August 2017 100 mb

Vol 6 Issue No.70 Vol No.69 Aug6- Issue Sept 2017 July - Aug 2017

LEADING THE WORLD WITH A PHILANTHROPIC SOUL Lion DR. NARESH AGGARWAL, International President, Lions Clubs International

IN ISRAEL, WITH A FICCI DELEGATION Shri V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd. Aug - Sept17 1

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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 Lion Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, International President, Lions Clubs International 4

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Editorial

E

nglish author and script writer Douglas Adams once wrote: “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

The story of Mr. Aggarwal, the International President of Lions Clubs International, follows literally these words in life.

Merely minting money did not bring happiness to this wealthiest business legend from Punjab.

His craving for a deeper kind of success led him to the path of service and eventually, the path of Lions Club. I am sure this story will give you oodles of inspiration to expand your thoughts on life and success.

V.P. Nandakumar, the Chairman & MD, Manappuram Finance, in his regular column writes about PM Narendra Modi’s Israel visit.

By opening up his own Israel experience, Nandakumar reveals that how Israel became the leaders of the world in spite of many adversities.

Our special auto expert team gives thumbs-up to the new Baleno RS from Maruti’s Nexa stable.

Light kerb weight, a willing engine, a manual gearbox and good brakes...there are a lot more to talk about brand new Baleno RS with 1–litre wonderful booster engine.

In travel, our team introduces another least-explored land of the globe, East Timor.

Here’s another fresh issue for you with plenty of articles on interesting topics like the stock market, gadgets, banking, movie review, and book review etc. And I hope you enjoy the read!

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CONTENTS

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In Israel, with a ficci delegation

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The power of selfless service

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Leading the world with A philanthropic soul Effective Governance Way Forward to Reforms

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58

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Gadgets

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Recipes

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Multi coloured nails, the new trend

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Spending some time with a ‘strange’ crocodile

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Baleno RS

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UNIQUE DIARY

Govt plans to change financial year

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ttempting to bring in a radical change in the budgeting system of India, the BJP led central government is planning to change the financial year of the country in a way that the proposed financial year coincides with the calendar year. The committee headed by Dr. Shankar Acharya, which was appointed to study the feasibility of the plan, has submitted its report to the concerned authority.While answering a question at the Parliament, the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, has admitted that his government had been closely examining the report submitted by the committee since it was submitted before them.If such a policy is implemented, it will be another revolutionary development in the financial sector, which recently witnessed some unprecedented policies such as demonetisation and GST.

Yamaha Motor launches first scooter boutique

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth do ing''.

Theodore Roosevelt

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n order to increase the sales of the Yamaha’s bikes and fashion accessories, the Yamaha Motors, one of the leading motorbike companies, has launched its first scooter boutique. It is expected that the new initiative will help the company to increase its sales volume up to 25 %. The company claims that this is the first time such a boutique has been launched by a renowned brand. It seems that it is not willing to settle with the boutique that it has introduced in Chennai. In the near future, it is set to come up with similar boutiques in Vijayawada and Jamshedpur.

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Rupa & Co plans to expand its market

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onsidering the fact that Indian goods, particularly the garments created using the indigenous technology, has enormous market potential outside the country and significant demand in the online marketing platforms, the Rupa and Company Limited, one of the most promising knitwear garment companies of the country is planning to explore the potential of these segments in order to increase its sales. Currently, the online sales and export account for nearly 3% and 2% of the company’s revenue respectively. The management believes that if it pays adequate attention to these potential sectors it can increase the sales of the garment company several folds.

Japanese company set to establish a steel manufacturing unit at Chennai

''Business is more exciting than any game''.

Lord Beaverbrook

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he Japanese company, Tohoku Steel Co Ltd, is set to install a steel manufacturing unit at Sri City in Chennai. The company is likely to invest nearly 80 crore rupees in developing the unit. The unit will manufacture heat-resistant stainless steel which is mainly used in the automobile industry. This product has high demand in the market. With the presence of the top automobile manufacturing industries, Sri City has become one of the prominent automobile manufacturing regions of the country. The prime countries which have companies in this region are South Africa, Japan and Bahrain. There are nearly 17 automotive ancillary industries here.

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UNIQUE DIARY

Govt to introduce new telecom policy

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n an effort to help the communication sector meet the challenges posed by the new era, the government is set to introduce a new telecom policy. The concerned authority has convened a meeting with all stakeholders such as the industrial associations and telecom operators to brainstorm the policy. Earlier, there were reports that the central government was in the process of creating the national policy on the telecom sector. At the moment, the telecom sector, unlike several other sectors, is in the stage of growth. It is learned that the new generation technologies, skills development, ‘internet for all’ and security are the prime focus areas of the policy.

ICICI permits customers to do loan procedures through ATM

''Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats''.

Howard Aiken

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n one of the revolutionary developments in the banking sector, the ICICI bank, one of the new generation banks based in India, is trying to go paperless in all means by, even, allowing their customers to do the loan procedures through the ATMs of the bank. Under the new provision, now the customers can avail loans up to nearly 15 Lakh rupees through the ATMs of the ICICI bank. Only those customers who are having a satisfactory CIBIL score can borrow money through this procedure.The noteworthy feature is that if the loan is granted the customers can withdraw the money instantly. Notably, the customers will get up to 60 month time to repay the loans.

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BUSINESS

Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

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t was a historic moment on July 4 when the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, for a three day trip. He became the first Indian PM ever to visit Israel. Underlining the importance given to it by the Israelis was the fact that their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke protocol to personally receive our prime minister at the airport, along with all his cabinet colleagues. That was surely an unprecedented gesture.

Interestingly, I had made my own first trip to Israel exactly a month before the PM’s trip (June 3- June 9, 2017) as the head of a FICCI Business Delegation to Israel focusing on water and agriculture technologies. Our programme was supported by the Embassy of Israel in India and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour, Government of Israel. During the course of the trip, our delegation was given a unique opportunity to interact with Israeli organizations instrumental in developing and commercializing AgTech and water innovations for the international market. The field visits we undertook exposed us to innovative technologies in areas such as water treatment (including water management systems, desalination, purification, reuse and recycling), drip irrigation, livestock and animal housing, and computerized systems

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Interestingly, I had made my own first trip to Israel exactly a month before the PM’s trip (June 3- June 9, 2017) as the head of a FICCI Business Delegation to Israel focusing on water and agriculture technologies.

Israel Fact File (2016)

Per capita GDP GDP Growth Rate GDP Sectoral breakup of GDP:

Agriculture Industry Services

for the modern dairy farm.

First impressions of Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is like any other modern city with all the trappings of prosperity. On the drive from the airport, you see smooth, new roads and palm trees dotting the landscape. Inside the city, shiny skyscrapers and high-rise luxury offices dominate although there are parts of the city with decidedly run-down architecture too. It is not a big city as its population is less than half a million. Indeed, the entire population of Israel is only about 8.5 million, a little more than half the population of Bangalore.

Surprisingly, the weather was cooler than it was in Kerala at this time although humidity levels were

8.55 million $37,290 4% $318.7 billion

2.1% 27.3% 69%

nearer to ours given the city’s location on the Mediterranean sea coast. We had no engagements on the Saturday that we landed, so I took off in the evening to the beach. The Tel Aviv beach is beautiful, clean and meticulously maintained, and it stretches for miles along the whole western edge of the city. It is a good place to spend time in the cool evenings.

It was here that I was accosted by a couple of youngsters who wanted to know whether I was from India. It turned out they were from IIT Kharagpur who had come to Israel for their foreign internship and practical training programme. As I got talking to them, I asked them why they had chosen to come to Israel when they could well have gone to the

IN ISRAEL, WITH A FICCI DELEGATION

US or Europe. What they said in reply was to be my introduction to Israel’s emergence on the world stage as a science and technology superpower. At IIT Kharagpur, Israel was a sought after destination for internship because there’s a lot of cutting-edge work happening in its labs and factories, and getting trained here was the best exposure a student could hope for.

In the course of our conversation, they referred to the extraordinarily conducive atmosphere for scientific

research in Israel and one of them even ventured to claim that the most mediocre university in Israel is better than our best IITs.

Water, water!

Our official engagements began on Sunday with field trips to water and waste water treatment facilities. Talking about water, Israel gets very scanty rainfall. With much of the country desert-like, there is little ground water either.

Given these constraints, how Israel

achieved sufficiency in water to the extent that it is the only country in the world that can get by without any rainfall, is a story worth telling.

Indeed, it is a story that epitomises grit and the relentless pursuit of technology as a means to solve human problems.

Israel has essentially solved its water scarcity problems by desalinating Mediterranean seawater, recycling wastewater and getting the most crops out of the fewest

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drops. Water management in Israel begins with the fact that all sources of water in Israel are a shared resource, owned and centrally managed by the government. Israelis do not have the right to exploit the groundwater even in their own plots of land. Water is also subject to extreme rationing and everyone has to pay for it at rates that are never cheap. Not surprisingly, there is high level of public awareness about the worth of every drop of water. The entire water flow grid of the country is centrally monitored and fully automated. In the event of a problem anywhere in the grid, human intervention is not usually required because it is equipped with GPS-guided robots to crawl through sewers and fix leaky pipes.

On the supply side, Israel has invested extensively in commissioning desalination plants. After a prolonged spell of drought (1998 to 2002) drastically depleted the Sea of Galilee (the only freshwater lake here) and the major underground aquifers, Israel launched a $2 billion program to build five massive seawater desalination plants. Today, more than half of the fresh water used in this country comes from the sea.

Further, a lot of attention was

paid to creation of an efficient infrastructure of water supply and conservation. A sophisticated network of over 250 storage tanks and large reservoirs has been built to store water for supply during the dry, hot summer months. All water is recycled and reused including waste water from toilets. The purification method is biological (not chemical) and the outcome is so good that the hotel I stayed at provided no bottled water in the rooms because its tap water was certified good to drink.

Drip irrigation and farming

More than half of the land area is desert, and given the lack of water resources, high levels of salinity, and the fact that only 20% of the land area is naturally arable, Israel is not a friendly place for agriculture. Traditional irrigation methods are ineffective here. And yet, Israel has emerged as a major exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies.

In 1965, the country’s agronomists created a system by which small quantities of water delivered to the root system resulted in maximum efficiency in the use of water.

To this day, it remains one of the most successful methods for growing plants in arid climates. Drip irrigation became the mainstay of

Israeli agriculture and the technology has rapidly spread across the world.

On one of our field visits, we took in the irrigation and water management practices at Naandan Jain Irrigation Ltd., which is part of the Jalgaon (Maharashtra) based Indian company Jain Irrigation Systems that pioneered drip irrigation in India. Interestingly, the employees were almost all Israelis and they engage in cutting edge research into areas such as drip irrigation, solar energy irrigation, computerised irrigation systems, etc. We saw many hi-tech farms spread out over 500 to 1,000 acres growing a variety of crops under controlled conditions with minimum usage of water.

Recently, the Indian media reported widely about a new fastgrowing Israeli Chrysanthemum flower that was named after Prime Minister Modi in a special gesture to mark his visit. Floriculture thrives in the country being a thrust area for Israel's agronomic sector ever since their first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, promised in 1948 that the new country would make the desert bloom.

Indeed, the deserts in Israel have bloomed as almost 40 percent of the country's flowers are grown in the southern arid region which averages a mere 25 mm of rainfall a year. Today, Israel ranks second only to Holland in European flower sales. One of our field visits was to an agricultural company which produces flowers and herbs based on advanced hydroponic methods.

Dairy farming

A hot and dry country like Israel also has the most productive dairy cows in the world. The average cow in Israel produces 12,000 litres of milk a year. It is double of what dairy cows in Australia (another country known for its dairy industry) produce. Israel's entire milk consumption originates from dairy farms within the country with most herds consisting of IsraelHolsteins, a high-yielding, diseaseresistant breed.

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The quest for greater productivity involves the use of precise sensors to understand the physiology of the cow. Milking systems include recording of milk yield, duration of milking, detection of udder infections, etc., while the pedometers record data regarding the oestrus cycle of the cow.

Israel`s dairy industry employs domestically developed advanced technologies that have changed the industry through automation and strict quality control. This eases the burden on human resources and ensures operations that meet prescribed standards.

cooling the cows along the feeding line by means of low-pressure misters installed in front of fans.

Tiny water droplets get placed on the skin surface of the cow and when the misting cycle turns off, the fans blow high velocity air over the cow thus evaporating the water and reducing the body temperature of the cow with minimal use of water. The cows don’t feel the heat stress and milk production can be maintained during summer. As was the case with the robotic milking machines, cows that were bothered by the heat would move to the cooling station of their own accord.

At the dairy farm we visited, we saw large herds of cows managed by a handful of people. Milking is, as expected, done by robotic milking machines but what was surprising was that the cows here queue up to milk themselves. They move of their own accord to the milking station when they feel an uncomfortable pressure on their udders.

Israel, Japan and life lessons

Israel has hot weather for much of the year, and the cows have to be kept cool. I saw this alternative cooling system for cows developed here that combines wetting and

Last year, I visited Japan for the first time to attend the 99th International Convention of the Lions Club at Fukuoka. At the end of my Israel trip, I was reminded of Japan. Of course, Israel and Japan are very different countries in terms of the people, culture and climate but they have one thing in common —they are both poor in natural resources. Notwithstanding this nature imposed handicap, the fact is that both countries have done very well for themselves.

Japan and Israel are a testament to the truth that humans make real progress not when good things happen to them but when they face adversity and learn how to overcome it. Because, that is when our innate human ingenuity is tested and developed. Those who pass the test with flying colours become leaders of the world. In the modern day knowledge economy, true wealth is not physical but what lies in the mind. It is the skills, the knowledge and the know-how that you possess. And the surest way to acquire useful skills is in the quest to overcome adverse circumstances. It is well said that necessity is the mother of invention.

The examples of Israel and Japan further tell me that necessity is also the beginning of learning ď Ź

(V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd., Board Appointee of Lions Clubs International and Immediate Past Chairman of the Kerala State Council of CII).

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BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair, Director, Ernst & Young LLP Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global

We are already seeing a huge dip in the average age of the CEO /CXO. This is not just the trend in the new age IT, E-commerce and technology companies, but even traditional sectors.

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e live in times where agility is the order of the day. Our own personal and professional lives have more points of inflection and flux than ever before.

With hectic lives and completely clogged mind space, we are, at most times, moving through the monotones of life in a mechanical rhythm. Our engagement with anything outside seems too ambitious, even if it is the perfunctory duty as an individual. So, has technology made us more selfish or rather ‘selfie-ish’ or is it a general mind shift of focusing our own lives and embellishing it. What has happened to all our commitments to the society at large?

An interesting sociological shift that we see around us is the ever growing divide between the ‘haves and the have-nots ’. While it seems so outside our remit to even think of anything beyond ourselves and the immediate circle of family and friends, it serves well to remind ourselves that we are all elements in the large societal ecosystem we live in and are positively and negatively affected by the changes that are in motion around us. There are yet

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The power of selfless service

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consolatory voices which say that ‘but we are more connected to everyone right now’, social media has brought us closer than ever before. Well, the jury is fairly clear on this one –we are connected and perhaps more so than ever in the past but each of these connections remains the vestige of faceless calls and language texts on your smart phone. There are moments when we feel that we need to indulge more and do more and then we just move on the next fire and into another moment of thoughts.

So, does this portend warn the commencement of a selfish society or a world which does not care for each other and are too inward focused? It is definitely not that pessimistic! Intuitively, all of us know that it is important to help others, to offer service to someone who genuinely requires help. The gaps are in the lack of avenues and opportunities for us to step out of our personal cocoons –or at least that is what the consensus point to.

So, how does one go about it?

For starters, there are enough organizations which have been

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around for ages like the Rotary, Lions and many more affiliated international, national and regional associations. All of them have solid bylaws and structure which are here to garner time and support of like-minded people and gather forces to do social good. The polio eradication under the aegis of Rotary International is a classic case of how anonymous people around the world battled a disease with gumption and dedication and killed it to extinction. The charters of all these societies or clubs or forums are with the best intentions and with the verve to provide a platform for all like-minded people who can contribute to a large common good.

What eventually happens, at times, is that these groups become more an extended business or career networking platform and the basic ethos of the very idea of formation dissipates with time. Another cardinal mistake some of them make is to seek new members ‘who are like them’ –similar profiles, status, gender and age– bringing in a diversity gap, which becomes a deficient component to generate the best of good ideas.

In the future of work, the ultimate resource that companies will use more efficiently is the human resource. Labour-intensive firms everywhere will need to reinvent their business models, deploying smart technologies and using labour more productively.

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The fault does not lie in the associations. And, to an extent, it is also not a mistake from the members’ part. This is not because of some superior machinations or high-end politics –this is just a simple lack of focus. Fundamentally, these are also not problems that require strategies, but just a constant reminder of what is ‘service’!

These are some phrases which can elucidate the idea more clearly.

Thinking

There needs to be a concerted ‘thinking time’ of what one can contribute. It may not be possible for each of us to dedicate a part of our income, especially when life and times present you with a shoe string budget. But, mind space is a great service you can offer. Just think what you could do, one activity at a time, one day at a time.

Giving

Several economists think that the true nature of a human being is to give and he or she is wired to derive maximum happiness and satisfaction by the act of giving.

The concept of giving is more pronounced when you look at each activity you do as another way of

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giving back and being faithful for the good things around you –your education, your upbringing, your friend and relatives et.al. Each task whether in personal or professional front is the manifestation of that aspect of giving.

Doing

At times, the biggest challenge is to just do what you would have wanted and have been mulling and ruminating for ages. There is a ‘blessing in action’. It also serves to remember that there is ‘blessing in action’. An implemented activity creates more impact than the hundred good ideas you have in your mind. No idea can be perfectly thought through without the actions on the ground and when the rubber hits the road. You can debate till the cows come home or you can roll up sleeves and put things into action. Remember a few good men are enough to change the world!

Helping

Dalai Lama very elegantly articulates; “the most selfless thing you can do is to help someone in distress and not expect anything in return”. It is also when you help

that you know the true value of what you have. A ten rupee note is a perhaps a space taker in your wallet and you hear people refusing change not to clutter their wallet, which we seem to consider as some piece of expensive real estate. But, the same ‘change’ feeds a mouth, brings happiness to someone else and is a treasure.

It is also important to understand that ‘service’ is not a dying political philosophy and very anticapitalist. Service is what constitutes a business and any human transaction. It is the foundation of any connection and is the very lifeline of each human being.

Service cleanses, service clarifies, service embellishes! Service helps us understand the value of what we have, the pain of what others feel and how each seemingly mundane tasks to us can change. Human amelioration is elevating and is one of singularly satisfying tingle you can get. They say the true value of service is when you do something without expecting any return and without putting your name. A smile, a look of gratitude and a life changed is the greatest reward of all! 

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Leading the world with A

philanthropic soul

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In India, in particular, the environment is more than just global warming.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is a nationwide project for both the Indian Government and Indian Lions. We expect many Clubs to serve in this area this year.

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his month, the Unique Times magazine has got a remarkable opportunity to spend some valuable time with a renowned philanthropist, Dr. Naresh Kumar Aggarwal, ask few questions about him, and publish it for our readers.

Mr Aggarwal is the International President of Lions Clubs International and one of the wealthiest business legends of our country. He says; “at age 21, he was just starting out as a young businessman in Batala, Punjab.”

He adds; “he craved a much deeper kind of success, a more meaningful achievement than just

making money.” He further adds: “He wanted to change the world.

He realized that he slept much better at night when he had fed people so that they could sleep peacefully.”

He strongly believes that only one association could make his dreams come true, the Lions Clubs International.

Over the last 43 years, he hasbeen using the framework of LCI to serve millions in our country.

On July 4th this year, Dr. Aggarwal was elected to be the International President of the prestigious organisation. It gives him the opportunity to command

1.4 million volunteer members and serve over 100 million people per year through them.

1. What is it like sitting in the helm of a global organisation?

It’s a great feeling that no words can do justice to. I have been a CEO, MD and a leader in other capacities before, but this position is by far the most special.

The magic of this position comes from the fact that as International President, I lead leaders from all walks of life who voluntarily serve to make the world a better place.

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I see my achievement as a victory of service. Wherever I go, I tell people that leadership can come from service.

I, myself, am now a living proof of that.

My relationship with a member is not that of a boss and employee.

It is that of two leaders both trying to change the world we live in.

2. What is your message to the members of the Lions Clubs?

Throughout my life, I have always thought to myself –how do I want the present year to be remembered. For the next 12 months, my most special year, I want to bring all our 1.4 million (14 lakhs) Lions together into one big family. I call this the ‘Power of We’.

Hence, my message to members is that you are not just part of one Lions Club that is customized to you and your community; but, you are also part of Lions Clubs International –a global network of friends who will give you the friendship and resources to make your mark in the world.

3. What are the new policy changes you are trying to bring in as the new President of the Lions Clubs?

There is a long list of new policies. However, they all centred on the aforementioned term ‘Power of We’.

First, to make every Lion feel that they are a part of the global family, we now have a permanent, universal theme – “We Serve”.

Second, to develop a common skill-set in service, we now have a global service framework –hunger, sight, environment and diabetes, which is our new global signature

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cause.

Third, to bring every Lion on a single platform, we now have one global mobile app and a centralized digital marketing campaign.

The list of initiatives goes on.

However, one more of my favourites is based on the ‘Power of Action’ policy – appointing a new ‘Global Action Team’, which makes all Lions work towards the common target of serving 9 people per member per month, hence serving 150 million (15 crores) people this year.

4. You are the only Indian to be named as the International President of the global humanitarian organisation since 2006. How do you see your achievement?

How hard has been this journey from the position of the member to supremo?

When I became a member in 1974, India and Indian Lionism were very young. When I saw my mentor Lion Rohit Mehta become the International President in 1992, I realized that anything is possible.

It has been a long yet enjoyable journey. While it is fantastic to finally reach my destination, I also enjoyed every day of the journey.

While I now meet global leaders as I travel the world, I equally enjoyed my conversations with young Lions in Batala and developing Lionism in North India.

I see my achievement as a victory of service. Wherever I go, I tell people that leadership can come from service. I, myself, am now a living proof of that.

5. While delivering the Lions 100th Convention’s keynote, Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged the organisation’s members to lead by example in their efforts to protect human rights and to be conscious of climate change. Does the organisation have any plans to constitute new policies related to these subjects?

The Environment has been a focus area for LCI for the past 3 years, and is an integral part of our new “LCI Forward” plan until 2021. In the last 3 years, within our Centennial Service Challenge, we served 50.7 million (5 crores) people in the area of Environment.

In India, in particular, the environment is more than just global warming. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is a nationwide project for both the Indian Government and Indian Lions. We expect many Clubs to serve in this area this year.

6. How do you see the challenges posed by the migration, global humanitarian crisis, malnutrition, growing economic challenges, raising non-communicable diseases and the conflicts

in the Asian, African and European regions as the President of one of the most powerful humanitarian organisations of the world? How is the organisation helping those people who are affected by these crises?

The world has grave problems.

Sadly, despite the sudden growth in our economy, nearly 800 million people still go to bed hungry every night.

Even though we are one of the associations having a huge network base, we can feed just 11 million people each year.

Added to this, there are many grave challenges in sanitation, healthcare, mental illness and etc.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that we will serve every need. I can only humbly say that that is our goal

for this century –to serve every need by 2117. However, that is far away. For now, we have prioritized our service areas to serve as many urgent needs as possible.

This year, apart from feeding and educating tens of millions, and continuing our global legacy area of sight, we will launch the new global cause of diabetes. This disease kills around 3.4 million people each year and hurts over 420 million right now. We will make a massive dent in these numbers before the end of the year by mobilizing our membership to raise awareness and open clinics to diagnose and cure diabetes.

To add to the previous sentiment, I urge the readers of this article to become Lions. The only way we can feed 800 million hungry people, or give healthcare to the 2 billion who do not have it, is if we have many more Lions.

If you give us some of your time, we will give you a global network of leaders to make your mark in the world.

7. We know that you are also a businessman. How do you manage the business responsibilities and the organisation’s activities together?

Well, this was a big challenge for most of my 43 years as a Lion.

Probably, the short answer to this is that I never saw Lionism as work. I saw it as my hobby or passion.

The most important people for me to serve are my wife and children. However, once I had worked all day for them, I still had a further desire in my heart. I wanted to do something more for more people in more ways in more countries.

Lionism was the answer to this craving.

Dr. Naresh Kumar Aggarwal with his family

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I am sure you are popular. But, are you respected? I am sure you have many ideas to change this country. But, can you actually make this change happen?

In the last decade, I have been very lucky to have my children take over my business. Previously, my work gave them a comfortable life, but now it is the other way around.

8. Why is it important that the youngsters should come forward to serve the society? Do you have any message to the youngsters?

Around 50% of the world’s population is below 30. These people will play the most important role in this new century of Lionism.

India is a young country. If we educate and feed the generation of 500 million young Indians, the next generation of 1.2 billion Indians will be healthy and skilled.

As a grandfather, I want my grandchildren to live in a safe, prosperous, world. The best investment for their safety and prosperity is to feed the stomachs of every Indian and make every Indian a part of the economy as a customer and employee.

9. What is your vision for the future?

My long term vision is the same as that of LCI -where there is a need, there will be a Lion. That is a realistic goal for our second century of service.

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Aug - Sept17

However, my short term goal for the world is to serve 150M (15 crore) urgent needs this year. This will happen in the areas of food, eyesight, the environment and Diabetes.

Within LCI, my vision is to bring every Lion across the world into one connected family. We have a new global brand, app, service framework and signature cause to make this happen.

10. Tell us more about the real Dr. Naresh, something that most people do not know As a teenager, I was very active in drama and music. Now, I still sing when I get a light moment off work, especially in car or plane.

Most people think I enjoy socialising, but in truth I enjoy listening to people’s stories. One of the great perks of my job is that I get to listen to a wide spectrum of people around the world - from global leaders to the most needy.

When they speak from the heart, their story fills me up like food for the soul.

11. Say few words about your family?

My family is my life. My family began with my beautiful wife

Navita, who came into my life in the same year as Lionism – 1974.

Her belief in me made me believe that anything is possible.

Then, my three kids – Rohit, Rajneesh and Swati- are angels at heart and very wise in the mind.

They filled my adult life with priceless moments.

Now, my seven grandchildren make me feel like a child again.

When I see the sparkle of their eyes, I feel that I will live forever.

12. Why should the reader of this article become a Lion?

I am sure you are popular.

But, are you respected? I am sure you have many ideas to change this country. But, can you actually make this change happen?

A Lions Club is a group of people who will instantly give you the resources and friends to actually change your community. It also gives you the structure, if you so desire, to change the entire world.

When you become a Lion, you join a force of 1.4 million leaders from business, government and society who proactively change the world by serving 2,73,000 people every day. 

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Aug - Sept17 27

If the government is not averse to doing businesses, then why education is becoming a losing proposition for the government and at the same time flourishing business for the private sector?

Ravi Saini

Effective Governance

Way Forward to Reforms

I

ndia is going through various reforms and is on the path of becoming the top economy of the world. In this issue, the writer will address ‘Oil Sector’ and ‘Education Sector’.

With plenty of PSUs doing the same oil and petroleum businesses in India, The Indian government is better advised to merge all these PSUs into one company like the merger of SBI with other associate banks of State Bank took place. This will bring down the costs of operations and improve the effectiveness. It doesn’t make any sense of having different companies within the government doing the same business activities.

It is no brainer to state that the petrol, diesel and all the petroleum products are an essential part of the growth engine of the nation. The Government must take a serious note and appoint are forms committee to take inputs from one and all to put an effective price mechanism. In any business activity, the price fixation is done on the basis of basic cost, expenditure and reasonable profits if the volumes of sales and productivity are high but here in India, there has never been given any logics on keeping such a high price for the petrol,

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diesel and all the petroleum products. When the cost of crude is not more than Rs. 30/liter, how cum the final sale prices range between from 63 to 75 approximately. Like all other products, why GST is not made applicable to these products? Similarly, all the petroleum products should immediately be brought under the GST if we are seriously talking about the “ONE NATION ONE TAX”. Even if we put 50% GST on Petrol, it should not be over Rs. 45/L on pan India basis. Is Government focusing on having the fiscal deficit be covered through the petroleum products only? In the budget, we only hear about the revenues through these petroleum products. Why there is no mention about the distribution of the huge income the government is pocketing through these

products? The good and public transportation is largely dependent on these essential commodities and bringing these products under the ambit of the GST will greatly impact the lives of the entire population of India.

If the government is not averse to doing businesses, then why education is becoming a losing proposition for the government and at the same time flourishing business for the private sector? The writer strongly recommends that the government must acquire all the private run educational institutions that are given the government land for building the educational infrastructure by duly compensating their (Promoter’s)investment and reasonable profits(if they are yet to recover the same from their

investments). The writer is well aware that the country has a very efficient battery of bureaucrats in India and when they all can handle the implementation of complex issues such as the demonetizations and GST, then managing the educational institutions will always come as child’s play due to ever increasing high demand in this sector. The “Right to Affordable Quality Education for All” must be taken up with utmost seriousness and the decision must be taken on the subject matter immediately through public debate and consensus. The writer believes that there will be a unanimous voice for the “Right to Affordable Quality Education for All” The acquisition of any business shall be taken up similarly with the

Aug - Sept17 29

other acquisition mechanisms have been put in place by the government but it must view with all seriousness that it’s time to bring about educational reforms in India to empower the entire nation by creating a quality of talent pool to lead India into newer unprecedented heights.

It puts the writer in extreme pain and anguish when he sees that the nation on the whole and especially a large ‘Hindi Speaking Belt’ of India is deprived of the affordable quality education. The people of middle-income groups and those below that group who wish to give quality education to their children find it extremely difficult in getting their wards admitted to good private schools. It is a fact that the standard of infrastructure in the government schools is not at par with that of the private and convent schools.

Simultaneously, the government could consider allowing the use of already built school buildings

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Aug - Sept17

for the use in the second shifts through the creation of SPVs with the conditions that there should be top line 5% revenues shared with the government by the private operators. The main considerations for allowing the private operators should be that Its infrastructure should be at par with some of the top schools like Sanskriti School, DPS, GD Goenka and some schools run by the Christian Missionaries which are operating with no financial assistance from the government. A pilot case study can be created by allowing 10-20 schools to be taken up in the first pilot project basis.

The writer can assure that there will be a quantum jump in the demand for seats in these government schools and will ease the pressure from the minds of the parents that are presently made to pay through their nose to bear the cost of education and put the family budget in complete disarray 

Aug - Sept17 31

CENVAT credit reversed on account of non-payment of consideration within three months can be reclaimed if the payment is made to the supplier of service within 3 months from the appointed day.

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.

Introduction

O

ne of the greatest advantages of the Input Tax Credit in the GST regime is that there is a seamless flow of credit. As the Input Tax Credit is a monetary benefit to the Company, a proper care shall be taken for utilizing such benefit to more extent. Definition of the Input Tax Credit in the GST is wider and simple compared to the Input Tax Credit or CENVAT Credit definition under the current laws like Excise, Service Tax and VAT. This article is an attempt to explain the background and overview of the Input Tax Credit under GST.

Meaning of Input Tax Credit

2. The Input Tax Credit means the tax which has been paid to the supplier during the supply of goods or services or both are eligible to set-off against the liability of tax which has been raised due to the subsequent supply of goods or services or both.

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Definition of "Input" as per Section 2(59) of CGST Act: The input means any goods other than capital goods.

Definition of "Capital Goods" as per Section 2(19) of CGST Act:

The definition of the Capital Goods has been linked to accounting. It means the goods which are treated as the capital goods in the books of account, falls under the definition of the Capital Goods as per Section 2(19). Example: Furniture, Plant & Machinery etc.

The Input Tax Credit on the Capital Goods can be availed at one shot i.e. 100% at the time of accounting. It means that no need to defer some portion of the Input Tax Credit to the subsequent year.

Under the Excise law, where the CENVAT Credit on the Capital Goods can be availed only to extent of 50% in the year of purchase and another 50% shall be availed in the next year. Also, in some states, under the VAT, the Input tax credit shall only be availed in instalment for the period of 3 years.

There is no distinction between the Inputs and Capital Goods.

Input Tax Credit –Conditions for availing

3. An important condition for availing the Input Tax Credit is that "the input or capital goods is used or intended to be used in the course or furtherance of business." Other Conditions also need to be satisfied to avail Input Tax Credit (ITC) these are as under:

(1)Only registered taxable person can avail ITC (2)Goods or Services should have been received or deemed to be received (3)Possession of appropriate taxpaying document such as invoices, debit notes etc. as an evidence (4)Tax on input is paid to the concerned government authorities by supplier (5)Recipient has furnished return u/s 39 (Final Credit will be subject to matching with supplier data) (6)No depreciation on ITC portion of Capital goods (It means that while capitalizing in the books only the base-value needs to be capitalised and not the full value of Invoice) (7)Input Tax Credit should be availed within the due date of filing the September month return of next financial year or date of annual return filed for such year whichever is earlier

Example:

Date of Invoice = 1-8-2017 (FY 2017-18) (a)Due date of filing September return for next Financial Year (FY 2018-19) = 15-10-2018 (b)Date of filing of annual return for FY 2017-18 (assumed) = 28-10-2018 Earlier of (a) & (b) is due date of claiming ITC i.e. 15-10-2018 The Input Tax Credit definition under GST is wider. The Input Tax Credit can be claimed when it is used in the course or furtherance of business, as a result most of the credits which are not availed in the current indirect tax regime, can be

Input Tax Credit under the GST regime

availed in the GST regime.

4. General points on Input Tax Credit under GST

There shall be levied a three Taxes called, (i) IGST (which is levied on inter State supplies of Goods and Services) (ii) CGST & SGST or UGST (which is charged on inter State supplies of Goods and Services), and all the three taxes are creditable The taxes relating to each state registration will form a common pool. The credits of one registration cannot be utilised against liabilities of other registration of same entity.

In GST, there is no concept of centralised registration. All states need to be separately registered. As a result of decentralisation, the Input Tax Credit of one state cannot be used to set off the Output Tax Liability of another state.

The tax which has been paid by the recipient of Supply of Goods or services or both under Reverse Charge shall be eligible for the Input Tax Credit in the subsequent month.

The Input Tax paid by the person who is registered under the Composition scheme shall not be eligible to the Input Tax Credit.

5. Setting off of Input Tax Credit IGST Credit can be used to set off all the Output tax liability (i.e.

IGST, CGST, SGST) SGST can't be used to off CGST liability and vice-versa

IGST Credit:

Universal right to set off against all the liability Sequence of Set off of Liability: IGST/CGST/SGST

CGST Credit:

Cannot be used to set off SGST liability Sequence of Set off of Liability:

CGST/IGST

SGST Credit:

Cannot be used to set off CGST liability Sequence of Set off of Liability: SGST/IGST

Input Tax Credit –Restrictions

6. For the below mentioned list of the supply of goods or services, the Input Tax Credit is not eligible: (1) Works contract services when supplied for construction of immovable property (other than P&M) (2) Goods/services received for construction of an immovable property on his own account (other than P&M) even when used in course or furtherance of business (3) Goods/services for personal consumption (4) Goods lost, stolen, destroyed or written off (5) Gift or free samples (6) Motor vehicles and other conveyances

Aug - Sept17 33

(7) Beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic and plastic surgery (8) Club membership, health and fitness centre (9) Rent-a-cab, life insurance, health insurance (10) Food and beverages, outdoor catering However, it may be noted that the assesses whose business is supply of the aforementioned goods or services, then such business is eligible to claim the Input Tax Credit paid on supply of such goods or services.

If there is a statutory obligation on the part of the employer to provide such goods or services to the employee, then the Input Tax Credit on the same is eligible.

Example: Under Workman Compensation Act, the medical insurance to be taken on the employee to protect against the injury caused to a workman in the course of employment. Therefore, the Input Tax Credit on the same shall be eligible to be taken, as it is a statutory obligation on part of the employer.

Input Tax Credit – Reversals 7. Input Tax Credit which has been availed shall be reversed under the following situations:

(1) Supplies used for both taxable and exempt supplies, in such a case concept of common credits shall arise which is: Common Credits = Total Cred-

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its – credit exclusively related to exempt supplies –credit exclusively related to taxable supplies The common credits have to be reversed proportionately, which would be explained in two situations.

Situation 1 : Common credits of Inputs used for both taxable and non-taxable supplies (a) Common Input Tax Credit – Rs. 60,000 (b) Taxable Supplies – Rs. 2,00,000 (c) Non – Taxable Supplies – Rs. 1,00,000 ITC can be claimed = 60,000 x 2,00,000/3,00,000 = 40,000 ITC to be reversed = 60,000 – 40,000 = 20,000 (which is used for non-taxable supplies) Situation 2 : Common credits of Capital Goods used for both taxable and non-taxable supplies (a) Common Input Tax Credit on Capital Goods – Rs. 6,00,000 (b) Take the full credit of Rs. 6,00,000 in the year of purchase itself (c) Useful life of Capital Goods prescribed in the Act – 5 years (d) Whenever you make non-taxable supplies during a month, the Input Tax Credit which was already availed shall be reversed in the following manner: (e) Credit for tax period (month) = 6,00,000/5 years × 12 months = 10,000

(f) Say, value of exempt supplies (month) = 3,00,000 (g) Say, Total Turnover (month) = 5,00,000 (h) Credit attributable to exempt supplies (month) = 10,000 × 3,00,000/5,00,000 = 6,000 Then, Rs. 6,000 shall be added to the output tax liability for that month.

Payment to the supplier shall be made within 180 days from the date of Invoice. If not paid within 180 days, the ITC already availed shall be added to output tax liability along with interest. Credit on the same shall be availed on payment.

Example:

(a) Date of Invoice = 15-7-2017 (b) Date before which the Invoice amount has to be paid i.e. within 180 days = 11-1-2018 (c) If the amount was not paid within the 11th of January, then in the January month return the amount shall be added to output liability along with interest (d) Interest should be paid at the rate of 18% calculated from the date 15-7-2017 to 11-1-2018

Conclusion

8. In summary, it is indeed clear that an assessee or supplier would need to critically evaluate the eligibility to claim the input tax credit. If eligible, there could arise a significant monetary benefit due to simple definition of the Input Tax Credit under GST. Hence, proper planning is the need of the hour 

Aug - Sept17 35

Dr. Arun Oommen renowned neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre, Kochi, India.

Professionals spending more time in the seated position particularly seated in front of a computer, long distance drivers, manual workers, construction workers, head loading workers, policemen and security officials carrying heavy equipment, weight lifters, dentists and surgeons are extremely vulnerable to these types of pain.

Dr Arun Oommen

MBBS, MS ( Gen Surgery), Mch( Neurosurgery), MRCS Ed, MBA Consultant Neurosurgeon oommenarun@yahoo.co.in www.arunoommen.com

Reason for increased incidence of neck pain in recent times

T

he reasons for the increase in neck pain are mainly due to the recent changes in the lifestyle, especially of the newer generation. Bad posturing and sedentary lifestyles are the main culprits.

Spending so much time with a mobile, laptop or any electronic equipment with the neck in a bent posture causes so much strain on the neck muscles and led to spasm (text neck syndrome). Trying to

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relieve the spasm causes excess strain on the spine. This repeated activity will accelerate spine degeneration. Same will happen with people spending so much time driving with the neck in a fixed position. Also, sleeping on a soft sponge mattress, large pillow or sleeping in sitting position or any awkward posture (especially in a moving vehicle) can cause excess neck strain and pain. Moreover, due to the rise in the sedentary lifestyle, the neck muscles do not acquire the desired strength thus causing more strain on the spine.

Earlier, cervical spondylitis was a disease of the elderly people. In the modern times, due to the increase in the neck strain, the degenerative changes start much earlier and

even affect teenagers.

People or professionals more prone to these types of pain

Professionals spending more time in the seated position particularly seated in front of a computer, long distance drivers, manual workers, construction workers, head loading workers, policemen and security officials carrying heavy equipment, weight lifters, dentists and surgeons are extremely vulnerable to these types of pain.

Lifestyle modifications and Habits required to reduce future neck pain

Human body is designed to maintain erect posture so maintain

Neck pain increasing with Modern lifestyle

Aug - Sept17 37

The oral medicines like simple analgesics and muscle relaxants may also be tried. Heat application, deep tissue massage, physiotherapy, ultrasound or electric stimulation can be helpful.

the proper posture always. Sleep on our back on a firm mattress and use a small pillow or a cervical pillow. Never sleep in sitting position or any other compromised positions, especially when travelling.

Position the computer or laptop we use at eye level to avoid neck bending. Don’t forget to move your neck to both sides and up and down direction frequently in between the computer work, driving or any other job. Practice neck exercises regularly to strengthen the muscles so that they can withstand more strain. Carry heavy weight (if required) evenly. Prevent jerky lifting of heavy weights. Avoid head-loading as far as possible.

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Home remedies and treatment options available?

A proper understanding of the causative factor and avoiding them is very essential. If the pain is acute, proper rest and locally available medications can be helpful in the majority of cases. The oral medicines like simple analgesics and muscle relaxants may also be tried. Heat application, deep tissue massage, physiotherapy, ultrasound or electric stimulation can be helpful. If there is radicular or paraesthesia type symptoms in the arms and fingers certain drugs may be given specifically. Once the pain subsides, proper exercises,

yoga and similar activities which help to stretch and strengthen the muscles can be done. Persistent or recurrent pain not subsiding with simple measures should be evaluated properly before planning further treatment. Certain alternative medicine therapists have the habit of offering treatment without properly evaluating the exact cause of pain which has resulted in catastrophic consequences.

Surgery can be helpful in a certain subset of problems like disc prolapsed or severe degeneration not subsiding with medicine and other treatmentď Ź

Aug - Sept17 39

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.

The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.

-Napoleon Hill

B

elief, not hope, not wish, but “Belief ” is what will make you win in this race called life. Believe in what you do. Believe in what you dream of. Believe that you’ll receive what your ardently desire for. Developing ‘persistence’ is the master skill to success. Persistence is defined as "voluntary continuation of a goaldirected action in spite of obstacles, difficulties, or discouragements".

Imagine yourself in the last phase of a marathon, or at the last minute of the dance session you’re performing on stage, or that last minute of exercise you’re struggling to complete, or the last day of the diet you have stretched yourself with. You find yourself on the verge of total collapse. What keeps you going here? Persistence, will. Every time you go out for the daily run, every time after you have started a new venture, every time you have taken that resolution to break that bad habit, there is always a moment half way through it, you feel the panic creeping in, you feel frozen, stare at the rest of the long way you have to cover, you feel paralysed, you sense the fuel is getting exhausted, you feel a lack of energy to move on and more

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Whether you can change your personality completely is something contentious, however, you can definitely learn some new skills over the time to better your persistence.

than ever you feel like quitting!

An overwhelming anxiety distracts you from the goal that was clear like a crystal initially. Now you’re reminded of a lot of reasons why this will not work out for you. You can see those faces of rejection more visibly. Now, you see the fear of failure, face to face! What separates winners from losers is how they persist in situations when most mortals would give up.

Why do some people valiantly move forward while facing difficulties, when some others simply give up? Some people manage to overcome obstacles with great courage while some fly with fear?

Your past experiences, skill building and mind conditioning play a great role in making you what you are today. Whether you can change your personality completely is something contentious, however, you can definitely learn some new skills over the time to better your persistence.

Wait! If you ever go through such an ambiguous situation in life, you should stop and then look around. Embrace them, accept them as they are, realize the certainty and counter them with the reality of your situation. Cut break the negativity whirling around you.

Put on the positive lens. It is your inner desire we are talking about.

It is your life’s dream. Something

that has kept you alive and hanging all these while. What you have dreamt away all the time when you were awake. It indeed takes a gigantic amount of conviction to pursue your dreams when you are absolutely beaten down. But that’s when you win, for sure!

There are very distinguishable attributes for those who fight the fear of failure consistently and are determined to succeed. Internal motivation is one element you need to imbue habitually into your mental programming. Everyone experiences bouts of self-doubt and negativity. Battling with negativity can be an everyday thing, especially with the intruding of technological and external interferences today.

Adversities are challenged when you have a positive mind frame.

Find the essence of your being and the reason why you should find the competitive fire inside you.

Re-discover the ethics and humility in you to reinforce the motivation in you.

Learn to sit quietly with yourself in a room. Learn to meditate about yourself, your life. Analyse the pros and cons, the ups and downs, the advantages & disadvantages. From time immemorial, meditative learning was embedded in the concept of mastering a craft, in understanding yourself. To accomplish anything worthwhile in

The Single Key to Success life, takes sometime, often in blocks of years, this is a dilemma we fight to accept. No problems last long.

Do not indulge in your anxiety further; it doesn’t help you get ahead in anyway. Look at the problem at hand and find solutions. Moreover, have the belief that you can do it.

Create a support system slowly, whether it be family or friends, or financials. Also, learn when to back off at the right time, to launch yourself back in at the perfect time.

One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

It is definitely an exhilarating thing to find a motivating goal in life and to pursue it. Connecting yourself to a purpose always helps you sustain through life and overcome struggles and self-doubts.

Cultivate self-belief and self-es-

teem. People with high self-esteem are found to hang on to a difficult task longer than people who don’t have much. Very importantly, take some time out to appreciate and acknowledge what you have done so far, the distance you have travelled so far. Thomas Alwa Edison tried more than 9,000 experiments before he created the first successful light bulb. Disney was fired once for he “lacked imagination and had no original ideas.” Do not give in to people’s opinions. Know yourself. Have faith. If at first, you don’t succeed, try until you find success. Forget the pretty lame excuses your mind is trying to feed you with. Accept the humble beginning and blaze your way through sheer grit, determination and passion. Take cues from the things you have experienced already and

comfort yourself with the leanings.

Whether you limp or crawl towards the goal, but move you must. Identify your goals and desires. Define your motivation and tasks. Draw a flawless action plan. Have alternate solutions handy in order to use in such a case your ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work out well. Outline your way ahead and set your modus operandi. Have the discipline and positive mentality to sustain. See the end in mind already. Be realistic about your endeavours, and have the utmost belief in yourself when no one else does. You are a winner already!

“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”

James A. Michener.

Aug - Sept17 41

GADGETS

Reliance Jiophone

MRP: `500 (approximately)

    

0.3 MP Primary Camera 2.4 inches Display 16 GB Expandable Storage 4G network Li-ion Battery

LG Q8

MRP: `49,990 (approximately)  Android v7.0 (Nougat)  16 MP + 8 MP Dual Primary Camera  5 MP Secondary Camera  5.2 inches Display  4 GB RAM  32 GB Internal Memory  2 TB Expandable Memory  Rs. 49,990 (approximately)

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Aug - Sept17

Gionee F109

MRP: `12,990 (approximately)

       

Android v7.0 (Nougat) 8 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 5.0 inches Display 3 GB RAM 16 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 1.3 GHz Quad Core Processor

Blu tank Xtreme Pro

MRP: `12,990 (approximately)

        

Android v7.0 (Nougat) 8 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 5.0 inches Display 2 GB RAM 16 GB Internal Memory 64 GB Expandable Memory 1.5 GHz Quad Core Processor Rs. 12,990 (approximately)

Aug - Sept17 43

Luxury watch MRP:

8186

Movement - JJapan 2115 Battery

- Japan

Buckle

- Steel

Case

- Steel

Band

- Steel

Glass

- Sapphire

FUNCTION Water resistant 100 meter Calendar

Sports watch MRP:

1695

CASE Diameter Material Water Proofness Movement

Precision Function

Battery life

- 52 MM - ABS - 50 M - Dual movement: 2035 quartz movement + Japan Maxwell+ 626 Seiko Battery - 2/+2sec/day - Dual Time display, Stopwatch time,luminous, Date display, regular alarm, week display - Continious use for 1 year

DIAL

44

Colour Material

- Yellow and Black - Copper

STRAP Type Material Clasp

- Plastic - PU - 304 stainless steel

Aug - Sept17

D QUE CALL: 9288800999

Aug - Sept17 45

COOKERY

Toshma Biju

PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BALLS Ingredients

• • • •

Oats........................................... 1 cup Peanut Butter......................... 1/2 cup Honey..................................... 1/3 cup Vanilla Extract................... 1 teaspoon

Method Blend or mix together and form it into small balls.

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Aug - Sept17

MINI CHEESE BALLS Ingredients

• • • • • •

Cream cheese(softened).............................................1 cup Worcestershire sauce........................................2 teaspoons Cheddar cheese(finely shredded)............................. 2 cups Sliced onion.................................................................. 3nos Bacon(cooked)......................................................... 8 slices Chopped pecans..........................................................1 cup

Method In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce and ranch seasoning with an electric mixer. Mix thoroughly until it is completely mixed. Add in cheddar cheese, onions and bacon and mix until it is properly combined. Cover and place mixture into the refrigerator for about one hour. Use a small scoop to portion the cream cheese mixture. Roll into small balls and then roll into the chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SPINACH BALLS Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

Spinach..................................................................... 2 cups Unsalted butter (melted).........................................3/4 cup Onion (finely chopped ).....................................................1 Eggs.............................................................................. 4nos Grated parmesan cheese..........................................1/2 cup Garlic powder.................................................. 1/2 teaspoon Pepper............................................................. 1/4 teaspoon Bread crumbs............................................................ 2 cups

Method Put all ingredients in a large bowl and combine it. Roll into 2 inch, balls. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.

Aug - Sept17 47

FRIED MACARONI & CHEESE BITES Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Macaroni.....................................................................1 cup Cheese...................................................................... ½ cups Butter (unsalted)..............................................1 tablespoon All-purpose flour................................................ ½ teaspoon Salt.......................................................................as needed Milk....................................................................... 1 ½ cups Crystal Farms Shredded Mac & Cheese...............as needed Fried Bites................................................................. ¼ cup All-purpose flour........................................................2 large Eggs (beaten)............................................................ ¾ cup Plain breadcrumbs...............................................as needed Vegetable oil..........................................................as needed

Method Cook pasta, according to the directions provided in the package. Then, Drain it. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Slowly whisk in milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until sauce is smooth. Bring sauce to a boil .Reduce the flame.

Simmer it for 1 minute.

Stir in the shredded Mac & Cheese blend. Continue to cook, while stirring, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and fold the pasta into the cheese sauce.

Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put macaroni and cheese into the pan.. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until macaroni and cheese is completely cooled. Place flour, eggs and bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Cut chilled macaroni and cheese into 16 pieces. First coat bite lightly with flour, then dip in eggs, then coat with bread crumbs. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook about half of the bites at one time, frying bites for 1-1 ½ minutes per side. Drain bites on paper towels. Serve immediately.

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Aug - Sept17

Aug - Sept17 49

BEAUTY

Multi coloured nails,

the new trend

W

e apply a single coloured layer on our nails as per the latest trends and based on our dress colour. Nail polish's appeal differs from how we see in real life on screen. Some colours will look good while others will look horrendous in real life as opposed to seeing the same in a photograph. Now, multiple coloured nails have become part of fashion, something which was done for fun by little kids. It is a simple process and it is better not to use contrasting colours and the intention is blending of each tone, such that it will look good overall. Here are the colour combinations you could try.

White and skin: horizontal layers

Apply the skin to the lower side of the nail while the white colour on the upper side. It will give a sharp look to the nail. You may use silver or cream coloured nail polish for the same.

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Pink and Red combination: red rose

Apply pink and red colour nail polishes in the form of patches to give it reddish pink appearance. This combination works well when you wear red designer saree or gown.

Black and grey combination

This will give a pointy appearance. Apply the black nail polish thoroughly and then draw an outline on the top side of the nail to give the edginess. However, the outline should be as thin as possible and should not spread.

Red Dots

Apply white colour thoroughly and put dots with red nail polish.

Make sure that the dots don't spread by keeping it for drying for at least 10 minutes. And, make sure that the dots are distant enough. You can use different colours in this case such as blue colour, maroon, pink and yellow.

So, try it. Have a nice time.

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The original name of this land is Timor-Leste, and it is popularly called as East Timor. This island is located in the South East Asia region. It possesses one of the most disturbing histories compared to other countries located in the same region

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here lived a poor boy in a beautiful village. He loved crocodiles. Once he met an ailing crocodile. The crocodile was suffering from some terminal disease. Somehow, the boy helped the crocodile to recover from the disease. Suddenly, one day, the boy unexpectedly died. The crocodile felt sorry for him because it couldn’t help the boy. So, it made a vow that it would transform into the island on which the descendants of the boy could live.

The aforementioned story is a myth. But, the story is still believed by many native East Timorese people.

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The story clearly shows how innocent these people are and how small their knowledge is. Definitely, the land is one of the least-explored regions of the globe. Neither the wave of globalisation has swept through this land nor has the triumph of modernity gifted any huge fortunes to its people. The original name of this land is Timor-Leste, and it is popularly called as East Timor. This island is located in the South East Asia region. It possesses one of the most disturbing histories compared to other countries located in the same region. Not even the native Timor people love to relook into it. In it, there are several unpleasant stories of sup-

pression, brutalisation, slavery and exploitation.

The country, which was a land of migrants, initially suffered a huge attack on their sovereignty in the mid-1700s when the then European powers such as Portuguese explored the land. Prior to that, the land was the hub of sandalwood, honey and wax, and had trade links with China and India. For the Europeans, the main attractive factor was the abundance of the sandalwood which was one of the lucrative export materials then.

Though the Portuguese administrators did not try to mingle with

SPENDING SOME TIME WITH A

‘STRANGE’ CROCODILE

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army to occupy the territory. After the occupation, East Timor was declared as the 27th province of Indonesia. Then, it underwent a process of relearning. Indonesia tried to erase the identity of this land and attempted to inject their culture into these people.

It rested to the brutality and cruel suppression. Over one lakh people died in the country due to the political crisis during the period between 1975 and 1999.

The 1991 Dili Massacre opened the eyes of the international community. By then, the political crisisin the island reached a stage that it could no longer be ignored.

In the beginning of the 2000s, the country embraced freedom.

Now, the country is largely a peaceful nation. It has a democratically-elected stable government and effective administrative system. The country is divided into thirteen municipalities.

These municipalities are further divided into several small administrative regions for the

the indigenous people and did not bother to invest too much money in the basic sectors such as infrastructure, health and education sectors, it continuously looted the island’s wealth in order to feed the growing demand of raw materials and export materials in the west.

Like all other colonialists, the western power suppressed the indigenous people in all possible ways.

Anyway, a small respite came in the 1900s, but it too was disastrous.

During the World War Two, the Japanese forces invaded the country, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of innocent people.

When the Japanese forces surrendered during the end of the disas-

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trous war, the Portuguese recaptured the helm of administration and reinstated their regime. Finally, in the year 1975, Portuguese unexpectedly left their colony. Or, more clearly, it abandoned the colony.

There was no clear alternative in the country at that time to take over the charge of the power. So, naturally, it led to a bloody civil war and a leftist militant uprising. Again, the country witnessed a brutal bloodshed. Though the West was initially not interested in supporting the Indonesia’s plan to occupy the territory, in order to avoid the establishment of a communist region inside the strategical region it helped the Indonesian

convenience of the administration.

Despite its limitations, the country has a small police force and a competitive military force. Coffee, Marble and Sandalwoods are the prime export communities. But, its economy hugely relays on the revenue generated from the export of the petroleum products. Still, the country is not earning much to develop the basic sectors such as infrastructure, health and education. The island is a strategical centre and has a huge potential to grow. It is the member of the UN and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

The country’s tourism sector is still in the beginning stage of development. No adequate money has been invested for this purpose. So, the travellers are not likely to see and feel any world class accommodation and travel facility here. The only thing this country offers is the adventure of exploring an unexplored destination. Travellers are advised to hire the guide-cum-drivers who know the local language

and routes during your journey.

Timor-Leste offers spectacular diving opportunities, peaceful beaches, exceptional natural beauty, silent nights, and delicious coffees. Overall, it gifts calm and peace.

Instead of renting cars, the travellers are advised to hire guides who are having a bike. By doing so, the travellers can save a lot of money. The travellers must pay heed to the security guidelines and health guidelines. Some countries still categories the island under the terror region category. Malaria and some communicative disease are common here. So, the travellers must take vaccination before embarking to the island. The health infrastructure is primitive here so it is advised to bring adequate emergency medicines and other prescribed medications if the travellers have any abnormal health condition.

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Dili, Atauro Island, Lospalos, Baucau and Liquica are popular tourist destinations in the country.

Dili is the capital city of East Timor. It is the largest city and commercial hub of the country.

The city silently murmurs the story of their resistance. The Cristo Rei de Dili statue located in this island extensively tells how much value the Timor people gives to the freedom. There are several shops, restaurants and hotels located in here. In Dili, it is easy to pinpoint who is wealthy and who is poor.

The easy way to do so is to find who all are not wondering around in the streets without showing any enthusiasm to feel the beauty of the land.

Notably, the preponderance of the local people of this country is living in poverty. This is the perfect place to learn how cruel the wealth disparity actually is. Here, the wealthy

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has everything but the poor has nothing.

Atauro Island is a beautiful Island situated near the capital city.

It has exceptional beaches and peculiar natural beauty. It is situated near Indonesian islands.

Lospalos is an old city located in the east of the national capital. The city offers extraordinary natural beauty. There are several ancient buildings here. The main attractive factor of this region is its natural beauty has not been exploited in any manner.

This country is sparingly populated so the travellers never come in contact with the local population very often once they leave the capital city.

After Dili, the second largest city of this island is Baucau. It is

the prime centre of administration and agriculture. There are several abandoned colonial buildings in this region as the perfect reminder of the bygone era. The coconut beaches of Baucau are the perfect place to spend some valuable time.

If the travellers want to spend some time in a proper coastal city, there is one such city in Baucau: that is Liquica. It is one of the least populated regions of the Island.

There is no such opportunity for the travellers to taste any classy dish in this tiny island country.

Indeed, there are no proper classy restaurants outside the country’s capital. Nonetheless, the indigenous dishes prepared by the locals are worthy to taste.

Spend your next vacation on this ‘crocodile land’! 

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AUTO REVIEW

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

T For a start, the front and rear bumpers are new. The rear bumper has a squared-off lower section which we are not so sure whether it goes well with the rest of the curved body.

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o car enthusiasts all over the world, the letters ‘R’ and ‘S’ mean a lot. Used individually or together, they conjure up images of performance cars –cars that are the stuff of dreams for most. Over the years, the big brands such as Ford, Skoda, Audi and Porsche have successfully taken the RS name to great heights.

Calling the Baleno Booster jet, an RS, is bound to set the expectations high. But, can it deliver?

For a start, the front and rear bumpers are new. The rear bumper has a squared-off lower section which we are not so sure whether it goes well with the rest of the curved body. The mesh grille and the subtle skirting aren’t very big differentiators and they have taken the easy route and painted the standard wheels instead of giving it a sportier new

one. What’s more? Only the outside of the wheels are painted black and the insides are just left silver. It costs nearly Rs.1.4 lakhs more than the regular Baleno 1.2 Alpha. When you consider the fact that this is the engine you will get, as standard, in future Maruti small cars when the emission norms are in place, it is a lot.

The engine in the RS is a 1.0 litre 3 cylinder turbo petrol. It uses direct injection at 200bar, has a built-in exhaust manifold, features larger radiator and oil cooling for the pistons. While it makes 111bhp abroad, the Indian car has been detuned to 102bhp to cope with 91 octane fuel. The torque stands at 150 Nm from 170 Nm that means there is a loss of 20NM.On top of that, the Baleno RS weighs almost 60kgs more than the 1.2 petrol, which is

Baleno RS When you consider the fact that this is the engine you will get, as standard, in future Maruti small cars when the emission norms are in place, it is a lot.

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partly down to the extra ancillaries like the turbo, intercooler etc.

It is also partially due to the extra strengthening that the chassis gets, which is very well indeed. But, do the extra weight and detuned output leave you disappointed?

seconds in our earlier speed tests respectively. It is a lot easier to live with, in the city, thanks to a light clutch and fairly easy shift action.

There is a good amount of power right from 1700rpm all the way to the limiter at 6000rpm.

The RS may be heavier than the regular Baleno, but it still only weighs 950kg. In addition to that, the engine is a willing performer considering its diminutive size. It only takes 10.31 seconds to reach up to 100 from 0 that implies that it is over two seconds faster than the time taken by the Baleno 1.2 K series- 12.58 seconds. It also feels faster thanks to well thought out gearing system. There is a good shove in the back and performance is midway between a Punto Abarth and a Polo GT TSI both of which did 9.42 seconds and 11.28

Maruti says that the car has 10 percent stiffer suspension, but honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference. It handles not so different to the regular Baleno which is a very predictable car. The balance is so neutral through the corners and even a novice would be able to get to the limits in this one. We do wish the steering offered a bit more feedback and it was more eager to turn into corners. The Baleno RS also gets disc brakes at the rear which gives a lot more confidence.

Even after repeated pounding at the Buddh International track, they

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remained fade-free and offered good bite and feedback.

As a daily driver with a dose of performance, the Baleno RS is up there with the Polo GT and Punto Abarth. It is a good chassis for a fun car and has got most of its basics right. With a light kerb weight, a willing engine, a manual gearbox and good brakes, it is similar to a full blown KFC meal and all you need is to add your sauce or gravy.

While it is Maruti playing safe, a good revamp should bring the engine close to 125bhp and 190Nm, according to most international tuners we talked to. Plus, unless you overdo it, it will be endlessly reliable and retain its value over time. Get your own wheels and some grippier rubber and you have a fun car for the track or weekend drives ď Ź

TM

TM

A PAGEANT TO DISCOVER THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND TALENT FOR THE WOMEN IN THE WORLD www.missglamworld.com

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MOVIE REVIEW

Indu Sarkar

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t is a political thriller set in the period of the emergency in India.

The film, which is receiving criticism and appreciation equally, is directed by renowned film maker Madhur Bhandarkar. As the court refused to stay the release of the film, the film was released in nearly 800 screens across the country on 28 July 2017.Kirti Kulhari, Supriya Vinod, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Tota Roy Chowdhury and Anupam Kher appear in the lead roles. The director, co-producer and co-writer of the film, Mr Bhandarkar, has admitted that seventy per cent story of the film, which tells the story of Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, is fictional and thirty per cent is real.

Daddy

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t is the action drama directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. It is the biography of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli. The prime peculiarity of this film is that though it discusses the story of a gangster the audience never feel they are watching an ordinary gangster movie. The director, who is also the co-writer of the movie, has made enough effort to give the movie a different treatment. Arjun Rampal, Aishwarya Rajesh, Mir Sarwar, Anand Ingle appear in the lead roles. It is learned that the film is also a dream project of Mr Rampal, who plays the lead role, that’s why he has come forward to produce the movie.

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The Dark Tower

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t is a fantasy drama directed by Nikolaj Arcel. The film portrays the story of the ultimate battle between good and evil. In the movie, Idris Elba appears as the man who tries to stop the triumph of evil while Matthew Mc Conaughey acts as the evil power. The film tells how the good power defends the tower, which contains a key which unites the whole universe together, from the attack of the evil power. Apart from, Elba and Mc Conaughey, Tom Taylor, Katheryn Winnick and Alex McGregor appear in the lead roles.

The film is the adaptation of the seventh novel of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series: The Dark Tower VII.

Dunkirk

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t is a war movie directed by Christopher Nolan. The film tells the story of the Dunkirk evacuation. It clearly portrays how the allied forces evacuated their soldiers who were trapped in the Dunkirk region during the beginning of the 1940s. It is a big budget film. Nearly 100 million USD has been spent to make this movie.

Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh appear in the lead roles.

The movie has received a positive review from almost all film critics.

Some have even called this film as a different war film. The cinematographer of the movie, Hoyte Van Hoytema, deserves a special appreciation.

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BOOK REVIEW

I am Krishna Author : Deep Trivedi Price : ` 299 (approximately)

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hough the book is categorised as one of the modern spiritual books published in India, it is actually a psychological book. Indeed, it deals with the thought process of Lord Krishna rather than telling the readers the story of the Lord, which is in fact familiar to almost all those persons who have knowledge of the Hindu mythology. The book discusses how the Lord learned from his life experiences and developed his mind using this knowledge. It also tells the readers how he managed to acquire so much knowledge in the short lifespan. It gives deep insight into Lord Krishna’s personality, skills and much more. It is first such kind of book which has ever been published in the country.

Forever is a Lie Author : Novoneel Chakraborthy Price : `159 (approximately)

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t is a romantic thriller novel. The author is a young screenplay writer and a promising fiction writer. He has a prestigious content management company. He regularly contributes to some popular television channels based in Mumbai. His first book, ‘A Thing Beyond Forever’, has been the national bestseller. He has earned a good reputation in the field within a short span of time. The book revolves around a young girl and a mysterious man. There are several twists and turns in the novel. Like the writer’s previous novels, ‘love’ is the prime subject of this book. There is also a psychological element in the story which makes it different from other dark romance stories.

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BOOK REVIEW

Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts Author : Ryan Holiday Price : `319 (approximately)

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t is a business related book. It helps the readers to learn how to make and market the classic products or services which last forever. It is evident that the writer has made a clear background research before writing this book. It features interviews with some of the exceptional business legends, marketing specialists and creative business developers. Stating that the process of making an everlasting classic product or service is not an easy job, the writer guides the reader efficiently to learn the secret of developing and marketing a classic product. It is a perfect book for marketing specialists, business personalities, business and marketing aspirants and students.

Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development and the Costs of Caste Author : Diane Coffey and Dean Spears Price : `200 (approximately)

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he book discusses how the act of open defecation contributes diseases in our society and why the Indian government has not succeeded in developing a feasible policy to eliminate this activity yet. The book tells the reader how an effective policy can be created in order to eliminate the open defecation issue. Though the India government has launched several policies related to this, none of them has addressed the actual issue. The book clearly says that some rural people show reluctance to construct toilets in their homes. The actual issue, as per the writer’s perspective, lies in the people’s religious belief not in the economic aspect. The book is not only discussing this issue but also suggesting some policies.

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Printed On 01/ 08/ 2017

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RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633