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India slated to become ‘Fastest Growing’ economy from FY22: PHD Chamber New Delhi, November 7 (IANS): India is expected to become the ‘Fastest Growing’ major economy from FY22, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on November 7. According to Sanjay Aggarwal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s economy is “going to attain its fastest growth trajectory from the next financial year 202122 onwards�.
Fund (IMF), India is projected to become the fastest growing economy among the top 10 major economies in the world economic system from 2021 to 2025. Continued on Page 3
Biden and Harris await official confirmation of victory New York, November 8 (IANS): The countdown for January 20, 2021, when America’s 46th President will be sworn in, has begun. November 7, was headlined by television chyrons flashing ‘President-elect Biden’ with a check mark against his name. But the long, hard work of vote counting is still on. News networks call the race in America because there isn’t a national election body which does this. This feature of US presidential elections is both ritual and necessity.
PM Morrison greets Indian
In a recent growth estimate by the International Monetary
diaspora on Diwali
Canberra, 9 November: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has greeted the Indian diaspora on the occasion of Diwali. In an exclusive message released by the Prime Minister’s office he said:
dispels darkness�. “Most years, we often think of this dispelling of darkness as a theoretical concept rather than something that is experienced and overcome�. “This year, Diwali’s message has a special significance. Every nation on earth is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives and livelihoods have been lost as we have witnessed the most dramatic shock in generations�.
US elections are run at the state level and there’s a long process ahead before the result is officially certified and a series of deadlines exist by which time the paperwork must be done. Continued on Page 3
President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris
Student Visas I Skilled Visas I Tourist Visas French president calls for EU free movement reform Temporary Graduate Visas Business Migration month. borders freely, may need reform, Paris, INovember 6 (IANS): France France’s security alert is at its the BBC reported on November 5. has stepped up security at its Family stream Visas I Partner Visa Specialist I Sponsored “Warmest greetings to everyone highest level, with thousands A knife attackVisas in Nice recently, borders and called for a rethink celebrating Diwali, the Festival of of soldiers deployed to protect which killed three people, was on free movement in the EU after Lights, it’s a special moment JobforReady I Skill Assessments AAT Islamist representation places of worship and schools, blamed on a Tunisian migrant a spate ofIsuspected people of many faiths�.
“At the time of the new moon, on the darkest day of the month, Diwali carries a powerful message. It tells of how light
terror attacks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU’s Schengen area, which allows people to cross
who crossed into France from Italy in October.
It was the second alleged jihadist attack in France in just over a
The right guidance, at Continued the right on Page time. 3 Providing professional migration services since over a decade
since teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded for showing cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad to his students. Continued on Page 3
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
WORLD THIS WEEK
EDITORIAL TEAM Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief Mr Harpreet Bhagrath, India Editor Dr Priyabrata Behra, Bureau Chief, New South Wales EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Ms Audrey Courty, Griffith University Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India INDIA NEWS TV Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer Mr Nishit Chandan, Special Correspondent Ms. Ananya Dhyani, Consulting News Editor
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News from India France at Crossroads: Need for Acting Decisively but Sensibly
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
India slated to become ‘Fastest Growing’ economy from FY22: PHD Chamber
Biden and Harris await official confirmation of victory
Continued from Page 3 “The average GDP growth of Indian economy in next five years from 2021 to 2025 will be at 7.8 per cent, highest as compared with top 10 economies including 6.2 per cent of China, 3 per cent of France, 2.9 per cent of United Kingdom, 2.9 per cent of Canada, 2.4 of United States, 2.3 per cent of Germany, 2.3 per cent of Italy, 2.3 per cent of Brazil and 1.4 per cent of Japan,” Aggarwal was quoted as saying in a statement. “The size of the economy will increase from Rs 203 trillion in FY 2019-20 to Rs 331 trillion in FY 2025-26 at current prices, which is around US$ 4.42 trillion considering the exchange rate at 74.9 (average of current fiscal year 2020-21; April-October).”
Besides, the industry body pointed out that percolation of more and more economic reforms at the ground level with effective implementation would be crucial to attain the potential trajectory of $5 trillion in the next six financial years by FY 2026-27 (GDP at current prices; considering the exchange rate between 74-75).
“On the back of various reforms undertaken by the government, economic recovery has become visible in the high frequency economic and business indicators of the recent months,” he said. Recently, PHD Chamber on the basis of PHDCCI Economic and Business Momentum (EBM) Index, estimated that the GDP growth will be at around (-) 7.9 per cent for the current financial year 2020-21 as compared with the median forecasts of (-) 9.3 per cent by various national and international forecasting organisations. “At this juncture, demand creation measures are needed to attain a positive growth trajectory sooner rather than later,” he said. “Demand creation along with increased spending on infrastructure will have multiplier effects on the economic growth trajectory by boosting private investments, creating new employment opportunities in the country, generating demand for commodities such as steel, cement and power.”
Continued from Page 3 First up is December 8 by which time any unresolved issues at the state level over vote counts and legal challenges must be resolved. Next, the 538 member electoral college puts its official stamp on these results and gets them over to the US Congress. On January 6, 2021, the US
Congress holds a joint session where the current Vice President Mike Pence will formally announce the result of the presidential election. This year, there is plenty of action on the legal side. Biden campaign attorney Bob Bauer has said the Trump campaign’s lawsuits “have no merit” and are meant to
COVER STORIES
“spread a false narrative” about the electoral process. Trump, however, continues to insist that he has won the election and that “our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court.” Inauguration day will be on January 20, 2021, when the president-elect is sworn in.
PM Morrison greets Indian diaspora on Diwali Continued from Page 3
“Despite this, we have a common hope. Throughout 2020, despite our own fears, we have supported each other, encouraged each other, and stood with each other”. “We have drawn strength and inspiration from our medical professionals, teachers, cleaners, retail staff, police and Defence Force personnel and so many more who have responded to the crisis with compassion and professionalism. Around the clock, medical researchers are working on a vaccine – a vaccine that nations like Australia are committed to sharing”.
year, but the light is overcoming that darkness. There is light ahead, and there is hope”. “Australia is the most successful multicultural nation on earth and at this Diwali, I pay tribute to all those who have brought this tradition to our shores. I also acknowledge the hundreds of millions worldwide participating, including many close friends in India”. “I have been privileged to attend Diwali celebrations in the past, and remember those times fondly. While this year will, understandably, be different, I thank everyone who
PM Scott Morrison is celebrating for finding ways to celebrate while also keeping the community safe”.
French president calls for EU free Diwali reception organised at High movement reform Commission premises in Canberra “Yes, we have seen darkness this
“At this Diwali, may the hope of our humanity that we have seen throughout this year, dispel the darkness and challenges of our times”.
Continued from Page 3
President Macron has since sparked anger and protests in some Muslim-majority countries with his robust defence of France’s values and freedoms that permitted the publication of cartoons.
High Commission of India, Canberra, held the Diwali reception at the Chancery premises on November 13. High Commissioner His Excellency A. Gitesh Sarma addressed the gathering of India community at the event.
But he has rejected right-wing calls for greater safeguards to protect the country’s principle of secularism, saying: “The situation does not warrant changing the constitution.” And, in a letter to the Financial Times, he made clear France was fighting “Islamist separatism, never Islam”. He accused the British newspaper of misquoting him in an article - which has since been removed from its website - suggesting he was “stigmatising French Muslims for electoral purposes”. “I will not allow anybody to claim that France, or its government, is fostering racism against Muslims,” he said in the letter to the editor. Speaking during a visit to the French-Spanish border, Macron said he would be doubling police border patrol numbers from 2,400 to 4,800 “because of the worsening of the threat” of terrorism. He also said he would be unveiling proposals for strengthening
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Here are a few glimpses from the event.
French President Emmanuel Macron border security within the EU at the next EU summit in December, which would include “intensifying our common border protection with a real security force at the external borders”. Under the Schengen agreement, people within the EU are able to pass freely across borders without showing their passport. However, border checks have made a return in recent months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
DIWALI SPECIAL
Diwali celebrated at Guru Manyo Granth Gurdwara in Gold Coast Gold Coast, 16 November (India News Bureau): Multicultural Gold Coast celebrated Diwali in style on 14th November at the Guru Manyo Granth Gurudwara, Helensvale. Members of the wider Queensland communities joined the festivities for an unforgettable day filled with prayers, festivities, fun, food and fireworks! Founded in April of 2019, the Guru Maneyo Granth Gold Coast Gurdwara located at 9-11 Shepparton Road, Helensvale provides an inspirational model for everyone to follow. “Our objective is simple”, said Mr Surjit Singh, Founder and General Manager of the Gurdwara. He also emphasised, “Cater for the children,educate them culturally, and teach –them how to assimilate into the Australian lifestyle withoutlosing their heritage or identity. You then have a generation of proud Sikhs with values of respectand selfless service”. Mr Singh pointed out that “Assimilation doesn’t stop at ‘being Australian’. It also requires acceptance and understanding of other cultures and religions”.
the Gurudwara worked in concert to manage the event smoothly and seamlessly.
well as the vibrant multicultural communities of South East Queensland.
By the close of the event, the Gurdwara had recoded over 6,000 attendees coming from as far south as Coffs Harbour and Toowoomba in the north. Of course, one of the major attractions has been a sumptuous and mouth-watering vegetarian menu - freshly prepared onsite in the commercially equipped kitchen. Even though the Guru Maneyo Granth Gold Coast Gurdwara is only just over an year old, it is fast becoming a sought after centre of attraction and devotion for Sikh pilgrims as
Open seven days a week with a langar (community kitchen) providing free vegetarian meals remains a major attraction laced with love and warmth, located conveniently just off the Pacific Motorway (opposite Movie World). This Gurdwara is a must visit destination to satiate your spiritual yearnings and a complete experience for a quick get-away itinerary offering— spirituality, sporting activity and mouth-watering vegetarian cuisine.
This message resonated amongst the community members on Saturday with children having fun with a professional balloon artist, an inflatable obstacle jumping course and two mesmerising fireworks. Besides, children and youth thronged the adjacent playground and basketball court in the Gurdwara precinct melding sports with festivities. The Gurdwara celebrated Bandi Chhor Divas and Diwali together, both being festivals of light celebrating good conquering evil, hope overcoming despair, knowledge dispelling ignorance, and love triumphing over hate.With Diwali also being a significant festival in the Hindu calendar, the Hindu community in large numbers warmly embraced the program. The Gurdwara festivities started on 12thNovember with an Akhand Paath (non-stop reading of the complete Guru Granth Sahib (holy Sikh scriptures) within 48 hours, followed a day-long kirtanand celebrations on 14th, enabling a wide and flexible timing for the community to join the celebrations as per their convenience. The celebrations were held under the strict Covid-19 and social distancing protocols and the Gurdwara operated under a Covid-Safe Event plan, allowing both government officials and attendees to feel safe and comfortable. Local State MP Mark Boothman and Councillor William Owen-Jones both complimented the Covid-19 plan and larger arrangements put in place on the occasion. Furthermore, they were deeply impressed with the large turnout on the occasion and how a committed team of volunteers at
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
DIWALI SPECIAL
Indian News hosts ‘Home & Away Diwali’ for international students Brisbane, 15 November (India News Bureau): India News Australia in collaboration with the Institute for Australia India Engagement, International Education and Student Services Pty Ltd and Connect Within and Beyond organised a Diwali party of the Indian students who had to celebrate the festive occasion away from their families due to travel restrictions caused by the Coivid-19 Pandemic. The event was organised at the Multicultural Hub in Annerley, Brisbane, which was made available by Mr Surendra Prasad, President of the Fiji Senior Citizens Association of QLD. Around 40 guests and students
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attended the event in which Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman and Publisher, India News, Dr Ashutosh Misra, CEO and Executive Director, Institute for Australia India Engagement, Dr Venkat Pulla, Executive Director, International Education and Student Services Pty Ltd and Ms Prakriti Mysore Gururaj, Director, Connect Within and Beyond, Mr Kartik Singh, India News TV Director and IAIE Media Coordinator and Mr Nishit Chandan, Business Development Executive, India News addressed the students and guests. On the occasion several students shared their experiences and also flagged their respective academic
and professional pursuits. The event was also given a melodious and musical shade by DJ Deep and the moments were captured by Mr Talha Baig, India News, Technical Editor. The event was organised with the kind support of My Agastya Yeturi, Mr Abhishek and Ms Ananya Dhyani, among others.
Educations and student services, Mrs Prakruthi Mysore Gururaj,
from the organisation Connect Within.
The celebration was supported with funding help of few organisations and individuals -- Mr Surendra Prasad from Fiji Senior Citizens Association of QLD, Professor Prasad, Chair of India House project, Dr Ashutosh Mirsa, CEO of Institute for Australia- India Engagement, Dr Venkat Pulla, International
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
DIWALI SPECIAL
PRIME MINISTER
MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER DIWALI 2020 Warmest greetings to everyone celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights, it’s a special moment for people of many faiths. At the time of the new moon, on the darkest day of the month, Diwali carries a powerful message. It tells of how light dispels darkness. Most years, we often think of this dispelling of darkness as a theoretical concept rather than something that is experienced and overcome. This year, Diwali’s message has a special significance. Every nation on earth is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives and livelihoods have been lost as we have witnessed the most dramatic shock in generations. Despite this, we have a common hope. Throughout 2020, despite our own fears, we have supported each other, encouraged each other, and stood with each other. We have drawn strength and inspiration from our medical professionals, teachers, cleaners, retail staff, police and Defence Force personnel and so many more who have responded to the crisis with compassion and professionalism. Around the clock, medical researchers are working on a vaccine – a vaccine that nations like Australia are committed to sharing. Yes, we have seen darkness this year, but the light is overcoming that darkness. There is light ahead, and there is hope. Australia is the most successful multicultural nation on earth and at this Diwali, I pay tribute to all those who have brought this tradition to our shores. I also acknowledge the hundreds of millions worldwide participating, including many close friends in India. I have been privileged to attend Diwali celebrations in the past, and remember those times fondly. While this year will, understandably, be different, I thank everyone who is celebrating for finding ways to celebrate while also keeping the community safe. At this Diwali, may the hope of our humanity that we have seen throughout this year, dispel the darkness and challenges of our times.
The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia November 2020
The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP Leader of the Opposition 2020 The Hon.DIWALI Anthony Albanese MP MESSAGE OF SUPPORT The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade Member for Inala I offer my sincere greetings to Queensland’s Indian community for the 2020 Diwali Festival and congratulate all community members for their efforts in bringing everyone together after a challenging year. Diwali is a wonderful and important annual event. One of my great joys as Premier of Queensland is to see festivals such as this which celebrate our rich cultural diversity. The tradition of Diwali stretches back thousands of years, with families and communities coming together to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair. When Diwali was celebrated last year, no-one knew that the 2020 event would be held amid the ongoing impact of a global pandemic. Nevertheless Queenslanders have a special reason to celebrate Diwali this year. We are safe because we have all been strong and worked together. I know that so many of you have stepped up in our state’s time of need. You have provided thousands of meals and food hampers. You have provided shelter and banded together to help strangers during COVID-19. I am also tremendously proud and grateful that Queenslanders of Indian background joined our Care Army without a moment of hesitation. While this year’s celebrations may be more physically distant than we are used too, we are now bound closer together as a state because hope again triumphs over despair.
I wish all of you a wonderful Diwali festival. As a celebration of the victory of light over Leader the Opposition darkness, it is a most welcome and timelyof antidote to the uncertainty that surrounds us. The glow of your diyas will take an even greater importance this year.
DIWALI 2020 We have all had to adapt to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic, yet even amid all this upheaval, Diwali will stand tall as a striking expression of your tradition and your I wish all of youdevotion a wonderful As a celebration of the victory of pandemic, light over darkness, spirituality, your andDiwali your festival. faith. Diwali was here long before the and it it a most welcome antidote to the has uncertainty willisbe going strong and longtimely after the pandemic passedthat intosurrounds history. us. The glow of your diyas will take on even greater importance this year. The pandemic means the nature of your celebrations will be different this year, but what We have all hadis,toDiwali’s adapt topromise the realities the coronavirus amid Iall this doesn’t change that of the darkness willpandemic, be brokenyet byeven the light. sympathise with those who tall aren’t to return to their ancestral homes; andspirituality, to those your upheaval, Diwali will stand as aable striking expression of your tradition and your unable to celebrate with their families this year. devotion and your faith. Diwali was here long before the pandemic, and it will be going strong long after the pandemic has passed into history. I wish you joy, I wish you good feasting, and I wish by this time next year, we’ll all be gathered together again the glow of the diyas. will be different this year, but what doesn’t The pandemic means theinnature of your celebrations change is Diwali’s promise that the darkness will be broken by the light. I sympathise with those who aren’t able to return to their ancestral homes, and to those unable to celebrate with their families this year. Yours sincerely, I wish you joy, I wish you good feasting, and I wish by this time next year, we’ll all be gathered together again in the glow of the diyas. Anthony Albanese Leader of the Australian Labor Party Yours sincerely,
Anthony Albanese Leader of the Australian Labor Party
Congratulations, thank you again, and enjoy the festival.
PO Box 6022 Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 • Tel:(02) 6277 4022 • Fax:(02) 6277 8592 Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP Queensland Premier Minister for Trade
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PO Box 6022 Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 • Tel:(02) 6277 4022 • Fax:(02) 6277 8592
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
DIWALI SPECIAL
Message from The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Councillor Adrian Schrinner
I warmly welcome you to Diwali 2020 – a celebration of the annual Indian Festival of Lights and the triumph of light over darkness. This year certainly has brought a number of challenges to our communities. However, I am proud that the people of Brisbane have worked together to ensure we can move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic with positive energy. While the way we celebrate Diwali will look different in 2020, it continues to be an important time to acknowledge the bonds of family, and to consider how each of us can help those less fortunate by offering friendship and social support. I would also like to acknowledge the significant contribution that Brisbane’s Indian community continues to make to enriching our city. Please accept my best wishes for a joyful Diwali 2020. Yours sincerely
Adrian Schrinner LORD MAYOR
Katarina Carroll APM, Commissioner, Queensland Police Service
DIWALI 2020
“The Queensland Police Service, wishes you all a happy, healthy and safe Diwali. Whilst this year’s Festival of Lights is likely to be more low-key, it is still a wonderful opportunity for all Queenslanders to join with you in embracing our rich cultural and spiritual diversity”.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
DIWALI SPECIAL
All firecrackers sale licenses in Delhi suspended prior to Diwali
Ram Janmabhoomi Deepotsav adds sparkle to Diwali Ayodhya (UP) (IANS): After more than 500 years, earthern lamps were lit to illuminate the Ram Janmabhoomi site here on Diwali. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lighted lamps during the ‘Deepotsav’ programme in the city on November 13.
New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): In a major development ahead of Diwali, the Delhi Police on November 8 suspended all licenses issued for sale of firecrackers and said that further action would be taken on the National Green Tribunal’s directions. Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi Police seized 593 kg of illegal crackers being sold in various parts of Delhi. Seven people have also been arrested in this regard and cases registered against them. “The Delhi Police has also arrested two for bursting firecrackers after registering eight cases in this connection,” a senior police officer said. On November 7, a man was arrested selling illegal fireworks without any license in south
Delhi’s Jaitpur, and 16.3 kg of illegal firecrackers seized from his possession. Cases under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act were registered. Earlier, a supplier of illegal crackers was apprehended from his shop at Raghubir Nagar, and a total of 414.6 kg of different varieties of illegal crackers and explosive were recovered from his possession.
According to Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, “It was a real Diwali this year, which celebrated the return of Lord Ram after a prolonged exile.” State Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari said that more than 5 lakh lamps were lit on the occasion of Diwali. “If there was no coronavirus pandemic, lakhs of devotees would have participated in this programme,” he pointed out. The Chief Minister had already directed that separate programmes should be organised daily during ‘Deepotsav 2020’, following the COVID protocols.
The Delhi government has imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers, including those branded ‘green’, between November 7 and 30, with the city reeling under the impact of hazardous air quality and a steep rise in the number of Covid-19 infections.
Around 5.51 lakh earthen lamps were also lit at Ram Ki Paidi in Ayodhya. Diwali was celebrated across the country on November 14. All monasteries and houses were illuminated in the holy city on Diwali. Singing of ‘bhajans’ and
Ramayana recitals were held in monasteries. A grand decoration of Ayodhya on the Festival of Lights was also done. Illumination at all temples, including Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Kanak Bhawan, Ram Ki Paidi, and Hanuman Garhi was done through electric lighting. The devotees, however, participated through the virtual platforms. A digital broadcast
of the Diwali programmes was done for the devotees who were not able to physically visit the temples owing to coronavirus restrictions. Ever since it came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the BJP government has been organising grand ‘Deepotsav’ or Festival of Lights in Ayodhya on Diwali every year.
by Ananya Dhyani The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals Festivals reflect our traditions; they amplify our identity and unite us. Diwali, the festival of lights and happiness is a symbol of victory of good over evil and light over darkness. It is a reminder that light always dispels darkness which metaphorically also inspires the world engulfed in pain, deaths and suffering caused by Covid-19. Festivals such as Diwali always hold a special place in the hearts of the India diaspora and also students residing in Australia. The fondness of this festival is deeply rooted in their memories of the yore when they celebrated it with their friends and families back in India. The mouth-watering sweets and savouries, clay lamps and Diwali lights spread adorning the facade of homes, new colourful attires, game of cards, Lakshmi puja and of course
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Courtesy High Commission, Canberra
Reminiscing and celebrating the festival of lights away from home
unending calls and visits by relatives and friends. Not to forget the fireworks which now seem to have become a taboo amongst the urban class; all making it an unforgettable and grand affair for posterity. India, a culturally vibrant country known for its beautiful traditions and family values, is witnessing a transition wherein the new generation is migrating overseas for studies and chasing dreams. Home away from home Australia, the land of opportunities has now become home to over a 100,600 international students in recent years, making Indian students the second largest student population in Australia for education. They have slowly nurtured a mini India away from India in down under. This year, the pandemic has made it difficult for many students like me to go visit our respective families in India. But Australia has always been very kind, warm
and hospitable to us. No wonder our families sometimes rue the long gaps in between WhatsApp calls but take our point when we tell them how beautiful this country is wherein the larger community makes us feel at home and participates and celebrates our Indian festivals, like Holi and Deepawali. They have a special liking for Holi, the festival of colours and the tradition of lighting oil lamps at Deepawali, and that have over the years become a potent symbol of India’s soft power. Treats, lights and annual cleaning “It was the temptation of mouthwatering sweets that got me through the Diwali cleaning”, Devang, a university student exclaims with laughter. It has been over two years since Devang first came to Australia to pursue his Master’s degree in Information & Technology at the Queensland University of Technology. He nostalgically reminisces, “I haven’t been to India for the past two years, but let me tell you, Diwali in Gujarat is like no other. The energy is at its highest during this festival and there is nothing not to love about it”. Kartik Pratap Singh, a former student at QUT says, “The food, the lighting, the poojas, going around the neighbourhood and greeting everyone, receiving amazing gifts, ah! It’s so nostalgic.
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Due to Covid we are stuck here and not able to visit our families, which is a huge dampener for me. But friends around compensate for that”. Talha Baig, a student at Charles Sturt University shares, “Jumping over chakras was my most favourite thing to do and as dramatic as it sounds, it was seen as a brave act amongst kids to perform back then. Diwali away from India is never the same. But I am happy to escape all that cleaning part of the festival”. The unification of diversity “I didn’t see Diwali just as a Hindu festival when I was growing up in Pune since my friends from every community participated in the celebrations”, recalls Dr Prutha. She too is an international student from India who graduated with a master’s degree from Griffith University. “When I was in India, my father would take us to buy firecrackers on the morning of Diwali, and God did we give him a run for his money?” chuckles Prutha. “Like most of my fellow mates here, homemade sweets by our mothers was the highlight of Diwali”, she exclaims. She also laments being stuck here during Diwali. “I had been long planning to surprise my family by paying them a visit on the day of Diwali but I guess it will have to be a virtual one” she says with a subdued smile, but with a caveat that she is looking forward to celebrating it with her friends
in Brisbane and Gold Coast in her mother’s favourite saree. Dr Prutha too acknowledges the warmth and hospitability of Australians in joining in Indian celebrations, compensating for the absence of loved ones. Celebrating together Deepawali is an occasion to beat the pall of gloom cast by Covid and the initiative by India News to celebrate Deepawali with international students is a welcome gesture. It will create an ambience of belongingness, frolic and warmth way from home during these tough times. Many are looking forward to it and once again recreating Deepawali as a close and well-bonded family. We stand together strong to spread the light in every dark corner of our surroundings and to pep each other up and spread hope and love. We at India News wish all Indian students and our fellow Australians a very happy Deepawali across Australia. Ananya Dhyani is a Consulting Editor at India News.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
$1 billion manufacturing agreement secures Australia’s national health security A
new high-tech vaccine manufacturing facility will be developed in Melbourne to secure Australia’s long-term supply of critical health products including pandemic influenza vaccines and life-saving antivenoms.
future pandemics.”
marine creatures and spiders).
The $1 billion agreement between the Morrison Government and Seqirus also provides the ability to rapidly manufacture vaccines when responding to health pandemics in the future.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said under the agreement, Seqirus would invest $800 million in the development of the facility project, creating 520 construction jobs, commencing in 2021. “This new facility will guarantee Australian health security against pandemic influenza for the next two decades.”
The current agreement between the Australian Government and Seqirus—a subsidiary of CSL Ltd—is due to end in 2024-25. To continue onshore manufacturing in Australia, Seqirus will now invest in a major new vaccine manufacturing facility close to Melbourne airport to replace its existing, ageing production facilities in Parkville, Melbourne.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new complex would be the largest influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere. “Keeping Australians safe is my number one priority and while we are rightly focused on both the health and economic challenges of COVID-19, we must also guard against future threats,” the Prime Minister said. “This agreement cements Australia’s long-term sovereign medical capabilities, giving us the ability to develop vaccines when we need them.” “Just as major defence equipment must be ordered well in advance, this is an investment in our national health security against
“Our government’s strategy to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians and the Australian economy, as well as having access to a world class health system.” “This is a major milestone, ensuring that Australia can mass produce vaccines against future flu pandemics, as well as continuing onshore production of seasonal flu vaccines, Q fever vaccines and antivenoms. Without this historic agreement, the nation would need to source these critical medical products from overseas. Seqirus is currently the only company making influenza and Q fever vaccine in Australia, and the only company in the world making life saving antivenom products against 11 poisonous Australian creatures (snakes,
The highly specialised production facility is expected to be operational by 2026 with the contract for supply of these critical products extending to 2036. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Australia’s manufacturing capability had been a huge asset during the COVID-19 pandemic and this agreement will keep us in a strong position. “The Morrison Government knows just how important it is for Australia to be able to stand up for itself when it really matters,” Minister Andrews said. “This investment will not only allow us to continue to manufacture the essentials we need well into the future but it
will also create and secure high paying manufacturing jobs across a range of skills. “This agreement is just one in a range of investments we’re making to drive Australian manufacturing forward and create jobs. We’re also investing a further $1.3 billion through our Modern Manufacturing Initiative into projects across six priority areas, including medical products.” The Morrison Government acted quickly and decisively to address the consequences of COVID-19 and as a result, Australia has achieved some of the best health
and economic outcomes in the world. More than $18.5 billion has committed to support the emergency COVID-19 health response to the pandemic, including $3.2 billion to secure access to over 134.8 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by the University of Oxford-Astra Zeneca and the University of Queensland, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax. The Victorian Government has also supported the procurement of suitable land for Seqirus.
Shop #2, 493, Ipswich Road, Annerley QLD 4103
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
ADVERTORIAL
Springfield aims to become world’s greenest city by 2038 under new strategy
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ore than three billion dollars will be invested into Springfield City on Brisbane’s doorstep, under an Australianfirst strategy designed to make it the world’s most eco-friendly community by 2038. Springfield City Group (SCG) Chairman Maha Sinnathamby today welcomed the 18-year plan, devised under a strategic alliance with ENGIE, a world leader in the global transition to clean, green resilient economies. Mr Sinnathamby said the comprehensive blueprint would help the city – where the population is expected to triple to about 130,000 over the next two decades – “get to the stage where we are producing more energy than we consume” by 2038. “We have one chance – and the responsibility to our residents both now and into the future – to get this right and be an ongoing example for others to follow,” Mr Sinnathamby said. “The focus on efficient and sustainable energy production, storage, and integration with the community - has never been more important for Australia, and for Springfield City, which is the nation’s fastest-growing community.”
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The partnership between Springfield City Group (SCG), which recently celebrated its 28th birthday, and ENGIE was formalised in 2018. The new roadmap – the first of its kind for an Australian city - was developed by Tractebel, a worldleading engineering company for sustainable projects. Under the eco-friendly strategy, at least a third of Springfield City would be set aside as “green space” and residents would have widespread access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and a hydrogen bus network, and see 100% of their power delivered through renewable sources. “Master-planned around connective pillars of health, education and technology – and with innovation underpinning our city’s livability and sustainability, Springfield City is perfectly placed to rapidly implement Tractebel’s strategy,” Mr Sinnathamby said. “Our goal is to have no homes or businesses powered by fossil fuels by 2038, with hydrogen-powered buses providing transport options, and solar panels installed on every suitable rooftop.” More than three billion dollars
Springfield City Group Chairman Maha Sinnathamby will be invested into Springfield City on Brisbane’s doorstep, under an Australian-first strategy designed to establish Greater Springfield as the world’s greenest city by 2038. Speaking from Singapore, ENGIE’s Asia-Pacific President Paul Maguire said: “We are proud to be delivering the road map in partnership with Springfield City Group. “ENGIE and Tractebel are uniquely positioned to build tailored strategies that optimise and operationalise the value of a customer’s assets and provide financial options, engineering expertise and operational excellence”. In line with the strategic plan, infrastructure work has already started in Greater Springfield,
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where more a third of the third of the city’s homes already have rooftop solar units. Major buildings including the Orion Shopping Centre and the Springfield Tower have also had panels installed.
and bicycles); transitioning to hydrogen buses and developing shared transport solutions
The installation of EV charging stations is also underway and will put Springfield among the first urban areas in the country equipped to handle large-scale EV adoption.
• Energy – Establishing 100% local renewable share; putting solar panels on all available rooftops; developing hydrogen refueling; implementing energy storage, and
The action plan – which will be reviewed every two to three years - outlines five key pillars: • Urban – Maintaining 30% green space; developing urban agriculture and green transport routes • Mobility – Reduction from 1.98 to 0.8 cars per household while ramping up EV charging infrastructure to enable accelerated EV adoption; creating sustainable last-mile solutions (e.g. electric scooters
• Buildings – Using bioclimatic design, solar protection, and district cooling; delivering public education programs on efficiency
• Digital – Becoming a world leader in innovative and smart city solutions. More information is available at https://www.greaterspringfield. com.au/engie-springfield-citypublish-australias-first-zeronet-energy-road-map
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
ADVERTORIAL
Adani launches a new brand for its mining business to celebrate 10 years in Australia
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his year, as Adani celebrates its 10thanniversary in Australia, the international energy powerhouse is launching a new brand for its Australian mining business, Bravus Mining & Resources. Bravus Mining & Resources CEO, Mr David Boshoff, said now that construction of the 10 million tonne per annum Carmichael Project was well underway, it was the ideal time to give Adani’s mining business its own Australian brand. “Our 10 years in Australia has been a journey that has tested the resilience, skills and determination of our people and has confirmed the depth of our commitment to regional Queensland. “We have made a significant investment in Queensland and we will be here for the long haul employing local people and doing business in Australia,” Mr Boshoff said. Bravus will deliver the Carmichael Project in Central Queensland, a project which has already created thousands
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of new jobs and opportunities for Australians, just when they are needed most because of the COVID-19 economic recession. “More than 1,500 people are currently employed on the Carmichael mine and rail Project and more than $1.5 billion worth of contracts have been awarded,” he said. “We are proud to say that 100 per cent of the people working on our project live in Queensland. That has given us a strategic advantage during COVID restrictions and means we can keep working with few interruptions, providing a much-needed boost to the Australian economy.” Mr Boshoff said Bravus’ high quality coal would be part of the Adani Group’s sustainable energy mix solution, as the world transitions to a low emissions future. The Adani Group is investing in a sustainable energy mix of coal and renewables to provide reliable and affordable base load power for developing nations, such as India. “India is one of the largest
populations in the world and it is growing rapidly. Right now more than 200 million people in India do not have adequate access to electricity and thermal coal imports will continue to rise in order to meet the demand of this growing population with economic ambition.”
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“The Adani Group walks the talk as the world’s number one international solar company and the largest private supplier of thermal electricity in India, demonstrating there will be a demand for both in the energy mix,” Mr Boshoff said. Recently, Adani Group company
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) announced that it has over 15GW of solar capacity under operation, construction or under contract, and it is this renewable energy coupled with Bravus’ high quality thermal coal that will be required to rise to the challenge of meeting growing energy demands.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
NEWS FROM INDIA
Arnab Goswami granted Case registered against YouTuber for interim bail, returns to cheating ‘Baba ka Dhaba’ owner Republic TV office New Delhi, November 6 ( IANS ): In a big twist to the Baba ka Dhaba case, the Delhi police on November 6 booked YouTuber Gaurav Wasan for cheating and initiated the investigation in the alleged misappropriation of donation funds.
him bail following his arrest on November 4 in a case of abetment to suicide of Mumbai architect Anvay M. Naik and his mother Kumud Naik on May 5, 2018 in Alibaug.
Republic TV Managing Director and Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami Mumbai, November 11 (IANS): Republic TV Managing director and Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami was released from the Taloja Central Jail in Raigad late on the night of November 11. The development came hours after the Supreme Court granted
Returning from the jail, flashing a ‘V’ sign and punching in the air several times enroute his car, Goswami termed his arrest as “illegal” and said no forces could stop a journalist and his TV channel.
“After receiving the complaint, preliminary inquiry was done after which a cognizable offence FIR U/S 420 IPC has been registered at PS Malviya Nagar and investigation has been initiated,” DCP South Atul Thakur said.
He was accorded a rousing, hero’s welcome by the Republic TV staff as he entered the office late on November 11 with plans to go on air.
The Delhi Police have taken into account some bank details and after deliberate analysis, found that there are certain areas which need to be investigated.
Goswami told mediapersons that he was “absolutely fine” and looking forward to working amid a thunderous applause outside his office building.
On October 31, a complaint from the owner of Baba ka Dhaba, Kanta Prasad , a resident of Malviya Nagar, was received at Malviya Nagar regarding cheating and fraud against YouTuber Gaurav Wasan.
Baba ka Dhaba owner Kanta Prasad (left) Dhaba opposite Hanuman Mandir, Malviya Nagar Market, New Delhi and in the month of October 2020, Gaurav Wasan approached him and shot a video with him to help and promote his business. Accordingly a video was shot and Wasan posted the video on social media through his account namely ‘Swad Official’ and requested the public to donate money to financially help the complainant.
Cong accuses Modi govt of duping armed forces Former JNU student by weakening OROP leader to be prosecuted under UAPA
Courtesy: tribuneindia.com
The complainant said he runs a stall in the name of Baba Ka
Randeep Singh Surjewala New Delhi, November 7 (IANS): The Congress on November 7 once again accused the Narendra Modi government of cheating 30 lakh former army men by watering down the one rank, one pension (OROP) scheme. Addressing the media here, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “Modi government’s stand over OROP remains exposed today.” He said by arbitrarily weakening the OROP, the Modi government has disappointed 30 lakh exservicemen. “Today again Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah made a false attempt to mislead the country. Fraudulent Modi government’s conspiratorial effort to throw dust in the country’s eyes will never succeed,” he said. The Congress leader said that despite announcing the OROP in 2015, the BJP government never
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implemented it. He said it is a conspiracy of the BJP to dupe and deceive the members of our armed forces, which is unacceptable to the nation. Hitting out at the government, Surjewala said that the OROP formula was accepted by the Congress government and an order in writing was issued on February 26, 2014. “But the Modi government diluted and finished this order,” he said. Attacking the government, Surjewala said that the Modi government on November 7, 2015, after assuming power in May, 2014 proceeded to dilute and deny ‘OROP’ to 30-40 per cent personnel by imposing a condition that any armed forces personnel who sought premature retirement on completion of 20 years of service will not get ‘OROP’.
New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): The Delhi government has given sanction to Delhi Police for the prosecution of former Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU) student leader Umar Khalid in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case related to the February communal violence in northeast Delhi that left at least 53 persons dead. The sanction was given in the riots conspiracy case, in which Khalid was booked under the stringent anti-terror UAPA.
“The said video went viral and as
As the police have received prosecution sanction against Khalid from both the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Home Ministry, it can now name him in their supplementary charge sheet. To prosecute the accused under Section 13 of the UAPA, the Delhi Police needed the sanction from the Ministry of Home Affairs and under Sections 16, 17 and 18 from the Delhi government. Khalid was arrested under the UAPA in a separate case related
per the complainant, the accused Gaurav deliberately shared only his and his family members’ bank details and mobile number for donation and collected huge amounts of donation and later cheated the complainant,” the officer added. Prasad, 80, shot to fame after a video of him tearfully recounting the desperation of the months since the lockdown was shared widely across social media platforms.
to the alleged larger conspiracy in connection with the riots in February 2020. The Delhi Police has filed a 17,500-page charge sheet against 15 persons for “propagating violence” during the riots. The charge sheet was filed under the UAPA, Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code.
India-China dialogue on border dispute to continue: Indian Defence ministry New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): The military talks between India and China at Chushul in eastern Ladakh to resolve the border dispute ended in a stalemate but both countries have agreed to continue the dialogue to push for a peaceful settlement, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on November 8. The MoD said in a statement that both countries agreed to continue the dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels and take forward the discussions, push for a settlement of other outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The ministry pointed out that “the two sides had a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of
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views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.” The Ministry further said that both the countries also agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops exercised restraint and avoided misunderstanding and miscalculations. “They also agreed to have another round of meeting soon,” the Ministry said. Since the talks ended in a deadlock and no thinning of troops will happen, soldiers of both the countries deployed in the area will remain exposed to minus
20 degrees Celsius temperatures. The 8th Corps Commander-level talks between both the countries began at 9.30 am and ended at 7 pm on November 7. It was for the first time that Lieutenant General PGK Menon led the Indian military delegates. Earlier, he had attended two such talks but the delegation was led by the then Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, who was transferred last month to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) where he would be in charge of training the future generations of Army officers. Indian Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary Navin Srivastava was also part of the delegation.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
Australia’s economic recovery sans fiscal boost could falter: Treasury Secy
Australian bushfire inquiry makes 80 recommendations
Canberra, November 6 (IANS): Australia’s economic recovery from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could “falter” without strong fiscal stimulus from the government, Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy said. Kennedy used a recent speech to urge the government to lower the threshold for fiscal stimulus, Xinhua news agency reported. He said the move would allow the government to boost the economy whenever it is flagging rather than just after a “large shock” such as the pandemic. Kennedy praised the government for already providing A$257 billion in direct economic support in response to the coronavirus crisis but noted that there was no more room to stimulate the economy using “conventional monetary” policy. “Given the lack of conventional monetary support available, the
recovery could falter without a strong fiscal policy response leading to years of anaemic growth,” he told an Australian Business Economists event on November 5. “Fiscal policy has always responded to large shocks but there is now a question about whether the threshold for intervention should be lowered.” In addition to the federal government Kennedy said that states and territories “can also play an important role in supporting the economic recovery” by investing in infrastructure projects. His comments came days after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut the interest rate to an all-time low of 0.1 per cent to aid the economic recovery from the pandemic which has infected 27,634 people in the country and killed 907 others.
PM urges to develop alternatives to Covid-19 lockdowns Canberra, October 28 (IANS): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged to develop alternatives to large-scale lockdowns to deal with future coronavirus outbreaks in the country. Morrison recently delivered a direct plea to unshackle the country’s economy from lockdowns and border closures, Xinhua reported. “Borders and lockdowns are not demonstration or evidence of success,” he told the Parliament. “They are ¬evidence of outbreaks that have got out of control. They are evidence of things that have not gone as they should,” he said. “As we look to the future, we cannot look to a future of lockdown as a way of managing this virus.
“At this stage we’re on track for the national roadmap which is that Victoria will join the rest of us around Christmas,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio.
“What we must do is ensure we have the testing and the tracing and the isolation and the quarantine options,” he noted.
“I want to be a bit careful about giving people too much hope but so far everything is on track,” he said.
Morrison praised Australia’s progress up until July and mentioned “the failure of the quarantine” in Victoria’s second wave, referring to breaches in the state’s hotel quarantine system for returned overseas travellers.
However, the NT arm of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) called for the re-opening of the border to Victoria to be postponed.
“We saw the issues of contact tracing and we saw Victoria descend into what was a cataclysmic second wave of this virus,” Morrison said. The national cabinet, which is composed of the prime minister and state and territory leaders, earlier in October agreed to a plan to re-open Australia’s domestic borders by Christmas on December 25. Michael Gunner, Chief Minister
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Canberra, October 30 (IANS): The landmark royal commission into Australia’s “Black Summer” bushfires handed down its final report recently, where it made 80 recommendations to prevent future disasters. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, which was established in the wake of the devastating 2019-20 bushfires in February, made the recommendations, which included establishing a national fleet of aerial firefighting resources and introducing a nationally consistent disaster warning system, reports Xinhua newsa gency. Thirty-three people died, including nine firefighters, in the 2019-20 bushfires, which burned from July 2019 to March 2020. The smoke blanketed much of Australia, including capital cities, and contributed to hundreds of deaths, according to the report. “Nearly 3 billion animals were killed or displaced, and the fires harmed many threatened species and ecological communities,” it said. The inquiry found that global warming was causing an increase in catastrophic fire weather and compromising traditional fire fighting techniques.
of the Northern Territory (NT), recently said that the territory was “on track” to open its borders to travellers from regional Victoria on November 2 and to those from the state’s capital city Melbourne by December.
With the so-called antiCovid-19 ring of steel separating Melbourne from the rest of Victoria set to be lifted in November, Robert Parker, the NT AMA president, called for Gunner to wait and see if outbreaks surface in regional Victoria. “We should wait to see how Victoria’s eased restrictions pan out, we know all it takes is one super spreader to spark another outbreak,” he told News Corp Australia, adding, “Not taking proper precautions could have potentially fatal consequences.”
NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA
Commission chair Mark Binskin, said the inquiry looked into the future where extreme weather events will “regrettably, be more frequent and more severe”. “What was unprecedented is now our future,” he said. “Every state and territory suffered fire to some extent. The fires did not respect state borders or local
government boundaries. “On some days, extreme conditions drove a fire behavior that was impossible to control. “We heard harrowing personal accounts of devastation and loss. Over 24 million hectares were burnt. Many Australians were impacted, directly or indirectly, by the fires. “Over 3,000 homes were destroyed. Estimates of the national financial impacts are over A$10 billion,” Binskin added. Of the 80 recommendations, 14 relate to the federal government, 23 to states and territories and 41 are joint responsibilities, according to The Australian newspaper. The remaining two relate to the insurance industry and Australian Building Code Board. Responding to the report, Emergent Management Minister David Littleproud said the government was committed to acting on its recommendations and intended to work together with the states. The report called for greater
coordination between all levels of government during future emergencies, a real-time national air quality monitoring system and for all states and territories to develop an emergency warning smartphone application. In order to prevent future similar disasters it said the federal government should be given the power to declare a state of national emergency. “The declaration should be made by the prime minister, and legislation should be clear about the circumstances in which a declaration may be made, and the actions that the Australian government can then take to support state and territory governments,” the report said. However, it warned that the declaration “should not purport to give the Australian government the power to determine how the resources of states and territories are to be used or allocated, without their consent”. Littleproud said such powers would not mean that the federal government would be “coming in to take over and fight fires”.
Victoria announces further easing of pandemic restrictions Melbourne, November 8 (IANS): Victoria, the worst-hit Australian state by the coronavirus pandemic, announced further easing of restrictions on November 8 after it recorded the ninth consecutive day without any new cases or deaths. From 11.59 p.m. on November 8, the 25-km travel limit in the capital city of Melbourne and the hard borders separating the city from lower virus transmission communities in regional Victoria will be abolished, while the statewide compulsory mask-wearing rule remains in place until further notice, reports Xinhua news agency. From November 9, the entire state has been following the unified Covd-19 restriction rules which will further ease limits on gatherings for hospitality venues, indoor sporting facilities,
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religious ceremonies, and home visiting. Community spaces such as libraries and neighbourhood houses can have up to 20 people indoors, with groups of up to ten. Indoor entertainment venues, such as movie theatres, galleries, museums and music halls will be able to open with 20 people per space. The state recorded zero new
Covid-19 cases and no further related deaths for the ninth day running, which brought its 14-day average number of cases down to just 0.4 in metropolitan Melbourne and zero in regional Victoria. Nevertheless, Premier Daniel Andrews still warned Victorians against complacency as the battle against the pandemic is not over yet.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
Australia India Women in Business chapter launched in Victoria
Dreams now a nightmare for many international students in Victoria Melbourne, 4 November: Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown has turned many international students’ dreams of studying and working in Melbourne into a nightmare. Cut off from federal government payments like JobSeeker and JobKeeper, losing their existing jobs or unable to find new ones; and switching to digital learning, has left many international students lonely and anxious about their uncertain futures.
Melbourne, 4 November: Motivating speeches from a panel of women change-makers marked the launch of AIBC’s Australia India Women in Business Victoria chapter, recently.
The Australia India Business Council is a membership-based group that was formed in 1986 to foster bilateral relationships between India and Australia. Their newly formed Women in Business Chapter not only recognises the economic case for gender equality, it also aims to support its members to promote their brands, expand their referral network and catapult their business. According to chairperson Reet Phulwani, the Victorian chapter will involve a variety of discussions, special speakers, resources, and fun activities. The intent is to create a community of like-minded and passionate women in business. “At AIBC we have collectively come to the conclusion that by strengthening visibility, collective voice and representation, the Australian Indian Women in Business can be our most promising area of investment,” said Reet during the webinar. Moderated by Sheba Nandkeolyar, National Chair AIBC Women in Business, the webinar started with an opening address from Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria. The Governor also formally launched the Victorian chapter
Courtesy_governor.vic.gov
With a blend of social purpose and business acumen, these women have made their mark in the field of entrepreneurship, activism, and leadership. Grit and passion were evident as the panellists shared their resilience strategies during the challenges of COVID-19 and discussed post-pandemic opportunities for economic recovery.
Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC of Australia India Women in Business. She expressed her pleasure at attending the event as it celebrated and further enhanced the very warm relationship between Victoria and India and it recognised the absolute crucial role of women in that relationship and skills and experience they bring to the table in terms of business activities between Australia and India. According to Sheba when she formed the Women in Business National chapter, she had a strong vision to try gender diversity in a bilateral business space. Her objective was to facilitate a 50/50 proportion of women’s participation in this space, be it as an entrepreneur, a business owner or a woman leader leading a professional company. Sheba went on to invite the audience to hear about the best practices observed by the powerful panel of speakers as they shared their experience on how they navigated the COVID-19 disruptions.
For Sai Srushti Kasturi, getting admission to study in Monash University was a dream come true, but having to transition to online study as soon as she came, she never got to study in the campus she admired and underwent a hard time being in lockdown with roommates who bullied and harassed her. Srushti, who never got the chance to meet her classmates in person, had a difficult time making friends in a whole new environment and didn’t have anyone she knew that she could stay with. Fighting to keep her morale high, Srushti found a new place to move to and shifted there soon, but went back to India after the bond ran out. Srushti is happy to be reunited with her family and dog in Hyderabad. Ahnaf Yousuf Piash, who had finished his bachelor’s degree from Deakin University last November, is stuck in Melbourne while studying for his master’s degree in the University of Tasmania. Piash, who had originally planned to go back home to Bangladesh before coming back to start his course in July, is glad he didn’t. ‘If I had gone back I’d have ended up being stuck there,’ he said. Although he struggled with his mental health and lack of social life and was unable to get any shifts from his job, Piash says that he is lucky his parents supported him and that the situation of temporary residents in Australia is much worse than that of international students. Most of them are doing Uber Eats
or delivery jobs because that’s all they can do; if they go home they’d have a difficult time coming back and that time would use up their TR so that wastes a lot of time and money.’ Sudharsun Venkatesan is one such student, who has resorted to a delivery job after recently completing his master’s degree. Sudharsun, who arrived in Melbourne to finish his last semester just a day before the international travel ban, says that the change was ‘a rude shock’ to him. ‘I took a bank loan for the degree, and for my living expenses I was working part-time in a restaurant and interning for this company which helped me make some money for rent, but the pandemic collapsed that completely. I got a grant which helped me sustain myself for the three months of the first wave, but now I’ve just been doing Uber Eats delivery which is the only thing that’s helping me out,’ said Sudharsun, who was planning to pursue a PhD, but missed out on it due to funding cuts, and is currently looking for other opportunities. ‘This was supposed to be my gallery submissions year, we had to go for exhibitions and get our own personal studios and gallery which never happened because of the pandemic. It’s hard to do a studio-based degree like visual arts from home because you don’t get enough resources and I thought of deferring but that wastes time and delays everything, and you have to apply for a visa,’ said Pooja. ‘I was very depressed when this started but later on I made a routine where I’m getting up, working out, cooking every day, and it really helps if you’re doing activities all day and talking to your friends. At the end of the day, I just think of the bigger picture where people don’t have basic amenities like shelter or food, so you need to be grateful if you have a house and job,’ said Pooja, whose freelance graphic design work had picked up as she could
IFFM 2020- a mind-blowing experience Melbourne, 2 November: Besides going online, the Indian Film Festival Melbourne (IFFM) 2020 has again raised the bar this year by offering diverse and fresh content with great entertainment value. It was a fabulous viewing experience for the Indian film lovers of Australia and that too from the privacy of their homes and for free to enjoy. In COVID times it has forced all of us to up our game. Melbourne was facing its toughest lockdown, and ‘hope’ seems to be on everyone’s mind. But, then the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne happened and the welcoming news- ease of
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restrictions. Thanks to IFFM and Mind-Blowing Films Team for saving the rest of 2020. The film festival went online from the 23rd Oct – 30th Oct. Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange, proudly not only brought 60 films in 17 languages including 34 International Premieres and 56 Australian Premieres, but also supports the Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA). IFFM encourages festival participants to donate to MHFA when booking. Film lovers across Australia have enthusiastically embraced this year’s online presentation
of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne with over 22,000 film views achieved in just the opening weekend. The festival closed with the closing night South Indian Malayalam film ‘MOOTHON ‘(The Elder One) available to stream from 6 pm 29th October till midnight on 30th October. Another highlight of the closing night is the announcement of the 2020 Short Film Competition winner. The announcement will be made in an online event in partnership with Mental Health Foundation Australia. ‘Together’ is the theme of the 2020 IFFM Short Film Festival Competition
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NEWS FROM VICTORIA
do it all from home, and earn some income on the side. For Deepak Mallya too, it was his mental health that took a blow during this time. ‘I was already stressed about my research because it’s highly competitive, but once lockdown started it increased. My sleep cycle and eating patterns got completely disrupted, I wasn’t able to sleep until 2 or 3 in the morning, so I used to overthink and got depressed because I’m all alone here. I can’t call up and talk to my parents or friends every hour. I was not motivated to do anything, it was a war from within, but I’m recovering now. I started to follow a routine, and drew strength from my spirituality and it’s helped me get better,’ said Deepak. ‘The university gave hardship payments and there were charities and gurudwaras that were donating groceries and food,’ he said. Studies by the Department of Home Affairs showed that over 70% of Australian international students have chosen to stay back here, which means the majority of students have put their hopes into our country and community, not wishing to lose the chance of coming back here. Contributing $37.6 billion to the Australian economy in the last financial year, international students have poured not only their dreams and aspirations, but also their finances into the country, and the least we can do in return is to support and help them during this time, so that their journeys now are not marked by hunger, loneliness, and desperation.
which this year received a remarkable and unprecedented 3000+ entries indicating people’s creativity during the lockdown. The winning film is being judged by Varun Sharma, the Festival’s 2011 Short Film Competition winner who is making his directorial debut this year with a Bollywood mainstream film, starring Rani Mukherji and Saif Ali Khan, produced by Yash Raj Studios. Proudly supported by Film Victoria, it has been such a joy to view some unique films that we could ponder over. Thank you IFFM for bringing the community closer, giving us the
South Indian Malayalam film ‘MOOTHON closed the IFFM future of Indian cinema with such promising talents and stories.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
NEWS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES
Morrison government taking steps to Young Indians bag $200,000 scholarships woo international students to Sydney Canberra, November 5: Press release by the Indian High Commission in Canberra reveals that the Morrison Government is making a number of changes to student visa arrangements to ensure Australia remains a priority destination for international students as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. The press release says:
Sydney, November 7: Fourteen students from India are the winners of a prestigious scholarship to attend the University of Sydney this semester. This marks the second year of the Sydney Scholars India program that is valued at up to $500,000 (INR 24,500,000) especially for Indian students. Two of the winners include Ava Khan and Adhip Tanwar, who are understandably thrilled at the news. As part of the application, they had to share their ideas “that would bring change to India” and their impressive submissions have resulted in winning $200,000 scholarships each.
The idea came from her own experiences with healthcare as the daughter of an Indian naval officer.“Our healthcare was always free with the best doctors but as I travelled more, I realised that’s not applicable for a lot of Indians. Households below the poverty line don’t always have access to good health care,” she elaborated. With the scholarship, Ava has commenced studies at the university remotely due to border closures. For Adhip Tanwar of Delhi, the
Adhip Tanwar scholarship has allowed him to take “a leap of faith” to pursue a Bachelor of Advanced Computing after studying commerce in high school. Adhip, like his change of course, has a unique story to share – he spent two years after graduation working as the executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Times group in India. While his friends began their undergraduate degrees, he worked out of San Francisco and learnt as much as he could about the business. His “big idea” to bring change is an eLearning mobile and web application ‘TeachIndia’ to provide access to education to all Indian children. “Of course platforms like Udemy and Coursera exist, but their benefits are limited because the courses are taught in English. As the pandemic has shown, online education has eluded poorer households,” Adhip explained “My vision is to host a network of teachers working part-time as tutors, teaching technical and vocation skills in India’s vernacular languages. I’d also envision government involvement so that the teachers are aided by, say, tax rebates or subsidies.”
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For Ava, who commences a Bachelor of Science (Health) with a major in Infectious Diseases, the scholarship provides an opportunity to combine her keen interests in biology and medicine. Her unique idea was the development of an e-health system by linking individual medical histories to India’s already-existing Aadhar cards. “India has anganwadis (rural childcare centers) in 400 districts across the country. They’ve been digitised, but the workers themselves aren’t well-versed with the technology and many keep physical records. So why not link every Indian’s medical data with their national identification number?”
International students are extremely important to Australia and our economy, contributing $40 billion annually and supporting 250,000 jobs. Many also go on to become great Australian citizens. While the closure of our international borders has been critical to our success in slowing
the spread of the coronavirus, and Australia has been a leader in this regard, it has presented challenges to the education sector and students, both here and offshore. These five visa changes will ensure international students are not worse off due to the coronavirus pandemic and that Australia remains competitive with other countries. The changes include: • The Government will recommence granting student visas in all locations lodged outside Australia. This means when borders re-open, students will already have visas and be able to make arrangements to travel. • International students will be
able to lodge a further student visa application free of charge, if they are unable to complete their studies within their original visa validity due to COVID-19. • Student visa holders studying online outside Australia due to COVID-19 will be able to use that study to count towards the Australian study requirement for a post-study work visa. • Graduates who held a student visa will be eligible to apply for a post-study work visa outside Australia if they are unable to return due to COVID-19. • Additional time will be given for applicants to provide English language results where COVID-19 has disrupted access to these services.
Ticket prices announced for AustraliaIndia 2020-21 cricket series Sydney, November 10: Cricket Australia have released ticket prices, tickets on sale dates and projected venue capacities for all Australia vs. India matches of the 2020-21 Men’s International summer. In a major boost for Australian and Indian cricket fans, there will be no increase in ticket prices for the Dettol One Day International Series matches, Dettol T20 International Series matches and Vodafone Test Series matches, compared to the 2018-19 India tour of Australia. For the fifth year straight, entry level ticket prices remain at $30 for adults while Cricket Australia’s Premium ticket prices have been held, the same as the last Indian tour in 2018-19.Venue capacities will vary by market depending on government allowances and in line with the approved COVIDSafe plans. The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which is set to host ODI and T20 INTL matches and the Vodafone Pink Test this summer, will hold 50 per cent of total capacity, as
will Canberra’s Manuka Oval for their ODI and T20 INTL matches and the Adelaide Oval for historic Day-Night Test match starting December 17. At this stage, the Boxing Day Test is set to hold at least 25 per cent of total capacity across Public, Member and Corporate tickets, equating to 25,000 fans each day of the Test. The Gabba is set to host crowds at 75 per cent of venue capacity for the fourth and final Test of the Vodafone Series, starting on January 15, 2021.The split of availability of general public and members tickets
will vary per venue and will be communicated at the on-sale dates listed below. CA’s Interim Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley said he was pleased to be able to reward and welcome fans back to cricket with competitive ticket pricing and transparent venue capacity numbers.“Having confirmed the schedule for the AustraliaIndia Men’s series, we are so excited to confirm ticket pricing and crowd capacities for this highly-anticipated summer of International cricket,” Hockley said.
Woolworths helps customers celebrate Diwali with expanded South Asian product range
The range of products includes snacks, spices, rice, atta flour and other cooking ingredients to help
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create flavourful special dishes during the festive period. These specially sourced products not only offer popular food items, but also provide great convenience to the South Asian community in Australia to help them prepare for the Diwali celebrations. Popular snacks such as Parle G biscuits and Parle rusk, as well as much loved Chings Noodles are also available, providing the opportunity to easily enjoy these little treats for Diwali. Accompanied by popular beverages such as Red Label tea, Bru coffee, Kushi juices and MTR Badam drink cans, Woolworths
has customers’ meal, snack and gifting needs covered this Diwali. Woolworths is offering special prices on key household ingredients such as Daawat Basmati rice, Aashirvaad Whole Wheat Atta Flour, Amul Ghee, Katoomba Ginger & Garlic and Dhara Sunflower Oil, used in everyday cooking. Woolworths General Manager for Grocery Food Ewan Shearer said, “We understand Diwali is an important time for family gathering, celebration and feasting. Our teams have been working hard to expand our South Asian product range and
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ensure customers have all the ingredients and products they need to celebrate. For Diwali, we have the right variety of local and
Courtesy: news.microsoft.com
Sydney, November 3: Diwali preparations are now made easier and more convenient with special South Asian products available in selected Woolworths stores across the country. Diwali occupies an unparalleled place in the hearts of people, and on this auspicious occasion, Woolworths has embraced the importance of the role food plays during Diwali by offering tailored products for the South Asian community, available in over 200 stores nationally and also online.
international products offering great value to help our customers during their busy preparations leading into the Diwali festivities.”
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WORLD NEWS
All 4 Indian American Dalai Lama greets Biden, emphasises democrats re-elected to need to address pressing issues House of Representatives Dharamsala, November 8 (IANS): Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on November 8 congratulated Joe Biden on his election as the next President of the US, saying climate change is indeed pressing.
New York, November 4 (IANS): All four Indian American members of the House of Representatives who are fondly called the “Samosa Caucus” will get to have ‘chai’ in Congress again. The four Democrats won reelection in the election on November 3, and another was leading in her constituency while the counting was still on. Raja Krishnamoorthi was considered such a formidable candidate that the Republican Party did not put up a candidate against him in Illinois. He defeated the Libertarian Party candidate by 41.8 per cent. Pramila Jayapal, a harsh critic of India, won from Washington State defeating her Republican Party rival with a huge margin of 69.6 per cent. Roh Khanna received 74.6 per cent of the votes in his California constituency to defeat Republican Ritesh Tandon, who got only 25.4 per cent. Another Californian, Amri Bera was re-elected with a margin of 22.8 per cent over the Republican rival. But Nisha Sharma, who ran for the House as a Republican from California, was defeated by the sitting Democrat Mark DeSaulnier by 50.6 per cent. Sri Preston Kulkarni, who was considered a strong candidate lost in Texas by 7.3 per cent after a campaign against him by a combination of Indian secularists, Democratic Party liberals and Islamists alleging he had ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The former US diplomat had attended Modi’s “Howdy Modi” rally with President Donald Trump in Houston last year and among the contributors to his election campaign was a leader of
Indian-American Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi the Hindu Swayam Sewak Sangh. Republican Manga Anantatmula, who tried to unseat Democrat Gerry Connolly, lost by 43.4 per cent in Virginia. Tulsi Gabbard, who is not of Indian descent but is the first Hindu elected to the House, did not seek re-election after having unsuccessfully run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. In Maine, Democrat Sarah Gideon had been leading the sitting Senator Susan Collins in pre-election opinion polls by six per cent, according to RealClear Politics. But in an upset Gideon lost by eight per cent, even though Biden won the state. Republican Ritkin Mehta lost the senate race by 22.7 per cent to Corey Booker, the incumbent who also was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. At the state level, Niraj Antani was elected to the Ohio state Senate. He was a member of the state House of Representatives for three terms having been first elected when he was only 23 years old, becoming one of the youngest legislators in the country. In New York, Kevin Thomas, a sitting state Senator was reelected. Film-maker Mira Nair’s son Zohran Mamdani won a New York State Assembly seat, as did fellowDemocrat Jenifer Rajkumar.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan sworn in as NZ Minister Thiruvananthapuram, November 2 (IANS): Keralite Priyanca Radhakrishnan on November 2 became the first Indian to be sworn in as a Minister in New Zealand as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled her new cabinet. The 41-year-old has been sworn in as the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector. Radhakrishnan, born in Chennai and brought up in Singapore, has her roots at Paravur, Kochi, where her grandfather was a medical professional as well as a Communist. A two-time MP from Auckland, she reached New Zealand to pursue her higher studies, following which, she became a Kiwi national hailing from Christchurch and since 2004, she
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Priyanca Radhakrishnan has been in active politics with the Labour Party. She shot into prominence and became a household name in Kerala during last Onam when she came live with Ardern to extend her greetings on the occasion. Radhakrishnan continues her love with Malayalam songs and she said her most admired singer is none other than popular Keralite playback singer K.J. Yesudas.
“As you may be aware,” he wrote in a letter to the President-elect, adding: “I have long been an admirer of the US as the anchor of liberty, democracy, religious freedom and the rule of law.” “Humanity places great hope in the democratic vision and leadership of the US as leader of the free world. Particularly in these challenging times, I hope you will be able to contribute to shaping a more peaceful world in which people suffering poverty and injustice find relief. “The need to address these issues, as well as climate change, is indeed pressing,” the Nobel Peace Laureate added. “May I also commend you for your choice of a woman, Kamala
Harris, to be your Vice President,” “Following my devolution of political authority over matters relating to the cause of Tibet to the elected Tibetan leadership in exile, I have been committed to promoting human values, religious harmony and the principles of non-violence and compassion, which I believe are very much needed in today’s world.”
“I would like to thank you for your support for the Tibetan people, during your time in Congress and the previous administration, as well as for your statement in September this year. It has been the Tibetan people’s good fortune to have received the friendship and encouragement of the American people and their respective Presidents in our endeavour to protect and preserve our ancient Buddhist culture -- a culture of peace, non-violence and compassion -- that has great potential to benefit humanity as a whole.”
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama “On their behalf, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude once again,” the elderly Buddhist monk said. Wishing him every success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of the US and in contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious world, His Holiness concluded his letter by offering his prayers and good wishes.
Modi greets Joe Biden, says will look forward to working closely New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 greeted US President Elect Joe Biden and said that as Vice President his contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable and India will look forward to working closely together. The Prime Minister also congratulated Vice President elect Kamala Harris saying her success is path breaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all IndianAmericans. In a series of tweets, Modi said, “Congratulations Joe Biden on your spectacular victory! As the VP, your contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable. I look forward to working closely together once again to take IndiaUS relations to greater heights.” Congratulating Kamala Harris, who is set to become the first woman Vice President of the US, he said, “Heartiest congratulations Kamala Harris! Your success is path breaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans. I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership.” Modi’s remarks came soon after Biden, the former two-term vice president and a Senate veteran, won the US Presidential elections to be the 46th President of the US while Harris will be the next vice president, the first woman and the first person of colour to hold the office.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congress President Sonia Gandhi also extended warmest congratulations to President-elect Biden and Harris on her election as the next Vice President. She said, “Under the wise and mature leadership of PresidentElect Biden and Vice PresidentElect Harris; India looks forward to a close partnership that will be beneficial to peace and development in our region and around the world.” Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took to twitter and wrote, “Congratulations to Presidentelect Joe Biden. I’m confident that he will unite America and provide it with a strong sense of direction.” “Congratulations, Vice-Presidentelect Kamala Harris! It makes us proud that the first woman to serve as Vice President of the US traces her roots to India,” he said in another tweet congratulating Harris. The US welcomed India’s cohosting of the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference, Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar and
Senior Enlisted Leader Forum in 2023. The ministers also announced that following the recent convening of the second Australia-India-Japan-US Quadrilateral Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo on October 6, 2020, the Quad consultations would now be held annually. They expressed their support for further strengthening the Quad cooperation through expanded activities, including initiating a dialogue among the development organisations of partner countries. The US will host the next 2+2 ministerial dialogue in 2021.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
WORLD NEWS
Sonia and Rahul hail Thousands of km away from US, TN Biden, Harris on victory villagers rejoice over Kamala’s win Chennai, November 8 (IANS): As the news of Kamala Harris’ election as the new US Vice President began to pour in, villagers thousands of km away in Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu (TN) celebrated the occasion by bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Congress President Sonia Gandhi has extended her warmest congratulations and also on behalf of the party, to Joe Biden on his election as the 46th US President as well as Kamala Harris on her election as the next Vice-President.
development in our region and around the world,” she said in her congratulatory message.
“Under the wise and mature leadership of President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris, India looks forward to a close partnership that will be beneficial to peace and
“Congratulations, Vice-Presidentelect Kamala Harris! It makes us proud that the first woman to serve as Vice-President of the US traces her roots to India,” he said in another tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden. I’m confident that he will unite America and provide it with a strong sense of direction.”
UN watchdog: Pak doesn’t deserve to be in UNHRC
No surprises here, because Harris’ maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan hailed from Thulasendrapuram village located in Tiruvarur district. Some days ago, they had even held special prayers at Sri Dharmasastha Temple in their village for her victory. The villagers drew big ‘kolams’ outside their homes to wish good luck to Harris. Big banners with pictures of the Democratic nominee were also put up by villages at some spots. Earlier, when she was nominated as the running mate of presidential candidate Joe Biden, villagers had celebrated by distributing sweets. But it is not the first time that people in Tamil Nadu have prayed for the victory of an American candidate in the US presidential elections. In 2008, when Barack Obama and John McCain slugged
it out, people of hosiery town Tiruppur had prayed for Obama’s win. The economy of the knitwear garment exporting town of Tirupur, almost 400 km from state capital Chennai, is driven almost entirely by exports to more than 35 countries, with the biggest market in the US. The slowdown in the US and European markets in 2008, a fluctuating rupee vis-a-vis the dollar and several local problems saw the town’s exports in fiscal year 2007-08 dip for the first time since the early 1980s. Export revenues in the town came down to Rs 99.5 billion ($2 billion) in 2007-08 from Rs 110 billion in the previous year. Now with the global financial meltdown drying up US and European orders further, the chances of growth disappeared, exporters had told IANS then. But Tirupur’s exporters, ancillaries and workers believed an Obama win will change the glum situation. “There is a general perception here that a Democrat-led US government is better for Indian business,” Azhill M.S. Mani,
President of Tirupur Industrial Federation had told IANS. “Obama is certainly a better bet if we go by his pre-election speeches and announcements,” echoed SK Vivekananda, Managing Director of knitwear exporter Shakthi Knitting Ltd. People in the town, which houses 7,000-odd knitwear and ancillary units that employ around 600,000 workers, even chanted ‘Om Obama’ on the lines of ‘Om Labhum’. Vice President Elect Kamala Harris Soon after, journalist turned film director Janaki Viswanathan produced movie “Om Obama” showcasing how a small village in Tamil Nadu gets affected due to globalisation and recession. “Though the movie was not released in theatres, it was shown in some film festivals,” Viswanathan told IANS. Queried if she harboured plans to make a movie on Harris, whose mother Shyamala comes from Chennai, Viswanathan quipped: “Why not? There was a meme with the White House sporting the name ‘Kamala Nivas’.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan New Delhi/Islamabad, November 8 (IANS): In an unprecedented move, the UN Watch took a scathing dig at Prime Minister Imran Khan for his intolerant views and Pakistan’s inclusion in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
is intolerable.”
Pakistan was recently re-elected to the UNHRC even as the country’s human rights record is one of the worst in the world.
In its response, the Pakistan government accused the UN Watch of being a pro-Israel Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with evident bias against Muslims. Arslan Khalid, the digital media adviser to Prime Minister Khan on Twitter alleged that the NGO had nothing to do with the UN.
Recently, a French teacher was beheaded by an Islamist in Paris for exhibiting Charlie Hebdo cartoons in a class on the idea of freedom of expression. While President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear that Islamic radicalism and terrorism will not be tolerated in France, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan justified the brutal act of beheading by arguing that the teacher had committed “blasphemy” by showing the cartoons of the Islamic Prophet. The official Twitter handle of the government of Pakistan had quoted Khan saying, “Blasphemy in garb of freedom of expression
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The Geneva-based rights group, which is the only UN-accredited watchdog of the global body, on Twitter, rebutted Prime Minister Khan saying, “Your presence on the UN Human Rights Council is intolerable.”
The NGO countered the Khan government saying that Pakistan pretended to be a defender of Muslims and yet takes an apathetic stand on the human rights abuse of over one million Uyghur Muslims. The UN Watch pointed out that the Pakistan government instead supports and praises the Chinese government which is perpetrating genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
THE WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru*
By D Suba Chandran, Harini Madhusudan, Lokendra Sharma and Akriti Sharma
The US: Joe Biden will be the new American President and Kamala Harris the Vice-President
US President elect Joe Biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris What happened? After four days of tensed vote counting, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate has won the 2020 Presidential election against Donald Trump. The counting got delayed, because of the heavy postal ballots. Joe Biden, in his first speech as the President-Elect, addressed the need first to unite the US within. He made an explicit point that there are no Blue and Red States, only the United States. Besides addressing the political red and blue divide in terms of the Democrats and the Republicans, he also mentioned the need to restore the soul of America, heal the country and push the harsh rhetoric away. There was no gloating in his speech against Donald Trump. Though he did not talk about the global issues, in his first speech, he did mention about making the US respected again internationally. Kamala Harris, the Vice President-elect, emphasized on the need to protect the democracy, and build a better future together. She referred to the sorrows, sacrifice and the pain of people during the last few months (referring to the COVID). Kamala Harris also underlined the role of women in the elections and their role in taking the US into the future. She referred to her ethnic background, talked about her mother, who came to the US at the age of 19 and referred to the Black, Asian, Latino and Native American women as the backbone of the democracy. “Tonight, I reflect their struggle. I stand on their shoulders.” She also stated, “I may be the first woman in this office. But, I’ll not be the last”. In a nutshell, Kamala Harris referred to the need to bring everyone, who has made the US their home. There has been no response from
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the Trump campaign so far. A few tweets, earlier by Trump, have not given any indication, that he would accept the verdict gracefully, and leave the White House. What does it mean? First, Biden will have to address the domestic expectations from him, and also address the internal divide. While the final vote may have pushed Biden to be the next President, there was no “wave” against Donald Trump. A substantial percentage has voted for Trump; this would mean, they believe in what Trump has been selling them in terms of making America great again. Today, the US stands more polarised within, than it has been ever before. Restoring the soul of the US, and “making America the beacon of the world” as Biden commented is not going to be an easy task. Second, Trump’s legacy at the international level. Biden’s statement made – that he would make the US respected again at the global level, is also not going to be an easy task for the new President. Trump has derailed many global commitments that the US has made earlier – from climate change to trade. Trump’s policy towards China, the Middle East (especially Iran) and Russia – will pose tough questions to the new President. Also, Trump’s handling of the American allies – especially Canada and Europe, means Biden will have to rebuild relations not only with adversaries but also with the allies. Tough task. But not insurmountable.
Chancellor and the French President are expected to propose discussions with senior EU officials regarding issues/ measures that include a better screening of asylum seekers, tougher penalties for citizens sympathetic to the Islamic State (or other terror groups) and supporters who have participated with extremist groups abroad. With three horrific attacks in the past six weeks, Europe faces a law and order issue along with an ideological challenge. What does it mean? There has been a strong response to the attacks in Europe and the rest of the world. There has also been a debate about Europe being overwhelmed by the rising number of immigrants. The current move by Austria and France brings the dichotomy of Europe’s passion for multiculturalism against their decades-long resistance to assimilating the immigrants into their society. Since the immigrant crisis in Europe has now become
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz a popular election ploy, public opinion has been highly divided. The law and order agencies in both the countries seem to have failed to foresee the attacks or even have a profile of the perpetrators. A joint initiative by Europe with uniform measures of verification makes it the only timely response that could help reduce such attacks in the future.
Europe: Austria and France seek pan-European measures against Islamic Extremists ALSO IN THE NEWS
China: CPC releases the roadmap for the next 15 years
French President Emmanuel Macron What happened? On 5 November, Austrian and French officials said that they are planning a joint campaign to push for European Unionwide measures against Islamic extremism. This comes in the wake of terrorist attacks during recent weeks in both countries. At the forthcoming EU summit on 19 November, the Austrian
On 3 November, the Chinese Communist Party made public a roadmap for development in China for the next fifteen years. On 29 October, the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee adopted the committee’s proposals for the formulation of the “14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the LongRange Objectives Through the Year 2035.” The proposal sets a blueprint for China’s economic growth and social development in the coming years and has a central focus on technological self-sufficiency. Hong Kong: Hotline to report
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breaches of national security law On 5 November, a new hotline became operational in Hong Kong; now, anyone can anonymously report to the police regarding breaches of the new national security law. Various pieces of information, including texts, photos and videos, can be sent through this hotline. On its first day, the police received about 2500 tip-offs. Critics warn about increased surveillance and targeting of pro-democracy activists and dissenters.
WORLD THIS WEEK Border Personnel Meeting point. Like the last two meetings, this meeting was also attended by the diplomats from both sides. However, there was no official announcement on the outcome of the meeting; it is expected that both sides will extend the deployment of additional troops in the region. Bangladesh: Anti-France protests
Thailand: Protestors urged to join the reconciliation panel On 6 November, political leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Member of Parliament Nikorn Chamnong, urged the protestors to participate in the proposed reconciliation panel so that the conflict could be resolved. This comes after the Ratsadon group, and the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) from the protestors’ camp turned down the request made by President Chuan Leekpai recently. India: Foreign Secretary’s visit to Germany On 2 November, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Germany, as part of a threenation European tour. He met the German Foreign Minister of State, and held discussions over shared priorities, strengthening of the multilateral structures and rapidly growing cooperation between the two countries. While addressing the German diplomats and think tanks, Shringla mentioned the evolution and importance of the Indo-Pacific region in the twenty-first century, India’s interest in becoming the net security provider, and the significance of the establishment of partnerships with European nations. India: Phase one of the Malabar Naval Exercise comes to an end On 6 November, the first phase of the Malabar Naval Exercise ended. India, along with the USA, Japan, and Australia, conducted the exercise off the coast of Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal with a focus on antisubmarine and anti-air warfare operations. It is being seen as four nations with a mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific coming together to counter the Chinese influence. The second phase of the exercise will begin on 17 November in the Arabian Sea. India and China: Eighth Corps Commander level meet held at LAC On 6 November, the XIV Corps Commander Lt General PG K Menon met with his Chinese counterpart Major General Liu Lin for the eighth round of discussion on the ongoing standoff between India and China at the Line of Actual Control. The meeting was held at the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo
On 2 November, Bangladesh witnessed a major protest against French President Macron’s comments on ‘Islam is in crisis’ and his defence of the offensive caricature of the Prophet. The protest had about 50,000 people that originated from Dhaka’s biggest mosque. The protestors also called for banning of French products and closure of the French embassy in Bangladesh. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refrained from commenting on the cartoon controversy. Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia also witnessed protests over the same issue. Canada and France: Trudeau and Macron speak On 5 November, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and French president Macron discussed the recent terror attacks in France. This call comes after Trudeau’s recent remarks on the limits of freedom of expression caused uproar both in Canada and France. To control the damage, Trudeau expressed solidarity with French people and both leaders agreed on the importance of defending the freedom of expression and human rights and on their shared commitment to fighting terrorism and violent extremism, according to a readout of their conversation released by the PM’s office. About the authors D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean and Lokendra Sharma, Harini Madhusudan and Akriti Sharma are PhD Scholars with the School of Conflict and Security Studies, at NIAS. *The report has been modified by India News due to space considerations.
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
MAKE IN INDIA
Make in India: Emerging Opportunities As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations, and Australia Inc. in general, among others. India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destination in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
CHEMICALS
World’s chemical nucleus Market size of chemicals and petrochemicals sector in India is worth $165 bn.
chemicals accounts for around 71% of the total production of major chemicals for the year 2019-20 (up to September 2019). • The petrochemical demand is expected to grow at 7.5% CAGR
is permitted in completed projects for operations and management of townships, malls/shopping complexes, and business constructions. 100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route for urban infrastructures such as urban transport, water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment.
Chemicals industry in India is highly diversified, covering more than 80,000 commercial products. It is broadly classified into bulk chemicals, specialty chemicals, agrochemicals, petrochemicals, polymers and fertilizers. India’s proximity to the Middle East, the world’s source of petrochemicals feedstock, makes for economies of scale. India is a strong global dye supplier, accounting for approximately 16% of the world production of dyestuff and dye intermediates. Chemicals industry in India has been de-licensed except for a few hazardous chemicals. Upcoming Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIRs) and Plastic parks will provide state-of-theart infrastructure for chemicals and petrochemicals sector.
from FY 2019-23, with polymer demand growing at 8%. • The agrochemicals market in India is expected to grow at 8% CAGR reaching $3.7 bn by FY22 and $4.7 bn by FY25. • The specialty chemicals constitute 18% of total chemicals and petrochemicals market in India. As of FY19, the total market size is around $32 bn. The demand for speciality chemicals is expected to grow at 12% CAGR from FY19-22.
CONSTRUCTION Building a sustainable future
The construction industry in India consists of the real estate
Industry Scenario The construction industry in value terms is expected to record a CAGR of 15.7% to reach $ 738.5 bn by 2022. The industry contributes 55% share in the steel industry, 15% in the paint industry and 30% in the glass industry. The construction industry in India is expected to grow at 5.6% during 2016-20, compared to 2.9% during 2011-15. The activities that registered the highest growth include export cargo (10%), highway construction/widening (9.8%), power generation (6.6%), import cargo (5.8%) and cargo at major ports (5.3%).
• Demand of chemical products is expected to grow at approximately 9% p.a. over the next 5 years.
Industry Scenario Market size of the chemicals industry in India stood at $180 bn in 2019. The production of total major chemicals and petrochemicals in 2019-20 (up to September 2019) was 13,871 thousand MT. CAGR in production of total chemicals and petrochemicals during the period 2014-15 to 2018-19 is 4.78%. Alkali
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• Total number of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) connections is expected to reach 1.4 bn by 2020 from 1.1 bn in 2017. • Telecom industry contribution to GDP is expected to reach 8.2% by 2020 from 6.5% in 2017. 100% FDI is allowed in the telecom, wherein up to 49% is allowed through the automatic route and beyond 49% under government route.
The Indian mobile industry is expected to create a total economic value of $217.4 bn by 2020. The telecommunications industry is divided into following subsectors: infrastructure, equipment, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MNVO), White Space Spectrum, 5G, telephone service providers and broadband.
• India ranks 14th in export and 8th in import of chemicals (excluding pharmaceutical products) globally.
100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route in the chemicals sector (except in the case of certain hazardous chemicals)
Indian smartphone users consume maximum data in the world at 12GB/month and which could increase to 25 GB/month by 2025.
Industry Scenario
• The chemicals and petrochemicals market is projected to reach $300 bn by 2025.
• Indian chemical industry employs more than 2 million people.
over the last few years primarily driven by affordable tariffs, wider availability, roll-out of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), expanding 3G and 4G coverage, evolving consumption patterns of subscribers and a conducive regulatory environment.
as well as the urban development segment. The real estate segment covers residential, office, retail, hotels and leisure parks, among others. While urban development segment broadly consists of subsegments such as water supply, sanitation, urban transport, schools, and healthcare. • By 2025, construction market in India is expected to emerge as the third largest globally. • By 2025, construction output is expected to grow on an average by 7.1% each year. • By 2020, construction equipment industry’s revenue is estimated to reach $ 5 bn. 100% FDI under automatic route
• India will be required to spend $ 454.8 bn on infrastructure development over the period of five years (2015-20), with 70% of funds needed for power, roads and urban infrastructure segments.
As per GSMA, India is on its way to becoming the second-largest smartphone market globally by 2025 with around 1 billion installed devices and is expected
to have 920 million unique mobile subscribers by 2025 which will include 88 million 5G connections. Telecom tower in India is set to boom as its tenancy ration will increase from 1.95 times in 2016 to 2.9 times by 2020 due to the expansion of 3G and 4G and the onset of 5G technologies. 5G is set to be a game changer for the telecom industry and is expected to yield enormous economic opportunities over the next three to five years. India has the potential to unlock $48.69 bn through the deployment of 5G over the next four years. More than 70 companies have received approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide MVNO services. The majority of these companies are focused on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The DoT is targeting a combination of 100% broadband connectivity in the villages, 55% fiberisation of mobile towers, average broadband speeds of 25 mbps and 30 lakh kms of optic fibre rollouts by December 2022. By December 2024, it is looking at 70% fiberisation of towers, average broadband speeds of 50 Mbps and 50 lakh kms of optic fibre rollouts at a pan-India level. Source: INVEST INDIA, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India
• Expected cement capacity addition of 80-100 MT per annum over next five years.
TELECOM
Connecting the world The telecom industry in India is the second-largest in the world with a subscriber base of over 1.2 bn. The industry has witnessed exponential growth
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
EDITORIAL
US and India: A tale of France at crossroads: Need for acting decisively but sensibly two democracies
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
I
ndia is the largest democracy and the United States the oldest and both have witnessed tectonic shifts in recent years in their political landscape. The rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India in 2014 and Donald Trump in the US in 2017 was seen as the emergence of the far-right politics, marginalising liberal/moderate parties at the other end of the political spectrum. If the US saw the rise of white supremacists that fuelled racial divisions in the US, the rise of the Bhartiya Janta Party in India emboldened many rightwing vigilante groups across India. As the social fabric in the US lay tattered following the death of George Floyd triggering Black Lives Matter movement the Republicans were pushed on the back foot by the Democratic Party. In India, the political milieu has remained divided as the Narendra Modi government passed a series of legislations such as the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (providing sanctuary to minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh), Triple Talaq, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 (abrogating Article 35A and amending Article 370 to alter J&K’s special status). The Modi government also benefitted from the favourable Supreme Court ruling paving the way for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, and adopted a tough counter-terrorism policy striking on the terrorist hideouts in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and standing up to China’s aggression in Doklam and Ladakh. These measures have profoundly expanded BJP’s voter’s base wooing women, restive youth and the poor. Unlike Trump, who faces defeat, in 2019 Modi could have been voted out too, but instead retained power with 21 more seats in the parliament. The victory of the Democratic Party under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—notwithstanding Donald Trump’s alleging electoral irregularity—has been read as the beginning of the decline of the far-right in international
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politics. Political pundits and scholars in India were quick to draw parallels with US politics predicting a liberal-secular comeback against the Modi government. In this backdrop, elections were held in the state of Bihar, along with the byelections in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Telangana among others. Unlike in the US, the BJP secured a resounding victory. The results have reinforced the broad trend since Modi’s rise in 2014 wherein the underprivileged and women, largely in the rural and semi-urban areas have benefitted from the government’s schemes such as Ujjwala scheme (providing LPG connections to Below Poverty Line families at subsidized rates), Swacch Bharata Mission (Clean India campaign constructing over 80 million toilets), PM’s Awaas scheme (affordable housing for urban and rural poor), Jan Dhan Yojna (opening bank accounts with Rs 0 for direct transfer of financial sustenance), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (financially self-reliant education schemes for girls), PM Mudra scheme (loan to small businesses up to 1 million rupees), Atal Pension scheme (monthly pension for people in the unorganised sector aged between 18-40), PM Jyoti Bima scheme (life insurance of Rs, 200,000 for people between 18-50), Ujala scheme (low priced LED bulbs) and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (free ration up to 6kgs per person) at the heels of Covid-19 outbreak, reaching over 800 million. India’s democracy has presented an anti-thesis of the trends in the US politics, perhaps because the Modi government has delivered a large number of schemes aimed at the poor and women, and resolved complex and contentious disputes festering for decades. It would be fair to argue that the Indian voters have risen above their ideological biases and voted for good governance and strong leadership, which should be the hallmark of any thriving democracy and the benchmark for any effective government, irrespective of the ideology it represents.
In the wake of recent terror attacks, the French government said it would crack down on “Islamist separatism” but contradictory responses from officials are playing right into the hands of extremists. Instead of working to unite the country, French authorities are using divisive rhetoric and implementing policies that are further alienating France’s Muslim population. Shortly after the beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin declared “a war against the enemies within.” He then launched a series of raids against Muslim associations and individuals, who, in his words, “were not necessarily linked with the investigation but to whom we are clearly willing to send a message.” Darmanin also called for the dissolution of anti-Islamophobia organisations, namely the Collective Against Islamophobia (CCIF), which he labeled “enemies of the Republic.” Going even further, the minister said it has always “shocked” him to see ethnic food sections in supermarkets because he believes they contribute to separatism in France. Linking the despicable act of one man to peaceful Muslim groups and institutions, while creating an atmosphere of suspicion, is dangerous. To understand how this enflames extremism, we must first realise that Islamist terrorists strike precisely to sow division and fear. There are many al-Qaeda and ISIS manuals that make their aim of driving a wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims explicit. As ISIS outlined in its online magazine as early as 2015, “Muslims in the West will soon find themselves between one of two choices.” The group explained that the prescient threat of terror attacks will lead to Muslims being treated with increased suspicion and distrust, forcing them to “either apostatise [convert]… or [migrate] to the Islamic State and thereby escape persecution from the crusader governments and citizens.” This divide-and-conquer strategy is crucial to terrorist groups replenishing their ranks and shoring up support from sympathisers. They target Muslims who feel marginalised from the rest of society and then lure them with promises of social status and a sense of belonging. That’s precisely why it’s so important for French leaders to work on social cohesion and lead with good examples.
France’s responsibility. Experts broadly agree that structural inequalities and socio-economic deprivation creates a propensity for Muslim radicalisation. They point to the ‘ghettoisation’ of Muslims in French banlieues and the higher rate of unemployment among Muslim youths. True, in an earlier speech in October, Macron conceded the country was not blameless in creating the problem it seeks to combat: “We have constructed our own separatism in our neighborhoods, creating ghettos, at the outset with the best intentions in the world – but we let it happen. We concentrated misery and difficulties, and we know it.” But any goodwill he might have earned for this admission was quickly erased when Macron patronizingly said Muslims needed to develop an “Islam of enlightenment.” The issue to be targeted is not religion. Religion is used by extremists to frame their actions and to capture the attention of Muslims. But the underlying problems are the social and individual risk factors that make a relatively small group of individuals susceptible to joining terrorist organisations or acting on their behalf.
While Macron previously recognised France must do more to offer economic and social mobility to immigrant communities, his new antiradicalism plan following the killings in Nice does not. Instead, Macron is largely concentrating on the alleged shortcomings of Muslim schools and mosques, sports clubs, and fraternal circles. He said the government plans to cut off foreign funding to Islamic schools, train and license imams and Arabic teachers at French universities, ban halal meals from school cafeterias, and limit homeschooling. This sounds like more scapegoating from a government that has failed to push the country in a more inclusive direction, and that is trying to appeal to far-right voters. As the recent stabbings of two Muslim women under the Eiffel Tower suggest, these new measures will do little to fix France’s social ills and will likely exacerbate the threat of
extremism of all types. Indeed, at a time of deep polarization, there is now momentum to discredit academics who question the role of the state in perpetuating socioeconomic inequalities. French Education Minister JeanMichel Blanquer has called out what he describes as “intellectual complicities with terrorism.” He said so-called “Islamo-leftism… wreaks havoc in the university,” and blamed “indigenist, racialist, and decolonial ideologies” imported from North America of “conditioning” the man who killed Paty. Alarmingly, over 100 French academics stated their agreement with Blanquer in a manifesto published in the newspaper Le Monde this month. Voluntarily conflating Islam with Islamism, and branding academics who point out state discrimination against French Muslims as terrorist allies, stifles constructive debate and prevents us from addressing the root causes of radicalisation. The goal of terrorists is to divide our society, and French officials are creating the perfect atmosphere for them to succeed. Combating terrorism requires a united front; it requires cooperation between French Muslims and non-Muslims to integrate. We must reduce social tensions, not increase them. Only in doing so will we deprive extremists of the oxygen they need to survive. Audrey Courty is a PhD candidate and researcher at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, specializing in political extremism and digital media.
Courtesy: www.wsj.com
By Audrey Courty
Yet French President Emmanuel Macron’s narrow focus on “reforming Islam” is stigmatising Muslims and downplaying
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
SPECIAL FEATURE
Taiwan’s immense popularity in India: Building the momentum By Sana Hashmi Taiwan marks 200 plus days without a local COVID-19 case. Taiwan’s impeccable COVID-19 response has garnered immense appreciation and generated greater awareness about Taiwan among Indians. This coupled with ever-rising tensions between India and China has led to calls for closer cooperation between India and Taiwan in India. While China has lost the perception war in India primarily due to the violent clashes at the Galwan valley and the ongoing and protracted standoff, Taiwan has gained respect and appreciation among Indians. Taiwan is now viewed as a friendly and responsible country among Indians. However, this wide reportage and discussion on Taiwan is not going down well with China. On October 7, 2020, Chinese Embassy in India issued a diktat to the Indian media asking them to refrain from calling Taiwan a country while reporting on it and even be in tune with the Indian government’s stand on the so-called ‘One-China policy’. This move backfired and much of Indian media reported widely on Taiwan on its National Day that fell on October 10, 2020. The
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Tajinder Singh Bagga placed several posters outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi wishing Taiwan on its national day. The photos of which went viral, leading to huge humiliation for the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. An insecure China’s desperate acts landed it in counterproductive and rather embarrassing situation. China’s so-called wolf-warrior diplomacy has boomeranged and has failed to achieve any objective that Beijing had set. To reciprocate appreciation and support from several Indians, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen put out a series of tweets. Her tweets on her 2012 India visit and fondness for Indian cuisine resonated well with the Indians. This series of events has shown President Tsai Ing-wen’s crafty abilities to tap on the social media platforms. This also displays that unlike the Chinese officials and diplomats who are resorting to bullish behaviour, Taiwan is sticking to the professional ethics in its foreign policy approaches. Taiwan has finally got the muchdeserved attention from Indians. Unprecedentedly, Taiwan is
being discussed in the Indian print and online media. This has contributed to awareness and knowledge about Taiwan among Indians. However, governmentto-government interactions are limited in scope and therefore, the potential in the relations still remains under-utilised.
a concerted response to tackle common threats and ensure peace and stability in the IndoPacific region. The firm attitude that President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration has demonstrated in dealing with China’s bullying marks a significant departure in Taiwan’s policy.
It is important that the leadership from both sides sense the popular sentiments and take steps to strengthen cooperation. The biggest likely gain for both India and Taiwan is on the economic front. A systematic and coordinated dialogue on trade and investment relations is the need of the hour, and eventually an India-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement may follow. This will not only help India reduce its dependence on China but also add a long-term and positive dimension to India-Taiwan relations. Closer economic relations will also give an impetus to President Tsai Ing-wen’s New Southbound Policy.
Security cooperation for information sharing in the field of cyber is essential. The two sides may also consider initiating a policy planning dialogue at mid-official level. This will help the two countries better understand the changing regional dynamics and accommodate each other’s’ interests. For Taiwan’s inclusion in the key international mechanisms, the onus should not lie on one country but the like-minded countries such as Australia, India, Japan and the United States should jointly promote Taiwan’s greater participation in the Indo-Pacific region.
As far as the security aspect is concerned, Taiwan has been at the receiving end of China’s aggression or the wolf warrior diplomacy. President Tsai ing-wen has been urging the like-minded countries to form
Would you dare to wear Oud? By Malvika Barry Oud is known for its distinctive, rich, and complex aroma, which is difficult to recreate even by synthetic molecules, says Malvika Barry When I arrived in the Middle East, I was bewildered and intrigued by the scents all around me, from the aroma of spicy pungent kebab to the opulent scents on fully clothed men and women. Initially, I couldn’t quite put my “nose” on what they smelt off; what was this oh-so-overpowering, almost animalic musky, rich, honey-like, alluring fragrance that most of them reeked off? It was Oud, also known as Oudh, Gaharu, or Agarwood, and is one of the rarest and most expensive woods in the world. Popularly known as Black gold, by the Middle Easterners, Oud is known for its distinctive, rich, and complex aroma, which is difficult to recreate even by synthetic molecules. When paired with some raw materials such as rose, sandalwood, patchouli, or saffron, they make an irresistible combination that is even more dynamic and wearable. Oud, just like the musical instrument Oud, is deeply rooted in the Islamic culture, and they have a sensual and soul-stirring symphony. Agarwood is traditionally used as incense by burning the wood chips in a madkhan (a small
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portable incense burner) in the form of bakhoor, which slowly diffuses and reveals its rich entrancing fragrance. The intoxicating and enigmatic smoky scent of these wood chips can also be used to enhance the smell of garments and clothes lightly. Oud oil is also used sparingly as a perfume, by many Oud lovers. Oud’s sense-arousing smell When I smelt Oud oil for the first time, it reminded me of a horse stable and the dry sweet honey-like hay fed to the horses. It is truly an odd smell, but it eventually grows on you and arouses your senses. Saudi and Gulf sell the best quality Oud at an exorbitant price, but what makes it so pricey? Oud is the resinous heartwood of Aquilaria trees, which are mostly grown in South East Asia. These trees undergo a process called tylosis, that involves the production of certain metabolites in the form of resins at the heartwood, when subjected to wounding or damage due to injury, insect invasion, infection from fungus or mould. The Aquilaria tree can battle the infection for several decades until it is finally cut down and sold as agarwood and eventually used for perfume production. The oldest infected trees have the most complex and rich aroma. Due to its gaining popularity in oriental perfumes, there is a
dwindling population of the “real oud wood”. Now alternate modern plantation techniques have been devised to grow Aquilaria trees by subjecting them to artificial injury and infection by the Ascomycota fungus to provoke the defence mechanism of tylosis. Although they have mastered the art of production, the wood still lacks the complexity and intensity of its older counterpart. West recognises Oud’s qualities After centuries of being prevalent in the Islamic culture, Oud has gained recognition in the Western world as a priced and precious raw material in perfumery. Abdalla Ajmal, General Manager and grandson of the founder of Ajmal perfumes from Assam, India, once said, “It’s not just a fragrance. It’s an entire culture. It’s something we can’t explain to outsiders.” It is truly an inexplicable scent, which is soon being seen and made popular by many perfume houses like Christian Dior, Tom Ford, Kilian, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Montale, Gucci, Dolce &Gabbana, Roja Parfums, YSL, etc. Most of these perfume houses have refined the Oud scent and tamed it for the Western market. In the Middle East, men in their white kandura and the women in their black abaya or burkha wear perfumes infused with Oud to create an aura and leave a mark
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Equal focus should also be on strengthening people-to-people ties. People are at the core of India-Taiwan bilateral ties and to sustain the momentum, it is crucial for both countries to encourage more scholarship on the bilateral relations. Lack of
academic work on India-Taiwan relations make it one of the most understudied and understated set of relationships. More engagement and collaboration between academicians of both countries will lead to further awareness about each other. The problem in the relations is the lack of sustained and persuasive focus. While for India, it is important to de-hyphenate India’s Taiwan policy from IndiaChina relations, for Taiwan, it is crucial that a long-term strategy for engaging India is devised. India is a focal country in the New Southbound Policy, and having a blueprint for cooperation in the areas of mutual interests will not only strengthen the New Southbound policy but will also provide framework for future cooperation between India and Taiwan. *Sana Hashmi is Taiwan Fellow at Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University, and a former consultant with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
of their presence in the room they enter or exit. It’s a means of expressing their style and personality. The three perfumes that have captivated me with its mysticism and have been intricately created with Oud as the star ingredient include; 1. Oud for Greatness, Eau de Parfum, by Initio Parfums Privés Now, this perfume is truly meant for greatness and great times! It’s the perfect composition for a barbeque evening in the desert. The saffron and oud are in harmony with the mellow lavender in the composition singing a nostalgic song in the evening purple-hued sky. The nutmeg, just like the barbeque heat, comforts the senses with its warmth in the cool air. Patchouli and musk complete this evening, leaving a feeling of satisfaction at the end. 2. Laialy, Eau de Parfum by Oud Elite Just like “Laialy” which means night in Arabic, this perfume has a dark, mysterious, and intense character to it. The dusty, earthy, and sweet-spicy saffron along with patchouli brings out the best and most intense side of oud. This particular composition has been made by the ancient knowledge of the rare and precious infected wood. Men and women can adorn it for festive occasions with intricately embroidered clothing.
3. The Voice of Snake, The Alchemist Garden collection, by Gucci This perfume made me fall in love with Oud. After the initial hit of Oud wood, there is an alluring note of saffron, which is too tempting to let go. There also seems to be a generous amount of patchouli as well, adding to the cool and damp note of humid leaves on the forest floor on which these slippery yet mystical creatures of the underworld tread on and hiss to warn their predators of their presence. It is undoubtedly worn by the most striking men who dare to be noticed. These are just some of the most impressive Oud perfumes I have encountered recently, and there are many more yet to be discovered. I hope you get to try these fragrances and invoke your adventurous side; until then stay safe and Happy Sniffing. Malvika Barry is a Fragrance Evaluator at Identiscents FZC, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
AISECS hosts first webinar of Sport in the new normal series
he Australian Indian Sports T Educational and Cultural Society (AISECS) kicked off its
first webinar of the Sport in the new normal series on 17th November, 2020 which included Cricket Australia panelists Ashton Agar, Australian cricket player; Jane Moffat, National Female Participation Manager; Adam Cassidy, Diversity and Inclusion Manager; Jennifer Taffs, Clubs and Competitions Coordinator; Patrick Horan,
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Head of Digital; Tahnee Bungey, alleging electoral irregularity— Cricket Blast Specialist; Lachlan has been read as the beginning Tosh, Junior Cricket Specialist; of the decline of the far-right in and Gurnam Singh, Founder international politics. Political of AISECS and Community pundits and scholars in India Ambassador for Cricket were quick to draw parallels Australia. with US politics predicting a India is the largest democracy liberal-secular comeback against and the United States the oldest the Modi government. In this and both have witnessed tectonic backdrop, elections were held shifts in recent years in their in the state of Bihar, along with political landscape. The rise of the by-elections in Madhya Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, India in 2014 and Donald Trump Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat in the US in 2017 was seen as and Telangana among others. the emergence of the far-right Unlike in the US, the BJP secured politics, marginalising liberal/ a resounding victory. moderate parties at the other end The results have reinforced of the political spectrum. the broad trend since Modi’s If the US saw the rise of white rise in 2014 wherein the undersupremacists that fuelled racial privileged and women, largely divisions in the US, the rise of in the rural and semi-urban the Bhartiya Janta Party in India areas have benefitted from the emboldened many right-wing government’s schemes such as vigilante groups across India. Ujjwala scheme (providing LPG As the social fabric in the US lay connections to Below Poverty tattered following the death of Line families at subsidized rates), George Floyd triggering Black Swacch Bharata Mission (Clean Lives MatterReal movement India campaign constructing over Bringing Newsthe to Community Republicans were pushed on the 80 million toilets), PM’s Awaas back foot by the Democratic Party. scheme (affordable housing for : 1300 milieu 859 066 In India, thePh political has urban and rural poor), Jan Dhan info@indiannewsqld.com.au remained divided as the Narendra Yojna (opening bank accounts Modi government passed a with Rs 0 for direct transfer of www.indiannewsqld.com.au series of legislations such as financial sustenance), Beti Bachao RamselfMohan | Ph: 0421 the Citizenship Amendment Beti Padhao (financially Act 2019 (providing sanctuary reliant education schemes for to minorities from Pakistan, girls), PM Mudra scheme (loan to Afghanistan and Bangladesh), 1 million Newspaper Coverage small businesses up to sales@zenithgold.c Triple Talaq, Farmers’ rupees), Atal Pension scheme Produce Trade and Commerce in www.zenithgold.co Brisbane Rockhampton(monthly pension for people (Promotion and Facilitation) the unorganised sector aged Gold Coast Mackay between 18-40), PM Jyoti Bima Act 2020 and the Jammu and Sunshine Coast Bundaberg scheme (life insurance of Rs, Kashmir Reorganization Act Townsville Article 35A 2019 (abrogating and Bay 200,000 for people between 18Hervey amending Article 370 to alter Cairns Gladstone 50), Ujala scheme (low priced LED J&K’sToowoomba special status). The Modi bulbs) and Pradhan Mantri Garib government also benefitted from Kalyan Anna Yojana (free ration the favourable Supreme Court up to 6kgs per person) at the heels ruling paving the way for the of Covid-19 outbreak, reaching construction of Ram temple in over 800 million. Ayodhya, and adopted a tough India’s democracy has presented counter-terrorism policy striking an anti-thesis of the trends in the on the terrorist hideouts in the US politics, perhaps because the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Modi government has delivered a standing up to China’s aggression large number of schemes aimed in Doklam and Ladakh. These at the poor and women, and measures have profoundly resolved complex and contentious expanded BJP’s voter’s base disputes festering for decades. wooing women, restive youth and It would be fair to argue that the the poor. Indian voters have risen above Unlike Trump, who faces defeat, their ideological biases and in 2019 Modi could have been voted for good governance and voted out too, but instead strong leadership, which should retained power with more652 seats Ram Mohan | Ph:210421 132 be the hallmark of any thriving in the parliament. The victory democracy and the benchmark of the Democratic Party under for any effective government, sales@zenithgold.com.au Joe Biden and Kamala Harris— irrespective of the ideology it notwithstanding Donald Trump’s represents.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA
IABCA reveals names of 2020 finalists
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he India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA), which is supported by Global NSW, announced its list of global IABCA finalists on November 6, 2020. This year, the IABCA received an immensely high level of engagement with greater than 300 entries across seventeen distinct award categories. The panel of experts had to indulge in a significant degree of extensive analysis covering eight weeks in deliberating over the pool of entries and eventually arriving at the list of finalists from among the high calibre and diversely skilled entrants. Among the seventeen award categories, one of the most prominent ones is the IABCA Young Professional of the year
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which recognises outstanding achievements of a young professional in middle or senior management who has built a successful career and is under 35 years of age. The finalists include AayushiKhillan, a board member of Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority; AkashAhluwalia, Managing Director, Jenny Craig Australia and New Zealand; AkshayaBorkar, co-founder, The Art and Craft Gallery; DilpreetKaur, founder, South Asian Today; Jehan Kanga, Ag Clean and Deep Tech Lead, KPMG Australia; Dr. Karan Sinha, consultant psychiatrist, Vital Psychiatry Clinic; KarthikumarKrishnakanth, WA State Director, Baiada; KirandasSivadasan, Director and Founder, BRIKS Technologies;
Dr. Partha Narayan Mishra, Geotechnical Engineer, KlohnCrippen Berger; Dr. Saba Nabi, Secretary and Board Member, Multicultural Council of WaggaWagga; Sri Harsha Reddy Mangammola, Director, VR Brothers Pty Ltd; and SrikarMaddi, Director of Partnerships, Kolossus Digital. Mannu Kala, General Manager, Medlab Pathology; Abbas Kudrati, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft Asia’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Group; Daman Shrivastav, Lecturer, Box Hill Institute; GunasekarDoraiswamy, Co-Founder and Technical Director, Intergy Consulting Australia; Hitesh Mohanlal, Owner, MediSuccess; Professor MuktiKanta Mishra, President, Centurion University of
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Technology and Management; NavneeshGarg, Chief Executive Officer, Adactin Group Pty Ltd; Dr. Raj Khillan, Director, Western Specialist Centre; RohitPathak, Associate Vice President, Infosys; and ShubhneetTyagi, CEO, Australian Institute of Engineering are among the finalists of the IABCA Business Leader or Professional of the Year (Male) category which acknowledges outstanding achievements of a business leader, professional or researcher in middle or senior management who has built a successful career and is over 35 years of age. Winners will be announced at the National IABCA Gala on19th March 2021at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.
Mannu Kala,General Manager, Medlab Pathology
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA
Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards held in Brisbane Aishwarya Somal wins Young Multicultural Business Person of the Year award
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he 2020 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards was held on Friday, 6 November, 2020, at the Main Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall in Brisbane. The Awards celebrate Brisbane as Australia’s Inclusive City that embraces diversity, innovation and economic prosperity. The event attracted a strong following from Brisbane’s multicultural community and business sector. All funds raised from the night support the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Scholarship Program and Mentoring Scheme which has supported over 500 recipients since the program began in 2008.
Aishwarya Somal (red dress), won the Young Multicultural Business Person of the Year award
The event was organised under a Queensland Health approved COVID Safe Plan. Aishwarya Somal wins Young Multicultural Business Person of the Year award One of the Indian community members, Aishwarya Somal, won the Lord Mayor of Brisbane’s Nick Xynias Award for Young Business Person of the Year 2020. Upon being nominated for this position, Aishwarya submitted to a grueling 4-person panel interview with representatives from the Lord Mayor’s office where she was questioned about all aspects of her business and its growth. After subsequently being shortlisted as a finalist in the under 35s category, she was then fortunate enough to be named in the top 3 finalists. Who is Aishwarya Somal Aishwarya is the sole Director of Emerson Family Law and Emerson Migration Law. Her passion for advocacy and her commitment to advancing the rights of the more vulnerable members of our society led her to practice in the areas of Family Law and Migration Law respectively. In 2013 she became the sole Director of Emerson Family Law. She established Emerson Migration Law in 2015 and Global Pathways Education and Migration Services in 2019 from inception and currently has a team of 8 staff. Across both arms of her practice, she ensures a steadfast focus on a culture within the firm wherein clients always obtain comprehensive advice as to their entitlements under the relevant legislation. Along with her professional life, Aishwarya is married and is a very proud mother to two young children.
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with the United Nations ECOSOC.
Her community engagement/ awareness efforts Aishwarya has also been an active participant in community awareness programs and has attended and presented at several events in the Family and Migration Law arenas. To name but a few over the last 12 months, she has been involved with the Indian Women’s Health Expo at the Sahara House Domestic Violence Shelter, and the Bringing Cultures Together Event held by Queensland Police Service at which she was the supporting lawyer to their presentation. These events have been aimed at addressing DFV issues in a culturally inclusive environment where the subtle nuances of family relationships can be identified and addressed accordingly. In light of her knowledge and experience in this field, Aishwarya has earned the respect of QPS who regularly call on her for advice.
broader peace building initiatives through her role as Peace Ambassador of the Universal Peace Federation and also in her capacity as Vice President of Women’s Federation for World Peace. Both UPF and WFWP are Non-Government Organisations which sit in consultative status
She has co-authored a written submission to the House of Representatives (HoR) Standing Committee on Social Policy & Legal Affairs -- Inquiry Into Family, Domestic And Sexual Violence. This submission identified and articulated particular ‘risk factors’ affecting CALD women which contribute to their further marginalization in the Australian context. Further, concrete recommendations were
provided for ways in which to best address the needs of CALD women in the family violence arena, both from the Family Law and Immigration Law perspectives. This award represents recognition of Aishwarya’s tireless efforts in the legal and humanitarian field and will undoubtedly provide a platform for her to effect further meaningful change in our community.
As a result of these events, Aishwarya was introduced to the CEO of Women Empowerment and Leadership and has recently been involved in assisting in hosting zoom webinars during Covid-19, which again involve the distribution of information regarding DFV and other social issues amongst CALD and Diaspora communities. These events have included information sharing regarding State Government initiatives surrounding DFV, Refugee issues and the interplay between such. She has also embarked upon
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25
INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
BUSINESS & TRADE
Congress accuses Modi India Inc expects new highs in economic of shifting goalposts on ties with US with Biden as President demonetisation New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended demonetisation he announced four years ago to this day, the Congress on November 8 accused him of “changing the goalposts” on the issue and posed questions whether it had helped achieve what all benefits it had envisioned. “The Prime Minister shifts the goalpost each time he speaks on demonetisation,” Congress leader Ajay Maken said at a press conference here. He said in his November 8 address that lasted 25 minutes
four years ago, Modi mentioned black money 18 times and fake or counterfeit currency 5 times. There was no mention of digital/ cashless economy.
The Congress leader alleged that then Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said in the Supreme Court in November 2016 that out of Rs 15-16 lakh crores estimated to be in circulation, the government expected people to deposit Rs 10-11 lakh crore in banks. The rest, Rs 4-5 lakh crore, were being used in the north-east and Jammu and Kashmir to fuel trouble in India.
Indian smartphone market grows 17% in third quarter: IDC New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): Smartphone shipments in India reached 54.3 million units in the third quarter of this year, a growth of 17 per cent year-overyear, showed data from industry tracker International Data Corporation (IDC) on November 6.
In Q3, online channel share reached an all-time high of 48 per cent, growing by a healthy 24 per cent year-over-year. Offline channels registered a moderate 11 per cent YoY growth after a challenging first half of the year. “This healthy growth in shipments in 3Q20 is expected to continue through October and early November during the festive months,” Navkendar Singh, Research Director, Client Devices & IPDS, IDC India, said in a statement. Xiaomi’s Redmi 8A Dual, Redmi 8, and Redmi Note 9 were the top three models nationally, despite Xiaomi facing supply constraints in the early weeks of the quarter. Samsung registered strong YoY growth of 38 per cent in Q3 with record shipments of 12.1 million units. India became Samsung’s largest smartphone market globally, ahead of the US in Q3, accounting
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On November 8, Indian Inc congratulated Biden along with Kamala Harris, the Vice President-elect of the US. Industry body Assocham expressed confidence that the Indo-American partnership would lead the world in the most coordinated manner in critical areas like dealing with Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and rules-based and fair global trade. “We congratulate Biden and VicePresident-elect Kamala Harris for their victory in the most keenly contested US election. Under the Biden-Harris leadership, the Indo-US economic ties would go from strength to strength, getting deeper into areas of advanced scientific research and development, business to business cooperation in strategic areas,” said Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood. He added that Assocham would be announcing several new initiatives in forging business-tobusiness cooperation covering the entire gamut of trade, services,
consulting, IT and its newer technology facets.
Congratulating Biden and Harris, Uday Kotak, President, CII said: “With rising trade and investment ties between the two countries, the health of our economies are inextricably linked and we must work together during this critical time to reinvigorate the bilateral economic agenda facilitating economic growth, enhancing job creation, supporting small business and enabling cooperation in investment-related movement of professionals.” “With the election of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President, we are looking forward to engaging with the administration’s leadership to promote post-pandemic economic stability, business collaboration, our shared democratic values and increased people-to-people ties that have defined the special India-US relationship,” he said.
IT industry body NASSCOM said that it looks forward to working together with the new US administration to find solutions to the STEM skills gap, and enable America to be more competitive, to grow and create more jobs.
companies have an important history in the US as they work with over three-quarters of the Fortune 500 companies in the US, providing them vital technology services and helping them innovate, compete, and grow. The US-India Business Council (USIBC) said: “It’s an exciting day for all Americans, but in particular, the Indian-American community in the United States. It is truly a barrier breaking moment, and one that celebrates the diversity of America and
US President elect Joe Biden the important contributions of immigrants who have made America their home.” It noted that US-India ties have continued to grow and the bilateral partnership has continued to deepen for the past two decades, under both Democratic and Republican Presidents. “The US-India Business Council looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to help the US-India economic partnership achieve its full potential and bring opportunity to the citizens of both countries,” USIBC said in a statement.
It noted that NASSCOM member
Modi defends demonetisation, says it reduced black money
India was the only smartphone market in the top 3 to witness growth, as both the China and the US markets declined yearover-year in the July-September quarter, said IDC’s Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The reopening of the economy in India with fewer restrictions was further fuelled by pent-up demand in July and August and channel stocking in September to meet the upcoming Diwali quarter demand.
New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Indian industry hopes that bilateral economic ties between India and the US will reach new heights with Joe Biden as the next President of the world’s largest economy.
for 15 per cent of its global shipments, IDC said. The online channel accounted for 43 per cent of Samsung shipments, witnessing unprecedented growth in Q3 with the Galaxy M21 and M31 featuring in the top 5 online models nationally. With shipments of nine million units, Vivo grew by 27 per cent YoY in Q3. Realme grew 19 per cent YoY to eight million units in Q3, while OPPO registered 6.1 million shipments. The premium segment ($500+) witnessed a strong growth of 91 per cent YoY where Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus continued to be the top three players. “IDC expects the low-end and mid-range segment to continue being the volume driver. As consumer sentiment improves in the next few quarters, upgrades and affordable 5G offerings in the US$200-500 segment is expected to drive growth,” said Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India.
New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Even as the opposition Congress mounted an attack on the central government on the fourth anniversary of demonetisation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended it by saying the measure helped reduce black money. “Demonetisation helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalisation and gave a boost to transparency. These outcomes have been greatly beneficial towards the national progress,” Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister said India had turned into a lesser cashbased economy with better
tax compliance. He said selfassessment tax of more than Rs 13,000 crore was paid by targeted non-filers and 3.04 lakh persons who deposited cash of Rs 10 lakh or more but had not filed their income tax returns were identified. Modi also said that 2.09 lakh such identified non-filers had responded and paid selfassessment tax of Rs 6,531 crore. He also claimed that the demonetisation helped improve India’s tax-GDP ratio. The Prime Minister said the number of counterfeit notes in circulation decreased the sources
Indian PM Narendra Modi of financing for terror and leftwing extremism as well. Modi had announced demonetisation on November 8, 2016, wherein all old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes were withdrawn.
Samsung India logs 32% growth in consumer electronics turnover in October New Delhi, November 5 (IANS): Riding on increased sales in the smaller towns and cities during the festive season, Samsung on November 5 said it achieved an overall 32 per cent growth in its consumer electronics business in the month of October and a huge 50 per cent growth in the premium electronics categories in India. In the months of August and September, the company had achieved an overall 20 per
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cent growth in the consumer electronics segment in the country. “This has been the best October ever for us, as consumers across the spectrum looked to upgrade their lives especially in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The demand is shifting towards premium electronics products and the growth in that segment is a clear signal,” Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India, told
IANS. When it comes to the smalltown India, Samsung registered overall 36 per cent growth in its consumer electronics business and 68 per cent over all in the premium categories -- much higher than the national average. In the TV (UHD) category, the company logged 72 per cent growth in tier 2 and 3 cities while for TV (QLED 65 inch and above), there was a massive 105 per cent growth in smaller cities.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
HEALTH
Consider your mask a vaccine, Global COVID-19 cases says Delhi CM as third wave of cross 50 mn: Johns Hopkins University Covid hits Delhi New York, November 9 (IANS): Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 50 million, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 6 said wearing a mask is the biggest protection against Coronavirus till the time a vaccine is developed.
The global case count reached 50,052,204, with a total of 1,253,110 deaths worldwide as of 11.24 a.m. local time (1624 GMT), the CSSE data showed on November 8, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Chief Minister was laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Rohtak road on November 6. Kejriwal said Delhi is facing a third wave of the virus, and he was extremely hopeful that Delhiites will continue to support the fight against the pandemic. “Earlier, Delhi has successfully defeated dengue. In 2015, dengue cases had reached a new high. Over the past two years, we have not recorded a single death due to dengue,” said Kejriwal, while speaking on the occasion. The CM further said, “To fight Covid, the only protocol to follow is wearing your mask. Till the time we don’t have a vaccine, consider your mask as the vaccine. There is no other way to fight this virus. Covid doesn’t distinguish between demographics. It can happen to anyone. I strongly appeal to all present here, to turn wearing a mask into a movement.” He alleged that when the pandemic was in the initial stage, flights carrying approximately 32,000 Indians from various countries landed in the national capital. “But there was no system of aggressive testing then. Delhi
The United States reported the most cases and deaths around the world, which stood at 9,879,323 and 237,192, respectively. India recorded 8,507,754 cases, ranking second in the world. Brazil
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did not start at 0 in terms of the number of Covid cases. Delhi started at thousands owing to the lack of aggressive testing of people who flew in from international flights. Delhi is the national capital of India and attracts people from all over the world. What we are facing currently is the third wave,” said the CM. Kejriwal said that pollution is also on the rise in Delhi. “We have had a strong hold on pollution control in Delhi. It’s only in the months ahead of winter that we face this issue but that is also due to stubble burning in the neighbouring states. To combat pollution within the city, Delhiites have surpassed every state. The Delhi government sprayed the
decomposer invented by Pusa Institute on all the farmlands in Delhi.” This decomposer is an effective alternative to stubble burning as it turns stubble into manure. This stubble has now turned into an opportunity for the farmers, it is no longer a liability. He said Haryana and Punjab government must also help their farmers just like Delhi did.
This situation gave a unique opportunity to assess the ability to quantify the changes in the regional FFCO2 emissions using atmospheric observations, the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said. However, there are few reports of observational evidence for CO2 emission reduction due to the Covid-19 lockdown, although a large number of publications have reported reductions in shortlived air pollutants from various parts of the world. In the study, the research team analysed atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations observed at Hateruma Island, Japan, and detected signals related to the FFCO2 reduction in China caused
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by the restrictions associated with the Covid-19 outbreak in JanuaryMarch 2020. “We estimated that the FFCO2 emissions decreased by about 20 per cent during January-February 2020 as a result of the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within China and to the outside world,” said study author Prabir K. Patra from Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology ( JAMSTEC) in Japan. While a significant reduction of the atmospheric pollutants has been reported, papers on the atmospheric signals of the FFCO2 reduction are yet to be found in the published literature. “The size of the atmospheric reservoir of CO2 is quite large and the atmospheric CO2 has a relatively long lifetime. These characteristics make the change in the atmospheric CO2 concentrations caused by the Covid-19 influence quite small,” Patra added. To detect such faint signals in the CO2 variations, the research team focused on the relative variation
Countries with more than 1.1 million cases also include Russia, France, Spain, Argentina, Britain and Colombia, while other countries with over 40,000 deaths include India, Mexico, Britain, Italy and France, according to the center. Global cases topped 30 million on September 17, and rose to 40 million on October 19. It took 32 days for the global caseload to jump from 30 million to 40 million, and only 20 days from 40 million to 50 million.
India’s largest Covid hospital reeling under pressure as cases soar
“I sincerely believe that this is the last year when we have to tolerate pollution due to stubble burning. Now, no other state should make excuses for not helping their farmers. If they need help, we are ready to provide them with chemicals,” he said.
Reduction in fossil-fuel CO2 emissions due to Covid-19: Study Tokyo, November 8 (IANS) The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting the global socioeconomic activity, leading to a significant reduction in fossil-fuel-derived CO2 (FFCO2) emissions and other anthropogenic air pollutants in the world, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin.
followed India with 5,653,561 cases and 162,269 deaths, the world’s second largest death toll.
of the atmospheric CO2 and CH4 observed at Hateruma Island for the past 20 years at daily time intervals. The research team found that the monthly average ratio of the atmospheric CO2 to CH4 variations in January, February, and March tracked the yearly increase in FFCO2 emissions from China during 1997-2019. However, the ratios showed significant decreases in February and March 2020, which coincided with the lockdown period in China. “The relationship between the variation ratio and the FFCO2 emissions from China should be evaluated by using an atmospheric transport model and a set of CO2s and CH4 flux maps,” the study authors noted.
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New Delhi, November 7 (IANS): Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, India’s largest Covid-19 hospital run by the Delhi government, appears to be crumbling under the weight of soaring coronavirus cases, with only 6 per cent ventilator beds vacant in the hospital. According to Delhi government’s Corona application, only 19 per cent of the ICU beds with ventilators are vacant across the city, 22 per cent of ICU beds without ventilators are unoccupied, while only 50 per cent of normal Covid-19 beds are available. The patients are running from pillar to post just to occupy a single bed. LNJP currently has only five vacant ventilator beds, 22 ICU beds without ventilators and 1,398 Covid-19 beds. Speaking to IANS, LNJP Medical Director Suresh Kumar said, “If we run out of beds, we have central allocation. For example, if the beds are full, patients can be sent to Rajiv Gandhi, GTB or other hospitals.” The Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital confirmed that it has been receiving patients from LNJP due to shortage of beds.
Delhi has been witnessing a massive spike in daily Covid-19 cases for the last one week. It had witnessed its highest single-day spike on November 6, when it reported 7,178 cases. Previously, the increase in the number of cases had prompted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to admit that a ‘third wave’ of infection has hit the national capital. Kumar said that admissions to city hospital have doubled over the past few days. He attributed the spike in Covid-19 cases to drop in temperature, which favours the viral replication, over-crowding in markets and flouting of Covidappropriate behaviour. According to Resident Doctors’ Association President Keshave Singh, more than 100 doctors of the hospital have been infected till now, out of which two have succumbed to the disease. The Medical Director of Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, B.L. Sherwal, also told IANS about the significant spike in the number of admissions in comparison to October.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
ARTS & LITERATURE
Anupam Kher authors new book on Malayalam author wins positive thinking JCB Prize for Literature New Delhi, November 7 (IANS): Celebrated actor, author and former Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India Anupam Kher on November 7 announced his third book, which he describes as “a journey of self-discovery, willpower, small triumphs and the strength of positive thinking”. The book will be released worldwide on December 5. “Your Best Day Is Today!” will not only act as a companion “in these dark times, but also serve as a guide to know one’s self better. Drawing inference from personal experiences, it is a compilation of learnings and observations that are aimed towards motivating the reader to adapt to changes in their surroundings and adopt a positive approach towards their life,” the publisher, Hay House India, said in a statement. Kher said the book has been on his mind ever since he first heard about the novel coronavirus. “In my 36-year-long cinema career, I had never taken a day off for the simple reason that when you do what you love and have a deep passion for it, everyday seems like a holiday and a day well spent. My friends and family
New Delhi, November 7 (IANS): “Moustache” by S. Hareesh, translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil, was on November 7 named the winner of the Rs 25-lakh JCB Prize for Literature, India’s richest literary award, for the “agile and deeply insightful way” it deals with the caste and gender equations in the state’s Kuttanad region.
know that I am a restless person and someone who is always on the move -- creating opportunities to channel my thoughts and passion,” Kher said. “This book is an attempt to reach out to everyone and share common experiences -- a journey of self-discovery, willpower, small triumphs and the strength of positive thinking. The battle ahead of us is long, but together we will persevere. Our resilience will bring us back on the path of glory. Something tells me that all of us wrote the future during this unprecedented time. A future where the world would be healed…a future where the coming generations will look up to us as the pioneers of the healed world,” Kher said. A gold-medalist from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, Kher is one of India’s most prolific actors with over 530 films (in several languages, both at home and in the West), 100 plays and numerous TV shows to his credit. He is a winner of two National Film Awards, eight Filmfare Awards and a BAFTA nomination besides being conferred with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri for his contribution to cinema.
Starting his career with films such as “Saaransh” and “Daddy” in India, he has featured in mainstream Hollywood films such as “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Hotel Mumbai”, “The Big Sick” and “A Family Man”. He has worked with directors such as Ang Lee, David O. Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chadha and Lana and Lilly Wachowski. He is also the author of “The Best Thing about You Is YOU!” which has been translated in six languages and is in its 22nd reprint. Kher presently shuttles between Mumbai and New York, where he is one of the lead actors on the recently premiered hit TV show “New Amsterdam” on NBC Entertainment.
Time to reaffirm ‘patriotic idea of India’, says Shashi Tharoor society forums, energetic human rights groups, assorted autonomous institutions, and the repeated spectacle of our remarkable general elections, are all assets for India’s civic nationalism.
New Delhi, November 5 (IANS): India is a rare example of the successful management of diversity in the developing world. But the events of the past few years make it necessary to “reaffirm the patriotic idea of India enshrined in our Constitution” to build a “New India that will cherish and uplift” all its citizens, writes noted author and parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor in a scholarly new book that methodically takes the reader through the world of patriotism, citizenship and belonging. “The healthy spirit of acceptance of difference, of constitutional encouragement of debate and discussion, fuelled by a thriving free media, contentious civil
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“Together with a fractious and competitive political culture, sustained by the proactive framework of the Constitution, they have made of India a rare example of the successful management of diversity in the developing world,” Tharoor writes in “The Battle of Belonging - On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be An Indian” (Aleph). “It is time to reaffirm the patriotic ‘idea of India’ enshrined by our Constitution, in order to build a New India that will cherish and uplift each and every one of us. This requires a conscious effort to defend the besieged institutions of civil nationalism, restore their autonomy and ensure their effectiveness,” he writes. Towards this, “we will need to separate the powers and roles of the legislature, the judiciary and the executive to ensure that the first two do not become mere rubber stamps for the third”, Tharoor states, harkening back to his book “India Shastra” in which he had advocated a Presidential form of government “with a
clear separation of powers, in order to ensure efficiency and democracy”. Elected chief executives at all levels, from village heads up to the President, would “have the mandate, the authority and the resources to deliver solutions in their respective areas, to be accountable to independent elected legislatures, and an autonomous judiciary, and to face voters at the end of fixed terms”, he writes. The existence of such multiple power centres “would ensure decentralisation and prevent the emergence of a hyper-nationalist strongman, while celebrating patriotism and the best features of civic nationalism at all levels”, Tharoor maintains, even as he admits he is “conscious of how little support there is in India’s political class for a presidential system”. Even so, Indianness is constantly being remade “in a continuous process of deliberation and democratic discourse, a process that must continue (and that civic nationalism permits and encourages) in perpetuity”, he asserts, adding, “To defend and strengthen our civic nationalism , with its unique overlay of everything that is good and valuable about India, we will also need to undertake a careful
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The winner was announced by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford in a first-of-its-kind virtual awards ceremony. The book was chosen from among a shortlist of five which included “Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line” by Deepa Anappara, “Chosen Spirits” by Samit Basu, “Prelude to a Riot” by Annie Zaidi and “These, Our Bodies, Possessed by Light” by Dharini Bhaskar. Hareesh’s debut novel, which is a contemporary classic mixing magic, myth and metaphor into a tale of far-reaching resonance, was the unanimous choice of the jury. It is the second debut novel as well as the second Malayalam translation to win the award. Hareesh will also receive a trophy sculpted by Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra titled “Mirror Melting.” The translator will receive Rs 10 lakh. The winner was selected by a panel of four judges comprising professor, cultural theorist and author Tejaswini Niranjana (chair); writer and translator Aruni Kashyap; playwright and director Ramu Ramanathan; and Head of the Arts and Culture portfolio at Tata Trusts Deepika Sorabjee.
equations of the Kuttanad region in this intricate and highly readable story. Jayasree Kalathil’s translation of the novel is fluent and energetic. She conveys the specificity of the context without missing the wood for the trees,” Niranjana said. Hareesh is the author of three short-story collections: “Adam”, which received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award; “Rasavidyayude Charithram”; and “Appan”. He is also the recipient of the Geetha Hiranyan Endowment, the Thomas Mundassery Prize, and the V.P. Sivakumar Memorial Prize. Jayasree Kalathil’s translation of N. Prabhakaran’s novella “Diary of a Malayali Madman” won the Crossword Books Jury Award for Indian Language Translation in 2019. Her translation of “Moustache” was published by HarperCollins India in 2020.
“Moustache is a fine work of Indian fiction by a highly regarded Malayalam author whose work is now coming into English translation. Hareesh engages in an agile and deeply insightful way with the caste and gender
Jayasree is also the author of “The Sackclothman”, a children’s book that has been translated into Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. Originally from Kottakkal, Kerala, Jayasree currently lives in London with her husband Adley Siddiqi. “Moustache” is her second translation.
retelling of modern Indian history that is comprehensive, embraces all experiences, and refuses to see the past through the prism of any one faith.”
of pluralism and institutions that protect our diversity and individual freedoms, pitted against the ethno-religious nationalism of the Hindu rashtra”.
Recalling that Swami Vivekananda spoke of the religion professed by the majority in this country, Hinduism, as “one that does not merely tolerate other faiths but accepts them as they are”, Tharoor writes that this acceptance of difference has been “the key to our country’s survival, making....’unity in diversity’ the most hallowed of independent India’s self-defining slogans. It is that unity we seek, not uniformity; it is consensus we must pursue, not conformity”.
To effectively wage this battle, Indian liberalism “needs new ideas, precepts, narratives and heroes. It must be rooted in genuine patriotism and refuse to cede ground to the Hindutva bakths on nationalism”.
Noting that this requires a “rearmed liberalism, with a mass movement for the restoration of our civic nationalism” the author writes that the “battle of belonging in our country is a battle between two ideas -the idea of a civic nationhood
“It also needs a wide social coalition as Gandhiji was able to build for his nationalism” and probably also needs to “move out of the Khan Market circles so beloved of the Lutyens elite, to the mohallas, the jhuggi-jhopris, the rural hamlets, and the streets of India”.
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SPORTS
Eckental Challenger: Ramanathan Gautam Gambhir tests finishes runner-up negative for Covid-19 Berlin, November 8 (IANS): India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan on November 8 finished runnerup at Eckental Challenger after losing 6-4, 6-4 to American seventh seed Sebastian Korda in the final.
New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Cricketer-turnedpolitician Gautam Gambhir on November 8 informed that he has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. “Glad to share that my COVID test result is negative. Thank you for all the wishes. I again urge everyone to strictly follow guidelines. Stay safe,” Gambhir said in a tweet.
It was Korda’s first professional singles title at any level and it fetched him 100 ATP points. Ramanathan, meanwhile, picked up 60 points. Ramanathan, celebrating his 26th birthday on the day, had six aces and nine double faults in the match that lasted an hour and 23 minutes. Korda, 20, won nine points more than the 206th ranked Indian and converted three of five breakpoints to make it a straight forward affair. The result remains Ramanathan’s
On November 6, a member at Gambhir’s home tested positive for Covid-19 after which he had gone into self-isolation. Gambhir retired from professional cricket in 2018. He was an integral part of the Indian teams that won the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup. He scored 75 against Pakistan in the final of the 2007 tournament and
Ramkumar Ramanathan best of the season, although he missed out a chance of winning a maiden title on the tour. He reached the final after beating Germany’s Marvin Moller 4-6, 6-1,
6-1 on November 7. Ramanathan’s previous best finish this season was when he reached the quarter-finals of the Bangkok Challenger II.
Gautam Gambhir 97 in the final of the 2011 World Cup against Sri Lanka. Currently, he is serving as the Member of Parliament for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the East-Delhi constituency.
Indian Sports Ministry sanctions Rs 5 Khelo India Games lakh for family of deceased footballer 2021 fraud: 3 arrested
by UP Police
“The grant of Rs 5 lakh was sanctioned under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for sportspersons,” said the ministry. Manitombi died in August this year aged 39. He was the only earning member of his family and is survived by his wife and a son. “Manitombi has contributed significantly to Indian football. He also contributed as a coach in Manipur. His demise is indeed a loss for the sporting community,” said Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
“When we learnt about the financial crisis that the family is facing after his death, extending support to them was a duty upon us. It is of prime importance for the Government to support all our
athletes, past and present, as well as those who have dedicated their life to sport as coaches, sports administrators, support staff and in similar roles.”
Courtesy: goal.com
New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): The Sports Ministry on November 6 sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for the family of deceased Manipuri footballer Manitombi Singh “to ease the financial crisis of the family”, the ministry said in a statement.
New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): Three people were apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Police on the morning of November 6 in connection with a fraud where several athletes across the country were duped of money through a false advertisement for next year’s Khelo India Games, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has informed. “I am happy to share that the three persons, Sanjay Pratap Singh, Anuj Kumar and Ravi, involved in fleecing money from
athletes with the assurance of helping them to participate in Khelo India Games 2021, have been apprehended by UP Police this morning, following an FIR by SAI,” tweeted Rijiju. The Agra police had begun investigating details of the scam after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) registered an FIR against an alleged mastermind, from the city. SSP Bablu Kumar had said the case is now being followed up by the cyber cell.
PV Sindhu assures Kohli should continue as RCB fans she is fit and ready to compete captain, feels Sehwag New Delhi, November 6 (IANS): Days after giving a mini “heartattack” to her fans, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu says she is totally fit, not just health-wise but also on the badminton court, and is looking forward to competing in the upcoming tournaments.
New Delhi, November 8 (IANS): Virender Sehwag doesn’t agree with his former India teammate Gautam Gambhir that Royal Challengers Bangalore should remove Virat Kohli as captain and appoint someone else.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Sindhu opened up on how she coped up with the Covid-19 induced lockdown, her reaction to the Tokyo Olympics postponement, her preparation for the upcoming Asia Cup, and also her relationship with national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.
Following RCB’s exit from the ongoing Indian Premier League in the Eliminator, Gambhir said that it is time for Kohli to be held accountable for the results of his franchise as they have not been able to win a single title under the captaincy of the 32-year-old. However, Sehwag believes RCB management should continue supporting Kohli as their leader and think on how they can improve their team. “A captain is only as good as his
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Virat Kohli team. When Virat Kohli captains India, he is able to deliver the results. He wins matches ODIs, T20Is Tests. But when he
captains RCB, his team is not able to perform,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
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everything and take care of ourselves,” Sindhu said about the nationwide-lockdown which was first put in place towards March end following the outbreak of novel coronavirus. “I tried to keep myself active by working out at home and that really helped me. I also spent a lot of time with my family and picked up some hobbies like painting,” she added.
“It was quite difficult to suddenly stop a very active routine. But at the same time we all realised how important it was to pause
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
ENTERTAINMENT
Akshay Kumar faces flak for doning Bollywood producer red bindi to promote ‘Laxmii’ Nadiadwala’s home
Mumbai, November 7 (IANS): Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar on November 7 faced flak from a section of netizens after he posted a photo that shows him wearing a red bindi on the forehead. The actor had used a filter on social media to render the effect.
The action was meant as a promotional stunt for his upcoming film “Laxmii”, but it did not go down well with a section of netizens who found it “cheap”. In a black and white photograph he posted on his verified Instagram and Twitter accounts, Akshay sports a big red bindi. “Maine toh laga li hai pyaar aur samanta ki Laal Bindi (I have worn the red bindi as a mark of love and equality). Now it’s your turn to join me using ‘Ab Hamari Baari Hai’ filter on Instagram as a symbol of love and acceptance for the third gender!” Social media users, however, were
raided, wife held
not entirely happy.
“Doing this cheap stunt for promotion of upcoming film makes us to eliminate u from list of ppl whose movies we will see !!! not gonna watch any of your project in future,” a user wrote. “Ideally if you wanted to showcase love and acceptance, it would have been great if the third gender actors were acting and promoted in the movie. I hardly know a third gender actor successful in Hindi film industry. Instead of becoming third gender ourselves and generalising it, it will be better if Hindi Film industry give them an opportunity as actors and empower themselves,” suggested another user. “Oh is it nice to use people for your benefits... U know the nerve of people but hey this time u will miserably fail I assume,” wrote another user. “Faltu ke promotion kyun kar rahe ho sirji jab theatre mein aa hi nahi
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar rahi yeh film? (Why are you even promoting this film when it is not even releasing on the theatres?)” asked another user. Similar comments followed. However, a few fans of the actor used the filter to click their photographs and share it in the comments section of the tweet. Meanwhile, Tusshar Kapoor, who is also a part of the forthcoming film, shared a picture of himself on his verified Twitter account using the same filter.
Poonam Pandey, spouse held over controversial Goa photoshoot Panaji, November 5 (IANS): Actor Poonam Pandey and her husband Sam Bombay were arrested on November 5 in connection with a controversial, obscene video shot at a restricted dam site in South Goa, the police said.
According to police investigation, the controversial video was shot during the early hours of October 31, when the couple “sneaked into” the dam, a restricted area. Earlier on November 5, a police inspector was also suspended following outrage over the actor’s
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It seized 717.1 gms ganja, 74.1 gms charas and 95.1 gms MD (commercial quantity), worth Rs.3.59 lakh from Nadiadwala’s home in Juhu and another location.
Saeed’s statement was recorded after which she was placed under arrest, said the NCB official. There was speculation that Firoz Nadiadwala is likely to be summoned for interrogation, but there was no confirmation from the officials. The operation is part of the ongoing investigations over the past three months to unravel the nexus between Bollywood and the drugs mafia in the country’s film capital. The Nadiadwalas are a prominent family of film-makers credited with several blockbuster films and introducing major stars to Bollywood in the past over three decades. Nadiadwala’s major productions include the “Hera Pheri” series, “Welcome”, “Awara Pagal Deewana”, “Aarakshan” and others.
Milind Soman booked for obscenity over nude beach photo
“During the investigation, the alleged video clip was seized and relevant sections of IT Act, sections related to trespass (of the Indian Penal Code) and the Indecent Representation of Women Act were added to the case,” a statement issued by Goa Police on November 5 said.
“However during investigation, it (was) revealed that she had booked her ticket for Mumbai and was about to leave Goa today afternoon,” the statement said.
The NCB has also arrested Nadiadwala’s wife Shabana Saeed, besides three other drug peddlers in the operation conducted at different places in the city and in Thane during the day.
Besides another 10 gms of ganja was recovered from another accused Wahid A. Kadir Shaikh, alias Sultan.
Pandey, who was staying at a beach resort in North Goa along with her husband, was first detained by officials from the Calangute police station and would be handed over to police personnel from the Canacona police station in South Goa, where the FIR against her has been registered.
The police said that the couple were earlier served formal notice under Section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code to appear before the Canacona police station, but they were arrested on November 5 before they were to leave Goa for Mumbai.
Mumbai, November 8 (IANS): Carrying forward its crackdown on the Bollywood-drug mafia links, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided the home of well-known film producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala and seized drugs worth around Rs 3.59 lakh, an official said here on November 8.
controversial photoshoot at the restricted site. Photos from the provocative shoot featuring Pandey, held at the Chapoli dam in Canacona sub district, had gone viral earlier this week, which sparked protests in the area, with ruling and opposition party members staging a protest on November 5, demanding action against police officials permitting the shoot. The protestors had threatened to close down the town of Canacona for a day, while demanding action for the alleged dereliction of duty
on part of the police. “Police inspector in-charge of the Canacona police station Tukaram Chavan has been suspended,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Nelson Albuquerque told the protestors in Canacona. On November 4, police also filed an FIR, first against unknown persons and then against Pandey under section 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code, after receiving nearly half a dozen written complaints regarding the controversial photoshoot.
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Milind Soman Panaji, November 6 (IANS): The South Goa district police on November 6 booked model-actor Milind Soman for obscenity, days after a nude photograph of the former supermodel taken while running on a Goa beach went viral. A Goa Police spokesperson said that an FIR under Section 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code, along with other relevant sections of the Information
Technology Act, has been registered against Soman. “The FIR has been registered at the Colva police station in South Goa district,” the spokesperson said. On November 4, Soman had uploaded a photo on Twitter showing him running nude on a Goa beach on his 55th birthday with the caption, “Happy birthday to me Y...55 and running ! Y”. @5Earthy.”
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Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
ENTERTAINMENT
Shatrughan Sinha claims his niece’s Will contest in 2021 close association with Kamala Harris
Assembly polls, says Kamal Haasan
Mumbai, November 8 (IANS): Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has tweeted that Preeta Sinha, daughter of his elder brother, has been closely associated with United States Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Sharing a picture of Preeta with Harris, the Bollywood veteran wrote in a long tweet posted in parts: “”Heartiest congratulations! As the world is overjoyed with your @JoeBiden spectacular & most deserving win! Also we must not forget the desirable, elegant, wonderful, intelligent intellectual par excellence @KamalaHarris on her most expected win. Kudos! Here she is seen with my niece, like daughter, Preeta Sinha d/o my elder brother Dr. Lakhan Sinha who along with her young team has been very closely associated with the most deserving Kamala Harris, favourite of India/Indians
Shatrughan Sinha’s niece Preeta Sinha with US Vice President elect being deeply involved in the USA Presidential Election, supporting, promoting & encouraging our own Kamala & her people for this outstanding mega win. Our daughter, Preeta too deserves
Kudos! Well done! God Bless!” Meanwhile, Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha is contesting the Bihar elections on a Congress Party ticket for the Bankipur seat.
UAE-based Indian students’ magazine aims to defy beauty stereotypes Dubai, November 7 (IANS): Three United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian students have launched a magazine aimed at defying stereotypical beauty standards, a media report said on November 7.
The two-month long project
involved photoshoots, interviews of the girls by Shuchita, editing transcripts and layout creation by Anoushka and graphic designing of the covers by Kevin. “Once we got the covers ready, Anoushka worked on creating a virtual exhibition for the launch of these cover shoots which is now open for all,” Shuchita told Gulf past three months of NCB probe.
Bartel was reportedly in regular contact with Agisialos Demetriades, an alleged drug peddler, arrested by NCB in Oct., and the brother of Gabriella Demetriades, the live-in partner of Rampal.
Among other things, Rampal, 47, was interrogated on the nature of his links with Agisialos and Bartel, the seizures made during the raid conducted at his Bandra residence last Monday, and the role of Gabriella and others with drug peddlers.
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The MNM founder said he would also ask Rajinikanth for support in the upcoming polls.
Speaking to reporters here Kamal Haasan, who had floated the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, said he will contest the assembly polls next year.
According to Kamal Haasan, MNM’s politics will not be blaming politics or vengeance politics but a guiding politics.
Kamal Haasan said it is Rajinikanth who has to take a decision on his political stance and his health is more important.
He said the process of selecting the prospective candidates for the assembly polls is underway.
Rampal quizzed for 7 hrs, his Aussie friend nabbed by NCB
Mumbai, Nov 13 (IANS): Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal’s troubles mounted as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) grilled him for nearly 7 hours even as his Australian friend Paul Bartel was arrested in a drug related case investigation, official sources said here on Friday.
An architect living in Bandra, Bartel was questioned by NCB on Thursday and early Friday placed under arrest in the same case in which Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty and at least 20 others have been arrested in the
Chennai, November 5 (IANS) Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on November 5 said he would be contesting in the 2021 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and also seeking the support of fellow actor Rajinikanth.
Kamal Haasan said he is discussing politics with Rajinikanth who is also mulling to float a political party.
Shuchita Bahl, a Grade 12 student at the IB2 GEMS Modern Academy, founder and photographer of the ‘Newsstand’ magazine, launched the initiative with two of her friends, Anoushka Kapur, writer and layout creator and Kevin Philip, graphic designer, the Gulf News report said. “This initiative aims to defy the stereotypical beauty standards portrayed by mass media, the notion that all that there is to a woman is her looks and only conventionally ‘beautiful’ women deserve to be on the cover page of a magazine,” Shuchita told Gulf News.
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan
Since around noon, Rampal was grilled by the NCB, after his girlfriend Gabriella was questioned for more than 12 hours spread over WednesdayThursday, while Bartel was quizzed on Thursday and arrested this morning.
Interacting briefly with mediapersons after he exited the NCB office, Rampal said: “I am fully co-operating with the NCB investigations. I have nothing to do with drugs. The medicine
News. The 18-year-old student said a woman should not be defined by her looks, adding that “there is so much more to her, like her talents and her ambitions, which makes her the girl she is today and the woman she will turn into tomorrow”. found at my residence (in the Monday’s raids) was prescribed by a doctor. The prescription has been handed over to the NCB.... The NCB officials are doing a good job and I fully support them in their investigations.” Incidentally, Agisialos has been booked in another drug case after the probe revealed his connections with a Nigerian cocaine supplier, Omega Goodwin. Both Bartel and Agisialos are known to Rampal as well as other filmdom personalities as the NCB tightens it grip on the Bollywooddrugs mafia cartels. The NCB’s Bollywood drugs angle probe was launched after the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput at his Bandra home five months ago - on June
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14 - in which several prominent personalities like Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, Firoz
Nadiadwala and others have been either questioned, arrested or raided, and many others said to be on the agency’s radar.
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