Seasonal Magazine - Special Issue on Kerala Government's Second Anniversary by John Antony

Bahrain BD 1.50 Kuwait KD 1.50 Oman OR 1.50, Saudi Arabia SR 12.00 UAE DH 10.00 UK Â£ 3.00, US $ 3.00

VOLUME 17 ISSUE 5 MAY 2018

17 YEARS

Rs. 50

MAGAZINE

Seasonal www.seasonalmagazine.com

Managing Editor Jason D Pavorattikaran Editor John Antony Director (Finance) Ceena Associate Editor Carl Jaison Senior Editorial Coordinator Jacob Deva Senior Correspondent Bina Menon Creative Visualizer Bijohns Varghese Photographer Anish Aloysious Office Assistant Alby CG Correspondents Bombay: Rashmi Prakash Delhi: Anurag Dixit Director (Technical) John Antony Publisher Jason D Pavorattikaran

Will digital technologies and start-ups save Indian job sector? It is estimated that China creates 35,000 jobs a day! It has to, as even at that pace, which is 13 million jobs annually, the demand for jobs is still higher, at around 15 million a year. But instead of learning from China, India has preferred to look at Silicon Valley and West, to lofty concepts like digital and start-ups. The reasons for this preference are complex than thought earlier. For one, India had spectacular success starting in the early 90s with Western technologies like IT and IT enabled services, which coincided with the economic liberalization by then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Editorial & Business Office Cochin: 36/1924 E, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Near IGNOU, Kaloor, Cochin-17. Ph:0484- 2345876, 2534377, 2340080 Mob. 09947141362 Delhi: H.No: P-108, Uppal Southend, Sector 48, Sohna Road, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122018 Ph: 9891771857|099471 41362 Mumbai: 202, Woodland Heights Building, St. Martins Road, Bandra West, Mumbai -400 050 Mob: 919947141362 Bangalore: House No: 493, Block 3 3rd Main, HBR Layout, Bangalore-4209731984836, Email:skmagazine@gmail.com www.seasonalmagazine.com

Printed & Published by Jaison D on behalf of PeteCarlson Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at Cochin. Printed at Rathna Offset Printers, Chennai-14. All Rights Reserved by PeteCarlson Solutions Pvt. Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, including electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

MEMBER

Subscriptions Available on iPhone/iPad & Android

Of course, there were detractors for computerization way back in the 90s themselves, notably the Communist par ties of India. But their farsightedness didn’t deliver for them back then as the country even while embracing full-fledged computerisation, managed to create a huge numbers of jobs in the IT sector. Even in a problematic year like 2009, with the brunt of the global economic crisis, that is how India added 1 million new jobs. Then, what is the difference between that wave of Western technologies that empowered Indian job pool and the current wave of digital and startups?

Take India’s stronghold of services, for instance. Be it banking, retail, travel, trade, education, healthcare, or hospitality, we see that digital technologies employed by start-ups are basing their business model solely on automation.

Reg No: KERENG/2002/6803

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

All Prime Ministers and their Cabinets since then including AB Vajpayee, Dr. Singh himself, and now Narendra Modi and his colleagues continued and still continues to believe that embracing the next wave of Western technologies like digital and start-ups would continue to deliver for India.

The simple answer is that while the first wave of computerization was aimed at empowering individuals by making their jobs more efficient, this current wave is all about using automation for eliminating working individuals in the guise of serving consumers faster and more efficiently.

UK Office: “CRONAN”, Boundaries Road Feltham, Middlesex, UK TW13 5DR Ph: 020 8890 0045, Mob: 00447947181950 Email: petecarlsons@gmail.com

All health related articles are for first information purposes only. Always consult your doctor before taking any decison affecting your health.

EDITORIAL

The massive push for digital transactions is ensuring that banks will need much less staff in the coming years. Further, the advent of cutting-edge fintech is seeing to it that jobs like insurance agents and brokers of financial products like loans, mutual funds, stocks etc are getting eliminated rapidly. The availability of tuition apps is eliminating the need for tuition teachers. The ease of e-commerce sites like Flipkart has already hit retail jobs like a tsunami. The travel and tourism industry has also taken a hit as the traditional role played by travel agents are now done by travel portals and aggregator apps. Are any of these technologies bad? Of course not. Is it bad for India? Again, no. But should these be priorities for India? That is where the problem lies.

China is far ahead of us in almost all these technologies, but there is a cardinal difference there. Our neighbour is not as dependent as us on the services sector, as it has one of the world’s most thriving manufacturing sectors. Secondly, it makes for the whole world by pushing its own brands, where India is content with serving the world through IT services etc. That is where our priorities should have been and not on pushing technologies like digital and initiatives like start-ups which thrive on automation and elimination of jobs in our only major sector of services. Take the case of the world’s most valuable start-up, Uber. Unlike many other start-ups in the banking, fintech, travel, e-commerce etc, the ground-breaking taxi-hailing service hasn’t caused loss of many jobs. But that is just for now. Uber’s eyes are solely set on the horizon of driverless cars. And it is racing closer to it than most consumers and governments imagine. Indeed, the acceleration in driverless car technologies is pushed not just by tech or auto companies but by direct beneficiaries, the giant taxi-hailing services of the world like Uber. So, what will happen to all these drivers? Their jobs will get eliminated, first in the advanced markets like North

America, Europe and Japan, and then in developing markets like in Asia and Africa. That is, if governments do nothing about it, and embrace that too as the next great wave of Western technology. There is also another angle to the mindlessness or senselessness with which start-ups like Uber will eliminate jobs if given a free run, which is a point many less aware governments miss. They are not your ancient entrepreneurial monopolies like Ford, Apple, Microsoft, Google, or Infosys where there was a dominant entrepreneur or co-promoters who took pride in huge tech workforces and out-of-this-world HR policies and stock options. Rather, the new breed of massive digital start-ups is characterized by owners that are some of the world’s largest institutional investors. An innovative entrepreneur just star ts the game, and if it is disruptive enough to be scalable, cutthroat PE funds flock in and scale it beyond imagination, thereby taking down the entrepreneur’s equity and even full elimination of his role. Again, Uber is the classic example. A Canadian innovator named Garrett Camp who invented the once ambitious Google rival StumbleUpon comes up with a SEASONAL MAGAZINE

second brilliant idea – an automated taxi-hailing service. He and two other friends build the first prototype. They bring in another innovator, Travis Kalanick, founder of peer networks Scour and Red Swoosh as an advisor, who also happened to be sitting on significant cash due to successful sells of his start-ups. Co-founders Camp and Kalanick invested 2 million in seed money and the rest is histor y. Institutional investors of all hues started to flow in starting from Benchmark, Google Ventures, Baidu, Toyota, Saudi Arabia, Sequoia and finally the mother of all institutional investors now – Japanese major Softbank – which calls the shots now at the world’s most valuable start-up, valued at $72 billion now. An ugly fight for control between co-founder and then CEO Kalanick and early institutional investor Benchmark in 2017 resulted in his ouster as CEO, and emergence of Soft Bank as the largest investor with 18% stake. In contrast, Garrett Camp who continues as Chairman controls only 5% stake and Kalanick who continues as a Director controls only 7% in the company they founded. Including the stake of Softbank, institutional investors hold 88% of Uber’s equity. And it is no wonder, as Uber is yet to turn in a dollar as profit. In 2017, Uber had a staggering revenue of $7.5 billion, but a devastating loss of $4.5 billion, with growth in loss more than double of growth in revenue! And Uber has just 12,000 employees worldwide! That is each employee is responsible for generating $0.63 million a year in revenue! It is the dream of institutional investors, as such models drive in further investments at higher valuations until everything is offloaded to the public through an IPO. This is the best digital and start-up model available in the world. It is best because it has still not eliminated jobs on a large scale. Other models like e-commerce and

fintech fare even worse in eliminating jobs through automation. And this is just automation. The hit from artificial intelligence is still to arrive. Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman recently warned India, “There is this concept called artificial intelligence that you should be wary of. In future, while diagnosis may be outsourced to a doctor in India, it could also go to a firm based on artificial intelligence. Things like this could be a cause for worry for Indian services sector." It is high time India decided what we should prioritize – foreign direct investments from the likes of Uber, Amazon etc or incentivizing job creation. Whether it should be GDP growth or jobs growth. The situation is that dire. Recently, Indian Railways called for ‘unglamorous’ and so-called blue-collar jobs like engine drivers, signalling staff, welders, porters, track maintenance workers, electricians and mechanics, with salaries starting from just Rs. 18,000 a month. There were 90,000 vacancies but the problem is that 2.5 crore youth applied, that is more than 277 times! And despite more than 62,000 of these jobs requiring only 10th grade pass, applicants were postgraduates, engineers and graduates! A recent study by KLEMS, in which India’s RBI participated for the country, showed that far from more jobs being created, employment has actually contracted during the previous two fiscals. Both Central and State Governments are cutting their new job creations, while nothing much is being done to spur private investment, as the main corporate financiers – the public sector banks – are reeling from NPAs. Any other nation, especially ones like China or US, would have long back ago solved the NPA crisis in a proactive, non-partisan way that rises above petty politics. But here only the slugfest and one-upmanship continue.

CONTENTS

A RISKY

Notwithstanding the fact that by-polls usually favour i a good margin has bolstered Pinarayi Vijayan governme LDF a false sense of invincibility, which doesn’t refl economic and administrative issues facing the state an on. Vanquished BJP and Congress on the other hand a while they continue to make best use of the recent a government is trying to brush away as one-off inciden forced LDF to correct their obvious flaws and prepare

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been one of the worst victims of the misinformed and careless treatment on the celluloid. It is so often portrayed wrongly that a few hard-pressing on the chest and a single round of mouth-to-mouth brings the victim back to life, usually coughing, bringing much cheer and relief..

WHY ISN'T INDIA PROBING CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA?

WHY INDIA SHOULD BE WARY ABOUT CHINA'S KRA CANAL IN THAILAND

There is no getting away from it now. In his deposition to the British House of Commons, Christopher Wylie, former employee of the data mining firm, Cambridge...

Thailand's Kra Canal project is China's masterplan to secure Beijing's interests, assert influence in ASEAN and the entire Indian Ocean Region.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

WHY CPR IS SO CRITICAL IN CARDIAC EMERGENCIES

EVEN AS NEW JOB REPORT IS PROMISING, GROUND SITUATION IS VASTLY DIFFERENT No jobs, no vote, a Rajasthan town has warned PM Modi ahead of 2019 polls. Modi's failure to create tens of millions of jobs for the country's youth would be the biggest threat to his bid for another term.

AS OLD GERM KILLERS FAIL,SCIENTISTS DEVELOP NEW ANTIBIOTICS A new class of antibiotics, from an unconventional source which has a distinct way of killing bacteria, has been discovered which may help combat drugresistant or hard-to-treat bacterial infections, according to scientists.

NBA 2017-18:

BEWARE OF CT SCANS

Seasonal Magazine analyses the top 6 Most Valuable Player candidates’ regular season performances this year and their run to the playoffs..

Need a CT scan? Here is why you should ask your doctor if it is absolutely necessary. While the medical community is aware of the radiation risks associated with CT scans, doctors admit they rarely spend time briefing patients about it.

THE MVP CANDIDATES

Y VICTORY

ncumbent governments, winning the Chengannur by-election by ent for now. But it may prove to be a risky victory as it is giving lect the realities at the grassroots level, given the mammoth d the lack of momentum so far deployed in managing them head are more likely to correct their flawed electoral arithmetic even dministrative failures, especially in the police force, which the ts. In contrast, a failure in the by-poll at this stage would have for the next big battle coming up in 2019, the Lok Sabha polls.

VIT UNIVERSITY

WALKING THE TALK Leadership in entrance examination standards, campus placements, research outlook, scholarships and start-up incubation have ensured that VIT University is the benchmark to beat when it comes to private sector engineering institutions in the country.

GOOGLE SEARCH NOW PRIORITISES MOBILE Google Search as we know it has moved on, adapts smartphone universe with mobile-first indexing. After carrying out tests and experiments over the past year and a half, Google has begun migrating websites that follow best practices towards a mobile-first indexing.

YIN-YANG IN PRACTICE:

CHINA, INDIA AND SAARC RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

In a landmark meeting between the leaders of two of Asia's largest states, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared similar sentiments about their 'joint responsibility to 40% of the

THE LATEST IN WEIGHT LOSS: TIME RESTRICTED FEEDING Our excess weight contributes to a variety of health problems. Despite enormous effort over decades, the problem has proved extremely difficult to solve.

FORMER ALLY NAIDU SAYS INDIA WILL REJECT BJP BJP will soon be rejected by the entire country, says former all and Andhra Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu.

HOW KERALA REMAINS DECADES AHEAD IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT You won’t find mammoth financial business hubs here like BKC in Mumbai or DLF Cyber City in Gurgaon, but here all poor school children are getting tasty and nutritious mid-day meals for free. With just weeks left for Kerala Government’s

WHY IS UBER EXITING FROM EVERY MAJOR FOREIGN MARKET? Uber’s recent withdrawal from the Southeast Asian market shortly followed by news that..

DRIVING THE NEW SMALLEST RANGE ROVER The new 2.0L diesel engine on the Evoque is the same as on the Jaguar F-Pace and Jaguar XF but with a much better-tuned gearbox. The new..

ALTERNATE SOURCES FOR CALCIUM Milk and milk products may not be your favorite foods or suitable for your health conditions. Here are your alternatives to dairy products for calcium.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

NEWS-IN-BRIEF YOU'LL HEAR ME SHOUT FROM ROOFTOPS IN CASE OF WEDDING: RANVEER

Addressing reports of him marrying rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone by the end of this year, Ranveer Singh said, "If there is any announcement in the future, you will be hearing me shouting from the rooftops." He further said, "Right now we are both extremely busy working. Besides, she is also recuperating from back problems... We are quite occupied and distracted."

IF I FIGHT AGAIN, IT WILL BE FOR UFC: FLOYD MAYWEATHER Retired undefeated boxer and world champion Floyd Mayweather has said if he ever fights again, it will be for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). "If we can get together with Dana White and the UFC to make a megafight happen, one fight, it could be against Conor McGregor", Mayweather said about his potential move to the mixed martial arts event.

SIKH GROUP SETS WORLD RECORD BY TYING 9,000 TURBANS IN US A Sikh organisation has set the Guinness World Record for the "most turbans tied in 8 hours" by tying over 9,000 turbans to celebrate annual Turban Day at Times Square, New York. The event was aimed at spreading awareness among Americans and other nationalities about the Sikh religion and its articles of faith, especially the turban.

Belgium's 23-year-old cyclist Michael Goolaerts passed away in a hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Paris-Roubaix race on Sunday. Goolaerts was rushed to the hospital after he was given CPR treatment on the side of the road following a crash. Notably, Goolaerts is the third Belgian rider to die mid-race in recent years.

WOMEN BIKERS COMPLETE 17,000-KM JOURNEY ACROSS 6 COUNTRIES

RAHUL GANDHI OBSERVES DAY-LONG FAST FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY

The Telangana Tourism Department on Monday welcomed four women bikers who successfully completed a nearly 17,000-kilometre-long road trip covering six countries. The women, who embarked on their journey from Hyderabad on February 11 to promote Telangana tourism, covered Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. They were also supported by the Indian government in this initiative.

HAD WRITTEN TO CBI ABOUT ICICI FRAUD IN 2012: BJP MP BJP MP Udit Raj has revealed that he had written a letter regarding some fraudulent activities taking place in ICICI Bank to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2012. According to Raj, a weather-based crop insurance was launched in 2012 and ICICI Lombard was the middleman between beneficiaries and the government. However, around 13,000 fake beneficiaries were discovered in Rajasthan. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

23-YEAR-OLD CYCLIST SUFFERS CARDIAC ARREST DURING RACE, DIES

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with his party, observed a daylong fast between 11 am and 4 pm on Monday for communal harmony in the country. While Rahul observed the fast in front of VIP Gate, Gandhi Samadhi at Raj Ghat in Delhi, other party members held the protest against PM Narendra Modi-led Centre at state and district headquarters.

NEWS-IN-BRIEF IAS 2015 TOPPER MARRIES 2ND RANK HOLDER IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

CHHATTISGARH VILLAGE GETS ELECTRICITY AFTER 15 YEARS

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) 2015 topper Tina Dabi married the second rank holder Athar Aamir-ulShafi Khan in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. The couple had met in 2016 during the felicitation ceremony at the Department of Personnel and Training in Delhi. According to reports, they had faced criticism for their relationship as they came from different religious backgrounds.

Chintalnar village in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-affected Sukma district has started getting electricity again after 15 years. The rebels had destroyed the power infrastructure in the village in an attempt to disrupt developmental activities in the area. "Electrification of this area is a major relief for all of us. It will be easier for children to study at night," a villager said.

Anand Piramal, who got engaged to India's richest man Mukesh Ambani's daughter Isha Ambani, is the son of business magnates Ajay and Swati Piramal. The 33-year-old holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Executive Director of Piramal Group, Anand founded Piramal Realty and rural healthcare start-up Piramal eSwasthya.

FERRARI F1 CAR RUNS OVER, BREAKS MECHANIC'S LEG AT PIT STOP

WOMAN ATHLETE RUNS TEA STALL IN TAMIL NADU TO MAKE A LIVING

MORE THAN FIVE WOMEN RAPED EVERY DAY IN DELHI THIS YEAR

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen's car ran over his team mechanic's leg during a pit stop at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Monday. The Ferrari pit system had accidentally shown a green light when the mechanic was still changing the left rear wheel. Ferrari have been fined â&#x20AC;˘50,000 while the mechanic was taken to a hospital with a double leg fracture.

A Kalaimani, a 45-year-old athlete, has been forced to open and run a tea stall in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore to make a living. She has participated in state and national level Masters Athletics events and won four gold medals. "I earn 400-500 from the tea shop, run my family and manage my sports requirements," Kalaimani said.

Who is Anand Piramal, the fiancĂŠ of Mukesh Ambani's daughter?

More than five women were raped every day in the national capital during the first 3.5 months this year, Delhi Police data revealed. As many as 578 rape cases against women were reported till April 15 this year, as compared to 563 during the same period last year. A total of 2,049 rape cases have been reported in 2017.

CANADIAN FIRM GETS RS77 LAKH TO MAKE EGG OF WOOD, LAVA, BRASS Canada-based Orijin Design Company has raised over Rs77 lakh to make an egg-shaped product called 'The Thinking Egg', priced at $10. The egg, which is 17 mm wide and 23.38 mm tall, is available in brass, pine, lava and howlite elements. The firm claims it is meant to remind people to slow things down and be present in the moment. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

2 YEARS OF LDF

NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT BY-POLLS USUALLY FAVOUR INCUMBENT GOVERNMENTS, WINNING THE CHENGANNUR BY-ELECTION BY A GOOD MARGIN HAS BOLSTERED PINARAYI VIJAYAN GOVERNMENT FOR NOW. BUT IT MAY PROVE TO BE A RISKY VICTORY AS IT IS GIVING LDF A FALSE SENSE OF INVINCIBILITY, WHICH DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T REFLECT THE REALITIES AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, GIVEN THE MAMMOTH ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES FACING THE STATE AND THE LACK OF MOMENTUM SO FAR DEPLOYED IN MANAGING THEM HEAD ON. VANQUISHED BJP AND CONGRESS ON THE OTHER HAND ARE MORE LIKELY TO CORRECT THEIR FLAWED ELECTORAL ARITHMETIC EVEN WHILE THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE BEST USE OF THE RECENT ADMINISTRATIVE FAILURES, ESPECIALLY IN THE POLICE FORCE, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO BRUSH AWAY AS ONE-OFF INCIDENTS. IN CONTRAST, A FAILURE IN THE BY-POLL AT THIS STAGE WOULD HAVE FORCED LDF TO CORRECT THEIR OBVIOUS FLAWS AND PREPARE FOR THE NEXT BIG BATTLE COMING UP IN 2019, THE LOK SABHA POLLS.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

s the Pinarayi Vijayan government marks its second anniversary, an utter lack of creativity in the face of existing and emerging problems was seen throughout these two years – in the failure to kick-start private investments, in the deficient response to Ockhi cyclone that took many lives, in the flip-flops in liquor policy that derailed tourism momentum, in the irresponsible way in which the murder of Latvian medical tourist Liga was handled, in the increasing political violence in Kannur between CPI(M) and BJP/RSS workers, in the custodial death of Sreejith as well as its attempted cover-up and in the latest deficient response to the Nipah virus outbreak. The only saving grace has been the foundational works like setting up of KIIFB and the social missions. When Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office as the Chief Minister of Kerala exactly two years back, expectations were quite high. Not just from party ranks, but even from his adversaries as unlike most of his party peers, he has always shown a pragmatic approach to developmental issues. He also didn’t lack administrative experience as he has earlier been Minister for both Electricity and Cooperatives, where he had put up a spirited governance performance under then Chief Minister EK Nayanar. Expectations from Pinarayi Vijayan Government was also high as the Left Democratic Front had stormed into power, exploiting the solar scam during the previous Oommen Chandy government by promising a catchy slogan that said, “LDF varum ellam sariyakum” which meant LDF will come and everything will be alright. Pinarayi Vijayan also seemed to be rising to the apex role when he appointed several renowned professionals as his advisers. And, to top it all, by the time Pinarayi Vijayan became the Chief Minister in 2016, he had the CPI(M) party under his iron grip, unlike his one-time arch rival in the party VS Achuthanandan who always had to rule as CM under a party that was controlled by Pinarayi Vijayan. Yet, when the government completes its first two years, which is not even the halfway mark, the situation is one of serious underperformance, especially given the high expectations from people who love him as well as dislike him. It is not that he and his colleagues haven’t tried. But it is more like their efforts were no SEASONAL MAGAZINE

where in scale to the kind of problems faced by the state, and the kind of problems that newly emerged during their first two years. For instance, by the time they assumed power, two of Kerala’s largest revenue sources were in deep trouble - gulf remittance and plantation revenue. While in their first year, overseas remittance by nonresident Keralites went down by another 10%, the plantation sector recorded an annual revenue of just Rs.9000 crores, down from Rs.21,000 crores just 5 years back. While it can be argued that both were beyond the control of a state government to intervene, the government couldn’t come up with any alternatives to the crisis like assisting in migration to newer destinations or allowing more mixeduse crops in the plantations. The only saving grace was when the Pinarayi Vijayan government, under an innovative idea by finance minister Dr. Thomas Issac, succeeded in establishing an alternative route to fund public investments in infrastructure by establishing a market-borrowing company called the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). While government numbers show that KIIFB has approved projects worth Rs.22,000 crores by now, much of it has gone into economically non-profitable projects in the core social sectors like free or subsidized education and healthcare, as well as to non-toll road and bridge projects, which raise the important question of a growing debt burden on the state’s already precarious finances. The idea behind KIIFB funded public infrastructure is that such government backed spending would one day kick-off private investments. But so far, nothing of that sort seems to be happening as numbers from the industries ministry show that Kerala attracted just Rs.9000 crores in new investments during the past two years. And even worse, this figure includes investments made by or through state agencies like KSIDC, KINFRA etc. It can’t be otherwise, as historically it has been quite difficult to kick-start

large scale investments in the state due to belligerent labour laws, lack of large land parcels and high environmental consciousness. But what was truly shocking is the utter lack of creativity exhibited by the state government in tackling these issues, apart from setting up of KIIFB. Making matters worse for the state government was economic blunders by the central government like demonetisation and a shoddy implementation of GST that has sent the business community in Kerala reeling, and the state exchequer unable to meet its huge commitments towards its new social missions. Such economic challenges are sure to come again, and it is already happening in the form of soaring fuel prices. In facing such emerging challenges, instead of moving fast like investor-friendly states in implementing ease-of-doing-business policies in each industrial sub-sector, the government made a laughing stock of itself in the national media when it made a big noise about banning ‘gawking fees’ which was a corrupt trade-union practice found only in Kerala! Maybe

the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s plans would take more time, but time is seriously running out, and at this pace, the final outcome by the end of the fifth year anybody can guess. This lack of creativity in the face of existing and emerging problems was seen throughout these two years – in the deficient response to Ockhi cyclone that took many lives, in the flip-flops in liquor policy that derailed tourism momentum, in the irresponsible way in which the murder of Latvian medical tourist Liga was handled, in the increasing political violence in Kannur between CPI(M) and BJP/RSS workers, in the custodial death of Sreejith as well as its attempted cover-up and in the latest deficient response to the Nipah virus outbreak. The government needs to get its act together pretty fast, by shedding some ministers, re-assigning portfolios, removing corrupt officers, reining in the police force, ending partisan policies and ensuring speedy action on all fronts. Seasonal Magazine brings you this detailed report card on two years of LDF rule and suggested solutions. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

2 YEARS OF LDF

A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR A NEW KERALA DURING ITS FIRST TWO YEARS IN OFFICE, PINARAYI VIJAYAN GOVERNMENT HAS EMPHATICALLY SUCCEEDED IN LAYING A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR A NEW KERALA STATE, IN TUNE WITH ITS NAVA KERALA PROGRAM AND ITS FOUR CORE SOCIAL MISSIONS. SEASONAL MAGAZINE CAUGHT UP WITH CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON THE OCCASION OF GOVERNMENT’S SECOND ANNIVERSARY: Once upon a time, no, not once upon a time, but even as late as last year Non Resident Keralites visiting their home state from the cradle of Silicon Valley – California – used to tell a story of how trucks with robotic arms are used there to automatically collect waste from homes. But if they tell the same story now, resident Keralites would have a befitting answer – “No big deal, as in Kerala, manholes are starting to get cleaned by robotic arms.” And if they are politically knowledgeable they may add about a subtle

difference too. In California, robotic arms have caused job losses, whereas in Kerala, government has gone to great lengths to ensure that the same people who used to clean the dangerous manholes manually are the people who are now getting trained to operate the robotic arms! This difference sums up the Nava Keralam (New Kerala), that Pinarayi Vijayan Government has been trying earnestly to build. Embracing sunrise technologies on one hand, while never

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

letting go of its traditional socialist ethos on the other hand, on which the renowned Kerala model of development had been built up since the last several decades. It is the envy of other states as Kerala squarely beats most states in India when it comes to Human Development Index parameters like education and healthcare for the masses. The Nava Kerala program has four missions – Haritha Keralam (meaning Green Kerala), Ardram (meaning compassion), Life (housing for all) and the Public Education Rejuvenation Mission. But when Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn in as Chief Minister in May 2016, Kerala literally had no funds to carry out any of these social missions, which would have gradually meant a slow death for the renowned Kerala model. In fact, it had already started happening due to fall in gulf remittances and plantation revenues. But Pinarayi Vijayan Government innovated brightly in this regard, setting up what is perhaps India’s first state public sector company to raise private capital from market for public infrastructural purposes. Thus was born Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) under the visionary leadership of Dr. Thomas Issac, the state’s economist finance minister. In a state where everything government takes an enormous amount of time to fulfil, it has been no mean achievement that not only was KIIFB set up within around an year, but that by the second anniversary of the government, KIIFB

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

had approved Rs.22,000 crores worth of public infrastructure projects. Today, thanks to that brave and smart step, all the four missions of government – Haritha Kerala, Ardram, Life & Education have made giant strides. This is no empty rhetoric, as its effects are starting to get felt at the grassroots level. Haritha Keralam has already achieved a remarkable turnaround in vegetable production and on the waste management front it has achieved the restart of a major waste management project in Ernakulam. Ardram Mission has succeeded in revamping the renowned public healthcare system of Kerala across its three tiers of primary health centres, secondary level of taluk / district hospitals and the tertiary level of medical colleges. Kerala might end up as the only state where each government medical college is upgraded successfully to a centre of excellence with fullfledged cardiac and oncology centres attached to them. It is perhaps in the Education Mission that the interventions of this government are most powerfully felt as for the first time in several years, government and government aided schools made a strong comeback with 1.5 lakh students changing from private schools to such public schools. How can’t they, with all high schools and higher secondary classrooms being converted to IT enabled smart classes, that too at the lowest of fees? Government’s Life Mission for helping build homes for all homeless and landless

families in the state is also steadily making progress. Thanks to the success of these KIIFB funded missions, today Kerala is dreaming big of attracting Rs.50,000 crores to Rs.1 lakh crore investments within these 5 years. Government has also moved fast to garner a better rank in the Ease of Doing Business Index, by comprehensively upgrading state’s industrial laws, even while ensuring that its famed labour policies are protected. No Government can be expected to fully achieve its promises, that too within a short period of two years. But even detractors of Pinarayi Vijayan Government would privately agree that a solid foundation has been set for a Nava Keralam through KIIFB and the four social missions it has been funding. Seasonal Magazine caught up with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for this exclusive interview on the occasion of Government’s second anniversary: As your government completes two years, and there are many achievements to talk about, what would you highlight as the number one achievement? When we had assumed office, it was almost as if Keralites had given up on their developmental dreams. Now there is a popular public sentiment, that change is possible in Kerala, that development can be realised. We have shown that ‘where there is a will there is a way’. We are happy that we have been able to breathe fresh life into Malayalis aspirations for the future.

As Chief Minister, you head various portfolios including IT, police, vigilance, inland navigation, NRK affairs etc. Can you mention some of the achievements in any of these ministries that you are most proud about? We are using IT enabled solutions to put an end to human misery and hardships. The use of robotic arms to clean manholes instead of getting humans to do such menial jobs have been appreciated the world over. We have declared internet as a right, we are providing free WiFi in public spaces and we are linking our homes and offices to the online world through a high speed optical fiber network. Police is being modernised with skills and facilities. Our focus is on scientific investigation. We are also raising the representation of women in the police and setting up mechanisms like the Pink Patrol to ensure women’s safety. National Waterway will soon become a reality, through which one can travel throughout the length of Kerala’s coast. The skills and expertise of our NRKs are being put to use in realising Kerala’s development, which was reflected in the Loka Kerala Sabha. You have recently remarked that Kerala has become a much more investment friendly destination. Can you explain which of the government’s initiatives have contributed to this investor friendliness? We have taken proactive steps to improve the business environment by undertaking reforms to ensure that the State’s EoDB rating goes up. A key reform is the mandating of a specific time limit of 30 days to decide on issuance of licenses to applicants. The reforms have also made provisions for licenses to be issued with a validity of 5 years. Self-certification for green category industries for Pollution Control Board has also been introduced. As part of the reforms, an Investment Promotion and Facilitation SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Cell has been constituted and it will be responsible for the smooth interaction with applicants and issuing speedy approvals. Composite clearances issued through a single window system will be binding on all departments/agencies. Recently, you have said that relationship between Centre and States has come to all time low and that Centre has been squeezing Kerala’s finances as well as state financial institutions. Can you explain this scenario? The experiences of demonetisation and GST introduction speak for themselves. In both instances it was Kerala’s interventions which upheld the rights of the states’ institutions. Kerala is staring at a unique economic situation, where two of its main revenue sources that is the plantation sector and gulf money flow slowing down. What are the

government’s plans to counter this or find alternatives? We have a highly educated and skilled man power. We have a robust health care system. Our tourism sector is a major global attraction. We also have immense possibilities in food processing. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that opportunities are created in all these sectors within the state itself. This will benefit both our youngsters and return

immigrants. We are incentivising business proposals by return immigrants and raising investments from them for the various development projects of the state, with assured returns. Kerala has attracted over Rs.9000 crores in investments during the last two years. The finance ministry’s figures show that the state needs to attract Rs.1 lakh crore during the next 5-6 years. Do you think it is an achievable target and if yes, how? We have devised innovative strategies to mobilise funds and utilise them for our developmental projects. Through KIIFB, we have approved projects worth over 22,000 Crores in 2 years, when our target is 50,000 Crores for 5 years. The figures certainly suggest that the targets are achievable. You have recently remarked that Keralites’ mindset should change and that development is not a sin. Do you think CPM’s historical stand against a red carpet for private investments had contributed to this mindset? CPIM has never been against investments. It has only stood to ensure that such investments must not be at the cost of workers’ rights and our environment. You have come in as a major supporter for startups, entrepreneurship and digital infrastructure in recent months. How do you think these movements can help Kerala?

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

With the abundance of young and skilled talent that we have, it is our duty to encourage them. We are providing financial and technical assistance to Start-Ups. Our experience is that such encouragement has resulted in innovations that benefit the society at large. I had mentioned about robots cleaning manholes earlier. Such a technological intervention did not render those who were earlier engaged in that profession jobless. On the other hand, we trained them and ensured that they were the ones who operate these robotic machines. We believe that science and technology should benefit humanity and that is what we are striving to achieve. To build upon the agricultural revival in the state, you have

recently proposed the promotion of branded agricultural products. Can you explain this move? Through the Haritha Keralam Mission, we are giving prime importance to agriculture and environment. We have brought fallow lands under cultivation and reclaimed fields for agriculture. We are already moving towards self sufficiency in vegetable production. The next logical step is agro processing. We have the required raw materials and technical resources are also easily available. To market the final product, a solid branding is required. This is why we have thought up of Brand Kerala. It will go a long way in gaining quick acceptability and thus a larger market share for our products.

What would you regard as the main area in which the government and the bureaucracy should improve, in the remaining three years? We need to ensure that government and bureaucracy move at the speed of the 21st century and stay accountable to the people. We have made significant steps towards realising it. E-filing has helped speed up file movement. Punching system for attendance has helped to ensure that officers are able to devote enough time to handle their responsibilities. By presenting our Progress Report to the people, we are holding ourselves accountable to the public who elected us into office. We are weighing our performance against the promises we had made during the elections. We will surely deliver on all of our promises. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

SEASONAL MAGAZINE IN CONVERSATION WITH DR. THOMAS ISSAC, KERALAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ECONOMIST FINANCE MINISTER, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOVERNMENT.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW & FEATURE BY: JAISON D, JOHN ANTONY & CEENA J

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR KERALA, AGAINST ALL ODDS

“Passion is needed for any great work, and for the revolution, passion and audacity are required in big doses,” said Che Guevara once. While not a revolutionary in the Che tradition exactly, the communist finance minister of Kerala embodies these twin values of passion and audacity to attempt the impossible - a market borrowing mechanism called KIIFB - and make it a success. He demolished as myths ideas like Rahu Kaal, Vaastu and Number 13, by choosing the Vaastu troubled Manmohan Bunglaow as his residence, by doing his housewarming there at Rahu Kaal and by travelling around in the No.13 state car that no minister would touch! Yet, apart from CM Pinarayi Vijayan, no one in Kerala has any doubt on who has been the most successful minister in the left front cabinet. Because, what he supposedly lacks by shunning so-called traditions, he makes up by his sheer passion and audacity in big doses, as Che noted. That is how Dr. Thomas Issac has transformed the post of finance minister that usually draws flak from all other ministers for hindering their plans, into a new respectability of having empowered all other ministers to pursue their portfolio’s development through KIIFB.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

hen Pinarayi Vijayan Government assumed office exactly two years back, Kerala’s economy was not in the best shape. After decades of reasonable prosperity fuelled by the famous Kerala Model of development that stressed on subsidized education, healthcare, land reform, social pensions and other social development initiatives, the economy of the state was rapidly slowing down. The reason of course was that Kerala had not performed well enough in attracting massive investments and creating jobs on a massive scale. Still, Kerala was far ahead of most states in human development index parameters. How this came to be was not just about the social equity route that Kerala followed for decades, but through some really unique revenue sources for the state like the remittances by Non Resident Keralites from Middle East and a thriving plantation sector. For instance, in 2012-13 period, the plantation sector of the state comprising mainly of rubber, tea, coffee, cardamom and cocoa was clocking an annual production worth Rs.22,000 crores. And every year the overseas remittances from Middle East were continuing to grow. But by the time, the Pinarayi Vijayan Government came into power, both these revenue sources were slowly getting into serious trouble. And the worst thing was that these were international challenges that no state government could find a solution for. While the Middle East crisis was fuelled by countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and most GCC countries preferring their own nationals for many jobs, the plantation sector woes was mainly a fallout of the free trade agreement that India had signed with ASEAN nations. During the first year of the Pinarayi

Vijayan Government itself, overseas remittances took a further nosedive, registering a 10% fall. And by the end of the first year, the plantation sector revenues had plummeted to just Rs.9000 crore. But Chief Minister Vijayan and his colleagues exhibited a steely resolve to take the challenge of putting Kerala back into the growth trajectory, head-on. One reason behind their confidence was the education, experience and unique developmental ideas of one of their colleagues, Dr.TM Thomas Issac, Minister for Finance. Thomas Isaac is an economist who took his PhD from Centre for Development Studies (CDS) of Jawaharlal Nehru University. A prolific author of books and articles, Isaac was also a professor at the Centre for Development Studies. During his tenure as a member of the Kerala State Planning Board, he was in charge of the People's Plan campaign (PPC), which was the implementation of Panchayati Raj in Kerala. This campaign is still considered as the benchmark in the history of decentralisation in India. He also served as the Finance Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011, a period that is marked for good fiscal governance. From the beginning, Pinarayi Vijayan Government aimed at a two-prong strategy of publicly funded infrastructure development on one hand, and publicly funded social development missions in all core sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture etc. But only one thing was uncertain – where was the money to do all these? With the dwindling inflows from both the Middle East and the plantation sector, one thing was clear to all – that the state budget won’t be able to fund any such ambitious missions or infrastructure development. But Kerala’s

THE NUMBER ONE ACHIEVEMENT IS THE SETTING UP OF KERALA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND BOARD (KIIFB), WHICH HAS COME INTO EXISTENCE AND IT HAS ALREADY APPROVED DIVERSE PROJECTS AND WORKS WORTH RS.22,000 CRORES. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

economist finance minister always had a plan in his mind, and thus was born the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board or KIIFB as it is popularly known in Kerala these days. The idea was so innovative for a government that its detractors were many. Put simply, KIIFB was a public company set up outside the government with the sole objective of borrowing funds from the market at competitive rates, and distributing it to various government projects. In other words, KIIFB was set up so that Government could raise funds from the money market as easily as large private companies were doing it. Dr.Issac’s detractors from the Opposition benches vowed that it was a plan that would never fructify. But he proved otherwise and implemented it in the first year itself and by the end of the second year, KIIFB had approved projects worth Rs.22,000

crores with Rs.10,000 crores already disbursed for various works. Now, his detractors are crying that through KIIFB, Dr.Issac is pushing Kerala into a massive debt burden. But Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finance minister is sure-footed in his initiatives, as he has already earmarked half of the road taxes and the petrol cess for healthy repayment of the KIIFB loans, in the years to come. The funding through KIIFB has indeed provided a new lease of life for Kerala as it is funding infrastructure development like new coastal roads, four-laning of highways, new industrial parks, new tech parks etc, as well as a massive but measured push into social development domains like education, healthcare and agriculture. Already all high-school and higher secondary classrooms in Kerala have been made digital. Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned public health system is getting a thorough overhaul at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels with medical colleges being repositioned as centres of excellence in healthcare. On the agricultural front, Kerala has made a stunning comeback in vegetable and fruit production, and with KIIFB aid is plotting a repeat performance in other crops.

DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR EDUCATION MISSION, FROM THE SECOND YEAR OF THIS GOVERNMENT, THE TREND OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOSING STUDENTS HAS SEEN A REMARKABLE REVERSAL, WITH AROUND 1.5 LAKH STUDENTS SHIFTING FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO GOVERNMENT OR AIDED SCHOOLS.

In short, with KIIFB, Dr. Thomas Issac has achieved the near impossible - a Communist finance minister tapping market funds for public infrastructure development! Despite this early success of KIIFB, Dr. Issac is not resting on his laurels but planning a target of attracting Rs.1 lakh crore investment into Kerala during the next few years, which he contends is an achievable dream. Unlike many of his left front peers, Dr. Thomas Issac has also proved to be a pragmatic leader. Due to the modern outlook of the GST program that was said to favour consumption states like Kerala, he was a vocal supporter of it in the planning period, so much so that BJP leaders were gloating over his unique stand. But once it became clear that the Central Government had hastily executed a shoddy implementation of GST, Dr.Issac has become one of its most vocal critics, not deriding the entire system, but SEASONAL MAGAZINE

pinpointing what needs to be changed. Central Government and BJP leaders were in for more shock from this economist, when he recently stitched together an unlikely partnership between the finance ministers of southern states to take head-on the controversial Terms of Reference of the Central Finance Commission that have been allegedly designed to usurp the economic powers of all states. The movement conducted two successful conclaves – at Thiruvanathapuram and Amaravati – and it produced results. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself took to Twitter to assure that Centre has asked Central Finance Commission to look into the demands from these states. Dr.Thomas Issac’s boldness in this regard has caught the attention of the entire nation, and more states have joined in this partnership, including Punjab, Delhi & West Bengal. This is indeed a major achievement as it comes at a time when public opinion is increasingly getting muted in the country. Unlike most politicians, Dr. Thomas Issac speaks with numbers and figures, and most importantly with indepth understanding of all dimensions of a challenge.

Seasonal Magazine in conversation with Dr. Thomas Issac, Minister for Finance, Government of Kerala, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the government. As the LDF government completes two years, and there are many achievements to talk about in your ministry, what would you highlight as the number one achievement? The number one achievement is the setting up of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). It has come into existence and it has already approved diverse projects and works worth Rs.22,000 crores. Nearly Rs.20,000 crores worth of projects have started work, and till now around Rs.10,000 crores of payments have been made for the on-going works. By the end of this government’s third year, we expect KIIFB to approve projects worth Rs.50,000 crores. This is simply the biggest investment program Kerala has ever seen. This has been an extraordinary achievement not only in terms of its innovative conceptualisation, but for its remarkable execution through a new administrative machinery which has been set up outside of the government. There are not many parallels for this achievement

DUE TO THE FOCUSED INITIATIVES OF OUR HEALTH MISSION, ALL TALUK HOSPITALS IN KERALA NOW HAVE DIALYSIS UNITS. ALL DISTRICT HOSPITALS HAVE STARTED CARDIAC DEPARTMENTS. AND A RUNG UP, ALL MEDICAL COLLEGES NOW HAVE ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENTS.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

either in the state or the whole of India. Now, everything is set up and we are raring to go. What would you regard as other major achievements of this government, at par with KIIFB or just below it? Yes, equally important have been the setting up of various Missions of the government, like in Education, Healthcare etc. The impact of these Missions has been felt by the beneficiaries, that is, the people, and they are acknowledging it too. Can you elaborate this impact, with the education mission and its activities? Of course. You see, within two years itself the education mission of this government has succeeded in digitalizing all classrooms at the high school and higher secondary levels. This is a major achievement as Kerala has been the first state in the country to achieve this. Even in technologically advanced states like Andhra Pradesh, there is only one digital classroom per school. And the benefits haven’t been just on the digital front. Rollout of technology on such a massive scale has also resulted in construction of new physical facilities like buildings, classrooms etc. All high schools and higher secondary schools with more than 500 students have been funded to build such new facilities. Now, coming to the grassroots level impact of this mission, you have to consider just one statistic. For over 30 years now, student strength of our public schools – government and aided – have been steadily coming down, with parents preferring private or unaided schools. But due to the success of our education mission, from the second year of this government, this trend has seen a remarkable reversal, with around 1.5 lakh students shifting from private schools to government or aided schools. The coming year too, this success story is going to be repeated and strengthened. This newfound preference for government and aided schools among parents has been so huge that it

diseases is going to be implemented. Every interested individual would be tested on various health parameters, and those identified with issues guided to get further examination. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and this move will reduce morbidity rates, and enable tertiary sector to better serve the most deserving cases using the available investments and resources. From a vocal supporter of GST you have become a bitter critic of the way it has been implemented. What do you see as the key risks for Kerala from this shoddy GST implementation?

THESE INVESTMENTS WILL TRANSFORM STATE’S PUBLIC TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS FROM CENTRES TREATING JUST SEASONAL INFECTIONS OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, TO CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE THAT TREAT THE MORE PREVALENT NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES LIKE HEART DISEASE, LIVER DISEASE, KIDNEY DISEASE, DIABETES, HIGH BP ETC. created law and order issues at quite a few schools during the admission season. At Thaliparambu government school, police had to be called in to ensure peace. In my own constituency, the government aided Mary Immaculate School had a similar issue as the demand for seats was so huge and when obviously not all students could be accommodated. So, people are acknowledging this remarkable achievement at the grassroots level. What all have been the achievements of the health mission of this government within two years? Due to the focused initiatives of our health mission, all taluk hospitals in Kerala now have dialysis units. All district hospitals have started cardiac departments. And a rung up, all medical colleges now have oncology departments. The number of doctors at over 150 government hospitals has been doubled so that new facilities like evening OP could be started. The government tertiary care hospitals like

the medical colleges are now witnessing an unprecedented level of expansion plans and new investments to make them centres of excellence. These investments will transform state’s public tertiary care hospitals from centres treating just seasonal infections or communicable diseases, to centres of excellence that treat the more prevalent non-communicable diseases or the socalled lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiac diseases, stroke, kidney diseases, liver diseases etc. One objective is to deliver affordable healthcare to treat these diseases which are now primarily attended to by expensive private hospitals. But an equally important objective is to focus on prevention, as all these diseases respond well to lifestyle changes or early medical interventions. This will benefit the people who are at risk for these diseases, even while reducing the mad rush at our public tertiary care hospitals. Towards this, a new mass participatory screening program for major non-communicable

With the compensation coming in, our GST revenue is at 14% now. Which means that our tax revenues aren’t increasing from the earlier stage. This was definitely not our expectation, given that Kerala is a destination or consumption state where around 80% of the commodities are coming in from outside. Such a state should have at least 24% in GST revenue. I still believe that as and when the GST system stabilizes, Kerala’s revenue share will increase. But as of now, this has caused immense hardship to Kerala. We had launched all these new massive social missions like in education, health etc expecting this higher GST revenue. This has caused widening revenue deficit and cash management problems. But we can’t go back on any of these social missions as they are crucial for the socioeconomic development of our people. So, those missions will continue to have committed expenditure. For example, the Central Government’s health insurance scheme barely covers 15 to 18 lakh households in Kerala, whereas the state government is already providing higher health insurance to 35 lakh households and is all set to increase it to 50 lakh homes. Also the social pensions have been doubled, and significant expenditure has been incurred in the education mission too. How do you expect this GST problem to be resolved? As of now, I believe that there is no proper administration of tax by the SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Centre after GST was implemented. There is no proper scrutiny of returns and no matching of the invoices. There is a GSTR-3B, where a businessman just declares that this is my sales, this is my purchase, this is my input credit etc. And businesses are collecting taxes but nobody is checking. Even in such a situation, Kerala has been maintaining tax level at 14%. But by the end of this current fiscal when the GST system stabilizes and tax administration by the Central Government improves, we expect our GST revenue to increase significantly. You have been successful in forging an alliance of all southern states, especially of southern finance ministers, over the issue of Central Finance Commission’s terms of reference. What are your concerns and are you hopeful of any resolution to this issue from the Centre? We just started with the southern states due to natural advantages like geographical proximity and certain common social attainment parameters like demographic transition. But we are inviting more states to join in, and at the Amaravati conclave, we had the support of three more states – West Bengal, Delhi & Punjab – than at the earlier Thiruvanathapuram conclave of states. I am sure that even more states are set to join our group. We have already succeeded in bringing to the forefront the shocking anti-federal bias of the Central Government in the issue of the Terms of Reference of the Central Finance Commission. If this ToR is literally accepted by the Commission, states are going to be financially hit in a massive way. Firstly, the share of states in central taxes would come down from the current 42%. Secondly, post devolution revenue deficit grant would be abolished. Thirdly, there would be a drastic reduction in the power of states to borrow. And lastly, several new conditions are going to be imposed on states before they can borrow. This is simply making a mockery of the fiscal autonomy of states guaranteed in the constitution. But unfortunately in this country now, public opinion has been successfully muted. It is in this scenario that we came out boldly and hogged the national limelight. We were so successful in this that the PM had to SEASONAL MAGAZINE

"AS OF NOW, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF TAX BY THE CENTRE. THERE ARE NO PROPER SCRUTINY OF RETURNS AND NO MATCHING OF THE INVOICES. THERE IS A GSTR 3B, WHERE A BUSINESSMAN JUST DECLARES THAT THIS IS MY SALES, THIS IS MY PURCHASE, THIS IS MY INPUT CREDIT ETC. AND BUSINESSES ARE COLLECTING TAXES BUT NOBODY IS CHECKING."

respond. But we won’t stop there. What are the further avenues before the states in this regard? We are soon approaching the President. These Terms of Reference of the Central Finance Commission is unconstitutional. They are against the rights of states granted in the Indian Constitution for several decades now. No Central Government or Central Finance Commission can unilaterally decide these things on their own. They have to amend the Constitution. If needed, we would also be taking legal measures. While every effort is being taken to mute public opinion in this country, we trust the fact that we are still a democratic country where public opinion will always matter. So, we are also conducting a public forum for debate in the month of June, and would be inviting several experts to talk on this affair. We will fight this to the end, until an equitable solution for the states is achieved. You had remarked recently that states like Kerala that has performed well on the population front is being penalized by this new Terms of Reference. Can you elaborate? There are two issues at play here. The most important one is between the Centre and the states. All states are going to suffer due to this first issue. But the BJP ruled states are keeping mum on this issue, even while they are against their finances getting squeezed if these new Terms of Reference are implemented. I am challenging them openly to come forward and declare that they only want a smaller revenue share, that they don’t mind abolishing the post devolution revenue deficit grant and that they are welcoming the move to curb their borrowing power. The BJP ruled states can’t yield these things, but for now they are just silent. So, this is the first issue that affects all states. The second issue is that while pushing for population control several decades back, the Central government had given solemn promises to states that the 1971 census would be used as the base for calculations so that better performing states in the future wouldn’t have their revenue share cut. But these new Terms of Reference are going back on that promise which was made in Indian Parliament. Here is where the differences between states comes into play. Take for instance a state like Tamil Nadu which has performed equally well as Kerala on the population front. If these new Terms of Reference are implemented and the 1971 census is not respected, Tamil Nadu stands to lose Rs.40,000 crores over 5 years. Similarly, Kerala will lose around Rs.20,000

crores. How will these states manage their finances? But many North Indian states that have not performed well on the population front, stands to gain if this new formula based on the 2011 census is used. So, this is like penalizing states that have performed well, which is something that goes against the National Population Policy and the agreements made in the National Development Council. This is all about breaking promises and traditions that have been upheld by all since the last 40 years. If the Centre wants to change it now, they should do it through discussions and a gradual transition. But when this aspect of inter se distribution between states comes up, there is bound to be disagreements between various states as each will favour formulas that benefit them. This is only natural, and we are anticipating it. So far, the states that have collaborated in our conclaves have all nearly similar demographic transitions. But we are inviting all states to participate now. We will discuss with all and we will agree to disagree on this second issue. But the first issue of Centre usurping finances and powers of all the states is simply not negotiable for any state. Kerala is staring at a unique economic situation, where two of its main revenue sources, that is, the plantation sector and gulf money flow slowing down. What are the government’s plans to counter this or find alternatives? What you told is correct, even though the actual figures may be a bit confusing when it comes to remittances from overseas. In fiscal 2017-18, overseas remittances have actually gone up after a 10% decline in the previous fiscal. This may be due to many Keralites returning from Middle East forever, and thus bringing here all their savings. In any case, the situation is that net migration to Gulf has become negative. This has produced a dampening effect on Kerala economy, even though it is not calamitous like in the Kuwait crisis. Kerala should now aggressively look for emerging job opportunities in countries like Australia, Canada etc. This is already happening and the government too has already started initiatives in this regard. There is still robust international demand for medical, nursing and paramedical staff from Kerala. But more than this, Kerala should really be focusing on creating jobs inside our state. We have a highly educated labour force, and the jobs to be created should cater to them. Today, the biggest challenge we have to overcome to attract big private investments is our inadequate infrastructure. The SEASONAL MAGAZINE

connectivity of roads, power, tech parks and other digital infrastructure can transform Kerala and make it a great place for private investments to flow in. With this in mind, this government has been placing great emphasis on infrastructure development. Two new coastal highways are being planned with urgency. All national highways passing through the state are being converted to four lanes. Government has provided all out support for the GAIL pipeline that was stalled for long. New petrochemical, industrial and IT parks are being created or facilitated. Government wants to invest big in such public infrastructure, but since it can’t do this on its own, we have created external mechanisms like KIIFB which will borrow from the market and fund these projects. By such measures we are hopeful of arresting the downward spiral of the state economy. That is why I have called such measures collectively as an anti-recession package. But this is only a temporary measure. Ultimately,

private investment should flow in and jobs should be created on a massive scale for Kerala to permanently overcome this economic crisis. What about the downtrend in the plantation sector? The situation in the plantation sector is indeed serious. But there is very little that state governments can do in the sector. It is all up to the Centre, as it was they who signed this free trade agreement with ASEAN countries. The deal has been advantageous for many Indian exporters, especially in software. But it has proved to be disastrous for the plantation sector as India has to allow imports too from these countries. Unfortunately, most of these ASEAN countries have similar geography and climate like in India, and they grow the same plantation crops. At the same time their plantations are much more competitive than our plantations. Our production was profitable only when this sector was under a protected

WE JUST STARTED WITH THE SOUTHERN STATES DUE TO NATURAL ADVANTAGES LIKE GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY AND CERTAIN COMMON SOCIAL ATTAINMENT PARAMETERS LIKE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION. BUT WE ARE INVITING MORE STATES TO JOIN IN, AND AT THE AMARAVATI CONCLAVE, WE HAD THE SUPPORT OF THREE MORE STATES – WEST BENGAL, DELHI & PUNJAB.

environment. When that protection was removed, it has become clear that our areas under cultivation are not globally competitive. So, our plantation sector has to realize these facts and gear up their productivity. Central government which has been so far grossly insensitive to planation sector woes should realize their mistake and start supporting the sector by funding replantation of the better plant breeds much more generously as in the ASEAN countries. State government on its part is already reviewing whether even the remaining taxes in the sector like plantation tax and agricultural income tax can be abolished. But shouldn’t the state government hear the plantation sector’s call for removing archaic laws that prevent even reasonable mixed-use of the land? There is an even more important question of equity, or equitable distribution of resources like land among our people. All should understand that these massive plantation lands were given at a nominal rate of lease, long back. They were also exempted from Kerala’s famed land reform movement that gifted land to landless labourers. These plantations also made good profits for decades from these lands. Now, a call to treat such land as regular land is not equitable to the majority people of the state. And we should realize that there are still lakhs of people in Kerala without own land. If we allow mixeduse of these lands, that will sound the

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

UNLIKE THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND MOST STATE GOVERNMENTS, THIS GOVERNMENT WON’T SHY AWAY FROM INVESTING IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND PSUS. GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. BECAUSE OF THIS, GOVERNMENT IS TAKING SPECIAL CARE REGARDING THE EFFICIENCY OF ITS STAFF.

TWO NEW COASTAL HIGHWAYS ARE BEING PLANNED WITH URGENCY. ALL NATIONAL HIGHWAYS PASSING THROUGH THE STATE ARE BEING CONVERTED TO FOUR LANES. GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED ALL OUT SUPPORT FOR THE GAIL PIPELINE THAT HAS STALLED FOR LONG. NEW PETROCHEMICAL, INDUSTRIAL AND IT PARKS ARE BEING CREATED OR FACILITATED.

death knell of these plantations and the livelihood of lakhs of labourers working there, as gradually it will degrade to a real estate business. Land is extremely scarce in Kerala, and in such a scenario no responsible government can consider such industry demands. You have recently said that the state needs to attract Rs.1 lakh crore during the next 5-6 years for it to not miss the development bus. But it was recently disclosed in Assembly that Kerala had attracted only Rs.9000 crores in investments during the last two years. So, do you think this 1 lakh crore is an achievable target and if yes, how? If you include public capital expenditure, which now is mainly funded by KIIFB which borrows funds

from the market, this is an achievable target. Because, by next year itself, KIIFB would have funded around Rs.60,000 crores worth of projects. State’s own capital expenditure will be another Rs.20,000-30,000 crores. But private capital formation should happen separately. We are expecting that this public expenditure on infrastructure would bring in private investment. We resorted to funding vehicles like KIIFB because other models like PPP are quite difficult in Kerala. Here both the population density and the road density are so high that mechanisms like accesscontrol for collecting tolls are difficult. So, our resolve is that state government should do it by borrowing through KIIFB. State is ensuring the repayment as we have motor vehicle tax and petrol cess to fund the repayment for the first 15 or 20 years, after which the budget itself will be able to fund it. You have recently tweeted your displeasure regarding how the police have been handling issues like Sreejith’s custodial death. Can you clarify the position? Everybody in this government is clear about the fact that these things shouldn’t happen at all. We are all against it. And how can it be otherwise, as historically left front leaders have been the worst affected victims of this barbaric measure of custodial torture. There is no senior leader in the party who hasn’t been tortured under custody. So, to prevent such acts from recurring, we had done a comprehensive overhauling of the legal framework of the police force. But many things are at play in police, these days. Obviously, certain sections in police are not obeying what government is saying. And government will take the most stringent action against them. No one will be protected. We aren’t going to take hasty actions but sure and determined actions. As you know, the Circle Inspector in this case has been arrested. Probe is now on to find

whether any higher ups in the force are involved. What would you regard as the main area in which the government and the bureaucracy should improve, in the remaining three years? There is no doubt that the efficiency of government machinery should go up. Towards this, we have started the Kerala Administrative Service so that injection of fresh blood is done to energize the middle level. Secondly, Kerala is transforming entire laws governing industries so that ease of doing business is significantly improved. We have already amended several laws. But some things won’t be changed like Kerala’s commitment to labour rights. Decentralization or panchayati raj in which Kerala is already a leader is being strengthened further. Five departments have been merged into one department to further decentralization. Changes were brought into the planning by local selfgovernments so that planning is done in time. And unlike the Central government and most state governments, this government won’t shy away from investing in public infrastructure and PSUs. Government will continue to play an important role in education, healthcare, and public investment in infrastructure. Also due to this, government is taking special care regarding the efficiency of its staff. Public Sector Companies have already become efficient and profitable, and Public Sector Utilities too are being supported to be sustainable. Digital infrastructure will be given a boost by providing free internet connectivity for all BPL families, and when the digital reach of the masses expand, the whole governance mechanism would naturally improve. This facility is being provided through the new optic fiber pathway project, Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON). SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HOW KERALA REMAINS LEADER IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE When it comes to free or subsidized public healthcare, there are no doubts in India regarding who is the natural leader. It is the southernmost state of Kerala. Recently, the health minister for South Africa’s Western Cape Province went back impressed after a tour of Kerala’s government hospitals. But Kerala’s Minister for Health, KK Shailaja Teacher is not resting on her laurels but continuing her mission to transform the state’s public health infrastructure to a far more desirable level. Under this ambitious plan, state’s Primary Health Centres are being upgraded to Family Health Centres, District and Taluk Hospitals are being modernised and the state’s renowned Medical Colleges are being transformed into Centres of Excellence. The treatment approach too has been changed from just cures to prevention, while a larger number of highly prevalent diseases like the noncommunicable diseases would now get near free treatment in Kerala’s government hospitals and clinics. Seasonal Magazine recently caught up with Health Minister KK Shailaja Teacher to get updates about this amazing transformation on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

What is the situation with the shocking Nipah Virus outbreak now? The disease spread has been contained and there is no need to panic. Two new cases of patients with suspected NiP and fever were reported in Kozhikode and they are under observation. Though the virus had been contained, there is a need be alert. Seventeen people are being treated at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. The disease has been confined to Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The entire expenditure of these patients would be borne by the state and there need not be any panic over bats. The government

is awaiting the supply of ribavirin, a drug that's commonly used for treating similar cases. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 5 lakh each to the families of the dead. We have also decided to give a government job to the husband of the nurse Lini who died after attending to Nipah virus patients in Perambra in Kozhikode. Their two children will be given Rs. 5 lakh each and this can be withdrawn when they turn 18. Three teams of health experts deputed by the Centre are working in Kozhikode along with various teams of the state government.

Since the monsoon is just around the corner, can you explain health ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations this time, given the large scale issues last year? Yes, last time we had larger than usual incidence of infectious diseases. Also due to that, this year we have been doing the preparations from early on. On January 1st this year, Chief Minister launched the Arogya Jagratha (meaning Health Alertness) program. Under the leadership of health ministry, other ministries and departments like local self-government and water resources have come together for this program for an integrated approach for prevention of infectious diseases. The various works are being undertaken and reviewed at the district, block and panchayat levels. Squads have been formed under primary health centres (PHCs), and the micro-plan they are carrying out is visiting each home. 25 homes are assigned to each squad. When they visit homes, they check for water retention that breeds mosquitoes and if needed health department personnel will go for the cleaning up. Other mosquito eradication measures like fogging and plastic disposal are also being undertaken. Similarly estates are being visited, especially rubber estates where the sap collecting bowls that retain rainwater and breed mosquitoes, need to be cleaned or inversed. All corporations and municipalities are

cooperating with health department in this regard. When we assessed the performance so far, only a very few panchayats were found to be lacking in preparedness and they are being directed to take proper measures now. Otherwise it has been a good performance so far. But last year too, there were similar preparations, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? Last year too there were enough preparations including squad-work and house campaign. But one thing we must remember is that last year it was a cyclical peak for monsoon-time diseases not only in Kerala, but across India and even in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka. Experts say many factors contributed to it including the distinctive climate change. Last year, almost all Indian states suffered a large outbreak of dengue fever. States like Delhi, Haryana and Tamil Nadu registered above 200 deaths each from dengue. Sri Lanka reported 500 deaths. Our death toll was 37. But the number of reported fevers is always on the increase in our state. This may be due to higher health awareness, and our

lower death rate too may be due to this and how swiftly we attend to such incidences. This year too, dengue is there in our state in some pockets. Total eradication is proving to be difficult for this disease, as of now. But as and when incidences are reported, we rush there and help in containing it from being a major outbreak. The main speciality of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations is that our efforts are now more integrated across various ministries and departments. Health ministry has been striving for an overhaul of the government hospitals during these first two years

of the government. Can you explain what all have been achieved so far? Yes, we have been trying for a major overhaul or upgrading of facilities. More than Rs.2000 crores have been given to various government hospitals as part of our Aardram Mission. These funds will go to create better infrastructure, acquire modern equipment and clean up the hospitals, even when bringing down costs to patients. Three different approaches are being initiated for the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of hospitals and clinics. Primary Health Centres are being upgraded and

repositioned as Family Health Centres. Till now PHCs had only one doctor and if he goes on leave or for a conference there was no one to attend patients. Due to this inconsistency in service, people were approaching the secondary and even tertiary hospitals like the medical colleges for even minor issues. Medical colleges are designed to provide specialist care, and due to this mad rush of minor cases, they were finding it difficult to attend to the really deserving complex cases. So, we are assigning 3 doctors and 4 staff nurses to each PHCs. They have also been asked to provide evening out-patient services from 2 PM to 6 PM. Earlier, OP was available only till noon. But the changes are not just about infusing more doctors and nurses, but about making the whole PHC system perform its intended role as the first line of treatment for most diseases. Can you elaborate more on this new approach of treatment? Till now only communicable diseases or the common infections were being attended to at the PHCs. Under the new approach, this is changing. PHCs are being equipped to handle the more prevalent and serious non communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases are connected with lifestyle and respond well to lifestyle modifications and preventive measures.

Examples are diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease etc. Under the new system, all diseases for which treatment can be done at PHCs would be done then and there without referring them unnecessarily to medical colleges. Also, most of these diseases require followup check-ups and continuing treatment. So, PHCs are also being equipped for that, like for example in diseases like diabetes where regular tests are a must for the disease not to progress. Nurses also have been given additional responsibilities like doing the precheckup of visiting patients so that no such non communicable disease goes

undetected. So, it is not just a name change from Primary Health Centre to Family Health Centre. So far, 85 such FHCs have been inaugurated and work is going on in 170 more such centres. Why has this move met with serious resistance from the doctorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association? They demanded 5 doctors at each PHC to have OP till 6 PM. It was just not necessary, as you must remember that this is just OP services we are speaking about, and there are no in-patient services at PHCs. And even after we gave 4 doctors, a few of them were not running the evening OP. That is when government suspended a doctor. They

must understand that government is committed and investing heavily to make this a success. For the new Family Health Centres, government has already created 830 new posts for doctors. We have 900 panchayats, of which 500 more will be having these FHCs by next year and more recruitment of doctors would be undertaken. Now, can you explain the developmental works being undertaken at the secondary and tertiary levels? More funds and more developmental

works are being undertaken at these levels. While government is directly funding the upgrading of PHCs, the funds required for the secondary level of taluk hospitals and the tertiary level of medical colleges are being funded from KIIFB. Medical Colleges are being upgraded to Centres of Excellence. When we assess the situation today at medical colleges, there is no synergy or symmetry of purpose between the various buildings. Lab will be somewhere, imaging will be somewhere else and in-patient blocks would be quite away from all these.

Such ad-hoc designs have caused congestion and hardship to patients and their bystanders. This should change and each hospital that has been provided funds were granted it after they created new master plans by a professional agency and after getting this plan approved by the ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experts. Under this scheme, Kalamassery Medical College has been given Rs.350 crores. Ernakulam Cancer Centre has been given Rs.375 crores. Ernakulam General Hospital and Kannur General Hospital have been provided with Rs.76 crores each. Punalur Taluk Hospital has been granted Rs.69 crores. Are more hospitals being brought under this upgrading process? Yes, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Chirayinkeezhu Taluk Hospital and several others are now getting their master plans and DPRs approved. Thiruvananthapuram Medical College will be having a major overhauling of facilities with a new block and theatre complex. A new linear accelerator has been given. A new blood bank is being started. Certain corporates too have been helping this prestigious institution

to transform itself into a next-generation centre of excellence. Infosys has donated Rs.2.5 crores to procure a neurosurgery dedicated operating microscope. Tata is donating for the transformation of operation theatres and for a new trauma care simulation unit it has promised Rs.10 crores. All medical colleges will soon have Mini Cancer Centres modelled along Regional Cancer Centre (RCC). Such centres will have all facilities for surgical oncology, onco pathology, radiation oncology etc.

Big changes are coming to our medical colleges. While private nurses are now satisfied with the government move to enforce new minimum wage norms, private hospitals are up in arms against the government. How would you tackle it? See, there is even a court order mandating that we should enforce new minimum wages. So the labour department had to do it. Not all private

hospitals are complaining too. Only some smaller private hospitals are protesting. But government is making it clear that we can’t do anything in this regard and that they must find their own ways and means to fund the new wage norms. Don’t you think the recent unfortunate developments at RCC could have been better handled? I don’t think so. Maybe on the transparency front only, as there was no other operational failure there. We should understand the scale at which RCC operates. Tens of thousands of cancer patients they are serving and tens of thousands of blood samples they are handling on a regular basis. All precautions that were usually done were adhered to. But it seems that somebody in the window period of HIV, which can’t be detected at that stage, gave blood there. We can’t screen such samples without having a NAT machine which is quite expensive. Now, we have decided to have a NAT machine, but even with that machine it is not possible to screen all blood samples as it is an expensive procedure.

Even in prestigious private hospitals like Tata Institute this is the situation. We now have inputs that this was part of an organized smear campaign against RCC by some vested interest who is known to have approached certain tv channels in this regard. Government has recently launched several disease eradication programs. Can you explain their working? These are all part of the 13 things coming under the sustainable development goals. Various diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy and malaria are being targeted. Expert teams have been set up for each disease. For malaria, the aim is to avoid malarial deaths by the end of this year itself. By 2020, the objective is to eradicate indigenous malaria completely. When it comes to imported malaria from travellers we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do much, but we would attend fast to limit the spread. Since government has taken over Pariyaram Medical College, how will it be run?

Pariyaram Medical College will be given functional autonomy and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be run directly like other government medical colleges. A society is being registered for this. Until then, a Board of Control headed by District Collector as Chairman and Dr.Raveendran who retired from Kohikode Medical College as Director, has been set up. Recently, a minister from South Africa had appreciated Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health achievements. Can you elaborate? She is Nomafrench Mbombo, who is the Health Minister of Western Cape Province of South Africa. But after she returned to her country and reported on our achievements, I got an appreciation letter from the South African Government itself through its Consulate in India. They are now interested in exploring further cooperation in the field of health between South Africa and Kerala. We had taken her to a family health centre, a taluk hospital and an Ayurveda centre, and she was quite impressed with our grassroots level

achievements. How will you sum up the achievements of health ministry during the first two years of the government? Apart from the infrastructural and operational changes I mentioned so far, we have succeeded in making an overall change in the system. Focus has shifted from just cure to prevention. Non communicable diseases are being effectively targeted now. Interventions that make lasting change are being undertaken. Kerala government will continue to lead other states in public health delivery. At the same time we are partnering with central government and its agencies in implementing their new programs like Lakshya for bettering child delivery centres and the e-health initiative using tablets to procure data which is being implemented in stages across districts. A new total trauma care project and a new program for stroke management are being introduced. A new Ayurvedic Research Institute project too is all set to be launched.

MEETING HIGH AIMS IN FORESTS,WILDLIFE, DAIRY DEVELOPMENT & ANIMAL HUSBANDRY In all the portfolios he heads, Minister K Raju had set high objectives in 2016 for himself and his teams to achieve. And having completed the initial two years, we find that he has achieved most of the high aims he had set forth. Forest area has increased significantly, and Kerala became one of the only 5 states in India to achieve this. A record number of markers or jundas could be erected to demarcate forest and revenue lands effectively. Forest department has broken new ground by having an all-woman platoon for the first time, and it is about to create 500 new posts exclusively for Adivasis. Milk production is up by 17% and after years of de-growth, cattle numbers have shown an uptick this year. A new rehabilitation centre for elephants has been set up, that will attend to both violent wild elephants and violent tamed elephants. Afforestation program has been taken to unprecedented levels by not only increasing the number of saplings being planted, but by ensuring its survival and also by switching to more productive fruits trees instead of acacia, eucalyptus and mangium. One of Minister Rajuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest achievements has been the launch of work for the unique Thrissur Zoological Park Wildlife Conservation & Research Centre which is coming up in 336 acres of forest land at an estimated cost of Rs.250 crores. The 65 year old veteran of Communist Party of India (CPI), Raju hails from Anchal in Kollam District, represents Punalur Constituency and is an advocate by training.

Seasonal Magazine in conversation with K Raju, minister of Forests, Wildlife Protection, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Milk- Co-operatives and Zoos.

Can you briefly explain about the broad achievements in your various portfolios? I have been heading various portfolios like Forests, Wildlife Protection, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, MilkCo-operatives and Zoos, in this ministry since the last two years. From the very beginning, I charted out a course with clear objectives that were spelt out. And in all these areas, we have been able to achieve significant development. Can you start off with what is perhaps your most important ministry, Forests? Our main objective here was that we would protect forests from decreasing. And within these two years, we have already achieved more than that, as forest area has increased significantly. It is a big achievement as only 5 states in India could do it, and Kerala ranks 3rd in the extent of increase. Secondly, a lot have been done during these past two years to protect wild animals. However, this period continued to witness the long-term trend of wild animals coming into agricultural or inhabited land and the resultant confrontations with man. There are

some distinct reasons for this phenomenon and we have started addressing these in full swing. Can you elaborate these measures? There are basically two reasons for wild animals coming into inhabited land, which are in search of water and search of fruits. Over the years, fruit trees inside our forests have been getting lesser in number and there has also been an acute shortage of water in many forest lands. We have addressed the water shortage by building over 360 ponds and dykes or small dams. We are also changing the afforestation program to focus on planting more fruit trees. You mentioned the confrontation between wild animals and humans. What could you do on this front? The ultimate aim is to prevent all such confrontations by putting proper fencing. But since it will take more time, we are discouraging wild animals from coming into inhabited land by the dykes I mentioned. But however hard we try, there will be some incursions by wild animals and resulting confrontations, in which humans suffer two kinds of losses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; loss of lives and loss of agriculture.

Kottoor Kappukadu Elephant Rehabilitation Centre

Kulathupuzha

We have doubled the compensation that was offered, from 2014 levels. For loss of human life, compensation has been increased from Rs.5 lakhs to Rs.10 lakhs. And even more importantly compensation that often used to take 1 or 2 years to arrive, is now being disbursed within 1 or 2 weeks. What would you regard as the most prestigious or innovative project of forests department during these two years? It is undoubtedly the new Thrissur Zoological Park Wildlife Conservation & Research Centre, coming up at Puthur. When completed, it will be one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best zoological parks as it is coming up in 336 acres of Forest Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own land and will be managed by the department itself. In contrast, the current Thrissur Zoo is only 13 acres. I inaugurated the start of work for this park around six months back, and the first phase will be over by the next one year. The park is being built at a cost of Rs.250 crores, of which the first phase will require Rs.30 crores which has already been provided to the project. For the rest, an application has been submitted to KIIFB. When the first phase is complete, all the animals currently now at Thrissur Zoo would be shifted to this new park. There were objections against Thrissur Zoo by Central Zoo Authority as it was congested and within city limits.

There have been many incidents of wild elephants getting killed in recent years. What are the measures government is taking to address this? One thing I would like to clarify is that elephant deaths due to poaching is sharply down since the last two years. However, some deaths are still being reported due to accidents like collision with trains, contact with electrified fences etc. Efforts are being taken to minimize these deaths. Government has also undertaken to start a new Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Kottoor in Thiruvanathapuram district. Already 13 wild elephants that exhibited violent behavior are being cared for here. They are being effectively trained and given ample space to move around without restrictions. The centre can also cater to already domesticated elephants. The full project will entail a spend of Rs.110 crores and it is again a KIIFB funded project. It is also being developed as a tourist attraction as visitors can watch elephants roaming about and taking a bath in natural water sources. There has been a project to mine river sand from forest areas. How far has it been successful? It has begun as a pilot project at Kulathupuzha near Kollam. But it is not for commercial purposes at all. It will be sold only to poor people falling in the BPL segment who are also

beneficiaries of select housing schemes of either state government or central government. It will be made available to them at subsidized rates for their house construction. At Kulathupuzha, the extraction has been done and distribution is about to start. Since it is river sand from a forest area, environment clearance was sought and obtained. And only the approved quantity would be extracted from the river. Shortly this project will be undertaken in certain areas of Thiruvananthapuram district too. Based on the success at these pilot locations, this project would be extended to other districts. Also, environmental clearance would have to be taken at each location. Closely related with forest protection

is the issue of livelihood or prosperity for its native tribal people or Adivasis. What are the measures taken for this? Government has now brought a new initiative to recruit Adivasis for forest department jobs. As they are natural experts, they will be used for forest protection jobs. 500 Adivasis would be recruited this year itself. It will be done through PSC and a special recruitment will be necessary for this. These will be permanent jobs. Government has also increased the daily wages given to temporary workers employed by forest department like fire-watchers, eco tourism guides etc. Around 1000 such people are there with forest department and for all of them a raise of Rs.100 in daily wages has been made. Apart from providing government employment to some Adivasis, is there any scheme to provide them with sustainable livelihoods based on forest produce? There is already the Vanasree project, which has been a novel initiative by the Forest and Wildlife Department of Kerala to improve the livelihoods of tribal communities by facilitating collection, processing, value addition and market access to the forest produce which has been traditionally collected from interiors of our pristine evergreen forests. These include food products like forest honey and pickles, health products like lemongrass oil and beauty

Forest minister K. Raju inspect the master plan of Thirssur Zoological Park at the proposed site in Puthur.

products like sandalwood oil. This project will be developed and strengthened further. Also, there are some successful models like in Idukki forests where Adivasis cultivate pepper inside forests and a society has been formed to procure it and sell it at best prices at Ernakulam. This mechanism too needs to be supported and widened. Government is also committed to implementing all the provisions of the 2008 law regarding tribal welfare, that is, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. Under this, Adivasis can cultivate and build a house too for their own need. The only condition is that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell it. Encroachments of forests have been a major issue in Kerala for long. How

are you addressing this issue? Due to the zero-tolerance stance of the government in this regard, large scale encroachments of forest lands are sharply down in Kerala. But petty or tiny encroachments are always there. Government has been diligently pursuing the only solution to the encroachment problem , which is clear demarcation of forest land from revenue land. Towards this, 23000 permanent markers or jundas have been erected at the boundaries this year, which is an all-time record. However, even more jundas need to be erected. The process takes time as at many places there are disputes regarding whether it is a revenue land or forest land. So, joint verification by both departments are going on now. All dispute-free areas have already seen the erection jundas. Now what is remaining are all disputed

lands. But within next year, our plan is to complete the erection of all jundas. Only that would be the permanent solution to the encroachment problem. It is also beneficial to land owners as once the demarcation is complete, no NOC is required for a sale. Then comes the fencing part to better enforce the boundary as well as to prevent wild animals from coming to inhabited lands. But what about the encroachments already done? Government is firm in this regard and would evict all encroachers who have encroached forest lands since 1977. This is as per the relevant court order. But it is a very tough as well as sensitive task, and it will be completed stage by stage. Other parameters are also checked whether these encroachers have other land to live if government evicts them from here. Can you detail the changes in the afforestation program? There are both quantitative and qualitative changes. The number of saplings being distributed by KFDC for planting is going up every year. This year around 72 lakh saplings would be distributed. But more than this number,

a mechanism for checking the survival rate of these saplings has been implemented. This was through teams of postgraduate students and their report is awaited. Also, instead of foreign origin trees like acacia, eucalyptus and mangium, the program now involves fruit trees and trees found in our natural forests. However, where government has to honor long-term contracts to supply soft-wood to certain PSUs like Hindustan Newsprint, the other tree saplings would be planted. Saplings are also being planted in non-forest areas like corporation areas so that the total coverage of trees goes up. Kollam Corporation is implementing a pilot of this by distributing lakhs of saplings. Since Kerala is a major tourism destination, do you think the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forest wealth can be better utilized to promote tourism? Not really, as it is very clear that by law as well as by science or commonsense, forest wealth canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just be opened up to promote tourism. The forests in our Western Ghats are the source for our clean air and clean water. Newer laws also prevent protected forests like the various reserves like the tiger reserve areas from being used for any non-forest

activities. Even some current ecotourism centres would need to be brought under stricter controls. We have a commitment to protect our biodiversity and ecology, and that is why government took a firm stance regarding Kurinchi Mala that it should be maintained at 3200 hectares. However, forest department will explore possibilities to promote tourism wherever it is possible without affecting the ecology. Recently, a platoon of female forest officers was inducted into the force. How has been their performance? We recruited around 400 candidates, of which around 40% were women, forming a platoon. They are very honest, hardworking and better than our expectations. They were given 6 months of training under forest department and 3 months under police. 25 new forest stations were established to better protect the forests and to be of convenience to the new staff. Apart from forests and wildlife, what all were your major achievements in your other portfolios? We started off in dairy development with the lofty aim of self-sufficiency within two years. While it was a too ambitious aim to be achieved this fast, we have progressed much. Milk production is already up by 17%, and we are right on track to achieve selfsufficiency. Coming to animal husbandry, we could arrest the fall in numbers of cattle, which now shows an increase last year. The handling of dairy development and animal husbandry under one minister has facilitated better integration of operations. We are also pushing for a major growth in chicken farms, given the popularity of chicken among most people in the state. Around 1000 new chicken units have started operations in Kerala. Now Kudumbashree has also come into poultry farming with a pilot project. Still, self-sufficiency will take more time in poultry as so far we are producing only 40% of what we consume.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

THE STATE IS MOVING IN A BIG WAY INTO BUILDING UPON ITS FORMIDABLE IT PROWESS BY BUILDING NEW FACILITIES LIKE THE MAKER VILLAGE IN KOCHI, WHICH IS INDIA’S LARGEST ELECTRONICS INCUBATOR. AND WALKING THE TALK, BEATING EVEN IT HOTSPOTS LIKE KARNATAKA, KERALA IS NOW ALSO SET TO BE THE FIRST STATE IN INDIA TO HAVE 1000 FREE WI-FI SPOTS.

Pinarayi Vijayan SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HOW KERALA REMAINS

DECADES AHEAD IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT YOU WON’T FIND MAMMOTH FINANCIAL BUSINESS HUBS HERE LIKE BKC IN MUMBAI OR DLF CYBER CITY IN GURGAON, BUT HERE ALL POOR SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE GETTING TASTY AND NUTRITIOUS MID-DAY MEALS FOR FREE. WITH JUST WEEKS LEFT FOR KERALA GOVERNMENT’S SECOND ANNIVERSARY, A LOT OF PIONEERING INITIATIVES THAT CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN AND HIS HARDWORKING CABINET COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKING ARE ALL SET TO HOG THE LIMELIGHT ONCE AGAIN.

anyone is asked to pick the most unique state of India, on a socioeconomic basis, it may not be even Jammu Kashmir. The southern state of Kerala has been a unique model of socio-economic development that has been unparalleled so far, and likely to remain so. Because, a lot of historical, geographical and political factors have contributed to this development and under the reign of the current Left Democratic Front too, this momentum has been sustained and is likely to sustain for its full term. The biggest achievement for Kerala is that it has attained leadership position in all

core social development parameters like infant mortality, free primary education, free healthcare etc without attracting any fanciful figures in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or even big achievements in the agriculture sector due to its small land area and high population density. You won’t find mammoth financial business hubs here like BKC in Mumbai or DLF Cyber City in Gurgaon, but here all poor school children are getting tasty and nutritious mid-day meals for free. While it hosts world-class hospitals like Aster Medcity, VPS Lakeshore and Rajagiri Hospital, like in the Indian metros, it also has a thriving SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

Under Finance Minister Dr. TM Thomas Issac's leadership, the state has recently made plans to attract one lakh crore of new investment in the coming 5-6 years, so that it doesn’t miss the investment bus. Dr. Thomas Issac

government hospitals system that is renowned for its free yet quality care and experienced doctors and surgeons. Now, under the visionary leadership of the Pinarayi Vijayan government, Kerala is all set to build upon its strengths, even while it corrects its traditional weaknesses. Definitive plans are now ready for the development of the 633 km West Coast Canal, that will utilize the untapped transport and tourism potential of Kerala’s renowned rivers and backwaters. The state is moving in a big way into building upon its formidable IT prowess as seen in Thiruvanathapuram Technopark, Kochi Infopark, & Kochi Smart City, by building new facilities like the Maker Village in Kochi, which is India’s largest electronics incubator. The state also successfully hosted two IT related conferences, the Huddle Conclave for startups and the #Future conclave for digital infrastructure. And walking the talk, beating even IT hotspots like Bangalore, Mumbai, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi, Kerala is now also set to be the first state in India to have 1000 free Wi-Fi spots. Politically too, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister Dr. TM Thomas Issac have broken new ground by standing firm against Centre’s controversial policies be it the clumsy GST implementation, Central Finance Commission, rice shortage, SC/ST bill etc. Under Dr. Thomas Issac’s proactive role, the state even won in forging a strong newfound alliance among all the five southern states of the country, which has now become a formidable lobby group at Delhi. Kerala’s economic capital of Kochi’s development has been of paramount importance to this Government, and after the successful commissioning of Kochi Metro, the city is now soon to have a new

AC Moideen

Industries Minister AC Moideen had recently clarified that the state government has been able to attract investment to the tune of Rs 9,127 crore in the past two years in the industrial sector, and that the investments have come through multiple sources, including KINFRA, KSIDC and the smallscale industrial sector.

Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS). Work for the proposed water connectivity through Water Metro is also under progress. After years of dillydallying by various governments, the Pinarayi Vijayan Government also broke new ground in waste management, when it restar ted work on the mega Brahmapuram project for waste management. Despite several roadblocks, the government is also facilitating the large-scale Vizhinjam Port Project. While CIAL which manages the international airport at Kochi has completed a

new state-of-the-ar t terminal, soon Thiruvananthapuram Airport will be planning and implementing a new terminal. With the monsoons just round the corner, the state administration, especially health and PWD ministries are swinging into action to make the roads and public places more ready for the onslaught of heavy rains. On the Skills front, Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KASE agency has been making rapid strides, equipping its youngsters with new trade skills and a new partnership with Government of Singapore is in the offing. The state has also

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

Under Tourism Minister, Kadakampally Surendran’s leadership, the state has maintained its leadership in tourism, with the state recording a nearly 11% growth in tourist footfalls in 2017, and it is now all set to break new ground by appointing 1000 experienced professionals as resource persons to ensure tourism growth.

Kadakampally Surendran

moved boldly in the labour welfare segment, by implementing rational wages for nurses in the private sector, despite stiff opposition from private hospitals. Kerala continues to be the leader in local self-governance or Panchayati Raj and the continuing success run of grassroots level organizations like Kudumbashree is ample proof for this. Kerala also has solid plans in place to raise its flagging fortunes in the plantation sector dominated by tea, coffee, cardamom, rubber and cocoa. The state has recently made plans to attract one lakh crore of new investment in the coming 5-6 years, so that it doesn’t miss the investment bus. Industries

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Minister AC Moideen had recently clarified that the state government has been able to attract investment to the tune of Rs 9,127 crore in the past two years in the industrial sector, and that the investments have come through multiple sources, including KINFRA, KSIDC and the small-scale industrial sector. The state is now all set to have the new Kerala Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill, 2018. On the industrial front, Kerala Government has made a landmark move by forming a new company tentatively called Kerala Laptop Ltd which will have partners like chip major Intel, KSIDC and KELTRON to manufacture laptops on a massive scale,

In a major step to make the schools in the state self-sufficient in the digital arena, the state government has initiated measures to provide video conferencing system in all classrooms. In the first phase, 4,775 schools have been selected for implementation.

Prof. C. Ravindranath

a significant portion of which will be bought by the government itself. It will also source local components from private companies in the state like UST Global, SFO technologies, FCI OEN etc, apart from Keltron. The state is also betting big on a new Rs.3000 crore titanium project. In a major step to make the schools in the state selfsufficient in the digital arena, the state government has initiated measures to provide video conferencing system in all classrooms. In the first phase, 4,775 schools have been selected for implementation. As part of the implementation, the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education

(KITE) has already floated a tender for purchasing multifunction printers, high definition digital handicam, HD webcam and 42 inch LED television. According to government sources, the installation of the system is expected to be completed by June. Under Tourism Minister, Kadakampally Surendranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership, the state has maintained its leadership in tourism, with the state recording a nearly 11% growth in tourist footfalls in 2017, and it is now all set to break new ground by appointing 1000 experienced professionals as resource persons to ensure tourism growth.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

KERALA IS TAKING A BIG STEP IN WHEREVER IN THE WORLD YOU GO, YOU WILL MEET A KERALITE. AND NOT ALL OF THEM WILL BE IN WHITE-COLLAR JOBS. BECAUSE, NOT ONLY ARE THEY ONE OF THE MOST DEDICATED HARD WORKERS, BUT THEY HAVE NO QUALMS IN DOING BLUE-COLLAR JOBS, IF THEY GET PAID VERY WELL LIKE IN THE RICHER NATIONS. NOW, KERALA IS JOINING HANDS WITH SINGAPORE TO PREPARE KERALA YOUTH FOR NEXT GENERATION OF INTERNATIONAL BLUE-COLLAR JOBS. he developed world has a problem. It lacks blue-collar workers, big time. The developing world has another problem. It has huge unemployment. If both these requirements can be matched, both the worlds would have their solution. Kerala has huge potential in this regard, as Keralites have no qualms working anywhere in the world, be it Middle East, Americas, Australia, Japan or even Africa. But it would require upgrading the skills of aspiring Keralite workers. This is one of the prime objectives behind the state-owned Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE). Blue-collar job skills that KASE is targeting to upgrade include those of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, traditional craftsmen, refrigeration and airconditioning mechanics, those SEASONAL MAGAZINE

involved in wall and floor tiling, bakery and restaurant services, florists etc. To elevate their skills to global standards, KASE promotes, establishes, sets up, monitors, governs and regulates institutions and academies. Towards this KASE has started to tap into the industrial training institutes - 91 in the government sector and 450 in the private sector - where more than 60,000 youth who have completed school education join annually. KASE had been to to Singapore, which currently is the world leader in training students in these trades. Soon KASE is all set to enter into an agreement with the Singapore government which will be its knowledge partner to turn Kerala ITIs into state-of-the-art institutes. For this, the state government has worked out a budget of Rs 800 crore, of which, in the first phase, Rs 228 crore would be allocated. As part of its strategy,

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Tom Jose, IAS

Sriram Venkitaraman, IAS

KASE has also, in the past few months, been conducting zonal and district-level competitions aimed at identifying and training the youth to participate and win medals at the World Skills Competition that is scheduled to be held in the city of Kazan in south-western Russia in 2019. The response has been huge with over 7500 participants turning up across 20 trades, all under 21 years of age. Forty toppers will be selected from them for the nationals, and the final winners at the national level will be taken to Russia to participate in the prestigious three-day event. The man who is heading the show at KASE is its Director Sriram Venkitaraman, a young doctor-turned-bureaucrat who has travelled across the globe to understand the differing requirements of blue-collar workers there and how Keralite workers could fill those positions. However, another core aim of KASE is to change the perception about blue-collar jobs in Kerala itself, as increasingly Keralites are shying away from these jobs inside the state, and all these jobs are going to workers from other states. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

KERALA HAS NO PARALLELS IN PANCHAYATI RAJ INDIA RECENTLY PASSED A MILESTONE WHEN IT COMPLETED 25 YEARS OF DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER, OR PANCHAYATI RAJ. HOWEVER, THE EVENT WAS NOT EVEN COMMEMORATED MUCH ANYWHERE IN INDIA, EXCEPT KERALA, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CLEAR LEADER IN DEVOLVING POWER TO THE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES, AND THE CLEAR RESULTS OF THIS IN THE STATE’S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT INDEX IS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. hen it comes to the core social development index parameters like infant mortality, primary education and affordable healthcare, Kerala is way ahead of most states in India, which as a nation has always lagged behind the top 100 countries in Social Progress Index, and as the last one even in BRICS nations. Historically, different factors have played well in making this miracle happen for Kerala like benevolent kings, then benevolent governments, familiarity with standards in developed nations due to nonresident population etc. However, starting in 1993 and getting accelerated in 1996 with the People’s Plan Campaign, Kerala has rapidly outpaced all aspiring peers by embracing Panchayati Raj like no other state. It was in 1993 that the Narasimha Rao Government implemented former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dream of decentralization or Panchayati Raj as a mechanism to ensure that the fruits of development reaches the grassroots without graft, red tape and nepotism. However, in the greater din of the economic liberalization program of the same government that happened simultaneously, Panchayati Raj didn’t get much mindshare or acceleration in many states. But within just three years of its introduction by Centre, that is in 1996,

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Kerala launched the People’s Plan Campaign that continues to be the benchmark in the whole of India for how to implement Panchayati Raj. A new LDF Government under EK Nayanar had come to power and it took a bold decision to devolve 35% of the state development budget down from a centralized bureaucracy to local governments where local people could determine and implement their own development priorities under the People’s K T Jaleel

Plan Campaign (PPC) or ‘Janakeeya Aasoothranam’ in Malayalam. While the movement brought about lasting changes in rural development, not all of its objectives could be met due to the new triple-level panchayats lacking the administrative acumen to handle the new huge responsibilities. However, there were some remarkable achievements from PPC like the Kudumbashree movement that has won not only national but international accolades. Created as part of the Women Component Mission of PPC

under the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM), Kudumbashree (meaning, prosperity of the family) rapidly grew into the largest and most successful Women Neighbourhood Groups network in India. Now under the current LDF Government led by Pinarayi Vijayan, the PPC model is making a comeback with definitive programs like mechanisms for tracking the 14 district plans, which are already making a difference at the grassroots level. Fortunately for Kerala, one of the chief architects of PPC, TM Thomas Issac is now at a bigger role as the state’s Finance Minister. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

KSEBL’S ELECTRIFYING ENTRY INTO THE TOURISM CIRCUIT KERALA TOURISM DEPARTMENT AND ITS COMPANIES HAVE BEEN FLYING HIGH SINCE THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES. NOW, ANOTHER STATE OWNED COMPANY THAT MANY OF US THOUGHT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TOURISM IS FLEXING ITS HIDDEN MUSCLES. KERALA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD LTD (KSEBL) WHICH MANAGES A WHOPPING 58 LOVELY DAMS ACROSS ITS 33 HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECTS IS THIS COMPANY WHOSE TOURISM INITIATIVES IS THROUGH THE SUBSIDIARY KERALA HYDEL TOURISM CENTRE (KHTC). erala’s tryst with hydro electric power goes a long way back. Longer than India’s Independence, when Kings ruled erstwhile Travancore state under British Raj. It was in 1933, six years before World War II began, that the princely state’s Electricity Department was formed with an eye on tapping the potential of its rivers for electricity generation. The first planned project was at Pallivasal in Idukki district. Its first phase of 13.5 MW capacity was inaugurated by Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyer, Dewan of Travancore, in 1940, when WWII was raging. With such pioneering resolve and no dearth for rivers, Kerala has not looked back in hydro electric power ever since. In the coming decades Kerala built major hydel stations one after the other at Sengulam, Neriamangalam, Panniar, Poringalkuthu, Sholayar, Sabarigiri, Kuttiyadi, Idukki and Lower Periyar. Among these, Idukki hydel project deserves a special mention as it

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

is one of the largest such projects in India as well as Asia with a capacity of 780 MW, and was built with Canadian assistance. The first phase was dedicated to the nation by then PM Indira Gandhi in 1976 and the second phase was completed in 1985-86 period. The project involved construction of three new dams - Cheruthoni Dam, Kulamavu Dam and Idukki Arch Dam, which was the first arch dam to be constructed in India. A double curvature parabolic arch dam, constructed across the river Periyar, Idukki Arch Dam is the second highest dam in India with a height of 168.91 meters, and length of the dam at top is 365.85 meters. Now, how about conducting a laser show about Kerala history on the surface of this massive arch dam for attracting tourists? This kind of larger-than-life initiatives are now being planned by KSEBL subsidiary Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC). The laser show together with

MM Mani

a new amphitheatre and aquarium will transform Idukki Hydel Project into a major new tourism destination and is estimated to cost Rs. 26 crore. KHTC is also planning a largescale tulip garden, spreading across an area of 40 acres, near the Kundala dam. A cruise service between Anchuruli and Kulamavu is another project that the company is working on. Apart from this, there are plans to construct amusement parks at seven hydel-power generating dams Banasura Sagar, Lower Meenmutti, Ponmudi, Kakkayam, Kundala, Anayirangal and Chengulam. Sparing none, all these dams are at picturesque forest locations of Kerala. And with multiple dams across major rivers like Periyar, Pamba, Kuttiyadi, Mudirappuzha, & Chalakudy, sky is the limit for KSEBL and KHTC. At present, KSEBL has 58 dams

under it, and KHTC has already started tourism projects at 21 of these dams through joint ventures like Cowboy Park near Mattupetty dam in Munnar. For a company that started in 1999 with a modest ambition of providing boating services for tourists in various dams, KHTC has come a long way and is obviously planning for much higher objectives. Even its boating services have clicked like anything, with its boating centre at Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad attracting around 9 lakh visitors last year. The leadership of KHTC is in safe hands, under the young hands of its director KJ Jose and the visionary patronage of Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electricity Minister, MM Mani who hails from high range region where many of these hydel projects are situated. KHTC, which earned an income of Rs 15 crore in 2017-18, is proving to be a model for other states to emulate.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENT’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

KERALA'S PLAN TO REVIVE IT’S PLANTATION SECTOR ONCE UPON A TIME TRADE UNIONISM WAS THE BANE OF THE PLANTATION SECTOR IN KERALA. BUT POST THE MASSIVE DOWNFALL IN FORTUNES IN THE SECTOR SINCE 2012, RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LABOURERS AND MANAGEMENTS HAVE TURNED TO VERY CORDIAL, AND THE GOVERNMENT TOO HAS BEEN TRYING VARIOUS INITIATIVES TO REVIVE THE FLAGGING FORTUNES AS A TURNAROUND IN THE SECTOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REALLY TURNAROUND KERALA’S ECONOMY ITSELF. r. MS Swaminathan, the renowned agriculture scientist one remarked that Kerala is the plantation state of India. The renowned geneticist and Father of India’s Green Revolution, hailed from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and had taken his bachelor degree in Kerala, to miss this natural strength of the state. Even today, nearly 45% of the plantation crops cultivated in the country is from Kerala. Dominating the show in Kerala are core plantation crops like tea, coffee, cardamom, rubber and cocoa. The plantation industry in the State contributes to nearly 33% of agriculture gross state domestic product of Kerala, thereby mattering to the state exchequer much. The plantation sector

Even today, nearly 45% of the plantation crops cultivated in the country is from Kerala.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

employs around 3.5 lakh workers directly and around a million, counting indirect workers too. But during the past six years the plantation sector in Kerala has been reeling under multiple challenges. While falling agricultural commodity prices and rising labour affected the sector, greater was the impact from programs like Make in India. In order to increase manufacturing, the Union Government executed various trade agreements to bring in cheap raw materials like rubber and food items such as tea and pepper into the country. Also, the watch against dumping of such goods into the Indian market suffered, as often import duties were introduced much late, due to the new bias against removing anything that hinders manufacturing. Due to such factors,

during the past six years, the turnover of the plantation sector has plummeted from Rs. 21,000 crores in 2012-13 to Rs. 9000 crores in 2016-17. A revival in the sector would have positive chain reaction across the Kerala economy, and this fact is not lost on the current Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF Government, in which the agriculture ministry is led by youthful and firebrand CPI leader VS Sunil Kumar. There are several avenues before the government to revive the sector which has been put forth by the plantation sector. Under the leadership of Minister Sunil Kumar the government has already proved that it is not standing for militant trade unionism but a participative and rational approach where all the stakeholders understand the importance of collective existence. The government agrees that for the plantation industry in Kerala to thrive, all out efforts are required from all the stakeholders to increase the returns from unit area of plantations considerably. These stakeholders include growers, employees, trade unions, traders, researchers, government agencies etc. Strategies that have come up for increasing revenue and

employment opportunities from unit area include inter-cropping, integrated farming activities, harnessing of non-renewable energy sources, fruit processing, value added products etc. The sector also feels that ancient laws governing the sector promulgated in 19th and 20th centuries should be updated to reflect new realities and ensure a pragmatic approach in this pivotal sector for Kerala. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON KERALA GOVERNMENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

KERALA REMAINS LEADER IN LABOUR WELFARE

WHEN IT COMES TO WAGES FOR WORKERS, THERE IS NO STATE IN INDIA LIKE KERALA. OVER THE PAST DECADE, THIS HAS RESULTED IN A MASSIVE FLOW OF WORKERS FROM ALMOST ALL STATES OF INDIA TO THIS TINY STATE BY LAND AREA. KERALA HAS DONE IT AGAIN NOW, THIS TIME BY SETTLING THE LONG-PENDING ISSUE OF WAGE HIKES FOR ITS PRIVATE NURSING STAFF. Kerala was already a leader in nursing wages, when it came to nurses employed with government hospitals. But nurses in the private hospitals were suffering from much lower salaries, even though it was higher than in many states. Kerala has more than 450 private hospitals having more than 50 beds. Higher wage consciousness is strong in Kerala, and the LDF government too was agreeable to a serious wage revision for not only nurses but other hospital staff like lab technicians, pharmacists, attenders etc. The new government notification states that the minimum wage for nurses and lab technicians is Rs 20,000 and that for other staff including hospital attenders is Rs 16,000.The pay revision has been implemented by dividing the hospitals into six categories based on bed strength. The nursing staff, based on the hospital bed strength, will get an additional allowance of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, as per the notification. The hospital staff, barring doctors, will also be eligible for annual increment, service weightage and DA.Once the pay hike is implemented staff nurses will see a hike between 56% to 86 per%, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery category will get a hike of 50% to 99% hike and those who are in the nurses manager category will get 68% to 102% hike. The general category staff will get a

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

T P Ramakrishnan

K. K. Shailaja

pay hike from 35% to 69% and lab technicians and pharmacists will get hike of 39% to 66%.The last pay hike was implemented on January 1, 2013. Then, the hike implemented was between 20% to 30%. The new pay revision is retrospective from October 1, 2017. While the move came after a SC directive and symbolic protest from nurses trade unions, the fact that such protests are possible and well heard in this state deserves commendation, and is a model for all other states in India.

MANAV RACHNA INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH AND STUDIES

MANAV RACHNA ACHIEVES INTERNATIONAL STATURE Faridabad based Manav Rachna, which has been a leader in international industrial & academic tie-ups, has achieved a major global milestone when it became one of the only eight Indian universities to be handpicked for adopting the global admission benchmark of Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) founded in United States in 1926 as one of the admission criteria. Manav Rachna is also breaking new ground in world-class start-up incubation and industry-led curriculum design.

AT has been around for nearly a century now, and it has only grown in approval among universities and students. Originally called Scholastic Aptitude Test, then Scholastic Assessment Test and now simply SAT, it is the most widely used standardized test for college admissions, originally in the United States. However, its scientific and academic rigour has helped it to grow in worldwide acceptance with many developed countries, if not the most of them, accepting SAT as a valid admission criterion.

SAT is owned, developed, and published by the College Board, a private, non-profit organization in the United States, and is administered on behalf of the College Board by the Educational Testing Service. While many Indian students appear for SAT every year for admission to US and other global universities, it is the first time that the College Board is officially bringing SAT to India as an admission criterion for Indian universities. In this first round, only eight universities have been handpicked by the College Board for adopting SAT for their admissions. They include Manav Rachna International Institute of

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Dr. Prashant Bhalla, President MREI SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Research and Studies, Ashoka University, Azim Premji University, Ahmedabad University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, NMIMS University, BML Munjal University and Flame University. What this means is that these Indian universities are now rubbing shoulders with other affiliate members of the College Board in USA and elsewhere like the prestigious Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGill University, Pomona College, Purdue University, University of Cambridge, and University of Hong Kong. Indian universities including Manav Rachna in this program are set to start admitting students to undergraduate courses through SAT scores from the next academic session. However, the usual process of entrance in these universities will go on too. Students who have taken SAT will be admitted through a common process and will not need to take individual tests for these universities. SAT is intended to assess students' readiness for college. While SAT was originally designed to not be aligned with high school (plus-two in India) curricula,

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

several adjustments were made since 2016 for the test to reflect more closely what students learned in plustwo, which will be advantageous for Indian students. The new initiative is advantageous for universities like Manav Rachna for another reason too. The College Board is also giving scholarships to Indian students who are financially not well off. Thus, through this alliance, the College Board is enabling these universities to focus more on tier-three cities. This new scholarship initiative has been named the India Scholars Programme, under which high achieving, low income students in India will be eligible to take the SAT at reduced costs as well as obtain full scholarships to India Global Alliance member universities. The scholarship program is co-funded by the College Board and the Indian Alliance members. As part of its world-class initiatives, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIS) is also focusing more on Liberal Arts courses. Three-year full-time BA & BSc programs in Liberal Arts are offered for the session 2018-22. BA/BSc Liberal Arts is a full-

time undergraduate program designed to empower students for dealing with complexity and diversity in a rapidly changing society. Liberal Arts program covers a range of subjects from which students have to opt papers of foundation course, minor course and major course. Students are required to take foundation papers covering both compulsory and optional categories. They would also pursue their diverse academic interest by opting different subjects as major and/or minor courses. A student cannot choose major and minor from the same subject pool, thus ensuring broad studies of diverse subjects. Ever heard of a university making a tie-up with the startup by two of its current students? That is what happened when Manav Rachna signed an MoU with Workolab to create a research hub in Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Faridabad campus. The co-founders of Workolab are Delhi-based brothers Yashraj Bhardwaj and Yuvraj Bhardwaj, brilliant innovators, researchers and emerging entrepreneurs who have launched this co-working space and research facility, WorkoLab, to help other innovators. All of 18 years old, they are also pursuing engineering degrees from Manav Rachna currently! While Workospace is already hosting over 25 cutting-

Dr N.C. Wadhwa, IAS (Retd), Vice Chancellor edge startups in their two facilities, the MoU with Manav Rachna for a campus research hub will help students in utilizing a good startup and innovation ecosystem and promoting the concept of doing research without degree, for highly focused innovators. Manav Rachna has also joined hands with Xebia to offer new-age courses. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed for this between Manav Rachna University (MRU) and this Dutch specialised global IT Consultancy and Services Company. Under this collaboration, Manav

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Rachna will offer two new-age digital programmes - BTech in Computer Science & Engineering with specialisation in Data Science & Machine Learning and BTech in Computer Science & Engineering with specialisation in Digital Transfor mation Engineering. Xebia will support the university in curriculum design, provide internships and placements for students. The programme on Data Science & Machine Learning will focus on enhancing Mathematical Foundations, Statistical Foundations, Machine Learning, and Applied Artificial Intelligence. Faridabad based Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (formerly called Manav Rachna International University), had long back ago discovered that an institution's excellence is primarily tied up with the kind of environmental interactions it has with the society, industry and academic world it is living in. In fact, few private universities in India can ever hope of doing a better job in creating and using such tie-ups for the benefit of their students than Manav Rachna. MRIIRS has academic tie-ups with 47+ foreign universities including University of West of England, The Association of International Accountants, Royal Agricultural

In this first round, only eight universities have been handpicked by the US-based College Board for adopting SAT for their admissions. This list include Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies. University, The University of North America, Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS), Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Algonquin College, University of Nottingham, and many more across USA, UK, South America, Finland, Far East, Canada, and other Asian Countries.Often its courses are designed in active consultation and collaboration with some select universities from this pool. The kind of industrial tie-ups Manav Rachna has forged with industry majors include both Indian and MNC corporations like IBM, SAP, TCS, Infosys, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric India, KPMG, Fortis, Honda, JBM Auto, Su-Kam, and many more similar

as well as niche companies in diverse sectors. Industry relevant course modules for BTech and MBA are not only designed with these partners, but students are facilitated for regular interactions and more formal internships. MRIIRS is also a regular host for many prestigious scientific conferences in cutting-edge fields like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation, as well as for startup meets and competitions like the noted Startup Jalsa recently. No wonder then that some of the most innovative employers come searching for Manav Rachna students, including names like HCL Healthcare, Cygnus Hospitals, Hindustan Times, Sports Authority of India, Samsung, CNN IBN, GE Healthcare, Microsoft, 99acres.com, Infoedge, Zomato, KPMG, Fortis, HT Media, Airtel, Grofers, American Express, Blended HR, Naukri.com, Sukam and Wacom, to name a few. Manav Rachna International Institute

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

North Zone in “Best Universities Survey 2017” by The Week.

of Research and Studies (formerly called Manav Rachna International University) is keeping its competitors on their toes through some of their recent initiatives. • Manav Rachna has been honored with the “Best Education Brand 2017” by ‘THE ECONOMIC TIMES’. • MRIIRS declared as the “Best Knowledge Creation & Innovation University” at the ASSOCHAM National Education Excellence Awards 2018. • Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), MRIIRS is among the Top 5 Business Schools of North India and among the Top 5 Private Universities across the country. FMS is also among the Top 32 Business Schools of the country (closely behind IIMs) as per the Times B School Survey 2018. • FMS, MRIIRS ranked amongst Top 40 B-Schools of India by Business India B-School Survey 2017-18. • MRIIRS ranked among Top 30 in

• MRIIRS ranked amongst the Top 10 Promising Engineering colleges in India in the Best Universities Survey by India Today (2016-17) MRIIRS has a 5-star rating for teaching, facilities, social responsibility and inclusiveness in addition to a 4-star rating for employability. This global recognition has brought Manav Rachna at par with some of the best institutions across the globe.

This new scholarship initiative by the SAT body has been named the India Scholars Programme, under which high achieving, low income students in India will be eligible to take the SAT at reduced costs as well as obtain full scholarships to India Global Alliance member universities like Manav Rachna.

The areas of academic collaborations cover exchange of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members, joint research and consultancy activities, participation in seminars and academic meetings, exchange of academic materials and other information, special short-term academic programmes and projects, cooperation in curriculum development, collaboration in international seminars and conferences, and cooperation in quality assurance which can transform graduates into quintessential global professionals. The institute also reached an agreement with the Auckland Institute of Studies (AIS) for the promotion of IT courses. Under the agreement, assistance from AIS would involve processes and quality management system in the development and upgradation of the curriculum. Students studying these two courses will be able to use the Moodle system taught in New Zealand. Students studying these two courses in MRIIRS will have the unique opportunity to go through the Compilation Study Abroad Program in New Zealand's Auckland SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Institute of Studies during their third year. MRIIRS has collaborated with Jay Bharat Maruti Ltd. and JBM Auto Ltd. for its B.Tech Mechanical Engineering course and with Su-Kam for the B.Tech Electrical Engineering course that specializes in power electronics, to provide assured placement to students*. Further, in association with Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited (HMSI), MRIIRS also provides a platform to engineering students in the mechanical, automobile, electronics, and electrical branches to take up research projects in various emerging areas. In addition to this, IBM has tied up with MRIIRS to jointly offer B.Tech. - Computer Science & Engineering in different specializations including Cloud Computing, Business Analytics & Optimization, Cyber Security & Forensics, and Graphics & Gaming Technology. Other tie-ups include SAP SE, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), EdGate Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Career Launcher, Mitsubishi Electric India (MEI), Infosys and Sky Testers. The one-of-its-kind, an ‘Air Quality Monitoring Lab’, supported by DST, GoI has been established at Manav Rachna To compare the air quality of indoor and outdoor air environment and to provide a good learning research environment to students. A total of 17 equipments have been deployed in the Manav Rachna campus, out of which two are exclusively available at Manav Rachna Campus. The MBA programme is tailor-made to meet industry requirements. During the MBA programme, students are provided with regular industry exposure, along with mentoring by senior executives. The course itself offers dual specialization in nine areas, with industrial knowledge partners from organizations such as Fortis and KPMG, in which a student can opt for two specializations including Finance (in collaboration with KPMG), Marketing, Human Resource, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

While Workospace promoted by two Manav Rachna engineering students is already hosting over 25 cutting-edge startups in their two facilities, their MoU with Manav Rachna for a campus research hub will help students in utilizing a good startup and innovation ecosystem and promoting the concept of doing research without degree, for highly focused innovators. International Business, Information Technology, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Events & Media, and Business Analytics. 40 Hours Business Process Course of SAP is a part of the curriculum for MBA students, who have the option of being part of more than 12 successful entrepreneurial ventures as well as governmentsponsored research projects. In addition, the institution also boasts a Human lab, which includes a psychological testing centre and Assessment Centre and Development Centre (ACDC). Apart from its flagship courses, FMS also offers industrycentric specialized programmes, such as MBA in HealthCare and MBA in HRM - a two-year residential programme. FMS provides a hundred per cent assistance during internships and final placements for all students who register for the process. The Corporate

Resource Centre of MRIIRS assists recruiters in taking appropriate hiring decisions, while also supporting students in making strategic career choices. Every year, more than 100 companies visit the campus for placements. Some of these include 99acres.com, Infoedge, Zomato, KPMG, Fortis, HT Media, Airtel, Eli Research, Grofers, American Express, Blended HR, Naukri.com, Neoteric Business Solutions, Sukam, Wacom, to name a few. Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies hosted the Association of Indian Universities’ most coveted event “Anveshan-2018 North Zone Student Research Convention”. The platform provided a platform to emerging researchers from different universities and institutions, to express their ideas that can lead to innovative research initiatives.

The institute also plays host to one of the most anticipated conferences in the field of cyber-security. It’s a confluence of security thought leaders and rich content insights to emancipate the possibilities and opportunities of this cyber world. A Touring Exhibition “Deutschland’s Energiewende” (Energy Transition in Germany) was held at MRIIRS recently signifying the India-German ties and opportunities for the students in the field of energy. The exhibition highlighted the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy for the future.

As part of its world-class initiatives, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIS) is also focusing more on Liberal Arts courses. BA and BSc Liberal Arts programs are full-time undergraduate courses designed to empower students for dealing with complexity and diversity in a rapidly changing society.

With the latest talk of the town being in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, MRIIRS isn’t far behind. The institute organized a lecture on the aforementioned topics and was led by Himanshu Batra, Founder and CEO, Acadview Technologies Pvt. Ltd, who has 12+ years of the experience in the IT companies IBM and Google, Silicon Valley.

students to participate in international workshops and conferences. An example of this being B. Tech students presenting their work at the International Conference on New Frontiers in Engineering, Science & Technology (NFEST-2018) at Delhi Technological University recently.

The institute also encourages its

Startup Jalsa’, a platform which brings

together successful entrepreneurs with aspiring entrepreneurs – to help them get funding ready was organized at Chandigarh recently. A team of 30 members comprising 27 entrepreneurs and 3 facilitators from Manav Rachna NewGen IEDC presented their startups, business ideas and represented the E-Cell under the ‘Best E-Cell’ competition at this mega event. Out of over 100 startups that pitched to the jury, ‘Aarkaya Solar Solutions’ and ‘Parimukh’ from Manav Rachna secured place in top 10 and top 6 product stage startups category respectively. Seven Idea Stage startups comprising 11 aspiring entrepreneurs from Manav Rachna NewGen IEDC pitched their business ideas (plans) to a panel of investors, mentors and entrepreneurs. A majority of upcoming startups from NewGen IEDC received an overwhelming response with a further call for meeting from various investors and mentors. Manav Rachna has been striving to, and succeeded in creating a global level institution against a traditional ethos. Strong academics, research, employability, skill development, value system, community connect and collaboration — everything has to go hand in hand. MRIIRS has achieved an amazing alchemy of such diverse influences and factors. With Start-ups being encouraged, MRIIRS is helping students to become job creators. Students are enabled to come up with a great idea and intellect to drive a start-up. *T&C Apply SEASONAL MAGAZINE

EMPLOYMENTS

EVEN AS NEW JOB REPORT IS PROMISING, GROUND SITUATION IS VASTLY DIFFERENT NO JOBS, NO VOTE, A RAJASTHAN TOWN HAS WARNED PM MODI AHEAD OF 2019 POLLS. MODI'S FAILURE TO CREATE TENS OF MILLIONS OF JOBS FOR THE COUNTRY'S YOUTH WOULD BE THE BIGGEST THREAT TO HIS BID FOR ANOTHER TERM. akesh Kumar has a postgraduate degree but works as a house painter in the small town of Kasba Bonli in northwestern India. The 31-year-old, the only one of eight siblings to attend university, said his attempts to get a salaried job had failed, and he blamed the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not creating employment opportunities as it had promised. "I voted for Modi last time," said Kumar, wearing a pink shirt and wrinkled, brown trousers that had droplets of paint on it. "He had promised jobs, and I was sure I would get something. I won't vote for him again." Modi's failure to create tens of millions of jobs for the country's youth - a promise which helped him secure the largest mandate in three decades in 2014 - would be the biggest threat to his bid for another term in a general election due by May, 2019, many political analysts say. That seems the case in Kasba Bonli, a market town in Rajasthan state on the edge of sprawling wheat fields, which voted overwhelmingly for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at assembly elections in 2013 and the general election in 2014. "My two sons are educated but unemployed," said Hanuman Prasad Meena, a farmers' leader in the town. "Many farmers voted in Modi's name earlier, but he has no support here now." When Reuters visited the town in late 2013, all the talk was about Modi and how his promised business-friendly SEASONAL MAGAZINE

reforms would boost growth and provide jobs. But it doesn't seem to have quite worked. The unemployment rate in India, nearly two-thirds of whose 1.3 billion people are under 35 years old, hit its highest level in 16 months in March at 6.23 percent, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), an independent think-tank. The difficulty in getting a reasonable job is so great that more than 25 million people applied for less than 90,000 positions recently advertised by the state-run railways. Ram Vilas Paswan, a minister in Modi's cabinet, said the jobs data was worrying and that the government was working to address it. He also deflected some of the blame onto provincial authorities. "People expect only Narendra Modi to give them jobs; they have forgotten that even state governments have some role to play in creating jobs," Paswan said in an interview. "Still, the central government is worried about it. In elections, even small issues can become a factor. The government is aware of it," he said. Nevertheless, Modi is still the most popular politician in the country and at the moment it seems unlikely that he will be dislodged. Nearly nine out of 10 Indians held a favourable opinion of Modi and more than two-thirds were RAM VILAS PASWAN, A MINISTER IN MODI'S CABINET, SAID THE JOBS DATA WAS WORRYING AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING TO ADDRESS IT.

satisfied with the direction he was taking the country, according to a Pew survey in November. The BJP or its partners rule 21 out of 29 states, up from just seven in 2014. The once-mighty Congress party is in opposition in New Delhi and controls only three states. Before the Modi wave, handouts for farmers by Congress helped turn once-

deprived Kasba Bonli into a thriving retail centre, with shops there selling everything from glittery bangles to satellite dishes. But as some farmers prospered, they wanted their children to move away from agriculture. Modi's election pledge to create around 20 million jobs annually appealed to them, helping send a BJP lawmaker from the area to the Rajasthan assembly for only the second time since 1991. But Congress could now make a comeback, townspeople said. Sachin Pilot, a former central minister and the chief of the Congress party in Rajasthan, said BJP erred by raising expectations "even when they knew certain things were not possible". He added his party won't make "false promises" but would develop the "best

possible opportunity to create jobs". Hanumat Dixit, a local BJP leader in Rajasthan, acknowledged the party could suffer in the coming election because of the lack of jobs, but added Modi needed more time to deliver on his promises. Modi's government has quoted an independent study to say that around 7 million formal jobs were created in the fiscal year to March 31. That compares with an accumulated shortage of around 80 million jobs, according to CMIE, on top of near one million youth entering the market every month. "This is a macroeconomic problem, the economy needs to revive," CMIE Chief Executive Mahesh Vyas said. "What the government can do is may be expand fiscally and create

conditions for the private sector to invest aggressively so that employment is generated." He said the bigger issue was that a lot of young people stopped looking for jobs after Modi's shock move to ban high-value currency notes in late 2016 badly hurt India's cash-heavy economy. The move, widely known as demonetisation, also disrupted agricultural activity. The economy, which has also suffered from the bumpy roll-out of a unified tax, recovered in the OctoberDecember quarter to grow at 7.2 percent, still below the peak of more than 9 percent clocked between 2005 and 2008. Vyas said labour participation - the number of people either employed or actively looking for work - fell to 4142 percent of the labour pool after demonetisation from around 47 percent before. "This is very, very stressful in the sense that people stopped getting jobs and looking for jobs," Vyas said. "They will get anxious, they will get angry. The first thing they will do is they will demand jobs from the political system." Over the past three years, India has been hit by several protests by caste groups demanding that jobs be reserved for them (Read http://reut.rs/ 1K1lG8R). Back in Kasba Bonli, groups of young men loiter around the market during the day or sit on parked motorcycles. Still, there was no unrest or spike in crime, two local police officials said.

"People expect only Narendra Modi to give them jobs; they have forgotten that even state governments have some role to play in creating jobs,"

Bablu Saini, 21, recently set up a teastall outside his father's mobile phonerepair shop. He has not studied beyond high school and stopped looking for jobs after a few attempts. "I have many friends who have returned from the cities jobless," said Saini, in between serving tea to customers. "There are no vacancies anywhere. No point waiting for jobs."

(Credit: Reuters) SEASONAL MAGAZINE

luxury

WONDER WINGS ON YOUR WRIST aquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater watch is a feat of mechanical artistry, with 7 animations that include a hummingbird fluttering its wings, a peacock unfurling its tail, dragonflies with wings glowing in the dark, and more

LOUIS VUITTON ANNOUNCES VIRGIL ABLOH AS ITS NEW MEN'S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR rench luxury brand Louis Vuitton has welcomed the Illinois-born and bred Virgil Abloh as its new Men's Artistic Director. His first show for Louis Vuitton will take place in June during Men's Fashion Week in Paris.

"Having followed with great interest Virgil's ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future," said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman & CEO. Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White c/o Virgil

Abloh was started in 2012 as an artwork titled "PYREX VISION." In 2013, the brand premiered a seasonal men's and women's fashion label showing runway collections during Paris Fashion Week since 2015. Abloh has also presented his work at major design institutions around the globe by the likes of Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2019 he will have a major exhibition of past and current work at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Illinois. He has been awarded various prizes, most recently winning the British Fashion Awards Urban Luxe award and International Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2017.

We’re addicted to marvels of beauty and feats of engineering showcased in exquisite timepieces, and this spellbinding watch that brings alive a tropical paradise in the tiny space of your wrist has to be seen to be believed. Swiss luxury watch brand Jaquet Droz is celebrating the magnificence of nature with Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater watch, pushing the boundaries further in the “art of astonishment.” This captivating work of mechanical artistry draws inspiration from the Enlightenment-era passion for nature and animals of brand founder and namesake Pierre Jaquet-Droz. Automatons, along with the Ateliers d’Art, represent two of the eight codes of the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture, handdecorated by engravers and miniaturist painters.

SPECTACULAR JEWELS ON DISPLAY AT TEFAF

he European Art Fair’s New York edition was launched last year itself, and while it displayed everything from Old Master painings to 20th century furnishings, perhaps the most dazzling part of the display were the exceptional pieces of high jewelry

The European Art Fair’s New York edition, launched last year, showcased some rare and exceptional high jewelry pieces from various contemporary designers this year. Founded in 1988, the European Fine Art Fair or TEFAF is held in Maastricht in the Netherlands every year and is widely regarded as the premiere showcase for the richest and the best that the worlds of art and design have to offer. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

luxury ROGER DUBUIS LAUNCHES VELVET COLLECTION FOR WOMEN atchmaker Roger Dubuis has hit the runway with a Haute Couture watch trilogy, called the Velvet collection. Three new Velvet Caviar models, a tribute to the modern femininity, have been crafted by the Manufacture.

Mechanically powered like all Roger Dubuisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feminine models, Velvet Caviar models too dance to the beat of an automatic RD830 calibre. Coupled with the collectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature diamond-studded white or pink gold cases, Velvet Caviar offers an attractive choice of straps and dials. Graced with striking colour contrasts, shimmering mother-of- pearl or darkly sophisticated black lacquer, the distinctive faces of these stunning models feature feminine flourishes reflecting a rich and varied character.

LOUIS VUITTON PRESENTS WOMEN'S FALL WINTER 2018 COLLECTION uxury brand Louis Vuitton recently closed Paris Fashion Week with a Fall/ Winter 2018-2019 ready-towear collection presented at the Lefuel courtyard at the Louvre. Built between 1854 and 1857 by architect Hector Lefuel during the restoration process of the new Louvre Napoleon III (inaugurated on August 14th, 1857), this inside courtyard within the museum is nonaccessible to visitors. Originally used for horses to access to the riding manege, the museum plans to restore it. Sculptures of wolves, dogs and wild boars in bronze, created by sculptor Pierre-Louis Rouillard in 1857-1858, adorned the ramps and the drinking trough. The collection itself is sober, elegant with contemporary styling. Layering and fringe gave a twist to suits and skirts.

LUXURY LIGHTING BRAND SANS SOUCI LAUNCHES CRYSTAL WALL NUGGETS zech brand Sans Souci, which creates innovative and exclusive light fixtures and luxury interior decoration features, has launched its new collection of wall nuggets. All about eccentricity, intricacy and technology, it is crafted with hand blown crystal glass components, where each piece is individually shaped and finished with nano-coating. Combining hand blown crystal glass and nano-coating technology, these nuggets can be used in a variety of numbers and formations to suit any kind of interior. They can be fixed into the wall or suspended from the ceiling.

The sparkling straps are made of miniscule black or white crystal marbles inspired by the finest caviar. In addition to its appealing sparkling effect, this unique and innovative material picks up the light in an inimitably elegant, utterly sophisticated manner.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

GADGETS

The Battle of the Affordable Notch Phones Oppo F7 vs Vivo V9 and 6GB versions of the phone, both IF YOU WERE PLANNING ON GETTING A NEW ANDROID PHONE IN 2018, THEN BE PREPARED TO EMBRACE THE ‘NOTCH’. IN THE QUEST FOR USING UP MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF SCREEN SPACE, ANDROID MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEGUN IMPLEMENTING VARIATIONS OF APPLE’S DISPLAY CUT-OUT OF THE IPHONE X (REVIEW). THIS DOESN’T SEEM TO BE JUST A PASSING FAD EITHER AS THE NEXT VERSION OF ANDROID P WILL HAVE NATIVE SUPPORT FOR DIFFERENT DISPLAY CUT-OUT STYLES. he Vivo V9 is the first Android phone to launch in India with the notch and hot on its heels, Oppo has announced the notch-bearing F7 in India at a starting price of Rs. 21,990. This phone will soon replace the current Oppo F5 (Review) and like all F series smartphones, the primary focus here is the selfie camera. But more than just bump up the resolution, which is now a massive 25megapixels, the F7 boasts of real-time HDR capability, the second generation of AI Beauty and of course, AR stickers. We spent some time the new phone at Oppo’s launch event in Mumbai, and here’s our initial impressions of the new mid ranger. The Oppo F7 is available in a bright shade of red called Solar Red and a more sober version, called Moonlight Silver, if you opt for the version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Both colour versions have an acrylic back panel and not glass. The rest of the body is made up of plastic, which too, has a high gloss finish. The acrylic back does seem to be susceptible to dings and scratches though as we easily managed to create minor abrasions with the tip of a SIM ejector tool. This means leaving it in a bag with any sharp items could cause some unwanted damage, especially if you’re not using a case. The phone feels very light however and the display has a distinct black border above the main chassis, which separates it from the rest of the body. The 6.23-inch display adheres to the 19:9 aspect ratio and boasts of a FullHD+ resolution. There’s a screen guard

that comes pre-installed on the phone too. Brightness levels seem adequate and viewing angles are not too bad either, although we’re yet to see how it fares under direct sunlight. There’s no notification LED here as most of the upper bezel has been taken over by the display, leaving just a small rectangular cut out for the front camera and the earpiece. Button placement seems good but we’re a little disappointed to still see a Micro-USB port. Considering the price of the phone, we don't se any reason why this wasn't included. We only have a single camera at the back, which is interesting considering nearly everyone is going for a dual camera setup these days. Despite that, the phone still boasts of a ‘Portrait’ mode for the front and rear cameras. The F7 uses a MediaTek Helio P60 octa-core SoC, along with a combination of either 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The latter edition is only available in the Solar Red colour trim, while the Diamond Black option will be available in both 4GB and 6GB RAM variants. The Diamond Black version uses the acrylic to refract light, thus creating a diamondcut like effect. It’s a neat trick and will certainly grab a lot of attention. This reminds us of the design HTC tried way back when, with the HTC Diamond, only that had an actual 3D contoured surface. During our short time with both the 4GB

versions felt equally speedy. ColourOS 5.0 is based on Android 8.1 Oreo, which is nice to see, although we can’t say we’re big fans of the look and feel of the app icons. The notifications along with the toggle switches can be accessed with a swipe from the top of the display and screen recording is now baked into the OS. When you’re playing a game or watching a video in landscape mode, you can simply swipe in from on of the left of the display to access shortcuts for taking a screenshot, start screen recording or mute notifications. The main focus however, continues to be the front camera and Oppo says, there’s a lot of artificial intelligence (AI) woven into the new camera app. The real-time HDR features seems to work fairly quickly as there wasn’t a lot of delay from the time we hit the shutter button to when the picture was actually saved. The new AI Beauty 2.0 is said to scan 296 facial recognition points and now extends to your neck and shoulders too, in order to get a more realistic post-processed image. These are big claims from Oppo so we’ll leave our judgment to after we’ve spent enough time testing the F7. As usual, the rear camera gets fewer megapixels compared to the front but it does have a wider aperture of f/1.8, so it might do well in low light scenarios. We’ve only spent a little time with the F7 but so far, it seems like an aggressive push from Oppo considering they’ve managed to undercut the Vivo V9 by a thousand Rupees. Out of the three colours, the silver and the black are the ones we like as the red is just a little too in-your-face for our taste. We’re only just getting started with Android notches and these rectangular cut-outs are only a few of the designs that we've seen so far. Oppo themselves have secured patents for different types of notches like an inverted ellipse and an inverted triangle, so we could expect future Oppo phones to bear some of those styles too. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

luxury EMERALDS AND DIAMONDS HEADLINE BONHAMS' LONDON FINE JEWELLERY SALE OF 2018 Auction house Bonhams is spreading some of the most exquisite jewels for its London Fine Jewellery auction, including three pieces from Hennell. Hennell, which shuttered down in 2001, was one of Britain’s oldest and most venerated jewelers. Their clients included members of the British aristocracy and landed gentry, Indian maharajas, American billionaires and European royalty. The first of the three pieces that will go to auction is an Emerald and Diamond Pendant/ Necklace by Hennell, dating from the first quarter of the 20th century, estimated at £150,000 - 200,000. Two magnificent Colombian emeralds feature in this piece: the first a doublesided cabochon emerald crescent, weighing 12.13 carats, and the second a pear-shaped emerald drop, weighing 6.23 carats. Accompanying the emeralds are a marquise-cut diamond, weighing 2.47 carats, E colour, VS2 clarity and classified as Type IIa, graduating old brilliant-cut diamonds and two smaller marquise-cut diamonds (total diamond weight 15.95 carats).

ROLLS-ROYCE LAUNCHES THE NEW BESPOKE 'WRAITH LUMINARY COLLECTION' Automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Wraith Luminary Collection, which will offer only 55 of these spectacular pieces, joining the exclusive ranks of collectible masterpieces, envisioned by the RollsRoyce Bespoke design team and collected by patrons of true luxury across the globe. The heady shade of the golden hour’s sunrays inspire this newly developed exterior paint, Sunburst Grey. One is met by a flat grey that enlivens when awoken by the sun, rich copper tones, emitting a deep emotive warmth. Further intrigue is added by a handpainted Sunburst Motif coachline, hand-painted Wake Channel Lines on Wraith’s bonnet and pinstripes applied to the wheel centres, each in Saddlery Tan, bearing reference to the colourway of the interior leather. The Collection’s defining feature, Tudor Oak wood, sourced from the

forests of the Czech Republic, selected for its depth of colour and the density of the grain structure, is for the first time, illuminated. The light of 176 LEDs permeates through an intricately perforated design in the unique Tudor Oak veneer, allowing a mesmerising pattern, reminiscent of the trailing light of a shooting star, to luminesce at the touch of a button. The prized Rolls-Royce starlight headliner, a handwoven configu ration of 1340 fibre optic lights which act as a glittering night sky, takes a bold new step as it incorporates shooting stars into the constellation; a playful display of light that creates wonderment and awe for the car’s passengers. Taking nearly 20 hours to configure, eight shooting stars fire at random, predominantly over the front seats, in recognition of Wraith’s ownerdriver appeal.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL UNIFIES LOYALTY PROGRAMS WITH ONE SET OF BENEFITS Marriott International has announced that it will introduce one set of unified benefits across Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) for its members in August 2018. This will create a hospitality loyalty program in which members will earn more points faster than under the prior programs - on average 20% more points for every dollar spent. Members will, thus, have access to book stays and earn or redeem points among 29 participating global brands comprising 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and territories. Additionally, the Moments experiential platform is expanding, with more than 110,000 experiences in 1,000 destinations including once-in-alifetime events only available to members using points, including the new bespoke Moments Live event series. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

BRAEAKTHROUGH

AS OLD GERM KILLERS FAIL, SCIENTISTS DEVELOP NEW ANTIBIOTICS A NEW CLASS OF ANTIBIOTICS, FROM AN UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCE WHICH HAS A DISTINCT WAY OF KILLING BACTERIA, HAS BEEN DISCOVERED WHICH MAY HELP COMBAT DRUG-RESISTANT OR HARD-TOTREAT BACTERIAL INFECTIONS, ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS. ccording to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic resistant is one of the biggest threats to global health today and a significant contributor to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. The antibiotic called odilorhabdins, or ODLs, are produced by symbiotic bacteria found in soil-dwelling nematode worms that colonise insects for food. The bacteria help to kill the insect and, importantly, secretes the antibiotic to keep competing bacteria away, said researchers from the University of

Illinois (UIC) at Chicago and Nosopharm, a France-based biotechnology company. To identify the antibiotic, the team screened 80 cultured strains of the bacteria for antimicrobial activity. They found that ODLs act on the ribosome - the molecular machine of individual cells that makes the proteins it needs to function - of bacterial cells. "Like many clinically useful antibiotics, ODLs work by targeting the ribosome," said Yury Polikanov, Assistant Professor at the UIC. "But ODLs are unique because they bind to a place on the ribosome that has never been used by other known

antibiotics," Polikanov added. Further, the team found that when bound to the ribosome, the new antibiotic disrupts its ability to interpret and translate genetic code. "When ODLs are introduced to the bacterial cells, they impact the reading ability of the ribosome and cause the ribosome to make mistakes when it creates new proteins," said Alexander Mankin, Professor at the University. "The bactericidal mechanism of ODLs and the fact that they bind to a site on the ribosome, not exploited by any known antibiotic, are very strong indicators that ODLs have the potential to treat infections that are unresponsive to other antibiotics," Mankin noted.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

BASKETBALL

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

By Pete Jaison

NBA 2017-18:

THE MVP CANDIDATES Seasonal Magazine analyses the top 6 Most Valuable Player candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; regular season performances this year and their run to the playoffs

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

JAMES HARDEN (HOUSTON ROCKETS): This season’s front runner for the Most Valuable Player award needs no introduction. Harden, a.k.a The Beard has taken the league by storm! Averaging 30.4 points per game along with 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds, Houston’s star shooting guard along with the rest of the Rockets, are destroying teams in the NBA. While they (obviously) boast of the best overall win-loss ratio in the league, the most eyewidening aspect of Rocket’s season is that they are almost undefeated when their big 3 of Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capella are healthy! Two losses they suffered were to the resurgent Pelicans, and to the Raptors (No.1 seed in the East), and that too in the last possessions of both games! Although the loss in Toronto ended Houston’s 17-game SEASONAL MAGAZINE

winning streak, it showed that the Rockets will be extremely hard to contain over a 7game playoff series. Houston has already beaten the defending champion – The Golden State Warriors, not once but twice this season, so why wouldn’t they bet their chances at this potential Western conference final match-up? While an MVP trophy will certainly be an improvement over Harden’s past few trophy less NBA seasons, he would be eyeing for the bigger price – a maiden NBA ring. After all, what is a No. 1 seed without a ring? “We haven’t done anything. “We don’t have time to relax. The No. 1 seed is cool and all, but we’ve got bigger things to worry about. We don’t have time to relax or take deep breaths.”, said Harden.

LEBRON JAMES (CLEVELAND CAVALIERS): In his 15th year in the league, King James is putting up numbers that is beyond astounding. 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6rebounds, for a 33 year old veteran in the league, is unheard of. But when doesn’t Lebron leave us mind-boggled? His extraordinary contribution to the game is just another ordinary day for the number 23. A former 4time NBA Most Valuable Player winner, Lebron may be nearing the end of his career, but like wine, he is getting better with age. However, the same cannot be said of his wine and gold franchise – The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have had multiple team makeover sessions this season, yet they still don’t look close to being a championship calibre team. The exit of Kyrie Irving hurt them more than they would like to admit, Kevin Love is as injury prone as ever, Isaiah Thomas looked like a square peg thrust in a round hole and they were better off with fielding coach Ty

Lue than D-Rose. Even though the Cavs look much better after the recent youth infused makeover, there is still work left to be done in the land. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that a Lebron-led team will always be the favourite to make it to the finals. ALWAYS! Lebron’s dominance over the East (7 finals in the last 7 years) has been such, that it is really quite hard to look beyond Cleveland this season as well. The MVP-esque numbers themselves that he is putting up whilst the squad is undergoing surgical changes, should tell you something about the man. Although this year clearly poses a much sterner test to the ones he is used to, if Lebron continues to play at this MVP level, there is no saying what the Cavs are capable of. Hear that Skip Bayless?

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ANTHONY DAVIES (NEW ORLEANS PELICANS): My personal favourite for the MVP award. It is really quite unfortunate that we could not see how good THIS Pelicans team would have been in the playoffs. A season ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins took care of that. But it is thereafter, that Anthony Davies took notice. He’s scored 40 or more points five times this season, including a 53-point outing. There was also the game against the Jazz, which he finished with a whooping 10 blocks! An injury to his ankle did what no team could do this season – slow AD down. Davies is on the verge of making the jump from a good NBA player to a great NBA player. True, his playoffs record is dismal, but so were that of all the teams he was(is) in. There is enough evidence to tell us that this year too, wont fare better for the Pelicans. The likes of Houston, Golden State and Oklahoma, will easily beat them over a 7match series. But a healthy Pelicans team with a raring-to-go Boogie and THIS monster-version of Anthony Davies, cannot be considered as a walkover. AD is averaging to 28 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his 6th year in the NBA and is easily, according to many, the best two-way player in the league. The fact that he just celebrated his 25th birthday a few days back, shows you the level AD can elevate himself to in the not too distant future. Fun Fact : AD is only the second player in basketball history to rack up 9000 points and 9000 swats prior to his 25th birthday. The first player? The Great Shaquille O’ Neil.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

KEVIN DURANT (GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS) : After his much-maligned switch from Oklahoma city to the Bay Area pre-season in 2016, Kevin Durant finally had the last laugh. His star-studded Warriors team cruised to their 2nd championship in 3 years, courtesy of a mammoth KD clutch performance. THAT winning 3 pointer over Lebron James in Game 3 of last year’s finals, is etched in the memory of every NBA fan Although the 2014 Most Valuable Player and the Warriors are having a relatively quiet season by their standards, the whole league knows that come playoffs time, the Warriors will be as impregnable as ever. They, along with the Cavaliers have been finalists 3 times in the last 3 seasons. Barring the black cloud that is the Houston Rockets, don’t be too surprised if they make it to a sweet 4 out of 4.

Widely considered to be one of the best teams in modern basketball, the Warriors are loaded with 4 All-Stars, who on their day can win matches with ease. Thus standing out in this team over the course of a season, is far from easy. Given the calibre of the current roster, with the likes of 2-time winner, Steph Curry, 2017 Defensive player of the year, Draymond Green and fellow sharpshooter Klay Thomson, KD’s numbers would need to be even more spectacular, if he is to clinch the MVP award. KD is averaging to 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in a season, which is considered to be sub-par to his previous ones. Madness!

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

DAMIAN LILLARD (PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS) : DEMAR DEROZAN (TORONTO RAPTORS) : If you would have claimed at the start of the season that the Raptors would be perched on top of the Eastern Conference, being the first team to book a playoff spot, and that DeRozan would have been an MVP candidate, you probably would have been scoffed at. Fast forward to today and it’s your turn to scoff. Demar DeRozan is lighting up Toronto in ways we can’t even imagine! Him and Kyle Lowry form a formidable duo, and unlike the great NBA duos we’ve seen in the past, these two genuinely love playing with each other. DeRozan is averaging close to 24 points, 5.2 assists, and 4 rebounds in the midst of leading his franchise to the No. 1 seed in the East. However, there is a LOT of credit to be given to head coach, Dwayne Casey’s intra-team dynamic change as well. They have modified their entire franchise outlook by embracing the 3-point shot and sharing the ball a lot more than before. It’s a massive shift from the way they’ve played before. But there is an even more elemental turn in the team’s dynamic in how their two stars, DeRozan and Lowry, function in the team’s system. In their first few years together, the duo could not complement each other’s game, and they were always thought of as a single dimensional team. However that has changed this season. With DeRozan putting up MVP numbers and Lowry proving to be more than an able point guard, it would be a welcome surprise if the Raptors can topple the Cavs or the Celtics in the post season. Raptors in 5 ? SEASONAL MAGAZINE

It’s no surprise that the Portland Trailblazers sit right beneath Houston and Golden State in the Western Conference rankings. When Portland gets hot, they scorch! The West has become so fiercely competitive, that even a 9-game winning stretch in the months of Feb and March won’t be enough to cement your place in the playoffs. But even if they do miss out on a conference final spot, there is no taking away what Lillard has done for the Trailblazers this season. He TAKES OVER games in a way similar to Kobe Bryant’s Mamba performances at the death of a close-out game. Averaging to 26.9 points along with 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, Portland finally has an MVP calibre player to adore. For a Trail Blazer, Lillard is making an enormous impact on league consciousness with his lateseason heroics. Even this slight MVP consideration, is a step forward for his personal brand and the team’s profile With their second victory over the Warriors last month, and with victories over Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz on the previous streak, it’s no wonder that Portland is feeling confident when its Dame* time.

Although Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics), last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) are also strong candidates for the MVP race, it is hard to see the trophy fall into anyone else’s hands, other than our top 6.

HEALTHCARE

Why CPR is So Critical in Cardiac Emergencies CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WORST VICTIMS OF THE MISINFORMED AND CARELESS TREATMENT ON THE CELLULOID. IT IS SO OFTEN PORTRAYED WRONGLY THAT A FEW HARD-PRESSING ON THE CHEST AND A SINGLE ROUND OF MOUTH-TOMOUTH BRINGS THE VICTIM BACK TO LIFE, USUALLY COUGHING, BRINGING MUCH CHEER AND RELIEF TO THE PROTAGONISTS AND PEOPLE AROUND.

as an essential part of CPR in adults. Mouth to mouth breathing is still recommended in the case of children. The bottom line is that hands-only CPR is an essential part of CPR and cannot be compromised with. When you see a person faint or become unconscious gasping for breath, the first thing is to check the pulse or beating of the heart. A person suffering from sudden cardiac arrest will not have a detectable pulse, which means he has only seconds to survive. The next step is to call emergency medical service immediately. Almost simultaneously, the person should begin performing CPR and enact the following steps:

CPR Steps: Call out and see if the patient responds Look at the breathing Feel for the pulse in the neck if you know how to, with two fingers Place the patient on his/her back. he technique is used to save people suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, which can be caused by multiple factors. A drowning person suffers from the lack of oxygen. The blood also undergoes physical changes as well. In salt water, osmosis makes the blood thicker by pulling water from the bloodstream into the lungs. In fresh water, something different happens, wherein osmosis acts in the opposing direction. As a result, the blood becomes diluted and thinner, red blood cells get destroyed, and electrical activity of the heart gets affected. Both the situations may trigger sudden cardiac arrest in the patients, causing the beating of the heart to stop, according to Dr Vanita Arora, Senior ConsultantCardiac Electrophysiologist & Interventional Cardiologist Max Super Speciality Hospital. For any person who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, CPR is the most important first-aid step to undertake, till emergency medical service arrives. It is

important to know that CPR may not bring people back to consciousness. The CPR is performed to pump blood and oxygen to the brain. If the heart is at standstill then to restart it one needs to administer an electric shock. "The key take away from these data is that we need to find better and more effective ways to educate the general public on the importance of providing bystander CPR, and the importance of being comfortable delivering it regardless of the factors like the gender, age, or even the weight of the person in need," said Benjamin Abella, senior author of a CPR study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2017. When a person has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, the key aspect is to hardpress the chest to keep the blood flowing and therefore keep the brain oxygenated. Breaking the rhythm to breathe-in oxygen will interrupt the flow of blood. In fact, the American Heart Association has removed mouth-to-mouth breathing

Kneel beside the patient on your knees. At the center of the chest, place the heel of your first hand. The heel of your second hand should go on the top of the first hand, with fingers of top hand clasping the bottom. While keeping your arms straight, adjust your body to ensure that the shoulders are directly over your hands and the body. Start pushing hard and fast with your body weight to put pressure on the chest. Try that the compressions are about two inches deep. Deliver 120 to 130 compressions per minute. Don't let go till medical help arrives or you may see clear life signs, such as breathing You should not give up if you think you are unable to administer CPR perfectly. It should always be remembered that any form of CPR is better than no CPR. It is important that the center of the chest is compressed hard and fast, and till the same is being done, you are increasing the chances of saving someone's life. SEASONAL MAGAZINE SEASONAL MAGAZINE

WORLD

AMAZING WESTERN SOLIDARITY AGAINST ALLEGED RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT ATTACK British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for a “long-term response” by the West to the security threat from Russia as NATO followed member states in expelling Russian diplomats over the poisoning of a double agent in England. the most sweeping such action against Moscow since the height of the Cold War, the United States and European Union members plan to expel scores of Russian diplomats in action against the Kremlin for the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter which they have blamed on Russia. Russia, which denies any part in the March 4 attack on the Skripals, says the West’s action is a “provocative gesture” and has said it will respond. The coordinated action among Western allies is seen as a huge diplomatic coup for May whose country is preparing to exit the EU bloc and may have had doubts about how much support she could count on. Speaking to senior cabinet members in London on Tuesday, May said countries had acted against Russia not just out of solidarity but because they recognized the threat it posed. “Yesterday was a significant moment in our response to this reckless act of aggression, but there is still more to be done as we work with international partners on a long-term response to the challenge posed by Russia,” her spokesman reported May as saying. The U.S.-led NATO alliance followed suit announcing on Tuesday it was expelling seven diplomats from Russia’s mission at alliance headquarters in Brussels and blocking the appointment of three others, thus cutting the size of

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

the mission to 20 people from 30. “It sends a very clear message to Russia that it has costs,” NATO SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg said. EU member Ireland and Moldova on Tuesday joined the list of those countries expelling Russian diplomats over the Skripal poisoning. The list includes 22 European countries including Britain itself which led the way by expelling 23 diplomats. In the toughest action that President Donald Trump has taken against Russia since coming to office, the United States has said it will expel 60 Russians, including 12 intelligence officers from Russia’s mission to the U.N. headquarters in New York. It is also closing the Russian consulate in Seattle. Trump discussed Russia in separate phone calls on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leaders endorsed the Western response to Russia’s chemical weapons attack in Britain, including the expulsion of Russian diplomatic personnel, the White House said. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hailed the diplomatic expulsions as a statement to those who doubted the unity of NATO. “Russia has the potential to be a partner with Europe ... (but) I think right now we have to recognize that they have chosen to seek a different

relationship with the NATO nations,” he told reporters. In Prague, Paul Ryan, the Republican U.S. House Speaker, on Tuesday commended unity shown over the affair. “It is important that we work in solidarity with each other, free people in democracies to stop Russia and condemn Russia for this kind of belligerent activity,” Ryan said. Russia has not disclosed yet what retaliatory steps it will take. President Vladimir Putin was on Tuesday in the Siberian city of Kemerovo at the scene of a shopping mall fire which claimed many lives. He made no comment on the Skripal affair. Skripal’s poisoning, which Britain says was caused by use of the Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent Novichok, is the first known offensive use of a nerve toxin in Europe since World War Two. The attack on the 66-year-old Skripal and Yulia Skripal, his 33-year-old daughter, took place in the English cathedral city of Salisbury where he had been living since being swapped in a spy exchange deal in 2010. They were found on March 4 unconscious on a public bench in the city and a British court says they may have suffered permanent brain damage in the attack. The Kremlin has accused Britain of whipping up an antiRussia campaign and sought to cast doubt on the British analysis that Moscow was responsible.

SOCIAL MEDIA

With Facebook, Your Friends' Idiocy, Can Affect You WHY THE FACEBOOK DATA LEAK IS LIKE PASSIVE SMOKING: THE BAD HABITS OF OTHERS CAN HURT YOU. BEING CAREFUL ABOUT ONE’S OWN PRIVACY IS FAR FROM ENOUGH.

MARK ZUCKERBERG, IN A NOTE THAT WAS SOME WAY SHORT OF THE CONTRITION ONE EXPECTED, INFORMED US THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LEAK OCCURRED HAD BEEN PLUGGED A WHILE BACK.

or a long time now, I’ve been bemused by Facebook friends who post results of quizzes or lifestyle questionnaires telling them what colour, fruit, historical figure, or fictional character they resemble. Why would they allow a random company to access photographs and other personal material they have placed on the site? Although not hugely tech savvy, I’ve taken basic steps to protect my privacy online. Following Mark Zuckerberg’s example, I put tape over my laptop camera and only remove it for Skype conversations. I use a VPN and incognito mode frequently while surfing the web, although the VPN slows download

speeds considerably. I allow smartphone apps only the basic permissions required to retain functionality. I have resisted the Aadhaar linkages the government’s trying to ram down our throats. Yet, revelations about the misuse of private data last week left me shaken, and feeling personally vulnerable. The political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, on the basis of a survey taken by just 270,000 Facebook members, harvested detailed personal information about of a mind-boggling 50 million Facebook members. The data breach showed that being careful about one’s own privacy, a difficult enough job, is far from enough. Just as passive smoking

can make one ill, and breakouts of infectious diseases can happen thanks to a few misguided parents refusing to vaccinate their children, one’s personal information can be leaked thanks to the bad habits of friends on a social network. Mark Zuckerberg, in a note that was some way short of the contrition one expected, informed us that the manner in which the leak occurred had been plugged a while back. He also claimed Cambridge Analytica has breached Facebook’s trust. Yet, since Facebook has taken no action beyond banning the organisation from the site despite knowing about the data breach for over two years, one presumes it has no real SEASONAL MAGAZINE

power over the manner in which its partners handle information. The Facebook controversy led to a comical cascade of gaffes in India. First, Ravi Shankar Prasad threatened Facebook with legal action if there was evidence data leaks from the network influenced elections in India. Soon after, the French hacker who goes under the name Elliot Alderson revealed that the Narendra Modi app sent data without consent to a third party outside India. Riled by the media’s silence on the issue, Rahul Gandhi tweeted about it, only for Elliot Alderson to reveal flaws in the Congress party’s own Android app, which was sending unencrypted user data to its servers in Singapore. These revelations highlight two themes to which I have returned repeatedly in past columns. First, nationalist responses to issues like the Facebook leak are counterproductive. Whether it is the health sector, the consumer goods industry, or the Information Technology space, multinationals and foreign companies, for all their ruthlessness and lack of ethics, function within a sturdier regulatory framework than do Indian firms. The Facebook episode is outrageous, and the company deserves to pay a heavy price for its negligence. But it ought to be followed up in our minds with a question about how Indian apps on our smartphones are operating, in the absence of a national privacy law. How much information does the Jio app collect from users? Who does it share that information with? What conditions bind parties which receive data from Reliance Jio. We know precious little about these issues, but I suspect the answers will not be comforting. A small example of how local apps can be more intrusive than international ones: I have denied Uber any permissions aside from location and SMS, but Ola will not function unless it is allowed to use my phone. Data mining is an essential part of contemporary politics, and nothing Cambridge Analytica did would have been out of the ordinary had the information it used been legitimately gathered. The fact that it helped two causes extremely unpopular within the American and British mainstream media, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

the election of Donald Trump and the decision of the British public to leave the European Union, has obviously given the story extra juice. But Indians ought to be asking questions relevant to our own situation. Why have more local techies not exposed data breaches in the manner of the prolific Elliot Alderson? Given the number of software engineers we produce, we ought to have a brigade of cyber watchdogs, but appear to have mustered less than a platoon. Following a frightening list made by web developer Dylan Curran about all that

themselves to the price paid for receiving the benefits offered by email, search engines, maps and social networks. I was far more concerned with what a government might do with that kind of information, and the ability to collect it in real time. That brings me to my second concern, which is not apps and social networks in themselves, or information used to boost profits, but the interface of these things with intrusive and potentially authoritarian governments. In a past

Data mining is an essential part of contemporary politics, and nothing Cambridge Analytica did would have been out of the ordinary had the information it used been legitimately gathered. Facebook and Google knew about him, I downloaded my own data files from those two organisations. I could only access one of two Google archives, because the second contained 13 GB worth of personal information, and since I’m travelling (Google knows exactly where I’ve been, where I am right now and, thanks to reservations I’ve made online, where I shall be two days hence), I didn’t have a fast enough connection to download it. Although it was discomfiting to see how much stuff about me was out there, I wasn’t massively worried about what Google or Facebook might do with it. Those with no intention of turning into virtual equivalents of the germophobe recluse Howard Hughes ought to reconcile

column, I used the metaphor of living in a glass house as a way to describe how we render our lives transparent through smartphones. Meanwhile, authoritarian governments, or authoritarian factions within governments, try to create Panopticons: buildings in which the state can see into our lives, but we cannot see into its functioning. The worst-case scenario is when our individual glass houses become part of a giant Panopticon, with governments using data gleaned from private sources to instil fear, smother dissent, and perpetuate their own power. The past week’s news about Cambridge Analytica and the Narendra Modi app are just two more bricks in the wall of the Panopticon to come. (By Girish Shahane for Scroll)

GADGET

MEET XIAOMI'S NEW FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE:

THE MI MIX 2S

MI MIX 2S IS THE NEW XIAOMI FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE, COMES WITH IMPROVED CAMERAS AND BEZEL-LESS DISPLAY. MI MIX 2S PRE-ORDERS ARE NOW OPEN IN CHINA. i MIX 2S has been unveiled as the new flagship smartphone of popular Chinese brand Xiaomi in its home market. As expected, the company has avoided the iPhone X-like notch with the Mi MIX 2S display, retaining the bottom panel position of the front camera, but has gone with the vertical dual rear camera design. The Mi MIX 2S sports a ceramic body, is curved on all four sides, and supports Qi wireless charging. It also comes with a fingerprint scanner on the rear panel, with Xiaomi clearly eschewing the in-display fingerprint sensor that fellow Chinese company Vivo recently brought to the masses with the X21 and X20 Plus UD smartphones. The company is also touting the use of AI features in the camera app, giving users such capabilities as 'dynamic Bokeh' and scene recognition. The smartphone also supports Google's ARCore. The smartphone also comes with its own voice assistant. Finally, another highlight feature is real-time translation of text including instant currency conversion. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S price starts at CNY 3,299 (roughly Rs. 34,200) for the 6GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage variant, going up to CNY 3,599 (roughly Rs. 37,300) for the 6GB RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage, and CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 41,400) for the top-end model with 8GB RAM and 256GB inbuilt storage. It will be available in Black and White colour variants. Of course, the Mi MIX 2S price in India is not yet known, and fans will have to wait for the handset's launch in the country to find that out. The top-end model will be bundled with a wireless charger. The wireless charger has been priced at CNY

99 (roughly Rs. 1,000). Pre-bookings open today, March 27, while the smartphone will go on sale from April 3. The dual-SIM (Nano) Mi MIX 2S runs MIUI 9, and bears a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) in an 18:9 aspect ratio and with a pixel density of 403ppi. It supports the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU, and either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The smartphone bears a vertical dual rear camera setup in a design that looks very similar to the iPhone X, with the flash in between the two lenses. It has two 12-megapixel sensors with 1.4micron pixels, with one featuring a Sony IMX363 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, wideangle lens and four-axis OIS, while the other features an f/2.4 aperture and a telephoto lens with optical zoom. The AI-based scene recognition is said to recognise up to 206 scenes. Other AI features include dynamic Bokeh, smart artifact, business card recognition, face recognition, and more. The company is

touting the presence of dual core PDAF on the rear camera. Xiaomi is also boasting of receiving a 101 score on DxOMark Mobile rankings for photos, the same as the iPhone X. The Mi MIX 2S has a 5-megapixel front camera with HDR features and Face Unlock capabilities. Xiaomi is also touting AI-based beautification features. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), NFC, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ AGPS, and USB Type-C. The phone supports 6 network modes and 43 bands, giving it support for 226 regions across the world, Xiaomi says. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, digital compass, gyroscope, and an ultrasonic proximity sensor. The new Xiaomi smartphone sports a 3400mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging. As for Qi wireless charging, the brand says the smartphone supports 7.5W charging, which fully recharges the battery in 2 hours 40 minutes. It measures 150.86x 74.9x8.1mm and weighs 189 grams. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HIGHER EDUCATION

JGU BECOMES YOUNGEST UNIVERSITY TO WIN UGCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GRADED AUTONOMY SONIPAT, HARYANA BASED O.P. JINDAL GLOBAL UNIVERSITY HAS BECOME THE YOUNGEST UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY, AND ONLY ONE AMONG AROUND FIVE PRIVATE AND DEEMED VARSITIES TO HAVE ACHIEVED THIS REMARKABLE MILESTONE.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

By John Antony

hen India's University Grants Commission (UGC), the apex regulatory body for all the public and private universities in the country recently came out with a new initiative – Graded Autonomy - to select and grade only the crème-de-la-crème of universities, there were many expected names from the public sector. And almost all of them made the mark. These include names like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Benares Hindu University (BHU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Jadavpur University, Panjab University, University of Madras and Osmania University. While there were a few noted misses from the public sector too, there were more expected hits. However, from the private and deemed universities sector, there were more misses than expected names. While venerable deemed universities like Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Narsee Monjee Institute of Studies made it to the list, almost none of the largest private and new-generation deemed universities made the list, except for Symbiosis International of Pune, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University of Gandhinagar. But then Symbiosis International was founded in 2002 and its history as a noted higher education college goes back to a few decades. Manipal based MAHE similarly has been a decades old leader from South India. Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University is a niche player without much competition,

founded in 2007. But there was a dark horse from the private sector that made it to the list – O.P. Jindal Global University or JGU as it is often called. Founded only in 2009, this achievement of Sonipat, Haryana based JGU within the first decade of its existence is surely turning heads in India’s higher education sector. Today, a major agitation is being carried out by teachers and students across North India, especially in Delhi University against the whole idea of Graded Autonomy. But nobody is really questioning the merits on which these premium institutions were granted autonomy. Neither are the institutions – either public or private – that didn’t get the status complaining of an unfair process of selection. Because, what the selection committee of UGC has done is a very transparent process that can’t be faulted much, except for the swiftness with which it was done

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

which was really to pre-empt the kind of anti-autonomy agitation that we are seeing today and which would have prevented UGC from making such a decisive move. The achievement of the young Jindal Global University assumes significance when this transparent procedure is taken into account. Altogether, only 60 institutions have been selected by UGC for awarding Graded Autonomy. Of these 52 are universities and 8 were colleges. Out of the 52 universities, five are central universities, 21 are state universities, 24 are deemed universities and two are private universities. While the institutions were assessed on 11 core metrics, prime among them has been the grading obtained from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, commonly referred to as the NAAC Score. Universities or colleges with a NAAC Score of 3.51 or above out of 4 were placed in Category-I of Graded Autonomy, and a NAAC Score between 3.26 and 3.5 enabled institutions to be included in Category-II Graded Autonomy. All other institutions, having a NAAC Score of 3.25 or below were placed in a CategoryIII but given no additional autonomy for now. Institutions like JNU, HCU, NALSAR, Osmania University, Jadavpur University, Jammu University, TISS and National Law University, Delhi, among others, were parked in Category-I and they now are free to start a new course, department and school without UGC approval. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

They will also be exempt from UGC’s regular inspections and can collaborate with foreign educational institutions without the regulator’s permission. Their performance will be reviewed based on self-reporting. BHU, AMU, English and Foreign Languages University, Madras University, Mysore University, TERI School of Advanced Studies in Delhi, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and O.P. Jindal Global University, among others, were given autonomy under ‘Category II’. These institutions will also be exempt from UGC’s regular inspections, but will need UGC permission to sign MoUs with foreign universities and their performance will be reviewed by a peer group. Commending on the achievement, Naveen Jindal, founding chancellor of JGU said that "this feat reiterates JGUs commitment to shaping India’s aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. We are grateful to MHRD and UGC who have appreciated our endeavour." Terming it a milestone in the university’s journey, C. Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor, said: "This recognition initiates a major paradigm shift that will mark the future of Indian universities and encourage our pursuit of institutional excellence in higher education. This is a big milestone in JGUs journey and I wish to congratulate all its stake-holders, including faculty members, students, staff, alumni, parents and the State Government of Haryana, as well as the regulatory bodies, for their support.”

JGU BECOMES YOUNGEST UNIVERSITY TO WIN UGC’S GRADED AUTONOMY Opening up the higher education arena to the private sector has always been a bone of contention. For years, the major headache for the government was whether to liberalize higher education by removing the regulatory controls it imposed on centrally-run universities and provide greater autonomy to private institutions. Given the rampant neo-liberal institutionalization prevalent in our times, it was only going to be a matter of time before higher education would enmesh itself in autonomous regimes that have been a feature since the 1990s in India. The UGC’s ambitious plan to liberate educational institutions from regulatory control was first proposed by the NITI Aayog. Last year, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) appointed a committee headed by the former vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind Panagariya, to suggest reforms in higher education. Granting of autonomous status to any institution, not just private, has met with stiff opposition from academic circles. Gradually, the endorsement of this policy would hinge on the quality of education that would be offered in these institutions. While the UGC regulations have had little operating constraints on private varsities (which still rely on state laws), the decision to grant greater autonomy to certain institutions have been backed up by the requisite quality checks and their relevance to industry needs.

”

This feat reiterates JGUs commitment to shaping India’s aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. We are grateful to MHRD and UGC who have appreciated our endeavour.

”

Given its relatively recent formation (2009), it is a stupendous achievement for O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) to have received the autonomous status and one that would open the doors for other aspiring leaders to stake a claim. Consequently, the Haryana-based varsity has become the first private university to achieve this status, along with Pandit Deen Dayal Petroleum University, Gujarat. To put things into perspective, for just the two topperforming private universities to be accorded this out of the 300 private universities in the country, it speaks volumes about their commitment to excellence. This has been reflected in the spirit of JGU ever since it began operations back in 2009. Under the UGC’s new regulation on graded autonomy (formally known as SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Categorisation of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy Regulations, 2018), central, state, deemed, and private universities will be graded into three groups, with a different degree of autonomy for each category. The categorisation hinges on an institution’s performance in either reputed global rankings or the assessment done by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The NAAC assesses institutions on seven parameters curriculum, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, infrastructure, student support, governance and leadership, and institutional values and gives each a score out of four. An institution will be placed in CategoryI if it has been accredited by NAAC with a score of at least 3.51, or if it has received a grade/score from a reputed accreditation agency empanelled by the UGC, or if it has been ranked among the top 500 institutions by reputed world university ranking agencies such as Times Higher Education and QS. To be eligible for Category-II, universities should either have an NAAC accreditation score between 3.26 and

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

3.50, or have received a corresponding grade/score from a reputed accreditation agency empanelled by the UGC. Even though these universities will be exempt from regular inspections, and can start new programmes, departments, schools, and centres in disciplines that are part of its existing academic framework without the regulator’s approval, they will be subject to stricter control in comparison to Category-I institutions. So, Category-II universities will need the UGC’s permission to sign MoUs with foreign universities. Their performance will be reviewed by a peer group. HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said the selected universities remain in the ambit of the University Grants Commission but will have the freedom to start new courses, off-campus centres, skill development courses, research parks and other new academic programmes. They will also be able to hire foreign faculty, enrol foreign students, provide incentive-based emoluments to faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run distance learning programmes. Their performance will be reviewed on the basis of self-reporting (for Category I) and

peer-review (for Category II). Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Madras University, Mysore University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and O.P. Jindal Global University are among those included in Category-II. Expressing gratitude to the HRD ministry, Naveen Jindal, founding chancellor of JGU said that "this feat reiterates JGUs commitment to shaping India’s aspirations of building worldclass universities through comparative and international dimensions. We are grateful to MHRD and UGC who have appreciated our endeavour." Terming it a milestone in the university’s journey, C. Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor, said: "This recognition initiates a major paradigm shift that will mark the future of Indian universities and encourage our pursuit of institutional excellence in higher education. This is a big milestone in JGUs journey and I wish to congratulate all its stake-holders, including faculty members, students, staff, alumni, parents and the State Government of Haryana, as well as the

JGU BECOMES YOUNGEST UNIVERSITY TO WIN UGC’S GRADED AUTONOMY

This recognition initiates a major paradigm shift that will mark the

“ future of Indian universities and encourage our pursuit of

institutional excellence in higher education. This is a big milestone in JGUs journey and I wish to congratulate all its stake-holders.

”

regulatory bodies, for their support.” The autonomous stature means that JGU will have the freedom to introduce new courses and departments, and enter into collaborations with foreign educational institutions, however needing some degree of UGC permission. Apart from this, JGU will now be exempted from regular UGC inspections, with appraisals being obtained on the basis of peer-review. Besides, JGU will be allowed to hire global talent to strengthen the faculty and encourage more international students to pursue their higher education from the university. JGU has been accredited and awarded the highest rating ie; ‘A Grade’ by NAAC and is a distinguished member of many councils both in India and abroad including the Bar Council of India, International Association of Law Schools, International Development and Public Policy Alliance, Association of American Colleges and Universities. Moreover, the varsity has a decent ranking in the range of 251-300 among

the top universities in BRICS countries in the renowned QS World Rankings for 2018. JGU’ has a 5-star rating in several parameters including, employability, teaching, facilities etc. The facultystudent ratio is 44.3, while on the count of international faculty JGU projects a healthy 99.5. In 2017, JGU was ranked among the Top 10 Private Institutions in India by QS BRICS University Rankings and Top 300 in the BRICS countries. However, the autonomous tag will only add to its international standing and improved domestic perception of the university as it would not benefit them as much as it was touted to. This is because JGU is still a private university registered under a state Act. The real game-changer for the university would be when Central Governments can persuade state governments to bring about amendments for lesser regulations. O.P. Jindal University also bagged another milestone that would enhance their autonomous status. Recognizing

their commitment to academic excellence, JGU was awarded the Diamond Rating by QS I-Gauge, India’s first nationwide higher education rating system for Indian universities and colleges. The announcement was made in the presence of Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Dr. Virander Chauhan, Chairman, National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC). Referring to the milestones that JGU covered, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar said, "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every member of the JGU family for being awarded with not one but two laurels on the same day. The autonomous status by the UGC and QS Diamond Rating are remarkable milestones, which will expedite our endeavour to underline India's exemplary contribution to the global higher education and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. Receiving the recognition from the Former President of India was indeed a matter of great honour for us." Recently, the university announced that SEASONAL MAGAZINE

it would offer special concessions for children of war widows and serving army personnel. This was made during a distinguished public lecture on 'Indian Army in Nation Building', delivered by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat at JGU campus. One child of a war widow will get 100% concession on tuition fee while two will get 75% concession. And 11 children of war widows will get 50% concession on tuition fee. As regards serving army personnel, 50% fee concessions will be given to them for pursuing long-term academic programmes of one or twoyear duration. The Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences will also conduct free teacher training for Army School teachers. JGU's partnership with the armed forces began in 2009. Jindal Institute of Leadership Development and Executive Education (JILDEE) in particular has undertaken many training and capacity building programmes for the Indian Army. The three-week Mandarin Chinese course for Indian Army officers by native speakers is one of the key examples. The Macquarie University, one of the top 10 universities in Australia, signed an agreement with JGU focusing on exchange and research partnerships. The main focus of the partnership is to

develop closer ties between the business and management faculty at both institutions and bring them together to deliver joint lectures, conferences, short term programs and workshops. The MoU was signed in the presence of Professor Stephen Brammer, Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University and Prof. C. Raj Kumar, Founding ViceChancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University. After the MoU signing, JGU and Macquarie University held a joint conference titled ‘Business, Law and Ethics: Conflict or Coherence’. JGU has also weighed in the strategic bilateral partnership between India and Israel, following the recent visit of Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to India, by opening their own Israel studies centre. In another positive development for the university, two of its assistant professors from the Law school Avirup Bose (who was recognized as India’s first “Next Generation Antitrust Scholar”) and Natasha Nayak were awarded the 2018 Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship award and JGLS is the only law school in Asia whose professors have been awarded the prestigious fellowship award. JGLS faculty members will join a series of invitation-only conferences over the

The dark horse from the private sector that made it to the list – O.P. Jindal Global University or JGU as it is often called was founded only in 2009. This achievement of Sonepat, Haryana based JGU within the first decade of its existence is surely turning heads in India’s higher education sector. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

JGU has been included amongst a select list of universities including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Benares Hindu University (BHU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Jadavpur University, Panjab University, University of Madras, Symbiosis International, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Osmania University.

course of a year in which Edison Fellows study and discuss a structured curriculum, engage in roundtable discussions with expert senior scholars and industry representatives, and share, examine and collaborate on new areas of research on the moral and economic value of patented innovation. The year-long non-resident fellowship program brings together a group of scholars to develop research papers on patent law and policy and culminates in the production of substantial academic research papers that are published in law journals or other peer-reviewed academic journals. Both scholars went through an extensive application process prior to being selected for the fellowship from the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP) at George

Mason University School of Law, Virginia, USA. The Law school of JGU has reasons to cheer as it launched an exclusive and first of its kind interdisciplinary, Master of Business Laws Programme. The unique Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree programme was launched on the side-lines of the seminar on 'How to Fill the Legal and Regulatory Knowledge Gap in Business and Industry' with distinguished panellists at the Jindal Global Educational & Professional Academy. The programme is JGU's initiative to address the needs arising from the unique dynamics of the current corporate environment, where business intersects with law, policy and dispute resolution. Today, corporate professionals - ranging from those involved with human resources, financial management, innovation

strategy, intellectual property management or business compliance - have to synchronise their managerial and professional skills with legal and regulatory strategy to ensure effective compliance and reduce their company's risk profile, while growing their business. The Master or Business Laws degree provides an allimportant bridge between the various disciplines and skills required by the modern business professional. JGU and Center for Ethics, Spirituality and Sustainability organized the twoday 15th International Conference on Alternative Perspectives and Global Concerns titled 'Spirituality, Mysticism and Politics in the Age of Globality'. Such initiatives underscore the significance attributed to all-round development under the JGU curriculum. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HEALTHCARE 2001, two researchers from Columbia University in the United States published a paper that suggested that roughly one in 1,000 children exposed to radiation from computed tomography or CT scans would go on to develop cancer due to the exposure. This is a rate of cancer that is on average four times higher than those not exposed to radiation.

Beware of CT Scans

The study triggered a debate about the safety and possible overuse of CT scans.

NEED A CT SCAN? HERE IS WHY YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. WHILE THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE RADIATION RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CT SCANS, DOCTORS ADMIT THEY RARELY SPEND TIME BRIEFING PATIENTS ABOUT IT.

A CT scan is generated by passing radiation through a specific part of the body to general a three-dimensional image. CT scans are life saving in trauma cases, especially those that involve injuries to the head. Cancer patients and those with TB also need regular CT scans to monitor their treatment. The radiation used in a CT scan is 100 times more than that in an X-ray. So while a CT scan can reveal abnormalities that an X-ray cannot pick up, it also increases the risk of cancer

“Since 2011 the number of CT scans conducted annually, that was on a steep rise, has stabilised in the US as doctors grew more cautious,”

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

“SINCE 2011 THE NUMBER OF CT SCANS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY, THAT WAS ON A STEEP RISE, HAS STABILISED IN THE US AS DOCTORS GREW MORE CAUTIOUS,” due to radiation exposure significantly. “Almost nothing in medicine is without risks,” said David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University, who co-authored the paper, which was published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. “When a CT scan is medically justified then the risk-benefit balance changes dramatically in favor of conducting the scan.” This research was followed by more studies in both the United Kingdom and Australia, that confirmed increased risk of cancer due to exposure to radiation from CT scans, more so among children. The US Food and Drug Administration has since then asked doctors to explain the radiation risk to patients beforehand and order a scan only when needed. Two decades on, India still lacks both guidelines and adequate data on the subject. “Since 2011 the number of CT scans conducted annually, that was on a steep rise, has stabilised in the US as doctors grew more cautious,” Brenner said. Even as CT scans become more common in India’s public and private hospitals, there is no estimate of how many are essential and how many might be unnecessary. A CT of the abdomen, that lasts less than a minute, delivers up to 10 millisieverts of radiation that one would otherwise get only over a three-year time period from the environment. The dose adds up when a scan is repeated. A head CT carries the least risk, delivering a comparatively low 2 millisieverts of radiation. Brenner and Hall’s study says a dose about 35 millisieverts or more is statistically significant and enough to increase lifetime risk of cancer. As the US Food and Drug Administration points out, “If you combine the natural risk of a fatal cancer and the estimated risk from a 10 mSv CT scan, the total risk may increase from 400 chances in 2000 to 401 chances in 2000. Nevertheless, this small increase

in radiation-associated cancer risk for an individual can become a public health concern if large numbers of people undergo increased numbers of CT screening procedures of uncertain benefit.” Dr Norman Kleiman, radiation expert and researcher at the Mailman School of Public Health attached to Columbia University, said, “It is important to limit the number of CTs that are not essential. On a population level even a small rise in risk translates into huge numbers, making it a public health issue.” In India, the use of CT scans is increasing as the government pushes for better access to healthcare. In 2016 the Delhi government announced free CT and magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scans for the poor. The Assam government followed suit with a statelevel scheme in January 2018. The mechanism to check overuse of radiation diagnostics is absent. While a general practitioner orders a CT scan, it is the radiologist in a diagnostic lab that conducts it. “By warning a patient a radiologist might feel that he/ she is stepping on the general practitioner’s toes and so keeps mum,” said Ashank Bansal, a radiologist at the Lokmanya Tilak Medical General Hospital and Medical College in Mumbai. “Also, in the private set-up, if a patient is referred by the general practitioner, a radiologist in a lab doesn’t have the authority to say refuse a scan.” “For a patient undergoing the scan once, the risk is too small but those in the postoperative stage need to undergo multiple scans as doctors have to monitor their recovery,” explained Dr Hemant Deshmukh, head of radiology at KEM hospital in Mumbai. “All patients are asked to sign a consent form before a CT scan but the radiation bit is not emphasised.” According to Deshmukh, even though patients are given consent forms before CT procedures, doctors do not take the time to explain radiation risks to them.

India’s largest tertiary cancer care centre Tata Memorial Centre has developed a mechanism to check overuse of radiation diagnostics. “Our system informs us if the patient had been subjected to any imaging like CT scan in the past week to avoid repeated scans,” said Dr Subhash Desai, professor of radiodiagnosis at the hospital that receives close to 68,000 new patients every year. But for private diagnostic centres, profit-making is an incentive to keep pushing up the number of scans. “Physicians in some cases get 10% to 15% kickbacks from the diagnostic center for referring patients,” Bansal said. In September last year, a group of senior doctors got together and ran a campaign against such referrals calling it “cut practice”, asking lawmakers to take notice. “Someone from the physician’s end might accompany the patient to the diagnostic centre or there could be an in-person discussion with the radiologist so that there no paper trail is left behind,” said Dr KK Agarwal, former president of the Indian Medical Association, who was one of those who spoke out against such referrals. To patients, Brenner urges caution. “Hold the toes of your physician to the fire. Ask them questions about whether the scan is needed,” he said. “But when you need a CT scan, you should have one.” SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ELECTION FRAUD

WHY ISN'T INDIA PROBING CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA? There is no getting away from it now. In his deposition to the British House of Commons, Christopher Wylie, former employee of the data mining firm, Cambridge Analytica, said it had “worked extensively in India” and that he believed “their client was Congress”. Wylie also mentioned that his predecessor had been working in India before he died under mysterious circumstances. Another expert giving evidence to the committee said Wylie’s predecessor had secretly been paid by an Indian billionaire who wanted the Congress to lose.

CHRISTOPHER WYLIE he firm, which harvested the data of millions of Facebook users to sway the outcomes of major political events like the American elections of 2016 and possibly the Brexit referendum, has been active in India as well. Given the regulatory wilderness that the firm would operate in here, there is no telling what breaches of privacy and what kind of manipulations took place. Needless to say, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has latched on to the fact that Wylie named the Congress and has demanded an apology from the opposition party. It crowns a week of mud slinging where both parties traded allegations that unethical means were used to win elections, especially the general elections of 2014. Question is, why has a formal investigation not been launched, as it has in other countries? Authorities in both Britain and America are probing the leak of personal data from Facebook. So are prosecutors in Brazil. In India, the government remains in Congress-bashing mode. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

The answer seems to lie in a culture and an institutional climate where privacy and data protection are not valued. This week also saw a furore over the Narendra Modi smartphone app, which has been accused of “spying” on citizens and of sending users’ data to a third party in America without their consent. This is a government which has argued before the court that privacy was not a fundamental right and that individuals did not have absolute autonomy over their bodies. It took the Supreme Court to uphold privacy as a fundamental right. These debates arose over Aadhaar, the 12-digit unique identity number based on biometric data which the government has tried to make mandatory for a range of services, from getting food rations, to filing income tax returns to getting a

THE RULING BHARATIYA

JANATA PARTY HAS LATCHED ON TO THE FACT THAT WYLIE NAMED THE CONGRESS AND HAS DEMANDED AN APOLOGY FROM THE OPPOSITION PARTY.

phone number and using a bank account. Serious doubts have been raised about the security of the massive Aadhaar data base, and whether data would be farmed out to private players for commercial use. While the government rages about the depredations of Facebook, it does not turn a hair about the potential threats of Aadhaar. There is a lack of basic institutional safeguards that protect an individual’s autonomy and privacy from encroachment by the state or by private players. And the fault does not lie with the Congress or the BJP alone. The AP Shah committee on data protection submitted its report in October 2012 but the privacy law it proposed was never enacted. The Sri Krishna Committee, set up last year, is expected to submit its report by the end of May. This time, it should translate into a law which adequately values privacy. Meanwhile, the Centre should rise above partisan squabbling, order an investigation on Cambridge Analytica’s operations in India and by come clean on Facebook’s involvement in government projects.

NUTRITION

ALTERNATE SOURCES FOR CALCIUM Milk and milk products may not be your favorite foods or suitable for your health conditions. Here are your alternatives to dairy products for calcium.

ones are the support system of the body. It is needless to explain why you need to keep the bones in a good state of health. And with diseases like osteoporosis and rickets, it is even more important to look after bone health. When it comes to good bone health, there are mainly two nutrients you need; calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is what you need for stronger bones and vitamin D is important for calcium absorption by the bones, so these two go hand in hand. When bone health is taken into consideration, one simply can't miss mentioning dairy products. This calcium-rich source is very important for your bones. But dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are not the only foods which promote better bone health. There are many other foods which play an important role in keeping your bones in a good state of health and prevent them from breaking easily. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

1. GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES These vegetables make it to every list. Amaranth, Arugula, kale, spinach, and watercress are some of the healthiest, calcium-rich veggies. A cup full of green salad including these vegetables can be your key to stronger bones throughout life.

2. SARDINES These little fish can be your daily dose of vitamin D and calcium, both of which are essential to good bone health. You can relish its flavor alos by adding it to salads and pastas.

When bone health is taken into consideration, one simply can't miss mentioning dairy products. This calcium-rich source is very important for your bones.

3. SALMON Of all the natural sources of vitamin D, salmon surely is the best. This fatty fish offers 100% of your vitamin D requirement. It has softer and edible fish bones too which makes it a very rich source of calcium as well. So salmon is a superfood for healthier bones.

4. ALMONDS Of all the tree nuts, almond is the richest source of calcium. You can also consume it in the form of almond butter. Almonds besides being a rich source of calcium, is also a rich source of protein with low fat and cholesterol levels. It also has many important micronutrients. So consuming this is a winwin situation for you.

5. TUNA Another fatty fish which is a rich source of vitamin D is tuna. Only three ounces of tuna offers 39% of your daily vitamin D requirement.

TELECOM

TRAI TAKES ON APPLE IN DND BATTLE APPLE AND TRAI ARE BATTLING IT OUT OVER DEVELOPMENT OF A DND APP ON IOS.

TRAI HAD INTRODUCED THE ANDROID VERSION OF ITS ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ APP IN 2016 AND IT REQUIRES USERS TO GRANT PERMISSIONS TO ACCESS CONTACTS AND VIEW TEXT MESSAGES WHEN THEY OPEN THE APP FOR THE FIRST TIME. pple and India’s telecom regulator TRAI are locking heads over the develo pment of a government anti-spam mobile appli cation. Apple had agreed to provide limited help to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to help build such an app by tapping in to new iOS features, which allow users to report unsolicited calls and text messages as spam. Now, Reuters reports that Apple and TRAI have not met since November and the Indian telecom regulator told the technology giant in January that it was still waiting for “basic clarifications” on what features the iOS version in its app can offer. Apple is finding itself in a sticky foot with the development of antispam app affecting the privacy of its users. Apple believes that allowing TRAI to distribute such an app could lead to privacy compromise. It contends that the app getting access to customers’ call and text logs violates user privacy.

Apple told Reuters last week that the government app “as envisioned violates the privacy policy” of its App Store. Apple has been maintaining a stance that it is working with government engineers and would help the regulator design an app that does not breach user privacy and also not violate the rules of its App Store. However, that statement has irked R.S. Sharma, the head of he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), who now plans to consult a legal team and push Apple to develop the app more swiftly. “We will take appropriate legal action,” Sharma told Reuters in an interview. “This is unjust, it shows the approach and attitude of this company.” TRAI had introduced the Android version of its ‘Do Not Disturb’ app in 2016 and it requires users to grant permissions to access contacts and view text messages when they open the app for the first time. The app then allows its users to report calls or text messages

as spam. TRAI was initially planning to repackage its Android app for Apple’s iOS as well, but Apple said it would not allow any selective app to access contacts, see call logs or view text messages. It stated that giving such access would mean violation of user data, security and privacy. The tussle between Apple and TRAI comes at a crucial time as the Cupertinobased company tries to negotiate new ways to make inroads in the country. Apple, despite being the second largest smartphone brand globally, has little presence in the country. Apple is seeking to expand its local manufacturing and set up self-owned retail stores in India. While Apple is yet to offer comments on Sharma’s claim, the legal battle could jeopardize the image of the regulator and slow down Apple’s expansion plans. India is one of the fastest growing smartphone maker and Apple can ill afford to lose it. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

NEWS-IN-BRIEF GAMBHIR STEPS DOWN AS DD CAPTAIN AFTER 5 LOSSES IN 6 MATCHES

Gautam Gambhir has stepped down as the captain of Delhi Daredevils after losing five out of six matches in IPL 2018 so far. Gambhir had returned to Delhi Daredevils this year after having captained Kolkata Knight Riders for seven straight seasons. Batsman Shreyas Iyer will replace the two-time IPL-winning captain as the skipper of Delhi Daredevils.

DONALD TRUMP CALLS KIM JONG-UN 'VERY HONOURABLE'

Talking about his plans of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump said that Jong-un has been very "open" and "honourable". Trump further praised his administration for putting "maximum pressure" on North Korea, particularly through the imposition of sanctions. North Korea recently pledged to halt its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

ONEPLUS 6 TO BE LAUNCHED IN INDIA ON MAY 17, 2018 IN MUMBAI

OnePlus has confirmed that it will launch OnePlus 6 in India at a launch event in Mumbai on May 17. OnePlus is also giving its community a chance to attend the event for which the entry vouchers will be available via oneplus.in on May 8. The confirmed specifications include Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, 8GB RAM, and 256GB inbuilt storage variant.

BITCOIN A COLOSSAL PUMPAND-DUMP SCHEME: FORMER PAYPAL CEO

Former PayPal CEO Bill Harris has said that world's largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin is a "colossal pump-and-dump scheme, the likes of which the world has never seen". He said promoters "pump" up the price of a security creating a speculative frenzy, then "dump" some of their holdings at artificially high price. He added that Bitcoin is the "greatest scam in history".

DON'T SUPPORT KANYE WEST'S SLAVERY REMARK: ADIDAS CEO Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted has said the company doesn't support American rapper Kanye West's remark on slavery being a "choice". West designs the Yeezy limited-edition shoe line for the sportswear brand. Earlier, West had said, "Yeezy will hit a billion dollars this year. It's the second-fastest growing company in history. It's a unicorn on its way to becoming a decacorn." SEASONAL MAGAZINE

GERMAN STATE TO DISPLAY CHRISTIAN CROSSES ON GOVT BUILDINGS

In a move aimed at reflecting Bavaria's "cultural identity and Christian-western influence", the German state has ordered all state administrative buildings to display Christian crosses at the entrance. However, the rule is not applicable to municipal and federal government buildings. Display of crosses was previously made mandatory in public schools and courtrooms in Bavaria.

US WARNS CHINA OVER MILITARISATION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA The White House on Thursday warned China of consequences over its growing militarisation in the South China Sea. "We are aware of China's militarisation...There will be near-term and long-term consequences," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. This comes after China reportedly deployed cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three of its outposts in the South China Sea.

NEWS-IN-BRIEF MUSEUM COMPLEX EMPLOYS HUMANOID ROBOT IN US

The Smithsonian Institution, which is said to be the world's largest museum, education, and research complex has employed SoftBank Robotics' humanoid robot 'Pepper'. The Smithsonian said Pepper can answer questions, tell stories, collect information and can also sense when people are close by to engage them in conversation. The robot can also dance, play games, and pose for selfies.

TALIBAN SNUBS AFGHAN PEACE EFFORTS, LAUNCHES NEW OFFENSIVE

Snubbing efforts by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to end the over 16-year-long war with the militant group, the Taliban on Wednesday launched its annual spring offensive. It said the offensive will target US forces and their intelligence agents as well as their internal supporters. The Taliban further said the presence of US bases was key to prolonging the ongoing war.

CRUISE SHIP WITH RACE TRACK EMBARKS ON MAIDEN VOYAGE

A cruise ship, having a two-level electric car race track and multistorey water slides, has entered service and is currently on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. With the capacity to host 4,000 guests, the cruise ship also features several swimming pools and an observation lounge. There are 14 bars, as well as a spa, a library, and a gym.

AFRICAN MONKEYS MATE OUTSIDE THEIR SPECIES, CREATE HYBRIDS

A US-based study has discovered that two genetically distinct species of guenon monkeys inhabiting a park in Tanzania have been mating and producing hybrid offspring for several years. Researcher Kate Detwiler examined monkey poop and found gene flow from "red-tailed" monkeys to "blue" monkeys. The "promiscuity" has made 15% of the population as hybrids, which is very unusual, said Detwiler.

TWITTER REACTS TO TRUMP'S SPANISH DOPPELGANGER

Reacting to images of a Spanish woman resembling US President Donald Trump, a Twitter user wrote, "Feel sorry for her being the doppelganger of Trump." Other users tweeted, "That lady does more work and adds more value in a day than Trump has in his entire life," and "Are you sure that isn't Trump all dolled up to meet Putin?"

WORLD'S ONLY TROPICAL-BORN POLAR BEAR EUTHANISED

Battling health difficulties for the past five years, Singapore-born Inuka, the only polar bear ever born in the tropics, has been euthanised by zoo authorities. Twenty-seven-year-old Inuka had been suffering from arthritis, dental issues, and ear infections with weakening limbs hindering its mobility. "The greater kindness would be to relieve him from prolonged suffering," said a Zoo official.

US STATE SURPASSES UK TO BECOME WORLD'S 5TH LARGEST ECONOMY US state California's economy has surpassed that of the UK to become the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fifth largest, according to new federal data released on Friday. With a GDP of $2.7 trillion, California is now only behind the US, China, Japan and Germany. The UK and India are next on the list, followed by France, Brazil and Italy respectively. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ASIAN AFFAIRS

YIN-YANG IN PRACTICE:

CHINA, INDIA AND SAARC RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

By Carl Jaison

In international politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. If this thought logic is to be applied in the region, it is best suited to bilateral relations between two of Asia’s dominant powers – India and China. The relationship has been fraught with difficulties in the past and in all likelihood continue to animate the discourse leading up to the much touted ‘Asian century’. However, the two countries are mindful of the tremendous opportunities that can be won if squabbles over territories can be mitigated and instead lead Asia

into a more prosperous economic future. No foreign policy strategist in India or China would have forgotten the Doklam stand-off at the doorstep of Bhutan that threatened to worsen relations ahead of the SCO Summit later this year. It is in this context that one has to view the recent informal summit at Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which provided the perfect opportunity to assuage tensions and address other pressing concerns like India’s trade imbalance with China and its opposition to the CPEC.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

A couple of political developments over the course of the last few weeks has significantly altered the equation between India and China. Firstly, China has been on the backfoot ever since US President Donald Trump threatened to impose economic sanctions for its alleged unfair trade practices and to offset the imbalances in trade between the two countries. While China has retorted with similar policies, it has also done something which it wouldn’t have done so if not for Trump’s barbs. The much emphasis it laid on China and India’s joint responsibility towards 40% of the population in the region and the two countries reiterating the historical and cultural links are not without reasons. China has been pushed against the wall and sought to ensure New Delhi is also not pitted against it given the huge economic stakes in Indian markets. Therefore, India’s bargaining position has considerably improved in terms of expecting Chinese overtures and engaging in creative diplomacy over contentious issues, something which previous Indian administrations have failed to achieve. Thus, Modi and Xi Jinping’s personality-driven foreign policy removes the structural constraints that have marred previous

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

summits. The recent agreement between China and India to establish a “hotline” between the militaries of the two countries is a significant development, which was unthinkable a few years ago and amidst the Doklam standoff. While not to suggest that issues can be settled overnight, it nevertheless points towards both China and India having the wherewithal to conduct its affairs without mutual suspicion of each other. With Xi Jinping’s consolidation and centralization of military decision making, it will mean that China cannot afford to flex its muscles the same way it did in the past without expecting criticism from its neighbours. This potentially gives India sufficient legroom to manoeuvre through its issues with China given an improvement in the former’s bargaining position. If Trump has managed to bring both China and India closer together, although inadvertently, it augurs well for the region which has remained a mute spectator to a reluctance to simply engage with each other in constructive ways. The summit will only pave the way for many more such initiatives and lead both the countries into the Asian century with clearly-defined complimentary roles.

hina’s rise to regional dominance in South Asia has been a fairly peaceful affair. Apart from the odd war fought with India in the early 1960s, China has harboured a policy of ‘peaceful co-existence’ with its neighbours. The conscious choice to refer to China as a ‘South Asian’ player, capable of leading the South Asian region from its current rut is a strategic consideration stemming from two major developments: India’s declining hegemony and the economic and military might of China vis-à-vis its neighbours. Given the logjam encountered by SAARC till date, there have been suggestions for China’s possible inclusion in the regional grouping. The benefits of China’s membership for India and SAARC as a wholeare three-fold: Economic Prosperity: Firstly, SAARC has shied away from economic integration beyond logical levels primarily due to the India-Pakistan feud. China, on the other hand, is in a position to further strengthen economic ties within the region given its booming bilateral trade with all the countries in the region. Economically, if China has to keep its growth momentum, it cannot afford to keep out of the 1.6 billion strong South Asian market where economies are registering an average rate of 4.5 to 6 percent growth. China rolled out the attractive offer of increasing trade with South Asia to $150 billion, and investing $30billion for the coming five years, as well as offering 10,000 fellowships for youths and training opportunities and sending 5,000 Chinese language teachers to South Asia during the same period. China’s strong trade linkages with countries in the region provides a rationale for increased cooperation in trade and people-to-people contact. ‘Globalisation is putting pressure on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to change its traditional ways of working.’ Improves India’s Bargaining Position: Secondly, although India is bound to have strong reservations, the recognition

Fig 1: China’ and India’ Trade in Goods With South Asia (2000-2014), Council on Foreign Relations of China’s clear dominance has been delayed for far too long by New Delhi. This has resulted in mutual suspicion of each other’s interests in the region, although it’s hard to see if China considers India as a ‘security threat’ at all. ‘China does not see India as a security threat due to the capability (especially technology) gap and the nowar bottom-line intention threshold’. While China has actively scuttled India’s quest for regional domination by challenging its claim over territories in Arunachal Pradesh and refusing to admit India into the NSG without Pakistan getting the same treatment, the rationale seems to be to push India into recognizing China’s superior position. As India has sought to achieve a balance in its dealings with China, it should continue to develop ways to counteract the latter’s threats over its sovereign issues. While India has voiced its concerns time and again, this cannot be the sole reason for keeping China out of the regional fold.

The suspicion seems to arise from whether China is out to hamper India’s interests given its cordial relations with Pakistan. However, it is pertinent to note that a crucial factor that rationalizes China’s relations with Pakistan is to check India’s actions.‘India has worried about preparing for a two-front war with Pakistan and China. India’s security concern about Pakistan comes mainly from the difficulty that India faces in trying to gain the overwhelming conventional edge over Pakistan, especially given the close security cooperation between Pakistan and China’. However, given how China does not think that India seriously intends to go to war – either conventional or nuclear – with China, India’s concern about China’s malign intentions are baseless. It is also widely perceived that India’s strategic culture is essentially defensive. Once India decides to treat China like a rising power (something which most countries came to also accept during US’ SEASONAL MAGAZINE

hegemonic rise), there would not be a trust deficit. Further, India can leverage this position for its own interests by ensuring China does not waiver on its commitments to regional cooperation and derive maximum benefit from the relationship.India should continue to pursue a policy of ‘subdued aggression’ in the event of any Chinese threats to its national security interests. However, China should also expect to make unilateral concessions if it wants India to see any merit in its inclusion – the same ploy used to demand concessionary offers from India to its smaller neighbours. This would lessen India’s need to make similar overtures to its neighbours if China assumes the leadership role in the region. In this manner, India’s bargaining position improves. Political Stability: Lastly, given China’s economic investments in the region, it is safe to say that Beijing would have to tread very carefully without its credibility taking a hit. This would entail minimal political interference in those neighbouring countries where they have substantial economic stakes given how the blowback could severely dent its image.‘Strategically, its concerns for instability in Tibet and Xinjiang periphery, as also its stakes in the security of trade routes flowing through the Indian Ocean make it imperative for a presence in, and cooperation from, the South Asian neighbours’. Given how the Big Brother attitude has been frowned upon in the region,

China’s neighbours especially India would resist any attempts by the former to pursue an aggressive neighbourhood policy. While China looks in all likelihood of behaving like a responsible power, the logic follows that the region stands to benefit from political stability. Even initiatives like OBOR can transform its equation with a friendly ally like Pakistan, wherein expectations are clearly stated and obligatory commitments are to be honoured by all parties. Previously, China would use Pakistan as a way to frustrate India on a host of issues. Now, China would need to justify it withotherstates if it continues such a policy as it would present itself as a potential destabilizing issue affecting regional stability. The idea is that political stability can be achieved having a power like China that can assuage tensions arising from bilateral

issues between countries, provided an offensive-minded neighbourhood policy is not resorted to. Sino-Indian relations will prosper in the eventuality of ‘mutual recognition of each other’s role in the region'. India might have to play second fiddle in the economic arena but the fact isthat bilateral issues pertaining to national securityalready remain outside the purview of SAARC Charter giving the two countries every reason to pursue their own independent foreign policies. Challenges to China’s Membership As China steps up its engagement with the region and promotes Asian connectivity, largely through its Silk Road “belt and road” vision, it can marshal extensive resources on initiatives such as the Asian

World Bank Bilateral Remittance Estimates from India and China to South Asia, 2014, Council on Foreign Relations SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Infrastructure Investment Bank that will likely outpace other financial sources. With an eye on India’s own regional position, Prime Minister NarendraModi has doubled down on his outreach across South Asia, stressing infrastructure development, people-topeople connectivity, and a “lift all boats” approach to help India’s neighbours gain from its own rise. However, there are views on the Indian side that find it difficult to de-couple the politics from the economics of Chinese entry into SAARC. As S.D Muni argues, ‘it is unrealistic to assume that economic performance of any regional grouping can be dissociated from its geo-strategic genealogy, economic fundamentals and political context’. The argument goes that even without letting China enter SAARC, India has to face the challenge posed by China in its neighbourhood. The fear stems from the fact that Chinese domination of the regional grouping could result in the abuse of the veto on regional development programmes because the decisions are based on the unanimity principle. Authors like Sujit Dutta argue against China’s membership citing the country’s absence of democratic mechanisms and the difficulty in getting China to comply with mutually agreed upon rules in the region. Given its hegemonic rise, China’s export-led economic development is not very conducive to the liberalizing goals of the SAFTA.

Potentially, China’s entry into SAFTA could distort trade and its cheap manufactures and textiles would undercut local production and employment in several sectors. Chinese exports will impinge upon local manufacturing and the weaker economies are likely to become essentially exporters of raw materials. Further, critics argue that China has used the ‘observer status’ only ‘to reinforce its strategic and economic presence in member countries without contributing towards regional integration. In fact it has emboldened Pakistan and other South Asian countries in their attitudes vis-à-vis India and has thus contributed towards reinforcing regional discord’. South Asian countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are in favour of China’s inclusion in SAARC as a counter-balancing strategy against India which has historically been the regional hegemon. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif described China as an engine of growth and said that Pakistan was trying to “integrate South Asia, China and Central Asia”. He was backed in this by Maldives President Yameen who said that SAARC should “work with other countries keen to work with us” and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who wanted SAARC to enhance the “engagement with the observer states and consider graduating their role to a more project based, result oriented partnership”

However, China’s role in denting the organizational unity and harmony of ASEAN by using its ally Kampuchea (present-day Cambodia) to block a summit declaration over the question of the South China Sea dispute has raised questions about whether protecting its core national interests trumps over any regional considerations. Currently, as a ‘dialogue partner’ in SAARC, any of its initiatives will have to fit into the programmes already accepted by the organization and there too, it will be subjected to the unanimous approval of all the member countries, including India. In this manner, SAARC’s operational imperatives would serve to constrain any Chinese unilateralism. However, without China achieving full membership, it would be idealistic on the part of SAARC to expect the former to revitalize the region. Much of the recent attention to China’s growing footprint in South Asia focuses on its development assistance and government investment programs, particularly for large infrastructure projects. This component of economic interaction is also the one for which apples-to-apples data is hardest to find. Overseas development assistance, as defined by the OECD, requires a “grant element of at least 25 per cent” meanwhile, the debt-servicing conditions on Chinese loans often fall outside of OECD standards. According to Beijing’s 2014 foreign aid SEASONAL MAGAZINE

white paper, concessional loans represent more than half of China’s aid. Projects funded by Chinese concessional loans must also be awarded to Chinese companies and source Chinese goods, linking Chinese aid to its government investment activities. Lack of transparency also hinders comparison: while India releases its figures publicly, China provides only outlines. The data suggests some general trends, but problems in the classification of Chinese development assistance for well-known infrastructure projects in South Asia further complicate the picture. Can China Play a ‘Stabilizing’ and ‘Integrative’ Role in the Region? In spite of the challenges to China’s entry into SAARC, there is somewhat a broad consensus on its role as a ‘stabilizer’ in the region considering how USA and the Western countries in general have withdrawn from any active involvement, barring Afghanistan. ‘China may be treated as a 'stabilizer' if hostilities emerge in the so-called 'nuclear belt' comprising of North Korea, India, Pakistan, Iran (if it manages to develop its own nuclear weapon). China's role in the Six-Party Talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and its 'silk route diplomacy' provide enough SEASONAL MAGAZINE

evidence of its capacity and willingness to play such a role.’ Proponents of China’s active involvement in the region point to its efforts in bringing SAARC and ASEAN together. Since these regional groupings emphasize more on economic than security cooperation, collaborative efforts with China in the lead would ensure greater interdependence in the region and reduce influence on Western markets. China’s OBOR initiative seeks to address connectivity issues linking vulnerable trade routes of the region. While India continues to oppose the grand strategy citing ‘national security threats’, it might serve to attract increased inflow of infrastructural investment for the region and improve accessibility to Central Asia. Owing to the corridor’s geographical position where the Belt and Road meet, the CPEC is expected to combine South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East and China together, and benefit directly about 3 billion people in the region. Based on this, it could function as a bridge in advancing the Belt and Road initiative after being well developed and successfully operated. The CPEC project has risks as the infrastructure passes through areas with huge disputes. Another possible area of cooperation

involving China’s active involvement is in revitalizing the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) along the lines of ASEAN Plus Three (APT) which include members of ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea. By following a regional approach as opposed to each South Asian country developing trade and economic relations with China, SAARC would be in a more advantageous position vis-à-vis the influx of Chinese products. The idea of regional integration couldtake a new form with China gradually changing its development mode by introducing own brands and shifting some production-oriented activities to the smaller regional states. If Sino-Indian ties remain crucial to prospects for regional cooperation in South Asia, one cannot overlook the significant positives in the bilateral relations between the two countries. China’s recognition of Sikkim as an integral part of India’s sovereign territory, opening of the Nathula and Jelepa passes in Sikkim and the morethan-billion-dollar annual trade between the two countries provide ample evidence for future improved ties. Admittedly, there have been many flashpoints that have pointed towards deterioration of relations including the border dispute in Arunachal Pradesh,

China’s claim over Tibet and its displeasure over the development loan to India by the Asian Development Bank. More recently, the Doklam stand-off and the tense Maldives crisis have soured the equations between India and China. However, since the initial rapprochement in 1988, Sino-Indian ties have significantly improved. During the Cold War period, with both the Americans and Soviets favouring India, China felt isolated leading it to comprehensively review herpolicy towards South Asia by enhancing relationship with Pakistan. ‘At the end of the Cold War, China redefined her South Asia policy to create space for political influence and enhance trade ties with the region especially India. India seems to be the biggest beneficiary of this policy, as it is only after this that her economic trajectory practically took off.’ In a series of initiatives, the two have agreed to reduce the level of troops on the border (India now has only about six divisions), to delineate the line of control, open up cross-border trade, and build confidence through a series of high-level military and civilian visits. The change in this dynamic stems from China’s adoption of ‘careful neutrality’ on Kashmir. This is because it worries that any political instability or breakaway movement in Kashmir could have spill-over effects in its own Muslimmajority province of Xinjiang and even Tibet, which are proximate to Kashmir.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Labour migration reflects economic and cultural linkages among South Asian countries. Here, India is linked much more deeply than China across South Asia. The remittances resulting from such migration represent substantial economic ties. Around five million South Asian migrant workers in India sent more than $7.5 billion in remittances back to their home countries in 2014, while just twenty thousand workers in China sent $107 million (including to India), according to the World Bank. In the case of Bangladesh, remittances from India inject the Bangladeshi economy with more than $4 billion nearly eight times the value of the $557 million in Bangladeshi goods imported by India in 2014 making remittances a vital economic component of the relationship. However, China needs to realize the significance of resolving pending border disputes with India in order to reap the full benefits of the South Asian market.

RETROSPECT AND PROSPECTS– TOWARDS REGIONAL INTEGRATION

There is a view in China that the resolution of the boundary dispute or its becoming irrelevant will reduce Chinese temptation to support/use Pakistan against India. China has less economic incentives in Pakistan than in India. In this scenario, Pakistan will remain important for China only because of Xinjiang but lose its geostrategic importance in the Indian context. Therefore, it is in China’s interests to make unilateral concessions to its neighbours for the purpose of tapping the full potential of the regional markets.

As far as their views on each other’ respective take on SAARC are concerned, there is mutual interest for increased regional integration. However, it is the nature of the integration that India and China diverges on. While India hopes for a bi-polar power struggle in the region, China appears more inclined towards regional dominance albeit through economic ways. China recognises that India enjoys a natural social, cultural, political and geographical advantage over it but the former is involved in functional ways like its strong security and political motives in Pakistan and Nepal and economic considerations prevail in

Essentially, China will have to increasingly assume a role that has been practiced by India in the past – that is to offer incentives to its neighbours even if at the expense of sovereignty concerns. The post-Gujral doctrine provided the impetus for trade integration through a slew of trustbuilding measures. ‘India gave the ‘most favoured nation’ status to all its neighbours, including Pakistan; kept the borders with Nepal and Bhutan open, actively implemented South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), gave unilateral trade concessions to the least developed countries (LDCs), expanded the list of commodities for duty free imports as

part of a SAFTA plus approach, and ramped up its aid programmes.’ If China can set aside its geo-strategic goals and lay down the economic foundations of SAFTA, there is much potential for progress to be achieved in the region. It would also imply that China, with its vast economic resources, should be in a position to address the trade deficit suffered by its trading country partners. Like India’s forward-looking measures of the late 1990s, China should instil a sense of confidence among its neighbours by offering unilateral trade concessions, if it wants to secure membership in SAARC and more importantly for the success of BRI. India argued that that the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of the BRI, violates India’s sovereignty in Kashmir. It added that the BRI projects are pushing recipient countries into indebtedness, do not transfer skills or technology and are environmentally unsustainable. For China to have any hopes of gaining membership, there is an urgent need for countries, especially India, to change their perceptions about it and at the same time for China to ‘correct’ its position on security issues that could potentially be an impediment for regional integration. The subcontinent’s geography and the size of India’s market make it plain that many BRI projects will be hugely successful if India is part of them. Persistent competition and conflict between India and China on regional connectivity would make many projects of both countries less efficient. However, India and China can and should work out their differences in the interest of the region, which could potentially be one of the most lucrative markets due to its surplus demand and the advantage of having two of the fastest growing economies of the world. ‘The contemporary relevance of SAARC depends on its success in transforming a distinct geographical and civilizational space, with several political units that are not cohesive and are yet to overcome the legacies of colonial rule, into an integrated, modern, prosperous and secure regional community.’ SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SPACE

A Luxury Hotel, 200 Miles Up THIS LUXURY HOTEL WILL BE 200 MILES UP AND $792,000 A NIGHT. IT’S NOT THAT FAR-FETCHED, BUT ONE ANALYST SAYS THE STARTUP’S AUDACIOUS PLAN MAY BE A TRIAL BALLOON TO SEE RESPONSE FIRST. urora Station, billed as the “first luxury hotel in space,” by Houston-based Orion Span Inc. hopes to launch the modular station in late 2021 and welcome its first guests the following year, with two crew members accompanying each excursion. The platform would orbit 200 miles above Earth, offering six guests 384 sunrises and sunsets as they race around the planet for 12 days at incredibly high speeds. Once, such a thing would have clearly been the stuff of fiction. Now, in the age of SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic, the idea that a private company would launch an orbiting hotel seems almost pedestrian. “We want to get people into space because it’s the final frontier for our civilization,” said Orion Span’s founder and chief executive officer, Frank Bunger, a former software engineer. Orion Span’s offering won’t be for everyone, however: Launch and reentry are not for the faint of heart. “We’re not selling a hey-let’s-go-to-thebeach equivalent in space,” Bunger said. “We’re selling the experience of being an astronaut. You reckon that there are people who are willing to pay to have that experience.” Beyond the physical limitations to embarking, there are also the fiscal ones. The 12-day stay starts at $9.5 million per person, or about $791,666 a night. Aurora Station is planned as a 35-by14-foot module, or roughly the interior volume of a Gulfstream G550 private SEASONAL MAGAZINE

jet, according to Bunger. The station would accommodate as many as four guests, plus the two crew. The company requires an $80,000 deposit, which is fully refundable, and began accepting payments recently. Orion Span is assessing potential funding sources to get the endeavor off the ground, but won’t disclose how much it wants to raise for the project, a spokeswoman said. It reflects the type of commercial venture that’s become more common over the past decade, fueled by decreases in launch costs and an influx of venture capital. Since 2015, startup space companies have attracted $7.9 billion in investment, according to Bryce Space & Technology LLC, a consulting firm. “The commercialization of LEO (low Earth orbit) is an exciting prospect, but it will be an exercise in determining what ideas are more real than others,” said Phil Larson, a former space policy adviser to President Barack Obama who worked for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp. He is now assistant dean and chief of staff at the University of Colorado at Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. Orion Span has yet to contract with a launch provider, either for its initial flights to build the station or for customer flights. The startup’s aggressive four-year time frame may be a ploy, Larson said, to assess “what kind of market might be out there for this.” Van Espahbodi, managing partner of Starburst Accelerator LLC, a consulting and venture firm, added that the publicrelations push behind Orion Span may

be an effective way to help the company attract funding, too. Orion Span’s chief architect and operating and chief technical officers are former NASA employees. The company said it’s “developed proprietary technology to drive a full order of magnitude of cost out of the design and manufacture of a space station.” Bunger said the firm’s designs would work with

most of the current launch configurations, such as Arianespace, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance. It could also partner with a government space agency, he said. One reason Orion Span can target a price of less than $10 million per person is because of declining launch prices, Bunger said in an interview. “Everybody’s forecasting that they’re going to fall,” he said. “Almost every week there’s another rocket launch company that’s starting up with a new way to get to orbit cheaper, faster, better.” Indeed, Orion Span joins a growing list of entrepreneurial firms that see cheaper access to space leading to a demand for

“We want to get people into space because it’s the final frontier for our civilization,”

Frank Bunger CEO, Orion Span

more real estate in low Earth orbit. Bigelow Aerospace LLC, founded by lodging billionaire Robert Bigelow, deployed its 8-foot, 3,000-pound inflatable activity module on the ISS in May 2016. In October, NASA extended the two-year service period for the module - which is used for storage - to remain part of the space station until at least 2021. Axiom Space LLC, a Houston-based company also run by NASA veterans, said it plans to launch habitation modules to complement the ISS. Arizona-based World View Enterprises Inc. is developing a fleet of high-altitude platforms, called stratollites, carried by balloons to the edge of space. The stratollites are used for communications, surveillance, weather forecasting, atmospheric research, and other applications. Last week, World View said it had raised a total of $48.5 million. But the new world of commercial spaceflight has yet to launch a human into space, let alone civilians and leave them there for two weeks. Prior to launch, Aurora Station travelers would have three months of training, beginning with online courses to understand “basic spaceflight, orbital mechanics, and pressurized environments in space.” Hotel guests will also have required exercises on spacecraft systems and contingency training at the company’s Houston facility. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SOCIAL MEDIA

ANAND MAHINDRA PROMISES TO FUND FACEBOOK ALTERNATIVE

Amid the Facebook data breach scandal, which has lead to major privacy concerns and has resulted in many leaving the platform, Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra is toying with the idea of an alternative social media platform.

he billionaire businessman took to Twitter to share his thoughts saying, "Beginning to wonder if it's time to consider having our own social networking company that is very widely owned & professionally managed & willingly regulated. Any relevant Indian start-ups out there?If any young teams have such plans I'd like to see if I can assist with seed capital.â&#x20AC;?

of over 50 million Facebook users to develop a computer programme to predict the decisions of US voters and influence them.

This comes at a time when Facebook is in the middle of its largest crisis till date. Cambridge Analytica, which collaborated with the election campaign of Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election, used leaked information

In India, Mahindra and Mahindra has been at the forefront when it comes to innovation and working with startups. It is the first auto-maker in the country to manufacture and have running electric vehicles in the market. It is also

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

US Federal Trade commission confirmed on Monday that it was investigating Facebook and said that it "takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook".

working with Ford to develop new products and connected car solutions. In fact, Mahindra also recently invested in Self-drive car rental start-up Zoomcar India as part of its $40 million in a Series C funding round. Its IT services arm Tech Mahindra too, announced towards the end of 2017 that it plans to bring in at least 20-30 startups each year as partners in the areas of networking, communication technology and virtual reality. This is part of its programme TechM Next, where it looks for startups from India, Silicon Valley in the US, UK and Israel that have innovative and disruptive ideas that the company can incorporate in existing business areas.

START-UP

By Pete Jaison

WHY IS UBER EXITING FROM EVERY MAJOR FOREIGN MARKET? Uber’s recent withdrawal from the Southeast Asian market shortly followed by news that they are in talks with Indian taxi-aggregator Ola for a similar exit strategy, has been baffling indeed. However, a thorough analysis of the global exit decisions Uber has made over the past 24+ months, shows us a unique pattern that Uber is setting – Start the trend, attract the competition and withdraw (with a large chunk of the country’s market!) ber’s talks with Ola regarding selling its Indian business (Cab-sharing as well as food delivery), should come as no surprise. If this deal does go through, it will be the fourth time in the last 2 years that Uber has exited a foreign market after securing a juicyshare from their closest domestic competitor. This strategy makes a lot of sense from two angles. Firstly, all the involved companies have a mutual (and largest) shareholder – Japan’s Softbank. Secondly, this cease fire will put an end to a probable war of attrition from another local rival, just like when Uber exited China and the Southeast Asian market. Normally, an exit of this kindis considered a defeat - A company packing up its bags and running back home with its tail between its legs. But itwould be wrong to write off Uber’s decision of withdrawal as a defeat in these markets. A closeexamination of the deals made by the San Francisco giant, will clearly evidence the win-win nature of these alliances. The exit of Uber from China in Aug 2016, raised some serious eyebrows everywhere. Initially the startup was burning cash at an alarming rate. They spent an estimated $2 billion dollars in two years whilst competing with local rival, DidiChuxing. This rapid cash burn could have been a major hindrance if ever the company decided to go public in the near future. The then CEO, Travis Kalanick, stated shortly afterwards that achieving profitability was the only way SEASONAL MAGAZINE

to build a sustainable business and serve Chinese riders, drivers and cities well in the long run. Despite the huge investment made in China, the total percentage market share of Uber was less than 20 to Didi’s 80. Competing with such a strong local rival would not only drain Uber of more resources but would also ultimately turn into a battle they would not have been able towin. At least not in the short run. This, coupled with the notoriously inaccurate nature of

Google maps in China (which Uber completely depends upon), was seen as one of the biggest disadvantages they faced. Uber had to bow out, but they did so on their terms. Uber’s Chinese business was sold to Didi, with a new combined business which was now worth an estimated $35 billion, and Uber walked away with a 20% share in it. Uber’s exit from Russia was a lot more predetermined than their exit in China. Uber merged its business in Russia and

in its neighboring ex-Soviet republic countries, with Yandex, a Russian techgiant popularly known as the ‘Google of Russia’. Uber invested a total of $225 million into the new venture, while Yandex invested $100 million. The merger marked Uber’s expansion into Russia and was approved by the country’s Federal Antimonopoly Service, , (FAS), as long as the company didn’t bar its drivers from working for competing services. Uber walked away with a share of 36.6% in the newly combined business, thus marking their second withdrawal from a global market. Theirmost recent exit from the Southeast

provide close to 45 million rides a day, which is close toabout 50% of the entire online cab sector! Whilean Ola-Uber partnership looks inevitable in the coming months, much credit must be given to Uber’s chiefs for successfully brokering deals in markets where Uber could not take over, and crown themselves as the market leader. In India for example, Uber is constantly in locks with Ola and this competition has driven the domestic taxi fares to an unsustainable low. This, coupled with Uber reducing driver benefits of late, hasmade the San Francisco giant’s challenges in India proliferate. Both Ola and Uber are operating at huge losses in India and while a merger will definitely shoot up the taxi fares, it is important to understand that such a strong monopoly will ultimately be detrimental for the end consumers. But from Uber’s viewpoint, India is just another country where they are making

Asian market by selling their operations to Singapore based rival Grab, was their third ‘successful exit’. Uber gets a 27.5% share in the new business, while successfully leaving another moneybleeding country ahead of a potential planned IPO in 2019. The biggest winner in all these deals is obviously Softbank Group Corp., who are majority stakeholders in Uber, Grab, DidiChuxing and Ola. According to Softbank officials, these companies

The exit of Uber from China in Aug 2016, raised some serious eyebrows everywhere. Initially the startup was burning cash at an alarming rate. They spent an estimated $2 billion dollars in two years whilst competing with local rival, DidiChuxing.

massive losses. Merging with an equally strong domestic rival will not only put an end to the countless issues they are facing, but will also help them gain a significant stronghold in yet another country. That being said, India remains one of Uber’s biggest markets and Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi even stated that Uber India can surely grow by 5x or even 10x in the next 10 years, with significant investment. When prodded about the potential merger with Ola, he plainly added that the company will look at any deals that can add value to its partners and shareholders, but still believes in ‘controlling their own destiny in India’. This makes this potential semi-merger even more interesting than Uber’s previous ones. Uber still wants to have a say in its business operations in India and permitting a local competitor to run the show in one of their biggest markets is definitely not something they are looking at. Whether this becomes a red flag for Ola to pull the plug on the deal is still uncertain. Uber clearly sees immense potential in India. However, though it has done enough to make itself a likeable household name in the country, overthrowing a domestic rival like Ola while continuing with these jawdropping low fares, is near impossible. Perhaps an Uber-Ola merger isexactly what the company needs - A strong domestic partner to tackle domestic issues, while Uber can go back to focusing on markets where the playing field is more understanding, and prepare for their highly awaited IPO. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

PRIVACY

WhatsApp Under Fire on Serious Privacy Issues EXPERTS CAST DOUBT ON PRIVACY FEATURES OF FACEBOOK-OWNED WHATSAPP, AS PEOPLE CAN BE ADDED TO GROUPS VIA PUBLIC LINKS OR DIRECTLY BY AN ADMINISTRATOR. acebook-owned WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging service with over 200million active users in India, might not be as secure as being claimed, with experts raising questions about certain provisions of the user agreement wherein most of its wrongdoings would go un-remedied and un-challenged. WhatsApp, which has one billion users globally, is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India. It was acquired by Facebook in 2014. "One-to-one communication between users are encrypted and may be as secure as WhatsApp claims. But the metadata, information about the calls, is likely being mined by the company," Vivek Wadhwa, a top American technology entrepreneur and academic, told PTI. "WhatsApp has admitted that it is sharing information about identity and device information with Facebook, allowing it to do the dirty work in snooping on users. "What I found most worrisome is that WhatsApp's group chat feature allows any group member to mine data like Cambridge Analytica, and what is worse, they reveal mobile numbers. So people can be harassed off the platform," he said. Experts cast doubt on privacy features of Facebook-owned WhatsApp "WhatsApp users take the company at its word that 'Privacy and Security is in our DNA'. It clearly isn't. There are major design flaws in its chat features," he alleged. People can be added to groups via public links or directly by an SEASONAL MAGAZINE

administrator. Even though the group gives a notification of a new member, they may only have a phone number or name and not know who they are. Any member can record conversations from the time they enter the group. They have the phone numbers of people making comments, Wadhwa said. "A friend told me that he and his family had joined a group which became much

larger over time and he worried that his children were being contacted by strangers because of what was discussed in that group," Wadhwa said. On the question of saving information, he said WhatsApp is being two-faced. To Facebook, it provides sensitive device information. To the authorities, it claims that it can't decrypt conversations, he said. Noting that almost one-quarter or

more of the world's population is using WhatsApp for free - services that cost the company money for paying for its employees, plants and IPRs production, eminent New York-based attorney Ravi Batra said that it makes money by harvesting user data and using it in conjunction with others including Facebook. "There is an old saying: There is no free lunch. Yet, there is a new brave digital world - that is free to use, and the costs and profit of providing the free services must come from 'mining' the habits and data connected to each User. "Each human being is only born with a unique finger print, or other genetic material. But how a human being lives, works and plays - each step and act - is as unique as that fingerprint. That is why it's so profitable to mine user data, so those who wish to sell anything to a

FURTHER, USER GIVES WHATSAPP FREE USE OF USER'S PROPERTY AND INFORMATION, IN EXCHANGE FOR USING ITS MESSAGING SERVICE. user know what the user will want, when she will want it - maybe even before the user does!" Batra said. Referring to the user agreement, Batra said the users of WhatsApp agree to waive a court of law, with a judge and jury, and instead, accept a decision by an arbitrator - who is not bound to follow the law.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A friend told me that he and his family had joined a group which became much larger over time and he worried that his children were being contacted by strangers because of what was discussed in that groupâ&#x20AC;?

"Moreover, user agrees to dis-associate with any class action or group-based actions - which means that since most users will suffer a small monetary damage, the cost of seeking damages or vindication far exceeds the benefit of getting damages or vindication. Net result to user: it isn't worth fighting WhatsApp," Batra told PTI. Batra said WhatsApp is quite upfront that what belongs to the user - while still owned by user - can be freely and fully used by it without paying any fee.

in the federal or state court in the said county. Make sure to get a visa from the US Embassy and book a hotel for two-three years," he said, thus indicating that for all practical purposes an user in India cannot drag WhatsApp to court. According to the terms of the agreement, an user in India agrees that they will resolve any claim they have with WhatsApp "relating to, arising out of, or in any way in connection with our Terms, us, or our Services (each, a 'Dispute', and together, 'Disputes') exclusively in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California or a state court located in San Mateo county in California, and you agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating all such Disputes".

Further, user gives WhatsApp free use of user's property and information, in exchange for using its messaging service. According to him, by practically making the retention of lawyers economically impossible, most wrongs would go un-challenged and unremedied.

"In order to operate and provide our services, you grant WhatsApp a worldwide, non-exclusive, royaltyfree, sublicensable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, display, and perform the information that you upload, submit, store, send, or receive on or through our services," the user agreement says.

"If a user, not a resident of the US or Canada, is lucky not be subject to arbitration, then user agrees to travel to San Mateo county in California and sue

Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to an email from PTI on the questions raised by these experts. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

PRIVACY

FACEBOOK MESSENGER SEES YOUR CHAT PHOTOS, READS ALL YOUR PRIVATE MESSAGES FACEBOOK SCANS THE PHOTOS AND LINKS YOU SEND ON ITS MESSENGER APP. DONE WITH A DUBIOUS CLAIM OF DETECTING CONTENT THAT VIOLATES STANDARDS!

Messenger conversations are private, Facebook scans them and uses the same tools to prevent abuse there that it does on the social network more generally. All content must abide by the same "community standards." People can report posts or messages for violating those standards, which would prompt a review by the company’s “community operations” team. Automated tools can also do the work. “For example, on Messenger, when you send a photo, our automated systems scan it using photo matching technology to detect known child exploitation imagery or when you send a link, we scan it for malware or viruses,” a Facebook Messenger spokeswoman said in a statement. “Facebook designed these automated tools so we can rapidly stop abusive behavior on our platform.” Messenger used to be part of Facebook’s main service, before it was spun off into a separate application in 2014. Facebook’s other major chat app, WhatsApp, encrypts both ends of its users’ communications, so that not even WhatsApp can see it -- a fact that’s made it more secure for users, and more difficult for lawmakers wanting information in investigations. Messenger also has an encrypted option, but users have to turn it on.

acebook Inc. scans the links and images that people send each other on Facebook Messenger, and reads chats when they’re flagged to moderators, making sure the content abides by the company’s rules. If it doesn’t, it gets blocked or taken down. The company confirmed the practice after an interview published earlier this week with Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg raised questions about Messenger’s practices and privacy. Zuckerberg told Vox’s Ezra Klein a story about receiving a phone call related to ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. Facebook had detected people trying to send sensational messages through the Messenger app, he said. “In that case, our systems detect what’s going on,” Zuckerberg said. “We stop those messages from going through.” SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Some people reacted with concern on Twitter: Was Facebook reading messages more generally? Facebook has been under scrutiny in recent weeks over how it handles users’ private data and the revelation struck a nerve. Messenger doesn’t use the data from the scanned messages for advertising, the company said, but the policy may extend beyond what Messenger users expect. The company told Bloomberg that while

Facebook is on the defensive after revelations that private information from about 50 million users wound up in the hands of political ad-data firm Cambridge Analytica without their consent.

The company updated its data policy and proposed new terms of service on Wednesday to clarify that Messenger and Instagram use the same rules as Facebook. “We better explain how we combat abuse and investigate suspicious activity, including by analyzing the content people share,” Facebook said in a blog post. Facebook is on the defensive after revelations that private information from about 50 million users wound up in the hands of political ad-data firm Cambridge Analytica without their consent. Zuckerberg has agreed to testify before the House next week and is holding a conference call on Wednesday afternoon to discuss changes to Facebook privacy policies. The company is working to make its privacy policies clearer, but still ends up with gaps between what it says users have agreed to, and what users think they actually agreed to.

POLITICS

FORMER ALLY NAIDU SAYS INDIA WILL REJECT BJP BJP WILL SOON BE REJECTED BY THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, SAYS FORMER ALL AND ANDHRA CHIEF MINISTER, CHANDRABABU NAIDU.

DP president Chandrababu Naidu has asked the party's MPs to intensify their protest in New Delhi for special category status for Andhra Pradesh. In a tele-conference with TDP MPs, Naidu said, "BJP is running away by repeatedly adjourning the House for these many days. If Parliament is adjourned sine die, MPs must meet President. BJP is acting on the lines of divide and rule." Today was the last day of Parliament's second part of the Budget Session.

yesterday, Naidu said it was an example of the party's collusion politics. "In the past, some natives used to collude with Britishers. In the same way, YSRCP is now colluding with Centre," he said in the statements. TDP MPs yesterday protested in Rajya Sabha chamber and refused to leave even after the house was adjourned for

the day at around 2.30pm. The members were in the night around 8.15 pm marshalled out along with the party's Lok Sabha MPs who held protests in the Central Hall in solidarity. The TDP parted ways with the NDA last month alleging failure in fulfilling the promises made in the State Reorganisation Act.

In Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister led a cycle rally of his ministers and TDP legislators protesting the Centre's attitude towards the state, vis-a-vis the imple mentation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. "Already people of AP are not accepting BJP. Soon, there will be a day when the BJP will not be accepted by the entire country," Naidu said in a statement issued by his media cell. "We will not step back until assurances made in the Rajya Sabha including Special Category Status and provisions of AP Reorganisation Act are fulfilled," he said. Responding to YSR Congress MPs not taking part in a protest held by his party MPs in the Parliament complex

"WE WILL NOT STEP BACK UNTIL ASSURANCES MADE IN THE RAJYA SABHA INCLUDING SPECIAL CATEGORY STATUS AND PROVISIONS OF AP REORGANISATION ACT ARE FULFILLED, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

POLITICS

WHY INDIA SHOULD BE WARY ABOUT CHINA'S KRA CANAL IN THAILAND

THAILAND'S THAILAND'S KRA KRA CANAL CANAL PROJECT PROJECT IS IS CHINA'S CHINA'S MASTERPLAN MASTERPLAN TO TO SECURE SECURE BEIJING'S INTERESTS, ASSERT INFLUENCE IN ASEAN ASEAN AND AND THE ENTIRE INDIAN OCEAN REGION.

hina's economic ambitions are once again giving rise to fears in India. The cause this time is the over 200-year-old plan to build the Thai Kra Canal cutting Thailand into two, which is seeing a resurgence in Thailand. According to reports, a national committee has been proposed by the Thail Canal Association to examine the feasibility of the $30 billion project. Led by former Thai army chief General Pongthep Thesprateep, the proposal is said to have been backed by several former military figures influential in the country's ruling junta. Noticeably, the project would cut the travel distance for ships moving between the Andaman Sea (India) and the South China Sea by some 1,200 kilometres. This should be a welcome news for not just India but every other SEASONAL MAGAZINE

economy whose ships currently ply through the crowded Strait of Malacca. This begs the question then: why are global economies worried about the Thai Kra Canal becoming a reality? The answer has everything to do with China's involvement in the Kra Canal. The first mention of the canal comes from during the reign of the Ayutthaya Period when Thailand was known as Siam, with proposals to link the two

AFTER INITIAL SURVEYS, ENGLISH ENGINEERS GAVE UP THE IDEA. BUT IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO PUBLIC MEMORY WHEN THE FRENCH ASKED THAI KING RAMA IV FOR PERMISSION TO BUILD THE CANAL.

coasts in the south of Thailand. But the Kara Canal name comes from the Ratanakosin period (in the second half of the 19th century) when Britain asked Thailand's King Rama I for permission to construct the Kra Isthmus Canal at Ranog - Lung Suan, which is the narrowest part of Thailand. After initial surveys, English engineers gave up the idea. But it was brought back to public memory when the French asked Thai King Rama IV for permission to build the canal. The king, however, did not give permission for fear of losing the area on the Malay Peninsula side. In 1872, Britain conducted another survey during King Rama Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reign and concluded that construction is possible. The project, however, didn't move beyond that. In 1882, the French asked for permission once again but were denied again.

Malacca and Straits. If constructed, the Kra Canal would eat a major chunk of the traffic currently flowing through the Strait of Malacca. While trade and reduced travel time are being portrayed as major reasons to push the Kra Canal, that it would help Chinese ships move without fearing any blockade from US allies that surround the Straits of Malacca, is hardly a coincidence. Thailand believes the Kra Canal would bring new economic opportunities to its shore, which includes more jobs during and after the construction as well as revenue from the movement of ships. But according to Indian diplomats, the Chinese stand to benefit the most, not just because it will be building but also controlling it. As a Business Standard article pointed out, Longhao, a Chinese construction company which is among several firms lobbying the Thai government to move forward on the Kra Canal is planning to bring over 30,000 Chinese workers to build the canal. That could impact Thailand's hopes for creating new jobs through the canal. Lognhao is the same company involved in the Chinese government’s controversial islandbuilding work in the South China Sea.

The Kra Canal is an important part of China's Maritime Silk Road, a constituent element of its ambitious One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative which aims to connect China with markets in the West Asia, Africa, and Europe via both road and sea route. Though China has been presenting it as a boon for the global economy, its selfish reasons can't be overlooked. For centuries, the Malacca Straits, which sees over 84,000 ships pass through it every year and accounts for 30 percent of global sea trade, have served as a gateway between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean and as a route for economies to move goods between the two. Once built, the Kra Canal would not only cut both the distance as well as time for ships to move between the two seas, but also the dependency on Straits of

Though Longhao has proposed to build two offshore islands to serve as berths for ships, warehouses, and even entertainment hubs, China's personal gains from the project are too vital to be ignored, especially since it will also be financing the project through OBOR. Everyone knows how China's financial help turned out to be for Sri Lanka when mounting debts forced the country to hand over the Hambantota port to China.

FOR CENTURIES, THE MALACCA STRAITS, WHICH SEES OVER 84,000 SHIPS PASS THROUGH IT EVERY YEAR AND ACCOUNTS FOR 30 PERCENT OF GLOBAL SEA TRADE, HAVE SERVED AS A GATEWAY BETWEEN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND THE INDIAN OCEAN AND AS A ROUTE FOR ECONOMIES TO MOVE GOODS BETWEEN THE TWO.

Thus that the project not only endangers Thailand's sovereignty — a worry that the Thai Canal Association has been underplaying — but also risks Bangkok's relations with Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, who stands to lose the most from it. As Stratfor argues, the canal is more likely to divide the revenue rather than bring additional revenue. Besides, a cost-benefit of the Kra Canal may not be as high as the Chinese and the Thai Canal Association has made it out to be. Analyst Gary Norman argued in this article that the "canal would require to generate $4.57 million in revenue per day to pay for itself within 20 years. This equates to an estimated price of $115,000 per passage, assuming a throughput of 40 ships per day." Considering passing through the Straits of Malacca costs nearly $1,20,000 (at the highest level) per ship, the saving doesn't appear very enticing for ships to take a China-controlled route. Thailand should also consider the environmental impact of the project and to its tourism industry, which generates around 3 trillion Thai Baht for the country annually and is ranked number three in the world, according to a report of the World Tourism Organisation. The proposed route will pass some tourist attractions in the South, including Phuket and Krabi, says Thailand's news portal, The Nation. China has been seeking support from other ASEAN countries in order to push for the construction of the plan. In fact, the project claims that it would open a new shorter route for them (ASEAN) to connect with markets in West Asia, Europe and Africa. But seeing how Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore stand to lose via this project, and reiterating the previous point, the Kra Canal is more of China safeguarding its interests than that of Thailand's or ASEAN. In the meanwhile, the Kra Canal also poses a security threat for India. When looked along with the other infrastructural projects that China has been developing in the Indian Ocean Region, the Kra Canal project translates to nothing but an assertive China whose reach to the Indian Ocean has been cut short by 1,100 kilometres. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

CONTROVERSY

FACEBOOK'S SECRET PLANS TO PROCURE AND MATCH USERS' MEDICAL RECORDS REVEALED As though the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal wasn't enough, a new report states that the social giant was also planning to gather medical information from a few hospitals. The mission also roped in a secret doctor.

he company was in talks with top hospitals, about a proposal to share data about the social networks of their most vulnerable patients. Facebook has been reportedly talking to numerous health organisations, including Stanford Medical School and American College of Cardiology, regarding the user-datasharing agreement. As though the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal wasn't enough, a new report states that the social giant was also planning to gather medical information from a few hospitals. The mission also roped in a secret doctor. Facebook has been reportedly speaking with hospitals last year to gather information about users’ health data. Reported by CNBC, the aim is to collect the anonymized patient’s data and match it up with the user data it had SEASONAL MAGAZINE

collected. As part of a proposed research project, the anonymized data includes patient’s illnesses and the prescriptions allotted to them by their respective hospitals.

"This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analyzed anyone's data," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC.

However, the research project has taken a pause due to the ongoing Cambridge Analytica's data breach debacle. Since the debacle was about collecting users data and 'selling' it to the political gains, this other project might have halted for a while.

Facebook has been reportedly talking to numerous health organisations, including Stanford Medical School and American College of Cardiology, regarding the user-data-sharing agreement.

FACEBOOK HAS BEEN REPORTEDLY TALKING TO NUMEROUS HEALTH ORGANISATIONS, INCLUDING STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY, REGARDING THE USER-DATA-SHARING AGREEMENT.

The company claims the data shared would be anonymous that means not knowing any user/patient’s name or whatsoever. Using a proposed computer science technique named “hashing” the collected anonymous health data would match the user data set that the company has collected. Facebook says all this data would only be collected for medical community research only. As mentioned on CNBC, “For instance,

if Facebook could determine that an elderly patient doesn't have many nearby close friends or much community support, the health system might decide to send over a nurse to check in after a major surgery.” With the ongoing scenario, this proposed project would have raised concerns amongst the users; since their data is being collected might be misused similar to the Cambridge’s data breach scandal. According to CNBC, this investigative effort of sharing medical data was led by an interventional cardiologist called Dr Freddy Abnousi and this proposal was under the purview of Regina Dugan, the head of Facebook’s “Building 8” program. Freddy's role on his LinkedIn account states that he is 'leading top-secret projects.' Facebook provided a quote from Cathleen Gates, the interim CEO of the

American College of Cardiology, explaining the possible benefits of the plan:

had issued a statement, when asked about the plans of the initiative, which states,

"For the first time in history, people are sharing information about themselves online in ways that may help determine how to improve their health. As part of its mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health, the American College of Cardiology has been engaged in discussions with Facebook around the use of anonymized Facebook data, coupled with anonymized ACC data, to further scientific research on the ways social media can aid in the prevention and treatment of heart disease—the no. 1 cause of death in the world. This partnership is in the very early phases as we work on both sides to ensure

"The medical industry has long understood that there are general health benefits to having a close-knit circle of family and friends. But deeper research into this link is needed to help medical professionals develop specific treatment and intervention plans that take social connection into account."

privacy, transparency and scientific rigour. No data has been shared between any parties."

work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analyzed anyone's data." "Last month we decided that we should pause these discussions so we can focus on other important work, including doing a better job of protecting people's data and being clearer with them about how that data is used in our products and services."

On the other hand, health institutions are utterly careful on sharing patient’s data due to the stricter federal privacy and state laws. Keeping this mind, Facebook proposed to obscure personally identifiable information, such as names, in the data being shared by both sides. However, in early 2014, there have been reports that Facebook has manipulated thousands of several user's news feeds to apparently study whether certain types of content made people happier or sadder. Facebook later apologised for the study. Furthermore, the health policy experts have raised concerns about the privacy of the users, with this Facebook’s collecting health data initiative. According to CNBC report, Facebook

"With this in mind, last year Facebook began discussions with leading medical institutions, including the American College of Cardiology and the Stanford University School of Medicine, to explore whether scientific research using anonymized Facebook data could help the medical community advance our understanding in this area. This

Initially, this proposed collection of user-health-data project’s primary focus was on cardiovascular health of the patients; however, people are still concerned about Facebook collecting their data and they still believe that the data might be in jeopardy. Facebook has recently admitted that information of up to 87 million people, mostly in the US, may have been improperly shared with the British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

FITNESS

THE LATEST IN WEIGHT LOSS: TIME RESTRICTED FEEDING Our excess weight contributes to a variety of health problems. Despite enormous enormous effort over decades, the problem has proved extremely difficult to solve. Biologist Satchin Panda thinks we're missing a key variable: Instead of focusing so much on what we eat, he says, we should pay more attention to when we eat.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

researcher at the Salk Institute in San Diego, Panda argues that eating within a certain time window each day can help people lose weight and may help prevent illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In animal studies, he and others have shown that limiting food intake to a period of eight to 12 hours can boost cognitive and physical performance, and may even lengthen life span. Known as timerestricted feeding, or TRF, the approach is simple: Eat more or less what you want, but don't consume anything before or after the allotted time. Panda argues that humans' circadian rhythm is not designed for a world with 24-7 access to food. "If you're eating all the time, it messes up that pattern," he says. For many if not most Americans, that pattern is deeply out of whack, and many of us eat from early morning until late at night. It is not clear whether TRF works in humans the way it seems to work in lab mice. For one, mice and humans have very different circadian rhythms. Mice are nocturnal and sleep more than once a day. They also live for only two or three years. "It may be that for a mouse, a 16-hour fast is the equivalent of a twoor three-day fast for a human," says

Courtney Peterson, a nutrition scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who is doing research on TRF in humans. In addition, Peterson and others say, some of the benefits of TRF may stem from decreased consumption due to the shortened eating window: It's not really surprising that cutting out the afterdinner drink and the late-night sundae is good for weight loss and overall health. And, in fact, studies in humans and animals have found that TRF helps both mice and people eat fewer calories. Panda first got interested in TRF 15 years ago, while studying the genetics of circadian rhythm. His research on mice revealed that over the course of a day, hundreds of liver genes turn on and off cyclically. The liver plays a central role in metabolizing calories, and it turned out that most of these cyclic genes were involved in eating and digestion. This led him to ask whether mice - and humans, too - were programmed to eat according to a certain circadian schedule. In 2008, he began examining how mice responded to different feeding schedules; to his surprise, TRF had powerful health benefits. The researchers compared two groups of mice, both of which consumed the same number of calories. One group was limited to an eight-hour window, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

while the other could eat at any time. After four months, the eight-hour mice weighed 28 percent less than the anytime eaters. "When we saw the results, they were so unexpected," he says. "Even I didn't believe it." He had his students independently repeat the experiment three times; all of the results were similar. Using the same model - two groups eating an equal number of calories, but on different feeding schedules - he found that TRF mice had normal blood sugar levels, while the unlimited-schedule animals developed Type 2 diabetes. Since then, he has shown that TRF can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. In addition, mice restricted to an eight- or nine-hour eating window could run for twice as long as those that ate on a normal schedule.

"Just by changing when we eat, we can have an effect on obesity and these related problems," Panda says. at breakfast (oatmeal or cereal, for instance) than they do at dinner (hamburger, fries and dessert).

"TRF is an interesting and valuable idea, but it's not proven that it works in humans," says nutrition researcher David Allison, dean of the University of Indiana School of Public Health. "There is some evidence to suggest that it might be useful for some things. But it's extraordinarily complex to actually nail this down."

Some evidence from research involving humans indicates that TRF has benefits even when people don't eat any less. In a study that is soon to be published, Peterson examined eight men with prediabetes, a condition in which people are close to being diabetic but not quite there. Researchers prepared all food in the study, and the participants ate it under supervision. The men tried two schedules: eating all their meals between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Compared with the 12-hour schedule, the six-hour window significantly lowered blood pressure and improved insulin sensitivity, the ability to process glucose.

Overall, he says, the evidence indicates that eating most of your food earlier in the day is probably healthier than eating most of your food later in the day. He also notes that there are many complexities to the issue, including the fact that most people eat healthier food

"We were really excited about the results," Peterson says. "It was a small study, but it was done extremely carefully." In a similar study, also not yet published, she looked at 11 overweight people who followed the same two regimens. Although those in

the six-hour window did not increase the overall number of calories they burned, they did increase the amount of fat they burned and reduced levels of a key hunger hormone called ghrelin; these metabolic changes might make it easier to lose weight and body fat. "I think that within 10 years we will have some really clear guidelines for meal timing," Peterson says. "But we are in the early stages of this research. There is a lot more work we need to do." In 2015, Panda looked at the eating patterns of 156 adults; more than half spread food consumption over 15 hours or longer, while only 10 percent consistently ate within a 12-hour window. He followed up with eight of these people, who were overweight and typically ate for 14 hours or more a day. When the subjects were limited to a 10hour window for four months, with no other restrictions - they could eat whatever they wanted - they lost weight, slept better and had more energy. Panda is now starting a study that will eventually include thousands of adults worldwide. Using a custom smartphone app that allows people to take photos of what they eat and immediately send them to researchers, he will be able to more accurately track which foods people eat. Using this data, he will examine whether TRF can improve weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, joint pain, sleep, anxiety and inflammation. Panda says that mice and humans - and probably most organisms - are not built to simultaneously ingest food and metabolize it. "Everything cannot happen at once," Panda says. "The body can't take in calories and break down calories at the same time." He and other circadian scientists say that many if not most animals have evolved to consume food according to the 24-hour solar cycle. For humans, this rhythm involves eating during the day and sleeping after sunset. With the advent of electric lights, refrigerators, microwaves and 7-Elevens, millions if not billions of us have jettisoned this pattern. But the circadian rhythm of our metabolism still expects us to stop eating at sundown. This mismatch between modern society and programmed biology can lead to myriad

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

health problems, Panda and others say. It is not clear exactly how TRF works, but it seems to trigger several molecular changes. It increases the activity of mitochondria, which provide energy to cells throughout the body; it boosts levels of ketone bodies, molecules produced by the liver during fasting, which are a powerful source of energy and are especially useful to muscle and brain cells; it also raises production of brown fat, the "good" fat that helps the body burn more energy. Together, these mechanisms allow the body to generate more energy and metabolize calories more efficiently than unscheduled eating. TRF is just one of several approaches that involve fasting. Scientists are also looking at intermittent fasting, which typically involves eating every other day, or eating for five days and then fasting for two. Valter Longo, a gerontologist at the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, has focused on an approach in which people eat very little for five days at a time, several times a year. Other researchers are examining

calorie restriction, which requires reducing calorie intake below normal levels, for months, years or longer, in hopes of triggering a variety of beneficial physiological responses. Studies of animals and humans have found that these regimens can have benefits, including weight loss, lower rates of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, and, in some animal studies, significantly longer life span. All of these strategies have some similarities to TRF, Panda says, with one major difference: They are much more difficult to follow. Whereas TRF involves relatively minor adjustments in how most people already eat, intermittent fasting and calorie restriction often require hunger and discipline for long periods. This, he says, is why TRF has potential as a public health strategy. In a society where Big Gulps and Big Macs are ubiquitous, unhealthy eating and obesity are very hard to avoid. TRF, Panda contends, offers a simple, relatively manageable alternative. "Just by changing when we eat, we can have an effect on obesity and these related problems," Panda says. "This can really

move the needle." Panda himself has adopted TRF and says he's seen benefits: lower blood sugar, weight loss, better sleep and more energy. He now uses a modified version, in which he eats breakfast at 7 a.m., skips lunch and has dinner with his family at around 7 p.m. In essence, he has two long fasts a day, between meals and overnight. Others around him have adopted the classic TRF regimen, including his 15-year-old daughter, his mother and several graduate students in his lab. He says his mother had prediabetes before starting the diet; since then, her blood sugar has dropped significantly, to a healthy level. So far, TRF has not caught on widely. Peterson, the UAB scientist, is one of the early adopters. Five to seven days a week, she limits her consumption to a six- or seven-hour window, usually eating between 8 a.m. and 2 or 3 p.m. She says she has more energy, feels a bit calmer and doesn't feel particularly hungry in the afternoon or evening. "You have to adapt to it," she says. "When I first started trying this, I found 10 hours was hard. Now, six hours seems easy." SEASONAL MAGAZINE

AUTO

DRIVING THE NEW SMALLEST RANGE ROVER THE NEW 2.0L DIESEL ENGINE ON THE EVOQUE IS THE SAME AS ON THE JAGUAR F-PACE AND JAGUAR XF BUT WITH A MUCH BETTER-TUNED GEARBOX. THE NEW ENGINE IS LESS A BIT LESS POWERFUL THAN THE OLDER ONE BUT FEELS ONLY ON PAPER. IT MAKES 180 HP AND 430 NM OF TORQUE. many ways, Range Rover Evoque bought in a style statement in the luxury SUV space and wasn't a bad choice to drive it down during the chaotic auto expo days to and fro in the infamous Delhi/NCR traffic. Land Rover and Range Rover line-ups haven't been so good looking until the arrival of the Evoque in its line up. The SUV got a facelift in 2016 and in 2017 the company replaced the 2.2L engine with a new 2.0L four-cylinder engine from the Jaguar Land Rover 'Ingenium' family. The style got a much needed mechanical change but the luxury, and its offroading capabilities remain the same.

The new 2.0L diesel engine on the Evoque is the same as on the Jaguar FPace and Jaguar XF but with a much better-tuned gearbox. The new engine is less a bit less powerful than the older one but feels only on paper. It makes

Range Rover Evoque does not offer the sport feel but it wasn't built for that, however, at top-speed, the drive is sturdy and keeps asking for more. The new upgrade on the Evoque is worth that extra cost. At about Rs 50 lakh it is the best looking SUV to buy. But the SUV does not offer as much as space at that cost. The baby Range Rover has managed to delight its customers and has been reporting growth. The company bringing in the convertible RangeRover Evoque to India itself shows JLR India's confidence on Evoque SUV. Land Rover

WE GOT THE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE HSE TRIM AND THE STRONG INTIMIDATING DESIGN OF THE SUV MAKES A BOLD STATEMENT AND INCREASES THE DRIVERS' CONFIDENCE IMMEDIATELY.

We got the Range Rover Evoque HSE trim and the strong intimidating design of the SUV makes a bold statement and increases the drivers' confidence immediately. It is the smallest SUV in the Land Rover family but looks very proportionate and now brings in a better efficient engine along with the start-stop system to the popular Evoque.

180 hp and 430 Nm of torque. The SUV delivers enough power when required. However, the steering felt a bit on heavier side on low-speeds despite reduced engine weight. The pick-up is fast and the overall drive is silent. There is a lot of power at lower RPMs.

SUVs have traditionally been known for its large size and off-roading abilities, Range Rover in specific attract more luxurious features. However compact dimensions of Evoque and a well-tuned engine makes the smallest Range Rover big of driving fun.

Range Rover Evoque has been upgraded to the latest infotainment system that looks more compact and has been placed perfect position. The touchscreen

The nine-speed gearbox developed by ZF is fun but a bit disappointing at low speeds and misses that quick shift required and is about a second late.

Range Rover Evoque is certainly going to attract the young first time SUV buyer and the new upgrades will ensure smiles in this SUV even in traffic.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

is smooth and responsive and also supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The SUV now is better than before and provides a sense of comfort while driving. We drove the SUV for over 100kms for over 5 days in heavy traffic and smooth driving conditions and the Evoque was a delight.

START-UPS

HUDDLE KERALA SHOWCASES KERALA'S STARTUP POTENTIAL KERALA SUCCESSFULLY HOSTED ASIA'S LARGEST STARTUP CONCLAVE 'HUDDLE KERALA' THEREBY PROVIDING A PLATFORM TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS WITH WORLD-CONQUERING IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS. uddle Kerala, the State government’s ambitious initiative to give a leg-up to the start-up entrepreneur community concluded here recently with several potential investors expressing faith in Kerala’s technological advancements and promising to support the fledgling enterprises with investment and mentorship. Twelve investors, 40 start-ups from outside Kerala and 120 mentors participated in the inaugural edition of the conclave, organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IAMAI Startup Foundation. The two-day event also attracted some high networth individuals (HNIs), who showed their keenness to tap the potential of Kerala’s start-up ecosystem. Dianne Dain, head, United Nations Technology Innovation Lab (UNTIL),

who was the chief guest at the valedictory session, said the organisation is planning to collaborate with the Kerala government and KSUM for resolving various issues connected with start-ups. State IT Secretary M. Sivasankar said the government planned to hold a larger event next year with the participation of more start-ups, experts and other stakeholders. Jithendra Singh Minhas, CEO, Internet and Mobile Association of India Startup Foundation, termed Kerala’s start-up ecosystem as one poised for growth thanks to the support being given by the State government. Anil Joshi, founder and managing partner, Unicorn India Ventures, one of the prime investors in Kerala Startups, said the company has already invested in four companies and would invest in two more start-ups ‘very soon’, possibly in two companies. Manoj Kumar Agarwal, CEO and co-founder, Sea Fund, said his company would also be

investing in the Kerala-based start-ups in sectors such as health care, real estate, operation automation and robotics and hoped that the start-ups in the State would move outside and get into new markets. Out of the 50 start-ups that pitched their products at the conclave, 10 were shortlisted and three emerged winners. Clapresearch, Humble Innovations and SignNEXT won the first, second and third place, respectively. In the Huddle Kerala Hackathon held during the conclave, My Visual Passport, My Farm and Smart C bagged the first, second and third place. Rohin Malhotra's Nimble Labs won a grant of ?7 lakh in the national level pitching of start-ups held by the the Internet Mobile Association of India (IMAI) in the IoT platform while Spiqi, start-up by Jai Vikram, and Switch on, a company of Anirudha Banerjee, bagged the second and third prizes

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

IPO

FLEMINGO TRAVEL RETAIL IPO

7 REASONS WHY FLEMINGO IPO CARRIES PROMISE hen one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest duty-free chains goes for its IPO in India shortly, it will be the first opportunity for Indian investors to invest in the duty-free business with an international footprint. Running 308 duty-free shops in 119 locations across 26 countries, the Dubai headquartered Flemingo Group is today a truly international operation. But its India connection has dominated ever since Atul Ahuja was roped in to start its Indian operations SEASONAL MAGAZINE

in 2003 and when the country foray became so successful that by 2012 he bought out a majority stake in Flemingo. Leadership in Indian market has prompted the firm to go for its Rs. 2600 crore India IPO. Backed by institutional investors like Samena, Cartesian, Samara, Albright & CDIB, the firm has been growing at an explosive pace through acquisitions. Apart from at airports, it runs duty-free shops in seaports, cruise ships, in-flight, ferries and country borders.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

UNIQUE BUSINESS TO BE LISTED Capital markets are always looking for companies in niche sectors to be bullish about. If they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find one, what they value next is sectors with few listed companies. The reason is simple enough to understand. Like in all businesses, in the investment business too, less competition means more prosperity. Flemingo Travel Retail Ltd operates in the niche field of duty free shops in airports. While Flemingo is no monopoly, it is the first time that a duty-free business is set to be listed in India. Even more importantly, it is highly unlikely that any of its competitors in India are at a size or scalability to go in for a listing in the near future. What this means is that if Flemingo is able to run its business profitably, market is going to value it with preference.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

MARKET LEADERSHIP Flemingo runs 308 duty-free stores across the world having an aggregate area of 4.27 lakh sq feet. It is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading travel retailer with operations in 119 locations in 26 countries across the Indian subcontinent, the US, Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere. It is a market-leader in India and Sri Lanka. In India, Flemingo operates 28 duty-free stores across 11 of the top 20 international airports. Like a true leader in this business, it has direct tieups with the finest luxury brands, across its main product categories like liquor, tobacco products, watches, jewellery, cosmetics, toiletries, food, candies, apparel, accessories etc. Depending upon the location and airport it has a wide variety of store formats.

GLOBAL, YET INDIAN Flemingo International was originally incorporated in Dubai, but its India connection has dominated ever since Atul Ahuja was roped in to start its Indian operations in 2003 and when this country foray became so successful by 2012 he bought out a majority stake in Flemingo. Leadership in Indian market has now prompted the firm to go for its Rs. 2600 crore IPO in India itself. Its market leadership in India and its global scale of operations has enabled the company to bid aggressively for dutyfree shops in Indian airports, at rates that are difficult to match by other overseas chains based in Middle East, Far East, Europe and North America.

Flemingo is a duty-free market leader running 308 duty-free stores in 26 countries across the world.

UTILIZATION OF FUNDS Unlike many of the recent IPOs that hit Indian capital markets recently, both from the public and private sector, Flemingo’s IPO is dominated by a fresh issue of shares to raise money for the company. While this will cause significant dilution for the promoters, it shows a bullish company that is raising funds for consolidating its operations across various geographies and for getting ready for emerging opportunities for expansions. Flemingo’s IPO size is likely to be between Rs. 2500 to Rs. 2600 crores. Of this, the firm will issue fresh shares worth Rs 2,423 crore besides an offer for sale of nearly 1.13 million shares by one of its subsidiary firm Flemingo Duty Free Shop Mumbai Pvt. Ltd. The bulk of the proceeds is set to be used for buying back the company’s shares held by the original corporate promoter and to buy out its UK arm.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SOLID INVESTORS Flemingo Travel Retail is backed by noted institutional investors like Samena Capital Group, Cartesian Group, Samara Capital, Albright Capital Management & CDIB Capital International. It was with such backing that the firm has been growing at an explosive pace through acquisitions. However, none of these institutional investors will be selling their shares in the upcoming Initial Public Offer.

Flemingo is a clear leader in Indian airports, operating 28 duty-free stores across 11 of the top 20 international airports in the country.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

EYEING A TURNAROUND Over the years, Flemingo has been growing aggressively through the inorganic route too, by acquiring other smaller duty-free chains. This has cost the company its bottomline performance in recent years. Hence, Flemingo Travel Retail is unique in that it is currently not a profit-making entity even while it is going for its IPO. The company reported a loss of Rs 45.73 crore for the six months ended September 2017 on consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 325.16 crore. Its revenue from operations stood at Rs 599.56 crore for the year ended March 2017, while reporting a loss of Rs 114.26 crore. Due to this, additional SEBI regulations has kicked in, and Flemingo is required to reserved 75% of the issue for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs). Due to this, not only will be the retail component very smaller than usual, but the valuations too are likely to be attractive.

Flemingo also leads in the cruise segment running 186 duty-free stores on-board 60 luxury cruise ships.

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES Flemingo also operates 23 stores at seaports, border-crossing points, downtown diplomatic or military duty-free locations, ferries and operates in-flight stores for 7 airlines.

Unlike many other duty-free chains, Flemingo has been careful to diversify away from the primary focus of airport duty-free. Due to such rigorous efforts, it has already succeeded in opening up an alternative channel for duty-free sales, which has been the stores aboard cruise liners. Today, Flemingo has186 stores on-board 60 cruise ships. In addition, it also operates 23 stores at seaports, border-crossing points, downtown diplomatic or military duty-free locations. Flemingo also operates in-flight duty-free retail operations for seven airlines. The latest initiative from Flemingo has been duty-free retail stores on European ferries, which commenced operation in Poland, last year.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

IPO MAZAGON DOCK SHIPBUILDERS

IMPRESSIVE CAPABILITIES, NEVER BEFORE OPPORTUNITIES

WITH THE NEW $8 BILLION SUBMARINE PROGRAM OF INDIA ALL SET TO COME ITS WAY APART FROM THE EXISTING $3.75 BILLION SUBMARINE PROGRAM, AND THE GOVERNMENT SET TO CORRECT ITS COURSE BY INCLUDING PSU FIRMS TOO IN THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MODEL, INDIA’S PREMIER DEFENCE SHIPBUILDER IS STARING AT NEVER BEFORE OPPORTUNITIES, AS IT GETS READY FOR ITS INITIAL PUBLIC OFFER IN THE MARKETS.

MDL'S ORDER BOOK STANDS AT NEARLY RS. 53,000 CRORES, WHICH PROVIDES FOR ENOUGH REVENUE VISIBILITY FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. IT'S IPO SIZE IS NOT YET FINALIZED BUT LIKELY TO BE BETWEEN RS.1500 TO RS.2000 CRORES.

o marks for guessing which is India’s largest defence ship builder. It is Mumbai based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), a public sector unit fully owned by Government of India and coming under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence. Starting its life as a private sector shipbuilder during British Raj and after getting nationalized in 1960, MDL has many firsts and achievements to its credit. However, the pinnacle of its achievements is undoubtedly the SEASONAL MAGAZINE

successful manufacturing of three Scorpene class submarines, Kalvari, Khanderi and Karanj for the Indian Navy. The Scorpène-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines jointly developed by French and Spanish companies, and now sold by Naval Group of France. It features diesel propulsion and optional air-independent propulsion (AIP). Since its inception, these hightech monsters have been a hit with various countries including Brazil, Chile and India. In India, it was in 2005 that Scorpene design was chosen

and manufacturing was outsourced to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) under the Transfer of Technology (ToT) program, with the deal size pegged at $3.75 billion. The last two of these six submarines will have the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) module that has been developed independently by India’s DRDO. Altogether, the manufacturing of these submarines have proven the impressive capabilities and system integration skills of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders which worked with Naval Group and DRDO effectively. Moreover, the project required indigenisation of parts which Mazagon Dock and Naval Group did painstakingly by identifying and visiting 500 parts suppliers in India, and selecting just 22 of them after stringent screening for quality. However, when India has been planning to procure six more Scorpene class submarines from Naval Group at a cost of $8 billion, it came under the newer Strategic Partnership (SP) program of the government and it was widely expected that private shipbuilders belonging to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group and L&T would be the frontrunners to partner with a foreign technology provider like Naval Group. However, at the last moment, Government has decided to

MDL'S CORE INVESTMENT METRICS ARE QUITE ROBUST FOR A PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKING IN THE DEFENCE SECTOR, WITH ITS RETURN ON EQUITY OR ROE AT AROUND 20% IN FY'2017. WHILE IT NEEDS TO STABILIZE ITS REVENUE AND PROFIT GROWTH, IT ALSO ENJOYS A HEALTHY NET PROFIT MARGIN OF NEARLY 14%.

THE LEADERSHIP OF MDL IS IN SAFE HANDS WITH ITS CMD BEING COMMODORE RAKESH ANAND, WHO RETIRED FROM INDIAN NAVY AFTER A BRILLIANT 30 YEAR CAREER INCLUDING TRAINING IN USSR AND BEING PART OF INDIAN NAVY'S SUBMARINE DESIGN GROUP, AFTER TAKING HIS MTECH FROM IIT BOMBAY. take the project out from the SP Program, and award it on a nomination basis to Naval Group for which Mazagon Dock would be the natural partner. This has come as a shot in the arm for MDL, right when it is preparing for its IPO, as it would provide a clear revenue visibility for many years to come. Moreover, the Ministry of Defence has now made it known that it is trying to enlarge the framework of the SP program, to include PSU units too into its ambit to provide a level playing ground. This will enable MDL to compete more effectively in bagging orders even under the SP program. Despite being a defence sector PSU, MDL does diversified products in ship building. The company's current portfolio of designs spans a wide range of products for both domestic and overseas clients. Since 1960, MDL has

built total 795 vessels including 25 warships, from advanced destroyers to missile boats and 3 submarines. MDL had also delivered cargo ships, passenger ships, supply vessels, multipurpose support vessels, water tankers, tugs, dredgers, fishing trawlers, barges & border outposts for various customers in India as well as abroad. MDL have also fabricated and delivered jackets, main decks of wellhead platforms, process platforms, jack-up rigs etc in its decades long existence, proving its tagline true, ‘Ship Builder to the Nation’. With belligerent neighbours like China and Pakistan, and one of the longest coastlines in this part of the world to defend, Indian Navy can only grow and grow. And since we can’t invest in Indian Navy or Coast Guard, there are PSU companies like MDL as a proxy. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

AUTO

Brezza AMT Launching Soon The new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza AMT versions might be introduced with the 2018 model this month. AMT will be offered with three variants of the car and expect the prices to be at least Rs 50,000 more than the corresponding manual trims, and will compete with Tata Nexon AMT.

COMING, ELECTRIC MERCEDES S-CLASS MERCEDES-BENZ WILL INTRODUCE THE EQS ALLELECTRIC LUXURY SEDAN IN 2020. THE MERCEDESBENZ EQS WILL A ZERO-EMISSION EQUIVALENT OF THE TOP OF THE LINE S-CLASS.

he EQS will not just be an electric S-Class, project head of Mercedes-Benz large cars Michael Kelz said. The Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan will sit at the top of the Mercedes EQ electric vehicle (EV) range which made its debut in 2016 with Concept EQ has since spawned three different concepts including the EQA hatchback, the EQC SUV, as well as the smart EQ fortwo and EQ forfour. ver since its launch, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has been missing out on an automatic option and a petrol engine. The former issue now seems sorted as the Vitara Brezza will be offered with an optional AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) soon. The AMT option will be offered with Vdi, Zdi and Zdi+ variants of the mini SUV. The new AMT trims will most likely be launched with the 2018 model. Powering the new Maruti Vitara Brezza AMT will be the same 1.3-litre DDiS, four-cylinder diesel engine that propels the existing model. This engine is good for developing respective power and torque outputs of 89 bhp and 200 Nm. Other than the AMT, the car gets a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. The new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will get safety features like an ABS (Anti-Lock Braking) and dual airbags standard across all the variants. Aesthetically, the 2018 model will get some significant changes. For instance, the new Vitara Brezza will get fresh colour options and there will be more chrome at the front and rear compared to the existing model. There will be new 17-inch alloy wheels on offer as well. There have also been reports that Maruti is planning to introduce a petrol version of the Vitara Brezza but that does not seem to be happening anytime soon. After launch, the new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will compete with the likes of Tata Nexon AMT that has been launched recently. The AMT versions are expected to cost at least Rs 50,000 over the price of the corresponding manual trims. Since the Ford EcoSport does not have an AMT at present, it won't be a direct rival for the Vitara Brezza AMT. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

The Mercedes EQS will be based on the new MercedesBenz MEA architecture, unlike the S-Class. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is underpinned by the MRA architecture which can only accommodate plugin or hybrid powertrains, and not all-electric ones. Kelz further stated that overhangs would become shorter and wheelbases longer in the future to allow sleek low-riding sedan bodies. This would make them more capable of accepting electric powertrains. Exact details of the EQS powertrain and design remain scarce at the moment, but Kelz also confirmed that the EQS already exists in concept form. We can expect it to carry the same illuminated highlights and digital grille styling from the EQA and EQC concepts. Mercedes-Benz has grand plans for electrification and will have at least three EQ range models in production by 2020, and 10 by 2022.

STOCK

INDIA TO GET EXTENDED STOCK TRADING HOURS

INDIA’S MARKET REGULATOR, SEBI IN A LANDMARK DECISION RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT STOCK EXCHANGES WILL NOW BE ABLE TO TRADE IN THE EQUITY DERIVATIVES SEGMENT BETWEEN 9 AM AND 11.55 PM. THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE CHANGE IS TO BRING THE TIMINGS IN-LINE WITH THE COMMODITY MARKET.

his step was taken with a view to enable integration of trading of various segments of securities market at the level of exchanges from October 1. As of now, trading is allowed from 9.15 am until 3.30 pm. Stock exchanges seeking to extend their trading hours will have to seek prior approval from SEBI by submitting a detailed proposal, the circular said. That should include the framework for risk management, settlement process, monitoring of positions, availability of manpower, system capability, and surveillance systems. Brokerage houses are taking the decision in the right spirits and see investors benefiting in the long run. It will help in bringing down volatility and create more opportunities for investors, suggest experts. “SEBI’s announcement to allow exchanges to extend derivatives trading till

11:55 pm is a positive move. Traders can benefit by avoiding overnight swings and can align their trading to be more in sync with global markets. Longer hours will also bring in more opportunities for traders” said Anup Chandak, Senior Manager for Derivatives Advisory, Sharekhan. Even though the response to likely rise in trading volumes seems mixed but experts feel it could pick up with time. “I don’t think the volumes will go up significantly, what we observed when the market opening was preponed was the same positions get segregated across the additional time frame,” said Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder, Zerodha. On the other hand, Vikram Limaye, MD & CEO, NSE said that it is very hard to predict quantum to increase. “But, I do believe in trade volume after implementation of this circular. Since you are giving the option to trade more time and secondly giving hedging option in the

corporate action after a traditional trading hour,” he said. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, BSE said that globally, the derivative exchanges are already following the extended trading hours. The introduction of the extended hours is a positive development. Limaye of NSE says that it is a good

development for the market since we are moving to in line with global standards. “There are enough examples where derivative market opens much longer time than cash market. So again I would say it is a good move,” he said. Extension of trading hours would bring down volatility in markets and we could avoid wild swings on any given day. It will also give an opportunity to traders to hedge their risk which will lead to avoiding losses and protection of capital, suggest experts. “A small extension or pre/ post market contracts on some contract like international bourses will be par for the course and might bring down volatility, it may also give domestic investors an opportunity to hedge risks overnight wherein only the larger participants had this opportunity up until now, using instruments like SGX etc,” said Kamath of Zerodha.

(Credit: Moneycontrol) SEASONAL MAGAZINE

TECH

Google Search Now Prioritises Mobile Google Search as we know it has moved on, adapts smartphone universe with mobile-first indexing. After carrying out tests and experiments over the past year and a half, Google has begun migrating websites that follow best practices towards a mobile-first indexing. fter 20 years and offering its life-changing services in 123 languages, Google Search has taken a symbolic, yet important step this week. According to an official post by Fan Zhang, a software engineer in the Google Search team, the world’s largest and most influential search service will be placing more emphasis on mobile search. Although this move SEASONAL MAGAZINE

hasn’t really caught the online world by surprise, it’s worth noting that over the past year and half, Google has put great emphasis on mobile search queries. In November 2016, Google announced that it was looking at mobile-first as an important shift in indexing which it takes seriously. After carrying out tests and experiments over the past year and half, Google has begun migrating websites that follow best practices towards mobile-first indexing. Although desktop search continues, the post adds, “We are notifying sites that are migrating to mobile-first indexing via Search Console. Site owners will see significantly increased crawl rate from the Smartphone Googlebot. Additionally, Google will show the mobile version of pages in Search results and Google cached pages.”

THE POST SUMMARIZES ITS UPDATE AS FOLLOWS: Mobile-indexing is rolling out more broadly. Being indexed this way has no

ranking advantage and operates independently from our mobilefriendly assessment. Having mobile-friendly content is still helpful for those looking at ways to perform better in mobile search results. Having fast-loading content is still helpful for those looking at ways to perform better for mobile and desktop users. As always, ranking uses many factors. We may show content to users that’s not mobile-friendly or that is slow loading if our many other signals determine it is the most relevant content to show. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, while they were studying at Stanford University. It was incorporated as a company by the same name on September 4 the same year. Since then, it has diversified into a vast range of services and products such as Android, Docs, YouTube, Chrome, Pixel (and Nexus hardware), among many more.

ECONOMY

WHAT IS AILING INDIA'S GST COLLECTIONS? After the GST collections dipped in February to Rs 85,174 crore from Rs 86,318 crore a month earlier, analysts caution that the figures reported so far are way below projections which will negatively impact the fiscal situation. fter the GST collections dipped in February to Rs 85,174 crore from Rs 86,318 crore a month earlier, analysts caution that the figures reported so far are way below projections which will negatively impact the fiscal situation. The Narendra Modi-led government has already raised the fiscal deficit target for the FY-19 to 3.3%, against the previous plan of limiting it to 3%. M S Mani, Partner, Deloitte India said that the reasons for non-filing of returns by over 2 million registered taxpayers would be an area of concern for the tax authorities. Further, he notes that while GST collections are now entering the stabilisation phase, the expected revenue garnering appears to be taking more time. Even as the tax collections come in

lower than expected, Kotak Securities says that the GST monthly run-rate for FY18 was Rs 917 billion for FY18. “Monthly run-rate of around Rs 1,000 crore and more will be required in FY19,” said the firm. As we come to the end of the financial year, Kotak notes that early buoyancy from compliance improvements is the key to achieve FY19 estimates. Further, the firm is cautious on the fiscal situation until the GST rate picks up. M S Mani noted that while the gradual increase in the percentage of GST return

As we come to the end of the financial year, Kotak notes that early buoyancy from compliance improvements is the key to achieve FY-19 estimates. Further, the firm is cautious on the fiscal situation until the GST rate picks up.

filers is encouraging, it is still quite low as it appears that 30% of taxpayers are not filing returns. Analysts are saying that lower-than-expected GST revenue for the first two months of 2018 might force the government to hasten the introduction of anti-evasion measures such as invoice-matching and reverse charge on transactions with unregistered dealers, besides the e-way bill, which is slated to be rolled out from April 1. A few analysts attributed the fall in collections to fewer working days in the month of February, leading to lower sales and lesser hence lower taxes. Notably, the collection are far below government’s estimates of average monthly collection of Rs 92,000 crore GST revenue every month.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

START-UP

A NEW ONLINE CLASSROOM - PROCKC WITH AN IMPROVED THRUST ON DIGITIZATION, OUR LIVES HAVE CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THINK OF COMMUNICATION, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE WORLD IS LITERALLY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, YOU CAN CONNECT WITH YOUR LOVED AND NEAR ONES FROM ACROSS THE OCEANS; THINK OF ENTERTAINMENT, IT TOO IS ON YOUR FINGERTIPS, YOU CAN STREAM ENDLESS HOURS OF MOVIES, MUSIC AND MUCH MORE. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN CHOICE IN ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE echnology has created choices in our lives. Far from the old days of single post office to a single-brand scooter to singlebrand Television, today choices are aplenty. We owe our comfortable living to this technology revolution.

choice to opt out of the ones we did not like, so we would proxy and somehow struggle later. This is the inspiration behind the design of this portal. We want to offer choices of learning to people who are interested to learn.

But has this revolution impacted all aspects of our life in the same way? Think of education, has it been impacted the same way? Do students have a choice to choose what to learn? Also, the choice of whom to learn it from? No, right. With this as the inspiration, this young portal, launched recently, has set out to do just that.

So how does your portal offer that choice, tell us more about your portal.

Read on to know more about how this change is being brought about. In an interview to this magazine, its founding team member and COO of the company PROCKC VENTURES PRIVATE LIMITED - VIGNESH PRASANNA had this to say: Firstly, the name PROCKC, is it a play on the word PROXY or any particular reason? (Smiles...)Yes, we want to be a proxy for the current education system. As students in college we all have stories of ‘proxy’ attendance. But why we end up proxying our presence is because often we would not like the way that a subject is being taught. But at the same time, for certain teachers, we would ensure our presence because they used to be so good. So, it is not like we hated that subject, but the way it was taught pulled us into classrooms. We had no SEASONAL MAGAZINE

PROCKC is imagined to be a virtual classroom. It is designed in such a way where we can have the experience of a classroom in the virtual world. Our philosophy is keeping the teacher at the center of things. So, we offer a variety of tools for teachers to upload their prepared content on our portal. Content could be in any form; it could be a video lecture, slides with voice over or even just an audio lecture. Students can access the subject and teacher of their choice and access the content for a small charge, which will be the teacher’s earning from the video. So, in this way we are an exchange place for education, where we bridge teachers and students. What are the salient features of your portal? The portal can be accessed only with a free sign up facility to ensure only serious students and teachers are part of this eco-system. Once this is done, a user can roam around PROCKC world (as we call it!) and explore the features on offer. PROCKC works on pay-perview format, this is beneficial to both

the content creator(teacher) and the viewer (student). Most importantly, teachers are central to our scheme of things. So, PROCKC is based on the principle where teachers can earn from their content and also retain their ownership of the content. Currently, we have a functional feature –”YouC” which is a video streaming feature. Secondly, we have “WeC” which is a video call feature and thirdly we have “SoC” a social networking tool. Second and third features are on standby at the moment because we are in the process of integration, which should be completed soon. The beauty of PROCKC is you can find all these features envisaged to be seamlessly integrated in a single portal. Since it is accessible on internet, there is no need to download a particular ‘software’ like we normally do for a video call feature. So basically, you have the power of three distinct applications in a single portal. For a student this would be a costeffective method since, he/she would have had to just access one topic or chapter, why unnecessarily pay for a whole set of ten-twelve lectures just for the sake of one. PROCKC comes integrated with a digital wallet which can be recharged by digital banking. When a student has to view a fresh content, that wallet needs to have sufficient balance. The cost of video will be automatically deducted from wallet and transferred immediately to teacher’s earning account. Describe your current functional feature... YouC is our video streaming feature, where a teacher can upload his/her learning content for free and set the rate that he/she expects from the video. If a teacher cannot decide on the rate, then PROCKC will do it for him/her. Let me explain with an example. Say, a teacher prepares a video lecture on “planet earth”. By logging on to the portal, teacher has to first create a class, which will be teacher’s identity on PROCKC. Just like XYZ tutorial or school in the real world. In that class, teacher can upload any number of content along

with filling in the details of the video like description, who is the target audience etc. Teacher can advertise this video on SoC-social network module to get more students to view the video once integration is achieved. Similarly, a student accessing PROCKC would search for his/her desired content. Student can click on the desired content and get a “preview” of the content. Once the student is satisfied, he or she can consent to pay for the content, which will be deducted automatically from his/her PROCKC wallet. After this the student will be able to view the full video. How beneficial is PROCKC to teachers? Firstly, we are a very teacher-oriented portal. We do not hire or employ teachers. Neither do we purchase their content and re distribute it. We enable teachers to obtain their price for their content. Every teacher is a valuable content creator, but because of lack of avenues, that value was not being realized. For us everyone willing to share their learning is a teacher, be it a working professional, an education activist, a professional teacher or even a student.

Infact, some portals even take away their ownership rights on their content. We feel this a major flaw in the online education segment. We are very clear on this. With PROCKC, teachers own their content and are with us to connect with students.

has to be delivered. Some topics may need two lectures, some may need only one. So, the teacher can design and set the rate accordingly.

Secondly, our features (like the video player) are developed and owned by PROCKC. By using third party applications, what happens is that portals are dependent on the third- party applications’ policies and terms and conditions. Teachers’ earnings are impacted if there are any changes in those policies. This is totally eliminated in PROCKC, where teachers get their earning based on pay per view. Even a single view will guarantee earning for the teacher.

It’s an interesting journey so far. We have recently launched the portal and since then has been gaining a favourable response from teachers. This idea was in my partner’s mind (PRASHANT JOHARI who is the CEO). I had worked on this idea independently very briefly before my corporate stint. we had developed a close rapport since he being my senior in the same organization. So, as providence had it, we discovered that we had the same goal to work to change this education system which we all agree is found wanting in many regards. That is when this entrepreneurial zeal hit us and we quit our jobs and set out on this journey.

Thirdly, since PROCKC has an integrated wallet system, once the student consents to pay, it will be immediately deducted from student’s wallet and deposited in teacher’s wallet. Teacher is eligible to withdraw the earning once it has reached certain minimum amount. Operationally, it is the teacher’s freedom to design the way the content

About your journey so far and future plan...

We held a crowd funding round since we needed funds for development activities. We managed to raise more than our target of 5.8 lakhs from more than a hundred people. So that gave us the confidence, that people were believing in us and our idea. Now that we have launched and gaining customers we want to expand our operations by building a bigger team to handle tougher challenges that we have laid out for us. Currently we are exploring funding options to help us reach our target of PROCKC world! Any final comments... We would urge the esteemed readers to sign up on www.prockc.com and be a part of this disruption in the education system. Alternatively, we would love to hear from you, please write to us at contactus@prockc.com . We have built this for you and we hope you will enjoy your PROCKC world! About the company: PROCKC web portal is product designed, developed and owned by PROCKC VENTURES PRIVATE LIMITED, a registered company and a “startup” recognized by Government of India. Its vision is to facilitate affordable education to everyone. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ONLINE

WALMART & GOOGLE PARTNERING TO BUY FLIPKART FLIPKART ACQUISITION BY WALMART AND GOOGLE PARENT ALPHABET WILL PROVIDE A NEW MODEL BY CREATING A MIXED ON-GROUND-ONLINE ECOSYSTEM DIFFICULT TO REPLICATE EASILY. Flipkart had raised $6.11 billion in equity funding till date, according to data analytics firm Tracxn. Satish Meena, a senior forecast analyst at research and advisory firm Forrester Research, said the investment in Flipkart was a deal that Walmart had been looking for more than 20 years to get access to the Indian retail market. Mr. Meena said that Walmart was not investing in the current performance of Flipkart but was looking at the future addressable market that India would provide in the next 15 years.

almart, the world’s largest retailer by revenue, has almost completed the process to buy a majority stake of up to 75% in India’s largest online retailer, Flipkart, beating rival Amazon, two sources familiar with the deal said. The sources also said that the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company, might also partner with Google’s parent Alphabet in the deal that values Flipkart at about $20 billion. The whole process, including getting various approvals, is expected to take more than two months, they said. “The Walmart-Flipkart deal will be a disrupter in online retail industry in India,” said N. Chandramouli CEO, TRA Research. “Walmart’s partnership and investment in Chinese online store, JD.com, is the model that they will probably be replicating in India as well. “The Walmart-JD.com partnership in China has turned the applecart for Amazon in the country and this new partnership has the potential to do the same in India,” he said. India’s e-commerce sales are expected to grow at a 30% compounded annual growth rate through FY 2027 and touch $200 billion of gross merchandise SEASONAL MAGAZINE

value, according to financial services firm Morgan Stanley. One of the sources said it would be a “data strategy” for Alphabet as it would help Google understand the consumer behaviour of people in India. Last year, Google led a $12.3-million funding round in dunzo, provider of a conversational mobile commerce platform. It manages the discovery and fulfilment of local tasks across categories such as food and grocery delivery, and offline retail purchases. “Google might join forces with Walmart to take on Amazon,” said another source. The deal will also benefit investors, including Japan’s SoftBank, which holds about 20% stake in the company and Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal who collectively own about 10% stake in the firm. “Sachin (Bansal) might exit the company board while Binny (Bansal) is expected to stay [on] at the firm,” said the source. Flipkart declined to comment on the deal. Flipkart recently concluded another buyback of shares worth $350.46 million from investors, a move that is likely aimed at paving the way for Walmart’s stake acquisition, according to data from business intelligence platform, Paper.vc.

“If I am Amazon and if I have to defend my second biggest market which is India (against Walmart) then I have to buy Flipkart, it makes absolute sense,” said Hemchandra Javeri, co-founder, Forum Synergies India PE Fund Managers. “There is so much headroom for the online retail to grow in India that the valuation of Flipkart would appear small after some time,” he said. Ajit Singh, managing director at venture capital firm Artiman Ventures, said: “Here, the rising boats like Walmart and Amazon are lifting the [e-commerce] tide in India.” Mr. Chandramouli said the partnership of the two giants would provide a new model by creating a mixed on-groundonline ecosystem which is difficult to replicate easily. “Not only will Flipkart get access to nearly 2,000 of Walmart’s products exclusively but Walmart will also get the well-established e-tailing delivery system that Flipkart has sharpened over the years, giving it logistics support throughout India.” “We are also likely to see another disruption that will come with the Walmart-Flipkart partnership. Due to Walmart’s strong base in grocery, this entity is also likely to go very aggressive on selling grocery products online very soon, and apart from giving Amazon a run for their money in this area, online grocery retailers like Bigbasket, Grofers are likely face the brunt of it,” Mr. Chandramouli added.

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

VIT UNIVERSITY

Walking the Talk

VIT VELLORE CAMPUS SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Leadership in entrance examination standards, campus placements, research outlook, scholarships and start-up incubation have ensured that VIT University is the benchmark to beat when it comes to private sector engineering institutions in the country. No wonder then that UGC granted graded autonomy to VIT recently based on its high NAAC Score, while NIRF has given it 16th rank among universities as well as engineering colleges in India.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Dr. G. Viswanathan Founder and Chancellor

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

ngineering colleges and varsities across India are finding waning interest among new applicants. But VIT Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineering entrance test - VITEEE 2018 results are just out, and the numbers speak for themselves. The test itself is one of academic Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest events, every year. The exams for Bachelor of Technology (BTech) courses had been conducted from April 4 to 15 this year across 124 cities across India as well as Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat and Qatar. VITEEE 2018 was conducted for admissions to over 20 B-Tech degree programmes. The entrance exam was held for admission to these programmes offered by VIT at its Vellore, Chennai, Bhopal & Amaravati (AP) campuses. The results are prepared through a transparent equipercentile equating method. Over 2.2 lakh students had applied for admissions for just over 5,000 seats at the various VIT campuses. The profile and geographies of this South India based deemed university's entrance rank winners are also telling. Kalash Gupta, a student from Delhi state has secured the first rank in VITEEE-2018, while the 2nd rank went to Sarikonda Ananda Ramarao of Telangana, and 3rd rank was to Anirudh Panigrahi of Odhisha.The next ranks until 10 are from Karnataka, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. The students who are able to clear the entrance examination will be granted admissions to courses offered at VIT's four campuses - VIT Vellore campus, Chennai campus, VIT-Bhopal campus and VIT-Andhra Pradesh campus.Even in these difficult days for engineering education, how is VIT University able to attract so much interest for its BTech programs? There are several answers to this riddle. Firstly, VIT University excels when it

coming to campus placements. Even while jobs growth is down in India, and most engineering institutions have trouble in placing most of their students, VIT just goes on to break new records in campus placements, year after year. VIT has been featured in the Limca Book of Records thrice for the highest number of campus placements done from a single Institution by a single company. How this has been possible is by staying industry relevant by regularly updating its course content or curriculum in consultation with industry experts, academic scholars and even bright students who keep abreast of the next generation of technologies. Secondly, VIT University excels in research outlook, and is a de facto leader in research accomplishments among the private sector universities of India. In fact, it is ambitious enough to compete with leading public universities whose research is funded by government. Thirdly, VIT University has one of the most sophisticated as well as pragmatic start-up incubator programs that has already accelerated the development of many student projects into start-up companies. The university also excels in not only forging tie-ups with reputed foreign varsities, but making practical use of these tie-ups to break new ground in innovation. For instance, VIT has forged a strong partnership with Purdue University, Indiana, USA on the technology and artificial intelligence sectors, to develop an app called the Chat Analysis Triage Tool (CATT), the app aims to detect the mental state of the people who think of sexually abusing children, emphasizing the growing importance of data analysis and artificial intelligence. The tool would help the law enforcement wing filter out and focus on sex offenders most likely to set up face-toface meetings with child victims. Lastly, VIT University is the undisputed leader when it

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

comes to student scholarships. While most universities in the private sector are waxing eloquent about their scholarship programs, only a handful of them have come forward with transparent numbers. VIT became prominent among them recently, when it disbursed over Rs.12 crores in scholarships to 4187 of its deserving students in a public function. Under the G V School Development Programme central and State board toppers would be given 100 per cent fee waiver for all the four years. Candidates with ranks upto 50 would be given 75% tuition fee waiver, Rank 51 to 100 would be given 50% tuition fee waiver and Rank 101 to 1000 would be given 25% tuition fee waiver. VIT Students here also get to participate in the best conferences

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

100

like the recent 16th International Conference on Science, Engineering and Technology (ICSET) hosted by VIT. No wonder then that UGC granted graded autonomy to VIT recently based on its high NAAC Score, while NIRF has given it 16th rank among universities as well as engineering colleges in India. It was established under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956, and was founded in 1984 as a self-financing institution called the Vellore Engineering College. The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development conferred University status on Vellore Engineering College in 2001. The University is headed by its founder and Chancellor, Dr. G. Viswanathan, a former Parliamentarian and Minister in the Tamil Nadu Government.

or Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), there are many reasons to celebrate. VIT, although primarily known for its Vellore campus, had recently opened a fully functional campus at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. The foundation stone of its underconstruction Bhopal campus was laid down couple of years back and the varsity has not looked back ever since. VIT offers academic programs in Engineering, Technology, Applied Sciences, and Management. It offers 20 undergraduate programs, 34 postgraduate, four integrated MS courses, and four doctoral programs. VIT consolidated its disciplines into 10 Schools of Study with the addition of the VIT Law School at its Chennai campus. VIT featured in the Limca Book of Records thrice (2009, 2011, 2012) for the highest number of campus placements done from a single Institution by a single company. VITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership has never known to be restive and have even engaged with foreign state leaders for educational opportunities. Recently, VIT Founder and Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan called on Dr. Ali Mohamad Shein, President of Zanzibar, who also the chancellor of the State University of

Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates VIT-AP University Academic and Hostel Blocks in Amaravathi Zanzibar - SUZA. VIT plans to support Zanzibar's endeavour to develop skilled technical manpower to the nation and also to their economic development. He also invited Mr. Danny Faure, President of Seychelles recently and discussed possible areas of cooperation between VIT and Seychelles. The institute is open to the idea of training teachers of Seychelles at VIT. In the recently-released NIRF Ranking 2018 list by MHRD, VIT Vellore ranked 8th in the Research and

VIT Founder and Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan with Dr. Ali Mohamad Shein, President of Zanzibar

Professional Practice (RPC) sections. With an overall rank of 29 and a RPC score of 50.09, VIT was second only to the better-funded IIMs and IITs. In the RPC parameters, there were 4 sections: Combined metric for Publications (PU), Combined metric for Quality of Publications (QP), IPR and Patents: Filed, Published, Granted and Licensed (IPR) and Footprint of Projects and Professional Practice and Executive Development Programs (FPPP). "We at VIT, are focused and committed to provide excellence in fundamental, applied research, development of innovative technologies for the future. VIT has executed many major R&D projects and consultancy services to Government agencies, public and private sector industries and international institutions. VIT's research strength lies in the strength of Faculty, Research Scholars and Students in addition to extensive 14 modern research centers and collaboration with leading academic and research organizations within and outside the country. The Office of SpoRIC at VIT which serves as the coordinating office for externally funded research and Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy SEASONAL MAGAZINE

101

services assist faculty and professional research staff in their efforts to secure and ensure proper stewardship of support and funding.", said Mr. G. V. Selvam, Vice President, VIT Vellore. Even when engineering colleges across the country have faced a problem of admission shortfall, VIT has only experienced a problem of over-demand for its seats. "The question of VIT not getting students ever arises. Over 2.2 lakh students applied for admissions for just over 5,000 seats at the VIT. Last year, 2.1lakh had applied. The number is going up every year. If you do your job properly, make students employable, you will get admissions," said VIT VC Anand Samuel. Samuel said financial accountability and transparency is a must to win the trust of students as well as for developing centres of excellence. "At VIT, receipt is issued for every single penny taken from student. This money is put back in building the institute stronger. This should be done by all universities and colleges," he said. On making the course relevant, the institute is constantly upgrading the syllabi after each semester to keep students industry ready. The varsity also holds the unique distinction of being one of the first in India to implement the Fully Flexible Credit System (FFCS) which gives the students flexibility to make their own time tables by choosing the subjects and the faculties under whose

VIT BHOPAL CAMPUS

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

102

SANKAR VISWANATHAN, VICE PRESIDENT (CHENNAI CAMPUS) guidance they want to study. He added that VIT holds at least four meetings of academic council in a year to review the syllabi. "Content is based on industry needs. We also have quality circle meetings. Students and faculty discuss how it must be designed. If students feel something must be added to the syllabus it is done," the VC said. Samuel added that VIT is also leading in research. "We give lots of importance to research. We encourage students and teachers by offering extra pay, incentives, cash awards and promotions. If a teacher is good at teaching but not at research the promotion is held up." Research

DR. SEKAR VISWANATHAN, VICE-PRESIDENT (IN-CHARGE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PLACEMENTS AND AP CAMPUS) centers in VIT are part of the process to encourage collaboration between the research and coursework areas and provide an opportunity for students to participate in research projects. He added, "All of our research papers are included in Scopus Index Journals. VIT has maximum publications on Scopus from India. 120 to 150 undertake research at VIT every year while 150 PhDs are awarded annually," Although VIT has dropped in the overall rankings among the top engineering institutes, it still retains pole position as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top private engineering institute. â&#x20AC;&#x153;IITs have

got better ranks this year. The only difference between VIT and the central institutions is research. They are getting funds from governments. We are trying to tie-up with the industries to get funds,” said G.V. Selvam, vicepresident, VIT (Vellore Campus). He further said VIT is focusing on quality of research, students and teachers. Vellore Institute of Technology’s Business Incubator (VITTBI) was envisioned as a support system for creation of knowledge-based startups. It provides seed funding (through TDB and DST grants), innovation funding through the TePP programme of DSIR, incubation grants through MSME and technology commercialisation support through TCFA programme of TIFAC, and facilitates raising angel investment

G V SELVAM,VICE - PRESIDENT (VELLORE CAMPUS)

DR. ANAND A. SAMUEL VICE CHANCELLOR

VIT CHENNAI CAMPUS

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

103

through various angel networks. It supports firms in biotech, pharma, food processing and manufacturing sectors.

Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology (VVIT) took part in the event.

As VIT continued to lead among its peers in mathematical research, its AP campus organised a national workshop on MATLAB (matrix laboratory) and ANSYS by the Department of Mathematics. The workshop comprised of two-day sessions conducted by industry experts from MathWorks and Entuple Technologies, the leading developers of MATLAB and ANSYS software in India.

With respect to foreign tie-ups, VIT has forged a strong partnership with Purdue University, Indiana on the technology and artificial intelligence sectors. Recently, there was a visit by delegates from Purdue University and members of Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) to take stock of the appâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development.

The workshop drew faculty and research scholars from various science and engineering disciplines. The participants from four states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, and more than 16 different institutes including National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal, NIT Karnataka, Anna University, Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU), and SEASONAL MAGAZINE

104

Called as the Chat Analysis Triage Tool (CATT), the app aims to detect the mental state of the people who think of sexually abusing children, emphasizing the growing importance of data analysis and artificial intelligence. The tool would help the law enforcement wing filter out and focus on sex offenders most likely to set up face-to-face meetings with child victims. The CATT allowed the

officers to work through the volume of solicitations and use algorithms to examine the word usage and conversation patterns by a suspect. This was one among the many attempts by VIT to gain a foothold on developing innovative tools. The VIT-AP School of Business (VSB) signed LOI with University of Michigan- Dearborn, USA, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan. Dr. S. Jeyavelu, Dean,VIT-AP School of Business and Dr. Raju Balakrishnan, Dean, College of Business, University of Michigan Dearborn, USA, exchanged the LoI for academic collaboration between the two institutes.

VIT-AP SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (VSB) SIGNED LOI WITH UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

In a boost to its commitment towards society, VIT-AP (Amaravati campus) is organizing summer coaching camp for children of villages that the University has adopted. Some 350odd students drawn from government schools in Inavolu, Velagapudi and Sekhamuru villages became part of the summer coaching camp in sports such as athletics, basketball, football and cricket.

SILVER JUBILEE BUILDING

PURDUE UNIVERSITY, USA

VIT-AP (AMARAVATI CAMPUS) SUMMER COACHING CAMP FOR CHILDREN OF VILLAGES SEASONAL MAGAZINE

105

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

AISECT GROUP OF UNIVERSITIES

STUDY IN ANY FOUR INDIAN STATES, SUCCEED IN CAREER, EQUALLY AISECT GROUP OF UNIVERSITIES ARE TODAY FOUR IN NUMBER, SPREAD ACROSS THE INDIAN STATES OF MADHYA PRADESH, CHHATTISGARH, JHARKHAND AND BIHAR. DESPITE FOCUSING ON THE HINDI SPEAKING HEARTLAND AND RELATIVELY BACKWARD STATES, AISECT UNIVERSITIES HAVE WORKED WONDERS FOR THEIR STUDENTS BY WAY OF CAMPUS PLACEMENTS, RESEARCH OUTLOOK AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AT A SCALE AND PACE THAT WOULD MAKE BIG-CITY BASED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES JEALOUS. he higher education policies of India started allowing deemed and private universities in the country more than a decade back, with the lofty objective of raising the country’s Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER. But how far many of these institutions have done their part in raising India’s abysmally low GER is debatable. One prime reason for this has been the rush to set up these new private universities in India’s metros and other large cities, where the existing Gross Enrolment Ratio was much higher than the national average. The real challenge was to encourage these private universities to set shop in India’s tier-2 or tier-3 cities, or even the semi-urban or rural areas where the GER was the lowest, even below the national average. In the absence of any such mandatory requirement, practically no universities came forward with such a mission as it was far more easier to get students in the larger cities. AISECT Group of Universities belong to a different league, and should be counted among the handful of private universities who rose to meet this challenge voluntarily. Today, under the visionary guidance of its Founder and Chancellor Santosh SEASONAL MAGAZINE

106

K Choubey, AISECT Group of Universities are functioning in four Indian states, specifically in four relatively backward states, and at tier2 and tier-3 cities. There is also another side to this unique initiative. While the government and academic circles lament about the low Gross Enrolment Ratio, the main concern of industries the poor employability of more than half of the professional graduates being churned out by both the government and private colleges and universities. This is where the high placement achievement of AISECT Group of

The reason for this outperformance in placements has been the promoting group, AISECT’s unparalleled experience and expertise in employability training for more than three decades, that is much before it came into the universities scene.

Universities stands a notch apart. Despite serving relatively backward states, AISECT institutions have been able to fare as high as private universities in metros, and in some cases, even better. The reason for this outperformance in placements has been the promoting group, AISECT’s unparalleled experience and expertise in employability training for more than three decades, that is much before it came into the universities scene. Founded in 1985, AISECT takes pride in being India’s largest education, skill development, services and egovernance network. Through sustained and innovative ICT and skills-based initiatives, AISECT aim was to bring about an inclusive change in the previously untapped regions in the semi-urban and rural areas of the country. AISECT has a panIndia presence with a network of 12,000 centres at district, block and panchayat levels across 27 states and 3 Union Territories as well as offices in over 30 cities. Through the plethora of programs, academies and platforms, AISECT has trained over 1.6 million people, generated over 12,000 rural

Mr. Santosh Kumar Choubey Chancellor, AISECT University

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

107

entrepreneurs, created employment avenues within the AISECT network for more than 50,000 people and empowered the lives of over 3 million people through innovative services. AISECT has also pioneered the MultiPurpose Centre Model which has led to a strong presence in over 388 districts, 1,070 blocks and 6,000 panchayats. Their unique business model was even recognized as “the most sustainable and scalable form of IT penetration and popularization in India” in a pilot study conducted by World Bank in collaboration with IIMAhmedabad. With such an impressive background in employability training as well as career placements, it was no wonder that AISECT Group of Universities moved swiftly to forge tie-ups with corporate recruitment partners, and came up with flying colours in their graduate placements too. However, Chancellor Santosh K

AISECT HAS ALSO PIONEERED THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTRE MODEL WHICH HAS LED TO A STRONG PRESENCE IN OVER 388 DISTRICTS, 1,070 BLOCKS AND 6,000 PANCHAYATS.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

108

Choubey has also been farsighted enough to realize early on that the even higher achievement would be moulding entrepreneurs, and today AISECT Universities are among the forefront of all private and public universities in the country when it comes to incubating start-ups. The Group Universities include Rabindranath Tagore University (formerly AISECT University) of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; Dr. CV Raman University of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh; AISECT University of Hazaribag, Jharkhand, and its latest university, Dr. CV Raman University of Vaishali, Bihar. The admission to various courses in these four universities are through a common entrance, the AISECT Joint Entrance Exam 2018, which will be conducted in both offline and online modes for the convenience of aspiring students. The AISECT Group of Universities is India’s leading higher education group whose mission is to establish worldclass, accessible and affordable universities at locations that are in dire need of quality higher education ecosystem. The Group’s core ideology across all its higher education endeavors has been to groom its students into responsible, proficient and ethical professionals. With over

three decades of unparalleled experience in skill development and job placement, the Group offers its students immense opportunities through its extensive industry linkages and expertise in entrepreneurship sector. AISECT Group of Universities’ main focus is on research-intensive educational pedagogy that promotes research on topics concerning local, national and international issues. Housing 7 Advanced Research Centres of Excellence across its higher education institutions, the Group promotes massive in-house funding for various research activities; with over 800 research papers and 50 books credited to the name of its faculty members and scholars’ community. It also publishes 2 inhouses UGC approved Copernicus

one of the leading private universities by Outlook India.

indexed Research Journals. All its universities are recognized under section 2(f) of the UGC Act and Dr. C.V. Raman University is the only private University in Chhattisgarh accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).The efforts of the institutions in imparting affordable quality education in education-deprived areas have been recognized by some of the biggest platforms at national and international level; including the World Education Awards Dubai (2015, 2016, and 2017), ASSOCHAM Excellence in Education Awards 2014, World Education Summit 2014, NIELIT Award 2014, Chhattisgarh Achievers Award 2013, Rajiv Gandhi Achievers Award for Education 2013 and Shiksha Ratna Awards 2012 amongst others. Further achievements

include being ranked as no. 1 Private University in Central India by Careers360 , being featured in the NIRF India rankings, being ranked 2nd on ‘value for money’ parameter by Outlook Money and being ranked as

AISECT GROUP OF UNIVERSITIES’ MAIN FOCUS IS ON RESEARCHINTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PEDAGOGY THAT PROMOTES RESEARCH ON TOPICS CONCERNING LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES.

Universities under this prestigious Group hold a platinum partnership with Microsoft Ed-vantage and extensive linkages with international institutions like ICE WaRM (Australia), University of SIGEN (Germany), NCTU (Taiwan), Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA), KAIST (South Korea), KYIV University (Ukraine), Tribhuvan University (Nepal), Benaka Biotechnologies Inc (USA) and MoI University Eldoret (Kenya). Moreover, owing to the extensive industry linkages the Group has developed over the last three decades, all its Universities are equipped to offer excellent placement opportunities and assistance to students. The admissions into AISECT Group of Universities’ higher education institutions are held on the basis of the AISECT Joint Entrance Examination (AJEE). It is the common entrance test for Engineering, Science, Commerce, Education, Law, Management, Agriculture, Nursing and Paramedical courses across all the universities under the Group. Held in both offline and online modes, the examination enables students to outline the institute corresponding to his/her expertise and interest.

SEASONAL MAGAZINE

109