October 2016 by Unique Times

Vol 5 Issue No.60 Oct - Nov 2016

IPR enforcement the best practices Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Haiti a Caribbean MANAPPURAM

MISS ASIA

2016

heaven

BMW X1

Oct-Nov 2016

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 Adv. Sreelatha Parameswaran Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Bejoy George Amrutha V Kumar Marketing BAHRAIN PRESTIGE MARKETING Tel: +971 55 2000933 Email: gopal@prestigemarketing.in UAE Tamquest Entertainments LLC P.O. Box 232886, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mr.Safi Mulankaad Clap PR and Events:++971 508414706 Email: riju@tamquestevents.com Tamil Nadu Andhrapradesh & Karnataka PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Kerala Sunilkumar NN Your wing Photographer Ashique Hassan Creative Design PEGASUS

Cover Photograph Miss Asia 2016 Winners Oct-Nov 2016

Editorial

When monsoon retreats, India gets ready for festivals. There are plenty of festivities now in the air. Close on heels of Onam and Eid comes now Durga Puja, Dussehra, and Diwali. Festivals are always time to rejoice. So, celebrate with your family and friends, and enjoy the bounties that the good life brings us. What sets the Manappuram Miss Asia 2016 beauty contest apart from others this time? The event organizer, Pegasus, has taken two widely impactful decisions. First one was to avoid bikini round of the beauty contest because it objectify womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body. Second decision was to share the profit of the show to finance nearly hundred heart surgeries. This edition of contest has grown bigger than ever and Trixia Marie Marana from Philippines has emerged as the winner! Read our main story. Shri. V.P. Nandakumar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance, in his regular column speaks about the importance of protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). He also explains in detail about the two misfortunes of our society - counterfeiting and piracy. It is indisputable that the new BMW X1 will be rivaling the Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3 If you want to explore a heaven, plan a trip to Haiti. As we all know, a Caribbean trip will not be a cheap trip. So ladies and gentleman, another packed issue here for you. Plenty of articles on other topics like the stock market, gadgets, banking, movie review, and book review are all waiting for you. And I hope you enjoy the read!

Oct-Nov 2016

CONTENTS

IPR enforcement the best practices

From red flags to the red carpet The changing business landscape in Kerala

Miss Asia 2016 Trixia Marie Marana emerges as the winner

Story Teller

28 Oct-Nov 2016

Gadgets

Recipes

Shorter the smarter; hairstyle tips for women with short hair

Haiti a Caribbean heaven

BMW X1

Oct-Nov 2016

UNIQUE DIARY

Chinese e-commerce giant to launch world’s first e-commerce satellite

he Chinese e-commerce conglomerate, Alibaba, is set to launch the world’s first e-commerce satellite. The company claims that the satellite will help them to provide people with the finest vegetables. It added that the satellite will analyse the harvesting data and the cultivation details. As per the report, the ambitious project is the brain child of ‘Juhuasuan.com’, a shopping website affiliated to the Chinese e-commerce giant. The project will be done in collaboration with the ‘Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology’ and the ‘China Space Museum’. It is learned that the company aims to develop a series of customised products with the help of their new project.

Japan, SK may invest in India’s aquaculture sector

"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations." Steve Jobs

hile speaking at the 20th India International Seafood Show, the Union Commerce Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, reportedly announced that Japan and South Korea have expressed their interest in investing in the aquaculture sector of the country. Presently, Andhra Pradesh is the largest seafood exporters of the country. It accounts for nearly forty-five per cent of the India’s seafood export. Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, reportedly assured that his government would make the state the aquaculture hub of the world. The concerned authorities believe that if we bring in new technology and best practices we can easily increase our production. For this purpose, we definitely need huge investment.

Oct-Nov 2016

GE Healthcare to launch startup acceleration program

n order to improve the health care system in the developing countries, the GE Healthcare set to invest nearly fifty million dollars to launch a start-up acceleration program. The ambitious program is named as ‘five.eight’. The program is completely open to the healthcare start-ups from around the world. Initially, the company will support nearly ten startups. Tricog, a Bangalore based company, became the first company to join the ambitious programme. Those companies joining the program will have access to the innovation centres developed by the GE Healthcare in Istanbul, Johannesburg, Calgary, and Helsinki. As per the report, the company’s area of focus would be cardiac diseases, mother and child care, and oncology.

India to purchase Rafale fighter jets from France

"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

he Indian government is planning to purchase nearly thirtysix Rafale fighter jets from France. After seventeen months of tough negotiation, the concerned officials of both countries successfully inked the jet deal. The Indian government will spend over seven billion euro to buy the jet. While speaking to the media personals, the Indian Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, reportedly asserted the new fighter jets will add to the fighting capacity of the Indian Airforce. It is learned that the Rafale is an advanced fighter jet and is capable of carrying all compact missions. It is said that the French aircraft manufacturer, Dassault, for five years, will provide maintenance service. Notably, spares, maintenance and logistic support are included in the deal.

Oct-Nov 2016

UNIQUE DIARY

Wine sales in the country increasing: AIWPA

senior member of All India wine Producers Association reportedly claimed that the wine production in the country is considerably increasing. While speaking to a national daily, AIWPA leader asserted that the wine sales would double by 2020. It is estimated that the wine sales in the country has increased by nearly twenty one percentages during the last financial year. Earlier, the wine consumption habit was limited to the metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Now, due to the increased awareness, the wine market has expanded. Maharashtra is the largest producer of the wines. Of the total ninety five wineries situated in the country, around seventy seven are in Maharashtra.

Goldman Sachs to slowdown business in Asian region

"Victory goes to the player who makes the nextâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;toâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;last mistake." Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

oldman Sachs- a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm- is likely to slowdown their business in the Asian region. As a result of this, the firm will cut nearly thirty per cent of its three hundred investment banking job in the Asian region. A source reportedly informed the global medias that the company is reducing the number of bankers working on mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt capital market deals. It is said that the job cuts will mostly affect the bankers working in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. A national media reported that the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s officials declined to the comment on the issue.

Oct-Nov 2016

BUSINESS

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

Oct-Nov 2016

IPRs are essentially negative rights in the sense that they are meant primarily to prevent any third party from exploiting them commerciallyâ&#x20AC;Ś in any manner in violation of the provisions of the concerned law, without proper authorization from the holder of the right.

IPR enforcement

the best practices

Oct-Nov 2016

n 11 August 2016, I was fortunate to meet with some senior police officials at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur during an interactive session on the best practices for enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The event was organized by the Kerala State Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as part of a planned series of similar orientation sessions for police officials across India. The programme at Thrissur was the 4th such event during the current year. In this context, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to share with you a brief overview of the challenges in IPR enforcement in India that I had highlighted in my address to the gathering. In general, it is true that the government has a limited role to

Oct-Nov 2016

play in matters relating to breach of contractual regulations between private parties. However, Intellectual Property laws are rather different. IPRs are essentially negative rights in the sense that they are meant primarily to prevent any third party from exploiting them commerciallyâ&#x20AC;Ś in any manner in violation of the provisions of the concerned law, without proper authorization from the holder of the right. Enforcement of IPR is about putting in place legal and administrative provisions and structures that would come to the aid of the holder of the IPR in ensuring that his statutory rights are respected by othersâ&#x20AC;Ś and he is able to enjoy unhindered, the limited monopoly that comes with the grant of an IPR in accordance with the law. Today, there is no standard or

universally accepted definition of counterfeiting and piracy. These terms are defined by the individual laws of different countries. In general, counterfeiting and piracy can cause significant economic loss to the holder of the IPR. Counterfeiting and piracy are global problems that affect us all. They threaten the health and safety of consumers, deprive national economies of vital tax revenues, embolden criminal organizations and erode respect for intellectual property rights. Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is therefore essential for a strong economy and for the health and safety of the consumer class. Due to the spread of counterfeiting and piracy to every nook and corner of the world, there is no precise data on the magnitude of these activities. At best, one

In general, counterfeiting and piracy can cause significant economic loss to the holder of the IPR. Protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) is therefore essential for a strong economy and for the health and safety of the consumer class.

can only have informed estimates. However, we have a fairly clear idea of the many ways in which piracy and counterfeiting cause harm: • Damage to the economic and moral interest of the Individual IP holders • Direct loss in sales revenue to the licensed manufacturers. • The state loses tax revenue when legitimate sales fall • Black money generated through counterfeiting and piracy exercises a pernicious influence on the national economy and is a source of funding for criminal and anti national activities. • Lack of respect for IPRs discour-

ages creative activity in a society. Role of the Police The police force plays a vital role in the maintenance of law and order in society. It is a source of confidence and security to individuals who seek to live peacefully in society. Also, police officials are the proper authority to enforce Intellectual Property Rights. Therefore, police officials need to be given adequate powers to conduct search and raid operations at the inland location of the importer (or enduser) once counterfeit and pirated goods are detected. As things stand, there are adequate provisions for imposing damages or punishing the infringer. What is required is greater aware-

ness of these laws within the Police force so that they are able to deter counterfeiters from repeating the offence. It is also important to build a strong and durable partnership between the right holders and enforcement agencies, to strengthen mutual co-ordination and facilitate institutional linkages between Industry and Enforcement authorities, for better enforcement of intellectual property in the country. It is commendable that CII has taken the lead at the national level to further this objective.

(Shri V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd. and Chairman of CII, Kerala State Council)

Oct-Nov 2016

BUSINESS

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

Oct-Nov 2016

It is the high time we entrepreneurs promote agriculture as a career avenue for the bright and young. An important step by the government is to declare agriculture as an industry.

From red flags to the red carpet

The changing business landscape in Kerala

Oct-Nov 2016

erala is a fine strip of land ensconced in the lower South-West part of India. Area wise, this 38000 sq km is equal to that of Bhutan. The flora and fauna present some fine greenery all year long, with a long coastline and a rich vein interior arterial water bodies. Culturally, a lot of comparisons are drawn between Kerala and Japan,because of the similarities of the art forms – similar architecture, Kathakali and Kabuki , Kalaripayattu and Aikido, the sacred groves – kaavu and Shinto temples in Kyoto , non-linear cinema – Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Kurosawa etc. Of course , in similarities also lies the glaring dichotomies and differences. But, I digress … An early induction of inclusive culture into the socialist mindset reaped rich rewards. Empowered women, libraries in every Pan-

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chayat (local self-government body) the widespread popularity of basic education, cultural and religious fusion –Kerala presents itself in the highest echelons of the Human Development Index rivalling and beating fair and square, may developed economies. The same advantages also brought multiple dynamics to every stratus of society, where unions and associations have bred and at times, festered oddities in the labour culture of the state. One of the remnant memories of an active trade unionism past,is the RED FLAG, which marked the striking workers who brought entrepreneurship to a grinding halt! But today, in 2016, things have changed and are changing at an encouraging pace. There is a sudden spurt of start-up entrepreneurship in the last three-four years. Discussions are on for investments in the state in several sectors.

There is an active interest by the bureaucracy and the state government to roll out the red carpet to various sectors. Events like the TiEcon, Rising Kerala, and Investment meet by the Greater Malabar Initiative are a classic testimony of the celebration and the fostering of entrepreneurship in the state. A classic example to this phenomenon is the medical equipment cluster in Kerala … Kerala has a few highly acclaimed companies in this space; to name a few:• Terumo Penpol- has the largest blood transfusion products factory in the world. it is located in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. • Agappe Diagnostics- India’s largest In vitro diagnostics equipment manufacturing company. It

The Agripreneur is a newly coined management noun referring to a new breed of young entrepreneurs combining their love of farming and agriculture with an ‘acquired professional business approach’.

is situated in Pattimattom, near Kochi. • Dentcare- Perhaps, it is Asia’s largest dental implant manufacturer with a state of the art facility in Muvattupuzha , on the outskirts of Kochi • Dynamic Technomedicalsone of India’s largest ortho-soft products (crepe bandages) manufacturing company. It is located at Aluva, again near Kochi. • Scigenom- A genomics research company, which hived off two of its departments – Medgenome and Agrigenome– that do marquee research in the space medical applications and agriculture genomics research.It is based in Kochi. At times, you are amazed at how Kerala has managed to keep these successes as a secret. But to

understand them, one just needs to look at some interesting other parameters. Kerala has among highest density of research institutions in this part of the world. It produces more PhDs than developed countries. There is value for high content research jobs and attrition rates are much lower than many other research hotspots. The day is coming where we will have a ‘RESEARCH IN KERALA’ campaign! An area of concern is agriculture. There are key lifestyle changes in Kerala which will result in a transition of the consumer’s consumption patterns. • An increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and obesity resulting in a demand for healthy products.

• Technological changes in agriculture which have helped in the state of the art practices like vertical agriculture, precision agriculture, hydropony, polyhouses etc. • Increased consumer awareness driven by the media and celebrity chefs promoting new cuisines and product categories across urban and rural Kerala These changes are expected to create not only new opportunities for existing players but also new avenues for potential entrepreneurs. This demand paves the way for the birth of the ‘agripreneur’ in Kerala. The Agripreneur is a newly coined management noun referring to a new breed of young entrepreneurs combining their love of farming and agriculture with an ‘acquired professional business approach’.

Oct-Nov 2016

While the business reasons may vary and also perhaps seem similar to every other sector, agriculture has increased significance because of the target category. Agripreneurs are essential to bring • Entrepreneurship and self-employment to rural areas • Inclusiveness and focus on women Entrepreneurship and selfemployment to rural areas Due to the rising literacy levels and the urban influence, the youth in Kerala are increasing shying away from agriculture. This has led underuse of land resources and the low labour productivity due to the limited and slow adoption of technology and the inadequate support infrastructure in terms of transportation, warehousing and credit facilities, which impact the production levels and the extent of wastages in production. Inclusiveness and focus on women With the increasing focus on the kitchen gardens and intelligent use of space, agriculture is a high potential sector to bring women into the folds of entrepreneurship. With their active participation, agriculture can emerge with the

Oct-Nov 2016

success footprint similar to the IT industry in India, where industry experts comment that the ability to engage so many educated women who were otherwise confined to child and elder care could actively contribute to the economy. In the year 2014, being the year of the kitchen garden, housewives can venture into cultivation of vegetables in their terrace and backyard. The role of the entrepreneur in agriculture is to create linkages, which are critical in bringing the producer, processor, and consumer together. The supply chain linkages are at a nascent stage in Kerala. Increase in agripreneurs can encourage 1. Transparency and information exchange- Schemes must ensure the growth of trust within the farmer group by providing complete information on the clauses prevailing in the agreement, along with knowledge of the prevailing prices for the farm produce. 2. Farmer support mechanism To secure the quality and quantity of product obtained under contract, companies would need to provide farmers with assistance in terms of key inputs, such as seeds and information on farm practices. Also, since farming in Kerala is a credit deficient, financial institu-

tions would have to evaluate a mechanism to provide adequate credit line facilities to the farmer/ producer. 3. Profit sharing- schemes need to innovate and come up with a sourcing model that incorporates some means of sharing profits with the producer. This could be through either individual payment to farmers for their produce or community investments in the sourcing regions/villages. It is the high time we entrepreneurs promote agriculture as a career avenue for the bright and young.An important step by the government is to declare agriculture as an industry. Imagine all the dishes on an Onam feast that are arranged in an order that makes the palette look like a painting. Several islands of colours spread on the leaves. They say when God looks down on the world, he sees a similar profusion of colour and each Onam Ela (leaf) is a colourful microcosm of the world. And soon, I pray and dream that the leaf will have every ingredient grown and nurtured in the fields and farms of Kerala – Made in Kerala. For the pessimists and ‘nay sayers’ in Kerala, this is the story that Kerala is becoming and is capable of. The day has arrived!

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Oct-Nov 2016

N MISS 2016 ASIA Trixia Marie Marana Emerges as the Winner

owadays, every individual is getting more and more fashion conscious. Each and every person love to receive attention and appreciation from the society. Thus, this term, fashion, gradually stepped out of the elite society. And, now, for us, it is not an alien word. Your fashion is not only how you express yourself, but also determines your confidence level. The preponderance of people will stand in front of a mirror before facing a society or audience or even person. It proves that our dressing or fashion gives confidence. Isn’t it? Anyway, here, we take you to the world of real fashion. It is an interesting story about a beauty contest held at our city in Kerala. It was organised by Pegasus, a leading event

management company in Kerala. Notably, nearly eighteen beautiful, young ladies from at least eighteen different countries across Asia and Eurasia participated in the prestigious event. We can now go more into the details of the event. Can we? Yep! Trixia Marie Marana- Philippines- finally emerged as the winner of the Manappuram Miss Asia 2016 beating nearly eighteen different contestants. YauheniyaVasilyeva –Belaruswas selected as the first runner-up, and Ankita Kharat –India- crowned as the second runner-up respectively. Ms Trixia is a bank employee working in a renowned bank at Philippines. At the same time, Ms Yauheniya is a professional DJ and Ankita Kharat is a Mass

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Communication student. The event was organised by the Pegasus to honour those women in Asia & Eurasia, who possesses both extraordinary talent and mindblowing beauty. The organisers bring in some of the most popular personalities from the modelling and fashion industry as the judges of the show. Larisa Sergiyenko (Miss Russia), Ais Latsch (Miss Asia Malaysia), Yang Wangtong (Miss Asia China), Rajeev Pillai (actor and model), and ToshmaBiju (media personality) were the prominent personalities appeared in the judging panel. The top three winners were crowned by the Manappuram Finance Managing Director, Shri V P Nandakumar. The Manappuram Finance Company, which

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has around 3300 branches across the country, was the prime partner of the prestigious event held on August 18 at Kochi. Apart from the three top title winners, the judging panel selected thirteen sub-title winners. The ‘Best National costume’ title and ‘Miss Congeniality’ was awarded to Cheryl Joanne Chan Fan Nyuk (Malaysia) and Kuenga Lhaden (Bhutan) respectively. When C.L Shantha (Sri Lanka) got the ‘Miss Perfect Ten title’, Niloufar Taherifard (Iran) was selected as the ‘Miss Beautiful Face’. Meanwhile, the Judges also selected the ‘Miss Beautiful Smile’ and ‘Miss Beautiful Hair’, and they were Valeriia Tsvietok (Moldova) and Shirin Rasulova (Uzbekistan) respectively. Anyway, the Miss Viewer’s Choice was Kuenga Lhaden (Bhutan). As we all know, the catwalk is one of

the prominent element of a fashion show. Yuliya Dedova (Kazakhstan) was chosen as the ‘Miss Catwalk’. The Judging panel found that Leyla Novruzova (Azerbaijan) possesses the most beautiful and attractive eyes, so she got the ‘Miss Beautiful Eyes’ title. Trixia Marie Marana (Philippines) and Tetiana Shymukova (Ukraine) became the ‘Miss Talent’ and ‘Miss Beautiful Skin’ respectively. When the judges felicitated Yauheniya Vasilyeva (Belarus) with the ‘Miss Photogenic’ title, our Indian girl, Ankita Kharat, got the ‘Miss Personality’ title. There were three prominent rounds in the competition-the National costume round, black theme round and white gown round. In the second round, the judges tested the communication skills of the contestants. Later, nearly seven contestants had been shortlisted

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for the final round of the event. In the final round, a common question regarding a socially relevant subject had been given to the contestants. They were asked to write their opinion on the subject within a short time span of one minute. Interestingly, unlike other fashion contests, the organisers gave a question regarding their family - What do u think is the one single quality that sustains a long lasting marriage or husband - wife relationship? Why? Notably, each finalist had sensibly answered the question

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showcasing the importance of family life and human relations. As per Ms Trixiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion, if you are a God fearing person, you can lead a happy and long lasting family life. The preponderance of prize money â&#x20AC;&#x201C; three lakh fifty thousand rupees for the winner, and one and lakh fifty thousand rupees for the first runner-up- was contributed by Manappuram Finance. Meanwhile, Wow Factor awarded the prize money for the second runner-up. It was around one lakh rupees. Moreover,

the crowns gifted to the winners were designed by Mr. Prakash & Mrs. Preethi Prakash of Parakkat Jewellers. On August 11, the organisers began the grooming session of this program. The session was led by Mrs Valentina Ravi (Mrs India Asia International), Mr Sameer Khan (Fashion Choreographer), Ms Sudhakshana Thampi (Yoga Trainer), Mr Vipin Xavier (Fitness Trainer), Dr Thomas Nechupadam (Smile Expert), Dr Asha Biju (Skin Expert), Jithesh and PreethiDamiyan (Personality Trainers), and Joshna Johnson (Fashion Stylist). Ajit Ravi, Pegasus Chairman, said; “we purposefully excluded the bikini round in order to avoid objec-

tification of women’s body.” He further asserts that his organisation would contribute a certain profit share gained from this program to finance nearly hundred heart surgeries, under the ‘100 life Challenge program’. Moreover, he claims that he had already initiated the program by extending his helping hand to five helpless patients. The theme music of this function was composed by renowned musician DJ Harvey Steve. Mr Sreejith P, who was selected as the best choreographer by the Kerala State Film Award in the year 2015, worked as the cultural director of this acclaimed beauty pageant 

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FEATURE

The story teller is an artist of word crafting. He is a word smith who can sculpt a story, by bringing together diverse emotions. Converging different ideas and knitting the shades of the environment into one single fabric is the art of the story teller. Vinod Kumar

Story Teller

Oct-Nov 2016

he initiative is the first requirement. As in anything else, so is the case, for you to become a story teller. Every human being tells stories. And every activity that we indulge in, can become a story.

vidual and society.

Certainly, every human being expresses, and seeks a voice and gives opinions. But mere talks and speeches cannot become stories. The craft of storytelling is a precious talent. And not many have taken interest in this valuable art form. Perhaps it may not be the most monetarily enriching stream. But certainly, listening to a story can motivate and inspire the indi-

Every human being who exposes himself to risks and changes in living is, a story by himself. Goodness, bad, pleasure, pain, success, failure are all part of the art of storytelling. Happiness, grief, bitterness, cynicism and sarcasm are all the nuts and bolts of the story within other stories. And there are skeptics of the story tellers.

Bed time stories that allows the child to go to sleep is a universal phenomenon. And so are stories of romance, family, commerce, adventure, valor and even wars.

The start of story-telling has to capture the attention of the listener. This is achieved if the listener connects with the content of the opening lines in the story. So, examples have to be relevant to understanding of listener. The content creation is toughest part of story. How much open, are your ears and your eyes? Do you recognize, subtle and details and other insights that are going on around you? Every situation and event is information to eyes of story teller. He picks up most sensitive message and can sensationalise this, into various formats. The story teller can cut into very many, tiny pieces, every part of an event. May be to its molecular and atomic and nano level of the existence of the event. Then the small and bits and pieces are classified. Their categories are studied. Because only then can these appropriated pieces be given designation inside a structure. The structure will conform to a specific sequence of events. The story-telling has begun. Immense clarity of mind is an absolute need to enable the writing of a story. The story teller visualizes the forms and shapes, as story plays itself out in the mind. The coherence of various frames and synchrony of situations need much care and attention. Any mismatch

or mishap in relating the action, emotion, event and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expression, to each other, will make it unattractive. The adherence to a principled style of expressing the story is expectation of the listener. The viewer of story must not be, made to exert, to comprehend the visuals. Many stories are shown visually. Very good visualists, who create appealing visuals for the story, may not need much words and languages. The visualists communicate the story by manufacturing visual scenes. But only experts at visual communication can become effective in this genre of storytelling. It is the genius in each person, if they can discover, even newer mediums, to tell their story. The domain expertise needed is the ability to persuade your listener. What is content that you want to communicate? Everybody has many ideas, feelings, thoughts and even deep experiences. But all those need to come in a specific and articulated sequence to make it to the story line. The tone and sense must be strong, so that even if interspersed with humour, yet goal and target of the story remains steady. There must be stability in characters so that story has strength of consistency from beginning, till finish. The pace at which, story rolls on is a factor that many amateurs over look. The expert story teller sets the rhythm in revealing each segment. The suspense, thrill and introduction of each separate sector within the same story, adds the intrigue and curiosity in the listener. The experienced and expert story tellers have invested much time and effort to study the psychology of consumers. They have investigated on how the listeners assimilate and learn the content of the story. The process of recall

Oct-Nov 2016

The experienced and expert story tellers have invested much time and effort to study the psychology of consumers. They have investigated on how the listeners assimilate and learn the content of the story.

of frames from the beginning, and fitting it in, to the middle portion and then, stringing it till the end, is all a fascinating education in our nervous system. The listener will be impacted only if, messaging and coding of the matter is efficient. The short sentences and expressive language will give desired effect. Relying only on visual communication is an advanced method of story telling. Actually, when you go inside a forest or on the high mountains or even on the beach of the ocean, the language ceases to exist. The visual content then impresses your mind. Observe these scenes for about forty minutes. Can you visually innovate a method to express the impression of your

Oct-Nov 2016

mind? This nature, communicated to you only with visuals. The nature did not use a language to talk to you. The story teller can learn new techniques to visually narrate the story. It is not easy. The exercise must ensure that the listener can comprehend much of what you intend to say. Many disconnected separate incidents are woven together into one single theme and the story. To a normal person, it is just that the monkey sat on tree. But the story teller will tell that the monkey on the tree looked below. Then he will continue to tell that the monkey looked down and located an antâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest. Then the monkey looked above and identified a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest.

Both the nests served same purpose but looked absolutely different from each other. The function of the nest being the same, yet the shape and form are different. This confused the monkey........and the story teller can continue. The perspective of the story teller has multiple angles. He cannot be rigid with one view on any one thing. The story teller is an artist of word crafting. He is a word smith who can sculpt a story, by bringing together diverse emotions. Converging different ideas and knitting the shades of the environment into one single fabric is the art of the story teller. You can make the beginning today. Choose to be the story teller ď Ź

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Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws. Presently he heads the tax 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

With the amendment on GST, the Constitution now grants power to the Union as well as the State to levy GST on the goods and services. The aforesaid amendment amends the power of the Union to levy excise duty on the manufacture of goods.

Oct-Nov 2016

Goods and Service Tax has the Government scored a self-goal

rticle 265 of the Constitution of India provides that no tax shall be levied or collected except by authority of law. Hence, in the absence of there being the sanction of law, the question of either levy or collection of tax does not arise. On September 16, 2016, India Inc crossed the most important hurdle for GST ie the President’s assent to the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. With the amendment, the Constitution now grants power to the Union as well as the State to levy GST on the goods and services. Simultaneously, the aforesaid amendment amends the power of the Union to levy excise duty on

the manufacture of goods (ie List I, Entry 84) to restrict the same to 5 products mentioned therein. Similarly, the State Government’s power to levy taxes on entry of goods into a local area for consumption use or sale therein (List II, Entry 52) has been repealed, entry 62 (Taxes on luxuries, including taxes on entertainments, amusements, betting and gambling) has been restricted (Taxes on entertainments and amusements to the extent levied and collected by a Panchayat or a Municipality or a Regional Council or a District Council.) and entry 54 (Taxes on the sale or purchase of goods other than newspapers, subject to provisions of entry 92A of List I) has been amended to levy taxes on the sale of 5 items within

the state to pave way for the GST. Issue Since GST is targeted to be implemented with effect from April 01, 2016 and the Constitutional amendment has been notified taking away the powers to levy most existing indirect taxes, a possible scenario appears to emerge for the period 16.9.2016 to 31.3.2017 where neither GST is leviable and because the Constitution has been amended, the State and the Union shall have no power to levy many of the current taxes. The Constitutional Amendment Act contemplates a transitional provision (Section 19) which provides “Notwithstanding anything in this

Oct-Nov 2016

Act, any provision of any law relating to tax on goods or services or on both in force in any State immediately before the commencement of this Act, which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution as amended by this Act shall continue to be in force until amended or repealed by a competent Legislature or other competent authority or until expiration of one year from such commencement, whichever is earlier.” However, this transition provision is only in relation to provisions relating to tax on goods or services or both until amended or repealed by a competent legislature or until the expiration of one year from such commencement whichever is earlier. The above transition provision does not cover levy of (i) excise duty on manufacture of goods, (ii) entry of goods within local limits, (iii) sale of goods within the state (taxes on the sale of goods is different from taxes on goods),and (iv) taxes on entertainment. In the absence of transition provisions for the above, one could argue that the said taxes cannot be levied with effect from 16.09.2016 (i.e. the date on which the Con-

Oct-Nov 2016

stitutional amendment received assent from the President).

the residuary clause for continuity in levy till the GST.

I would believe that this is clearly an unintended consequence and probably an oversight resulting from haste, which could have been avoided. It can be argued by the Central Government that entry 84 restricts the power to levy excise duty on 5 products (petroleum crude, high speed diesel, petrol, natural gas, aviation turbine fuel, and tobacco and tobacco products) and the power to levy excise duty on the remaining products flows from Entry 97 List I - Thus, the Central Government still possess the power to levy excise duty on goods except alcohol meant for human consumption. However, such an interpretation is unsustainable given the established canons of Constitutional interpretation – such an interpretation could also lead to the absurd conclusion that even after the implementation of GST, the Central Government will have the power to levy excise duty on manufacture. However, other taxes not covered by the transitional provisions cannot fall within

My concluding thoughts It appears that the only way out of the above imbroglio is that the President issues an order to remove the above difficulties under Section 20 of the Act. Considering the recent tweet of the Revenue Secretary, it is unlikely that the Government would take any action. Consequently, the question of levy and collection of the excluded taxes could be subject to judicial challenge. Additionally, there could also be issues on the eligibility to carry forward such credits accumulated during the period 16.9.2016 to 31.3.2017. In conclusion, one would hope that the Government would be very careful while treading on the GST path since the entire nation is moving away from an established tax regime to an unchartered, unknown new terrain. For truly, “a word once let out of the cage cannot be whistled back again” 

Oct-Nov 2016

Investing in Penny Stocks

Investing in quality penny stocks is always rewarding. As we discussed above, when you select a quality penny stock, you are actually investing in a stock, which has the tremendous potential to grow in a short span of time.

Oct-Nov 2016

here is a myth that stock market could double your investments in no time, and Penny stocks do help in doing so at ease. However, it is not so. In today’s article, we are about to unleash all about penny stocks, and how to go about investing in Penny Stocks.

There are two different perspectives while listening to penny stocks. Let’s us clear the few basics before we proceed. Some believe that the shares in a single digit value comprise a penny stock. Whereas, some other groups believe that it is the market cap that defines the

nature of a company (penny stock). The stocks, which are priced fewer than 10 or commonly called as single digit values, need not necessarily be a penny stock. It is actually the market cap that categories the stock as “penny” in nature. Let us say for an example, Unitech trades well below 10; however, in terms of market capitalization, it falls under Large Cap stock and hence will not qualify for “penny” in nature. The companies, which have the market capitalization of less than 10 crores, can be classified as the penny stock. However, this definition varies from person to person-

some consider 5crores and less and some consider less than 20 crores. In nutshell, the stocks, which has the potential to grow multi-fold and their market capitalization is undercapitalized in terms of its potential, will qualify for the category of Penny Stocks. Why does Penny Stock give more returns? Investing in quality penny stocks is always rewarding. As we discussed above, when you select a quality penny stock, you are actually investing in a stock, which has the tremendous potential to grow in a short span of time. Thus, your

Oct-Nov 2016

investments into such stocks could fetch you handsome returns. While selecting a quality penny stock, We do not need to look for fundamental valuations or a technical chart rather assess its quality; but we must look into the quality of business and its management- If the business promises scope for growth, if the management understands the business well, and if they have the capabilities to run the business at an optimal level. Once you find convincing answers to these questions, you can go ahead and invest in such companies. Potential for a multi-bagger When we discuss market capitalization: as the company grows, the company moves from one category to another and similarly when companies do fail or do not perform well, they scale down in terms of capitalization. So, what it takes for a penny stock? Penny stock, as they are well at the bottom of the pyramid, has the maximum potential to scale up for making it a multi-bagger. In fact, these stocks either scale up over a

Oct-Nov 2016

period of time or perish its existence. In India, we have witnessed many companies (penny stocks) converting itself into multi-baggers over a period of time and proven this theory. Caveat needs to be applied here, as there are outnumbered penny stocks, which have shunned their businesses rather than successful multi-baggers. Again, it narrows down on selecting a potential multi-bagger story. The biggest risk factor! Market price reflects the sentiment of people towards a company. And, this factor â&#x20AC;&#x153;priceâ&#x20AC;? is the biggest risk factor for penny stocks. Why do we say so? Remember! Penny Stocks are companies with lower market capitalization. When it is open for trading (market place), there could be whales with deep pockets, who could potential drive prices given the nature of such small capitalization. So, when there is huge buying demand for such a stock, people could be misled as to the company is performing better; or vice versa when there is a huge selling witnessed in such

counter. This is the reason why we said as the charts do not reflect actual position for such penny companies. One needs to pick and stick with good quality management driven businesses, when it comes to investing in penny stocks. Striking a balance in your portfolio Given its inherent risky nature as well as to multi-fold your investment capital; striking a healthy balance in your portfolio of stocks is always advisable. Allocating not more than 20% - 25% of your entire portfolio into such stocks could maintain a healthy balance in your kitty as well as take care of unwanted downside risk in such small companies. To test whether your penny stock is really performing, you must track with the share holding pattern. The movement you find institutional buying the stock, it means your company has started performing for the better. This should not be taken as a thumb rule of investing in penny stocks ď Ź

CAMELOT CONVENTION CENTRE & HOTEL

Oct-Nov 2016

UPI-Making your smartphone into a bank

S Jiz Paul Special General Manager Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd

One major advantage of UPI is that it can be used both for sending and receiving funds up to Rs 1 lakh. The other features include immediate money transfer through mobile device round the clock and 365 days.

Oct-Nov 2016

unday is the day in which I catch up with all my arrears of sleep during the week and for me, there is nothing as irritating as being woken up by a phone call that too as early as 6.15 am on a Sunday morning. But, two weeks back, this is precisely what had happened. Normally such calls are from friends who want some clarifications or help on various banking aspects. But, this time, to my surprise, it was a senior peer banker who wanted to know what the arrangements are made by my bank for cash filling in ATMs during long holidays or weekends. During the month of September 2016, all the banks in Kerala were closed continuously for nearly 5 days on account of Onam and other holidays. Though most banks had filled their ATMs with cash on Friday evening the cash withdrawals at ATMs had been so huge on Saturday itself that most of the ATMs were out of cash by Saturday evening itself. Kerala Government stepped in through State Level Bankers Committee and instructed banks to make arrangements for loading of cash in ATMs by Monday. And, this was the trigger for me getting the call. Though very irritated on receiving a call so early on a Sunday morning, I became philosophical and recited the words of Mahatma Gandhi “ The world is sufficient for everyone’s needs but not for anyone’s greed”. I added, “We all should learn from the Japanese. When in a crisis and people anticipate the shortage of something the Japanese voluntarily restricts the storage and consump-

tion to the barest minimum. Here, we do the opposite and unless and until such mentality changes whatever is done will only be temporary quick fixes and not permanent solutions”. Anticipating such a situation my bank had made elaborate arrangements on Friday itself, and thus I could continue my sleep very peacefully. Later, during the day, when I woke up my wife asked me “Why are you being furious about people withdrawing their money from ATMs for meeting various expenses. How can people transact any business without cash”. She concluded saying “clearly banks are at fault and banks should have made adequate arrangements well in advance”. Seventeen years of married life had taught me a very important lesson- Never argue with your wife and that too especially on a holiday when you want to spend the rest of the day peacefully at home. So, I kept mum. But, then, my teenage daughter asked this question “Pappa why can’t people use ATM cards for purchases they make at various shops”? She had seen me handing over the cards instead of cash at various shops multiple time and even for small value transactions. For ensuring technical perfection in her understanding, I said “ATM cards can be used only at ATMs and not at shops. But, now, most of the banks are issuing ATM cards only for lowvalue financial inclusion accounts and for the majority of the other customers they are issuing Debit cards which can be used at ATMs

and also at merchant establishments. But, many of the customers are not aware of this utility of the card they are carrying and use it only as ATM card for withdrawing cash”. The low levels of penetration of POS terminals with merchants are yet another reason for increasing the quantum of currency in circulation. In India, there are more than 25 million merchants and only less than 1.20 million card readers. And, that too, with many merchants do not have more than one card reader. So, the number of merchants having card readers

would be still lower. As per RBIs estimates, the cash floating in the system is about 18% of the country’s GDP thus making India one of the most printed currency depended country in the world. The cost of managing printed currency is too huge that Government and RBI have been looking at initiatives for reducing the reliance on it. The vision as per the RBI Payment System Vision Document (2012-15) is to proactively encourage electronic payment systems for ushering in a less-cash society in India. With the launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI), this vision can now be achieved. Launching the UPI

few months back, the then RBI governor Sri Raghuram Rajan said “For a number of years, we have been saying we need a revolution in banking in India. I think now we can confidently say the revolution is upon us. What we have in India is the most sophisticated public payments infrastructure in the world”. What is UPI Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an online payments solution, which will facilitate the transfer of funds instantly between person and person (or peer to peer) using a smartphone.Unified Pay-

Oct-Nov 2016

Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an online payments solution, which will facilitate the transfer of funds instantly between person and person (or peer to peer) using a smartphone.

ment Interface is an initiative by National Payments Corporation of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (NPCI). NPCI was set up by RBI, IBA, and few Banks. According to NPCI, around 30 banks have gone live on UPI. UPI is built on top of the IMPS, which is a commonly used platform nowadays for real-time money transfer. (IMPS network currently handles transactions of more than Rs 8,000 crore per day). Thus, like IMPS,UPI also is immediate, and works 24x7, throughout the year. But, for transferring funds, using IMPS, you had to know the beneficiaries name, bank account number and IFSC code of the branch. UPI eliminates the need of knowing these details. Under UPI regime, to send money to someone, you need to know only their UPI ID -a virtual identity like an email address. This could be your name or your phone number. For example, if you had an account with XYZ bank and your mobile number is 1234567890, then you can have a virtual address like 1234567890@XYZ. One major advantage of UPI is that it can be used both for sending and receiving funds up to Rs 1 lakh. The other features like Immediate money transfer through mobile device round the clock 24*7 and 365 days, facility for using a single mobile application for accessing different bank accounts, transfer through virtual id, single click 2 factor authentication, facility to schedule push and pull payments and raising complaint from mobile app directly make UPI

Oct-Nov 2016

truly unique. The different channels for transferring funds using UPI are transferred through virtual id, Aadhar number, a combination of Account number and IFSC, a combination of mobile number and MMID and pull message basis virtual Id. In the case of Virtual ID transaction, the beneficiary needs to have a Virtual ID and in turn be registered with UPI but in case of Account+IFSC or Mobile+MMID, Aadhar number, the beneficiary need not be registered for UPI. In case of mobile loss, customer needs to simply block his mobile number and thereafter no transaction can be initiated from the same mobile number Getting started on UPI The first step for getting started with UPI is downloading the UPI app from the playstore. It is not necessary that the customer downloads the app of his own bank. But, for linking an account to the UPI app, it is necessary that mobile number is already registered to the bank account and the app is to be installed in the mobile that has the mobile number registered with the bank. After downloading, the app has to be installed. After logging into the account, we have to create a profile and virtual address. Subsequently, we have to add the bank account details. After successfully completing this procedures, we will get an M-PIN. With these few and simple steps the UPI app would be ready for transacting. Unlike other popular online payment services like NEFT, RTGS or IMPS which

requires a user to register with the bank first, then add a beneficiary, and then share details of bank accounts, in UPI, a user can download the UPI app from the Google Play Store.You can download more than one UPI application on the same mobile and link both same as well as different accounts. In case of change in SIM / Mobile, you will have to re-register yourselves for UPI. For sending money, you can log on to the app and selects the option for sending money, enter the beneficiaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s virtual id, amount and selects account to be debited. You will get a confirmation screen to review the payment details and once you confirm MPIN will be asked and once MPIN is entered the transaction gets completed and you will get a transaction successful message. The process for requesting money is the same till confirmation screen. Once, you confirm the payer will get the notification on his mobile for the money requested by you. Once, the

payer clicks on the notification, he can open his UPI app and review the payment request. He can then decide to accept or decline your request. In case, the request is accepted, the payer will have to enter MPIN to authorize the transaction. Both payer and payee will get SMS notification of the transaction being completed. UPI provides for real time reversals for technical declines and amount would be transferred back to the payer account immediately. As UPI transaction is settled on a real time basis once the payment is initiated, you will not be able to stop it. Advantages The main advantages to the customers on account of UPI are round the clock availability, single application for accessing different bank accounts, enhanced security by use of Virtual ID, no need for credential sharing, single click authentication, and ability to raise complaint from the mobile app

directly. The pull facility provided would resolve the cash on the delivery problem for e-commerce and online transactions. Another major feature of UPI is that it converts the smartphone as the center of digital payment transactions and thus helps tap even customers who do not have a debit or credit card. With the rapid increase in the number of smart phones, this would facilitate financial inclusion in a big way. Similarly, as even small ‘person to person’ payments can be done instantaneously, UPI can help replace cash to a great extent. The interoperability of the UPI app ensures that unlike wallets, the payer and the payee can use two different PSPs. Online payments will also help in creating a record of transactions, thereby reducing the chances for tax evasion. UPI app also has reduced the details you should know of your intended beneficiary and more importantly the cooling period of 12 to 24 hours required before the

beneficiary gets activated for you to transact. Just imagine a situation where you perform a travel by taxi and, at the end of the journey you just have to give your virtual address and the driver will request money from his UPI app. You will get a message on your mobile phone asking for authentication. Once you authenticate the transaction by entering your password, it will be complete. As UPI allows payment directly from your bank account, henceforth, there will be no need for you to pre-load your money onto wallets. Thus, going forward, you could earn more interest on your hard earned money by retaining them with banks till the moment you want to make the payment. Though banks have been given the freedom to fix their own charge structures for UPI, NCPI will be charging only Rs. 0.50 per transaction. Thus, from a service charge perspective also, UPI would be beneficial to customers 

Oct-Nov 2016

GADGETS

Lenovo Phab 2 Plus

MRP: `14,999 (approximately)

       

Android v6.0 –Marshmallow 13 MP primary camera 8 MP secondary camera 6.4 inch display 3 GB RAM 32 GB internal memory 128 GB external memory 1.3 GHz Octa Core processor

LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 Pro

MRP: `14,999 (approximately)

      

Oct-Nov 2016

Android v6.0-Marshmallow 21 MP primary camera 8 MP secondary camera 5.5 inch HD display 4 GB RAM 32 GB internal memory Deca Core processor

Xiaomi Mi5s

MRP: ` 26,999 (approximately)

      

Android v6.0.1-Marshmallow 16 MP primary camera 8 MP secondary camera 5.1 HD display 6 GB RAM 256 GB internal memory 1.8 GHz Quad Core processor

BLU Pure XR

MRP: ` 19,999 (approximately)        

Android v6.0- Marshmallow 16 MP primary camera 8 MP secondary camera 5.5 HD display 4 GB RAM 64 GB internal memory 64 GB external memory 2 GHz Octa Core processor

Oct-Nov 2016

COOKERY

Toshma Biju

OATS UPMA Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • •

Oats.............................. 1 cup Oil................................. 2 teaspoons Turmeric powder.......... 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds.............. 1/2 teaspoon Curry leaves................. 6nos Red chilli...................... 1 Green chillies............... 2nos(finely chopped) Onions.......................... 1/4 cup(finely chopped) Carrot........................... 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Green peas................... 1/4 cup Salt to taste

Method Heat oil in a non-stick pan, and add the oats and turmeric powder. Sauté it on a medium flame till it turns light brown in colour. Keep it aside. Heat the remaining oil in a broad non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add curry leaves, red chillies and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for around 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for around 1 minute or till the onions turn translucent. Add the carrots and green peas and sauté on a medium flame for nearly 2 minutes. Add the oats mixture and salt. Mix it well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add water, cover and cook on a slow flame for at least 5 to 7 minutes.

Oct-Nov 2016

OATS LADDU

Ingredients

• • • • • •

Oats.............................. 1 cup Jaggery.......................... 1/2 cup Ghee............................. 2 teaspoon Cashew nuts ................ 15nos Raisins.......................... 15nos Cardamom.................... 3nos

Method Roast oats. Cool and powder it. Powder jaggery. Dry roast cashew nuts and almonds separately. Chop it finely. In a bowl, mix oats, jaggery, cardamom powder and nuts together. Heat a teaspoon of ghee, saute the raisins until they puff up and add to the oats mixture. Melt needed ghee and add to the mixture little at a time. Mix well and make balls.

Oct-Nov 2016

OATS IDLI

Ingredients

For tempering:

• • • • • •

Oats- 1 cup Rava- ½ cup Curd-½ cup Water-as required Coriander leaves- 2teaspoons(chopped) Salt to taste

Oil.................................... ½ tablespoon Mustard seeds................. ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds.................... ½ teaspoon Chopped green chilies..... 1 teaspoon Curry leaves.................... 1 tsp(finely chopped) Ginger.............................. 1 teaspoon(chopped)

Method Put oats in a grinder or blender jar and grind or blend to a fine flour. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, stir and saute till the mustard seeds crackle. Now, add the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, saute for a minute. Add rava and saute it for 2 minutes.Then, add the oats flour, stir very well and keep on stirring often while roasting the flour. Then, add chopped coriander leaves and ½ cup curd. You can add either fresh or sour curd. Add 1 cup water. Stir the idli batter very well. The batter should have a medium consistency. Cover and allow the batter to sit for nearly 5 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the idli moulds with some oil or ghee. Also, heat water in the idli steamer. Now, add salt as per taste and stir very well. Pour the oats idli batter in the greased idli moulds. Place the moulds in the steamer. Cover and steam the idlis for about around 10 to 12 minutes. Serve these light healthy oats idli with coconut chutney or sambar.

Oct-Nov 2016

OATS AND COCONUT PAYASAM Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

Oats................................. 3 tablespoons Coconut........................... 1/2 cup.(grated) Jaggery............................. 1/2 cup Ghee................................ 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts.................... 1 tablespoon Raisins............................. 1 tablespoon Milk................................. 2 cups Cardamom powder.......... 1/4 teaspoon

Method In a thick bottom vessel, add some ghee, cashew nuts, and raisins. Fry them until the raisins get puffed up and cashew nuts become slightly golden in colour. Add oats, grated coconut, and mix it well. Add milk and water, and cook until the oats are done. Add jaggery, mix and, if required, add little water to get the desired consistency. Add cardamom powder, mix and cook for about nearly 3 to 4 minutes. Switch off the flame, dish out the payasam and garnish over with nuts.

OATS PORRIDGE Ingredients

• • • •

Oats................................. ½ cup Water............................... 2 cups Milk................................. 1 cup Sugar............................... 2 tablespoon

Method Take the oats in a pan. Add water and milk into it. For a thinner consistency, you can add more milk or water. Add sugar. Stir it very well and heat the porridge mixture on a low to medium flame. The oats porridge will also thicken as it cooks. Cook it for around 5 to 6 minutes. Serve the oats porridge hot or warm

Oct-Nov 2016

BEAUTY

Shorter the smarter;

hairstyle tips for women with short hair

or a woman, perfect hair is like a magnificent curtain, which decorates her facial beauty. Based on the colour of the skin and hair, and on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective about the beauty, the style varies. Short hair is often criticised due to the whole trivia of it being a major facet of feminine elegance. But, when it is properly arranged, short hair can be a good asset. Here are some hair style tips for women with short hair.

Bow back: This is a simple yet an effective hairstyle and is for a professional look. Brush your hair back and adjust your hair with a thick or thin bow. This will prevent their hair from interfering with your vision,

Oct-Nov 2016

and it gives a decent and serious look. This is a much-used style for a simple yet efficient result. Half pony: Comb your hair well to prevent any tangling. Brush half of your hair down and adjust the whole upper portion of your hair into a pony tail. Use hair clips to adjust as per the convenience. Slide it up: This is the typical hairstyle used by the school girls. Adjust the loose hair on either side of your ears with the help of a suitable colourful slides or hair clips. It gives a modern touch. Sideways: This is for those with very

short hair. Just comb your hair to one side, leaving a small on the opposite side. You can use hair gel to keep the hair flat. This is the best style for women wearing jeans or jumpers. Look how good Nina looked! Curl it: This is the perfect style used by Pearle Maaney. Curl your hair in long tangles that looks like noodles. Leave it open around your face. Adjust it back with the help of a bow or clips. Face will look dazzling. These styles will help you enjoy your weekdays. Have a great day! ď Ź

Oct-Nov 2016

Citadelle la Ferriere and Sans Souci are the most popular tourist locations of the country. The ruins of the old fort still echo the triumph of the slave revolution. The UNESCO marked this site into the list of heritage sites.

Oct-Nov 2016

Haiti

a Caribbean heaven

Oct-Nov 2016

his country had several times confronted terrible invasions, natural disasters, and war. Each and every time, through their determination, they survived all dangers successfully. Recently, in 2010, the Caribbeanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most populous country had faced a devastating earthquake. Tens of thousands of innocent people were killed and lakhs of people were displaced from their homeland. As usual, Haitians demonstrated strong courage and determination to reinstate its past pride. To an extent, they have succeeded in doing so. Now, the oldest Latin American country is undergoing a recovery era. Fortunately, these disasters have not shattered the real wealth of this nation. In terms of history, art, culture, and natural beauty, Haiti is one of the wealthiest nations in this world. The country possesses African characterises and cultural

Oct-Nov 2016

traces rather than Latin American character and culture. We can find African traces in its music, architecture and food. The island was initially discovered on 1492 by the renowned Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus. The island was originally inhabited by the Taino community. The Spanish forces and several other western forces invaded the land and mercilessly looted its resources. They suppressed the indigenous people and treated them as slaves. They further brought several people from Africa and made them slave workers. These slaves worked in the colonial establishments operated in the country and helped the western powers to earn great fortunes from Haiti. Eventually, in the midst of the French revolution, the dreaded Haitian revolution broke out. It slowly crushed external powers and abolished slave system. Haiti is the first independent

nation of Latin America and Caribbean. It is created on 1 January 1804. History reads: â&#x20AC;&#x153;the sacrifice and confidence of a slave military officer, Toussaint Louverture, had turned a suppressed society of slaves into an independent nation.â&#x20AC;? Even though the country had faced some political issues and natural disasters in the recent past, now it is one of the most powerful countries of Latin America. It is a member of the Latin Union, the Organization of American States and the Caribbean States and several other unions. Those who are interested in visiting this country must closely monitor the political, health, and social situations thoroughly before making a plan. Recently, the United States, in a tourist warning report, announced that Haiti is not a safe place for the pregnant travellers because the Zika threat still exists in this Latin American nation.

The Haitians are friendly people. Notably, the country is far more peaceful than its neighboursJamaica and Dominican Republic. The Haitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and beverages is very special and delicious. The dishes like rice, seafood, and sauces dominate Haitian cuisine. You will get to taste some of the finest mangoes in this region. If you want some warm up after a sumptuous dinner or lunch, along with the food you will get the, most special, Barban court rum, which is manufactured in the country itself. Citadelle la Ferriere and Sans Souci are the most popular tourist locations of the country. The ruins of the old fort still echo the triumph of the slave revolution. The UNESCO marked this site into the list of heritage sites. Definitely, it will be a memorable visit. We will get to know the history of the country clearly when we visit these heritage sites. Fortunately, the natural disasters and invasions had not spoiled the real treasure of Haiti. Labadie and Amiga islands are some of the most attractive tourist destinations of the country. The scenic beauty of these islands will melt your mind. These islands are surrounded by awesome beaches. Here, you can try several sea adventures including snorkelling and some adventure sports items. These islands ensure unlimited fun and happiness.

Labadie and Amiga islands are some of the most attractive tourist destinations of the country. The scenic beauty of these islands will melt your mind.

If you want to know more about the culture, art, and history of this country, you must visit the Musee de Guahaba and Museum of Haitain arts. Through those art works showcased in these museums, Haiti is exposing their soul to the travellers. Even after you left Haiti, the memoirs and descriptions exposed by these museums will reside in the lower part of your heart permanently. It will evoke respect and happiness whenever we think about this country. The Barbancourt rum distillery is another destination that attracts

Oct-Nov 2016

Here, you can see several restaurants, street shops, markets, and several other entertaining things. It is a perfect city for a shopping freak.

travellers frequently. This distillery demonstrates the visitors the steps involved in making the Barbancourt rum. Moreover, here, after the visit, we will get to taste the most delicious rum directly from the brewer. If you want to spend some time in a peaceful city by simply roaming around, having different dishes, and making some random drop in,

Oct-Nov 2016

Petionville is the perfect place to make such kind of adventure trips. Here, you can see several restaurants, street shops, markets, and several other entertaining things. It is a perfect city for a shopping freak. Anyway, this city not only is famous for its street markets and interesting dishes but also is renowned for its cultural wealth. Here, you can find sev-

eral cultural institutions. As we all know, a Caribbean trip will not be a cheap trip. Even if the Haiti trip is an expensive trip, your mind will not stop you from making a second trip to this country because once you visit this heaven you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop loving it. If you want to explore a heaven, plan a trip to Haiti ď Ź

Oct-Nov 2016

AUTO REVIEW

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

Oct-Nov 2016

BMWX1

Oct-Nov 2016

ix years and a claimed 7,30,000 cars later, BMW has given the world a new X1. In that time, BMW has made an effort to understand what a modern day compact luxury crossover buyer wants and they decided to start off with a clean sheet of paper. The new X1 shares nothing with the old car, which is good news, because, the first generation car was cramped, unrefined, poorly finished and never really a looker. Enter the new X1.

right. The proportions are good, the character lines are well defined and carefully blended and crucially, the new X1 looks suitably large. The side profile has a strong beltline and beefy wheel arches. The typical BMW front end is imposing enough and the car looks expensive than it is. In fact, during the drive, many mistook it for an X3, which is saying something. The amount of detailing in the tail lamps is terrific. The car we tested had the optional 18 inch rims, which complemented the styling too.

ment screen in our xLine variant. The top M sport variant gets an 8.8 inch screen for the i-Drive system. The steering wheel feels meaty, the dials look crisp and the orange ambient lighting makes it all look cool at night. The X1 is quite practical with a 505 litre boot and has rear seats that slide 130mm forward for more cargo space and fold down in 40:20:40 format- something which none of the cars in its segment offer.

The new X1 is 53mm taller and 23mm wider than the previous generation X1, but a tad shorter. It has a shorter bonnet and more cab forward design compared to the more ‘raised estate’ look of the original. The first generation X1 was spawned from the 3 series Touring platform, with its engine mounted longitudinally and powering the rear wheels. The new one is based on what is internally known as the UKL2 chassis, which underpins the Mini and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The transverse engine layout and front wheel drive architecture may have upset purists, but it has resulted in a better crossover than before.

The switch from longitudinal to transverse engine layout has liberated lots of room in the cabin. There is ample amount of space for rear passengers, which rivals like the GLA and Q3 cannot match. The rear seat offers good position, ample knee room and is the widest of the lot. Adding to the cabin’s airy feel is the panoramic sunroof and the beige coloured trim. The front seats, unlike the previous gen offer a commanding position, although the bolstering could have been more generous all around. The cabin quality feels massively improved, but some of the plastics could have been better. The gear lever looks outdated and there is too much of a bezel around the 6.5 inch infotain-

when it comes to performance figures. Where the GLA has 136bhp and the Q3 has 177bhp, the X1 2.0d makes 187bhp! Acceleration, as a result is sprightly, with 0-100kmph coming up in 8.03 seconds. The engine also feels much more refined than in the previous car. The new engine layout means the X1 uses an 8-speed Aisin gearbox instead of the legendary ZF 8 speeder that is used in other BMWs. This one makes for super quick up shifts, but takes a bit of persuasion and isn’t enthusiastic as the ZF box when driven hard.

The styling, for starters, is just

Oct-Nov 2016

The X1 also beats its rivals

The switch to FWD architecture might have put off some, but this is still a BMW and the X1 still maintains 50:50 weight distribu-

tion. The handling is enthusiastic, the steering though electric feels communicative and the brakes are fantastic. The X1 is eager to turn in and has great composure than its crossover looks might have you believe. The X1 is available in front wheel drive and all wheel drive variants and the all wheel drive offers massive grip when it gets wet. It even shuffles power between front and rear axles to kill under steer and make it feel neutral at all times. The engine has a steady shove of power from 2000rpm and revels in hurling the car from one

corner to the next. The ride quality on the X1 is improved too, but you can tell there is an underlying firmness over small ruts and expansion joints. We put it down to the run flat tyres and their relatively low profile in the model we tested. Overall, there is a good amount of suspension travel and the dampers are tuned to be on the softer side. The X1 is a remarkable improvement over the car it replaces. It ticks the right boxes when it

comes to space, practicality, looks, comfort, driving pleasure etc. Sure, there are downsides. You don’t get keyless entry or reverse camera – features that are common in most cars today, let alone ones that cost this much. These minor omissions aside, the X1 is just the right size and offers everything you’d expect from a compact SUV. With ex. showroom prices starting from Rs.30 lakhs and going all the way to 40 lakhs, the X1 is priced at par with the GLA and Q3, and is our choice among the three 

Oct-Nov 2016

MOVIE REVIEW

Baar Baar Dekho

t is a romantic drama directed by Nitya Mehra. This Bollywood film marks Nityaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directorial debut in the B-Town film industry. The director roped in two glamorous actors in the lead roles. Sidharth Malhotra acts as Jai Varmathe central character. Meanwhile, the Bollywood princess, Katrina Kaif, appears as his pair. The film, which was released on 9 September 2016, earned mixed response from its audience and critics. The film showcases several emotional sequences. Some people feel that the performance of the actors was not up to the mark. There were some problems in the storyline and script. The dialogues were not properly placed. Anyway, the preponderance of the audience unanimously admits that the film is a good entertainer.

Banjo

his film, which is directed by the renowned Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav, is a musical action drama. In the film, Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri appear in the lead roles. The film was released on 23 September 2016. Notably, this musical drama is produced by the Eros International. The well-known music directing duo, Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, who proved their music direction skills in Tamil, Marathi and Hindi films, has contributed several amazing songs to this musical drama. This film will be a perfect entertainer if you do not put huge expectations on this small crew. The story of the film is written by Kapil Sawant, Nikhil Mehrotra, and Ravi Jadhav.

Oct-Nov 2016

Sully

t is an autobiographical drama directed by the most talented director of the Hollywood industry, Clint Eastwood. The film was initially released on September 8. It is running successfully in the theatres across the world. Moreover, it received positive comments even from the critics. The movie is based on an autobiography, named ‘Highest Duty’, written by Captain Chesley Sullenberger- popularly known as ‘Sully’. In this film, Tom Hanks acts as ‘Sully’. Along with Tom, several other actors including Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney appear in the supporting roles. The film revolves around an American pilot who became a hero of the nation by saving the life of hundreds of people through an extraordinary emergency landing. The real suspense factor of the film starts when the heroic pilot faces an investigation that threatens to spoil his reputation and career.

Bridget Jones’s Baby

t is a comedy drama directed by Sharon Maguire. The film revolves around Bridget Jones, a forty-year-old woman, who tries to sort out an unusual issue. The film was initially released on September 15. The writer incorporated several slapstick comedies and comic sequences. It is a perfect entertainer. Renee Zellweger appears in the lead role. Apart from Renee, Patrick Dempsey, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, and Gemma Jones act in the film. Notably, all the actors gave their best to turn their character a memorable one. To an extent, they succeeded in doing so. The screenplay of the movie is written by Emma Thompson, Helen Fielding, and Dan Mazer. The film possesses a slight feministic character. In some sequences, the central character delivers some pro-feminist dialogues.

Oct-Nov 2016

BOOK REVIEW

Here I Am Author : Jonathan Safran Foer Price : `1121.74 (16.80 US dollars)

he novel handles an emotional subject. It is a family story. It discusses how each person fulfils their conflicting duties. In a family, each person has to act several roles. If we take father as a subject of our discussion, we can identify that a father, in a family, acts as husband, father, son, son-in-law, and even brother-in-law. Basically, this novel is the story of a frustrating family in a time of crisis. The writer extensively used his creative skills to turn the book into a masterpiece. The writing style used in the novel is worth commendable. It evidently showcases the language skill of the writer.

The Graces

Author : Laure Eve Price : `718.44 (10.76 US dollars)

t is a fantasy novel. This novel discusses the witchcraft and black magic. The story revolves around a teenage girl who deliberately entered into the world of witches. If you are a fantasy enthusiast, you will find this novel extremely interesting and addictive. The writer is evidently a creative person because the novel is completely a fantasy work. When we go through certain portions of the novel, we will, most probably, fall in love with the characters. The book undoubtedly marks the beginning of a new wave of teenage witches. In terms of writing style and creativity, it is far better than a conventional fantasy novel.

Oct-Nov 2016

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Oct-Nov 2016

BOOK REVIEW

Entrapment Author : Aleatha Romig Price : `984.82 (14.75 US dollars)

t is the fourth of the five novels in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Infidelityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; series. The writer of the novel is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author. It is a romantic novel. It discusses several complicated factors like love, passion, and betrayal. A special note given by the writer in the cover itself reads that this series does not advocate nor does it condone cheating. The special note itself has enough potential to evoke enthusiasm. The writer creates several twists and turns in the story. The suspense factor will differently pull you to the edge of your seat. The writer used some colloquial words, which may sometimes confuse you. Anyway, it is an entertaining novel.

And The Trees Crept In Author : Dawn Kurtagich Price : `681.81 (10.22 US dollar)

t is an outstanding horror novel written by the master horror writer. The language, writing style, plots, and horror sequences used in the novel is simply the best. The book has enough potential to turn itself into a horror classic. The story revolves around two sisters, Silli and Nori. The lead characters arrive at their auntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, where they confront several unusual and mysterious things. The suspense begins when one of them meets a beautiful young boy. The sisters believe that the boy appears from the woods. There are several twists and turns in the novel. Certainly, there are several breath-taking sequences. It is worthy to read.

Oct-Nov 2016

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Oct-Nov 2016