more.

Niraamaya Backwaters, Kerala: Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond is one of the most beautiful waterfront retreats in Kumarakom, curled up on the banks of Lake

Mall Road, the Renest River Country Resort overlooks the river Beas amidst pine and cedar, offering you a tranquil getaway into the lush green valleys of the Himalayas.

Members can engage in a number of activities like a meal by the Beas River, visiting the Tibet Monastery, Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, and Naggar Castle. The resort offers trekking experiences with professionals to give you a subtle taste of adventure on your sun-kissed holidays.

Oh-so Egg-cited! Kandima Maldives brings you the koolest Easter offer ever!

If you’re looking for the perfect stay with your family for this easter break then look no further! Kandima Maldives is the ultimate lifestyle destination for all, offering memorable experiences for a fun-filled vacation of a lifetime. Rated as one of the most experiential Maldivian lifestyle holiday destinations by many, explore this 3-km long lifestyle desi(nation) with the Colour me Egg-cited Easter Family break Package for a truly unforgettable stay.

Kick-off this festive holiday in style at Kandima Maldives with nothing but hits for optimal live entertainment. All three days will feature the uber kids’ entertainer, Mr. Marvel specially invited from the UK performing every day, bringing on our kind of magic to your family! With so many complimentary inclusions from an unforgettable family beach picnic box, a super kool movie night with scrumptious pizzas, a dolphin cruise for all, free kids club and to top it all, complimentary oh-soyummy ice cream for kids every day! We have indeed rolled down

the red carpet to make your ultimate family break egg-stra special!

Unlock your adventurous side at the pirate easter egg hunt here and make the most unique Easter hunt memories ever! And on Easter Friday, enjoy fun egg painting and inflate the big bunny with us at Breeze beach with all your friends and family! And the fun doesn’t stop here! Kandima brings you more egg hunting with a KULA run! Want more? Kandima, has you covered!

Team up with your friends and family and test your racing skills with the spoon-egg race and then hop right over to the sack race with your family. End the day with the one and only three-legged race happening at Kula Festival!

Want to explore the oh-so vibrant underwater kingdom teeming with marine life or indulge in some adrenaline-packed water sports activities with your family? Then, Aquaholics is just the perfect place for you! Here, you can unlock memorable experiences from snorkelling to parasailing and even a scuba bubble maker starter course for the newbies!

Get your family oh-so entertained!

Gather up for an enchanting movie night under the stars, groove to kool DJs or bands all evening or simply enjoy a relaxing wellness session at the esKape Spa while your little ones enjoy a host of complimentary activities at our action-packed kids’ club ‘Kandiland, one of the largest in the Maldives.

Is your belly grumbling for some oh-so-yummy food after all this sun-splashed fun? Choose from 10 dining options, with 3 A La Carte restaurants with exquisite food which will make the pickiest eaters gobble down their plate. From the Mediterranean, grilled to perfections delicacies, Asian fusion, and a huge selection of international cuisine, you will travel around the world of gastronomic flavours with each spoonful! This game-changing resort is definitely an affordable lifestyle destination that reimagines every part of your holiday.

/IndianAbroadNews /IndianAbroadNews

Marriott International, Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to bring the storied St. Regis brand to Goa. This agreement, which is set to open in October 2022, will bring the brand's avant-garde spirit, signature Butler Service, cherished rituals, and rich legacy to one of Goa's most alluring neighbourhoods.

Following a strategic conversion of The Leela Goa, The St. Regis Goa Resort will be the ninth Marriott International hotel in Goa. Beginning in 2022, the resort will undergo a complete transformation in stages. The resort's owner, Ceres Hotels Private Limited, is a subsidiary of Metrod Holdings Berhad, which is traded on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

“We are delighted to work with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to introduce the St. Regisbrand to Goa, bringing bespoke experiences curated for the most discerning travellers to one of the most beautiful and fascinating coastal destinations in India,” said Rajeev Menon, President Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International.“The St. Regis Goa Resort will usher in a new benchmark of luxury hospitality in this city and underscores the tremendous trust and confidence our owners have in us and in the power of our luxury brands.”

Marriott International, Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to bring the storied St. Regis brand to Goa. This agreement, which is set to open in October 2022, will bring the brand’s avant-garde spirit, signature Butler Service, cherished rituals, and rich legacy to one of Goa’s most alluring neighbourhoods.

Following a strategic conversion of The Leela Goa, The St. Regis Goa Resort will be the ninth Marriott International hotel in Goa. Beginning in 2022, the resort will undergo a complete transformation in stages. The resort’s owner, Ceres Hotels Private Limited, is a subsidiary of Metrod Holdings Berhad, which is traded on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

“We are delighted to work with Ceres Hotels Private Limited to introduce the St. Regisbrand to Goa, bringing bespoke experiences curated for the most discerning travellers to one of the most beautiful and fascinating coastal destinations in India,” said Rajeev Menon, President Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International.“The St. Regis Goa Resort will usher in a new benchmark of luxury hospitality in this city and underscores the tremendous trust and confidence our owners have in us and in the power of our luxury brands.”

VFS Global reopens BKC visa application centre

Ahead of the peak summer travel season VFS Global, the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, reopened its visa application centre (VAC) at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) ahead of the peak summer season and anticipated demand.

The BKC facility is the second VFS Global VAC in Mumbai in addition to its current operational one at Urmi Axis Building, Near Famous Studio, Opposite Dr E Moses Road in Mahalakshmi. The visa service provider operates a network of 567 VACs across 17 Indian cities.

The BKC VAC at Trade Centre, First Floor, ‘G’ Block, would cater to visa customers bound to Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Hungary, and Luxembourg, Poland, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden. It would also cater to customers seeking attestation services.

For UK-bound travellers, additional visa application counters would be available at the BKC facility and the visa application centre in

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Mahalakshmi. The facility will also cater to France visa applications from April-end.

Spread across more than 36000 sq. ft, the BKC VAC is a large facility comprising 62 customer counters, air-conditioned waiting areas and optional services such as premium lounges and courier services for discerning customers.

“With the reopening of the BKC visa application centre in Mumbai, we want to ensure an enhanced visa experience for our customers. With more countries easing travel restrictions and resumption of regular international flights operations from India, we expect an increase in overseas travel this year, particularly from India. We also have some optional premium services such as Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) for customers who prefer personalised assistance such as completing the entire visa application process from a location of their choice.” said Pranav Sinha, Head South Asia, VFS Global.

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SPIRITUALITY LEAD & DEVOTION STORIES

Vol 2, 1, Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Vidura Niti: Vidura advises Dhritarashtra

By Paddy Krishnan The Mahabharata suggests that Vidura, Dhritarashtra’s half-brother, is the only one who always follows dharma. The Vidura Niti captures the advice Vidura gives Dhritarashtra, after Sanjaya returns from his meeting with the Pandavas.

It is part of the Udyoga Parva, where the preparations for war are described. Sanjaya has failed in his attempt to broker peace between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. On his return he gives the news of his failure and scolds Dhritarashtra for being blind to his sons’ mistakes and being blindly attached to them. As it was late at night, Sanjaya says that he will report in full the following morning.

Dhritarashtra becomes restless and cannot sleep. He summons Vidura and wants Vidura’s advice on how to get rid of insomnia. Dhritarashtra tells Vidura that Sanjaya had admonished him and will relay Yudhishtra’s message to all in Dhritarashtra’s court the next day.

It is this uncertainty that is keeping Dhritarashtra awake. He wants Vidura to teach him about Dharma and how Artha (wealth) and Dharma can co-exist.

Vidura, at first, talks about people who normally suffer from insomnia.

Such people include those who have stolen something (such as other people’s riches or kingdom), or have plans to steal something, those who are weak and have been overpowered by someone who is stronger, and those who have lost what they value (be it a person or a thing).

Vidura also mentions self-discipline, in general, (e.g., humility) enables one to sleep well. One needs to control one’s senses (indriyanigraha) especially one’s speech

(vaksamyama). Vidura emphasises the need to keep one’s emotion under control. He states the definition of a Sthithapragya (which is revisited in the Bhagavad Gita). One should not be too happy when one is honoured, and should not feel sad when one is dishonoured. Ideally, one is not affected by emotion even in difficult times.

Vidura agrees that making a profit is one of the most important goals of any business. He clarifies this by saying that a wise leader will give as much weightage to virtue and ethics as to profits. Thus a wise leader is one who always chooses ethical conduct over material gains.

A business leader who can wisely manage the balance between virtue (ethics) and profits will always be happy. This shows that Dharma and Artha can co-exist.

Overall, Vidura describes a wise leader as one who has knowledge about their own qualities and capacity, is productive, and is intrinsically motivated to exert efforts to the best of their ability. A wise leader should observe and pay attention to all the details and should not disregard anything as irrelevant or insignificant. Vidura says that a wise leader always endeavours to learn from other wise people.

Vidura makes many other observations including the following. > Dhritarashtra’s intellect has been muddled as he did not see right from wrong and ignored the Kauravas’ actions. When it comes to recognising wrong actions, family ties are not important. He specifically points to the disrobing of Draupadi, that was not stopped

by Dhritarashtra, despite Vidura’s counsel to step in. > Dishonesty cannot lead to prosperity. In this case Dhritarashtra cannot benefit from the dishonest actions of Shakuni and Duryodhana during the game of dice. > A ruler has to exercise danda (i.e., the power given to the ruler) properly. > Fire is hidden in the trees. If this hidden fire is released it can burn the entire forest. Duryodhana and his supporters are the forest. Anger and greed are the elements that can

set the forest alight. > Past actions will come to affect everyone, even in this life. > A foolish leader is one who, being guilty, always tries to cast the blame on others and who vents their anger on their subordinates. > One is not born wise. One needs to develop habits so that one can make wise decisions. While personality plays an important role, one should focus on the path of Dharma. > One should always be in the company of good and wise persons. > One who is merciful to all living beings and does not harm the creations of the god, is said to be wise. > A wise person will ask the divine for the prosperity of all the living beings (Lokasamgraha) in the world. > A wise person should treat all females as if they are their own sisters and mothers. Therefore, they must be given due respect. > A wise man should be able to speak boldly in all situations and be

Pracheen Chauhan: Spirituality is perfect for our mental health

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Actor Pracheen Chauhan, who was seen in the show 'Shaadi Mubarak', says he's exploring spirituality that will help him to enjoy peace of mind.

He shares: "I'm finding interest in spirituality with time. It is perfect for our mental health and is also very encouraging. It truly is the perfect www.indianabroad.news www.indianabroad.news

way. I love gathering knowledge as it can be extremely relaxing."

The actor is also known for featuring in shows 'Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr', 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay', 'Kutumb' among others prefers to go for swimming and playing sports to be fit.

He adds: "Fitness for me is not all about spending my time in the gym.

No doubt gym plays a key role to stay fit and in shape. But apart from that I'm very much active in sports like cricket, football etc and I also enjoy swimming. Such fun activities help me to stay fit and feel relaxed too."

good at debate on various topics. They should also have the ability to explain their point in a concise fashion. > Kama (desires) and Krodha (anger) are the root causes of issues in life and need to be controlled properly.

Vidura states that a king should allow a minister to give advice that may be unpleasant for the king. He then praises the Pandavas and criticises the Kauravas. Vidura suggests that Yudhishtra must be crowned king.

Dhritarashtra confesses to Vidura that he cannot support Yudhishtra being crowned king. So it is clear that Dhritarashtra does not want to act on Vidura’s advice. Dhritarashtra is actually looking for some justification for his past actions.

When Dhritarashtra asks Vidura about the ultimate good and Moksha, Vidura suggests that the sage Sanatsujata will instruct Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra wonders why Vidura is not keen to teach about Moksha. Vidura explains that as he was born to a servant woman and in keeping with social customs he will

not talk about Moksha. Dhritarashtra has great faith in Vidura’s authority and would rather listen to Vidura than Sanatsujata. Dhritarashtra also states that lack of social standing does not negate one’s wisdom.

Dhritarashtra also notes that Vyasa was Vidura’s father and hence Vidura’s ancestors are all wise sages. But Vidura is not moved as he feels his dharma requires him to not teach the path to Moksha.

Sanatsujata explains that ignorance leads to pain and knowledge of Brahman leads to Moksha.

Ignorance is the result of telling lies, acting with anger, malice, in a deceitful way, lust, obsession with wealth, over-focussing on grief, getting joy from others’ misery, etc. Ignorance can be overcome by renunciation which is not the same as abandonment.

The Mahabharata states that Vidura is none other than Yama, the god of death or Dharma itself. Just because Vidura does not have social standing does not mean he cannot

be knowledgeable and understand Dharma. Vidura could have advised Dhritarashtra but chose not to do so.

Also Vidura’s mother followed her duties and this is the reason Vidura had no physical defects. While both Dhritarashtra’s and Pandu’s mothers did not follow their duties resulting in Dhritarashtra being blind and Pandu being pale. The Mahabharata also states that just because one has high social status (e.g., Dhritarashtra who was king) does not mean they follow Dharma.

I conclude this article with Vidura’s advice to Dhritarashtra to not give up on Dharma in the face of attachments, including the desire to keep living. Dharma is eternal; so the pain of upholding is felt only in this life while the pain of not upholding it can be felt for many lives.

References: > K. M. Ganguli: The Mahabharata of Vyasa, (scanned copy 2003) > S. Kanamarlapudi: Vidura Speaks: A Study of the Viduraniti and its Reception History, 2019

Quest for the Soul

By Dr Devashish Chakraborty As a child I often shuddered at the thought of death. I remember once I witnessed a body wrapped in a shroud being carried for the last rites. It had left me shaken for several days even as my father tried his best to convey the universal message of life and death being an inseparable part of the world we inhabit. I, therefore, avoided any conversation that would remind me of my own mortality and that of my near and dear ones. Religion and spirituality deal with not only gods and lofty human values, but they also talk at length about dharma, which is the way one should live one’s life.

I distinctly remember my own experiences in life which led me to ponder over matters I hardly comprehended. After my mother’s demise, within a few years my father’s condition began to go downhill. His brain, I was told, had begun to deteriorate, leading first to constant bouts of memory loss, followed by a condition of the body which rendered him bedridden till his last days. Following my grandmother’s demise due to old-age, my father’s condition reached a point of no return. He slipped into coma and

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had to be shifted to a hospital. After two years of intense struggle, my father breathed his last.

By then, a desire had gripped me to renounce the world and run away to the Himalayas. However, something led me to Dehradun, a beautiful city in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

I read a book on the science of consciousness, which explored the sphere of soul and immortality. The book was not a mundane one, just as the author was not an ordinary human being. He was a scientist who had later elevated himself to reach the state of enlightenment or what he called the brahm state of existence.

When I met him, I found him to be very simple, loving, caring, and affectionate, just like my parent. His mere words brought peace to my ruffled spirit. He served me food and taught me what I had never read anywhere.

“Death is inevitable”, he said, “but it is not the end of being. The soul is a complex subject and it is experiential, rather than a subject of intellectual gymnasium. Our Upanishads contain all the knowledge dealing with the truth of human existence.

But the Upanishads can only be understood by elevating the soul

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and not by intellectual exercise.”

He continued, “A person who leads a pure life in thought and deed, and who performs sadhana (meditation) for a long time goes through various stages of evolution at the level of consciousness. First she/he becomes a yogi. After many years of sadhana, she/he may advance to become a brahm, which is a higher state than that of a yogi. If she/he is lucky enough to survive that long and her/his evolution of consciousness continues, then she/he reaches the stage of buddh or moksha.

Moksha is the terminal stage of human evolution in the realm of consciousness,” he told me.

He assured me that these are experiential states of human existence.

“The paradigm of science is still to grow enough to understand and include the study of the soul,” he told me. “One need not renounce the world to become a yogi; renunciation must be within while one mingles with the world outside,” he counseled.

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ART LEAD & CULTURE STORIES

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

‘Festivals From I believe in instinct, and I work on instinct: Atul Dodiya India’ launched

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) He stresses that it is the ability to detach himself from what is going on that helps him create, and that if he tried to relate it to what is happening in the world, it would probably not be possible to paint.

"I would go out and try to help people in hospitals or try to make myself useful as the occasion demands. However, I cannot survive If I don't paint, it's a very different experience. What comes on canvas or on paper, and the imagery that you are painting... it starts dictating itself. And you have to obey, you have to follow, what is the demand of the particular image or a painting," artist Atul Dodiya tells IANS, while talking about his latest 'Walking With the Waves', a body of intima te and small-format watercolours produced by him during the

past two years of continuous Covid crisis, currently on view at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in the capital.

He adds that they were done almost in one go, over one year -- 365 watercolours. There is no reference to a solitary figure in the landscape.

They are doing nothing, talking to tree trunks and holding the branch.

"There are some shadows and touches of the pandemic which what they are going through its not a literal sense, but in certain tonality or certain loneliness which one felt during this time. Being alone, not being able to go out, not being able to experience nature, and not being able to meet friends. This is again very unique for me, at least in my context."

For someone who at the age of 10 knew that he wanted to be an artist,

Dodiya says that he feels lucky that he was supported by his family and could go to an art school. "In my early period, that passion an d that kind of interest was a wonderful feeling. It is interesting to reflect and witness how things change over the course of time. As a painter, my own style and work have evolved.

I am thankful that there was an opportunity for me to continue to do what I want to do."

The artist, who greatly incorporates elements from popular culture, cinema and images from advertisement culture feels that a certain intertwining happens between creative spheres like literature, cinema, theatre, and music -- all being in the creative sphere.

"When I talk about my painting, it is in my own creative language. I try to articulate my painting which is visual, into words. Poetry is always a creative joy, in the same way, that cinema is visual joy and literature a reading one. Of course, cinema in a way, to me feels like a complete medium. The great masters such as Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Jean Luc Godard, they inspire you as they experiment so much in their own mediums."

Talk to him about the fact that each of his shows boasts of a unique style and concept, and he asserts, " I don't follow any sin gle style when I paint. Every time, the effort is to try something new and different. I enjoy experimenting with new techniques and styles. I often feel that instead of having no option, there are too many options for me. When I first attempted a large scale realistic watercolour, it was a 6ft by 4ft size. Now watercolour is a difficult medium, and realism and the scale made it even more difficult."

"Additionally, a subject matter like Gandhi, made it even more challenging. The first time that I did the Broken Branches Cabinet in the year 2002, it was shown at the Venice Biennale. This was the first time I did something that was actually not a painting, instead it was kind of an installation of an object. Before that, I painted on actual roller shutters on shops that go up and down. Painting

Shakespeare’s hometown celebrates his 458th birth anniversary

London, April 24 (IANS) Over 1,000 people gathered at Stratford-uponAvon, the hometown of William Shakespeare, to celebrate the British playwright's 458th birth anniversary. The celebration, with a parade of local primary and secondary school students and civic groups, began on April 23. Residents and visitors sang a birthday song to the late literary giant. The celebration was cancelled in 2020 and went online in 2021 due to Covid-19.

Shakespeare was born in April 1564.

The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is often celebrated in Britain on April 23. This date carries other special meanings. "World

www.indianabroad.news

Book and Copyright Day" is marked on this day. April 23 also coincides with the deaths of Shakespeare and the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. Paul Edmondson, Head of Research for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said it was befitting to mark World Book Day by reading books of the greatest writers like Shakespeare and Cervantes and enjoying the theatre performances of their plays. Ane, a resident from Derbyshire, told Xinhua that she came on a day trip to see all the festivities in Stratford and watch live performances by street entertainers.

Apart from attending celebrations, visitors descended on the town

library to enjoy some quiet reading.

Jake, a 17-year-old high school student, said he loves reading Shakespeare and performs in Shakespeare plays at school.

Stratford Library prepared a "Shakespeare Treasure Hunt" to encourage young readers to uncover information about Shakespeare around the library. Christine Woollard, a sales assistant, told Xinhua that Shakespeare's books sales increased on April 23.

"Visitors overseas are coming back. We're seeing more and more, especially this year."

on that was an unusual experience and that was shown at the Raina Sofia Museum in Madrid, and a solo show called ET and others. Those shutters were completely new to me. In 2001, I did a show called Tearscape which was large watercolours. Those works didn't have any reference to any specific people or locations, mostly invented figures and no realism in it, they are most stylized figures."

Mumbai, he says is a part of him, and he of the city. Stressing that it has been a major influence on him considering the diverse experiences he has had there, the artist adds, "The extremely rich people live next to very poor. There is the world of cinema and popular film stars living here, the advisement and hoardings that you see are often ugly but then that is the part of the city. You hear the noises of the city and all kinds of diverse experiences.

If I was born and brought up in, for example, Shanti Niketan, I would have been probably a different kind of person. I am not saying good or bad, there is no question of good or bad, just a different experience. I would probably be totally different if I had grown up, living in calm and green surroundings. Here in the city, surrounded by concrete buildings, and concrete jungle, that is another kind of experience. But I believe that human beings are the same, whether it's Shanti Niketan or Bombay or any other city."

Talking about his process, the artist says that it is quite "mixed" and not simple. "When doing a specific medium such as watercolour, I am parallelly doing something else, then I feel like attempting some images from cinema and do it simultaneously. There is oil on canvas, then cinema references, there are small scale watercolours -- every work being done simultaneously. I find I am easily able to switch mediums and subjects without any challenges. It is a quiet and also extremely painful process to resolve each theme in a certain way. However, that is the way I have been working and that is what I enjoy," he concludes.

'Festivals From India', an India-UK initiative for art and culture and the first digital platform created to showcase hundreds of Indian art and culture festivals for culture-seekers across the globe, was launched on Wednesday.

Made possible by the British Council and designed and developed by ArtBramha (a sister concern of the Art X Company), the platform will celebrate arts, cultural diversity and the coming together of communities.

The platform hosts festivals from across a range of genres including art and craft, design, dance, films, folk arts, food and culinary arts, heritage, literature, interdisciplinary and/or multi-arts, music, new media, photography, theatre and visual arts, among others, across locations and languages.

The platform also hosts a range of hidden gems, select LGBTQIA+ festivals as well as online versions of festivals live-streamed for audiences worldwide.

"Festivals From India aims to be a window to India's dynamic cultural festival universe. For an art lover, it will showcase the treasures of India's aesthetic largesse along with all the relevant information they need to make the journey to these festivals a wholesome and fulfilling experience. For artists and arts managers, it will curate the resources,

information and opportunities needed for them to feel empowered to build a career in the festival sector in this space," says Rashmi Dhanwani, Partner, ArtBrahma, and Founder and CEO, Art X Company.

"We have made possible the Festivals from India platform with ArtBramha in India and the Audience Agency in the UK to develop new audiences and showcase the huge variety of arts and culture festivals here; develop business skills of festival managers with UK and Indian experts and grow international partnerships and networks with the UK and beyond. Backed by research, this new platform is a repository of guidance for families wanting to find a festival and for festival organisers wanting to make their event more accessible or find a job," added Jonathan Kennedy, Director, Arts India, British Council.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue in Lahore restored to golden shine Lahore, April 21 (IANS) The life-size sculpture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh - the ruler of the Sikh empire during the 19th century - has been restored to its golden shine and is expected to be reinstalled at a safer place at Lahore Fort, media reports said.

The nine-foot-tall statue, made of cold bronze, has been repaired by the Fakir Khana Museum, under the aegis of which it was originally sculpted in 2019, the Express Tribune reported.

Ranjit Singh’s statue was vandalised in 2020 for the second time since it was placed at Lahore Fort in June 2019 in commemoration of his 180th death anniversary.

A teenager, identified as Zeeshan, who is suspected to have broken an arm of the statue, was also arrested.

The accused, reportedly an active member of a religious party, had confessed to his crime.

The statue shows the regal Sikh emperor sitting on a horse with a sword in hand in Sikh attire. Singh is sitting on his favourite Arabic horse named Kahar Bahar which was a gift by then Afghan ruler Dost Muhammad Khan, Express Tribune reported.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled Punjab for 40 years in the 19th Century.

The sculpture was made under the supervision of Faqir Khana Museum Director Faqir Saifuddin Sikh Heritage Foundation UK Director Boby Singh Bansal, commissioned the sculpture in association with the Walled City of Lahore Authority.

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LEAD LITERATURE STORIES

Vol 2, 1, Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Realm III: A grand display of visual masterpieces

New Delhi, April 25 (IANSlife) Featuring the works of five Indian master artists - Jamini Roy, Sakti Burman, Krishen Khanna, Paresh Maity, and Thota Vaikuntam - the exhibition pays homage to all expressions that are beautiful and unchanging in a world of constant change, regardless of the style and genre represented by the artist. The exhibition of paintings celebrates various styles that bring out vivid expressions of human life and mind, ranging from figuration to abstraction.

All year long, India is alive with festivities and celebrations, and it is deeply rooted in cultural traditions, whether in music, literature, performing, or visual arts. Realm III, brings the vibrancy and joy of Indian visual arts through the works of artists who laid the groundwork

for Indian arts.

Krishen Khanna, KK-0006, 'Skipping Girl' The common thread running through the selection is playfulness, with each artist imbuing his work with joyful intent. "India's artscape stretches back over millennia with a lexicon that has always adapted and changed but of which aesthetic considerations have remained constant.

A country that loves its festivities and colours and is rooted in cultural traditions finds expression through its music, dance, literature and art," says Tripat K Kalra, FounderDirector, Gallerie Nvya.

Canvases by Jamini Roy, one of India's most prominent artists born in the nineteenth century, are included in the exhibition. The works on display demonstrate Kalighat's influences on his art. The

exhibition contains works that bear witness to Roy's heralding of a new era in Indian Modern art history, with a strategic denial of its modern traces.

Paintings by veteran artist Sakti Burman, whose works inhabit ancient tales of country romances, enchanting maidens, flautists, exotic flowers, and birds, where all creatures dwell in harmony - in a state of dreamlike reality - will also be on display.

Sakti Burman, SB-0010, Arlequin Krishen Khanna (b. 1925), another of India's senior artists and a living Progressive Artists Group member, is also exhibiting his works at the show, in which viewers can recognise Khanna's portrayal of himself.

Sensitive in handling, he spontaneously and exuberantly transfers his observations onto the canvas, while retaining the representational element of his subject. His use of colour and expressionist brushwork elevates the everyday to the sublime.

What: Realm III, A group exhibition showcasing works by Jamini Roy, Sakti Burman, Krishen Khanna, Paresh Maity and Thota Vaikuntam Where: Gallerie Nvya, 101-103, Square One Designer Arcade, C-2, District Centre, Saket, New Delhi-110017 When: On till 14th June 2022 Timings: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

HarperCollins, Ashwin Sanghi’s new home, to publish ‘The Magicians of Mazda’ New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Notching up a major success, HarperCollins on Thursday announced the acquisition of "The Magicians of Mazda", the keenly anticipated new book by bestselling author, Ashwin Sanghi - Indias master storyteller with more than a million copies of his books sold in print in English and other Indian languages -- that will be published in May. The book is the seventh in the author's chart-topping "Bharat Series".

"The Magicians of Mazda", an epic saga in the author's signature style of merging fact with fiction, promises to be a roller-coaster read for fans of the author and mythological thrillers. It is a testament to the author's unending spool of imagination deftly woven with deep insights and research into a fast-paced plot that travels through time and history, taking the reader along on a thrilling ride.

A fleet of boats dock at the port of Sanjan in Gujarat in 720 CE. They carry eighteen thousand frightened souls fleeing the cruelty of Iran's Umayyad Caliphate. Chanting Sanskrit-like prayers, the high priest consecrates a sacred fire to thank their god, Ahura Mazda, leading them to a new home and hope.

He uses a mysterious substance to spark the flame, but few know of its miraculous properties or provenance.

Centuries later, Parsi scientist Jim Dastoor is abducted from his Seattle laboratory and whisked away to Tehran. The Ayatollah believes Dastoor is the key to uncovering the ancient relic known as the Athravan Star and his men will do anything to possess it, even murder.

From the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the Taliban camps of Afghanistan, from the womb of an Udvada fire temple to the icy mountains of Kashmir, from the dreadful coffin cells of Tehran to the deathly calm of Diu's Tower of Silence, Dastoor and his historian wife, Linda, are sucked into a terrifying chase across vividly changing landscapes.

Deftly navigating between time and geography, "The Magicians of Mazda" travels backwards, through the epochs of Islamic jihad, Macedonian revenge, Achaemenid glory, messianic birth, Aryan schism to the Vedic fount from where it began. www.indianabroad.news www.indianabroad.news

Jharkhand’s Jamtara becomes country’s first district with library in every village

Ranchi, April 24 (IANS) Jamtara in Jharkhand has become the only district in the country where all gram panchayats have community libraries. This district with a population of about eight lakh has a total of 118 gram panchayats under six blocks and each panchayat has a well-equipped library which is open for students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Career counselling sessions and motivational classes are also held free of cost here. Sometimes, IAS and IPS officers also visit these libraries to guide students. Everyone is welcome to visit these innovative sites! Most of these libraries, whose details, GPS location, photographs and contact numbers, have been provided on the district's official website, were set up around two years ago with the assistance of Deputy Commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz.

The story of the beginning of this initiative is also interesting. A Janta Darbar was initially organised by the district administration to know the problems of the villagers in Changidih Panchayat.

However, when a villager complained about the lack of proper educational institutions and books here, Faiz decided to facilitate these libraries across the district.

When he received information about derelict buildings in each district, Faiz planned to renovate them and convert them into libraries. On

November 13, 2020, the district's first ever community library was inaugurated. From the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds received from several companies and money received by the district under the 14th and 15th Finance Commission, Rs 60,000-2.5 lakh was spent on the restoration and infrastructure of these libraries.

Gradually, libraries were set up in panchayats such as Chandradeep, Panjaniya, Menjhia, Gopalpur, Shaharpura, Champapur, and Jhilua.

The villagers elected a President, Treasurer, and Librarian from amongst themselves, to run these libraries. They also contributed furniture, water filters, blackboards and emergency lights for some.

When schools were shut during the Covid-induced lockdown, villagers used at least two teachers to teach students at each library. According to Faiz, over 10,000 career guidance and motivational sessions have been organised in these libraries in the last one and a half years. Various department officers also take time off to teach classes.

Now over 350 teachers have joined these libraries, who regularly guide the 5,000 students enrolled here.

Besides these, books for competitive exams, literature, history, spiritual and motivational topics are also available. Faiz, who is elated with the success of his initiative, told IANS: "The best society is the one

which invests the most in education and health. It is our endeavour that capable people of the society adopt these libraries. "I'm excited with the initiative's fruitful results.

Many students studying here every day have started scoring well in competitive examinations. A library member recently cleared the UPSC Civil Services Mains and is now preparing for the interview."

Azharuddin, who studied in Jiajori Panchayat Library, has cleared the Panchayat Secretary examination of the Jharkhand government.

Gaur Chandra Yadav, the librarian at Khaira Panchayat library, said that since the library opened in November 2020, the routine of the nearby students have changed.

On April 20, a seven-member committee, under the leadership of Deputy Secretary of the department, Shambhunath Mishra, of the Panchayati Raj Department of the state government took stock of the library models and visited the ones located in Jiyajori and Shahradal.

The people of the committee were very impressed with the arrangement made here. Jharkhand Assembly Speaker, Rabindranath Mahto, who represents the Nala Assembly constituency in the same district, inaugurated many libraries here. He said that efforts to change the identity of Jamtara district through libraries have been successful. This model should also be adopted in other districts of the state. "Jamtara has been the work place of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the great social reformer and educationist of the 19th century. He spent the last two decades of his life in Karmatand, Jamtara, awakening the light of education. It is to be hoped that this innovative campaign of libraries will bring back the old identity of Jamtara," he said.

Widespread optimism as India’s publishing industry emerges from the pandemic (April 23 is World Book Day)

This is Ashwin Sanghi's most gripping and provocative novel yet.

"I am delighted that my 'Bharat Series' - including the previous six titles as well as my latest, 'The Magicians of Mazda' has found a new home at HarperCollins India.

Ananth Padmanabhan, Udayan Mitra and Swati Daftuar are fantastic people to work with and I am grateful to them for having pulled out all the stops to get this book out to my readers in record time," Ashwin Sanghi said.

Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO, HarperCollins India, said: "I am a big fan of Ashwin's writing, and we are very delighted that HarperCollins will now be the home for Ashwin's stupendous Bharat Series. Ashwin is India's foremost writer of adventure and has entertained millions of readers with his incredible storytelling and imagination, spanning time and geography. 'The Magicians of Mazda' is a roller coaster that yet again sets the bar very high."

Swati Daftuar, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India, said: "We are so very pleased to welcome Ashwin to HarperCollins India. With every book in the 'Bharat Series', he brings us something quite fantastic, and his latest, 'The Magicians of Mazda', is really his best yet. The careful research behind every book, the thrill and pace of a taut, beautifully crafted adventure -- all of it proves

without doubt that he truly is a master storyteller."

Ashwin Sanghi's six previous books in the "Bharat Series", that blend the ancient with the modern, myth with history, spirituality with science, philosophy with theology and politics with anthropology, are "The Rozabal Line", "Chanakya's Chant", "The Krishna Key", "The Sialkot Saga", "Keepers of the Kalachakra", and "The Vault of Vishnu".

In addition, he has authored two New York Times bestselling crime thrillers with James Patterson, "Private India" (sold in the US as "City on Fire") and "Private Delhi" (sold in the US as "Count to Ten".

He has also co-authored several non-fiction titles in the "13 Steps Series" on Luck, Wealth, Marks, Health and Parenting.

He was educated at Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, and St Xavier's College, Mumbai. He holds an MBA from Yale University.

Sanghi has been included by Forbes India in their Celebrity 100 and by The New Indian Express in their Culture Power List. He is also a winner of several awards including the Crossword Popular Choice Award 2012, Atta Galatta Popular Choice Award 2018, WBR Iconic Achievers Award 2018, Lit-O-Fest Literature Legend Award 2018, Kalinga Popular Choice Award 2021.

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The road ahead is promising for the publishing industry as it emerges from the pandemic with a resounding bang and learns a number of lessons from the experience of the past two years, stakeholders that IANS spoke to ahead of World Book Day on April 23 said. Not losing a sense of purpose and of community, nimbleness, not working in silos, noticing subliminal sales shifts, attention to ebooks and audio books, integrating with the digital space, adopting better social media strategies and a steep rise in the demand for Indian literature are the pointers to the future, the stakeholders said.

"Books were actually a trusted companion for many a reader during the pandemic years; not only did people read new books that were being published, but they re-read old favourites, and they also read some of the books that they had been meaning to, but hadn't found time for," Udayan Mitra, Executive Publisher of HarperCollins India, said. "It is heartening to see how many books were published - and read and appreciated - during the very difficult times of the pandemic.

As we emerge out of the shadow of the pandemic, the publishing industry is in robust shape, with some wonderful new books being published, and the book retail also up and running again," he added.

The road ahead seems promising, Nandan Jha, EVP Product & Sales and Business Development, Penguin Random House India, said.

"The way the market is opening up, bookstores are re-launching and festivals are taking place, we hope to be able to resume activities as they were pre-pandemic. The road ahead seems promising at the moment. We have an incredible line-up for the year ahead and it's going to keep us busy. Most importantly, we remain nimble in our approach and are reviewing the changes and growth around us," Jha said.

The pandemic had accelerated certain changes, as had happened in homes and families, Sumanta

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Datta, MD, Oxford University Press India, said. "We can look positively at the future because the pandemic has forced us to accelerate certain changes, as we have all had to do in our homes and in our families. One of the most highly commented phenomena has been the acceleration in the use of digital media and platforms, which certainly provides new opportunities to engage with new generations of students, without forgetting the OUP legacy of creating high-quality scholarly materials for the public good. "At OUP we see a future where the digital space and greater technological skills afford students more autonomy in their learning and a greater opportunity for blended content - that is, a healthy mix of both print and digital material - that can be both more effective as well as engaging," Datta said.

Trisha Niyogi, Director and COO, Niyogi Books, sees a sharp resurgence in publishing as well as reading. "There is a widespread optimism about the future. After the pandemic and the lull, there seems to be a boom in consumption as well as production as publishers reprint and release new titles, which saw a dip in the last two years. Readers are quickly releasing their pent-up demand for a wide range of books and content.

"However, we must not forget that the output is springing up partly also because of the innovations carried out during the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. Publishers are

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constantly experimenting in every department - marketing to production, editing to designing and more," Niyogi said. What are the lessons learnt from the pandemic and what steps need to be taken to prevent any disruptions caused by such events? "The pandemic certainly brought home to all of us that we who publish, promote and sell books don't work in a silo, we are always part of a larger chain - economically, socially. For three whole months in 2020, we had to stop publishing new books, as it was simply not possible to get the books printed and to ship them out and reach them to customers," HarperCollins' Mitra said.

"I would say an equally important learning was that were able to work with optimum efficiency from our homes, without losing a sense of purpose and of community. A hybrid work model has emerged out of that experience, and I think this will benefit the publishing industry in the time to come," he added. According to Jha, one of the biggest takeaways from the impact of the pandemic "is the importance of being nimble".

"The unpredictability of what we all went through has only reinforced the need to be prepared to move fast and skilfully. Our other learnings would be valuing partnerships; whether it was working with bookstores amidst lockdowns to ensure customers still get their deliveries or innovative collaborations to sustain customer engagement, it is important to work together and overcome challenges.

"Lastly, this period also taught many of us to look at the impact of online business- how customers interact with our books online, notice subliminal sales shift during certain events or periods and much more.

For many players in the industry, this opened up more avenues to engage with our readers more fruitfully," Jha explained.

“We also see a need for entertaining content. We have seen enough darkness, our eyes need to adjust to the bright light shining at us,” Niyogi added.

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LEAD FASHION STORIES

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Creating diamonds out of thin air additional sustainable benefits.

Reports indicate that 1 carat of lab-grown diamond can save up to 250 tonnes of land and 109 gallons of water. At present, the world consumes over 100 million carats of mined diamonds annually, so one can only imagine the damage that diamond mining causes and the savings one can make by opting for lab-grown diamonds, where the consumer doesn’t compromise on quality at all, but at the same time saves the planet and its people.

Pooja Sheth, Founder of Limelight Lab-Grown Diamonds states the biggest benefit of lab-grown diamonds is that they are better for the environment It sounds like alchemy: taking the lightest thing on earth – air – and turning it into one of the earth’s hardest – diamonds. Pooja Sheth, the Founder and Managing Director of Mumbai-based Limelight LabGrown Diamonds - India's leading luxury brand creates handcrafted lab-grown CVD diamond jewellery.

She has been keeping the romance of diamonds alive, as well as ensuring the health of the planet—two gifts in one.

The idea of investing in diamond jewellery has drastically changed over the past few years. Consumers now seek not only aesthetics and rarity in their jewels but also an assurance that they are ethically sourced. Lab-grown diamonds (LGD) are slowly gaining ground in India, pulling in the younger generation with their mix of technology, lower price, and eco-friendly tag.

Less harsh on the environment and at least 50 percent cheaper, they are increasingly finding favour among consumers, especially millennials looking for greener and affordable options.

LGDs are not imitation diamonds, as cubic zirconia or moissanite are.

CVD diamonds are 100 percent

real diamonds that are grown by replicating the diamond creation process that occurs below the surface of the earth, bearing the exact same composition, properties, and characteristics. They are composed of 100 percent carbon and are nitrogen free. It has more shine and brightness than a mined diamond.

With the support of erstwhile royals such as Maharani Radhika Raje Gaekwad of Baroda, Rajkumari Alka Rani Singh of Pratapgarh, Jema Akshita Manjari Bhanjdeo of Orissa, and several others, the brand has quickly become a brand to reckon with, since its launch in 2019 at the Laxmi Niwas Palace in Baroda. A number of celebrities, including Gauhar Khan, Divyanka Tripathi, Debina Bonnerjee, Yuvika Chaudhary, and Nauheed Cyrusi, have also sported their pieces.

Pooja Sheth speaks with IANSlife about the growing popularity of lab grown diamonds.

Read Excerpts:

The popularity of lab diamonds is growing, what is the reason for this?

Pooja Seth: Lab-grown diamonds are gaining popularity, mainly

because they are the same as mined diamonds. They are absolutely real and are grown above ground in labs by exactly replicating the diamond creation process that occurs below the earth. As a result, they have the exact same carbon composition, chemical, thermal, and physical properties as a mined diamond.

This is similar to the concept of test-tube babies and naturally born babies where the process is different but the output is exactly the same. In the same way, lab-grown diamonds are identical to mined diamonds and also grow in different sizes and qualities, so they have the same 4C’s too – same cut, colour, clarity, and carat.

In addition to this, the biggest benefit of lab-grown diamonds is that they are better for the environment simply because they are not mined. They are grown above in labs in exactly the same manner and, therefore, do not involve digging 150 km below the earth to extract the diamonds. As a result, it saves on the huge destruction of land and water that is associated with mining.

Besides, many labs that consume electricity have begun switching to renewable sources or have

Wardrobe challenges plus size women face

The Indian lingerie market will grow at a CAGR of 13.13 percent between 2022 and 2027 Fashion brands that announce they will offer plus-size sizing or enter the market focusing on plus-size women are usually met with a lot of fanfare these days. An all-inclusive approach is always a good one.

However, until a few years ago, this was not the case.

Oversized clothing has been a source of contention and contention. While finding the right clothing is difficult, finding the right lingerie in the right fit and size is even more difficult. Previously, it was difficult for plus-size women to find appropriate lingerie to wear. Plus-size females are finally getting the attention they deserve from industry players and lingerie retailers. According to a recent survey conducted by the wellknown lingerie brand Groversons Group, the plus-size market, which was previously considered a niche sector, is now thriving. The rise of online lingerie shopping has primarily increased the demand for and supply of plus-size innerwear.

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Furthermore, as fashion evolves, consumer preferences shift, and the demand for vibrant lingerie is on the rise. As a result, the industry is being pushed to adopt trends and adapt to keep up with the changes.

Lingerie, particularly bras, is a constant companion for every female. It was difficult for plus-sized women to find the right fit, design, and quality. However, times have changed, and they now have access to a wide range of sizes, textures, designs, colours, and fabrics.

Bras, in keeping with the overall theme of comfort, are not for busty women. They dig, jab, rub, pull, squeeze, squish, and do a variety of other things that bras aren’t supposed to do. As a result, the comfortable cotton soft bra solves all of the problems that many women have with their plus-size bras.

Females prefer wire-free plus-size supportive bras, according to the survey results. They offer incredible support and comfort, as well as visual appeal and a designer appearance.

According to IMARC, the Indian lingerie market will grow at a CAGR of 13.13 percent between 2022 and 2027. Increase by $ 859.41 million between 2022 and 2026, at an 18.07 percent CAGR. According to the study, India has emerged as a key market for plus-sized lingerie and will experience significant growth in the coming years.

Explaining in length and expressing his industry perspective on this transition, Siddharth Grover, Groversons Group Director, said, “Lingerie availability and shopping for plus-sized females have been a major challenge. However, the troublesome days are over and in present times, lingerie is considered a vital element. It is welcomed by Indian women as an accessory that improves their attractiveness and boosts their confidence. They are not hesitant to flaunt their curves and instead embrace them as a part of themselves. The only challenge we as industry leaders have to face is to make sure to communicate and build awareness about the lingerie industry through the lens of our culture and instill inclusiveness about plus-sized females. We want them to feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin and hence, are making concerted efforts to cater to their demands.”

Plus-size women face a variety of challenges when it comes to selecting the right lingerie. However, India’s lingerie market is rapidly expanding in order to meet the rising demand for lingerie for all body types. Industry leaders have gone to great lengths to meet modern-female’ lingerie expectations and, in particular, to provide what plus-sized females require: comfort combined with style and vogue!

Moreover, because lab-grown diamonds are not mined, they save on the mining costs too. As a consumer, the majority of the cost paid to purchase a mined diamond is the cost of mining and extracting it from below the earth. The lab-grown diamond technology eliminates the need for mining. And this savings is passed on as a benefit to the consumer. As a result, lab-grown diamonds are at least 50 percent cheaper than mined diamonds.

When it comes to investment purposes are lab diamonds worth looking at or should they be treated as an indulgence?

Pooja Seth: Lab-grown diamonds can and are viewed in the investment category just like mined diamonds. This is primarily because it offers the same resale opportunities where brands like Limelight Diamonds offer the same buyback and exchange offers as offered on any precious gem stone in the market. In addition to this, the perception of diamond jewellery and consumer preferences for purchasing diamond jewellery are changing rapidly in India. More than investments, preference is now tilting towards the design and aesthetic value of jewellery.

The younger generation with their choice of technology, preference for value for money, and an eco-friendly attitude are increasingly opting for lab diamonds. Why is this and do you feel this will influence older members in their families?

Pooja Seth: The perception of diamond jewellery and consumer preferences for purchasing diamond jewellery are changing rapidly in India. More than investments, preference is now tilting towards the design and aesthetic value of jewellery.

While the US has seen the biggest shift in consumers so far—a recent survey suggests that 70 percent of millennials would consider buying a lab-grown diamond—India is also rapidly joining the trend.

A recent Deloitte report on Millennials in India stated that climate change and the environment have become the No. 1 priority or concern for them. Statistics also state that these millennials are willing to pay a 44 percent premium for sustainable products and materials. With the largest millennial population in India today of 410 million people—a population bigger than the entire population of the United States—this, for me, was an opportunity that was certainly not worth letting go of.

They remain extremely brand-conscious and support brands not just for the product, be it for jewellery or anything else, but also for the philosophies and values that the brand stands for and are willing to pay a premium for brands that endorse an ethical or sustainable product. Like in everything else, they are looking for ethical, sustainable, and affordable alternatives in precious jewellery too.

Lab diamonds are less harsh on the environment and at least 50 percent cheaper, why are people in India still hesitant to dive into the CVD craze?

Pooja Seth: Awareness about labgrown diamonds is spreading fast in India. Consumers are now more educated about these non-mined diamonds and how they are grown in labs but remain 100 percent real.

The unique and independent personality of lab-grown diamonds as a sustainable and environmentally friendly yet extremely affordable gemstone is being well accepted by millennial consumers and is increasingly reflected in the sales of

lab-grown diamond studded jewellery across India. Moreover, labgrown diamonds also have resale opportunities, with brands like ours offering 80 percent buyback and 100 percent exchange opportunities.

This, together with its economic and environmental benefits, is proving to be successful in attracting millennial brides.

When it comes to coloured diamonds, should LAB grown coloured diamonds be the first option?

Pooja Seth: When it comes to any diamond, lab-grown diamonds should always be the first option.

Which of the 4 Cs is the most important?

Pooja Seth: All the 4c’s are extremely important, but usually the most important and the most attractive thing is always the size of the diamond, i.e., the carat size of the diamond. After that comes the clarity, colour, and lastly, the cut.

In addition, there is a 5th C, which is equally important: classification.

Most mined diamonds come with nitrogen impurities that affect and reduce the shine and brightness of a diamond. Only 2 percent of the world’s mined diamonds are nitrogen free and classified as Type IIa. These diamonds are purely carbon-composed and have a significantly better shine and lustre.

Interestingly, all lab-grown diamonds produced through the CVD process are devoid of nitrogen impurities, and therefore, 100 percent of CVD diamonds are classified as Type IIa. Their shine, lustre, and brightness are far superior to the traditional mined diamonds with nitrogen impurities. All Limelight Diamonds are Type IIa. Limelight has managed to spread its wings in India with 15+ retail partners and 30+ associate partners having presence in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai. It has seen 60 percent year-on-year growth despite a lull during the first lockdown. They also have a global presence through their digital channels.

Swarovski’s ongoing sustainability strategy

Signs agreement with climeworks to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47 percent by 2030 Taking care of the past, with an eye firmly on the future, Swarovski enters a five-year agreement with Climeworks, a leader in carbon dioxide removal via direct air capture technology.

Climeworks will remove accumulated CO2 emissions for Swarovski, which forms part of Swarovski’s cohesive greenhouse gas plan to reduce, remove, and offset CO2 emissions. A climate strategy without carbon removal essentially means committing to pollute less today without clearing up the pollution accumulated so far.

Reduction, removal, and offsetting are all necessary methodologies to reach the climate targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In order to follow a verified greenhouse gas reduction approach,

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Swarovski joined the Science Based Targets initiative in 2021, announcing its commitment to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect emissions from owned operations) by 47 percent and scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions from non-owned operations) by 28 percent, by 2030.

As Swarovski CEO ad interim, Michele Molon further expounds: “In 2021 we strengthened our sustainability strategy, focusing on the key area of climate mitigation.

With the firm belief that scientific knowledge is indispensable to understanding and creating change, we also aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative to further our commitment. By signing this carbon removal agreement with Climeworks on their CO2 removal technology, we are marking our

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continued journey to confront one of our planet‘s most pressing issues.”

To drastically reduce its global carbon footprint, Swarovski is investing substantially in more efficient manufacturing operations, further reducing energy consumption in all its new stores, sourcing more sustainable materials for products, packaging, and architecture, and undertaking large-scale initiatives that will positively impact the transport of goods and other steps along the value chain.

Innovation is a key part of winning the ongoing climate battle.

Through this new agreement with Climeworks, Swarovski hopes to set an example by inspiring others to begin their own carbon removal journey and strive for a climate-positive world.

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LEAD STORIES BEAUTY

Vol 2, 1, Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Hair perfume is the next big thing in beauty

Why Cica is the answer to your skincare woes?

give your hair a pleasant scent, it’s important to ensure that it’s clean.

Use shampoo to wash your hair thoroughly before you apply any scented or perfumed products.

Step 2: Moisturize your locks.

It’s extremely important to moisturize your hair beforehand in case it loses any moisture after you scent it.

Use your conditioner to hydrate your hair after you wash it.

Step 3: Dry your hair thoroughly.

Additionally, it also helps remove excessive oil from the hair thereby moisturizing the hair, too A hair perfume or hair mist isn’t the same as just spritzing your mane with your favourite fragrance; instead, it’s a product that’s specially formulated for your hair. While your usual perfume might still smell nice in your hair, it could also actually be damaging and drying, and result in breakage. But, what is the difference between perfume and hair perfume?

The key difference is the percentage of ethyl alcohol contained in the products. As a general rule, hair perfumes will only contain traces of alcohol so as to not dry out hair and scalp on application.

"Hair perfumes not only help in keeping the hair fragrant but also

helps in protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun. Apart from this, it helps in giving your hair the shine it deserves. In totality, hair perfumes are not only used to keep the hair aromatic but also helps in making the hair look healthy. Additionally, it also helps remove excessive oil from the hair thereby moisturizing the hair, too," says Parul Gulati, Founder of Nish Hair.

The question comes down to how do you use it?

Step 1: Wash your hair It is important to use hair perfumes on clean hair. Greasy scalps will not be able to retain the fragrance. To

For the longest lasting fragrance in your hair, you should make sure that your locks are completely dry before applying any perfumed products. If your hair is wet, the water can form a barrier that keeps the fragrance from penetrating your tresses so the scent doesn’t last as long. After washing and conditioning your hair, make sure it is dry before you apply the fragrance.

Step 4: Gently Spray perfume When your hair is dry, hold a bottle of your perfume at least 8-inches (20-cm) from your head and lightly mist your locks to scent your hair.

And you’re good to go!

As we are dawning on to the summer heat, with sweat and little breeze, we have to care for our hair this summer.

Neal’s Yard Remedies launches exclusively on Boddess Romy Fraser, a natural health advocate, created Neal's Yard Remedies in Covent Garden. This Aromatherapy led Wellness brand has since grown to become the market leader in ethical, organic beauty products, with 300+ outlets in 26 countries worldwide. As the brand launches exclusively on House Of Beauty’s Omnichannel platform, Boddess IANSlife speaks to Anabel and Barnabas Kindersley, Brand Owners, Neal’s Yard Remedies on the expansion of the brand's retail footprint.

Read Excerpts:

Tell us about Neal’s Yard Remedies’ journey as a brand?

Anabel and Barnabas: Neal’s Yard Remedies first opened its doors in 1981 in a quiet corner of Covent Garden in the heart of London, UK. The brand was founded by holistic wellbeing advocate, Romy Fraser, who planted the seeds of what was to become Neal’s Yard Remedies today – a world leader in natural and organic health and beauty. With over 300 outlets in 26 countries across the globe, the brand has been working with nature to make award-winning ethical health and beauty collections for over 40 years.

And now we are very excited to be continuing our journey by launching in India.

How would you describe the brand’s philosophy in simple words?

Anabel and Barnabas: Our philosophy is rooted in the belief that inner health and outer beauty should be in perfect balance. We support our customers’ inner health through our wide range of natural remedies including herbs, tinctures, flower remedies and aromatherapy, and many of our stores in the UK offer a variety of holistic therapies and treatments. This complements our wide range of skincare and body products, which are formulated in the UK using ethically sourced herbs, botanicals and essential oils.

We also believe in using the highest possible percentage of organic ingredients as they are kinder to the earth – and kinder to our customers.

All our products are free from harmful chemicals, and we make every possible effort to ensure we are treading lightly on the earth in all that we do.

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From skin-boosting benefits to calming inflammation and strengthening the hydration levels to the production of collagen in the skin, it covers all A healthy lifestyle has a positive impact on every aspect of our lives and is an essential tool for managing our everyday lives in society. Much like maintaining good health, our skin also requires special care and attention. Your care and grooming speak volumes about you. There shouldn't be a need to look flawless for one-time social gatherings, but rather it should be an everyday necessity.

If your skin health is unpleasant, you should not blame your DNA alone; rather, other factors such as our lifestyle, professional routine, and changing seasons are also responsible for it. Choosing the right natural products and therapeutics is important to keeping our skin healthy and nourishing.

The All-purpose Kit The age-old traditions of Ayurveda are like hidden treasures for humans. Its plentiful offerings are no less than a miracle to treat your ailments with the best ingredients.

The CICA kit by Inveda is a first-ever rare combination of Indian Ayurveda and luxurious Korean attributes that answers all your skin-related woes and offers you flawless skin. Tracing the scientific

Inner health and outer beauty should be in perfect balance What makes Neal’s Yard Remedies different from the other beauty brands?

How excited are you about your launch in India?

Anabel and Barnabas: We believe

Anabel and Barnabas: We are

in independent certification as a way of assuring our customers of our ethical credentials. We certify our products through the Soil Association, which is internationally recognized for its incredibly high standards for organic food and beauty. This guarantees that our products contain the highest levels of certified organic ingredients.

We are also very proud of the work we do to support the causes close to our hearts. We have an ongoing commitment to protecting the world’s bee population and have helped to protect over 50 million bees through our Bee Lovely campaign. We are currently leading a campaign to encourage the UK government to implement a total ban on bee-harming pesticides in the UK, and have the support of 55 businesses, organisations and charities such as Greenpeace to help us achieve this. Thanks to the support of our customers, we have also helped protect 3,000,000 m² of the endangered forest through our carbon balancing programme in partnership with World Land Trust.

And lastly, our iconic blue glass bottles make our products instantly recognizable. But they’re more than just pretty packaging. The blue pigment reduces the light reaching the product, helping to protect the delicate aromas and herbal properties of the product inside without the use of preservatives.

They’re also great for upcycling – candlestick holders, vases and household decorations are just some of the ways we’ve seen customers give their Neal’s Yard Remedies packaging a second life.

thrilled to be partnering with House of Beauty to bring Neal’s Yard Remedies to India. We’re so excited to be able to bring 40 years of experience developing natural and organic products to India at a time when there is a growing demand for products that are effective, ethical and sustainable. We very much look forward to building a strong partnership with House of Beauty over the coming years and bringing our pioneering brand to the people of India.

How would you describe the brand’s mission?

Anabel and Barnabas: We do good so that our customers can feel good and look good, naturally.

The skincare industry has seen an influx of online D2C brands. How do you retain your edge in this competitive market?

Anabel and Barnabas: We believe in our products! We are proud to create award-winning products that are both effective and ethically made across such a broad range of categories, from skincare to bath & body to aromatherapy. India’s Neal’s Yard Remedies range will include the brand’s cult favourite Wild Rose Beauty Balm, the ‘one-pot wonder’ loved for its radiance-boosting properties and made with sustainably sourced rosehip seed oil from rural Serbia. A product naturally rich in vitamins A and E as well as essential fatty acids, it’s a ‘must-have’ among beauty experts and customers. We can’t wait for you to try it.

roots, it is Centella Asiatic, a plant that has been used for centuries to treat and heal wounds. It is a natural gift that is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to help repair and calm the skin. With the backing of nature and science and a range of quality ingredients, the CICA kit is one of its kind.

Boosting and Beneficial - From skin-boosting benefits to calming inflammation and strengthening the hydration levels to the production of collagen in the skin, the product covers all.

Calms sensitive skin - The healing and soothing properties of CICA have been a miracle to those with sensitive and reactive skin nature. The skin Care Kit is a treat for people with hypersensitive skin by eliminating the excess sebum on the skin.

The perfect ingredients - With Cica, Niacinamide,Cocoa, Olive Citric Acid, as ingredients, the CICA kit ensures faster healing, reduces pigmentation, improves uneven skin tone, regulates oil, and much more.

The Act of Balancing - It balances oily skin and doesn’t clog the pores of acne-prone skin. A natural product to treat eczema and psoriasis.

The fear of harming your skin during treatment by using chemically loaded products ends with this.

It’s for All - The product is well dry and sensitive skin by optimizing moisture levels, making it more adaptive to pollution, allergens, and irritants.

Hydrates your skin - Your skin needs hydration to look and feel its best. If you face skin dryness all year round then your skin has a hard time retaining moisture.

The kit gives a moisturizing and protective seal on your skin and locks moisture.

Easy to use - Cleanse your face with Cica Healing Face Wash, morning & Evening. Apply a generous amount of Day Cream every morning, and Healing Night Cream before bedtime. A gentle Massage is needed all over the face and neck until it gets absorbed.

Ayurvedic treatment is always safe and preferred by those who love to infuse the goodness and richness of nature into their daily lives. Now that we are starting to get back to our normal daily routine, it’s so important that we find time to carry on with our skincare routines.

Aveda partners with Nykaa to launch Prestige Salons

Salon savants now have a new destination for the scalp to soul experiences as Aveda partners with Nykaa to launch Aveda X Nykaa.

An elevated offering, the first Aveda X Nykaa salon opens doors in the garden city of India - Bengaluru.

With this opening, Aveda is all set to bring its international hair offerings to Indian consumers, strengthened

by Nykaa’s Indian beauty expertise and deep market knowledge. The salon will be a one-stop shop in the form of a unisex lifestyle salon, providing 100 percent vegan premium Hair services - Color, haircut styling and hair care along with exclusive rejuvenating rituals.

Spread across an aesthetically created 1700 sqft, the retail concept of the salon in HSR Layout Bengaluru communicates the brand’s close relationship with nature, echoing quality, simplicity, and tranquillity.

In addition to hair services such as haircuts, colour and style, the Aveda X Nykaa salon houses various stations such as spa rooms, manicure pedicure stations, as well as hair and makeup stations. Patrons will be able to enjoy several of Nykaa’s best-selling beauty offerings at the salon, besides the Aveda range of hair care products. The offerings available are also customizable, which include hair treatments such

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as Botanical Therapy that assist hair and scalp imbalances. The services offered to focus on entirely curating an experience that leaves you feeling relaxed and satisfied from scalp to the soul. The Salon will also offer a unique Aroma Sensory Journey and stress relieving experiences with Aveda’s exclusive Rituals of Renewal. These are deeply rooted in the brand’s heritage & designed to relax and rejuvenate every guest. A few of them include - the Comforting Tea Ritual, a cup of herbal drink upon arrival; StressRelieving Hand/Scalp Ritual, which allows guests to experience the calming effects of Aveda Stress-Fix products through a complimentary massage. The one-of-a-kind Aroma Sensory Journey is a guided tour of scent, sensuality, and memory to have a guest discover their preferred Chakra Balancing Pure-Fume Mist Aroma that truly speaks to them and helps balance their energy.

The Beauty and Personal Care Market in India were sized at INR 1,267 billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 13 percent in the last 3 years. Tapping into this market, ELCA Cosmetics Private Limited and FSN Brands Marketing Private Limited (a material subsidiary of FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited), have tied-up to enter the professional, luxury hair care space, building brand awareness and authority. The salons aim to set new industry standards by building and expanding Aveda’s exclusive network of salons while leveraging Nykaa’s retail prowess and understanding of the Indian consumer.

“We are very enthralled to have entered a strategic alliance with Nykaa to launch the category of salons in the country with a focus on allowing consumers to experience the next frontier in hair science.

With the trusted and proven

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botanical science that Aveda has to offer coupled with the quintessential Nykaa experience tailor-made for the Indian consumer we aim to elevate the consumer’s hair care experience through our world-class products, services and hair care regimes,” said RohanVaziralli, General Manager, ELCA Cosmetics Private Limited.

Commenting on the partnership, AnchitNayar, CEO of E-commerce Beauty, Nykaa said, “One of Nykaa’s key priorities has been to curate solutions for consumers that are differentiated and meet their requirements perfectly. We understand that hair care needs are complex and diverse at the same time, and no one solution fits all. We are confident that our trusted retail expertise infused with Aveda’s advanced hair care offering rooted in Ayurveda, will provide an unparalleled salon experience to consumers seeking tailor-made hair care solutions and treatments.” Founded in 1978, Aveda innovates in botanical technologies and green chemistry, combining the principles of modern science and Ayurveda, the ancient healing art of India. It creates cruelty-free, vegan, high-performance formulas for beauty professionals and consumers, all with sustainability at heart. The brand’s hair care is over 90 percent naturally derived and features iconic ‘pure-fume’ aromas from flower and plant essences.

Both their high-performance franchises, Invati Advanced, Nutriplenish and Botanical Repair have each won dozens of awards for innovation, performance and sustainability, and the brand was awarded the 2021 CEW Sustainability Excellence Award, which reflects the highest standards of sustainability values in the beauty industry.

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FOOD LEAD& STORIES CUISINE

Vol 1, 2,Issue Issue19, 6 May Nov1-15, 15-30, 2022 2021

Summer Coolers to keep your refreshed

LEMONADE > Keep aside to cool to cool it down and transfer in a bottle to refrigerate. > While serving mix ¼ glass squash and ¾ glass water. > Serve chilled.

Keep yourself hydrated and cool As the heat sets in, it is important to keep your body hydrated and replenish fluids at regular intervals.

Here are a few summer drinks to beat the haeat.

AAM PANNA Ingredients: 1 raw mango 2 cup water 3 tbsp mint / pudina ¼ cup sugar ½ tsp cardamom powder ½ tsp cumin pwoder ½ tsp pepper powder ¾ tsp salt

Method: > Firstly, in a pressure cooker take 1 raw mango and pour 2 cup water. > Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles or until mango are cooked well. > Cool completely, and peel the skin of mango. > Also, scrape the pulp of mango making sure the skin has separated. > Transfer the mango pulp to a blender. > Also add mint and sugar. > Blend to smooth paste without adding any water. > Now add cardamom powder, cumin powder, pepper powder and salt. > Mix well making sure everything is well combined with aam panna concentrate is ready. > To serve, in a tall glass take a tbsp of aam panna concentrate and add few ice cubes. > Pour in ice-cold water and mix well. > Finally, enjoy aam panna garnished with fresh mint leaves.

LEMONADE Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups white sugar 1 cup water 9 medium lemons, or more as needed 7 cups ice-cold water Ice as needed

Method: > Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar while mixture comes to a boil.

Set aside to cool slightly. > Meanwhile, roll lemons around on your counter to soften. Cut in half lengthwise, and squeeze into a liquid measuring cup. > Add pulp to the juice, but discard any seeds. Continue juicing until you have 1 1/2 cups fresh juice and pulp. > Pour 7 cups ice-cold water into a pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and pulp, then add simple syrup to taste. > Add ice and serve the energetic drink.

SATTU SHARBAT Ingredients: 1.5 litres chilled water 6 tablespoon sattu (roasted black chickpea flour) 4 to 6 tablespoon regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar or jaggery - add as per taste ¼ teaspoon black salt or 2 to 3 pinches of black salt (optional)

Method: > Take chilled water in individual glasses. You can also take all of the chilled water in a mug and then mix. > Add 2 tbsp sattu in each glass. > Add sugar or jaggery as per taste. > Add a pinch of black salt in each

AAM PANNA glass. For some tang, you can also add lemon or lime juice. > Stir and mix everything very well.

VIRJIN MOJITO Ingredients: 10 mint leaves, large or 15 small 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp honey simple syrup Water Ice optional Lime slices optional

Method: > Place mint leaves and lime juice in a glass and muddle them together for 1 minute. > 10 mint leaves, large 2 tbsp lime juice > Add the honey simple syrup. > 2 tbsp honey simple syrup > Add the water. > Garnish with lime slices, a sprig of mint, and/or fresh fruit.

LEMON AND GINGER SQUASH Ingredients: 500ml fresh lemon juice 100ml ginger juice 1 1/4kgs sugar 500ml water

Method: > Take a heavy bottomed pan and put water , when the water comes to boiling water, add sugar and stir continuously till sugar melts and cook for 5minutes and keep aside. > After that add the lemon juice and ginger juice and mix well.

LEMON AND GINGER SQUASH

PINEAPPLE MOCKTAIL Ingredients: 1 cup pineapple juice 2 cups lime lemon soda 2 tablespoons rose syrup 1 cup crushed ice 2 pineapple wedges for decoration (optional) 2 small sprigs mint leaves for decoration (optional)

SATTU SHARBAT

Method: > Take two tall glasses. In order to get nice color gradient, first put crushed ice in the glasses. > Pour pineapple juice on ice. Then add Sprite. > Over this add rose syrup. Being the heaviest it will settle down at the bottom. > Stir the mixture a little bit so that the contents get slightly mixed, but still they can be seen separately. > Decorate the glass with pineapple wedges and mint leaves, or with decorative straw of your choice. > Serve chilled.

KIWI MINT MOCKTAIL Ingredients: 3 kiwi fruit peeled and diced 1 lime juiced 10 mint leaves 2 cups water 1 teaspoon sweetener of choice

Method: > Place kiwi fruit, lime juice, mint leaves and sweetener (if using) in a high spend blender. > Blend until smooth. > Divide between 2 ice-filled glasses

VIRJIN MOJITO

PINEAPPLE MOCKTAIL

and top with water. > Garnish with mint or extra kiwi.

KANJI DRINK Ingredients: 200 grams red carrots 50 grams beetroots 5 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds 2 litres water 4 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 1 teaspoon red chili powder

KIWI MINT MOCKTAIL

Method: > Start by preparing the carrots and beets. If using black carrots, then you can skip adding the beetroots. > Wash the carrots and discard ½-inch of the top and bottom. Peel them using a vegetable peeler. Cut the carrots into ¼-inch thick and 1 inch long fingers. > Wash the beetroots and discard the ½-inch of top and bottom. Peel it using a vegetable peeler. Cut the beetroot into thin wedges. > Add mustard seeds to a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.

KANJI DRINK > Gather the remaining ingredients.

An immersive food experience in New York City in 2022 Armed Forces Personnel to be trained at Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts From Michelin-starred restaurants to awe-inspiring global cuisine to aromatic street carts, New York City has an abundance of dining options.

The cuisine of each borough and neighbourhood tells the story of the City's history, culture, and current trends, making it the ideal way to experience authentic NYC. So if you're heading to the Big Apple for summer, explore these food options.

30th Anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week The 30th anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week, which begins in July, will be celebrated by NYC & Company. The biannual event began in 1992 as a weeklong, lunch-only promotional event during the Democratic National Convention, and has since grown from a one-week event to a four-week programme taking place across all five boroughs at a variety of restaurants ranging from neighbourhood eateries to high-end dining.

The Return of New York City Classics From world-renowned attractions like the Statue of Liberty to iconic skyscrapers and venues, New York City has a wealth of historic sites for visitors to enjoy. Bemelmans Bar, located on the Upper East Side at the Carlyle Hotel, has drawn socialites, politicians, movie stars, and business moguls for over 90 years. The bar is famous for its extensive cocktail menu, nightly live entertainment, and art deco décor.

Another neighbourhood mainstay, The Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel, is popular for its Afternoon Tea and is popular with both New Yorkers and visitors.

The timeless location has completely renovated the space with lush greenery and introduced a new American fare–inspired menu and grand bar serving craft cocktails since reopening in 2014. www.indianabroad.news

New York City

The Rainbow Room, the original (and iconic) home of New York City glamour and entertainment, can be found in Midtown Manhattan. Since 1934, the event space has hosted and served presidents and some of the brightest stars in entertainment, as well as classic and contemporary American cuisine.

Go International Throughout the Boroughs Globally, New York City is regarded as one of the most culturally rich and diverse cities, and it is home to a large number of international residents. Visitors can explore and taste the various cultures that exist within the City by travelling through the five boroughs. Visitors can get a worldly experience in the unique, vibrant neighbourhoods throughout the boroughs, from Little Caribbean in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and Little Sri Lanka in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, to Manhattan’s Chinatown and Washington Heights.

Queens, recently named one of The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2022,” is home to a diverse range of international cuisines. Visitors can broaden their palates by dining along the 7 train, which offers a variety of ethnic cuisines ranging from Eastern European to Japanese.

For those looking for authentic

Italian cuisine, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx has some of the best options in the city.

Brand-New Culinary Experiences Visitors and locals alike can look forward to a slew of new restaurant openings and the return of old favourites across the five boroughs.

Dutch Baby Bakery, a woman-owned shop serving fresh seasonal breakfast pastries, tarts, cakes, and artisanal bread, has recently opened in Washington Heights and has speedily become a local favourite.

Rowdy Rooster, an Indian-spiced fried chicken fast-casual spot in the East Village, opened in February; Place des Fêtes, a Spanish-inspired restaurant in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, opened in March; Makina Café, New York City’s first Ethiopian-Eritrean mobile restaurant, opened a full-service restaurant in Sunnyside, Queens, in early April; Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, a 91-year-old Manhattan sandwich counter, will reopen under a new name, S&P; and Keith McNally and Daniel Boulud are working together to reopen Augustine under a new name this spring in the Financial District.

Food Halls Featuring International Delicacies and

Queensboro Bridge (Wes Tarca) NYC Favorites Singapore Hawker Center, a massive Singaporean-inspired food hall, will soon open in Midtown, bringing authentic, traditional cuisine from 18 street-food vendors, including Fishball Story’s Douglas Ng, Dragon Phoenix’s Chris Hooi, and Ah Tai, known for his Hainanese chicken rice. The James Beard Foundation will also open an 18-stall, 16,000-square-foot hall at Pier 57 this fall, showcasing local businesses and food entrepreneurs. Visitors arriving at the Moynihan Train Hall can now choose from a dozen curated vendors at the Moynihan Food Hall, including Sauce Pizzeria, E.A.K. Ramen, Magnolia Bakery, H&H Bagels, and Jacob’s Pickles, and will soon be able to enjoy the full market, expanded food hall, and three signature restaurants.

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The Indian Armed Forces have tasked Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts (APCA), a world-renowned and esteemed group of professional culinary and pastry schools, with training 11 officers of the rank of Major and equivalent from three services: Army, Air Force, and Navy. These officers are currently assigned as Catering Officers in Category A military establishments such as the National Defense Academy (NDA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA), among others, and are in charge of the food and nutrition of cadets and officers in these institutions. The officer chosen will participate in a one-month specialised culinary, baking, and pastry programme at APCA in Bangalore.

During the course of this intensive programme, specially designed for them, these Defense personnel will receive complete hands-on training to equip them with not only basic cookery skills, but will also hone gourmet food preparation skills through exposure to advanced techniques.

APCA’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the community. The academy uses cutting-edge technology in conjunction with innovative methods to teach the art, science, and skills of creating delectable cuisine, as well as the strategies required to thrive in the food industry. It is equally important for soldiers to be aware of the ingredients and combinations that provide the most energy to deal with the demanding job profile.

Commenting on the announcement Maj Dinesh Sharma, Co-Founder,

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Defense personnel will receive complete hands-on training to equip them with gourmet food preparation skills Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts said, “It is an honor bestowed upon us from the Indian armed forces.

We take this as pride and are paying special attention towards providing advanced skills and training to the selected officers. Passion and dedication that these officers display on and off the field is unparalleled.

Days and months out on duty with limited resources and still proudly serving the country deserves major gratitude and being a small part of their journey means a lot. We are looking forward to some of the most amazing culinary creations by the protectors of the country”.

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Varun Dhawan all beefed up in first look of ‘Bawaal’ The makers of the upcoming film 'Bawaal' have shared a sneak peek of actor Varun Dhawan's look from the sets in Lucknow.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala recently pulled off a casting coup for the love story, which also stars Janhvi Kapoor.

'Bawaal' is directed by Nitesh Tiwari.

In the first look, the actor sitting on a Royal Enfield bike looks dashing and ripped in the image, as he was clicked on the streets of Lucknow where the film is currently being shot.

Interestingly, the mega-canvas film will be shot across three Indian locations and five European countries, including the city of Paris.

With promising electric chemistry between Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, picturesque visuals and great storytelling with Nitesh Tiwari behind the wheel, 'Bawaal' produced

by Sajid Nadiadwala will hit screens on April 7, 2023.

Anupam Kher flaunts physical transformation, gives a dose of motivation Veteran actor Anupam Kher recently shared his physical transformation pictures on his social media with a thought-provoking philosophy that would render enhanced self-confidence and determination to those who are willing to travel down the road to fitness.

Taking to his Instagram, he posted two pictures of himself where his journey to fitness can be seen coming to fruition in the before and after pictures. He wrote in the caption, "Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same."

Sharing an important message in the caption, he continued further, "Being fit doesn't begin in the gym with a dumb bell; it starts with a decision in your head!

Today is good day to take that

decision! #KuchBhiHoSaktaHai #YearOfTheBody #BothOfThemAreMe (sic)."

The actor was last seen in director Vivek Agnihotri's film 'The Kashmir

Files'. The film, which proved to be a runaway success, tells the story of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and their plight in a highly polarised environment.

Koratala Siva clears the air on ‘NTR30’

Koratala Siva, the director of 'Acharya' spoke about his upcoming film recently.

While promoting the Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan-starrer, the director was quizzed on a variety of topics, to which he responded.

Amid the ongoing talks and assumptions about 'RRR' actor NTR's next with Koratala Siva being shelved, the

director's clarity came as a source of relief to NTR's fans.

Siva says of 'NTR30', "I've written a strong story for NTR. Pre-production work is underway, and filming will begin in June 2022."

This statement from Koratala Siva has sent relief across NTR's fans, as a few Telugu websites had reported on the project being shelved a few

Divyansh, Manuraj lift the trophy on ‘India’s Got Talent 9’

After winning silver, Madhavan’s son Vedaant now wins gold in Denmark Open swimming

Actor R. Madhavan's son, Vedaant Madhavan, has done the country proud by winning a gold medal at the Danish Open in Copenhagen.

Interestingly, Vedaant had only a couple of days ago won a silver for India at the same competition.

Madhavan took to social media to share the happy news. "And so, today the winning streak continues...

Vedaant Madhavan gets a gold at the Denmark open," he said and thanked all those who had helped Vedaant

achieve."

Several people including celebrities have congratulated both Madhavan and Vedaant for the youngster's achievement.

Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, who was among the first to congratulate, said, "So proud. God bless him.

More power to him."

Actress Keerthy Suresh too congratulated Vedaant. She tweeted, "Kudos to the champion Vedaant Madhavan.

Your achievement is an inspiration

to all !! Congratulations to the proud father, Maddy sir."

This isn't the first time that Vedaant has won medals in swimming. Last year, the 16-year-old swimmer had won four silver medals and three bronze medals at the 47th Junior National Aquatic Championships which were held in Bangalore.

Before that in March last year, Vedaant had won a bronze at the Latvian Open Swimming Champion event.

weeks ago.

'NTR30's casting team is scouting for a Bollywood actress to pair up with NTR in this highly-anticipated movie.

NTR is currently prepping for 'NTR30', while Koratala Siva is promoting 'Acharya', which is slated for a grand release on April 29.

Beatboxing and flautist duo, Divyansh Kacholia and Manuraj Singh Rajput, have become the winners of 'India's Got Talent 9'.

Their performance stunned the judges including Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Kirron Kher, Badshah, and Manoj Muntashir.

The finale became more entertaining as singer and comedienne Sugandha Mishra joined the host Arjun Bijlani. Divyansh and Manuraj, who hail from Jaipur and Bharatpur respectively shared their happiness on winning the trophy.

Both were known for their amazing jugalbandi on the show.

Divyansh mentioned: "I am happy because this is revolutionary in the history of Indian reality shows where two musicians who collaborated to find their own sound, have been declared as winners of 'India's Got Talent 9'. I feel that now all the instrumentalists, may it be beatboxers, sitar players, or flautists, will grab the spotlight and feel confident that their dreams can also come true."

Manuraj also expressed his joy on winning the winner's title.

"I could not imagine that there even was a level of happiness beyond

being ecstatic. I am not only floating on cloud 9 but I think I've reached what's called the nirvana of happiness. Collaborating with Divyansh came to us out of the blue but the play of the fates was such that we have now become the winners of the show where we met."

"Our win is a win for all the instrumentalists in the country who are still in the background. It's time to come forward and be recognised for your talent because the Indian music industry is ready and thriving for change! This win is an invitation to musicians to find their sound and make the best of it," he added.

Not only for the winners but even for the judges it was a moment of pride and they gave all their best wishes to them.

Kirron Kher shared: "I am so very happy for Divyansh and Manuraj!

They have been an outstanding pair since the beginning. All their efforts have come to fruition and have led to this day where they have rightly been declared the winner of this season."

On the other hand Shilpa Shetty Kundra said that as judges they might have played an important role but it was the audience who became

prominent in choosing the winners.

"While we have played a catalyst in choosing the greatest talent from the country, the real deciding factor and the true judgement came from the audiences which has been proven with Divyansh and Manuraj's win.

While every talent is different from the other and cannot be compared, I feel personally that their talent is of international standards and sets another kind of benchmark. They created history."

Badshah praised the duo saying: "Honestly saying, Divyansh and Manuraj deserved the win! They have been fantabulous throughout the show, never faltering and always giving their best every time they took over the stage."

While Manoj Muntashir added, 'They came, they saw, they conquered'. He was amazed by their performance and appreciated their dedication towards their craft.

"I am overjoyed with emotions and goodwill for Divyansh and Manuraj.

Both brought variety, style, quirk, and devotion to this platform. My heart swelled with pride as I saw them crowned as the winner."

Arjun Bijlani concluded by wishing the winners all the success in future.

"Divyansh and Manuraj deserve the win! Watching them lift the trophy made me feel so proud. I wish them the very best and hope that they achieve all the success in the world."

Divyansh and Manuraj were awarded a cheque of Rs 20 lakhs from Sony Entertainment Television followed by Maruti Suzuki Wagon R cars, respectively.

From the Best 7 Finalists, Ishita Vishwakarma from Jabalpur was declared as the first runner-up and the Bomb Fire Crew from Delhi were declared as the second runner-up.

Sonam Kapoor flaunts blooming baby bump in Mandana Karimi eliminated from 'Lock Upp' see-through kaftan for body shaming beauty blogger Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor has finally shared a glimpse of her baby bump in style.

The actress shared a motley of pictures, where she is seen wearing a black see-through embroidered kaftan.In one image, she is seen lovingly holding her blooming baby bump with one hand and placing the other on her head. The tagged hubby Anand Ahuja, mom Sunita Kapoor, and sister Rhea Kapoor.

She captioned the image: "Kaftan life with my (baby emoji) #everydayphenomenal."

It was last month, when Sonam announced that she and her husband Anand announced that they www.indianabroad.news

are expecting their first baby.

Sonam made the announcement on Instagram as she wrote: "Four hands. To raise you the very best we can. Two hearts. That will beat in unison with yours, every step of the way. One family. Who will shower you with love and support. We can't wait to welcome you." Sonam added the hashtags #everydayphenomenal #comingthisfall2022 with her post.

On the work front, Sonam was last seen in the 2019 release 'The Zoya Factor'. She starred alongside Dulquer Salmaan. The actress then had a cameo in Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's 'AK vs AK'.

Actress and model Mandana Karimi has been evicted from reality show 'Lock Upp'.

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Mandana was getting the limelight for her fights with the contestants.

She was also criticised by Kangana

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Azma Fallah.

Zeeshan Khan called her bipolar.

While Azma said she is a flop heroine. Recently, she also got into a huge fight with Ali Merchant when he took her name after finding hair strands in the breakfast. Mandana also revealed her secret on the show about her relationship with a renowned filmmaker.

Now in the Saturday episode when Ekta Kapoor advised Mandana to improve her game and play better.

Mandana said that she is playing well and was satisfied with her game. She finally opted out of the show.

'Lock Upp' streams on ALTBalaji.

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Hansika wraps up shooting Kajal Pisal: A career in enterfor web series ‘MY3’ tainment is never easy

Hansika Motwani has wrapped up shooting her portions for her first web series 'MY3'.

The actress, who distributed sweets to everybody in her unit on her last day of shooting, took to Instagram to pen a post about working on the series.

She wrote, “It’s a wrap-up for ‘MY3’! A journey to cherish forever!

Emotionally gleeful to have got such a wonderfully talented team, who made me feel like a princess on the sets every moment. It’s been

wonderful yet again to work with director Rajesh sir after ‘Oru Kal Oru Kannadi’. He has been so generous, by giving me so much space to do whatever with both my characters.

I am truly elated to have got an opportunity to work with him again.

“The entire direction team comprising Karthick, Rozar Shekar, Maddy, and everyone has been great. I thank my producer Sanjay sir (Trendloud) for being so supportive. It’s been an immense pleasure working with them.

“The entire cast and crew have been awesome. Mugen is a wonderful actor. I wish him all the very best.

Shanthanu, Janani, Shakthi, Abhishek, and others have been friendly on the sets. It was a lovely experience to work with them.

“The roles of Mythri and MY3 are so special to me. I have never been emotional about my roles, but this one is close to my heart. I thank the entire crew, the directorial team, my co-stars, and producer Sanjay sir for endowing me. I can’t wait for the audience, who will love the show and characters as I love them. I thank Pradeep sir for being a perfect curator.

“Tons of love to my Mom for encouraging me to do what I always love.

I thank my team (Hmu stylist )and everyone for nurturing my journey with great support on ‘MY3’.”

The web series, which is being directed by M Rajesh, is a unique robotic love story and is to be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

Karthik Muthukumar is the cinematographer of this series, which will have music by Ganesan and editing

by Ashish.

After wedding, Neetu Kapoor, Soni Razdan, Shaheen Bhatt visit Ranbir, Alia’s residence The post-wedding festivities are still on for the Kapoors and the Bhatts as Neetu Kapoor, Soni Razdan and Shaheen Bhatt, were seen outside Ranbir and Alia's Vastu residence in Pali Hill area of Mumbai.

While Neetu wore a pink suit, Shaheen was seen clad in a light-colour kurta paired with a brown palazzo and Soni in a grey-pink floral print suit.

With Alia and Ranbir's wedding pictures all over the Internet, Neetu has also shared inside pictures from her son's wedding.

Recently, she shared a heartwarming post on her Instagram where she can be seen standing with Ranbir and her son-in-law Bharat Sahni (Riddhima Kapoor Sahni's husband).

Sharing the post, Neetu Kapoor

captioned it as, "My pillars."

Alia and Ranbir dated for four years before tying the nuptial knot on April 14. At the wedding, the couple

donned Sabyasachi outfits. While the 'Highway' actress wore a hand-dyed ivory organza saree for her big day, Ranbir twinned with his bride as he wore an ivory-coloured sherwani.

Yami Gautam was the only choice for character of Jyoti Deswal in ‘Dasvi’: Director

Tushar Jalota, the director of the recently released 'Dasvi' which stars Abhishek Bachchan in the lead, recently shared that during the casting of the film, he could only imagine actress Yami Gautam playing the part of police officer Jyoti Deswal.

He said she was the first and only choice for this role.

Elaborating on the same, the director said, "Jyoti is a head strong,

brave, no-nonsense and a fearless woman. She is razor-focused and is cuttingly sharp. She has steely authority, is fierce and is simply savage!! And Yami played it to the T. When we were casting for this role in 'Dasvi', I couldn't imagine anyone else other than Yami Gautam playing Jyoti Deswal."

Adding further, he said that the actress completely surrenders

herself to the character that she takes up, "She is someone who completely gets absorbed by her character and thoroughly prepares for it; whether it's looking the part or mentally getting into the headspace of the character."

He continued, "Apart from all the prep work, she also worked hard on her Haryanvi dialect and accent and for a moment you forget it's Yami on screen because all you can see is Jyoti Deswal, a strong, confident, no-nonsense female inspector."

Describing deeper layers of the character, Tushar said, "There is a practised hardness in Jyoti, that is her stated intent, but she has softer virtues (humility, gentleness, sympathy). Yami has done all of this with so much dignity and nobility.

She was definitely a great team player, a supporter for me and I believe that is the mark of a terrific actor and Yami deserves all the accolades coming her way for her performance in the film."

‘F3’ shoot concludes with Pooja Hegde’s special song

Pooja Hegde, who has been delivering one big bang release after another, has been confirmed to star in a dance number in the upcoming Telugu film 'F3'.

www.indianabroad.news

The makers of 'F3' unveiled a poster of Pooja Hegde looking super glamourous in a glossy pink dress, earlier on Monday.

Pooja Hegde, who recently appeared alongside Vijay in the Tamil movie 'Beast,' is now set to dazzle in a special dance number in Anil Ravipudi's 'F3'.

Pooja's song in the film was shot in Hyderabad, and the shoot was completed with Pooja's song.

Before Pooja's first glimpse, Ravipudi piqued our interest by teasing us with a silhouette of Pooja, which was enough to drive the fans crazy.

This is Pooja's second special dance number, following the popular 'Jigelu Rani' in Ram Charan and Samantha-starrer 'Rangasthalam'.

The film 'F3' is a sequel to 'F2', and stars Venkatesh Daggubatti, Varun Tej, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Mehreen Pirzada, which is billed as a commercial family entertainer.

Pooja will be seen in Salman Khan's 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali' and 'Cirkus' opposite Ranveer Singh.

The 'Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava' actress is also roped in to play the female lead opposite Mahesh Babu in his next, under Trivikram Srinivas' direction.

Actress Kajal Pisal, currently seen in TV show 'Sirf Tum', says people should be mentally healthy to achieve a successful career in showbiz while dealing with different barriers.

She says: "A career in entertainment industry is never easy. To pursue a career here one need to be ready to accept insults, partiality, body/ age shaming, sexual remarks and also discouragements. If one can happily ignore such barriers and keep working hard and flaunt their skills to win audience hearts that can only make you successful else the situation can make you fall into depression.

"You may face financial crisis, stay jobless for long is a huge risk of our showbiz. One need to be strong to deal with all such circumstances."

As April is celebrated as Stress Awareness Month since 1992 to

raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.

Kajal highlights the ways that she manages to keep herself happy.

She adds: "One needs to be aware that nothing is permanent everyone experiences good and both time.

Everyone in the world deals with stress, and many people have overcome stressful situations. You are not alone.

"To overcome accept the situation and react in calm and composed way. I engage myself into gardening, cooking or talking with friends to keep myself happy and find a way out to overcome my problems. At times I do read spiritual lectures to find peace."

Kajal is known for featuring in shows like 'Bade Achhe Lagte Hain', 'Saath Nibhaana Saathiya' and 'Naagin 5', among others.

Samantha’s advice to her younger self: Never get tattooed Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently had a question-and-answer session on Instagram. One of her fans had asked the 'Majili' actress to reveal what kind of a tattoo Samantha wants to see herself inked with.

The 'Rangasthalam' actress bluntly replied saying that she now dislikes getting inked. "My advice to my younger self would be not to get a tattoo. Ever!! Never ever get tattooed", the actress stressed.

Samantha is known to have three tattoos, all of which are related to her ex-husband Naga Chaitanya.

Samantha's first tattoo reads 'YMC,' which is an abbreviation for Sam and Naga's first film together, 'Ye Maaya Chesave.

The second tattoo, which reads 'Chay,' is inked on her right rib, while the third tattoo is more unique, as both Chaitu and Samantha inked

the same tattoo of two arrows on their forearms. On the work

front, Samantha will be seen in 'Shakuntalam' and 'Yashoda' next.

Ranbir Kapoor returns to work after marrying Alia Bhatt It's been barely a few days after his much hyped wedding with 'Dear Zindagi' star Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor is already back to work to fulfil his professional commitments.

The actor was recently spotted in the Andheri area of Mumbai where he was seen sporting a blue plaid shirt and beige pants.

Alia and Ranbir got married on April 14 after dating for almost five years.

The love story, which started on the sets of the duo's upcoming film 'Brahmastra' finally came to fruition as the two exchanged vows in an extremely private wedding ceremony in front of roughly 50 guests.

Incidentally, the first part of Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' is all set to arrive in cinemas on September 9.

Post the wedding ceremony, Alia took to her Instagram to share the love and joy with her followers as she wrote in the caption, "Today,

surrounded by our family and friends, at home … in our favourite spot - the balcony we've spent the last 5 years of our relationship - we got married."

"With so much already behind us, we can't wait to build more memories together … memories that are

full of love, laughter, comfortable silences, movie nights, silly fights, wine delights and Chinese bites.

Thank you for all the love and light during this very momentous time in our lives. It has made this moment all the more special. Love, Ranbir and Alia," the caption further read.

Satish Kaushik looks back on his friendship with ‘Mr India’ co-star Anil Kapoor Veteran actor Satish Kaushik, who is set for his upcoming film 'Thar' which stars the father-son duo of Anil Kapoor and Harshvarrdhan Kapoor, took a walk down memory lane and shared how he and Anil first became friends.

Satish, who has worked with Anil since the early 1980s and has starred with him in a bunch of projects including the memorable sci-fi superhero film 'Mr. India', said, "I and Anil go long back. It has been a journey of almost 40 years together. I worked with him in his debut film as a leading man - 'Woh Saat Din' - where I had a small role."

He shared how the film broadened his understanding of human relationships, "That film made me realise how relationships grow and evolve as with just that two-dialogue role in the film, I became his friend and a family member, for me that is the greatest gift. I remember that

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I needed a shirt for my part in that film when Anil brought me a shirt and said, 'You should wear this shirt, it was worn by Rishi Kapoor in 'Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan'".

Reminiscing how the 'Dil Dhadakane Do' actor has always supported him, Satish said, "Anil actually pushed his producer brother Boney Kapoor

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to hire me for the part in 'Woh Saat Din'. Boney was offering me Rs 201 for the role but Anil convinced him to raise the remuneration to Rs 501.

So, that's how my relationship with Anil Kapoor has been like. I'm very grateful that I got to work with him yet again in 'Thar'".

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ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 2, Issue 6 May 1-15, 2022

NEW RELEASES PRITHVIRAJ RELEASE DATE: 3 June 2022 LANGUAGE: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: Yash Raj Films DIRECTOR: Chandraprakash Dwivedi CAST: Akshay Kumar, introducing debutant Manushi Chhillar, Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood

SYNOPSIS: Yash Raj Films is making its first historical with Prithviraj, which is based on the life and valour of the fearless and mighty Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan.

Superstar Akshay Kumar is essaying the role of the legendary warrior who fought valiantly against the merciless invader Muhammad of Ghor. Akshay unveiled the teaser

of the film via social media and saluted the daredevilry of the braveheart. Akshay says, "The teaser of Prithviraj captures the soul of the film, the essence of the life of the legendary warrior Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan who knew no fear. This is our tribute to his heroism and his life. The more I read about him, the more I was awed by how he lived and breathed every single second of his glorious life for his country and his values." The superstar adds, "He is a legend, he is one of the bravest warriors and he is one of the most upright kings that our country has ever seen. We hope that Indians worldwide love our salute to this mighty braveheart. We have tried to present his life story in the most authentic way possible and the film is a homage to his unmatched bravery and courage." The gorgeous Manushi plays the role of his beloved Sanyogita and her launch is definitely one of the most awaited debuts of 2022. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Prithviraj is being directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi who directed the biggest television epic Chanakya - based on the life and times of the most influential political strategist of India and the multiple award-winning Pinjar.

JAYESHBHAI JORDAAR RELEASE DATE: 13 May 2022 LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: Yash Raj Films DIRECTOR: Divyang Thakkar CAST: Ranveer Singh, Shalini Pandey, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah

BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 RELEASE DATE: 20 May 2022 LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: T-Series; Cine1 Studios DIRECTOR: Anees Bazmee CAST: Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Tabu

SYNOPSIS: An accidental, yet destined meet up between two strangers Ruhaan and Reet forms into camaraderie. Ruhaan decides to break Reet' shackles of fear and attend a music festival before she leaves for her hometown. Reet lies to her family about boarding a bus and meanwhile enjoys the festival with Ruhaan and then tries to catch the next bus back home. They discover their bus has crashed and all the passengers are dead. The news does seem like a relief but Reet is devastated as she can't tell her family the truth about being alive and lying earlier. But she still travels back with Ruhaan to see her grieving family.

As they reach the haunted haveli left behind by the Thakur family many years ago because of Manjulika's ghost, Ruhaan is confronted with Thakur Saha's gun pointed at him followed by an endless trail of questions while Reet hides away, Ruhaan comes with a ridiculous cover up by telling them that he has the power to talk to ghosts, and Reet brought him here to say a final goodbye to her family. Ruhaan starts to gain a certain popularity amongst the villagers as they start calling him Rooh baba which he enjoys. But the short lived fame has transformed into a problem which eventually grows to be uncontrollable. Ruhaan no longer has to deal with fake ghosts, its Manjulika's actual ghost that is out there and might even attack Reet. Now Ruhaan has to hide Reet from the family and save the family from Manjulika's ghost!

Tanvi Thakkar turns bride for ‘Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin’

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Actress Tanvi Thakkar, who currently essays the role of Shivani in 'Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin', is delighted to turn a bride for her marriage track in the show.

She says: "There's only one special day in every girl's life, when she encounters the kind of ecstatic excitement for her wedding day, that would bring along, and one of the best thing about wedding is to dress up to be bride. I feel being an actress I'm enjoying experience of getting ready with bridal look for my TV show and perhaps I'm the lucky

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one as its not first time but had also enjoyed earlier too."

Tanvi also featured in 'Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant', 'Bepannah Pyaar' among others says she enjoys her profession.

"I'm enjoying my profession of acting as it is helping me to explore different amazing experience. After I saw myself looking damn gorgeous as a Marathi bride, I took so many selfies and shared with my family.

And trust me no other profession gives you such a great luck to explore different looks. Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary work schedule, TV shows gives us a fairy tale to remember a lifetime," she said.

The actress is paired alongside actor Sachin Shroff, in the show that airs on Star Plus.

Aayush Sharma joins cast of ‘Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali’

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Bollywood actor Aayush Sharma has been roped to star in the family drama 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali' where he will play a pivotal role as one of the on-screen brothers of the lead protagonist of the film essayed by

superstar Salman Khan.

Confirming the news, Aayush said, "Yes, I am a part of the film and I'm looking forward to experimenting with my cinematic aptitude with this project. From a romantic drama to an action film and now a family drama, I'm grateful with how my innings in the film industry have panned out."

The film, which holds a cross-cultural love story at its heart, will also offer a healthy dose of comedy, romance and action. The film will be helmed by Farhad Samji, who also directed the Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon and Arshad Warsi-starrer 'Bachchhan Paandey'.

Aayush further said, "I've never wanted to limit my creative aesthetics within one genre and my creative aptitude has always been a reflection of versatility and diversity.

Going forward I'd love to explore newer genres and newer formats that leverage my innate authenticity

and passion for the performing arts."

Speaking about how this film will mark his second film opposite Salman Khan and third film under the Salman Khan Films banner he expands, "I am extremely grateful and humbled. This will be my second film opposite bhai and never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd earn the rare opportunity to feature alongside him in two consecutive projects."

"From my perspective, I see it as a blessing because I get to hone my craft in the presence of one of the cinematic legends of the country. It has been a great learning curve for me and there are so many avenues that I need to conquer", he added.

'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali', produced

by Salman Khan Films, also stars Pooja Hegde, Venkatesh and other actors from south Indian and north Indian film industries. The film is eyeing a theatrical release either in latter half of 2022 or early 2023.

Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Naam’ set to release this summer

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Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Anees Bazmee's upcoming psychological and action thriller titled 'Naam' starring Ajay Devgn is all set to release this summer. The makers are eyeing May-July for the release of the film. It is in talks for either a theatrical or an OTT release. Naam' is a psychological thriller in which a person loses his memory and embarks on a journey to find his identity. The film has been shot in Switzerland and Mumbai.

The film marks Bazmee's fourth collaboration with Ajay after 'Hulchul', 'Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha' and 'Deewangee'. It has now been

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acquired by Gujarat-based real estate mogul and Bollywood producer Anil Roongta and will be released under the banner of Roongta Entertainment. Roongta on 'Naam' says, "Naam is truly special for me because it also marks the fourth collaboration of the superhit jodi of Ajay and Anees post 'Deewangee', 'Pyaar toh hona hi tha' and 'Hulchul'.

Ajay is fantastic to work with, he puts a lot into playing any character yet always looks effortless on screen!"

On the work front, Ajay Devgn is currently promoting 'Runway 34'.

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