Taxation or Extortion The new dynamics of international crude oil price Shri V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.
A GOLDEN SHINE OF SUCCESS
Prakash Parakkat, Chairman Parakkat Group of Companies
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Printed by: Ajit Ravi Published by: Ajit Ravi Owned by: Ajit Ravi Printed at: S T Reddiar P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin Published at: Pegasus, L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 3242220, 6555533, 4025666 Mob:+91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 Editor Ajit Ravi Sub-Editor Vignesh Associate Editor Ravi Saini Editor-In-charge Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Amrutha V Kumar Karthika S Nair Marketing BAHRAIN PRESTIGE MARKETING Tel: +971 55 2000933 Email: gopal@prestigemarketing.in UAE Phygicart.com P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai Mr. Anish K Joy Mob: +971528946999 info@phygicart.com Tamil Nadu Vice president Uma Riyas Khan chennai, Mob: 9841072955 Andhrapradesh & Karnataka PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Sunilkumar NN, Saneesh Ashok Your wing Director Shwetha Menon Photographer Ashique Hassan Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photograph Prakash Parakkat, the chairman Parakkat Group of companies. 4
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Editorial
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ndian American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin in space, Kalpana Chawla, defined success in simple terms: “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.” In this issue, we unravel the story of a visionary businessman, Prakash Parakkat, the chairman of Parakkat Group of companies. He has made a fortune in jewelry business due to a clear vision and action plan. Each step was perfect, firm and well calculated. At present, Parakkat has nearly fifty showrooms across the world. Why did crude oil price collapse to an alarmingly low level of below $48? In regular column, V.P. Nandakumar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance, finds out a clear answer to this distressing question. Embark on an upgraded journey in life with the new Maruti Dzire’s whole new identity. Our auto team predicts that the new Dzire from Maruti’s stable will be a hot-selling star due its stunning features. In travel, read about Andorra, a minicountry wedged between France and Spain offers the best ski slopes and unforgettable snow experiences. Regular staples on stock market, gadgets, banking, movie review, and book review are there. I sincerely hope you find as much joy in this issue as it brings me.
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CONTENTS
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18 The new dynamics of international crude oil price On having a responsible ‘digital avatar’! A golden shine of success Taxation or Extortion
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12 18 24 30
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Gadgets
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Recipes
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Summer hair care tips
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Andorra a blessed principality known for mesmerising sky resorts
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Maruti Dzire
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UNIQUE DIARY
Softbank to invest huge funds in technological sector
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he Softbank, the Japan-based telecommunication investment conglomerate, along with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment, Apple Inc, Qualcomm, Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology and Japan’s Sharp Corp, is set to amass a huge fund in order to fuel the technology sector particularly the artificial intelligence and robotics, which is expected to witness a tremendous growth in near future and likely to become the carriers of the new information technology revolution. As per the report, a huge fund of 93 billion US dollars is going to be amassed by the organisations.The vital decision has been announced after the US president’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
PepsiCo launches new product in grain dairy beverage segment
“You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.”
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Steve Jobs
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xpanding its portfolio, the PepsiCo, the US-based company deals with the food, snack and beverage products, has introduced a new product, the ready-to-drink milk which is the combination of milk, oats and fibres, in the grain dairy beverage segment. As per the report, the drink is available in two different flavours: the mango flavour and the almond flavour. According to the report, in the coming days, the company is likely to add more flavours in order to attack more customers. It is claimed that the product aims to cater the daily nutrition needs of the busy people who often fail to meet it properly.
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H-1B visa issue: centre quenches fear
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uenching the fear of the Indian diaspora living in the United States and the fresh technical graduates and technical students of our country who dream of achieving an lucrative job and a luxurious lifestyle in the world’s most wealthy nation, the centre government has assured that the number of H-1B visa for Indian technical professionals, particularly IT professionals, would not come down. The centre government, however, has expressed hope that the US might reconsider some of the provisions which are likely to make some minute impacts on the visa policy. It is learned that the centre has expressed their reservation about the new H-1B policy and discussed their concerns with the US authorities effectively.
Usha fans to get redesigned
"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." Conrad Hilton
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n an effort to increase the sales of the Usha fans, the company is planning to give some new designs to their upcoming models with the help of renowned car designer Dilip Chhabria. As per the report, the company is likely to introduce nearly twelve new models, which is expected to be priced somewhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, in the near future. Earlier, the company tried several similar innovations helping it to achieve an enviable height where every other company, operating in the segment, dream of reaching. This company, which has enormous experience in the fan manufacturing sector, is the market leader in this segment.
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UNIQUE DIARY
Britannia expands portfolio with ‘Good Day Wonderfulls’
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aunching a new product named ‘Good Day Wonderfulls’ in the premium cookies segment, the Britannia, the Indian food products cooperation based in Bangalore, has expanded its portfolio successfully. The ‘Good Day’ is the most promising brand launched by the company and has been remaining in the top position consistently for the last thirty years. This brand has several variants like the ‘Good Day Cashew’, ‘Good Day Butter’ and ‘Good Day Choco-chips’. The company dominates the premium cookies segment as they have successfully established several brands such as the ‘Good Day’ and ‘Tiger’. With the new product, the company aims to increase its sales.
GST to affect small diesel car segment adversely
"There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality." Anthony Robbins
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he small diesel car segment is likely to suffer a small punch as the GST is going to increase its price. After the implementation of the GST, those who buy the small diesel car will have to pay nearly three per cent cess in addition to around twenty-eight per cent tax while the buyers of the small petrol car will only need to pay below one per cent cess in addition to around twenty-eight per cent tax. When the sale of small cars accounts for nearly sixty-one per cent of the total sales happening in the passenger car market, the sale of small diesel cars segment accounts for around twenty per cent of the total sale occurring in the small car market. Anyway, the GST might benefit some other car markets.
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BUSINESS
Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd. Chairman, CII’s Kerala State Council
All this should be welcome news for a country like India overwhelmingly dependent on imported crude oil for its domestic consumption. It may, however, be less than welcome for a state like Kerala that depends so much on remittances sent home by its migrant workers toiling in the oil-exporting middle-eastern countries.
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s someone whose business revolves a lot around gold — from jewellery to gold loans —I have always followed the price of gold closely. This will come as no surprise given that gold is bread and butter for us. Over the years, I have found the study of gold price to be a fascinating subject not least because this is one subject where the opinion of the most learned economist counts for no better than that of the layman as far predictions about future price movements go. Unlike other commodities, gold has very little intrinsic value derived from the productive use of the metal. It makes forecasting future prices all the more difficult. Gold is of little use to industry and the bulk of the demand for physical gold comes from jewellery. Historically, gold served as the currency for trade but with the advent of paper currency, it is no more so. All the same, even today, gold continues to be a store of value across the world (from the first world to the third world) because governments have not hesitated to debase their paper currencies by printing more currency to pay for ever expanding budgets. And that is why, these days, gold has become the object of speculative demand, which means we have people buying and selling gold not because they want to own the metal but as a substitute for a depreciating currency, being the more dependable store of value in these turbulent times.
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The new dynamics of international crude oil price
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Coming to more recent times, the world is once again witness to a dramatic fall in the price of crude oil. After 2009, the global economy had started to recover from the financial meltdown and the price of crude oil had also climbed up steadily to go over US$ 100 per barrel.
However, the subject of this article is not gold but a commodity whose price is even more keenly watched than gold, i.e. crude oil. Unlike gold with little intrinsic value, oil is what powers the wheels of industry and commerce across the globe. The entire transportation industry runs on petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel and other derivatives from crude oil. No
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surprise then, the price of crude oil is linked strongly to the larger fortunes of the world economy with periods of rapid growth pushing up the demand for (and price of) crude oil, while contractions in economic activity have served to depress prices. Crude oil prices peaked at $145.29 in July, 2008. This was just
before the global financial meltdown when the world economy was on a roll with commodity prices ruling firm and “irrational exuberance” powering stock markets around the world to all-time highs. The subsequent crash in the markets leading to the “great recession” took oil price all the way down to US$36.51 a barrel in January 2009. Of course, short term effects
arising from a disruption in supply or a spike in demand also move prices as happened in the early seventies when the oil producers having formed a cartel under the banner of OPEC acted in concert to raise the price of crude oil by four times from US$ 3 per barrel to US$ 12. (This happened in 1973-74 in the aftermath of the 1973 Arab – Israeli “Yom Kippur” war with Arab states determined to punish the west for supporting Israel.) Coming to more recent times, the world is once again witness to a dramatic fall in the price of crude oil. After 2009, the global economy had started to recover from the financial meltdown and the price of crude oil had also climbed up steadily to go over US$ 100 per barrel. Between 2011 to the middle of 2014, crude oil was steady in a range of US$ 90–$120. By the end of 2014, however, it had fallen to half of that. Historically, crude oil prices have always been volatile, rising during periods of growth and economic expansion and falling during recessionary times when demand from industry is low and constrained consumer spending means fewer cars are sold and fewer fuel tanks get filled up. But what makes the current fall in oil price different from the usual cycle of rise and fall (repeated over and over) is that the United States has now emerged as a significant oil producer with shale oil. This particular development has completely altered the dynamics of the market.
were accustomed to seeing crude prices recover smartly after every downturn. However, the entry of shale oil means there is now a limit to how much prices can go up in a future recovery. That limit is set by the price at which shale oil producers find it profitable to pump out oil from their wells. While this in itself is bad news for the traditional oil producers like the OPEC countries, Russia etc., it turns out there is more bad news in the pipeline. As technology becomes more efficient, the cost of extracting shale oil has been falling. When oil prices began declining in the second half of 2014, the major factor driving the fall was that the preceding period of stable and high prices (consistently above US$ 100 per barrel) had given shale oil a safe harbour and a much-needed foothold to ease its entry into the game. The nascent shale industry was able to report profits and attract more investments despite higher cost of production hovering around US$ 60 to 70 per barrel. In contrast, it cost less than US$ 10 to produce a barrel of oil in Saudi Arabia. Shielded by high prices, the shale industry seized this godsent opportunity to strike roots and soon pro-
ducers scaled up their operations to derive economies of scale. Add to this, the continuing advances in technology further lowered breakeven costs, and shale oil had now truly emerged from the shadows to become a game-changer. A news report published in the Financial Times in July 2016 titled “US shale is lowest-cost oil prospect” says that US shale reserves are the lowest-cost option for future oil production. About 60 per cent of the oil production that is economically viable at a crude price of $60 a barrel is in US shale and only about 20 per cent is in the deep sea oil wells. The report noted that after the oil price plunge of the last couple of
In the past, we
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years, average production costs per barrel have dropped by 30 to 40 per cent for US shale wells, but only 10 to 12 per cent for other oil projects. Likewise, a Reuters news report from November 2016 details how in shale fields across America, production costs have almost halved since 2014. The Saudi strategy of flooding the market with oil and depressing prices has not only failed to kill the U.S. shale oil business, instead, the ensuing price war of the last two years has made shale oil a stronger competitor than before, capable of surviving even the current low price environment. The report
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mentions the example of shale oil fields in the US state of North Dakota where the average breakeven cost per barrel of shale oil had fallen to $29.44 in 2016 from $59.03 in 2014. All this should be welcome news for a country like India overwhelmingly dependent on imported crude oil for its domestic consumption. It may, however, be less than welcome for a state like Kerala that depends so much on remittances sent home by its migrant workers toiling in the oil-exporting middle-eastern countries. As for many of OPEC's members, their economies are just
not capable of surviving for long with oil price holding below $70 a barrel. It is therefore likely that once the international oil economy rebalances around shale oil, a new set of winners and losers will likely emerge. The important question is, will India be among the winners? Also, will Kerala be among the losers?
(V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd., the immediate Past President of CII, Kerala and a national Managing Committee member of FICCI and Assocham.)
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BUSINESS
Rajesh Nair, Director, Ernst & Young LLP Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global
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In the future of work, the ultimate source that companies will use more efficiently is still the human resource. The digital changes are large, transformative trends that define the present and shape the future by their impact on businesses, economies, industries, societies and individual lives.
ne of my favourite anecdotes on technology is an incident at the beginning of my career as an engineer. Having joined the ranks the largest automobile company in India, I was as enthusiastic and ‘green’ behind the ears, as they come. While thinking deeply on what assignment could be given to me to whet my enthusiasm and eagerness, he said ‘can you take a print of the names of the workmen in this department and stick the printed names on their lockers.’ ‘Considering we have around hundred workmen, I hope you can complete this work in three days’, he added. So, I set on the ‘challenging task’ with a program called Word star and a dot matrix printer, which had to be fed large paper with perforated corners to help fit into the gear shaped spool at the end of the rollers. The noise of the printer was similar to that of a busy rhythmic hum. The officious sound also gave an impression that something of immense importance was going on. So, in half a day, I was done with the prints and had it glued on the respective boxes. My supervisor looked at me with admiration and the workmen could not gape with wonder. ‘Gosh, we have a young engineer, who knows how to take printouts!’ They looked at me as if I were Bill Gates or Steve Jobs– the cutting edge of technology! That was the pre-internet
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On having a responsible
‘digital avatar’!
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If someone is able to trace your entire internet journey, there is more information available on you than you would probably want to believe. Your searches, your postings, you ‘Likes’, your frequent visits to particular sites, your digital purchases is all available to a digital tracker.
nineties! More than two decades later, I can’t be excited about my technology skills, which consisted of taking printouts! We also managed to coast through technical institutions, without knowing, how the word ‘digital’ would transform our lives! And, definitely, we never knew that we would have digital personas or ‘digital avatar’! The digital avatar is the digital depiction of you in graphics, internet, and electronic media et.al. For the purpose of this short article– I classify it as the digital persona you have projected of yourself, which is deciphered by all your digital pres-
ence including your social media presence and your digital footprint, in terms of websites you have visited, purchases you have made online, searches you have done. I also refrain from using names of companies which work on this space, a normal ‘Google’ search will get you that information. If someone is able to trace your entire internet journey, there is more information available on you than you would probably want to believe. Your searches, your postings, you ‘Likes’, your frequent visits to particular sites, your digital purchases is all available to a digital tracker. The button ‘Delete’ or
‘Delete History’ does not really hide the tracks. The multifarious passwords are constantly looked at and there is a recent algorithm which will predict not only the passwords but also the characters or numbers you are likely to use in your passwords. This will also lead to intelligent sending your pop-ups and ‘advertisements’ on products that may interest you and links, you have high propensity to use. What this has created is also the need to be responsible in your digital sojourns. There are placement agencies who will scour this
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history to figure your personality. The recent political campaigns have extensively tried to dig deep into candidates and retrieve information on your liaisons, pet peeves and the ‘hidden’ you. To also reiterate, these are not skills which require a hacker or a vile cybermind. The logs through IP addresses, URLs etc. are easy to access and any amount of data is not ‘BIG’ anymore. There are gazillion tools to help you decode and this is not hieroglyphics anymore.
too. The social presence and advocacy you do on the internet can also help you market yourself, your company and your services. People will find it easier to locate you and get more information on you. Any professional these dates will search for you on social media on LinkedIn, Face book etc. before coming to meet you. This can also be to your advantage. You can take a few tips from Lee Strasberg– ‘method acting’ to create the persona you want to build.
This is also not all bad news. You can leverage this information
What intelligence will we need to create a smart future? Nearly
every menial and repetitive tasks have been automated and there will be an increasing trend in that space. ‘Internet of Things’ will bring in a machine to machine connectivity enabling more collaboration, use of data etc. Smart is also empowering customers with more information and greater insight than ever before— but insight is not enough. Customers are expected to use those insights to take action, to adapt their energy usage, change their travel habits or manage their health proactively. When machines become work-
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ers, what is the human role? The displacement of labour by technology and globalization is hardly a new phenomenon. In the future of work, the ultimate source that companies will use more efficiently is still the human resource. The digital changes are large, transformative trends that define the present and shape the future by their impact on businesses, economies, industries, societies and individual lives. When responding to disruption and these trends, the organizations cannot afford to fall back on old solutions. Embracing creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, diversity and inclusivity will enable businesses to challenge the prevailing paradigm and create new business models. By building robust and responsive ecosystems and driving collaboration in previously unexpected places, they can meet the evolving demands of customers. Innovative practices such as these will be key to revealing the upside of disruption. The march of disrup-
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tion is unrelenting and this can leave today’s decision makers and leaders grappling with tremendous uncertainty and a broad array of challenges. Responding to disruption has become a central issue for incumbent organizations everywhere. I don’t hint perjury or apocryphal information. I mean aspects of you, you want to project and create
a recall in minds. You have to be responsible and overly cautious in your digital presence. Like in real life, it helps to remember that you are not an anonymous scribe on the internet– you have connections, friends and colleagues. In any case, the next time you click on a button, remember that the click is another page in your digital biography!
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COVERSTORY
A golden shine of
success B
usinessmen love to dream and strive to see that dream come true. It is unfair and wrong to simply categorize them under the dreamer’s category in which no businessman wish to enter. There is a concrete reason to that argument: the businessmen not only dream but also articulate feasible action plan in their mind on how to achieve the success.
When Prakash Parakkat, the chairman of Parakkat Jewels LLC, envisaged a plan to start a jewellery business, he had a clear vision and an action plan. Each step he took was visibly perfect, firm and well calculated. Initially, he ventured into the ‘pure gold’ business by starting two showrooms at Kalady and Sreemoolanagaram. It was the beginning. The businessmen sometimes feel some intuitions when they confront a new idea. Those intuitions demand the businessmen get out from their comfort zone. Very few businessmen have the courage to lend their ears to such intuitions because very often businessmen try to settle in those points where they feel extremely comfortable.
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But, there are few who devotes their life to tame the unfriendly waves. They love challenges. For them, nothing is impossible. The reality that there is a solution to everything is their driving force. They conquer unconquered destinations and find unexplored wealth. The ultimate success belongs to them. It took no time for Mr Prakash to realise that his future is in the ‘one gram gold layered ornament’ business when he was initially introduced to this idea by his intuition during his visit to an exhibition.
The reason was that when others targeted profit, his only aim was to give quality products at a reasonable cost. Instead of using the harmful metals such as nickel and chromium to make this kind of ornaments, he used the harmless metals such as copper and silvers in his products.
It was a revolutionary move and
a challenging decision. After doing a well-studied and well-analysed market research, Mr Prakash moved his pawn calculatedly. His first ‘one gram gold layered ornament’ showroom that he opened in the heart of Ernakulum, was an instant success. It was the
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result of determination and hard work. Notably, by the time he unveiled his showroom at MG road, Ernakulam, this kind of ornaments was familiar to the customers. He was not working in an uncompetitive sector. Even though there were
several experienced players in the sector, his showroom was always crowded with enthusiastic customers. The reason was that when others targeted profit, his only aim was to give quality products at a reasonable cost. Instead of using the harmful metals such as nickel and chromium to make this kind of
ornaments, he used the harmless metals such as copper and silvers in his products. The customers admired the reality that the products sold in the Parakkat jewellers are not giving any irritation to their skin unlike the other similar products.
these ornaments throughout their lifetime without losing the shining and quality unlike other similar products.
The main advantage of the ‘one gram gold layered’ ornaments sold in the Parakkat jewellers is that it is possible for the customer to use
Another important peculiarity of the company is that it also does personalised ‘one gram gold layering’ work. The brand ‘divisti enjoy the divinity’ under which the idols are sold has become a popular brand within a short span of time.
It was enough for the company to get into a growth phase. Now, the company has nearly fifty such showrooms across the world. It has showrooms even in countries like Dubai, Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah and Kuwait, and in the Indian cities such as Mangalore, Bangalore, New Delhi and Madurai. It also has numerous outlets across Kerala including the one in the prestigious MG road, the prime retail hub in Kochi.
father at the age of four.
He has successfully diversified his business. He has investments in the real estate sector as well as the tourism and hospitality sector. The company’s second brand, Kalyani Jewells, which offers a remarkable triple warranty, has been named after Prakash’s mother, Kalyani. Mr Prakash believes that his mother’s blessing is the key to his success. He owes his life to his mother who struggled hard to pave a bright future for him who lost his
The Parakkat Nature Hotel and Resort, Munnar, is a beautiful resort offering a world class experience. Each and every minute elements of this resort extensively showcases the elegance of the Parakkat group. It has classic rooms, superior rooms, premium rooms and club suit rooms. The price of the rooms ranges from
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6500 rupees to 15000 rupees. The resort also has Trekking road, Nature walk, Jeep Safari, Fish pond, Tea garden visit, Spice plantation visit and Cave visit. There is no adequate word to perfectly describe the scenery offered by this place. The resort is in fact located in the heart of the tea plantations. The splendid view of the plantations and the nature provided by this place is worth appreciable and notable.
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families. The Parakkat group has a huge plan for the future. It aims to venture into the building material, household material and LED sales
It is a perfect place for the family trip, board meetings, corporate meetings and international as well as national conferences. The resort, which holds the No. 1 position in the travelers rank in TripAdvisor is also nominated for the World Luxury Hotel Award.
sector. Its plan is to import these materials and distribute to the customers directly.
Mr Prakash is a philanthropic person. The unique pension program launched by him gives support to nearly one hundred
He is blessed with a supporting and caring family. His wife, Preethi, actively takes part in all the business activities of the
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company including the jewellery design. The couple has two sons: Abijith and Abishekh. Hope this article will help many to take up the challenging business
career. The extraordinary story of this ordinary man is worth admirable. He is neither a superhuman nor a person born with a huge fortune. Hard work and dedication help him to tame the unfriendly wave of challenges ď Ź
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Ravi Saini
Social media should not be a mere one-way traffic where ministers and officials come and post their comments but seldom reads other's post which could be well debated in both houses of parliament so to show they are listening, not just speaking.
Taxation or Extortion I
t’s quite evident that the image of the nation is getting distorted views and great mighty people that run and operate the capital markets are in an unprecedented exuberance while the extortion under the guise of the investigation by the Income Tax Department is continuing.
Way Forward- Fix accountability Demands created must sustain 100% or otherwise, the officer concerned must pay and the victim must be compensated in order to contain motivated corruption and unaccountability prevailing in the system. In the case of the demands are sustained in total, the official must be suitably rewarded. The general observation is that whatever the laws may be framed by the Govt., the problems arises at the execution level where due to the personal needs
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or greed, the motivated corruption takes places and it needs to be checked immediately in order to bring the national development. If erring officials are to be punished as per your promises made by the Prime Minister of India, to save the trade and industry, the corrective steps must be taken now. At the same time, the honest officials must be rewarded. The ‘Stick and carrot’ always works but in our case, this formula is being used on the ‘pick and choose’ basis instead of being used uniformly – One Nation One Law. India needs a drastic change to the rules which are great hindranc-
es and obstacles to the progress of our country. Visionaries that have the passion for transforming India will soon start to feel dejected and frustrated and our country will grow at a continued dismal pace to let us remain deprived of achieving its due spot in the global economic prosperity. Taxation laws need a complete overhauling, as not all those people not paying taxes or not filing returns can be blindly called cheaters. Hope our leaders read this and have some respect for visionaries and passionate Indians that are ready, willing and able to compliment the efforts of the government.
Social media should not be a mere one-way traffic where ministers and officials come and post their comments but seldom reads other's post which could be well debated in both houses of parliament so to show they are listening, not just speaking. The time is ripe now to initiate a debate and spread through the social media to reach out to the masses. This is for a meaningful constructive purpose which has so far been influenced through the idiot box where every statement, happenings are being sold for gains going to the people sitting at the top of the pyramids
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A
n art that’s very precious; an art that needs a lot of concentration; and, more importantly, an art that has very less tolerance. D-Que has mastered the art of watch making with one of the finest stylish and elegant timepieces. Engineered and crafted with perfection, it defines your personality. To some, it is just a timepiece to keep note of time. But to some others, it is more than just a mere instrument to look at the time. In this generation, there isn’t a need of watch that simply tells you time. It’s the generation where watches have become a part of the personality. Moreover, it is been looked upon as a man’s best friend. People choose watches according to their lifestyle. For every occasion, there needs to be a well crafted art in your wrist that stands out. You mere don’t look at the time, but the beauty that you poses in your hand. The kind of watch you choose denotes the kind of person you are. Just like cars, watches do run around in a man’s brain. For every occasion, there needs to be a timepiece that suits the best. You can’t go wearing a digital sports watch for a formal event. It’s like you choose Toyota over a Porsche. To go with, D-Que presents watches for all the occasion. Their premium edition watches are specially designed and engineered to meet your official outlook. It has been specially designed to be worn on formal occasions. Also, for those who like wearing classy and elegant timepieces in their hand, this would definitely make you approach more confidently and boost your style quotient. Their sports edition watches as so light weighted that it perfectly fits in your wrist so that you could give your 100% without even bothering about its weight. It is also stylish, rugged and durable to even last through a big impact, which is common in a sportsman’s life.
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g n i k a m h Watc
t r a n is a
For a fine evening, it comes up with general edition watches. Like said, D-Que has it for all the occasion. Be it a formal meeting or just a casual dine in with your friends or a game of squash. It serves for all your need. Featuring is the kid’s collection for your juniors. When “Pa” goes stylish why leave behind your blood empty handed. The kid’s collection features stylish and reasonable timepieces that can be worn on any
occasion by minors. Guide him or her from now to choose the best when they grown up. Lady is a huge blessing in your life. Let her know your love for her with D-Que watches for women. Beautifully designed with love for the love. A promise that makes your lady falls for you again. Along with personal style quotient, D-Que comes with attractive wall mounted timepieces which
would brighten the surroundings with its attractive designs. D-Que aims to capture the global market with the latest designs in collaboration with Hornbill Chronotechnology Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai. It aims to serve you the best to seize the time and make memories with it. Welcome to the world of D-Que– an art of making beautiful watches and time instruments
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Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws. Presently he heads the tax and corporate law practice of Nash Capital Partners. Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree and is reachable at sherryoommen@nashcp.com.
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ndia’s new indirect tax system, which is the boldest and biggest reform in indirect taxes, enters into the final lap before it will come into force in July this year. With the implementation of Goods and Services tax in July, India forays into the indirect system of taxation based on consumption. In the present system, the key component for the levy is production and this change is welcome because at least in around hundred and sixty other countries, the key component in the levy of indirect tax is consumption as the change results in wider tax base and ultimately the incidence of tax per person is lower.
The cooperation shown by the Centre and the States to implement this historic reform is commendable. At the time of writing this article nearly ten states have already passed the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) law and the rates for goods and services, classification of different services, and
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Under GST, all registered dealers need to mandatorily file their monthly returns along with their annual return, except for dealers opting for composition scheme, who needs to file quarterly returns. There will be at least three compliance events in a month in place of one event under the existing law.
compensation to the states are finalized by the GST council headed by the Union Finance Minister with members consisting of Finance Ministers of the States. It has to be pointed out that the GST was introduced to the subjects of the nation as “One Tax One Nation”, where it was expected of the centre to bring out the law consisting of one slab of tax rate at a lower rate with fewer classifications in order to achieve a wider tax base and hassle free indirect taxation system. Discounting the central government’s fondness to fancy slogans, the resultant bill should have been in line with the motto with fewer tax slabs incorporating all the goods and services under its ambit with lower tax rate. On 19 May 2017, the GST council finalized tax rates for all goods and services under five slabs namely 0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, 28% plus cess, keeping a large chunk of goods and services out of the ambit
namely crude oil, natural gas, aviation fuel, diesel, petrol, real estate, potable alcohol, electricity, and taxes paid on these will not be setoff against GST. There are many pros to these tax slabs as essential commodities are not taxed (under 0% tax slab) which will further the nation towards food security and availability of nutritious food to the needy. Secondly, the existing exemption of service tax for certain services will continue to do so under GST, as currently to name a few, construction of affordable housing, services to specified international organizations, training towards skill development are exempt from service tax. The cons being with more number of classifications, the chance of classification disputes grows bigger, the compliances increase, and many may evade tax disguising the classification of service coupled with increased litigation costs. The traders should roll up their sleeves immediately and assess
GST THE FINAL LAP HAS BECKONED
the situation of the impact of GST on their business and transactions in terms of pricing, compliance, classification etc. The GST Council has made provisions for migration of the dealers registered under the existing indirect law and having a valid PAN. Every such dealer will be issued a provisional certificate of registration which shall be valid for a period of 6 months, within which the dealer has to apply for a final certificate of registration. Under GST, all registered dealers need to mandatorily file their monthly returns along with their annual return, except for dealers opting for composition scheme, who needs to file quarterly returns. There will be at least three compliance events in a month in place of one event under the existing law. One of the important concepts
worth mentioning in the GST return filing is the invoice matching. The invoice details uploaded by the supplier have to be validated by the recipient. Only if the details provided by the supplier match with that provided by the recipient, can the recipient avail input tax credit. If the details provided by the supplier and the recipient, do not match, such mismatch will be intimated to both the parties. Even after such intimation, the mismatch cannot be rectified, the input tax credit availed by the recipient would be added to his output tax liability. In the final lap of the implementation of GST, the focus of the centre and the states should be on making the IT systems and GST network seamless. The IT infrastructure plays an important role in GST as the transactions are
interlinked like a chain and determining the incidence of the tax, refund, credit depends on the chain of records and on the production of the same. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, one has to pay close attention to determining the amount of credit that can be carried forward to the GST regime along with the related tax planning options. For instance, in the case of a trader simpliciter, one will need to evaluate whether the excise duty component prevalent in the stock of goods can be carried forward into the GST regime. Further, questions regarding the quantum of stock to be maintained as on the appointed date would need to be carefully determined ď Ź
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Dr. Arun Oommen renowned neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre, Kochi, India.
Dr Arun Oommen
MBBS, MS ( Gen Surgery), Mch( Neurosurgery), MRCS Ed, MBA Consultant Neurosurgeon oommenarun@yahoo.co.in www.arunoommen.com
W
orkplace stress affects the performance of the brain, including functions of work performance, memory, concentration, and learning. It reduces productivity, increases management pressures, and makes people ill in many ways. Certain tests have shown up to a 50% loss of performance in cognitive tests performed by stress sufferers. People most prone to stress include health care professionals, CEOs, business executives, sales officers, law maintainers, bureaucrats, long distance drivers, pilots and lactating mothers. Worksite stresses (stressors) are in two categories: external stressors and internal stressors. 1.External stressors- is categorised as physical conditions such as heat or cold and stressful psychological environments such as working conditions and abusive relationships, feeling powerless and uninvolved in determining one's own responsibilities, continuous unreasonable performance demands, lack of effective communication and conflict resolution, lack of job security, long working
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Stress is an inevitable part of our life. The key to destressing in the moment is getting away from or removing yourself from the stressor. Developing new habits which regularly remove you and distract you from stressors and stressful situations and pressures is essential.
Chronic Stress reduces brain power hours, excessive time away from home and family, office politics and conflict among staff, a feeling that one's reward is not commensurate with one's responsibility and et al. 2.Internal stressors- is classified as physical ailments such as infection or inflammation and psychological problems such as worrying about something. Key stress indicators • Nervous habits • Loss of appetite • Poor concentration or poor memory retention • Performance dip • Emotional outbursts, anger or anti-social behaviour • Alcohol or drug abuse Stress Effects On Brain Stress is proven beyond doubt to make people ill. Some health effects caused by stress are reversible and the body and mind revert to normal when the stress is relieved. Other health effects caused by stress are so serious that they are irreversible, and at worse are terminal. Stress significantly reduces
brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning, all of which are central to effective performance at work. Stress causes the release of a hormone called ‘Cortisol’ which damages cells in the ‘hippocampus’( centre for episodic memory), prefrontal cortex and amygdyla all impairing memory. Chronic stress precipitates premature aging. Amygdyla is the brain’s fear centre and since it gets affected it precipitates a cycle of fear and anxiety. Chronic stress halts production of new brain cell formation and reduces production of Brain derived neurotrophic factors thus increasing the chance for dementia, Alzheimers, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorders and et al. People prone to migraine show a multifold increase in migraine episodes during stress. For such chronic tension headache sufferers it was found that stress management techniques increased the effectiveness of prescribed drugs. Stress also induces people to use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Sleep and brain function Sleep is necessary to keep the
brain functioning properly. During sleep, the brain rests busy neurons and forms new pathways so that it can start new functions in the morning. Sleep deprivation leaves the brain exhausted, producing sleepiness. It interferes with our ability to concentrate and learn new things. It negatively impacts both short-term and long-term memory. It gets in the way of our decision-making process and stifles creativity. Our emotions are also affected, making us more likely to have a short temper and mood swings. If sleep deprivation continues long enough, it will increase the risk of hallucinations, mania, impulsive behavior, depression, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts. A side effect of sleep deprivation is micro sleep–in such case, we unknowingly fall asleep for a few seconds or a few minutes during the work hours or other day hours. Micro sleep can get out of our control and can be extremely dangerous if we are driving. Brain events called “sharp wave ripples” are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also
transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.
produces helpful chemicals in the brain. Humour also gets your brain thinking and working in a different way- it distracts you from stress thereby diffusing the stressful feelings.
Stress Management Techniques
3.Change your environmentBreathe in some fresh air and smell the atmosphere. Go for a short quick really brisk walk outside.
Stress is an inevitable part of our life. The key to de-stressing in the moment is getting away from or removing yourself from the stressor. Developing new habits which regularly remove you and distract you from stressors and stressful situations and pressures is essential. These stress reduction ideas and techniques won't change the situation causing the stress, but they will enable you to change your reaction and relationship to the stressful situations. 1. Sleep properly- it’s compulsory to sleep for 7-9 hours everyday to reduce the stress levels within our body and to rejuvenate our brain. Moreover, the sleep cycle should be correct which is also very important to cope up with stress. 2.Laughter is one of the greatest and quickest devices for reducing stress. It works because laughter
4. Rehydrate yourself- Our organs, including our brain, are strongly dependent on water to function properly. Offices and workplaces commonly have a very dry atmosphere due to air conditioning etc. which increases people's susceptibility to dehydration. Due to dehydration, we will function below our best-inducing stress physically and mentally. So, regular intake of water or fresh juices is recommended. 5. Quick afternoon nap- of 10-30 minutes' is very helpful to reduce stress. It is nature's way of recharging and re-energizing. People in the Mediterranean and Central Americas take an afternoon nap every working day, and this is almost certainly related to longer life expectancy and lower levels of
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stress levels. Crying in the middle of the boardroom during an important presentation to a top client is probably not a great idea, but there are more private situations and you should feel free to try it from time to time if the urge takes you. 8.Reduce Toxin Intake-Tobacco and alcohol might seem to provide temporary relief but they are working on the balance of the body and contributing to stress susceptibility, and therefore increasing stress itself. 9.Physical exercise- is immensely beneficial in managing stress. This is for several reasons: • Exercise increases blood flow to the brain • Exercise releases helpful chemicals such as beta-endorphin in our brain and body • Exercise is wonderfully distracting from the causes of stress. • Exercise warms and relaxes cold, tight muscles and tissues which contribute to stress feelings.
heart disease. If the afternoon nap is not possible, then practice short sessions of self-hypnosis, combined with deep breathing. In addition, having a good night's sleep is vital for a healthy mind and body. 6. Improve diet- a balanced healthy diet is essential. The brain will be affected by poor diet. If the brain is affected, so are our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Certain vitamins and minerals are required to ensure healthy brain and neurological functionality. The Vitamin B group is particularly relevant to the brain, depression and stress susceptibility. Vitamin B1 deficiency is associated with depression, nervous system weakness and dementia. B2 deficiency is associated with nervous system disorders and depression. B3 is essential for protein synthe-
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sis, including the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is necessary for maintaining a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B6 is essential for neurotransmitter synthesis and maintaining a healthy nervous system. B6 deficiency is associated with depression and dementia. B12 deficiency is associated with peripheral nerve degeneration, dementia, and depression. Vitamin C is essential to protect against stress as it speeds healing and maintains a healthy immune system, which is important for reducing stress. Vitamin C is associated with improving post-traumatic stress disorders and chronic infections. 7. Crying-Not much is known about the physiology of crying and tears, although many find that crying has a powerful helpful effect on
• Exercise develops and maintains a healthy body which directly reduces stress susceptibility. 10. Watching or listening to an amusing experience or portrayal in a variety of media (TV, film, and even books)-has a beneficial effect on your mood, and thereby will tend to improve your physical health, mental state, and reduce your stress levels. 11. Regular practices of meditation, yoga, breathing exercises etc- has been found to reduce stress significantly. 12. Social engagement- is a very effective way to reduce stress, as communication with different people in different situations really helps to disengage ourselves from the stressful environment. Studies have proved that people who socialize well are more intelligent than those who don’t socialize
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MOTIVATION
Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of Your Wing, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit. She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.
Fear is one factor which restrains or keeps us away from choosing the right path. Moreover, it is very important that you need to value and respect what you are deciding with. Whether it be a career path, a job, a house, a city or a life partner, if you do not value and respect it, you might be taking a decision with a handicapped mind. It won’t do any good for you in future.
BURN YOUR SHIP! N
ever cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come. – Robert H Schuller To be or not to be, sometimes becomes a very daunting question in our lives. On a day to day basis, we adventurously hang on to hundreds of decision-making cliffs- major and minor. There are plentiful occasions in our lives that we fear to take a decision on. Let’s keep aside the despotic me and simply identify with the erring human in me– we
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make mistakes, even in our decision making. Life has changed, the world has drastically spun a ¬¬¬¬180 degree in our own lifetime. Today, we are frantically chasing moving targets. The variables change constantly. And, it becomes all the more perplexing to find a decisive mind. Your current state of mind or circumstances you’re in can influence your decision, whether it be official or personal. Emotions don’t come with sophistication or precision, however they do play a major role in making your heart and brain decide on a thing. Many complex dynamics are at play in the background. At times, what your brain is deciding with, your gut and logic stand staunchly against. Cognitive
control, at these situations, is crucial. “Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.” Sometimes one could be at crossroads to choosing a career or a life partner, to relocate to another country, or even to go skydiving, there are times it is difficult to undo what you have decided with. Like they say, you may choose your choices, but you can never choose the consequences! It is almost impossible to see through several miles ahead as to what outcome it would bring. Rather than hating the outcome or hating ‘you’ who chose them, it
would be easier if you introspected and took some time out to gauge the decision before rolling it out in action before you try your luck and push your boundaries. Another way of looking at it is– there are absolutely no ‘wrong’ decisions. Just like every great success is only met after great failures, an accurate decision is taken after a series of erroneous ones. Each decision will teach you a perspective of how to look at things and take you closer
to the ‘right’ decision you have to make, sooner or later. While you go through several life learning and realize that you may rely on your genuine gut feeling, it is always good to ask some reasonable smart questions related to your then circumstance, before you make a final decision. Through the time you deal with experiences in life, try to make peace with your emotions. It’s more profound and
deeper than it sounds. However, it is very important to know yourself before you make crucial decisions. Fear is one factor which restrains or keeps us away from choosing the right path. Moreover, it is very important that you need to value and respect what you are deciding with. Whether it be a career path, a job, a house, a city or a life partner, if you do not value and respect it, you might be taking a de-
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cision with a handicapped mind. It won’t do any good for you in future. Your mind would be tempestuous and unhappy with what you’ve chosen and will live in resentment all your life. Be cautious not to be over confident in your decision making, if you have a winning spree lately. Life always throws its wits and may trick us. Always look into a 360-degree analysis of the issues and examine contradictory information. Do a post-mortem on what has passed, break the problem into pieces, restructure on what you might need, then put all the pieces together to check whether you get a satisfactory image out of it. Just like no smooth sea has made a skill ful sailor, with each difficult decision, you’ll manage to learn how to navigate the murky waters. To know the sea, to set the sail, you need to embark on it and understand the waters. Without experimenting with several decisions, you wouldn’t know the worth of the right one. Acquire the courage to leave the shores, and at times, burn your ship. Conquer your fear. Let’s have a quick look into how the brain controls your decisionmaking skills. Understanding the neuroscience behind making decisions can be helpful to understand what goes on inside yourself, uncover the neuronal correlates of decision computations while targeting new goals, behaviours and discarding bad habits. The brain chemicals and hormones produced in your body affects the possibility of making a hasty decision or movement. Altering the dopamine level in the brain can change what choices we make. The striatum is part of the basal ganglia, which makes up the inner core of the brain and processes both decisionmaking and subsequent actions. Neuroscientists divide the striatum into three regions: 1. Ventral (VS) 2. Dorsomedial (DMS) and 3. Dorsolateral (DLS). Each region plays a distinctive role in motivation, adaptive decisions and routine actions respectively. The pre-frontal cortex shows activation during all decision-making. Understand that
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mindfulness and evaluation can help you avoid self-destructing decision-making. Using mindfulness could give various regions of your striatum and prefrontal cortex time to relay the true "neuroeconomic" costs of a decision and help you make smarter choices. Relax, and take few deep breaths, and think of the pros and cons and decide on your wellbeing and a beautiful future. If you are someone who relies on religious notes for spiritual guidance, it becomes more than
inevitable to evidently find the right balance between good, logic and scriptures. As on today, we live in a world with corrupt priests, confused disciples, poorly translated scriptures and forbidding beliefs. Blind belief on certain things might take you to unfortunate and undesired involvements. Seek to know from your own heart. “A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided”
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GADGETS
BlackBerry Aurora
MRP: `17,499 (approximately)
Android v7.0 (Nougat) 13 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 5 inches Display 4 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 256 GB Expandable Memory 1.4 GHz Quad Core Processor
Nokia 3310
MRP: `3, 310 (approximately)
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2 MP Primary Camera 2.4 inches Display 16 GB Internal Memory 32 GB Expandable Memory 1200 mAh Battery Capacity Rs. 3,310 (approximately)
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Samsung Galaxy X1
MRP: `53, 999 (approximately)
Android v7.0 (Nougat) 16 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 5.5 inches Display 6 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 2 TB Expandable Memory 2.3 GHz Octa Core Processor
LeEco Le X850
MRP: `16, 999 (approximately)
Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) 13 MP Primary Camera (dual rear camera 13 MP + 13 MP) 16 MP Secondary Camera 5.7 inches Display 4 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 2.3 GHz Quad Core Processor
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COOKERY
RAMZAN SPECIAL
Toshma Biju
THARI KANJI
Ingredients
• • • • • • • •
Milk..........................................2 cups Rava..............................4 tablespoons Sugar.............................4 tablespoons Pinch of salt Ghee............................... 1 tablespoon Chopped onion................................. 2 Cashew nuts................................... 10 Dry grapes...................................... 10
Method Fry cashew nuts and dry grapes in ghee and keep it aside. Sauté onion until it turns golden brown. Boil milk and add Rava. Cook until the Rava is completely cooked. Then, add sugar and a pinch of salt. Pour onion along with ghee and fried cashew nuts and dry grapes to the mixture.
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PRAWNS MASALA ADA Ingredients
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Rice flour............................................................. 2 1/2 cups Prawns......................................................................300 gm Chopped onion...................................................................2 Chopped ginger.................................................. 1 teaspoon Chopped garlic................................................... 1 teaspoon Chopped green chili...........................................................3 Turmeric powder............................................. 1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder...............................................3 teaspoons Garam masala................................................. 1/2 teaspoon Curry leaves.......................................................as required Coriander leaves.................................................as required Oil.....................................................................2 tablespoon
Method Marinate the cleaned prawns in the mixture formed by combining the chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Then, fry it in oil and keep it aside. In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder until it gets light brown in colour. Add fried prawns into it.Add curry leaves and sauté it again for around 2 minutes. Knead the rice flour with salt and water as required. Take a medium-sized ball from the kneaded dough and press it on a banana leaf. Spoon in the masala into it and fold it. Steam-cook it for around 20-30 minutes.
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DRY CHICKEN Ingredients
• • • • • • • • •
Chopped chicken........................................................1/2 kg Oil.......................................................................as required Pepper powder.................................................12 teaspoons Chopped green chilli..........................................................1 Onions................................................................................1 Curry leaves.......................................................as required Ginger-garlic paste.......................................... 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder............................................. 1/4 teaspoon Salt to taste
Method Marinate chicken in a mixture formed by combining the pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. In a frying pan, add 2 teaspoon oil, chopped onion and fry it. Add sliced green chilli, curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and stir it for about a minute. Then, add marinated chicken and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Garnish with curry leaves or freshly chopped coriander leaves.
MUTTON KABAB Ingredients
• • • • • • • • • •
Mutton..................................................... 250 gm Chopped onion...................................................1 Chopped green chilli..........................................1 Egg.....................................................................1 Ginger-garlic paste........................... 1 tablespoon Red chilli powder.............................. 1 tablespoon Pepper powder.....................................1 teaspoon Cumin powder.....................................1 teaspoon Butter............................................... 3 tablespoon Salt to taste
Method Wash mutton. Combine all the above ingredients except butter in a mixing bowl and keep it aside for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 240 degree Celsius. Grease oil over the tray and grill the pieces by applying butter over it. Squeeze lemon juice over the grilled pieces and serve hot with mint chutney.
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BEAUTY
Summer hair care tips I
t’s very hot. Indeed, these days, trust me, I can't imagine life without the air conditioner. Hair can be quite a setback for everyone during the summer season as the black hair absorbs heat and your backside will feel hot and sweaty. The sweat, in return, will lead to accumulation of dirt and odour. So, the dampness is felt in your hair. So how do we maintain all this? Trim! It is recommended that you trim your hair occasionally by 1/4 an inch or few centimeters. This will help in handling splits on your hair. Importantly, during summer, shorter hair is easier to maintain. Shampoo Rinse your hair with cool water and apply shampoo, do this every three days. It will remove the dirt and other suspended particulate matter in the hair. Plus, the odour of the shampoo is another plus point. Do not use hair spray if you are sweating intensely. Braid Once your hair is dry, tie it into
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a single or double braid immediately. To an extent, the braids will help in preventing the accumulation of dirt and locks. The braids could be quite a summer fashion. Pillow It might not be practical, to some it could be a challenge, but change your pillow cover to 100% silk, not satin, for this summer. Woven materials are not good for your hair. Cover Cover your head with a shawl or wear a soft hat to avoid the damage done by ultraviolet rays. The top portion of your head is extremely sensitive to the heat from the UV
rays .The UV rays will also lead to hair loss. Oil massage You should give the scalp an oil massage and do this once a week at least. But, make sure that you avoid going out the day you do this massage as oil makes your head extra sensitive to the sun's rays. Summer is here indeed and we need to maintain the blankets of facial beauty. Follow these tips and result will be alluring. Excelsior! ď Ź
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Andorra
A BLESSED PRINCIPALITY KNOWN FOR MESMERISING SKY RESORTS
This mountainous nation is also popular for its sky resorts and its adorable natural beauty. Over these years, this principality has emerged as the most popular tourist destination in Europe.
T
ravellers love hill stations. These regions which are normally situated above the sea level possess an exceptional climate. Is there anyone who hates cool and moist climatic conditions? It is fact that everyone especially travellers fall for good climate and calm atmosphere. Notably, these two qualities are something Andorra -the independent principality situated between France and Spain- extensively possesses. This mountainous nation is also popular for its sky resorts and its adorable natural beauty. Over these years, this principality has emerged as the
most popular tourist destination in Europe. Unlike other European countries, this small nation is not a member of European Union and is ruled by the diarchy system in which the nation has two princes. It is an interesting fact to note that the President of France is one of its princes and the other prince is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Spain. The country has a complicated political system in which the elected councilors hold enormous powers even if the nation’s ultimate power rests with the executive officer. Fortunately, the nation is less
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Vallnord is a snowboard and skiing resort located in the Pyrenees Mountain. The resort has hosted several international events such as the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championship. This place offers the best skiing and snowboard experience.
populated and is least vulnerable to the political disturbance and crimes. Andorrans are extremely friendly and they love to talk and express. Most of them depend on the tourist sector for their livelihood. They speak Spanish, French and even Portuguese, even though their official language is Catalan. Unfortunately, the country is not financially stable due to the lack of proper economic resources. However, in the recent times, it is showing some minute positive sign of economic revival as a result of the tremendous growth of its tourism sector. This country, which is the sixth smallest nation in the European region, is one of the least populous countries in the region. Its total
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population is around 85,000 and its total area is approximately 181 sq mi. Noteworthy, the principality does not have a proper army but it is the member of the United Nations, which assures a certain kind of protection to their member countries. Andorra la Vella, Vallnord, the Town of Les Escaldes, picturesque Valiradel Nord valley and Encamp are the popular tourist destinations here. Travellers are advised to arrange personal travel arrangements as the public transport facility in this region is very primitive. The local food is not recommended unless the traveller is a food enthu-
siast. The travellers are not encouraged to hire a guide if they possess a good smartphone containing some kind of GPS facility.
The country is a tax-free heaven so the travellers are advised to shop as much as they want without bothering the cost. The travellers must keep one thing in their mind when they visit this country: a true travel enthusiast never fall for the beauty of the land, he/she enthusiastically searches each and every nook and corners of the land for those experiences that he/she might have missed if he/she has fallen for the land’s beauty. Andorra la Vella is the capital of this nation. In this region, there are numerous ski resorts and monuments. It is the hub of shopping and fun. This city also offers a splendid nightlife. It is the best skiing destination where the visitors get a chance to experience a world class skiing experience. Casa de la Vell, a government building built in 1580, Placadel Poble, a public square, and Sant Esteve Church, a twelfth-century church popular
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traditional dance, the Santa Anna. Yearly, thousands of travellers visit this city only to watch this fascinating dance form. Picturesque Valiradel Nord valley is a small town situated at the base of the Casamanya Mountain. It looks like an old town with the peaceful streets, tiny shops, unaggressive street venders, friendly people, old buildings and old churches. Casa d’Areny-Plandolit, the seventeenth-century mansion of Ordino, is located in this town. for its mesmerising woodwork, are the prime attractions in this world’s highest capital city. Vallnord is a snowboard and skiing resort located in the Pyrenees Mountain. The resort has hosted several international events such as the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championship. This place offers the best skiing and snowboard experience. The Town of Les Escaldesis
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located near the capital city. The presence of hot springs containing sulphur and nitrogen is one of the main peculiarities of this region. There are several traditional woven cloth manufacturing units and umbrella manufacturing units in this land. The textile industry is one of the important revenue sources, other than the tourism, in this city. The traditional products of Andorra manufactured using traditional methods are very popular in Europe. It is the land of Andorra’s
Encamp is one of the populous regions in the country. It has several modern shops and restaurants. It is the centre of adventure sports and games. Just like other regions of the country, here are there are facilities for skiing, hiking and much more. The Valirad’Orient flows through this region helps to increase its beauty. Each and every place of this country has its own peculiar beauty and style. Discover the beauty of peace with Andorra
CROWNE
FITNESSMEMBERSHIP N
ow you can find gorgeous, expansive spaces with top-of-the-line technology, creative new classes and alternative wellness options at your very own Crowne Fitness. So whether you’re on the road for work or for fun, you have got our back to keep you healthy. Realizing that being able to exercise right is equally important as the facilities available, we have 3 specialized trainers who are available from 07:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs to assist you to give the best to your mind and body. The magnificent steam and sauna facilities will help you indulge in a refreshing experience. The location of swimming pool next to the gymnasium makes it handy for those of you who love to swim. With all this, we will ensure that you keep up your workout routine on the go.
Our Fitness Center includes state-of-the-art: Treadmill Elliptical Trainer Free Weights/Dumbbells/Strength Equipments Recline Bike/Upright Bike Summit Trainer
For more details contact 0484 2865212/ 2865000
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AUTO REVIEW
VIVEK VENUGOPAL
T The previous generation was so successful in fact, during certain months, sales surpassed the Alto, making it the largest selling car in the country.
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he Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire is a quintessential car that defines the sub 4 metre sedan segment. It found its way to over a million and a half homes across the country. The previous generation was so successful in fact, during certain months, sales surpassed the Alto, making it the largest selling car in the country. However, it had one big flaw. It was never meant to look good. The first generation had a bulbous boot and the second gen felt like it was chopped off before it was even finished. Every time, the proportions were a bit odd and it looked too much like a Swift with a boot added on as an afterthought. Which it was?
the Swift which spawns it. The A pillar dismisses the wraparound look and is more curved where it meets the roof. The glass area is more sedan than a hatchback. The rear windscreen is no longer sharply raked and it flows gently into the boot lid, which now looks larger thanks to its top edges extending all the way into the C-pillar. The proportions are one of the best in the sub 4-metre sedan category. It looks like it was designed to be a sub 4-metre sedan from day one. They have even dropped the Swift budging and it is simply called the Dzire now. Most important of all, they launched it before the Swift so no comparisons are drawn between the two.
Enter the new Dzire. For the first time, they have differentiated it from
Styling is on the safe side, yet the front end is bound to polarize opin-
Maruti Dzire ions. The wide open grille with its thick chrome surround is straddled by nicely shaped headlamps with DRLs inside. The side profile is curved and smooth with no pronounced shoulder line or sharp creases, while the rear will not be mistaken for anything but a Maruti. Like the headlamps, the tail lamps have LEDs too. The polished face
alloy wheels have a busy design but will appeal to the masses. Inside, things get even better with the modern looking dashboard, well-designed controls and layout. The interplay of black and beige is only broken by the small wood finish trim that runs across the middle. The steering feels
remarkably similar to the one in a Jaguar. It is flat bottomed and good to hold, but has too much wood finish on it, to my liking. While the dashboard quality is not far improved from the old Dzire, the switches and knobs with their weighting and chrome surround feel premium enough. Maruti’s now familiar infotainment system
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ing provided a bit more weight and feedback; but overall handling impresses. The lower kerb weight also helps it in the corners. If the Dzire is this good, I can’t wait to see the upcoming Swift. Ride quality is greatly improved over the older car, with only the sharpest of bumps upsetting the composure on broken roads. Brakes felt good too with the top spec cars wearing 185/65R15 tyres.
finds its way to the Dzire too and is easy to operate. The instrument gauges look great, the ergonomics are good and there are many practical spaces inside the cabin. The front seats are much softer and wider than the outgoing model. The increase in wheelbase to 2450mm has liberated even more legroom at the back, which is very impressive for the segment. The seating position is good, though we wish it had more headroom at the rear. Boot space has gone up to 378 litres and it is better shaped than before. Powering the Dzire are the familiar 1.2L petrol and 1.3L diesel engines from the Swift, Ignis and the Baleno. The petrol engine makes 83bhp and 113Nm torque and is a smooth performer. It is a willing performer and coupled to the 860kg weight, makes the car so sprightly. It comes with the option of an AMT (Automated Manual) gearbox too. The presence of the fourth cylinder in the 1.2 block makes the power delivery much more balanced than, say in a Celerio. This makes the AMT shift up and down lesser, giving you a smoother driving experience than what we have seen in those 3 cylinder applications. On top of that, Maruti engineers have been busy perfecting the AMT technology and their hard-work shows. Their latest boxes work much better in terms of clutch engagement, shifting algorithm and holding you on a slope.
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The 75bhp Fiat-derived 1.3litre diesel comes with an AMT option too, combining the convenience of an automatic with the economy of a diesel. It develops 190Nm torque along with great midrange power and is great on the highway. The slight delay in gear changes of an AMT, coupled with the inherent turbo lag of that diesel engine means you might resort to shifting gears manually for quick overtaking moves. Other than that, there is nothing to complain about the diesel automatic version. I could put the Dzire through its paces on a winding bit of road. Despite the suspension so tuned for comfort, there was adequate grip and balance on offer. Sure, there was somebody roll and you’d wish if the steer-
It takes a lot of hard-work to replace the second largest selling car in India- one that sells more than all its competitors put together, but Maruti sure has done it. The Dzire is not only bigger, lighter and faster than the old car, it is also better in every possible way. It comes loaded with features, has ample space, a decent boot and a pair of competent engines. It rides beautifully over bad roads and the handling is still entertaining. What’s more, ABS and airbag as standard across the range and not limited to just the top end trim. With prices ranging from Rs.5.45 to Rs.9.41 (Ex. showroom Delhi), they sure are to run out of order forms for this one
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MOVIE REVIEW
Raabta
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his film is a mystery drama directed by Dinesh Vijan. The movie has some beautiful music and a heart-breaking storyline. It is a mind-blowing love story. Have you ever heard about soulmates? Have you ever heard about the power of eternal love? The film tells us about this power. KritiSanon, Sushant Singh Rajput, Deepika Padukone, Jim Sarbh, Varun Sharma appear in the lead roles. The film is filled with numerous thriller sequences and mesmerising fight scenes. Pritam Chakraborty is the music director of the film. The cinematography, costume design and screenplay of the film are worth appreciable. The film has received good response from the audience.
Guest Iin London
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he film is a romantic comedydrama written and directed by Ashwin Dhir. The movie is produced by renowned production company Panorama Studios. The film is brilliantly filled with several slapstick comedy sequences. Kartik Aaryan, Paresh Rawal, Kriti Kharbanda and Tanvi Azmi appear in the lead roles. All the actors have showcased appreciable performance. The film is likely to set a new trend in the Bollywood film industry where not many films under this category have been released recently. Raghav Sachar is the music director of the film. The film is getting a good response from the audiences who possess a special affinity towards comedy films.
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Wonder Woman
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he film is a fantasy drama directed by Patty Jenkins. It is based on William Moulton Marston’s comic story. The film tells us about the undefeatable princess of island paradise Amazons who ventures into a risky task to stop all wars. During her tough journey, she discovers her destiny and strength. The film is filled with incredible action sequences having a potential to excite the viewers. Rupert Gregson-Williams is the music director of the movie. The film is likely to attract both youngsters as well as children. Gal Gadot appears as wonder women in the movie. Apart from Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, David Thewlis and Danny Huston act in the film.
The Mummy
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he film is a horror drama directed by Alex Kurtzman. It tells us the story of a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed for nearly thousands of years. As the film begins, Nick Morton, a soldier of fortune, accidentally comes into contact with the dangerous ghost. As the film progresses, Morton has been bestowed by the destiny a challenging task of stopping the furious ghost as the ghost starts to haunt and hurt the innocent people. The suspense factor of the film is that will Morton be able to stop Ahmanet, the dangerous ghost. Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe and Jake Johnson appear in the lead roles.
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BOOK REVIEW
Understanding Trump Author Price
: Newt Gingrich : $ 17.70
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he books written by one of the strong followers and supporters of US President Donald Trump gives a new insight into the president’s life and style of governance. It discusses his national security policy, education policy, health policy, economic policy and other important policies. It tries to paste a new image on the President who has often been criticized by the establishment controlled by the, so called, elites. The writer, who is a Republican politician, through this book, explains why the Americans should stand with the President in this tough fight. He, in his book, has included the details of some prime constraints that the trump government is facing or going to face. The book analyses the policies taken by the newly elected US regime.
This Cheese is Nuts! Author Price
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: Julie Piatt : $ 16.47
his book is a perfect book for vegans. It contains all those information that a vegan needs to know about the nut cheese. The writer through this book shares nearly seventy-five recipes on how to make the nut cheese. Can you believe you can make cheese with the help of almond, cashews and other similar nuts? Yes, it is true. You can easily make the dairy free cheeses using Julie’s recipes without putting too much effort. It is an interesting thing that Julie’s recipes are simple and it does not need a well-equipped kitchen so you can try these recipes in your kitchen itself.
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BOOK REVIEW
The Day The World Went Nuclear Author Price
: Bill O’ Reilly : $ 13.51
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he book discusses the story of a crucial decision, the circumstances that led to taking that decision and the importance of that decision in the history of mankind. It is a fact that during the World War Two, the US government unveiled one of the most dangerous weapons, the nuclear bomb. But, the important question has never been who discovered or introduced this bomb but has been who took the tough decision to use it on Japan. Thus, former US President Harry Truman’s decision has become the subject of study. The book analyses the background and aftereffects of Truman’s decision which changed the course of the world.
I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lesson Author Price
: Kevin Hart : $ 16.06
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his autobiography written by the renowned Hollywood’s star comedian has all elements which help the reader to arrive at a positive opinion about it. The writer, in this book, describes his childhood life and the difficulties he faced during that time, and the challenges he has confronted during his journey from the unwanted kid to the quintessential comedian and how has he overcome that. The writer helps the reader to change their view about the life experiences. He teaches the readers some biggest lessons of life: life has many chapters; how these chapters are interpreted is very important; it is not possible to erase or rewrite the chapter but how the reader interprets the chapter writes the next chapter.
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Printed On 01/ 06/ 2017
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RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633
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