The City Standard January 28th, 2019- 3rd issue

z ISSUE : 03 z VOL : 01 z PAGES : 12z z Monday, JANUARY, 28, 2019

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT PRAYAGRAJ

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President, Ramnath Kovind along with first lady Savita Kovind performed 'Ganga Puja' as per Vedic rituals amid chanting of mantras by priests.

On his arrival at Bamrauli airport, he was received by Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy CM and a galaxy of cabinet ministers and mayor. He also posed for shutterbugs at Selfie Point. From Bamrauli airport he reached Arail helipad by chopper and boarded cruise to arrive at Sangam. In between, he also visited VIP ghat near Fort.

He is second President to visit Kumbh Mela. In a first, Dr. Rajendra Prasad had set the precedent by visiting Kumbh in 1953. He also met the saints and seers camping in the Mela area. He unveiled the statue of Maharshi Bharadwaj at Balson Crossing. Later, he inaugurated a two days Gandhian Resurgence Summit at the camp of Parmarth Niketan Ashram at Arail side of Mela.

Ram Nath Kovind, has become the second President of the country to visit Kumbh. Earlier in 1953, the first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad visited Kumbh and took holy dip in Triveni-Sangam. This was the second time Kovind was visiting mela area with his family. He and his

Becomes 1st Prez after Rajendra Prasad to visit Kumbh We share extraordinary bond with Siberian birds : Kovind

family members visited the annual second president, who visited Kumbh. In a first, Dr. Rajendra Magh Mela here in Prasad, the first President of inde2018. He inaugurated a two pendent India visited Kumbh Mela days Gandhian Resurgence Summit in 1953. President felt elated over at the camp of Parmarth Niketan the fact that Kumbh Mela is coinAshram at Arail side of Mela by ciding with the 150th birth anniverilluminating lamps. President says, sary of Mahatma Gandhi.

He claimed that the concept and Kumbh is a magnet of faith, which attracts people. He boasted about imagination of Kumbh lies in bonthe proud distinction to become the homie between people. There are

people everywhere in Kumbh. And people form the most significant aspect of this religious gathering.

President said, "Kumbh Mela witnesses an increased inflow of foreign tourists to India. These include our regular 'visitors' - the Siberian birds. The arrival of these annual visitors at Sangam heralds the onset of winters. This year too our visitors have kept their promise

and flocked to Sangam and nearby wetlands. We share an extraordinary bond with the Siberian birds.

The summit commenced and concluded with national anthem.

Women power Nishadraj community was felicitated by first lady Savita Kovind and 50 sarees distributed among them. Dignitaries viewed the ongoing exhibition at Parmarth Niketan depicting the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi.

President was accompanied by Governor, Ram Naik, Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Urban Development Minister, Suresh Khanna, Health Minister, Siddharth Nath Singh, Tourism Minister, Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Civil Aviation Minister, Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', Mayor, Abhilasha Gupta, MLAs, Harshvardhan Bajpai, Neelam Karwariya, Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj of Parmarth Niketan, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar, Juna Akhara, Swami Awdheshanand Giriji Maharaj, president of Akhara Parishad, Swami Narendra Giriji Maharaj, president Harijan Sewak Sangh, Shankar Sanyaal, International General Secretary of JEEVA, Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati, Justice Arun Tandon, Justice Girdhar Malviya and several others graced the occasion with their august presence.

Playing the Pakistan card NEW DELHI Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has levelled a sensational charge against the main opposition party, the Congress. She has told BJP workers that "The Congress leaders are playing dirty politics by seeking help from Pakistan to remove PM Modi's Government", according to a media report. If this is true then it is her duty to bring to book those conspiring with Pakistan for what amounts to high treason and have them put up for trial by a court. She has done nothing of the kind and is not going to either. This mud-slinging is all part of pre-election propaganda by the BJP against the largest opposition party.

This is nothing new. No less a person than the Prime Minister himself had, not long ago, brought an equally sensational charge against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, that they were conspiring with Pakistan to have a Muslim as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Nothing more was heard about it after the Gujarat elections were over. The Prime Minister neither proved his charge nor apologized to the two dignitaries who were targets of a vicious smear campaign.

The ruling party obviously believes that if the charge of collusion with Pakistan is brought against any opposi-

tion leader or leaders, it will immediately "catch on" with the people and the people named will be shamed and rejected by the people without an iota of evidence.

Politicians in their bid to discredit their opponents often lose all sense of proportion.

Otherwise, no sane person can even think of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being hand in glove with Pakistan. But public discourse has become so low that anyone can say anything against anyone and get away with it. Those who make such monstrous charges in public against respected political leaders do not even care to ponder whether what they are saying is being believed by the people.

Such baseless and atrocious propaganda ultimately harms those who indulge in it.

What is more, it destroys the credibility of the political parties and leaders who make such malicious charges without any evidence. The natural reaction of the victims of the attack is to pay back their traducers in the same coin. The net effect is a gradual erosion in the quality of public discourse and a feeling of revulsion of the people against politicians.

Ultimately the people start losing their faith in the democratic system. All political parties should desist from making wild and incredible accusations against their opponents.

Corruption in public sphere 2019 LS polls : Battle lines drawn NEW DELHI The word corruption is so frequently used in public dealings that we need not to redefine it here. We all know what does it mean. However, in ethical sense corruption is the behaviour that keeps at stake all the systemic regulations that are made to realise the societal goals and thereby adopt the shortcuts or under the table ways to get the favours. We are all social beings and we all have to undergo different set of rules to realise our duties. At different levels, we all have a choice to go 'this way' or 'that way'. I have used the term 'this way'here for a straightforward path where the things are taken for granted as per the sophistication of the system but I don't think that all people are able to accommodate with ' this way '. To stick to this way path is full of challenges and it is a longer path. It is the path of few per-

sons for whom truth and righteousness has a place than anything else. Since the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata we have seen how difficult is the path of truth to follow. How much sacrifice Lord Rama had to made to keep the beacon of truth alive and burning. The life of Pandavas was also not a bed of roses. But we all know that howsoever long and difficult the path of the truth but it is the truth that ultimately triumphs.

Let us now discuss the ' that way' attitude. I think we all know that corruption flows from top to bottom. It is not the common masses that are labeled as corrupt. It is people who don't do their duty rightly at some higher rungs of power who are to be labeled as the 'Progenitors of corruption '.

All the common people are just following the rules that they have fixed for these. Who wants to give bribe if one's work can be done within set

limit of time? Who can take bribe if he knows that he will not be suspended but will be terminated from the service once and for all? Moreover, why the judicial process is so slow that we all are afraid of taking legal way to protect our rights? I know that under democratic mode of governance these questions are irrelevant to ask but we can never make any difference from the past if we not do anything to transform our tendencies for 'that way 'attitude into 'this way' attitude.

The policy makers can only make policies and with the aid of bigger think tanks they can come up with awesome policies. But honestly speaking it will never make any difference until some strong and fast judicial system implements the real rule of law. The people who are mis-managing the public money should be dealt severely. As per a survey more than 20 crore people sleep empty stomach every

night due to unavailability of food. But what about those who are responsible for spoilage of ration in stores.

What about those public servants who are found suspects in the irregularities in Midday meal schemes? The rich liquor barrel Vijay Malaya can safely escape from country playing with the banking system but our poor people have to keep everything as mortgage to have a meagre amount of loanor our farmers have to commit suicide due to the burden of debt. This simply shows that all the government policies and facilities are for the welfare of upper section of society. We, at lower rung are simply spectators of our poverty. We have only one duty that is to cast our vote in the hope of someone who can change our conditions for something better. This day dreaming has now grown into such a cheap weapon of politicians that has never happened before.

LUCKNOW

also not enamoured of the idea of joining an anti-BJP front.

The battle lines for the 2019 He wants to play a lone hand general elections are being in his home State. drawn. The first indications This is not a good sign for are that an all-in unity of the opposition parties to take on the ruling BJP, is not going to be realized.

The decision of Mayawati and Akhliesh Yadav to form an alliance keeping the Congress out of it in UP will mean a triangular contest because the Congress will certainly not be satisfied with the two seats of Amethi and Rae Barelly that the MayaAkhil duo has condescended to leave for the Congress. The Left, which still has considerable presthose who want the undemocence in some areas of the ratic rule of the present discountry have yet to make up pensation to be defeated decitheir mind as to whether or not sively and a democratic and they are going to be a part of secular government elected to the Congress-led alliance. power. There is no denying the KCR of Telangana has made it fact that the protagonists of clear that he is trying to float majoritarian rule and another - Federal or whatever. Hinduization of the polity are Naveen Patnaik of Odisha is determined to perpetuate their

rule by any means. It is only a the unity of the political parties which subscribe to the values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution

that can take on the ruling party, their unity based on a common minimum programme. A fragmentation of votes between the Congress and its allies like the NCP on the one hand and strong regional parties in states like UP on the other will only help the BJP.

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Kumbh is a magnet of faith, attracts people globally:Prez

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In the North-East which had recently seen a resurgence of the BJP in State after State, the NRC and the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act has thrown the BJP on the back foot. The AGP has come out of the NEDA and the Assam Government led by Sarbananda Sonowal.

Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, has broken with the BJP. Other North-Eastern States are also dead against the amendment of the Citizenship Act. A comprehensive unity of the opposition parties is the need of the hour. The regional parties should realize that no viable and workable gathbandhan or mahagathbandhan of the opposition parties that can command the confidence of the people is possible by leaving the Congress out of it. The sooner they understand it the better will be the prospect of opposition unity.

RAJEEV RANJAN MISHRA

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PRAYAGRAJ Time has come for the Bharatiya Janata Party for retrospection and to learn from the mistakes committed earlier if it wants to perform exceptionally well in the coming Lok Sabha elections. In 27 Lok Sabha by polls since 2014, BJP has not won a single opposition seat. The BJP has lost eight of the seats that it had won in 2014 to the opposition parties.

But the party has failed to snatch even one seat from the opposite camp in 27 by polls held since Modi wave swept the general elections in 2014. In a spree BJP just managed to win five by poll Lok Sabha seats of the 27 that went to by polls during Modi regime. Recently in the five states and especially its performance in much important states like MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is an indicator of root out of BJP in 2019. Among too many factors that brought 'honorable defeat' to BJP, the over confidence, arrogance, self praise, all time degrading others, all time making mockery of the opposition and above all presentation of exaggerated data on its welfare schemes.

If we have to look for an answer to this question, we need not to obtain the services of the astrologer, like that of appointment to get update of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies and to interpret their influence on

us and to get quick fix any negative force. The BJP is not a celestial formation but a political wing of a non political formation RSS that exerts as mentor and keep BJP dancing to its tunes.

The achievements are enough to predict its future in 2019 especially', when we speak of BJP storming in 2014 and now heading to take up critical test in 2019.

To cite from the Bhagavad Gita that: whatever happened (the BJP assumed power in 2014), it happened for the good (the Congress has surpassed the records of scams and corruptions) and whatever is happening is happening for the good (a change at the political discourse in states has sensed people for a serious thought of their unsighted following and being captured as a prey to booby traps). Whatever will happen (much circumstanced for a change of batons of power in 2019) will also happen for the good (crumbling of hassles from BJP).

In majority the people are disheartened with the propagated hoax development at the root level and for the last man in row. The people are fed up across the country with the tall speeches but hollow in nature. During the intermittent period, since 2014 till date, the people have realised the softness of the language used by Modi himself against then and now Congress presidents. The BJP is blooming because of consolidation of three dynamics i.e. lust (over whelming desire of sticking to musical

chairs), anger (against opposition especially Congress and always talking of rooting it out, hints towards autocracy and greed (A selfish want for something beyond one's need, typically, associated

are not entitled to the fruits of your actions" (BJP have already tasted it in 2004, when India was shining as BJP's fantasy). Otherwise too the ground reality does not synchronise with the claims

with wealth or power). Such situation well explained in Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 verse 21 that: These are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul (Here I take 'self-destruction' as root-out and for the 'soul' as for BJP).

The BJP affirming of its comeback in 2019 on the basis of its performance, but it must visit Chapter 2 verse 47 of The Bhagavad Gita, that refer us to Lord Krishna's word that: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you

of betterment of the common man.

The BJP has mistaken activity with achievement. Its verbosity about its display of exaggerated process involving a great deal of unnecessary time and effort; a fuss is far away from the actuality, forgetting that the only performance that makes it, that makes it all the way is the one that achieves and this aspect is trailing. It is obvious that populist regional parties have flexed their muscles and in situation, when key eco-

nomic reforms are seemingly stuck in the lowland and the government is struggling under an avalanche of corruption charges, economic growth, investment and employment have cooled and inflation still on high rise are bad omens for BJP eyeing on 2019 elections but definitely a call for crumbling of hassles from BJP. According to Aristotle, "Politics is a noble activity in which men decide the rules they will live by and the goals they will collectively pursue". This meaning of politics is long forgotten, thanks to what politics has become. If political leaders had stick to this meaning of politics, we would have better governments and better lives. What we observed during the last four and half year, many self sworn 'democratic' flaunted politicians in BJP have abused their oath of office and fashioned only to enrich themselves, their confident entrepreneur as well as self-described 'reformers' and propagators and the harmony never passed nearby to one and all except some crony capitalists, who flourished like anything. The CBDT data show that there were 88,649 crorepatis in India in 2014-15. Their number has gone up to 1.40 lakh in 2017-18.

A quarry on search engines revealed that India's richest 1 per cent corner 73 per cent of wealth generation. In the year 2017, India's richest 1 per cent held a huge 58 per cent of the country's total wealth. During World Economic Forum

meeting attended by Modi ji held in Davos in 2018, Oxfam India urged the Indian Government to ensure that the country's economy works for everyone and not just the fortunate few. India that was ranking 55 of 76 countries in Global Hunger Index was ranked at position 97 of 118 countries in 2016 that slipped to position of 100 in 2017 and to that of 103 of 119 countries in 2018, India ranking at position 125 of 183 countries in life expectancy index and ranking 113 of 223 countries in infant mortality rate that still falls short of most developed and developing nations. Country stands tagged in poll ranks by Thomson Reuters Foundation, survey of 548 experts on women's issues, as the world's most dangerous country for women.

Concluding the indications compelling us to believe the miracle to happen in 2019 as promised by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 verses 7 that "Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata, abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham" meaning: whenever there is decay of righteousness, O Bharata, and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I myself come forth and verse 8 "Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam, Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhabami yuge yuge" meaning: for the protection of the good, for the destruction of evildoers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age.

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BJP has mistaken activity with achievement

Random Thoughts : RAMBLER

What was common between poet Bachchan and singer K.L.Saigal?

You must be wondering why I have raised this question. Both were great in their respective fields— Bachchan the poet and Saigal the singer.

Bachchan loved Allahabad,had made Allahabad his home and was teaching in Allahabad University. Saigal loved Allahabad because it had given him and his movies rousing reception and because he had also graced the University’s annual Music Conferences which in those days attracted musicians of national fame as participants. They included legends like Aftab-e-mausiqui Ustad Faayyaz Ali Khan, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur and others. The music conferences would start in the evening and continued the whole night, ending at dawn with the rendering of morning ‘raag’. Those were vthe days when youngsters like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Kumar Sachin

ing, ‘Look mother, the great and holy city of Prayag has honoured your son’. How could he not love and adore Allahabad ?

Saigal was loved by my father’s generation. I didn’t care for him initially. But one day I was floored by one song of his and thereafter I became his crazy fan too. I saw some of his movies like ‘Devdas’, ‘Street Singer’, ‘President’ (three in one ticket for the whole night shows during Dussehra), Lagan, ‘Tansen’, ‘Bhakta Surdas’, ‘Shah Jehan’ and ‘Parwana’. Now you would like to know how, why and when I became Bachchan’s fan. So I would like to tell you that I knew him less as a poet but more as a teacher. For full one year I was in his English seminar class in BA final in the session 1954-55 in Allahabad University.

That was his last year here. He was a terror . The poet in him might have

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been loveable. But the teacher in him was very, very tough. He would ask tough questions on Shakespeare, Shelly and Keats with a terrifying , growling smile on his face. He once told me outside the class that our seminar teacher in BA first year, Mr Yadupati Sahai, had told him that I was the brightest boy of the class. He seldom asked me questions. But one day I was caught too. When none else could answer a question, Dr Bachchan focused his attention on me: ‘Now, you will answer.’ His question was interesting. He said that poet Mathew Arnold had the style of putting a word in italics in each line of his verses—the words on which he wanted to lay special emphasis. He said, ‘I will read out a two-line verse to each one of you. You will have to tell me which are the italicized words .’ He started reading out a verse each to the students present one by one.

When none of the boys could answer him correctly, he finally turned to me and said, ‘Now you guess the italicized words’. He read out two lines. I had almost frozen in panic. In that state of the mind, I mentioned first the italicized word in the second line.

He said with that frowning smile.. ’Yes,,, Yes.’ My nervousness disappeared and I then named the italicized word in the first line. ’Yes…yes.. ‘ he thundered, ‘You are right’ .I did meet poet Bachchan when he visited Allahabad sometime after 1975— some 20 years later. ‘Do you recognize me Sir?’ Of course’ he replied and addressed me by name. I told him, ‘Sir your son is making a big name for himself(Sholay was running to packed houses then)’. He exclaimed: ‘And what about me?’ I said, ‘Sir he cannot touch the super-heights of glory which you have achieved. Your poetry is imprinted on our hearts. We can read them whenever we want. Your books are within easy reach, on our bookshelves. But to see your son we have to go to a cinema hall.’ He seemed satisfied if not mighty pleased with my answer.

You will ask me, ‘But where does Saigal come into the picture’. I will give another instance. Saigal sang in New Theatre’s film ‘Pujarin’ in the late 1930ies the song, ‘Jo beet gayi so beet gai, ab us ki yaad sataaye kyon’. And poet Bachchan wrote those famous lines, ‘Jo beet gai so baat gai…toote tare ka kab ambar sog manata hai’.

If this too is not convincing enough then you are bound to agree with this one—the most common thing between Saigal and Bachchan.

Both died on the same day—January 18. But the years were different.

Saigal passed away in 1947 and Poet Bachchan breathed his last in 2003.

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NCR does another 'first' during KumbhMela Goes multilingual with announcements SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

gual announcement system at the actual time when the Mela would be PRAYAGRAJ in progress" said CPRO/NCR. "Our Commercial department set to work In another 'first', the North on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Central Railway administration has pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by devising a system through which announcements made in Hindi can be automatically translated into as many as 6 different languages for the benefit of pilgrims and tourists coming to the KumbhMela in Prayagraj from different parts of country and the world. This has been done to enable non-Hindi-speaking passengers understand the announcements being made at the Railway Stations, passenger enclosures etc.

The system, which runs on software specially designed for this purpose, auto-records an announcement, which is then translated by the specially developed software in 7 languages: English, Gujrati, based system which was a success Marathi, Kannad, Tamil, Malyalam. and which has started working at "We realized very early in our prepa- Allahabad Junction station" he rations for the KumbhMela that we added. would be needing such a multilinCPRO/NCR informed that beside

the languages mentioned above, work is in progress on automatic translation of Hindi announcements in Telugu, Oriya and Bengali also. In the first phase, this system has start-

ed working at Allahabad Junction station at the platforms and in the passenger enclosures since 14thJanuary. In the second phase, it is planned toextend it to Naini and

Allahabad Cheokistations as well as the Sangam area (Railway Camp) before the second main bathing day on the 21st of January. The system has already proven its worth and utility by helping non-Hindi-speaking passengers locate their kith and kin on the station amongst the rush.

In future, North Central Railway authoritiesare planning to develop a face to face enquiry system based on Artificial Intelligence which can be used by non-Hindi-speaking passengers to get answers to their unique queries from personnel manning the enquiry counters of stations.

Needless to say, such an enquiry system would prove to be a game changer and would be of immense benefit to the passengers who visit the holy city of Prayagraj in great numbers every year, and in unprecedented numbers in every KumbhMela. In a nutshell, the multilingual, AI-based, announcement system is another example of how modern technology can be used to greatly benefit people at the grassroots with a little bit of imagination and the administrative will to back it up.

Mukti Caravan campaign for child friendly KumbhMela

High tech exhibition in Sector 6 drawing crowd SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Dev Burman would get just five minutes to display their talents. It was at one such music conference that Bismillah Khan made his debut on a stage show for the first time and mentioned how nervous he was.

You must still be wondering why I am asking as to what was common between Harivansh Rai Bachchan and K.L.Saigal.. One thing common was that people of that generation adored both of them. I can mention one instance. The late Chief Justice and acting Governor of UP, Mr Justice Shashi Kant Verma had, at his residence, on several occasions, invited Harivansh Rai Bachchan as one of his guests in the party. While Bachchanji rendered his Madhushala to the cheering audience, Justice Verma, when asked upon to present something, crooned Saigal’s numbers like ‘Shama ka jalna hai, yan sozishe-parwana hai, chand lafzon mein yehi ishq ka afsana hai’. Both Bachchan and Justice Verma used to be lustily cheered.That was another thing common between Bachchan and Saigal. Dr(Prof)B.N.Asthana, who was contemporary of Poet Bachchan in Allahabad University, is also a crazy fan of K.L.Saigal.

Yes, I said earlier that Saigal loved Allahabad too, like Bachchan.

Have I any incident to recall in this connection? Well, yes. On one occasion Saigal had broken his train journey at Allahabad to listen to the singing idols at the Music Conference which was then going on in Allahabad. Saigal did not want to be noticed. So he quietly sat in an inconspicuous corner in the hall. But by then his film ‘Devdas’ had already become a super-hit movie. Some young man among the audience recognized him. All attention was instantly diverted towards him. The audience wanted him on the stage.

He went there, sang a song or two but the cries of ‘Once more’ went on and on and on till Saigal had to tell the Allahabad audience, ‘The legendary Ustads have to present their recital. I have come to listen to them. Please let us all enjoy listening to them’. On one occasion Ustad Fayyaz Khan himself requested Saigal to sing for him the song, ‘Jhulana jhulao’ (the classical-based song which was the first to be recorded by him and which sold in thousands though he was paid just Rs25 for that by the gramophone company)’. His mother was seated in the front row too.

Saigal rendered the song and so impressed was the Ustad that he immediately made him his disciple.

When Saigal was coming down the stage amidst deafening applause, he hugged his mother, picked her up and revolved with her in excitement, say-

January 28, Monday, 2019

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT states, has been re-launched Kumbh, a child friendly cause of children and this

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KumbhMela is not only witnessing religious and spiritual activities but also generating awareness on cleanliness/swachhta.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) has set up a high tech exhibition in Sector 6 of the Mela at Prayagraj. It contains digital platforms on themes of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister NarendraModi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It also has success stories on cleanliness. Visitors have shown keen interest in the message on cleanliness at the puppet shows organised. A number of visitors have taken Swachhta pledge for their contribution towards a clean environment. Messages and films are being continuously played on a big screen in the exhibition attracting the visitors.

The exhibition will continue all through the mela till March 4th.Guides have also been engaged to guide the visitors in traditional Indian attire. Several dignitaries visited the exhibition including Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharati and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

With the aim of making Kumbh a child friendly Mela, KailashSatyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF), founded

by Nobel Peace Laureate KailashSatyarthi and Mayor, Abhilasha Gupta on Wednesday jointly launched Mukti Caravan, a grassroots campaign on wheels to free children from all forms of exploitation.

Launched from SubhashChowk, this campaign is part of the nationwide movement of the Foundation and aims to generate awareness among masses on issues of child trafficking, child abuse and child labour.

The Mukti Caravan campaign which demonstrated great impact in Bihar and Jharkhand, will be replicated in Prayagraj along with the support of the district administration. The campaign will act as a safety net for the children and will keep a tab on incidents of inter-state trafficking.

"The campaign is part of the nationwide campaign. It will mobilise people on issues of child trafficking and child labour. The aim of Mukti Caravan here is to make the religious gathering a Child Friendly Kumbh (BalMitraKumbh)," said Bidhan Chandra Singh, Executive Director, KSCF. "Mukti Caravan, first launched in 1997 by Satyarthi in many Indian

here with the aim of making people aware about the preventive measures already in place to fight child trafficking, child labour and child abuse," he said.

"Millions of children would be visiting the Mela with their parents and there is a high potential of children

Mela. The awareness campaigns will ensure that people are extra cautious of the exploitative forces that pose a threat to children and be proactive in reporting any such suspicious activities.

Mayor, Abhilasha Gupta said "KSCF has launched Mukti Caravan to spread

going missing or getting lost in the large gathering. Mukti Caravan would be extending its safety net to the children so that they are reunited with their parents," he added. As per news reports, in the 2013 KumbhMela, nearly three lakh people, including thousands of children had gone missing.

The volunteers associated with KSCF will be running a campaign in the Mela premises and in the city of Prayagraj this year with the help of wall posters, banners, folk songs and camps to spread awareness about safety and education of children.

KSCF will be making running these activities to help the authorities in making

awareness on the issues of safety of children. Due to such a large gathering at Kumbh, there are fears of thousands of children getting separated from their parents and landing in the hands of traffickers.

The Mukti Caravan will be extending a security cover to such vulnerable children. It will also curb inter-state trafficking of children."

Gupta flagged off the Mukti Caravan and said, "Children are the future of our country and they will take this country and society to new heights with their sheer talent. We need to simply groom them accordingly.

Mukti Caravan has been doing a great service for the

campaign reunites the lost children with their parents.

The government and the Foundation have come together for the cause of helping and aiding the children for ensuring safety of children in Kumbh."

She further added, "I congratulate KailashSatyarthi Children's Foundation for their services to the cause of vulnerable children and empathising with their parents. I once again appeal to the foundation to step up their good work for the cause of children and keep up the intervention in Kumbh by taking care of children to make this event a success."

Mukti Caravan was launched by Nobel Peace Laureate KailashSatyarthi in 1997 in many states with the aim of emancipating children from traffickers and saving them other forms of exploitation. The movement has travelled more than 4 lakh kilometres and reached out to millions of people. It has been spreading awareness in states with highest incidents of trafficking. The volunteers travel in a group of 10 to 15 people in towns and villages.

They engage with people, spread awareness about trafficking, sexual exploitation of children and child labour with the help of poster campaigns, rallies and small camps. This has been relaunched at the KumbhMela to support the government in ensuring safety of children.

'People' - most significant aspect of Kumbh SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT PRAYAGRAJ 'DivyaKumbh, BhavyaKumbh' sounds true and evident while entering the mela area. A quick sojourn around the area is enough to experience spiritualism prevailing in the air and witness jamboree of religiosity, culture, beliefs and frolic. Yes, you have heard it right! The aura & essence of KumbhMela lies in ensuring comfort of devotees in every step of the way.

There are people everywhere in mela area, who form the most significant aspect of religious congregation.

Right from sadhus to pilgrims and curious foreigners to revellers - everyone get dragged here by tradition and faith. There are another set of people who can't resist being the part of heightened religiosity - the journalists and cameramen who vie for exclusive shots and recall public memory to come up with unique anecdote related to thousands years old tradition.

However, some anecdotes will remain unexpressed and some pictures will never be framed. These stories are of the few hundred people - 'the unwanted,' who break bread, gather water and make their living by the ghats and areas nearby. They do not own stalls in the area but in search of livelihoodand with nowhere else to go, this is their abode."It's uncertain.

Sometimes I sell enough but sometimes I sell nothing at all," says Kaushalya, a native of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. She feeds her five children by selling 'puja items', while her husband works in a roadside eatery.

Like her, several male counterparts also throng the area to sit on the

sandy ground or place wooden trolleys to sell anything from oily snacks, beverages, coconuts and prasadam to necklaces, bangles, photos, idols, tikas, saffron cloths, toys and other accessories. There are some others who have nothing to sell,but need the mela area for shelter. With the commencement of mela, big merchants are

before the authorities come and chase them out," says 56-year-old RakeshAgnihotri, a priest.

These 'unwanted' people often compel their children to dress up in the guise of Shiva, Durga, Kali and Krishna. These little avtaars can be seen trotting with a begging bowl.

Kumbh provides a golden opportunity

setting up their shops and these 'unwanted men & women' have no other but to compete and adopt aggressive marketing strategies to stay relevant and earn livelihood for sustaining their families.

For the many homeless who beg for survival, there is no respite. They will have to find new hunting grounds till the mela is over. They are usually banned from the premises but many still manage to sneak in. "Beggars have been traditionally known to be sent to forests till the mela got over.

These days they leave on their own

to these underprivileged kids to collect "sufficient" amount of money from the vast Sangam area. They beg money from pilgrims and visitors.

Early in the morning, when toddlers of their age group wake up to go to school, they start dressing up like lord Shiva, Krishna,, Ram and goddess Durga. Their parents assist in painting their faces, put wigs, artificial flowers and fake Rudrakash, before tying loincloth of imitation deer skin and put on matching shoes. Once ready, they commence their journey by roaming from one ghat to another begging for

alms.

Families have come from various villages of the Vindhyachal belt and belong to Dhaat community which lives off alms begging at various religious congregations. The children of the families move from one place to another wherever there is a fair or festival.Decked up in traditional costumes, shining small crowns on the foreheads and playing the role of 'baalroop' or child incarnations of various gods and goddesses like Durga, Krishna, Shiva they even perform accordingly. However, there is a price for everything. You talk to them, pick them up in your lap or even click a picture with them for anything starting from Rs 10 or 20, though they ask for Rs 50 to 100.

But the tiny toddlers are always watched closely by their parents who are never far away from them.

"Although we have come here for collecting money which would be of help to us, our kids are more precious and we don't let them go far from our sight," said Kanahi.If you refuse to give them money, these child gods start throwing tantrums. While one brother will start pulling on your trousers, the other will catch hold of your mobile phone. Somehow, they will manage to get money from you.

If you didn't get the opportunity to visit Kumbh, you didn't miss a rave party. However, you are sure to miss out the chance encounter with some of the 'unwanted people.' These 'unwanted people' are so cut off from your psyche that you don't believe really exist.

You might be ashamed of them. You might be disgusted at how they live.

Or you might be saddened by their plight. But the one thing you cannot do is ignore the fact that they exist.

CMYK

CMYK

MY CITY

The City Standard

January 28, Monday, 2019

Taking forward more than 7-decade old legacy of 'Raja Ram Tiwari' SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Pradesh, Chattishgarh and Haryana would be joining us on January 20," PRAYAGRAJ he added.Umesh said that the last three generation of his family had Late Raja Ram Tiwari, the been setting up the camp. The volunfounder of 'lost & found' camp during teers would also be distributing blanKumbhsince 1946, had participated in seven Kumbhmelas before leaving for heavenly abode at the age of 88.

When Tiwari died in 2016, his son UmeshChandra Tiwari took over the organisation and decided to carry forward the legacy by keeping the mission of re-uniting people alive. The 'BholeBhatkeShivir' has been set up sector number 4 of the Mela ground.

The volunteers of the camp have been reuniting people who have been separated from their families every MaghMela, ArdhKumbh and MahaKumbh. Continuing with their decades-old legacy, the organisers of 'BhooleBhatkeShivir' are serving visitors to the Kumbh-2019 with its huge team of volunteers, ever since kets and serving meals visitors who the Raja Ram Tiwari started the camp could not be reunited with their famiin 1946. lies.

"Our volunteers hail from cities According to official records, like Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, 'BhooleBhatkeShivir' founded by Delhi, Allahabad, Kanpur and Raja Ram Tiwari has reunited over Lucknow. We have already reunited 13.5 lakh people, including 61,000 over a dozen missing people with children, with their families till date their families over the last few days," at the MahaKumbh, ArdhKumbh and said UmeshChandra Tiwari.

MaghMelas.

"Another group of 100 volunteers The BhooleBhatkeShivir(s) (lost from states like Bihar, Madhya and found camps) he set up in 1946

have become a vital part of the Mela plan with specially located land allotted to them by the Administration.

"One day my father came across a man who had been lost in the Mela.

He was saddened by his hopeless-

ness. There were no communication facilities and vehicles then. This is where he embarked upon the idea of re-uniting missing people by setting up BhooleBhatkeShiviralong with eight friends," informed UmeshTiwari.

In 1946, Tiwari started out by uniting 870 people. The volunteers of the camps, after receiving inputs about a lost person, announce their details on the public address system.

Pravasi Bhartiyas arriving on Jan 24 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

to 2015 - government incurred an expenditure of Rs. 4000 crore. However, from 2015 PRAYAGRAJ to 2020 - budget of Rs. 20,000 crore has PRAYAGRAJ: Health Minister, been allocated for the purpose. A total of Siddharth Nath Singh informed mediaper- 261 projects were planned after preparing sons that Pravasi Bhartiyas are arriving on DPR and extensive study has been carried out for the purpose. Out January 24 at 9.00 a.m. of 261 projects, 75 are "Nearly, 4,500 NRIs have completed, another 62 registered themselves but projects are in final stage we are expecting the and remaining 124 are in arrival of nearly 2.5K progress. The plan is delegates. Special buses being executed in 97 have been arranged to cities and officials are

Cabinet approves 10 per cent quota for upper caste

ferry them to Tent City. After having refreshment, the delegates will board the cruise to reach Sangam, where puja is to be performed. They will also take holy dip.

Thereafter, they will visit Akshayvat, Saraswati Koop and Bade Hanuman Mandir. Lunch will be hosted at Qila ghat road. They will return by boat to Arail ghat and visit Kala Gram, Sanskriti Gram and vending zone in sector 19," he added.

"Delegates will depart at night to Delhi by train. Escort team, NDRF team and adequate deployment of police is in place to ensure security of NRIs in every step of the way. Proper arrangements have been carried out for baggage scanning. Tourist guides will accompany delegates," informed Health Minister.

He told mediapersons that during cabinet meeting on Friday, 10 per cent quota has been approved for economically backward among upper caste. The House is not in session right now. Therefore, government has adopted the ordinance route for the implementation of quota.

Siddharth Nath Singh inaugurated Namami Gange Stall on Friday. "Ganga Action Plan kicked off in 1985. From 1985

executing the projects on a scientific basis in systematic and organised way to achieve desired results, which is quite time consuming.

Giving information about the 'Nannhi Kali' project implemented in his constituency - Prayagraj (West) in association with KC Mahindra Education Trust (KCMET) with the aim of providing primary education to girls, he said, "the aim is to impart good education from the very beginning to girls from class 1 to 10. The project is being implemented in 17 states across the nation.

Our aim is to ensure that those girls who have dropped out of school due to financial constraints and other factors do not remain devoid of education. Qualitative education to girls is the nerve centre of all our actions and the constant endeavour of team at 'Nannhi Kali' is to spread awareness among parents and every section of society about the essence of education. Imparting education to girls is need of the hour and our team is burning the midnight oil to bring more and more economically backward girls in our fold. Our first step is to take girl's mother into confidence and motivate girl child to study hard for a better future."

By ensuring optimum utilization of cutting edge technologythe camp also circulates photographs of missing persons. "If no one comes to claim the missing persons immediately, we wait for a few days or even weeks.

We ensure that help, food and shelter are provided to them. The unclaimed children are submitted to the child helpline or to the administration. Our volunteers escort the elderly or disabled to the railway stations or bus stations and even pay for their travel home," explains UmeshTiwari.

While most people are united within hours or days, some even take years. However, the number of people who stay lost is few, he adds.The details of the missing, including their photographs and addresses, would be documented on computers and shared with the police stations, making it much easier for the police to track people. The camps, which would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as GPS and web-cameras, are a far cry from the initial camps.

"When the idea kicked off in 1946, Late Raja Ram Tiwari would simply walk round the Mela, shouting the names of the lost persons, with a hand-made tin "loudspeaker" in hand and the chain of lost persons behind him," recalled his son Umesh Chandra Tiwari while walking down the memory lane.

North Indian veg food for Pravasi Bharatiya delegates PRAYAGRAJ

North Indian vegetarian meals will be served to Pravasi Bharatiya Divas delegates travelling to Delhi from Allahabad on board special trains on January 24 after attending the Kumbh Mela in the Uttar Pradesh city. A high-level committee consisting of officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Uttar Pradesh government and the railways made this decision.

The government has constituted the committee to decide on the logistics around the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being held at Varanasi, represented in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from January 21-23. After the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas events, the Indian diaspora will travel to Allahabad by road to attend the Kumbh Mela and on January 24. They will be ferried to Delhi in special trains to attend the Republic Day parade.

"We are offering north Indian vegetarian foods to the delegates. We decided to keep it simple and give them a taste of the local food. So, we have kept fruits like Allahabadi amrud (guava), gajar ka halwa and other north Indian food in the menu," said Ashwini Srivastava, the IRCTC Chief Regional Manager, Lucknow.

The Railways will provide two meals to the delegates dinner on January 24 and breakfast the next day. Sources privy to the plans said the option of serving continental or ready-toeat meals was explored but the committee preferred giving India's global citizens a taste of local dishes. The menu for dinner will include north Indian staples like paneer masala, mixed vegetables, daal, rice and paranthas, topped with choice of gajar ka halwa, chiki and gulab jamuns for dessert. They will be served Allahabadi amruds (guava's from Allahabad) for breakfast along with a choice of Poha, Upama - and another South Indian dish.

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MY CITY

The City Standard

'Ram Naam Bank' : A unique bank with neither ATMs, nor cheque books STAFF CORRESPONDENT PRAYAGRAJ 'Ram Naam Bank' is a unique bank with neither ATMs, nor cheque books but its only 'currency' is Lord Ram. This bank has been functioning for almost a century, in which the customers are devotees of Lord Ram from all walks of life and all parts of the country and even abroad. These devotees have been writing the name of Lord Ram in a booklet and depositing it in the 'Ram Naam Bank' in search of peace and solace.

Ashutosh Varshney, who manages the bank's affairs, is carrying on the legacy of his grandfather who had set up the organisation in early part of the 20th century. "This bank was started by my grandfather, Ishwar Chandra, who was a businessman. Now, there are over one lakh account holders from different age groups and religions," said Ashutosh Varshney, who has set up its camp at Sector 6 of the Kumbh Mela. "It runs under a social organisation, Ram Naam Sewa Sansthan, and has witnessed at least nine Kumbhs," said.

The bank has no monetary transactions. Its members have a booklet of 30 pages,

containing 108 columns in which they write 'Ram Naam' 108 times everyday. This booklet is deposited in the individual's account. He said the name of the Lord should be written in red ink as it is the colour of love.

"The divine name of Lord Ram is credited in the account of account holder. A passbook is issued like other banks," said Gunjan Varshney, the president of the bank which is situated at Civil Lines here.

"All these services are provided free of cost. Ram Naam Bank has ledgers and passbooks like any other bank, and maintains the records of its 'depositors'. The only currency that works in this bank is the name of Lord Ram," she said.

Gunjan Varshney said the size of one's account was determined by the number of times one was able to write the name of the Lord and deposit it in the bank. She said writing Ram Naam is called 'Likhita Jaap', and it comes in the category of writing meditation. "This gives one a complete sense of surrender to an inner conscience and peace while writing the golden words. All the senses are engaged in the service of Lord," she said.

Ashutosh Varshney said

people are not bound to worship Lord Ram to be members of the bank. They are free to worship Gods of their religions, he added. He said people write the name of Lord Ram in Urdu, English and Bengali.

Peterson Das (55), a Christian, has been writing the name of Lord Ram since 2012. "Almighty is one, be it Ram, Allah, Jesus or Nanak. It is humans who differentiate. I started writing the name of Lord Ram in 2012, but somehow, it got discontinued.

However, from Kumbh, I have restarted the practice," Das said. Recalling his five-yearold association with the bank, Sardar Prithvipal Singh, 50, said, "Lord Ram and Guru Govind Singh were great persons. Following their ideals is the foremost duty of every human being. If we believe in communal unity, then members of all faith should be brought together."

Ashutosh Varshney said writing the Lord's name helps release suppressed emotions and resolve issues from the past. "By constantly repeating Lord Ram's name, everything is accomplished. From a practical point of view, the writing of Ram Naam is actually reorienting to our true self," he said.

KUMBH ROUNDUP

Serving mankind inspires society: Satyadev Pachauri SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

(KCMET) with the aim of providing primary education to girls.

PRAYAGRAJ President of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Anand Mahindra laid foundaTo serve humanity and have affec- tion of the project 'Nannhi Kali' with the tion toward others is embedded in our belief that educated women will not culture and serves as a distinct feature of only contribute in strengthening econothe society. The entire world has emulated us. Ironically, we are blindly following western culture, which is a matter of concern, said Minister of Khadi, Village Industries, Sericulture, Textile, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Export Promotion, Satyadev Pachauri while inaugurating the camp of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan at sector 7 of Kumbh Mela as chief guest.

"I am here to be a part of religious gathering. There is peace and tranquillity in India. We gave the slogan of equality in society. To serve the society in all our capacity is the biggest religion.

Religious work brings awareness in life.

It is our duty to motivate organisations that perform and hold religious functions," said Satyadev Pachauri. He applauded the efforts of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan in this direction.

Saints to light up 11K earthen lamps for construction of Ram Temple my but also paves way for the emanciA group of saints are lighting 33,000 pation of social evils like dowry system earthen lamps at Kumbh Mela on a reg- and child marriage prevailing in the ular basis for the construction of Ram society.

Temple in Ayodhya. Mauni Baba, a Under project 'Nannhi Kali', girls saint, said that they planned to lamp a upto class from 1 to 10 belonging to total of 11 lakh lamps in a month for the economically backward section will be cause. motivated to get educated.

Mauni Baba claimed, "We'll light Educational Help Centre has been total 11 lakh lamps from January 14 to established in government schools, February 19. We believe that the con- where girls are imparted tuitions on difstruction of Ram Temple will start ferent subjects, mainly English & immediately after the conclusion of Mathematics for duration of two hours Kumbh." after school gets over.

He also informed that if they failed Apart from educational assistance, to achieve the target of lighting 11 lakh girls are being provided kit, which lamps within stipulated period of time including school bag, shoes, stationary then remaining earthen lamps will be lit and items related to sanitary & hygiene near the banks of Ganga. adopted by women.

'Education plays key role in empowThe team of 'Nannhi Kali' is conering women' stantly spreading awareness among parProject 'Nannhi Kali' kicked off in ents and every section of the society to 1996 by KC Mahindra Education Trust ensure gender equality and girl's educa-

tion.

Nita Singh, wife of Health Minister, Sifddhartha Nath Singh claimed that the aim of 'Nannhi Kali' project is to impart good education from the very beginning to girls from class 1 to 10.

The project is being implemented in 17 states across the nation.

"Our aim is to ensure that those girls who have dropped out of school due to financial constraints and other factors do not remain devoid of education. Qualitative education to girls is the nerve centre of all our actions and the constant endeavour of team at 'Nannhi Kali' is to spread awareness among parents and every section of society about the essence of education. Imparting education to girls is need of the hour and our team is burning the midnight oil to bring more and more economically backward girls in our fold. Our first step is to take girl's mother into confidence and motivate girl child to study hard for a better future," said Nita Singh.

Hues & colours of Arunachal in Sangam Artists from 29 states are participating in Kumbh Mela. They are organising programs on a regular basis under Ministry of Culture and Sanskaar Bharti. Over 150 artists from North Eastern state Arunachal Pradesh arrived at Sangam and took holy dip in Ganga river.

Later, they performed their traditional dance in unique singing style, which left everyone spell bound and craving for more. The audiences who were enthralled by their performances praised the conventional attire of artists from Sangam, who performed on the sandy banks of Sangam. The crowd gathered in large numbers to witness their dance performance.

Artists from Arunachal applauded the arrangements at Kumbh and praised the government for the facilities provided to them. Later, people from all walks of life were seen jostling with each other to have a selfie with these artists.

RAJEEV RANJAN

CMYK

PRAYAGRAJ Kumbh Mela 2019 which has been declared as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

by UNESCO is drawing common man as well as saints and seers not only from India but also from abroad are all praise for the cleanliness in the entire mela area.

To live up to the 'Swachh Kumbh, Surakshit Kumbh' (Clean Kumbh, Secure Kumbh), the theme of Kumbh Mela 2019 in Prayagraj (Allahabad), the mela administration has installed a record-breaking number of over 1.2 lakh (1, 22,500) eco-friendly toilet facilities. This huge step has been taken for the convenience of lakhs of pilgrims and tourists who are expected to be part of one India's biggest festivals. In the previous Kumbh, inadequate number of toilets led to many instances of open defecation.

Talking about the same, Additional Mela Adhikari DK Tringunayat said, this time, one of the main aims of Kumbh mela is to ensure and promote proper sanitation,

we have seen in past how lack of toilets in Kumbh have resulted in cases of open defecation. With such huge numbers of toilets in place, we are sure, in Kumbh 2019, there will be no cases of open defecation. Not just toilets, special emphasis is given this time on how we will be managing the mammoth amount of waste, therefore we have added eco-friendly toilets that will successfully manage the feacal waste. The 32 nullahs (drains) opening in the Ganga have been sealed and three Sewer Treatment Plants (STPs) have been installed and upgradation of seven STPs have been done.

A full army of foot soldiers are working round the clock, ensuring that the 'world's largest religious gathering' remains garbage free. Men and women along with their children from near and far of districts have arrived in hordes to become part of the Swachh' Kumbh mission as envisioned by the Prime Minister.

Chagan Lal who is a resident of Fethpur wakes up early in the morning and heads towards the Sangam. He is part of a ten-man squad working under a leader, Santosh, who keeps check on

their work, their job is to remove any solid waste that they find on the dusty banks of Sangam.

Almost every 15 minutes, Chagan patrols the area he is

Sangam banks. They eat their food, drink water from plastic bottles and throw away the waste. It's an endless cycle of picking ups the waste and throw

assigned and keeps a look out for the waste, if any. It rarely happens when he doesn't find any solid waste during his patrol.

"So many people walk on the

in the dustbins," Santosh said.

They are among the thousands of sanitation workers who have been tasked to keep the Kumbh clean. Young and old,

men and women, these are the people often with little in common except their desire to add good karma to their lives and earn some extra money to raise

wanted to surmount his castebased identity and find fulfillment through honest work. Being a Dalit, his situation epitomizes the plight of the lower caste people in India's hierarchical caste-based society. But at the Kumbh this year, where his job is to clean Sangam, he is respected for his work. This year, however, his decision of coming to Prayagraj and work as a sanitation worker has finally given him the "status" he always aspired.

Tannu, is one among the many sanitary workers and garbage compactors which will help Prayagraj Mela Authority achieve the government's target of organising a 'Swachh' Kumbh this year.

Divided into 950 teams, this battery of an estimated 11,400 people has been tasked to clean the offices of various organisations, the ghats, camps and other public utilities, apart from the roads that lead to Sangam.

To make sure this mission is achieved, the authorities have roped in 'Safai Karamcharis' from different regions across the countheir family. try. These foot soldiers - men and The 150 million strong reli- women - away from the societal gious gathering, all three of them barriers and the media blitzkrieg believe, gives them the both. that has taken over the congregaSince decades, Tannu, has tion, are making sure the 'world's

largest religious gathering' remains garbage free.

However, with almost 150 people million expected to take part in the one and half month long congregation, keeping the arena clean is a herculean task.

This year's Kumbh would be organised on an area of 3,200 hectares, which would be divided into 20 sectors. To assist these sanitation workers, the authorities have also put across over 20,000 dustbins across the Mela ground.

But the real work to keep the congregation expanse clean lies with the workers.

Along with the toilets, the state government has also deployed 1,500 Swachhagrahis (Cleanliness Volunteers) to monitor all the public facilities and accommodations, so that cleanliness is maintained throughout.

The mela has been provided with a total outlay of Rs. 4,300 crore from the state government budget to ensure such proper facilities.

This year, the 55-day long Kumbh Mela which has commenced from January 15 will end on March 4. It is the largest human congregation in the world, with over 130 million pilgrims expected to participate in the festival this year.

CMYK

Foot soldiers : Ensuring 'world's largest religious gathering' remains garbage free

Catering healthcare needs under a roof SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

with stretchers and emergency care staff, are being set up in all the 20 PRAYAGRAJ sectors, the official said.

In addition, private medical Biggest religious congregation health facilities are also coming up in across the globe, Kumbh, is not just mela area. Swami Karshni Guru about purifying one's soul but also has a deep significance for human body too. Are you are looking forward to embark upon a religious trip?

However, health factors and ailments are dissuading your resolve. Then it's the right time to keep aside all your worries. You do not need to think twice. Kumbh at Prayagraj is the right place for you.

More than 32 hospitals, including a 110-bed central hospital, air and river ambulances will cater to the health needs of saints and pilgrims.

The central hospital is already functional and more than 12,000 patients, including tourists, have received treatment. Kumbh will have more than 2,000 doctors, including two dozen dental surgeons. The doctors and para-medical staff are being trained to deal with injuries due to stampedes, drowning and fires. Dr SP Singh, chief medical superintendent of the Central Hospital at Kumbh, said a separate medical team will also provide Ayurvedic and Homeopathic treatment for patients."A pathology lab has also been set up so that the patients are not required to travel to the private labs in the city for medical tests. We have set up an intensive care unit in the central hospital," Singh SharnanandJiMaharaj inaugurated added. the 40-bedded medical unit set up by A temporary hi-tech hospital with Nayati Healthcare to address the a capacity of 100 beds is being set up healthcare needs of pilgrims at Shri at the mela ground. According to Guru KarshniKumbhMelaCamp, Rajiv Rai, a senior official in the mela Sector - 7, Prayagraj. The medical administration, the hospital will be unit 'AarogyaMandir' will comprise a completely operational in a couple of 20-bedded general ward, 10-bedded days.

HDU (Critical Care) and 10-bedded "The hospital has ICUs. The out- Emergency unit.It will be a multipatient department will have a capac- specialty unit where, apart from comity of 10,000 patients per day, and mon ailments, patients with serious ambulances with life support system illnesses, such as heart diseases, will will be available. While the doctors be provided medical care. have already started consultations, Additionally, the medical unit is full-scale operations will begin after equipped with cancer screening facilteams of the national disaster man- ities. The unit will also have specialagement authority and state disaster ists for gastro, orthopaedics, critical management authority conduct care and cardiology amongst others. inspections," Rai said, adding that the Additionally, emergency services will temporary facility will be no less than be available round the clock and a full a district hospital with specialists -time pharmacy is set up inside the from almost every department pre- 'AarogyaMandir', providing free sent.In addition to these facilities, medicines as prescribed by the dochealth posts, which will be equipped tors.

This medical unit will be run by Rajesh Atre, Executive Director, Nayati Charitable Trust and his team.

Announcing the opening of the 40bedded medical unit, Swami Karshni Guru SharnanandJiMaharaj said,

"Kumbh is the largest religious gathering in our country attended by people from across the world. We have been visiting the KumbhMela for years but the need for good healthcare facilities has been at the top of our minds throughout. I have been highly impressed by the tremendous work done by Nayati Healthcare. In the past, I have witnessed them putting in herculean efforts, providing medical support in different parts of the country. This year finally, with the support of Nayati Healthcare, we are in a position to extend healthcare services to millions of devotees round-the-clock during the peak 40day period. " NiiraRadia, Chairperson, Nayati Healthcare, said, "I am grateful for the blessings of the Lord Badri Vishal and Swami ji, under whose direction we have set up the unit. Nayati stands for health and humanity, which is ingrained in our team. Serving in the

President, Guv, CM, others particpate in Ganga Poojan and Arti at Sangam SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The President of India, Shri Ramnath Kovind, visited Prayagraj. During his visit, the President toured the Sangam area with a cruise and observed close proximity to the grand preparations for the Kumbh 2019. The president and the Chief Minister also

team at the Triveni coast on Selfie Point.

The President after reaching the Sangam Nose, duly performed Ganga Poojan and Ganga Aarti with his family. Ganga Poojan and Arti were also made by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister and other Ministers. The President also unveiled the grand statue of statue of Maharishi Bharadwaj. It is worth mentioning that a huge statue of Maharishi Bhardwaj

performed Ganga Pooja at Sangam. They gave their good wishes to the pilgrims and to the entire arrangements made at the Kumbh area.

Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shri Ramanayakee Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Health Minister Shri Siddharthnath Singh Urban Development Minister Shri Suresh Kumar Khanna Tourism Minister Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi Civil Aviation Minister Shri Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi and Mayor Smt. Abhilasha Gupta Nandi were also present at the grand event. `He also provided photography at the Selfi Point with the other Chief Minister and the Kumbh

has been installed at Balasan intersection and those who come from there can be able to visit him. This 30-ft high statue is so huge that people coming to the whole crossroads are attracting people towards themselves to the statue.

Formerly the country's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, came to Kumbh Mela in the year 1953. The present President, Shri Ramnath Kovind, is the second President who came to Kumbh Mela and appealed to the Sangam. After that, his Excellency, reached Arail , Parmarth Niketan, where he performed the first ahuti at a world peace yugya performed.

Naini

Kumbh is, indeed, a blessing for all of us. Our aim has been to serve the people by providing them with worldclass healthcare services, which we started at BadrinathDham in 2012. In addition to the hospitals in Mathura and Agra, we are continuously striving to deliver the best healthcare to the people through our outreach programs in other parts of Western Uttar Pradesh. Soon, we will have a tertiary care hospital and run medical outreach program for the communities residing in eastern Uttar Pradesh."

Similarly, Narayan SevaSansthan has set up a Spiritual cum Surgical Camp at KumbhMela. Narayan SevaSansthan (NSS) is a charitable organization that runs a smart village for differently able and a hospital in Udaipur. It aims to bring speciallyabled people into the mainstream by enabling them physically, mentally, socially and economically. Narayan SevaSansthan will also create 100 bedded hospital along with artificial limb development unit where differently-abled individuals will be measured for customized size and shape.

Later these customized limbs will be installed and donated to the differently-abled beneficiaries. For this noble cause, NSS had urged to join volunteers and donors under volunteering programme 'NSS Mitra.' In large numbers, both the volunteers and donors have shown interest and contributed too.

PrashantAgarwal, President of Narayan SevaSansthan, said, "The KumbhMela is believed to be the largest religious gathering in the world. In a bid to serve humanity on this holy occasion, Narayan SevaSansthan will be facilitating the pilgrims with round the clock medical help. We are also providing wheelchairs and physiotherapy to the tourists. The team of prosthetic and orthotic engineers, orthopedic doctors along with Senior Dr. Amar Singh Chundawat will be helping the pilgrims. We will be providing required therapies to the patients after surgeries including physiotherapy, meditation, yoga, etc."

NGO Narayan SevaSansthan will also arrange accommodation for 600 people. They will also provide and organize free 'prasad' for saints every day. Spiritual programmes & Katha will be organized during morning and evening hours for devotee and saints.

January 28, Monday, 2019

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CITIFIED

The City Standard

intra legem Why Allahabad police stations lack ladies toilets: HC to Admin RAJESH KUMAR PANDEY PRAYAGRAJ Allahabad: Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the state government as well as the Allahabad district administration, including senior police officers, to apprise the court by January 22 as to why there are no toilets and washrooms for women police constables and officers in any police station of the district.

Hearing a PIL filed by Yeshaswi Srivastava and others, who are law students of different law colleges, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice CD Singh fixed January 22 as the next date of hearing of the matter. The law students, who appeared in person through the PIL, said that there are 29 police stations in Allahabad district, but surprisingly none has toilets and washrooms for women

police constables, officers and visitors.

During the court proceedings, the counsel appearing for state government, on the basis of information received, apprised the court that a letter for construction of toilets and washrooms for women in all police stations in the district has already been written to the district magistrate. The state’s counsel further informed the court that as soon as consent is obtained from the district magistrate, toilets and washrooms would be constructed in all the police stations of the district.

However, the court, after knowing this fact that there is no toilet for women cops in police stations across the district, expressed displeasure and surprise over the poor state of affairs.

However, the court on the request of state government’s counsel, deferred the hearing in the case while asking him to apprise the court in respect of steps taken to provide basic sanitation facilities in police stations of the district.

Statement of victim girl recorded before court in Gayatri Prasad Prajapati case LEGAL CORRESPONDENT PRAYAGRAJ

Former state minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, who is an accused of committing rape with a minor girl was produced before the Special Court (MP and MLA) on Saturday. During the court proceedings, the statement of the victim girl was recorded before the court.

Subsequently, the Special Judge Pawan Kumar Tiwari, who is presiding over the Special Court (MP and MLA) fixed January 31, 2019 as the next date for the cross exami-

nation of the victim. Earlier, a special POCSO court had framed charges against excabinet minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapatiand six other co-accused in this gang-rape case. The accused Gayatri Prasad Prajapati is in jail and was produced for hearing under tight security.

Earlier, the court had charged Gayatri and coaccused Vikas, Ashish, Ashok Amrendra, Chandrapal and Rupeshwar under sections 376 (D), 354A(1) , 509, 504 and 506 of IPC. Gayatri, Vikas, Ashish and Ashok have also been charged with section 5(G) read with section 6

of the POSCO Act. The victim had lodged FIR with Gautampalli police at Lucknow on February 18, 2017, on the direction of the Supreme Court. Later, the investigating officer filed charge-sheet against the accused persons including Gayatri Prasad Prajapati.

Subsequently, after the setting up of the Special Court (MP and MLA), as per the direction of the apex court, the matter was shifted here. This court exclusively deals with criminal cases pending against member of state legislature and Member of Parliaments.

'Tilak' catches fancy of visitors at KumbhMela SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

hoot. Applying tilak gives peace, pleases god and grants distinction to pilgrims. However, sporting PRAYAGRAJ tilak is not an easy job and it KumbhMela is driving should be strictly carried out crores of devotees, saints and followers of several sects on the banks of Triveni-Sangam on a regular basis. Apart from rituals, array of religious activities and daily bath - devotees, saints and visitors to mela area are passionate towards sporting tilak on their forehead.

"The tilak is a mark created by the smearing of powder or paste on the forehead. Applying tilak is a symbol of devotion towards religion and also marks our commitment, trust, confidence and meditation.

Sporting tilak is being done for attaining dharm, arth, within the limits prescribed kaam and moksha. Varied for shape and size in the kind of materials and shapes ancient scriptures," says a are used by different sects to saint on the condition of make the tilak. Devotees anonymity. wear tilak of different hues The most exorbitant, prepared from roli, sandal- extensive and stylish tilaks wood, vermillion and bhab- are applied by Vaishnavites,

which becomes cynosure of every eye and are sure to turn heads in attention. The vaishnavatilak, made with sandalwood paste, consists of as long line starting from

izontal bands across the forehead with a single vertical band or circle in the middle. Conventionally, the ritual of sporting tilak is carried out by smearing sacred ash

just below the hairline to almost end of one's nose tip.

It is intercepted in the middle by an elongated U. Shivaities are not far behind with their Vaishnavites counterparts in sporting tilak. It consists of three hor-

on the forehead from fire sacrifices. Those who worship Shakti wear a rectangular mark of kumkum on the forehead. This tradition of is widely popular among South Indians.

While Saivites use vib-

huti in three horizontal lines across the forehead, vaishanavas apply clay from a holy river or place.

Ganapatya use red sandalwood paste (raktachandan) and Shaktas use kumkum, or powdered red turmeric.

A stroll near the banks of Ganga and Yamuna will make you come across several pandas who are busy in applying tilak on the forehead of devotees, in return the latter give alms and money to former. However, the tradition of wearing tilak has undergone sea change in recent times. Professionals have turned the tradition highly artistic and wooden sticks are being utilized to come up with stylish designs and shapes. You can easily come across pilgrims, saints, devotees and tourists sporting stylish tilak like the popular Tripund, wherein three vertical lines are drawn above the eyebrows. The two on the left and right are white while in the middle one is painted red to give it a gloss finish.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CMYK

PRAYAGRAJ PRAYAGRAJ: Power Minister, UP government, Shrikant Sharma while addressing mediapersons on Sunday expressed the resolve to hold 'DivyaKumbh, BhavyaKumbh, SwwachhKumbh, SurakshitKumbh' in every step of the way. He informed that upgradation and strengthening of existing power infrastructure and electrical system is in progress. Rs 300crore budget has been allocated for providing uninterrupted power supply round the clock. In case of any local fault or interruption then power will be restored within 30 seconds.

Gensets have been set up for the purpose.

He added that power department has provided 2.80 lakh free connections in mela area. 1200 km long electricity lines have been installed, 64 sub stations and nearly 50K LED lights will illuminate the mela area.

"KumbhMela - has been declared the largest temporary city of the world. With 250 km long roads and

about 22 pontoon bridges, a new city has been erected alongside Prayagraj.

The UNESCO has also included KumbhMela in its list of "Intangible

in 450 years. Integrated Control and Command Centre of the smart city project has been dedicated to Prayagraj. The system will facilitate

Cultural Heritage of Humanity". We are expecting commoners from over six lakh villages in India to visit the site of holy pilgrimage.

Arrangements have also been made for devotees to pray at 'Akshay Vat' and 'Saraswati Koop' for the first time

controlling and keeping safe the traffic movement and the crowd coming to Mela. There will be two Control and Command Centres under a scheme of about Rs. 247 crore in Prayagraj," said Shrikant Sharma.

"We have built 1.22 lakh toilets

for the Kumbh, which has been registered by the Guinness World Records as the biggest sanitation drive in the world," said Sharma. Ahead of the mela, infrastructure got a major boost in Prayagraj with '264 new streets and 10 flyovers', he added. Sharma said, "In the wake of Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a brave call by allowing a massive demolition drive in the city of Prayagraj wherein encroached land was reclaimed. The drive saw zero political interference and the citizens also cooperated."

He came down heavily on previous governments for failing to exhibit determination and will power for opening Akshay Vat &Saraswati Koop for pilgrims. He also blamed previous governments for failing to clean Ganga. "We have tapped 32 drains falling in Ganga River. This could have been done earlier. But they haven't done anything to clean Ganga. We have taken several steps to clean Ganga, other measures are on the anvil and soon the set targets will be achieved. We are fully confident," he claimed.

PRAYAGRAJ Expressing concern over growing rape cases and acts of violence in the country, the seers camping at the Kumbh feel it's time parents inculcate strong moral values in their children and add that stories from Panchtantra and Hithopedesh, that advocate such principles, be introduced in school syllabus.

"Such cases are happening everywhere, even in developed countries like England and US and number of rape cases get registered every year, but problems like this can only be eradicated by inculcating moral values in the minds of younger generation," says Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwaran of Panchayati Maha Nirvani Akahara. Children should be taught lessons of wisdom from early childhood so that their upbringing becomes a lesson for others, he adds.

The seer says that onus begins with the parents who need to educate their children more but owing to hectic professional life most of them are not able to impart the values in their wards which is proving detrimental to the society. "Take more initiatives and education and lessons of wisdom must start at home and incorporation of moral

values-based- education is also the need of the hour," says Swami Maheshwaran.

Stories from Panchatantra and Hithopedesh, which convey moral values, should be taught in schools, he says. "I also believe that yoga can also help them in having control on their mind. But we need to keep in mind that there is a difference between yoga and yog vidya. Yoga deals with the exercises which help in keeping the body fit but the knowledge of yog vidya helps in having control over the mind," says the yoga expert.

Harichaitanya Brahmachari of Shriparamhans Ashram in Tikar Mafi said, "These days youths are disoriented and do not channelize their energy in constructive works for the betterment of the society and country. In ancient times, the tradition of gurukul was practiced and the same successfully inculcated wisdom in the youths which served as ideal for the society, he added.

"The youths of contemporary society do not know the importance of guru and in this respect they are unfortunate. Thus, it becomes the moral responsibility of the teachers to instill wisdom and moral values in the minds of youths so that they become an asset for the society and not someone of which the society is ashamed of", said Abhaiya Chaitanya Bharmachari.

CMYK

Electricity supply to be restored within Need to inoculate moral values in kids, suggest seers 30 seconds, assures Power Minister

POINT BLANK

The City Standard

How to influence the voting class Ayodhya, Sabarimala, Gurugram, Akbar Fort, Noida, lunatic asylum, pilgrimage centre, women's right to pray, Muslims' right to pray‌ Since May 26, 2014, ever since BJP won the rulers' grubstake, religious issues have acquired a political colour, which has gotten a deeper shade with general elections 2019 approaching.

The Sangh Parivaar is basically a politico-religious configuration. It mirrors monotheistic religions, which themselves are not beyond politics.

But the name of the game in India is religious polarization to win elections.

Ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan says a 'majoritarian agenda' divides people. By that token, mollycoddling the 'minority' also divides people.

Cut off a large or a small slice of the cake, both ways there will be division. The Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala and the Authority Park in Sector 58, Noida, offer insights. The two are in the news over the issue of the right to pray. In Sabarimala, it is the right to pray of women of all ages infringed. In Noida, the right to pray of Muslims interfered with.

But the argument splinters two different ways. In Noida, it is 'how can government and police interfere?'

In Sabarimala, it is 'police and government can interfere.' In both situations, there is the law to contend with. And there is violation of the law, too. Like the guy and the gal answer to the question "are you in any relation?" with:

"It's complicated." Do people, including law enforcement, know the law? Is there application of mind in decisions taken on matters governed by law? Are the laws being followed, enforced, without fear or favour?

Pathetic. 'Criminal' is the word.

The law on Sabarimala changed September 28, 2018.

And because of the turmoil that followed and continues to date, everybody, including children, are aware of the

notice the congregation grow from 15 to 1,000 and not question for four plus years, why now? Why the different treatment of 'Kawaria' and 'Namaz' by the Yogi government? Are Muslims being stopped from constructing

As it happens, when it comes to religion, laws are often flouted. Also, not enforced properly. Until all hell breaks loose! July 2018, Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi goes to the Social Welfare Department in the Union Territory and finds none of the officers in the department has any knowledge of the laws governing 'Senior Citizens Welfare', 'Juvenile Justice', 'Child Welfare, 'NGOs' or 'Domestic Violence' - not the 'Director', the 'Deputy Director', 'Assist. Director' or the 'Welfare Officers.' And all of them 20 years in service!

change. The Noida Police sat on the law governing religious congregations in public places without being aware of it, till challenged by an emerging law and order situation. Now, Noida has become a flashpoint and experts on TV cannot step out of their bias, throwing allegations and counter-allegations of 'majoritarian bullying' and 'minority appeasement'.

There are lessons to be learned. Why did the Noida companies ask their Muslim employees to pray 'outside' without examining the law?

Why did the Noida Police not

mosques? Is there a law limiting religious gatherings at public places? Do RSS shakhas and laughter-therapy sessions in parks translate to congregation, do they breach the law?

Apparently, there is a 2009 Supreme Court verdict governing religious congregations at public places. But what is a public place for religions? The Ayyappa Temple is, according to the apex court, a public place. A park is also a public place. But there are reasonable restrictions, including 'law & order and public morality issues,' limit-

Availability of winnable candidates, a major challenge before BJP & JDU BJP president Amit Shah acceding to the demand of JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar to let him contest 17 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections has not come as surprise. Even before the seat sharing process began, it was known that BJP would not engage Nitish on this issue; instead it would settle down to his demands.

The major challenge before both the parties is the availability of winnable candidates.

Both are facing a serious crisis in this regard. The situation has deteriorated after the drubbing of the BJP in the assembly elections in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Even sitting members are scared of going for a second term under Narendra Modi.

The BJP has a plan to drop five sitting Lok Sabha members, including Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad. But surprisingly some senior leaders believe that in view of the complicated situation the party may not axe Sinha. Some of the leaders viewed as probable replacements to Modi are in favour of his contesting as BJP candidate. It is said that their voices carry weight with Sangh.

But on his part Sinha has already been exploring alternatives and in all probability would be the opposition candidate from Patna. Amit Shah and Nitish may have given a concrete shape to the alliance, but the fact remains that it is not enduring.

Barring seven seats, Nitish is not finding suitable candidates for the other ten seats.

Nitish has set his eyes on the rebels of Congress and the RJD. He has already his

supporters in RJD in the form of Tejpratap.

The delicate BJP situation could be realised from Amit Shah conceding to Ramvilas Paswan's demand for a Rajya Sabha seat.

The compulsion of winning over the dalits votes has forced him to present Paswan as NDA's dalit face. Obviously his demand ought to be accepted.

More or less the same reason applies to Nitish. Over the years Nitish has lost much of his credibility. Otherwise too Nitish cannot win an election on his own. He always needs an ally. In view his vulnerability, he needs to continue in alliance with the BJP. The rape and killings of girls in the shelter homes have completely eroded the trustworthiness of Nitish. These homes had become entertainment hubs for the powerful people in Bihar politics. It was very important for the BJP to keep Nitish and Paswan in Bihar after Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samtaa Party decided to break away. Under the formula, BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each and the LJP six seats. NDA will also nominate LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan to the Rajya Sabha. Trouble has been brewing in the LSP of Paswan and BJP on the issue of seat sharing well before the assembly elections in five states. But the scenario changed, with RJD leader Tejashwi openly inviting both LJP and RLSP to join the UPA. On December 18, Paswan's son Chirag had tweeted that "BJP should respectfully address the concerns of the remaining NDA partners well in time".

ing religious congregation in parks. The Authority Park in Noida has now become a 'law and order' problem with religious overtone. Politics is seesawing on the religious swing!

Gurugram witnessed a similar 'Namaz in the open' dispute a few months ago. Apparently, in both Gurugram and Noida, Muslims offering Namaz in the open were mostly migrant workers from West Bengal.

They have no mosques to offer Namaz. That said, communal tensions are, to an extent, real. Add to that the BJP's majoritarian and the opposition parties' minority agendas and it is important that both majority and minority hold their horses, and noses. Communal conflagrations triggered by politics benefit only the lowlife.

That being said, if dissent is what makes democracy, there are constructive and creative ways to lodge dissent. Like the 'Ayyappa Jyothi' of the Ayyappa devotees that lit Kerala up Wednesday (December 26) evening, from Kasargode to the Triveni Sangam in Kanyakumari.

Stretched over 790 km, the light traversed all the Kerala districts, touched over 3,000 religious centres, wound its way through numerous villages and towns - covered the cities of Kozhikode, Mallappuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pattanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. A total of 15 lakh 'Ayyappa Jyothi' lamps lighting up Kerala from end to end, 6 pm to 6.15 pm.

January 28, Monday, 2019

No need for empty slogans The Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board have issued a funny notification to schools under them, which they claim is aimed at fostering patriotism among students from childhood.

The notification says students should be asked to respond to their daily roll call in class with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the conventional 'yes sir/madam' or 'present sir/madam'. The fact that classrooms in that state still follow the age-old practice of checking attendance is evident from the notification itself. Also, it shows that the boards foresee that the practice will continue even as the paradigms of teaching and learning are changing at tremendous pace around the world and attendance is more about mental presence of the learner than his/her physical presence in a class. The fact remains that the majority of students who pass out of these institutions will not be adequately equipped to take up vocations of their choice or even feel proud about themselves when they exit these institutions if status quo continues. They will have to join the endless queues of jobless youngsters and perhaps realise that their country is nothing like what they chant in class. 'Jai Hind' and 'Jai Bharat' should arise from minds that have had the opportunity to experience the greatness of their country that the slogans praise. It should come without prompting from youngsters who emerge out of institutions with sundry degrees in hand and are able to find a vocation or create one that is able to provide them respectable life in society.

The boards may argue that it could be a good beginning to get students to first feel great about their country before they actually make it great. That may be acceptable.

They showed they could think like men.

In the words of Swami Vivekananda, "There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved; it is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing".

Means of Women Empowerment Education: Without proper and adequate education, women cannot become empowered individuals. They need to be encouraged to go for higher studies so that they can contribute significantly in the creation of a knowledge society Communication Skills: Without developing skills for effective communication, women cannot make their voices heard. It is essential for them to communicate effectively to become successful. As leaders, they need to put across their

points to the people so that a family, team or company can be effectively managed.

Disposable Income: Women need to earn well to have their say in important financial decisions governing their lives. Being financially independent gives women power over lives and also contributes to the growth of businesses.

Power of Internet: Access to the Internet has opened the floodgates of knowledge and awareness and increased social interaction reach and

But the question is whether the children have enough reason to feel good about their state itself before they can feel great about their country as a whole. It is true that the prime minister of this country has given them a huge physical symbol of unity that needs to be seen as not just a symbol but also as an architectural marvel.

However, the fabrication of the huge statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada has been done by a Chinese company, according to reports that have not been denied.

Also, that Statue of Unity has been located in a state where the man who united this country as a single political unit was born.

There is something parochial about it. The Statue of Liberty does not represent an individual; it is the representation of an ideal and unlike it the Statue of Unity in India does not transcend the human plane into an ideal. Sardar Patel may be revered by many for uniting India, but there are people who may not be comfortable with acknowledging him as the symbol of this ideal of unity.

The naming of Patel's statue as Statue of Unity thus gives scope for counter opinions not just because of its geographical location but also because it is an attempt at spin doctoring a certain political personality into an ideal. In any case, it remains to be seen whether the coming generations will see the statue as indeed one that unites their minds with the ideal of a great India or as the visage the traveller in Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Ozymandias' sees in the desert. The notification of the education boards in Gujarat can be seen only as change for the sake of it, as their effect on the actual results expected from educational institutions may not even be nominal if any.

Better devolution vital for States Centre-States fiscal relations and related spheres of activities of the two levels of government constitute some of the most litigious issues. In India, Centre-states fiscal relations relate to distribution of power in resource mobilisation between the Centre and states and sharing of expenditure responsibilities. Most important revenue sources are assigned to the Union government, while major expenditure responsibilities in social and economic sectors are assigned to state governments.

Some states are unable to raise adequate resources compared with others.

To enable such states to carry out their expenditure responsibilities, a provision exists to transfer resources from the Centre to states as devolution, grants-in-aid and loans based on certain criteria. Normally, the Finance Commission (FC), the finance ministry and NITI Aayog (replacement for Planning Commission) are involved in such resource transfer.

The FC is constituted every five years and its main role is to recommend distribution of 'divisible pool' of Central government revenue between the Union and states known as vertical devolution and across states known as horizontal allocation. The FC also recommends principles governing nonplan grants and loans to states.

The 14th FC non-plan grants included disaster relief, revenue deficit grants, and grants to local bodies such as panchayats and municipalities. Under the 13th FC, the distribution of tax revenue among states was determined by a formula with weightage for population (25 per cent), area (10 per cent), fiscal capacity (47.5 per cent) and fis-

cal discipline (17.5 per cent). In the case of the 14th FC, the distribution of tax revenue and grants was determined through a formula with weightage for income distance (50 per cent), for population of 1971 (17.5 per cent), population of 2011 (7.5 per cent), area (10 per cent), and forest cover (7.5 per cent).

The 15th FC was constituted November 2017 under chairmanship of NK

Singh, a former Revenue secretary and Rajya Sabha MP. It will recommend central transfers to states and has also been mandated to review impact of the 14th FC recommendations on the fiscal position of the Centre; review debt level of the Centre and states, and recommend a roadmap; study the impact of GST on the economy; and to recommend performance-based incentives for

states based on their efforts to control pop ulation, promote ease of doing business, and control populist expenditure.

A contentious decision of the 15th FC is that it will use Census-2011 data instead of Census-1971 data to determine devolution of taxes, duties and

grants. The 14th FC took Census1971 as the base with weightage of 17.5 per cent and assigned weightage of 10 per cent to the 2011 population figures, leading to roughly equal treatment for states. Using Census-2011 data will lead to losses for states that have delivered well in terms of population control and, further, it will lead to a north-south divide. Odisha and some southern states, which have done

Challenges before women empowerment Women usually were uneducated, weaker and passive while women now are educated, stronger and dominant, therefore, women nowadays have more rights.

Since the times of Adam and Eve, women have been disgraced in many ways such as the rights and while making their own decisions. To start with, in a family, woman had no authority. Their duty at home was just cooking meal, taking care of children, cleaning the house, and so on and so forth. Also, the daughters could not receive inheritance just because they were women.

Similarly, in family and in business, women were not dominant. They were employed in sectors like handcraft or agriculture just to benefit from their physical power.

They were similar to slaves. They were not allowed to use their minds.

Today, the status of women is at a high level not only in family but also in business arena when compared to the previous times.

People realised the value of the human life especially after World Wars. They learned to defence their rights. This realisation also woke women up and motivated them to be aware and insist on their rights.

With the guarantee of the laws which were made in that time, women gained the rights they deserved in both family and business place. Primarily, now women are dominant as much as men.

They become equal to men in every area due to Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

They began to have rights to receive inheritance, divorce or liberally express themselves. When we look at corporate life, we see profile of working women who are now CEOs and presidents of various companies.

Now they are entrepreneurs running many companies. They also gained dignity in business area. Women upgrade themselves by studying.

Today it is possible to see women in every field.

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influence of women.

Women empowerment is a must for the betterment of our country's future,as women are better manager than men.

They can properly manage both her house and office in a systematic way as compared to men.

Many of us oppose women education and feel sad when a girl child is born,due to our narrow minded thought process.

Women empowerment faces lot of challenges in our society. The important ones are: Biased Perspective: It includes:Discrimination against the girl child Female infanticide is a common practice in our country.

Patriarchate Bottlenecks: It relates to: Indian society is patriarchal. Women have no say in any

decision of the family whether financial or Otherwise Loopholes in the legal structure: Legal system not effective in reducing crimes against women Delay in getting legal remedy and the presence of various loopholes in the functioning of a judicial system.

Lack of Political Will: Women's Reservation Bill still pending The dominance of male in Indian politics Women are forced to remain mute spectators.

Honour killing is one example of male dominated society Economic Backwardness: Indians fail in converting the available women power into human resource.

No economic opportunities available to women Hampers economic development.

Issues relating to women empowerment There are lots of issues which need to be addressed at various levels. The issues are mentioned herein below:Issues relating to education: Lower levels of female education in India Considerable gender gaps in education Poor enrolment rates because of lack of household resources, huge workload at home, high school fees and lack of adequate facilities Issues relating to economy: Self-confidence is generally low which restraint the women to be economically prosperous Women act as an unpaid family workers in agriculture farms Long hours of working, women carrying the extra burden of household work in the family and farm.

Women's contribution to income and economic well-being of the family is not recognised Lots of barriers such as Social and cultural barriers which puts an exclusive responsibility on women for household work and restrictions on mobility, and so on and so forth.

Issues relating to health: Lack of access to adequate health services, particularly reproductive health care and contraceptive devices.

Families generally prefer male offspring.

Maternal mortality rate is high.

High infant and child mortality rates and neglect of girls' health High male to female sex ratio.

well in controlling populations, will get a smaller share of the pie. Hence, population figures of 1971 should be used instead of Census-2011 figures.

These states should be rewarded for having controlled population growth.

Although the Centre claims it has increased the share of states in divisible pools from 32 per cent to 42 per cent, the reality is different. Overall, from 2015-16 to 2017-18 - the period under the 14th FC - against the recommended 42 per cent, the effective tax transfer was only 34.9 per cent. The main reason was that although revenues collected through cess and surcharges increased by leaps and bounds and flowed directly to the Centre, it was not shared with states. Revenue from surcharges and cesses is expected to touch a staggering Rs 3.02 lakh crore in 2018-19.

Further, the government reduced Centre-sponsored schemes and changed the sharing pattern to the detriment of states. As a result, the overall transfer from centre to states has not increased. Overall, the share of states was 56.2 per cent in 2015-16, much less than 2011-12 when it was 61 per cent. Further, the government's decision to stop central assistance for eight schemes will result in loss of another Rs 1,854.05 crore for Odisha.

Hence, the Centre should restore central assistance for the 8 schemes and increase its share in other schemes.

The commission should take effective measures to rectify vertical imbalances by way of bringing cess and surcharges, to the divisible pool of resources.

Focus of protective discrimination towards economic status One aspect of India that the country has always claimed to be its biggest strength is also its biggest weakness: Diversity. While we have blamed the British for their 'divide and rule' policy, truth may be that the colonial power would not have had to try too hard to achieve that end in this country. It is easy to divide people and create emotional fault lines that keep the populace precariously on the edge for whatever time one needs to tap a certain output from them.

The situation that has evolved and prevails in Kerala is evidence of the possibility. The tensions are likely to be maintained until the coming Lok Sabha elections and until then peace will not be given a chance to prevail in the southern state. The state government will use its iron fist to quell dissent and the opposition will look for ways to thwart the ruling party's ambitions. The latest addition to this list of divides likely to be created is a constitutional amendment to enable 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and education for the economically weaker among the upper castes.

The decision is the result of a gradual build-up of opinion aimed at turning the focus of protective discrimination towards economic status, besides caste. The fact that the 'lower castes' have remained oppressed has a lot to do not only with distribution of wealth but primarily beliefs and notions dating back to centuries. The wealthy have always wielded power irrespective of their caste. However, the move to create yet another quota over and above the existing cap may meet some opposition, particularly as elections are approaching.

Caste-based reservation has remained the rallying point for parties that came into being solely on the discrimination that existed. And they are waiting hawk-eyed for opportunities to remain relevant even as the nation moves towards a newer paradigm of development. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has always maintained that reservation should be on economic lines and now the government's move toes that line of thought.

CMYK

The City Standard

CENTRE SPREAD

January 28, Monday, 2019

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IN CONSONANCE -

Majestic Akahara on way to take holy dip

Alert security personnel

The Naga Sadhus in full ecstasy

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Women devotees enjoying holy dip

Pilgrims cleansing sins

Photos by Santosh Chatterjee

CENTRE SPREAD

January 28, Monday, 2019

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The City Standard

FAITH AND BELIEF

Foreigners regale

Blowing the conch

Sea of humanity at Triveni-Sangam

In all piousness: Maharishi Bharadwaj

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Flowery welcome

January 28, Monday, 2019

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SPECTRAUM

The City Standard

'Without tribal society, environmental protection is incomplete' According to the latest report 'Composite Water Management Index 2018,' 60 crore people of the country are facing 'high to higher' level water shortage.

Due to the lack of clean drinking water, two lakh people die every year. Moreover, 54 percent of India's groundwater sources / wells are drying up.

By 2020, groundwater is expected to end in 21 major cities of the country.

In India, there are ongoing disputes between the 11 states regarding water, like the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

These crises grew when the government stood in favour of an open and uncontrolled market. On the other hand, Delhi's air has not been viable to breathe.

26 states of the country believe that desertification is growing at a fast pace.

Approximately 30 percent of the country has come under the scope of desertification, where dust storms are rising at an unprecedented speed.

All the reports show that forests are being wiped out in the name of development and industrialisation. The way in which rivers, forests and mountains are being wiped out for economic development, the policies are actually taking us towards sure death.

It is a pity that we are doing away with them; preventing the tribals who have been protecting the natural sources for centuries from saving them. Of course, by making laws like forest conservation, we are certainly churning out our responsibilities.

The question arises, is it possible to preserve environment and biodiversity by boycotting tribal society? We have to ask the question, what the purpose of Indian Forest Law in India was in the year 1927? Then why the Wildlife Protection Act was made in 1972? And what was the motive behind

creating the Environment Protection Act in 1976?

Not only this, there are more questions in answer to these questions.

Who destroyed the forests in India and why? Who killed the cheetahs in India?

Who is responsible for tigers reaching the brink of extinction? Hunting was a form of entertainment for the Rajas (Kings), Diwans (Kings Ministers) and Zamindars (land lords).

On the walls of their palaces hang the trophies of tigers, cheetahs, leopards and antelope. The communities living in the tribal belts or jungles only do not hunt animals as a hobby. In view of the protection of social, economic and cultural rights of tribals and other forest dwellers in India, Parliament has imposed Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

This statute says that individual and community rights of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers who cultivate by acquiring first forest land before December 2005 will be recognised. The law says that during the colonial era and while integrating state forests in independent India, forest rights and their habitat were not adequately recognised on

their ancestral land, resulting in those tribes and other residents living in the forest.

Historically, injustice has been done to traditional forest dwellers, which are integral to saving and maintaining forest ecosystems. But the experience of 12 years of implementation of this law suggests that the state system has not felt the sentiments of this confession made

in the law; rather than wandering from the goal. This statute gives the right to use and conserve community forest resources to the Gram Sabha, i.e. the direct role of the community. At the same time, there is a provision in this also that the Gram Sabha has the right to set up

“Air pollution linked to higher risk of dementia�

PARIS Urban air pollution, mostly from vehicles, is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to research published Wednesday. The link remained even after heavy drinking, smoking and other well estab-

risk for heart disease, stroke and respiratory problems, especially asthma. But whether they also make Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia more likely has remained unclear.

To find out more, a team of researchers led by Iain Carey of the University of London's

cent more likely to be afflicted than the fifth residing in areas with the least NO2 and PM2.5.

Public health gains Because the study was based on after-the-fact analysis rather than a clinical trial in an experimental setting, no firm conclusions can be drawn as to cause-

dence of the link between air pollution and brain health, including dementia and Alzheimer's," said Martie Van Tongeren, a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Manchester.

"This adds to it."

lished risk factors for dementia were ruled out, the researchers reported in medical journal BMJ Open. Worldwide, about seven percent of people over 65 suffer from Alzheimer's or some form of dementia, a percentage that rises to 40 percent above the age of 85. The number afflicted worldwide is expected to nearly triple by 2050, posing a huge challenge to healthcare systems. "Primary prevention of all dementia is a major global public health concern for the coming decades," the researchers wrote. Chemicals cast off by tailpipe pollution such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and soot are known to boost the

Population Health Research Institute combed through health records for 131,000 people living in Greater London who, in 2004, were aged 50 to 79.

None showed signs of dementia when the study began.

Based on residential addresses, the scientists estimated yearly exposure to both NO2 and fine particulates known as PM2.5, and then tracked the health of the participants over a sevenyear period.

During that time, nearly 2,200 patients -- 1.7 percent of the total -- were diagnosed with dementia. The fifth of these patients living in the most heavily polluted areas were 40 per-

and-effect, the authors cautioned. But the findings strongly suggest that the chemical byproducts of burning diesel and petrol can damage brain function. "Traffic-related air pollution has been linked to poorer cognitive development in young children," the study noted. And even if the impact of air pollution remains relatively modest, they added, "the public health gains would be significant if it emerged that curbing exposure might delay progression of dementia."

The study was welcomed by experts who reviewed it before publication.

"There is a growing body of evi-

Kevin McConway of the Open University praised the study but noted that it only estimated exposure to pollutants at home, and did not account for NO2 and PM2.5 levels at or near places of work, or the amount of time spent away from home. In September 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed that German car manufacturer VW has installed so-called "defeat devices" in its cars to cheat in emissions tests. The European Environment Agency estimates that more than 400,000 people in Europe's urban areas die prematurely every year due to outdoor air pollution.

a committee for conservation of wildlife, Rights Law explains the Residential Rights forests and biodiversity and take its respon- (Habitat Rights, which means, not only the sibility. On September 22, 2015, the right to housing, but also the right to a Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the holistic environment). On chief secretaries of all the states and April 23, 2015, the Ministry had stressed that there of Tribal Affairs is a need (Government of India) told all the State Governments that they should be used for residential rights of the most vulnerable tribal communities (traditional housing, livelihoods, social, economic, spiritual, sacred, religious and other works), and to make extensive efforts to recognise it. It is important to mention that the traditional tribal communities have been creating their own system in their respective realm. It is the responsibility of the state to preserve its surroundings.

The document on Sustainable Development Goals, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (No. A/ to run a campaign to recognise com- RES/70/1) vision statement says, 'In these munity forest rights. Although, the process Goals and targets, we are setting out a of recognising individual rights has suc- supremely ambitious and transformational ceeded to some extent, but this process on vision. We envisage a world free of povercommunity forest resource rights is weak. ty, hunger, disease and want, where all life These rights are very important because can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear these resources play an important role in and violence. A world with universal literasecuring the lives and livelihoods of 20 mil- cy. A world with equitable and universal lion forest based communities. Forest access to quality education at all levels, to

health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being is assured. A world where we reaffirm our commitments regarding the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation and where there is improved hygiene; and where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and where there is universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.' SDG 15 states the following - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss; Target 15.5 states - Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species; Target 15.7 states - Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products; and Target 15.c states - Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities. The forest department established by the British government in India believed that tribal communities only suffer the loss of forests, biodiversity and wildlife.

They were not ready to accept the fact that the Vanvasi community had been living on the principle of "coexistence" with the forest, within the forests for thousands of years. It is a good feeling for the community that destruction of natural resources means destruction of their own.

They have been monitoring the forest like it is their God.

Rogue mind is the only real enemy Similarly, we will be affected by whatever we tune into.

This is the law of nature - we become like whatever we The only enemy one can have is one's own uncontrolled associate with. For example, if we put an iron rod in mind. Yoga is often misunderstood as merely fire, it becomes red hot like fire. If we put that breath control, asanas or exercises. For same iron rod in ice, due to its association some, it is about practising some rules with ice, it becomes as cold as ice. So, and regulations based on morality and yoga simply means tuning our mind into for others, it is cultivation of scriptura spiritual channel. In the Bhagwad al knowledge. But the real purpose of Gita, verse 2.62, it is mentioned that yoga is to fix our mind on the while contemplating the objects of the Supreme. senses, one develops attachment.

According to the Bhagwad Gita, yoga Contemplation is the mind's way of tuncannot be practised unless we practise ing in. Our direction in life is based on mind control. An uncontrolled mind what we contemplate, or what station or restricts the soul from reaching its natural channel, we choose to tune our mind into. blissful state, which a practitioner is trying to The mind contemplates and then activates achieve through yoga. Our mind works like a the senses. The most beautiful sense television set. A television set is just some object may be kept right next to us, but if plastic, metal, and glass fitted with our mind is absorbed somewhere circuits inside. This box can else and we don't even look at tune into waves transmitted it, we will not be affected. by a satellite to produce Therefore, the Bhagwad images and sounds. The Gita states, 'For one pleasure that we are who controls the looking for in this mind, the mind is world is compared the best of to the waves friends, but for reflected by the one who is satellite. unable to conSatellites can trol the mind, transmit signals the mind is the that can be worst enemy.' received The only through millions enemy a person of television sets, can have is his but not every teleown unconvision is tuned into trolled mind. If the same channel. our mind is conThe only enemy one can have is one's own uncontrolled For human beings, trolled, there are no mind. Yoga is often misunderstood as merely breath conthe senses are just like enemies outside. We trol, asanas or exercises. For some, it is about pracan antenna, receiving should try to avoid tuntising some rules and regulations based on whatever station the tuning ing in to negative forces morality and for others, it is cultivation device chooses. The tuning because every time we do, our of scriptural knowledge. device is the mind. We tune into receptivity to positive forces what our mind focuses on, and what we reduces. If we avoid all these other staare tuned into is what affects us and our life. tions, and we tune into the channel of Supreme People are affected by watching advertisements. They power then our receptivity for spirituality becomes tune into the product, get attracted to it and then buy it. much deeper.

RADHANATH SWAMI

If God is omnipotent, why is evil there! Dropping habits - Some so it was all our doing, and to blame God about our wrong understanding So many people ask this question is not fair. that when God alone does every- Let's understand this using the thing, then why do the bad people example of a computer. The creative exist in the world, or for that matter, why is anger, jealousy arrogance etc there in all of us. If even a leaf doesn't move without his wish, then why doesn't he remove all these thorns from the minds and hearts of people, and make this world a beautiful one to live in.

Whoever has such questions in their mind, they all need to go deeper into their own understanding of what they mean by God. The problem lies there alone. What they react to is not about the truth of God, but to 'their understanding' of what God is.

First, they entertain some baseless and childish understanding about God, and then keep wondering why 'this God' has done this or that.

Let's take our own example.

Many a times we ourselves are arro- power of God just provides us an gant, angry or jealous, do we really amazing hardware and its perfect think that all our arrogance etc was OS. All software's are a later installagiven to us by some extraneous tion, and we can just install anything, power, or was it just the conse- including a highly destructive virus. quence of our erroneous perception. Don't blame the creator of this amazAs we become wiser and more ing machine for what 'you' install at a mature, then such negativities drop, later stage. Anyways even if we did

inadvertently install some negative thoughts, then we can always run some anti-virus s/w and clean ourselves.

God is that creative power who has

given us this amazing capacity and opportunity to install and run just anything. Think! That is the role of God and having freely and lovingly given to us this amazing portable, ever-charged, always on, shouldertop, with all its astounding processing, memory and multimedia capa-

bilities, including its extremely fast connectivity - God then just lets us free, he is indeed someone who truly believes in you.

Thereafter we can indeed make or mar our lives, and he still doesn't interfere, he continues to believe in us and hopes that all our happiness and sorrows themselves will facilitate our better understanding and enlightenment.

Let us not expect him to be like the proverbial motherin-law who interferes in everything the others do.

Good teaching is not about interfering and correcting others all the time, but in soft facilitation to help a person to realize and awake; so, rest assured God will never interfere, whatever be the intensity of pains and problems of the people of world.

God is a magnanimous creator who not only creates this astounding and amazing creation with all its beautiful sun, moon etc, but then also believes in you fully. No one in the world believes and loves you as much as God does, and therefore he never interferes. He does not control the mind of anyone, he just gives this amazing 'mind' with all its equally amazing powers to us - freely, lovingly, without any

tips for smokers

Have you watched? Whenever you feel nervous, tense, you start smoking. It helps you to cool down, to relax a little bit; otherwise life will become too much. When you are not feeling nervous, when you are enjoying, when you are relaxed, you don't remember smoking. Hours may pass and you may not smoke for the simple reason that there is no cause. Otherwise you become afraid you may do something wrong. Better to keep yourself engaged.

Meditate over your habit My suggestion is: first go deep down into your smoking habit. Meditate over it, why in the first place you smoke. It may take a few months for you to go into it, and the deeper you go the more you will be freed of it.

Don't stop smoking. If it disappears on your understanding, through your understanding, that is totally a different matter.

Become a child again To many people I have suggested -- and it has been of help to smokers --, "If you really want to stop smoking, then start sucking your thumb."

They say, "But that will look very stupid!" That is true. smoking looks as if you are doing something great! You are doing the same thing, in fact a little more harmful. Just sucking your thumb is not harmful at all, but smoking is harmful. But because everybody is smoking and it is an accepted thing and it seems to be a very grownup act.... Get to the root of the problem

It symbolizes a grown-up person. And if you are really smoking costly cigarettes, costly cigars, rare, exotic, then it shows your success, it shows that you have arrived. It gives you dignity.

Go deep into it. It may be that your mother's breast was taken away too early. Then my suggestion is: in the night before you go to bed, have a bottle with a rubber nipple fixed to it and suck it. Every night before you go to sleep become a child again. Go on sucking on it. Fill the bottle with warm milk. That's what the smoking is doing. The warm smoke going in and out symbolizes the milk of the mother. You will have to go deep into the causes.

One of the great things in life is that if you understand the root cause of something you can overcome it without any trouble, without any willpower. If you use willpower to stop it you will find some substitute -- you will have to find some substitute.

Go into the cause of it, and if you can find the cause it will simply melt away. But don't stop by force -- let it go on its own accord, through watchfulness, through awareness.

Awareness is the cure So I will not say to stop smoking or stop anything, but I will suggest always: watch, meditate, be aware, go into the roots. This is a fundamental law of life: if you can understand the root of something it disappears, it evaporates. Unless you understand the root it will continue in one form or another.

CMYK

CMYK

Guruji Sri Swami Atmananda

The equivalence of farm loan waivers and corporate NPAs A recent newspaper headline read: "Farmer Bijay Lallya arrested at IGI Airport trying to flee the country over non-payment of bank loans of ?5 lakh."

As you might have guessed, this headline is made up. An instinctive reaction would be to ask-"How can farm loan waivers have anything in common with corporates' non-performing assets (NPAs)? Isn't one decision entirely political and the other entirely commercial?" But first impressions can be deceptive.

A farm loan waiver is a sector-wide extinguishing of loans mandated by the government, usually before an election, with the exchequer compensating banks. On the other hand, a corporate NPA represents a business failure, for reasons internal and external, and triggers a bankruptcy process to recover dues by financial creditors to the maximum extent possible-either through resolution or through liquidation. A bankruptcy process does not imply any liability of the government, unless very large in magnitude. The government obligation can be more pressing if NPAs originate in public sector banks or are due from public sector corporations.

A key underpinning of bankruptcy procedures is the limited liability clause that protects the assets of promoters unless explicitly pledged.

Corporate bankruptcy, therefore, is a simultaneous process of cleansing bank balance sheets and a mechanism allowing optimal risk-taking by entrepreneurs. Effective functioning of a bankruptcy law is

expected to enable the generation of new cycles of credit, with credit flowing to better projects in similar or entirely new sectors. On the other hand,

keep lending to the same sectors even in the absence of structural improvements.

Persistent problems in power and infrastructure sectors and

choosing the most efficient vendor, and hence represents a distortionary cost-as in the case of preferential access to inputs such as coal, and award of con-

a farm loan waiver impedes the flow of such credit as structural problems besetting agriculture are typically not addressed. Couched in these terms, corporate bankruptcies and farm loan waivers appear to have nothing in common.

The equivalence arises when conditions warrant that the state must indirectly bear the burden of corporate NPAs by infusing funds into banks, as had happened in the US following the 2008 financial crisis and as is happening now in India. Equivalence can also be drawn when the problem of corporate NPAs repeats itself in the same sectors implying that, for some reason, banks

the fate of development finance institutions before some of them converted to universal banks immediately come to mind.

The evidence of this equivalence would be a slowdown in both agricultural and corporate lending occasioned by farm loan waivers and NPA crises, respectively-something we have been witnessing in India for the last few years. Another ground for equivalence arises if the resources of the exchequer are used to buoy companies that would otherwise go into bankruptcy. The assumption is that the motivation of keeping a company afloat interferes with the objective of

tracts without regard to expertise in areas such as defence.

It is true that there has been a marked increase in the share of large loans in agriculture since 1990. In the same vein, the top 12 corporate houses received close to 15% of ?7080 trillion in total advances to the corporate sector and accounted for approximately 25% of the NPAs. The share of these borrowers in credit from the formal sector is almost the same as that of the entire agriculture sector. Four of these have been resolved within a year with about 52% recovery, representing only 14% of the dues from these 12 accounts.

Thus, as in agriculture, the

SC Bt cotton verdict is relief for Monsanto The Supreme Court's restoration of Monsanto's patent claim on Bt cotton till its validity is decided by the Delhi high court ought to reassure biotech companies that had held back on introducing new technologies in India after the controversy over genetically modified (GM) cotton erupted. The fact that the patent held by Monsanto-now Monsanto Bayer-over its Bollgard-II Bt cotton seed technology will be enforceable dispels some of the regulatory fog around the patentability in India of biotechnological processes, such as DNA tweaks.

Protecting intellectual property rights is vital to improving the competitiveness of the Indian farmer, and the Supreme Court's suggestion to the Delhi high court-a division bench of which had ruled that life forms cannot be patented-that all aspects related to Monsanto's patents on genetically modified seeds can be considered could allay apprehensions among technology developers over losing pricing freedom in India.

The regulatory issues surrounding biotechnology in India, however, are not restricted to upholding intellectual property rights. The government has capped royalty payments to Monsanto and asked it to grant licences to more seed companies for using Bt cotton. Indian seed companies pay a government-mandated trait fee, as such royalty is called, on genetically modified seeds.

Multinational biotechnology companies are naturally chary: Monsanto has held back other Bt cotton varieties from India and Bayer has gone slow in introducing a hybrid rice seed that can with-

stand flooding for two weeks. Moreover, regulatory clarity over field trials for genetically modified seeds is overdue. A moratorium on field trials for Bt brinjal, for instance, is in its ninth year and the government wants more research done for GM mustard, which involves more field trials that, in turn, await permissions from state governments. This week's judicial validation of safeguards for private investment in agricultural research is unlikely to spur multinational biotechnology companies into pouring money into India.

The verdict should prod India, the world's biggest producer of cotton, to encourage innovation in agriculture.

For Monsanto, which faces global suspicion about its genetically modified organisms, the ruling is a vindication, apart from ensuring returns on its Indian investments.

For Nuziveedu Seeds, which had approached the court seeking Monsanto's patent be cancelled as its seeds had distinct characteristics and no royalty needed to be paid by it despite the licensing agreement, the issue is still to be decided by the Delhi court. Once the legal position on the issues raised by protracted litigation is resolved, Indian policymakers must turn their attention to crafting a more welcoming environment for farm research. Agriculture, despite its dipping contribution to gross domestic product, remains central to a wide swathe of interventions by both the federal and state governments, and the removal of regulatory knots for improving farm productivity needs a more enthusiastic approach than it has received so far.

Indra Nooyi likely to head World Bank Indra Nooyi, who stepped down from her role at PepsiCo last August after leading the company for 12 years, has been courted as an administration ally by Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter who is playing a role in the selection of a nominee for the position of World Bank president. A file photo of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. Ivanka Trump, who tweeted that she views Nooyi as a mentor and inspiration, has floated Nooyi's name as the next World Bank president.

Photo: Reuters The White House is considering Indra K. Nooyi, the former chief executive officer of PepsiCo, for the position of World Bank president, according to several people familiar with the process. Nooyi, who stepped down from her role at PepsiCo last August after leading the company for 12 years, has been courted as an administration ally by Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter who is playing a role in the selection of a nominee. The decision-making process for the top post at the World Bank is fluid and in its initial stages and early front-runners and candidates often fall off the radar, or withdraw from consideration, before the president makes his ultimate pick. Donald Trump often makes his own gut decisions about whom to chose.

corporate NPA crisis is also sector-specific, dominated by large accounts, not accompanied by adequate structural reforms, and expensive for the public exchequer. If the recapitalization of banks is welcomed, why is a farm loan waiver not acceptable?

It seems that the criticism of farm loan waivers reflects a view of the proper relation between the farm versus the non-farm sectors. It is believed that food prices for consumers must be kept low through restrictions on farmers and subsidies to consumers. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the average yearly revenue lost by Indian farmers between 2014 and 2016 on account of export restrictions, net of subsidies received, is ?1.65 trillion.

Historical performance shows that the credit quality of large corporate borrowers is not superior to that of agriculture/priority sector lending. In that context, interest rates charged by banks to large corporate borrowers have been kept artificially low and incommensurate with the risks involved. Low prices of agricultural products can also be achieved by reducing the role of the middlemen but for various reasons, including the political muscle involved, this does not happen.

In short, the problem of the spendthrift farmer and that of the flagrant corporate firm are two sides of the same coin. The difference is that unlike corporate honchos, farmers aren't fleeing the country.

January 28, Monday, 2019

9

CMYK

CMYK

BUSINESS

The City Standard

Strengthening the SME loan infrastructure in India From kirana stores to local businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are central to the Indian economy. According to the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises, these firms contribute about 30% to India's economic output and provide employment to over 111 million people. But despite this importance, India's small firms are starved of funds.

One way to address this, according to a new study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is to establish credit-information infrastructure for SMEs and provide credit guarantees to ease their access to finance.

In the study, Naoyuki Yoshino and Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary say SMEs face difficulties in accessing cheap finance because creditors lack clarity about the financial health of SMEs. Assessing financial health requires audited accounts and financial statements which SMEs often do not maintain. This increases collateral requirements for lending to SMEs and higher interest rates to compensate creditors for the

increased risk.

The authors suggest that the development of SME credit risk databases, credit bureaus and credit ratings can help lenders gauge the risk associated with lending to small companies.

For instance, in Japan, the "credit risk database" association uses scoring models to evaluate creditworthiness of SMEs and align loan prices with credit risk.

Similarly, in Thailand, a National Credit Bureau collects and processes credit information of financial institutions' clients.

While these may be long-term measures, the authors suggest there are short-term methods for analysing SME credit risk by using financial data which captures SME activity, profitability and liquidity. The authors also highlight the importance of credit guarantee schemes for lowering credit risk. To address lender uncertainty around SMEs, the government can guarantee to repay a substantial portion of SME debt. This will ease lender concerns and attract more finance to the sector.

Growing unemployment, a big reason to worry!

Almost 11 million Indians lost their jobs during 2018, reported the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Vulnerable groups from rural regions were the worst hit by job losses last year.

India is losing jobs even as its economy grows fast. The Opposition has decided to make this the foremost election issue, but the problem is not of the ruling party's sole making. The demographic disaster has been built over decades. The CMIE report shows that the number of unemployed has been steadily increasing in the country. The number of employed recorded in December 2018 was at 397 million, which is 10.9 million less than the figure of 407.9 million seen a year ago at the end of December 2017. With people in both rural and urban India hit, most of the job losses were reported from the previous regime. What has the Opposition to gloat about or criticise the present

Modi regime? Who is losing these jobs in such numbers: The uneducated, wage labourers, agricultural labourers and small traders. The latter were also the worst affected post-demonetisation. Around 3.7 million salaried lost their jobs in 2018. Around 6.5 million rural women lost their jobs, whereas the urban women lost 2.3 million.

Rural India accounts for two-thirds of India's population and also accounted for 84 per cent job losses. A careful study of the pattern of job losses and the profile of the affected tells us that: it is a woman who loses it. Particularly it will be a woman of the rural India who is uneducated and engaged as a wage labourer or a farm labour or is a small-scale trader and is aged either less than 40 years or more than 60 years. All the same the country's employment rate has shot upto 7.4 per cent in December 2018.

This tax season, don't give in to agents' calls, buy the life insurance plan you really need The new year has just begun, but for corporate India this is the last quarter of the financial year with only three months left to meet the year-end target.

Companies are on an overdrive and life insurance sector is no exception. In fact, according to Deepak Yohannan, founder and CEO, Myinsuranceclub.com, an insurance web aggregator, nearly 50-60 of the sale for life insurance happens in the last quarter.

For you this means constantly buzzing phones with call centre executives trying hard to sell you life insurance that you may find hard to ignore if you haven't made your tax saving investments and the company HR has handed you a deadline.

The premium that you pay on a life insurance policy qualifies for a tax deduction of up to ?1.5 lakh under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and buying a big-ticket life insurance policy-that bundles investment-can take care of the entire 80C limit. But that's a mistake and you are bound to make it if you rush last minute to save taxes. Bundled life insurance plans are products that are complicated and need a lot of clarity on costs, returns and caveats.

What's worse is that you are unlikely to meet your insurance needs through these products as they come with a poor layer of insurance.

For your insurance needs what you need is a term plan

that only provides insurance.

You don't have to depend on an insurance agent to buy a term plan as most life insurance companies now offer term insurance online.

In fact, insurers have started

gets ?1 crore in full. But newer policies now break the sum assured into periodic benefits instead of a lump sum payment. The sum assured here is typically broken down into monthly payments for a fixed

innovating in term insurance as well. We help you understand the different designs of term plans and what may work for you.

Payout structure A term insurance policy only carries an insurance cover, so if the policyholder dies during the policy term, the beneficiary gets the sum assured. If the policyholder survives, there is no maturity benefit. The basic structure of a term plan is to pay out the death benefit or the sum assured as a lump sum payment. So if the sum assured is say ?1 crore, then on death of the policyholder, the nominee

number of years to provide regular cash flow to the nominee.

Then there are plans that offer both lump sum and periodic payouts.

Another type of term plan is like an income replacement plan that offers only periodic income until a goal is reached.

For instance, if the goal is linked to retirement-60 years of age-then on death of the policyholder during the term, the insurance cover to the beneficiary will continue till the retirement age of the policyholder. The drawback here is that if the policyholder dies closer to retirement, the sum

total of payouts would be less.

Buying this plan can be tricky because it may appear to be cheaper but you will need to consider your liabilities and goals before buying this plan.

How to choose As with most things in life, the basic term plan works well.

"Customisation is good but I recommend taking a term plan that pays lump sum benefit. It's hard to predict the kind of financial stress death of the main breadwinner in the family may cause, therefore having the entire corpus helps," said Yohannan.

According to Kapil Mehta, co-founder, SecureNow.in, taking the money as lump sum payment gives you the opportunity to invest it well and earn a higher return. "Policies that stagger insurance money into periodic income take a conservative view on investment returns. So if you were to invest the insurance benefit, you will be able get a higher monthly payout. Taking the insurance money in a lump sum and a do-it-yourself approach is better," he said.

But this may not work for all, especially when your spouse is not financially savvy and this is where the flexibility may help.

"In such cases term plans that break insurance benefit into periodic benefits works. Even in this case, it's always better to take at least 40% of the sum assured as lump sum," added Mehta.

In a speech at the All India Traders Convention on 27 February 2014 ahead of the general election, Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi surprised everybody by not playing to the gallery.

"I don't know whether I will gain politically or not by saying this," Modi told an audience full of traders, his party's core vote bank. "Whether you like it or not, we need not be afraid of the global challenges in the business world. We should convert this to opportunity. We should not think that 'if online trade comes, we will be finished'. You should demand (of) the government how to increase your capability to meet this new global challenge rather than telling the government, 'shut down online trade'. How will you stop it? We have to accept the modern science and technology. We should not plan to flee, but to fight," Modi said.

Four years later, after extensively liberalizing retail trade, except allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail-which was a 2014 manifesto pledge-Modi is showing signs of nervousness. Poll reverses in recent state assembly elections and a resurgent opposition seem to have forced Modi to cosy up to his original voter base, the traders.

On 26 December, a day after Christmas, while festive sales peaked, the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP)-the nodal agency for formulating FDI policy-surprised everybody with fresh regulations that could throw a spanner in India's thriving e-commerce marketplaces. The Modi government allowed 100% FDI under the ecommerce marketplace model but prohibited FDI in inventory based e-commerce. In the first, e-commerce companies act as platforms for vendors to sell their products and in the second, they can sell their own products.

The changes, which will take effect on 1

February, are five-fold: First, marketplace entities cannot buy more than 25% from a single vendor; second, marketplaces will not directly or indirectly give discounts on products; thirdly, entities in which there is equity participation by the marketplace entity cannot sell their products on the platform run by the marketplace; fourthly, e-commerce marketplace

entity will not mandate any seller to sell any product exclusively on its platform only; and fifthly, marketplaces will have to submit a compliance report to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by 30 September every year.

While the first and second criteria were mandated even earlier, the DIPP always looked the other way when they were violated. The latest changes in the policy are widely believed to be a political move ahead of the general election due in April-May to assuage the trading community which has been hit by demonetization and the implementation of the goods and services tax.

Traders were also miffed with the Modi govern-

ment's e-commerce policy, as online trading platforms were harming their businesses by providing deep discounts.

India's $18-billion e-commerce industry initially thrived in a policy vacuum, aggressively funded by venture capital firms. To legitimize the existing businesses of e-commerce companies operating in India, the government in March 2016 through press note 3 (of 2016 series) allowed 100% FDI in online retail of goods and services under the so-called 'marketplace model' through the automatic route and notified new regulations. DIPP through its 26 December notification has now added new stringent regulations to the ones existing in press note 3 of 2016.

While the fresh regulations could spoil plans for greater synergy between Flipkart and its new owner Walmart which operates in the cash-and-carry retail space where 100% FDI is permitted like in e-commerce marketplace entities, it also bars Amazon from selling products from subsidiaries like Cloudtail and Appario where it has significant investments. Cloudtail is a joint venture between Amazon and N.R. Narayana Murthy's Catamaran Ventures.

The move to ban exclusive deals for products also hurts top online retailers such as Flipkart and Amazon. Flipkart, for instance, has exclusive partnerships with top smartphone brands such as Xiaomi and Oppo. Smartphones make up over 50% of ecommerce sales in India.

A DIPP official speaking under condition of anonymity insisted that press note 3 of 2016 only issues a clarification. "We have not formulated any new policy. We have not even gone to the cabinet for a new policy," he said. The department is formulating an e-commerce policy, a draft version of which is expected to be released soon, after a similar draft policy by the commerce department was rejected by e-commerce players.

Come February, India will have in place new e-commerce norms which are expected to rein in deep discounts that e-tailers offer regularly to lure customers. In the last week of December, the central government announced contours of the new e-commerce norms which included changes related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in online commerce.

As per the policy outlines, online sellers are also not allowed to sell products from the companies in which they have a stake. Further, such players can't enter exclusive sales deals with seller companies.

These new policy initiatives assume significance in the wake of persistent demand from traders across the country that etailers should be reined in.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which represents interests of brick-and-mortar traders, has consistently been voicing its concerns over the growing influence of online sales and the existential threats small traders were facing from it.

It also alleged that global players were using ecommerce route to enter multi-brand retail sector into which FDI is currently not allowed.

Its fears are right in some way. India's ecommerce market place is in the hands of two American biggies. Walmart, the world's biggest retailer with roots in the US, acquired India's Flipkart for a whopping $16 billion last year.

Amazon India, Flipkart's arch rival, is owned by US-based Amazon founded by Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man. Both Amazon and Flipkart

between them command a combined market share of 80 per cent. This clearly shows who are the kings in the country's online space. And their influence is set to increase further. As per a Morgan Stanley study, India is likely to witness 50 per cent jump in online shoppers by 2026 from 60 million in 2016. The increased use of smartphones is fuelling this growth. Thanks to Reliance Jio's cheap data services, the number of smartphone users are now close to 337 million. This number is projected to touch 490.9 million by the end of 2022, according to eMarketer, research firm.

Brick-and-mortar players say the future of lakhs of traders and scores of employees who work in their outlets will be in peril if the online companies like well-funded Amazon and Flipkart are given free run in the country. It is a fact that steep discounts and deals being offered by them bring cheers to the customers.

But the e-tailers are using discounts as bait to wean away customers from the offline outlets. It is very unlikely that they will continue the discounts forever. Further, CAIT alleges prices of products are still higher despite discount offered on them by e-tailers and consumers will stand to benefit even without discounts. In this context, through the new policy norms, the central government should strike a balance and see that all stakeholders including customers and traders would emerge as winners. And ecommerce should get it due as well.

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What India e-commerce policy entails for online retailers Online discounts, offline biz woes

Latest dating terms of 2019 No more meeting someone in a bar or a restaurant and embarking on a modern courtship. As anyone who has attempted to find love in 2018 knows only too well, modern dating is an absolute minefield.

Navigate all your various dating apps like Tinder, Bumble to name but a few. and labour over the perfect profile picture and bio, then you need to pique a potential partner's interest with a killer opening line... and that's all before you've even met.

After a potentially awkward date, you should keep waiting for your fate, thinking what would happen. BUT WHY? Throw into the mix a plethora of different ways of rejecting and it's enough to crave celibacy for the rest of your days.

And while you've probably heard of - or actually been ghosted, there is a whole host of new dating terms to get to grips with.

Here we go for what's in with 2019 for you... want to be in the know for it?? of course who doesn't is it.. We've enlisted few from the dating app happen, to reveal the new dating trends you need to know for navigating dating this year ORBITING: SO you and that one special someone ended things because it's not you, it's me or maybe you didn't, it might have been left a bit unclear and you aren't sure if it's on or off. either way, you noticed that while you are off enjoying the single life and posting on your social media, that person continuously likes all your photos and spies on all of your instagram stories, just so you know that they're still around and thinking about you and leaving you wondering, are we or

Modern dating is an absolute minefield one should know to steer it well aren't we? if someone is not quite in your life and not quiet entirely removed, then it is likely you are being orbited.

POCKETING:

have been pocketed. A pocket-er- is only ever available when they want to hang out or when their schedules are clear of any public encounters. Make sure you are always with someone

The horrid trend of pocketing is on the rise and you don't want to be the one whose been stuffed into a pocket by someone you really thought a relationship was growing with. If you aren't being introduced to his friends and family within months of spending time together, then it might be time to open your eyes because you

who is excited to show off you as new arm candy!

COOKIE JARRING: So have you been seeing someone for quite sometime and want to have a little extra security, just in case. You start getting a little friendlier with someone else, so you have something to fall back on if it all goes wrong. If you are guilty

Bags which make you stand out from the crowd!

Haven't we all always wanted a bag that not only serves all our needs but makes us stand out from the crowd as well?

Cartier which is famous for its exquisite jewellery and elegant watches, has now come up with a beautiful, versatile and luxurious looking bag unlike any other currently available on the market,

reported L'Officiel. The handbag unveiled by Cartier, which is inspired by its iconic jewellery boxes is ideal for everyone with a unique touch of the post-Christmas blues, or for anyone who is on a hunt for the new season accessory.

The Guirlande De Cartier handbag, much like Cartier's jewellery cases, stands out from all the others with its unique features: a geometric form made up of 8 clean-cut sides, put together with smooth calfskin leather in rich colours of red, green or black, giving the perfect holiday season feels! And not to forget, the bag's faรงade which is embellished

with a gold frieze trimming that gives it a stunning and regal touch.

Making it more useful and customer friendly, the handbag also comes with an adjustable and detachable leather strap, leav

ing it on people to decide how they want to flaunt the bag. One can sling it over the shoulder or wear it as a clutch, depending on one's plans for the day and the rest of their outfit.

Keeping in mind the varied need of consumers, the collection showcases three sizes, mini, small and medium.

Cartier has earlier launched jewellery bags in the 1910s and clutch bags in the 1960s, but this is their very first everyday accessory. The Guirlande De Cartier handbag, fuses the aesthetics of jewellery and watches that the company is traditionally known for and merges them into one beautiful bag. The Cartier handbag will be available in Cartier stores from March.

of this then you are officially cookie jarring. Give yourself time to get to know someone without the influence of anyone else and if things just don't work out , then that's okay- trying to understand why and learning from it could give you valuable insight into what you are looking for in the next potential candidate for your affection.

STASHING: This term denotes being someone's guilty secret with no introductions to friends or family. It's like they are ashamed of you or hiding you. It's also a real indicator of a manipulator and someone who wants to end up controlling your activity.

Zombie-ing: While ghosting describes someone who suddenly disappears off the face of the earth with no explanation, Zombie-ing is the act of suddenly re- appearing and acting as if nothing has happened.

BENCHING: Ever have the feeling the person you're dating is also dating? Welcome to benching. Benching is when you are clearly someone's Plan B or c while they clearly shop around for a better deal.

SIDE-BARRING: Is there anything more infuriating than being on a date with someone who is paying more attention to their phone? You're officially being side-barred. This is when you're on a date and your partner is constantly on or distracted by their phone, unable to be completely present with you.

HAUNTING: While ghosts vanish from the face of the earth, perhaps more infuriating is a haunter, who clearly spies on you via social media without actually making any direct contact.

Laughter plays an important role in romantic relationships, whether it's shared together or directed at the significant other.

If partners handle laughter or being laughed at in a similar way, they tend to be quite content with their relationship. People who are afraid of being laughed at are often less happy in their relationship. This also affects their partner and their sexuality, a new study has found.

The study was published in the Journal of Research in Personality. The study was carried out by the psychologists from Martin Luther University HalleWittenberg (MLU).

"Earlier studies have shown that people are looking for a partner with a sense of humour and who enjoys a laugh," said study author Rene Proyer.

How people react to being laughed at differs widely, some people are afraid of being laughed at.

"They tend to interpret the laughter as something negative or derogative," Proyer explained.

Proyer stated that others enjoy being the centre of attention and intentionally provoke situations that make others laugh about them. For many people, being laughed at is an expression of appreciation.

Another characteristic is enjoying laughing about others and intentionally making them the butt of jokes, for example.

"These three characteristics are personality traits that can occur at the same time, to varying degrees and in different combinations.

They can range, for exam-

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teach the language online while you are still travelling the globe, all you need is an Internet connection. " Click! Click! to earn big: The scenic beauty

receiving huge appreciation for the same. Find the right portals, be it travel magazines, newspapers, or even websites, share the pictures and get ready to earn some

lovers around the world with some easy-breezy tips and tricks to survive in a new place. The more engaging and helpful your insights are to the audience,

of the places close to nature, away from the daily hustlebustle of the city amplifies many times more from the pictures clicked by an avid photographer. If you have the skills of creating a magical spell with the camera while exploring new places around the world and are

handsome bucks to travel more and more. " Spread the magic through social media: Thanks to the digitalisation wave, an avid traveller is blessed with platforms like Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter and Instagram to share their story with travel

the more followers will be there on the wall, ultimately making you a renowned personality of the social media world. And, once this gets done, brands and topnotch corporates will approach you for paid collaborations. " Alankar Chandra,

Let's not sacrifice Budget for Nutritious food, here we go with pocket friendly ideas. Let's not sacrifice Budget for Nutritious food, here we go with pocket friendly ideas Here we go with your pocket affordable ideas. If you are trying to save your pockets while eating healthy may seem like a catch -22, especially when it's the holiday season, but it's easier than you might think.

Plan wisely, by adding more plant based options and with a few ideas to stock your fridge, you can cut down on your grocery bill and trips to the store.

Founder of the physicians committee for responsible medicine says eating cheap and healthy food is one of the best things you can do as plant based foods are both healthy and usually the most affordable.

BROWN RICE: One serving can cost you as little as 10 Rs and is rich with B vitamins and other healthy nutrients brown rice can be eaten alone, or you can use it as a base for other foods- get creative with some day- old rice by adding

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some frozen vegetables and an egg for protein, and now you have fried rice.

WHOLE CHICKEN: A pound of chicken averages 75 Rs and you can use this as your main protein source for meals. You can shred the chicken for a salad or have it with a side of your Brown rice.

SWEET POTATOES: They cost about 70Rs a Kg if purchased in Bulk, you can use them to make sweet potato fries in the Oven, mashed sweet potatoes or even roasted sweet potatoes. Other than being full of beta Carotene, which helps fight disease and boost your immune system, sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate and low on the glycemic index; so they won't spike your blood sugar.

Throw in your brown rice and beans and chop up some vegetables and you have a healthy sweet potato bowl.

GROUND TURKEY OR CHICKEN: Can cost as little as 210 Rs some change per Kg, and the options for meals and endless. Add some ground turkey to your sweet potato bowl or make Chili, Tacos.

ple, from making harmless jokes to ridiculing others.

All of these characteristics are normal, up to a certain

conducted online interviews with 154 heterosexual couples. The participants separately answered questions

laugh at others.

For the subsequent analysis, the researchers, first of all, compared the statements

point - including being afraid of being laughed at," Proyer added.

Profiles can be concluded from the combination of the individual traits - for example, someone who likes to laugh about others but does not like it when others laugh about them.

For the current study, the psychologists from MLU

about their relationship, for example about how satisfied the partners were with their relationship overall, whether the couple often argued and how satisfied both partners were with their sex life.

The researchers also investigated how the study participants handle being laughed at and whether they like to

made by each person.

"We found that partners are often alike with regard to their individual characteristics and also their profiles," said study author Kay Brauer. If these matched, the couples were usually more content in their relationship than others.

The researchers observed that provoking others to

CEO, Wild Voyager, has some tips: " First of all, even if you are a semi-decent photographer and shoot pictures of lesser known treks or difficult to see animals during your exploration quest, many magazines and online sites will be ready to pay for your photographs. " Next is if you maintain a blog or social profile of your own and post original content (travel experiences) at regular intervals then slowly your follower base will grow exponentially as online travel researchers are hungry to hear first hand experiences. As you grow traction on your blog and social media, there will be many hoteliers, brands, travel companies offering you free trips, free stays or monies in lieu of their promotion. At the same time, you also have to maintain a clear travel niche (trekking, wildlife, homestays, remote countries) of your own and keep delivering original content regularly.

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Don't sacrifice your budget for nutritious food

Study shows how couples handle laughter and banter

Ways to get paid while travelling the world From high-altitude places to spots near the waters, densely populated cities to the dense jungles -there are a lot of travel lovers who wish to explore every corner of the world but arent able to do so due to financial constraints. But there's a solution.

There are some top tips and tricks with which people can earn a living and get their trips sponsored while travelling peacefully around the globe. Viswanath Raju, Cofounder of Mojhi.com lists how. " Put your language skills to use: If you possess leadership qualities, and have commendable knowledge of two or more foreign languages, you will find many opportunities to put all of that to work. You can work as a tour guide for travellers and earn a pretty hefty sum of money in exchange. " Another way to put your language skills to good use is by teaching English online. There are lots of portals where you can

January 28, Monday, 2019

laugh at you primarily has positive effects.

"Women reported more often that they tended to be satisfied with their relationship and felt more attracted to their partner. They and their partners also tended to be equally satisfied with their sex life," added Brauer.

Being afraid of being laughed at, on the other hand, tended to have negative effects. People who have this fear are less content in their relationship and also tend to mistrust their partner. This also has consequences for the partner. Men said more frequently that they did not really feel satisfied with their sex life if their partner was afraid of being laughed at.

The psychologists did not find this kind of interdependence with regard to relationship contentment when it came to people who like to ridicule others. However, the couples tended to argue more often. "That is hardly surprising, considering that these people often go too far and make derisive comments which can then lead to an argument," said Brauer.

Both researchers stated that handling laughter and being laughed at in a similar way alone does not suffice to assess whether a relationship is a "good" one. Of course, there is more to a successful relationship in which partners experience happiness. However, knowing whether one of the two partners in a relationship is afraid of being laughed at could be useful information for couples therapy or relationship counselling.

A quick 60 second face wash that gives you a perfect illuminating skin Everyone is not born with perfectly smooth, bright, glowing skin. So when someone gets to learn about the 60 seconds rule to get the illuminating skin would take it as the answer to their face prayers.

Try cleaning your face for 60 seconds every night without failing for two weeks making sure every crevice of your face was make up free when you wash your face.

By end of the second week u can honestly see that your face looks a bit calmer, less red, and brighter. No i can say u would find your skin radically transformed. probably your

boyfriend can notice it for you.

COOL, BUT WILL IT WORK FOR YOU: Possibly, and possibly not says dermatologists Mona Gohara, M.D associate clinical professor at Yale, noting that you need to have realistic expectations, first. it can give you softer skin- as long as you use the right cleanser and also more of a glow, since it'll stimulate circulation. But in terms of the 60 second rule totally annihilating your acne? Not so much.

You can't wash away your hormones, or your DNA, or any of your other acne causing triggers. she says sorry to burst your bubble.

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LIFE STYLE

The City Standard

The curious case of accidental one rupee note!

Following the release of his latest film, 'The Accidental Prime Minister', Anupam Kher shared a video showcasing an interesting story of an 'accidental' one rupee note.

Considering the fun play of destiny, the video features a man informing about the one rupee note which was signed by the Reserve Bank of India in 1977 and issued

Lot of hard work for an outsider : Yami

Actress Yami Gautam says as an outsider, a lot of hard work goes into getting the right parts in Bollywood. Yami on Saturday shared a tweet regarding her latest release 'Uri' and her performance in the film.

"Thanks so much. As an actress and an outsider, a lot of hard work goes into getting the right parts and I am glad that you all are giving it so much love," Yami wrote. 'Uri' also stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead. Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried out by the Indian Armed Forces, 'Uri' traces the significant event.

The film sees Vicky playing the role of by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who was an Indian commando who is Finance Secretary then. The number depicted on the note being 070355 indicates March 7, 1955, which happens to be involved in the 2016 surgical the birthday of Kher. "It's surreal!" said the 63-year-old actor. strikes. It also features Kirti "After watching the video, I think I was destined to do The Kulhari and Paresh Accidental Prime Minister. I am really happy that the film has been Rawal in the lead receiving so well and also grateful to the audience for appreciating roles. my performance." Wowing audiences with his brilliant performance, the thespian has once again pushed the envelope as an actor with 'The Accidental Prime Minister.' The flick is based on facts as chronicled in a book by Sanjaya Baru - Manmohan Singh's media advisor between 2004 and 2008. It revolves around Singh's life, the economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The film has been drawing a lot of flak from the Opposition Congress party which poked holes in the portrayal of the former prime minister. The party also criticised the trailer, which was released in December, saying that the movie shows Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in a wrong light.

Express love for motherland quite loud and clear : Prasoon Joshi National award-winning lyricist Prasoon Joshi, who penned the songs for the upcoming film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi says people should express their love for country openly and should not make patriotism their "convenience". During the launch of Vijay Bhava of the film Manikarnik, Joshi asked people to express their love for the motherland quite loud and clear.

While Kangana Ranaut, the leading actress and one of the directors of the film, said that words like "chest thumping", "nationalism", 'jingoism' are used in a negative manner, and people should celebrate patriotism loud and open; the media asked question on how forced nationalism can be encouraged in a democracy, since everyone has the right to express patriotism in their own way.

Prasoon replied, "Don't make patriotism your convenience, as far as you are cognizant about it, as far as you are honest about it, don't make it convenient. If you are hiding behind your convenience, then I surely have a problem." "Yes, people can express their love for the country in their own way, but people should express their love, it shouldn't be internalised," he added.

Kangana said, "Love is love. If you love your partner, and never want that partner's company it is up to you if you want to internalise it. But then it will never manifest into a beautiful relationship, nothing will come out of it." "Similarly, the Constitution is a promise that all of us have made with each other to the motherland. It is not a gift fallen on our lap from heaven. If we add another piece of land to this land, we make a promise even with those set of people to protect this land. That promise needs to be owned."

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and people of all ages see Khoj, they understand how serious the situation is.

I feel honoured to play the role of Gurri because deep down she was strong, and most importantly working with Kajri was amazing. As young women, we took up the cause and for someone like

Kajri to understand the subject and use it in a cinematic way to spread awareness is commendable. Premiering the film on ZEE5 will ensure it reaches audiences far and wide and we couldn't have hoped for a better platform than the digital medium for Khoj."

She further added, "We have the power of cinema and as new age women we want to use it for showing whatever we can in the most honest way possible. I hope I can use my craft to give a voice to such unfortunate happenings and do my small bit to bring about change."

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Wanted to be part of 'Simmba': Priya Prakash Warrier Mumbai: Actress Priya Prakash Warrier, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film "Sridevi Bungalow", says she wanted to become a part of Rohit Shetty's "Simmba" along with Ranveer Singh. Priya interacted with the media at the trailer launch of 'Sridevi Bungalow' here on Sunday.

Popular as the 'wink girl', Priya became an overnight sensation with her expressions in the teaser song "Manikya Malaraya Poovi" from her Malayalam movie "Oru Aadar Love". Soon after, she was linked to many movies and projects. Her name was associated with Ranveer Singh starrer "Simmba" too. But Sara Ali Khan was finally cast as the lead actress in the film, which is breaking box office records. When asked which Hindi film she wanted to do in recent times, she said: "I wanted to become a part of 'Simmba'. There were lots of rumours that I was part of 'Simmba' but I wish that was true because I am a great fan of Ranveer Singh.

"At the screening of 'Uri', I told Ranveer that 'I am a big fan of yours' and then he told me that 'I really liked your wink' which was overwhelming for me." Last week, Priya attended a special screening of "Uri - The Surgical Strike".

It was attended by Hrithik Roshan, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty and Katrina Kaif. How was her meeting with these Bollywood stars? "It was the very first time that I was meeting all these people, so it was very new to me. I had a really great time watching 'Uri'. It's a really nice movie. "It was very sweet of Vicky Kaushal to invite me at the screening of his film. I got to talk to many people and they were really sweet and welcoming to me, so it was an overwhelming feeling to be there." Now that Priya is entering Bollywood, is she ready to compete with names like Alia Bhatt, Shraddha Kapoor, Sara and Janhvi Kapoor in the Hindi film world. She said: "First of all, I think they are all very senior actors and they are doing their work very well. I just want to do my thing and create a space for myself in this industry. People know me as a wink girl but what I want is that people accept me as an actress as a whole and not just about a wink." Besides Priya Prakash Warrier, 'Sridevi Bungalow' also stars Priyanshu Chatterjee. It is directed by Prasanth Mambully.

Ranveer Singh is all praise for his Gully Boy co-star Alia Bhatt Actor Ranveer Singh is all praise for his Gully Boy co-star Alia Bhatt. On working with Alia in the upcoming film, Ranveer said, "Before working on Gully Boy, I did some ads with Alia and they were really fun. She has lovely energy about her. But when I worked with her on Gully Boy, I realised what a powerhouse of a talent she is." Ranveer, who has delivered blockbusters like Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, said Alia is "immensely talented, expressive, full of emotion, very intelligent" and that her emotional quotient is "very high." "She has evolved as a person far beyond her years.

She is on her way to greatness.

She was really brilliant in Raazi. I have been an admirer of her work and craft ever since Highway," added Ranveer, who plays a street rapper. Also featuring actor Kalki Koechlin, Zoya

ZEE5 announces its next short film, Kajri Babbar's award-winning 'Khoj' ZEE5 has always been at the forefront of presenting a range of unique content across languages that is relatable, understated, bold, progressive, introspective, layered and open to interpretation. Khoj is one such short film made by young director Kajri Babbar. Starring Zara Khan, it is the journey of a young teenage Punjabi bride, from being abandoned and betrayed to the pursuit of redemption. The dual language film (Punjabi & English) has been shot in Punjab & UK. Director Kajri Babbar said, "Such hard-hitting practices still do exist in the interiors of North India. After researching extensively on it, I was shocked on learning that the issue of wife-abandonment is deep-rooted and widespread, in fact they have incredibly increased after Brexit and the decline in the British economy. Most of these girls are teenagers and their entire life is gambled with. Khoj is my initiative to throw light on such unacceptable and unspoken issues and I am glad ZEE5 joined hands with us to showcase our effort to the world."

Zara Khan who essays the role of Gurpreet said, "Khoj is a film that has a strong message which I believed in not just as an actor, but as a human being. It is my deepest request that when parents

January 28, Monday, 2019

Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India said, "Khoj is a brave attempt on an important, on-going issue.

At ZEE5, we have always presented content which is meaningful, something that our discerning audience will appreciate. The short film has been beautifully directed by the talented Kajri Babbar and adds another interesting subject to our repertoire of movies on the platform."

Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India said, "At ZEE5, we consistently aim to provide a range of content for the audience, something that creates an impact and stays with them. Khoj is in line with this and as a young director, Kajri Babbar has been able to skilfully address an important existing issue. The viewers will appreciate the gripping narrative and more importantly the larger message that the film addresses."

Khoj has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 and was also a semi-finalist at The Student Academy Awards 2018.

Apart from blockbuster feature films, ZEE5 has a range of critically acclaimed films as part of the ZEE5 Film Festival as well as short films such as Mehram, Tamashree, Dhaaga and now Khoj, among others on the platform.

Akhtar-directed Gully Boy is a film about his life on the Mumbai streets.

Ranveer proudly says about Indian street rappers and their Alia "could very well be struggles. The film's official trailer the best part of Gully was released on Wednesday and Boy". "She plays the shows the actor in the role of an up character, that on the and coming rapper who script level, is sets out to achieve m y his dream by favourite rhyming

character. She has really made it her own, and I'm very happy for her," he added.

Ranveer Singh starts prepping for '83' Ranveer Singh has started preparing for sports drama "83". The actor took to on Instagram share a glimpse of himself practising at the nets for the film, to be directed by Kabir Khan.

"83" will chronicle India's win under Dev's captainship, when the Men in Blue defeated West Indies in the final to clinch their first-ever World Cup trophy in 1983. The actor will play former Indian cricket skipper Kapil Dev in the film.

Former Indian Test cricketer Balwinder Singh Sandhu is training Singh for the role.

Touted as the "biggest sports film" of the country, the film slated to be released on April 10, 2020.

Uri: The Surgical Strike movie review 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' is an imagined account of what was supposed to have transpired in those 11 days. It's about a clandestine operation, so facts get trumped up by make-believe. The film, inimical to army ethos, may be low-key on the jingoism but it's grandiloquent posturing is pretty much on the up. 'Unhe Kashmir Chahiye aur Hamme unka sar' is not a constant refrain though.

This film opens with heart-stopping action - a terrifying attack by Naga extremists on an Indian Army infantry in Chandel district of Manipur. Days later, the Indian Army retaliates. Dhar's film moves forward in chapters steadily building up tempo for the set-piece 'imagined' action where the same team (albeit with a few additions) moves all the way up north to URI to set up a climactic extermination that is sure to give the faux patriots something to gush about. But the drama is not relegated to the border regions alone.

Dhar's screenplay though, fails to put forward a logical flow that is unassailable. Para SF military Major Vihaan Singh Shergill (a visibly bulked-up Vicky Kaushal) is given a free hand by the PM (Rajit Kapoor doing a Narendra Modi) and his Chief Security Advisor from IB, (Paresh Rawal looking quite weather-beaten as Ajit Doval) and a novice tech-intern gets recruited to keep an eye in the sky.

The lookalike gallery here also includes walk-on dummies of Manohar Parrikar, Rajnath Singh

d Arun Jaitley. The heartbroken orphaned child shouting the regiment cry at the time of her father's funeral bears close resemblance to the TV grab of Col. M.N.Rai's (killed in Kashmir) funeral. Vihaan's stepping down from active combat life following his mother's diagnosis of Alzheimers' is a construct used to show the PM in a good light. Dhar also writes-in a 'Raazi' moment and there are other irksome bits that make the purpose and sincerity of this effort questionable. Vihaan's assertion to the PM (no less) that he will return successful in his mission without any casualties sounds altogether pompous and the bypassing of the President (constitutionally appointed head of the armed forces) in all consultations, is pretty much galling.

The second half is very much a clone of 'Zero Dark Thirty.' Dark aerial cinematography, neat editing, spiffy VFX and drone facilitated surveillance capture, make the going quite interesting. The plotting is a little slack but the film is not without realistic moments. Getting Vihaan to indulge in hand combat just when the operation was about to be stitched-up, reeks of herogiri, though. Eventually it's the performances that makes this film watchable. Vicky Kaushal's sincere efforts to live the role shows. URI doesn't bother to ask tough questions or try to dig deeper than what the establishment tosses out. Its conciliatory tone is rather unforgivable but it's entertainment value is not. What you see may not be entirely kosher but it's got the Josh!

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The City Standard

January 28, Monday, 2019

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The City Standard

India clinch maiden bilateral ODI series Down Under Melbourne: Mahendra Singh Dhoni rekindled his love affair with final flourishes, anchoring India to their maiden bilateral ODI series triumph in Australia for a perfect finish to a historic trip Down Under here on Friday. Virat Kohli’s men became the first country to return from Australia without losing a single series having won the Test series 2-1 and drawn the T20 Internationals 1-1.

From a dasher, to a finisher to finally the anchor in the last leg of his career, Dhoni 3.0 was in full flow during India’s successful chase of 231 in the third and final ODI on a sluggish Melbourne pitch after Yuzvendra Chahal set it up with a career-best 6 for 42.

“It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on, so it was important to take the game deep,” said India skipper Virat Kohli in the postmatch presentation.

“Two set batsmen there who knew what to do and they got the job done. We’ve been here a long time, it’s been an amazing tour. We drew the T20 series, won the Test series and now the ODIs. If you had given me these results before the tour, I would have gladly taken it," he added.

Dhoni’s unbeaten 87 off 114 balls was a testimony to his high quality match awareness as the street-smart Kedar Jadhav (61 no, 57 balls) donned the role of a finisher.

The former India skipper’s role going into the business end of his illustrious career is that of an anchor, who takes the game deep. He performed his role to perfection with world class exhibition of running between the wickets in what could well be his last match on the Australian soil.

Not to forget the ‘Man of the Series’ award for a hat-trick of half-centuries and two coming in winning causes.

While Dhoni was lucky to be dropped on 0 and 74 but Australian bowling never had the sting to unsettle the Indian batsmen despite skipper Virat Kohli (46) being dismissed with

Gavaskar questions no prize money to India after ODI triumph

more than 100 runs left.

Chasing 231, India got off to a slow start as well.

Australia created some good pressure with the new ball, in particular Jhye Richardson (1-41) who tied down Rohit Sharma (9). It worked as the right-handed opener was caught at slip in the sixth over. Despite Kohli coming to the crease thereafter, India struggled in the first powerplay and only scored 26-1 in the first ten overs. Kohli added 44 runs with Shikhar Dhawan (23) for the second wicket, but it was a slower partnership than usual thanks to some tight bowling and fielding

by Australia in this passage of play. The duo tried to cut loose, as Peter Handscomb dropped Kohli (on 10) at first slip off Billy Stanlake (0-49) in the 12th over. But things turned around for Australia when Dhawan lobbed a return catch to Marcus Stoinis in the 17th

‘If criticism is agenda - driven,

I will throw a punch back at critic’

Ravi Shastri is not known to pull back punches and the India head coach has made it clear that he wouldn’t change his ways if he feels that criticism directed at the national team is “agenda-driven”.

Speaking to media persons Shastri also complimented Virat Kohli, describing the skipper as someone who comes “closest to Vivian Richards” in the manner he bats.

On the criticism, there was no direct reference to the critics he considers agenda-driven. “You expect it. I am one of those that if it is constructive, then fine. If I find it is agenda-driven, I don't care who the individual is, then I will throw a punch back straightaway. I mean it. I don’t care if he is a legend or a normal person. If I feel I have to punch back I will,” Shastri told former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was interviewing him for the newspaper.

The most recent criticism against the team came from the

Vinesh first Indian to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards Monaco: Ace Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has become the first Indian to receive a nomination in the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards to be held here on February 18. The 24-year-old Indian, who made a sensational comeback after battling a long injury lay-off to win a gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Jakarta Asian Games, has been nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year. The Haryana wrestler, who was stretchered off after dislocating her knee during the quarterfinals of 50kg freestyle event at the 2016 Olympic Games, has been nominated alongside US Tour Championship winner Tiger Woods, who won his first tournament in five years.

Also nominated are four inspirational Winter Olympic athletes; Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, US ski racing legend Lindsey Vonn and Dutch Paralympic champion Bibian Mentel-Spee. The last time an Indian sporting feat made its way to the Laureus World Sports Awards was in 2004 when the Indian cricket team and Pakistan cricket team shared the Laureus Sport for Good Award for playing an International match despite political tensions between the two countries.

Most recently, Magic Bus from India won the Laureus Sport for Good award in 2014. However, Vinesh makes history as the first Indian athlete to be nominated in one of the seven main categories at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who had questioned the team combination and training methods after India’s defeat in the Perth Test, which according to Shastri, was akin to “firing blanks” sitting million miles away. India’s greatest opener then responded by saying that it were these blanks that pushed the team into doing well at Melbourne. When asked to compare Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, Shastri said the Mumbai maestro was “more composed” and in a zone while Kohli is more “in your face”.

“Yesterday someone asked me if there are any similarities between Sachin (Tendulkar) and Virat. I said there were plenty. Let’s start with work ethic,” he said.

“It is doing the hard yards, looking ugly in the nets and sacrificing important things for your cricket. It is staying in the zone. No excuses. No pointing fingers at others. If you make a mistake, then own up. They do that,” Shastri added.

India World Cup favourites alongside England : Gillespie Adelaide: Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie felt the current Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah makes the team one of the favourites for the upcoming ICC World Cup, alongside host England. The attack is well balanced. Bumrah has been rested for a reason, but the bowling line-up is still quite good, said Gillespie. "Everyone offers different things, and you add Bumrah to it, so it is well placed to mount a challenge for the WC. England is the obvious favourite, but India won't be far behind," he insisted. Gillespie singled out Bumrah for special praise and said the young right-arm pacer's unorthodox action makes him a different bowler from others. "I enjoy watching him bowl.

He just ambles in but when he gets to the crease, he almost has a slingshot action. He bowls at good pace, hurries the batsmen up, and he can also change his pace a lot. He is a very fine bowler," said the 43-year-old.

His action does stand out. It is a braced front leg, delayed bowling arm action. It gets you to the crease quickly, and delivers that sling shot. It is what generates his pace.

But you need to be strong to be able to do that. He is robust and fit to bowl long spells in Test cricket. He keeps his pace up throughout a Test and this is what makes him an exciting bowler, added Gillespie.

India and Australia are tied at 1-1 in the ongoing threematch ODI series. The Australian team, which is currently going through a rebuilding phase, is eyeing its first ODI series win since January 2017. Gillespie stated it is the best opportunity for youngsters to stake a claim in the WC-bound team.

"Obviously it is missing a couple of key players from both batting and bowling perspectives. But the team will look very different at the WC. So, it is a wonderful opportunity for these guys and selectors to look at different options in pressure situations," said the Adelaide Strikers coach.

over.

While Kohli and Dhoni added 54 runs off 82 balls for the third wicket, it was an uncharacteristic partnership.

There were two incidents of confusion between the wickets – first in the 21st over when Kohli was stranded and was saved for a lack of a direct hit.

The Dhoni-Jadhav (121 runs) partnership then took some time in getting going.

In the meantime, Dhoni reached his 70th ODI halfcentury off 74 balls. Jadhav then soothed Indian nerves as he scored his fourth ODI half-century off 52 balls, as the equation came down to 14 needed off 12.

He struck two fours in the penultimate over off Peter Siddle (1-56) to close in on the match. Earlier, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 6-42 as Australia were bowled out for 230 runs (48.4 overs). \

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at hosts Australia for not honouring the Indian team with any cash award after its historic ODI series triumph, saying the players deserve a share of the revenue they generate.

India beat Australia 2-1 for their maiden bilateral ODI series triumph Down Under.

Man-of-the-match Yuzvendra Chahal and Man-of-the-series MS Dhoni were given USD 500 each for their performances in the post-match presentation. The players donated their prize money to a charity. The team was presented just the winners’ trophy by former batsman Adam Gilchrist.

Gavaskar lambasted the hosts for not handing out any cash awards. “What is USD 500 and it's a pity that the team has got only a trophy. They (organisers) earn so much money through broadcast Why can't they give good prize money to the players?

After all, players are the sole reason for the sport getting huge money (from sponsors),” Gavaskar said on ‘Sony Six’

Rishabh Pant sends social media into meltdown, makes his relationship public New Delhi : Rishabh Pant, the Indian wicket-keeper batsman, was thoroughly entertaining in the Test series against Australia. He impressed with his performances with the bat, terrific work behind the stumps, or the talk behind the stumps, Pant has made plenty of more fans Down Under.

'Babysitter' is the nickname Pant took home from Australia as he engaged himself in a hilarious banter with Australian skipper Tim Paine. While both wicket-keepers kept taking their turns behind the stumps to sledge the other, it was the display of sportsmanship by the duo that impressed fans the most.

During the tour, it was the 21-year-old's picture with Paine's family that earned him instant fame on social media, this time it's a picture that the cricketer himself shared on his Instagram account that has sent fans into a meltdown. "I just want to make you happy because you are the reason I am so happy", Rishabh titled the photo as he left his fans on social media spellbound.

As per Instagram profile, the girl in the picture is Isha Negi who is an entrepreneur and interior decor designer. She also shared the

same picture on her Insta profile too with the caption, "My man, my soulmate, my best friend, the love of my life. @rishabpant".

Although it's just the beginning of his career, Pant has been in and out of the Indian ODI team. While former cricketers and pundits continue to give their opinion what the Delhi lad is doing good or bad, he is of the opinion that criticism from a distance is of no help. If someone has valuable input, it's better to address it personally.

"If someone really wants to help me, then he can always come to me. You can't just criticize from a distance and then not help. I can't go up to big names just like that," Pant told, elaborating his recent interaction with Gilchrist, "He came to me by himself.

We couldn't spend much time but (now) I can go to him whenever I need help," Pant further added.

The wicket-keeper will be seen along with the men in blue again in the T20I series against New Zealand, although it would be in the outfield only as MS Dhoni's place behind the stumps has been reinstated in the shortest format.

Kolkata: Journalists are known for their legendary ability to ask the wrong questions, and in gymnast Dipa Karmakar's professional life, many of them have delivered on this expectation. One head-scratcher query-how did Karmakar train in Tripura considering it's a hilly region-never fails to irritate India's favourite gymnast and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi. It doesn't matter that she lives in Agartala, situated on a plain and the capital of a state known for its seemingly unending supply of national champions from the 1960s-80s.

"Not sure whether they were trying to find an analogy of mine with Tarzan as I definitely did not learn gymnastics jumping from tree to tree or one mountain top to another," Karmakar muses in the just out Dipa Karmakar: The Small Wonder, co-authored by Nandi and sports journalists Digvijay Singh Deo and Vimal Mohan, and released by FingerPrint Publishing.

The book is a gripping account of a home-

grown athlete's roller-coaster journey from the day she entered Agartala's Vivekananda Byamagar, a fabled single-storey sporting club with an asbestos roof, 20 years ago to becoming the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics.

Karmarkar, 25, is best known for that August in 2016 when hundreds of thousands of Indians tuned in to the live telecast of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to watch a chit of a girl who had, unbelievably, made it to the vault finals-another first for this country.

A few years earlier, Ashish Kumar had won India's first-ever medals in gymnastics (including a silver in vault) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. But not too many people noticed the teenager who had made it to the vault finals. "Yes, I too had reached the final in Delhi 2010.

But we are a culture that celebrates only winners so I am not surprised that it is not remembered," Karmakar says in the book.

The drama of 2016's historic sporting moment was heightened by the fact that Karmakar was planning to do a Produnova (a handspring off the vault, followed by two-and-a-half somer-

saults), with a high difficulty level of seven.

Karmakar came fourth, outperforming many of the world's best gymnasts, but, everyone wanted to know how she felt about missing a medal. "It was a personal triumph but not the one India wanted," she says.

Headlines and introductions such as "Dipa Karmakar has just fallen short of a heroic performance" hurt every time she read or heard them.

India, you break so many hearts with your shallow sporting spirit.

Nandi got upset every time people asked Karmakar about risking the "death vault" but that particular query didn't faze his student. "Having done it thousands of times in practice, it was my 'go-to' vault and I knew, come what may, I would land on my feet… I was always in control while doing the vault and always had a smile on my face when I was asked that question," she says.

She only lost her cool when a journalist asked her why she didn't do two Produnovas as it

would have upped her score and ensured a medal. "I glared at him and asked him if he knew anything about gymnastics," Karmakar says.

Karmakar's life as an Indian athlete ticks all the classic boxes: a sporting family, a parent who made crucial decisions (got her started at 5, skipped the English medium school that didn't give students enough time for sports), access to an amazing coach, federation politics and disinterested officials sprinkled with the occasional godsend moment (like the time an official speedily organized a foam pit costing 25-30 lakh at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi so the gymnast could practise the Produnova).

And, of course, surviving mostly clueless Indians through this tough journey. Most people didn't know where Tripura was located, and many of them had no knowledge of gymnastics as a sport. In the book, Karmakar describes one recurring type of interaction in Delhi's markets.

Owned, published and printed by Sandeep Mitra. Editor: Sandeep Mitra. Head office : 1A, Hashimpur Road, Tagore Town, Prayagraj-211002 Mobile: 7905230036, 9336527085, Email : thecitystandard1@gmail.com. Printed at Amar Ujala Publications limited, Bamrauli, GT Road, Prayagraj

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The pain and passion of Dipa Karmakar