Indian Abroad - Feb 16-28, 2021; Vol 1 Issue 1 by IndianAbroad

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Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

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Indian immigrant’s son bags spot in Australian T20 cricket team - Page 5

Bitcoin: A safe-haven asset or a volatile cryptocurrency - Page 6

The high cost of cheap fashion: Ultra Fast Fashion - Page 8

Covid antibodies to last for 8 months after vax: AIIMS Dir

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Randeep Guleria on Friday said that antibodies against the novel Coronavirus disease may last for up to eight months or longer pursuant to the vaccination, adding that scientists are aggressively studying the long-term protection provided by the vaccines.

Guleria, who is also a member of the National Task Force on Covid-19, answered a batch of questions related to the vaccines on Twitter earlier in the day. People tweeted to him using #VaccineVarta, following which he reverted to them. “Antibodies will develop about 14 days after the second shot. It is not clear how long protection will last but it is believed that it will last for at least 8 months, or may be longer. “Currently, scientists are aggressively studying long-term protection provided by vaccines,” the AIIMS Director said, on being asked how long the body will sustain the vaccines. About 75,05,010 doses of ‘Covishield’ and ‘Covaxin’ have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16. Guleria said that the population above 50 years of age will start getting the vaccination from March 2021 onwards. “This will also include population with comorbidities, between 20 years to 50 years,” he announced. One of the citizens asked why veterinarians are not included in

Gear up for new experiences in New Zealand in 2021 - Page 19

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high-risk workers list, to which he said that it is because they are not treating patients with Covid-19. “Depending on age and presence of comorbidities, linked to more severe diseases, one will get the vaccine,” he added. On being asked by one netizen as to why the government is depriving their own citizens of vaccine by exporting to other countries, Guleria answered that since people travel and become a carrier of virus, everyone needs to be vaccinated globally to control the spread. “Therefore, all countries need to get their share of vaccines,” he added. as per the Union Health Ministry, India has become the fastest nation in terms of the vaccine doses administered in the country, even though many countries had launched their vaccination campaigns earlier than India. About 4,13,752 beneficiaries received Covid vaccine nationwide on Thursday.

Dehradun, Feb 13 (IANS) Rescuers on Saturday were busy widening a hole in a tunnel to find 25 to 35 trapped people in the disaster-hit Tapovan project area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. Top government and police officials said there was no big breakthrough yet in the rescue work which entered the seventh day. “We have made a hole but we can’t say it is a big breakthrough unless we find something concrete,” said a top police official. But officials claimed the rescue work had been speeded up with the installation of some additional machines like excavators. Presently, the rescuers are working on two strategies ï¿½ drilling a hole vertically downward and also digging and excavating debris and sludge inside the tunnel. Meanwhile, two more bodies were recovered on Friday taking the death toll to 38. Nearly 200 people went missing after the Sunday morning deluge. “The rescue work inside the tunnel is on in full swing,” said Navneet

Bhullar, commandant of the SDRF, who is camping at Tapovan site. However, there is still no contact with the trapped people inside. Two days ago, rescue workers had started drilling the tunnel vertically downward. But within hours, the drilling work was intermittently disrupted due technical reasons. Rescuers made another attempt last night and made a small hole vertically downward. Ever since the excavation and digging work began inside the tunnel, the rescuers had been working on multi-pronged strategies in their desperate bid to open the blocked tunnel. after days of digging and excavation work, jawans of the Army, ITBP, NDRF and SDRF, who are engaged in the rescue works, had managed to open a sizable portion of the tunnel. But the presence of heavy silt and sludge inside the tunnel slowed down the excavation and digging work, top government officials said. Rescuers also consulted NTPC officials to understand the complicated design of the tunnel.

Police announces Rs 1 lakh reward for info on Lakha Sidhana New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) With Delhi Police continuing with its investigations in the January 26 violence during the ‘tractor march’ in Delhi, it has announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of another key accused Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana.

Books in 2020 Page 22

U’khand: No breakthrough yet in rescue operation inside tunnel

Delhi Police Crime Branch and Special Cell are conducting raids in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR

in search of the gangster turned activist Sidhana, who has been in hiding since the violence on January 26. However, he has been posting videos on the social media.

Sukhdev Singh and Ikbal Singh for their alleged involvement in the violence that saw at least one death and injuries to scores of persons, including policemen.

Following the violence, Delhi Police had announced cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for the arrest of Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh, and Rs 50,000 each for Jagbir Singh, Buta Singh,

Deep Sidhu and Ikbal Singh were later arrested in connection with the Red Fort violence and taken to the spot on Saturday by Crime Branch to recreate the crime scene.

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Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Zealand to move up The Great Vaccine Rush New Covid-19 Alert Levels

Side effects ‘theories’ pose challenge to Covid immunisation

New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) The first day for the second round of Covid vaccination remained disappointing by and large since a number of key hospitals failed to attract the beneficiaries who had received the first dose of Covid vaccination. The drive began on Saturday. A huge percentage of those who had undergone the partial vaccination with the first dose 28 days ago, did not turn up for full immunisation on Saturday. As per Union Health Ministry’s data, only 7,688 beneficiaries turned up for their schedule. However, over 1.9 lakh vaccine recipients had taken vaccination on the first day of Covid immunisation drive that started on January 16. The doctors and public health experts observed a number of probabilities behind the less turnout on the basis of their interactions and follow up with the vaccine beneficiaries. Dr. Sunela Garg, member of Covid-19 task force in Delhi and advisor to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told IANS that one of the reasons that could have resulted in low turnout for the second dose is hesitancy built after experiencing adverse reactions on receiving the first dose. “The second dose is expected to create sharper side effects. Since healthcare workers are aware of this fact, it may have discouraged them to come forward for the booster dose,” she said. Dr. Ajeet Jain, medical superintendent and nodal officer for Covid vaccination government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) concurred with Garg and said substantial number of the hospital’s partially immunized healthcare staff, who suffered after-effects for a prolonged period, skipped their booster dose. Only five beneficiaries of the previous dose turned up to receive their

scheduled second dose at the hospital on Saturday. “Many have reported adverse events following immunizations ranging from mild to moderate. While it is natural to experience them post vaccination, the impact it has made among the beneficiaries has caused the hesitancy to go for the second round of inoculation,” she said. “The side effects like fever, pain at the injection site, weakness, etc. lingered for three to four days post the immunization in many healthcare workers. While interacting with us, they shared that they don’t want to experience the side effects again,” he shared. Meanwhile, another reason quoted by the health experts was the increasing pretension that the pandemic is over, triggered by the falling trajectory of new cases and deaths by Covid-19. Dr. B.L. Sherwal, director at RGSSH said that a psyche has developed among the healthcare workers that they need not go for the immunization since they believe that the pandemic is over now. “The current situation of the Covid-19 has improved tremendously from the crisis we witnessed in the final months of 2020 when the national capital took repetitive blows of surge in cases

and fatalities. However, it has impacted the mindset of the people who now think why to take the pain of vaccination when the disease is over,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, past president, Indian Medical Association, stated two possibilities that could have driven the low turnout. “One reason could be that the healthcare workers purposely delayed their second dose in anticipation to elicit better immunity response which is gained by more gaps between the vaccine doses. The second could be that many people believe that the single dose is good enough to build a protective firewall against the disease. Both are scientifically proven,” he shared. Jayadevan informed that the efficacy data of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, whose Indian counterpart, Covishield, is being used in Covid immunization here, showed that the vaccine was 73 per cent efficacious with just a single dose.

Reportedly, 140 east London gener-

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al practitioners (GPs) and health care professionals had written and signed an open letter to chief medical officer Chris Whitty and Susan Hopkins of Public Health England, claiming that patients usually experience typical symptoms of common cold like sore throat, a runny nose and headaches before testing positive for coronavirus. Gupta, who was former Dean (Academics), and ex-Head, Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS New

Due to the three new community Covid-19 cases reported on Sunday, the Covid-19 Alert Level in the largest city of Auckland will move up to Alert Level Three and the rest of the country will enter Alert Level Two, Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying at a press briefing here. The decisions around upgrading the Covid-19 Alert Levels were made after an urgent Cabinet meeting on Sunday. “Cabinet has chosen to response with a cautious approach,” said Ardern, who reiterated the importance and efficacy of “go early and go hard” approach. People in Auckland, including

students, were asked to stay home while essential services including supermarkets, petrol stations and pharmacies will stay open. A review of the Alert Levels will be updated in 24 hours. The three new cases comprise a couple and their daughter in the south Auckland community. The mother works for a service company at the airport. Their positive test results came on Saturday night and genome sequencing is underway, said Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield. While the infections were likely to be border related, the source of the infection is still under investigation, said Bloomfield. New Zealand has so far reported 2,330 coronavirus cases and 25 deaths.

Dr. Garg also said that greater the gap between doses, better it triggers the immune response while agreeing that it may have propelled the beneficiaries to ditch the vaccination booth. However, she added that only a full regimen of vaccines is required to sustain the immunity built for greater protection from the virus.

Common cold can’t be termed as sign of coronavirus: AIIMS

New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) A while ago, a group of general physicians in the UK claimed that common cold symptoms should not be taken for granted, instead treated as a sign of coronavirus. But there is a divergent view, the President of AIIMS, Bhopal and Jammu, Y.K. Gupta told IANS that cough, fever and common cold cannot be 100 per cent termed as signs of coronavirus.

Wellington, Feb 14 (IANS) New Zealand will move up its Covid-19 Alert Levels from 11.59 p.m. on Sunday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Delhi, said: “Common cold cannot be 100 per cent sign of coronavirus. Most common cold viral infections are on decline, but that does not mean that people should drop their guard. It is essential to wear mask and maintain social distancing.”

As the spurt of Covid cases begins to taper, Gupta cautioned though there has been a decline in the Covid cases recently, but this does not mean that danger is over. He

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stressed the factors contributing towards the decline in cases and deaths could be the ongoing vaccination drive and the intrinsic immunity of people in the country. “A large population has already been infected, which sub clinically may contribute to decline. The pathogenicity of this is decreasing maybe”, he said. On the aspect of increasing numbers in western countries and consistent decline in cases in India, Gupta indicated that this is perhaps due to a higher immunity of the Indian population towards the virus than western population, but there is not sufficient data to establish this. People who got vaccinated after

contracting Covid-19 have developed some health issues. Does it have a potential to become a lasting health problem? Gupta replied that it may be a residual health problem and not vaccine residual side-effect, in fact after vaccination allergic reaction does not last for more than two days. When queried, has he come across any safety issues associated with Covaxin in any particular age group, especially senior citizen, or people with comorbidities so far, Gupta said nothing so far, because data is not fully available and added that data regarding the Phase 3 trial of Covaxin may be available by March end, which would establish its efficacy.

LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Farmers Unrest Continues

As protest continues, farmers recall how it started in Punjab

Rahul Gandhi drives to tractor rally in Rajasthan

had started opposing them.

The agitation against the farm bills in Punjab began when the farmers leaders initiated a movement in the villages. “Farmers leaders held meetings with panchayat heads and gradually other people also started supporting our agitation against the farm bills. To make the movement strong, people were explained the reality about the three farms laws. People from all sections began supporting farmers unions. Similarly, the movement grew in Haryana also.”

New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) It was between 12.30 p.m. to 1 p.m. on November 27, 2020 when thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana who were marching towards Delhi’s Ramlila Ground were stopped by Delhi police at Singhu village, claimed Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Gurdaspur district who is a member of the Krantikari Kisan Union in Punjab. “We reached Haryana from Gurdaspur on the night of November 25. Police had barricaded the area to stop our movement. With the help of local farmers, we managed to cross the state somehow. Our plan was to reach Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Ground in Delhi.” Gurmeet added that they were prepared for a protest till one and a half months. We had carried our food for that period. For one week, we prepared our own food and then Langar was established. We faced no difficulties since then, he said. The farmers in tractors and other vehicles were heading towards Delhi with the slogan - ‘Dilli Chalo’. “Dilli Chalo’ was a part of our movement against the three farms bills enacted by the Centre. Farmers unions of Punjab and

Haryana had given this slogan to move toward Delhi,” Gurmeet said claiming he was one among those thousands of farmers who are sitting at Singhu village. As of Saturday, it’s more than 80 days since the farmers have been sitting at Singhu border. Since then (November 26, 2020) the National Highway (Delhi-Chandigarh) has remained blocked at Singhu. Many villagers in Singhu and Singhola seemed clueless about when the farm protest will end and they would find the road operational and reopen their shops. The farmers have also been sitting on protest since over 70 days at two other borders of the national capital - Tikri village (Delhi-Haryana border and Ghazipur (Delhi-UP border). However, there are (at Singhu village protest site ) many farmers from several districts of Punjab who claimed they have been agitating against the farms bills since September 2020. Satnam Singh Pannu, president (Punjab) of Kisan Majdoor Sangharsh Committee, talking to IANS said that soon after the Acts (three farm laws) were introduced, farmers unions in Punjab and Haryana

The first sign of protest against the Central farm laws appeared on September 7, 2020 when farmers unions called a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ across Punjab. It continued till September 13. Pamphlets were circulated in the villages by local farmers leaders and village heads. People were taken into confidence to join the movement. After that, from September 14 to 16, farmers had blocked highways near the Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers. On September 24, the Delhi-Amritsar railway track was blocked by the farmers under the banner of Kisan Majdoor Sangharsh Committee, which resulted in the suspension of many trains. “Farmers unions had started peaceful protests but when there was no response from the government, they decided to move towards Delhi and gave the Delhi Chalo slogan. Since then, we are here. But still, the government is not ready to fulfil our demands. We will not move from here until the farm laws are repealed,” said Satnam Singh Pannu. On February 14, the farmers unions have announced a candle march to remember the personnel martyred in the Pulwama attack. On February 18, there is a Rail Roko Abhiyan call across the country.

Jaipur, Feb 13 (IANS) On Saturday, the second day of his trip here, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor to Rupangarh as hundreds of farmers joined him in a tractor rally. Gandhi was seen addressing farmers from a stage designed in the shape of a tractor trolley. Wearing a Rajasthani safa (turban), Gandhi reached the rally venue driving a tractor, with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, sitting on the tractor with him. Addressing the rally here, Gandhi said the implementation of the three farm laws will leave farmers as well as street vendors, small traders and other workers reeling under economic losses. “Modi ji says that he wants to talk to the farmers. But what does he want to talk about? He should withdraw the laws first and all farmers of the country will talk to him. You are robbing farmers’ homes and are trying to snatch their rights and the right is then being given to ‘Hum Do Hamare Do’,” he further said.

and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were also present at the rally. Later, he went to Makrana in Ajmer and in his 19-minute speech, discussed the three farm laws and its alleged effect on farmers. Gandhi said that during the times of the Covid-19 pandemic, people asked for a rail and bus ticket from Modi. “However, Modi didn’t give even one rupee. But at the same time, he waived his industrialist friends’ debt of Rs 1,50,000 crore. Now, Narendra Modi has brought in new laws because he wants to snatch the agri-business from 40 per cent of the population and give it in the hands of two-three industrialists. The Modi government wants to end mandi, which is more like a meeting point of farmers and wants to make it farmers Vs industrialists,” he alleged. Earlier, on Saturday, Gandhi offered prayers at the Tejaji temple situated in Kishangarh and thereafter went to Rupangarh and addressed a tractor rally.

AICC general secretary Ajay Maken

His tour concluded after addressing the rally in Makrana from where he reached Kishangarh airport and reached Delhi.

could be achieved.

Security Act.

and every life,” Chautala said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance in Parliament, Chautala said, “The Prime Minister made a statement in Rajya Sabha and assured that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) is going to stay.”

“Seeing the Union government’s efforts to provide food to 80 crore people in the country, farmers must try to find a solution through talks,” he said.

Farmers, Centre should resume talks: Dushyant Chautala

New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Sunday said all farmer associations and the government should restart talks to find a solution over the three contentious farm laws. He asserted that there are no threats to the BJP-JJP government in Haryana. Chautala was in New Delhi to inaugurate Kicksal’s K9 Football League at Chattarpur. The Deputy Chief Minister said, “The Union government is continuously working to find a solution over the farm laws but it can only be achieved through dialogue.” “The Union government has con-

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tinuously held talks with the farmer union leaders and is also ready to amend the new farm laws to find a solution. A solution can be achieved only through dialogue,” Chautala added.

He said a solution would be achieved only if all the farmer associations agree to resume talks once again with the government. “All farmers associations will once again start talks with the union government to find the final solution to the farmers’ concerns,” he said. He also said the farmers’ issue can be only resolved through talks and without holding talks, nothing

The Prime Minister in the Rajya Sabha said the MSP was, is and would remain in the future. “The Prime Minister’s statement clears all the doubts about the MSP,” Chautala said. Chautala pointed out that the government is taking care of 80 crore people through the Food

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Referring to Haryana Agricultural Minister Jai Prakash Dalal’s comment that farmers would have died at home, too, Chautala said the central government is concerned and sensitive to each and every life. “He (Dalal) has regretted his comments and apologised for it. I cannot comment on what pretext he gave such a statement. We are sensitive and concerned for each

LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

deluge: Uttarakhand Flood Havoc Uttarakhand DNA samples of all bodies to be preserved SDRF team conducts survey of Rishiganga river Dehradun, Feb 13 (IANS) Taking a cue from the Kedarnath disaster, the Uttarakhand government has now decided to preserve the DNA samples of all the bodies or limbs recovered from the flash floodhit areas of the state’s Chamoli district.

The DNA samples of all the bodies or limbs which have been recovered so far following the disaster are being preserved in a deep freezer at Gopeshwar police station in the district. “We have decided to take DNA samples of all bodies which have been recovered irrespective of the identification,” said Yashwant Singh Chauhan, Superintendent of Police (SP), Chamoli. Dehradun, Feb 13 (IANS) Amid an alert, an eight-member team of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has conducted a survey of a lake in the catchment area of the turbulent Rishiganga river which had caused a deluge in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on February 7.

able discharge from the lake also, Bhullar said. However, he refused to comment further on the discharge issue saying it is up to the scientists to take a note of it.

The team headed by SDRF Commandant Navneet Bhullar returned to Reni village in Chamoli district on Saturday evening after collecting samples from the lake besides filming videos of the area.

After fears expressed by some villagers, the Uttarakhand government on Friday had sounded an alert after satellite images spotted the formation of a lake in the catchment area of the Rishiganga river.

“We will send these samples and videos to the police headquarters in Dehradun for further action,” said Bhullar. The SDRF team, which began its trek on Friday morning, took nearly 13-14 hours to reach the lake where they set up a temporary camp on Friday evening. Significantly, there is a consider-

“We have also found a proper route to the lake which may help in case of any emergency in the future,” Bhullar said.

“We have to remain alert as satellite pictures show the formation of a 400m lake at Rishiganga,” Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had stated. Top government officials said that people have been asked not to go near the Rishiganga river and take all precautions.

The government has also asked scientists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the Geological Survey of India to depute teams to the Rishiganga valley to prepare a detailed report on the lake formation. Reports pouring in from different areas of Chamoli district said the flow of Rishiganga abruptly increased many times since Thursday afternoon which forced the authorities to suspend the search operation inside the disaster-hit tunnel of NTPC’s 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project for a couple of times. Rishiganga is a tributary of Dhauliganga river on which the Tapovan project is being built. over 200 persons went missing after the Sunday morning deluge that had hit two hydel projects in Chamoli district.

This is being done in order to avoid controversies in the near future which usually occurs due to the wrong identifications. Only, 10 bodies have been identified so far, Chauhan said. The latest being of a Kashmiri engineer identified as Basarat Jargar whose half torso was recovered in the area. “The family members of Jargar identified his body and took it to the region for the burial. “Most of the bodies are found in bad conditions and in other in cases they are in parts only,” said Chauhan. All those bodies or remains which become 92 hours old are also being sent for cremation on day to day basis. Two more bodies were recovered on Friday taking the total to 38. Nearly 200 people went missing after the Sunday morning deluge in the disaster hit areas

of Chamoli district mostly at two hydel projects – Rishiganga and Topovan-Vishnugad. Top police sources said the identification process is becoming difficult as more and more people are pouring into Tapovan area to look for their near and dear who are missing in the disaster. “The moment they hear that one body is recovered, all people come for identification. We have to be very calm in such conditions because the issue is highly sensitive,” said a top police official. In the Kedarnath disaster, the government had taken DNA samples of all the human remains which had help in a big way for identification by family members.

Uttarakhand floods: 13 bodies recovered, six from tunnel

Dehradun, Feb 14 (IANS) Rescuers on Sunday found 13 bodies, including six from the tunnel where 2535 people are reportedly trapped at the disaster-hit Tapovan project in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, officials said.

Saturday.

The six bodies were found during the excavation work inside the tunnel, state police spokesperson said, DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne.

Two days ago, the rescue workers had started drilling the tunnel vertically downward. However, within hours, the drilling work was also intermittently disrupted due technical reasons. But the rescuers made another attempt on Friday night and made a small hole vertically downward.

This is the first time since the February 7 floods that the rescuers have found bodies inside the tunnel. “We are expecting more bodies as hopes are receding for survival of those trapped,” a top official admitted. There is still no contact with the remaining trapped people inside. Officials also said that the rescue work had been speeded up with the installation of some additional machines like excavators on

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Presently, the rescuers are working on two strategies - drilling a big hole vertically downward on one hand and digging and excavating debris and sludge inside the tunnel on the other.

sludge inside the tunnel slowed down the excavation and digging work, top government officials said. Rescuers had also consulted NTPC officials to understand the complicated design of the tunnel.

Elsewhere, seven bodies were recovered - six from disaster-hit Reni village and one from Alaknanda river in Rudraprayag area. With the recovery of 13 more bodies on Sunday, the total toll has gone up to 51. Nearly 200 people went missing after the February 7 morning deluge.

After days of digging and excavation works, jawans of the army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force, who are engaged in the rescue work, had managed open up a sizeable portion of the tunnel. But the presence of heavy silt and

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

UWA agricultural leader felicitated as WA Indian of the Year 2021

Professor Siddique was conferred with the prestigious award by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australian, Ken Wyatt AM MP and the Federation of Indian Associations of WA (FIAWA) Chairperson, Atul Garg at a joint Australia Day and Indian Republic Day ceremony on January 26,2021. Hackett Professor of Agriculture and Director of the UWA Institute of Agriculture, Professor Siddique is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher with more than 30 years’ experience in agricultural research, teaching, leadership and management in Australia and overseas. To highlight some among his many achievements, Professor Siddique was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, and received the Western Australian Year of the Award (CitWA) in 2014 for his contribution to agricultural science and the farming community. He also received an award from the former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for his contribution to pulse research and development, and was designated

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by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization as Special Ambassador for the International Year of Pulses 2016. The Professor remarked that he was both touched and honoured to receive the prestigious award from the Federation. He further said that even though he had moved from India to make Perth his home more than 40 years ago, the country, its culture and people have always been very close to his heart. He also commented, “I am proud that, in my capacity as a professor at UWA and numerous committee and leadership positions, I have been able to establish strong links in agricultural research and teaching between Australian and several Indian institutions and promote collaboration between our two countries.”

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma, who was among the attendees at the ceremony, congratulated Professor Siddique on his long-standing commitment to promoting science and technology research collaborations between Australia and India through his Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering. “Professor Siddique’s passion and dedication to joint research

Tanveer Sangha, the son of an Indian immigrant, Joga Singh Sangha, has been selected to be a part of the Australian 18-member-squad for the upcoming Australia-New Zealand T20 series commencing on 22nd February, 2021.

The son of a first generation immigrant farmer hailing from Punjab, the 19-year-old NSW leg spinner was shortlisted following his laudable performance in the latest season of the Big Bash League in which he clinched more than 20 wickets for the Sydney Thunder. This makes Tanveer the second person with Indian roots, after Gurinder Sandhu, to succeed in earning a place in the Australian men’s national cricket team. Prior to this, players of Indian origin such as Jason Sangha and Arjun Nair have made it only to the domestic or U-19 levels in Australia.

Courtesy uwa.edu.au

Professor Kadambot Siddique of the University of Western Australia (UWA) has been named Western Australian (WA) Indian of the Year 2021

Indian immigrant’s son bags spot in Australian T20 cricket team

Professor Kadambot Siddique

projects is exemplary. Amongst his many contributions, he has helped Australia become one of the world’s major grain legume exporting nations,” Professor Chakma said.

Professor Siddique has trained numerous PhD students and postdoctoral fellows from India in his laboratory at UWA. He is also an active member of UWA’s India Strategic Committee and Australia-India Business Council and was a member of Australian Prime Minister and Higher Education Ministerial delegation to India on several occasions. By Ananya Sharma

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Tanveer’s father Joga Sangha who worked as a farmer in India arrived on the Australian shores on a student visa. Following a stint as a worker on a farm, he began working as a taxi driver and is currently engaged in the same work. Joga and his wife, Upneet, an accountant have been living in Sydney since 1997. Commenting on Tanveer’s dynamism and versatility in the arena of sports, Joga remarked that, his son has innate talent in sports and grew up play-

ing volleyball, rugby and kabaddi. He further added that Tanveer began to show a flair for and inclination in cricket at the age of 10 and thereafter, on his insistence began to play in local cricket teams. It was Joga who urged his son to take up spin bowling rather than pace bowling at the age of 13 to avoid shoulder injury. An alumnus of East Hills Boys High School, a prestigious school renowned for having illustrious cricketers such as Steve and Mark Waugh among its attendees, Tanveer credits the educational institute for providing him access to an excellent cricket club, thus, enabling him to hone his skills. Australian-Pakistani leg spinner Fawad Ahmed has been his mentor since 2018. Tanveer first made his presence felt in the world of cricket by achieving the praiseworthy feat of taking 15 wickets for Australia in U19 World Cup in 2020.

Tanveer Sangha

INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

PM hands over Arjun MBT Mark 1A to Army, kicks off several TN projects Chennai, Feb 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank Mark 1A to the Indian Army here and said India believes in peace but will protect its sovereignty at all costs. Modi handed over the tank to Army Chief General M.M. Naravane. He accepted a salute by the state-of-the-art tank, indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment here. Fifteen academic institutions, eight labs and several MSMEs were also involved in the project. The Defence Ministry had recently cleared the induction of 118 Arjun Mark 1A tanks into the Indian Army, costing around Rs 8,400 crore. Modi said that Tamil Nadu is already a leading manufacturing hub of India and now he sees the state evolving as the tank manu-

facturing hub.

Stating that one of the two defence corridors is in Tamil Nadu, Modi said it already received an investment commitment of over Rs 8,100 crore. “A tank made in Tamil Nadu will be used to defend our borders in northern India. This shows the united nature of India,” he said. Modi said India believes in peace but it will protect its sovereignty at all costs. He recited Bharatiyar poem in Tamil to highlight the importance of defence projects in the country. Modi also paid homage to CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the terror attack at Pulwama two years ago. “No Indian can forget this day. We pay homage to all the martyrs we lost in that attack,” he said. He also mentioned about the support provided to displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Tamil fishermen captured by Sri Lanka. He declared that there are currently no fishermen in Sri Lankan custody.

Later, at a programme held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Prime Minister either inaugurated or laid the foundation stone for a slew of infrastructure projects. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam felicitated Modi, who also paid tributes to late Chief Ministers J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi. Modi, who began his speech in English by greeting people with ‘Vanakkam Chennai’, praised the enthusiasm of the city.

“Chennai is full of energy and enthusiasm. It is a city of knowledge and creativity. From here, we begin key infrastructure projects. These projects are symbols of innovation and indigenous development,” he said. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore and flagged off passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar. He noted that the work was completed on time despite the Covid-19

No more caste stickers on vehicles in UP

pandemic. He said the material for the 9.05-km stretch was procured locally and supports his idea of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Modi also inaugurated 22-km fourth railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu. It will be an additional track to Thiruvallur districts meant to ease traffic from Chennai Port.

Railway Electrification of single line section in Villupuram - Cuddalore - Mayiladuthurai - Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur completed at a cost of Rs 423 crore was launched by Modi. He said this will be a great boon to delta districts. The electrification of this 228-km route will enable free flow of traffic without the need for a change of traction between Chennai Egmore and Kanyakumari. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Discovery Campus of IIT-Madras. The campus is to be built at Thaiyur near Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase, over an area of 2 lakh sqm. He exuded confidence that it will

Chennai, Feb 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank Mark 1A to the Indian Army here and said India believes in peace but will protect its sovereignty at all costs.

He accepted a salute by the state-of-the-art tank, indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment here.

isplaying caste identities on wind screens and number plates of four and two-wheelers in Uttar Pradesh will now invite punitive action. In recent years, it has become fashionable to write caste names like Yadav, Jat, Gurjar, Brahmin, Pandit, Kshatriya, Lodhi and Maurya on windscreens or number plates of vehicles in the state. This is essentially done to assert caste identity depending on the party power. An order sent by Additional Transport Commissioner Mukesh Chandra to all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) states that all such vehicles are to be seized. The transport department has launched the drive after instruc-

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tions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

said D.K. Tripathi, deputy transport commissioner, Kanpur.

Sources said the PMO took cognizance of the matter after a letter from a teacher in Maharashtra, Harshal Prabhu.

The practice of people displaying their particular caste identities on vehicles, initially, began during the Samajwadi Party regime when writing ‘Yadav’ on the vehicles was considered a status symbol.

Prabhu wrote the letter on IGRS, an integrated system designed for redressal of grievances. Prabhu said the display of such stickers is a threat to the social fabric of the society. The PMO took note of the letter and sent it to the Uttar Pradesh government after which such drive was launched. “According to our enforcement teams, every 20th vehicle is found carrying such a sticker. Our headquarters has asked us to take action against such vehicle owners,”

Vehicles with ‘Jatav’ stickers became more visible during the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) rule even as such vehicles can be spotted even today in some districts, especially in the western Uttar Pradesh. With the Yogi government in power, it is now common for people to flaunt Kshatriya, Thakur or Rajput (different variants of the same caste) as a label on vehicles.

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The Prime Minister also laid foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernisation of the Grand Anicut Canal System, which is an important source of irrigation in the delta districts. The modernisation of this canal system will be taken up at a cost of Rs 2,640 crore. He recited a poem on the importance of conserving water, and said that the aim is to maximise each drop of water available. “Always remember the mantra of per drop, more crop,” he said adding that conservation of water is a global issue. Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam welcomed Modi and thanked him for the interest he has taken in the progress of the state. He praised the Prime Minister’s work ethic and referred to his recent emotional speech in the Rajya Sabha.

PM hands over Arjun MBT Mark 1A to Army, kicks off several TN projects

Modi handed over the tank to Army Chief General M.M. Naravane.

very soon be the leading centre of discovery and draw the best talent from all over India.

Fifteen academic institutions, eight labs and several MSMEs were also involved in the project. The Defence Ministry had recently cleared the induction of 118 Arjun Mark 1A tanks into the Indian Army, costing around Rs 8,400 crore. Modi said that Tamil Nadu is already a leading manufacturing hub of India and now he sees the state evolving as the tank manufacturing hub. Stating that one of the two defence corridors is in Tamil Nadu, Modi said it already received an investment commitment of over Rs 8,100 crore.

“A tank made in Tamil Nadu will be used to defend our borders in northern India. This shows the united nature of India,” he said. Modi said India believes in peace but it will protect its sovereignty at all costs. He recited Bharatiyar poem in Tamil to highlight the importance of defence projects in the country. Modi also paid homage to CRPF personnel who lost their lives in

the terror attack at Pulwama two years ago. “No Indian can forget this day. We pay homage to all the martyrs we lost in that attack,” he said. He also mentioned about the support provided to displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Tamil fishermen captured by Sri Lanka. He declared that there are currently no fishermen in Sri Lankan custody.

Modi, who began his speech in English by greeting people with ‘Vanakkam Chennai’, praised the enthusiasm of the city.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore and flagged off passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar. He noted that the work was completed on time despite the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the material for the 9.05-km stretch was procured locally and supports his idea of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Goa ushers in colourful Carnival festival

Times have changed so much: Neena Gupta on women being decision makers

Panaji, Feb 13 (IANS) Goa ushered in the colourful festival of Carnival, albeit on a toned down scale, with a float parade organised in the state capital of Panaji on Saturday. The parade was led by King Momo, a larger than life ceremonious king selected by a local carnival committee, who offers to each city, a symbolic key to celebration. King Momo for 2021 is Goa-based restaurateur Eric Dias. “For three days, King Momo rules Goa with the motto of ‘eat, drink and be merry’. Goa welcomes all carnival celebrating tourists to our parades,” Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Saturday, while inaugurating the float parade in Panaji.

in all major towns in the coastal state.

This year, Goa will host only two carnival parades in Panaji and Margao on account of the pandemic and wearing of face masks has been made mandatory. Similar parades were traditionally held

For the week prior to the austere

Goa’s colourful carnival processions, which are normally held in February before the holy season of Lent are symbolic of Goa’s colonial Portuguese legacy.

Christian season of Lent, Goa celebrates ‘one last shot at having fun’ before the liquor bottles and meat is shunned as part of a 40-day period of religious penitence. Lent concludes with the celebration of Easter.

Stray clashes mar voting to 117 Punjab urban bodies

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANSlife) “Times have changed so much from when I was a young woman making her way in the world, I was called fiercely independent and many other things,” recalls veteran Bollywood actress Neena Gupta. “Today women express their opinions at home, bring forward their perspectives to the table in a conference room, own their decisions wherever they go and it’s absolutely normal,” said Neena, who along with actor Swanand Kirkire would be featuring in OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign based on its finding that women were the key decision-makers when it came to booking a getaway, holiday or vacation. In eight out of 10 cases, women drove the conversation and took the final decision around travel, OYO finds in a study. In the extension of the brand’s digital campaign ‘Long-term relationship with OYO’, the actors would play lead protagonists in four digital films that would roll out throughout February.

Chandigarh, Feb 14 (IANS) Barring stray clashes purportedly between workers of the ruling Congress and the Opposition, the voting to 117 Punjab urban local bodies, including eight high-stake municipal corporations, ended largely peacefully on Sunday, officials said. Officials said the turnout in the state could be over 70 per cent with the women outnumbering men in voting. The poll percentage stood at 55.91 per cent at 2 p.m. The main contest is among the Congress, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The BJP, which is facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, is also in the fray. It is contesting the polls for the first time in two decades without the Akalis, the

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oldest NDA ally that has parted ways from it over the farm laws. AAP activist Manveer was injured in poll violence in Patti town in Tarn Taran district. “AAP Punjab volunteer Manveer badly injured and fired upon by the Congress worker in both legs and head, in presence of Punjab Police during booth capturing effort by Congress goons. Manveer bravely resisted. Dismiss SSP Tarn Taran,” the AAP’s Punjab unit tweeted. However, the allegations of AAP were denied by police officials at the spot. Elsewhere, SAD candidate Parveen Kumar Pinna, who is contesting the Moga Municipal Corporation election as a councillor, was assaulted outside the polling booth. Angered over the three contentious farm laws, activists of the

Kisan Sangharsh Committee stopped BJP booth managers from setting up a help desk at polling booths in Amritsar. Elsewhere, even as at least seven people were injured as Congress and Akali Dal workers clashed with each other in Ropar municipal council. Former minister and SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said the SAD had already cautioned the State Election Commission about how democracy had been murdered in the run-up to the elections and how Congress goons were expected to indulge in booth capturing and other unfair practices. Despite this warning, no concrete steps were taken to control the situation and ensure free and fair elections, he said in a statement.

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Commenting on the campaign, Neena Gupta said,”When OYO shared their insights on women being the key decision-makers in a relationship and indeed for the final booking decision, and the concept of the films based on this, I could instantly relate to it. And was more than happy to be involved with this campaign. The simplicity of the films connected with my style. It was fun working with a woman director, having women writers on the team, and indeed filming with Swanand. Everyone will relate to this playful yet progressive campaign.”

The idea of the campaign is centered around women stemmed from a deep dive on consideration among consumers across different cohorts. In the first film, the protagonists who have been in a long-term relationship, engage in playful bickering on choosing the ‘Same Hotel’ time after time. The film ends with Neena’s rather metaphorical question ‘I am not bored, are you?’ subtly hinting at their long-lasting relationship. The second film ‘Cosy Cosy’ revolves around a playful discussion around a planned cosy candlelight dinner that ends up with Neena’s decision to call for in-room dining instead. The third and the fourth films are based on moments of appreciation between the two. All the films end with the sound of a playful tune of ‘Yeh Rishta Hai Thoda Khiska’, simply bringing to life the equations of different relationships, be it mother-daughter, brother-sister, husband-wife, among others, in India.

The films depict a middle-aged couple’s chemistry while travelling.

Speaking on the campaign, Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand -- OYO Hotels and Homes said,”All of us who’ve been in a relationship know that we rely on women to make all the decisions. They just make better decisions. When we chatted one-on-one with our guests, women in particular, the same pattern applied to the room booking decision. This campaign simply and charmingly reflects that reality. Whether it is the same hotel and room that we see a high repeat usage of from our guests or indeed a bathing suit being picked or the decision to step out, Neena takes all the calls. As it is in real life, as it should be.”

Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards dominated the campaigning.

men, 18,65,354 women and 149 transgender voters, totalling 39,15,280 for the civic elections.

The voting was held for eight municipal corporations -- Abohar, Bathinda, Batala, Kapurthala, Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Moga -- and 109 municipal councils and municipal panchayats.

A total of 9,222 candidates were in fray for 2,302 wards.

The results will be declared on February 17. According to the State Election Commission, there were 20,49,777

Political observers say these polls just a year ahead of the Assembly elections are a ‘semi-final’ for the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government that is eyeing to repeat its victory against the backdrop of the farm laws that have generated a wave of anger against the BJP.

BUSINESS

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Bitcoin: A safe-haven asset or a volatile cryptocurrency

Jack Dorsey, Jay-Z set up Bitcoin trust with India, Africa focus

Following Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that the clean energy company had invested 1.5 billion dollars in bitcoin and would soon commence accepting the cryptocurrency as a medium of exchange for its electric vehicles, its value began to skyrocket and this phenomenon is all the more remarkable owing to the fact that only a fortnight prior to this stupendous rise, bitcoin was worth a relatively moderate value of $17,000.

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and rap artist Jay-Z will invest 500 bitcoins (approximately Rs 174 crore) in an endowment to fund Bitcoin development with a focus on India and Africa in the beginning, Dorsey said on Friday.

With corporate giants like Tesla and Twitter throwing their weight behind the 12-yearold cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is witnessing an unprecedented hike in its value which is all set to touch $50,000 and surge even beyond, writes Ananya Sharma

The advocates of the digital currency Bitcoin’s growing relevance and potential of becoming a widely accepted medium of exchange had become evident when in October 2020, global digital payment company Paypal proclaimed that it was all set to introduce the trading of cryptocurrencies on its platform along with allowing transactions to be carried out in four prominently traded currencies of which Bitcoin would be one. Paypal, which has around 350 million global users,was initially a vehement critic of the cryptocurrency, so its volte-face on this issue lends an even greater credibility to the current popularity and imminent widespread acceptability. Recently, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey joined forces with rapper and music streaming service Tidal’s chief Jay Z, to initiate an endowment fund that would finance a bitcoin development to be launched in Africa and India. The project which has been named Trust is being kick-started with an initial investment of 500 bitcoins worth $23.6 million. Slated to be set up as a blind irrevocable trust, the operation of the project would neither be controlled by Dorsey nor Jay Z. Delving deeper To comprehend the burgeoning relevance and popularity of bitcoin, it is imperative to trace its origins and establish a correlation between its genesis and its current status. A decentralized cryptocurrency that utilizes peerto-peer technology for prompt payments between individuals and business, a bitcoin can not only be purchased and used as a

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sort of currency but also as a kind of lucrative investment. Not many might be aware but bitcoin is not actually as new as it appears to be for it has been in existence since 2009 and was created by a hitherto anonymous person using the alias name Satoshi Nakamoto. This digital currency has some significant salient features which set it apart from all other conventional currencies and make it worthy of being hailed as a safe-haven asset. Most importantly, no Central banks or other equivalent monetary authorities have any legitimate regulatory power over the number of bitcoins. Coupled with this, being decentralized it is in true essence a global currency transcending borders. Virtually any individual having access to an internet-enabled computer can set up multiple bitcoin addresses to receive or send bitcoins within a matter of seconds. An added advantage is that the transaction fee is notional. Bitcoins are also a kind of fixed assets having an intrinsic investment value and being finite in number, to be precise, 21 million, a characteristic bitcoin phenomenon known as ‘halving’ further contributes to the inclining price of bitcoins. To elucidate, a process called bitcoin mining was introduced which entails verifying a group of bitcoin transactions known as bitcoin blocks. For every verified block, there is a reward of a certain number of bitcoins. This number is halved every year thus doubling the stock to flow ratio. Bitcoin’s widespread approval also stems from the fact that despite all transactions being recorded in a blockchain or distributed ledger technology system, the anonymity of the parties involved are maintained unless the unique account numbers are revealed by the account holders themselves. The misgivings and the opponents On a more serious and rational

thought, bitcoin has its own share of limitations as it is an extremely volatile and unstable asset which is why it cannot be considered as being equivalent or better than traditional currency. The fluctuations in its values are inordinate thus, underpinning the arguments which justify that bitcoins are anything but perfect substitutes for conventional currencies and assets having an unshakable investment potential. Needless to say, while the curtain of anonymity for bitcoin users gives them much sought after privacy in online transactions, it is also being chosen by people to buy drugs online or indulge in other diabolical activities. Although bitcoin’s future is still murky, there are some countries which have made a firm resolve to ban bitcoin citing the yet unregulated and volatile cryptocurrency as too unreliable to be considered acceptable. Nigeria became the first country to ban bitcoin after the Central Bank of Nigeria issued instructions to all the financial institutions in the country to effectively and comprehensively block all individual accounts that have a link with cryptocurrency transactions. Now India too has followed suit becoming the second country to outrightly oppose the use of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. In March 2020, the Supreme Court of India revoked the initial ban on cryptocurrencies imposed by the Reserve Bank of India in 2018. However, in December 2020, there were strong implications that the Indian government was intending to tax bitcoin transactions but now it is crystal clear that a law is being formulated and will soon be implemented to ban the use of cryptocurrencies in India. Instead, the cryptocurrency technology will be used to issue a digital currency by the Reserve Bank of India. Bitcoin investors will be allowed 3 to 6 months for the liquidation of the investments.

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“JAY-Z/@S_C_ and I are giving 500 BTC to a new endowment named Btrust to fund #Bitcoin development, initially focused on teams in Africa & India,” the Twitter CEO said. “It’ll be set up as a blind irrevocable trust, taking zero direction from us. We need 3 board members to start.” The announcement has come at a time when the Bitcoin value has

surged dramatically over the past few months, setting new records. The price of Bitcoin reached a high of $48,925.53 in the past 24 hours, according to data from CoinDesk. However, the future of private cryptocurrency is still uncertain in India as the country is reportedly planning to introduce a bill to prohibit all “private cryptocurrencies”. Dorsey, who is also the CEO of payments company Square, made no secrets about his passion for Bitcoin. He had earlier said that Bitcoin for him is like poetry and that he sees ample opportunity for Bitcoin to bring about a sea change in the world..

Tesla invests $1.5B in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency surges to $44K

San Francisco, Feb 8 (IANS) Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, according to its annual 10-K report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday. The announcement led to a surge in the price of one Bitcoin, that was hovering around $44,000, Tesla said it will also “begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future.” The announcement comes amid renewed interest shown by Musk in cryptocurrency and requests from Tesla customers for accepting bitcoin for buying the cars.

“In January 2021, we updated our investment policy to provide us with more flexibility to further diversify and maximise returns on our cash that is not required to maintain adequate operating liquidity,” Tesla said in the report. “As part of the policy, we may invest a portion of such cash in certain specified alternative reserve assets. “Thereafter, we invested an aggregate $1.50 billion in bitcoin under this policy. Moreover, we expect to begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future, subject to applicable laws and initially on a limited basis, which we may or may not liquidate upon receipt,” it added.

INVESTMENT

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Official digital currency, other Demand for crypto assets can coexist: IAMAI ready-to-move-in properties continues to grow: Report Mumbai, Feb 15 (IANS) With the government planning to introduce an official digital currency, industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Monday said that the move need not necessarily lead to a “ban” on other crypto assets.

Fiat digital currency serves a totally different purpose than the other crypto currencies in India and both of them can co-exist, IAMAI said. The possibility of a ban on private cryptocurrencies was raised in some quarters after the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021 was listed on the agenda for the Budget session of Parliament. IAMAI said it welcomes the government’s move to introduce an official digital currency. “However, the association would also like to point out that in a section of the media and non-expert circles, it has been indicated that the introduction of fiat digital currencies is preconditioned on ‘banning’ other crypto assets,” it

said in a statement. The organisation said that existence and use of crypto assets by Indian consumers opens up a wide scope for Indian entrepreneurs to issue such currencies and it is likely that Indians who comprise 15 per cent of the global buyers will prefer an Indian crypto asset. A digital currency is a non-tangible currency that can be accessed through smartphones, credit cards and online cryptocurrency exchanges.

Such currencies can significantly reduce transaction cost by reducing the price of acquiring or sharing information securely, IAMAI said. An official digital currency regulated by the government will give impetus to the broader application of the distributed ledger technology and will create avenues of fintech innovation that are yet to be explored within the country, it added.

FPIs invest Rs 20,593 cr in Indian equities since Budget

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The share of ready-to-move-in (RTMI) homes in the total housing sales in the primary market, rose to 21 per cent in the pandemic-hit 2020, from 18 per cent in the previous year, as more and more home buyers preferred completed apartments to avoid the risks attached with under-construction properties, showed a report by PropTiger.com. In its latest ‘Real Insight Residential-Annual round-up-2020’, PropTiger said that a total of 1,82,640 units were sold in the 2020 calendar year, of which 21 per cent were in the ready-to-move-in category and 79 per cent were under construction. In 2019, a total of 3,47,590 units were sold of which 18 per cent were completed properties. PropTiger research found that the share of ready-to-move-in properties in the total sales has been

Mumbai, Feb 14 (IANS) Foreign portfolio investments (FPI), which have touched record highs amid the pandemic, have continued to pour into the Indian equity market post the Union Budget for FY22. Net FPI inflow into equities in the month of February has been Rs 20,593 crore, as per NSDL data. Since January, FPIs have invested over Rs 39,000 crore. S.Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities said that sectors like private banks, consumer, FMCG and IT have seen foreign flows as Indian companies have

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exhibited resilience and demonstrated growth post lifting of the lockdown restrictions in Q3. “We expect foreign flows to be positive in Q4 as well in line with the trend so far as the Budget has been pro-growth with privatisation gaining ground,” he said. Further, hopes on the Covid vaccination front and the government’s push for capital expenditure and infrastructure boost have also led to positive sentiments among the investors, analysts said. As per the Budget announcement, the Centre has included amend-

on the rise since 2016. The share of RTMI properties in the total sales during 2015 was 7 per cent, which increased to 10 per cent in 2016, 12 per cent in 2017, 15 per cent in 2018 and 18 per cent in 2019. “Risk-averse home buyers are increasingly opting for readyto-move-in flats. Even in under-construction properties, the preference is towards branded developers or those with an impeccable track record of execution,” said Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, PropTiger.com. Among various cities, the share of ready-to-move-in units in the total sales was the highest in Chennai at 32 per cent and lowest in Hyderabad at 12 per cent, during 2020. However, the share of RTMI units in the total sales increased the most in the Delhi-NCR at 27 per cent in 2020, up from 17 per cent in the previous year.

ments to various financial legislations in the Finance Bill, 2021 to permit debt financing of InvITs and REITs by Foreign Portfolio Investors. In the Budget speech 2021-22, it has been announced that “debt financing of InvITs and REITs by Foreign Portfolio Investors will be enabled by making suitable amendments in the relevant legislations”. This will pave the way for easy access of finance to InvITs and REITs thus augmenting funds for infrastructure and real estate sectors.

/IndianAbroadNews

SPOTLIGHT

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Questioning Disha necessary for info Role of Mumbai activiston Pro-Khalistani Group: Delhi Police lawyer under scanner in

‘Toolkit’ case, NBW issued

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The Delhi Police Special Cell procured fiveday custody of 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi from the court to identify Pro-Khalistani Group Poetic Justice Foundation and its active members, and to recover the deleted WhatsApp Group.

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The role of two more activists is under scanner in the ‘Toolkit’ document case shared by global climate activist Greta Thunberg in support of the farmer protests. Non-bailable warrants are out against activists Nikita Jacob, who is a lawyer by profession, and Shantanu as a police team is looking for them.

Ravi was arrested from Bengaluru on Saturday in connection with allegedly editing and sharing a ‘toolkit’ on social media related to the farmers’ protest. She was produced before the court the next day and was remanded to five days police custody. During the course of proceedings, the police told Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha that her custody is necessary to recover the deleted WhatsApp Group having “vital information” along with other devices and mobiles used in the offence. “It is further stated that for proper investigation, her detailed interrogation is required to get information by the Pro Khalistani Group Poetic Justice Foundation and their active members are to be identified,” according to the court’s order copy. The court, while remanding her to the custody of the police, directed medical test to be conducted. She will now be produced before the court on February 19 at the end of the custody period. While seeking her custody for interrogation, the Delhi Police told the court that, “It is a larger conspiracy against the government of India.” The accused broke down in the courtroom and told the judge that she did not make the toolkit but only “edited two on February 3”.

The development comes at a time when outrage is spiralling over the arrest of Disha Ravi, a Bengaluru college graduate and climate activist, on conspiracy and sedition charges in relation to the ‘Toolkit’ document case. Disha Ravi was produced in a Delhi court on Sunday and was sent to five days in police custody.

Legal Aid Counsel (LAC) Pramod Singh appeared for the accused, while Delhi Police Investigating Officer (IO) Praveen Kumar came to court with the case file. The Cyber Cell had lodged an FIR against “pro-Khalistan” creators of the “toolkit” for waging a “social, cultural and economic war against the government of India”. On Sunday, the Delhi Police took to microblogging website Twitter to elaborate on the case. It wrote, “Disha Ravi, arrested by Delhi Police, is an Editor of the Toolkit Google Doc and key conspirator in document’s formulation and dissemination.” She started the WhatsApp Group and collaborated to make the Toolkit document, the police said, adding that she worked closely with them to draft it.

orated with pro Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State. She was the one who shared the Toolkit Doc with Greta Thunberg,” the police wrote on Twitter. The role of two more activists is under scanner in the ‘Toolkit’ document case. Non-bailable warrants are out against activists Nikita Jacob, who is a lawyer by profession, and Shantanu as a police team is looking for them. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed his opposition to Ravi’s arrest saying the move by the Delhi Police was an “unprecedented attack on democracy”. “Arrest of 21-yr-old Disha Ravi is an unprecedented attack on democracy. Supporting our farmers is not a crime,” he said in a tweet.

“In this process, they all collab-

Nikita’s social media profile states that she is a practicing advocate enrolled with the Maharashtra & Goa State Bar Council and registered with the Bombay High Court (OS). According to Delhi Police Special Cell sources, a team went to search Nikita Jacob’s house on February 11. Since the team arrived at Nikita’s home around evening, officials could not question her. Nikita’s role in the campaign came to the fore after Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg tweeted a ‘toolkit’ related to the farmers’ protests against the Centre’s three farm laws. The Delhi Police had registered an FIR on February 4 on charges of sedition, criminal conspiracy and promoting hatred among groups under Sections 124-A, 120-A and 153-A of the Indian Penal Code against the “creators” of the ‘toolkit’ which was later shared by

Thunberg. The police later described Disha Ravi as a key conspirator in the document’s formulation and dissemination and said that she had started a WhatsApp group and collaborated to draft the document. “In this process, they all collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian state. She was the one who shared the ‘Toolkit’ doc with Greta Thunberg,” said a senior police officer. Meanwhile, several activists and politicians have expressed concern over the arrest of Disha Ravi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed his opposition to the arrest of 21-year-old eco-activist Disha Ravi saying the move by the Delhi Police was an “unprecedented attack on democracy”. Arrest of 21-yr-old Disha Ravi is an unprecedented attack on democracy. Supporting our farmers is not a crime,” he said in a tweet.

Musk to make Tesla cars in Karnataka: Yediyurappa pa declared on Saturday that the US-based electric vehicle and clean energy company Tesla will set up its production unit here. “American car company Tesla will set up its electric car division in Karnataka,” Yediyurappa said in a statement, which mainly aimed at appreciating the Union Budget that was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.

Bengaluru, Feb 13 (IANS) Karna-

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taka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurap-

On January 12, Yediyurappa had tweeted from his official handle that Tesla would start its operations in India with an R&D unit in Bengaluru. But the Tweet was

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deleted after a couple of hours by which time it had garnered more than 8,500 likes and 1,800 retweets.

ning 1,197 km. In north Karnataka, 13 highway projects worth Rs 21,000 crore have been cleared.

Breaking his silence after the news broke that Tesla has finally entered India by registering it as a company in Bengaluru, its CEO Elon Musk said on January 13 that he is on the way to fulfil his promise to let electric cars run on the roads of India.

These projects were announced much before the Union government tabled its budget.

Reacting to his 41.2 million followers, Musk tweeted on making India his next destination: “As promised”. The world’s richest man was replying to a tweet linked to a blog post on the Tesla fan site, Tesmanian, which noted that Tesla cars will be expensive for Indians but the cars will become more affordable for the country’s middle class when the company starts production within India. In the statement released in appreciation of the Union Budget, Yediyurappa said that the state would get Rs 10.904 crore for 33 national highway projects span-

The CM said an industrial corridor is coming up at Tumakuru at a cost of Rs 7,725 crore that would generate 2.8 lakh jobs. He added that the state will get basic infrastructure updates worth Rs 1.16 lakh crore in the 2021-22 fiscal year. “Bengaluru will receive Rs 14,788 crore for Phase 2 of the Namma Metro project and Rs 23,093 crore for the suburban rail project. For other railway projects, the state will get Rs 4,870 crore,” he said. Describing it as a historic budget, he said that the tunnel project at Shiradi Ghat connecting Bengaluru and Mangaluru has been approved. “Rs 10,000 crore will be released for the 13 km tunnel,” the CM said

FASHION

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

The high cost of cheap fashion: Ultra Fast Fashion

India Fashion Awards announces 2nd edition

ast fashion has almost become a dirty word. With people unable to afford high end fashion, let alone handcrafted sustainable fashion, fast fashion is what makes up the bulk of most people’s wardrobe. Last week when it was announced Topshop and Miss Selfridge had filed for bankruptcy- many took to social media to celebrate their demise, calling it “the end of fast fashion”. Yes, fast fashion does have many questions to answer— from how they make their clothes to the way they have propelled consumerism culture to an unjustifiable level. But there are always two sides to a coin; let us not forget that Topshop and Miss Selfridge were also considered great British brands at one time. Both labels were born before the term fast fashion became a phenomenon. (Fast Fashion is a phrase that was coined in the 1990s, Topshop has been around since the 1960s). They were amongst the first high street brands to make fashion democratic buy making the latest trends available at prices that normal people could afford and access at their local high street. One of the major reasons they are going out of business, is not because everyone has woken up to how bad fast fashion is for the environment (which it is), but because of a new cheaper (yet

more harmful) alternative-- ultra fast fashion.

This scandal has not stopped consumers from buying these ultra-pocket friendly labels-

It recognizes individuals who have contributed to the fashion Industry with their creativity and innovative ideas under categories like as Emerging Fashion Designer of the Year, Trendsetter of the Year, New Age Model of the year.

The jury and the advisory board of India Fashion Awards includes names like Member Of Parliament Maneka Gandhi, Chairman RJ Corp Ravi Jaipuria, Social Activist Vagish Pathak, Ace Fashion Designers Rocky S & Leena Singh, Show Director Lubna Adam, Indian Supermodel Lakshmi Rana, Bollywood Actor Rahul Dev, Fashion Photographer Hemant J Khandelwal, Actor Rajneesh Duggal and Varun Rana.

Designer Ritu Kumar launches ‘Equally Beautiful’ campaign

Sujata Assomull

Boohoo recently reported that its revenues were up by 44 per cent. Their success shows that price matters more than the “true cost” of clothes. Or perhaps there is a belief that all fast fashion brands are bad, so why not just buy the cheapest? Well this is not true—some offenders are just not interested in acknowledging their crimes. While fast fashion brands like H&M, Zara and Uniqlo are not perfect, they are all making noises and talking about the need to be more sustainable. Ultra-fast fashion just seems to be interested in making things cheaper and quicker, at any cost. They truly are in the business of “piracy, profiteering and mass pollution,” and the power to stop them is with the consumer. If there is one lesson we should have all learnt in 2020 is that we need to be kinder— and the best way to make fashion kinder right now is to boycott the ULTRA fast fashion industry. The writer Sujata Assomull is an IANSlife columnist. Assomull is the author “100 Iconic Bollywood Costumes” and was the Founding Editor In Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, India.

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local fashion and individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry and highlight them in global market.”

Sanjay Nigam, Founder of India Fashion Awards, said: “The prime focus of this initiative is to commercialize the creativity of the unsung heores of fashion and eventually recognise them on a global platform. The aim of India Fashion Awards 2021 is to support

Of course one can argue that it was brands like Topshop that started this trend, but new labels have taken things to a whole new level. Millennial friendly labels like Pretty Little Things, Missguided and Shein fall under this bracket launching new collections on an almost weekly basis. This week a UK based newspaper reported that the “Made in China ” Shein sells over 30,000 items a day-- it accused the brand of “piracy, profiteering and mass pollution.” With dresses costing around Rs. 450 one has to wonder how these products are made. Pretty Little Things calls their £5 dresses “bargain beauties” on their website. The brand owned by one of the pioneers of ultra-fast fashion, Boohoo, has been accused of paying workers well under the minimum wage in substandard conditions and forcing employees to stay on their jobs even if they tested positive for the coronavirus. Everything about these brands is toxic, from the fabric they use, to their working conditions to their attitude to fashion’s throw away culture. (It is estimated that over 18 million tonnes of unwanted clothing will end up in a landfill this year.)

fter the success of its previous edition, India Fashion Awards is all set to return with its second season on February 20, 2021.

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The veteran designer presents a photo essay shot by acclaimed photographer Bikramjit Bose By Puja Gupta

iversity of faith and gender are woven into the fabric of this country. India has long been a tolerant land with freedom of belief, practice and love. Resonant with the belief in diversity, Ritu Kumar presents a photo essay shot by acclaimed photographer Bikramjit Bose and actor Zoya Hussain. The campaign ‘Equally Beautiful’ features poignant yet powerful images of Zoya as she would appear in different faiths - a simple image and very truthful.

Speaking about the campaign Managing Director Amrish Kumar says: “We derive our strength from the diversity of our people. Our textile traditions are an amalgamation of crafts of all faiths. We believe that we are all created equally and we stand for our freedom of expression.” The campaign has been launched across brand stores, social media platforms and OOH hoarding in Delhi NCR.

ARTS-CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Office parties, chai stalls: A digital museum to preserve India’s Survey shows what people miss about the workplace textile arts W ith work-from-home taking over most of our lives in 2020, do people miss going to their workplaces?

A WeWork year-end survey reveals that office parties, tea breaks, street food treats, meetings and even their office chairs, top the list of what people missed most about their workspace while hustling from home. The survey was carried out on respondents across levels and industries including IT, Internet, Hospitality, Human Resource, and three major metros - Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The survey was taken by 3000+ participants.

WeWork year-end survey reveals safety is on everyone’s mind with strict social distancing norms

ith work-from-home taking over most of our lives in 2020, do people miss going to their workplaces? A WeWork year-end survey reveals that office parties, tea breaks, street food treats, meetings and even their office chairs, top the list of what people missed most about their workspace while hustling from home. The survey was carried out on respondents across levels and industries including IT, Internet, Hospitality, Human Resource, and three major metros - Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The survey was taken by 3000+ participants. Here are some of the key insights gathered from the survey that reveal what people missed most about offices and expected trends of how workplaces in 2021 will look like: “Keep calm and drink beer” When asked, “What is the one thing that everyone misses most about the office but won’t say out loud”, a majority of the respondents agreed that they miss office parties - for the free beer. Among the top responses, about 33 per cent (LinkedIn) of the respondents also said that a break from family drama is sorely missed, and around 23 per cent (Twitter), missed that one glimpse of their office crush when away. “I want my chair back!” Working from home has led us to work from beds, sofas, bean bags or even floors. A majority of the respondents in the survey revealed that they want to go back to work because they want their office chairs back. Also, the satisfaction of uninstalling Zoom and prepping for a one-on-one meeting is what respondents look forward to the most upon their return. “Back to work, back to life” About 60 per cent of the respondents rated the ‘lack of company and reduced personal connect with colleagues’, distractions during work - like children, visitors, housework and ‘monotony of being in the same environment’ as the top reasons to go back to work.

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“Stuck in traffic, no more an excuse” About 76 per cent of the post-pandemic world don’t wish to travel more than 5 kilometres to get to work. Workspaces near homes and flexible workplaces are the need of the hour. “Safety and Hygiene is non-negotiable” Almost two-thirds of the respondents said that strict social distancing norms had a very high likelihood to increase their willingness to go back to the office. An extra cautious and apparent behaviour toward safety and hygiene is what every respondent in the post pandemic world will be indulging in. “Office lunch time is bae” When asked about the importance of lunch breaks, 33 per cent responded that a typical lunch while working is with colleagues and a side of office gossip. However, if that’s what one doesn’t choose to indulge in, street food treats during and post work come to the rescue as well. “Miss you everyday, chaiwala bhaiya” More than 40 per cent agree that the one thing they missed about the office but would rather not say it out loud is that they missed their tapri wali chai (local tea st

Here are some of the key insights gathered from the survey that reveal what people missed most about offices and expected trends of how workplaces in 2021 will look like: “Keep calm and drink beer” When asked, “What is the one thing that everyone misses most about the office but won’t say out loud”, a majority of the respondents agreed that they miss office parties - for the free beer. Among the top responses, about 33 per cent (LinkedIn) of the respondents also said that a break from family drama is sorely missed, and around 23 per cent (Twitter), missed that one glimpse of their office crush when away. “I want my chair back!” Working from home has led us to work from beds, sofas, bean bags or even floors. A majority of the respondents in the survey revealed that they want to go back to work because they want their office chairs back. Also, the satisfaction of uninstalling Zoom and prepping for a one-on-one meeting is what respondents look forward to the most upon their return. “Back to work, back to life” About 60 per cent of the respondents rated the ‘lack of company and reduced personal connect with colleagues’, distractions

“The year 2020 was a massive change not just for the business but for the entire human race globally. It changed how we worked and lived, blurring lines and sense of time. As 2020 was drawing to a close, we decided to lighten up the mood a little and hence we planned this year-end survey to find out in all honesty if and what people miss about their offices. And the survey did reveal some really fascinating and quirky insights. Respondents opened their hearts and their responses have also helped us identify their exact needs from workplaces in 2021. We observed enthusiasm to go back to work in a safe and healthy environment,” Vineet Singh, Head of Brand and Marketing at WeWork India signed off.

The campaign ‘Karkhana Chronicles’ via curated installations in India’s palaces and forts aims to pay tribute to its rich textile history by working with its custodians- the local artisans during work - like children, visitors, housework and ‘monotony of being in the same environment’ as the top reasons to go back to work. “Stuck in traffic, no more an excuse” About 76 per cent of the post-pandemic world don’t wish to travel more than 5 kilometres to get to work. Workspaces near homes and flexible workplaces are the need of the hour. “Safety and Hygiene is non-negotiable” Almost two-thirds of the respondents said that strict social distancing norms had a very high likelihood to increase their willingness to go back to the office. An extra cautious and apparent behaviour toward safety and hygiene is what every respondent in the post pandemic world will be indulging in. “Office lunch time is bae” When asked about the importance of lunch breaks, 33 per cent responded that a typical lunch while working is with colleagues and a side of office gossip. However, if that’s what one doesn’t choose to indulge in, street food treats during and post work come to the rescue as well. “Miss you everyday, chaiwala bhaiya” More than 40 per cent agree that

the one thing they missed about the office but would rather not say it out loud is that they missed their tapri wali chai (local tea st “The year 2020 was a massive change not just for the business but for the entire human race globally. It changed how we worked and lived, blurring lines and sense of time. As 2020 was drawing to a close, we decided to lighten up the mood a little and hence we planned this year-end survey to find out in all honesty if and what people miss about their offices. And the survey did reveal some really fascinating and quirky insights. Respondents opened their hearts and their responses have also helped us identify their exact needs from workplaces in 2021. We observed enthusiasm to go back to work in a safe and healthy environment,” Vineet Singh, Head of Brand and Marketing at WeWork India signed off.

/IndianAbroadNews

ARTS-CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

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We Bulk Bill Time Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 7am to 6pm

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ARTS-CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

TELEHEALTH NETWORKS A Secure online Medical Data Exchange, Appointment and Referral system. All integrated with our Video Conferencing system. • Appropriate Telemedicine ready Medical Equipment to enhance the consultation. • Total technical Support for Telehealth Consultation. • All servers are based in and data is held in Australia conforming to the Australia legal jurisdictions • Meets medical industry Telehealth recommendations and guidelines • Operates on standard computers based video hardware and software, and across multiple vendors and other devices using H323 standards.

ONLINE MEDICAL DATA EXCHANGE

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• One subscription covers the end-to-end application - free for invited registered guests. • End-of-consultation reports.

• Substance abuse & addiction P 1300 672 437 (Toll Free) F (07) 5518 7630 E info@telehealthnetworks.com.au

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HEROES BACK HOME

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Maha’s ‘cycle samaritan’ pedals away to solve citizens’ issues

t sharp 7 a.m. everyday, Kolhapur Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) Deputy Mayor Sanjay Mohite of the Congress exits his home, breathes the fresh morning air, hops onto his bicycle and starts on a brisk round of the tiny Sykes Extension Ward in this erstwhile royal town in western Maharashtra.

The Congress leader’s two-hour daily routine is unchanged for over five years to serve his 6,000-plus constituents, many hurrying for their morning chores like buying milk, bread or vegetables, many nodding their heads, while others greeting with ‘Namaste’ or ‘Good Morning’, irrespective of the season. At one corner of a main road, the soft-spoken Mohite, 60, espies a group of worried citizens and stops his bicycle to enquire about their concerns. One of them points to a roadside drain and informs how since last evening it has got choked, stinking and on the verge of overflowing onto the roads, not a pleasant sight in what is supposed to be a former proud royal kingdom of the Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur. “I immediately call up the concerned persons in the KMC, wait till they sent a team and ensure the work is completed as soon as

regularly till the matter is resolved,” Mohite told IANS. Then, Mohite pedals away to resolve the next problems, the nuisance of some uncollected garbage bins, at times water issues, minor road repair works, blank streetlights, et al. “I am inspired by Mahatma Gandhi to take up such a ‘mass-contact’ form of public service... Gandhiji used to live and work among the masses and could gauge the pulse of the people. The problems may be small, but people expect immediate redressal from the elected representatives, and it’s their right in a democracy,” Mohite pointed out.

The ‘Cycle Samaritan’, as some people fondly call him, said that on an average he catches up with at least two dozen people daily, more on some days, and as a result, the “entire ward knows me personally”. “You ask any other elected representatives like ministers, legislators, parliamentarians or corporators from any political party, they will acknowledge my services to the people,” Mohite said on his cycle sojourn. A good cricketer and staunch Congressman all his life, his pedaling has not gone waste but got rich dividends -- the Sykes Extension Ward won the Maha-

Abhiyan’ award six times in the last 10 years. Besides, Mohite -- a self-confessed big fan of Amitabh Bachchan -- has been instrumental in getting generous funds allocated for various community and development projects in the ward, to the tune of over Rs 3 crore in the last five years, which struck a chord with the locals.

communication modes, he feels nothing can beat ‘personal contact’ of leaders with their constituents, not even adopting the current social media fads. He revealed how in the past he would zoom around the city on a scooter, but later he found a bicycle more convenient and cheap, which also keeps him fit

and active, and endears him more to the masses. Delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the elections to the Congress-run KMC shall be announced early next year and it is likely that the party will reward Mohite with a ticket for the third term.

Some of the works include road repairs, improving the drainage networks, setting up a community hall, starting a gym, gardens, a walking track etc. for the people of the ward.

possible. Occasionally, it can even take more time, so I follow it up

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rashtra government’s coveted ‘Sant Gadge Maharaj Swachhata

“He not only understands the peoples’ issues thoroughly, but also takes them up as a ‘personal challenge’ to resolve them with the endeavor to make his ward the best place for all his constituents,” said P.M. Joshi, a Kolhapur resident. Though Mohite believes in the power of technology and modern

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HEROES BACK HOME

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Migrant labourer’s son from Bihar village wins gold medal at IIT, Roorkee

Kumar has now won a scholarship to pursue his PhD at the University of Utah, United States and teach there as an assistant professor. “With his great leadership and managerial skills, he led a team of around 1,000 students and liaised with several college administrations, government officers, and NGOs in carrying out various events. His various initiatives in the field of Youth Leadership has been widely acknowledged through awards and honours across platforms,” Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, told IANS.

ahul Kumar, 22, the son of a migrant worker from Sosandi, a nondescript village in Bihar’s Nalanda district, has graduated from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, one of the premier educational institutes in the country. Kumar’s 52-year-old father Sunil Singh works on a power loom in Surat on a daily wage basis. He was compelled to shift to Gujarat since the small piece of land that the family owns in Bihar wasn’t sufficient for him and his four siblings to earn a living.

During the annual convocation of the institute held via digital mode, Rahul, who completed his B. Tech in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, was awarded the President’s Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal for his social initiatives. Apart from being academically brilliant, Rahul has always been inclined towards the welfare of society and his zeal led him to become the General Secretary of National Service Scheme (NSS), IIT Roorkee.

“This year’s convocation is special because of many reasons. The first and foremost reason is that our alumnus Ashok Soota is the Chief Guest. His presence is a matter of great pride for us. The second special reason is that this year’s convocation is being presided over by BVR Mohan Reddy chairman of our board of Governors. He is a doyen of Indian industry who has agreed to spare some of his time for guiding the higher education sector in the country,” added Chaturvedi.

Kirti Kulhari: Time to raise voice against brutal crime of marital rape

he CPI(M) has chosen 21-yearold Arya Rajendran as its Mayor candidate after the party’s district committee and state committee sanctioned her candidature. She is a first-time councillor from Mudavanmugal division of Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Arya Rajendran is a BSc Mathematics student and is the party’s Chala area committee member.

She will be the youngest Mayor of the country, and with this the party leadership is expecting to have more educated women into the leadership role. The party has won 51 seats in the 100-member council in the recently concluded local body elections. The BJP with 35 seats is the main opposition. The Congress-led UDF was relegated to the third place with 10 councillors. There are four independent councillors in the corporation. The CPi(M) had projected former chairperson of the Health standing Committee Pushpalatha, Teachers union leader A.G. Olena and Jameela Sreedharan as their Mayor candidates. While Pushplatha and Olena lost in the elections, the party preferred 21-year-old Arya Rajendran over Jameela Sreedharan, who is a retired government employee.

The name of 23-year-old first time councillor from Vanchiyoor division, Gayatri Babu had also come up during the discussion, but Arya was given the green signal as she is the state president of the “Balasangam”, the party’s children’s wing and also the CPI(M) area committee member. Arya Rajendran, while speaking to the media persons, said, “It’s the decision of the party and I abide by it. During the elections, people preferred me as I am a student and the public wanted their representative to be well educated. I will continue my education and will discharge my duties as a Mayor.”

Assam youth uses discarded TV sets to house stray dogs

iscarded domestic items can also be utilised to build animal’s shelter house -- this has been transformed into a reality when Assam’s Abhijit Dowarah has prepared makeshift kennels for stray dogs.

Dowarah, who had started a small shop after completing his graduation from the Bir Lachit Bor Phukan College in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar, has so far set up five unused television sets on the road side of his locality at Phukan Nagar to shelter street dogs. “This was done as I wanted to make sure the stray dogs do not suffer out in the cold or rain or under any hostile weather. So far, I have set up five such kennels and readied twelve more,” Dowarah told IANS on Saturday night over phone from Sivasagar, 370 km northeast of Assam’s main city of Guwahati. He said : “Though my family is very poor, I am not taking any financial help from any one or from the government. I am doing this on my own cost as I love animals.” Though the 32-year-old youth has no professional learning on science, he has developed some makeshift sprayer tools by bamboo and domestic items. The locals know Dowarah as an “innovator” who develops scrap stuff into utility items.

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Earlier, he shaped a certain type of torch for the safety of the women and a “gadget” for hand sanitisation during the pandemic.”During the past five years, I have created some 50 utility items from scraps and trash material. So, people don’t throw away old and unused material but give them to me,” Dowarah said adding that he had submitted papers about his creations to the Guwahati IIT. He said : “I have been noticing the street dogs are suffering from various odds and weather conditions. After collecting some unused television sets, I removed the unwanted parts and accessories from the TV sets. With the remaining frame, I designed suitable homes for the street dogs to stay and titled them as “BAATOR GHOR” (street home).”

“But then, if I put those “BAATOR GHOR” in the road side, then people would misunderstand them as waste materials. So I came up with the idea of painting these boxes. I used two colours - yellow (to make it visible from a long distance) and green (to give it a shade of nature). “For the comfort of the dogs sacks were laid on each kennel’s floor and cotton cloths were spread out on it. “I ventured out several nights to see how the dogs live and used the “BAATOR GHOR”. I observed for a few days and the experiment

turned out to be a success. I was more than happy !! “Dowarah said that for drinking water by the dogs, I made a small container in such a way that it prevents tree leaves from falling in it so that the dogs can drink pure water. The container also facili-

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tates collection of rainwater.

can influence many.”

In his post on social media, he said : “I request you all to build such BAATOR GHOR, write your name and place them in suitable place alongside the streets. Also don’t forget to upload pictures along with the dogs. Your one big step

Sivasagar Additional District Magistrate Al Azhar Ali appreciating Dowarah’s creations said that this is a wonderful initiative, everyone must extend their support and cooperate with him.

BEAUTY

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Yoga for firm face and glowing skin Yoga also makes your skin tighter and smoother, as you work with muscles of forehead and around your eyes that helps to erase the effects when you performed. When you practice facial yoga like the lion, the V and smiling faces, it helps to reduce your forehead wrinkles by increasing circulation, relaxing muscles and reducing stress. Glowing skin

n our day-to-day beauty regime, psychological peace and spiritual balance play a relevant role. We never think but most of our skin problem are due to various imbalance in our body fluids, blood circulation, no exercise and stress too. Apart from its innumerable health benefits, Yoga also helps to beautify skin. Practising yoga daily is beneficial and helps eliminate toxins from your body through sweating, breath-workout and poses which detoxify the body and

increase blood circulation, points out cosmetic surgeon Dr Geeta Grewal. Here are a few yoga asanas that can help providing you a firm face and glowing skin: Increase blood flows to your face Standing forward bend and let your head free or uttanasana and viprita karani. These poses help blood to rush to your head, reverses aging effect and giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen. Eliminate wrinkles

The downward facing Mudras like Marichyasana, Dhanurasana and halasana, reduce dullness and clear the acne, disseminating that amazing young-looking glow and improve your complexion drastically. Reduce facial fat At one point of time, you will stop liking the chubbiness of your cheeks and facial fat. Yoga pose for cheeks, lips and jaw can help you to tighten your skin and reduce your facial fat. The cheeks workouts are easiest workout that you can do anywhere anytime to tone and firm your facial muscles, cheeks and lips. Some of them are the V, smiling etc.

ance hormones, relax your body and relieves stress. Various yoga poses like uttanasana, trikonasana, kapalbhati, viparita karani, pavan muktasana can help you fight with pimples. Free from acne and scars Acne and scars are very common these days; seven out of 10 people are facing the problem of scars and acne. This causes mainly due to poor digestion, imbalance hormones, toxication in liver and kidney and improper blood circulation. Pranayam breathing, rabbit pose, child pose, spinal twists, adequate sleep help you to get rid of scars and acne.

Natural way to zap those dark circles away is yoga like hastpadotasan, sambhavi mudra and surya namaskar. Adho Mukha Savasana Faster Hair Growth Yoga is also highly capable of treating all types of hair and scalp problems. If you have been suffering from the problem of hair loss, you can try various yoga poses for actual results. Some of the best poses of yoga for hair growth that also help to prevent hair loss are Vajrasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sarvangasan and Balyam Yoga.

Remove dark circles

Exterminate double chin Yoga poses like chin lift, rolling the neck, lip pull, jaw release, platsyma tone help to get chiseled jaw line and high cheek bone which are in the trend that define the face. Get rid of pimples Yoga increases blood flow, removes toxins and capture free radicals that helps you to get rid of pimples. Pimples mainly caused due to stress and hormonal changes. Thus, yoga helps to bal-

Wonders of face serum By Puja Gupta

s your skincare routine essentially complete by simply using a cleanser, toner, moisturizer?

In order to achieve that smooth and glossy skin one must begin with serums. Serums are the pinnacle of gold captured in a small bottle for the eternal youthful skin. And any regime or routine is incomplete without a super concentrated serums that generally deliver higher potency of skin nourishing high quality ingredients, says Isha Bindra from Kiehl’s India. “You might think that it is complete but using a serum is when the entire routine actually falls into place because they’re made for targeted concerns like dark spots, glow, dry skin, signs of ageing.” Serums majorly strengthen skin to help resist signs of ageing, while boosting radiance and smoothing fine lines. It should be formulated with 11kDa Hyaluronic Acid — the smallest form of Hyaluronic Acid, which penetrates 8 skin surface layers deep** — and an Adaptogenic Herbal Complex, our serum

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neutralizes the effects of external skin-aging stressors for youthful, radiant skin, she informs. It protects against stressors including sun exposure, pollution, stress, lack of sleep, diet and temperature that can lead to early signs of aging.

best to follow instructions provided on the packaging or to get advice from the brand salesperson itself. We want to see positive results and not worsen the condition of the skin.

Bindra says that serums should essentially improve skin texture by 41 percent and boost radiance by 29 percent and improve resilience by 38 percent for glowing, healthy-looking skin. It visibly reduces fine lines by 27 percent and double’s skin strength. The product easily absorbs with a lightweight texture.

Serums come with various different active ingredients that target different issues at times but the most important benefit of a serum is to improve the skin texture, improve the elasticity of the skin and keep the skin fed and looking radiant. The other benefits can range from helping battle acne to simply improving the immunity of the skin depending on the type of serum you use on your skin. Fun fact: a face cream has about 10 percent of active ingredients while a serum contains about 70 percent of it. This shows how well our skin is fed when a serum is incorporated in our skincare routine.

Use them the correct way Serums are supposed to be incorporated in your day and night skincare routine. Using serums the right way is extremely important since it can lead to clogged pores and greasy skin if used in the wrong way. A serum can give phenomenal results when used correctly. They should often be applied to the face when the surface is damn, usually after the application of a cleanser and toner and before a moisturizer. It is

Benefits of using a serum

Choose the right one! Serums come in a variety depending on the skin types, target problems and even depending on when one would like to use the

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serum. There are different serums for all skin types and it is important to pick the right ones. Using the wrong product on oily skin type can make the skin look far greasier than it already is while using the wrong one on dry skin can cause irritation and redness. They come with different main ingredients

like Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, C, K and they help resolve different skin problems. There are different serums for the day and different ones for night but it is important to not use them at all times and letting your skin breathe.

BEAUTY

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Makeup application guide: The right way to layer your makeup I t’s true when people say; there are no rules on how to apply makeup. Whether you like to do your foundation before or after your eyeshadow is totally up to you, but there are some general techniques that can help make your application effortless and long-lasting. With the innumerable varieties of products available in the market, you’re sure to get confused with what products work for you and how to layer it the right way. Wouldn’t we all want our makeup to look flawless and stay in place all day? Vineeta Singh, Co-founder & CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics shares the ultimate 12 step guide to ace your makeup and become the makeup aficionado you’ve always dreamt of being. The real secret to get your makeup to go on smoothly and look seamless is to properly moisturize your skin prior. It will hydrate and smooth out your skin, giving you the ideal complexion and keep your skin healthy underneath the makeup. Once your moisturizer is absorbed into your skin put on some primer. It helps your makeup to go on smoothly by making your skin an ideal canvas to hold onto whatever makeup comes afterward and ensures that it stays in place. It also smooths over fine lines and wrinkles, camouflages pores, and corrects skin issues. Wait a few minutes before moving on to let the primer nicely sink into your skin. Now go on and apply the

foundation starting from the centre of your face and blend it out in a circular motion, gently pressing it into the skin to give you a flawless finish. How you apply your concealer is very important! Whether you’re covering up your spots or trying to hide away those nasty dark circles, there’s a specific way to make it look seamless. A concealer is best to cover up- dark circles, redness around the nose and zits or pimples. However, it is essential that you use a flat tip applicator for a smooth application. Using the wrong kind of applicator might prevent the concealer from blending into your skin and make your makeup look cakey. After you’re done with concealing your spots and undereye, apply some powder to set your foundation and concealer. Use a brush to apply a translucent or pressed powder over your face, in areas that tend to get oily like the t-zone, undereye and chin to get rid of excess oil from your face. For an ultra-natural look like you just returned from your morning walk, apply a small amount of blush onto the apples of your cheeks. To create a more defined look, apply your blush onto the cheekbones and just above to give your face that chiselled effect. Now move onto the eyes. It is essential that you apply your eyeshadow before putting on your eyeliner or mascara, this way you can get a clean and perfect look. Using the right brush with the right

strokes can make the process easy and smooth. Start with a neutral or light colour to create a base for the colours. The best way to achieve the perfect eye makeup is to apply the darker shades on the outside and lighter shades towards the inside of your eyes, add some colour on your lower lash line as well to add definition. Always apply an eyeliner over your eyeshadow to make your eyes pop. First, decide on whether you want to opt for a pencil or liquid eyeliner. If you have shaky hands, go for a pencil to save yourself from unwanted redoes. To make your eyes appear bold and sharp, apply a black eyeliner; for a refreshed look, go for white or nude and for an experimental look, well

there are endless options available for you to pick from. Haven’t we all dreamt of having long, voluminous lashes? Applying a mascara has many benefits. It makes your lashes appear thicker and longer which defines your eyes and draws attention to them. And now what we all love…lipsticks! There are endless options available in the market: matte-glossy, liquid-crayon, nudes-purples. However, picking the right shade and texture of lipstick can be quite a task at times. While crayons are the most versatile, liquid lipsticks last longer and give you that rich pigment. When choosing the shade, make sure the colour doesn’t look too loud or too dull keeping your skin tone in mind.

Lock and seal your makeup to last all day with a setting spray. No one likes melting and moving makeup and doing endless touch-ups through the day. Setting sprays will hold your look in place all day while also giving that boost of hydration to your skin. Last but most important step to give your face that lit-from-within look- highlighter! Applying the right amount of highlighter to the right spots will attract light and brighten up your face. Add a dab above your cheekbones, on the inner corners of eyes, down the bridge of your nose and above your cupid’s bow to give your makeup that glowy touch.

Unleash the magic of retinol with these bedtime skincare tips

aking the time to unwind with a nighttime skincare regime followed by a good night’s rest will work wonders on your skin leaving it hydrated and glowing all day long. Dr. Geetika Mittal, Dermatologist and Skin Expert, shares a few bedtime skincare tips that will help your skin feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Plug-in the skin charger:

Just like you would like to wake up to a fully charged digital device, wouldn’t it be nice to have completely fresh and glowing skin in the morning mirror. This is why you plug-in your skin with a rich in retinol night serum or moisturizer that hydrates your skin for 24 hours and penetrates 10 layers deep into your skin’s surface layers. Retinol also known as Vitamin A, can brighten and smoothen skin while fading signs of damage. It is set apart from other skin care ingredients because of its power, versatility and potency. Retinol works by encouraging your skin cells to turn over faster than they would normally, making way for new skin. With this magical elixir, your skin will feel more radiant, glowing and supple when you wake up. De-stress your muscles:

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With all the work you manage during the day, your muscles are wound up and tight. So wash away the tiring day by making yourself a warm bath that will relax your body and muscles. While you’re in there, make sure you give your tired face muscles some care as well. Use a mild facewash, to gently clean your skin and massage in a circular motion. You can also exfoliate your face once a week to unclog your pores. This comforting skincare ritual calms your skin and enables your moisturizer to seep in deeper. Our face contains over 50 different types of muscles and experimenting a little with facial yoga will ease the tension in your jawline, cheeks and forehead, improve blood circulation and replenish its oxygen supply. This is a great way to prep your skin before bed. Digital detox: The whole day you’ve been juggling between digital screens and we’re sure the blue rays have made your skin weary and dull. This is why it’s important to take a 60 minutes digital- detox before you hit the bed, giving your skin and eyes the much needed rest. The detox will also let your mind

relax and enable our skin to get the beauty sleep it needs. Instead of browsing through social media, why not read a book, do

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some art, practice journaling or listen to music. These screen-free activities will definitely help you sleep better and relax you inside

out!

HEALTH

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Experts bust myths about hair transplantation

hat a hair transplant procedure is as painful as any other surgical process is a myth, points out Dr Pradeep Sethi, Hair Transplant Surgeon at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Managing Director Eugenix Hair Sciences.

Many people think that the procedure might result in regular headache or migraines which is also untrue, clears Dr Arika Bansal, Hair Transplant surgeon, AIIMS New Delhi. IANSlife spoke to the experts who bust all the myths around hair transplant and point to the facts. Read on: The procedure needs to be retouched or done again and again -- It will always remain intact once done, only if done by a highly experienced professional. One may lose hair in a different region where the procedure has not been done and might require transplantation for the same. People cannot get hair transplantation after a certain age -Advancing age is never a problem as long as there is good blood flow in scalp region and if the person is not suffering from any uncontrolled pre-existing health condition. Donor can be anyone - Wrong. Only your own hair can be transplanted on you. Hair doesn’t grow any longer than

the grafted length -- Once the hair is grafted, it becomes as natural as your existing hair. You can do whatever you want at your will. It can be shaved, dyed, treated, etc. and will come back to its originality with growth. Hence, you can grow your hair as long as you want without any further treatment or procedures. The procedure may cause cancer -- There is no relation to cancer at all. The transplant doesn’t cause any health conditions There are lifelong scars after the procedure -- There are rarely any chest extraction cases that leave scars on patients. Scars are generally not seen on the scalp if extracted in a proper manner. Whereas, any break in skin leaves a scar which are generally lifelong, if done by an expert, there will hardly be any visible scarring.

The hair transplantation procedure is temporary -- There is nothing temporary about the procedure, the characteristics of the transplanted hair might change with age like greying of hair but otherwise, it remains as is life long without any losses. A person can differentiate between natural hair and those transplanted -- If done by a highly experienced professional, an onlooker cannot make out if the hair has been transplanted or if its natural. It is recommended one researchs’ properly before opting

for the procedure as it depends entirely on the person who performs it. The process is very painful -There is a misconception for the hair transplant procedure to be painful like every other surgical process, which is absolutely untrue. The procedure is initiated with inducing local anesthesia which is a pinprick with a very fine needle following which the procedure of transplant is absolutely painless and doesn’t cause even slightest of discomfort. Causes headaches and Migraine -- Many people think that the

procedure might result in regular headache or migraines which is again untrue. There has never been a case as such where people who have had the procedure complained anything as such. Will lack density -- No, the hair is nice and dense. It will be thick and healthy, but we cannot match nature in its density. Hair cannot be implanted on scarred tissue -- Hair can only be transplanted on regions with ideal blood supply. As long as the scar is completely remodulated and has an optimal blood supply, it can be grafted upon as they will grow

naturally. The procedure is done with cut and stitch technique -- The old cut and stitch technique has now been replaced by an entirely modernised procedure with absolute precision. Now individual grafts are extracted by modern aided equipment. The transplanted hair will develop into scalp hair characteristics -The body hair grafted onto scalp during the transplantation procedure will retain its own nature while the rest of the features remaining as it is.

Bursting myths about egg freezing

ticking biological clock is the primary reason women choose to freeze their eggs. A woman’s fertility peaks during her 20s and starts to decline once she reaches 30. In fact, by the time a healthy woman reaches age 30, her chances of conceiving start to see a decline coupled with other fertility related issues as well.

In the current scenario, more women are postponing family planning until their 30s and early-40s due to several personal and professional commitments. One of the options that can be considered is fertility preservation through egg freezing that allows women to extend their childbearing years by preserving their younger, healthier eggs, says Dr.Ramya Gowda, consultant -- reproductive medicine, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru. She tells IANSlife: “While it is not surprising that egg freezing has gained a lot of attention amongst women of different age groups but unfortunately often it has also created many misconceptions.” Dr Gowda helps understand some of those myths associated with egg freezing. Myth #1: Egg freezing is trial and error option or it is experimental Prior to 2013, anyone who chose egg freezing felt that the procedure was fairly new and there

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wasn’t enough data available on the reasons to pursue this method. However, scientific data indicated that egg freezing is safe, effective and no longer considered experimental. The processes used in egg freezing -- like ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and even cryopreservation -- have actually been in use for decades and are absolutely safe. Myth #2: Egg freezing is life threatening to both woman and her child and no babies have been born from frozen eggs

There’s no evidence that ovarian stimulation and egg freezing causes harm to women or their potential future offspring. Extensive studies have shown that there have been no documented differences in the risk of birth defects, chromosomal anomalies, or pregnancy complications when using frozen eggs or embryos (as compared to fresh eggs or embryos)..Generally, side effects are uncommon, and those that are experienced are usually minor. Freezing eggs may increase your chances of having a baby later in life, Egg freezing is not an insurance policy, but it is a powerful tool to help give more choice to women. Myth #3: The process is painful and time-consuming The hormone medication injections needed to begin the process are typically taken once or twice

a day for 8 --11 days. During this period, a doctor will check in on your progress with 5 --7 brief visits to monitor how your body is responding to the medication. When you’re ready, the doctor will finish the process by retrieving your eggs in an egg retrieval surgery. While the word “surgery” may sound scary, there’s no need to stress about this part of the procedure as there are no stitches, no cuts, and it’ll only take about 15 minutes. The whole process takes about two weeks from start to finish. Myth #4: Freezing eggs at present can make you infertile in future. One of the important aspects of debunking egg freezing myths is understanding that extensive studies have shown no evidence that the process of egg freezing is harmful to a woman’s future fertility. Because egg freezing involves removing eggs from the body, many mistakenly think the process decreases the number of eggs available for a future pregnancy. This is a myth and every month women ovulate. During the egg freezing process, we use medication to ensure that multiple eggs develop and mature, preserving some of those otherwise “lost” eggs for use at a later time. Myth #5: Fresh eggs are better than frozen one Current data has shown more healthy pregnancies actually

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result from frozen egg cycles than fresh egg cycles. In addition, research has found no difference in the risk of birth defects, chromosomal anomalies or pregnancy complications when comparing pregnancies that result from frozen eggs versus fresh eggs. It is very important to understand that when it comes to fertility -the age of your eggs matters the most. The younger your eggs are, the healthier they will be. Starting at age 35, live birth rates begin to decline by 10% every two years for women who use their own eggs of the same age during in vitro fertilization. Myth #6: Egg freezing is only an option for financially affluent class or women with elite careers Women choose to freeze their eggs for all sorts of reasons, both medical and social. Many women choose to freeze their eggs due to a medical diagnosis others choose to freeze because of they do not believe that they have the right environment to have a

child, for example, due to financial constraints, not having a partner or where there are other commitments to be balanced. There are lots of different reasons and every person approaches egg freezing with a unique perspective. In the present day scenario, majority of women who freeze their eggs do so because they haven’t yet found the right partner. Myth #7: Egg freezing is a good insurance policy for women in their late 30s It’s actually best to freeze your eggs before you turn 35. Fertility rates gradually decline as we get older, so you have a higher chance of success if you freeze your eggs at a younger age. Some women in their 20s aren’t really thinking about when they want to have kids, so it tends to be most beneficial for women in their early 30s, maybe they haven’t settled down yet, but they’re thinking about it and their eggs are still good.”

HEALTH

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

New Covid virus strain likely originated in UK

he new strain of the Covid-19 virus which is said to be more infectious is likely to have evolved in the UK.

Nick Loman, Professor of Microbial Genomics and Bio information at the University of Birmingham, told a briefing by the Science Media Centre on December 15 that the variant was first spotted in late September and now accounts for 20 per cent of viruses sequenced in Norfolk, 10 per cent in Essex, and 3 per cent in Suffolk. “There are no data to suggest it had been imported from abroad, so it is likely to have evolved in the UK,” he is quoted to have said in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). UK’s Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has told Parliament that a new variant of Covid-19 has been identified and may be driving infections in the south east. However, this is not the same as saying that it is causing the rise, the BMJ report said. Loman explained: “This variant is strongly associated with where we are seeing increasing rates of Covid-19. It’s a correlation, but we can’t say it is causation. But there is striking growth in this variant, which is why we are worried, and it needs urgent follow-up and investigation.” The BMJ report said that SARSCoV-2 is an RNA virus, and mutations arise naturally as the virus replicates. Many thousands

of mutations have already arisen, but only a very small minority is likely to be important and to change the virus in an appreciable way. COG-UK says that there are currently around 4000 mutations in the spike protein.

Sharon Peacock, director of COG-UK, told the Science Media Centre briefing, that: “Mutations are expected and are a natural part of evolution. Many thousands of mutations have already arisen, and the vast majority has no effect on the virus but can be useful as a barcode to monitor outbreaks.” The new strain has been named VUI-202012/01 (the first “Variant Under Investigation” in December 2020) and is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations. One of the most significant is an N501Y mutation in the spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor. Changes in this part of spike protein may, in theory, result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people, the report said. It said that Public Health England’s laboratory at Porton Down is currently working to find any evidence that the new variant increases or decreases the severity of disease. Susan Hopkins, joint medical adviser for National Health Service Test and Trace and Public Health

England, said: “There is currently no evidence that this strain causes more severe illness, although it is being detected in a wide geography, especially where there are increased cases being detected.” However, vaccines produce antibodies against many regions in the spike protein, so it is unlikely that a single change would make the vaccine less effective. Over time, as more mutations occur, the vaccine may need to be altered. This happens with seasonal flu, which mutates every year, and the vaccine is adjusted accordingly. The SARS-CoV-2 virus doesn’t mutate as quickly as the flu virus, and the vaccines that have so far proved effective in trials are types that can easily be tweaked if necessary, the report said.

India slated to produce 300 million doses of Sputnik vaccine

ndia will produce about 300 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in 2021, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel. “In India, we have agreements with four large manufacturers. India will produce about 300 million doses or more of the vaccine for us next year,” he said, Russian news agency Tass reported. Dmitriev noted that out of 110 production sites that negotiated production of Sputnik V, RDIF chose 10 that meet its requirements. “The

Russian Sputnik V will be actively produced in the world and we see that this is built on a safe platform based on the human adenovirus,” Dmitriev said. Earlier, Dmitriev had said that production of Sputnik V began in other countries, in particular in India, Korea, Brazil and China. On August 11, Russia was the first country in the world to register Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. The drug passed clinical trials in June-July, post-registration studies began in Moscow on September 7, while the volunteers received the first vaccine on September 9.

1 in 3 adults are depressed or anxious due to COVID-19 burden of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and insomnia. However, factors associated with increased susceptibility to psychological distress among adults in the general population during COVID-19 are not yet well known.

• Women, younger adults and individuals of lower socioeconomic status are most affected by COVID-19-related anxiety or depression, a study has found.

psychological distress during the pandemic, says the lead author.

• Researchers performed a meta-analysis of 68 studies conducted during the pandemic, that included 288,830 participants from 19 countries.

The finding is particularly true for women, younger adults, and those of lower socioeconomic status, the researchers report.

• Factors that are associated with psychological distress include living in rural areas; lower education, lower-income, or unemployment. • It’s vital the general public and healthcare professionals are aware of the high burden of

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One in three adults are experiencing anxiety and depression related to COVID-19, a new study shows.

COVID-19 continues to pose serious threats to public health worldwide, and interventions such as lockdowns, quarantine, and social distancing are having an adverse impact on mental well-being. The pandemic has escalated the

“Understanding these factors is crucial for designing preventive programs and mental health resource planning during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak,” says lead author Tazeen Jafar, professor in the Health Services and Systems Research Programme at Duke-NUS, who led the study. “These factors could be used to identify populations at high risk of psychological distress so they can be offered targeted remote and in-person interventions.” For the study, published in PLOS ONE, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of 68 studies conducted during the pandemic, that included 288,830 participants from 19 countries, to assess risk factors associated with anxiety and depression. They found that, among the peo-

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ple most affected by COVID-19-related anxiety or depression, women, younger adults, individuals of lower socioeconomic status, those living in rural areas, and those at high risk of COVID-19 infection are more likely to experience psychological distress.

chological distress included living in rural areas; lower education, lower income, or unemployment; and being at high risk of COVID-19 infection. Having stronger family and social support and using positive coping strategies reduced the risk of psychological distress.

The finding that women are more likely to experience psychological distress than men is consistent with other global studies that have shown that anxiety and depression are more common in women.

“The general public and healthcare professionals need to be aware of the high burden of psychological distress during the pandemic as well as education on coping strategies,” Jafar says. “Patients need to be encouraged to seek help, and access mental health counseling services with appropriate referrals.”

“The lower social status of women and less preferential access to healthcare compared to men could potentially be responsible for the exaggerated adverse psychosocial impact on women,” the researchers suggest. “Thus, outreach programs for mental health services must target women proactively.” Younger adults, aged 35 and under, were more likely to experience psychological distress than those over the age of 35. Although the reasons for this are unclear, previous studies have suggested that it might be due to younger people’s greater access to COVID-19 information through the media. The study also confirms that longer media exposure was associated with higher odds of anxiety and depression.

“Even with the tremendous advances on the vaccine front, the world has come to realize that the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for the long haul,” says Patrick Casey, professor and senior vice-dean for research. “Professor Jafar’s study contributes valuable insights on the pandemic’s psychological toll on populations around the world and highlights specific groups who may benefit from additional support, whether that is from their family or a healthcare provider.” By Federico Graciano source: Futurity - Creative Commons

Other factors associated with psy-

TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Khirkiya Ghat to emerge Experts foresee travel trends for 2021 as new destination for I tourists in Kashi t’s been a year of cancelled trips and missed experiences. The New Year is around the corner and we can’t wait to talk about what is on the horizon as we get to say goodbye to what has been a very difficult year for mankind. 2020 has been a year like no other and while much has been said about the adversity, positive news around the vaccine rollout has also uplifted spirits helping all see a glimmer of hope. “The pandemic has been a shape-shifting event when it comes to consumer behaviour and preferences,” Sunil Suresh, Chief Marketing Officer MakeMyTrip Group, tells IANSlife.

hirkiya Ghat will become a new centre of attraction for people from all over the world visiting Kashi to see the captivating images of the crescent-shaped ghats along the Ganga river. This new tourist destination, which is being added to the map of Varanasi, will be directly connected to water, land and sky. It would now be easier to reach the ghat from the airport and the railway station. Anil Yadav, general manager of the National Building Construction Corporation, said, “The cost of this ghat being built on 11.5 acres of land is nearly Rs 35.83 crore, which will be ready by July 2021. Planner India, the company designing, engineering and doing the Detailed Project Report of this project said the ghat is being prepared with gabion and rotation walls, that is, it will look like the old ghats but would be safe even during disasters like floods. Its construction is eco-friendly and parking for vehicles will also be available at this ghat which is not there at other ghats. Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agrawal informed that more tourists would visit the Assi and Dashashwamedh Ghats, but the trains do not easily reach all the ghats so Khirkiya Ghat is being developed, which would have all

modern facilities. For example, tourists could get a ticket to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple from Khirkiya Ghat; along with this they would now be able to enjoy water sports, read books in the library, and go for morning walks, exercise and yoga. Facilities for a food plaza, RO plant and a place for craftsmen to sell handicrafts would be provided. A multipurpose platform is being built on 1.6 acres on which two helicopters would be able to land. It would also have heli-tourism in addition to holding cultural events. A CNG station is also being built at Khirkiya Ghat for a CNG-powered boat to prevent pollution in the Ganga. ‘Govardhan Puja’ would be engraved through murals at the Ghat and nearby temples would be restored to their original form. The historical monuments nearby would be connected to the Ghat and the Panchkosi Road would be made accessible. Divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said that this multi-model, mini-terminal ghat will also be useful in crowd management on occasions like Diwali. The Rajghat and Bhainsasur Ghats are also being renovated and will be connected to Khirkiya Ghat. Now nearly all the 84 ghats of Kashi would be connected as ‘pucca ghats’.

“Travel is on top of mind as people look at making a fresh start. Searches on our platform related to travel destinations and activities reaffirm that travel may have slowed down but travel planning has been on in full swing for travel dates as far out as fall of next year,” he says. Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer, Goibibo, says: “After a year that saw travel come to a complete halt, we are witnessing how travel continues to remain an experience of utmost importance to mankind besides being a necessity. While essential travel picked soon as Unlock phases were announced, travel season since Diwali validated this further as road trips, weekend getaways and Daycations picked big on goibibo.” Leisure Travel recovery is being led by millennials and it is expected that the trend will continue in a more pronounced way, come 2021, he adds. “Young Indians will be seen going back to taking multiple short vacations or mini-trips once in a while in order to rejuvenate and reconnect with their friends and loved ones.” Sifting the travel search and booking data on MakeMyTrip over the last nine months, Suresh shares a few definitive trends that will shape how Indians are going to travel, come 2021. Revenge Travel on Bucket List: Revenge is a dish best served cold and after having been left out in the cold for almost one full year – expect travellers hit the road with a vengeance. Travel is on top of mind as people look at making a fresh start. Searches on our platform related to travel destinations and activities reaffirm that travel may have slowed down but travel planning has been on in full swing for travel dates as far out as fall of next year. People are going to spend time and effort planning their excursions for future travel in 2021 relying on platforms that provide treasure trove of information and booking choices.

The pandemic has been a shape-shifting event when it comes to consumer behaviour and preferences

ences that allow them to connect, explore and unwind. More and more people will prefer travel that balances their itinerary with a languid pace affording them the time to explore more while eliminating

“Young Indians will be seen going back to taking multiple short vacations or mini-trips once in a while in order to rejuvenate and reconnect with their friends and loved ones.” the stress of rushing around many places to tick the boxes. More takers for premium stays & non-hotels: Safety and hygiene have emerged as the new comfort and luxury in travel. The traditional in-stay checklist has now made way for questions like – does the stay ensure adequate social distancing, is there a private kitchen, can I have an extra room for help or support staff and so on. Post-COVID, travellers are looking for more control over their stay – leading many to opt for higher category hotels, premium homestays, independent villas and

non-hotels that promise comfort of a vacation while meeting additional requirements. So, if in 2019, one in every two Indian traveller was thinking of booking an alternative accommodation property (results from the survey conducted by MakeMyTrip’s Consumer Insights team in October 2019), come 2021 more Indians than ever will be booking villas, homestays, vacation rentals and non-hotels for their travel.

Weekend getaways to become the new weekend goals: Urban Indians were just warming up to the idea of weekend breaks in recent years but the pandemic seems to have flipped the switch for good. More and more Indians have tasted the fun of quick getaways during the pandemic induced travel restrictions and this travel habit is all set to become the norm. MakeMyTrip has seen a 70 percent recovery in the short-haul leisure travel segment. Contactless Travel a reality: Post the pandemic, the travel and hospitality industry has made significant efforts to boost confidence among travellers by making services contactless as far as possible. From contactless check-in at airports and hotels; to ordering food and beverages and concierge services at hotels online, contactless offerings are becoming a norm more than an exception. In parallel, travellers are also warming up to the idea of using contactless services and also building appreciation for the tech-rich experiences that promise travel safety, upfront.

Rise of Slow, Immersive Travel: The one thing that this year has taught us is to slow down and somewhat appreciate an unhurried life. So be it a work-ation, staycation or a weekend getaway, travellers are gravitating towards fuller and richer immersive travel experi-

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TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Gear up for new experiences How celebs are ringing in the New Year in New Zealand in 2021 E nding a year full of stress, many Bollywood stars have decided to welcome a brand New Year and enjoying the holidays at their favourite destinations. From Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, Malaika Arora and Karisma Kapoor, Instagram has been flooded with their pictures, giving us all major vacation goals. Take a look: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor

Credits- Fraser Clements

The couple is ringing in New Year with the Kapoor clan in Jaipur. Neetu Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, and Alia’s sister Shaheen were seen in video clip posted on Instagram.

The couple is officially holidaying together in Rajasthan. The duo was spotted separately at Mumbai airport on Tuesday and have flown to the same Ranthambore resort

Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor is enjoying holidays cruising. She posted a picture on Instagram, where she is seen posing in a yacht. The actress is dressed in a white long shirt paired with blue denims. She completed her look with big black sunglasses and bold red lips.

to celebrate the New Year.

Disha Patani

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone

Manea Footprints of Kupe opening.

ant to stand amongst rugby legends, walk alongside New Zealand’s first discoverer, or get lost in the fantastical world of cinematic magic? While we await borders to reopen, here are three more reasons why travellers should put New Zealand on their travel bucket list. Weta Workshop Unleashed: Explore film-making and celebrate creativity Weta Workshop Unleashed is a visual feast that invites guests of all ages to step into a fantastical

ture sculpting, weapons-making to world-building, and everything else in between. Manea Footprints of Kupe: Explore the history of Aotearoa Twenty years in the making, Manea Footprints of Kupe, an interactive Cultural, Heritage, Tourism and Education Centre has opened its doors to welcome visitors on its grounds. Visitors to the attraction, housed in Opononi, Hokianga, also known as the cradle of Māori nationhood, can immerse themselves

a journey of culture and history, leaving travellers with a deeper connection and understanding of a large part of New Zealand history. All Blacks Experience: Pay homage to the world’s rugby legends What’s a trip to New Zealand without diving deep into the world of rugby – the sport that locals live and breathe? The All Blacks Experience, located at Auckland’s SkyCity, is now open to visitors who have always wondered what it takes to be the greatest rugby players in the world. Featuring four interactive handson zones, visitors can test their rugby skills and discover if they are born to kick, pass and train like the legends of the All Blacks, Blacks Ferns, and others who wore the reputable black jersey.

All Blacks Experience, Auckland. Credits- Supplied film effects facility, inspired by Wellington’s Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop. Located at Federal Street in Auckland, this attraction is not for the faint-hearted – visitors should be ready to be blown away by resident creatures, one hyper realistic giant and a galactic robot. A 90-minute guided tour led by the Unleashed crew promises to take visitors out of this world, and into the worlds of three original movie projects of the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres. One blink and they might miss surprise encounters and jaw-dropping environments. This newest attraction is a celebration of creativity and making – from conceptual design to crea-

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in the history of New Zealand or Aotearoa. Hokianga is also the place Kupe, the country’s first discoverer, called home for four decades. Manea aims to preserve, communicate, and celebrate Kupe’s journeys across New Zealand, his departure and capture the Māori story. Through a 75-minute interactive guided tour led by Kupe’s descendants, history-lovers will be exposed to an authentic cultural engagement that includes protocols, pōwhiri (welcome ceremony), storytelling, waiata (song) and karakia (prayers). A 20-minute 4D movie and live theatre performance that bring to life Kupe’s epic journeys serve as the icing on the cake, wrapping up

For rugby fans who’ve always wondered how it feels to be on the receiving end of the iconic Haka, watching the All Blacks perform right before your eyes is the ultimate way to feel the passion of these rugby greats and appreciate the role that this traditional war dance plays in mentally and physically preparing the team as they go into battle on the rugby field.

Malaika Arora and Amrita Arora The Arora sisters Malaika and Amrita are enjoying their time in Goa. Malaika posted an image where she is wearing green co-ords and posing with many plants in the background. The image appears to be taken at the garden of the beach house where she is staying. “Tropical paradise,” she captioned the image. Karisma Kapoor

Disha is in the Maldives and is giving major adventure goals to all. She shared a picture of herself in a bikini as she prepares to go surfing. Disha captioned the picture, “Aquaman feels.” Elli AvrRam Swedish-Greek actress Elli AvrRam also shared holiday vibes from Goa. In a set of new Instagram photos, Elli is seen at a little wayside shop.

Twenty years in the making, Manea Footprints of Kupe, an interactive Cultural, Heritage, Tourism and Education Centre has opened its doors to welcome visitors on its grounds.

/IndianAbroadNews

INTERVIEW

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Christopher Nolan: India is a wonderful place to be in and engage with filmmaking

Jassie Gill: Music as important as food to me

inger Jassie Gill, who debuted in Hindi cinema with the 2018 film ‘Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi’ says what he can feel via music, he wouldn’t be able to feel as deeply otherwise. “Music has a big role in my life and also during these difficult times, because I am a singer. What I can feel via music, I don’t think I’d be able to feel otherwise. Not just this time, music is also your feel-good companion during happiness and all other emotions,” Gill, 32, told IANSlife.

hristopher Nolan feels Hindi films happen to retain the fundamental reasons due to which we enjoy cinema, and that Hollywood has lost some of that essence. In an IANS interview, the Oscar-winning Hollywood maverick added that his trips to India made him aware of the thriving world of Bollywood. He loves everything about the Indian film affair -- from the emotions and the drama, to the action and the music revelry. “(With) my trips to Mumbai, I started engaging more and more with Bollywood and the broad strokes of those movies. They happen to (have the) real fundamental reasons that we watch cinema, and I think Hollywood cinema has lost some of that in some ways,” Nolan said, while opening up on his bond with India. “They (Indian films) are wonderful, kind of fundamental. I call them fundamental subprimal movements. These types of films really engage the audience on a sensory level. It is a very valuable thing to re-inject into Hollywood cinema. That sensory engagement, where you use sights, sounds, and music and everything to have very operatic experiences, I think some of the primal elements of Indian cinema very much suggest that. It is something I really enjoy engaging with,” he said. Nolan has shot portions of his new film “Tenet” in Mumbai, after filming crucial scenes of his 2012 global blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises” in Jodhpur in the past. For “Tenet”, he panned his camera across Mumbai spots

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such as Breach Candy Hospital, Colaba Causeway, Colaba Market, Gateway of India, Grant Road, Royal Bombay Yacht Club, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. “Shooting in India was fantastic. We had shot a section of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in Jodhpur, some years ago. But we shot very briefly, and I always wanted to come back,” he said. “I really enjoyed engaging with the local crew in Mumbai. Their love for the movies, and the love for the experience of making films and watching films, is just something that as a filmmaker is joyful to be a part of,” shared the filmmaker, who has been consistently redefining and influencing the idiom of cinematic entertainment over the years with films such as “Memento”, “Inception”, “Interstellar”, “Dunkirk”, “Insomnia”, “The Prestige” and “The Dark Knight” trilogy. Nolan looks back at his experience of capturing the sights and sounds of India with fondness. “It is a wonderful place to be in and engage with filmmaking. You film in other parts of the world, you know, and people kind of roll their eyes if you are stopping traffic or something. Whereas in India, people just love movies. I love movies. It’s a strong connection,” said the filmmaker, about what bonds him to this country. Beyond shooting in India, his work and love for cinema brought him to the country in 2018 when he joined a session on ‘Reframing the Future of Film’ in Mumbai and met several Bollywood stars. He was back the next year, to shoot his “Tenet”, which sees him explore the

time dimension against a backdrop of a spy thriller. “I had the great fortune of coming to Mumbai for the first time a couple of years ago and meeting local filmmakers to talk about the future of celluloid. That experience of meeting filmmakers of Mumbai and getting to see the sights and sounds of Mumbai was very inspiring for me. It immediately set my imagination to work on how I could come back there and do some shooting,” he recalled. “Tenet” of course, has been a global experience when it comes to shooting, though Nolan admits some of his personal picks would be the shots he canned in Mumbai. “It is a film we have shot all over the world. I think some of my favourite parts of the film, and some of my favourite images from the film were shot in Mumbai. I really had a tremendous experience. The love for films in that city is really palpable.” Dubbed as ‘an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage’, Nolan’s new film takes one on a thrilling time-bending mission with two secret agents, essayed by Robert Pattinson and John David Washington. The Warner Bros. Pictures project also features Bollywood’s Dimple Kapadia, along with Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Clemence Poesy. The film has been shot across seven countries -- India, the US, the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, and Norway. The film is scheduled to release in India on December 4, in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.

/IndianAbroadNews

Gill, who was a mentor on the digital-only musical reality show Smule iDiva ‘1, 2, 3... Riyaaz’ recently featured in “Saath Saath Mein”, an original music video that also featured the show’s winners and co-mentors Lisa Mishra and Kusha Kapila.

Iterating that the show must go on, the Punjabi pop heartthrob says that he made a lot of music during lockdown and launched his own YouTube channel to “release the voice of my heart - whether it’s commercial music or not - on it”. Gill said about the music video: “It was the first time I shot and recorded my own bit, and then it was joined with other bits sent by others.” On the show’s format and his experience of mentoring, he says: “It was a new digital-only reality show, a format we have seen only on television. Housewives, elderly people also entered into the contest, and it made me smile because all people found a good pastime in the show.”

Kirti Kulhari: Time to raise voice against brutal crime of marital rape

t is time that we raise voice against the brutal crime of marital rape, Bollywood actress Kirti Kulhari said on Tuesday. The actress is currently seen in the web series Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, which is centred on the heinous crime.

“Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors sheds light on what exactly happens behind closed doors in married life. It displays how one person can overpower an entire relationship in the name of love and what are its consequences. It’s time to raise a stern voice against the brutal crime of marital rape and abuse, conditioned by a happy marriage taboo that has been created by society. It’s a pain that most educated or uneducated men or women face with silence,” she said. The series casts Kirti as Anuradha, who is a victim of marital abuse by her husband, the affluent lawyer Vikram Chandra (played by Jisshu Sengupta). Talking about her decision to play the character, the actress shared: “I wanted to play the character of Anuradha Chandra because through her I wanted to communicate the emotions and pain that a person goes through while suffering marital abuse. She

belongs to a wealthy family and still faces the brutal suffering of marital abuse, which eventually silences her emotions. She is so broken, she has been dead from within for years.” The recently released eight-part courtroom drama series also features Pankaj Tripathi, Anupriya Goenka, Deepti Naval, Mita Vashisht, and Ashish Vidyarthi. The show is directed by Rohan Sippy and Arjun Mukerjee, and written by Apurva Asrani.

SPORTS

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

A forgettable year for Indian cricket Indian team needs urgent learned in the first Test will forge a stronger team for the Boxing Day Test and subsequent matches in Sydney and Brisbane.

“I am very, very confident that we will definitely learn from this. I don’t think we have ever had a worse batting performance, so we can only go upwards from here, and understand as a team we can do special things when we think of partnerships and batting together,” he said. “So, I am very, very confident that we will bounce back strongly in the next one, and I have no doubts you will see guys stepping up and really realising their true character.” And that’s something which not only Team India but Indian cricket fans would also be hoping for as they look to end what has been a year to forget. On the women front, the Indian team played 11 international matches -- all T20 internationals. Out of these they registered wins in eight matches. Going by the numbers, the performance of the Indian team looks highly impressive.

By Aakash Kumar

eople around the world would like to forget 2020 -- and probably erase it from their memories as well, if possible -- because of Covid-19 pandemic. And most of the members of the Indian men and women cricket teams, too, would not look back at this year fondly for different reasons. When one looks at 2020, which would go down in history as the ‘Year of Covid-19’, one finds that the performance of both men’s and women’s teams did not meet the expectations of millions of followers in cricket crazy India -- and perhaps, their own, too. And the recent debacle of Virat Kohli’s boys against the Aussies at the Adelaide Oval rubbed salt into the wounds of Indian cricket fans who have already been busy tackling the pandemic. The men’s team played a total of 23 international matches -- three Tests, 11 T20Is, nine ODIs, and 11 T20Is. It lost all three Tests this year -- one Test is still to be played this year, against Australia, from December 26 in Melbourne -- though it registered wins in 10 T20s and three ODIs, all against Australia. Losing just one of the 11 T20 matches is appreciable. Had the T20 World Cup taken place this October, as originally scheduled, this performance would have been considered as good preparation. The World Cup has been postponed to the next year because of the pandemic. However, it’s the other two for-

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mats -- Tests and ODIs -- that Kohli talks about and pays more importance to, where the team’s performance has been poor. While India lost six of the nine ODIs they played, they failed to register a single win in Test matches and even lost the number one spots both on the ICC rankings and the ICC Test Championship. On the other hand, the Test team did not perform well. Towards the end of the year, India began the defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on an abysmal note as they slumped to their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket when they were dismissed for 36 runs in the second innings of the day-night first Test against Tim Paine’s Australia. The scores of the Indian players read: 4, 9, 2, 0, 4, 0, 8, 4, 0, 4, 1, which newspapers used as their headlines to describe what turned out to be the most dismal batting performance by an Indian Test team ever. On an individual note, Kohli, 32, the linchpin of Indian batting, finished the year without an international hundred -- a first since his debut in international cricket in 2011. He played only nine ODI matches, three Tests and 10 T20s and his highest score was 89. But what will probably hurt Kohli the most is his last international outing this year. Also, star players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Jasprit Bumrah were not able to win matches for their team. Kohli believes the harsh lessons

However, the three losses include one which will sting them the most -- the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup against Australia on March 8 --the International Women’s Day -- at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In a game that saw a record attendance of 86,174 spectators -the biggest for a women’s cricket match ever -- the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was never in the hunt. Young sensation Shafali Verma dropped a sitter of Alyssa Healy in the very first over of Australia’s innings and the Indian eves could never recover from that. The mighty Aussies posted 184/4 in their allotted 20 overs, in reply of which the Indian team could muster only 99 runs, before getting bowled in the final over of the match. The post-match scenes at the ground showed some of the young Indian players in tears, as they failed to clinch what would have been India’s maiden World Cup title for the Indian team. That was the last international game the women’s team played and are scheduled to tour Australia for a limited-overs series next year only.

On an individual note, Kohli, 32, the linchpin of Indian batting, finished the year without an international hundred -- a first since his debut in international cricket in 2011. /IndianAbroadNews

injection to revitalise itself

By Yajurvindra Singh

he uncertainties of cricket played a cruel joke on the Indian team in the first Test match against Australia in Adelaide. Indian supporters and fans were aghast when India posted their lowest ever total of 36 runs in their second innings. The super stars of modern India, considered to be the best cricket team that India has ever produced, looked amateurish. They now need to resurrect and forget the appalling performance. Cricket, as one says, is a great leveller. The highs and lows are unpredictable; therefore, the game is a way of life. It teaches one to be humble in victory and resilient after one faces defeat. The Indian team will need to bring about that quality when they get into the second Test match starting on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. What happened to the Indian batting will remain a topic of discussion. There were shades of such performance even when India toured South Africa, England, and New Zealand earlier. This was not a unique incident in the way that the Indian side succumbed to good, consistent swing bowling. However, the paltry total is the bone of contention. One was amused to hear one of the elite commentators mentioning as to whether India will surpass their lowest total of 42 runs which was another shocking performance at Lord’s in 1974. This was the least of one’s worries when the Indian batters were falling like ninepins. The Australian bowlers did bowl wonderfully well and, with their tails-up, looked unplayable at times. The performance of the Indian team had experts and critics analysing their faulty batting technique and lack of footwork. Many had never played the game at that level and some of the senior cricketers were the ones who had also succumbed to such a disaster in their playing days. For me, however, rather than India’s batting ability, which was quite acceptable in the first innings, it was the mental weakness that was highlighted when the chips were down. India has had such batting debacles in the past and the reason given was always that Indians lacked the mental toughness to perform under pressure. India of the 21st century boast how Indians have got over their inferiority complex and have the strength and belief now to shine in every possible way against the best in the world. These were also the sort of statements made and impressions created which were conveyed to the cricketing world. This, therefore, naturally created a huge expectation from the Indian cricket fans and followers. The last two years have shown that when the team is faced with an adverse situation, as

it happened in the World Cup and on their overseas tours, the players seem to collapse mentally. The social media is an area of pressure that was never experienced before in a cricketer’s life. It is a wonderful tool that is a boon when one does well as most of the Indian cricket stars having millions of followers, but it becomes the medium that mocks and criticises one when one fails. The young Prithvi Shaw, a very talented Indian batting prodigy, who was hailed as one who could follow in the footsteps of the great Sachin Tendulkar, with a Test century on debut and a healthy average of 48 in Test cricket, became a prime example of it. His failure in both the innings in the first Test match has been analysed and assessed to death. He definitely will not be playing in any of the matches to follow but will be a complete mental mess on his return. His technique will be tampered with and one wonders in time, whether he will become a victim to being one who finally lost his natural flare and stroke-play for which he was renowned. Shaw’s replacement in the Indian team will be K.L. Rahul, who went through exactly the same predicament and lost his place in the Indian Test side. A good run in the limited-overs format has Rahul back in contention, with a belief that form and confidence will get him past his earlier faults. One hopes he does well or else he would be the next in-line to come home defeated. The present Australian side is not a great batting unit if Steve Smith fails. India were in the driving seat with a lead of 53 runs in the first innings of the Test match even after dropping five catches. The Australian batting also failed pathetically, having scored less than 200 runs. The Indian bowling did really well. However, it was the Australian bowling in that one session that broke the back of the Indian batting in the second innings of the match. It takes 10 good deliveries to get a team out in cricket. Normally, lady luck shines on a team as well as on the players who encounter it. Unfortunately for India, December 19, 2020, was not one of those days. The Indian team must be mentally defeated. They have a coach in Ravi Shastri who has experienced failures such as this in his career and has been mentally tough to get over it. He has a major task in getting his boys back in the fray, mentally, physically and technically. In this pandemic bio-secure bubble that the players are subjected to, a mental coach would have been an essential person to assist him. Yajurvindra Singh is a former Test cricketer. Views expressed are personal.

BOOKS

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Books to mark the year gone by examines the moment we’re in, how we got here, and how together we can create a just and equal world.

rom a presidential memoir to COVID-focused reads, the insights by an influential former civil servant, The Dalai Lama’s message on climate change and a power-packed book by the co-founder of Black Lives Matter movement, 2020 was a significant year for books. Here’s what kept us company during the tumultuous 2020.

unforgettable characters who seek to rise-to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies-and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making-from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency-a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office. A Burning by Megha Majumdar For readers of Tommy Orange, Yaa Gyasi, and Jhumpa Lahiri, an electrifying debut novel about three

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This is an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe. They seek to rise-to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies. One is Jivan, a Muslim girl from the slums accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. The second is PT Sir, an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, only to find his own ascent linked to Jivan’s fall. And the third is Lovely, an irresistible outcast who has an alibi that can set Jivan free-but at the cost of everything she holds dear. Taut, symphonic, propulsive and riveting right from the outset, A Burning has the force of an epic while being so masterfully compressed that it can be read in a single sitting. Majumdar writes with dazzling assurance, at a breakneck pace, on complex themes that read as the components of a thriller: class, fate, corruption, justice and what it feels like to face profound obstacles while nurturing big dreams in a country spinning towards extremism. The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza In a powerful and timely exploration of recent racial history, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter began as a hashtag when Alicia Garza wrote what she calls ‘a love letter to Black people’ on Facebook. But hashtags don’t build movements, she tells us. People do. Interwoven with Garza’s experience of life as a Black woman, The Purpose of Power is the story of how she responded to the persistent message that Black lives are of less value than white lives by galvanizing people to create change. It’s an insight into grass roots organizing to deliver basic needs - affordable housing, workplace protections, access to good education - to those locked out of the economy by racism. It is an attempt not only to make sense of where Black Lives Matter came from but also to understand the possibilities that Black Lives Matter and movements like it hold for our collective futures. Ultimately, it’s an appeal to hearts and minds, demanding that we think about our privileges and prejudices and ask how we might contribute to the change we want to see in the world. Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside by N.K. Singh

the quintessential academic that academia never got. His life’s work, as chronicled in this book has indeed been intertwined with the progress India has made. In many such cases, Singh has been not just an active contributor but has also given shape to those many momentous decisions-whether through the use of diplomacy or the rigours of understanding the mechanism of the levers of power or, for that matter, by consensus building. Portraits of Power is not just an autobiography of a man, who for several decades has played an active role in India’s march towards becoming a formidable economy; it is indeed, on multiple levels, a book that profiles myriad institutions that work in harmony to make things happen. And in everything that N.K. Singh has done, so in this book too, there is both incisive clarity and insightful anecdotal heft. Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World by The Dalai Lama and Franz Alt

Saving the environment is our collective duty. With each passing day, climate change is causing Pacific islands to disappear into the sea, accelerating the extinction of species at alarming proportions and aggravating a water shortage that has affected the entire European continent. In short, climate change can no longer be denied it threatens our existence on earth. In this inspiring new book, the Dalai Lama, one of the most influential figures of our time, calls on political decision-makers to finally fight against deadlock and ignorance on this issue. He argues that we all need to stand up for a different and more climate-friendly world, and to allow the younger generation to assert their right to regain their future. From the voice of the beloved world religious leader comes this eye-opening manifesto that empowers the generation of today to step up, take action and protect our world.

N.K. Singh has been a formidable civil servant, an empathetic politician, a keen chronicler of India’s socioeconomic history and

The Battle Of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be Indian by Shashi Tharoor

There are over a billion Indians alive today. But are some Indians more Indian than others? To answer this question, one that is central to the identity of every man, woman, and child who belongs to the modern Republic of India, eminent thinker and bestselling writer Shashi Tharoor explores hotly contested ideas of nationalism, patriotism, citizenship, and belonging. In the course of his study, he explains what nationalism is, and can be, reveals who is anti-national, what patriotism actually means, and explores the nature and future of Indian nationhood. He gives us a clear-sighted view of the forces working to undermine the eidea of India’ (a phrase coined by Rabindranath Tagore) that has evolved through history and which, in its modern form, was enshrined in India’s Constitution by its founding fathers. Divided into six sections, the book starts off by exploring historical and contemporary ideas of nationalism, patriotism, liberalism, democracy, and humanism, many of which emerged in the West in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and quickly spread throughout the world. The author then summarizes India’s liberal constitutionalism, exploring the enlightened values that towering leaders and thinkers like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, Patel, Azad, and others invested the nation with. These are contrasted with the narrow-minded, divisive, sectarian, eus vs them’ alternatives formulated by Hindutva ideologues, and propagated by their followers who are now in office. Firmly anchored in incontestable scholarship, yet passionately and fiercely argued, The Battle of Belonging is a book that unambiguously establishes what true Indianness is and what it means to be a patriotic and nationalistic Indian in the twenty-first century. Till We Win: India’s Fight Against The Covid-19 Pandemic by Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, Dr Gagandeep Kang, Dr Randeep Guleria When will India ever win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic? How long do we have to use masks? When can we expect a Continued on next page...

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BOOKS

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021 Continued from previous page...

is no definitive treatment against COVID-19? How can we protect our family from this disease? How should we respond to this ‘new normal’ as an individual and as a community? What is the way forward? Offering insights on how India continues to fight the pandemic, Till We Win is a must-read for everyone. It is a book for the people, for political leaders, policymakers and physicians, with the promise and potential to transform public health in India. No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer

safe and effective vaccine? Do we need to wear masks even after we get a vaccine? What if there

Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings reveals for the first time the unorthodox culture behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies.

There has never before been a company like Netflix. It has led nothing short of a revolution in the

entertainment industries, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue while capturing the imaginations of hundreds of millions of people in over 190 countries. But to reach these great heights, Netflix, which launched in 1998 as an online DVD rental service, has had to reinvent itself over and over again. This type of unprecedented flexibility would have been impossible without the counterintuitive and radical management principles that cofounder Reed Hastings established from the very beginning. Hastings rejected the conventional wisdom under which other companies operate and defied tradition to instead build a culture focused on freedom and responsibility, one that has allowed Netflix to adapt and innovate as the needs of its members and

the world have simultaneously transformed. Here for the first time, Hastings and Erin Meyer, bestselling author of The Culture Map and one of the world’s most influential business thinkers, dive deep into the controversial ideologies at the heart of the Netflix psyche, which have generated results that are the envy of the business world. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees from around the globe and never-before-told stories of trial and error from Hastings’s own career, No Rules Rules is the fascinating and untold account of the philosophy behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies.

Five good reads by women authors

rom what keeps women out of the workplace, to stories that connect law and humanity, here are five female authors to end your year and with.

Venus” explores the internal external reasons that prevent women from pursuing the career of their dreams or run a business.

‘Yours Legally’ by Sonia Sahijwani

Neha Jain

’Love Or Life Choices’ by Neha Jain

Yours Legally ‘Yours Legally’ is a collection of

people; the aftermath is simply indefinite and unidentifiable. Maybe, the lines of fate decide the final outcome. Twists and turns are a part and parcel of each of these stories, written in lucid language. ’Have The Women Left Venus’ by Geet Mala Jalota Have The Women Left Venus

six short stories related to the interesting and unusual field of law narrated through the eyes of Sia, the protagonist. These are independent yet connected stories with the common elements of law, and humanity. “The book is based on and inspired by real life incidents and events which I was fortunate enough to experience and witness, and stories which I felt needed to come out in the literary world. It has been written in a way that it appeals to not just those who are a part of the profession but even those who might not have ever stepped inside the court nor heard anything about the law,” says Sonia Sahijwani Saini. ‘Lines of Fate’ by Neelam Saxena Chandra Lines of Fate ‘Lines of Fate’ is a short story collection consisting of selected, distinctive and unique tales from different walks of life set in the Indian diaspora. When the dice is rolled, one does not know what the outcome will be. Similarly, whenever there is an encounter between

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uniqueness and standing by one other at all times. The protagonist Adi is unique with innate abilities to see and travel through altered dimensions, clairvoyance, clairaudience and telepathic, however is naive to his own abilities. He has a rare immunity disorder that makes him physically sick most of the time but as the universe unravels itself Adi finds his higher self Man-

asvini, protector rakshak and a white bearded man who trains him in the astral world to unleash Adi’s true potential. He discovers that he is not what he thinks he is but his potential is much higher than his set of limitations, the past present and future existed at the same time and everyone has the ability to defy space and time.

Vivan and Anubhuti are great friends during their graduation time when they first met each other. But towards the end, they start loving each other. Post-graduation is a really tough time for them. Friendship, love, separation, surprise meetings and reunions run through Vivan and Anubhuti’s relationship during five important phases of their lives. Discover this enchanting story of love and friendship full of the real practicalities of our normal lives. ’The Involution’ by Vijayalata N

For many women today, there are no role models at home to learn how to navigate the workplace. Women learn to copy their male bosses, subverting their strengths. The book aims to corrects this gap. It points out leadership behaviours practised by women confident in their feminity. Using interviews with 60 women from India and abroad, the book crystallizes the success factors and some of the reasons why women leave the workplace. “Have the Women Left

The Involution “The Involution: The Beginning” is a science fiction novel revolving around multidimensional planes of existence. It combines spiritual, mythological and scientific realms into reality which unlocks the subtlety of one’s true potential which blossoms in our tough times as resilience and miracle. The story revolves around four college students Adi, Kriday, Rudra and Deepti, their friendship which entails accepting each other’s

/IndianAbroadNews

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Bollywood singers get hooked to non-film songs

ollywood singers have been releasing non-film singles over the years, but 2020 saw an increasing number of artistes explore the indie scene, and fans are not complaining. Here’s a list of singers who entertained their fans with singles in the pandemic era: DHVANI BHANUSHALI The young singer has been successful at balancing Bollywood and non-film music careers. If she delivered Bollywood chartbusters like “Dilbar” and “Psycho saiyaan”, her singles such as “Vaaste” and “Leja re” have been fan favourites, too. This year too, she didn’t disappoint her fans. She released singles “Na ja tu”, “Baby girl”, “Nayan” and “Jeetenge hum”, which she dedicated to the frontline workers who are battling the Covid-19 pandemic. Her steady flow of songs proves her career graph is only on the rise. ARMAAN MALIK He is the voice behind top Bollywood tracks like “Main hoon hero tera”, “ Tumhe apna banane ka” and “Jab tak”. He has also sung in multiple languages like Telugu and Tamil. And this year, he launched his first international single “Control”. He followed it up with more English songs “Next 2 me” and “How many”. He continued to churn out songs in the Hindi nonfilm music space, with “Veham” being his latest one. He added a feather in his cap winning Best India Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. PAPON For years, he has been singing in multiple languages including Assamese and Hindi. Known to Bollywood music buffs for his songs such as “Kyon” and “Bulleya”, Papon has a cult fan base in the independent music space as well. Making good use of lockdown, he came up with multiple singles this year including “Haaye rabba”,

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“Nilaanjana”, “Mujhe kisi se pyar nahin” and his latest, “Maula”. BADSHAH A plagiarism charge and a fake hits controversy generated much negative news about Badshah, but neither could keep his popularity down. The rapper unveiled an array of singles in 2020 like most years. Out of them, “Genda phool” was the most-talked about, for all the wrong reasons. He was accused of lifting portions off Ratan Kahar’s classic Bengali folk song “Boroloker biti lo” without giving the artiste any credit. Badshah promptly paid the veteran folk singer, and promised to collaborate with him in a future project. The fake hits controversy followed. According to an IANS report in August, Badshah reportedly admitted to Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), to shelling out over Rs. 75 lakh for promoting his album with fake likes and followers. However, the rap superstar’s hit count kept rising, undeterred. Among his biggest hits this year are the singles like “Awaara” and “Toxic”. His song with Fazilpuria, “Haryana Roadways” also became a rage. NEHA KAKKAR She is Bollywood’s numero uno female voice at the moment, and despite film production being shut she had a very busy year with back-to-back singles including “Moscow Suka (with Yo Honey Singh)”, “Bheegi bheegi”, “Taaron ke shehar”, and “Teri aankhon mein”. She literally announced her wedding with the music video “Nehu da Vyah”, with her husband, singer Rohanpreet Singh, and then within weeks Neha announced “Khyaal rakhta kar” in a way that would make it seem like she was pregnant. It was a publicity stunt, of course. GURU RANDHAWA

The Punjabi star is popular for his singles being given a Bollywood touch, as his hit songs get featured in Hindi films quite often. Be it “Suit suit” or “Ban jaa rani”, his singles have been used by Bollywood filmmakers. In 2020, he made his fans dance to singles like “Nach meri rani” and “Baby girl”. YO YO HONEY SINGH He is an artiste whose roots go back to the early days of the newage Indian indie music scene. In Bollywood, he is known for hits such as “Yaar naa miley” and “The Lungi Dance”. This year not only saw him releasing his own singles, but also launching a new face, Ipsitaa, with the track, “First kiss”. Most recently, the rapper unveiled “Jingle bell” with artiste Hommie Dilliwala. He also has “Saiyaan ji” in his kitty. AMAAL MALLIK Armaan’s brother and composer-singer Amaal Mallik, known for Bollywood compositions like “Sooraj dooba hai”, “Main hoon hero tera” and “Naina”, entered the non-film music territory with the pop song “Tu mera nahi” as a singer. The track got a party version too. The re-imagined track was curated by DJ Shadow Dubai.

Bollywood singers have been releasing nonfilm singles over the years, but 2020 saw an increasing number of artistes explore the indie scene, and fans are not complaining. /IndianAbroadNews

KANIKA KAPOOR

song is an instant hit.

She was one of the first Indian celebrities to have contracted coronavirus. But she ensured to end the year with at least one single. Known for Bollywood hits like “Baby doll” and “Chittiyaan kalaiyaan”, Kanika released “Jugni 2.0” in December. She basically gave a new twist to her single “Jugni ji”, which had released eight years ago. The

ARJUN KANUNGO The “Khoon choos le” singer has made it big in the non-film music scene, especially after his breakout hit “Baaki baatein peene baad”. This year was no different for him. He continued to give melodious singles like “Dil kho ke”, “Tum na ho” and “Waada hai”.

Sara Ali Khan: I don’t look at stardom

n a span of two years, Sara Ali Khan has seen the highs of glamour and has also garnered a substantial fan base. The daughter of Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh may have been born in the lap of fame, but she insists she does not believe in stardom.

“I don’t look at stardom. Till now, I don’t use the word fans. I don’t use the word star. I don’t believe in these things. I think Friday to Friday -- I mean it used to be Friday and it can now be released any day. With every release of a film your stature, stardom -- whatever you call it -- keeps changing,” Sara told IANS. “I think the only thing that matters is your ‘neeyat’ (intention). Aapki jo ‘neeyat’ hoti hai woh matter karta hai aur kahin na kahin jo aapki shiddat, passion aur junoon hota hai woh matter karta hai (what matters is your intention, hard work, passion and craze). Everything else keeps changing and will continue to change,” she added. Sara entered Bollywood in 2018 with Abhishek Kapoor’s “Kedarnath”, co-starring late Sushant Singh Rajput. She was then seen in Rohit Shetty’s “Simmba” opposite Ranveer Singh, the Kartik Aaryan co-starrer “Love Aajkal 2” by Imtiaz Ali, and, her latest release, David Dhawan’s “Coolie No. 1” opposite Varun Dhawan.

Coming from a family of stars and having worked with that sort of a line-up of big co-stars and co-actors, Sara says she is lucky. While friends lament their nine-to-five jobs, for Sara acting is no work. “I am lucky to be in a profession I like. I see a couple of people -friends of mine -- do nine-to-five jobs they don’t like, and are like, “oh god! work’. But this is not work. My work is the most exciting part of my life. I am lucky to have that, rest is all irrelevant,” Sara, who is the granddaughter of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and former skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, said.

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Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

How forever busy TV stars busted a year of no action

or the TV stars, the year that was one that augured withdrawal symptoms of sorts. An industry that is used to working up to 16 hours a day suddenly had no work. The Covid-induced lockdown made everyone take a break, though not in an intended way. For the average actor of daily soaps, this was a drastic change in lifestyle, unprecedented and unexpected. Most in the television industry decided to use the extended tenure constructively, to ward off psychological duress. While all shooting stopped, TV actors, in order to stay distracted from the sudden reality that they had too much free time at hand for comfort, used the time off to pursue different interests or polish their other skills. For the Indian soap star, the year 2020 will go down as one that let them go on a trip for self-discovery and introspection. Here, some of our popular soap stars tell IANS what the year was all about for them: SRITI JHA Sriti, known to fans as Pragya in “Kumkum Bhagya”, found her stressbuster in reading. “While I did not shoot for ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ due to lockdown, I read a lot of novels. I enjoyed spending time reading up and looking at beautiful sunsets. I also enjoyed watching a lot of different shows and series, but reading was the best part,” she told IANS. MUGDHA CHAPEKAR Sriti’s co-star Mugdha, on the other

hand, honed her cooking skills. “I love experimenting with different cuisines, and during the break from ‘Kumkum’ shoot, I tried out my hand at a lot of new dishes. In fact, apart from my immediate family, I also shared food with friends and extended family and all of them had a great time munching on new delicacies,” she shared. AASIF SHEIKH He has been essaying the role of Vibhuti Narayan Mishra in “Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai” without a break for years now. Lockdown came as a blessing in disguise. While he longed to get back to shoot, he also found lots of free time to spend with his family. “I mastered the skill of cooking and would try out new recipes every now and then. It is one of the hobbies that helped me stay engaged and brought me closer to my family as well. My children were pleasantly surprised by their father’s chef side and my wife was relieved too to learn that I could do more than acting! I have always had a strong passion for food, so the lockdown gave me a chance to upskill myself,” he said. APARA MEHTA She saw lockdown as a blessing in disguise. “For many years, I have only worked from morning to night. Lockdown let me know my home once again -- being a mother and a daughter and a wife, being that whole thing once again,” said the “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” actress.

“During the first 21 days when we were at home, there were no doorbells ringing, no maids coming, no cook coming, nothing, so we as a family divided our household work. I myself am a fabulous cook and I never had the chance of trying it out, I got to do all that. We realised the value of our helps so much. I felt well-rested doing household work and eating only home food, I lost a lot of weight. Everybody in my family lost weight,” added the actress, now seen in “Indiawaali Maa”. TANNAZ IRANI Lockdown, she says, was the busiest time of her life. “I actually had a lot of time in hand and had to find ways to spend it productively -- this was the weirdest phenomenon that I experienced. Having said that, I managed to use my time to cook and clean and even began working out at home. I did everything that I was not used to doing on a daily basis. We have a garden, and I started playing badminton with my family. I used to spend almost every night watching TV and web series till nearly 4 am,” she said. “Neither did me nor my children ever get bored during this period and the main thing I focussed on was to let my kids have extreme fun in the house and not get irritated with being at home. They enjoyed eating all the stuff I cooked. Bhaktiyar (her husband) and I had a fabulous time watching some new English series or making new videos on different apps every day,” she added.

ROHITASHV GOUR The lockdown period meant family time for him. “When quarantine was announced, my family was ecstatic to learn that I too will be at home for long. It truly made me realise how important it is to connect with your family. We started the tradition of eating all our meals together and playing board games every Sunday. I helped around the house as we distributed the chores. One hobby that I took on was dancing, my children one day turned on music and asked me to join in. It was great fun to shake a leg with them, had there not been a lockdown I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to do so,” he said. RAJESH KUMAR Actor Rajesh Kumar has been part of many hit shows such as “Baa Bahoo Aur Baby” and “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai”. The year 2020 was one when he took to organic farming, among other things. “One thing that I started this year and enjoyed so much was cooking. While cooking, eating and tasting, I turned into a good chef. I got back to cooking as I used to do when I was a bachelor and I used to stay alone in Mumbai. I had actually learnt cooking at that time and I still remember when I made something for the first time, it wouldn’t turn out really well. But that day I decided that I will ace my cooking skills and today I can proudly say that I love cooking. In fact, I help my wife in cutting and chopping vegetables and take charge of the kitchen. I make so

many items in one go. Now, I don’t just grow food but I know how to cook the food too,” said the actor, who is currently seen in the show “Excuse Me Maadam”. SUCHEETA TRIVEDI Sucheeta, who is part of the show “Indiawaali Maa”, developed a daily routine of cleaning and cooking. She also picked up tips on how to make pickles from her motherin-law. “I learnt to dry those special material sarees like zardozi sarees in summer so that they don’t get spoiled easily,” she said. TANVI DOGRA Lockdown stressbuster was all about spending time with family for Tanvi. “I always resisted myself from cooking, but I decided to learn with the help of my father. Always cheering and encouraging my cooking skills, I learned how to make samosas and few more Punjabi dishes from him. This is how I spent my free time cooking and catching up on some movies that I missed,” said the actress. ANANG DESAI The “Mere Sai” actor caught up with his passion of time listening to songs and reading, while also helping out the family with domestic chores. Desai says he also used the lockdown stint to catch up with the right way to communicate amid the new normal. “There were various webinars which I was a part of on various platforms,” he explained.

Harsh Varrdhan on working with dad Anil Kapoor in ‘AK Vs AK’ A ctor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor got a chance to share screen space with his father Anil Kapoor in the new film AK Vs AK, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

alised hyperactive version of himself in Vikramaditya Motwane’s film that stars Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap as versions of their real selves in a fictional story.

Harsh Varrdhan plays a fiction-

“I’m thrilled to have had the oppor-

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tunity to work with Vikramaditya Motwane again. who is one of the finest filmmakers we have, the scenes we shot were completely crazy and a lot of fun,” Harsh said, who was earlier directed by Motwane in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero.

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He added: “It was great working with dad and Anurag for the first time and I got to learn a lot from them. I felt very comfortable with Vikram’s vision and improvised a lot of my lines which was a blast!”

AK Vs AK also has cameos by Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam and brother Boney Kapoor as themselves in the film, which released on December 24.

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Rahul Roy: ‘My wish for this Sunny Leone shares and New Year year from Santa would be Xmas wishes for fans that I recover completely’

iling Bollywood actor Rahul Roy shared on Christmas Day that the only wish he wants Santa to grant him this year is that he recover completely and get back to normal life.

Rahul shared a throwback photograph with his mother, and present-day photographs from the hospital where he is currently admitted to, along with a photo of his Canada-based twin brother Rohit Roy. In the photo, the actor poses wearing a Santa Claus cap and stands beside his sister Pia. “Merry Christmas to all my fans. Becoming a Santa from the hospital, along with my Mom, Brother Rohit, sister @priyankaroy_pia and brother in law @romeersen. My wish for this year from Santa would be that I recover completely and get back to shoot soon, and the world gets back to normal too. Love you all,” Rahul Roy wrote on his verified Instagram account. Rahul Roy has been undergoing treatment after suffering a brain stroke in the end of November, while shooting for the upcoming film “LAC: Live The Battle In Kargil”.

He was flown to Mumbai and admitted to Nanavati Hospital, and later shifted to a Mira Road hospital on December 8, where he is undergoing speech therapy, phys-

iotherapy and other treatments. Recently, Roy underwent angiography of the brain and the heart.

Gauahar Khan shares photos of her Mehndi ceremony

odel-actress Gauahar Khan on Thursday shared photo-

graphs of her mehndi ceremony

unny Leone has shared Christmas and New Year wishes for fans, urging them to spread love rather than hate in the time of global pandemic. “I would like to wish Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my fans and followers. During this festive season, let’s be safe; spread love because we are living in a time where we need to spread more love than hate,” she said. Sunny was interacting with IANS at the launch Zooppy Movies Quiz App in Mumbai. The actress, who has over 42 million followers on Instagram, and that’s one of the reasons she was said: “It feels

on Instagram. She posted images of her mehndi decorated hands on the photo and video sharing website.

“Mehendi ki raat aayi! Thanking my

amazing. I love my fans and I think they are the best. It feels good to have that many followers.” On the work front, Sunny has started shooting for Vikram Bhatt’s Anamika, billed as a ‘Gun-Fu’ action series with 10 episodes. Sunny will be seen in an action avatar in the show. The series will be shot in Mumbai, and the first schedule is slated to be wrapped up by the end of the year. Written and directed by Vikram Bhatt, the series is produced by Bhatt and his daughter Krishna Bhatt, and set to release on MX Player.

jaan, my brother @asaadzkhan

for the lovely gift that I’m wearing which was given to me 4 years

back! You couldn’t make it to the wedding but the love surely did!

It’s so special to wear the blessings you have sent me on my big day. This is for you Asabhai and @sa-

breen.a.jan,” she wrote as caption. The actress chose a traditional

yellow colour outfit with zari work for her mehndi ceremony. She

completed her bridal look with golden danglers and minimal

makeup, and a zari dupatta covering her head.

Gauahar is all set to get mar-

ried to beau Zaid Darbar. Zaid, a

choreographer and a social media influencer, is the son of noted music composer Ismail Darbar.

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/IndianAbroadNews

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 1, Feb 16-28, 2021

Big B traces generations on Twitter Kriti Sanon: Getting my

strength back post Covid

ollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan took to social media to give a glimpse of three generations of his family.

The actor posted a throwback image of the three generations -- Amitabh Bachchan’s maternal grandfather Khazan Singh Suri, Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek. They all are seen wearing turban in the image. “Nana .. pota .. par pota,” Big B wrote with the image. Earlier, Amitabh Bachchan shared an old picture remembering his late mother Teji Bachchan. Big B posted a monochrome picture from his younger days on Instagram. The image features Amitabh, his mother Teji and brother Ajitabh. “That very special day when you simply had to get photographed .. Ma , younger brother and moi .. you wanted to show off your very first bush shirt,” he wrote alongside the caption.

Meanwhile, the actor has a busy year ahead, with a big line-up of films coming up. He will be seen with Emraan Hashmi in “Chehre”, and also in Nagraj Manjule’s “Jhund”. In Ayan Mukerji’s “Brahmastra” he shares screen space with Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt,

Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy. Big B’s upcoming roster also has “Mayday”, co-starring Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh, and directed by Devgn. His other forthcoming release is an untitled film with Prabhas and Deepika Padukone.

Class of ‘21: Bollywood debutants coming up in new year

one of the high-profile Bollywood launches in 2020 happened owing to the pandemic, so several aspiring actors are looking forward to the year that is coming up. A mix of star kids and outsiders are scheduled to enter Bollywood over the next 12 months. IANS takes a look at the names who will most likely create waves: Vijay Deverakonda

The Telugu superstar, who gained all-India popularity with his 2017 Telugu blockbuster “Arjun Reddy”, will be seen alongside Ananya Panday in Dharma Productions’ upcoming film directed by Puri Jagannadh. Promoted as a pan-India film, the project is aimed at showcasing Deverakonda as an all-India star material. Ahan Shetty Action hero Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan is all set to hit the big screen opposite the “Student Of The Year 2” actress Tara Sutaria in “Tadap”. The announcement of the Milan Luthria directorial was made last year. The film is a remake of the 2018 Telugu romantic drama “RX 100” that became a big hit. Manushi Chhillar She brought home the Miss World crown in 2017, and is now all set to debut in Bollywood with the period drama “Prithviraj”, starring Akshay Kumar in the title role of the warrior king Prithviraj Chauhan. Manushi

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ollywood actress Kriti Sanon is working towards getting her strength back after battling Covid. Kriti posted a video on Instagram, where she is seen indulging in a pilates session, dressed in purple sports bra and black lycra pants. “Hang in there.. 2020 is finally about to end! This year has been hard in every way, but it has only made me realise that I am much stronger than I thought I was! Getting my strength back post Covid! Had to end the year with my fav form of workout: Pilates with my favvvv person,” Kriti wrote.

Earlier this month, Kriti released an official statement revealing that she tested negative for Covid-19, and thanked everyone for their good wishes. On December 9, Kriti had announced that she had tested positive for Covid-19, adding that she was “feeling fine”. The actress had tested positive on returning from Chandigarh where she had been shooting with actor Rajkummar Rao for Abhishek Jain’s upcoming comedy “Second Innings”. The film also stars Paresh Rawal and Dimple Kapadia, and is scheduled to release next year.

Suhana Khan shares Snow White vibes in new post

plays Prithivraj’s lover Sanyogita. The Yash Raj Films historical, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, was initially eyeing a Diwali 2020 release, but had to be pushed back owing to the pandemic. Rashmika Mandanna Rashmika is an actress in the Telugu and Kannada film industries, and has done a Tamil film, too. She makes her Bollywood debut with “Mission Majnu” opposite Sidharth Malhotra. The espionage thriller, directed by Shantanu Bagchi, is inspired by a true story set in the 1970s. There are reports that she has bagged another Bollywood film that stars Amitabh Bachchan. Namashi Chakraborty Early stills of his debut film “Bad Boy” drew comparisons with the handsome features of his father, yesteryears’ superstar Mithun Chakraborty. The youngster is ready to take on all the comparisons and is excited about the romantic comedy film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Namashi

describes his debut feature as a “fun and youthful film”. He is paired with debutant Amrin Qureshi, daughter of Sajid Qureshi, who is the producer of the film. Rinzing Denzongpa Son of veteran actor Danny Denzongpa, Rinzing will show his action avatar in “Squad”. His debut film has also been delayed due to the pandemic. He has been cast opposite Malvika, who is the niece of veteran actress Anita Raaj. Many would remember Malvika as the young Pooja, or Poo in Karan Johar’s 2001 directorial “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham”.

uhana Khan, daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, shares Snow White vibes in a string of new images that she has posted on Instagram.

In the pictures, Suhana is seen sporting a white fluffy ensemble. She sports a no make-up look, and can be seen flaunting her midriff. The picture currently has over 240K likes on the photo-sharing website.

Maheep Kapoor, who is the mother of Suhana’s best friend Shanaya Kapoor, dropped heart and love emojis in the comment section. Earlier this month, Suhana shared that it is time Disney had an Indian princess. Suhana took to her verified Instagram account story to express her feelings through a meme.

Pashmina Roshan The daughter of composer Rajesh Roshan is yet to make an official announcement about her Bollywood debut, but there have been rumours. What added fuel was her cousin, actor Hrithik Roshan, sharing social media posts about her and writing positive words like “Proud of you Pashmina” on Instagram.

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