En july aug 16 low

Vol 5 Issue No.57 July - Aug 2016

BRV

HONDA’S BIG BET Kosovo newest country of Europe, an unspoiled destination

Santhigiri Ashram

The divine spiritual-centre of peace and equality Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi The boon and necessity of entrepreneurial failure…

How to make perfect eyebrows

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Editorial “T

he more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them,” says Swami Vivekananda.

The story about the Santhigiri Ashram and Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi remind us of these quotes. Here, the magnificent interview with a spiritual leader takes us to the world of peace and equality.

The motivation article, ‘the boon and necessity of entrepreneurial failure’, is not only giving us a clear insight about the business failures but also strengthening us to confront that challenging situation positively.

In this edition, we are taking you to a Balkan country, Kosovo.

Once you start reading our travel article, you just can’t stop fall in love with it.

Actually, as you know we are not limited to these articles. In fact, you will get plenty of inspiring sections to explore. Gadgets, movie review, book review, auto and several other articles are waiting for your response. ‘Read me, and send your review’Unique Times

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CONTENTS 12

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12 V.C. PADMANABHAN MEMORIAL

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE,2016

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16 The boon and necessity of

entrepreneurial failure… 22 Santhigiri Ashram

The divine spiritual-centre

of peace and equality 26 CROSS ROADS 32 How volumes and price plays

an important role in decision making?

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40 Gadgets 42 Recipes

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46 How to make perfect

eyebrows; the decoration of

your eyes 48 Kosovo: newest country of

Europe, an unspoiled destination 54 BRV: Honda’s Big Bet

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UNIQUE DIARY

IATA raises objection on new aviation policy

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ATA, a global airline association, has raised objection on the new airline policy introduced by the government. The policy states that the tariffs of all airports will be valued on a hybrid-till basis in order to grab more profit.

The airline association is planning to meet respective authorities seeking clarity in the new said policy. They suspect that the policy will negatively affect the private airline sector functioning in the country. It is said that the new policy will eventually led to travel price rise. It will make air travel even more expensive.

SDMC launches clean energy project, inks solar power agreement

"I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity."

Oprah Winfrey

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he South Delhi Municipal Corporation is planning to launch an innovative energy programme by installing the solar panels. It is said that the corporation will install the panels in schools, offices, community centres, hospitals and other buildings situated under their territory. The corporation requested the assistance of the Solar Corporation of India to implement the project. They have officially reached an agreement with the same. It is estimated that it would cost around 100 crore rupee to implement the project successfully. Anyway, the local authorities will get a huge subsidy of over twenty five percentages to implement the project.

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Maruti Suzuki’s premium hatchback racks up impressive response

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he premium hatchback Baleno, launched by the automobile giant Maruti Suzuki, has racked up impressive response from the customers. It is said that the company has ramped up the production of the hatchback to meet the rampantly growing demand.

The source reveals that the company is keen to reduce the waiting period for maintaining the positive response. It added that its parent company, Suzuki, is set to start pilot production in its Gujarat unit from early next year. Till now, the company has over half lakh outstanding booking for this product. The conglomerate announces a six month waiting period for this product.

Centre approves start-up fund programme

"Ideas in secret die. They need light and air or they starve to death."

Seth Godin

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he centre government has approved start-up fund programme to provide strength to the Start-up India programme.

It is a huge fund with a corpus of nearly ten thousand crores.

Through the Start-up India plan, the government is expected to generate at least eighteen lakh job-opportunities in the country.

The government had earlier made announcements regarding the fund during the 2015 budget session. The authorities had already earmarked around five-hundred crore in the budget 2015.

Subsequently, in the budget 2016, the centre had again provided six-hundred crore to the fund.

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UNIQUE DIARY

Tech Mahindra acquires UK-based BIO

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he Indian software conglomerate, Tech Mahindra, has acquired the UK-based digital transformation giant, BIO. Tech Mahindra is the fifth biggest software exporter in our country with a huge client base and sustainability rate. The BIO agency is concentrated in digital transformation across different sectors including finance, retail, and travel. The new move made by the tech tycoon will help them to strengthen digital sector. It will help provide better digital experience, strategy, and customer service. It also helps make concreate achievements in the telecommunication sector of the company.

Income Tax department to take strong action against wilful defaulters

"The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do."

Dennis Waitley

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he Income Tax department would take strong action against the wilful defaulters, says the Central Finance Minister, ArunJaitly. Meanwhile, he asserts that the government would only encourage action against those people whose names has been published by the IT department as wilful defaulters. It is learned that presently there are around sixty-three names in the list published in the IT department’s official website. As per report, the IT department regularly posts the names of those people who intentionally act reluctance to pay money in order to ‘name and shame’ them. The list posted in the IT’s official website will contain name, address, PAN number, amount, and source of income of the defaulter.

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BUSINESS

V.C. PADMANABHAN MEMORIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE, 2016

Later, in 2010, we instituted the annual V.C. Padmanabhan Memorial Awards for Excellence to honour distinguished personalities for their outstanding contributions to society.

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rom 2002 onwards, every year in the month of June, Manappuram has been commemorating its founder, my father late V.C. Padmanabhan. In the initial years, the programme involved a lecture delivered by an eminent personality drawn from business, government or the academic world.

Over the years, we have had stalwarts like Prof. Debashis Chatterjee (Director, IIM-K), Dr. V.A. Joseph (MD and CEO, South Indian Bank Ltd., Thrissur), Shri. P.C. Cyriac, IAS-Rtd. (Chairman, Federal Bank Ltd., Aluva) and Shri V.K. Mathews (MD, IBS Software Services

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

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Pvt. Ltd.) to deliver the lecture before a select, invited audience.

This year’s lecture was delivered by Shri P.N. Vasudevan, MD of Equitas Holdings Ltd., the man behind Equitas Microfinance who spoke on the topic of “Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation”.

Later, in 2010, we instituted the annual V.C. Padmanabhan Memorial Awards for Excellence to honour distinguished personalities for their outstanding contributions to society. Over the last six years, these awards have acquired prestige and become an important event in the calendar. Prominent personalities who have accepted the awards in previous years include Dr. E. Sreedharan (MD, Delhi Metro), Shri Vinod Rai (Former CAG), Shri M. Damodaran (Former Chairman, SEBI), Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (renowned musician) and Shri Adoor Gopalakrishnan (internationally acclaimed film director).

This year’s awards carried a cash prize of Rs.2 lakhs and a bronze plaque. Prominent winners for 2016 included the eminent Malayalam novelist and screenplay writer Padma Bhushan M.T. Vasudevan Nair, the noted environmentalist Padma Shri Dr. Sunita Narain, and former Union Minister and Member of Parliament Prof.

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K.V. Thomas.

Why Manappuram cherishes the memory of its founder so much is worth an explanation. A casual reading of the Manappuram story will tell you that my father started the business in 1949 and managed it till 1986, when he passed away.

At the time, Manappuram was a single branch business located in Valapad. Today, we have a presence across India with 3,300 branches spanning 27 states and UTs. What these numbers don’t tell you is that even as Manappuram remained a single branch outfit, my father had built up enormous goodwill for the business among the local people who trusted him fully with their hard earned money.

And, it is a testament to his integrity, that he was one of the select few from the business community of this area who paid his income tax religiously in the seventies and eighties. Integrity, to him, was a way of life.

After I took over, I was lucky that India began its liberalisation in 1991. It presented opportunities to me that were just not available to an earlier generation of ethical, law abiding entrepreneurs. After taking over, I decided to expand

the business. I was able to tap into this reservoir of goodwill and take advantage of the much improved business climate. And so, when I promoted Manappuram Finance Ltd. in 1992, much of the initial capital came from the local people who instinctively trusted the name “Manappuram” and did not hesitate to invest their hard earned savings.

That’s why, even as Manappuram has grown into a national presence with an international footprint (in terms of our investors), we never forget that we owe it all to the vision and values of our Founder, and that legacy of goodwill left behind by him that was the real fortune I inherited.

And these awards are a reminder of our Founder’s commitment to excellence of which we are the beneficiaries. We have chosen to express our gratitude to our founder by recognising excellence in public personalities from which society as a whole has gained.

Incidentally, my father passed away in 1986 and this year marks his 30th death anniversary 

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BUSINESS

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

Traditionally, in most pockets in India, the stigma attached to entrepreneurial has been immense.

Parents of yesterday, would prefer their children to pursue a career in a professional stream like engineering, medicine, finance (banks) or education.

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ntrepreneurship has always been a contact sport! The ordeal, skills and competencies that build entrepreneurs are to be cultivated first hand, much through trial and error than the insights from lectures and text books. The best way to build your entrepreneurship muscle is to try your hand at it. The best minds in business , at times, hesitate to embark on it , because of the risks, the lack of clarity on how the future landscape will roll out,

how the regulatory constraints may turn tide and lack of confidence and will, to weather ‘unnecessary storms’. But in most cases, this hesitance is because of the ‘fear of failure’!

Anxiety and fear are normal in countering challenges. While we say anxiety drives several physical disabilities and drives away peace of mind, there is a role for ‘fear’ in several of our endeavours. Fear clarifies, fear drives adrenaline, fear drives

The boon and necessity of entrepreneurial failure‌

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Failures are not really setbacks, it is a result of an experiment that did not give you the necessary results.

It just clarifies on what to change and modify in your next try!

mindfulness and fear begets success! The issue of fear is not just about how we deal with it but how others deal and opine on our failures.

Entrepreneurship has been getting its due in the west for more than a century now. The cultural acceptance of an entrepreneur, has driven the best minds to start organisations which have become epitomes of creativity and innovation. Much to this success has to be attributed on how we condition ourselves to failure and how the society perceives entrepreneurial failure.

Traditionally, in most pockets in India, the stigma attached to entrepreneurial has been immense.

Parents of yesterday, would prefer their children to pursue a career in a professional stream like engineering, medicine, finance (banks) or education. Entrepreneurship has been somewhere connected to ‘unbridled avarice’ as if it is the path followed by someone who wanted to make more wealth than what is necessary or perhaps as someone who lacked the scruples of an honest professional. In this context, when an entrepreneur fails, those around him displays a silent ‘schadenfreude’ – German word which means ‘deriving pleasure in someone else’s misery!

The hoi polloi believed that this is providence coming down as nemesis on someone who took the ‘easier route’! But this is changing now in India!

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Perhaps one should look at entrepreneurship as necessary to character building and business maturity. It is also important to emotional maturity, and your decision making capability. These are some of the reasons, which I have seen from my experience of interacting with entrepreneurs for over two decades now …

ages us to think 24/7 and follow a dream that we created. Often, the difference between an expert and a dilettante reflects a life time of intense deep work to develop competency in specific areas.

Need to build passion: Passion is like oxygen. It can breathe more than life into our ordinary rigma-

Need to look at failures as experience: This concept has been a singular thread in accounts and stories of many a successful entrepreneur. Failures are not

Need to think deep: We live in a world of distractions. Whether it is the zillion breaks in a normal day with social media, tweets, messages. We are driven to take a ‘shallow’ approach in many important decisions in our life. Building a venture, builds focus, encour-

role and transform the monotony of daily life. It builds purpose, helps you look beyond the obvious trivialities of a routine, and makes work and life align to a ‘calling’! It is also very personal in the sense because you can only kindle passion within yourself. But passion is also seen

really setbacks, it is a result of an experiment that did not give you the necessary results. It just clarifies on what to change and modify in your next try! Building this attitude is paramount to making sense of what you are doing and gather impetus and move forward,

as infectious. We love to see and follow with the ‘fire in the belly’, who have the gumption to stay the course.

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A single experience should never teach you to take honesty and integrity lightly. Integrity and value systems are important for a professional.

us in schools, in a distant past, to think over what we hear, read and silently mull over it. Then I remember some seniors at work urging me to ‘think through’.

‘Think through’ is about looking at possibilities,variations, literature and picking up from other’s experiences.

Need to view failures in the frame of integrity: A single experience should never teach you to take honesty and integrity lightly.

Integrity and value systems are important for a professional. They say that we are in an age where virtue is in very short supply. It is increasingly important to do what we think is right – always. In a world that keeps throwing nasty surprises at us, it is of imperative to display professional integrity; the willingness to face facts even if they’re at odds with one’s preconceptions.

Integrity is simply elucidated as “doing the right thing when no else is looking!”

come what may! This is also not an easy task. It will seem that at times that our will power is a finite source and we have just depleted it. But picking yourself up and moving on and, more importantly, having learnt something needs an open attitude towards the problem.

We can’t stop blaming the external forces – remember, often, the best response is within your reach.

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Need to build it young: We have to teach our children to immerse themselves in the unknown and not complacently accept the ‘what’. We want them to relentlessly build insatiability and hunt for the ‘whys’ and probe the ‘hows’.

The quest for entrepreneurship will cultivate that curiosity in them and instil and build it at molecular level. I remember teachers urging

The day is not far when an young entrepreneur will wear some of his failures like medals and highlight his learnings from them rather than gloss over them as aberrations. He will step up to the fore and bring in that experience to run his business, and confidently aver why someone else should believe in his conviction on an investment thesis!

It is time to accept ‘entrepreneurial failure’ in its stride, look at it as a building block, and get and fuel and energy from that experience and move one step further to achieving your dream! 

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Santhigiri Ashram

The divine spiritual-centre of peace and equality

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n this era of intolerance and violence, a spiritual center situated in the rural Kerala at Pothencode in Trivandrum district is whole heartedly dedicating itself to propagate peace and equality.

Instead of forcefully insisting its followers to embrace peace by blindly following Vedas, it is guiding everyone irrespective of religion, cast or class for acquiring peace through service, ‘Karma’.

Showing respect and mercy to the co-inhabitants on the mother earth, the Ashram concentrates its service in three pillers, including ‘Annadanam’, ‘Athurasevanam’, and ‘Athmabodhanam’.

Apart from the core services, it extensively contributes to the society through social, spiritual, welfare and cultural activities.

The Ashram was founded

by Navajyothi Sree Karunakara Guru in 1964 as a charitable, non-religious, organization to fight human sufferings. Guru taught his disciples the language of global peace, saying ‘the religion I believe is of Friendship, Brotherhood, and Truth’.

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The organization is recognised by ministry of science and technology as Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. Moreover, it was also acknowledged as a social research organization. Considering the relevance of its activities, the government has granted tax exemptions to encourage its activities.

Presently, the Organization has nearly twenty branches, and is aggressively expanding its presence across the country; and its ideologies, even, attained acceptance in certain foreign countries.

Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi, Organizing Secretary of Santhigiri Ashram, has a leading role in the authorities of the Ashram. He is an eminent organizer, orator, writer, and social activist.

He has extensively contributed in spreading Guru’s ideologies globally. For this purpose, he has visited USA, UK, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Sri Lanka and many more.

Moreover, he is an active member of several socio-cultural organizations like A.P. J Abdul Kalam Foundation, O.V. Vijayan

Foundation, Pravasi Malayali Foundation, Union of German Malayali Association, Swasthi Foundation, G. Devarajan Foundation, Prem Nazir Foundation, Media Research Foundation, National Forum for Peoples Rights and many more.

Unique Times got an opportunity to do an exclusive interview with this spiritual leader.

Santhigiri Ashram is selected as a social and scientific research center by the Indian Government. Kindly say some few words about this achievement?

Social research and scientific research are entirely different sections. Social research deals with the study of Indian culture, ancient saints, spiritual movements and spiritual renaissance like Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Socrates.

Meanwhile, the scientific research is focused on traditional medical system like Ayurveda and Siddha. These kinds of medical treatments and their achievements are not properly documented. It is a hard process. The Indian Government has given tax exemptions to

Our biggest achievement is that we got an opportunity to work among the poor people of the society while propagating the message of humanism.

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Through the educational schemes, the Ashram is trying to support underprivileged people from lower social sector. These schemes are aimed at providing financial and moral support to the poor students.

the organization to carry out this process effectively.

The tax exemptions help conglomerates to contribute their CSR funds to these research programs.

‘Annadanam’, ‘Athurasevanam’, and ‘Athmabodhanam’ are the three prime services provided by Ashram. Of these three, ‘Annadanam’ gains greater prominence due to its welfare angle. Is this a feasible project?

Annadanam has been started on 1968 by Guru, and is a part of organization’s prime-ideologies.

We are providing free food to all visitors and officials of the Ashram.

The service is not limited to some main centers, but available in all branches of the Ashram across the country. The programme has been started by Guru, and is being continued with all respect, purity and dedication.

Santhigiri Ashram is extensively contributing to the educational sector of our country through world class educational institutions and educational-aid schemes like ‘Uttara Sree Educational Aid Programme’ and K.R. Narayana endowment. Are you getting any government support or financial aid for this?

Through the educational schemes, the Ashram is trying to support bright students from underprivileged people from lower social sector. These schemes are aimed at providing financial and

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moral support to the poor students.

The organization is not entirely depending upon contributions in order to carry out its services. It has some active income sources, mainly Ayurveda and Siddha health-services and consumer goods units. The profit, gained through this services and products, is utilized in providing charity services. Except some tax exemptions, the government is not extending any financial aid to the institution.

They may not have such schemes to support our activities.

The ‘Ashram’ is keen to propagate universal brotherhood and religious-equality. What is the prominence of religiousequality in present socio-political scenario?

Our country is a secular, democratic nation. Indian constitution empowers every citizens of our country to practice and believe in any religion. Our belief should not hurt other person’s ideologies.

Basically, love is the core factor of all religious ideologies. Though our Ashram has its own ideologies and practices, we will not try to hurt other religious believes, instead we propagate the language of love and brotherhood.

How the life and ideologies of Navajyothi Sree Karunakara Guru is influencing the day to day affairs of Santhigiri Ashram?

The head of the above organizational setup would be the spiritual head of the Ashram known as Sishyapoojitha, whose words

shall be followed scrupulously in all matters Sishyapoojitha Janani Amritha Jnana Thapaswini is the present spiritual head of Santhigiri Ashram. There is no difference between Guru’s ideologies and Ashram’s activates. The Ashram is totally obliged to propagate Guru’s ideologies. Each and every activity of the ashram is based on Guru’s vision. Guru has gifted us a good lifestyle, specifically a humanistic life-approach.

It is said that the Ashram is helping underprivileged people though several health schemes like Karunyam National Health Care programme and Accidental Relief Operations, and is still consciously following traditional medical techniques, medicines and procedures.

Kindly say few words about the Santhigiri medical institutions, medical-schemes and their contributions?

We cannot perfectly follow the traditional medical techniques, medicines and procedures. In this modern era, we may be compelled to dilute traditional system due to several factors including unavailability of the raw materials like medicinal plants. No one can completely assure you that their organisation is strictly following traditional medical system. Anyway, we, as a policy, try to provide traditional medical procedures, techniques and medicines.

Santhigiri Ashram is actively participating in the socio-cultural activities of our society.

Kindly say few words about this?

are slowly embracing this kind of activities.

Traditionally, the society has pasted certain limitations over the socio-cultural activities of an Ashram.

Normally, preponderance of our society is observing the activities of Ashrams through a prejudiced mind.

So, they possess negative pictures on their mind.

Through our dedicated participation, we have managed to create acceptance in the society. The spiritual-leaders and religious scholars are one of the inevitable elements of the society. These people must work among the lower section of the society, instead of living in elite houses and palaces.

It is the high time to teach secular ideologies and their relevance. Our biggest achievement is that we got an opportunity to work among the poor people of the society while propagating the message of humanism.

It is learned that Guru’s ideologies is gaining greater acceptance in Gulf countries and European countries. Kindly say few words about the global-expansion activities of Santhigiri Ashram?

The ashrams usually possess common working pattern. It never averts from the stereotypical path. Interestingly, Santhigiri Ashram breaks away from the usual path, and expand its activities in several untraditional sectors, like agriculture and small industries. How is Santhigiri Ashram contributing to the agricultural sector?

We have made only limited achievements in the agricultural sector. Though we have taken certain steps to strengthen the organic and bio-farming sector, Kerala is still depending on neighboring states to meet its daily needs. However, we

We have not acquired that much acceptance in Gulf countries. Meanwhile, we have managed to acquire positive response from Gulf Malayalies. Similarly, in the European countries, we are slowly expanding. Only adherent fundamentalist can blindly oppose Guru’s ideologies, which advocate universal-brotherhood and peace. We cannot judge the pace of the ideology’s growth. We are not following a usual pattern so it is hard to propagate Guru’s ideologies. However, it is presently in a growing state.

This year, the Ashram is celebrating ‘Navathi’ of Navajoyothi Sree Karunakara Guru.

It is said that it is a oneyear-long celebration, and several cultural and social welfare programmes are conducted across the country as a part of the celebration.

What are the special programmes conducted in connection with the ‘Navathi’ celebrations?

We are planning to conduct several social, welfare, and cultural programmes in connection with ‘Navathi’ festival. We will articulate certain programmes to strengthen the society.

Our prime focus is to unite society through love and peace. 

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CROSS Vinod Kumar

ROADS

It is important to learn rules and regulation of road use. A twenty meter gap is essential before you overtake from behind a heavy vehicle. This gives you full view of oncoming vehicles on opposite side.

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here are wreckless people on the road.

That is why you must take much care, when you are driving a motor vehicle.

Road rage is becoming common.

Traffic jams in roads in India has become of concern to many cities. In New Delhi, regimenting cars to the odd numbereven number scheme is inevi-

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table. There do not seem to be any other solution. Even metro trains has contributed to easing traffic but not been successful to eliminate stand still traffic.

It is important to learn rules and regulations of road use. A twenty meter gap is essential before you overtake from behind a heavy vehicle. This gives you the

full view of oncoming vehicles on opposite side. And this distance of twenty meters margin can benefit, when you choose to fall back and not to overtake. Such meaningful traffic rules and regulations must be given due respect. Diligent drivers are the ones who follow traffic rules. It is certain that road

will cease to be anxious and not to hurry in haste. To be safe while driving, it’s important that you are not in a rush. Your decisions while you negotiate traffic are optimized when your mind is calm and alert.

It is futile to share your attention to another person on your mobile phone, while you are driving on

in car, then their safety is in your hands, when you are driving. Do not indulge in entertaining all passengers inside the car. Refrain from involving into their conversations.

Your attention and focus on road must be undivided, especially on high way and at high speeds.

use for the day is temporary. You will certainly park your car and exit the road use, when you reach destination or work, or at home.

So, then why not plan to make the journey, an enjoyable one? If you plan well, before journey, then you will manage well, your time that you are on road. Incorporate additional few minutes, just in case of delay along your journey. Then you

road.

Always prefer to reduce speeds in curves and turning. Never get competitive on road, with and along other cars on roads. Do not let rudeness of other drivers to provoke you. If there are other wreckless drivers, then it’s okay to let them move on. And you may trail but surely you will be safer.

Many roads in India may be built unsafe. It’s common to read the

If you have slept well and rested at home, then you will avoid feeling sleepy while driving.

If in case your eyes are tired and drowsy, then stop your car in, road side car park. Rest for about half an hour and refresh yourself.

If you have other passengers

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signage, that cautions. They say danger zone or accident prone.

As a driver, you must know to read all the signages and also to communicate with indicator lights of your vehicle. You must not make an entry into a road without conveying indication to the approaching traffic. Right indicators must be blinking when you enter the road, parallely from the left side. Many drivers still use the hand signals of yester years. Well, that is optional.

But ensure that the fellow road users get sure and advance Indications of your turns.

In India there are regional habits and twists and turns in driver communication. When highways are partially built, then the oncoming vehicles simply move into your side of the one way traffic. They feel it’s okay to do so, only by having lit their head-lights. In such cases, the onus is upon you also to stir clear of such confusions.

And also unruly drivers who simply make an entry from behind the trees and at wrong places must also be the warning to you. Be atten-

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tive at all times that you’re driving.

While you drive is not the time to be surprised, shocked or even spontaneous. In India cows and dogs too can be walking astray on to the road. Your judgment of speed or even about a pedestrian running across the road is crucial.

accident yearly accidents by drivers who are less than 18 years of age 11,400

Medians that seems to popup in the middle of the road, must be expected. Especially two wheeler drivers must be warned before overtaking a heavy vehicle, that they do not run or bump on to a sign board or an upright median in the middle of the road. Driving is not for adrenaline rush, competition or not even for hurry. Road use must be restricted to an extremely disciplined activity of traveling safely.

In India, deaths because of traffic accidents are alarming.

Under age must be restricted from driving. Many under age people learn to drive out of practice. They may not have gone to the driving school, and learnt the appropriate academics of road use. In this case that you do not know the academics and signages of road use, then it is you who are a danger to other road users.

In India Road accidents per day-1682 Daily death by road accidents-382 Yearly death by road accidents -1,30,000 Yearly accidents of two wheelers-7 percentage of total road

Source of information: data.gov. in Released under: National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP)

Your convenience of parking at wrong place is certainly harassment to other people. The government must put strict punishment to those who drive in ineberrated and drunken state. Alcohol consumption and drunk driving must be banned.

Can we recommend that driv-

ing for entertainment and thrill must not be on the highways. Thrill and entertainment in driving can be experienced on special tracks and go karting and other car drifting and racing circuits. Driving for a pass time consumes additional fuel and petrol and contributes to pollution. I do not think that Indian drivers will ever know about fast lanes and slow lanes. But that is a minor misdemeanor. One can also notice holiday open market popping up on roads. Yes, on Sundays and at early hours of the day, the farms produces are auctioned of at specific spots on road sites. This is a part of open market or farm culture. As long as there are regional buyers, this road habit cannot be curtailed.

Toll roads have become popular in India. There are cleaner, neater and safer solutions. But some social agitators and activists have made roads as their venue for processions, dharnas and protests. These hooligans do enmass sit-in to block the roads and high ways, only to make their voices heard. Though

there are other road users to be of nuisances to you, yet it is your responsibility to be poised and composed. If you practice some breathing techniques, yoga or even meditation, daily, then other arrogant drivers will not succeed to irritate you or annoy you. Road safety is paramount.

Even in case of minor accident, the arrival of police may be delayed. In such case the on lookers and regional, public can cause an eruption of severe arguments that can raise emotional temperatures.

People who have no expertise of arbitration or insurance will claim to peg the damage at a currency value. Most often it is a large compensation from a larger vehicle to a smaller one. Example is that the four wheeler driver has to compensate a two wheeler driver, irrespective of the flaw and the mistake. Or else the argument could be lengthy and so will be the traffic jam. Here, you must be equipped with social and judicial skills, phone network and local language. To beat the severe traffic, it is wise to avoid peak hours. Early mornings are the good time to begin the journey.

Your vehicle must get lots of care too. Keep all its parts in good condition. Check the quality of gears, brake and other parts so that, you can control the vehicle in case of turbulence. The tyres too, must be of good quality. Prior knowledge of roads and spots of stop overs make it easy to navigate through the journey.

Night driving in Indian roads has it’s own challenges. In many roads the head light beam from tracks on opposite lanes, do hit right at your eyes. In such cases be extremely alert to avoid blind spots where visibility is tampered. Make a good practice of using your side mirror and rear view mirror. Do not change lanes without ensuring that it is clear and empty. Erratic and impulsive decisions may be the cause of many a traffic accidents.

Do not make jerky movements

while on roads as you may cause confusions to other passengers.

Patience is a great virtue while on long drives. Some people habitually want to sleep after a heavy meal.

For them, small portions and not a complete fill of stomach is safer. So while behind the wheel you are not drowsy or sleepy. Do not drive if you have taken medication that has sedative properties.

I strongly recommend that you deliberately make a list of over thirty items. Write down in detail the precautions that needs attention. Share this list with other passengers, so that all are on the same page for conduct while on the tour. One precaution can be that, conflicting discussions, and disputing issues can be edited from debates while you are driving. Take care that you are not dragged into quarrel with passengers in your car.

Advance anticipation of other violations of other road users is a great skill, so that, your brain already is in prepared mode. Then in case of other violators, yet you are ready to deflect and dodge, potential dangerous driving maneuvers.

Driving and long journey is the main entity while in this act.

So priority is on safety features of vehicle use. Use your vehicles and driving skills when they are essential for the journey. You can discover many more disciplines that can make your journey a very pleasurable experience. Much vigil is essential while approaching cross roads. In India it is common practice to see violators, of traffic indicating signals. At cross roads, the principle is, to be sure than to be sorry. Rule out any possibility of a collision.

This road ways of India can be a great educator. You may also be moving from one district to the next and from state, to other state, to enrich your social experience.

Awareness, alertness and attention on driving and quality of driving can eliminate accidents. Enroll to the club of safe driving ď Ź

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Employee par excellence M

eet Jeslet Ajith who has completed 22 years of employment with the Metropolitan Hotel group in Kochi. She joined the Metropolitan hotel as a House keeping staff and through her hard work and commitment, climbed up the career ladder.

She is currently the Head of Housekeeping department in Beaumonde The Fern, the flagship hotel of KGB Group.

Beaumonde The Fern is Kerala’s only Ecotel, famous for its environment friendly policies.

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known and the same was frequently mentioned in board meetings. Her long term association with the hotel also made her like a family member for the directors. The Managing Director of Beaumonde the Fern, Deepak Sathyapalan remembers that he was around 10 years old, when he first met her.

He also said that her working style and commitment was praised during family get-togethers.

Kochitalk had a short talk with Mrs Jeslet Ajith in a little time she found to spare between her hectic schedules.

She remembered she joined the Metropolitan in 1994. The Metropolitan was then a three star hotel, a prominent one in Kochi. It was there she learned the basic housekeeping chores. She vividly remembers former directors and their commitment to customer service and experience. She says that her career and in fact her life is invariably indebted to the KGB Group. In fact she met her husband Mr Ajith, who was then working as the accountant in the hotel.

In her talk she also mentioned how the hotel policies on customer care, helped her in career. When asked about the change in hotel industry she answered that core commitment of customer service, satisfaction and experience has remain the same and may be only the peripheries have changed.

In the earlier days there was far less competition, but these are the days of cut throat competition. Beaumonde The Fern being a Five-star hotel and an Ecotel increases her responsibility. She has to implement the Ecotel values to in the house keeping policies.

The values include cost control, usage of day light, renewable sources and of course environment friendly products for housekeeping.

Mrs. Jeslet has been a part of the hotel in all its growth. She said the management was very supportive of her. Her commitment was also well

Its quiet rare for someone to stay in one job for a long time especially in a highly competitive sector like hotel and leisure. So after completing 22 years in

a sector and in a group, her advice to youngsters in the sector is stay committed to the job, instead of jumping jobs for meagre hikes.

She trains youngsters to grow as professionals in the industry. She even hires young people who are not that fortunate to have a formal education like hotel management and help them evolve as professional employees of the organization.

In 22 years she has learned to perfectly manage one of the busiest hotels in the city and to her home as well. She leads a happy life with her husband Ajith and two schoolgoing daughters. She is all praise for the support of the management who helped her build her career and home.

honoured her 22 years on Women’s day this year and Deepak Sathyapalan said that she is a fine example in employment. He remembered her commitment to the group during the good and bad times. Further he added that she stand as a role model all the employees in the firm and he wished her the very best ď Ź

The management of the hotel

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31

V

olume is one of the major indicators which helps market players who are trading in stocks to make decision. It shows the total number of shares, traded in the exchange within a specified market time. It is the additional significant parameter to judge the potential of a stock after price levels. Many traders consider the volumes data and the price chart of a stock together while taking a position in a particular stock. Let us see why volume of the stock is so important in judging the potential of the stock through two most widely used theories.

This article examines the fact that why volume of the stock is so important in judging the potential of the stock through two most widely used theories.

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Price Volume breakout: For example:-Consider, Reliance has given a breakout of a technical pattern or breached the previous resistance level, and we expect the rise in price to continue for the next few trading session. Now, we need to look into volumes to understand whether the breakout will last or not.

Now considering the volume for the breakout day, say it stands at 4 lakh shares, however if the daily average volumes is at 6 lakhsit indicates, volumes was low on the breakout day compared with the normal trading

How volumes and price plays an important role in decision making?

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33

The in-depth analysis of volume and price is essential to understand the future price of the stock.

day. This indicates all the big players in the counter haven’t traded on the breakout day and the price move may not last long. Big traders will trade on next trading day, with bearish outlook on the stock. This selling pressure has the capacity to generate pain for the stock. Indeed, the stock is set to fall.

On the other hand, if Reliance has traded 8 lakh shares on the particular break out day (which is more than daily averages of 6 lakh shares); it means people at large anticipate the price raise in the stock. Such a break out day usually signals a genuine price breakout and in such cases one can take position depending on the break out side. This price volume breakout theory works well for positional traders, in particular almost 80% of the time in our Indian stock market.

In short, volume is a grave factor in technical analysis. It is used to confirm trend and chart pattern.

Any break in support or resistance level is not valid unless it is been backed by high volumes. Volume should move along with the trend. If prices are moving in an upward trend, volume should increase, and vice versa. If the previous relationship between volume and price movements starts to deteriorate, it is usually a sign of weakness in the trend. For example, if the stock has uptrend, but with lower volume, it is a sign that the trend is starting to lose its legs and may soon end.

Price and Volume theory: Trend in ‘Price’ and ‘Volumes’ combines percentage price change, and volume in an attempt to confirm the strength of price trends or through divergences, counsel of weak price moves. Unlike, other price-volume indicators, the Price Volume Trend takes into consideration the percentage increase or decrease in price, rather than just simply adding or subtracting volume based on whether the current price is higher than the previous day's price.

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July-Aug 2016

Possibility

Price

Volume Result

01

Up

Up

Long Building

02

Down

Up

Short Building

03

Up

Down

Short Covering

04

Down

Down

Long Widening

Possibility 01-If there is an increase in stock price with rise in volume, it indicates that the market is busy in building the long position in the particular stock.

It helps traders and investors to analysing trend. If volume is started to increase in an uptrend, it is usually a sign that the upward run has been started.

Possibility 02-If there is decrease in stock price with rise in volume, it indicates that the stock is building short position.

It helps trader and investors to monitor closely to form ideas on upcoming trend reversals. If volume is started to increase with the decrease in price, it is usually a sign end of upward trend and start of downward drift. (Downward is weak and lacking conviction) Possibility 03-If there is rise in stock price with decrease with volume, it indicate that the stock is covering the short position.

It helps trader and investor to monitor closely to form ideas on upcoming trend reversal. If volume is started to decrease in an uptrend, it is usually a sign of short covering. (Upward is weak and lacking conviction)

Possibility 04-If there is a fall in the stock price with decrease with volume, it indicate that the stock has bottom out, and it is prefect time to buy that stock.

It helps trader and investor to monitor closely to form ideas on upcoming trend reversals. If fall in volume is accompanied with the

same trend in price, it is usually a sign that the downward run is about to end, and up trend is about to start.

Conclusion Volume and price of the stock have immense importance in forecasting the trend for the stock, in particular and market in general.

Both, are closely interconnected.

The in-depth analysis of volume and price is essential to understand the future price of the stock. Either, market can move up, or down.

Indeed, detail analysis of price and volume plays a vital role in forecasting future trend for the stock or markets ď Ź

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SHELTER FOR THE REAL ESTATE BUYER: 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 practice of Nash Capital Partners. Prior to Nash, he single-handedly led the entire Tax vertical of KPMG in Kerala.

Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is available at sherryoommen@nashcp.com

If registration requirements are not met, the promoters cannot advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale, or invite persons to purchase in any manner in the property.

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July-Aug 2016

A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE REAL ESTATE (REGULATION AND DEVELOPMENT) ACT, 20161

I. Introduction A widely anticipated and muchawaited development in recent months has been the enactment of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (the ‘Act’).

The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 10, 2016, and by Lok Sabha on March 15, 2016.

On 26 April, 2016 the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation issued a notification whereby 69 out of a total 92 sections contained in the Act entered into effect May 1, 2016. The act is uniformly applicable across India (except for the State of Jammu & Kashmir), and is applicable for both residential projects and commercial projects.

II. Regulatory Framework

The partial notification of the Act made by the Ministry would lay the groundwork, and the notified provisions envisage the development of a framework of rules and regulatory authorities. The scheduled framework envisages the following: (i) Establishment of Real Estate Regulatory Authorities: Under the notified Section 20, the “appropriate government” is required to establish Real Estate Regulatory Authority (the ‘Authority’)by April 30, 2017. Appropriate government refers to the state governments, with exceptions made for Union Territories without legislatures, Puducherry and Delhi. The section 20 also provides for the establishment of an interim authority, which

would preferably be the Secretary of the department dealing with Housing. (ii) Establishment of Appellate Tribunals: Similar to the above stipulation, under Section 43, Real Estate Appellate Tribunals shall be formed within a maximum period of one year - by April 30, 2017. It shall also appoint an interim appellate tribunal in the meantime. (iii) Framing of Rules: Under Section 84 of the Act, the state governments are required to make rules for the implementing the provisions of the Act by October 30, 2016. A Committee chaired

by Secretary (HUPA) is currently working on formulation of Model Rules, which would act as guidance for States and Union Territories.

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37

According to the recently passed “The Real Estate Act, 2016�, the Real Estate Appellate Tribunals shall be formed within a period of one year. This appellate tribunal and the Authority shall be bound to follow specific timelines for adjudication of disputes.

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(iv) Dispute Resolution Based on Specific Timeframe:

encumbrances, or details of the encumbrances (if any)

Upon their formation, the Authority and the appellate tribunal shall be bound to follow specific timelines for adjudication of disputes. The disputes shall be adjudication with sixty days by both the Authority and the appellate tribunal.

(C) Time period for completion of the projector phase thereof, as the case may be;

III. Impact on the Real Estate Sector Once the above regulatory framework has been established, the full impact of the enactment shall be faced by the real estate, expectably by May, 2017.The salient features of such impact are: (i) Project Registration Requirements: As provided under Section 3, a real estate project is required to be registered with the Authority under the Act, if any of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) If the area of land proposed to be developed therein exceeds 500 square meters;or (b) The number of apartments proposed to be developed therein exceeds 8, inclusive of all phases; or (c) If the completion certificate with respect to such project has not been obtained on the date of commencement of the Act. Under Section 3, if such registration requirements are not met, the promoters cannot advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale, or invite persons to purchase in any manner in the property.

The registration process, as provided under Section 4, may be construed as onerous. Inter-alia, it requires the submission of a declaration, supported by an affidavit from the promoter stating that: (A) Promoter has legal title to the land on which the development is proposed (B) Land is free from all

(D) A declaration that seventy per cent of the amounts realised for the real estate project from the allottees, shall be placed in a bank account to cover the cost of construction and the land cost and shall be used only for that purpose. (ii) Agent Registration Requirements: Real estate agents are also required to register with the Authority under Section 9 of the Act. Without such registration, agents shall not facilitate the sale or purchase of or act on behalf of any person to facilitate the sale or purchase of any plot, apartment or building. Upon registration, the agent binds himself not to practice any unfair practices, as provided under Section 10. (iii) Written Agreement with Buyer: Under Section13, a promoter cannot accept an advance payment or an application fee exceeding ten per cent of the cost of the apartment or plot from the buyer, without executing a written agreement with such buyer. (iv) Offences & Liabilities: Chapter VIII of the Act deals with offences and penalties. Promoter’s non-compliance with the registration requirement under Section 3 is punishable levy of penalty up to 10% of the estimated cost of the project. Contravention with orders, decisions or directions of the Authority/appellate tribunal is punishable with imprisonment upto three years. Further, failure to provide correct information may be penalised with a sum of about 5% of the estimated cost of the project.

Penalties may also be imposed on the agent under other provisions of Chapter VIII. IV. Impact on the Buyer: The main thrust of the Act being to secure the protection of

the end-customer, there are several pertinent features which are of considerable interest to consumers, including: (i) Return of Received Amount & Interest: Under Section 18, if there is delay in completion, the promoter shall be liable on demand to return the received amount to the buyer with interest, if the buyer chooses to withdraw, or pay monthly interest to the buyerif the buyer chooses not to withdraw. (ii) Compensation for Defective Title: under Section 18, the Buyer is also entitled for compensation from the promoter for defective title of land, in case of any loss caused to him. (iii) Right to Information: Under Section 19, among other rights, the Buyer is entitled to know stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for water, sanitation, electricity and other amenities. (iv) Public Database for Defaulting Promoters: Under Section 34, The Authority is required to maintain a database providing the detailing defaulting promoters.

This database would be available for public viewing; V. Conclusion The posturing of the Act is towards greater regulation of real estate promoters and agent, and the enhanced protection of real estate end-customers. Certain registration requirements may be considered onerous, but regulation shall prove helpful for the overall health of the sector. The full impact of the enactment will be keenly felt after the foundations and the firmament has been laid down for the Authority and the appellate tribunal to operate ď Ź

This article is written by Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen with assistance from Adv Kiran J Prakash of Messrs Nash Capital Partners

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July-Aug 2016

39

GADGETS

Nokia C1

MRP: `12,999 (approximately)



      

Android 6.0 Marshmallow and Windows 10 8 MP primary camera 5 MP secondary camera 5 inch HD screen 1080*1920 pixels 32 GB Internal Memory 128 GB External Memory 3000 mAh Battery Capacity

Xiaomi Mi Note 2

MRP: 14,999 (approximately)

      

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Android 16 MP Primary Camera 4 Ultra Pixels Secondary Camera 5.7 inch display screen 2160*3840 pixels 32 GB Internal Memory 3600 mAh Battery Capacity

Acer Liquid Jade 2

MRP: ` 9,999 (approximately)

       

Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) 21 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 5.5 inch HD display 1080*1920 pixels 32 GB Internal Memory 3GB RAM Hexa Core Processor

Pepsi Phone P1s

MRP: ` 7,271 (approximately)          

Android v5.1 13 MP Primary Camera 5 MP secondary Camera 5.5 inch HD Display 1080*1920 pixels 16 GB Internal Memory 64 GB External Memory 2 GB RAM 1.7 GHz Octa Core Processor 3000 mAh Battery Capacity

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COOKERY

Toshma Biju

TOMATO PASTA

Ingredients

• • • • • • •

Dried spaghetti pasta.................375 gm Olive oil.....................................2 tablespoons Small red onion.........................1 (thinly sliced) Garlic cloves..............................2 (chopped) Tomato.......................................400 gm (thinly sliced) Sugar.........................................1 teaspoon Coriander leaves........................2 tablespoons

Method Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep frying, pan over medium heat.

Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add coriander leaves and pasta to tomato mixture.

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July-Aug 2016

NOODLE SALAD WITH HONEY Ingredients

• • • •

Vegetable oil............ 1/4 cup Crushed pepper..... 1/2 teaspoon Honey.................... 3 tablespoons Soy sauce............... 2 tablespoons

For Salad

• • • • • •

Thin spaghetti................. 340 gm Salt-to-taste Chopped cilantro............. 2/3 cup Chopped peanuts............ 1/3 cup Onion.............................. 1/3 cup (thinly sliced) Red bell pepper............... 1/2 cup

Method

Put the dressing ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta, according to the directions on the pasta package. Drain. Toss with dressing. Stir together the cooked pasta and the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours. Stir in cilantro, peanuts, onions, bell pepper. Mix in the cilantro, peanuts, green onions and bell pepper.

BARLEY SOUP

Ingredients

• • • • • • •

Vegetable oil.................................1 tablespoon Onion..........................................1(chopped) Carrot..........................................1(chopped) Celery stalks (chopped)...............2 Tomatoes.....................................400 gm(peeled) Chicken stock..............................1 cup Barley(rinsed).............................1/2 cup

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery stalk. Cook for 10 minutes or until onion has softened. Add tomato, zucchini, chicken stock and 5 cups water. Bring to the boil. Add barley. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes or until barley is tender. Chop reserved celery leaves. Stir into soup.

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43

COOKERY

SWEET PARATHA

Ingredients

• • •

Wheat flour..................... 1 cup Salt-to-taste Olive oil........................... 1 tablespoon

Filling

• • • •

Cashew nuts (coarsely grind)........... 1/3 cup Coconut (grinded).......... 2 tablespoons Cinnamon powder.......... 1 teaspoon Sugar.............................. 1/3 cup

Method

In a bowl mix the flour, salt, and oil. Add about 1/3 cup of water to make dough, and add remaining water as needed to make smooth and pliable dough. Knead the dough on a lightly greased surface. Cover the dough, and keep it aside for at least 15 minutes.

For the filling, mix the cashew nuts, coconut, cinnamon, and sugar, and set it aside.

Knead the dough again, and divide it into 4 equal parts. Roll the dough into 3 inch diameter circles. Place about 3 tablespoons filling mix in the centre. Seal by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Proceed to make all four balls Heat the pan. First lightly roll the filled ball in dry whole-wheat flour.

Lightly press the ball on the sealed side, and keep it on the topside when rolling. Roll the ball light handed in to about 7-inch circles. Whenever the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly sprinkle dry wholewheat flour on both sides of the semi-rolled paratha. Place the paratha over the pan. After a few seconds you will see the paratha change colour and puff in different places. At this point flip the paratha over. You should see some golden-brown spots on the topside. After a few seconds, spread about1 teaspoon of oil on the Paratha. Again, flip the Paratha and lightly press the puffed areas with a spatula.

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July-Aug 2016

YOUR PERFECT SECURITY PARTNER

July-Aug 2016

45

BEAUTY

How to make perfect eyebrows; the decoration of your eyes

W

omen have different streaks above their eyes.

Some have thin while others have thick eye brows. You may look at pictures of Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, eyebrows play a major role in their looks.

the matters into your hands and use the eyebrow pencil.

Use black or brown colour.

Draw it along the dark region of your eyebrows, and make sure that it does not come outside the outline. Also, ensure that it doesn't spread as too dark eyebrows can get bad rap.

The eyebrows play the role as the outline of the eye shape, at the same time it says a lot about one's personality and emotions. The eyebrows are noticed when you look at one's eye, a woman's beauty lies in her sparkling eyes, so having a perfect eyebrow makeup is necessary. Getting your eye brows done is a process of patience and requires a good hand.

3. Brush it: Brush it well using the brush side of your tool. Do it thoroughly covering the hair region uniquely spreading the colour over the dark as well as light areas. Do not use your fingers as it will spread. Wipe off the spreading using a cotton soaked in water with steady hands.

Having perfect eyebrows might take a lot of trial and error, so here are the major steps to achieve perfect eyebrows.

1. Threading: Make sure that the threading job is done by the experts. Some people tend to the job themselves and start shaping with the tweezers. It need give a perfect shape, and when you compare both your eyebrows you might notice the difference. Better go to a beauty parlour and get it waxed and shaped.

2. Outline: You may take

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July-Aug 2016

4. Highlight: Highlight the brows with brow pencil. But, this is optional. Also, apply powder beneath brow region to cover up the obvious trim patches.

5.To keep it arched: Finish your brow process off by setting them up. Add a clear brow gel to set hair in place, and keep them looking arched, they will look perfect throughout the day.

This process involves less expense but it needs patience, of course. When you get the right result, then it will satisfy your day. Enjoy! ď Ź

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47

Pristina, the capital city, is a worthy stop on the long Kosovo tour. The city is filled with ancient mosques, new government buildings and medieval monuments.

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Kosovo:

newest country of Europe, an unspoiled destination

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49

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T

he newest country of Europe, Kosovo, is a fascinating land with historic towns, villages, ancient Serbian monasteries, and, most notably, unspoiled countryside.

The country had declared independence on 2008, even though Serbian government has not recognised the country.

So far, around one-hundred and eighteen countries only accepted the existence of this country.

Interestingly, the country’s tourism sector has not completely developed due to the special political atmosphere prevailing in this region.

The country is comprised of Albanian majority community, and Serb minority community.

Still, the NATO forces are protecting the ancient monastery buildings of this country. In the recent years, the heart land of Balkans has witnessed foreign

intervention especially from the European Union and the United Nations.

Pristina, the capital city, is a worthy stop on the long Kosovo tour. The city is filled with ancient mosques, new government buildings and medieval monuments.

The presence of the United Nations officials, European Union officials and NATO forces gives the city a cosmopolitan character.

There are several stunning locations in the city where you can spend a free-day happily.

When we move on to Prizren, we could find a beautiful medieval city. It is a perfect demonstration of country’s religious tolerance. Here, we can see mosques and churches situating side by side.

Sofi Sinan Pasha Mosque eructed in 1615 by the re-

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nowned Ottoman Empire is the most-fabulous tourist location.

Notably, the UNESCO has marked the location as one of the World Heritage Sites.

Apart from this, here we can find several other interesting locations like Kaljaja- Prizren Fortressand Shadervan- city square.

If you are still keen to explore more ancient buildings and heritage sites, you must visit Peja. Rugova Canyon is the most fantastic tourist attraction in the region. Yearly, thousands of tourists are travelling into the country for exploring the 25 km long canyon.

Moreover, it is a treasure land with World Heritage sites like Patriarchate of Pec, and ancient mosques and churches like Bajrakli Xhamia- a fifteen century mosque- and orthodox patriarchy church.

Apart from that, you can explore cheese market which is a worthy place to spend some money.

As we all know the Serbian community is a minority community in this country, but we might be astonished when we hear that there is a Serb dominated city in the country.

Gracanica is the city of Serbian community. Notably, the city possesses nearly four UNESCO World Heritage sites. Gracanica Monastery is one of them, and is believed to have been constructed in early fourteenth century.

It is a rapidly growing city. Since independence, it has undergone several abrupt changes in its social and economic sector.

Some cities in the region were badly distorted by the war. After the independence, they are slowly recovering from the shock and fear that they had suffered during the fatal war.

Gjakova is one such city. It can be classified as emerging city or

phoenix region.

Interestingly, this is the only region in the country that we can expect a night-life culture. It is odd among the orthodox cities and orthodox cultural framework of Kosovo.

The artificial lakhs like Komani and Rodoniqi are the main attraction of the city. Meanwhile, the newly created Grand BazaarCarshia e Madhe- is delivering a peculiar shopping experience.

This Balkan country is an orthodox land with friendly people.

We can explore numerous heritage sites, ancient buildings, and a different culture here. It will be a special European experience because it will not fit into stereotypical European expatiations. The country has embraced peace after a long struggle. Now, it is free and fit for a worthy visit. Do visit this land at least onceď Ź

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AUTO REVIEW

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

The BRV rides quite well, despite an underlying layer of firmness at slow speeds. The suspension offers good composure on broken roads.

The steering is light and feels accurate enough, and the car changes directions quite well. Straightline stability is excellent and it doesn’t feel nervous at highway speeds either

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July-Aug 2016

BRV: Honda’s Big Bet

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55

AUTO REVIEW

W

ell, the Honda BRV is the latest addition to the crop of compact crossovers/SUVs namely the Ecosport, Brezza, S-Cross, Creta, Duster and Terrano. While the Ecosport and Brezza tuck under the 4 metre mark and the ones like the Creta are about 20 centimeters long at around 4.2 metres, the BRV is over 4.4 metres in length. That makes it the longest of the lot and the extra length hides its biggest USP – a third row of seats. But then, you would have already guessed it from that side profile which is remarkably similar to the

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seven-seater Mobilio MPV. Built on the same platform as the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio, the BRV is actually a jacked up MPV with revised front end and body claddings.

The front end styling gives it suitable ruggedness when viewed head on. How they have transformed the slanted bonnet and fenders in the Mobilio and squared them off nicely to give it the butch face of an SUV is commendable.

The flatter front end with its elongated headlamp and wide grille accentuate the width of the car. The bumper has a big air dam, fake skid plates, tiny fog lamp nacelles and a nice

chiselled edge to it. There is too much chrome at the front as is the case with most modern day Hondas, but overall it works. The bonnet is actually shorter than ideal, considering how much car comes with it. And, when viewed from the sides it is instantly recognizable as the Mobilio especially with its trademark lightning bolt kink on the rear doors. Honda has changed the rear quarter glass design so it no longer merges with the rear windshield and gives the roof a floating effect like in the MPV. While they did that, they should have ideally worked on the rear door design and given it a more SUV

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Built on the same platform as the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio, the BRV is actually a jacked up MPV with revised front end and body claddings. The front end styling gives it suitable ruggedness when viewed head on.

like high waistline even if it came at the expense of outside visibility for rear passengers. It is the styling that matters to SUVs, the most.

The plastic claddings around the car give the BRV a rugged look, but the lack of height around the shoulder line and rear overhangs give the plot away. The roof rails help create an illusion of height but it is no taking away the MPViness of the BRV. Honda has given the BRV an interesting set of 16 inch alloy wheels and 195/60R16 tyres, but they are a size or two smaller for the class of car it now is. Larger wheel arches and bigger wheels would have given it the SUV character it needs, but were ditched to save cost. The rear is completely new with new tailgate, curvier tail lamps and a strip that straddles the two.

Interiors are similar to the Mobilio with same seating arrangements and trim, but there is an all-new dashboard, which is a big relief. This is the same dashboard as the new updated Amaze, made along the lines of the City and Jazz dashboards. The design is quite good with multiple layers adding to its complexity and the whole black look is welcome. There is a new finish above the glovebox area which looks like perforated aluminium, but overall quality of plastics isn’t very premium. The seats have good leather and contrast stitching, and while they have good lumbar support, thigh support could have been better. The middle row is comfortable with good legroom and headroom but lacks the width to seat three abreast. The rear most row is

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good in terms of space, but regular adults will have to sit knees up.

Equipment levels are where Honda could have paid more attention to.

While there is the usual automatic climate control, keyless entry and folding outside mirrors, there is no touchscreen or reverse camera or rear parking aids. The audio system is a basic one and not something that belongs on a car that costs this much. There is no cruise control or ESP on offer and at best, you get ABS and two airbags.

Powering the BRV are two familiar 1500cc engine options – a very tractable diesel and a refined petrol, the latter of which, is available in both manual and automatic variants. The diesel will be the preferred choice of those who travel long distances and it is the familiar 1.5 litre 100bhp and 200Nm i-dtec unit. Mated to a 6-speed manual, it is a very drivable unit that pulls from idle revs. There is very little turbo lag and gearshifts take little to no effort. It isn’t very refined, but if that’s your priority, the 115bhp petrol engine is perfect for you. The BRV gets a six speed manual transmission, which we believe, will soon be made available in the City too. This slick unit with its light clutch and good low end performance makes the petrol BRV good around town. For those who want the ultimate in city ease, there is an automatic variant on offer. This CVT box with seven stepped ratios comes with paddle shifters too and is very good at city speeds. It is only when you demand faster acceleration that it raises the engine revs too much and makes the car feel strained.

The BRV rides quite well, despite an underlying layer of firmness at slow speeds. The suspension is upto the task of soaking up ruts and bumps and offers good composure on broken roads. The steering is light and feels accurate enough, and the car changes directions quite well. Straightline stability is excellent and it doesn’t feel nervous at highway speeds either.

There is 210mm ground clearance

and despite the long wheelbase and overhangs it didn’t scrape anywhere when we tested it.

The BRV is Honda’s crack at the compact SUV market in India and while the lack of equipment may put off some, the appeal of having seven seats will draw many new customers to their showrooms.

This blends the quintessential compact SUV with proper MPV

practicality. Even with all three rows in place there is enough space in the boot for two or three soft bags. And it comes with two very good engines in petrol and diesel versions. There is also an option of automatic transmission in the petrol variant. Pick any variant and you wouldn’t go wrong. Oh!By the way, BRV stands for ‘Bold Runabout Vehicle’ in Honda speak, in case you were wondering 

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NEW VEHICLES

MARUTI SUZUKI IGNIS

Price range: Rs. 5-7 Lakh Launching on: October, 2016

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t is a perfect budget semi-SUV for the middle class Indians from Suzuki. It will carry the 1.2 litre K-series pistol engine and the 1.3 litre DD is diesel engine. The car was initially unveiled at Geneva Motor Show on last year.

MINI CLUBMAN

Price: Rs. 40-45 Lakh Launching on: July, 2016

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his stylish luxury car is set to mark a global launch. It was initially announced at Auto Expo 2016. The manufacturers are eyeing at growing luxury-car market in the country. They offer world class luxury experience to their customers.

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TATA BOLT SPORT

Price: Rs. 5.5-8 Lakh Launching on: August, 2016

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his is the performance-oriented version of the Bolt series. The car ensures more power and stylish-look. It was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show on last year.

TOYOTA HIACE Price: Rs. 22-26 Lakh Launching on: May, 2017

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oyota is set to conquer the Indian automobile market with a new stylish MPV. After the immediate success of Qualis and Innova, now they are planning to test their fortune with Toyota Hiace. It is offering advanced luxury-features.

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MOVIE REVIEW

Udta Punjab

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he film deals with the substance abuse and crimes allegedly occurring in the Indian state of Punjab. Even before its release, it sparked controversy over its untraditional scenes. But, the proper interference of the court helped them to release the film without much delay. The story revolves around a rock star, a migrant worker, a doctor, and a policeman. The film managed to depict the exact picture of the intensity of substance abuse in the state without much exaggeration. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film carries a powerful cast including Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh, and Satish Kaushik.

Junooniyat

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his Bollywood film is a romantic movie written and directed

by Vivek Agnihotri. It has extensively captured scenic beauty of the Kashmir valley. The music composed by Ankit Tiwari, Meet bros, and Jeet Ganguly gives additional attractiveness to the film.

It is learned that the film crew has had to face a horrific incident while shooting a song sequence in Kashmir when the local persons attacked the crew members for using local girls in the song shoot.

Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam, Taran Bajaj show complete justice to their characters. The renowned cinematographer, Attar Singh Saini, has successfully given each and every scene a classy touch.

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Central Intelligence

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his Hollywood film is a comic crime-thriller. It depicts a rare combination of an accountant’s number-skills and a CIA agent’s action-skills. The film showcases several comic sequences along with mind-blowing action scenes.

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Brett Azar, Megan Park, and Bobby Brown play justice to their respective roles.

With the directorial skills of Rawson Marshall Thurber, the film used its strength optimistically and hidden its weakness creatively. Kevin and Dwayne show good chemistry in the combination sequences. The critics warn the movie is an extreme comic drama, and it won’t make sense unless you possess a good sense of humour.

The Conjuring 2

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his Hollywood horror thriller possesses all standards of a sequential film. The director, James Wan, has managed to maintain the standard of the conjuring series. Through the language of fantasy, the film is taking us into a supernatural world. The story revolves around Ed and Lorraine, two paranormal investigators, and their untraditional investigations.

The film is backed by a huge cast, including Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, and Bonnie Aarons. Unlike its predecessors, this time the new sequence gives more importance to its storyline.

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BOOK REVIEW

Dark Horse: An Eddy Harkness Novel Author : Rory Flynn Price : ` 1,393

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he fiction novel revolves around a narcotics detective, Eddy Harkness, and his investigation about a deadly heroin. The investigation leads him into the corrupt administration run by a criminal mayor and his illicit gang members. It is the latest among the Bostan crime series, which enjoys good reputation globally. The writer extensively used his written skills to keep the enthusiastic element throughout the story. Interestingly, the story creatively utilised different characters to give a life to the unusual story line. You might find a strong, attractive, and impressive character in Detective Harkness.

End of Watch Author : Stephen King Price : ` 1,211

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t is the latest and final of the New York Time’s best seller detectivetrilogy. The series began with Mr Mercedes. Later, Mr King wrote ‘Finders and Keepers’ which became an instant success. The thriller story will take you to a ride into crime, revenge, and unusual world.

The story revolves around Brandy Hartsfield, a serial killer, and Detective Bill Hodges. Mr King used his narrative skills to maintain the toughness throughout the story. He includes numerous ‘twists and turns’ to create confusions and tensions. It is worthy to read.

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BOOK REVIEW

Commander in Chief: FDR’s Battle with Churchill, 1943 Author : Nigel Hamilton Price : ` 1,254

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his non-fiction book takes us back to the Second World War by discussing the strategies used by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to operate allies’ force. It clearly narrates about foreign policy, disarmament policy, invasion strategies and many more. The writer managed to include several facts and reasons to explain his argument. He included several interviews and quotes in his book. Among them, Roosevelt’s cousin Daisy Suckley’s quote was most commendable one. Even though the book shows a proRoosevelt character, unlike other pro-US books it does not criticise any other allies’ leader for any political action.

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War Author : Mary Roach Price : ` 1,200

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his non-fiction book deals with US military life. It gives scientific explanations about several reactions and actions of the military persons. It is a research material. Ms Mary Roach assures that once you read this book you would not approach any soldier with a prejudiced mind any more. The writer spent time with US army personals to grab some concreate materials for her book. She made a detailed research about hearing loss and survivability in the military combat actions. The book is promising a different reading experience. It welcomes you to untold dimensions of a military life.

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Printed On 01/ 07/ 2016

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RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633

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