DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:21:54 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/over-3-000-books-on-display-at-namo-pustak-parab-gujarat-cm-attends-151st-edition-543674.html Ahmedabad May 19 Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attended the 151st edition of Namo Pustak Parab a weekly book fair featuring over 3000 books on various subjects Chief Minister Patel explored the diverse range of books and praised the initiativeThe Namo Pustak Parab inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and launched on July 4 2021 aims to make reading a widespread habitMLA Mahesh Kaswala who supports the initiative highlighted the influence of Prime Minister Modis belief in the power of reading as the inspiration behind the eventThe weekly fair set up on the footpath in Ahmedabad attracts a large number of readersThe collection includes books on religion tourism literature engineering science poetry and stories offering something for everyoneThe most remarkable aspect of this event is that there is no registration process for those who donate or borrow books Despite this we never run out of books Families donate their books here while readers and those in need borrow and return them after reading Kaswala saidThe Chief Minister during the event was gifted a copy of the Bhagavad Gita He later shared his experience on social media writing I had the good fortune to attend the 151st Namo Pustak Parab a reading event organised by MLA Mr Maheshbhai Kaswala at Maninagar Ahmedabad city on SundayThe chief minister also engaged with the literary community and promoted the reading culture He met young readers and Gujarati authors IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/over-3-000-books-on-display-at-namo-pustak-parab-gujarat-cm-attends-151st-edition-543674.html Sun, 19 May 2024 14:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/four-day-long-sant-shivir-concludes-at-baps-swaminarayan-mandir-in-gujarats-sarangpur-543704.html New Delhi May 19 The fourday long Sant Shivir at BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Gujarats Sarangpur concluded this weekend The intensive program saw the participation of about 650 Santo Parshado trainee saints and Sadhako trainees desiring to take diksha in the presence of Mahant Swami ji Maharaj and Sadguru SantoSarangpur is the seat of BAPS Swaminarayan Sansthas unique training centre where all those seeking diksha for becoming saints have to undergo compulsory training for a period of about six years before being initiated into the BAPS Swaminarayans saintly orderThis Sant Shivir program was the second such initiative by Sarangpurbased Swaminarayan Sanstha to impart diksha So far a total of 1400 Santo Parshado and Sadhako have collectively participated in the training programEarlier this month a Divya Sannidhi Parva was organised here which was attended by 1700 senior volunteers from BAPS Childrens Activities wingDuring the five sessions of the program organised with the theme of Antar Akshardham the Swamishri blessed each volunteer and appreciated their sevaThroughout the Divya Sannidhi Parva the volunteers were enlightened and informed about various aspects of nishtha niyamdharma divyabhao and other spiritual endeavours as practised by sadguru swamis and other experienced swamisThe Divya Sannidhi Parva inspired by Mahant Swami ji Maharaj was an unforgettable experience for all the participants IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/four-day-long-sant-shivir-concludes-at-baps-swaminarayan-mandir-in-gujarats-sarangpur-543704.html Sun, 19 May 2024 16:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/over-65-000-pilgrims-register-for-amarnath-yatra-2024-543340.html Srinagar May 18 Over 65000 pilgrims have so far registered for this years annual Amarnath Yatra Officials said that over 65000 pilgrims have registered so far at different registration centres for this years Amarnath YatraThis years Amarnath Yatra will start on June 19 and conclude on August 19The Amarnath Cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moonDevotees believe that the ice stalagmite symbolises the powers of Lord ShivaThe cave shrine is situated 3888 metres above sea level in KashmirYatris approach the cave shrine either through the shorter north Kashmir Baltal base camp route or through the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam base camp route IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/over-65-000-pilgrims-register-for-amarnath-yatra-2024-543340.html Sat, 18 May 2024 13:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-look-of-rajput-queen-hadi-ranis-wax-statue-unveiled-at-jaipur-museum-543398.html Jaipur May 18 First look of the wax statue of Rajput queen Hadi Rani who beheaded herself to motivate her husband to fight the war against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was unveiled at a museum in Jaipur on Saturday The wax statue of the queen was unveiled as a mark of respect to her on International Museum DayIn Rajasthan the land of heroes even the Rajput women Chhatranis sacrificed themselves for the nation One such braveheart was Sahal Kanwar the queen of HadiHadi Rani at the tender age of 16 beheaded herself for the sake of the nation This is a very inspiring immortal story of courage and sacrifice which still resonates in this land Anup Shrivastav Founder Director of Jaipur Wax Museum saidHer statue will soon be installed with a special show Anup saidI was personally moved by this true story and we decided that the coming generation must know about this immortal story of renunciation and sacrifice Anup addedThe wax statue of Hadi Rani and the sets of the show are ready Recording of dialogues voiceovers and music is being done in Mumbai Soon tourists will be able to see this heartwrenching story in a special light and sound show he saidAnup saidWe install statues of reallife heroes in the museum so that the young generation knows about them and gets inspired by them IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-look-of-rajput-queen-hadi-ranis-wax-statue-unveiled-at-jaipur-museum-543398.html Sat, 18 May 2024 15:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-that-created-panic-in-tamil-nadus-tirunelveli-caught-543414.html Chennai May 18 Forest department officials on Saturday caught a leopard that created panic among the people of the Papanasam area in Tamil Nadus Tirunelveli district The leopards movements were caught on CCTV cameras in the area The animal had reportedly attacked a goat at Vembaiyapuram village in the districtTamil Nadu forest department officials reached the spot and kept a trap cage in a village adjacent to the Papanasam forest range in which the leopard walked in According to officials the animal would be released deep inside the forestsMuthusamy a paddy farmer in Vembaiyapuram told IANS We came to know that the forest department has trapped the leopard A goat was attacked by the big cat on Friday We were worried as we all have cattle We had complained to the Tirunelveli district authorities to catch the leopard IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-that-created-panic-in-tamil-nadus-tirunelveli-caught-543414.html Sat, 18 May 2024 16:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/after-8-years-in-making-agras-international-museum-awaits-govt-support-543446.html Agra May 18 On International Museum Day Taj Citys ambitious Rs 200 crore Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Museum project previously known as Mughal Museum is awaiting the state governments support to finish its remaining works Originally planned to be opened to public in Agra four years ago the International Museum has faced delays due to a lack of funds and bureaucratic hurdlesHistorian Dr Mukul Pandya mentioned that International Museum Day is organised by the International Council of Museums focusing on a different theme each year addressing current issues and challenges faced by museums worldwideThe purpose of Museum Day is to raise awareness about the societal contributions of museums and advocate for cultural exchange diversity and inclusivity Museums serve as a unifying force bringing people together This years theme centres around Museums for Education and ResearchTourist guide Ved Gautam said that the construction of the International Museum in Taj City has been going on for several years since the foundation stone was laid by former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on January 5 2016Originally estimated at Rs 140 crore the cost has now increased to nearly Rs 200 crore The museum is situated approximately 1 km from the Taj MahalThe UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam contracted the Tata group to execute the project Workers on the site said more than 60 per cent of the work is complete Precast concrete structures are being fabricated to speed up the work on the project according to the guidelines by eminent museum experts in France and the United KingdomThe name of Mughal Museum was changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Museum when Yogi Adityanth assumed office as Chief Minister of UPInitially intended to focus on the Mughal eras weapons attire culture and related aspects the Yogi government has broadened its scope to encompass the extensive history of the Braj Mandal regionThe museum will feature indoor auditoriums outdoor theatres for cultural programmes a library with books on archaeology and history as well as a cafeteriaAfter eight years of construction the prolonged delays are a cause for concern but once completed tourists will have another enticing reason to prolong their stay in Agra according to Rajiv Saxena a heritage conservationist from the cityThe municipal museum at Johns Public Library in Paliwal Park has been shut down leaving only the museum within the Taj Mahal complex accessible to the public Although this museum houses valuable historical artefacts it does not attract many tourists in a hurry as noted by SaxenaRegrettably three exquisite statues of Queen Victoria are left unprotected in the open reflecting a lack of appreciation for Agras rich heritage among its residents according to social activist Rajiv Gupta of Lok SwarMeanwhile the members of the Agra Heritage Group have urged the UP government to shift some of the valuable antiques artefacts and Buddha statues from the Mathura Museum to the upcoming Agra MuseumMathura Museum has the best collection of Buddhist artefacts and Buddha statues in the world However valuable antique pieces are carelessly lying around because of space constraints But now they will have a place and Buddhists from across the world will throng the Agra Museum said Gopal Singh of the Agra Heritage GroupThe Mathura Museum founded by the thencollector F S Growse in 1874 has a rich collection of artefacts pottery sculptures paintings and coins as well as a large number of collections by eminent colonial archaeologistsAdditionally statues from the Kushan and Gupta periods from 3rd century BC to 12th century AD are conserved here However lack of resources and space have been major constraints The conservationists hope that now with the Agra Museum taking shape this problem will be sorted out IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/after-8-years-in-making-agras-international-museum-awaits-govt-support-543446.html Sat, 18 May 2024 17:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/10-endangered-turtle-species-found-in-bengals-new-jalpaiguri-railway-station-543471.html Guwahati May 18 The Railway Protection Force RPF of the Northeast Frontier Railway NFR while conducting routine checking at New Jalpaiguri railway station of West Bengal recovered 10 live endangered species of turtles that were being transported illegally officials said on Saturday NFRs Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said that a RPF team conducted a routine check in the Thiruvananthapuram CentralSilchar Aronai Express train at New Jalpaiguri station on Friday and detected 10 live endangered species of turtlesThe turtles were handed over to the West Bengal Forest Department after completing all the legal formalities and documentationThe NFR operates in the northeastern states and seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/10-endangered-turtle-species-found-in-bengals-new-jalpaiguri-railway-station-543471.html Sat, 18 May 2024 18:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-several-cities-record-temperatures-few-notches-above-normal-542729.html Guwahati May 16 Assam has been reeling under conditions of a heat wave as several cities record temperatures at least five notches above normal According to weather department data Guwahati recorded a temperature of 372 degree Celcius on Wednesday which is a departure of 54 degrees from normalTezpur witnessed a departure of 72 degrees and the city recorded 381 degree Celcius on WednesdaySimilarly other cities like Dibrugarh Silchar Dhubri and Jorhat also recorded a few notches above normal temperaturesThe Met department has predicted that a similar condition will prevail in Assam for a couple of days although the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati forecasted that light to moderate rain coupled with thunderstorms may occur in isolated places in the state IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-several-cities-record-temperatures-few-notches-above-normal-542729.html Thu, 16 May 2024 16:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-pm-modis-policies-enabled-more-women-to-join-workforce-reap-benefits-542820.html New Delhi May 16 From extending maternity leave benefits to relaxation in labour laws to providing creches the policies led by the Modi government have enabled a significant number of women to join the workforce The effects are visible in the declining female unemployment rate and increasing female labour force participationData from the Periodic Labour Force Survey PLFS showed that the female unemployment rate decreased to 85 per cent in JanuaryMarch this year from 92 per cent in 2023The female labour force participation rate LFPR in urban areas rose to 256 per cent during JanuaryMarch 2024 from 227 per cent last yearFurther female worker population ratio in urban areas also rose to 234 per cent during JanuaryMarch this year In JanuaryMarch 2023 it was 206 per centThe PLFS report compiled by the Ministry of Statistics amp Programme Implementation is based on a survey of 44598 urban households and 169459 people in urban areasPrime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2017 announced 26week maternity leave for working mothers instead of the earlier 12 weeks for their pregnancy and deliveryThe basic aim is to ensure proper care of the newborn the future citizen of India from the time of birth PM Modi had said at the timeEarlier this year the government in an advisory asked employers to provide paid maternity leave to registered road construction workers for 26 weeks for up to two deliveriesIn the case of adoption or commissioning the mothers were entitled to get 12 weeks of paid maternity leaveThe advisory also included miscarriages If a woman in the construction sector experiences a miscarriage she is entitled to get leave with wages equivalent to maternity benefits for six weeks following the day of the miscarriageThe governments policies also asked employers to facilitate a safe and supportive environment for female workers during night shifts ensuring transportation services for pickup and dropoff especially during nighttime hoursFurther PM Modi governments also rolled out standards and protocols for setting up creches that will provide comprehensive childcare in a safe and secure environment and also foster the overall development of children in the countryThese Standards and Protocol focus strongly on standardising and institutionalising the Care economy contributing significantly to the vision of Womenled Development IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-pm-modis-policies-enabled-more-women-to-join-workforce-reap-benefits-542820.html Thu, 16 May 2024 17:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-police-force-one-chief-to-drive-multi-media-event-devoted-to-lord-ram-542873.html Mumbai May 16 Krishna Prakash is better known as the officer who heads Force One the elite counterterrorism unit of the Mumbai Police but hes now busy with something softer and nobler The Additional Director General of Police ADGrank officer is bringing the festival Sab Me Ram Shashwat Shri Ram to Mumbai to share what he describes as the strength of steel he derives from Lord Rams life and teachingsThe super cop has visualised the festival in a way that he tells the story of Lord Ram through music literature dance and theatre Ahead of the event ADG Singh spoke to IANS about the idea behind itKrishna believes that Lord Rams universal appeal cuts across ideologies and transcends the boundaries of time He told IANS Even the Bhakti saintpoet Kabir who follows the Nirgun Niraakaar school of devotion sings about Lord Ram existing in one and all Sufi poetry talks about Lord Ram as much as Bhakti poetry Tulsidass Ram is the same as Kabirs RamHe said he had put together a multimedia experience to project the glory of Lord Ram because it is immersive and draws the spectator or listener immediately into the storyThe venues for the event are Gateway of India from where incidentally he swam to the Elephanta Caves Mumbai University and Ballard Pier The top cop said that each of the three venues had been chosen because of their heritage value and dignityPrakash told IANS The Gateway of India is a sign of how India never lost its spirit and grandeur in spite of the British onslaught on its culture and sense of selfrespect The Gateway also symbolises how Lord Ram crossed the ocean to accomplish his aim It will also draw us visually to the narrative we wish to recreate with dance music and poetryHe then spoke about Mumbai University saying it is a seat of knowledge and wisdom so it is natural that all literaturerelated discussions are to be hosted here Having the university partner with us is a feather in our cap as it represents all that higher knowledge that we associate with Lord Ram Krishna saidBallard Pier the police officer continued is being used for the first time for a cultural event because that neighbourhood is representative of South Mumbais culture and commerceDelving deeper into the literary programme Krishna said The Hindi Sahitya Bharti and Maharashtra Rajya Hindi Sahitya Akademi are organising it It is natural therefore that enlightened and erudite scholars would be a part of the discussions and lecture series The subjects will include the poetry of Rama the female characters of Ramayana the various Ramayanas of Valmiki Tulsidas Kamban Krittivas and so many othersBesides international speakers from Indonesia Thailand and several other countries spiritual personalities such as Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj of Ayodhya Prof BR Shankaranand head of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal and Shashwatanand Giri Maharaj will speak at the eventIt is Krishnas dream to make everyone understand what Ram means He said Lord Ram has different facets He is allinclusive He is everywhere He is the karma the dharma the thoughtSab Me Ram Shashwat Shri Ram will be held across Mumbai from May 31 to June 2 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-police-force-one-chief-to-drive-multi-media-event-devoted-to-lord-ram-542873.html Thu, 16 May 2024 20:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/three-day-synchronised-elephant-census-of-south-indian-states-from-may-23-542598.html Chennai May 15 The threeday annual synchronised elephant census in four south Indian states will now commence from May 23 it was announced on Wednesday The elephant census for 2024 was to commence on May 17 for three days but was put off after Kerala expressed some difficulties and requested a weeks extensionKerala Karnataka Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Forest Departments will participate in the synchronised elephant census from May 23In Tamil Nadu the elephant study will be conducted in Coimbatore Erode Nilgiris Dharmapuri Hosur Vellore Tiruvanamalai Megamalai Srivilliputhur Tirunelveli and KanniyakumariTamil Nadu Forest Department officials told IANS that the number of forest staff and volunteers for the exercise would be decided in the coming daysAccording to a senior official a team of four to five members would be deputed to cover a region of around 15 km and they would walk through it from 6 am to 6 pm and assess the age and sex of the elephants directlyThe team would also find out whether any elephant has any external injuries their tusk size and the number of Makhna tuskless male elephants presentThey will also assess the elephant dung to differentiate between the elephants The team will also study the elephants behaviour and movements of these elephantsIn the 2023 census in Tamil Nadu forests 2961 elephants were identified or 200 more than the earlier exercise which recorded 2761 elephants The 2023 elephant census was held from May 17 to May 19The four states would be releasing the list of elephants in each state togetherTamil Nadu Forest Department officials told IANS that the states Conservator of Forests D Venkatesh who is also the Director of the Madumalai Tiger Reserve MTR will be the nodal officer for the census for the Tamil Nadu region IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/three-day-synchronised-elephant-census-of-south-indian-states-from-may-23-542598.html Wed, 15 May 2024 22:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-zoo-loses-white-bengal-tiger-abhimanyu-542294.html Hyderabad May 14 The Nehru Zoological Park here has lost a nineyearold white Bengal tiger due to nephritis Zoo officials said on Tuesday Male tiger Abhimanyu had been suffering from nephritis with the first stage of renal problems since April last yearAbhimanyu was born in the same zoo on January 2 2015 to sire Badri and dam SurekhaSameeraThe zoo family mourns the loss of Abhimanyu the Zoo authorities saidMany experts in the field of veterinary medicine tiger experts and other zoos were also consulted regarding the health condition of Abhimanyu They suggested many medications and treatments to overcome the problemsHowever recently the condition of the animal started deteriorating and it was even unable to wake up or walk properly since May 5The Zoo officials said the animal was suffering from Rheumatism and had been off food since May 12The animal was critical for the past three days with lateral recumbency wherein fluid therapy along with medications was continued to revive the animal Despite the best efforts of the wildlife hospital and rescue centres dedicated veterinary doctors experts and animal keepers the big cat succumbed at 215 pm on May 14 Tuesday in its enclosureWe have conducted the postmortem in the presence of veterinary experts from VBRI and CVSc Hyderabad and the cause of death was inferred to be chronic renal failure All samples were collected and sent to VBRI Hyderabad for detailed laboratory diagnosis the Zoo said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-zoo-loses-white-bengal-tiger-abhimanyu-542294.html Tue, 14 May 2024 23:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lensman-anthropologist-rajesh-satankar-rates-kumbh-mela-as-logistical-marvel-541207.html Mumbai May 11 Photographer Rajesh Satankar who is gearing up for his photobook exhibition of Celebration of Heritage in Mumbai has captured the essence of the Kumbh Mela in his lens Portraying varied shades of spirituality in his pictures Rajesh feels that the extravaganza makes for a textbook in logistics management given the sheer number of people attending the melaRajesh spoke with IANS and opened up on his journey of experiencing the beauty of the Kumbh Mela from close quarters his analysis as an anthropologist about the growing influence of globalisation on human civilisation and the connecting thread between those attending the melaTalking about the themes that intrigue him as a photographer he told IANS People in all their fascinating complexities are what truly intrigues me as a photographer Perhaps it stems from my background in anthropology but I find myself drawn to capturing the stories etched on peoples faces the way they interact and the unspoken narratives of their everyday lives Theres magic in connecting with someone hearing their stories and then translating that essence into a single image My passion for people photography manifests in a variety of waysHe said that the grandiosity of weddings the meticulous artistry of fashion shoots and quiet moments of spirituality at the Kumbh Mela all hold a certain allure Even the bustling energy of street life with its random encounters and fleeting moments sparks my creative fireWhen asked about the germ of the photobook he told IANS that the idea for the book sprouted from two things that weighed heavily on his mind Firstly the Kumbh Mela effortlessly manages millions of people every single dayIts a logistical marvel and I felt this incredible story wasnt being shared widely enough The second reason stemmed from a concern about the younger generations awareness of the Kumbh Mela Its a global phenomenon yet there seems to be a gap in understanding particularly among youth The media often focuses heavily on the religious aspects which are undeniably important but theres so much more to the experienceHe said that he wanted to create a book that went beyond just rituals and customsI envisioned capturing the vibrant spirit of the Kumbh Mela the coming together of diverse cultures the temporary city that springs up to accommodate millions the joyous festivities and most importantly the human connections that form there This wasnt just about showcasing the spiritual significance of the Mela though thats a powerful aspect tooHe said that it was about portraying the Kumbh Mela as a place where people from all walks of life with different beliefs and backgrounds come together in a spirit of unity and shared experienceThat to me was the heart of the story waiting to be told he saidWhen asked how will globalisation manifest itself with ideas values and cultures travelling across the globeHe said As an anthropologist Im fascinated by globalisations impact on cultural exchange Historically migration has shaped civilisations and the Kumbh Mela embodies this beautifully People from all walks of life converge sharing traditions and fostering a global community Technology like AI is accelerating this exchange creating a glocal world where global connections exist alongside local identitiesHe said that this interconnectedness can break down cultural barriers and foster understandingImagine someone of a different faith attending the Kumbh Mela discovering new perspectives or even a path to enlightenment through witnessing the pilgrims devotion The Mela becomes a platform for global faith exploration not conversion he saidHe said that the Kumbh Mela offers hope as millions come together united by a purpose yet celebrating their unique traditionsThis is a microcosm of the future I see a world where globalisation fosters cultural exchange and understanding while still allowing local traditions to thrive he addedCelebration of Heritage will be held at the Nehru Centre in the Worli area of Mumbai with an inaugural function on May 11 and an exhibition on May 12 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lensman-anthropologist-rajesh-satankar-rates-kumbh-mela-as-logistical-marvel-541207.html Sat, 11 May 2024 08:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/son-moves-home-leaves-ailing-father-behind-in-kochi-541272.html Kochi May 11 Its normal for people to leave behind unwanted things when they move home but in Kochis suburb Eroor a man and his family moved out from their rented accommodation and left behind his old and ailing father Locals were aghast on Saturday morning when they found out that 70yearold Shanmugham who had been ailing for a long time had been left behind by his driver son Ajith and the family had shifted to an undisclosed new locationAjiths former landlord said that he had not been getting rent for a while and had approached the police for a solutionAjith told the police that he would vacate the house but he needed some more time It was only yesterday that someone informed me that they had vacated my house But I was also told that his father has been left behind When I reached my house I saw that the entire home had been cleared but his old and helpless father was lying on the bed I immediately informed the police about this said the owner of the houseSI at the Tripunithura Police Station Reshma said on Saturday that there were issues between Ajith and his two sisters about the way he had been keeping their fatherWe were told that one of the daughters was willing to take her father with her but Ajith was not allowing her to do that We spoke to Ajith and he said that he was at Vagamon However he has given different locations to different people who have been calling himWe will locate him soon with the help of the Cyber Police We will be registering a case against him said SI ReshmaMeanwhile the police have moved the ailing father to a staterun hospital for treatment IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/son-moves-home-leaves-ailing-father-behind-in-kochi-541272.html Sat, 11 May 2024 17:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/candidates-seek-out-astrologers-jewellers-on-akshaya-tritiya-541010.html Lucknow May 10 Business is booming for astrologers and pandits in Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and has peaked on Akshaya Tritiya Political leaders and candidates cutting across party lines have been consulting astrologers for a favourable time for filing nominations and starting their campaignsSpecial pujas are being organised on Friday on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya to ensure success in electionsPandit Arun Tripathi a wellknown astrologer and numerologist said Candidates now want to know the auspicious colour of their dress direction from which they should launch their campaign and even the favourable food items they should consume during the election period to ensure successHe said that some candidates also wanted to know the colour of the vehicle they should use for campaigningA large number of candidates are holding puja to remove the ill effects of Rahu kaal Pitra dosh Mangal dosh and Kaal Sarp dosh in their horoscopesA priest from the Prayagraj Jyotish Sansthan said The first query is regarding the auspicious time for nominations Even candidates who normally are not known to follow religious practices are consulting us They want to know the favourable time as per birth ascendant and birth sign in the horoscope and are willing to spend huge amounts of money for corrective pujaSeveral candidates are also consulting astrologers about their wives horoscopesIn one case I found that the wifes horoscope had more favourable planetary positions and now the candidate makes sure that his wife accompanies him on his campaign said Acharya Sandeep an astrologer in KanpurSandeep said that after he told one of his clients that the green colour would bring him luck the latter has now taken to wearing green kurtas and carrying green handkerchiefs even though his party colour is not greenThe astrologer had asked another client to give up eating fish since Rahu was dangerously positioned in his horoscope He has turned vegetarian completelyPriests in Varanasi Prayagraj and Lucknow also have their hands full with requests for elaborate pujas including Rudhrabhishek on Mondays Sunderkand path on Tuesdays and Shani puja on SaturdaysThe largest number of pujas are scheduled for Akshay Tritya which is considered auspiciousWith political leaders reaching out to astrologers gemstones are also much in demand in the election seasonParimal Rastogi a wellknown jeweller in Lucknow said that poll aspirants were placing orders for rings and bracelets after consulting their astrologers for favourable gemsCustomers are giving us barely a day or two to make their rings and bracelets and are even offering a higher price for urgent delivery It seems that stakes are much higher in these elections compared to previous ones he saidOne candidate interestingly has asked a local florist to supply him 10 bouquets of yellow roses every day till pollingHe has apparently been told by his astrologer that yellow colour will bring him luck IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/candidates-seek-out-astrologers-jewellers-on-akshaya-tritiya-541010.html Fri, 10 May 2024 16:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chetan-bhagat-opens-up-on-foray-into-audio-dramas-and-how-to-unlove-541147.html New Delhi May 10 Looking back at his childhood Chetan Bhagat remembers the time when the radio was the primary source of entertainment He recounts the sense of anticipation with which people awaited simple yet captivating audio dramas that held their listeners spellbound Modern audio dramas according to the bestselling author have undergone a remarkable transformation benefiting from advances in music production technology and heightened creative efforts He contends that productions today are exponentially richer in content compared to audio dramas of the pastBhagat who recently launched an audio drama adaptation of his acclaimed book The Girl in Room 105 on Audible told IANS that the forthcoming rendition of the novel isnt just a typical audiobook with a single narrator Rather it resembles a cinematic experience without visualsIn a conversation with IANS Bhagat explained the intricacies of producing the audio drama adaptation and the future of the audio drama business Excerpts from the interviewQ What inspired the decision to adapt The Girl in Room 105 into an audio drama formatChetan I try to always stay connected to the youth of India I think the young are continually evolving They have different ways in which they consume their stories Human beings have always consumed and liked stories but the medium has changed I want to be in the most modern medium possible and audio dramas are the futureAudio dramas have wonderful spaces where you can listen to them anytime and anywhere with a lot of flexibility You can listen to them while folding your clothes or taking a walk and at the same time they give you almost a movielike experienceI wanted to be in this space I do not want to limit myself to being a writer but to move on to movies television newspapers and motivational talks on stageAudio books is another fascinating area that is coming up I wanted to be the early ones doing this so I grabbed the chance Audible gave meQ How do you assess the effectiveness of conveying messages through reading versus listeningChetan I always tell people to read and reading allows for a lot of absorption but next to that or almost the same as that is listening to an audio format Whether it is a podcast audiobook or an audio drama because that also allows you to absorb content betterSometimes what happens with videos is that while you get absorbed in watching it doesnt retain very wellFor example you may have watched half an hour of Instagram reels today but do you remember any of them You probably dont But youll remember a good speech or good audio instructions youll also remember if you read somethingReading as well as audio are two excellent ways to learn things and thats how if you have noticed we are taught We are taught to read books and listen to lectures These are the two ways how maximum learning and absorption of information happens and its a fantastic medium for thatQ What trends do you think are shaping the audiobook industry How are authors like you adapting to itChetan I realised quickly that Im not in a paper business or the ink business I am in the storytelling business The more new ways and new technologies enable the telling of these stories the more we need to try and become a part of them I think this is a very important part for writers who share their ideas with the world and this is an excellent way to do soQ Can you walk us through the production process of the audio adaption of The Girl in Room 105 What role does Chetan Bhagat play in itChetan The book itself has a small cameo if you can see by Chetan Bhagat although it is a work of fiction I often do this cameo situation where the hero of the story or the protagonist needs the author and the book is written to enable that to happenSo I played myself I did a little bit of that but otherwise there is a whole cast here This is not just an audiobook that one person narrates It is pretty much the same process as making a movie The only difference is that there is no camera and makeup and all that because youre not seeing themBut other than that theres a whole casting process theres scripting shooting editing background sound music everything Theres a full team and that is why the experience is going to be very wholesome or maybe unlike anything you may have experienced beforeQ In what way does the audio drama explore stereotypes and political issues of contemporary India because thats something which is always a part of your storiesChetan Although this book is a murder mystery it is about somebody who is in IIT but not very happy with his career He is teaching in coaching classes and he is trying to solve the mystery of the death of exgirlfriend with whom he is still in love withSo it brings out the frustration that people experience when they dont have anything meaningful in their job nor see a purpose in it For someone like Keshav he finds the true purpose of solving this mystery he believes that nothing absorbs him like trying to solve this case even though he is not a detectiveThe second thing is that it brings out the Kashmir issue it brings out the stereotypes that exist in our heads and how that confuses the story I do not want to reveal too much because we have a preconception about Kashmir and the girl is Kashmiri The mystery hits a certain path which is often realised as a stereotype It is often called an unloved storyWe have so many love stories out there but it is important to learn to unlove because love doesnt often last forever People break up and sometimes dont even get words and this is pretty much the case in contemporary India and the world How does one learn to unlove somebody thats never discussed so I think this book also brings that out IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chetan-bhagat-opens-up-on-foray-into-audio-dramas-and-how-to-unlove-541147.html Fri, 10 May 2024 20:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/book-review-how-india-transitioned-from-fragile-five-to-first-five-540707.html New Delhi May 9 The prerequisite for visioning India as a developed nation Viksit Bharat by 2047 is selfreliance or Aatmanirbharta India is moving ahead with speed in scale and size It took us sixty years after Independence to become a USD 1 trillion economy whereas the next one and a half decades witnessed a threefold increase It was during the middle of 2020 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided an impetus for Atmanirbhar Bharat It was this timely realisation and focus that led him to further extend it for a greater mission Viksit Bharat by 2047 marking a century of Indian independence The challenge before all of us is how to become selfreliant in a sustainable way so that we are able to cherish the fruits for all times to comeWith this context in mind I read this book titled Aatmanirbhar A Swadeshi Paradigm edited by Professor Ashwani Mahajan It is an insightful volume providing different viewpoints on the whole idea of selfreliance from the perspective of Swadeshi Bharat The core of our growth lies in solving our problems with our resources or finding a match between available resources potential and application Moving from reliance to selfreliance or nirbharta to aatmnirbharta is the key to sustainable development within and beyond defined frames This book has 18 chapters authored by intelligent thinkers of contemporary India whose voice matters The editor deserves appreciation for being able to rope in experts from academics policymaking and industry to share their perspectives on Aatmnirbhar Bharat through their prudent contribution The foreword is written by Dr Mohan Bhagwat Sarsanghchalak Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh building context around purusharthas and beyond Western belief of materialism and consumerism The contributors include V A Nageswaran Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India Bibek Debroy Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India N K Singh Chairman 15th Finance Commission Government of India A K Lahiri Former Chief Economic Advisor Government of India Sanjeev Sanyal Member Economic Advisory Council to the PM apart from industry experts like Sanjeev Puri Chairman and MD ITC Sridhar Vembu CEO Zoho Corpn and Gopal Srinivasan CEO TVS Capital The experience of reading this book was enriching and sagacious travelling through the villages wageled growth industrial growth food security and international trade The mix of macro and micro problem and policy trade and technology are brilliantly interwoven through the volume The chapters cover almost all broader areas important for a country like India The three pillars of the economy viz Agriculture Industry and Services are addressed through expert viewsThe idea of Aatmanirbharta has been discussed across chapters taking cues from our cultural ethos that have shaped our growing as a nation Sachin Chaturvedi mentions one element that Gandhi emphasised and that is still relevant today is ethics in economic development Indian development and particularly Swadeshi ethos should nurture this going beyond corporate social responsibility At the same time it needs to be ensured as emphasised by PM Narendra Modi that there is sustainable consumption of production with a minimum carbon footprint p 17The manufacturing sectors growth is visible in many sectors that are propelling economic growth as well as creating employment opportunities The issues concerning food security energy deficit and the selfreliant defence sector have been excellently discussed by Shamika Ravi The initiative of the government to boost industrial growth through productionlinked incentives is mentioned by a few authors and I am sure that this scheme shall be one of the important engines of growth helping industry and employment through building appropriate competencies Sanjay Baru former media advisor and chief spokesperson during PM Manmohan Singh opines on the idea of Aatmnirbharta by tracing its roots in Indian thinking and appreciates the focus on the manufacturing sector Make in India apart from highlighting the impact of geopolitical conditions on economic growth Abhijit Dass paper emphasising international trade across sectors and industries warns the policymakers to carry out an indepth assessment as well as to have proper preparedness for facing ensuing scenarios after Free Trade Agreements wrt Canada EU and the UK Indias digital transformation story has become a case for the world The last few years have witnessed excellence in innovation through technology entrepreneurs especially in the domain of finance and banking making India one of the leaders Digital Public Goods as explained by Nageswaran p 69 play a key role in easing payments through safety features winning the confidence of the users The integration of different operations through appropriate technologies has helped us disrupt the economies of speed scope and scale Similar echoes are found in Chapter 13 written by Srinivasan who talks about JAM Jan Dhan Aadhaar Mobile trinity UPI Unified Payment Interface and OCEN Open Credit Enablement Network leading towards Aatmanirbhar BharatThe role of government in policy and its effective implementation has been nicely articulated by Ashima Goyal in Chapter 7 Indias response to the COVID19 pandemic has been phenomenal reflecting our resilience which has been discussed by quite a few contributors throughout the book Sanjeev Sanyal writes the AatmaNirbhar Bharat approach is a key ingredient of the overall economic thinking of the Indian government It is designed for an uncertain and unpredictable world By investing in an economic framework that is both flexible and resilient Indian policymakers are simply being pragmatic This is not ideologically blinkered isolationism or protectionism Moreover the strategy is open to evolution p 90The idea of reliance or dependence makes us weak and enthuses a sense of insecurity and an inferiority complex Our historical contribution to world trade is not unknown to contemporary policymakers The last few centuries weakened us both economically and socially which has affected our dependence on the other part of the globe disturbing the balance of trade visàvis the balance of paymentWe also need to build an ecosystem that focuses on ease of doing farming Sharma p 25 that shall sustain the industrial value chain and build us from within to be Aatmnirbhar Debroy and Sinha p 169 propose two important interventions for Aatmanirbhar Bharat one the need for investment for research development and innovation through technology two boosting exports through getting market access which is possible through pursuing regional trade agreements and international cooperation Ashish Chauhan weaves an interesting story around the role of stock exchanges in India for Aatmanirbhar Bharat starting with the Vedic period to the modern age The linkage has been established brilliantly to highlight our ancient thinking It is heartening to know that though we have lower per capita income yet we are able to create vibrant liquid and healthy markets p 188 in IndiaIt was in 1929 when there was an unequivocal agreement and resolve for Purna Swaraj complete independence that led India to become independent in 1947 After independence efforts have been to develop all spheres of economy and society There have been several initiatives and programs concerning infrastructure development the creation of institutions of national importance poverty alleviation green revolution privatisation and liberalisation However we never had a single focused agenda or resolve like developed India by 2047 It is in this context that being selfreliant is imperativeI recommend this book to all interested in seeing India becoming selfreliant and an economic power We have transitioned from the fragile five to the first five Apart from being the largest economy we need to focus on reducing inequalities and improving human wellbeing which should increase per capita income I am sure India shall regain its past and lost glory when all of us put forth our efforts in the direction of Viksit BharatThe writer is a senior professor in Delhi School of Economics IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/book-review-how-india-transitioned-from-fragile-five-to-first-five-540707.html Thu, 09 May 2024 17:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/eminent-doctor-raghu-rams-spirituality-draws-pm-modis-admiration-540738.html Hyderabad May 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pleasantly surprised with the spirituality of eminent breast surgeon P Raghu Ram when the latter felicitated him with a speciallymade Vastram The surgeon who along with S Vijayanthi met the Prime Minister in Hyderabad on Tuesday night said vastram was gifted to him from Linga Bhairavi MandirRaghu Ram is the founding director of KIMSUshalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases and CEO of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer FoundationWhen I said to Narendra Modi ji that the principal source of his strength and power emanates from his late Ammas blessings and that my prayer and wish is that the Vastram from Maa Bhairavi Temple gives him even more energy through the divine Devi Shakthi in his selfless service to the nation he was touched and remarked youre a doctor and you are spiritual too revealed the doctorThe breast surgeon explained to him his take on the strength of spirituality and meditationThe Prime Minister was pleasantly surprised that I spend two hours in the prayer room every day and was in admiration of my knowledge in this aspect of life the breast surgeon addedAfter the meeting PM Modi had shared on X that Raghu Ram is a Padma awardee and has done pioneering work in curing breast cancer We discussed aspects relating to healthcare infrastructure in India He also appreciated our Governments efforts in this regardRagu Ram complimented PM Modi for having taken the landmark decision to extend the Ayushman Bharat facilities to senior citizens which promises to be a game changer in terms of providing the muchneeded financial assistance to the everincreasing elderly population in the countryAs Breast cancer is the commonest cancer affecting women in India PM Modi and Raghu Ram discussed ways in which Breast cancer Care and Cancer Care in general could be improved in the countryEnsuring that the populationbased breast cancer screening programme that is being implemented under the auspices of National Health Mission NHM becomes even more robust making available several more populationbased breast cancer registries particularly in rural areas and cancer to be classified as a Notifiable Disease are some of the areas discussed during the meetingRaghu Ram revealed that PM Modi autographed the editorial page of the very first quarterly issue of Pink Connexion South Asias first and one of its kind breast health magazine IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/eminent-doctor-raghu-rams-spirituality-draws-pm-modis-admiration-540738.html Thu, 09 May 2024 18:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/aatmanirbhar-book-review-how-india-transitioned-from-fragile-five-to-first-five-540774.html New Delhi May 9 The prerequisite for visioning India as a developed nation Viksit Bharat by 2047 is selfreliance or Aatmanirbharta India is moving ahead with speed in scale and size It took us sixty years after Independence to become a USD 1 trillion economy whereas the next one and a half decades witnessed a threefold increaseIt was during the middle of 2020 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided an impetus for Atmanirbhar Bharat It was this timely realisation and focus that led him to further extend it for a greater mission Viksit Bharat by 2047 marking a century of Indian independenceThe challenge before all of us is how to become selfreliant in a sustainable way so that we are able to cherish the fruits for all times to comeWith this context in mind I read this book titled Aatmanirbhar A Swadeshi Paradigm edited by Professor Ashwani Mahajan It is an insightful volume providing different viewpoints on the whole idea of selfreliance from the perspective of Swadeshi BharatThe core of our growth lies in solving our problems with our resources or finding a match between available resources potential and application Moving from reliance to selfreliance or nirbharta to aatmnirbharta is the key to sustainable development within and beyond defined framesThis book has 18 chapters authored by intelligent thinkers of contemporary India whose voice matters The editor deserves appreciation for being able to rope in experts from academics policymaking and industry to share their perspectives on Aatmnirbhar Bharat through their prudent contributionThe foreword is written by Dr Mohan Bhagwat Sarsanghchalak Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh building context around purusharthas and beyond Western belief of materialism and consumerismThe contributors include V A Nageswaran Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India Bibek Debroy Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India N K Singh Chairman 15th Finance Commission Government of India A K Lahiri Former Chief Economic Advisor Government of India Sanjeev Sanyal Member Economic Advisory Council to the PM apart from industry experts like Sanjeev Puri Chairman and MD ITC Sridhar Vembu CEO Zoho Corpn and Gopal Srinivasan CEO TVS CapitalThe experience of reading this book was enriching and sagacious travelling through the villages wageled growth industrial growth food security and international tradeThe mix of macro and micro problem and policy trade and technology are brilliantly interwoven through the volume The chapters cover almost all broader areas important for a country like India The three pillars of the economy viz Agriculture Industry and Services are addressed through expert viewsThe idea of Aatmanirbharta has been discussed across chapters taking cues from our cultural ethos that have shaped our growing as a nationSachin Chaturvedi mentions one element that Gandhi emphasised and that is still relevant today is ethics in economic development Indian development and particularly Swadeshi ethos should nurture this going beyond corporate social responsibilityAt the same time it needs to be ensured as emphasised by PM Narendra Modi that there is sustainable consumption of production with a minimum carbon footprint p 17The manufacturing sectors growth is visible in many sectors that are propelling economic growth as well as creating employment opportunities The issues concerning food security energy deficit and the selfreliant defence sector have been excellently discussed by Shamika RaviThe initiative of the government to boost industrial growth through productionlinked incentives is mentioned by a few authors and I am sure that this scheme shall be one of the important engines of growth helping industry and employment through building appropriate competenciesSanjay Baru former media advisor and chief spokesperson during PM Manmohan Singh opines on the idea of Aatmnirbharta by tracing its roots in Indian thinking and appreciates the focus on the manufacturing sector Make in India apart from highlighting the impact of geopolitical conditions on economic growthAbhijit Dass paper emphasising international trade across sectors and industries warns the policymakers to carry out an indepth assessment as well as to have proper preparedness for facing ensuing scenarios after Free Trade Agreements wrt Canada EU and the UKIndias digital transformation story has become a case for the world The last few years have witnessed excellence in innovation through technology entrepreneurs especially in the domain of finance and banking making India one of the leadersDigital Public Goods as explained by Nageswaran p 69 play a key role in easing payments through safety features winning the confidence of the usersThe integration of different operations through appropriate technologies has helped us disrupt the economies of speed scope and scaleSimilar echoes are found in Chapter 13 written by Srinivasan who talks about JAM Jan Dhan Aadhaar Mobile trinity UPI Unified Payment Interface and OCEN Open Credit Enablement Network leading towards Aatmanirbhar BharatThe role of government in policy and its effective implementation has been nicely articulated by Ashima Goyal in Chapter 7 Indias response to the COVID19 pandemic has been phenomenal reflecting our resilience which has been discussed by quite a few contributors throughout the bookSanjeev Sanyal writes the AatmaNirbhar Bharat approach is a key ingredient of the overall economic thinking of the Indian government It is designed for an uncertain and unpredictable worldBy investing in an economic framework that is both flexible and resilient Indian policymakers are simply being pragmatic This is not ideologically blinkered isolationism or protectionism Moreover the strategy is open to evolution p 90The idea of reliance or dependence makes us weak and enthuses a sense of insecurity and an inferiority complex Our historical contribution to world trade is not unknown to contemporary policymakersThe last few centuries weakened us both economically and socially which has affected our dependence on the other part of the globe disturbing the balance of trade visàvis the balance of paymentWe also need to build an ecosystem that focuses on ease of doing farming Sharma p 25 that shall sustain the industrial value chain and build us from within to be AatmnirbharDebroy and Sinha p 169 propose two important interventions for Aatmanirbhar Bharat one the need for investment for research development and innovation through technology two boosting exports through getting market access which is possible through pursuing regional trade agreements and international cooperationAshish Chauhan weaves an interesting story around the role of stock exchanges in India for Aatmanirbhar Bharat starting with the Vedic period to the modern age The linkage has been established brilliantly to highlight our ancient thinking It is heartening to know that though we have lower per capita income yet we are able to create vibrant liquid and healthy markets p 188 in IndiaIt was in 1929 when there was an unequivocal agreement and resolve for Purna Swaraj complete independence that led India to become independent in 1947 After independence efforts have been to develop all spheres of economy and societyThere have been several initiatives and programs concerning infrastructure development the creation of institutions of national importance poverty alleviation green revolution privatisation and liberalisationHowever we never had a single focused agenda or resolve like developed India by 2047 It is in this context that being selfreliant is imperativeI recommend this book to all interested in seeing India becoming selfreliant and an economic power We have transitioned from the fragile five to the first five Apart from being the largest economy we need to focus on reducing inequalities and improving human wellbeing which should increase per capita incomeI am sure India shall regain its past and lost glory when all of us put forth our efforts in the direction of Viksit BharatThe writer is a senior professor in Delhi School of Economics IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/aatmanirbhar-book-review-how-india-transitioned-from-fragile-five-to-first-five-540774.html Thu, 09 May 2024 19:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/visually-impaired-lottery-seller-pardons-man-who-stole-her-tickets-540662.html Kottayam Kerala May 9 For Rosamma life is all about honesty hard work and forgiveness She sits quietly on the roadside selling lottery tickets to those who desire to check their luck She trusts people to pay her every time they pick a ticket She cannot see the faces but can recognise the voicesVisually impaired Rosamma ekes out a living by selling Kerala State Lottery tickets hereRecently she realized that the balance tickets and the cash were not tallying She suspected some customer who was taking the ticket but not paying moneyUpset by this she got in touch with a fellow visually impaired lottery seller her friend in MalappuramIt was he who suggested she get a pen camera and she bought one through online modeDetermined to catch the thief she pinned the camera on her dress And in the evening when she gave the pen camera to a friend who checked the visuals the thief was identifiedI get to know my customers through their voice and when the person who was caught on the pen camera came again I told him that he had done a wrong Initially he tried to wriggle out but when he was told that he had been caught on her pen camera he admitted his crime and said he would compensate me but I refused said 45yearold RosammaThen I told him that he needed to assure me that he would never again do this cheating especially to those who are in deep distress due to various reasons He agreed he would not do it again and in return I promised him that I would not reveal his name or show the visuals to any person said Rosamma IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/visually-impaired-lottery-seller-pardons-man-who-stole-her-tickets-540662.html Thu, 09 May 2024 15:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/90-pc-students-clear-class-12-board-exam-in-bengal-540370.html Kolkata May 8 West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Examination WBCHSE on Wednesday announced the results for the Class 12 Board examinations and claimed that 90 per cent students passed the examination this year Announcing the results here in the morning WBCHSE president Chiranjib Bhattacharya said that while the pass percentage among boys is 9232 the same in the case of girls is 8818East Midnapore district recorded the maximum pass percentage at 9577 per cent A total of 58 examinees have figured among the top 10 rankers out of which 35 are boys and 23 are girls The maximum number of candidates among the top 10 rankers is from Hooghly district at 13 the WBCHSE president saidAccording to Bhattacharya this year 187924 students from the minority community appeared for the Class 12 examinations and their pass percentage was 8690This years topper is Avik Das McWilliam Higher Secondary School at Alipurduar district in the northern sector of West Bengal He ranked fourth in the Class 10 Board examination that he passed two years backI expected to be among the top 10 But I never thought of occupying the first position My aim is to study astrophysics and become a scientist in future he saidAlthough the results were announced on Wednesday the successful students will not be able to get the mark sheets The council will distribute the mark sheets to the respective school authorities on Thursday following which the latter can hand them over to their students IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/90-pc-students-clear-class-12-board-exam-in-bengal-540370.html Wed, 08 May 2024 17:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/acclaimed-urdu-litterateur-salam-bin-razzaq-passes-away-at-83-in-navi-mumbai-540201.html Mumbai May 7 Renowned Urdu litterateur and academician Shaikh Abdussalam Abdurrazzaq famous by his pseudonym Salam Bin Razzaq passed away at his residence in Navi Mumbai after a prolonged illness a family friend said here on Tuesday Razzaq was 83 and is survived by his wife daughter son plus several grandchildren and greatgrandkidsThe last rites were performed at the Marine Lines cemetery in Mumbai in the presence of a large number of family members friends and literary figuresRazzaq won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu literature for his acclaimed short stories collection Shikasta Buton Ke Darmiyan in 2004Born in 1941 at Panvel in Raigad district Razzaq had a very humble beginning in life He was deeply inspired by the trials and travails of the common masses which reflected in his writings both prose and poetryMany of Razzaqs popular characters in his literary narratives were based on the commoners around him encountering and conquering ordinary problems in life in their quest for survival He shot to relevance in the 1970s when Urdu fiction was receding in popularityOver four dozen of his stories were broadcast on All India Radio while more than a dozen of them are prescribed in the syllabi of school college and university studentsWorking as a municipal school teacher in Navi Mumbai in the early part of his career he also wrote three major collections of short stories including two in Urdu and one in Hindi and translated several Marathi fictions into Urdu besides being a chronicler of the communal riotsOver his long literary career spanning more than six decades Razzaq was decorated with honours like the Sahitya Akademi Award Ghalib Award Maharashtra Urdu Sahitya Akademi Award and many moreTop figures from the Urdu literary fraternity academicians and others have condoled the demise of Razzaq many terming it the end of an era in Urdu literatureSome of Razzaqs literary creations include Nangi Dopahar Ka Sipahi Muabbir and Zindagi Afsana Nahin among others IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/acclaimed-urdu-litterateur-salam-bin-razzaq-passes-away-at-83-in-navi-mumbai-540201.html Tue, 07 May 2024 22:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/female-elephant-found-dead-in-coimbatore-forest-range-540150.html Chennai May 7 A female elephant was found dead in the Coimbatore Forest range in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday The carcass of the elephant was found near Mangarai stream just 150 metres away from human settlements a forest official saidThe Coimbatore forest range officer told IANS that on preliminary examinations no external injuries were found on the body of the elephantThe officer said that more details regarding the cause of death of the elephant would be available only after a postmortemTwo days ago a male makhna elephant tuskless elephant was electrocuted in Krishnagiri district of Tamil NaduThe Tamil Nadu government has already formulated a draft plan for constituting elephant corridors in the state to minimise the number of humanelephant conflictsHowever there is stiff opposition to the move and even the principal opposition party of Tamil Nadu AIADMK has warned the government that they wont allow relocation of people from areas earmarked as elephant corridors as that would mean loss of livelihood and called upon the government for alternative plans IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/female-elephant-found-dead-in-coimbatore-forest-range-540150.html Tue, 07 May 2024 18:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/govt-showcases-india-as-365-day-tourist-destination-at-arabian-travel-mart-539881.html New Delhi May 6 The Ministry of Tourism is showcasing India as a 365day tourism destination at the Arabian Travel Mart being held in Dubai from May 69 The Incredible India pavilion was inaugurated on Monday by Satish Kumar Sivan Consul General of India to Dubai with the aim of strengthening Indias presence in the Middle Easts tourism sectorThe pavilion has made a resounding entry aiming to capture the entirety of the UAE market The countrys delegation comprising tour operators luxury hotels wellness resorts and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation IRCTC will be highlighting Indias attraction as a roundtheyear tourist destination according to an official statementThe Ministry of Tourism has launched the Cool Summers of India digital campaign at the Arabian Travel Mart to dispel the notion of India being too hot for summer travel The campaign is emphasising the countrys offerings in the hill resorts and seeks to promote India as a holistic destination throughout the year IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/govt-showcases-india-as-365-day-tourist-destination-at-arabian-travel-mart-539881.html Mon, 06 May 2024 21:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/new-aerocity-in-goa-will-boost-tourism-prospects-in-state-539896.html Jaipur May 6 Goa a favourite tourist place for many avid travellers is now promoting itself as a wedding and MICE destination Known for its sun sand sea and scenic location the state has launched a beach wedding policy with a singlewindow system to ensure that couples tie the knot without facing any bottlenecks The new Aerocity coming here will change the dynamics of tourism says Sanjeev Ahuja secretary of tourism GoaSpeaking to IANS Ahuja said that the New Aerocity will further boost tourism prospects in GoaNew Aerocity at MOPA airport is all set to boost the tourism prospects in the touristfriendly state in the next few years There will be a golf course coming for tourists which will engage the MICE tourists visiting Goa This Aerocity will be developed to the tune of Delhi Aerocity Ahuja saidHe said that the state government is pushing big to make the state famous as a wedding destination He said that beach weddings in Goa are trending and the Goa government is pushing this segment aggressivelyWe are happy to see beach destinations getting popular Our state government has come up with a beach wedding policy in Goa which makes it easier for everyone to seek permission to solemnise the wedding on a beach We have a single window system where people can apply and get permission for a beach wedding It is catching up and we are happy that Goa is promoted as a wedding destinationAhuja said that he is impressed with Rajasthans tourism and credited the state for launching the wedding destination trend from Udaipur When asked if Goa has taken any clues from Rajasthan tourism he said We have been interacting with Rajasthan tourism Rajasthan is the first state where destination weddings were prompted We interact with all tourism departments across the country and have regular interaction so that all states learn from each otherAhuja said that they are promoting Goa throughout the world and organising roadshows in different countries and participating in tourism fairs in different nations tooThere is a huge market and I believe we need not compete with each other These days people are going to a destination wedding it is a healthy competition If this trend continues each destination will grow he saidHe said that besides wedding MICE is also coming up big in Goa Goa hosted eight G20 meetings which were the highest in any state in India We also organised the Energy week Goa has been established as an MICE industry he saidHe said that highend room inventories are not available during the peak season and the new aerocity will resolve this issue We have many new hotels coming up in aerocity so that there is a highend room inventory for the tourists coming in here he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/new-aerocity-in-goa-will-boost-tourism-prospects-in-state-539896.html Mon, 06 May 2024 23:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/voter-awareness-run-in-ahmedabad-gandhinagar-over-5-000-participate-539412.html Ahmedabad May 5 To raise awareness on voting a Run For Vote campaign was organised in Gujarats Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar which saw participation of over 5000 people In Ahmedabad the event saw participation from more than 2500 individuals including youth police personnel teachers and citizensLed by Pravina D Kena Ahmedabad District Election Officer and Collector the campaign received a symbolic kickstart as she flagged off the event in AhmedabadDignitaries like Chief Electoral Officer P D Palsana and A B Patel lent their support to itSimilarly over 2500 citizens marched in solidarity in Gandhinagar for the upcoming elections It was organised under the guidance of Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer Bharti The rally route starting from Swarnim Park and culminating at Mahatma Mandir resonated with chants of democratic values and civic responsibilityThis initiative falls under the broader Turnout Implementation Plan TIP designed to maximise voter turnout during the Lok Sabha pollsThe Run for Vote event located along the Sabarmati Riverfront served as a platform for spreading voter awareness among Ahmedabads urban and rural populaceGujarat goes to polls on May 7 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/voter-awareness-run-in-ahmedabad-gandhinagar-over-5-000-participate-539412.html Sun, 05 May 2024 13:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/venkaiah-naidu-urges-civil-service-rankers-to-uphold-constitutional-values-539255.html Hyderabad May 4 Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday urged the civil service rankers to uphold Constitutional values in service to the nation Underscoring the unique privilege that civil service rankers hold to serve Mother India he urged them to make the most of this opportunityHe was addressing a programme organised to felicitate 35 civil rank holders by Krishna Pradeeps 20th Century IAS AcademyHe commenced his remarks by extending heartfelt congratulations to all the rankers emphasising the transformative power their journey holds for both themselves and the nation He invoked the words of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indias first Union Home Minister who famously referred to civil service officials as the steel frame of India underscoring their pivotal role in nationbuildingAddressing the rankers directly the former VicePresident stressed the importance of upholding the highest moral and ethical standards in their service to society regardless of caste creed or gender He reminded them that their allegiance lies not with political bosses but with the people of the country and urged them to adhere unwaveringly to the principles enshrined in the Constitution of IndiaReflecting on the challenges that lie ahead Naidu encouraged the rankers to remain steadfast in their commitment to public service and the development of the nation Drawing from his own journey he shared anecdotes of perseverance and dedication highlighting the transformative power of service to societyRA Padmanabha Rao former Additional DG of Doordarshan commended the rankers for their dedication and perseverance in overcoming the rigorous selection process of the Civil Services Examination He praised the efforts of Krishna Pradeeps 20th Century IAS Academy in nurturing the aspirations of thousands of aspirants over the yearsP Krishna Pradeep and Bhavani Shankar the chairman and chief mentor of the KPs 21st Century IAS academy respectively reiterated their commitment to providing topnotch guidance and preparation to aspiring civil servants They emphasized the importance of proper planning hard work and guidance in achieving success in competitive examsWith branches in Hyderabad Rajahmundry and New Delhi the academy offers a range of comprehensive training programmes tailored to the diverse needs of aspirants IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/venkaiah-naidu-urges-civil-service-rankers-to-uphold-constitutional-values-539255.html Sat, 04 May 2024 15:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/10-pc-discount-for-mumbai-metro-commuters-on-voting-day-in-mumbai-538913.html Mumbai May 3 Passengers of Metro Lines 2A and 7 in Mumbai suburbs are about to get a special 10 per cent discount on May 20 the day of voting for Lok Sabha elections 2024 Commuters of Mumbai Metro utilising Mumbai 1 Card Paper QR and paper tickets will enjoy the privilege to travel to the polling stations and return home after voting with a special discount of 10 per cent on base farePeople residing across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR will be travelling from different corners to cast their vote Thus on May 20 Mumbai Metro has taken up the noble initiative of offering discounts to its commuters This meaningful direction permits the citizens of MMR to reach their destined voting stations and fulfil their responsibility to democracy with added convenience Moreover this step makes passengers feel more satisfied with the services of Mumbai Metro said Maha Mumbai Metro Operation CorporationMaha Mumbai Metro is actively participating in SVEEP Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation to encourage metro riders to fulfill their civic duty and vote in elections This initiative aims to motivate citizens to contribute to the nation by exercising their right to vote IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/10-pc-discount-for-mumbai-metro-commuters-on-voting-day-in-mumbai-538913.html Fri, 03 May 2024 14:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/when-writer-and-realist-actor-balraj-sahni-raced-against-a-train-for-a-film-scene-538120.html New Delhi May 1 More than three decades before Aamir Khans train stunt in Ghulam 1998 this actor renowned for his natural performances had already done such a hazardous exploit not just a daredevil challenge on the screen but to inject reality into the scene and save the filmmaker the bother of back projection Balraj Sahni also involved Meena Kumari in his risky ruse in Pinjre ke Panchhi 1966 which in another strange resemblance with Aamirs film was shot at Khandala The scene had her walking on the rail tracks in a bid to commit suicide even as he ran after her and managed to pull her aside from the rushing train at the last minuteThe filmmaker only wanted shots of him running after her and pulling her away those of the were to be juxtapositioned Sahni however knew that a train would pass the spot soon and if they moved fast the whole scene could be filmed there only He asked the director who in turn asked the actress and she gamely agreedWith all arrangements in place he started chasing Meena Kumari amid shrill whistles from the approaching trains driver who must have been horrified to see us right in the middle of the track The train must have been only a few yards away when Sahni dragged Meena Kumari away he recalled in his autobiography Meri Filmi AtamkathaThe shot came out perfect but Sahni who was above 50 then only later realised how he had imperilled both of them Going to her hotel room to apologise he found her sitting with her head in her hands and she asked him if he was tired of life He acknowledged his recklessness but also questioned why she went alongYou were so very keen on taking that shot at one go How could I then stop you was her disarming response with a rare smileThis aim of realism marked the film career of Balraj Sahni born on this day May 1 in Rawalpindi in 1913 He may not have been Hindi cinemas first natural actor that honour was for nearcontemporary Motilal but was matched by few when it came to researching his roles which spanned from a dispossessed peasant to a rich landlord among othersHe nearly missed his iconic role in Do Bigha Zameen 1953 when a bemused Bimal Roy nearly sent him off after Sahni landed at his office in a Londonmade suit But he convinced the exacting filmmaker and prepared for the role of a farmerturnedmenial labourer by living and working along as Deen Bandhu with the rickshaw pullers of Calcutta to familiarise himself with their language mannerisms and habitsBefore this Sahni jailed in a political case notched up an unparalleled record by being allowed to leave the prison in the day under guard to shoot for a film where he played the role of a jailor This was K Asifs Hulchul 1951 starring Dilip Kumar and NargisLike many others of his generation he was enamoured of films and came to Calcutta to join New Theatres after he completed his postgraduate studies at Lahores Government College in 1936 It did not work out and he went back to the family business in RawalpindiThe next year he was back in Calcutta with wife Damyanti and they became language teachers at Viswa Bharati interacting with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore who suggested the name of their son Parikshit born in 1939The Sahnis also taught at Mahatma Gandhis Sevagram before reaching London in 1939 where he became a Hindi broadcaster for the Indian Section of the BBCs Eastern ServiceHere he made the acquaintance of George Orwell and in January 1942 read out his The Meaning of Sabotage ostensibly addressed to the conquered people of Europe but with wider ramifications for other colonised populaces He also convinced BBC to feature Indian music particularly KL SaigalThe couple returned to India in 1943 and he was at bit of a loose end when old friend Chetan Anand invited him to come to Bombay to join films Sahni made his debut with Dharti Ke Lal 1946 based on the 1943 Bengal famine though most such films before Do Bigha Zameen were nondescriptHis 125odd later films including at least two in Punjabi comprised social dramas such as Seema Tu pya ka sagar hai 1955 Chhoti Bahen 1959 and Kabuliwala 1961 offbeat love story Anuradha 1960 war dramas Haqeeqat 1964 and Hindustan Ki Kasam 1973 and lostandfound tales like Waqt Ae meri zohrejabeen 1965 and the distressing Garam Hawa 1973A writer too Sahni who passed away in April 1973 had half a dozen books in both Hindi and Punjabi to his credit and some of the latter are still on the syllabus in Punjab universitiesVikas Datta can be contacted at vikasdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/when-writer-and-realist-actor-balraj-sahni-raced-against-a-train-for-a-film-scene-538120.html Wed, 01 May 2024 09:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/the-only-hindi-film-singer-the-mahatma-heard-manna-dey-never-got-his-due-538133.html New Delhi May 1 In his over halfacenturylong Hindi film career he sang more than a thousand songs but just three serve to demonstrate his position in the industrys scheme of things the madcap Ek Chatur Naar where Kishore Kumar beats him the enchanting qawwali Na to karvaan ki talash hai where Mohammed Rafi emerges triumphant eventually and the classical contest Ketaki gulab juhi where he beats Pandit Bhimsen Joshi This was part of the misfortune of Prabodh Chandra Manna Dey born on this day May 1 in 1919 in Calcutta His classical training innate talent and masculine voice made him perfect for all shades of songs romantic including those for the vintageaged folk ballads philosophical musings and more but he was never deemed a topnotch singerA nephew of gifted blind singercomposer Krishna Chandra Dey who paved his way into music and films Manna Deys forte was challenging classicalbased songs especially those that his contemporaries considered difficult but unfortunately this talent led him to be typecast as a niche singerThe trio of Rafi Mukesh and Kishore Kumar were used to sing for heroes and went on to be identified with particular stars or even multiple ones but Manna Dey was rarely and grudgingly used despite veteran Anil Biswas noting that he could sing any song of the three but they could not sing any of hisTake the three songs listed above In the first from Padosan 1968 he sang for Mehmood a south Indian music guru while Kishore Kumar gave playback singing a new dimension by appearing onscreen to sing for Sunil DuttIn the second from Barsaat ki Raat 1960 as the voice of bemedalled Ustad Chand Khan played by character actor Balam he owns the entire stately qawwali and its seamless segueing into energetic Yeh ishq ishq before Bharat Bhushan voiced by Rafi joins in its last part and goes on to winIn the third from Basant Bahar 1956 as the young classical singer played by Bharat Bhushan he prevailed over the reigning champion despite developing cold feet at having to face the music virtuosoManna Dey was similarly placed in most of his signature songs Consider Lapak jhapak tu aa te Boot Polish 1954 Tu pyar ka sagar hai Seema 1955 Kaun aya mere man ke dware Dekh Kabira Roya 1957 Ae mere pyare watan Kabuliwala 1961 Laga chunri mein daag Dil Hi To Hai 1963 Chalat musafir Teesri Kasam 1967 Chunri sambhal gori Baharon Ke Sapne 1967 Kasme vaade pyar wafa Upkar 1967 Bade miya diwane Shagird 1967 and Na mangu sona chandi Bobby 1973Can you recall who they were picturised onIn the same order it was character actor David Abraham Balraj Sahni Anoop Kumar the middle Ganguly brother Balraj Sahni again Raj Kapoor as a bearded old ustaad character actor Krishan Dhawan frequent villain Anwar Hussain Pran turning over a new leaf onscreen comedian IS Johar and veteran actor PremnathThis was far from optimum use for a singer who sang for the only movie that Mahatma Gandhi watched Ram Rajya 1943 for whom Rafi said that while the world listened to his songs he listened to Manna Deys songs and made Lata Mangeshkar break into tears at the depth he had put into Kasme vaadeYet he did have his supporters in the film industry many composers such as ShankarJaikishan chose him frequently once even risking the wrath of a bigtime South Indian film producer who flayed them for choosing him instead of Mukesh and insulted him publicly telling him the recording was cancelled and he should go homeRaj Kapoor however stood his ground saying he wanted him only The results were Aaja sanam and Yeh raat bheegibheegi Chori Chori 1956 The producer eventually acknowledged he was wrongRaj Kapoor understood Manna Deys talent perfectly well having used him best in Dil ka haal sune dilwala and Mudh mudh ke na dekh Shree 420 and Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo in his magnum opus Mera Naam Joker 1970 among othersThe then emerging superstar Rajesh Khanna was so taken in with his Zindagi kaisi pai paheli Anand 1971 that he insisted it be shot on him rather than remaining a background melody as intended Manna Dey would go on to do Bhor baayi Bawarchi 1973 and Gori tori paijaniya Mehbooba 1976 for KhannaManna Dey also sang Zindagi hai khel for Dharmendra Seeta aur Geeta 1972 and Yeh dosti ham nahi chhodenge for Amitabh Bachchan Sholay 1975Manna Dey did feel bad about missing out on awards for Ae meri zohra jabeen Waqt 1965 or Yaari hai imaan mera Zanjeer 1973 but he had the last laugh singing long beyond his contemporaries and ending up with a Padma Shri Padma Bhushan and the Dadasahab Phalke Award before passing away in 2013Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikasdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/the-only-hindi-film-singer-the-mahatma-heard-manna-dey-never-got-his-due-538133.html Wed, 01 May 2024 10:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-dalit-seer-to-be-ordained-as-jagadguru-537802.html Prayagraj UP April 30 For the first time ever a seer belonging to the Scheduled Caste has been conferred the title of Jagadguru Juna Akhara one of the 13 Akharas of the country conferred this title on Mahamandaleshwar Mahendranand GiriMahendranands disciple Kailashanand Giri was given the title of Mahamandaleshwar and Ram Giri was given the title of Shri MahantBoth these seers too belong to the Scheduled CasteThese seers were ordained amid chanting of mantras at Siddha Baba Mauj Giri Ashram of Juna Akhara here at Prayagraj on MondaySwami Mahendranand is originally a resident of Banala village of Saurashtra Rajkot district of GujaratAll three seers are originally residents of GujaratKashi Sumeru Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Swami Narendranand Saraswati who is also the international president of Juna Akhara along with Shri Mahant Prem Giri Shri Dudheshwar Peethadhishwar Juna Akhara and international spokesperson Shri Mahant Narayan Giri Mahamandaleshwar Vaibhav Giri garlanded the seers who received the titlesDuring the ceremony Mahendranand and Kailashanand were seated on the throne and presented with umbrellasShri Mahant Prem Giri said Juna Akhara is working towards eliminating caste and class discrimination in the sanyasi tradition The need was felt to further enrich this tradition to stop the process of conversion by creating differences among Hindus by other religionsTaking important decisions in the same direction before Maha Kumbh2025 Scheduled Caste seers are being conferred with important titles like Jagadguru Mahamandaleshwar and Shri Mahant he addedAfter conferring the title everyone took a holy dip in the Sangam and had the darshan of the city deity Lord Veni Madhav Jagadguru Swami Narendranand Saraswati said that the decision of Juna Akhara is inspiring and after receiving the title of Jagadguru devotion and dedication towards Sanatan Dharma has increasedIn 2021 at the Haridwar Kumbh Juna Akhara conferred the title of Mahamandaleshwar on MahendranandSwami Narendranand Saraswati said Juna Akhara is following the path of social harmony shown by Lord Shri Ram Mahamandaleshwar Kailashanand pledged to connect those Scheduled Caste people who have been converted to Sanatan DharmaThe five elected Sri Panchas of the akhara headed by the secretary hold the positions in decreasing order of seniorityAcharya Mahamandaleshwara is the senior most teacher of the spiritual order of GodJagadguru is a prominent wellversed and highly knowledgeable seer of the akharaMahamandaleshwara is the senior divisional leader of the spiritual order of the God Mandaleshwara is the divisional leader of the spiritual order of God Sri Mahant is the senior spiritual leader who looks after the affairs of the akharaEach Math marhi within the akhara is governed by five mahants all of whom can be considered gurus They collectively elect the secretary among themselves IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-dalit-seer-to-be-ordained-as-jagadguru-537802.html Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/wet-spell-to-continue-in-jampk-says-weather-office-537483.html Srinagar April 29 Heavy rain during the last 72 hours has increased the water level in all rivers lakes and streams in Kashmir as the Meteorological MeT office said on Monday that the same conditions would continue during the next 24 hours Authorities have ordered the suspension of classwork in many schools in areas prone to inundationlandslidesThe flood control department has been releasing the water gauge readings of the Jhelum River at Sangam in Anantnag Pampore in Pulwama Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar and Asham in Bandipora district on an hourly basis This is being done to keep people living in areas close to the water bodies informed about the latest water level readingsAlthough Jhelum has not reached the danger level at any place so far and the authorities are asserting that there is no threat of flood at the moment people continue to worry about the downpourA MeT office statement said On April 29 the sky would remain generally cloudy with light to moderate rain and light snow at some places in the higher reaches There is the possibility of heavy rain with lightning thunder hail and gusty winds at isolated places in JampKThe Ski resort of Gulmarg received fresh snowfall on Monday much to the joy of tourists IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/wet-spell-to-continue-in-jampk-says-weather-office-537483.html Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-government-committee-identifies-42-elephant-corridors-in-state-537743.html Chennai April 29 The Tamil Nadu governments Elephant Corridor Committee has identified 42 elephant corridors in the state The estimate by the committee headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife V Naganathan and comprising Forest Department officials scientists experts and conservation organisations is more than double the number of corridors identified by the Project Elephant division of the Union Environment Forest and Climate Change MinistryThe Project Elephant division had in 2023 identified 20 elephant corridors 15 within Tamil Nadu and 5 interstate corridors between Kerala Karnataka and Tamil NaduThe Elephant Corridor Committee has identified the 42 elephant corridors through ground validation mapping and surveys In its report it also stated that humanelephant conflict has been widespread across 20 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu with the Coimbatore Gudalur and Hosur forest divisions and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve experiencing intense humanelephant conflictMeanwhile environmental activists in Coimbatore said the draft report points to mining by brick kiln owners as one of the major threats to two corridors that fall under the Coimbatore divisionThe MelbaviPattisalaiSinguliKandivalliDamanurSembukarai corridor Anaiakatty corridor wedged between forested slopes and human developments along the foothills is occupied by brick kiln industries and their sand quarry sitesThe report also said that the ecological impact caused by red soil excavation for brick kiln industries in flat lands along the forest boundary has also disrupted part of another corridor comprising Vellingiri Andavar Kovil FoothillsValkaraduChinnamalaiMaruthamalai foothillsKanuvai hillsMangaraiMadudanpathi Kurudumalais eastern slopesThe synchronised elephant census in 2017 reported 2761 elephants distributed across 26 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu while the 2023 exercise indicated an estimated population of 2961 elephants in the stateElephants are distributed across 20 of the 26 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu covering 921713 square km IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-government-committee-identifies-42-elephant-corridors-in-state-537743.html Mon, 29 Apr 2024 22:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/after-heavy-rain-water-level-in-rivers-amp-streams-rises-in-kashmir-537233.html Srinagar April 28 Incessant rain during the last 24 hours has swollen all rivers and streams in Kashmir as authorities advised people in lowlying areas to be vigilant Authorities have asked all field staff associated with emergencies like floods and inundation to be present at their places of dutyJampK Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo took a meeting on Thursday to review the preparedness of various departments dealing with emergencies arising out of the situationThe weather office has forecast the same conditions to continue till April 30 after which the overall weather is likely to improveA weather department advisory said On April 28 and 29 generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rainsnow light snow over higher reaches at most places with thunderLightningHailstormgusty winds at few places with the possibility of heavy rain over isolated places of Jammu amp Kashmir is likely On April 30 a generally cloudy sky and light rain with thunder in many places is expectedFarmers are advised to suspend farm operations till 30th April Temporary disruption of traffic over higher reaches of Zojila Sinthan Pass Mughal Road Razdan Pass etc is possible said the MeT departmentWaterlogging in lowlying areas Possibility of Landslides amp shooting stones Temporary increase in water level in Jehlum amp tributaries and other local streams amp nallahs is expected the advisory said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/after-heavy-rain-water-level-in-rivers-amp-streams-rises-in-kashmir-537233.html Sun, 28 Apr 2024 09:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rajya-sainik-board-kolkata-empowers-deceased-veterans-daughter-with-mobility-536660.html Kolkata April 25 In keeping with its commitment towards exservicemen and their families the Rajya Sainik Board RSB Kolkata extended a helping hand to the physically challenged daughter of a deceased veteran by presenting her with a motorised wheelchair RSBKolkata procured the advanced motorised wheelchair through crowdfundingOn Tuesday Col Partha Pratim Barik secretary RSBKolkata and Ankur Chaturvedi travelled to Zila Sainik Board ZSB Malda to hand over the motorised wheelchair to Swapna Sarkar daughter of late exSepoy Sukumar Sarkar and his widow Gita Rani Sarkar Swapna suffers from locomotor disability and is unable to move around by herselfThe wheelchair holds the promise to change her whole lifeThis step by RSB Kolkata turned out to be a great morale booster for the family and other exservicemen who had gathered at ZSB Malda to be part of the eventEverybody needs to feel for the soldiers who dedicated the best parts of their lives to the nation often at great peril The exservicemen should not hesitate to approach the ZSB for the mitigation of any crisis Wg Cdr Satpal Singh Nain secretary ZSB Malda is most welcome to approach the RSB for any assistance Col Barik said while highlighting several efforts being made towards the resettlement of exservicemenWe feel privileged to have been able to empower Swapna Sarkar with mobility We are also happy to have been able to generate awareness among the public about veterans in rural areas Col Barik addedRSBs in all states work under the Kendriya Sainik Board KSB Delhi and are responsible for taking care of the welfare of exservicemen and their dependentsRSBKolkata helps in providing resettlement to exservicemen childrens education postretirement documentation pensionrelated issues and provides various grants received from the KSB from time to time RSBKolkata has an adequate liaison with the government and nongovernment organisations to provide succor to exservicemen and their families as and when the need arises IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rajya-sainik-board-kolkata-empowers-deceased-veterans-daughter-with-mobility-536660.html Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-climate-change-impacts-transmission-of-malaria-536470.html New Delhi April 25 Climate plays a pivotal role in altering the transmission patterns of malaria said experts on World Malaria Day on Thursday World Malaria Day is observed annually on April 25 to spread awareness about the mosquitoborne disease This years theme is accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world as many people globally have no access to quality timely treatment and affordable services to prevent detect and treat malariaAccording to the World Health Organization WHO in 2022 malaria claimed the lives of an estimated 608 000 people worldwide and there were 249 million new casesA 2022 Lancet study on malaria showed that an increase in temperatures could also enable the malaria parasite to develop faster and therefore escalate the transmission and burden of malaria Even just a 23 degree Celsius increase could increase the population vulnerable to the disease by 5 per cent equating to 700 million more peopleClimate shifts play a pivotal role in altering the transmission patterns of malaria particularly during the monsoon and premonsoon seasons from June to November Fresh rainfall leads to waterlogging and the accumulation of stagnant water creating ideal breeding grounds for the female Anopheles mosquito the carrier of malaria parasites This period witnessed a surge in malaria cases due to increased mosquito breeding in these water bodies Dr Manish Mittal Consultant Physician Bhailal Amin General Hospital Vadodara told IANSEarly diagnosis and treatment are paramount in mitigating the impact of malaria with heightened awareness prompting individuals to seek medical attention for fever symptoms and undergo simple blood tests he addedIn a new study researchers at the University of Florida showed that various mosquito and parasite traits exhibit intermittent relationships with temperature and that under future warming temperatures transmission potential is likely to increase in some environments but could reduce in othersThe study published in the journal Nature Communications also suggests that parasites can develop more quickly at cooler temperatures and that the rate of parasite development might be less sensitive to changes in temperature than previously thoughtThe primary solution lies in avoiding construction sites and ensuring stagnant water is promptly cleared especially at construction sites Additionally households should discard items that collect water such as pots and old tires and cover themselves while travelling Dr Rajeev Boudhankar Medical Director Holy Family Hospital Mumbai told IANSDr Manish also emphasised employing personal protection methods such as insect repellents and mosquito nets IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-climate-change-impacts-transmission-of-malaria-536470.html Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/recording-cos-appeal-in-madras-hc-casts-a-shadow-on-ilaiyaraajas-45k-songs-536341.html Chennai April 24 A division bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that all the commercial transactions of around 4500 film songs for which the acclaimed composer R Ilaiyaraaja had given music to would be subject to the result of an appeal in a case filed by Echo Recording Private Limited The Second Division Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq on Wednesday passed the interim order The bench however recognised the composers moral right over his compositionsThe hearing of the appeal has been adjourned till the second week of JuneSenior counsel Vijay Narayan appearing for the appellant contended that a composer who had taken remuneration from a film producer for composing songs could not continue to claim any right over those songs The senior lawyer quoted profusely from provisions of the Copyright Act of 1957He argued that the copyright of the songs would vest with the film producers and added that Echo Recording had purchased those rights from multiple film producersNarayan stated that in the light of these facts the composer could not be allowed to commercially exploit those songs by giving a licence to music streaming platforms such as SpotifyThe senior counsel appearing for Echo Recording argued that Ilaiyaraaja ought to have produced all the agreements between him and the producers of the movies when he had filed a civil suit before a single judge in 2014Narayan said none of these agreements had been submitted in courtSenior counsel Satish Parasaran representing the music mastero quoted Section 17 of the Copyright Act and contended that the copyright for his clients compositions would continue to subsist with him regardless of the agreements entered into with the film producersParasaran said that Ilaiyaraaja as composer is the owner of the copyright and added that if there was any challenge to his title the petitioners would have to show an employment agreementHe said Your Lordships can generally take my word that a music composer by the very innate work that is involved is never an employeeJustice Mahadevan asked whether Ilaiyaraaja could claim a right over the lyrics also which had been penned by someone else for lyrics are an important part of a songHe asked whether the composer would seek his claim for the lyrics also or restrict his claim only with respect to the musical notesIlaiyaraajas counsel said that lyricists receive royalties irrespective of the songs being exploited commercially by the composer or the film producerHe told the court that Echo Recording had sold its rights to Sony Music which had filed a case against Ilaiyaraaja before the Bombay High CourtParasaran also said that Sony Music has informed the Bombay High Court that Ilaiyaraaja has lost all his rights and that he cannot even perform his songsHe also said that Sony Music was stating that a music composer of the stature of Ilaiyaraaja was a nobody and that was not acceptable IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/recording-cos-appeal-in-madras-hc-casts-a-shadow-on-ilaiyaraajas-45k-songs-536341.html Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/asia-was-worlds-most-disaster-hit-region-in-2023-wmo-536047.html New Delhi April 23 Asia remained the worlds most disasterhit region from weather climate and waterrelated hazards in 2023 Floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses whilst the impact of heatwaves became more severe a new report from the World Meteorological Organization WMO said on Tuesday The State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report highlighted the accelerating rate of key climate change indicators such as surface temperature glacier retreat and sea level rise which will have major repercussions for societies economies and ecosystems in the regionIn 2023 seasurface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean were the highest on record Even the Arctic Ocean suffered a marine heatwaveAsia is warming faster than the global average The warming trend has nearly doubled since the 19611990 periodThe reports conclusions are sobering Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023 along with a barrage of extreme conditions from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events profoundly impacting societies economies and most importantly human lives and the environment that we live in said WMO SecretaryGeneral Celeste SauloIn 2023 a total of 79 disasters associated with hydrometeorological hazard events were reported in Asia according to the Emergency Events Database Of these over 80 per cent were related to flood and storm events with more than 2000 fatalities and nine million people directly affected Despite the growing health risks posed by extreme heat heatrelated mortality is frequently not reportedYet again in 2023 vulnerable countries were disproportionately impacted For example tropical cyclone Mocha the strongest cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in the last decade hit Bangladesh and Myanmar Early warning and better preparedness saved thousands of lives said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ESCAP which partnered in producing the reportIn this context the State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report is an effort to bridge gaps between climate science and disaster risk through evidencebased policy proposals ESCAP and WMO working in partnership will continue to invest in raising climate ambition and accelerating the implementation of sound policy including bringing an early warning to all in the region so that no one is left behind as our climate change crisis continues to evolve she saidApproximately 80 per cent of WMO members in the region provide climate services to support disaster risk reduction activities However less than 50 per cent of members provide climate projections and tailored products that are needed to inform risk management and adaptation to and mitigation of climate change and its impacts according to the reportThe report one of a series of WMO regional State of the Climate reports was released during the 80th session of the Commission in Bangkok Thailand It is based on input from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services United Nations partners and a network of climate experts It reflects WMOs commitment to prioritise regional initiatives and inform decisionmakingTemperaturesThe annual mean nearsurface temperature over Asia in 2023 was the second highest on record 091 C 084 C096 C above the 19912020 average and 187 C 181 C192 C above the 19611990 average Particularly high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to central Asia and from eastern China to Japan Japan and Kazakhstan each had record warm years IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/asia-was-worlds-most-disaster-hit-region-in-2023-wmo-536047.html Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/exponents-of-heritage-art-forms-among-five-padma-shri-recipients-from-telangana-535879.html Hyderabad April 22 Burra Veena maestro Dasari Kondappa Chindu Yakshaganam theatre artist Gaddam Sammaiah and sculptor Velu Ananda Chari are among five recipients of Padma Shri from Telangana The fourth highest civilian award was conferred on them for their distinguished services in their respective fields of art literature and educationDasari Kondappa has been bestowed with the Padma Shri award for being the guardian of Burra Veena an indigenous stringed instrument created using bamboo gourd shell and metal stringsThe 63yearold Burra Veena maestro who hails from Narayanpet district is one of the last Burra Veena players who dedicated his life to indigenous artThe thirdgeneration Burra Veena player from Damaragidda village he dedicated his life to preserving the art form for over 50 yearsHe sings Tatavalu socioreligious moral compositions and spiritualphilosophical renditions in Telugu and KannadaWhile the custom of Burra Veena is to play within their own community Dasari went beyond to attract wider audiencesEminent Chindu Yakshaganam theatre artist from Jangaon Gaddam Sammaiah received Padma Shri in the category of art danceYakshaganaThe 67yearold has performed this heritage art for over five decades He performed in over 19000 plays delivering social messages on issues like total literacy and environmental protectionHe founded organisations Chindu Yaksha Kalakarula Sangham and Gaddam Sammaiah Yuva Skethram to promote this art Hailing from a humble background he worked as an agriculture labourerHe learnt the art form from his parents who were both Chindu Yakshaganam artistsA Velu Ananda Chari received one of the top honours for his distinguished services in the field of artThe 71yearold is a master Stapathi sculptor who has crafted over 1000 temples globallyA former advisor of the endowment department he also worked on the renovation of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri from 2018 to 2022 The ancient temple was renovated by the previous BRS government at a cost of over Rs1800 croreKethavath Somlal is another recipient of Padma Shri from Telangana this year He was conferred the honour for his contribution to literature and educationThe 64yearold is a singer lyricist and writer in the Banjara language He is known for translating 701 Bhagwad Gita slokas into LambadiKurella Vittalacharya was bestowed with Padma Shri for literature and education The 85yearold is a distinguished Telugu poet and author from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district He established libraries across villages and authored 22 books IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/exponents-of-heritage-art-forms-among-five-padma-shri-recipients-from-telangana-535879.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/peoples-psychiatrist-chandrashekar-who-adopted-villages-in-ktaka-receives-padma-shri-535885.html Bengaluru April 22 Chandrashekar Channapatna Rajannachar a wellknown psychiatrist and philanthropist in Karnataka is fondly called a Peoples Psychiatrist His yeoman services have got him the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2024 During his career he had adopted villages around Bengaluru and went to individual houses to treat patients and create awareness He has been a consultant to UNICEF many NGOs and government agenciesChandrashekar was born to a jeweller BM Rajannachar in Channapatna town After early education at Channapatna he joined the Government Medical College at Bengaluru and completed a degree in medicine in 1973Then he earned a Diploma in Medicine and an MD Psychology in 1978 Later he joined NIMHANS as Resident Doctor and worked there until his retirement in 2013 Chandrashekar was a pioneer in designing training programmes for counsellors at the grassroots levelHe started the Samadhana Counselling Trust Centre on February 9 2007 to provide free counselling to people going through mental health problems The 75yearold veteran psychiatrist has been involved in training doctors health workers school and college teachers NGOs and volunteers in providing mental health care He is also involved in the implementation of the National Mental Health Programme in India and is the editor of more than 100 books on healthChandrashekar encouraged many medical professionals to write medical literature in Kannada and contributed to the development of popular medical literature in Kannada and English He is the founder member of Kannada Vaidya Sahitya Parishat and has authored more than 280 books in Kannada and more than 30 books in English IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/peoples-psychiatrist-chandrashekar-who-adopted-villages-in-ktaka-receives-padma-shri-535885.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/joshna-chinappa-first-indian-girl-to-win-u-19-british-junior-open-squash-championship-gets-padma-shri-535894.html Chennai April 22 Professional squash player from Tamil Nadu Joshna Chinappa on Monday received the prestigious Padma Shri award the fourth highest civilian award in the country Born in Chennai on September 15 1986 she started playing squash at the age of eight Her father Anjan Chinappa is a coffee planter at Coorg and had represented Tamil Nadu in the statelevel squash championshipThe 37yearold squash player has a careerhigh ranking of World No 10 She was the first Indian girl to win the British Junior Open squash championship in 2005 in the Under19 categoryJoshna Chinappa has won the national squash championship for a record 18 times which is the highest number of squash national championships won by a playerIn the 2014 Commonwealth Games Joshna Chinappa partnered with Deepika Pallikal to win the gold medal in Squash doubles IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/joshna-chinappa-first-indian-girl-to-win-u-19-british-junior-open-squash-championship-gets-padma-shri-535894.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gujarats-padma-awardees-include-pioneers-in-medicine-literature-and-beyond-535905.html Ahmedabad April 22 Six persons from Gujarat have been conferred the Padma awards recognizing their exceptional contributions in various fields They include Dr Tejas Patel a trailblazer in interventional cardiology who received the Padma Bhushan and five Padma Shri awardees Dr Yazdi Maneksha Italia renowned for his pioneering work in combating sickle cell anemia Raghuveer Chaudhari a literary stalwart Harish Nayak celebrated posthumously for his prolific work in childrens literature Jagdish Trivedi a humorist and promoter of the Dairo art form and Dayal Mavji Parmar a practitioner of AyurvedaDr Tejas Patel is a leading figure in interventional cardiology in India and globallyDr Patel has pioneered numerous advanced procedures as the Chairman and Chief Interventional Cardiologist at Apex Heart Institute in Ahmedabad His contributions include pioneering the transradial technique for coronary angiography and interventions reducing hospital stay and improving patient outcomes dramaticallyIn 2018 he took a step forward by performing the worlds first five telerobotic coronary interventions This feat garnered international acclaim and was published in The Lancet He has performed over 100000 cath lab procedures with a nearperfect success rateJagdish Trivedi received the Padma Shri in the art category for his extensive contribution in promoting the Dairo art form A native of Wadhwan in Surendranagar Trivedi has been an ardent performer for over 30 years bringing his unique humour to over 3000 shows across 30 countriesRaghuveer Chaudhari a novelist poet and critic has made a mark in Indian literature particularly in Gujarati A recipient of both the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Jnanpith Award Indias highest literary honour Chaudharis work spans over 80 books reflecting a deep engagement with cultural and social issues His trilogy Uparvas has been mainly celebrated for its insightful portrayal of societal complexitiesChaudharis career also includes significant contributions as a columnist and an academic enriching Gujarats literary scene until he retired from Gujarat University in 1998 His ongoing involvement with literary organizations and educational institutions continues to influence and inspire new generationsDr Yazdi Maneksha Italia a dedicated microbiologist has been instrumental in advancing healthcare in Gujarat through his leadership in the sickle cell anemia control program This initiative established under the guidance of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been pivotal in improving the diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell disease in the regionRecognized for his extensive research and development efforts Dr Italias work has enhanced healthcare outcomes and laid a foundational framework for the national strategy to eliminate sickle cell anemia by 2047 His commitment to medical innovation and community health continues to leave a lasting impact on public health initiatives in IndiaDayal Mavji Parmar an Ayurveda practitioner from Morbi was also honoured with a Padma Shri Known for his profound knowledge and dedication to Ayurvedic medicine Parmar has authored around 50 books and continues to offer free services contributing significantly to the wellness and health of his communityHarish Nayak a childrens writer and storyteller from Gujarat was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri in the category of literature and education Having passed away last October at the age of 97 Nayak left behind a legacy of 2000 stories and over 500 books captivating the minds and hearts of young readers throughout his lifetime IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gujarats-padma-awardees-include-pioneers-in-medicine-literature-and-beyond-535905.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/padmi-shri-to-nadaswaram-doyen-seshampatti-t-sivalingam-535919.html Chennai April 22 Music maestro Seshampatti T Sivalingam a doyen of Nadaswaram has been conferred with Padma Shri award Sivalingam was an A grade artist with the All India Radio and has performed across the world attending concerts and solo programmesIn his younger days he honed his skills in Thanjavur He got formal training in Nadaswaram under renowned maestro Keevalur Ganesan for six months and later joined the Madras Music CollegeHe shaped his skills under the tutelage of Keeranur Ramaswami Pillai and later got trained under Tiruvarur Latchappa Pillai He is the recipient of Tamil Nadus highest civilian award Kalaimamani and has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/padmi-shri-to-nadaswaram-doyen-seshampatti-t-sivalingam-535919.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/three-day-census-of-endangered-nilgiri-tahr-begins-on-april-29-535606.html Chennai April 21 The first synchronised census of the endangered Nilgiri tahr will commence on April 29 and around 700 personnel including volunteers and officials will participate in the exercise that will take three days The Kerala Forest Department will also be part of the survey The Nilgiri tahr habitat is spread across 13 forest divisions 100 beats and 140 blocks The terrain in some of the areas is highly challengingThe volunteers are chosen based on physical fitness and past trekking experience besides having a wildlife conservation backgroundThe World Wide Fund for Nature India WWFIndia which has been studying the Nilgiri tahr for several years the Wildlife Institute of India WII and the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Sciences AIWC will be part of the synchronised surveyWWFIndia in association with the Tamil Nadu forest department in a study found that the Nilgiris tahr has become locally extinct from around 14 per cent of its sholagrassland habitat within the past few decadesThe Eravikulam National Park in Kerala will be part of the census but sources in the Tamil Nadu forest department told IANS that they have yet to get confirmation from Silent Valley National Park in KeralaAn official with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department told IANS that necessary training on the synchronised census of the Nilgiri tahr has been given to personnel of the Coimbatore Pollachi Gudalur Udumalpet and Kanniyakumari forest rangeHe also said that training for personnel in the Mudumalai and Sriviliputhur forest ranges will be completed on MondayIt may be recalled that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had launched Project Nilgiri tahr nine months agoAn officer with the Project Nilgiri tahr while speaking to IANS said The project team was able to identify and catalogue nine major plant species and three grass varieties that the Nilgiri tahr predominantly feed onThe official said that the identification and cataloguing were very important for habitat assessment as the main goal is reintroducing this endangered species in their original habitatIt may be recalled the Nilgiris Thar has become locally extinct especially in the Glenmorgan mountains in the NilgirisThe Tamil Nadu forest department had successfully radiocollared a Nilgiri tahr a month ago in Mukurthi National Park The department said that the radio collaring has already given several valuable insights about the animal IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/three-day-census-of-endangered-nilgiri-tahr-begins-on-april-29-535606.html Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ex-diplomat-discovers-amritsars-dark-side-while-translating-his-grandfathers-book-535215.html New Delhi April 19 When India was celebrating its 75th year of independence author and former diplomat Navdeep Suri thought it was important that we realise the price we paid for it He says in many ways A Game of Fire HarperCollins India which his grandfather Nanak Singh wrote in Punjabi decades ago holds more significance today A Game of Fire is a sequel to Hymns in Blood by the same author also translated into English by Suri who believed that the stories of the pain of Partition should reach a wider audience conversant with the English language And in the process of translating his grandfathers books he discovered more about the latters personalityTranslating these two novels was a discovery and a journey at two different levels The first was that I discovered my grandfather you know because he passed on when I was just 12 While translating I got acquainted with his robust opposition to communalism his staunch almost iron cast and uncompromising position for a secular India Suri said adding that while Nanak Singh was a devout Sikh for him humanity took precedence over religionThe Partition stories that a generation grew up with were always about the atrocities that were committed by Muslims on the Hindus and Sikhs accounts conditioned by the refugee narrative but his grandfather through the book acquaints us with what the other religious groups did to the Muslims at a time when a collective madness descended upon the subcontinentAnd thats not a story that many of us are comfortable telling or listening to Suri addedWhen he was researching his subject the translator came across the startling fact that the last Census before Independence which was conducted in 1941 showed that 46 per cent of Amritsars population was Muslim but as Suri pointed out I grew up in a city where there were virtually noneStressing that the exodus of Muslims left a big gap in the culture of Punjab the author told IANS that the exodus of a large number of creative people writers artists and singers who had been forced to go to Pakistan affected the soul of the state Manto wrote passionately about his experiences Of course the same holds true for Lahore from where many Hindus migrated to India Suri pointed outFor someone who has extensively translated works from Punjabi into English Suri knows too well that it is never easy for a translator to be invisible Being a translator you are bridging not just the language but also the time and space set in a certain geographical context And in a certain time context One hopes to make it accessible to an audience that could be anywhere Suri saidHe continued by pointing out I personally feel it is very hard to stay invisible Almost every translator will inject a piece of her or him into the translation That is why today some people are saying lets call it transcreational Yes Because translation is as much of an art form as writing One does leave herhis footprint as a translator Youll see that each one is differentTalking about his process Suri said that as a translator he likes to ensure that the substance must retain fidelity to the originalHe noted But you have to ensure that it is also readable You cannot do it linebyline You want to try and pick up a chunk and convey the context It is important to make sure that the flavours of the original are retained to the greatest extent You dont want to overexplain After all one has to trust the readers intelligence as wellIn the last 15 years we have seen a revolution in translations from Indian languages into English and the books getting major awards Suri pointed out emphasising that we have incredible literature in IndiaAnd everyone must be able to access it What translators can do is really create bridges between different parts of the country Suri notedCurrently taking a break Suri plans to write something about the UAE where he was posted as ambassador before his retirement from the IFS and the momentous transformation in relations that we have seen between India and the emirateAlso I am blessed that my grandfather left us this enormous corpus of 59 books including 38 novels So theres plenty to choose from The one that I have in mind frankly as the next one is a masterpiece of his called Ik Meyan Do Talwaran for which he won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1962 Suri saidAnd to pique our interest he added That is a book about the Ghadar movement And Nanak Singh did extensive research and even spoke with many of the Gadhari Babas who were still around in the late 1950s and early 1960s IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ex-diplomat-discovers-amritsars-dark-side-while-translating-his-grandfathers-book-535215.html Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ups-glass-skywalk-to-open-after-lok-sabha-polls-in-chitrakoot-535037.html Chitrakoot Uttar Pradesh April 18 Uttar Pradesh will soon get its firstever glass skywalk bridge which will be set against the picturesque backdrop of Tulsi Waterfalls in the Markundi range of the Chitrakoot forest division Built from a fusion of glass and steel this marvel of engineering takes the form of Lord Rams revered bow and arrow thereby symbolising strength and valourAccording to reports this bridge promises to redefine the landscape of ecotourism in the region This ambitious project aims to elevate the allure of ChitrakootDrawing inspiration from Bihars renowned skywalk glass bridge in Rajgir Uttar Pradeshs glass skywalk is poised to captivate visitors with its blend of aesthetic charm and structural brillianceThe bridge said sources will be inaugurated after the Lok Sabha pollsComplementing the breathtaking vistas of the waterfall the surrounding area has been transformed into a verdant oasis known as Kodand Van which will provide visitors with a tranquil retreat amidst natures splendourBuilt by the esteemed Ghazipurbased Pawan Sut Construction Company the bridge stands as a testament to collaborative effort and visionary planningOriginally known as Shabri Waterfall the cascading beauty that serves as the foundation for the glass skywalk was recently christened Tulsi Waterfalls by the state governmentOffering both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity the bowandarrowshaped bridge spans an impressive length of 25 m towards the abyss and boasts of a width of 35 m between its sturdy pillars With a robust load capacity of 500 kg per square metre the bridge ensures safety and comfort for visitors eager to embark on this thrilling adventure IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ups-glass-skywalk-to-open-after-lok-sabha-polls-in-chitrakoot-535037.html Thu, 18 Apr 2024 19:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-now-has-the-most-gi-tagged-items-in-the-country-534567.html Varanasi April 17 Six more products from Uttar Pradesh have been given the Geographical Indication GI tag These include the famous Tirangi Barfi of Kashi a tricoloured sweet that was sold to prove a point by freedom fighters during the Quit India MovementThe GI Registry awarded the certification to the Banaras Tirangi Barfi and the five other Uttar Pradesh products on TuesdayWith these six new additions Uttar Pradesh retains its position as the state with the most GItagged products in India reaching a total of 75Tamil Nadu follows behind with 58 GI productsThe other products that received the certification in Uttar Pradesh include Banaras Metal Casting Craft Lakhimpur Kheri Tharu Embroidery Bareilly Cane and Bamboo Craft Bareilly Zardozi Craft and Pilkhuwa Hand Block Print TextileTwo renowned products from Varanasi the Tirangi Barfi and Metal Casting Craft were granted GI certification on Tuesday said Padma Shri Rajnikant a GI expertHe is the general secretary of the Human Welfare Association and has played a crucial role in securing GI tags for 148 producers across 14 states and Union Territories including those in the Northeast Jammu amp Kashmir and LadakhRajnikant said These six GI tags were supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABARD Uttar Pradesh Lucknow office This achievement solidifies UPs position as the leading state in GI productsIn 200809 the state had only one GI product the Allahabad Surkha Amrood IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-now-has-the-most-gi-tagged-items-in-the-country-534567.html Wed, 17 Apr 2024 09:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chand-taaron-se-chalna-hai-aage-the-musical-journey-of-hasrat-jaipuri-534437.html New Delhi April 15 Few people can boast of the distinction of having a love poem they penned in adolescence becoming a hit Hindi film song but this purveyor and versifier of beauty whose craft was derived from his observation was one prominent example Yeh mera prem patra padh kar ki tum naraaz na hona was a paean of love that the smitten teenaged Iqbal Husain wrote to a girl living near him in Jaipur though it is not clear whether he delivered it or not It was decades later that he now celebrated Hindi film lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri could declare it to the world in Raj Kapoors Sangam 1964 via Mohammad Rafis melodious voice Coincidentally the heroine was named Radha like his childhood loveA poet at heart as well as by profession he later admitted that his first sher was also dedicated to the same girl on seeing her come to her havelis balcony Tu jharoke se jo jhankhe to main itna poonchonMere meboob main tujhe pyar karun ya na karunHowever Hasrat Jaipuri who was born on April 15 1922 and passed away in 1999 had a long arduous route to becoming a Hindi film lyricist Though maternal grandson of poet Fida Husain Fida he had no cushioned life and had to earn his living He came to Bombay around 1940 and managed to get a job as a conductor on the citys BEST bus service and worked for eight yearsUnlike another fellow bus conductor whose antics would catch the attention of actor Balraj Sahni who would pave the way for Badruddin Qazi aka Johnny Walkers entry into films Hasrat had to slog with his only solace being beautiful faces that he encountered on his daily rounds and much later impishly revealed that he never even issued them ticketsHowever he continued to participate in mushairas and it was one of these where he caught the attention of Prithviraj Kapoor who told his son and fledgeling filmmaker Raj Kapoor about him Raj Kapoor who had just made one film Aag 1948 and was working on his second Barsaat was a little annoyed with established music composers and songwriters and seeking to build his own team He had roped in ShankarJaikishan for music and Hasrat and Shailendra who was also spotted by the elder Kapoor at a mushaira would be the songwritersHasrat summoned by Raj Kapoor and presented the offer on the terms that his words could have to suit the tune and the situation agreed While he presented his childhood poem Raj Kapoor was enthusiastic but said it would have to wait for a later film and now he wanted something to portray the longing and wait of love Hasrat asked for a day and came back with the immortal Jiya beqarar hai which impressed the directorRaj Kapoors music team was now set Though it was Shailendra termed the first proper film songwriter rather than a poet who wrote for films predominated with most iconic songs Awara Hoon Mera joota hai Japani etc to his credit Hasrat was not far behindMain zindagi mein hardam rota hi raha and Chhorh gaye balam Barsaat Hum tujhse mohabbat kar ke sanam and Jab se balam ghar aaye Awaara 1951 Jaane na nazar and Raat andheri door savera Aah 1953 Ichak dana beechak dana Shree 420 Aa ab laut chalen Jis desh mein Ganga behti hai 1960 Yeh mera prem patra and the racy Main kya karun Ram mujhe buddha mil gaya Sangam 1964 and above all Jaane kahan gaye woh din Mera Naam Joker 1970 are all from his penThen Aa jaa sanam madhur chandni mein ham Yeh raat bheegibheegi from rare nonRK Films Raj Kapoor and Nargisstarrer Chori Chori 1956 were also his creationsHowever Hasrat did not remain confined to ShankarJaikishan or Raj Kapoor and also worked with music directors like Naushad C Ramchandra SD Burman RD Burman and others to fashion some iconic songs for other top actorsTake Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum Patita 1953 for a dapper Dev Anand Jhumta mausam mast mahina an early instance of a jiving Shammi Kapoor Ujala 1959 and also for Shammi Mere yaar shabbakhair and Ehsan tera hoga mujh par Junglee 1961 and Badan pe sitaare lapete huye Prince 1969 inspired by women dancers he saw at a show in Londons Lido nightclub and many moreHowever the most immortal is Zindagi ek safar hai suhana Andaaz 1971 which earned him his second Filmfare AwardThe untimely deaths of Shailendra and Jaikishan and Raj Kapoors choice of a new music team hit him but Hasrat continued working till the last though openly contemptuous of modern music which he called cheap and shamelessVikas Datta can be contacted at vikasdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chand-taaron-se-chalna-hai-aage-the-musical-journey-of-hasrat-jaipuri-534437.html Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/a-spirited-voice-of-the-hindi-film-industry-and-pioneer-of-item-songs-534131.html New Delhi April 14 Her influence persists in Bollywood even after her name has faded from public memory althrough remixes of her rollicking hits from the 1950s continue to be in circulation Another and not that wellknown legacy of Shamshad Begum though was initiating what later became item numbers though her contributions were more perky than provocative saucy than raunchy and racy without being ribaldAnd then they were delivered in a robust voice whose clarity was compared to a temple bell by composer OP Nayyar with a fullblown gusto and sense of abandonUdan khatole pe udh jaaun Anmol Ghadi 1946 Mere piya gaye Rangoon Patanga 1949 Kabhi aar kabhi paar Aar Paar 1954 Bisvi sadi hai ye bisvii sadi Chaalis Baabaa Ek Chor 1954 Leke pehla pehla pyar Kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana and Boojh mera kya naam re CID 1956 are prime examplesAnd then nearly forty years before Madhuri Dixit in Tezaab 1988 Shamshad Begum who was born on this day April 14 in 1919 and passed away days after her 94th birthday in 2013 had already made the nation count Ek do teen in Raj Kapoors Awara 1951However she was not just the singer for these foottapping but peripheral songs but also the voice of many heroines as songs like Mohan ki muraliya baaje Mela 1948 Milte hi aankhen dil hua deewana kisi ka Babul 1950 Saiyan dil mein aana re Bahar 1951 Door koi gaye dhun ye sunaye Baiju Bawra 1952 and many more showHindi films first female playback superstar Shamshad Begum held her own against existing singers like the classically trained Ameerbai Karnataki and Zohrabai Ambalewali and singing actresses like Noor Jehan and Suraiya In fact Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle who were emerging then were counselled to sing in her styleShamshad Begums musical abilities were recognised at school where her principal made the fiveyearold lead prayers She sang at religious and family functions though her conservative family was not very keen given the prevailing norms her daughter Usha Ratra had told IANS soon after her mothers demiseHowever her fathers younger brother who was fond of music paved her way taking her aged 11 to an audition with Lahorebased music composer Ghulam Haider who was so impressed with her that he signed her for a gramophone record More importantly her uncle also convinced her father to let her go aheadHowever her father imposed two conditions that she would be veiled while recording and never photographed and Shamshad Begum duly honoured them for many decades later there wasnt a single photograph of herShe came to public notice in 1937 when she was chosen to sing on All India Radio in Peshawar and Lahore Legendary filmmaker Mehboob Khan was instrumental in beginning her film career convincing her family especially her father to let her move to Bombay offering to provide all facilities for her familyShe hit it big right with her first film murder mystery Khazanchi 1941 and then Taqdeer 1943 the debut of Nargis She was eagerly sought after and several composers including Naushad Nayyar and SDBurman owed their rise to her willingness to sing for them when they were trying to gain a footholdWith no classical training Shamshad Begum had no restrictions in singing full force but she never neglected rhythm and diction take the famous Kabhi aar kabhi paar where she speeds up her tempo in the antaras and slows down a shade to emphatically deliver the punch lines Luta chain qarar Hothon par takrar and finally Ab to ho gaya pyarThen there is Aana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday Shehnai 1947 where she provides the homespun voice to the mock Anglicised versions of C Ramchandra and Meena KapoorWhile she maintained her position amid the rise of Lata Mangeshkar Asha Bhosle et al the death of her husband Ganpat Lal Batto whom she married in 1934 despite family opposition to the interfaith marriage in an accident in 1955 led her to withdraw from singingNaushad and Nayyar did manage to coax her back for songs like Holi aayi re kanhaai Mother India 1956 Reshmi salwar kurta Naya Daur 1957 and Teri mehfil mein qismat MughaleAzam 1960 but then she quit for good only making a brief comeback to render Kajra mohabbatwala Kismat 1968 a duet where she proved her voice had not lost any vigourShe spent the rest of her life with her daughter coming back into the limelight in 2004 when there were reports that she had passed awayBelated recognition followed as she was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2009 and a special series of India Post stamps of 10 popular singers in 2016 had her as one of the only two women along with Geeta DattVikas Datta can be contacted at vikasdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/a-spirited-voice-of-the-hindi-film-industry-and-pioneer-of-item-songs-534131.html Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/documenting-fn-souza-remembering-a-master-and-his-many-facets-534199.html New Delhi April 14 Perhaps the best part about the documentary is the fact that it remains focused on the subject The director though providing it with cinematic adjectives does not try to make it his own In the documentary FN Souza Father of Modern Indian Art directed by veteran critic and documentary filmmaker Vinod Bhardwaj and commissioned by Capitalbased Dhoomimal Gallery which had a very long association with the artist multiple facets of Francis Newton Souza come forwardExecuted with a rhythm that evokes both nostalgia and the contemporary Souzas life and art which cannot be differentiated are narrated in a nonlinear way Several other important artists like Krishen Khanna Manu Parekh art historians and gallerists remember the time spent with him and share their memoriesFounding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists Group Souzas style exhibited both decadence and primitivism In FN Souza Father of Modern Indian Art we are introduced to his early life the time this master known for his bold strokes and unapologetic themes became a rage internationally to his last days in Mumbai where this Goa born finally passed on March 28 2002 In recent times his works have been sold for over a million dollarsBhardwaj the filmmaker shared a close bond with the artist While they met for the first time in 1975 in Delhi both maintained regular correspondence even when Souza shifted to England and then the USSouza whom MF Hussain considered his mentor paid a lot of attention to art critics and art historians He always believed in the constant exchange of ideas and feedback was important for him remembers Bhardwaj who was also a film critic and part of the jury of the Leningrad Film Festival held in the former Soviet UnionBhardwaj who also made a documentary on J Swaminathan that was premiered by the Raza Foundation strongly believes that the passionist figurist Souza was much different than his contemporaries He was intellectually very strong in comparison to others and always believed in holding his right The man would not come under pressure under any circumstances We have used a portion of his book Words and LinesAdmitting he was a quite controversial figure a womaniser who married multiple times and one of the major reasons he moved to the US from England was the fact that married a 16yearold girl and that caused quite a stir Bhardwaj remembers Once an Indian woman painter asked him why he paints such voluptuous women To that he replied that he had been with more voluptuous ones in his personal life smiles Bhardwaj In fact Souza once said My paintings are not a product of love or anger but my libido Despite being raised in a strict catholic home he belled against the church and its structuresStressing that he did not have to do much research for the film as he had been reading consistently about the painter and also edited a 508page book on him in 2009 Bhardwaj feels that more films need to be made on Indian artists Now that there are so many streaming platforms including free ones this is just the right time for such initiativesUday Jain the owner of Dhoomimal Gallery says As we honour his centenary year the gallery promises to unveil the hidden gems of Souzas artistry IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/documenting-fn-souza-remembering-a-master-and-his-many-facets-534199.html Sun, 14 Apr 2024 17:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-forest-dept-warns-motorists-to-avoid-speeding-in-anamalai-tiger-reserve-area-533922.html Chennai April 13 The Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials have issued a warning to motorists passing through the Anamalai Tiger Reserve ATR urging them to drive at reduced speeds to prevent collisions with animals crossing the roads Forest department officials told IANS that the warning is due to the presence of a large number of Nilgiri Thar Nilgiri LionTailed Macaques Nilgiri Langur Bonnet Macaques Sambar deer wild hares and porcupines in the areaOfficials stated that the directive follows the frequent sightings of these animals often accompanied by their offspring emerging from the forest range and crossing roadsForest department officials reported several incidents of these animals being struck by speeding motorists particularly reckless twowheeler ridersTo address this concern the forest department has deployed four AntiDepredation Squads between Puthuthottam and Iyarpadi along with two additional squads within the Valparai town area aimed at deterring speeding motorists from traversing the ATRG Venatesh Forest Range Officer of Valparai Forest Range said In contrast to previous years I have observed a higher presence of wild animals along with their young crossing the roads This indicates an increase in their populationHe added We anticipate gaining clearer insights from the forthcoming wildlife census results Despite efforts such as filling check dams and percolation ponds at Attakatti as well as providing water troughs in Kadamparai Akkamalai and Upper Aliyar on a weekly basis for the animals benefit they still venture towards the roads necessitating diversion by our forest staffThe forest official also highlighted instances of reckless driving primarily by twowheeler riders Wildlife staff employed by the department are primarily focused on preventing such behaviour using barricades and other means IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-forest-dept-warns-motorists-to-avoid-speeding-in-anamalai-tiger-reserve-area-533922.html Sat, 13 Apr 2024 17:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/trial-by-fire-and-kohrra-made-everyone-notice-my-range-filmmaker-randeep-jha-533317.html New Delhi April 10 In Trial By Fire he stunned his audiences with a spectacle of honesty and purity that can inspire an inner silence In Kohrra the pace the silences and the unsaid conveyed more than words and movements In both thoughts were conveyed through a delicate vengeanceEven as filmmaker Randeep Jha who directed the web series Kohrra and codirected Trial By Fire is all set to work on a bigbudget film being made by a major studio which he insists is an interesting space that he has not touched in terms of craft he admits that while Trial By Fire was critically acclaimed but it was Kohrra that stunned everyone and precipitated several major names in the film industry to call him and show interest in working with himFor someone originally from Bihar who spent several years in Delhi training under theatre teacher Barry John it was not a big deal to work on a web series in PunjabiPunjab and Punjabis are an intrinsic part of Delhi Almost every day you encounter someone from there You are bound to get very familiar with their sensibilities if you live in the national capital I have always been interested in reading about current affairs and the many contrasts of Punjab have forever fascinated me he tells IANSEven as he gives credit to the writers of Kohrra Gunjit Chopra and Sudip Sharma Diggi Sisodia Jha maintains that he wanted to experiment with craft and sensibilities not following a linear pattern not getting into the trap of cliches Punjabis are portrayed as in BollywoodI will be honest for me it was a theatre set I brought in my training as a theatre person and executed the project It went seamlessly as most of the actors were from a theatre background For every scene there was a certain setting I had in mind how the actors will react how they will moveWhile Trial By Fire was verbose he wanted silence in Kohrra to talkAdmitting that it was a risk he took Jha says he has always believed in the intelligence of the audiencesThere are times when pauses and quiet convey way more than what is spoken especially in wounded societies that have witnessed dark times says the director of the critically acclaimed films Halahal 2020 and Kartaa 2018 But did he imagine that Kohrra would invite much critical acclaim and a huge audienceJha smiles Not at all we just went with the flow The writers had been working on it for two years but the moment I read the script I knew the potential was huge I was working on Trial By Fire when I read the story At the first given window I just went ahead and everything started falling into place For me it was important to pay attention to the pace of the show The fog deserved a semicolon and I was willing to take that risk I could do it because it was a web series and not a film In many ways this show has proven that being slick is no guarantee for success Slow burn brings out more meanings and metaphors Not just in urban areas those in rural Punjab who are fed on commercial Punjabi films also enjoyed the show thanks to the honesty of the language and the various facets of the Punjabi society we managed to conveyCrediting the shows success to the offers he has been getting from major studios Jha feels that most producers are impressed by the range he demonstrated in Trial by Fire and KohrraMany producers confessed that it was hard for them to believe that the same person had directed those two shows Yes they both have been instrumental in catalysing my careerThe director who has worked extensively with Anurag Kashyap Ugly Mukkabaaz Raman Raghav and Dibakar Banerjee Shanghai stresses that he learnt a lot from both of themAnurag has this unique ability to solve problems immediately He will improvise and not make a fuss His quick decisionmaking ability would surprise everyone on the set Dibakar is brilliant when it comes to planning Everything is crystal clear in his mind he recallsCrediting OTT platforms for giving a chance to directors like him to tell stories the way they want to Jha says not just him but many other young directors have benefitted immensely from digital platformsOTTs have allowed writers and directors to be honest to the craft and themselves without the stress of box officeAnd I have always believed that whenever you tell stories from the soil they resonate with people In the past few years so many young directors have made a name for themselves by telling different stories differently all thanks to digital platforms he stressesAnd now that he is a name to reckon with Jha just hopes for one thing I pray that I keep encountering new stories and do not hold back from telling them the way I want to he concludesSukant Deepak can be contacted at sukantdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/trial-by-fire-and-kohrra-made-everyone-notice-my-range-filmmaker-randeep-jha-533317.html Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cm-siddaramaiah-urges-sca-to-name-stands-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-after-ktaka-stalwarts-533108.html Bengaluru April 9 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the State Cricket Association KSCA to name the stands at Bengalurus Chinnaswamy stadium after three great cricketers of the state In a letter to KSCA President Raghuram Bhat A on Monday CM Siddaramaiah said I request you to consider naming the stands after GR Vishwanath EAS Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar which will inspire and encourage the upcoming cricketers of the stateThe Chief Minister further said that in Mumbai Delhi Kolkata and other places the main cricket stadiums have stands named after the great players from that city or state and yet there are no stands in Bengaluru named after GR Vishwanath EAS Prasanna and BS ChandrasekharThe suggestion by the Chief Minister came after noted historian and writer Ramachandra Guha in a letter on March 29 urged Siddaramaiah to ask the KSCA to name stands at the Chinnaswamy stadium after the three great cricketers and human beings who have nobly upheld the spirit of the game on and off the field IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cm-siddaramaiah-urges-sca-to-name-stands-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-after-ktaka-stalwarts-533108.html Tue, 09 Apr 2024 04:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/preparations-on-for-surya-abhishek-of-ram-lalla-on-april-17-533124.html Ayodhya UP April 9 Huge crowds are expected in Ayodhya on Ram Navami on April 17 to witness the Surya Abhishek of Ram Lalla when the rays of the sun fall on his forehead Experts from the Central Building Research Institute CBRI are already camping in Ayodhya to lay down an optomechanical system on the ground floor of the temple in collaboration with scientists from the Indian Institute of AstrophysicsBengaluruRam Lalla the Suryavanshi king of Ayodhya is expected to be gifted with Surya Abhishek at noon on April 17 a phenomenon through which sun rays would be captured and diverted via a series of optical apparatusThe standard optomechanical setup is a FabryPerot cavity where one mirror is movable to maximize the response of an optical system to a change in the frequencywavelength of an input laserUsing the FabryPerot cavity named after French physicists Charles Fabry and Alfred Perot who developed it in 1897 sunbeams would be guided with utmost precision to illuminate the forehead of the Lord exactly at noon on Ram NavamiThe sun rays would shine on the forehead of Ram Lalla for the next four minutes in a circular form spanning 75 millimetresThe original plan of the Ram temple trust was to initiate the process after completion of the temple building but following requests of saints and seers scientists from CBRI volunteered to make the arrangements for Surya Abhishek on the first Ram Navami in the newly constructed temple complexTemple trust member Anil Mishra said that a team of scientists and experts have been working on the project since Sunday night After measuring the distance between the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol and the ground of the sanctum sanctorum the scientists placed stickers strategically at points where mirrors and apparatus would be placedExperiments would be conducted over the next few days to identify the best spots for the devices that would be used to reflect the beams The weather needs to be clear at that time That is the only requirement to produce desired results he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/preparations-on-for-surya-abhishek-of-ram-lalla-on-april-17-533124.html Tue, 09 Apr 2024 09:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/now-get-square-shaped-water-melons-this-summer-532854.html Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh April 8 A new hybrid and export variety of watermelon and melon Saraswati is all set to hit UP markets this summer This variety of watermelons and melons is not only smaller in size but also in a square shape using a hybrid variety of seedsInterestingly the Saraswati variety of watermelons and melons cultivated by farmers in Prayagraj have a higher content of TSS Total Solid Sugar value And are being cultivated in around 1000 acres of land in Prayagraj Kaushambhi and Fatehpur districts using the mulch film cultivation techniqueGenerally people have an idea of ordinary watermelons exterior green and bright red interior but these hybrid varieties will have other colours like yellow exterior and bright red interior or green exterior and yellow interiorAgriculture expert Manoj Kumar Srivastava said Farmers are cultivating seeds being brought from Taiwan to yield a good crop in limited resources The small and mediumsized watermelon and melon in round and square shapes are more sought after by fruit lovers across the country as they have a total solid sugar TSS value up to 14 to 15 per centFarmers growing watermelon and melon however point out that they have grown new varieties of watermelon and melon with technical guidance and this hybrid variety of watermelons and melons are giving better profits to farmersA farmer can earn a profit up to Rs 80000 to Rs 90000 per acre Currently a hybrid variety of watermelon and melon is being cultivated in transGanga and Yamuna Prayagraj Mooratganj in Kaushambhi and Khaga in Fatehpur district The Saraswati variety of watermelon will soon be exported to other states IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/now-get-square-shaped-water-melons-this-summer-532854.html Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tribal-group-ignites-electorates-minds-at-meghalaya-market-532560.html Shillong April 6 Hundreds of tribals belonging to the Khasi and Garo tribes on Friday assembled at Byrnihat the northern entrypoint of Meghalaya along Assam to listen to important messages from the U Sangot The U Sangot a traditional Khasi information broadcaster has been roped in as part of the Election Commissions voter awareness programmes in MeghalayaDressed in traditional Khasi costumes the U Sangot performers played a proactive role in spreading voter awareness among the tribals who assembled at Byrnihat for the weekly market thereBah J Syngkli the Rangbah Shnong headman of Byrnihat introduced the U Sangot team to the people who assembled at the weekly market from different villages along the northern periphery of Ri Bhoi districtSyngkli spoke about the importance of the Lok Sabha elections saying each voter should ensure that heshe exercises hisher franchise and sends the best candidate to the ParliamentWe can guarantee that India will continue as a strong democracy only if we vote in larger numbers Syngkli saidOther U Sangot functionaries said it is a matter of pride that the electorate in Meghalaya will be the first ones to cast their votes as the state will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19Highlighting Meghalayas clean and green elections they said the voters should compete with each other to be the first ones to exercise their franchise in their respective polling stationsAs per the Election Commission the first two voters one male and one female will get the opportunity to plant saplings on the campus of the polling stations with their names displayed on a board next to itA clean and green election is the primary focus of the Lok Sabha polls in Meghalaya a U Sangot member saidMeghalayas Joint Chief Electoral Officer Jonathan Shylla said the U Sangot initiative taken by the state poll panel is part of SVEEP Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation the flagship programme of the Election Commission for spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in the countryInterestingly the programmes under SVEEP are designed according to the socioeconomic cultural and demographic profile of the state as well as the history of electoral participation in Meghalaya Shylla said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tribal-group-ignites-electorates-minds-at-meghalaya-market-532560.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 00:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-surgeon-conferred-honorary-fellowship-of-american-surgical-association-532563.html Hyderabad April 6 Hyderabadbased eminent breast surgeon Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti was conferred Honorary Fellowship of the American Surgical Association ASA in Washington DC on Friday Dr Raghu Ram the founding director of KIMSUshalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases here is the third surgeon from South Asia to be conferred with the honour which is the highest recognition that ASA can bestow upon a surgical colleague from a foreign countryProf Steven Stain President of ASA who read out Dr Raghu Rams citation to the delegates gathered from all around the US and the world said Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been a leader in revolutionising Breast Cancer Care in India through a series of innovative initiatives He has dedicated his professional life through his seminal efforts towards education advocacy amp access to stateoftheart contemporary breast cancer therapy in the countryIn addition he is an individual of exceptional integrity amp professional ethics involved in the restructuring and meritocracybased direction of Surgical Leadership in India He is also a strong supporter of building international collaborations and shared educational efforts including with the ASA and other leading Surgical Societies all over the world He is a role model mentor amp dedicated tall leader of Surgery in India He is indeed well qualified and deserving of Honorary Fellowship in the American Surgical Association he addedFounded in 1880 the prestigious ASA is the US oldest surgical organisationDr Raghu Ram in his address said that he dedicates the honour to my motherland Bharat my family without whom I am a nobody my patients who have given me the unique privilege to be involved in their care and to my colleagues for their relentless contribution towards improving the art amp science of surgery IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-surgeon-conferred-honorary-fellowship-of-american-surgical-association-532563.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 02:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-surgeon-conferred-with-honorary-fellowship-of-american-surgical-association-532564.html Hyderabad April 6 Hyderabadbased eminent breast surgeon Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti was conferred with the Honorary Fellowship of American Surgical Association ASA in Washington DC on Friday Dr Raghu Ram the founding director of KIMSUshalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases here is the third surgeon from South Asia to be conferred with the honour which is the highest recognition that ASA can bestow upon a surgical colleague from a foreign countryProf Steven Stain President of ASA who read out Dr Raghu Rams citation to the delegates gathered from all around the US and the world said Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been a leader in revolutionising Breast Cancer Care in India through a series of innovative initiatives He has dedicated his professional life through his seminal efforts towards education advocacy amp access to stateoftheart contemporary breast cancer therapy in the countryIn addition he is an individual of exceptional integrity amp professional ethics involved in the restructuring and meritocracybased direction of Surgical Leadership in India He is also a strong supporter of building international collaborations and shared educational efforts including with the ASA and other leading Surgical Societies all over the world He is a role model mentor amp dedicated tall leader of Surgery in India He is indeed well qualified and deserving of Honorary Fellowship in the American Surgical Association he addedFounded in 1880 the prestigious ASA is the US oldest surgical organisationDr Raghu Ram in his address said that he dedicates the honour to my motherland Bharat my family without whom I am a nobody my patients who have given me the unique privilege to be involved in their care and to my colleagues for their relentless contribution towards improving the art amp science of surgery IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/hyderabad-surgeon-conferred-with-honorary-fellowship-of-american-surgical-association-532564.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 02:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-have-an-extremely-bleak-view-of-humanity-national-award-winning-filmmaker-bhaskar-hazarika-532629.html New Delhi April 6 There are multiple complexities the other world and darkness always seep into his creations And that is because National Awardwinning filmmaker Bhaskar Hazarika very casually says that he has an extremely bleak view of humanity We are forever ruled strongly by our egos Why should we assume ourselves to be the most heroic of species only because we have intelligence This superiority complex has made us destroy so many other beings in the world Just because we can walk on two legs does not make us special in any way All these issues guide me when I make films precisely why my viewpoint is so cynical says the director who runs a small studio that just finished its fourth movie Now we are making a Hindi horror film as well and an Assamese one too he tells IANSBhaskar Hazarikas directorial debut Kothanodi won the National Award for Best Assamese Feature Film in 2016Hazarika whose 2019 Indian Assameselanguage romantic horror film Aamis was called by many critics the best film to come from India in years and had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was nominated in five categories in the festivals International Narrative section says the rave reviews of the movie made him feel validatedIt was a tough film to pitch Everybody thought it would be heavily censored as it dealt with a taboo subject Precisely why it was given a pastoral look that nothing much happened on the screen However the ideas conveyed were radical Much space was given to the audience to imagine Now the Censor Board can cut scenes but not ideas he smilesWhile the director took on board fresh faces in Aamis to give it a more realistic feel and the fact that it was a lowbudget film he insists he is not against casting known faces It depends on the film If Im doing a multicrore film then I would need to says this maker of Assameselanguage film Kothanodi The River of Fables who is all set to work on a bigbudget moviePostwriting Players he decided to stay away from mainstream as he insisted that he experienced much unlearning during the process For someone who believes in writing scripts while Bollywood prefers narrations he also found that aspect unnerving And then came the long process of pitchingFrankly I think I did a smart thing by walking away from Bollywood as independent cinema gives one a lot of freedom You do not have to go around telling your story to everyone And my first film was mostly crowdfunded and made through grants Now I would like to make bigger films with good stories and strong budgetsHe stressed that when OTT platforms emerged in India independent filmmakers like him thought they had cracked the code but the bubble did not last long Our films were picked up rapidly I recovered the cost of my debut film as soon as it was picked up However when their offices were set up in the country and Indians took over they slashed the payments Now independent films are not even considered he lamentsBoth Rima Das and Bhaskar work in the Assamese language but their films always have a universal appeal In Assam our community is very small We probably have 80 screens so it is important to reach out to more audiences We make films which we know will travelThe filmmaker who was at the recently concluded CineVesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh feels it is important for audiences to explore diverse cinema and understand that it is not just for entertainment or about big stars Schools too should work towards cinema literacy I have been to many screenings of many fantastic films being shown here However it would have been better if attendance by Chandigarh residents was higher he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-have-an-extremely-bleak-view-of-humanity-national-award-winning-filmmaker-bhaskar-hazarika-532629.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 17:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-have-an-extremely-bleak-view-of-humanity-national-award-winner-bhaskar-hazarika-532632.html New Delhi April 6 There are multiple complexities the other world and darkness always seep into his creations And that is because National Awardwinning filmmaker Bhaskar Hazarika very casually says that he has an extremely bleak view of humanity We are forever ruled strongly by our egos Why should we assume ourselves to be the most heroic of species only because we have intelligence This superiority complex has made us destroy so many other beings in the world Just because we can walk on two legs does not make us special in any way All these issues guide me when I make films precisely why my viewpoint is so cynical says the director who runs a small studio that just finished its fourth movie Now we are making a Hindi horror film as well and an Assamese one too he tells IANSBhaskar Hazarikas directorial debut Kothanodi won the National Award for Best Assamese Feature Film in 2016Hazarika whose 2019 Indian Assameselanguage romantic horror film Aamis was called by many critics the best film to come from India in years and had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was nominated in five categories in the festivals International Narrative section says the rave reviews of the movie made him feel validatedIt was a tough film to pitch Everybody thought it would be heavily censored as it dealt with a taboo subject Precisely why it was given a pastoral look that nothing much happened on the screen However the ideas conveyed were radical Much space was given to the audience to imagine Now the Censor Board can cut scenes but not ideas he smilesWhile the director took on board fresh faces in Aamis to give it a more realistic feel and the fact that it was a lowbudget film he insists he is not against casting known faces It depends on the film If Im doing a multicrore film then I would need to says this maker of Assameselanguage film Kothanodi The River of Fables who is all set to work on a bigbudget moviePostwriting Players he decided to stay away from mainstream as he insisted that he experienced much unlearning during the process For someone who believes in writing scripts while Bollywood prefers narrations he also found that aspect unnerving And then came the long process of pitchingFrankly I think I did a smart thing by walking away from Bollywood as independent cinema gives one a lot of freedom You do not have to go around telling your story to everyone And my first film was mostly crowdfunded and made through grants Now I would like to make bigger films with good stories and strong budgetsHe stressed that when OTT platforms emerged in India independent filmmakers like him thought they had cracked the code but the bubble did not last long Our films were picked up rapidly I recovered the cost of my debut film as soon as it was picked up However when their offices were set up in the country and Indians took over they slashed the payments Now independent films are not even considered he lamentsBoth Rima Das and Bhaskar work in the Assamese language but their films always have a universal appeal In Assam our community is very small We probably have 80 screens so it is important to reach out to more audiences We make films which we know will travelThe filmmaker who was at the recently concluded CineVesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh feels it is important for audiences to explore diverse cinema and understand that it is not just for entertainment or about big stars Schools too should work towards cinema literacy I have been to many screenings of many fantastic films being shown here However it would have been better if attendance by Chandigarh residents was higher he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-have-an-extremely-bleak-view-of-humanity-national-award-winner-bhaskar-hazarika-532632.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 18:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jampk-thousands-congregate-for-prayers-on-last-friday-of-ramadan-532514.html Srinagar April 5 Thousands of devout Muslims offered congregational prayers in Jammu and Kashmir on the last Friday of the ongoing month of Ramadan The largest congregational prayer gathering was held at Hazratbal shrine in SrinagarThe shrine houses the holy relic of the Prophet of Islam This is the holiest Muslim shrine in JampKFormer Chief Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were among the devotees who offered Friday prayers at Hazratbal shrineLarge gatherings for Friday prayers were held at different mosques in Jammu division and other places in the ValleyCongregational prayers were not held at the historic Jamia Masjid in old city Nowhatta area of Srinagar Anjuman Auqaf which manages the affairs of the Jamia Masjid said that the authorities did not allow prayers at this mosqueThe management also said that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who heads the management was placed under house arrest by the authorities todayReports reaching from different parts of the UT said that congregational prayers passed off peacefully everywhere IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jampk-thousands-congregate-for-prayers-on-last-friday-of-ramadan-532514.html Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/navratri-harmonising-ancient-wisdom-with-modern-understanding-532551.html New Delhi April 5 Navratri a significant festival among Hindus derives its name from the Sanskrit term meaning time of nine nights During these ten days and nine nights devotees worship ShaktiDevi Navratri occurs four times annually during the lunar months of Chaitra Magh Ashadha and Ashwin Kartik from Pratipada to NavamiChaitra hosts the Vasantik or Vasantiya Navratri while Ashwin marks the Shardiya Navratri Navratri during Magh and Ashadha is known as Gupt NavratriThe festival concludes with the immersion of the Durga idol on DussehraNotably there is a threemonth gap between each Navratri celebrationIn the context of Hinduism the practice of worshipping feminine energy shakti represented by nine Goddesses for nine consecutive days during festivals is unmatched by any similar practice in other religionsThis distinctive aspect underscores the central role of Goddess worship within Hindu observances showcasing the deep reverence for women and femininity embedded in Hindu culture since antiquityAcross epochs Hinduism has boasted the most pronounced presence of the divine feminine among global religions signifying an enduring legacy of empowerment and reverence for the feminine essenceThe celebration of Navratri embodies the reverence for feminine energy shakti depicted in Hindu scriptures Just as the Rigveda glorifies feminine energy as the essence of the universe Navratri celebrates the divine feminine through Goddess Durga Lakshmi and SaraswatiThese goddesses symboliSe purification cycles mirroring the journey of purification depicted in ancient textsThe first cycle represented by Goddess Durga purifies the physical realm akin to the glorification of feminine energy as the creator in Hindu scripturesSimilarly the second cycle led by Goddess Lakshmi focuses on emotional purification aligning with the empowering depiction of women in Hindu textsFinally the third cycle guided by Goddess Saraswati signifies the purification of the mind reflecting the supreme governing principle of the cosmos attributed to the feminine in Vedic literatureThus Navratris rituals echo the profound respect and celebration of women as formidable and empowering entities in Hinduism as depicted in ancient scripturesWhy should we seize this opportunity to purify our bodies and mindsLets delve into the scientific rationale behind Navratri One distinguishing feature of Hindu festivals is their inherent connection to significant astronomical events or transitionsNavratri aligns with crucial astronomical events like Equinoxes and Solstices which are pivotal in marking the change of seasonsDuring the equinox the sun aligns directly with the equator creating approximately equal lengths of daylight and darkness worldwideThis celestial event derived from the Latin words equity and nox meaning equal night marks a balance between light and darkness with most places experiencing 12 hours of eachAt the equator the sun is directly overhead during these equinoxes occurring only twice a year when the Earths axis is neither tilted towards nor away from the sun resulting in nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness across latitudesThey match well with our bodys internal clock called the circadian rhythm which dictates when we sleep wake and perform other biological functionsOur internal clock runs slightly longer than a 24hour day but adjusts to the environments lightdark cycle This adjustment known as entrainment prevents our cycles from driftingBalanced lightness and darkness during equinoxes keep our circadian system stable ensuring better sleep and wellbeingPhysiologically hormonal shifts occur during this time influencing various biological cycles and promoting inner transformationWith rising consciousness during Navratri meditations aids in decluttering the mind of negative emotions such as fear anger and attachment fostering mental wellbeingThe March equinox also heralds spring symbolizing renewal and rejuvenationAcross cultures this time is celebrated as natures awakening with trees and plants completing their growth cycle adorned with vibrant spring foliage or blossoms before the arrival of summerThe eternal and limitless spirit soul journeyed through the ages acting as an unending source of energy in the universeNavratri the nine sacred nights of Indias spiritual festival through fasting prayer chanting and meditation offer a chance to convert negativity into positivityThese significant nights mark a period for awakening integrating and aligning the nine chakras across the mind body and spiritDuring Navratri the subtle energies enveloping the surroundings aid in guiding ones path towards spiritual enlightenment forging a link between personal awareness and the divine auspicious collective consciousnessThis connection evokes positive attributes within us dismantling lethargy conceit fixation desires and repulsionsAs negative emotions dissipate replaced by transformative energies we embark on a journey of profound rejuvenation throughout the auspicious nine nightsInterestingly the concept of feminine energy finds a parallel in the biological realm through mitochondria often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell Mitochondria inherited from the maternal DNA play a crucial role in providing energy to the human bodyThis connection underscores the deep reverence for the feminine essence embedded in Hindu cultureDuring Navratri devotees engage in rituals such as fasting prayer chanting and meditation seeking spiritual enlightenment and purificationThese practices have been likened to intermittent fasting which has been associated with mitochondrial rejuvenationFasting triggers processes like autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesisAutophagy clears out damaged mitochondria while biogenesis stimulates the formation of new healthy ones This renewal process parallels the spiritual journey of Navratri where devotees strive for inner purification and renewalMoreover intermittent fasting of Navratri enhances mitochondrial efficiency and function reducing oxidative stress and promoting cellular healthSimilarly Navratri rituals aim to cleanse the mind body and spirit offers an ideal opportunity to sync and balance the internal and external energy centers fostering spiritual integration and harmonyNavratri holds profound significance intertwining spiritual social and scientific dimensionsFrom a social perspective traditionally in Bharat there was no concept of weekends or Sundays so the Hindu festivals like Navratri used to provide a respite from the rigors of daily life reminding individuals to pause and reconnect through community interactions revitalising old relationships and fostering new connections amidst seasonal changeThe attributes like strength and stability devout asceticism courage protection and determination are essential qualities for navigating lifes challenges Additionally the ability to combat evils create positive change and embody purity and recovery contribute to a wellrounded and evolved existenceEach of these attribute symbolised by the nine forms of the divine Goddess Durga is integral to achieving spiritual growth fulfilment and ultimately a harmonious and evolved lifeIn the rich tradition of Hinduism in Bharat the intertwining of science and culture is not only evident but celebratedNavratri with its profound spiritual significance and scientific underpinnings exemplifies this harmonious coexistenceAs devotees come together to honour the divine feminine and embark on a journey of purification and enlightenment they simultaneously embrace the scientific insights that guide their practicesIn this fusion of ancient wisdom and modern understanding Hinduism in Bharat continues to thrive offering a timeless path to spiritual growth and cultural richnessThe writer is a PhD in sociology and has authored books on India History IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/navratri-harmonising-ancient-wisdom-with-modern-understanding-532551.html Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dalai-lama-receives-lord-buddha-relics-from-sri-lanka-532236.html Dharamsala April 4 In a rare spiritual gesture Lord Buddhas sacred relics housed at a holy temple in Sri Lanka were offered to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at his residence here in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday The Dalai Lama and Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero Mahanayake of Amarapura Sri Sambuddha Shasanodaya Sangha Sabha held a stupa containing the relics of Lord Buddha on their way to the meeting room of the formers residenceOn arrival of the relics monks spread flower petals as they led the procession bringing the relics Young Tibetan monks were lined up awaiting the arrival of relics while artists donning traditional costumes were performing as they waited for its arrivalThe Kapilavastu relics comprising 21 sacred artefacts carry profound echoes of Lord Buddhas teachings and enlightenment Their journey from Sri Lanka to the presence of the Dalai Lama serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of Lord Buddhas legacy on spiritual seekers worldwide IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dalai-lama-receives-lord-buddha-relics-from-sri-lanka-532236.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/elvis-the-bear-celebrates-9-yrs-of-freedom-from-cruel-captivity-532299.html Agra April 4 About a quarter century ago dancing bears were a common sight in many parts of the country They were a major attraction on the Fatehpur Sikri road in Agra where hordes of tourists halted to see the bears dance It was largely a cruel practice as the animals were starved or underfed and subjected to all kinds of brutalities by the kalandars who made them dance for amusement for a livingThe kalandars mostly Muslims were patronised by the royalty Judicial activism in the 1990s finally changed the scene for good but poaching persistedThe last dancing sloth bear was taken off the streets on December 18 2009 according to records Since then more than 800 dancing bears have been rescued Most have found shelter at Agra Bear Rescue Centre run by Wild Life SOS The government supports four such centres in IndiaIt was common knowledge that the kalandars would first pull out the teeth and claws of the bear then using hot iron rods pierce holes in the snouts to thread a rope and make them dance in the streets for some Rupees The hair of the bears also brought some money recalled environmentalist Devashish BhattacharyaElvis defied the odds and embraced a life of joy and freedom He recently celebrated his ninth year of freedom from captivity at the Agra Centre Just two months old Elvis was snatched away from his mother and subjected to unspeakable cruelty at the hands of poachers His muzzle was pierced with a redhot iron poker to subjugate him into the cruel dancing bear trade However fate intervened and Elvis found sanctuary at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility where dedicated keepers nursed him back to healthOn his arrival in 2015 Elvis bore the scars of his traumatic past trembling with fear and mistrust Weak dehydrated and in immense pain due to his pierced muzzle the bear cub was in dire need of intensive veterinary assistance Under the medical care provided by Wildlife SOS he overcame his condition and found a haven at the facilityHandreared by the staff at Wildlife SOS Elvis has forged a deep bond with his caregivers From his initial apprehensive demeanour Elvis has transformed into the most mischievous and playful bear in the facility delighting in climbing trees and indulging in his favourite treats of fruit and honey The nineyearold bear is one of the most extroverted and playful residents at the bear sanctuary with a personality that is impossible to missKartick Satyanarayan cofounder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said Watching Elvis prance around in his spacious field gives us immense joy yet simultaneously reminds us of his past Despite being poached from the wild and separated from his mother by wildlife traffickers Elvis has thrived in his new environment embodying resilience and strengthGeeta Seshamani cofounder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS said Over the years Wildlife SOS has rescued over 70 sloth bear cubs before they could be traded for the dancing bear practice To combat the estimated 10 billion wildlife trafficking industry Wildlife SOS operates an antipoaching squad called Forest Watch aimed at mitigating its harms IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/elvis-the-bear-celebrates-9-yrs-of-freedom-from-cruel-captivity-532299.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/stop-cribbing-all-the-time-filmmaker-sudhir-mishra-tells-airy-independent-filmmakers-532301.html New Delhi April 4 With almost a smooth furious glance he says that it is high time that independent filmmakers stop cribbing about the fact that their films do not get theatrical releases or accepted by OTT platforms anymore Stressing that for decades everyone has given preference to big budgets and wellknown stars National Awardwinning filmmaker Sudhir Mishra asserts that like life filmmaking is also about negotiating spaces perpetually It costs a lot of money to make films and release them Anyways these socalled independent filmmakers are too airy But the moment Karan Johar invites them for lunch everybody will stand in a queue Boss it is a practical industry and learn to live with that fact Like life there are no perfect situations or ideals around hereA poet also has to feed his children and he realises that and works towards it Stop cribbing all the time I am so intelligent such a nice guy still my films dont get distributed The world owes you nothing laments MishraThese independent guys need to realise that they are against the big boys It is not easy to fight them Sure some crumbs may be thrown once in a while After three outings at Cannes filmmaker Murli Nair had to stop making films Where is he now It is a tough world out there says the filmmaker best known for his films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Dharavi Chameli Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Khoya Khoya ChandMaking his directorial debut with the film Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin in 1987 which won him a National Film Award Mishra talking about his cult classic Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi says he did not have to do any research while writing the film as he had grown up in the time when naxalism was at its peak and knew many of themI come from Lucknow and to a large extent my worldview is Ghalib Naxalism was in the air and I was very influenced by playwright Badal Sircar with whom I visited every area of Bengal where people were influenced by that ideology Besides I come from a Nehruvian family and we were close to the Congress I bet I know more about the Congress of that time than any journalist even I have seen the emergence of fixers observed machinations up close and student politics of that eraMishra says he is the Geeta female lead in the film Because I am neither a Naxalite nor a fixer Like her I am the centre and I have touched my feminine side often Yes I knew many GeetasAll his films have a strong sociopolitical base something which he says comes naturally to himIt is extremely important that my cinema is sociopolitical because that is my being I do not have to try to do that That is how I think that is who I am A person comes before the filmmaker Education background influences and ideological factors shape him While making a movie certain aspects of the maker seep in naturally while others make a quiet exit he saysUpbeat about several new OTT platforms entering the digital space he says the more the merrier Everything may not be perfect about them But that holds for everything in life no says the filmmaker who was at the recently concluded CineVesture International Film Festival CIFF held in ChandigarhMishra who is currently working on his next titled Summer of 77 which is about the Emergency and mainstream people bubbling with a certain kind of radicalism and confronting the state asserts No one is a fixer or a Naxalite in this movie It is about a more mainstream rebellion There are multiple layers to the film he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/stop-cribbing-all-the-time-filmmaker-sudhir-mishra-tells-airy-independent-filmmakers-532301.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fear-looms-in-tns-koorainadu-as-leopard-spotted-532209.html Chennai April 4 Tension prevailed in the Koorainadu area of Tamil Nadus Myladuthirai district on Thursday after the local people spotted a leopard A dead pig with head injuries resembling that of an attack by a big cat kept the people on their toes The local people spotted the big cat on Tuesday night after which the forest department team reached the area However the animal continued to be elusiveThe Koorainadu area is densely populated and the district collector of Myladuthurai AP Mahabharathi told media persons that ten forest teams and a police battalion were searching the areaCCTV visuals of local shops have found a leopardlike animal prowling in the area Pug marks of the big cat were also foundThe forest department has set up a control room at the Divisional Forest Office in Thiruchemballi to alert the forest and police teams of any developments IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fear-looms-in-tns-koorainadu-as-leopard-spotted-532209.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-enters-delhi-village-injures-3-caught-after-4-hour-operation-531593.html New Delhi April 1 Three people have been injured after a leopard entered a house in a village in Delhi on Monday police said A fire department official said that after four hours of operation the leopard was caughtThe three injured have been identified as Mahender Akash and Rampal all residents of Jagatpur villageDeputy Commissioner of Police north Manoj Kumar Meena said that on Monday at 614 am a Police Control Room PCR call was received at Wazirabad police station regarding a leopard entering a house in Jagatpur villageAccordingly the local police reached the spot and forest officials were informedCurrently seven persons from the Forest department and Fire department along with local police are present on the spot The leopard has been contained in a room and then caught said the DCPAccording to Director of Delhi Fire Service DFS Atul Garg a call regarding a leopard barging into the house at Gali No3 Jagatpur village was received at 618 amActing on the call two fire tenders were rushed to the spotAt 825 am with the help of residents the leopard was cornered in a room The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment said Garg IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-enters-delhi-village-injures-3-caught-after-4-hour-operation-531593.html Mon, 01 Apr 2024 13:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-masterchef-australia-to-butter-chicken-wars-gary-mehigans-india-deep-dive-531231.html New Delhi March 30 Gary Mehigan who was behind the humongous success of MasterChef Australia has become a registered Indophile by the look of it Somewhat like the Australian and also Delhi Capitals cricket star David Warner who almost became the face of Tollywood during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad Mehigan knows more about India than any homegrown desi would on a good dayNot surprising considering that he has been here 12 times in 18 months travelling across the country from the highlands of Munnar in Kerala to Ladakh soaking in the Hemis Festival to Nagaland chilling at Hornbill Sampling langarwali dal and roti at Anandpur Sahib one day or on another riding a truck in Kolkata carrying an idol of Goddess Durga being taken for immersion to the Hooghly shooting for Nat Geos India Mega Festivals seriesAnd of course if youre a chef who spends more time in India than back home in Melbourne how can you not get interested in the butter chicken controversy that has pitted one of the Moti Mahal owners against the duo behind DaryaganjWhen Mehigan conducted a poll among his Instagram followers about their favourite butter chicken Moti Mahal was trailing behind Daryaganj by 7 percentage points and he also got advice on the other butter chicken offerings he must check out before arriving at any conclusion notably Havemore Minar Mughal Mahal Kwality and even AslamsMehigan however is at the Taj City Centre in Gurugram along with a team from his Indian collaborators the Bengalurubased multivertical food platform Conosh and several cases containing the single malt The Ardmore for an event far removed from the world that his travels take him to As he puts it he keeps moving from the pavement to the penthouseThe dinner that Mehigan will lay out on Sunday will consist of seven courses preceded by a snack attack which will consist of dishes each with his personal touches representing the best of Japanese French Italian and of course Australian classicsNo Iftar delicacies here which he sampled in Hyderabad and Delhi but definitely a platter of nigiri or a duck confit and even the flavours of Alphonso So what would the pairing of The Ardmore and the Alphonso be called The Alphmore Mehigan broke into a hearty laugh MoreAlph maybeBeing originally an Englishman Mehigan loves his Single Malts and he says they pair very well with food contrary to the popular belief that they are best imbibed before and after a mealAlthough The Ardmore which comes from the Highlands is slightly peaty Mehigan pointed out that it has clear notes of cinnamon honey and toffee The flavour profile makes it just right for cocktails or better still to be paired neat with a duck or a lamb shank Mehigans take Thats not a difficult one to pair It has lots of flavours for us to play around withComing back to his love for India Mehigan said hes curating food travel experiences for just 60 world travellers along with his MasterChef Australia cohost Matt Preston and the international uppercrust travel company Luxury Escapes The India tours sold out in 12 hoursAnd while hes doing all this and maybe wondering which one is truly Delhis best butter chicken hes soaking up more of India by reading up Arundhati Roys The God of Small Things Rohinton Mistrys A Fine Balance and Jhumpa Lahiris Inheritance of Loss Did anyone say chefs only read recipes and KOTs IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-masterchef-australia-to-butter-chicken-wars-gary-mehigans-india-deep-dive-531231.html Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/himachal-temperatures-dip-as-manali-receive-snow-531198.html Shimla March 30 As March is drawing closer nearby hills of the popular tourist destination of Manali received more snow on Saturday while lower hills across Himachal Pradesh experienced rains pushing down the mercury by several notches Hoteliers however cheered up in the hope that tourists would converge in large numbers in the next few daysLikewise the Solang ski slopes 13 km uphill from Manali and Kalpa 250 km from the state capital also witnessed snowHowever tourist spot Shimla and its nearby destinations such as Kufri Fagu Narkanda and Chail only witnessed rainsAs per inputs from Dhundhi the area around South Portal is witnessing heavy snowfall and the road from South Portal up to Solang Nallah is not fit for any type of traffic said the HP Traffic Tourist and Railways PoliceThe meteorological office here said highaltitude areas of LahaulSpiti Kullu Kinnaur Chamba Mandi Sirmaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing moderate to heavy snow The minimum temperatures dropped by 45 degrees CelsiusKeylong the administrative centre of LahaulSpiti was the coldest place in the state at minus 03 degree CelsiusShimla recorded a low of 66 degrees Kufri minus 48 degrees Kalpa 14 degrees Manali 16 degrees and Dalhousie 45 degrees IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/himachal-temperatures-dip-as-manali-receive-snow-531198.html Sat, 30 Mar 2024 15:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mithya-no-childs-play--530797.html New Delhi March 27 During the pandemic filmmaker Sumant Bhat got the news of a distant relatives death and on the thirteenth day the deceased mans wife killed herself leaving behind two sons one 11yearold and the other only three Bhat attended the funeral ceremony of the wife The older child was quite serious but the younger one was laughing and running around oblivious to the fact of what had happenedThat image never left the director and thus were sown the seeds of his Kannada film MithyaThe movie centres around Mithun an elevenyearold coming to terms with the sudden loss of his parents Things turn gloomier as their families squabble over his custody even as questions over the nature of his fathers death remain unanswered The filmmaker dwells on questions like can a new house be home can friendships be forged again or is it all just a search for something long goneI am also a parent to two children and wanted to look at how they grieve he told IANSStressing that it would be unfair to call Mithya a childrens film adding that he has had this problem of labelling some movies as childrens films especially in India as we mostly underestimate the emotional maturity of children and their capacity to grasp complexityBhat adds We dumb down films for them and they are mostly about talking animals or a magic land I did not make this movie keeping in mind any specific age group just the fact that things need to be explored from a childs perspective At MAMI in Mumbai children were not allowed and the audience members were adults During the QampA session I realised that they connected with the film through their parents loss or of their siblings All set for its festival journey including to the US Russia and Europe funding for the film was not a problem for Bhat as his friend a major Kannada star financed not only his film but also the ventures of other independent filmmakersThe filmmaker feels that major artists who have reached the top of the industry should also do their bit for independent films Even if they finance just one film of their choice it would make a huge difference Or they can promote it by speaking about a small film to the mediaBhat whose film will be screened during the debut edition of CineVesture International Film Festival CIFF in Chandigarh is looking forward to the interaction with audiences That is always the best part about festivals one gets to know how the audience has conceived the movie Sometimes their interpretations surprise directors too considering they connect to the film in ways you dont anticipateDismissing the fact that OTT has helped independent filmmakers he says it was a very small bubble that busted completely after the pandemic It does not take much to observe that most digital platforms are now following an algorithm and prefer crime thrillers leaving no space for something genuinely different They have completely shut down doors on indie filmmakers and are working like studios where they prefer bug productions boasting of top stars Frankly I started making short films only when OTTs came about thinking now there was an outlet laments BhatThough he has written some web series he does not expect them to see the light of the day But I am also in the process of writing my next film he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mithya-no-childs-play--530797.html Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/56th-national-kho-kho-championship-over-1300-participants-from-73-teams-to-vie-for-top-honours-530457.html New Delhi March 26 The anticipation and excitement surrounding Kho Kho are set to soar as the 56th National Kho Kho Championship gears up for an exhilarating showcase of talent With a recordbreaking participation of 73 teams comprising 1332 players coaches and managers from 37 StatesUnion Territories and units across the nation this event promises to be a celebration of skill athleticism and sportsmanshipOrganised by the Kho Kho Association of Delhi KKAD under the aegis of the Kho Kho Federation of India KKFI this prestigious championship is scheduled to commence on March 27 followed by the Opening Ceremony at K D Jadhav Indoor Hall at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in the capital Teams from every corner of the country will converge to compete for the coveted title creating an atmosphere charged with enthusiasm and fierce competitionHighlighting the commitment to ensure fair play and smooth conduct of matches the championship will engage the services of 100 technical officials Additionally a dedicated team of 50 office bearers from KKFI 100 officials from the Kho Kho Association of Delhi and 200 enthusiastic volunteers will work tirelessly to ensure a memorable experience for all participants and spectatorsWe are thrilled to host the 56th National Kho Kho Championship with such overwhelming participation from across the nation said Sudhanshu Mittal President KKFI Kho Kho is not just a sport its a sentiment to the people of India It is a cultural phenomenon that brings people together We are proud to provide a platform for talented players to showcase their skills and inspire the next generation of Kho Kho playersIn addition to the intense competition the championship holds significance for the Ultimate Kho Kho franchises as eminent players identified during the event may find a place in their teams drafts ahead of the upcoming third session of the Ultimate Kho Kho League this year Moreover KKFI intends to host the Kho Kho World Cup in England in September 2024 with the participation of 12 teams in both categories from 5 continents aiming to secure the disciplines inclusion in the Asian Games and Olympics in the coming yearsThe Organising Committee revealed the official Mascot of the Kho Kho World Championship named Dhakad signifying a noteworthy achievement in the sports promotionThe championship promises to be a showcase of athleticism strategy and teamwork with players demonstrating their agility and tactical prowess on the field Spectators can expect thrilling matches and moments of sheer brilliance as teams vie for top honoursPrasar Bharti being the official broadcast partner for this championship will provide live coverage of all quarterfinals semifinals and finals for both the mens and womens categories matches on the DD Sports Network IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/56th-national-kho-kho-championship-over-1300-participants-from-73-teams-to-vie-for-top-honours-530457.html Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/a-play-in-the-time-of-floods-530520.html New Delhi March 26 Each year floods ravage Assam almost like a ritual Every time lives are lost property damaged and hundreds are forced to dislocate He says he has lived with floods since childhood and watched what it does to the survivors too As a human being and artist I have been closely observing the pain and sufferings of the villagers While successive governments have done little to improve the situation some try to take advantage during the natural calamity And this is how my Assamese play Raghunath was conceived I have no plans to adapt it into other languages as only the original one can justify the concept playwright and director Bidyut Kr Nath whose play swept the recent META with six awards in different categories including Best Production Best Director Best Script Best Actor Best Light Design and Best Stage Design told IANSAn alumnus of the National School of Drama Sikkim Theatre Training Centre the 35yearold Nath who has acted in more than 50 plays directed eight and written five plays was awarded the Kazironga Award for his cultural contribution to the stateThe play revolves around a poor village couple who lose their only girlchild in floods The protagonist Raghunath believes that if a temple is built in the village it will pave the way for development He starts a rumour about finding a thousandyearold god statue in his backyard The script touches upon the education of the girlchild the flood situation in Assam and the establishments apathy towards itSmiling that winning so many awards was nothing short of a miracle considering his production was up against plays by many major directors he feels there need to be more platforms for theatre in the countryThere are hardly two or three including META Many more need to come up where young theatre practitioners can showcase their works along with experienced ones he observedSince childhood Nath has had a special fascination towards performing arts He would watch Vaona an ancient play staged by Sankardev and they influenced him a lotHowever postjoining NSD my outlook completely changed he recallsTalking about the theatre scenario in Assam which has a rich history of mobile theatre he says that like the rest of the country surviving on amateur theatre there is extremely toughYes those associated with mobile theatre are earning decently says Nath who has been part of several Assamese serials and films and also a Malayalam movieBelieving that there is an urgent need to set up more repertories across the country so theatrepersons can earn a regular salary he adds that it is high time for a national policy that entails a minimum wage system for theatre artistsAlso why cannot every state government organise an annual theatre festival and disburse a decent grant to the winning play That will help them to roll out their next production he concludesSukant Deepak can be reached at sukantdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/a-play-in-the-time-of-floods-530520.html Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ayodhya-celebrates-first-holi-after-ram-temple-pran-pratishtha-ceremony-530321.html Ayodhya March 25 Holi was a celebration at the grandest level ever in Ayodhya on Monday This being the first Holi after the opening of the Ram temple earlier this year devotees lined up for darshan since early in the morning and offered gulal to the deityDevotees played Holi with flower petals and Gulal in the temple complex while Chappan Bhog an array of 56 dishes was offered to Lord Ram who was dressed in pink brocadeThe priests sang Holi songs along with the devotees and danced in front of the idol in devotion to Ram LallaRam Janmabhoomi temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said Ram Lalla is celebrating his first Holi after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in the temple His charming idol was decorated with flowers and gulaal was applied on the forehead IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ayodhya-celebrates-first-holi-after-ram-temple-pran-pratishtha-ceremony-530321.html Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lyrics-must-touch-me-else-i-dont-sign-the-dotted-line-singer-kavita-seth-530155.html New Delhi March 24 Be it Iktara Wake Up Sid Rangisari Jugjugg Jiyo or More Piya Mujse Bolat Na Rajneeti among scores of others what makes singer Kavita Seth accept any assignment is the quality of lyrics The production house budget or the scale of the film does not matter Unless the lyrics touch me inside and offer a deeper meaning the song is not for me and I flatly refuse Singing is more than a profession for me it is part of my very being and thus I can not do injustice to it If you have listened to my songs you will know what I mean Seth tells IANSDespite being a successful classical singer it is live performances that give the singer high Stressing that the energy a singer derives from a live audience is enigmatic she adds I have been singing live ever since I was a child it is only when I shifted base to Mumbai that playback came into my life During live I sense the audiences mood and even change the songs Everything is spontaneous thus more exciting as compared to playback where one is confined within a set structureFascinated by Sufi the singer whose first experience of it was when she accompanied Abida Parveen during the debut edition of JahaneKhusrau in the national capital recounts that while she was singing in multiple genres there was something amiss I did not know what it was but that magical evening gave me the answer I started reading about it and training myself It is tough to define the divine energy that I connect to while singing Sufi but the trance and high it always gives makes me grateful she smilesSeth who also has a successful band Karwaan Group feels things have become much better for independent musicians and bands post Covid There is now a huge market for independent music and we are witnessing several fantastic bands coming up A lot of avenues have opened upThe singer who will be performing at the Music Festival Kasauli MKF 2024 curated by Naani Singh that will be held on March 29 and 30 at Santa Roza is looking forward to the concert It is not just the beautiful ambience but also the development that many cultural events have started taking place in small towns This concert is bound to attract people from Himachal Pradesh Punjab Chandigarh and Haryana Also the metros are saturated she statesSeth who sang and composed songs for Mira Nairs A Suitable Boy recalls working with her was exciting She came fully prepared and gave me absolute freedom A thorough professional I learnt so much from herA Masters degree holder in Music who has also learnt from gurus belonging to different gharanas Seth is still training with a guru Learning cannot and should not stop I thank my classical training base for my range concludes Seth whose two sons are also part of her band IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lyrics-must-touch-me-else-i-dont-sign-the-dotted-line-singer-kavita-seth-530155.html Sun, 24 Mar 2024 19:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rainsnow-likely-in-jampk-for-two-days-529754.html Srinagar March 21 Rainsnow is likely in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 48 hours MeT office said on Thursday As the sky is overcast with clouds the MeT department said there would be rainsnow at many places in JampK during the next 48 hoursInclement weather with thunder lightning and gusty winds is likely in the plains of Kashmir and Jammu divisions during this periodSrinagar recorded 99 degree Celsius Gulmarg 32 and Pahalgam 3 as the minimum temperature on ThursdayIn Ladakh region Leh town had witnessed 19 degree C Kargil minus 42 and Drass minus 5 as the minimum temperatureJammu city registered 184 degree C Katra 161 Batote 116 Bhaderwah 5 and Banihal 9 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rainsnow-likely-in-jampk-for-two-days-529754.html Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tripling-renewable-power-capacity-by-2030-requires-policy-support-irena-529469.html Abu Dhabi March 19 Achieving the global target set at COP28 to triple renewable power capacity by 2030 relies heavily on establishing conducive conditions for such growth Tripling renewable power capacity by 2030 is technically feasible and economically viable but its delivery requires determination policy support and investment atscaleTracking COP28 outcomes Tripling renewable power capacity by 2030 highlights that 2023 has set a new record in renewable deployment adding 473 gigawatts GW to the global energy mixHowever the brief by the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA concludes that tripling renewable power capacity depends on overcoming systemic and structural barriers to the energy transitionEvolving policies geopolitical shifts and declining costs have all played a role in propelling the rapid expansion of renewable energy in markets worldwide Yet to triple renewable power capacity concerted efforts are required to enhance infrastructure policies and workforce capabilities underpinned by increased financing and closer international cooperation as outlined in IRENAs World Energy Transitions Outlook brief presented at the Berlin Energy Transitions Dialogue on TuesdayAn average of almost 1100 GW of renewables capacity must be installed annually by 2030 more than double the record set in 2023 Annual investments in renewable power generation must surge from 570 billion in 2023 to 1550 billion on average between 2024 and 2030Francesco La Camera DirectorGeneral of IRENA said In the wake of the historic UAE Consensus on tripling renewables at COP28 these capacity additions despite setting a new record clearly indicate that achieving the target is far from guaranteed As the custodian agency IRENA monitors related progress across key indicators every year Our data confirms that progress continues to fall short and the energy transition remains off track We urgently need a systemic shift away from fossil fuels to coursecorrect and keep the tripling goal within reachAchieving the tripling target is far from assured as an additional 72 terawatts TW of renewable power would need to be deployed to reach the required 11 TW by 2030 However current projections indicate the target will remain out of reach without urgent policy interventionG20 nations for example must grow their renewable capacity from under three TW in 2022 to 94 TW by 2030 accounting for over 80 per cent of the global totalAccelerated investments in infrastructure and system operations eg power grids storage revised policies and regulations eg power market design and streamlined permitting measures to fortify supply chains and cultivate requisite skills and substantial increases in investments including public funds facilitated through international collaboration are imperative IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tripling-renewable-power-capacity-by-2030-requires-policy-support-irena-529469.html Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/electric-floral-fantasy-exhibition-by-artist-eeshani-mitra-opens-in-mumbai-529482.html New Delhi March 19 Method Kala Ghoda will present Electric Floral Fantasy Eeshani Mitras solo exhibition till April 7 at Method Kala Ghoda Mumbai where Mitra lives and works This new body of work includes a series of printed photographic installations video installation and waxworks The exhibition continues Eeshanis exploration of natural and synthetic materials giving rise to works where the foreign and the familiar collideWith her abstract photographic compositions that are created by employing a range of image production techniques she creates a dialogue between the natural and the unnatural immersing the viewer in the details of its elementsExtending beyond traditional narratives and formats the body of work is a window to a surreal world which is scanned and sometimes moulded in wax by the artist Interested in the physical interaction of the viewer and the work Eeshanis waxworks invite the viewers to touch and investigate the surface of her immersion experiments Textures emerge as the nooks and grooves that tend to go amiss show themselves amongst the space occupied in the wax by floral articles nylon paints plastic moss and other organic materialsEeshani finds inspiration in an emulsive blend of organic and inorganic materials Her work starts with elements that intrigue her She observes and understands how the pieces come together creating textures and patterns each unique to the blend resulting in compositions that are surreal and dreamlikeThe artist experiments with a range of drying and blending techniques with the materials while at the same time preserving a balance of elements in her compositions The textures created in her images are a result of playing with different viscous mediums such as oils glycerin detergent colours and water These mediums are placed in a flatbottomed glass container where she mixes each synthetic element independently in steps to discern the formation of textures slowly before adding organic materials such as flowers leaves and mossFor her images she makes use of a large format scanner capturing the highly detailed textures and minutia of her emulsions Aside from using glass containers for holding the mediums while scanning Eeshani often drains out the remaining liquids and transfers them between plastic sheets These sheets are then carefully placed over the scanner glass and manipulated by hand while the machine begins to scan the everchanging shapes created by these distortionsThrough multiple attempts by the scanner to create imaging of the fluid compositions the artist finds and enhances the parts that speak to herTo make the wax sculptures Eeshani begins by melting natural wax in a deep container placed over a hot water bath Gradually she adds colours and selects various elements such as preserved floral articles acrylic and plastic colour gels She frequently integrates pieces of moss such as preserved reindeer lichens which are meticulously positioned inside a square silicone mold Subsequently she pours the molten wax over them and adds additional layers of elements on topOnce the sculpture is prepared and repoured for vibrancy the mold is set aside to prevent dust accumulation during the curing process It remains undisturbed for a day before being removed from the moldA visual artist and zine maker her work spans various media including photography video installation sound print and sculpture By employing a range of image production techniques she juxtaposes common objectsfloral articles linen wax vinyl and other synthetic materialsto create vivid imagery where the foreign and the familiar seem to collide Eeshani lives and works between Kolkata and Mumbai IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/electric-floral-fantasy-exhibition-by-artist-eeshani-mitra-opens-in-mumbai-529482.html Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/murdered-ss-ubt-leaders-wife-claims-she-was-a-potential-target-529497.html Mumbai March 19 Making a chilling disclosure Tejasvee DarekarGhosalkar the widow of Shiv Sena UBT leader Abhishek V Ghosalkar who was shot dead during a Facebook live show on February 8 has claimed that she was also a potential target in the same incident here on Tuesday Abhishek one of the dynamic educated and upcoming youth leaders of SS UBT was fired multiple bullets during a live interaction with his constituents on Facebook that evening by a local goon Mauris Noronha who also committed suicide a few minutes later by shooting himselfTejasvee a former corporator in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation BMC recalled how for that particular programme the killer Noronha dreaded in the neighbourhood as Mauris Bhai had asked her husband Abhishek to bring her alongHe Norona had asked my husband to take me for that evening public event and Abhishek had even asked me to accompany him However as I got delayed Abhishek called me and suggested that I should directly go to attend another event scheduled later that evening said TejasveeThis means that even I was a target in the conspiracy hatched to eliminate Abhishek However I got the call to go for the next function Its my childrens good fortune that I could not reach the Noronha program said TejasveeHer briefing was attended by MPs Arvind Sawant Anil Desai MLAs Anil Parab and Vilas Potnis exmayors Kishori Pednekar and Vishakha Raut plus other SS UBT leaders and officebearersIn her statement she alleged that the Mumbai Police do not seem to be probing her husbands murder case properly and even the Mumbai Sessions Court has made certain observations in this regard on March 5These are prima facie Noronha was handed the gun used in the murder the deceased Noronha along with his arrested personal security guard Amrendra Mishra had gone together to buy the bullets Mishra was fully aware of the rivalry between Noronha and Abhishek Ghosalkar Noronha had kept Mishras gun licence in his custody and the locker from where the gun was retrieved was intact indicating Noronha had access to it when neededTejasvee pointed out that she had raised similar issues with the Mumbai Police in a letter and demanded that IPC Sec 34 and Sec 120B but her plea apparently went unheededAgainst this background she said her lawyer Bhushan Mahadik will soon file a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking that investigations into murder of Abhishek Ghosalkar 40 by the local goon Noronha 52 and the latters subsequent suicide should be taken away from the Mumbai Police and entrusted to another probe agencyThe sensational killing of Abhishek Ghosalkar created shockwaves in state political circles with leaders across party lines condemning it and now the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies are likely to exploit it politically in the upcoming Lok Sabha electionsQuaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmiiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/murdered-ss-ubt-leaders-wife-claims-she-was-a-potential-target-529497.html Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bjps-presence-among-obc-in-up-has-increased-manifold-529228.html Lucknow March 18 With 200odd groups the OBc are emerging as an important factor in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections Despite the BJP making inroads among OBC voters and its nondominant castes the OBCs remain the core support base of many regional partiesThe OBCs in Uttar Pradesh are estimated to be over 50 per cent of the states population according to data from the Hukum Singh committee set up in 2001Yadavs are the largest OBC caste with a 1940 per cent share They are the most powerful constituent of the OBC group and had till now played a dominant role in shaping politics in Uttar Pradesh but after 2014 other groups started emerging on the political horizonThe BJP changed the game by focussing on Kurmis the next largest group within the OBCsApna Dal S a Kurmicentric party joined the NDA in 2014 and has been an important and loyal BJP ally ever sinceIt is important to note that amongst the OBCs the nondominant OBCs combined are numerically larger compared to the combined total of various castes amongst the dominant OBCsThis has resulted in BJP focusing more on mobilising the nondominant OBC castes compared to the dominant OBCs who anyway are the core supporters of different regional parties in different statesThe Rajbhars and the riverine communities are part of this and the BJP has Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party SBSP and Nishad Party representing these two vote banks in UPThe BJP according to surveys conducted by LoknitiCSDS has been able to make inroads amongst the voters belonging to the OBC castes more amongst the nondominant OBC castes compared to the dominant OBCOur presence among OBCs has increased in the past decade and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made several announcements for supporting those who belong to the nondominant OBC castes He launched a scheme with an initial fund of Rs 13000 crore to Rs 15000 crore for workers engaged in traditional trade those who work with tools use their hands and are primarily from the OBC section said a BJP party functionaryDuring the 2014 Lok Sabha elections 30 per cent of dominant OBCs voted for the BJP while amongst the nondominant OBC voters it got 43 per cent votesThe BJPs support amongst the OBC voters increased further during the 2019 Lok Sabha electionsAmongst the dominant OBC voters 40 per cent voted for the BJP while amongst the nondominant OBCs it got 48 per cent votesThe BJP mobilised the nondominant OBC castes voters by building a narrative of them being denied their share in social economic and political power which have been cornered by the dominant OBC castesThe evidence suggests that BJPs narrative seems to have paid dividends and the BJP now enjoys the support of most of the nondominant OBC groupsOn the other hand the Samajwadi Party which has been banking mainly on the Yadav vote bank has failed to clobber the support of nonYadav OBC groupsThe party has failed to make a conscious effort to woo nonYadav communities It has been a major cause of failure for the Samajwadi Party in the last decade Akhilesh Yadav despite representing the new generation in politics has failed to see beyond the Yadavs admitted a senior nonYadav leader in the SPHe further said that the PDA PichhdaDalitAlpsankhayak formula has come rather late in the day and is unlikely to benefit the party in the Lok Sabha electionsThe problem with the party leadership is that it is unable to strike a balance among major caste groups PDA was abandoned in the selection of Rajya Sabha candidates and this led to a revolt in the ranks the leader addedThe Congress meanwhile is also reaching out for OBCs but the party lacks a welldefined strategy on the issueThe party had appointed Ajay Kumar Lallu an OBC as UPCC Chief in 2019 but he failed to rope in OBC voters He was succeeded by Brijlal Khabri a Dalit but he too failed to benefit the partyThe Congress announced its 130member state committee giving major representation to OBCs with 44 membersOver the years Congress has lost support both amongst the dominant and nondominant OBC castesThe Bahujan Samaj Party meanwhile has failed to make inroads in the OBC vote bank and most of its OBC leaders in UP have either walked out of the party or have been expelledThe BSP besides issuing statements has not made any visible efforts to reach out to nondominant OBCs ahead of the upcoming elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bjps-presence-among-obc-in-up-has-increased-manifold-529228.html Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/what-attracts-me-to-stories-are-the-human-struggles-to-be-seen-deepa-mehta-529294.html New Delhi March 18 She clarifies that her films are not about dealing with the unspoken and that she does not even think in that direction What attracts me to stories from Fire onwards are the human struggles to be seen and how the characters go about achieving their rightful place in the human struggle filmmaker Deepa Mehta tells IANS Currently her latest documentary I Am Sirat is doing the rounds at various international film festivals It profiles Sirat Taneja a transgender woman based in New Delhi who lives and works as a woman in her professional career and as a social media personality but holds the familial responsibilities of a son to her widowed motherMehta who first met Sirat five years ago on the sets of the web series Leila where she was playing the part of a transgender guard remembers I got to know her during the intensive rehearsals we did led by Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry It was here that I encountered her spirit challenges and the ability to meet them headon something that left me immensely impressed remembers Mehta best known for her Elements Trilogy Fire 1996 Earth 1998 and Water 2005The duo kept in touch over the years and when they met in November 2022 Sirat asked if she would consider making a documentary about her struggles I thought about it and agreed to do it only if she would be my collaborator She would set the narrative arc of the film and I would facilitate her telling her story the director who read extensively on the subject Me Hijra Me Laxmi by Laxminarayan Tripathi Arundhati Roys Ministry of Utmost Happiness and The Transgender Rights Identity and mobility by Dr Madhusudhan recallsMehta finds it interesting that Sirat is still Aman for her mother the son she gave birth to And what is deeply moving is how she has kept the delusion alive for her mother It is the ageold cycle between duty and selfdetermination A battle embedded deeply in the Indian culture opines MehtaPleased at its festival reception and the fact that it is being shown on CBC network in Canada she hopes that a streaming network in India picks it up So far they have refused us But like Faizs iconic poem at the end of the film I have not given up hope Hum DekhengeCurrently working on the script of Burnt Sugar based on a novel by Avni Doshi and awaiting the making of Troilokya a film being written by Juhi ChaturvediShe elaborates It is a true story based in the late 1800s in Calcutta about a woman serial killer I am looking forward to the challenge of portraying a killer as the leadInterestingly I Am Sirat has been edited by filmmaker Kabir Singh Chowdhry whose debut film Mehsampur won the Grand Jury Prize India Gold at the 2018 Mumbai Film FestivalFor him working on the film as an editor has been a journey into the depths of the psychosocial world of transgender persons As an editor I dived into the fluid realm of transgender existence I found myself navigating uncharted waters delving into the subtleties and subcultures that define Sirats worldSirat was by Chowdhrys side when he was editing He says that it provided him a window into her soul a glimpse into her experiences fears and aspirationsIt was not merely about making her comfortable but about forging a deep connection a bond of trust and understanding where she could express her thoughts without hesitation Naturally this came with an intention to create a more collaborative approach concludes Chowdhry is also the Associate Producer of the documentary IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/what-attracts-me-to-stories-are-the-human-struggles-to-be-seen-deepa-mehta-529294.html Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-second-world-classical-tamil-conference-to-be-held-in-june-2025-528975.html Chennai March 16 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that the second World Classical Tamil Conference will be held in Chennai in June 2025 The Chief Minister said that the Tamil Conference will be held for five days in June 2025 However the dates will be announced laterThe Chief Minister said that his government has been taking up several measures for the promotion of Tamil language and culture He said that several awards were bestowed upon Tamil scholars writers and artists by his governmentThe Chief Minister said that the first World Classical Tamil Conference was held in 2010 in Coimbatore when the DMK government was under Kalaignar KarunanidhiHe added that the museum at Keezhadi was constructed for showcasing culture and knowledge of ancient Tamils IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tn-second-world-classical-tamil-conference-to-be-held-in-june-2025-528975.html Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-am-not-a-professional-photographer-but-an-explorer-raghu-rai-528984.html New Delhi March 16 For the last 60 years he has been framing the diverse shades of life From leaders like late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to maestros of classical music and more importantly the common man on the street Forever abreast with contemporary political and social realities photographer Raghu Rai is constantly on the move not just to capture bodies but their souls tooTo witness his massive exhibition till April 30 at KNMA Raghu Rai A Thousand Lives Photographs from 19652005 all the work is in analogue There is Indira Gandhi Jayaprakash Narayan Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama And yes the common manWhen I was a photojournalist I would always say why are we in Delhi and serving the big shots by taking their pictures It is important to go to rural India and small towns and cover their stories Maybe that will force the politicians to take note of them Remember the common man is the only thread of continuity Politicians and industrialists come and go but the man on the street never vanishes Precisely why my focus has always been on street photography says the Padma Shri recipientOne wonders what keeps him so passionate even after more than half a century of being behind the cameraRai protege of Henri CartierBresson who nominated him to join Magnum Photos in 1977 smiles I am not a professional photographer but an explorer who delves into daily lives and streets Recently I went to photograph the farmers protests and antiCAA protests Every major development that happens in the country has an impact on me thanks to my background in photojournalism As far as passion goes I firmly believe that life and nature are everchanging and challenging So the raaga of life never concludes People come and go but that raaga is a constant something that keeps me spellbound engaged and aliveWhile the exhibition showcases his work in analogue Rai does not miss shooting in film at all Frankly I do not believe in that nostalgic nonsenseStressing that he shot in analogue for 35 years as that was the only technology available at that time he adds Digital gives me more control and a wider access My passion and commitment is more than ever now I would rather make new work and think of another book instead of looking at the old times At the current exhibition at least 50 per cent has not been seen by the public if it were not for digital technology it would not have seen the light of day So much important work was scanned and they found the light of the day and now we can choose from so many picturesFor someone who was a photojournalist with major organisations he feels that the ones today do not get a chance to get close enough thanks to increased securityIts said the closer the better Now photojournalists have to shoot politicians from a long distance and thus subtle expressions do not come forth Also political parties now give only five to ten minutes whenever they hold an important meeting and the photojournalists are then asked to leave the room Everything has been diluted now he lamentsEven as people constantly talk about the democratisation of photography with Instagram Rai rubbishes the claimPutting all those colourful pictures on that platform is no democracy Most of them lack depth and do not record great moments or history says the photographer who received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Information and Broadcasting IampB Ministry 2017Even as several photography schools have come in small towns across the country Rai feels this is a positive developmentNow that people can take pictures with their camera they want to up their game by learning the basics And why not Learning is always a good thing and should be encouraged says the winner of Academie des Beaux Arts Photography Award William Klein 2019Now planning a major book on Varanasi the ace photographer who was there recently says I spent a lot of time at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and took special permission to visit the Gyanvapi That city never fails to amaze IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-am-not-a-professional-photographer-but-an-explorer-raghu-rai-528984.html Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ls-polls-2024-history-will-repeat-itself-in-up-528690.html Lucknow March 15 It is a popular understanding that the road to Raisina passes through Lucknow Uttar Pradesh which has an area of 93933 sq mi 243286 sq km sends 80 MPs to the Parliament The state is pivotal when it comes to forming a government at the CentreWith the 2024 general elections only a few weeks away has anything changed in the state since the last election Is UP poised to repeat the history againThe political scenario is much the same with Prime Minister Narendra Modis and the BJPs popularity touching a crescendo and a beleaguered opposition aimlessly trying to wade into the troubled watersIn the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the polls were held in seven phases beginning on April 11 and ending on May 19 in UPThe National Democratic Alliance NDA coalition is much the same in 2024 as it was in 2019The NDA allies then included Apna Dal and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party It has now included the Nishad party as well into its foldThe major difference is that in 2019 the state witnessed a threeway contest with the Samajwadi Party SP and Bahujan Samaj Party BSP combined pitted against the BJP and its allies while the Congress formed the third front in the electionsThe SPBSP combine was touted as the game changer mainly on caste arithmetic but the results proved that the magic was overThe BSP managed to win ten seats while SP had to remain content with fiveThe Congress which had decided to go solo in 2019 saw the debut of Priyanka Gandhi as in charge of east UP while Jyotiraditya Scindia then in the Congress was given charge of western UPFor the optimist it seemed like a fantastic political premiere but the results proved to be a disastrous anticlimaxThe Congress could win only one seat Sonia Gandhi retained her Rae Bareli seat and the then party President Rahul Gandhi suffered a humiliating defeat in Amethi at the hands of BJPs Smriti IraniThe BJP returned to power with 62 seats from UP while its ally Apna Dal won two seatsIn 2024 the ruling BJP has little to worry about in Uttar PradeshThe partys promise of Ram Mandir has been fulfilled while the BJP wave is blowing never before The Kashi Vishwanath Dham has undergone a major revamp while the Gyanvapi issue is also inching towards a solution The Krishna Janambhoomi issue is on the same pageBesides the BJP with its welfare schemes has created a massive vote bank that transcends caste and communal lines The beneficiaries of schemes mainly free ration are known as labharthis and remain rock solid behind the BJPMoreover Prime Minister Narendra Modis personal popularity is at an alltime high and his guarantee is now a guarantee of successChief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also strengthened the party with his administrative skillsThe opposition on the other hand is fragmented and frustrated The INDIA bloc lacks the adhesive of unity and also seems to be an alliance of halfhearted peopleThe Samajwadi Party which witnessed a resurgence in the 2022 assembly polls is now facing a revolt in the ranks and dissent over ticket distributionThe Congress has almost melted away in Uttar Pradesh with its leaders including the Gandhis and workers choosing greener pasturesThe Bahujan Samaj Party remains in a state of indecision and lacks political goalsThe Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh will be a repeat of the 2019 general elections and the BJP will emerge stronger than before while the opposition will be putting up only a token fight IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ls-polls-2024-history-will-repeat-itself-in-up-528690.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bsp-pledges-to-regain-lost-glory-on-kanshi-rams-anniversary-528715.html Lucknow March 15 Bahujan Samaj Party BSP launched its poll campaign on Friday by taking a pledge to bring the party back to power in 2024 The party paid homage to its founder Kanshi Ram on his birth anniversary on FridayThe party said that it is planning to mobilise its supporters with a series of programmes and workers conferences across the state on the occasionA BSP leader said The birth anniversary of the party founder will be used to generate enthusiasm among the party cadre With the DalitMuslimOBC formula the party is working to increase its tally in the Lok Sabha electionIt is learnt that Mayawati is giving the final touches to the candidates sent by party coordinators and has already named some candidates the majority of them being Muslims The BSP has already announced that it will go alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha pollsIn 1971 Kanshi Ram quit a government job to launch the All India SC ST OBC and Minority Employees Association BAMCEFThe aim was to spread the ideals of Bhim Rao Ambedkar among the Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes Other Backward Classes and minority communitiesIn 1981 he launched the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti DS4 for social awakening among the DalitsIn 1984 he floated the BSP for their political empowermentKanshi Ram also played an important role in the Samajwadi PartyBahujan Samaj Party alliance in the 1993 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh Later he broke the alliance and formed the BSP government with the support of the BJP in 1995 when Mayawati became the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for the first timeAfter 1995 the BSP again formed the government in 1997 2002 and 2007 in the stateIn 2007 Mayawati led a majority government on her own after the demise of Kanshi RamAfter being voted out of power in 2012 the BSPs downhill journey began and the party has been rapidly losing ground with a section of nonJatav Dalits opting for the BJPThe party at present has only one member in the UP assembly and a number of its sitting MPs are reaching out to other parties IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bsp-pledges-to-regain-lost-glory-on-kanshi-rams-anniversary-528715.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 17:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/late-artist-a-ramachandrans-works-grace-jamia-millia-islamia-528732.html New Delhi March 15 Select artworks of A Ramachandran will now permanently grace the university where he taught for 27 years in the last century as Jamia Millia Islamia JMI received their prints and put them on public display at the campus in the capital city The formal acceptance of 22 chosen paintings in print was followed by an 11day homage that concluded on Thursday evening reinforcing the paintersculptors genius and recalling his deep scholastic association with the varsityTitled GuruShishya Parampara the exhibition of the late artists prints was curated by Uma NairThe March 414 show which was organised by JMIs Faculty of Arts also featured works by Ramachandrans students during his 196587 tenure at the varsityBindulika Sharma who initiated the show as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at JMI said the set of invaluable images was a great honour for the varsityThese beautiful prints will keep his memory alive for us teachers and students she noted pointing out that some of the students of Ramachandran 19352024 are top contemporary artistsUma Nair who has closely followed Ramachandrans work for more than three decades said the artists love for tradition enabled him to emerge as an exemplary professor and a successful artistThrough countless hours of observation and sketching Ramachadran went on to realise that nature held the keys to the beauty of what he translated onto canvas she saidFor the Keralaborn artist who did his higher studies at Santiniketan in West Bengal and moved to Delhi in the mid1960s the muses eventually turned out to be the people of Rajasthan Uma Nair pointed outThe landscape of the desert state and the attire of its people became the subjects of his creativity with the brushThe artists scholastic eminence found reiteration at the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the universitys MF Hussain Art Gallery when the venue saw several Ramachandrans students remembering him with reverence and affectionFor instance Rajesh Kumar Sharma who heads the Department of Sculpture at Chandigarh College of Arts At JMI Ramachandran took voluntary retirement in 1987 amid an increasingly busy profile as a painter sculptorAmong his monumental works are Yayati 1986 and the Lotus Ponds series subsequentlyAt the Okhla campus GuruShishya Parampara was a highlight of JMIs justconcluded Kalam Festival that also featured innovative performances creative stalls art products and food courtsThe Ramachandran works for JMI were given by the citybased Vadehra Art Gallery which had three decades of association with the artist known for his bigsized paintings Also an art historian and muralist Ramachandran was a master of penandink watercolour and oils all of them celebrated for their sophistication and nuances He died on February 10 aged 89 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/late-artist-a-ramachandrans-works-grace-jamia-millia-islamia-528732.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 18:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/india-is-mother-of-spirituality-amp-democracy-president-murmu-528789.html Hyderabad March 15 President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said that India is the mother of spirituality and democracy Inaugurating Global Spirituality Mahotsav near Hyderabad on Friday she said spiritual icons like Mahavir Ravidas and Guru Nanak have given India a unique identity as the spiritual hub of the world Bharat is the land of ideals of Ahimsa and compassion the knowledge of which our ancient sages gave us and to strengthen which our great spiritual gurus are guiding us Today the great spiritual leaders and lakhs of people have joined together to bring harmony irrespective of different belief systems she saidThe President hoped that Global Spirituality Mahotsav will take humanity towards spiritualityThe fourday spirituality summit brought by the Ministry of Culture and Heartfulness began on Friday at Kanha Shanti Vanam the headquarters of HeartfulnessThe event brought together the spirituality gurus of all faiths and communities together at one platform to raise the collective human consciousness togetherBeing held with the theme Inner peace to world peace the conference aims to bring interfaith dialogues and help people of every age and every walk of life connect with spirituality in daily lifeAnthem song titled Inner peace to world peace was launched during the summitAccompanied by Uma Nanduri Joint Secretary Ministry of Culture the President took a tour of exhibition stalls at the summit and appreciated the legacy of Heartfulness missionWe are in times when mankind must unite steadfastly In a way there is an urgency to it to prevent any more wars chaos and strife taking place If each of us understands that we all are one it is the same Divine Light within each of us we can overcome the differences But this kind of understanding comes through meditation and higher consciousness The summit is therefore to enlighten all that we must together move forward for the common goal of selfrealisation said Daaji guide of Heartfulness and President of Shri Ram Chandra MissionA panel discussion on Inner peace to world peace witnessed meaningful thoughts coming from noted panelists like Ranjana Chopra Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser Ministry of Culture Gaur Gopal Das ISCKON Swami Atmapriyananda Ram Krishna Mission Sister Usha Behn BrahmaKumaris Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji Shri Vaishnavism and Kamlesh D Patel Daaji Global Guide of HeartfulnessThere were additional interesting talks by Swami Gauranga Das ISCKON Swami Mukundananda Jagatguru Kripaluji Yog Devi Chitralekha Ji World Sankirtan Tour Trust Swami Amritaswaroopa Nanda Puri The Mata Amritanandamayi Math and Upasana Kamineni Konidela Vice ChairmanCSR Apollo Hospitals Group and Managing DirectorURLife as well There were also many experience zones brought by various sansthas wherein people could gain wisdom and spiritual benefitCultural programmes associated with spirituality an exhibition showcasing Indias spiritual history narratives of peace and an immersive experience for spirituality through books and music were also organised IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/india-is-mother-of-spirituality-amp-democracy-president-murmu-528789.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 23:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/impact-of-climate-change-felt-most-by-urban-poor-says-experts-528421.html Lucknow March 14 The impact of climate change is felt most tangibly by the urban poor living in lowincome households and slums said experts during a conclave here At the conclave on climate change its impacts and challenges it was stated that the impact of climate change is most severe in the local slums Ironically those not contributing to carbon emissions suffer the most as they often do not have access to basic healthcare amenities eitherThe focus of the threeday ongoing conclave here is to identify the problems faced by the urban poor in the cities of Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and design solutions for the sameNagendra Prasad of UNICEF Lucknow said that policy changes along with behavioural changes are necessary to combat the impact of climate changeOrganised jointly by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University ActionAid India and Lucknowbased NGO Vigyan Foundation under the aegis of the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research the conclave that began on Wednesday is holding panel discussions on various aspects of climate changeThe participants included scientists environmentalists policymakers civil society representatives academicians and youth deliberating on heat waves flood and droughtsKashif Imdad advisor to the state disaster management authority said that the number of casualties in Uttar Pradesh during the heatwave was unprecedentedHe explained that different heat thresholds are set for different districts with different parameters and protocols for the different weather alertsIn Lucknow alone the Cantonment area as well as Kukrail and Malihabad on an average witness nearly 5 degrees Celsius lower temperature than the rest of the city he saidImdad said It has been estimated by global climate organisations that the present climate is the coldest that the youngest living generation now will ever experience in their livesDiscussions were also held on extreme climatic events urban services and the relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and more IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/impact-of-climate-change-felt-most-by-urban-poor-says-experts-528421.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/impact-of-climate-change-felt-most-by-urban-poor-say-experts-528452.html Lucknow March 14 The impact of climate change is felt most tangibly by the urban poor living in lowincome households and slums said experts during a conclave here At the conclave on climate change its impacts and challenges it was stated that the impact of climate change is most severe in the local slums Ironically those not contributing to carbon emissions suffer the most as they often do not have access to basic healthcare amenities eitherThe focus of the threeday ongoing conclave here is to identify the problems faced by the urban poor in the cities of Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and design solutions for the sameNagendra Prasad of UNICEF Lucknow said that policy changes along with behavioural changes are necessary to combat the impact of climate changeOrganised jointly by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University ActionAid India and Lucknowbased NGO Vigyan Foundation under the aegis of the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research the conclave that began on Wednesday is holding panel discussions on various aspects of climate changeThe participants included scientists environmentalists policymakers civil society representatives academicians and youth deliberating on heat waves flood and droughtsKashif Imdad advisor to the state disaster management authority said that the number of casualties in Uttar Pradesh during the heatwave was unprecedentedHe explained that different heat thresholds are set for different districts with different parameters and protocols for the different weather alertsIn Lucknow alone the Cantonment area as well as Kukrail and Malihabad on an average witness nearly 5 degrees Celsius lower temperature than the rest of the city he saidImdad said It has been estimated by global climate organisations that the present climate is the coldest that the youngest living generation now will ever experience in their livesDiscussions were also held on extreme climatic events urban services and the relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and more IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/impact-of-climate-change-felt-most-by-urban-poor-say-experts-528452.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rajasthan-e-mitra-operator-returns-rs-10-lakh-he-found-in-atm-is-felicitated-528565.html Jaipur March 14 In a heart warming honest gesture an EMitra operator named Bal Kishan returned Rs 10 lakh which he had found in an ATM in Rajasthans Churu district Superintendent of Police Jai Yadav said that on March 13 two packets of ten bundles of Rs 500 notes were found near the ATM of PNB BankWhen Bal Kishan opened it he was surprised to see Rs ten lakh in it He immediately informed PNB Bank Manager Mahesh Mahato who kept the money safe and monitored the CCTV footage of the ATM Later it came to light that the money belonged to one Wahid Ali Khan After some time Wahid Ali came to the bank in a nervous state after missing his huge amount He narrated the story of his lost money the bank manager then checked the entire documents and returned the money to Wahid Ali after narrating the entire incidentDistrict Collector Pushpa Satyani and SP Jai Yadav called Bal Kishan congratulated him and handed him a letter of appreciation for his honesty even after seeing such a huge amount of money IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rajasthan-e-mitra-operator-returns-rs-10-lakh-he-found-in-atm-is-felicitated-528565.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dmk-asks-cong-not-to-field-candidates-on-arani-karur-and-tiruchi-ls-seats-528152.html Chennai March 13 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK has asked the Congress not to field its candidates for Tiruchi Arani and Karur Lok Sabha seats However DMK has agreed with the grandold party to field its candidates on all nine seats which are currently held by the partyA senior DMK leader told IANS that the local DMK units including district units are not happy with local Congress leadership in Arani and Karur while in Tiruchi DMK wants MDMK leader Durai Vaiko to contestThe sitting Karur MP Jothimani is not on good terms with the Karur unit of the DMK led by jailed former minister Senthil Balaaji who controls the party in the areaDMKs Arani leadership also does not favour the sitting Congress MP MK Vishnuprasad The partys local units want both these seats to be taken back by the DMK For Tiruchi DMK state leadership wants to field MDMK leader Vaikos son Durai Vaiko with Stalin taking special interest in the seatDMK is willing to allot KanniyakumariTiruvallur Krishnagiri Virudhunagar and Sivaganga seats to Congress In addition DMK has also agreed to give Theni Lok Sabha seat to the Congress which was the lone seat that the DMKled Secular Progressive Alliance SPA lost in 2019 when senior Congress leader EVKS Elangovan lost to P Raveendranathan of AIADMKDMK sources told IANS that the party is willing to allocate Cuddalore and Myladuthurai to Congress instead of Arani and TiruchiThe newly elected Tamil Nadu Congress Committee TNCC President K Selvaperunthagai has been conducting discussions with the DMK leadership for considering allocating the Karur seat to sitting Congress MP Jothimani IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dmk-asks-cong-not-to-field-candidates-on-arani-karur-and-tiruchi-ls-seats-528152.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rain-snow-likely-at-many-places-in-jampk-met-528158.html Srinagar March 13 MeT office has forecast light to moderate rain and snow at many places in JampK on Wednesday Possibility of light to moderate rain and snow at many places in JampK on March 13 with thunderlightning accompanied with gusty winds MeT Department statement said Meanwhile Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 54 Gulmarg minus 12 and Pahalgam minus on Wednesday In the Ladakh region Leh town had minus 65 Kargil minus 86 and Drass minus 111 as the minimum temperature Jammu city recorded 141 Katra 126 Batote 75 Bhaderwah 51 and Banihal 56 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rain-snow-likely-at-many-places-in-jampk-met-528158.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/world-class-music-institute-to-come-up-on-plot-donated-by-pm-modi-in-gandhinagar-528214.html Gandhinagar March 13 A worldclass institute of Indian music Naad Brahma Kala Kendra is set to come up on a strategicallylocated plot of land donated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar Initially allocated to the PM and the late senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley the plot nestled in Sector 1 of the city is poised to become the foundation for an architectural marvel dedicated to preserving and popularising Indian music The envisioned Naad Brahma Kala Kendra set to rise on this donated land promises to be a beacon of cultural enrichment and educationOutfitted with cuttingedge amenities the institute plans to feature a main theater capable of hosting 200 guests alongside innovative spaces such as two black box theaters for intimate performancesWith over a dozen versatile classrooms designed for music and dance instruction and five specialised studios for immersive study and practice the institute aims to cater to a broad spectrum of artistic pursuitsAdditional highlights include an openair theater and a sensory garden designed to welcome differentlyabled visitors ensuring that inclusivity lies at the heart of the institutes ethosNot stopping at performance spaces the Naad Brahma Kala Kendra will also house an outdoor musical garden a stateoftheart library and a museum dedicated to chronicling Indias music historyA finedining restaurant and a cafeteria are set to complete the campus offering culinary delights alongside cultural onesUnder the stewardship of the Manmandir Foundation the Naad Brahma Institute of Indian Music aims to consolidate all knowledge of Indian music under one roof creating a singular destination for enthusiasts and scholars alike IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/world-class-music-institute-to-come-up-on-plot-donated-by-pm-modi-in-gandhinagar-528214.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/telangana-bjp-leaders-hail-decision-to-celebrate-hyderabad-liberation-day-528223.html Hyderabad March 13 BJP leaders in Telangana on Wednesday hailed the decision of the Centre to celebrate September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day Union Minister for Culture Tourism and Development of north eastern region G Kishan Reddy who is also the state President of BJP termed the decision historic and called September 17 a day of liberation and legacyHe said that the move honours the sacrifices made and instils a patriotic feeling in the minds of the youth This historic decision marks a significant step towards remembering the martyrs who fought for Hyderabads freedom and infusing the spirit of national pride in the hearts of the next generation he saidHe thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for recognising this momentous occasion This day will forever be etched in Hyderabads history a testament to the courage and resilience of those who fought for its liberation Kishan Reddy saidBJP General Secretary and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay also thanked Prime Minister Modi and Amit ShahFrom falsification of history by past rulers to now officially celebrating the reality in BJP era Bandi Sanjay posted on X Grateful that your support and hear every demand from Telangana he said while thanking PM and Amit ShahBJP MLA Raja Singh has also welcomed the Centres decision He said the BJP government led by Prime Minister Modi has taken a commendable decisionThe MLA believes that this will help in conveying the glorious history of the Hyderabad Liberation War to the young generation across the countryIt has finally happened reacted the BJP MP and President of the partys OBC MorchaHe termed the official declaration of Hyderabad Liberation Day a crucial milestone in recognising the citys true history and breaking free from past oppressions of the Nizam regime He thanked Prime Minister Modi for this historic acknowledgement and said this would preserve the truth for generations to comeThe Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday issued a gazette notification to celebrate September 17 every year as Hyderabad Liberation DaySeptember 17 marks the erstwhile Hyderabad States accession to the Indian UnionHyderabad did not achieve independence for 13 months after independence on 15th August 1947 and was under Nizams rule The region was liberated from Nizams rule on September 7 1948 after a police action namely Operation PoloClaiming that there has been a demand from the people of the region to celebrate September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day the notification mentioned that to remember martyrs who liberated Hyderabad and to infuse the flame of patriotism in the minds of the youth the Central government decided to celebrate 17th day of September every year as Hyderabad Liberation DayThe BJP has long been demanding an official celebration of September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day Earlier in united Andhra Pradesh and later in Telangana the party used to organise protests demanding the government to officially celebrate September 17Successive governments however avoided official celebrations in view of the objections from Muslim groups who argued that the entire country has one Independence DayBarring BJP other parties were celebrating September 17 as Hyderabad Merger DayIn 2022 the Union Ministry of Culture started organising the celebrations in Hyderabad on September 17 On both occasions Union Home Minister Amit Shah hoisted the national flag and reviewed the parade by contingents of paramilitary forcesThe same year the BRS government started officially celebrating September 17 as National Integration Day All India MajliseIttehadul Muslimeen AIMIM also celebrated the day as National Integration Day in 2022 and 2023The BJP in its manifesto for Telangana Assembly elections had promised a celebration of September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation DayIn view of the Lok Sabha elections the saffron party has once again made it a poll issue While addressing BJP workers in Hyderabad on March 12 Amit Shah slammed Congress and BRS for not celebrating Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote bank politics IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/telangana-bjp-leaders-hail-decision-to-celebrate-hyderabad-liberation-day-528223.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/colours-forms-and-metamorphosis-artist-yashwant-deshmukhs-solo-in-delhi-528265.html New Delhi March 13 Art Alive Gallery in the capital is set to present Contours of Continuum a solo show exhibiting paintings by Mumbaibased Yashwant Deshmukh from March 15 to April 5 Deshmukh is a contemporary Indian artist known for his contemplative style depicting the lack of movement or the stillness of space His abstract and meditative style heavily relies on symbolism and functions as a bridge between the material and the spiritual At his latest exhibition in Art Alive the artist invites viewers into a world of otherworldly serenity In this realm the boundaries between form and space dissolve and objects take on a mystical significance as conduits for metaphysical explorationThe ethereal compositions transport us to an endless and fluid landscape where we are invited to lose ourselves in contemplationThrough his use of colours textures and arrangement Deshmukh delves into the intricate relationship between memory perception and intuition provoking the viewer to reflect on the very essence of existence He captures the delicate nuances of life and evokes a commanding presence that impels viewers to immerse themselves in the alluring harmony of ordinary momentsEveryday objects become the lead actors in a tranquil dance melding their outlines with the boundless void of negative space Every stroke of the brush is a meditation every coat of paint a hushed secret as Deshmukh unravels the enigma of stillnessThe artist shared In my work over the last two decades I have explored the interrelation between form and space My visual language constitutes a deeply layered palette composed of objects that are often considered mundane rendered in speculative forms that capture their visual patterns ambience and atmosphere I am excited to show these works in the CapitalPremjish Achari the curator added Through his use of colours and intricate textures Deshmukh infuses his pieces with a palpable sense of energy and vitality The objects in his paintings seem almost alive their contours pulsating with movement and emotion With an impeccable eye for detail he captures the subtle nuances of everyday life and elevates them to a place of profound significance It is as if every object holds within it the potential to unravel the mysteries of reality woven together by the ether itself Each piece serves as a powerful reminder that even amid the chaos there exists a serene stillness that can be found by simply pausing and appreciating the world around us IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/colours-forms-and-metamorphosis-artist-yashwant-deshmukhs-solo-in-delhi-528265.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/manipur-cm-opens-states-first-water-park-announces-to-set-up-9-more-528353.html Imphal March 13 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the states first water amusement park and announced that nine more such parks are coming up in different parts of the state in the coming months Speaking at the inaugural ceremony at Thenguchingjin Awangpotshangbam in Imphal East district the Chief Minister said that now people of the state will not have to go outside to enjoy the thrills of amusement parksHe also announced that there are plans to further expand the amusement park by adding a trekking trail for children and a toy trainSingh said that Manipur as a state should remain as one as he stressed the need for equality in development to encourage love among the peopleNine more such amusement parks are coming up at Jiribam Kangpokpi Ukhrul Chandel Tamenglong Churachandpur Noney Senapati and Keirao each at a cost of Rs 45 crore he addedAlso according to the Chief Minister the sites for the construction of a Unity Mall and a Convention Centre in the Keikol area have been identifiedThe Chief Minister also emphasised the need to take proper precautions while speaking on television or other platforms so that such speeches dont provoke and offend other communitiesPeople should understand that illegal immigrants are those who came after 1961 and not the entire communities and those who were there from before are citizens of Manipur and India he saidReferring to the over 10month long ethnic violence in the state he stressed on the steps taken by the government to provide some relief to those affected by the unfortunate turn of events as he highlighted the construction of prefabricated houses for the displaced people the provision of compensatory packages to the affected farmers individual financial assistance provision of books uniform and other stationery items for the students etcSeveral ministers including Govindas Konthoujam Awangbou Newmai Sapam Ranjan Singh and Heikham Dingo Singh Rajya Sabha Member Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh were present at the function among others IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/manipur-cm-opens-states-first-water-park-announces-to-set-up-9-more-528353.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 21:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chandigarh-to-host-its-first-international-film-festival-from-march-27-to-31-527940.html Chandigarh March 11 Chandigarh is set to host its first international film festival Cinevesture International Film Festival CIFF from March 27 to 31 The opening film of the festival is Cannes Awardwinning French film The Taste of Things starring Juliette BinocheDirected by acclaimed filmmaker Anh Hung Tran the historical romantic drama won the award for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023The closing film is South Koreas highestgrossing film of 2024 to date the HorrorMysteryThriller Exhuma Pamyo which premiered at the 2024 BerlinaleBoth the opening and closing films will have their India premieres at the festival and shall be openair screenings in the Government Museum amp Arts Gallery Sector 10 the main venue of CIFF 2024The festival will showcase 24 awardwinning international features in the World Cinema section 17 indie gems in the India Unveiled 27 shorts in Brief Encounters a curated section of childrens films and timeless classicsProgramming highlights include internationally acclaimed films like 2024 Oscar contender Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest Palme dOr Winner and Academy Nominee Hirokazu Koreedas Monster 2023 Academy Awardwinner The Whale starring Brendan Fraser a gripping documentary which won at Berlinale Seven Winters in Tehran Singapores Oscar entry Breaking Ice the Roshan Mathew starrer Paradise and the animation feature Sultanas Dreams among othersAwardwinning Indian features and docs such as Toronto International Film Festival winner Marathi film Sthal Venice Film Festival film Stolen Rima Das Assamese film Toras Husband Deepa Mehtas TIFF film I am Sirat auteur filmmaker Gurvinder Singhs Punjabi feature Adh Chanani Raat Harjit Singhs documentary on the late Punjabi painter and writer ImrozA Walk Down The Memory Lane Lijo Jose Pellisserys Malayalam film Malaikottai Vaaliban Sreemoyee Singhs documentary And Towards Happy Alleys an ode to Iranian cinema and poetry featuring Jafar Panahi Varun Grovers short Kiss and the Riz Ahmed starrer short DammiInternational features Roleless The Tenants will have India premieres at the festival and short films Dammi and Suddenly TV will have their Asia premiereA host of stars will be attending the festival including Richa Chadha Ali Fazal Roshan Mathew Gulshan Devaiah Varun Grover Rasika Duggal Rashmeet Kaur singer Hansal Mehta Shekhar Kapur Sudhir Mishra and Tahira Kashyap Khurrana among othersThe opening and closing films will be open air screenings in the Government Museum amp Arts Gallery Sector 10 the main venue of CIFF 2024Three more Open Air screenings are scheduled of the classics Jalsaghar Satyajits Rays 1958 musical Guru Dutts Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959 and The Godfather Coda The Death of Michael Corleone 2020 a recut of the original Godfather 3 by Francis Ford Coppola to mark the 30th anniversary of the film The open air screen is 60 feet wideAn experiential cinema exhibition to celebrate the centenary of Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand is being set up in the Rose Garden Underpass in collaboration with National Film Archives NFDC and students of Chandigarh College of ArchitectureA screening of Childrens films is open to all children from the ages of 1017 years at 9 am from March 2731 at Cinepolis JagatThis inaugural edition of the festival will also feature CIFFmarket to facilitate the business and craft of filmmaking More than 15 curated projects by creators with a strong presence in the Indian film industry are being presented at CIFFmarketCIFF will also feature workshops master classes and panel discussions for the benefit of festival and industry delegatesThe festival is being organised by Cinevesture Pvt LtdNina Lath is the Founder and CEO of the companyThe festival is supported by the Government Museum amp Art Gallery Chandigarh Department of Tourism Chandigarh and Chandigarh AdministrationVS Kundu IAS Retd and a former Head of the National Films Division of India has come aboard as the Director of the Film Festival and industry veteran Bina Paul as the Artistic Director of CIFFThe advisory board of CIFF has the presence of Bahubali star and leading film producer Rana Daggubati Jerome Paillard who served as Head of the Cannes Film Market Festival de Cannes from 1995 to 2022 Nicole Guillemet former CoDirector of Sundance Film Festival the celebrated Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh Fire in the Mountains and Tabbar and other experts in the field of film makingThe main venues of CIFF will be the Government Museum and Art Gallery GMAG Sector 10 and Cinepolis theatres in Sector 17 ChandigarhNina Lath Founder and CEO of Cinevesture said Cinevesture International Film Festival is envisaged as a platform for the two key stakeholders namely audiences and producers Its various verticals have been designed keeping the same in mind We trust that in time CIFF will serve as a reliable festival offering highquality content for audiences and enhanced business opportunities for the film industryCIFF Director V S Kundu said CIFF is the first globalscale cinema event to ever happen in Chandigarh with the support of Chandigarh Tourism the Department of Culture and Chandigarh Administration It is a truly international film festival designed to match the best international film festivalsWe endeavour to build a strong foundation for an annual event that the global film industry will look forward to and which will foster effective business relationships between producers and distributors and the filmmakers of the region he saidBina Paul Artistic Director of CIFF said This year at the launch of the Cinevesture film festival the focus of programming is to bring a potpourri of cinema to the people of Chandigarh There will be something for everyone Festival favourite International and Indian films for film buffs and for students and the latest trends in Korean Japanese and French cinema will be on show Children will get a chance to see films from many parts of the world hearing stories they may otherwise not Attending filmmakers producers and technicians will interact with audiences and share their experiences thus enriching the viewing experience A film festival opens up the worldNaveen Director Government Museum amp Arts Gallery Chandigarh said While the museum has been attracting diverse audiences and promoting cultural understanding through its exhibitions its support for the Cinevesture International Film Festival marks a significant step forward in positioning itself in Chandigarh as a hub of cultural exchange and enrichment This will not only lead to an increase in footfalls but also provide an opportunity to showcase the museums facilities as a venue for cultural events potentially attracting future collaborations and partnerships IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/chandigarh-to-host-its-first-international-film-festival-from-march-27-to-31-527940.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-govt-to-introduce-meitei-script-in-educational-institutions-527830.html Guwahati March 11 Assam government has decided to introduce Meitei script in educational institutions across the state The decision was made in a state Cabinet meeting that happened late on Sunday night Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired the meetingThe state Cabinet has given approval to introduce Meitei or Manipuri Mayek script in educational institutions of AssamAccording to Sarma this will allow interested students to study Manipuri literature and pursue higher studies in the areaHe further mentioned that the decision will help students of Assam apply for jobs in Manipur where this knowledge is a prerequisiteThe state Cabinet has also decided to reserve 6 per cent of total seats in the state quota across all medical colleges in Assam for the Economically Weaker Sections EWS For this the medical education rules in Assam will be amended IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-govt-to-introduce-meitei-script-in-educational-institutions-527830.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/udaipur-home-to-17-roosting-12-nesting-waterbird-species-first-of-a-kind-study-527627.html New Delhi March 10 In one of the only studies in the world that has documented the roosting and nesting waterbird community inside Udaipur city in Rajasthan reveals the city famous for its centuriesold artificial lakes is home to 17 waterbird species roosting and 12 nesting species And they used 23 species of trees for these two activities Trees used for both activities were in locations that had a relatively smaller amount of built up area compared to random locations suggesting the waterbirds were trying to find less noisy and disturbed areas for these activitiesThe study says waterbirds were also choosing sites that had a lot of wetlands nearby indicating the artificial wetlands of the city were attractive to these species to conduct their most critical activitiesThe research was done as part of the PhD graduate thesis of Kanishka Mehta from the Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur The thesis was advised by Swati Kittur Vijay Koli and K S Gopi Sundar the Cochair of the IUCN Stork Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist GroupThe research focused on Udaipur and asked the broad question of whether the city is providing refugia for waterbirds The city is famous for its artificial lakes that erstwhile kings constructed to cool the city during the summer months We therefore wanted to know if these artificial wetlands were attracting waterbirds Sundar told IANS on SundaySpecifically the study addressed the question of roosting and nesting sites of waterbirds in the entire city of Udaipur which has been nominated for the Wetland City Accreditation WCA scheme under the Ramsar ConventionSome of the questions we wanted to answer are Where did waterbirds in Udaipur roost and where did they nest Did they use the same sites for both activities What sort of trees or other structures were used to roost and nest Which species of waterbirds were using Udaipur for roosting and which ones were nesting within the city limits he explainsThe study was unusual in that it documented the entire waterbird assemblage in the city that was roosting or nesting inside the cityA waterbird is a bird that lives near and walks or swims in water especially rivers or lakesSuch studies are very rare Sundar says In keeping the focus relatively wide the study discovered the following species roosting and nesting inside Udaipur the little cormorant Indian cormorant great cormorant little egret intermediate egret great egret cattle egret pond heron grey heron purple heron blackcrowned night heron glossy ibis blackheaded ibis rednaped ibis painted stork Asian openbill stork and the woollynecked storkThe bird species with the highest number of roosts in the city were the pond heron cattle egret and the rednaped ibisThe bird species with the highest number of nest sites in the city were the cattle egret rednaped ibis and the Asian openbill storkResearcher Kanishka Mehta who has now completed her doctorate says there is some information previously from other cities around the world documenting nesting waterbirds but studying the full assemblage of roosting waterbirds has never been attempted beforeAlso this study covered the full city Usually a part of the city such as waterbodies is covered for studies Our study is therefore able to provide insights on what aspects of the entire city are being sought after by different waterbird species says Vijay Koli assistant professor at Mohanlal Sukhadia UniversityThe study was conducted between December 2020 and September 2021 The effort therefore covered one full nesting season and also provided adequate time to understand where waterbirds were roosting in the citySundar explains urban ecology is a relatively new subject in India and most of the work has been carried out on tree diversity and in cities such as Bangalore and Delhi that are mega citiesCities of India and other cities in the tropics and subtropics are being discovered to have a high level of diversity This has been surprising for scientists since most of the work on cities has been from cities in temperate areas where diversity is very low inside the cityStudies in temperate regions have given rise to assumptions that crowded cities of the tropics and subtropics must not have too much biodiversity due to the disturbance that peoples activities provide for wild animals like birdsThe few cities where such studies have been conducted in India have shown fairly high levels of bird diversity This study in Udaipur is one of the first in a small city of India that has been conducted across the whole city using careful methodsSince waterbird nesting and roosting has not been studied in other Indian cities we are unable to compare our findings However with the results seen in Udaipur we suspect that cities in India are very important locations for waterbirds This has been entirely overlooked by scientists and conservation groups and is an exciting discovery he explainsIndian cities are showing themselves to be very important refugia for urban wildlife Some of this is worrying to people since species like leopards can cause some conflict and injury to peopleOther wild species like birds bees and butterflies are however not dangerous and also very important for ecological functionsThe government should therefore be considering our cities as being multifunctional systems where elements planned for humans can also be useful for a number of wild species Considering cities to be multifunctional in policies will have multiple benefits Interactions with nature are an important element of mental wellbeing for humans which means that city planning should ideally consider both humans and wildlife of that particular regionCities in Assam can be planned for wildlife found in that state and Udaipurs planners can focus on wildlife such as waterbirds that are resident in the city adds SundarThe study showed the enormous importance of old trees and also dead trees as waterbird roost and nest sites As trees age notwithstanding whether they are exotic species such as eucalyptus or native ones such as neem they become invaluable habitats inside the cityOld trees used to be a common element of roads as roadside trees planted to shade travelers Udaipurs waterbirds still use old roadside trees for roosting despite the enormous disturbance that traffic could be causingVishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiiansgmailcom IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/udaipur-home-to-17-roosting-12-nesting-waterbird-species-first-of-a-kind-study-527627.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 12:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/separation-unloving-a-tragedy-that-makes-us-empty-527697.html New Delhi March 10 The conversation starts with her book A Separation and the fact that unloving can be such a tragedy for the person who stops being tender making himher completely empty Wellknown American author journalist and art critic Katie Kitamura replies that starting the book she thought it was about the end of marriage However as I finished writing it there was a realisation that it was about grief and in many ways death I was interested in a character who was initially playing the part of a grieving widow and then it lead to a a space in between the face and mask and more than the wife it is the widows identityA Separation is about a young woman who has agreed with her husband that it is time for them to separate As she begins her new life he goes missing and she reluctantly agrees to go and search for him She is not even sure if she wants to find him Adrift in the wild landscape she traces the disintegration of their relationship and discovers she understands less than she thought about the man she used to loveIn her last intimacies a woman is caught between many truths An interpreter at the International Court She gets pulled into an explosive political controversy when shes asked to interpret for a former president accused of war crimes A woman of quiet passion she confronts power love and violence both in her personal intimacies and in her work at the CourtThe guilt of the person can be carried out by another person its how when people feel something for you Like professional mourners and how someone feels something for you And it is in many cultures says the authorBut in todays world how relevant is an institution like the International Criminal Court ICC and International Court of Justice ICJ I think both these institutions are extremely important Yes they are flawed in a way that institutions are but I would like them to have some moral authorityICJs recent ruling was nonbinding and I want for them to succeed I am not the person who is cheering the demise of these institutionsThe author who earned a PhD in American Literature from the London Consortium and is currently an Honorary Research Fellow there admits that she had to unlearn academic writing to write fictionYes It was a long process And even now I do feel myself slipping into it especially jargon in fiction can sometimes be a form of deflection or concealment One thing is clear you can only write fiction when you feel like being exposed I do not think I have the skills of a journalist And I make up the rules in some way when I write fiction There are many things that are useful for a writer and it is important one writes in ways that you are not used toJapan for Kitamura has always held a special place Not just because her entire family and childhood memories reside thereIt has a lot of contradictions even aesthetically They perceive it as minimal but if you go down a street there its cluttered and there is tension It is not all minimal and wabisabi There is a lot of pleasure in the country Yes my first experiences of language are there and I have not lived there so there is a strange sense of longing for meKitamura who earlier in her life trained as a ballerina debuted as a novelist with The Longshot which follows a former mixed martial arts star and his longtime coach over three fraught days as they prepare for his momentous comeback match says a fight can also be existential in some waysI have never been a fighter But yes the world becomes smaller when you prepare for the fight and then it is just the ring You enter a different realityThe author admits that her style changed quite substantially when she started writing in first person and became interested in trying to find a voice that was less concerned with a kind of riddled down style but in conveying the movement of the mind including all the repetitionsAnd with a book that is written in third person you have a different perspective And in first person it has a certain looseness to it asserts Kitamura who was also at the recent Jaipur Literature FestivalAnd when does she know that the idea is ready to take shape on paperWell Hillary Mantel said that you can ruin a book by writing it at the wrong time and that is so true The early stages of a book are delicate I sometimes stop when I feel it is not quite ready You do feel it is opening up at some points but that can be found out only by writing concludes the author who has just finished writing another book IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/separation-unloving-a-tragedy-that-makes-us-empty-527697.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 16:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/special-rituals-in-ayodhya-for-chaitra-navratri-this-year-527577.html Ayodhya UP March 10 Special rituals will be held in Ayodhya next month during the nineday Chaitra Navratri that will culminate in Ram Navami on April 17 This will be the first Chaitra Navratri after the opening of the Ram templeThe celebrations will begin on April 9 with the commencement of NavratriThe Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has tasked its religious wing Dharmik Nyas Samiti to make the occasion a grand affair in Ayodhya that will resonate across the countryThe Ram Mandir Trust and the Ayodhya administration are expecting an unprecedented crowd in the temple town during the nineday festivities said a member of the TrustA senior official of the Ayodhya administration said This will be the period when campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls will be at its peak and people will flock to the Ram temple for blessingsGovind Dev Giri treasurer of the Trust who is also chairman of the Dharmik Nyas Samiti is preparing a blueprint of the nineday special rituals on Ram Janmabhoomi campus that will start from April 9Now when the Ram Mandir has come up in Ayodhya we are expecting a huge turnout of devotees in Ayodhya on Ram Navmi Plans are afoot to make the nineday Navratri a grand affair said Govind Dev GiriThe Trust will have to confine itself to Vedic rituals in Ram Mandir and Ram Janmabhoomi due to unprecedented crowds turning up in the city to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla said a member of the TrustThe district administration will focus on controlling the crowd and making elaborate security arrangements to make sure no untoward incident takes place during this festive periodApart from the Ram Janmabhoomi campus Dashrath Mahal Kanak Bhawan and other historic places in Ayodhya will also be decked up for the nineday long festivalSharad Sharma regional spokesperson VHP said During Navratri Ayodhya will be soaked in religious fervour People from across the country will come down to the temple town to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla after the opening of the grand temple IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/special-rituals-in-ayodhya-for-chaitra-navratri-this-year-527577.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-coastal-road-inauguration-put-off-till-monday-527424.html Mumbai March 9 The Mumbai Coastal Road projects phase one is partly ready for inauguration but getting delayed ostensibly as VIPs are reportedly unavailable owing to multiple reasons officials said here on Saturday Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was scheduled to cut the ribbon today March 9 throwing open the northsouth arm but it has been postponed to March 11 as the other MahaYuti alliance leaders are said to be busy in the Lok Sabha seatsharing talksIn January when Shinde went on a tour of the swank new road including the tunnel he had announced that one lane from Worli to Chowpatty would be operational by that monthend but it didnt happenLater there was speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate it either in person or remotely but he is tied up in the poll campaign and another date was set for March 9 with the official invitations also printed and distributedEven this has been pushed back by two days till Monday March 11 though the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation BMC remains noncommittal on whether the inaugural will actually take place that dayIn case the government misses the date again then uncertainty stares at the starting of the MCR in view of the Model Code of Conduct that may be implemented anytime next weekHowever civic officials have confidently announced that phase one will be fully completed by May comprising the two lanes from Marine Drive to Worli and other facilities coming up in the vicinity which will slash travel time from the current one hour to barely 10 minutesMeanwhile the delays in making megaprojects available for public use has evoked sharp criticism from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi top functionaries like Shiv Sena UBTs Sanjay Raut Aditya Thackeray Kishore Tiwari Congress Nana Patole and M Arif Naseem Khan Nationalist Congress Party SP and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-coastal-road-inauguration-put-off-till-monday-527424.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 15:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/iaf-airlifts-critical-patient-from-11-000-feet-in-himachal-527497.html Shimla March 9 The Indian Air Force IAF on Saturday airlifted a 63yearold patient in critical condition from an elevation of 11000 feet in Himachal Pradeshs LahaulSpiti district In the early morning hours the IAF received a requisition from the state government for a casualty evacuation sortie from the Stingri helipad located at an elevation of 11000 ft a spokesperson for the IAF saidThe patient a resident of Beeling village in Keylong was reported in critical condition and a timely intervention was required to shift him to the Bhuntar airfield for specialised medical treatmentRecent incessant snowfall and landslides had resulted in these remote areas being cut off from lower valleys said the spokespersonIAFs MI 17 V5 swung into action in the shortest possible time and the crew with the help of local administration was successful in airlifting two patients and a medical team from StingriA swift reaction shown by the IAF helicopter crew helped save one more precious life in a critical condition added the spokesperson IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/iaf-airlifts-critical-patient-from-11-000-feet-in-himachal-527497.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 18:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/thousands-of-bhutanese-nationals-gather-at-zemithang-in-arunachal-for-gorsam-kora-festival-527504.html KolkataItanagar March 9 Thousands of Bhutanese nationals including Buddhist monks are currently in the picturesque Zemithang in Arunachal Pradesh to be part of the annual Gorsam Kora Festival The festival that began on March 7 will continue till March 10Zemithang the last administrative division of India in Arunachal Pradesh shares its western border with BhutanAt the same time it is located close to the Line of Actual Control LAC with ChinaThe festival is held around the Gorsam Chorten Stupa dating back to the 12th century and is older than the Tawang monasteryApart from the civil administration the Indian Armys Gajraj Corps is instrumental in organising the festival The Army has been holding several events for both pilgrims and casual visitors both from India and Bhutan over the last three daysThe Gajraj Corps calls this Celebrating Shared Cultural HeritagesThe focal point is Himalayan Buddhism which is close to the hearts of the people from both sides of the borderThough the festival has been going on for years its importance has grown recently owing to efforts by China to build stronger ties with Bhutan The area is of strategic importance as it is a sort of trijunction between India Bhutan and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Such events help bolster ageold ties between the people of Bhutan and India a senior administrative official of Tawang saidIncidentally it was at Zemithang that the 14th Dalai Lama took his first rest on his way from Tibet to India in 1959While he was there he planted a sapling at Khinzemane Today the sapling is a large tree and is considered holy by pilgrims who pray thereThe 93feethigh Gorsam Chorten Stupa is modelled after the Boudhanath Khasti Stupa of NepalDuring the festival the devotees observe the auspicious occasion of the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar the official said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/thousands-of-bhutanese-nationals-gather-at-zemithang-in-arunachal-for-gorsam-kora-festival-527504.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 18:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/adani-wilmars-new-csr-short-film-celebrates-role-of-suposhan-sanginis-527134.html Mumbai March 8 On International Womens Day Adani Wilmar Limited AWL one of Indias largest FMCG food companies launched a new CSR short film celebrating the invaluable contributions of SuPoshan Sanginis in eradicating malnutrition and anaemia among its target groups namely children 05 years adolescents and women in the reproductive age These women volunteers are an integral part of the Fortune SuPoshan Project a pioneering initiative of Adani Wilmar implemented by the Adani Foundation Adani Groups CSR arm to combat malnutrition and anaemia in IndiaThe CSR short film which is airing on Friday narrates the story of a Sangini visiting a family diligently checking on their sons health and ensuring that he receives proper nutrition to thriveThis narrative highlights the transformative role of Sanginis in rural India showcasing their endeavours to uplift the lives of undernourished children impart hygiene practices and educate families on the significance of nutritious food such as leafy vegetables millets legumes and fruitsThe fourminute CSR short film directed by the filmmaker Tiyash Sen and conceptualised by DDB Mudra will be extended across platforms such as Meta and YouTube for maximum visibilityCommenting on the newly launched CSR short film Angshu Mallick Managing Director and CEO Adani Wilmar Ltd said The Fortune SuPoshan project holds a special place in our hearts and we take pride in the progress it has made towards eradicating malnutrition and anaemia since its inception Given that malnutrition is closely linked to food and nutrition there is no better organisation than us to address it Adani Wilmar being the largest foodcompany in the countryTalking about the vision of Adani Wilmar Mallick said It is our responsibility to actively work towards this cause Our SuPoshan Sanginis have played a pivotal role in achieving these objectives working tirelessly at the grassrootsHe added The CSR short film serves as a testament to the extraordinary dedication of the Sanginis and their unwavering commitment to enhancing the health and wellbeing of their communities Their passion and efforts have been instrumental in breaking the worrying intergenerational cycle of malnutrition We are proud to honour their contributions on International Womens DayInitiated in 2016 the Fortune SuPoshan Project has seen a resounding success in enhancing the health and nutritional status of its target groups in vulnerable communitiesThe projects unique approach involves active engagement with stakeholders who include gram panchayats local governing bodies healthcare facilities and frontline health workersThe training and deployment of SuPoshan Sanginis who are selected from the villages that are a part of the project played a vital role in implementing interventions and driving behavioural changes at the grassrootsLauding the part played by SuPoshan Sanginis in making the project the success it has been Dr Priti Adani Chairperson Adani Foundation said I have consistently maintained that the Sanginis have played a significant role in the success of Fortune SuPoshan The film on International Womens Day is welltimed and commendableShe added Their work deserves recognition particularly their remarkable achievement in breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutritionSince 2016 the Fortune SuPoshan Project has spread its network across 31 sites across the country including some of the aspirational districts such as Vidisha Madhya Pradesh and Narmada Gujarat reaching more than 404261 lakh households through 1000plus Sanginis in 1940 villages and slumsThe proactive approach of Sanginis has resulted in around 90000 children being saved from malnutrition More than three lakh adolescent girls and women in the reproductive age have also benefited from the projects intervention through the women volunteers IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/adani-wilmars-new-csr-short-film-celebrates-role-of-suposhan-sanginis-527134.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sarangi-cultural-academy-hosts-sarangi-legacy-2024-festival-in-delhi-527197.html New Delhi March 8 Sarangi Cultural Academy the worlds only Sarangi academy hosted an evening of classical music at Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi Founded by Sarangi artist Ustad Nasir Khan and his son Nabeel Khan Sarangi Cultural Academy paid homage to the legendary Sarangi maestro Padma Bhushan Ustad Sabri Khan SahabThe event held on Thursday showcased performances by artistes including Nabeel Khan performing Sarangi accompanied by Pranshu Chaturlal on TablaNabeel Khan began the evening with an introduction to Sarangi called the queen of Indian Classical instruments highlighting its history and unique characteristicsHe performed Maru Bihag followed by compositions by Ustad Sabri Khan and his original composition The Arrival of Sultan inspired by his experiences in the desertNabeel Khans performance concluded with the iconic Mast Qalandar Pranshu Chaturlal on Tabla ascertained an enriching musical experienceThe second performance featured a flute recital by Pt Rajendra Prasanna accompanied by Abhishek Mishra Pt Rajendra Prasannas rendition of Raag Puriya Kalyan showcased his mastery over the flute His performance included famous compositions and exercises culminating in a rendition of thumri in Raag KhammajTalking about the event Nabeel Khan said This festival celebrates the rich legacy of Sarangi and Indian classical music honoring the contributions of maestros past and present We are grateful for the opportunity to share our music with the world and inspire future generations of artistes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sarangi-cultural-academy-hosts-sarangi-legacy-2024-festival-in-delhi-527197.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-pilot-indias-aviation-industry-to-new-heights-527291.html New Delhi March 8 Flying does not rely so much on strength as on physical and mental coordination once said Raymonde de Laroche the first lady to solo an airplane and the worlds first licensed women pilot These words echoing through the annals of aviation history are finding new resonance in Indias contemporary skies In a groundbreaking stride towards gender equality and representation Indias aviation industry is witnessing a historic surge in the number of female airline pilots Recent data released by the Directorate General for Civil Aviation DGCA revealed that women now constitute a remarkable 14 per cent of airline pilots in India surpassing the global average by more than twice the margin Aviation watchdog DGCA claimed to have issued a decadehigh commercial pilot licences CPLs in 2023 with 1812 per cent of them granted to women pilots marking a remarkable upswing of 225 per cent compared to 2022 figures According to the DGCA 294 CPLs were issued in 2023 compared to 240 in the previous year This is the second consecutive year where the number of licences issued reached a decade high said a senior DGCA official emphasising the sustained momentum driving this transformative shift With the expectation that this trend will continue Indias aviation industry is poised for further advancements in gender inclusivity and representation The surge of women in aviation not only reflects a narrowing gender gap but also underscores the countrys commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce As India celebrates International Womens Day this milestone serves as a testament to the resilience and determination of women breaking barriers and charting new territories in traditionally maledominated fields Captain Pearl Varma the first woman Type Rating Instructor at Akasa Air expressed her pride in being part of Indias aviation growth story Our country is among the global leaders in empowering women professionals in aviation and there is a noticeable increase in womens representation in the industry including frontline roles she remarked Varma highlighted Akasa Airs efforts in promoting gender diversity with over onethird of its overall workforce and roughly half of its nonfrontline comprising female employees Amid this celebration of progress the story of Divya Nancy Tirkey a resilient and determined woman shines as an inspiration Born into a middleclass family with a deep connection to aviation Tirkeys dream of becoming a pilot faced numerous challenges Initially discouraged by financial constraints she pursued engineering but later embraced her passion for flying after a diagnosis of tuberculosis Despite facing setbacks and financial burdens Tirkeys unwavering determination led her to fulfill her dream eventually becoming a Senior First Officer with IndiGo Tirkeys journey epitomises the power of perseverance and resilience in overcoming obstacles An evaluation during a roundtable discussion at the recent event Wings India 2024 also revealed that India currently has a 15 per cent representation of women in air traffic control 11 per cent inflight dispatch including cabin crew and 13 per cent at the midmanagerial levels Amid the exponential growth of Indias civil aviation sector it is indisputable that the skies are expansive offering ample space for the inclusion of more women The launch of a new framework featuring enhanced mentorship and sponsorship programs will empower and catalyse this advancement This framework will also propel Indian aviation into a more genderinclusive future said Jaideep Mirchandani chairman of aviation major Sky One He said that to bring more women into aviation we should acknowledge and celebrate the impressive accomplishments of women pioneers in various areas of aviation These trailblazers can serve as inspirational role models for women aspiring to pursue various roles within these sectors said Mirchandani The proposed framework should also delve into a thorough examination of the opportunities and challenges as far as womens participation and leadership in STEM fields are concerned This will facilitate a comprehensive approach to empowerment Mirchandani added Shekhar Singh can be reached shekharsiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-pilot-indias-aviation-industry-to-new-heights-527291.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 22:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/womens-day-i-had-no-expectations-from-myself-nor-the-theatre-world-from-me-says-neelam-mansingh-527068.html New Delhi March 8 She remembers the time when women were only actors and never in the decisionmaking machinery like the directors chair She smiles that she had no expectations from herself neither the theatre world from her Theatre director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry recipient of the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi honours who studied at the National School of Drama NSD under the legendary Ebrahim Alkazi recalls One started working slowly and built up her skill set As women directors we had a unique space to us considering we had nothing to lose as no one expected anything We could break all norms approach the play in different ways and experiment as much as we wanted toShe recalls that while there were few women directors initially a certain silent revolution happened and directors like Anuradha Kapur Maya Krishna Rao Usha Ganguli Anamika Haksar Kirti Jain and Tripurari Sharma emergedAnd all of us worked in our own spaces and unique styles A new language started emerging Of course we had a familiar family of ideasWhile the proverbial glass ceiling was broken by women like Norah Richards Sheila Bhatia and Shanta Gandhi Chowdhry observes that the ones created by men were the womens versions of how men looked at the genderWhile Sheila Bhatia and Vijaya Mehta did excellent work however they could not break the structures that had long been embedded points this Professor Emeritus at Punjab University whose wellknown plays include Kitchen Katha The Suit Yerma Nagamandala The Mad Woman of Chaillot Little Eyolf Bitter Fruit Naked Voices Stree Patra Gumm Hai and Black BoxIn fact Chowdhrys latest Hayavadana written by late Girish Karnad will be staged during the upcoming META in the national capital It is after almost more than a decade that she is working with a bound scriptThe director known for her devised productions who has staged the same playwrights Nagmandala thrice has made certain changes in HayavadanaIn the end the woman asks whose pyre would I commit sati after both the men die I could not relate to this in 1973 how do you expect me to in 2024 And I am sure Karnad would have welcomed the change Also I wanted to make the play more playful We have such a set image of Padmini and Devdutt It was important to break that and look at the characters with a fresh perspective I wanted to animate them pull them into the nowStressing that the reason she prefers devised productions not work with a text within a definite structure beginning middle and end is because she had done enough of that and likes to explore newer realms by pulling texts images and experiences from various sourcesThis way one reads more from a story Bringing contradictory elements together helps to imagine newer realities and meanings Of course it is always a struggle and not just an adventure But then art is always hard IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/womens-day-i-had-no-expectations-from-myself-nor-the-theatre-world-from-me-says-neelam-mansingh-527068.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/farmer-trampled-to-death-in-sathyamangalam-tiger-reserve-in-tn-526870.html Chennai March 7 In a tragic incident a 65yearold farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve STR in Erode district of Tamil Nadu The incident occurred on Wednesday when the farmer identified as Mayappan 65 was grazing his sheep at KadangalliA wild tusker suddenly emerged from the bushes and attacked MayappanMayapppan was rushed to Sathyamangalam Government Hospital where he was declared brought deadThe Tamil Nadu Forest department officials said that the body of the farmer would be handed over to his family after postmortemMananimal conflict is on the rise in the Sathyamangalam forest area IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/farmer-trampled-to-death-in-sathyamangalam-tiger-reserve-in-tn-526870.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/olive-celebrates-20-years-of-serving-good-food-with-oodles-of-glamour-in-delhis-old-cowbelt-526735.html New Delhi March 7 When AD Singh opened the Olive Bar amp Kitchen in 2003 Conde Nast Traveler ranked it as one of the hottest new restaurants to be launched that year around the world Having perfected the delicate art of mixing gastronomy with goodlooking people and creating aspirational venues in Mumbai Singh carried the burden of high expectations but he did not let his fandom downSingh launched an European finedining restaurant with a Mediterranean look on the ruins of the stables of a 19thcentury Delhi merchant in the shadow of the Qutub Minar in Mehrauli It continues to be packed and oozes class on any day of the week despite Delhis dodgy reputation of being the Republic of Butter ChickenTogether with the fashion store Carma which had opened much before Olive when Mehrauli was literally a forgotten piece of wilderness on Delhis outer fringes Singh transformed this swathe of the cowbelt into a destination where the Capitals rich and powerful would order their Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi at Carma and then walk into Olive in their Christian Louboutins to let their hair down over sangrias and thincrust pizzasAnd in a neighbourhood thats seen restaurants open and shut shop with alarming regularity Olive like Carma has not only bucked the high mortality rate but also survived a Supreme Courtmandated sealing of restaurants and fashion stores in Mehrauli and of course Covid19 which struck the industry like nothing else beforeMaybe it was fated to survive because Olive opened when memories of the 1999 Jessica Lal murder at a celebrity party in the Qutub Colonnade which was run by the socialite Bina Ramani were still fresh and continued to give Mehrauli a bad nameThe Colonnade gave Delhi a taste of haute culture in the decade before Olive opened but it died along with Jessica Lal and its sealed building not very far from Olive and Carma was in those days a constant reminder of what could go wrong with a restaurant that had become the next preferred hangout of the citys moneyed eliteAs Olive celebrates its 20th anniversary in Delhi and Singh straddles over a restaurant empire with multiple brands across the country its secret sauce combines three winwin ingredients a captivating ambience lorded over by an ancient banyan tree an ability to keep tickling the palate of its welltravelled guests and an exciting drinks menu that keeps pace with the restaurants food spread curated by Dhruv Oberoi its young executive chefOberoi has bravely integrated classical Indian ingredients amla for instance or chow chow or aam aada into European dishes an experiment that had made Singh initially very nervous thus creating his own version of what he calls glocal cuisineIronically it was Singhs childhood dream to make it to an IIT and he was mighty upset when it was his twin brother who walked the fabled IITIIM route Singh therefore settled for the next best option flying off to the US for higher studies and returning to work for bluechip companies such as TCS and Cadburys but he soon realised his heart was in the food business food shaken and stirred with dollops of glamourIt has been since 1988 when he organised the marriage party of his sister on a barge in the Mumbai harbour and got inspired to launch his first food events business called Party Lines that Singh has been in the food business and seen many swings of fortune but he can now look back at an array of milestones not the least of which has been the Olive at Mehrauli defying odds and turning 20 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/olive-celebrates-20-years-of-serving-good-food-with-oodles-of-glamour-in-delhis-old-cowbelt-526735.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/run-for-ram-half-marathon-in-ayodhya-on-march-10-526748.html Ayodhya UP March 7 The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh subsidiary Krida Bharti will organise RunforRam half marathon in Ayodhya on March 10 Krida Bharti state president and MLC Avanish Kumar Singh said on Thursday that participants from the country and abroad will participate in a halfmarathon named RunforRam in AyodhyaMore than 3000 Indian and foreign runners have registered themselves on the special website for the half marathon on RamPath and BhaktiPath in AyodhyaSingh added this was an important and exciting sports event to provide opportunity to the local and foreign competitors Such events are organised by Krida Bharti from time to time and the event is important also from a fitness point of viewThose above the age of 12 years can participate in this event he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/run-for-ram-half-marathon-in-ayodhya-on-march-10-526748.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/600-students-of-adani-vidya-mandir-bhadreshwar-pledge-to-plant-over-25-000-saplings-526629.html Ahmedabad March 6 In a unique celebration students of Adani Vidya Mandir Bhadreshwar AVMB Gujarat dedicated their 12th annual day Utkarsh to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs As part of this initiative 600 students of the school have pledged to plant more than 25000 saplings over three years in the school premises and outside including mangroves on the coastAs part of Utkarsh the students creatively highlighted the aspects of living in harmony with nature It was a platform to showcase the essence and importance of all 17 SDGs through working models on environment and water conservation skits songs and poetryExposure to SDGs is part of the schools focus on integrating sensitive and critical lessons including moral and value education towards making the students responsible citizens of the country and the worldThe event carefully curated by the teachers sensitised the guests on the importance of preserving coastal biodiversityKutch known for its colourful traditions and celebrations is a fragile ecosystem buckling under the pressure of climate changeOn the occasion Dr Priti Adani Chairperson of Adani Foundation sent her best wishes to the studentsShe said This pledge from our young students is a testament to their sensitivity and commitment towards our planet I am proud that our schools are instilling these values in our future leadersChetan Misan SDM Mundra who was the guest of honour at the celebrations said I am spellbound seeing the performances of these children I congratulate the school on this occasion and hope that it continues to spread the light of knowledgeJugeshinder Robbie Singh CFO of Adani Group who was the chief guest of the programme was impressed by the stateoftheart facilities at the school and the knowledge showcased by the children on topics generally discussed as part of higher education policy roundtables and corporate chambersHe said I am humbled to be here and interact with these young children who have shown immense promise I am sure that each of them will make great progress in their lives and in turn help their families communities and our great nationLeaders from the Kutch region members of the fisherfolk community parents and other distinguished guests attended Utkarsh 2024Under the aegis of the Adani Foundation AVMB has been providing free education since 2012 to children often firstgeneration learners from socioeconomically marginalised communities especially the fisherfolk in and around Bhadreshwar in the Kutch region of GujaratThe school is affiliated to the Gujarat State Education Board GSEB and offers free schooling from Class 1 to Class 10 covering tuition fee textbooks uniforms and nutritious mealsIn 2022 it became the first GSEBaffiliated Gujarati medium school to receive NABET accreditationRecently AVMB was recognised for its exceptional contributions to educating underprivileged children and was conferred with the Education Excellence Empowering India Awards 2024Since 1996 the Adani Foundation the community engagement arm of the Adani Group has remained agile and deeply committed to making strategic social investments for sustainable outcomes across IndiaIt is empowering and enriching the lives of children women youth and marginalised communities in the core areas of education community health sustainable livelihood community development and climate actionThe strategies of the Foundation are integrated into national priorities and global SDGsThe Adani Foundations reach is extensive currently operating in 5753 villages across 19 states positively impacting 73 million lives IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/600-students-of-adani-vidya-mandir-bhadreshwar-pledge-to-plant-over-25-000-saplings-526629.html Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/indian-women-more-confident-of-asking-pay-raise-but-received-less-report-526191.html Bengaluru March 5 Indian women are leading the charge for pay equity more than their global counterparts but receive less than expected a report showed on Tuesday highlighting gender pay parity The global report by global hiring and matching platform Indeed which comes ahead of International Womens Day is based on a survey of 14677 women employed either fulltime or parttime across 11 countries including 1193 women from IndiaProviding an overview of the experiences and perspectives of women in the global workforce the report showed that despite progress more than 50 per cent of women who requested a raise globally received less than they had hoped forThis includes 56 per cent women in India who sought raises but received less than expected signalling persistent challenges in attaining equitable compensation within the countrys job marketAbout 53 per cent of women in India were also found confident in asking for a raise higher than the global average of 30 per cent In fact 65 per cent Indian women sought a raise the highest percentage compared to any other countryNine in ten Indian women 90 per cent identified pay as an important aspect of their jobs the highest percentage of all 11 countries global average 82 per centCreating an environment where all women feel empowered to negotiate thrive and achieve balance is not only ethical but also the key to unlocking innovation and organisational success on a global scale The confidence of Indian women in pursuing their worth is truly remarkable and its high time we fostered similar environments worldwide said Nishita Lalvani Marketing Director Indeed India amp SG in a statementWhile it is motivating to see Indian women leading the charge globally there are still many challenges that stand in the way of women landing equitable opportunities At work and outside of work the importance is to create a world where every woman can confidently pursue her dreams and aspirations irrespective of cultural differences she addedFurther the report showed that globally women perceive a glaring gender pay gap at the national level Indian women express notably higher satisfaction within their organisational and sectoral realms because of societal cultural and economic factorsIndian women also believe regular compensation reviews 39 per cent workplace flexibility 39 per cent and gender paysalary audits 37 per cent are major ways that may help close the gender pay gap the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/indian-women-more-confident-of-asking-pay-raise-but-received-less-report-526191.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-decaying-chhota-imambara-gates-to-be-restored-526227.html Lucknow March 5 The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage INTACH has been roped in by the Lucknow Development Authority LDA for the restoration of the two gates of Chhota Imambara in Lucknow INTACH is a nonprofit membership organisation dedicated to heritage conservationA symbol of the Nawabi era constructed in 1839 and located on both sides of Chota Imambara the gates are falling apart as its brick and walls decay slowlyThe work for restoration will begin by the end of March said Habibul Hasan Assistant Superintendent Hussainabad and Allied Trust HATHAT is a custodian of important Nawabi monuments including Bada Imambara Chota Imambara and other Waqf properties built by King Mohammad Ali Shah in 1839 for charity and the welfare of the Muslim communityThe Chota Imambara has three gates including the Southeast Gate facing Rumi Darwaza the North Gate in front of Chota Imambara and the West Gate towards Hardoi RoadJayant Krishna INTACHs UP State Convenor said that barring the Southeast Gate the entire structure is part of the renovation workThe traditional methods such as using lime mortar and replacing the torn brick with the same lakeshore bricks will be used during restoration he saidAs there is a large tourist footfall in the entire area every day the restoration will be done keeping in mind the eatery shops he saidThe legal shops barring the encroachments are a part of the renovation which includes facades uniform signages with appropriate uniform lighting he saidHe added that a detailed proposal was given to the Divisional Commissioner and Municipal Commissioner after the authorities roped in INTACH for the work However the final acceptance is awaited he saidThe gates were built during the same period when the Chota Imambara was made by Mohammad Ali Shah in 1838 These gates were made to mark the territory of the buildingIn that era the gates had three passages of different sizes with a bigger one in the centre for the movement of royal processions like those with elephants Two small passages on the right and left side for the movement of the masses The small structures around Chota Imambara gates which are now shops were meant for the temporary stay of visitorsThese gates are part of the architectural culture of not just Lucknow but across India as similar gates were present in Kolkata Murshidabad Bhopal and Jaipur among others and some were made during Akbars reign which were called Tripolia gates IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-decaying-chhota-imambara-gates-to-be-restored-526227.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ndtv-food-awards-2024-shining-the-spotlight-on-indias-culinary-stars-526250.html New Delhi March 5 The NDTV Food Awards 2024 a celebration of gastronomy and culinary excellence has concluded with much fanfare showcasing the finest talents and innovations in the countrys dynamic food industry Hosted by renowned food personality Kunal Vijayakar the event highlighted exceptional achievements across categories recognising the outstanding contributions of chefs restaurateurs and culinary establishments to Indias diverse and rich FampB sceneThe evening commenced with two insightful panel discussions exploring topics such as the vision of a circular food system and the celebration of Indias culinary traditions Moderated by NDTV anchors Gargi Rawat and Ambika Anand these discussions featured esteemed panelists who shared their expertise and insights on sustainable practices and cultural significance in foodThe winners of the NDTV Food Awards 2024 were selected by a distinguished jury consisting of top chefs restaurateurs food writers and influencers from across the country Led by Chairman Kunal Vijayakar renowned food writer author actor and TV presenter the jury ensured a fair transparent and credible selection processSome of the notable winners of the NDTV Food Awards 2024 includeBest Fine Dining Restaurant Indian Accent New DelhiBest Cafe and Casual Dining Restaurant Olly GurugramBest Cocktail Bar and Lounge Whisky Samba GurugramBest Bakery and Patisserie The Big Chill Cakery Khan Market New DelhiBest New Restaurant Inja The Manor New DelhiBest Beer Brewery Windmills Craftworks BengaluruBest EarthFriendly Restaurant Farmlore BengaluruChef of the Year Hussain Shahzad Executive Chef Hunger IncRising Star Chef of the Year Shubham Thakur Chef de Cuisine Megu The Leela Palace New DelhiBest Mixologist of the Year Varun Sharma Beverage Manager Comorin RestaurantsBest Restaurateur of the Year Zorawar Kalra Massive RestaurantsExcellence in Beverage Industry Yangdup Lama Sidecar New DelhiLiving Legend Nakul Anand former executive director ITC Limited overseeing the hospitality travel and tourism businessNDTV Food Awards Hall of Fame Imtiaz Qureshi late celebrity chef and the first member of his profession to get a Padma ShriBest Nutrition and Wellness Award Herbalife India Private LimitedThe NDTV Food Awards 2024 will be broadcast on NDTV 24x7 NDTV MPCG and NDTV Rajasthan on March 9 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ndtv-food-awards-2024-shining-the-spotlight-on-indias-culinary-stars-526250.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sunny-526309.html Noida March 5 Sunny Leones many talents include being a good cook and her ability to spot the right flavours has enabled her newly opened Chica Loca restaurant at Sector 132 Noida pull off daring combinations in a menu curated by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava From butter chicken gujiya to a chicken tikka masala waffle avocado koliwada and the everpopular rock shrimp tempura Leones inspiration and Bhargavas talent have ensured none of the dishes is over the top each combining a mouthful of flavours with creativitySpread over two floors Chica Locas decor is dominated by the rich hues of purple and gold accompanied by velvet seating A ginormous bar sits on the first floor and next to it are pictures of the CanadianIndian actress and her family in monochrome It has seating dancing and event areas The terrace has romantic and breezy canopiesEverything about the restaurant is luxurious including the food and drinks which can cost up to approximately Rs 2500 for two people but the price seems right for the satisfaction it guaranteesLet us start with the drinks Rainbow Trippin is one of the best drinks in Chica Loca and is mostly ordered by couples according to the bartender who insisted that it oozes loveThe drink is made with rum mango puree coconut cream and citrus and catches the eye because of hearts a rainbow and a love is life edible tattoo placed on itFor those who like their cocktails sweet a drink that cannot be missed is the tequilabased Charlie It gets its sweet notes from passion fruit citrus and berry puree The drink is served in a glass full of crushed ice and the reason why it was created is because Charlie Chaplin cried only in the rainThen came Sunnys favourite avocado chaat The taste buds will go on a flavour carnival as it has everything right The main ingredient the papdi is made inhouse said Chef Arpit Verma explaining their freshness He added that the avocados are marinated in chaat masala and then dunked on to the papdis covered with tangy tamarind chutney the chatpata coriander chutney and sweet curdWhat caught my fancy were the butter chicken gujiyas These will remind you of the popular Chilean dish empanadas but they come with a juicy butter chicken filling and are served in the gravyYou must also try Sunnys other favourite avocado sushi Avocado which seems to be a favourite of the actress introduces a buttery texture the sushi rice adds a sweet and sour flavour and the cucumber adds the crunch and freshness to make it a complete tactile experienceThe satiating journey came to an end by flushing everything down with a lemongrass and litchi martini the fruity ginbased drink that can definitely be tagged as refreshing and deliciousThe actress is joined by Sahil Baweja director of Singing Bowls Hospitality for this venture which in every sense gives us a taste of her storied life What it does not do is let luxury overpower the salience of good food and trippy drinks to ensure a restaurant survives competition and lives to see many milestones IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sunny-526309.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 17:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/art-show-reflections-of-womanhood-highlights-need-to-remove-gender-inequalities-525936.html New Delhi March 4 Reflections of Womanhood an exhibition of paintings sculptures photography installation and printmaking celebrates not only women but also everything feminine from earth to life and to the inception of the universe with Shiva and Shakti Highlighting the need to remove gender inequalities the show houses 54 artists who have narrated tales of courage love and dedication of countless women on their canvases and sculptures It also includes two senior dance dancers who will be inaugurating the showThree instrumentalists and a troop of kathak dancers will also be presentCurated by Manisha Gawade the show is a collaborative effort of three art galleries including Pioneer Art Gallery Divine Art Gallery and digitally partnered by Ehsaas and will be held at both the galleries in the Capital from March 8 to 28The list of artists includes FN Souza Krishen Khanna and Ram Kumar Alka Raghuvanshi Amargeet Chandok Ananda Moy Banerji Anil Gaikwad Anita Kulkarni Anjolie Ela Menon Anki Bhutia Anu Nayak Anupam Sud Arpana Caur Arup Das Ashok Bhowmick Asit Patnayak Bhaskar Rao Biman Dasgupta Durga Kainthola Gagan Vij Gogi Saroj Pal Jogen Chowdhury Kanchan Chander Kavita Nayar Laxman Aelay Manisha Gawade NS Rana Nagesh Goud Niladri Paul Nupur Kundu Paresh Maity Praveen Upadhye Priyendra Shukla Prof Niren Sengupta Qamar Dagar Ramesh Gorjala Rashmi Khurana Ratan Shah Rini Dhumal Shakti Burman Sangeeta Gupta Sanjay Bhatacharya Sarla Chandra Seema Kohli Shabir Santosh Shampa Sircar Sheela Chamaria Shobha Broota Shridhar Iyer Sonali Durga Chaudhari Sonika Agarwal Sudhir Bhagat Vilas Kulkarni Vimmi Indra and Vinod Sharma in alphabetical orderThe curator of the show and Director of Ehsaas Manisha Gawade said Only a drastic change in our education can lead to economic freedom for women leading the way to a progressive new tomorrow Gender biases cannot pave the way for our generations to come Ehsaas has always stood for women artists and weavers We believe that all the art forms are interdependent We take pride in staging this wonderful event as a combined amalgamation of the various art forms IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/art-show-reflections-of-womanhood-highlights-need-to-remove-gender-inequalities-525936.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 16:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kashi-vishwanath-temple-to-remain-open-for-36-hours-on-shivaratri-525772.html Varanasi March 4 The Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi will remain open for 36 hours after the Mangal aarti on Maha Shivratri on March 8 The temple authorities expect over 10 lakh devotees to visit the temple on the festival and hence it has been decided to keep the sanctum sanctorum open for darshanThe temple administration has also started making arrangements for crowd regulationThe temples chief executive officer Vishwa Bhushan Mishra said Devotees will enter temple premises in four queues and get Jharokha Darshan offering prayer by seeing deity from outside of Garbha Griha till 11 am on March 9 No SparshDarshan offering prayer by touching Shivling arrangements will be available in this periodNo ticketed or VIP darshan facility will be allowed on this day and the movement of queues will not be disturbed or stopped for VIP darshan he saidFollowing the renovation of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and its opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13 2021 the temple has continued to set a record of devotees on days like New Year Maha Shivaratri and Shravan MondaysOn Maha Shivaratri in 2023 around 688 lakh devotees offered prayers at the temple and over seven lakhs entered the temple on Mondays in the Shravan month in 2022 and 2023The officials are expecting further increase in the footfall of pilgrims on the coming festival of Maha Shivaratri IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kashi-vishwanath-temple-to-remain-open-for-36-hours-on-shivaratri-525772.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/praful-patel-launches-trailer-of-ebina-entertainments-film-dharamaraobaba-atram-525324.html New Delhi March 2 The life story of Maharashtras Cabinet minister Dharmaraobaba Atram will soon be presented to the audience through a film The grand trailer launch of the film Dharmaraobaba Atram Dilon Ka Raja produced under the banner of Ebina Entertainment took place at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai Rajya Sabha Member Praful Patel was present as the chief guest Nitu Joshi is the producer of the film which is directed by Bhushan Arun Chaudhari Actor Jitesh More portrayed the role of young Dharmaraobaba Atram in the filmSpecial guests including MLA Sandeep Dhurve Minister Anil Patil Minister Aditi Sunil Tatkare Dinesh Waghmare Abhimanyu and Nisha Jamwal were present on the occassion Producer Nitu Joshi honored all the guests with flower bouquets Praful Patel said I did not know that Baba ji could also act Through this film the work of bringing our country and this states gems to the people is being done Baba ji is the king of Ahiri he said He said that Ahiri is a tribal state and he belongs to its royal family He said that his father died at a very young age and he had to struggle a lot to reach this stage while different aspects of his life have been presented in the film I am happy to see the trailer but the picture is still pending We all have come here after a lot of struggle Nothing has been achieved without sacrifice Baba comes from the backward areas of the state but with his efforts significant changes have been happening in the lives of tribals He has changed the lives of millions of people I wish producer Nitu Joshi all the best he saidProducer Nitu Joshi said that during the making of this film he got to know Baba closely felt his struggles saw his responsibility towards society and realised his contribution Through this film I also want to convey the message that it is necessary to give good values to the new generation so that they can do something remarkable in life I wanted to make a film that would be inspiring for society he said When I started researching I went to Naxalite areas and heard about Baba When he was only 14 years old his father passed away and after that hearing about his struggles and work I decided to make a film about him In this film we have shown Babas journey from a tribal area to becoming a cabinet minister he saidMinister Dharmaraobaba Atram said I drank the water of the drains returned alive from the clutches of Naxalites didnt know if I would come back alive from there or not This entire journey is shown in this filmDirector Bhushan Arun Chaudhari said Even at this age Baba ji is full of energy and seeing his energy I was relaxed Jitesh did a good job in the film capturing Baba jis body language well Making this film was a dream for meActor Jitesh More said When I got the offer to play this character I felt a lot of pressure When people see me on screen they feel like I resemble Baba I worked under this pressure and the director made my work quite easyThe biopic will be released soon IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/praful-patel-launches-trailer-of-ebina-entertainments-film-dharamaraobaba-atram-525324.html Sat, 02 Mar 2024 11:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-ever-seminar-on-transition-of-a-soldier-to-a-veteran-in-west-bengal-525411.html Kolkata March 2 The Indian Armed Forces may employ nearly 14 million people but there is little awareness on the complexities involved in the return of a soldier to civilian life after years in service With the aim to create awareness among authorities the Rajya Sainik Board West Bengal organised a seminar on Transition of a Soldier to a Veteran on Friday at Sainik Bhawan Bagdogra in north Bengal This was the first such event in the stateAmong those present were Lt Gen VPS Kaushik GOC 33 Corps Maj Gen Tarun Agrawal GOC 111 Sub Area Soumya Purkait Principal Secretary Gorkhaland Territorial Administration J Roy Special Secretary Department of Home Affairs West Bengal other officers from the military and civil administration 12 students on internship programme from North Bengal University Kalyani University Aligarh Muslim University Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology and Government College of Engineering amp Ceramic TechnologyThe Rajya Sainik Board West Bengal is the first one in the country to offer a monthlong internship to UGPG and PhD students on the subject Transition of a Soldier to a Veteran Rajya Sainik Boards look after the welfare of veterans and keep them updated on benefits dueThis is a very important issue Veterans and their beneficiaries are often not aware of the latest schemes that the government comes up with There are several issues related to pension healthcare benefits A Soldier who has spent the better part of his life in uniform may not be aware of how to go about things after retirement A number of such issues were discussed at the seminar An effort was made to sensitise senior administrative officials about the needs of veterans so they may lead their lives with dignity and self respect as they did while being in service Such events are extremely important as the subject is not covered in military or civil services training academies a senior official of the West Bengal Rajya Sainik Board said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-ever-seminar-on-transition-of-a-soldier-to-a-veteran-in-west-bengal-525411.html Sat, 02 Mar 2024 15:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/casa-pops-showcase-at-artix-exhibition-to-celebrate-womens-indomitable-spirit-525435.html New Delhi March 2 Raseel Gujral Ansals artistic living brand Casa Pop is embracing the diversity and complexity of femininity in all its forms and presenting them as a collage of visual culture at the second edition of the Artix exhibition which will be held on March 16 and 17 at The Park Hyderabad The exhibition Terracotta amp Gold The Three Faces of Eve Diva Devi Damsel featuring a series of sculptures is a confluence of art design and storytelling It is a dialogue between tradition and modernity capturing the dynamic roles of the Devi Damsel and Diva in all their gloryThe triad of Devi sculptures has been crafted by Rajasthani artisansWomen have been oppressed for centuries yet they have continued to push boundaries advocate for change and pave the way for future generations Through this artistic showcase we are honouring these struggles and triumphs and acknowledging their contributions in shaping societies and cultures says Raseel Gujral Ansal Creative Director and Founder of Casa PopThe special Gold Edit featuring two wallpapers Tea for Two and Match Made in Heaven serve as powerful visual narratives capturing the essence of strength courage perseverance and beauty The former is a whimsical wallpaper that beckons with stories of romance and shared destinies capturing the essence of companionship The latter one is a testament to the symphony of life depicting Indias regal heritage through a dance of natural and royal imageryThe quintessential Memory Wall will serve as a repository of memories inviting visitors to inscribe their stories and celebrate the vibrant spirit of Indian women through personal and collective memoriesThere will also be an installation made of terracotta plates with handpainted motifs that speak of heritage and artistry These limitededition pieces are a testament to traditional skills and contemporary creativity IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/casa-pops-showcase-at-artix-exhibition-to-celebrate-womens-indomitable-spirit-525435.html Sat, 02 Mar 2024 16:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/collaboration-should-be-our-future-mantra-kochi-muziris-biennale-co-founder-bose-krishnamachari-525216.html New Delhi March 1 Stressing that collaboration should be our future mantra and it is paramount to encourage collaborations with museums cultural institutions writers and artists across contemporary art theatre music performance and audiences artist and cofounder of the prestigious KochiMuziris Biennale Bose Krishnamachari opines I strongly believe we should have more tailormade travel scholarships Besides higherlevel educational scholarships for students should be opened and 24x7 studios and sites should be made available Curated programs and exhibitions must be commissioned These are all important towards creating an accessible nourishing art ecosystem he addsKrishnamachari has been ranked 38th on the Global Power 100 list of the most influential people in art by Art Review an internationally renowned art magazine feels that it is high time that governments start paying more attention to art infrastructure betterment of museums exhibition spaces and update the syllabus in art schoolsOur bureaucracy on all levels must seek advice outsource and commission the right people They need to give powers to the learned or the experienced powers to envision projects infrastructure and public policy he tells IANSA passout from Sir J J School of Art in Mumbai and a Master of Fine Arts from Goldsmiths College University of London Bose who was recently in Saudi Arabia for the AlUla Future Culture Summit agrees that MiddleEastern countries are now investing hugely in culture thus opening up a wide scope for cultural tourism like many countries in Europe I was stunned to see the expanse and extent of culture blooming in the region One had to see the amazing initiatives to believe Everywhere in Al Ula below the sky the visuals are magical and organic sculpturescapes in multiple scales It is one of the best locations to explore more possibilities for a future destination an intangible and vivacious site in scale Gio Formas designed architecture 2960 mirror skin absorbing images of surroundings it was just otherworldlyImpressed to see an array of talented and educated young women who studied abroad and returned to their origin the artist adds Absolute enthusiasm and inquisitiveness with positive energy Signs of women leading the culture scene in Saudi and in the UAE what a great thing And let us not forget the Louvre by architect Jean Nouvel and Frank Gehrys Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be ready in a few yearsFor someone who has done theatre and music besides a film appreciation course from FTII Pune Mumbaibased Krishnamachari feels art learning cannot be just a onedirection journey and it is important to make oneself aware of other creative practicesThis exercise gives you confidence in complementary subjects and frees you from the conventions of schooled thought and forms A multicultural multilingual multirace multimedia and ultramedia and secular place is more creative than a monodiscursive site he assertsIn the last one decade one has witnessed a spate in the number of private museums and art foundations in India with many more coming up Pleased with the development the artist feels it is a welcome change but they too must like universities invest in artist support structuresProduction spaces are the most important photo processing studios printmaking studios woodworking studios laboratories of material science and experts metal foundries etc Present and future universities must transform into universities of culture aesthetics design and technologybased laboratory studios And finance will follow them he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/collaboration-should-be-our-future-mantra-kochi-muziris-biennale-co-founder-bose-krishnamachari-525216.html Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/indias-leopard-population-rises-to-13-874-report-524822.html New Delhi Feb 29 Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Thursday released a report which said that the countrys leopard population has risen to 13874 Range 12616 15132 Central India shows a stable or slightly growing population of leopards 2018 8071 2022 8820 Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains experienced decline 2018 1253 2022 1109 said the report titled Status of Leopards It said that if we look at the area which was sampled both in 2018 and 2022 across India there is a 108 per cent per annum growth In Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains there is a 34 per cent decline per annum while the largest growth rate was in Central India and Eastern Ghats of 15 per cent the report saidMadhya Pradesh houses the largest population of leopards in the country 3907 2018 3421 followed by Maharashtra 2022 1985 2018 1690 Karnataka 2022 1879 2018 1783 and Tamil Nadu 2022 1070 2018 868 Tiger Reserves or sites with highest leopard population are Nagarajunasagar Srisailam Andhra Pradesh followed by Panna Madhya Pradesh and Satpura Madhya PradeshThe report said that the fifth cycle of leopard population estimation 2022 in India focused on forested habitats within 18 tiger states covering four major tiger conservation landscapes This cycle conducted a foot survey spanning 641449 km to estimate carnivore signs and prey abundance Camera traps were strategically placed at 32803 locations resulting in a total of 47081881 photographs resulting in 85488 photocaptures of leopardThe findings underscore the critical role of Protected Areas in conserving leopard populations Project Tigers conservation legacy expands beyond tigers evident in the leopard status report showcasing broader species protection efforts IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/indias-leopard-population-rises-to-13-874-report-524822.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/museum-of-solutions-to-co-create-original-song-short-film-amp-fraternity-flag-on-peace-524866.html New Delhi Feb 29 Mumbaibased Museum of Solutions MuSo a childrens museum in Mumbai has partnered with Hip Hop musician Nimo Patel Netflix filmmaker Safdar Rahman and artist Ruchi Bakshi to cocreate an original song film and fraternity flags on peace Patel will co create a peace anthem with 24 young children from the Maximum city and is currently composing an instrumental track for which the children will provide original lyrics and vocalsThe original peace anthem is expected to express hope for the safety of children all over the world and respect for the courage and resilience that youth in conflict zones continue to showFilmmaker Safdar Rahman will collaborate with 15 young children in Mumbai to leverage the art of simple and powerful visual storytelling as a medium of expression and advocacy for peace These children will through basic tools and concepts of filmmaking cocreate an original film on peace right from scripting to recording and editing the final short filmThe purpose of the film is to capture the idea of peace from the lenses of Mumbais children amp teenagers and convey a message of hope and solidarity for those children living in conflict zonesBakshi will work with 40 children from Mumbai to explore the idea of fraternity understand the symbolism of flags unleash their artistic side and create their own version of a Fraternity FlagThrough an immersive art workshop Bakshi will work with these children to connect with their common human identity visualize elements of peace and fraternity use different colours and textures and create their own original version of the flagThe Peace Carnival is scheduled on March 9 at the museum and is expected to bring together more than 500 children from schools and NGOs in Mumbai cityThe museum has also partnered with global education organisation Teach For Indias Kids Education Revolution to distribute this original peace anthem film and flag to thousands of children living in conflict zones in Palestine Armenia Afghanistan and beyond These cocreated original renditions of the peace anthem short film and artwork will be digitally launched amp distributed that can be taken to schools across the world s to the children living in these conflict zonesTanvi Jindal Shete Founder of the museum says We are currently witnessing four conflicts across the globe There is a need for our future generations to be sensitised on these conflicts and the importance of peace to develop and grow the global economiesMusician Nimo Patel asserts It is important for us to bring this conversation of peace to the forefront otherwise the conversation of war amp conflict is what becomes the norm We need to not only talk about it but practice it Kids do not only learn what they see they learn from how they feelSometimes we just need to look the children in the eye and tell them that it is rough but we are with them That peace often needs to be fought for it is worth it and we are willing to do it with them together adds filmmaker Safdar Rahman IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/museum-of-solutions-to-co-create-original-song-short-film-amp-fraternity-flag-on-peace-524866.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/actor-akshay-kumar-visits-hostel-for-tribal-children-in-rajasthans-udaipur-524643.html Jaipur Feb 29 Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Wednesday visited a hostel built for tribal children by the Rajasthan Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad located at Kherwara in Udaipur for which he had contributed Rs 1 crore The actor came here to fulfill his promise after the hostel was completed and started operating and met the childrenAkshay Kumar also performed aarti with the children who clicked photos with himJagdish Joshi VicePresident of Rajasthan Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad said that Akshay Kumar had contributed Rs 1 crore in the construction of Hari Om hostel built by Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad in Khokhadara KherwaraAkshay Kumar also collected information about the activities being undertaken in the hostelThe actor also learned about the future needs of the tribal children and assured cooperation in development works IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/actor-akshay-kumar-visits-hostel-for-tribal-children-in-rajasthans-udaipur-524643.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/nuclear-power-to-be-game-changer-in-net-zero-nuclear-scientist-anil-kakodkar-524744.html Mumbai Feb 29 Eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar has said that nuclear power can be a gamechanger in achieving the aspirations of being a developed country and NetZero as the world grapples with dual challenges of progress and climate change Advocating the need for largescale deployment of nuclear energy as a viable solution for the countrys growth and development Kakodkar said this can address the dual challenge of meeting development targets on one side and enabling timely NetZero on the otherThe exChairman of Atomic Energy Commission AEC was speaking at the launch of a book Climate Change Energy Options and Relevance of Nuclear Power authored by Arun Nayak 59 Samyak Munot 31 and Jyeshtharaj Joshi 80 and published by Sundaram Digital PublicationsThe book highlights and recognises the limitations of renewable energy sources to meet Indias burgeoning energy needs and the future role of nuclear power for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change and global warmingIn their book the authors Nayak Munot Joshi emphasise that nuclear power can play a vital role as a clean green safe and sustainable option for meeting the longterm electricity demands of IndiaNayak said that Small Modular Reactors will drive a faster energy transition by repurposing the retired coal plants and replacing the coalbased captive power plantsThe country is expected to deploy several hundred of these reactors and hence it is expected that the cost will be competitive to that of conventional energy sources including renewables pointed out NayakJoshi acknowledged that Indias industry has to transform from a servicedominated sector to a core engineeringdominated sector meaning there is a need to shift from being a global importer to a global supplierHighlighting the role of youth Munot said that the youth hold the key to unlocking nuclear energys potential for both national energy security and combating climate changeThe publication directed at policymakers researchers academics and concerned citizens delves into the urgent need for a swift transition to clean energy sources and highlights the pivotal role of nuclear power in mitigating the impending environmental catastrophe and climate changeThe book offers a roadmap for navigating the complex nexus of climate change energy transition and sustainable development with a call to action for collective efforts to safeguard the planet for future generationsIt also attempts to dispel apprehensions to educate and make people aware about the nuances of nuclear energy and its various societal applications for the betterment of mankindA large number of dignitaries attended the event including AEC Chairman and Secretary DAE A K Mohanty BARC Director Vivek Bhasin NITI Aayog Member V K Saraswat exAERB Chairman S S Bajaj ICT Emeritus Professor Prof M M Sharma and others IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/nuclear-power-to-be-game-changer-in-net-zero-nuclear-scientist-anil-kakodkar-524744.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/yogi-govt-launches-helpline-number-for-senior-citizens-524354.html Lucknow Feb 28 The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has launched Kalyan Sathi helpline number 14568 for senior citizens The Kalyan Sathi mobile app and old age home portal for senior citizens and departmental quarterly magazine Kalyani have also been launched simultaneouslyEligible senior citizens can avail the benefits of the various schemes by calling Kalyan Sathi helpline number The department will provide the benefits of the scheme to the beneficiary at home through the Panchayat assistant This service will be operational from 930 am to 630 pm on working daysAccording to the government spokesman about 53 lakh elderly people are already getting pension benefits from the departmentSocial Welfare Minister Aseem Arun said that to solve the problems faced in getting information assistance and benefits of departmental schemes the Social Welfare Department is running an Integrated Command Centre under which callers can call the Kalyan Sathi helpline number 14568 and can register any type of problem related to availing the benefitsThe problems registered through the helpline will be resolved by regular monitoring from the district level and the beneficiary will also be informed Similarly problems related to schemes like scholarship mass marriage etc will also be resolved immediately IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/yogi-govt-launches-helpline-number-for-senior-citizens-524354.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/major-art-exhibition-calcutta-painters-to-be-held-in-delhi-524479.html New Delhi Feb 28 The Dhoomimal Art Centre in the Capital will host an exhibition from March 4 to 16 featuring Calcutta Painters a distinguished collective of artists originating from Kolkata The event commemorates the sixtyyear journey during which the group has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern art landscape of IndiaParticipating artists include Jogen Chowdhury Sudip Banerjee Subrata Ghosh Anup Mandal Gautam Bhowmik Shibaprashad Kar Chowdhury Susanta Chakrabarty Rakesh Sadhak and Niren SenguptaFounded in 1964 the Calcutta Painters epitomise artists dedicated to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression Their commitment to fostering art and artists domestically while making notable contributions to the global art community remains steadfastPresently Jogen Chowdhury serves as the president and Sudip Banerjee is the vice president of the groupEmerging from the dynamic art scene of New Delhi this collective has been instrumental in shaping the avantgarde art narrative in IndiaThe artistic vision and techniques pioneered by Bijon Chowdhury Rabin Mandal Prakash Karmakar and Nikhil Biswas continue to resonate after six decadesJogen Chowdhury is widely acclaimed as the master of unbroken lines His drawings in the exhibit depict female figures intriguingly devoid of sexuality or provocative postures Vulnerability emanates through textured skin and lucid lines showcasing the artists unique approachThe deliberate confinement within a smaller space reflects Chowdhurys reverence for humanity and nature crafting a thoughtprovoking artwork where vulnerability meets unconditional portrayal creating a vivid and impactful narrativeSubrata Ghoshs series of exhibits delve into various manifestations of the sea offering a glimpse into his unique perspective on life Its as if everything in our lives is adorned with a touch of romance We often cling to history mythology and societal beliefs yet when the tide of time washes everything away we confront harsh realities We oscillate between romanticism and reality seeking equilibriumMohit Jain Director of Dhoomimal Art Centre said It brings me great joy to present the Calcutta Painters group a dedicated force instrumental in shaping the modern art scene since 1964 I am thrilled to underscore the invaluable contribution such artistic collectives make not only in nurturing the development of art and artists within our borders but also in making substantial contributions to the global art community As the Calcutta Painters mark their sixtyyear milestone they stand as a formidable presence in our nations cultural landscape embodying a rich legacy in the realm of art IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/major-art-exhibition-calcutta-painters-to-be-held-in-delhi-524479.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rootedness-rootlessness-amp-artist-kanwal-dhaliwals-varied-tales-524529.html Chandigarh Feb 28 The moment you enter a portrait of Lal Singh Dil one of the major revolutionary Punjabi poets emerging out of the Naxalite Movement in Punjab towards the late sixties of the 20th century stares directly at you Village landscapes envelop the Punjab Kala Bhavan gallery in modernistic Chandigarh There are also portraits of Gaihal Singh Chhajjalwadi Madam Cama Saadat Hasan Manto and Kartar Singh Sarabha the unsung onesIn a corner the softspoken major Punjabi painter sculptor and linguist Kanwal Dhaliwal now based in the UK is sittingAs his latest exhibition Back to the Roots curated by Anju Bala now travels in Punjab he refrains from talking about the immigrant experience highlighted in his latest work with the cliches most immigrant artists love to useThe rootlessness may be for me but for our children what we call the new is not alien Thus what emerges are newer roots assimilation where the outsider slowly becomes the insider he told IANSOriginally from the rural Malwa region Dhaliwal has worked in almost every medium such as oil watercolour clay wood and stoneTrained at the Government College of Art Chandigarh the latest exhibition has works from his previous series including The Village where through drawings and sculptures he portrays the resilience of village life and The Valiant OnesIve been thinking of doing an exhibition in Chandigarh for almost five years now Whenever I would come from England I would get along a few works with me he saidTalk to him about the assimilation of different series in one exhibition and the natural apprehension of disjointedness and the artist asserts that while the works may be very different individually in the context of India all of them come together seamlesslyIs it not effortless to see the connections between earth villages and a slow life walking handinhand with the mad pace of metros This country in itself offers a certain sense of assimilation he opinesAnd Chandigarh towards which artists have always had extreme views Dhaliwal asserts that it is surprising that a foreigner Le Corbusier was asked to design a new city as if we were incapable of the sameIt seems a part of Europe has been imported and set up here The design is alien but those who live in these houses are not so how can complete synchronisation take place How can an identity be carved This place will never have a culture in the true sense of the word People who are born here are also not born hereThe artist studied at the art college when it was dominated by students from the rural areas and there was no quota for Chandigarh residentsHe feels that the ones from the countryside did not just have more depth but also understood the real concerns of people a major reason many are now well establishedThose with rural roots have a naturally instilled sense of culture their idiom is strong and thus their work boasts of a certain sensitivity I am not sure if I can say the same about the ones from the urban backgrounds who were more interested in Applied ArtsLooking at his portrait of Prof Lalli a legendary teacher of Anthropological Linguistics at Punjabi University Patiala to whom many artists in Punjab attribute their broader worldview and sensitivity towards self and those around Dhaliwal remembers the Bhootwara from ghosts group and times led by LalliThere would be discussions the whole night He would come to live in our barsaatis in Chandigarh for days Discussions never followed a linear pattern From world literature and theatre to architecture everything would be covered in one night I went to Russia after passing out and later got a job in Himachal Pradesh but kept meeting him and have written a series of articles on him I had gone to meet him in April 2014 and that is when I started this portrait This is his last one he addedAll set to paint more portraits under The Valiant Ones Dhaliwal holds around two exhibitions annually in the UK tooWhile working on the village series so many new facets of my childhood home came alive Perhaps that is what art does reintroduce a part of us to us he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rootedness-rootlessness-amp-artist-kanwal-dhaliwals-varied-tales-524529.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fourth-person-dies-in-wild-elephant-attack-in-kerala-in-a-month-524052.html Kochi Feb 27 A 46yearold autorickshaw driver was killed by a wild elephant in Munnar in Keralas Idukki district The incident happened late Monday night and is the fourth death in the wild elephant attacks in one month The other three deaths were reported from Wayanad districtEyewitness said on Monday around 10 pm Sureshkumar alias Mani was driving a family which was returning after attending the annual celebration at a local schoolWhen the vehicle reached Kannimala a wild elephant attacked the threewheeler The elephant hit the vehicle and grabbed Mani and threw him downMani suffered serious head injuries and passed away while the family of three was injured when the vehicle overturned and are now admitted to a local hospital at MunnarCPIM legislator at Devikulam Munnar A Raja said The sad fact is that all the four elephant attack deaths took place not in the forests We expect the forest and district authorities at Munnar to take the measures The people are definitely upsetMajor political parties have called for a local shutdown and their activists were stopping vehicles from plying on Tuesday IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fourth-person-dies-in-wild-elephant-attack-in-kerala-in-a-month-524052.html Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ngma-to-host-varna-mythri-artist-rumale-chennabasaviahs-retrospective-524116.html New Delhi Feb 27 The National Gallery of Modern Art NGMA is set to introduce Mumbai to the works of Rumale Chennabasaviah through his retrospective Varna Mythri His artistic legacy primarily celebrated in Karnataka is now being introduced to wider audiences in Maharashtra for the very first timeThe retrospective exhibition will be held from March 1 to April 15The exhibition organised by the Madhav Kabe family who shared a close bond with Rumale Chennabasaviah is not intended for sale and is solely dedicated to honouring the artists legacy and fostering greater awarenessThe retrospective will feature 80 works and three prints of the artist that span three major genres of subjects that the artist painted Cityscapes special emphasis on the blossoms of Bangalore landscapes and spiritualityThe exhibition is cocurated by KS Srinivasa Murthy from Rumale Art House Bengaluru and Shruti Das Deputy Curator of NGMA MumbaiRumale as he was fondly called by the art community of Karnataka was a multifaceted personality an artist a freedom fighter an MLC and an editorIn a lifespan of 78 years 1910 1988 he painted approximately 600 works some of which were commissioned by various government bodies to depict the projects done for the modernisation of Karnataka stateInterestingly Rumale sacrificed art and plunged into the Indian freedom movement from 1930 47 during which he interacted with Mahatma Gandhi Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel along with other freedom fightersK S Srinivasa Murthy curator of the show from Rumale Art House who curated Rumales retrospective in Bengaluru in 20112012 shares In this last decade my connection to the artists works has evolved Rumales visual sense is exceptionally challenging We need several repeated visits to understand what is going on in these deceptively simple easel paintings As a largely selftaught artist with a personal vision he had to modify the available visual vocabulary in his way unlike the ways of a conventionally trained artist This he could pull off because he arrived at an inclusive way of painting inclusive of both the representational and nonrepresentational modalities of his contemporariesUpon being asked how challenging it was to bring an exhibition of this calibre to a city unaware of the artist Murthy offers The Mumbai audiences are unaware of Rumale and his role in the Karnataka art scene of the 60s 70s and 80s To broaden his audience base I have crafted a new narrative which serves to introduce the artist and trace his practice through select works What is also challenging is to make Rumale relevant to presentday audiences which are variedThe retrospective spanning the two sprawling floors of NGMA Mumbai will feature a collection of 80 artworks and 3 prints showcasing Rumales mastery in watercolour on paper oil on canvas and drawingsTwo predominant themes revolve around the floral splendour of Bengaluru with a special focus on rare works dating back to the 1930s and the landscapes from Karnataka and Sri LankaAdditionally the exhibition will showcase largerthanlife watercolour compositions depicting the magnificence of nature alongside a striking bust of Rumale Chennabasaviah crafted by the renowned sculptor VenkatachelapathiRare artefacts such as a photograph of Rumale with Mahatma Gandhi in the mid1930s and a Tamra Patra presented to him for his participation in the freedom movement will offer a glimpse into the artists multifaceted life and contributions to the nationVisitors will also encounter a spiritual dimension in Rumales art depicted through portraits of his gurus and the sacred sites of India and Sri LankaA biographical section will be recreated to put focus on the artist by explaining his connection with his guru Shivabalayogi Maharaj religious sites and temples his writings archival photographs audiovideo recordings and painting tools The Kaya Kalpa section will highlight the private sadhana that came to influence both his art and life informs Shruti Das Dy Curator NGMA MumbaiBorn in the outskirts of Bengaluru Rumales formative years were steeped in the Indian Freedom Movement leading to multiple incarcerations It wasnt until he reached the age of 52 that he could fully dedicate himself to art painting beautiful flowering trees parks ancient edifices and the rivers and hills of KarnatakaRumales canvases immortalise the vibrant hues of Bengalurus Jacarandas African Tulips Gulmohars Bougainvillea et alRumale was a pleinair artist and Mother Nature was his inspiration studio and subject Almost all his landscapes were done on the spot sitting down on the streetsHe would go to a particular place at the same time every day to capture his flowers cityscape or landscape in consistent lighting conditions It took him two to three weeks or more to finish one paintingRumale preferred to paint for his satisfaction and fulfilmentIn alignment with this philosophy the Kabe family is taking care of the late legends artworks which are housed at the Rumale Art House in BengaluruNazneen Banu the former director of NGMA Mumbai who initiated the retrospective said Rumalejis work which is unique in its style technique and composition and thus stands in its league needs to be exposed to a much wider audienceUmesh Kumar Rustagi Director NGMA Mumbai said A multifaceted artist from Karnataka Rumalejis landscape painting works have archived the erstwhile stunning beauties of Bengaluru For discerning art lovers of Mumbai it will be a rare opportunity to witness the natural beauty of Bengaluru at NGMA Mumbai IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ngma-to-host-varna-mythri-artist-rumale-chennabasaviahs-retrospective-524116.html Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gaganyaan-mission-pm-modi-to-reveal-names-of-4-test-pilots-during-vssc-visit-523884.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 26 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reveal the names of four test pilots undergoing training for Indias Gaganyaan Mission when he visits the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre VSSC on Tuesday The Prime Minister will visit the VSSC in Kerala to review preparations for the Gaganyaan MissionIt will be a proud moment for Kerala as one of the four test pilots belongs to the stateThe four test pilots have completed their training in Russia and are now based in a unit of the ISRO getting familiar with the intricacies of the missionOf the four three will be on board the Indiancrewed orbital spacecraftOnce at the VSSC the Prime Minister will also inaugurate three facilities which include the Trisonic Wind Tunnel Semicryogenic Integrated Engine and Stage Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu and the PSLV Integration Facility at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR Sriharikota in Andhra PradeshThe Prime Minister will arrive at the VSSC centre at 1045 am on Tuesday and will spend an hour there IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gaganyaan-mission-pm-modi-to-reveal-names-of-4-test-pilots-during-vssc-visit-523884.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/anup-jalota-sad-and-shattered-by-buddy-pankaj-udhas-passing-523919.html Mumbai Feb 26 This was totally unexpected a rude shock learning of the sad demise of my dear friend and elder brother Pankaj Udhas when he still had a lot of singing to do and give much more to the people and his art We were close friends for over 45 years though we hailed from different cultural backgrounds Pankaj was from Gujarat while I was from Lucknow However we both hit it off instantly after our first casual meeting decades ago in Mumbai we both progressed in our chosen field of singing he specialised in ghazals and I specialised in bhajansThough he hailed from a very wealthy background of landlords of Jetpur Gujarat I noticed that he did not have the airs of an aristocrat Most people surprisingly found him to be very humble downtoearth practical and of an extremely helpful nature to one and all alwaysI recall many decades ago one of his singing Gurus Master in Mumbai under whom he trained for almost 8 years had mentioned a problem of accommodation Pankaj quietly resolved to do something and after speaking to me and all other friends organising a few special music concerts he managed to collect sufficient funds to gift his Guru a decent house in MumbaiEven today his Guru who I do not wish to identify considers it as the most sincere GuruDakshina he ever received from any of his disciplesThat was the greatness of my elder brother PankajAs a singer he had a remarkable talent of simplicity no complications he adopted a very lucid style of singing that directly pierced into the hearts of the audiences I can cite many such songs that he rendered in a very simple style but that have become memorable and indeed synonymous with Pankajs personaAnother noteworthy aspect of Pankaj was his sheer professionalism and dedication to his work discipline in anything he did arriving on time for performances or recordings no tantrums despite his status he knew his singing range and remained within it All the signs of true greatness in a person Whenever we sang together it was always in a supportive manner never attempting to overshadow each other and that was the reason for our close bond surviving decades We even collaborated on a joint album Zindagi Har Lamha 2016 which was released by Amitabh Bachchan and it was also very popularOver the years Pankaj and I managed to tour the world performing jointly or solo in groups of artists at hundreds of concerts that were packed with music lovers I was pleased to witness how Pankaj was not only popular in India but equally adored abroad especially the Indian community which thronged his stage shows wherever he wentThen we spent many evenings together at his home or mine or elsewhere Of course singing our favourite songs was always on the menu plus we discussed other big singers and those who influenced us We shared a joint passion on how to encourage the younger generation to our styles of creative classical and pure form of music like Ghazals Bhajans etc which seem to be overshadowed by the modern musical formsSome 20 years ago it gave birth to our initiative Khazana Ghazal Festival which introduced encouraged and presented new promising talent to the country and we pursued it like a mission now I will vigorously take it forward alone I am happy that till date we managed to dig up over 100 young gems of artistes who are not only highly talented like Pooja Gaitonde or Sumeet Tappoo and others but have the potential to keep alive the traditions of GhazalBhajan singing for many more yearsToday as I am left with a treasure of Pankaj Udhas memories and jewels of his music I also vow to continue our dream project as long as I canAs told to Quaid Najmi qnajmiiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/anup-jalota-sad-and-shattered-by-buddy-pankaj-udhas-passing-523919.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/converging-poetry-music-literature-amp-art-sacred-amritsar-closes-on-a-high-note-523664.html Amritsar Feb 26 The Sacred Amritsar 2024 drew its curtains after two days of performances conversations and curated heritage walks All of this took place across three main venues The Earth Amritsar The Partition Museum in the Town Hall and Gobindgarh Fort Throughout the festivals second edition attendees were treated to a diverse array of experiences offering them the opportunity to delve into both the tangible and intangible heritage of the city and its illustrious historyMornings at the festival presented by Sleeepwell and produced by Teamwork Arts showcased captivating performances by artists such as Jasleen Aulakh Jagjit Singh Johal and Maharaj TrioSaumya Kulshreshtha amp Harish Budhwani moved audiences with their evocative performance focused on the timeless amp moving love story of Amrita and ImrozAfternoons at the Partition Museum presented by Rangla Punjab featured engaging conversations with Surjit Patar Kishwar DesaiNavdeep Suri Seema Kohli Sanjoy K Roy Arvinder Chamak Jasmeet Kaur Nayyar Sarbjot Singh Behl and moreThese discussions offered attendees a multifaceted view of Punjabs essence through the prism of poetry romance theatre and artAs a part of the festival Manisha Gera Baswanis art installation based on the Partition of 1947 entitled Postcards from Home was also displayed at The Partition MuseumThe closing night of the festival featured performances by the bands Faridkot and The Murshidabadi ProjectSoumya Murshidabadi said Performing for the first time in Punjab with the Murshidabadi Project was an exceptionally special occasionCollaborating with artists such as Urdu writer and singer Piyush Ashm sitarist Swetketu Banerjee and tabla artist Chandan Malekar we curated a selection of ancient mystic poetries particularly those of Kabir which hold great significance for usOur performance aimed toblend traditional Indian sounds with a transcendent spiritual experienceThe historic Gobindgarh Fort served as the perfect evening destination hosting a captivating array of performances an discussions over two daysFrom Himanshu Bajpai amp Pragya Sharmas enthralling performance DastaneSahir to the melodies of Bir Singh and the captivating Rock Opera Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein by Dastaan LIVEReflecting on their performance at the festival Himanshu Bajpai remarked Performing at The Sacred Amritsar in the historic city of Amritsar was a remarkable experience Sahir Ludhianvis story resonates deeply with people and through our performance we aimed to revisit his literary contributions and understand his enduring legacyPragya Sharma added Performing at this festival was truly meditative The ambience venue and receptive audience transported us to a different era Receiving a standing ovation after our performance was incredibly gratifyingAnirban Ghosh Founder of Dastaan LIVE addedBringing Kabiras verses to Amritsar was a great privilege especially in todays polarised world We are grateful for the opportunity to perform at The Sacred Amritsar and hope to continue spreading harmony love and kindness through our artThe festival also offered attendees the chance to partake in heritage walks and visits to the iconic Golden Temple further enriching their experience by immersing them in the rich heritage of AmritsarSet to take place from the 21st to the 23rd of February 2025 the 3rd instalment of the Sleepwell Presents The Sacred Amritsar will return to the holy city with fresh lineups of innovative themes a captivating blend of music poetry and engaging discourseNamita Gautam Director Managing Trustee Sleepwell Foundation expressed I am filled with gratitude for the incredible response we have received The festivals vibrant mix of poetry music and insightful discussions has left a profound impact on all of usAddressing the audience Sanjoy K Roy Managing Director Teamwork Arts said Upon concluding the 2nd edition of Sleepwell presents The Sacred Amritsar we bid farewell cherishing memories of exceptional performances and presentations by poets writers musicians theatre and spoken word artists Our guests have arrived from across India Singapore Malaysia Sri Lanka and Dubai to revel in the rich culture and heritage of this hallowed cityAs we bring this years festivities to a close our commitment remains unwavering to return next year IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/converging-poetry-music-literature-amp-art-sacred-amritsar-closes-on-a-high-note-523664.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/director-storyteller-sudhanshu-rai-releases-book-of-short-stories-on-family-life-523743.html New Delhi Feb 26 DirectorstorytellerYouTuber Sudhanshu Rai released a book on family life titled Mom Says You Need To Be Strong authored by Aditi Gupta Notion Press Mom Says You Need To Be Strong is a collection of short stories depicting family life struggles losses dreams hopes and loveEach story in the book is essayed by a female protagonist and these focus on different issues that are faced by women who often emerge stronger from every situation as that is the only way forwardRai whos best known for his web series Detective Boomrah said that the emotions expressed through the characters in the stories are raw real and relatableJust the very idea of conveying them through diary entries is impressive Rai said In fact I feel men should read this book as much as women as it would make us aware of depth of emotions in every womanThe book is a compilation of 15 short stories that showcase different aspects of a womans life These are in the form of diaries except for one which is a journal of a grandmother being read by the grandsonThe chapters move around themes as varied as harassment of women infidelity being a single mother hitting puberty postpartum depression dealing with abusive relationships young love handling a creep in your office learning to wear the daughterinlaws hat a victim of child marriage the struggles of breastfeeding dealing with loss and how important it is to hold your family togetherThe author said the idea first came to her two years ago and it was actually her husband who encouraged her to go ahead with itI poured my heart out in the drafts worked through them diligently and I am glad that I have been able to express my thoughts for readers Gupta saidShe said that the book is a blend of fiction and reality as the characters are fictional but the incidents narrated in the stories are very much real and will surely touch the hearts of the readersThis 250page book is available in both paperback and digital editions across all online shopping websites IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/director-storyteller-sudhanshu-rai-releases-book-of-short-stories-on-family-life-523743.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/one-way-traffic-allowed-on-srinagar-jammu-national-highway-523747.html Srinagar Feb 26 Authorities on Monday allowed only oneway traffic on the SrinagarJammu National Highway NH keeping in mind the safety of commuters and the poor condition of the road All traffic movement had been stopped on the SrinagarJammu NH due to heavy rains in Ramban District that led to land and mudslides plus shooting stones along the highway for the last few daysHowever on Monday one carriageway of the NH was opened and Traffic Department officials said that only oneway traffic would be allowed on the highway This was done keeping the safety of travellers in mindOnly Light Motor Vehicles would be allowed to travel on the highway today from Srinagar to Jammu No vehicle will be allowed to move in the opposite direction officials saidMeanwhile the SrinagarLeh Highway Mughal Road BandiporaGurez SinthanKishtwar and KupwaraTangdhar roads are still snowbound and closed to traffic IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/one-way-traffic-allowed-on-srinagar-jammu-national-highway-523747.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-owe-everything-to-theatre-lyricist-swanand-kirkire-523557.html Amritsar Feb 25 Attributing his success as a lyricist playback singer writer actor and dialogue writer Swanand Kirkire said that theatre has taught him everything The twotime National Film Award winner for Best Lyrics Bande Me Tha DumVande Mataram Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Behti Hawa Sa Tha Who 3 Idiots said that the whole ecosystem pushes a person towards excellence and forces him or her to multitaskingYou pitch in with every department Be it writing or adapting the script working on lyrics acting or giving inputs to design and direction departments One gets trained to deliver more despite limited resources Spontaneity becomes second nature and a sense of fearlessness becomes your partner the lyricist told IANSKirkire who is in Amritsar for The Sacred Amritsar 2024 presented by Sleepwell and produced by Teamwork Arts has studied at the National School of Drama NSD in the CapitalHe does regret not undergoing professional music trainingYes now I feel that formal music training would have helped me especially when I sing However I made an intentional choice to study drama But now I realise that music was always inside me he opinesThe artist who also works extensively in Marathi cinema which has been making waves for more than a decade with some cuttingedge films made by young directors opines that content is still the king in that industryIn many ways it is free from the extreme boxoffice pressure synonymous with the Hindi film industry he assertsAdding that working with fewer resources Marathi film directors are experimenting more and coming up with stories from the soil that are told uniquelyFor a long Kirkire has been fighting for due credit to be given to lyricists Lamenting that many times their names are not even mentioned he rues This is so unfair It is like forgetting history How do you expect people to know who wrote a song that was aired 10 years back We always work in the backroom and hardly get any exposure Also the music streaming platforms need to be more mindful when it comes to giving creditsThe lyricist who was recently seen in the film Three of Us and will also star in a show for a streaming platform which he has also written smiles that he is enjoying the attention that comes with being on the screenActors are closest to people recognised immediately though all departments of the film are about giving an expression Also I already know the grind of songwriting and music direction I am finding facing the camera fascinating concludes Kirkire who would like to direct a film one day IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/i-owe-everything-to-theatre-lyricist-swanand-kirkire-523557.html Sun, 25 Feb 2024 15:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bangladesh-embraces-indian-medicos-save-girl-child-campaign-523480.html Pune Feb 25 Thousands of people and medicos in Bangladesh last week pledged to join a unique 12yearold Save Girl Child initiative by Punes famed gynaecologist Dr Ganesh Rakh Dr Rakh who was invited for a 10day long guidance tour to different parts of rural Bangladesh led processions in several towns and villages with thousands marching and chanting slogans to Save Girl ChildIn the biggest event of its kind over 10000 trooped behind Dr Rakh in villages of Jessore district carrying banners and placards pledging to Save Girl ChildThe marchers comprised mostly women and girls in the age group of 2050 Many men also participated at the remote Hidia village in the Khulna division with people from over two dozen neighbouring villages also enthusiastically joining the processionBangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriages in the world This has various health implications for the girls especially those from the economically weaker sections Thus there is a high mortality rate among the girls born there Dr Rakh told IANS on his return from Bangladesh on SaturdayHe said that this was an introductory pilot project with community involvement and now hundreds of private hospitals and clinics have decided to take up the Save Girl Child campaign in BangladeshDr Rakh was honoured and felicitated in several towns and villages including by the Bangladesh Private Clinic amp Diagnostic Owners Association BPCDOA recognized by the countrys government and conducted around four dozen big and small events in 10 days including some at nightBPCDOA President Dr Muhammad Gaji M Rahman lauded Dr Rakhs efforts in creating the awareness and committed to organise similar programs all over Bangladesh in the coming monthsBPCDOA Divisional Council Member Dr MD Tarikul Islam underlined the need to treat all daughters with equality and dignity like the sons in order to safeguard their future and ensure social and economic progressThe girl child is our tomorrow and our future She is not a burden on the family since without her the family the community and society cannot flourish or progress said senior teacher Tahamina Rubi of Nawly High School in Abhaynagar in Jessore districtAt another event the Allardan Hospital amp Diagnostic Centre of Chattogram district and the Fatima Hospital amp Diagnostic Centre of Narail district announced that they will also launch the Save Girl Child campaign in their districtsOther prominent medicos from various private hospitals like Dr SM Sajjad Rehman Dr Kayes AlAzad and Babul Hasan also declared they would provide concessions to girls in treatment chargesIn the Narail programme medicos and social workers like Bipin Kumar Malik SM Ibrahim Hossain MM Jahangir Alam SM Sirajul Islam and Chintu Biswas were present and spoke on the status of the girl child and steps to protect them Medicos also announced free diagnostic tests and treatment for girlsDr Rakh 48 launched the Save Girl Child Beti Bachao Jan Andolan or BBJA modestly at his small Medicare Hospital in Pune on January 3 2012 in an unprecedented manner by waiving off all hospital bills if a female infant was born and no questions askedThe BBJA initiative coincided with the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule 18311897Initially ridiculed as the Mad Doctor Dr Rakh went on undeterred and from January 2012 to January 2024 the Medicare Hospital has notched over 2525 free deliveries of baby girls earning him accolades from across the worldThese freeofcost deliveries were irrespective of the mother or the familys financial status Also free followups and all other medical treatments were provided to the mother and her female babyHis idea caught on soon and individual doctors and small clinics followed by big hospitals joined in triggering a new trend in the countrys health sectorIn the last 12 years the birth of a female child here to any patient rich middle class or poor is an occasion for a big celebration for us We do not charge the girls parents a single rupee said Dr RakhAfter IANS first highlighted Dr Rakhs solitary mission July 2014 it caught attention around the country and even globally with invitations pouring into the launch of similar campaigns in the US Europe Arabian Gulf South Asia and Far East countriesSo far I have managed to conduct the campaign in Canada 2017 Zambia 2018 and Bangladesh 2024 Gradually I would try to go and launch the humanitarian crusade in other countries as well he saidIn the past 12 years the campaign has seen over 500000 doctors joining the initiative in different ways and more than 13000 social religious and medical organisations including the famous Ajmer Sharif Dargah supporting itBesides Dr Rakh has conducted more than 1000 rallies in India and abroad and 25 lakhplus volunteers and commoners working in their own humble ways to take it forwardEarlier there was a clamour among parents for Ghar Ka Chirag now there is a good tolerance if a Ghar Ki Laxmi steps into the homes of people as indicated by the National Health Survey5 Phase II with the malefemale ratio improving But we still have a long way to go sighed Dr RakhQuaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmiiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/bangladesh-embraces-indian-medicos-save-girl-child-campaign-523480.html Sun, 25 Feb 2024 11:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/reconciliation-is-what-the-partition-museum-hopes-to-achieve-kishwar-desai-523348.html Amritsar Feb 24 No matter how many times one visits the Partition Museum in Amritsar the Gallery of Hope always makes you stand still Amid the horror of 1947 this lifeaffirming space asserts the painful yet important process of reconciliation of certain acknowledgements and the will to move forward without trying to erase Memory is the most important cultural heritage and must be preserved for it anchors us No matter how painful memories of tragedies like the partition must be preserved for future generations People pass on and if we do not keep the records of such events how will the future generations learnWhile the Holocaust Museum Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Apartheid Museum were the inspiration behind the Partition Museum which also opened another in Delhi last year Desai says that it is important to record people and not just leadersAnd this kind of recording of memories has to go on consistently It is the difficult moments in a nations history that must be recorded to reconcile and acknowledge the truth says Desai who is part of the ongoing The Sacred Amritsar2024 presented by Sleepwell and produced by Teamwork ArtsThe Partition Museum in Delhi was inaugurated in May 2023 and was meant to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Indias Partition but got delayed It is the first museum in the world to dedicate a gallery to the lost homeland of SindhIt is called the Dara Shiko Library And now its open to the public and schools and colleges are an important target groupWhile there may be no plans to open more museums considering the huge effort and the resources involved she says We had to complete the work very fast as most people whose stories were recorded were in their sunset years It was a race against time Not to mention the huge financial resourcesThe few people from Pakistan who have visited the museum have shared positive reviews There have been some writeups in newspapers from across the border too The way I look at 1947 it was a humanitarian crisis Someone asked me long back why not help to put up such a museum in Pakistan But I am clear they have to bring forth their narrativeDuring the preCOVID era the museum organised several exhibitions and popups at different schools across the country to explain the history of the Partition In fact we get several visitors from abroad both NRIs and foreign nationals who would like to know more about 1947Pleased with multiple private museums coming up in India Desai says that for too long now it has been an exclusive domain of different governmentsOf course it is good that the states maintain them but there has been a huge space for the private sector to pitch in The new ones focus on a particular aspect and give opportunities to young people tooCurrently working on a novel on the partition that will include her parents experiences as well she is also writing a political biography which she does not want to talk about right now IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/reconciliation-is-what-the-partition-museum-hopes-to-achieve-kishwar-desai-523348.html Sat, 24 Feb 2024 17:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/insecurities-that-led-to-indira-falling-out-with-her-aunt-vijaya-lakshmi-pandit-523373.html New Delhi Feb 24 The origins of the fragile relationship between Jawaharlal Nehrus sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and her niece Indira Gandhi which ended with the aunt becoming one of the fiercest critics of the Emergency 197577 has been a mystery for historians Pandits latest biographer Manu Bhagavan a professor of Modern Indian History at Hunter College New York untangles the complex relationship showing how the unravelling had started in the last years of NehruBhagavan shows how Pandit was rumoured to be the chosen one to succeed the then vicepresident Sarvepalli Radhakrishan but Nehru reportedly with his sisters consent opted for Zakir HussainWhether or not that was the reason but the relations between the siblings did get icy and Pandit blamed it on Nehrus closest aides VK Krishna Menon and MO Mathai his personal secretaryIn a note to Nehru which she asked him to keep to himself Pandit wrote After a long period of sharing the same wavelength we suddenly ceased to synchronise I do not know why this happened but part of it was certainly due to Krishna Menon and Mac Mathai Both in their own ways subtly misinterpreted my actions and deliberately gave you a wrong idea of me and my relationship with our own people The trust you had in me was damagedPandit went on to point out that this had been one of the reasons for my antagonism with Krishna Menon The other as I have perhaps told you is his habit of telling halftruths in order to present only the kind of picture he wishes to get acrossAt this time Pandit who had held top positions in the world of diplomacy including being the first woman to serve as President of the UN General Assembly was the Governor of MaharashtraThe tenuous family ties started fraying further after Nehru had a stroke in 1964 and started sinking The succession had become a subject of intense speculation and Pandit it was rumoured may get External Affairs a position that Indira too was eyeing Fearing her father may just agree to giving the plum job to her aunt Indira was doing her best to make it not happenAs Bhagavan writes It was not long before reports began to emerge that the two women were antagonists and that Indira taking advantage of her position as her fathers primary nurse and gatekeeper was going to lengths to prevent her aunt from spending time alone with the ailing prime minister Nan for her part dismissed such gossip chalking up her short visits to her brothers admonition that she should immediately get back to workNan is what Pandit used to be called lovingly by her family and she was then also leading the Indian delegation to the United NationsNehru passed away on the Buddha Jayanti Day in 1964 and Pandit found herself again at the centre of speculation especially after she resigned as Governor of Maharashtra Would Lal Bahadur Shastri Nehrus successor make her a minister in his cabinetThe question was raging in political circles and it subsided only after the Congress high command gave Pandit the ticket to contest from Nehrus pocket borough Phulpur in Uttar PradeshAccording to Bhagavan Indira wasnt keen to contest from Phulpur because she was uncertain about which way the political tide was turning as a result of the perceptible change in the public mood after the China WarPandit however trumped the opposition and got elected to the Lok Sabha with 60 per cent of the popular vote Nans victorious entry into politics sent the press into overdrive Stories flew in every direction suggesting that she might join Shastris Cabinet that she could become the next Speaker of the House and even that she potentially could become Indias prime minister in the future write BhagavanThe biographer continues A common thread running through many such narratives involved Nans relationship with Indira which was said to have blossomed into a fullfledged rivalryNehrus daughter was then the minister for information and broadcasting Newspapers wrote that if Nan joined the government she would immediately outrank her niece resulting in Indira most likely quitting and going abroad on a diplomatic postSo breathless were such reports from wagging tongues that Indira was forced to issue a denialNot content with becoming just another MP Pandit acquired quite a reputation for not pulling back her punches right after her maiden speech in Parliament where she spoke passionately about the demoralisation and decadence and deterioration that had overtaken the land She blasted the normalisation of corruption and said the government had become prisoners of indecisionAs if all this plain talk wasnt enough Pandit even filed her nomination papers against the partys high commands choice for Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party She withdrew only after Shastri intervened personallyNot that Shastri was able to hold her back In a speech as relevant today as it was when it was first delivered Pandit said the Congress to quote Bhagavan paraphrasing her was growing increasingly disconnected from the masses it claimed to speak for and could soon find itself with no base of supportEchoing earlier observations in the press about backroom dealmaking she chastised the Congress for not being open to new bloodIn the middle of this Pandit continued to be a roving peacemaker but peace at home was turning out to be elusive Indira was getting upset about even small matters such as certain repairs that Pandit had carried out at their ancestral home Anand Bhawan in Allahabad now PrayagrajMore importantly Indira seemed to be upset that her aunt was holding on to Phulpur although as Bhagavan writes she assured her aunt that she was not at all interested in serving in the Lok Sabha in any capacity feigning disinterest in political life altogetherMeanwhile the Second IndiaPakistan War had come to an end Shastri passed away in Tashkent soon thereafter and after some political turmoil Indira became prime ministerThings started on the wrong foot when Nan was misquoted as saying that she felt her niece needs experience and that she was in very frail health indeed The papers repeatedly framed the relationship of the two women as one of competition Worse her critics soon took to calling Indira a prisoner of indecision the now famous phrase Nan had used the year before referring to the previous government Bhagavan writesElections followed in 1967 Pandit won a second term and Indira got elected from Rae Bareli but the Congress suffered its first decline in numbers in the Lok SabhaAnd as Bhagavan puts it Indira Gandhi in the meantime had not hesitated to send further signals that Nan was now persona non grataPolitically Pandit found herself at odds with Indira within the party worried at the direction it was taking under her nieces leadership The political ties were snapped finally when at a private meeting between Indira and Pandit Indias prime minister told her aunt point blank Well Puphi I dont really trust youPandit attended Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Mainos marriage but as Bhagavan puts it there was no serious rapprochement between aunt and nieceWithin months of the marriage Pandit quit Parliament saying she felt out of tune with what was happening in the government and she made the hard decision to quit public life at the age of 68The Emergency was the last nail in the coffin of their relationship Pandit was livid to find that Indira was having her spied upon and she kept her daughter the writer Nayantara Sahgal uptodate about what was happening in the countrySahgal on her part was one of the fiercest critics of the Emergency writing for publications such as New Republic and The New York Times Pandit too chose not to remain a silent chest beaterIn the words of Bhagavan roused to action by her daughters bravery Nan spoke out to a reporter from the Times announcing that she was profoundly troubled at the direction the Government was taking If there are no civil liberties and no dissent then where is the democracy we fought for she demanded to knowThen devastatingly she added It is far more repressive today in many ways than it was under the BritishManu Bhagavans biography Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit has been published by Penguin Allen Lane an imprint of Penguin Random House IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/insecurities-that-led-to-indira-falling-out-with-her-aunt-vijaya-lakshmi-pandit-523373.html Sat, 24 Feb 2024 18:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/why-eating-more-whole-dals-is-good-for-the-climate-challenged-world-523057.html New Delhi Feb 23 Paul Newnhams mission is to make the second of the United Nations Sustainable Goals SDG2 Zero Hunger a global reality in our lifetime And if this Australian champion of sustainable food choices is in New Delhi it is because hes promoting the cause of beans the umbrella term that includes one of the staples of the Indian diet dalsWhen IANS met him on the sundappled terrace of the Olive Bar amp Kitchen in New Delhi the question on top of ones mind was whether the world had moved on from millets to beans was it the new diet fadNewnham pointed out that millets and beans are a part of the same food continuum these are the traditional building blocks of a wellrounded diet and the world needs to get back to themFor the United Nations in fact this is the Year of the Camel but a plantfriendly diet is on top of the agenda of change advocates around the world such as NewnhamBeans are up against multiple challenges In the West they are viewed as poor substitutes for meats and are at best offered as sides or embellishments of meat dishes In Africa which does not produce adequate quantities of beans these humble legumes are too expensive in the marketIndians especially those who are upwardly mobile and time deficient are moving away from whole dals such as the sabut whole urad dal that forms the base of the famous mah ki dal and opting for packaged polished pulses which are quicker and easier to cookAnd then many of our traditional dals are losing their sheen in popular imagination dals such as gahat horse gram Uttarakhands traditional staple and scarlet runner beans which Olives talented young chef Dhruv Oberoi by combining them with Goan chorizo sausages turned them into a delicious alternative to the Spanish Olla PodridoNewnham has his work cut out on two fronts policy advocacy and behaviour changeTo achieve the Beans is How initiatives objective to double the production of beans in sync with the goals of the National Food Security Mission for Pulses Newnhams SDG2 Advocacy Hub a global NGO working with the United Nations has created a partnership of 90 and counting organisations including the New Delhibased think tank Council for Energy Environment and Water CEEW and a Colombiabased seed bank for 40000 heirloom varieties of beansWhy is the initiative called Beans Is How Newnham said it is a conversation starter beans is how you can make a difference to people and our planet by having more of them in your mealsBeansisHow is on a mission to double bean consumption by showcasing the versatility taste and climatefriendly attributes that tackles both climatechange and global hunger Newnham said in an Instagram post some time backContinuing on the theme he added By collaborating with chefs restaurants researchers and influencers Beans is How strives to change peoples perceptions of beans from once an overlooked ingredient to a star player in our dietsComing back to dals they are not only fibre and folaterich which makes them good for our wellbeing but also beneficial for the global agrarian economy because they are natures nitrogen fixers and are not water guzzlers which makes them climate resilientSo have dal more often and have it whole and remember why your mothers mah ki dal always had sabut urad dal IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/why-eating-more-whole-dals-is-good-for-the-climate-challenged-world-523057.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/madhubalas-mesmerising-performances-masked-lifetime-of-pain-and-suffering-523073.html New Delhi Feb 23 Her incandescent beauty innocent sensuality and effervescent persona still send hearts aflutter and earned her the sobriquet of Venus of Indian films but Madhubalas enigmatic and beguiling smile and charm masked a lifetime of pain and suffering Madhubala who passed away on this day February 23 in 1969 earned tributes that have rarely been matched leave alone surpassedShe acted in a film named after her when she was not even midway through her career was being copied or parodied when she was still acting and is possibly the only Indian film or otherwise with a song dedicated to her being played at the OlympicsShe was also compared to the nearcontemporary Marilyn Monroe the two would pass away within a few years of each other both aged 36 but did not welcome this as she did not consider herself a sex symbolPerformances as the captivating but starcrossed Anarkali of MughaleAzam 1960 the otherworldly spectre in Mahal 1949 or the nightclub singer in Howrah Bridge made her memory indelible but Madhubalas ouevre was much more genrespanningShe could display her exuberant effusive and elfin charm in romantic comedies such as Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi 1958 Jhumroo 1961 and Half Ticket 1962 and also stood out in ghostgothic stories comic crime capers and film noir beyond the usual Hindi film staple of romantic dramasHer fame though came at a personal costBorn fittingly on Valentines Day February 14 1933 in Delhi in a Pashtun family as Mumtaz Jahan Begum she was only seven when she was saddled with the responsibility of earning for the family as her father lost his job She began singing on AIR for music virtuoso Khwaja Khurshid Anwar and began her film foray from 1941 when the family moved to Bombay to better cash in on her talentsThis family control especially by her father in both her personal and professional spheres not only robbed Madhubala of her childhood but would also hang heavy on her subsequent and short life and relationshipsAnd then there was a congenital heart defect which made her frequently cough up blood and left her breathless and weak At that time there was no surgical cure and her condition only got worse and incapacitated her during her last few yearsDebuting with an uncredited role in Bahar 1942 Madhubala did halfadozenodd films as a child artiste before her first adult role in Neel Kamal 1947 the first starring role for Raj Kapoor made her stand outIt was after this that Devika Rani who was responsible for naming Ashok Kumar Kumudlal Ganguly and Dilip Kumar Muhammed Yusuf Khan suggested that she take on the screen name MadhubalaShe starred in another seven or eight films most of them now lost in 1947 and 1948 before hitting the big time with Mahal 1949 where her outofworld signature song Aayega aanewala also introduced India to the voice of Lata MangeshkarIn 1950 she appeared in films with all the top heroes opposite Ashok Kumar in Nishana Dev Anand in Nirala and Madhubala Motilal in Hanste Aansoo the first film to get an A certificate Ajit who was till then still appearing in hero roles in Beqasoor and Rehman in PardesTarana 1951 which is still remembered for the soulful duet Seene mein sulagte hai arman was Madhubalas first opposite Dilip Kumar and saw kindling of their romance which lasted till the Naya Daur controversy in 1956 where she was sued for walking out of the picture and he testified against herThey also worked together in Sangdil 1952 and Amar 1954 before KAsifs magnum opus MughaleAzamShe is also known for the treasure hunt flick Khazana 1951 where she became possibly the first Indian heroine to sport trousers onscreen and the urban romantic drama Rail Ka Dibba 1953 where she bowled over her costar Shammi KapoorIn a 2011 interview Kapoor swore he had never seen a more beautiful woman who was also blessed with sharp intellect maturity poise and sensitivityMadhubala also showed her prowess in the noirish adventure Gateway of India 1957 possibly the first film to show the heroine running after the hero to propose to him And we got to see a more vulnerable side in the social drama Barsaat Ki Raat 1960Her 70odd films gathered her legions of fans in India as well as Southeast Asia East Africa and even Greece where popular singer Stelios Kazantzidis produced song Mandoubala as a tribute to her after her demise This was played at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens OlympicsOn the other hand her personal life was muddled after two failed romances Premnath and Dilip Kumar and proposals galore from costars she married Kishore Kumar in 1960 but her failing heath precluded a happy marital life before her heart condition claimed herVikas Datta can be contacted at vikasdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/madhubalas-mesmerising-performances-masked-lifetime-of-pain-and-suffering-523073.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/traffic-restored-on-srinagar-jammu-national-highway-522864.html Srinagar Feb 23 Traffic was restored on the strategic SrinagarJammu national highway on Friday although the movement was slow due to single lane traffic An official of the traffic department said that traffic was moving on the national highway but with a slow movement in the Ramsoo sector due to single lane and poor surfaceCommuters are advised to follow lane discipline as there is single lane traffic at Dalwas CafeteriaMehad Gangroo and poor surface condition of road at many places between Nashri and NAVYUG TunnelDrive with caution due to the possibility of shooting stones between Ramban and BanihalTraffic was restored on Thursday only for stranded vehicles after three daysThe SrinagarJammu highway is the lifeline of supplies for the landlocked Kashmir as all essential supplies are brought in through this roadMeanwhile SrinagarLeh highway Mughal Road KupwaraTangdhar road and SinthanKishtwar road are still snowbound and closed IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/traffic-restored-on-srinagar-jammu-national-highway-522864.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/pune-adventurer-performs-first-ever-air-parikrama-of-ram-temple-in-ayodhya-523122.html PuneLucknow Feb 23 In a unique adventure a Pune extreme sports enthusiast performed a daredevil firstever hawaiparikrama circumambulation in the air of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and then paradived onto a small makeshift landing pad in the middle of Sarayu river on Friday evening Shital RaneMahajan 41 thought of doing something unique to mark the first month of the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22Many people are trying to do different things to commemorate the Ram Temple consecration I thought of a parajump and hawaiparikrama and I completed it successfully today an excited Shital told IANS after the happy landingShe first flew in a power hangglider aircraft which was piloted by none other than the Gonda BJP MP Kirti Vardhan Singh popularly called Raja Bhaiya in Uttar PradeshSingh 58 soared the small plane circumambulating at around 1 km radius from the Ram Temple offering breathtaking aerial views but did not fly above the temple due to restrictions put in place by the managementThen the power hangglider climbed to a height of around 5000 feet before Shital decided to take her plunge from the sky to the earthI jumped out and had a free fall till around 3500 feet then opened the parachute Simultaneously I opened a large saffron flag 10 x 6 feet in size in the air with the slogan Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirthkshetra Me Aapka Swagat Hai written on it she saidShe then guided the parachute to the exact landing pad erected for the jump in the middle of Sarayu river from where was picked up in a boat As she returned ashore many people from Ayodhya clapped and cheered her for the featFor the jump Shital was draped in a special saffrongreen colour saree with her hair tied symbolic of the religious importance of Ayodhya and its newest worldclass templeShe said that preparations for the jump had begun at least four months in advance with a series of permissions from the DGCA local aviation authorities all the leading security agencies and of course the Ram Temple managementAfter everything was put in place she planned the jump on February 22 Thursday but was forced to cancel it owing to inclement weatherAs a sunny day dawned with good weather forecast she took up the challenge after 5 pm on Friday owing to DGCA restrictions and to ensure there were no aircraft movements in the vicinityShital a 2011 Padma Shri awardee and the mother of twin sons Vaishnav and Vrushabh shuttles between Pune and Finland where her husband Vaibhav Rane a banker and an adventurer himself works and livesIn the past over two decades of her adventurous life Shital has performed hairraising extreme stunts including free falls over the North Pole and South Pole over all the seven peaks across seven continents including Mt Everest completed around 800 jumps worldwide and created several records She got married to Vaibhav in a hotair balloon 600 feet above Pune in April 2006Quaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmiiansinAmita Verma can be contaced at amitaverhotmailcom IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/pune-adventurer-performs-first-ever-air-parikrama-of-ram-temple-in-ayodhya-523122.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 21:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/delhi-records-76-degrees-aqi-poor-at-several-stations-522873.html New Delhi Feb 23 The national capital on Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 76 degrees Celsius four notches below the seasonal average the India Meteorological Department IMD said Until Thursday the minimum temperature was hovering around 12 degrees and the maximum temperature was recorded at around 25 to 27 degreesThe IMDs Friday forecast showed that the maximum temperature was likely to hover around 27 degrees with the minimum at around 8 degrees againThe weather department said that there will be mainly clear sky throughout the dayAir quality at 9 am at several stations across the city was in the poor and moderate categories unlike last week when the AQI was very poor and poorIn the Anand Vihar area at 9 am PM25 levels were recorded to be in the poor category at 300 and PM10 reached 260 according to the Central Pollution Control Board CPCBThe Air Quality Index AQI between zero and 50 is considered good 51 and 100 satisfactory 101 and 200 moderate 201 and 300 poor 301 and 400 very poor and 401 and 500 severeThe Indira Gandhi International IGI Airport T3 recorded PM25 levels at 137 which is counted as moderate and PM10 at 122Dwarka Sector 8 witnessed PM25 levels at 180 falling under the moderate category IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/delhi-records-76-degrees-aqi-poor-at-several-stations-522873.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/3-day-desert-festival-kicks-off-in-jaisalmer-from-today-522503.html Jaipur Feb 22 The threeday Desert Festival also known as Maru Festival kicked off in Jaisalmer on Thursday The festival began with aarti at Laxminath Temple in Jaisalmer city and a Shobha Yatra was also taken out in which local people were seen wearing traditional and bright clothesKrishna Kumar Assistant Director Department of Tourism said Camel race polo match puppet show long mustache competition turban tying competition anong others will be organised during the festival Further there will be performances by Padma Shri Anwar Khan and singer Pepe Khan Swati Mishra will also sing her Ram Aayenge devotional numberThis programme will be celebrated in Jaisalmer city for the first two days and the last one day in Jaisalmer desertThis festival is being organised in collaboration with the tourism department and local district administrationThe month of February will keep domestic and foreign tourists busy with joy and festivalsIn the last week of February Rajasthan Tourism Department is organising Vintage Car Rally and Exhibition in Jaipur and Rajasthan Tourism Polo Cup IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/3-day-desert-festival-kicks-off-in-jaisalmer-from-today-522503.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/coal-psus-enhance-green-cover-with-235-lakh-trees-across-10-784-hectares-522579.html New Delhi Feb 22 Coal PSUs have planted more than 235 lakh saplings over an area exceeding 10784 hectares in the fiveyear period FY 201920 to FY 202324 till January thus enhancing the countrys carbon sink significantly the Ministry of Coal said on Thursday The governmentowned coallignite PSUs led by Coal India Ltd have not only increased their production levels over time to meet the growing energy demands of the nation but have also demonstrated their commitment to the local environment by implementing a range of mitigation and sustainable measures the ministry saidAs part of sustainable greening initiative the PSUs have undertaken extensive plantation programmes with native species across various sites including overburden OB dumps haul roads mine peripheries residential colonies and available land outside the lease area Collaborations with scientific institutions ensure that plantation efforts are backed by expertise facilitating the development of ecorestoration sites and the implementation of multitiered plantation schemesSatellite surveillance is being used to monitor reclamation performanceThe plantation programme adopts a diverse approach encompassing shadegiving trees species for forestry purposes medicinal and herbal plants fruitbearing trees timber value trees and ornamentalavenue plants Fruitbearing species along with medicinal plants not only contribute to biodiversity conservation but also provide additional socioeconomic benefits to local communitiesFruit bearing species such as Jamun Imli Ganga Imli Bel Mango Sitaphal etc medicinalherbal plants such as Neem Karanj Aonla Amla Arjun etc timber value trees such as Sal Teak Shivan Ghamar Sissoo Kala Sirus Safed Sirus Bamboo Peltoforam Babool etc ornamentalavenue plants such as Gulmohar Kachnar Amaltas Peepal Jharul etc Moreover close collaboration with state forest departments and corporations ensures that the bestsuited species are selected for plantation ensuring the success and sustainability of reclamation effortsRecently coallignite PSUs have also adopted the Miyawaki plantation method in its suitable command areas The Miyawaki technique is a distinctive approach to afforestation and ecological restoration pioneered by Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki Its primary goal is to enhance green cover within a limited area This innovative method aims to establish a dense forest in just 10 years a process that typically requires a century It involves cultivating multilayered forests that exhibit rapid growth and replicate the natural biodiversity found in native forestsImplementation of the Miyawaki technique entails planting two to four varieties of indigenous trees per square meter Notably the selected plant species are largely selfsustaining eliminating the need for regular maintenance such as fertilisation and watering Within this method trees achieve selfsustainability reaching their height within a remarkable threeyear timeframe The interdependence among plants supports growth each other promoting overall health and vitality As a result trees exhibit a growth rate much faster than conventional methods and contribute for creating a heightened carbon sinkMahanadi Coalfields Limited MCL adopted Miyawaki method in Kulda OCP of MCL at Subalaya village at Sundergarh range DFO Sundergarh is undertaking Miyawaki technique of plantation in two patches at 10 Ha at a density of 8000 saplings per Ha Species planted in Miyawaki forest in Kulda OCP is such as Arjun Asan Phasi Sal Bija Karanj Dhauda Gamhar Mahogany Ashok Patali Chhatian Dhuranj Harra Bahera Amla Guava Mango Jackfruit etc Further coallignite PSUs have taken up about 15 Ha of Miyawaki plantation in and around coal mines in the current fiscal year IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/coal-psus-enhance-green-cover-with-235-lakh-trees-across-10-784-hectares-522579.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gurugrams-kake-da-hotel-dishes-up-comfort-plus-flavours-of-the-original-522597.html New Delhi Feb 22 With a history going back to 1931 which any restaurant would die for the iconic Kake Da Hotel at Connaught Place New Delhis colonnaded shoppingcumcommercial destination needs no introduction Its loyal following swears by its authentic Punjabi spread but the long queues and the cramped space often deter potential diners To avoid the crowds and have a meal in comfort I recently visited the restaurants relatively new outlet in Gurugram which has been serving patrons for about six monthsOne of the first things I noticed about this outlet was that it is definitely more spacious than its original location The ambience was inviting and it was not as crowded allowing for a more relaxed dining experienceI began my meal with the restaurants famous bhatti ka murgh and vegetarian seekh kebabs The latter were enjoyable though I am not a vegetarian seekh kebab type but the bhatti ka murgh swept me off the floor The chicken was perfectly cooked and aptly spiced with the flavors of black pepper standing out and complementing the dishMoving on to the main course I found the quality of the mutton to be topnotch The meat was tender and cooked to perfection The gravy though could have had a bit more depth of flavour The palak paneer a vegetarian classic was as good as what youd get at Connaught Place The chicken curry another star dish struck a delicate balance of spiciness and sweetness thanks to the diligence with which the onions had been brownedOverall my experience at Kake Da Hotels Gurgaon outlet was delightful It offered the same authentic flavours that loyalists adore without the hassle of long queues If you are craving Kakes signature dishes but prefer a more relaxed dining experience this outlet is worth a visitQUICK FACTSAddress Kake Da Hotel Opposite Maruti Pasco Suzuki Showroom Old Delhi Road Gurgaon Dial 919350809081The writer is the founderadmin of Indian Food Freak a popular social media food group and curator of The Big F Awards IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/gurugrams-kake-da-hotel-dishes-up-comfort-plus-flavours-of-the-original-522597.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/zaiqa-e-dilli-where-old-delhis-culinary-traditions-get-chatpata-tadka-of-luxury-522644.html New Delhi Feb 22 Imagine having paranthas at Chandni Chowks Paranthe Wali Gali without the grime and the jostling crowds or gulping down gol gappas and not worrying about hygiene issues or gorging on lipsmacking biryani right out of a degh without going all the way to Dilli6 ZaiqaEDilli brings all these gastronomic experiences that are unique to Old Delhi to diners in the luxurious setting of the Infinity restaurant at Crowne Plaza Mayur ViharNoidaThe complex flavours and fragrances are brought to diners by the khansamas of Purani Dilli each handpicked by the hotels executive chef Roushan Sharma who would set out daily at 9 in the morning to locate the right pairs of hands and the perfect seasonings to make ZaiqaEDilli a complete successTalking about atmospherics from the hajams to the pandits and desi doctors the festival which is on till February 29 has everything that would remind you of the winding and vibrant galiyaans of Old DelhiFor Chef Roushan India offers a world of flavours that needs to be explored and with ZaiqaEDilli he serves it on bonechina plates which add elegance to the experience But staying true to the traditions of Purani Dilli the chaat pakodas and chhole bhature are served on steel plates hitting the right spotFor the festival the restaurant is divided into two parts food lovers can immerse themselves in the ambience of the Haveli Courtyard dining and surrender their senses to the bustling street food court called Nukkad The festivals theme appropriately is Dil Dehli Degh DastarkhwanThe food festival offers an array of culinary masterpieces presented on a rotating menu From traditional beverages such as Mohabbat Ka Sharbat and Bunta to iconic street delicacies such as Fruit Kulle which will transport you to the dark and narrow bylanes of Nai Sarak where Sultan Kulle Wala is a force to reckon withTheres of course much more From Chicken Malai Kebabs and DastanEKumbh a medley of mushrooms Mutton Nalli Nihari Chicken Changezi Jahangiri Quorma Akbari Fish Dal Qureshi Machli Begum Bahar and Dhingri Shabnam paired with breads such as Khameeri Roti Baqarkhani Sheermal Roomali Roti and Halwa Paratha the last one inspired by the giant parathas you get in the evening during Ramzan at NizamuddinAnd how does one forget the meetha after spicing up the palate For that you have a mindblowing array of sweets from Daulat Ki Chaat to Malpua and warm and comforting Gulab JamunThis is the season to eat out and let your hair down so what stops you from digging into the delights of Purani DilliZaiqaEDilli is on at the Infinity restaurant at Crowne Plaza Mayur ViharNoida till February 29 The price per person is Rs 2699 plus 18 per cent GST IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/zaiqa-e-dilli-where-old-delhis-culinary-traditions-get-chatpata-tadka-of-luxury-522644.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/olive-ridley-turtles-lay-over-9k-eggs-in-south-goa-522724.html Panaji Feb 22 Olive Ridley turtles who make beeline for Canacona beaches in South Goa to nest have so far laid 9213 eggs at Agonda and Galjibaga beaches officials said on Wednesday Not only officials of the Forest Department but locals and also tourists also take care that they are not disturbed during the period of nesting Talking to IANS Rajesh Naik in charge of the Turtle Conservation Centre TCC in South Goa said that the nesting season had commenced from November 16 and till now the turtles are seen laying eggs Every year Olive Ridley turtles come to these beaches to lay eggs We have dedicated staff to keep vigil and take care of them and the eggs they lay We see that they dont face any harm from anyone As the nesting sites come under CRZ there are no commercial activities here and hence turtles are not disturbed he added Naik said that Agonda hosts 67 pits at the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and has so far 7171 eggs preserved while Galjibaga has 21 pits with 2042 eggs So far 9213 eggs have been laid More are expected as last week two females arrived and laid eggs he said He said that the Olive Ridley Turtles are one of the most seasoned visitors to the Canacona beaches and hence forest staff dedicate themselves to protect them Naik said that as the nesting season unfolds in November forest guards are deployed at the nesting sites to keep a vigil for female turtles heading towards the shore to lay eggs He said that once a nest is sighted the clutch of eggs is soon relocated to the protected hatcheries Their incubating period is of 45 to 60 days the hatchlings are then released into the water for their future course he said Agonda and Galjibaga are the most famous sites in CanaconaSouth Goa where Olive Ridley turtles are spotted for nesting IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/olive-ridley-turtles-lay-over-9k-eggs-in-south-goa-522724.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 19:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/agra-to-promote-spiritual-tourism-now-522469.html Agra Feb 22 This years Taj Mahotsav has given a big boost to spiritual tourism which could bring more footfalls and make tourism everybodys business The high voltage and spectacular daily Yamuna Aarti an event organised by the Agra Municipal Corporation has been drawing thousands of peopleA series of cultural activities are being organised in different parts of the city to highlight the importance of Hindu templesThe Yogi Adityanath government has changed the name of a metro rail station to Sri Mankameshwar Earlier it was Jama Masjid stationMeanwhile hoteliers guides green activists who joined the symposium on Agra beyond the Taj demanded recognition of Agra as a heritage city with rich Hindu cultural traditions and relicsIf Tamil Nadu could be known as the Temple State of India and Bhubaneshwar as the Temple City of India Agra too can be described as the hub of Shiva templesNot many people know that Agra is not just a grand Mughal city but its antiquity is also defined by a string of centuriesold Shiva temples which rightly give it a new profile as Shivas own landIn fact many people believe that the Taj Mahal itself was a Rajput Shiva templeA simple search on Google Maps will show hundreds of Shiv temples in Agra district which is part of Braj Mandal the land of Shri KrishnaIn a move to present a new profile of Agra and raise awareness on this SPHEEHA Society for Preservation of Health Environment and Ecology and Heritage of Agra in partnership with Tourism Guild of Agra and Uttar Pradesh Tourism organised the fourteenth edition of its annual event Agra Beyond Taj to deliberate about the Chronology of Shiv Temples in Agra and Bateshwar as part of the ongoing Taj MahotsavThe high priest of Shri Mankameshwar temple Mahant Yogesh Puri outlined the history of AgraHe claimed that the Shri Mankameshwar Temple of Agra was over 5500yearsold and the 28th generation descendant of the family was serving Lord Shiva in the templePuri said Agra was indeed the City of Lord Shiva His conviction stems from the fact that Agra has four famous Shiva temples at the four entrances of the city as well as four famous temples dedicated to Lord Bhairav widely believed to be the eighth form of Shiva whereas some believe Bhairav as a child of ShivaAgra also has two prominent Shiva temples which have an ageless history associated with these temples Hence Agra can be and should be developed as a spiritual tourism centre with welldefined itineraries and facilitiesFormer President of the Tourism Guild of Agra Arun Dang highlighted the fact that Mahadji Scindia and Ahilyabai Holkar helped resurrect many Shiva Temples in Agra and Bateshwar famous for its 101 Shiva temples in a row along the bend of river Yamuna during the heydays of the Maratha empire from 1758 to 1818 Even the renowned poet Nazeer Akbarabadi has mentioned the role Shiva temples played in shaping the character of Agra in his numerous poemsPankaj Gupta Secretary of SPHEEHA spoke on spiritualism and environmental consciousness making a profound statement that the current climate change crisis also required a spiritual response comprising physical and metaphysical activities determined by five elements so that all living beings can flourishIn this regard he focused on the river cleaning activity being done at Poiyya Ghat by SPHEEHA in association with DEI University and the Radhasoami Satsang Sabha as well as the inclusions of camels in the barns of Dayalbagh celebrating the Year of Camelids as declared by United NationsAnu Dhillon Singh of Mela Kothi and Chambal Safari showcased a presentation of various temples of Bateshwar with their brief history Shyam Kumar from Double Tree by Hilton stressed on the role tourism played in boosting the local economy and the need of laws governing tourist behaviour and improvement of basic facilities in the cityAcademic Shabd Mishra hoped that in future the city of the Taj would also be recognised as the hub of Shiva Bhakti and the hundreds of Shiva temples with their unique history would be given a makeover to attract spirituallyinclined tourists IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/agra-to-promote-spiritual-tourism-now-522469.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/25mn-indians-enter-drinking-age-every-year-premium-brands-gain-traction-absolut-ceo-522482.html New Delhi Feb 21 As many as 25 million Indians enter the legal drinking age every year and they represent a huge opportunity for alcobev companies The Chairwoman and CEO of The Absolut Group Stephanie Durroux on a visit to India shared this number in the course of a conversation that revolved around how drinking preferences are changing in the Indian market especially among young peopleQuoting the authoritative International Wine and Spirits Report IWSR Durroux pointed out that premium drinks such as the popular Swedish vodka brand Absolut and Beefeater Gin the top brands in her portfolio are seeing a 1012 per cent yearonyear market growthThe Indian market is premiumising and this trend is also palpable in nonmetro cities and towns Durroux said adding that this trend is visible even in the gin segment The Indian market she observed is very much uptodate about whats happening around the world which is in the midst of a gin revolutionApart from Beefeater the groups gin portfolio includes Monkey 47 a Black Forest gin with 47 botanicals that comes in a 500ml bottle and has a higher alcohol content 47 per cent the Italian Malfy as the name indicates its from the Amalfi coast and the Japanese KI NO BI from KyotoDurroux noted that India has emerged as Absoluts seventh largest market driven by a 20 per cent yearonyear growth and is poised to go up to the third position in the foreseeable future To celebrate the brands phenomenal growth across the country Absolut recently dedicated a limitededition bottle to IndiaCarrying on a tradition that started in 1986 with the iconic Absolut Warhol campaign featuring Andy Warhols pop art the brand commissioned Osheen Siva an artist who combines digital illustrations with vibrant elements drawn from her Dalit and Tamil heritage to produce a limitededition bottleThe bottle has two representations of the Indian woman showing her metamorphosis from the traditional to the futuristicDurroux explained that the reasons for the vodkas popularity are its cocktailfriendliness to bartenders it offers a canvas for creativity and inclusivityMore women are comfortable imbibing vodka cocktails and men also move to white spirits in their company she said to explain the rise of white spirits in a traditionally brown spiritsdominated marketAnother factor driving Absoluts growth according to Durroux is the success of its flavoured vodkas whose market share has risen from 8 per cent to 17 per cent of the brands salesThe citrus and raspberry flavours are alltime favourites the recently launched grapefruit is catching on and another one is in the pipeline but Durroux chose to not disclose what it is IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/25mn-indians-enter-drinking-age-every-year-premium-brands-gain-traction-absolut-ceo-522482.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sachin-tendulkar-pays-obeisance-at-hazratbal-shankaracharya-temple-in-srinagar-takes-shikara-ride-522747.html Srinagar Feb 22 Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar who is on a JampK visit paid obeisance at the Hazratbal shrine and the Shankaracharya temple on Thursday after starting his day with a shikara ride in Srinagars Dal Lake Sachin spent over an hour on the Dal Lake while many joy riding locals and tourists used the opportunity to see him boating beside them He later went to pay obeisance at the Hazratbal shrine the holiest Muslim shrine in JampK housing the Holy Relic of the Prophet on the outskirts of Srinagar He was received warmly by the Imam Muslim Priest at the shrine and prayed for peace and progress of the country When news about his arrival spread in the area people gathered around to have a glimpse of the legendary cricketer Sachin then went to the Sancharacharya temple highly revered Shiv temple of Kashmir atop the hill in Srinagar He prayed at the temple for sometime and later went back to Taj Vivanta resort by the banks of the Dal Lake where he is staying together with his wife Anjali and daughter Sara In the morning Anjali went for some shopping to the Polo View market in Srinagar where local shawls dresses walnut wooden items and papier mache products are soldWhile in Dal Lake Sachin also went to a houseboat called Sakoon where he watched local musicians for sometime He went to local restaurant the Lake View Hotel for dinner IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sachin-tendulkar-pays-obeisance-at-hazratbal-shankaracharya-temple-in-srinagar-takes-shikara-ride-522747.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 20:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/returning-the-native-with-a-drape-the-tarun-tahiliani-way-522148.html New Delhi Feb 20 He is happy that the individual is coming back That the young are no longer afraid to be themselves That one does not feel the need to fit in Standing out is no longer sacrilege Fun he says is important And therefore simplicity is coming back with a vengeanceNoted for combining traditional aesthetics with ultra modern designs veteran Delhibased designer Tarun Tahiliani known for his bridal wear tells IANS Over the years I have seen so many changes in the way women dress up for their big day There was a period when they were obsessed with looking like someone thus ending up being completely ridiculous Now so many young brides are wearing a simple garment with just a single necklace and ending up ruling the whole spaceThat is where confidence comes in This generation is different They are connected to the world They do not feel guilty about having fun are willing to go quirky and not follow any rules This infuses a new rush in designers like usTahiliani who has always been interested in structured draping and layering smiles that it is one of the reasons he goes to the Kumbh MelaThere are sadhus and regular people there but just look at the way those coming from diverse parts drape themselves It is almost exquisite If you have an eye you will notice a peculiar sense of style that is accentuated by a purpose What they wear are clothes But not just clothes says this passout from the Fashion Institute of Technology FIT in New YorkFor someone who has worked extensively with the blouse and reinvented it consistently the designer who was recently part of a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival says I consider the choli as a work of art It is lovely to see women wearing it with skirts palazzos and pants The sheer flexibility of the garment opens up so many possibilitiesBelieving that fashion has always made a social statement and reflected on value systems Tahiliani believes that it has always been the reflection of ideologies enveloping people in different erasOne can get apprehensive about political statements considering the looming danger of trial by mobTalk to him about the army of fashion influencers at shows and on Instagram and he asserts that they must be doing something right for people to follow them But sadly many of them do not have a point of viewThe designer who came back to India after studying Business Management from the Wharton Business School University of Pennsylvania and first joined the family business in oilfield equipment later cofounding the multidesigner boutique Ensemble in 1987 and Tahiliani Design studio in 1990 says I grew up in an anglicised part of the countryWe went to fancy schools But when my journey into the world of fashion started I started seeing so many new layers of this country India made me change what I wanted to do as a designer This journey manifested itself into beautiful Indian clothes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/returning-the-native-with-a-drape-the-tarun-tahiliani-way-522148.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-exhibition-bridging-historical-depth-and-contemporary-vitality-of-indian-art-522192.html Bengaluru Feb 20 Gallery G in Bengaluru is set to hold The Masters The Modern An Amalgamation of the Old New World Classics February 26 to March 31 an exhibition that bridges the historical depth and contemporary vitality of Indian artThe exhibition is a tribute to the major figures of Indian art such as VS Gaitonde whose abstract canvases are meditation in colour and form MF Husain whose prolific output has depicted the vibrancy of Indian ethos and mythology FN Souza renowned for his stark powerful imagery and Ganesh Pyne known for his depiction of romanticism and fantasyAlso on display will be the works of modern maestros including Ram Kumar whose art is a calming journey from city to landscape Kalal Laxma Goud whose etchings and paintings bring forth the rawness of rural India with a modernist flair KG Subramanyan whose artworks are a dialogue between traditional Indian aesthetics and contemporary sensibilities Badri Narayan whose storybooklike paintings invite viewers into whimsical worlds Achuthan Kudallur whose abstract interpretations explore the confluence of emotion and colour and Jogen Chowdhury known for his distinctive style that merges the personal with the universal marked by an intricate detailing and a deep understanding of the sociopolitical fabric of IndiaA segment of the exhibition has been dedicated to the work of Bengal masters and modernists including artists like Purna Chandra Chakraborthy Bijan Choudhury Prokash Karmakar Isha Mahammad Rabin Dutta Shyamal Mukherjee and Chiitrovanu MazumdarDriven by a desire to revive traditional Indian art forms and themes these Bengal artists depict mythological and spiritual themes focusing on the inherent beauty and spirituality of Indian culture Their delicate lyrical style with softer colours stand in stark contrast to the bold colours dynamic compositions and experimental techniques adopted by the Bombay Progressives and artists who followed in their footstepsArchana Shenoy curator of the exhibition shares This exhibition is a homage to the enduring spirit of Indian art celebrating its rich history and the continuous evolution that propels it into the future It is a platform where the timeless works of our masters and the innovative explorations of modern artists converge offering a narrative that is both reflective and forwardthinking IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-exhibition-bridging-historical-depth-and-contemporary-vitality-of-indian-art-522192.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rain-snow-in-jk-srinagar-jammu-highway-blocked-521962.html Srinagar Feb 20 Rainsnow occurred in JK during the last 24 hours as landslides blocked the SrinagarJammu national highway on Tuesday Traffic department officials said that due to multiple landslides on the SrinagarJammu national highway in Ramban district traffic on the highway has been suspendedBefore undertaking the journey intending travellers must contact our control rooms in Srinagar and Jammu to know about the latest status of the highway traffic officials saidRainsnow occurred in JampK during the last 24 hours as the MeT office said weather would improve from Wednesday afternoonSrinagar had minus 07 Gulmarg minus 1 and Pahalgam minus 05 as the minimum temperature todayLeh town in Ladakh region had minus 45 and Kargil minus 92 as the minimum temperatureJammu city had 134 Katra 92 Batote 34 Bhaderwah 16 and Banihal 2 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rain-snow-in-jk-srinagar-jammu-highway-blocked-521962.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/italys-top-pizza-innovator-arrives-from-verona-with-few-words-many-originals-522239.html New Delhi Feb 20 He is from Verona the Italian city where William Shakespeare set his immortal play Romeo and Juliet yet Renato Bosco is a man of few wordsBosco makes up for his lack of knowledge of English with his radiant smile his perfect namaste and of course his pizzas but they are not your popular Neapolitan kindOn his website Bosco describes himself as a pizzasearcher a title he can justifiably lay a claim to because hes considered to be one of Italys foremost pizza innovatorsAnd if all those whom the 56yearold chef fed at Sorrento the popular Italian restaurant at the Shangrila Eros New Delhi on Monday evening couldnt stop wondering why his pizzas were so light and airy it is because Bosco has perfected the art of making the doughBoscos dough formula is to pair a kilo of flour and 60 per cent water It is this waterflour balance that ensures the airiness and elasticity of the doughFor his famous crunchy and double crunchy pizzas Bosco makes a preferment by adding wild yeast and beer and keeping the dough overnight in the fridge before starting to roll and pound and stretch it the next dayAnd for the mozzarella di pane or bread mozzarella which looks like a ball of mozzarella or a Chinese bao whichever way you like to describe it the dough is first immersed for some time in mozzarella water then steamed and finally opened up with fine cuts at the centre to accommodate the stuffingAt Sorrento on Monday evening the stuffing was amatriciana pasta sauce that is made with pecorino cheese and guanciale or pork cheeks for the nonvegetarians Stracciatella the soft cream cheese from the Apulia region was the alternativeThe chefs creative repertoire also features the padellino or what we call a pan pizza which comes from Turin but with Boscos feathery touch His pizzas dont leave you with any guilty feeling because even the toppings are light yet wholesome from pineapples marinated in mustard and prawns to mortadella an Italian sausage burrata cheese and seasonal vegetablesUnusual pizzas may lead Bosco star cast but his ensemble also included an unforgettable risotto in a pumpkin gorgonzola sauce and pumpkin paccheri pasta that resembles flat tubes wrapped in a crab meat sauceBosca is in New Delhi till Sunday February 25 If you check him out hell open up a new world of pizzas for you and leave you hungry for more IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/italys-top-pizza-innovator-arrives-from-verona-with-few-words-many-originals-522239.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 19:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/india-cricketer-shubman-gill-named-punjabs-state-icon-to-woo-voters-521764.html Chandigarh Feb 19 The office of Punjabs Chief Electoral Officer on Monday announced to designate ace India cricketer Shubman Gill as the State IconChief Electoral Officer Sibin C said that Punjab resident Gill whos popular among cricket enthusiasts especially the youth has been appointed as the State Icon and would assist in wooing the voters to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and help the state achieve a poll percentage of over 70 per centSibin also said that Gill would engage in campaigns aimed at creating voter awareness to ensure the achievement of the target of Is Vaar 70 PaarEarlier popular Punjabi singer Tarsem Jassar was also appointed as a State IconSibin said that at a meeting held last week all the deputy commissioners were asked to identify the areas where voting percentage was low during the last elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/india-cricketer-shubman-gill-named-punjabs-state-icon-to-woo-voters-521764.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ram-mandir-spurs-demand-for-8-500-12-500-branded-hotel-rooms-in-ayodhya-study-521777.html New Delhi Feb 19 A leading hotel management consultancy has projected that Ayodhya which is expected to receive 1061 crore tourists annually by 2031 due to the Ram Mandir boost will require an inventory of 850012500 branded keys in the medium to long term to cater to this demandThat will make the holy city a major development hub for hotels opening up huge business opportunities in a market that was all but nonexistent before 2017 according to HotelivateJust two branded hotels in the budget and economy segment however have opened in the runup to the Ram Mandir consecration and bigger players have just inked agreements or MoUs which means their hotels will take another three to five years to come upA report coauthored by Mihir Chalishazar and Hotelivate CEO Manav Thadani points out that the governments strategic focus on developing Ayodhya aligns with the trend of burgeoning spiritual and religious tourism across the countryData from the Ministry of Tourism indicates that in 2022 religious and spiritual hubs including Varanasi Rishikesh Katra Haridwar Tirupati and Dwarka generated revenue of about Rs 13 lakh crore 16 billion and witnessed a combined footfall of 140 crore 14 billionThis roughly translates to one religious trip per capita per year in IndiaInterestingly the report points out this footfall was not confined to mainstream destinations lesserknown markets such as Pushkar Vrindavan and Sabarimala are also experiencing a surge in tourismAyodhyas tourism boom began with the annual Deepotsav celebration in 2017 and gained momentum after the Supreme Courts 2019 Ram Temple judgment in 2019 In 2023 more than three crore tourists visited Ayodhya and projections from the Ministry of Tourism anticipate about three lakh tourists per day by 2031 the report statesIt emphasises that this clearly indicates a massive opportunity for hospitality in Ayodhya The recently opened Park Inn by Radisson Ayodhya and Clarks Inn Express Ayodhya represent the only branded supply at this momentMajor hospitality brands such as IHCL Taj Hotels Marriott Club Mahindra Wyndham The Leela Palace and ITC Hotels have expressed keen interest in Ayodhya and some of these brands have already signed their first hotels in the market the rest have signed MoUs and are in the process of negotiating final agreements the report points outThe government taking into account this supplydemand mismatch has been auctioning off plots with the goal of eventually establishing more than 400 hotelsAs outlined in the Ayodhya Master Plan 2031 the government plans to invest over Rs 85000 crore 10 billion over the next decade in the cityThe investment is aimed at a multifaceted development including the upgradation of existing infrastructure establishment of a spiritual university greenfield townships more than 1200 acres are to be allotted for the development urban forests a convention centre arts and craft centre and a hospitality management and training centre IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ram-mandir-spurs-demand-for-8-500-12-500-branded-hotel-rooms-in-ayodhya-study-521777.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 18:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-us-to-uae-as-hindus-abroad-grow-so-do-their-places-of-worship-521788.html New Delhi Feb 19 The construction inauguration and restoration of its temples across the world is yet another testament to India building and deepening its ties with its 32 millionplusstrong diaspora and an estimated 12 billion Hindus across the worldMuch before the British arrived in India and years after they left the continuous migration of Hindus as traders indentured labourers skilled workers and highly qualified professionals has given rise to several temples in the countries they settled inIt is estimated that there are around two million Hindu temples across the world and some of the noted ones include the Angkor Wat in Cambodia the Prambanan temple in Indonesia Nepals Pashupatinath Temple and Australias Shiva Vishnu TempleIn Thailand the construction of Hindu temples started in the third and fourth centuries AD with the earliest images of Lord Vishu being found and in Vietnam the Cham people built several Hindu templesThere are temples not only in India and the Indian subcontinent but in many regions beyond External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had aptly said during his visit to Cambodia in 2022Asserting that our civilisation is not limited to India but is spread across countries Jaishankar in a way suggested why it is important for the country to build as well as ensure the revival and restoration of temples across the worldAccording to Hindus these places of worship are necessary to keep them and their coming generations rooted and connected to their culture values beliefs and traditionsFar away from my home and family these temples to me are a source of strength and support said Kajal Dhadwal a mother of two who has been living in Tanzania for more than 14 yearsLiving close to the Arusha city she frequents the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and the ISKON centre thereAs the number of Hindus across the world grow from strength to strength so does their need for more places of worshipAccording to the External Affairs Ministry the number of Indians who moved abroad for good was 225620 in 2022 and 87026 till June 2023Bolstering this Hindu spirit Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Abu Dhabis first Hindu temple the BAPS Mandir on February 14 He stated in his address that the UAE has written a golden chapter and won the hearts of 140 crore Indians and that this temple will be a symbol of communal harmony and unity of the worldThe UAE has three other Hindu temples that are located in Dubai The event came just weeks after he presided over the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in AyodhyaBefore this the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham the worlds largest Hindu temple constructed outside India was inaugurated in the Robbinsville Township of New Jersey in October last yearIn 2019 Modi launched a multimilliondollar renovation project for the 200yearold Shrinathji Temple in Bahrains ManamaThe demand for temples in foreign lands grows as they not only provide a place of worship but exhibit rich Indian architecture sculptures and scripture carvings on walls that get global recognition for the community in that countryAs a soft power countries realise that the construction of Hindu shrines will help strengthen their economy and tourism in addition to boosting bilateral ties and better peopletopeople contacts IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-us-to-uae-as-hindus-abroad-grow-so-do-their-places-of-worship-521788.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 18:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/snowfall-eludes-shimla-but-manali-wraps-in-white-blanket-521539.html ShimlaManali Feb 19 Snowfall eluded this Himachal Pradesh capital on Monday but another tourist resort Manali had moderate snowThe minimum temperature recorded at Manali was 28 degrees Celsius the weather office here saidManali and the hills overlooking it experienced mild to moderate spells of snow early Monday an official of the meteorological office here told IANSHe said picturesque Kalpa some 250 km from Shimla also experienced 16 cm of snow Kukumseri in LahaulSpiti district saw 506 cm snow states highest with a low of minus 05 degree Keylong had 21 cm snowHighaltitude areas of Lahaul and Spiti Chamba Mandi Kullu Kinnaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing snow since early Monday Heavy to very heavy rain and snow with thunderstorm hail and gusty wind speed 4050 km per hour and lightning at isolated places is likely from February 19 to 20 the official saidAs the snowfall started tourists started descending in Manali and the nearby hills to enjoy snowy landscapeWe are really enjoying hurling snow at each other remarked Neha Garg a tourist from New Delhi Her husband Pankaj added They were awaiting the onset of snowfall for the past two daysWe are hopeful of getting a spike in tourist footfall after snow Manalibased hotelier Prem Thakur told IANSPeaks overlooking other popular tourist resorts like Kalpa Sangla Dharamsala and Palampur have also got fresh snow coverStates lower areas including Dharamsala Solan Nahan Chamba and Mandi towns have been experiencing cold conditions with mild rains IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/snowfall-eludes-shimla-but-manali-wraps-in-white-blanket-521539.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-goa-cms-to-flag-off-bjps-vijaya-sankalp-yatras-in-telangana-521713.html Hyderabad Feb 19 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will launch two of the four Vijaya Sankalp yatras of the BJP in Telangana on Tuesday The yatras that would begin simultaneously are part of the BJPs preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha pollsThe state BJP said the yatras have the twin objectives of strengthening the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Telangana by way of ensuring greater contribution in the ensuing elections and exposing the hypocrisy of the Congress party in the state which is dodging implementation of its critical electoral promisesDuring the yatra BJP leaders and workers will reach out to a crosssection of people to impress upon them the need to strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister to make India truly Atmanirbhar and enable it to regain its ancient glory of being a Viswaguru the state BJP saidSarma will launch the Komaram Bheem cluster yatra in Adilabad District and will also address a public meetingGoa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will flag off the Rajarajeswari cluster yatra at Tandur in Vikarabad DistrictSenior national leaders of the party along with union ministers and chief ministers of different NDAruled states will participate in the 10day yatraUnion Minister for Culture Tourism and Development of the North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy who is also the state BJP President BJP National General Secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar All India President BJP OBC Morcha Dr K Laxman and party leaders Etela Rajender and DK Aruna will participate in all the yatrasThe BJP which won four out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019 has set the target of 10 seats in the forthcoming electionsThe party leaders are confident of achieving the target in view of the impressive performance in the recent Assembly elections The saffron party almost doubled its vote share compared to the previous election It polled 1390 per cent votes against just 698 per cent in 2018 and significantly improved its tally of seats from one to eightThough three of the BJPs four MPs including Bandi Sanjay Kumar suffered defeat in Assembly elections the party leaders believe that the results of the Lok Sabha polls will be different due to the Modi factorThe state BJP said given the goodwill that Modi enjoys globally coupled with the recent consecration of the Ram Temple which realised the five century dream of Bharatiyas across the world the party is confident that the yatras will make a difference giving a boost to the BJP in TelanganaThe yatras will cover all Lok Sabha constituencies till March 1 The state BJP leadership has divided the entire state into five clusters The Komaram Bheem cluster yatra will begin at Mudhol in Adilabad District and conclude at Bodhan in Nizamabad District covering 21 Assembly and three Lok Sabha constituenciesThe Rajarajeswari cluster yatra will be flagged off at Tandur in Vikarabad District and will conclude in Karimnagar It will cover four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly segmentsThe Bhagyalakshmi cluster will cover three Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly constituencies The yatra for this cluster begins in Bhongir and concludes in HyderabadThe Krishnamma cluster yatra begins at Makthal and concludes at Nalgonda This cluster will cover three Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly constituenciesThe KakatiyaBhadrakali cluster yatra will be launched at Bhadrachalam on February 25 and end at Mulugu This will cover three Parliament constituencies and 21 Assembly segments IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-goa-cms-to-flag-off-bjps-vijaya-sankalp-yatras-in-telangana-521713.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ramayana-fervour-pervades-annual-flower-show-in-lucknow-521237.html Lucknow Feb 18 The Ramayana fervour was visible at the annual fruits and flower show being held at the Raj Bhawan in LucknowStatues of Lord Ram Sita and Lakshman crafted from vibrant flowers are the major attractions at the ongoing threeday flower showPivotal moments from the Ramayana have been recreated with blooms For instance Lord Hanuman presenting Rams ring to Sita in Ashok Vatika and characters like Jamvant and Jatayu are the major attractionsThe show also boasts a unique floral map of India depicting the Ram temple the Ram darbar and religious symbols like the Swastika Om and Urdhva Pundra Vishnu TilakThese stunning floral sculptures stand tall amidst diverse flowering plants such as dahlias roses petunias and marigolds Children and youths captivated by the spectacle are seen clicking photos videos and selfies for their social media accountsBeyond the sculptures the exhibition showcases a diverse array of flowers fruits and vegetables From an abundance of rose varieties in various shapes and sizes to flourishing cacti sweet limes oversized ash gourds and cauliflowers and even lifesize vegetable bouquets the display offers something for everyone IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ramayana-fervour-pervades-annual-flower-show-in-lucknow-521237.html Sun, 18 Feb 2024 08:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/of-hemingways-a-farewell-to-arms-bear-meat-and-michelin-3-star-chef-ana-ros-521032.html New Delhi Feb 17 At the turn of this millennium Ana Ros had to choose between a career in her countrys diplomatic service or to comanage a restaurant and inn that her boyfriend inherited from his parents who had just retiredDays before she was to fly to Brussels to take up her first foreign assignment Ana chose to stay back much to the horror of her parents and run the countryside restaurant Hisa pronounced Hisha Franko nestled in the pristine Soca valley in Slovenias far westApart from being popular in the area Hisa Franko came with an inn that had doubled as a hospice post World War I where it is said Ernest Hemingway spent time recovering from wounds he had suffered in Italy during the war and wrote his iconic novel A Farewell to ArmsHer parents her father was a physician and her mother a wellknown journalist still did not consider it a reason for Ana who had studied international relations at the University of Trieste and was before that a champion Alpine skier and member of the Yugoslav national youth team to give up what was possibly a more glamorous careerToday fame and glamour chase the Michelin threestar chef fluent in five languages who was voted the worlds best in 2017 and a proud mother of two adult childrenAna is now also a globetrotting culinary diplomat a selftaught Green Chef with her own brand of hyperlocal cuisine she says nature around me is my supermarket and the unofficial ambassador of her country of 21 million peopleIt was this role that brought Ana to the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi where Prateek Sadhu a talented young chef famous for his passion for foraging for ingredients got her talking about her life journey and how women can juggle the competing demands of motherhood and a busy careerSlovenia incidentally was born out of the wreckage of communist Yugoslavia and is so small that to quote Ana it takes two hours to travel across it from the north to the south and three and half from the east to the westThe scale of Anas achievement is apparent from the stark reality that whereas 125 male chefs are recipients of the rare Michelin three stars just five women are a part of this elite club Theres an unmissable glass ceiling in a profession still dominated by menAnas conversation with Sadhu who was muchcelebrated during his stint with the Mumbai restaurant Masque and has recently opened Naar in Kasauli Himachal Pradesh began on the subject of bears The wild kind and not the stock market varietySadhu and Ana were exchanging recipes online during the Covid19 lockdown when he was struck by the mention of bear clawsAna explained that thanks to the ethnic strife that wracked neighbouring Croatia in the 1990s a large number of bears sought refuge in the calmer climes of Slovenia and never went backIt was all right till their numbers started growing and they became a menace to livestock To deal with the menace of bears posing a threat to lives of domesticated animals Slovenia passed laws allowing a set number of them to be slaughtered every yearThat was when bear meat became a delicacy in Slovenia though Anas menu is best known for handmade pastas which Mayur Sharma of Highway On My Plate fame praised profusely during the conversation and homecured Tolminc cheese apart from white asparagus with smoked egg dip and walnut to twodayaged trout cooked on the barbecue and served with brown butter fish sauce and horseradishAna is also famous as highlighted by the Worlds 50 Best for her take on the New Orleans corn beignet served with fermented cottage cheese as well as potato cooked in a summary hay crustDespite her enviable fame earned from a countryside restaurant with a resident dog and cat Ana says that she keeps thinking about new ways to cook and present food even when I am sleeping and her advice to younger members of her profession is to stop chasing awards and accolades and instead to keep working for the satisfaction of their guestsAnas parting advice Hospitality is all about taking good care of your guests Awards will come if they are cared for Words of wisdom that young chefs who spend more time on Instagram and Facebook would do well to pay heed to IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/of-hemingways-a-farewell-to-arms-bear-meat-and-michelin-3-star-chef-ana-ros-521032.html Sat, 17 Feb 2024 14:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/aicf-polls-rs-11-lakh-difference-between-returning-officers-fees-raises-eyebrows-521109.html Chennai Feb 17 A glaring difference in the fees to be paid to the two Returning Officers both retired high court judges appointed for conducting the officebearers elections for the All India Chess Federation AICF is being raised by the chess administratorsWhile one Returning Officer was appointed by the Delhi High Court the other was appointed by AICF President Sanjay KapoorThe Delhi High Court by an order dated 6122023 had appointed Justice Retd GS Sistani as the second Returning Officer and fixed a fee of Rs 500000 The court had also ordered that the AICF elections should be held in Delhi and not in Kanpur where Kapoor livesIn November 2023 Kapoor appointed Allahabad High Courts retired Justice Rang Nath Pandey as the Returning Officer at a fee of Rs 1600000Incidentally the AICF had paid Rs 500000 as the Returning Officers fee to former Justice Retd of Punjab and Haryana High Court K Kannan for conducting the AICF elections in 2021Queried about the Rs 1100000 increase in the Returning Officers fee as compared to what was paid by the AICF during the last officebearers elections and the one fixed by the Delhi High Court this time Kapoor brusquely told IANS Dont create a controversy and disconnected the callAny expenditure over Rs 10 lakh has to be approved by the AICF Executive Council Kapoor had issued the appointment order to Justice Pandey on 29112023 After that a couple of General Body meetings of the AICF were held But this issue was not discussed at any of the meetings Naresh Sharma AICF Treasurer told IANSI had told Kapoor the fee agreed is too high to which he had replied I am empowered to do so Sharma saidAccording to chess officials Kapoor should have looked at other options as legal professionals are free to stipulate their feesMeanwhile a question mark hangs over the holding of the AICF elections as it is not compliant with the National Sports Development Code 2011 officials allegedOn February 14 the Delhi High Court had directed the Government of India to state in its replyaffidavit whether the AICF is in compliance with the directions contained in the judgment dated 16082022 passed in WP C1952010 read with the National Sports Development Code of India 2011Sanjay K Chadha President Devbhoomi Chess Association told IANS The Delhi High Court in its order dated 1682022 laid out various norms for the National Sports Federations The court also ordered that the National Sports Development Code 2011 is applicable not only to the National Sports Federations but also to the state and district affiliatesChadha said the AICF and majority of its state affiliates are not compliant with the National Sports Development CodeI had emailed the two Returning Officers seeking clarification on the Delhi High Court order dated 1682022 but there was no reply Later several state associations had sent mails which were also not replied to Sharma saidOn Friday the Delhi High Court stayed the elections for the Volleyball Federation of India scheduled for Saturday on the ground that it is not in compliance with its 1682022 order Chadha saidIn November 2023 a legal opinion was obtained on the applicability of the Delhi High Court dated 1682023 to AICF and its state affiliates and district chess bodies The legal opinion was sent to all the state affiliates The AICF also paid Rs 50000 to the state associations as part of the expenses to be compliant with the National Sports Development Code 2011 But none of the state affiliates turned compliant Bharat Singh Chauhan former Secretary AICF told IANSVenkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at vjagannathaniansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/aicf-polls-rs-11-lakh-difference-between-returning-officers-fees-raises-eyebrows-521109.html Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/in-buddhas-footsteps-conference-to-see-asia-through-the-eyes-of-buddhist-pilgrims-521119.html New Delhi Feb 17 Just 10 per cent of the ancient Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsangs travelogue which offers an eyewitness account of India at the time of Harsha Vardhan the itinerant Buddhist scholar was here between 630 and 645 CE has been discovered so farThat opens up endless possibilities of scholars around the world stumbling upon unseen remnants of the manuscript in libraries and collections which is exactly what is being explored at a twoday conference titled Asia on the Move Histories of mobility and the making of Asia at the India International Centre IIC in New Delhi on February 2224One of the pivots in this movement of saints and scholars and the intermingling of traditions and cultures in the ancient world was Gautama the Buddha which is why one of the main focus areas of the conference will be his life and timesTo understand Buddhas contribution to bringing Asia together the IIC has invited a phalanx of scholars from around the world to shed light on the subjectProminent among them will be Dr Karan Singh whose family ruled Kashmir one of the key centres of this intellectual exchange author William Dalrymple distinguished historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam now also known as the brother of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Dr Navina Najat Haidar of the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York and a host of Russian as well as Central Asian scholarsWe are looking at many Indian manuscripts which are now only found abroad explained Shyam Saran IIC President and former foreign secretary Many valuable manuscripts went away from India but they are available in other countries Whether in Sanskrit or other Indian scripts they are in fact stored in other countriesThe conference he said at a media briefing is a first step towards the IIC acquiring the digital versions of these manuscripts that are no longer available in India but shed new light on the Buddha as well as the journeys of Buddhism and Buddhist scholars to and from IndiaDiscussing the philosophy of the conference Shyam Saran noted There is sometimes a debate that the term Asia actually did not arise from Asia but is a western concept Is Asia an artificial entity Does it have its own personality Or a clear identity Are there strong affinities among Asian countries that have influenced one another These are some of the questions which this conference will be looking atHe said the idea is to pick up threads from accounts of travellers who not only visited India but also travelled through other Asian countries and left behind intriguing and interesting accounts of their travelsContinuing on this note Shyam Saran said These may be Chinese pilgrims who came to India to collect Buddhist scriptures These could be adventurers who were seeking a career in Asian countries These may be the traders who sailed across Asia in search of markets And these could be people who came with invading armies and left behind accounts of the places they visited We are looking at all these accountsThe scholars who have been invited to attend the conference will look at these accounts left behind by ancient pilgrims scholars and adventurers and view the idea of Asia through their eyes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/in-buddhas-footsteps-conference-to-see-asia-through-the-eyes-of-buddhist-pilgrims-521119.html Sat, 17 Feb 2024 17:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/noted-bengali-actress-anjana-bhowmik-passes-away-at-79-521173.html Kolkata Feb 17 Noted Bengali actress of yesteryear Anjana Bhowmik 79 who received critics accolades for her portrayal of Sujata Mitra in the 1968 hit film Chowringhee passed away at a hospital in Kolkata on Saturday She is survived by her two daughters Nilanjana Sengupta and Chandana Sharma Nilanjana is married to popular actor Jisshu Sengupta The family members of the actress told mediapersons that Bhowmik was admitted to a city hospital for some time now owing to agerelated ailmentsMany critics feel that despite her acting talent Bhowmik was unable to reach the height of popularity she deserved because of the presence of other prominent actresses during her time namely Suchitra Sen Sabitri Chattopadhyay and Supriya Devi However in the cinemas where she appeared in lead roles she won the hearts of the viewers and drew accolades from the critics because of her natural acting talentApart from Chowringhee other films with Bhowmik in the lead include Nayika Sangbad opposite Uttam Kumar Thana Theke Ashchi and Mahashweta among othersIn 2012 she received a lifetime achievement award from the West Bengal governmentMourning Bhowmiks demise Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said I express my heartiest condolence over the death of acclaimed actress Anjana Bhowmik Her death is an irreparable loss for the Bengali film industry I express my sympathy towards her family members and fans IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/noted-bengali-actress-anjana-bhowmik-passes-away-at-79-521173.html Sat, 17 Feb 2024 20:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fadnavis-helps-bring-body-of-maha-medical-student-from-war-torn-ukraine-520714.html Mumbai Feb 16 In a touching and humane gesture Maharashtras Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved the Centre and Ministry of External Affairs to bring back the body of a medical student from Raigad District who passed away recently in warravaged Ukraine On February 2 the Pawar family of Roha town was devastated to learn of the death of the ailing Dr Prachiti Deepak Pawar 21 in KyivThe country has been at war with Russia since February 24 2022 and citizens as well as foreigners especially students face major constraints thereThe news of Dr Prachitis demise reached the Pawar family through her friends and colleagues in the IvanoFrankivsk National Medical UniversityOn January 25 she was rushed in a critical condition to the KNP Central City Clinical Hospital of the IvanoFrankivsk City Council and underwent surgery thereAs per a medical report of the university Dean FCTD Dmytro Solomchak the young student was diagnosed with phlegmon of the right axillary area with spread to the right shoulder side wall of the chest besides Sepsis Septic Shock Septic Encephalopathy Multiple Organ Failure Bilateral pneumonia and respiratory failure of the second degreeHowever Dr Prachiti succumbed to her illnesses on February 2 even as her friends appealed to the Indian Embassy in Kyiv the Ministry of External Affairs and others to help secure a visa for her mother Devayani Pawar a government employee and Dr Prachitis twin sister Aditi who is studying aviation in a college in Salem Tamil NaduThe BJPs Maharashtra social media chief Prakash Gade learnt of the matter and he immediately brought it to the notice of FadnavisThe mother was worried whether her daughter would get a decent funeral or not as she died in a foreign country The family here couldnt afford to go there and bring back her body Gade saidMoved by the familys plight Fadnavis asked Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and other officials for assistanceFadnavis also directed his team in Mumbai and New Delhi comprising Dilip Rajurkar and Manoj Munde to regularly track the developments in the case and he himself monitored the movements in Ukraine and IndiaAll these efforts proved successful and the MEA started moving various departments and the Indian Embassy in Kyiv to bring Dr Prachitis remains back to India expeditiouslyFinally a weekly cargo flight from Kyiv via Poland landed at Mumbai Airport with Dr Prachitis mortal remains on February 13 Fadnavis arranged for an ambulance and the body was taken by road to Roha town the following day where her last rites were performed on February 14 said GadeBesides the family comprising Devayani Pawar and her daughter Aditi an uncle and a large number of people from Roha turned up to pay their respects to Dr PrachitiDr Prachitis father Deepak H Pawar a Mumbai Police official died due to a heart attack over 12 years ago leaving behind the young twins barely aged 10 then in the care of DevyaniDr Prachitis mother had taken an education loan to pay for her medical education in Ukraine as the family has very limited financial resources revealed GadeAn official added that owing to Fadnavis personal intervention in the matter a tragedystruck family could get the antimdarshan of the girl who passed away in an alien land and also perform her dignified antimsanskaar in her motherlandQuaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmiiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fadnavis-helps-bring-body-of-maha-medical-student-from-war-torn-ukraine-520714.html Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/imtiaz-qureishi-first-chef-to-be-conferred-with-a-padma-shri-in-2016-passes-on-aged-93-520723.html New Delhi Feb 16 One of Indias most creative chefs who put nawabi Lucknows Dum Pukht cuisine on the world map and also became the first practising member of his fraternity to ever get a Padma Shri in 2016 Imtiaz Qureshi passed away on Friday at the age of 93An unlettered cook who started working from the age of nine Qureshi who was known for his trademark handlebar moustache Santa Clauslike personality and the chaste Urdu in which he would narrate his stories from the kitchen was famous for inventing dishes whose ideas he would pick up from conversations with his patrons and fellow professionalsHis influences and inspirations extended from the empress of ghazals Begum Akhtar for whom he invented a dessert named LabeMahshoukh or pista kulfi drizzled with a sour cherry sauce to Roger Moncourt the French chef who ruled the Continental kitchens of Delhi from whom he picked up the secrets of the sauces that give French cuisine its distinctive personalityQureshi started out training to be a pehelwan but ended up as an apprentice to his ustads Haji Ishtiyaq and Ghulam Rasool and started working with a Lucknowbased catering company that was serving the Indian Army during the Chinese War in 1962It was then that Qureshi got to serve Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who was being hosted by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister CB Gupta To make the occasion special and out of respect for Guptas vegetarian sensibilities Qureshi whos best known for mutton and fish dishes invented the TurushePaneer escalopes of cottage cheese stuffed with dried plum and oranges quilted in a tomato plum sauceAs the fame of his culinary prowess spread he moved up the professional totem pole being hired by Lucknows then goto hotel Clarks Avadh and then being headhunted by Ajit Haksar the founder of ITC Hotels for the groups new address in New Delhi Maurya Sheraton And from there he travelled the world winning accolades wherever he wentAt the Maurya Qureshi became instantly famous Diwan Gautam Anand who was banquet manager when the chef was in his element remembers how the nations high and mighty would shower gifts on Qureshi in recognition of his food which was then a novelty in the Butter Chickensoaked national capitalAccording to Anand Qureshi was indeed a selftaught powerhouse of culinary talent but what made him stand apart was his milansar personality which enabled him to soak in whatever knowledge anyone had to offerAnand remembers how Qureshi once came back excited from a dinner he had curated for the Afghan ambassador because he had discovered the brinjal dish known as badin jaan Overnight he recreated it for Dum Pukht the restaurant at the Maurya Sheraton that became synonymous with the master chef and a standardbearer for Indian fine diningDum Pukhts Badin Jaan consists of wheels of smoked brinjal with a spiced tomato topping and a smooth creamy spiced yoghurt sauceIt was at Dum Pukht that the jugalbandi of the doyen of food writers the late Jiggs Kalra and Qureshi created sensations such as the Kakori Kabab the meltinthemouth version of the chunky mutton seekh kabab with Kalra inventing the story of the toothless nawab in its honour the signature Dum Biryani and umamipacked gravy dishes such as the KohiAwadh the paya reinvented with lamb shanks and Mahi Dum Pukht red snapper fillet cooked in an almond and brown onion sauceHe had created this dish first for the wedding of a Mumbai socialites daughter in 1972 and he gave it a Bengali twist a couple of decades later with his Mahi Qaliya where rohu fish cooked in mustard oil is the base ingredient for a Kolkatabased news baronWith the passing of Imtiaz Qureshi India has lost a chef who not only gave Indian fine dining a new lease of life and a personality of its own but also despite being unlettered became its finest and most colourful spokespersons around the world IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/imtiaz-qureishi-first-chef-to-be-conferred-with-a-padma-shri-in-2016-passes-on-aged-93-520723.html Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/second-wayanad-resident-trampled-to-death-by-tusker-in-a-week-520870.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 16 Six days after a man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Keralas Wayanad a temporary ecotourism worker breathed his last at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Friday morning after suffering an elephant attackAccording to locals the victim Paul was on his way to work in the Kuruva Island ecotourism project when he came in front of a wild elephant which instantly attacked himHe was first taken to a local hospital from where he was referred to Kozhikode where he diedOn January 30 a local resident named Laxmanan was also killed by a wild elephant in the same districtThe latest incident took place just 4 km from the spot where Ajeesh a tractor driver was recently trampled to death by a tusker following which the agitated locals had warned the authorities that their patience is running outWe will not perform the last rites of Paul until the Kerala government announces a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family of the deceased said an angry local residentPaul is survived by his wife a young daughter and two ailing sisters IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/second-wayanad-resident-trampled-to-death-by-tusker-in-a-week-520870.html Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/andhra-pradesh-hc-allows-release-of-rajdhani-files-520634.html Amaravati Feb 16 The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday allowed the theatrical release of Rajdhani Files a movie said to be critical of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over his plans of three state capitalsAfter going through records submitted by the Central Board of Film Certification CBFC the court refused to grant further stayJustice N Jayasurya who had given the interim stay on Thursday lifted the same allowing the screening of the movie in theatresThe movie was scheduled to be released on February 15 ThursdayWhile granting interim stay the judge had said that it should be examined whether the certificate of release of the movie was issued by CBFC on the basis of a report of the CBFCs examining and revising committee by duly assigning the reasons visavis the rules made under the Cinematography Act of 1952On the courts direction CBFC regional officer and presiding officer of the revising committee produced all recordsMLC and YSRCP general secretary Lella Appi Reddy had filed the petition seeking a stay on the movie by contending that it was defamatory against the Chief Minister and other leaders and related to the proposal of three capitals which was subjudiceAppi Reddys counsel VRN Prashant had argued that the characters in the movie resemble the Chief Minister and former minister Kodali Nani He submitted that even the names given to the characters resemble the names of the chief minister and former ministerThe petitioner alleged that the movie is being released just before the elections to malign the present government and the chief minister He said certain scenes are defaming the chief minister and misleading people with distorting factsThe counsel for the petitioner contended that the chief minister and the government are shown in a poor light for selfish political motives as evident from the trailer released on February 5U Muralidhar Rao who argued on behalf of the movies producers told the court that the movie is not intended to malign anyoneThe court was informed that the producers approved the revision committee after the CBFC suggested deletion of some scenes The censor certificate was issued after some scenes were removed on the revision committees suggestionsWritten and directed by Bhanu and produced by Telugu One Productions Rajdhani Files features new actors Akilan and Veena in the leadKantamaneni Ravi Shankar who had contested as TDP rebel candidate from Avanigadda constituency in 2019 elections has produced the movie along with Himabindu IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/andhra-pradesh-hc-allows-release-of-rajdhani-files-520634.html Fri, 16 Feb 2024 12:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/five-girl-cadets-from-up-sainik-school-get-selected-to-nda-520306.html Lucknow Feb 15 Five girl cadets from UP Sainik School Lucknow have been selected by the Services Selection Board to join the elite National Defence Academy NDAThese five cadets will commence their training shortly Apart from these girl cadets an equal number of male cadets too cleared the exam but the spotlight was on girl cadetsThe girl cadets who have been selected include Hansi Malik Priyanka Sanskrti Sharma Vaishnavi Tripathi and Jyotsna YadavThe training of these five girl cadets Hansi Malik Priyanka Sanskrti Sharma Vaishnavi Tripathi and Jyotsna Yadav selected by SSB from UP Sainik School Lucknow will commence shortlyColonel Rajesh Raghav the school principal said This is one of the highest ever selection of girls from a single schoolIt is a rare achievement as five girls and five boys of the Captain Manoj Pandey UP Sainik School have brought laurels to the institution They were motivated to work on a plethora of areas like general knowledge communication and reasoning skills and a thorough understanding of the selection mechanism he saidOf the 27 female seats in NDA five were bagged by girl cadets of UP Sainik School comprising an impressive 185 per cent of the total selectionThe UP Sainik School opened its gates for the girl cadets in 2018 losing its allboys institution tag as 15 girl cadets were admitted for the first time in 57 yearsSince then it is the first time that as many as five girl cadets cracked the exam UP Sainik School was the first among Sainik Schools and military schools that had allowed enrollment of girl cadetsCadet Priyanka 17 from Bulandshahr had joined UP Sainik School four years ago with a dream to join the armed forcesShe said SSB capsule module was especially designed for us Experts were called to train us Special classes were held during summer vacations for the entire batch of Class 12 A number of guides were called from time to time Regular tests and interviews combined helped us crack the examCadet Hansi Malik is from Meerut She is happy that her dream to wear a uniform will soon become a reality My day started with a 545 am roll call for physical training and ended with a night roll call at the hostel at 9 pm It has been a huge transition she saidCadet Sanskriti Sharma and Vaishnavi Tripathi also said it was a life changing experience when they got admission here It was all a very disciplined and measured lifestyle that cadets follow at Sainik School The lessons learnt here will stay with us for life they said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/five-girl-cadets-from-up-sainik-school-get-selected-to-nda-520306.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-ode-to-indian-visual-culture-and-history-alka-pandes-new-collection-of-14-books-520406.html New Delhi February 15 Art historian and curator Dr Alka Pande has written a set of 14 collectable books titled 108 Portraits of Indian Culture and Heritage that puts the spotlight on 14 disciplines ranging from art architecture objects crafts and more The immersive collection set is an encyclopedic work looking at the development and history of Indian visual culture through various eras of history to the contemporary worldComplete with anecdotal personal stories the author has employed the lens of Indian art and aesthetics to unpack the rich cultural history of the countrys illuminating art architecture and cultural landscape The subject of each book unfolds in a visual and textual story of 108 narratives Since the number 108 is of immense significance in Indian art and it also emerges from the Upanishadic tradition of Indian philosophy it has emerged as a connecting thread among the set of books through which images and histories of the subject engage with each otherThe set of books features historical cultural and visual exploration of subjects ranging from Objects Dance Food Architecture Printmaking Crafts and Music to Photography Sculpture Design Traditional Art Textiles Modern and Contemporary Art and Vernacular and Indigenous ArtEach book begins with a personal story by the author who reflects on how her childhood impressions and exposure have been pivotal in introducing her to the rich and myriad cultures of India She reminiscences about her first brush with kumhaars potters at her maternal grandmothers house in Meerut in the 108 Portraits of Indian Crafts book which soon delves deeper into the beauty of glazed pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation and eventually takes readers through the craftsmanship of varied Indian statesIn the book 108 Portraits of Indian Objects the author delves into the designs of utilitarian objects and examines how they are both functional and pieces of aesthetic art The ubiquitous pot or lota is a recurring motif in this bookThe cultural significance of food in the form of prasad customs or rituals is documented in 108 Portraits of Indian Food The reader is taken through a journey of food in literature and painting before taking a deep dive into examining the broader culture of food across the globe Archaeology of raw and cooked food is looked at and the reader gets inside the heart of royal kitchens and regional Indian cuisines before illuminating the modern version of fusion cuisinesIndian textiles have a long rich and layered history The reader is taken on a fascinating exploration of the complex warp and weft techniques in 108 Portraits of Indian Textiles but also delineates costume styles Finer points of draped clothing and the stitched costumes of stylish chooridars and Mughal angrakhas luxurious silks and cotton natural pigments and dyes brocades and zardozi complemented with a finely curated selection of visuals of ancient sculptures paintings and textiles are discussedIn 108 Portraits of Indian Music various styles including the contributions of Amir Khusro to qawwali Swami Haridas and Tansen to dhrupad ancient Sanskrit and Tamil treatises Purandaradasa and the renowned Trinity to Carnatic music Pandit Bhatkhandes treatise on Hindustani classical music and Rabindra Sangeet are discussed This fascinating story is richly complemented by descriptions and images of performers and instrumentsIndian culture and heritage are vast diverse and deeply rooted in history spirituality traditions and art forms Attempting to encapsulate the entirety of Indian culture within a single book has indeed been a monumental task But it has equally been enriching to see how the set of 14 books encapsulates the enriching historical and contemporary journey of each discipline succinctly This set of books is my humble attempt to create an encyclopedia for each discipline to help readers understand the development of a particular subject from its beginning to the present says the author who was at the recently held Apeejay Kolkata Literary FestivalAdditionally each book comes with a takeaway it could be in the form of a recipe Food a masterclass in making your jama Textile or an insightful read on different types of aipan and creating your own Traditional Art The idea of including these nuggets of information and activities at the end of each book is to drive engagement and learningThe books have been published by the Artshila Trust and will be launched on February 18 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-ode-to-indian-visual-culture-and-history-alka-pandes-new-collection-of-14-books-520406.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 18:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mookhuri-brings-folk-music-of-khasi-jaintia-hills-makes-delhi-sway-to-it-520433.html New Delhi Feb 16 From a state that has produced Lou Majaw and the Shillong Chamber Choir Mookhuri may not yet be as famous but the fourmember band that is seeking to revive Meghalayas traditional instruments definitely has the talent to join their leagueThe band was in the Capital playing at a Village Square event in the Sunder Nursery and its lead singer Amabel Susngi shared with IANS her ambition to be on Coke Studio saying she believes that people need to hear their music and know that groups such as Mookhuri also existMookhuris music is rooted in KhasiJaintia traditions Its a mellifluous medley of Amabels vocals and enchanting manjira Johny Melborn Syih on the fourstring duitara and Hamieh Phawa and Deimonlangki M Kharbuki creating magic on the percussion instruments kabom and ksing shynrang respectivelyTalking about the bands journey Amabel said I started this band in 2014 And ever since we started we have been singing folk music all around MeghalayaIt is this commitment to folk music that has stopped Mookhuri from nursing Bollywood dreams Amabel said the band has never been to a Bollywood audition but it does have its sights set on Coke StudioWe came up with the name Mookhuri after delving deep into the culture traditions and musical practice of Meghalaya Amabel continued adding The name Mookhuri suits our band very wellIt is the name given to the threestone cooking stove in Meghalayas kitchens reflecting the bands belief that Khasi tribal music begins in the hearthWe are trying to revive folk music in the Khasi community as well Five or ten years ago Khasi traditional music did not get the importance it deserves But now people are taking folk and traditional music as their career as well Amabel saidThe bands music exudes the warmth of the hearth and the cultural cadences of the KhasiJaintia community And the instruments they play despite being rooted in a specific milieu are universal in their appealWe stick to the traditional instruments only because there is beauty and simplicity in playing them Amabel said We dont use any other western instrumentsStriking a personal note Amabel said she got her inspiration from her parents and grandmotherThey are all music lovers My grandmother used to sing folk songs to me and lullabies to get me to sleep when I was a kid Amabel remembers Even my parents encouraged to help me take up music as a careerAmabel and her band are on a mission to take the music of the KhasiJaintia hills all across the country so that people learn to appreciate it a little more and their traditional instruments get a life of their own IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mookhuri-brings-folk-music-of-khasi-jaintia-hills-makes-delhi-sway-to-it-520433.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-inward-journey-with-artist-rameshwar-broota-in-the-capital-520007.html New Delhi Feb 14 Postmodernist painter and sculptor Rameshwar Brootas exploration into the world of abstraction has culminated into a body of works that are currently on display at Shridharani Art Gallery Triveni Kala SangamPresented by Vadehra Art Gallery the solo exhibition illuminates the artists preoccupation with layered painting and scraping processesThe Capitalbased artist is presently working in his revelatory period of abstractionRameshwar Broota is drawn to exploring an inner journey of the human condition motivated by deep selfawarenessHis quintessentially laborious means of layering paint and scraping the surface with a blade to create unique variations in tone often lead to patterns and images emerging serendipitously in his compositions which sometimes appear as a chaotic conclusion or genesis of time technology nature and mankind itselfBroota is one of the most important artists from his generation of postmodernistsAlongside his recent paintings the exhibition also features a suite of multidimensional resin sculptures bearing calligraphic texts found objects and varying materialsThe glasslike opacity of the works prompts a magnified examination of the marks and layers held inside becoming a kind of relic that invites repeated and concentrated viewingThe practice and conscientiousness of Broota are steeped in an exploration of the fractures and friction of change and development that remain political in the real world philosophical in the celestial phase and characteristically concurrentHis work is included in many prestigious collections including the National Gallery of Modern Art New Delhi the Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi Lalit Kala Akademi India the Josip Broz Tito Museum Yugoslavia Kunst MuseumDusseldorf among others IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/an-inward-journey-with-artist-rameshwar-broota-in-the-capital-520007.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/shadow-circus-a-personal-archive-of-tibetan-resistance-to-be-presented-at-jnu-520022.html New Delhi Feb 14 White Crane Films and School of Arts Aesthetics Jawaharlal Nehru University will present Shadow Circus A Personal Archive of Tibetan Resistance 19571974 a longterm project by filmmakers and artists Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam The exhibition will open on February 15After showings at Savvy Contemporary Berlin as part of the 2019 Berlinale Forum Expanded 2022 Kochi Biennale ExperimenterColaba Mumbai and the Tibet Museum Dharamshala the exhibition is now opening at the School of Art amp Aesthetics SAA Jawaharlal Nehru University JNU on February 15It will feature several other works by the artistfilmmakers along with discussions and interactionsPost the Chinese invasion of 1950 and its subsequent takeover in 1959 Tibet has been a country under occupationSince then resistance to Chinese rule both inside Tibet and in exile has been unyielding and resilient transforming over time in response to the changing situation in China and the shifting winds of geopolitical alignments But little is still known of the guerrilla war that was fought from the mid1950s to 1974 when thousands of Tibetans took up arms against the invading forces of ChinaIn the early 1990s filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam started to research the story of Tibets armed struggle a movement that became entangled in global geopolitics when the CIA got involved They were inspired by Tenzings father the late Lhamo Tsering one of the leaders of the resistance and the key liaison between the Tibetans and the CIA Serving as Chief of Operations he oversaw the activities of the resistance and at the same time maintained an incredibly detailed archive of photographs documents letters and mapsThe CIAs involvement in the Tibetan resistance started in 1956 at the height of the Cold WarCodenamed STCIRCUS it was one of the CIAs longestrunning covert operations until it was abruptly abandoned in the late 1960sThe resistance collapsed in 1974 when its last stronghold on the NepalTibet border was shut down by the Nepalese army For reasons that have to do with both the clandestine nature of the operation and the fact that Tibets armed struggle sits uncomfortably with contemporary narratives of the nonviolent nature of the movement this episode has languished in the forgotten corners of recent Tibetan historyThe exhibition is an attempt to unshackle and shed light on what anthropologist and historian Carole McGranahan calls arrested histories of the Tibetan resistance armyIt reevaluates the audiovisual material that Ritu and Tenzing gathered over the years along with Lhamo Tserings personal archives and includes a reedited version of their 1998 documentary The Shadow Circus The CIA in Tibet to create a more complete and complex mosaic of this still largely obscure story The Cold War epoch is navigated within a third space as an uneasy alliance beyond geopolitical power blocs to examine forms of intelligence gathering guerrilla warfare and clandestine resistance deployed in the service of an unfinished freedom struggle that continues to resonate todayThe inaugural version of the exhibition was curated by Natasha Ginwala and Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and exhibited at SAVVY Contemporary in Berlin from February 7 to March 10 2019 within the programme of the 14th Forum Expanded 69th BerlinaleIn collaboration with Ginwala different iterations of the exhibition were shown at India International Centre and KochiMuziris Biennale IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/shadow-circus-a-personal-archive-of-tibetan-resistance-to-be-presented-at-jnu-520022.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-the-maker-of-the-taj-set-off-a-famine-ignored-by-historians-that-killed-74-mn-people-520040.html New Delhi Feb 14 Shah Jahan son of Jahangir was way ahead of his father in terms of barbarity It was merely in the first decade sixth year of his reign that he passed a farman to raze mandirs whose foundations had been laid during his fathers period and stood unfinished He was high with the zeal to revive Islam in the best possible way He intended to reflect Islam as a dominant religion and hence apart from demolishing mandirs he commissioned many grand mosques like the Jama Masjid in DelhiWell even the Taj has enough baggage of a gory past It is recorded that when the Taj Mahal was built in 1631 it cost around 418 million silver rupees To set things in perspective I am providing some mathematics for the readers On average the mean income of a farmers family was one dam copper coin per day One silver rupee was equivalent to forty dams and a single rupee would get you around 280 kilograms of generalgrade rice during Shah Jahans reign Now the question arises as to why this analysis was important and how it brought more shocks in my NCERT historyeducated lifeThis was the time when the great Deccan Famine 163031 had occurred and around 74 million had succumbed to the same It may sound strange but this famine was created by Shah Jahan himself In 1631 the army of Shah Jahan marched to the Malwa as one of his commanders stationed there had rebelled and joined hands with the Adilshahis of Bijapur and Nizamshahis of Hyderabad The army intended to teach the rebel commander a lesson The records state that Tīmurids distorted as Moghuls extracted an annual revenue of not less than around ten million rupees from the Malwa province in the seventeenth centuryThe fertile belt of Malwa was a hen with the golden egg for the Tīmūrids The rebellion had eclipsed this massive income and the attack on Malwa as well as the Deccan had become inevitable Two years before it commander Khwaja Abu Hasan had invaded Malwa These acts briefly led to the massive famine of 163032The destruction of crops in Malwa and Deccan by Shah Jahans royal armies has been well recorded by court chroniclers and foreign travellers For example Inayat Khan in Shah Jahanama talks about how Shah Jahan had ordered the imperial army to ravage the country from end to endThe order of Shah Jahan was carried very comprehensively and Inayat writes There is scarcely a vestige of cultivation left in this country Like his ancestors Shah Jahan did not leave his wives behind during the wars And it was during his campaign against Burhanpur that Mumtaz Mahal died from a postpartum haemorrhage while struggling to give birth to their fourteenth child She suffered around thirty hours of labour And it was here that he decided to dedicate the tomb to her corpse which is known to the world as the Taj MahalShah Jahans campaigns were of course set to lead to results The scarcity of rain coupled with devastations brought by the Imperial Tīmūrid Army added to the great famine of 163032 The regions affected were Gujarat Malwa and DeccanJust to set the destruction in perspective we read about the Bengal famine of 1943 which led to the death of three million people and for which Winston Churchill continues to be held accountable Yet the Deccan famine of 163032 which killed more than twice the number of people who died in the Bengal famine gets whitewashed with ease And of course even if we hear a few murmurs about the famine no one asks Why did Shah Jahan kill so manyI was shaken after reading the agony of people and surprisingly court chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori did not roll a carpet over it Inhabitants were reduced to the direst extremity Life was offered for a loaf but none would buy Dogs flesh was sold for goat flesh The pounded bones of the dead were mixed in flour and sold Men began to devour each other and the flesh of a son was preferred to his love The number of deaths caused obstruction on the roads Those lands which had been famous for fertility and plenty of resources retain no traces of productionPeter Mundy the seventeenthcentury British traveller and merchant who visited the region during the famine wrote in his diarySurat Gujarat Great famine highways unpassable infested by thieves looking not for gold but grain Kirka Town empty Half inhabitants fled Another half dead Dhaita Children sold for 6 dams or given for free to any who could take them so they might be kept aliveNandurbar Maharashtra No space to pitch a tent dead bodies everywhere Noisome smell from a neighboring pit where 40 dead bodies were thrown Survivors searching for grains in the excrement of men and animals Highway stowed with dead bodies from Surat to BurhanpurMundy provides details of how the Tīmurid lords were treating peopleHe wrote In Bazaars lay people dead and others breathing their last with the food almost near their mouths yet dying for want of it they not having wherewith to buy nor the others so much pity to spare them any without money There being no course taken in this Country to remedy this great evil the rich and strong engrossing and taking perforce all to themselvesThere was no food for the general public while it was abundant for the Royal Tīmurids When the entire province was on its deathbed Shah Jahans war camp was in fair shape It was spacious and plentifully stored with all provisions The camp was receiving supplies from all the corners far and nearNot only did Shah Jahan ensure that people felt the wrath of the famine but the great Tīmūrid prince also collected a tax to build the tomb for Mumtaz The Timurid Empire established by Babur was known for collecting the highest taxes in the world The estimates tell us that they used to take a share of more than half of what the peasants producedIn contrast Hindu kings like those of the Vijayanagar Empire charged onesixth of the produce This was almost four times less than the TīmuridsI even came across details of Shah Jahans revenue utilisation He invested a little more than onethird of the revenue in the sixtyeight princes and amirs Onefourth of the revenue went to his 587 officers This implies that almost 62 per cent of the revenue was spent on merely 665 members of the ruling eliteAfter having read around the subject it did not take me much time to conclude that Shah Jahan brought the famine over to Gujarat Malwa and the Deccan by ravaging the crops completely And then the diversion of the revenue to build the Taj Mahal coupled with the scarcity of rain caused the famine in which around eight million people died This number is well attested in a letter written by a Dutch East India Company lawyerI was startled If Churchill can be held responsible for genocide in Bengal then Shah Jahan should also be held responsible for the genocide of around eight million people The building that everyone has described as the pride of Bharat was built at the cost of the blood of so manyThe author is an architect and historian This extract has been taken from his introduction to his book Babur The Chessboard King from Vintage an imprint of Penguin Random House with the permission of the publisher IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/how-the-maker-of-the-taj-set-off-a-famine-ignored-by-historians-that-killed-74-mn-people-520040.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/guru-randhawa-opens-up-on-his-acting-debut-i-am-starting-from-zero-520053.html New Delhi Feb 14 Popular singer Guru Randhawa who has belted out numbers such as Lahore Ishare Tere and Suit has now ventured into acting and has stated he is happy to be starting from zeroRandhawa is making his acting debut with the romcom Kuch Khattaa Ho Jaay alongside Saiee M ManjrekarThe hitmaker made his singing debut in 2012 with Same Girl in collaboration with the BritishSri Lankan singer and actor Arjun He is also wellknown for another international collaboration for the track Slowly Slowly featuring the American rapper PitbullTalking about his new career choice Guru told IANS I am starting from zero here I am a newcomer When we see Taylor Swift doing acting we proudly see her and support her When we watch Selena Gomez Jennfir Lopez in India we say oh wow what a talent they have We say she is an actor singer and performerContinuing with this thought Randhawa said I want people in India to come out of this thought process There is a sort of set rule If someone has done something then he or she should keep doing that thing only I am a talented and hardworking guy why not Otherwise people should also write on Taylor Swifts account Why did you do a movieThe High Rated Gabru wants people to support him and to not keep questioning his new career choice Its very much related I am going in another mould but I will remain an artiste only he saidRandhawa went on to add exuberantly I never had fear of anything since day one Na kisi gaane ka na kisi chiz ka I just want my mind to be like this forever I love my mind I just want my mind to remain in control the way it is right nowThe film starring Randhawa and Saiee promises to be a heartwarming family entertainer with a touch of drama The movie is set in Agra and revolves around two lovers and their crazy familiesKuch Khattaa Ho Jaay also features Anupam Kher Ila Arun and the Telugu comedy star Brahmanandan Produced by Mach Films and Amit Bhatia the film will hit theatres on February 16 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/guru-randhawa-opens-up-on-his-acting-debut-i-am-starting-from-zero-520053.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ex-diplomat-says-india-must-reclaim-kashmirs-historical-links-with-xinjiang-520098.html New Delhi Feb 14 As China continues to bless the Pakistani deep states designs on Kashmir a former top diplomat has made a pitch for India becoming more active across the Karakoram region and reclaiming the ancient economic and cultural ties that bound it with KashmirThere was a time when Kashmir a bustling centre of scholarship and trade thrived as a gateway to Central Asia particularly to the now cordonedoff Xinjiang province Chinas infamous ethnic cleansing laboratoryIt is precisely this link that Prof Kulbhushan Warikoo studies in his book The Crossroads KashmirIndias Bridge to Xinjiang Rupa which was released at the India International CentreThe book casts the spotlight on Kashmirs longforgotten historical and cultural heritage that was also influenced greatly by its sociocultural and economic ties with XinjiangThe seed of the book was sown in 1979 when I met an Uighur and learnt of the ordeal of those people in Xinjiang Prof Warikoo saidThe link between the two regions go at least as far back as the eighth century CE when the emperor Lalitaditya reigned over Kashmir and the Tang dynasty ruled XinjiangShyam Saran former ambassador to China and author of How China Sees India and The World moderating the discussion shared an anecdote from a visit to Kashgar a city in Xinjiang decades agoHe met a Kashmiri man who first understood him to be a Pakistani Upon learning that he is Indian the trader got excited spoke to him in Hindustani and opened a box full of silver coins This was our currency the man said excitedly It became redundant after the caravan trade stopped These coins were from the era of King George VKashgar was a strategically important oasis on the Silk Road that linked China the Middle East and Europe The links with Xinjiang facilitated extensive exchange of traders monks philosophers and scholars with KashmirThe GilgitKashgar route was the basis of the Karakoram highway which connects the GilgitBaltistan region to the ancient Silk RoadFast forward to the days of the British Raj when Kashmiri traders in Ladakh did not want Englishmen to survey their land they were quick to relay their concern to XinjiangThe Englishmen were led there by an interest they had envisioned decades ahead of that time that these trade routes were access points to different regions of a tremendously rich landThe discussion panel also included former ambassador and Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Rajiv Sikri who pointed out that even in the distinct eras when China and the US were friends and foes China never opposed US support for Pakistan nor did the US ever object to China extending support to PakistanThis indicates their understanding of the strategic significance of Kashmir and the challenge that Pakistan must constantly pose for it indicating yet again the geopolitical leverage that Kashmir lends to a nation that exercises control over itKashmir is both South Asia and Central Asia This geographical reality was forgotten to our disadvantage Sikri saidThe English saw the strategic advantage of the region Gilgit being the entry point to this route he addedTheir Great Game was to check the expansion of Tsarist Russia and then the Soviet Union But Xinjiang and the Karakoram stood as impediments to British interests so the Chinese were encouraged to occupy the no mans land around these regionsEmphasising that the Indian perspective on Kashmir was not strategic until recently Sikri said the Indian leadership of that time suffering from strategic myopia failed to see this region for what it was intrinsically and instead remained content to inherit whatever the British left behindWhen Kashmir became a part of India there was no discussion about its strategic value Sikri pointed outIndia never saw itself as a civilisational state and did not have a maximalist approach unlike China he said adding The question is Should we have laid claim to the Karakoram region What then stops India from acknowledging and reclaiming its cultural history beyond the Kashmir regionKavya Dubey may be reached at kavyadiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ex-diplomat-says-india-must-reclaim-kashmirs-historical-links-with-xinjiang-520098.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mous-worth-rs-1-249-cr-for-tourism-promotion-in-ups-bundelkhand-519857.html Lucknow Feb 14 Tourism specific memorandum of understanding MoUs worth Rs 1249 crore for the Bundelkhand region will be rolled out at the groundbreaking ceremony on February 19 officials have said Bundelkhands rich cultural heritage and glorious history have made the entire region a hotspot for tourists according to a government spokesmanAll seven districts of the region Jhansi Banda Chitrakoot Hamirpur Jalaun Lalitpur and Mahoba boast their unique identity culture and historyThere are approximately 34 forts and historical buildings in BundelkhandThe tourism department has planned to renovate and beautify them on the lines of Rajasthan and operate them on a PPP modeJhansi considered the jewel of Bundelkhand and renowned for Rani Laxmi Bais fort has secured more than half of the projects MoUs worth Rs 837 crore will be signed exclusively for the cityIn Chitrakoot the city where Lord Ram spent 11 years of his exile MoUs worth Rs 118 crore will be implemented to develop tourist placesSimilarly in Mahoba Jalaun and Banda MoUs of Rs 89 crore Rs 8673 crore and Rs 75 crore respectively will be initiatedTo popularise Bundelkhand among tourists the Tourism department had organised a 16day Bundelkhand Gaurav festival from January 23 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mous-worth-rs-1-249-cr-for-tourism-promotion-in-ups-bundelkhand-519857.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/moderate-to-heavy-rainsnow-likely-in-jk-from-feb-17-21-519903.html Srinagar Feb 14 Heavy to moderate rainsnow is likely to occur in JK from February 17 to February 21 Mukhtar Ahmad director of the local MeT office told IANS A couple of moderate to intense Western Disturbances are most likely to affect JampK and adjoining areas from February 17 afternoon onwardsUnder the influence of these an extended wet spell from February 17 night onwards till February 21 afternoon is most likely to occur over JampK and adjoining areasIn Kashmir Division weather on February 17 is likely to be partly to generally cloudy with possibility of light snow at isolated higher reaches towards late nightOn February 18 generally cloudy weather with possibility of light to moderate rainsnow at many placesOn February 1920 there is possibility of light to moderate rainsnow at most places plains amp lower reaches with possibility of heavy snowfall over middle amp higher reaches of Kupwara Baramulla Bandipora Ganderbal Badgam Shopian and Kulgam districts during February 19 late afternoonevening to February 20 late nightOn February 21 there is possibility of light to moderate snow at many places till afternoonlate afternoon and gradual improvement thereafterIn Jammu Division on February 18 there is possibility of light rainsnow at many places and on February 1920 there is possibility of intermittent light to moderate rain with thunderlightning in plains of Jammu Division with light to moderate snowfall over higher reaches with heavy snowfall over isolated higher reaches of Ramban Poonch Doda and KishtwarOn February 21 light to moderate snowrainthunderlightning over many places till late afternoonevening and gradual improvement thereafterThe system may lead to temporary closure of roads of higher reaches and important passes like Sinthan pass Mughal Road Sadhna amp Razdan pass Zojila etcTravellers are advised to plan accordingly Farmers are advised to withhold irrigation and fertilizer application amp drain out excess water from Orchards and fields during the above periodSignificant drop in day temperature during the above period is expectedSrinagar recorded minus 3 degree Celsius Gulmarg minus 42 and Pahalgam minus 52 as the minimum temperature on WednesdayLeh town in Ladakh region had minus 114 and Kargil minus 172 as the minimum temperatureJammu had 81 Katra 9 Batote 06 Bhaderwah 16 and Banihal 42 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/moderate-to-heavy-rainsnow-likely-in-jk-from-feb-17-21-519903.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 11:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/pilgrims-can-get-kashi-darshan-for-rs-500-in-ac-buses-519698.html Varanasi Feb 13 The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to launch a scheme for pilgrims in which they will be able to visit five spots in Varanasi at a nominal cost of Rs 500 an official spokesperson saidThe footfall in Kashi has gone up significantly and the numbers continue to soar To facilitate the pilgrims the state government has decided to launch a Kashi Darshan scheme the spokesperson saidAs per the scheme the government will launch an electric AC bus that will take pilgrims to five places of religious importance including Kashi Vishwanath temple Kaal Bhairav temple Durga temple and Sankat Mochan templeThe yatra will begin from Cantt railway station of VaranasiBookings can also be made at the station The proposal will be taking shape through Varanasi City Transport ServicesOfficials said that government had also undertaken revival and restoration of the temples in Varanasi on a large scale IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/pilgrims-can-get-kashi-darshan-for-rs-500-in-ac-buses-519698.html Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/story-of-ayodhya-for-guests-at-feb-19-groundbreaking-ceremony-in-lucknow-519593.html Lucknow Feb 13 Guests at the groundbreaking ceremony GBC in Lucknow next week will be treated to events that will showcase the story of Ayodhya and also the rich culture and heritage of Uttar PradeshThe state tourism department will hold a number of events to display before the guests who will be arriving here to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony on February 19Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to perform the bhoomi pujan at the event to be held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan IGPPrincipal secretary tourism and culture Mukesh Meshram said The department has planned several events to ensure that the guests witness the symbolic beginning of a transformative project and immerse themselves in the regions cultural tapestry through our cultural programmesThe focal point of the entertainment planned for the guests is a cultural programme that will vividly narrate the story of Ayodhya The thematic presentation aims to highlight the historical and cultural importance of Ayodhya in the context of Indian heritage From the ancient roots embedded in mythology to its relevance in contemporary India the cultural programme will showcase journey through time Meshram saidOne of the highlights of the cultural extravaganza would be a mesmerising Kathak performance The inclusion of Kathak would add a touch of elegance and tradition to the event offering the guests a glimpse into the classical arts that have flourished in Uttar Pradesh he addedHe said We are enthusiastic about presenting cultural richness of state in front of the guests The culture of Uttar Pradesh will be showcased and artistes from every nook and corner of the state will come together to present their unique programmes at crucial intersectionsMoreover streets and crossings of the state capital will come alive with performances by talented artistes hailing from various corners of Uttar Pradesh These performances at every important crossing hold a special significance as they create an immersive cultural experience for the guests making the entire city a stage for artistic expressionThe artistes carefully selected to represent the diverse cultural landscape of the state will showcase the vibrancy and creativity that define Uttar Pradeshs artistic traditionsGrand celebrations of culture is planned to not only serve as a source of entertainment but also act as a bridge connecting the past present and future of states rich culture and heritage The programs would be displaying the cultural richness of the region Meshram said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/story-of-ayodhya-for-guests-at-feb-19-groundbreaking-ceremony-in-lucknow-519593.html Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prez-murmu-on-2-day-visit-to-rajasthan-today-519667.html Jaipur Feb 13 President Droupadi Murmu will be on a twoday visit to Rajasthan from TuesdayAs per officials President Murmu will be first arriving in Jaipur on Tuesday evening and will reach Raj Bhawan directly from the airport On Wednesday morning she will leave for Mehandipur Balaji by helicopter After visiting Mehandipur Balaji she will participate in the womens conference which is being organized by Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad Rajivika under Lakhpati Didi Yojana at Beneshwar Dham located in Dungarpur district on February 14Officials said around 10000 women will participate in the programme in DungarpurPresident Murmu is the first president to visit Baneshwar Dham where this Tribal Mahakumbh is being held on Wednesday at Beneshwar Dham Banswara a place of faith for lakhs of tribalsHere drums will be played to welcome her A representative dance of Holi will be presented in VagadShe will stay in Dungarpur for over three hours and will then leave for Delhi on Wednesday evening IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prez-murmu-on-2-day-visit-to-rajasthan-today-519667.html Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/historian-sugata-bose-explores-how-india-china-can-revive-the-asian-dream-519270.html New Delhi Feb 12 Celebrated historian Sugata Bose who holds Harvard Universitys prestigious Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History has said in his latest book that the Asian Dream remained unfulfilled because of two major events that unfolded in the last centuryThe first was Japans invasion of China in 1937 and the second Chinas incursions into India that led to the 1962 WarIn his new book titled Asia After Europe Imagining A Continent In The Long Twentieth Century HarperCollins Bose who also served as a TMC MP in the Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2019 writes Japans invasion of China undermined the idea of Asia as never beforeHe notes that Rabindranath Tagore who kept a close watch on Japan was dismayed because of the invasion and in his correspondence in 1937 with the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi who had visited him in Santiniketan in 1935 revealed the chasm in their interpretations of the SinoJapanese conflictBose whos also Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses grand nephew and director of the Netaji Research Bureau Kolkata writes that although the Congress then led by Netaji sent a medical mission to China under Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis as a gesture of Asian solidarity in the face of Asian aggression the Japanese invasion was the first big crack in Asian cohesion that did not healBose avers that during the 1910s Tagore and fellow poetphilosopher Muhammad Iqbal had been shocked by the carnage triggered by European rivalries fuelled by intense nationalism The decade of the 1930s showed that Asia was by no means immune to the virus of nationalismHe writes that one of the most dramatic manifestations of this trend was the dissolution of the bonds of the muchtrumpeted brotherhood between India and China that culminated in a brief but bitter border war between the two countries in the autumn of 1962Yet even at that moment of rivalry and conflict between Asian nationstates an intellectual quest began to discover what a Japanese scholar of modern Chinese literature Takeuchi Yoshimi evocatively called in a 1960 lecture Asia as method Bose notesGiven all the faultlines between Asian nations economic interdependence among Asian nations has grown rapidly between 1979 and 2019 with East Southeast and South Asia conducting more than half of their international trade among themselves in the 2010s compared with onethird in the 1980sCultural flows have been enhanced contributing to fresh synergies in the domains of Asian arts and humanities the pace of intraAsian migration quickened with people on the move across the vast continent in numbers unimaginable between the 1940 and the 1980s Bose writesHe writes that the dream of Asian universalism had been shattered in the twentieth century by the conflict between Japan and China Its fate in the twentyfirst century will depend to a significant extent on the ability of China and India to peacefully manage their simultaneous rise Bose saysHe writes that both Asian giants are beset with internal problems of inequity and their ability to address those may be just as important as the state of their mutual relations IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/historian-sugata-bose-explores-how-india-china-can-revive-the-asian-dream-519270.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/iaf-choppers-to-display-aerial-manoeuvres-at-singapore-airshow-519531.html New Delhi Feb 12 The Sarang Helicopter Display Team of the Indian Air Force IAF will showcase its manoeuvres in the Singapore Airshow in which five Advanced Light Helicopters ALH will also participateA 71member team of IAFs Sarang Helicopter Display Team landed at the Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore on Monday to participate in the Singapore Airshow 2024 According to the Ministry of Defence the Sarang Helicopter Display Team will be showcasing its spectacular manoeuvres at the event with five Advanced Light Helicopters ALH also known as Dhruv The induction was carried out with the IAFs C17 Globemaster III heavylift transport aircraftThe biennial Singapore Airshow is scheduled to be held from February 20 to February 24 The show will feature various aerial displays from the participants from all over the globe The Sarang Helicopter Display Team was formed in 2003 and it is noteworthy that their very first international public performance came in 2004 at the Asian Aerospace Show in Singapore Initially formed and raised as a threehelicopter formation the Sarang team now boasts of a fivehelicopter display and has performed over 1200 displays at more than 385 venues across the globe the Defence Ministry saidThe ministry said the Dhruv helicopter designed and conceived by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is an allweather multimission capable chopper which features rigid hingeless rotors making it highly manoeuvrable and suitable for military roles The variant to the ALH flown by the Sarang team is ALH MKI The other variants are ALH MkII ALH MKIlI while the latest variant is ALH MK IV an armed version IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/iaf-choppers-to-display-aerial-manoeuvres-at-singapore-airshow-519531.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 22:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/now-weddings-in-up-ride-high-on-ram-theme-519348.html Lucknow Feb 12 The bridegroom rode in on a Rath wearing a golden crown instead of the traditional headgear and sherwani was replaced by dhotikurtaThe new chartbuster Ram aayenge played in the background giving the Bollywood chartbusters a missThe bride for a change covered her face with a long ghoonghat and most guests thought they had entered a wrong venue until realisation struck they were attending a Ramthemed weddingAfter the opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya last month this wedding season is marked by a huge demand for Treta Yug weddingsWe had anticipated something like this but not at this scale Almost every third wedding is based on the Ram theme People want weddings to be a pious and spiritual event instead of a boisterous celebration said Pihu Kohil a wedding plannerExplaining the new look weddings she said The decor has a royal feel and the stage is usually set up like a palace illuminated with diyas where the modern swayamvar exchange of garlands takes place Statuettes and temple models dominate the venue while the groom and the bride also wear traditional attireExotic flowers like orchids are replaced with traditional marigold strings and the gifts exchanged during the wedding ceremonies are mostly gold and silver coins embossed with images of Ram and SitaWedding invitations politely mention the dress code as traditional which means that offshoulder gowns and backless dresses should be avoidedThe waiters serving at the wedding are made to wear dhotikurta with a prominent tilakThe food expectedly is vegetarian and carbonated drinks are replaced with sherbats that are infused with dry fruits and saffron to ward off the cold weatherThe wedding planner however said that this craze for Ramthemed weddings had not taken the fun away from weddings completelyPeople are also simultaneously having prewedding cocktails bachelor parties and post wedding celebrations where the guest can savour a wide range of cuisines and get high she said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/now-weddings-in-up-ride-high-on-ram-theme-519348.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kalinga-literary-festival-2024-concludes-519366.html Bhubaneswar Feb 12 The third day of the Kalinga Literary Festival KLF concluded on a high note as literary enthusiasts and cinephiles gathered to celebrate a blend of literature cinema and musicThe festival witnessed engaging sessions insightful discussions and the felicitation of literary luminariesFilm director Rahul Rawail was part of two sessions exploring the legacy of Raj KapoorThe discussions delved into Kapoors idiosyncrasies underrated movies and his lasting impact on the film industryRawail shared personal anecdotes and insights creating a memorable experience for the audienceKanishka Gupta in a session on Laxmi Murdeshwar Puris debut novel Swallowing the Sun provided a deep dive into the books themes and influencesPuris work a contemporary fiction weaved an epic love story with social and political narratives resonating with Indias cultural evolutionAnother session moderated by Prabhat Ranjan explored the experimentation in Hindi literature Panellists Pratap Somvanshi Avinash Das and Avinash Mishra discussed the evolving voices within Hindi poetry encouraging emerging writers to embrace change and experimentationAshwani Kumar led a discussion on Chandan Gowdas book Another India delving into themes of cultural anthropology caste dynamics and modernity The conversation provided insights into the diverse experiences captured in the bookIn a heartfelt discussion panellists comprising prominent Odia writers Ashwani Kumar Angshuman Kar Rabindra K Swain Durga Prasad Panda and Kedar Mishra delved into the genesis Scent of Rain an anthology of poems in memory of the legendary Jayanta Mahapatra edited by Ashwani Kumar Prof Kar emphasised Mahapatras role in nurturing young poets and his profound connection to OdishaUsha Uthup reflecting on her remarkable journey shared I never engage in a battle with time I embrace each moment letting it shape its harmony The songs that came my way brought me joy and I never fretted about overtaking the lead If a song became a hit that was my triumphUsha Uthup expressing her love for Odia music added with a smile I would be delighted to sing some more Odia songs if given the chanceSharing about the festival Founder and Director of Kalinga Literary Festival Rashmi Ranjan Parida said I believe in the transformative power of literature to shape minds bridge cultures and ignite the flame of curiosity The Kalinga Literary Festival is not just an event its a celebration of the boundless potential of words to inspire provoke and unite humanity IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kalinga-literary-festival-2024-concludes-519366.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/diverse-themes-encapsulate-day-2-of-aklf-519401.html Kolkata Feb 12 The second days events at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival AKLF began with the session Translating the Icons with Lopamudra Maitra discussing Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhurys whimsical tales alongside Prasun Roy who took to Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyays horror storiesTogether they shared their experiences of translating two iconic Bengali literary personalitiesJashodhara Chakraborti conducted the sessionThe following session Blowin in the Wind had Sam Miller author of Migrants discuss the widespread phenomenon of migration and displacement He was in conversation with Ruchir JoshiThe third session of the day Green Earth successfully saw environmental artist Louise FowlerSmith and Tara Gandhi environmentalist and ornithologist discuss their work and its relation to climate changeThe session was supported by the Australian ConsulateGeneral Kolkata and was conducted by Bittu SahgalKeeping up with the theme of translation was the session Show and Tell where translators Aruna Chakravarti Vishes Kothari Arshia Sattar and Urvashi Butalia discussed their most significant challenges as translatorsBijoya Sawian and Manish Gaekwad revisited their family memoirs while walking down memory lane at the All in the Family session alongside Kavita PunjabiThe next session titled Climate Fiction Moves had Gargi Rawat Rajat Chaudhuri Dia Mirza Virtually and Bittu Sahgal talk about how books film and the arts can further the cause of climate Neela Majumdar conducted this sessionTable Talk On Building a Culture of Food had Sonal Ved Maria Goretti Shalini Modi and Julia Roberts conversing with Shaun KenworthyCrossroads was a session where Rahul Shivshankar and Chandan Gowda discussed the ideas in their respective books raising awareness about the India we think we know They were in conversation with Monideepa BanerjieThe following session was also conducted by Monideepa Banerjie which had veteran Indian Politician P Chidambaram discuss his new book A Watershed YearThe final session at Allen Park titled In Graphic Detail saw the announcement of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize shortlist The jurors included Alka Pande Kunal Basu amp Anja Riedeberger VirtuallyThe day concluded with a conversation between Pinaki De Debkumar Mitra and Harsho Mohan Chattoraj on an upcoming graphic translation of Saadat Hasan Mantos work Meanwhile at the Oxford Junior Literary Festival Day 2 continued with a Meet the Author session followed by a Words in Action Workshop For Meet the Author Jael Sillman of Shalome Rides a Royal Elephant fame interacted with children followed by Anjana Basu author of Grandfathers Tiger TalesThe storytelling workshop for Day 2 was conducted by The Creative Arts Academy and led by Ramanjit KaurThe Poetry Cafe continued on the second day with Jerry Pinto reading and discussing his poems from I Want a Poem and Other PoemsThis was followed by Renu Roy who read from the Far Side and Other Poems and later discussed it with Supriya NewarMukul Kumar read from The Rhythm of the Ruins and was in conversation with Sunil BhandariThe final two sessions included Maria Goretti reading from To the Moon and Back and discussing pertinent themes with Ipsita GanguliFinally the Poets Circle convened with Sunil Bhandari Supriya Newar Iryna Vikyrchak Basisali Chatterjee Dutt Anjana Basu and Debasish Lahiri reading recent poems IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/diverse-themes-encapsulate-day-2-of-aklf-519401.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/for-the-children-by-the-children-519414.html New Delhi Feb 12 Entirely conceptualised with children from 10 government schools in Ambedkar Nagar Tigri and Khanpur areas of New Delhi the Kalakriti Arts Festival KAF to be held on February 12 and 13 is a twoday visual delight with art installations artful corners exhibitions interactive spaces and performances by studentsThe festival is unique and a firstofitskind community arts festival dedicated to making the community experience the power of art firsthandNalandaWay Foundation through KAF brings together artworks theatre music and dance performances to the community at largeFor the festival children from different schools came together with 15 artists of NalandaWay to create large art installations and expressive performances over the last yearWhile the event is the culmination of artful sessions over a short period NalandaWay Foundation intends to flag off the idea of celebrating community arts fest on a continuum thereby celebrating arts with for and within the communityKalakriti which is also the name of the NalandaWay Arts and Learning Centre situated in that area has been offering arts music wellbeing and other lifeskills sessions to children adolescents and youth in the area over the past few yearsThe foundation will also offer workshops training and resources that are planned for children adolescents mothers and others in the communityThe vision of the Kalakriti festival and the centre is to use the power of arts to enhance coping skills from anxieties stress and building resilience among children and youthDuring the twoday festival audiences and the community can witness childrens artworks spanning multiple art installations engage in interactive spaces and art productions and experience arts up closeThe festival is accessible to all open to community members parents especially to immerse appreciate and indulge in arts and relive the creative freedom that art offersSriram Ayer Founder and CEO of NalandaWay Foundation said Kalakriti has been envisioned as a gathering place for children and adolescents to learn the arts express their fears joys and dreams through the arts and build hope and resilience It is also a safe space for them to share their anxieties with their peers and seek help IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/for-the-children-by-the-children-519414.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tribute-to-isro-thousands-create-largest-online-video-album-by-holding-abdominal-plank-in-bluru--519038.html Bengaluru Feb 11 A Guinness World Record was created after thousands paid tribute to Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO for its accomplishments by creating the largest online video album of people holding the abdominal plank in Bengaluru Guinness World Records adjudicator declared Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance as a new Guinness World Record holder for largest online video album of people holding the abdominal plank position PlankforAces saw 5194 videos being uploaded by people from all segments said an official release on SundayBajaj Allianz Life on Sunday organised the fourth edition of Plankathon in Bengalurus Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium to celebrate the Indian Space Research Organizations ISRO remarkable achievements with Chandrayaan and the Solar Mission Aditya L1The onground Plankathon event was a culmination of the companys popular campaign PlankForAces that invited Indians to come together to thank the brilliant scientists at ISRO by uploading their video of holding the abdominal plankAddressing those present N Sudheer Kumar Director Capacity Building and Public Outreach ISRO said This is indeed an extraordinary event that showcases the collective Indian spirit We appreciate and thank everyone who has participated for their efforts Your wishes will further fuel our endeavour to make India proud as we set our focus on the new frontiers within space researchChandramohan Mehra Chief Marketing Officer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance said anything less than the worldrecord breaking feat would have been inadequate to the applause ISRO deservesActress Taapsee Pannu commented The PlankForAces movement was especially close to me and was equally inspirational as it was such a unique campaign on fitness that brought so many people together as it was an opportunity to thank our scientists from ISRO IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tribute-to-isro-thousands-create-largest-online-video-album-by-holding-abdominal-plank-in-bluru--519038.html Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/oxford-bookstore-book-cover-prize-2024-shortlist-announced-519078.html Kolkata Feb 11 Alka Pande Priti Paul Kunal Basu and Anja Riedeberger have announced the seven shortlisted titles on the second day of 15th Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival AKLFThe shortlisted book covers include The Book Beautiful designed by Bhavi Mehta The Penguin Book of Indian Poets designed by Ahlawat Gunjan Azad Nagar designed by Saurav Das The Adornment of Gods designed by Saurabh Garge Not Quite a Disaster after All designed by Amit Malhotra When Indian Flowers Bloomed in Europe designed by Sashi Bhushan Prasad Mystics and Sceptics designed by Bonita Vaz ShimrayThe list was chosen by a jury comprising author Kunal Basu novelist Shobhaa De art curator Alka Pande MP and author Shashi Tharoor and Priti Paul from Apeejay Surrendra Group Guest Jurors Director Institut français in India and Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action French Embassy in India Emmanuel Lebrun Damiens and Director Information Services South Asia GoetheInstitut Max Mueller Bhavan Anja Riedeberger were also announced at the eventIn its first year Bena Sareen was awarded the prize for the book Talking of Justice by late author Leila Seth published by AlephEstablished in 1919 Oxford Bookstore is one of the oldest heritage bookstores in the country It is Indias only bookstore to curate multiple literary festivals like Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob and Hindi Sahitya Utsav IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/oxford-bookstore-book-cover-prize-2024-shortlist-announced-519078.html Sun, 11 Feb 2024 17:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dont-eat-for-2-days-if-your-parents-dont-vote-for-me-shiv-sena-mla-tells-schoolchildren-518660.html Hingoli Maharashtra Feb 10 The maverick Shiv Sena MLA from Kalamnuri constituency Santosh L Bangar has once again embarrassed the ruling MahaYuti government while making an early campaign for the Assembly elections due around October 2024Bangar 43 a school dropout addressed a meeting among some 50odd schoolchildren of a primary school all aged below 10 years in Lakh village in his constituencyHe made a bizarre speech before the schoolchildren videos of which have gone viral on social media asking the children to abstain from eating for two days if their parents did not vote for him Bangar in the next electionsIf your parents ask you why you are not taking your food tell them that first they must vote for Santosh Bangar me before you break the hunger fast Bangar is heard pleading to the children almost sounding sternHe also made the little demure kids chant in a loud chorus his name at least three times Santosh Bangar even as his own supporters and some school teachers standing around stifled their laughterBangars brazen antics immediately sparked a row from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA leaders who demanded action against Bangar for exploiting small children to catch votesCongress Leader of Opposition Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar slammed the ruling MLA for instigating the kids not to eat for a couple of days if their parents do not vote for him BangarDespite the Election Commission of India ECIs orders not to use children for political campaigning or any election related works the ruling party legislator is indulging this by going to a school for canvassing said a fuming WadettiwarHe sought to know whether the Education Minister of state is sleeping and if the ECI would clarify if this right and will it take action against Bangar for blatantly flouting the election rulesIn a sharp attack Nationalist Congress Party SP MLA Rohit R Pawar asked whether he Bangar is some kind of a Mahatma for inducing small students to keep off food for two days unless their parents vote for himWhat is his big contribution to education in his constituency Using children for politicking is a crime and action must be taken against such legislators demanded Rohit R PawarShiv Sena UBT National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said Bangars shameless appeal before such small and innocent children proves that he has no face to face the people and parents of his constituency due to his arrogance and highhanded behaviour in publicIts a shame to what level the MahaYuti legislators have stooped Now they are targetting children to blackmail their parents into voting for them Tomorrow they will threaten other sections of society like the firsttime voters or women with consequences if they dont choose the ruling alliance candidates rued TiwariBangar is no stranger to controversies owing to his utterances and has several such faux pas to his credit in the recent pastDuring the vertical split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022 he had declared allegiance to the then MVA Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray but barely a day later he proclaimed that his loyalties lay at the feet of the rebel leader Eknath Shinde later the new Chief Minister In August 2021 Bangar once threatened to barge into the home of Union Minister Narayan Rane and hammer him saying I have the guts to teach you a lessonLater in August 2022 Bangar sparked an uproar after slapping a canteen manager for allegedly serving poor quality food to childrenLast month he had vowed to hang himself publicly if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not reelected in the 2024 electionsBangar claimed that in 2019 he was elected MLA after he took the vow of the Lord Ganesh Temple in Hingoli and now he has again taken another vow at the same temple praying for the return of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister this yearQuaid Najmi can be contacted at qnajmiiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/dont-eat-for-2-days-if-your-parents-dont-vote-for-me-shiv-sena-mla-tells-schoolchildren-518660.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/new-book-documents-genesis-of-gandhi-jinnah-clash-that-led-to-partition-518672.html New Delhi Feb 10 A new book titled What If There Was No Congress Rupa Publication by author and political brand strategist Priyam GandhiMody has shed light on an elite Indian party which sowed the seeds of Partition by setting off a clash of the egos of two GujaratisThere is a famous party that took place in 1914 for Mahatma Gandhi when he stopped over in London after returning from South Africa in which MA Jinnah was also present It is believed that this is where the two gentlemen first met and had a conversation presumably on Indian politics writes the authorTwo years later they met again this time at a party thrown by the Congress leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale at Jinnahs house in Bombay and here is where the earliest signs of the lifelong divide between Gandhi and Jinnah became evidentGandhiMody writes that at this party where Jinnah was the host Gandhi took to the stage at one point and said of Jinnah I am so pleased to see that not only is a Muslim a part of the Congress but that he is in charge of his branch of itJinnah found these remarks rather condescending because not only was he Gandhis senior in the legal profession he had also made a name for himself as a result of the progress he had made in fighting the British in the courtsGandhiModi writes that Jinnah and the Mahatma had several personal clashes that ended up eventually to the events leading up to PartitionAt the Nagpur session of the Congress in 1920 according to GandhiMody Jinnah tried to make an agitated plea referring to Gandhi as Mr Gandhi and not Mahatma He was at once heckled and shut down by Gandhis supporters in the audience For the thinskinned Jinnah being interrupted by his junior colleagues supporters was too much of an insult to take in notes the authorJinnah quickly realised that in front of the godly status that Gandhi had begun to acquire among members and supporters of the Congress because of the Hindu imagery he kept invoking his own vision of the subcontinents future stood no chanceGandhiMody writes that Jinnah grew increasingly arrogant and selfserving Many including Nehru believed that Jinnah had taken the League leadership to get back at the Congress which he believed had deprived him of what he thought was deservingly hisWrites GandhiModi One of the gravest mistakes the Congress leadership made was to underestimate Jinnahs intentions and abilities By not being able to understand Jinnahs character Nehru went on to make errors while dealing with him in the years 193948GandhiMody notes that several people had several views on Jinnah but the one point that everyone seemed to concur with was that the founder of Pakistan had a fragile ego and he liked to win at any cost famously by trapping his opponents in the details IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/new-book-documents-genesis-of-gandhi-jinnah-clash-that-led-to-partition-518672.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 13:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rs-1-mn-compensation-job-to-kin-of-man-killed-by-wild-elephant-in-kerala-518788.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 10 Following huge protest by locals over death of a man who was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Saturday the Kerala government has announced Rs one million compensation and a job to the kin of the deceased State Forest Minister A K Saseendran told the mediapersons that the need of the hour is to allow tempers to cool down in the wake of the most unfortunate incident of a man losing his lifeThe state will give Rs one million and a government job to one in the family of the victim We all understand the feelings of the people said SaseendranThe victim has been identified as Ajeesh 42 a taxi driverThe incident occurred near Mananthavady around 7 am Following the incident angry people blocked the roads and also prevented the vehicle of SP from moving forwardThe police official was on way to the Mananthavady Medical College where the body of Ajeesh was kept The SP was forced to walk on foot by the locals to the medical collegeThe locals have been protesting against the local legislator for failing to protect people from the wild animalsSources said that the wild elephant had a radio collar which was put by Karnataka forest officials but the elephant had crossed over to the Kerala forests and entered Manathavady areas where people liveThe Kerala Forest department has also decided to take steps to tranquilise the wild elephant and then leave it into the deep forestMeanwhile Congress Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi wrote in his social media account that he is shocked by the untimely demise of Ajeesh from Payyampally Mananthavady who succumbed to a fatal attack by an elephantAnother life has been tragically lost in Wayanad due to a wildlife attack He was the sole breadwinner of his family and the primary caregiver to his mother My heart goes out to his family especially his ailing mother and young children Rahul saidThe spate of wildlife attacks especially elephant attacks have caused tremendous damage to the lives and livelihoods of the people in Wayanad They have paid a huge price due to the rising instances of humananimal conflictWe have repeatedly demanded for intervention to mitigate such attacks in Wayanad particularly to protect our farmers However the lack of a comprehensive action plan to tackle this issue has only aggravated the conflict I urge the Central and State governments to take decisive steps and put in place a response mechanism that can protect both our communities and the wildlife of the region the Congress leader wrote IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/rs-1-mn-compensation-job-to-kin-of-man-killed-by-wild-elephant-in-kerala-518788.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 16:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/meghna-pant-rajat-chaudhuri-discuss-real-life-dystopias-at-aklf-2024-518830.html Kolkata Feb 10 Author Meghna Pant and crime fiction writer Rajat Chaudhuri were in conversation with Niladri Chatterjee for the session Todays Dystopias at the ongoing Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival AKLF2024Beginning with the official book launch of Meghna Pants Man Who Lost India by actress Swastika Mukherjee the actress read excerpts from the book to the audienceAs the moderator asked both writers about their inspirations behind writing their respective novels Pant pointed out masochism curiosity and patriarchyChaudhuri said his climate activism was the ultimate source of his creative visionThe Man Who Lost India writer said No female author in India has attempted a war novel beforeShe pointed out how her attempt at writing a war novel was a heretic response to men who argue that women cant write serious let alone war novelsRajat Chaudhuri also highlighted how the central character of his book loses his grip on his mental faculties in tandem with our planet which is replenishing and breaking apart day by day Speaking on violence in dystopian novels he pointed out At the bottom of dystopian fiction is always happiness vs freedom and there is no freedom in dystopiaChaudhuri pointed out that social media was responsible for the desensitisation towards violencePant added Society changes from a molecular level starting from individuals families and then society Thus we should start with ourselves Both authors also read out parts from their books IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/meghna-pant-rajat-chaudhuri-discuss-real-life-dystopias-at-aklf-2024-518830.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/unabated-intense-cold-in-kashmir-ladakh-freezes-with-kargil-at-minus-224-518596.html Srinagar Feb 10 Unabated intense cold continued on Saturday in Kashmir while the Ladakh region remained in deep freeze as Kargil town froze at minus 224 during the nightMet department said that Srinagar had minus 49 Gulmarg minus 7 and Pahalgam minus 86 as the minimum temperature todayIn Ladakh region Leh town had minus 145 and Kargil minus 224 as the minimum temperatureNight temperatures were below normal in Jammu on SaturdayJammu city had 73 Katra 61 Batote 39 Bhaderwah minus 22 and Banihal 18 as the minimum temperatureMeT department has forecast same weather condition to continue till February 14 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/unabated-intense-cold-in-kashmir-ladakh-freezes-with-kargil-at-minus-224-518596.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 09:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/taj-mahotsav-to-focus-on-viksit-bharat-this-year-518171.html Agra Feb 9 Taj Mahotsav the tenday long carnival of music dances cultural extravaganza starting from February 17 will focus on Viksit Bharat showcasing the industrial strides and developmental targets achieved by the ruling dispensation in Uttar PradeshAgras Divisional Commissioner Ritu Maheshwari on Thursday evening announced the detailed programme and the names of dignitaries from Bollywood who would regale the audiences at the Shilpgram complex 500 metre from the Taj MahalMaheshwari said this years Taj Mahotsav will include an arts and crafts Mela Yamuna Maha Arti bird watching tours photography exhibition flower show car and bike rally hot air balloon rides puppet shows etc in addition to entertainment programmes at the open air theatreMusical programmes by Anoop Jalota Chandan Das and standup comedy show by Amit Tandon would be held at the Soor Sadan auditoriumSingers including Javed Ali Salman Ali Nizami Brothers Roop Kumar and Sonali Rathod plus Swati Mishra Meenaxi Thakur etc will present programmes in the evenings Several theatre groups have also been lined up in addition to Mushairas and Kavi SammelansMaheshwari said Agra was an international tourist centre which should be recognised also for its culture cuisine and handicraftsThe Taj Mahotsav this year would make a serious bid to present a new and a positive profile of Agra and Uttar PradeshUnder the One District One Product programme 50 stalls would showcase products from different districts of the stateThe Divisional Commissioner added that new tourist spots like Taj View Point Gyarah Seedi Soor Sarovar Etmauddaula View Point will be popularised by holding programmes Local artistes will get an opportunity to present their talent at the indoor auditorium within the Shilpgram complex Audition to select the local artistes has already been heldFor 10 days all roads in Agra will lead to the Taj Mahotsav venue which will turn into a major entertainment hubOur aim is to promote tourism and we expect a large number of foreign tourists to visit the mahotsav daily officials saidHowever the general response of the local hospitality industry remains rather cold as several captains of the tourism sector feel the Mahotsav in past years has remained a sarkari tamasha with no tangible benefits to the industry Though the number of local visitors has gone up the failure to attract foreign tourists calls for reviewing the character of the fair as also the timings say the hoteliers Some tourism industry leaders here say the original objectives for organising this fair have not been fulfilledIt has got too much localised and seems like some kind of an extended village Haat they sayThe fair lacks a distinct appeal and thrust areas that could interest foreign visitorsHoteliers say the tourists fail to get a glimpse of the splendour and opulence of the Mughal eraA hotelier said Year after year you cannot go on repeating the same old features The cultural richness of Braj bhoomi and the Mughal era should be creatively presented IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/taj-mahotsav-to-focus-on-viksit-bharat-this-year-518171.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lucknow-under-ai-enabled-camera-surveillance-now-518459.html Lucknow Feb 9 In a first Lucknow will get artificial intelligenceenabled camera surveillance for the safety of citizensA total of 1000 AI cameras equipped with face recognition technology have been installed at key locations across the cityMunicipal Commissioner and CEO of Smart City Lucknow Inderjit Singh said As part of the Safe City project these CCTV cameras have been placed strategically and will capture suspicious movement of persons by scanning faces against police database and alert control rooms in case of any criminal activityPrime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate this hitech facility when he will be in the city for the groundbreaking ceremony of GIS projects on February 19He will also inaugurate over 100 streetlights installed along the Shaheed Path and the Ahana Enclave in AashianaUntil now 53 crossings in Lucknow have been covered with integrated traffic management system ITMS to streamline traffic and catch traffic violators said SinghThe AI cameras will also help in keeping the city clean This new initiative promises a safer urban environment Alerts will also be sent for open dumping These cameras have been placed at locations like public gathering places big crossings colleges hostels and commercial hubs Additional installations are planned in other city areas integrated with the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System NAFIS The cameras will aid in identifying individuals using centralised data and ensuring a swift response to potential threats he saidTo store records from the AIpowered cameras a server room has been established under the Safe City office in the Lalbagh area of LucknowEquipped with PTZ pantiltzoom and fixed cameras along with 238 ITMS surveillance cameras this system will assist the police in investigating incidents The project which took 19 months to complete and cost Rs 96 crore also includes AI cameras and panic buttons in 165 city buses enhancing safety for the commutersSingh said besides crime prevention the AI cameras will monitor various aspects like identifying individuals outside schools and colleges tracking released prisoners and responding to emergencies signalled through panic buttonsHelp hotlines and helplines will be integrated with the AI system ensuring a more connected and responsive security network for the city It will transform the citys security landscape We are also trying to rope in the community including businesses and organisations who have IPbased cameras to actively participate in this initiative Singh said IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/lucknow-under-ai-enabled-camera-surveillance-now-518459.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 19:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/wildlife-activist-blames-kuno-official-for-hiding-cheetah-cubs-health-report-518464.html Bhopal Feb 9 The first cheetah cub born on Indian soil at Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park KNP after 20 big cats were transported from African countries was injured a wildlife activist has claimed Bhopalbased wildlife activist Ajay Dube shared a photograph of cheetah cub on his social media handle claiming the felines right leg was fractured on November 28 but the Kuno authority did not reveal the matter Dube wrote to the National Tiger Conservation Authority NTCA the nodal agency of Indias ambitious Project Cheetah demanding an investigation into the matter 10 months old cheetah cubs right leg was fractured in quarantine home however the Kuno authority informed the NTCA a week later he added Senior Indian Forest Service officer IFoS Uttam Sharma who is supervising the Project Cheetah at Kuno however denied the allegation claiming no such incident had happened However an official document available with IANS revealed that the said cheetah cub was treated on November 29 At present Kuno has as many as 21 cheetahs 13 adult felines brought from South Africa and Namibia and eight cubs born on Indian soil A total of 11 cubs were born at Kuno since September 2022 out of which three cubs died Seven cubs born recently are said to be fit and fine In his letter to the NTCA Dube also mentioned that two other cheetahs namely Nirva and Agni were sick which is a matter of concern IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/wildlife-activist-blames-kuno-official-for-hiding-cheetah-cubs-health-report-518464.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 19:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/smuggled-snake-venom-worth-rs-12-crore-recovered-in-bengal-518243.html Kolkata Feb 9 Border Security Force on Friday said that they have seized smuggled snake venom worth Rs 12 crore from an Indo Bangladesh bordering pocket at Hili in South Dinajpur district in the northern sector of West BengalBSF said that one accused was arrested from whom the crystal jar containing the snake venom was seized He has been handed over to the state forest department officialsThe arrested person has been identified as Tapan Adhikari 51It is learnt that the special crystal jar containing the snake venom consignment was made in France State Forest Department sleuths suspect that in all probability the consignment was brought there to be smuggled to China via NepalThe Ranger of Balurghat forest division Sukanta Ojha said that the person was arrested with the snake venom consignment by 61 Battalion BSFHe is a resident of Trimohini which falls under Hili Police Station He will be presented to a lower district court on Friday only The seized consignment is being sent to Mumbai for examination purposes he saidSources said that this is the third incident of seizure of smuggled snake venom consignment in the last 14 monthsIn September 2022 the officials at the forest sector in Jalpaiguri district seized snake venom worth Rs 13 croreIn October 2022 the officials had seized smuggled snake venom of estimated market value of around Rs 30 crore from Ghoshpukur forest range area at Phansidewa community development block in the plains of Darjeeling district IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/smuggled-snake-venom-worth-rs-12-crore-recovered-in-bengal-518243.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-aastha-ayodhya-special-train-from-thiruvananthapuram-on-friday-517910.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 8 The first Aastha Ayodhya special train from Kerala will be flagged off from the Kochuveli railway station here at 10 amon FridayTo bring devotees to Ayodhya from different parts of the country the Indian Railways is running Aastha special trains after the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony took place last monthThose booked to travel on the special Ayodhya train include people attached to various social groupsState BJP president KSurendran who is on a statewide yatra ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will receive the train at Kottayam railway station IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/first-aastha-ayodhya-special-train-from-thiruvananthapuram-on-friday-517910.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prayagraj-to-get-longest-ropeway-across-river-by-2025-517663.html Prayagraj Feb 8 Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh will get the countrys longest ropeway across a river by 2025The Prayagraj Mela Authority will soon start the ground survey needed to put in place a number of amenities in the ambitious Rs 250 crore projectThe survey would be based on the old detailed project report DPR An agreement regarding this has been reached in the meeting held with Prayagraj Mela Authority and defence authoritiesThe proposal to build a ropeway to give visitors a panoramic view of the Sangam was conceptualised in 2018 ahead of the 2019 Kumbh Mela The proposal and DPR were both approved by the governmentA survey was conducted of the ropeway route from Triveni Pushp Someshwarnath Ghat and over the Sangam up to Ulta Qila of JhunsiTo build a station near Ulta Qila in Jhunsi land was acquired and government land was obtained near Triveni Pushp in Arail But the project was held back for undisclosed reasonsAs preparations intensify for Maha Kumbh 2025 the ropeway has been revived as a key projectIts DPR and alignment were changed and now this ropeway will go from Shankar Viman Mandapam temple near Bade Hanuman temple and fort to Arail bandh road under the first phaseThe Army had raised objections to this DPR citing security of the fort which the ropeway is proposed to pass over Later the Ministry of Defence issued an NOCPrayagraj Development Authority vicechairman Arvind Kumar Chauhan said The city side station of the ropeway will be built near Shankar Viman Mandapam temple near Hanuman temple and after crossing the fort it will end at the second station at Triveni Pushp of Arail roadHe said that the total length of the ropeway would be 22 km and will comprise 15 cable cars each with capacity to accommodate 10 persons This will also shorten the time taken to cover the same distance between Viman Mandapam and Triveni Pushp he addedHe also said that the Army would be paid the value of the land used by the administration for the project while some land was being taken on leaseThis unique project of amalgamation of religious faith and technology will enhance tourism in the city and will come up with a number of amenities like automatic doors restaurant lockers automatic ticket vending machine parking facility restroom changing rooms escalators etc said the official IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prayagraj-to-get-longest-ropeway-across-river-by-2025-517663.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 09:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/living-with-irrfan-still-sutapa-sikadar-517984.html New Delhi Feb 8 She says he never left That snatches of him keep coming back reminding her that those we love leave a part of them with us But writer Sutapa Sikdar wife of late actor Irrfan also says that these days when she takes two steps forward something pushes her back That lifes chronology seems to have altered and time moves with an erratic rhythm He was not just my husband Our relationship began with friendship and he stayed my best buddy A partner of 30 years how do you deal with that loss It has been more than three years but I was never prepared but then we never are she told IANSA National School of Drama NSD graduate who began her career with Govind Nihlani Sikdar who was at the recently concluded Jaipur Literature Festival JLF to be part of the session Irrfan A Life in Movies and has written the Hindi version of a Bengali film besides consulting on two shows says I told the writer of Irrfan A Life in Memories Shubra Gupta that the book must be launched in Jaipur as Irrfan was from here so it has been a homecoming of sortsSikdar says she has not given anyone permission to write his biography and all books on him explore the different facets of him as an actor and what his coactors thought about himRemembering him from the time he entered NSD Sikdar recalls He was a very shy guy But there was a certain depth to him the conviction to understand his craft thoroughly He always wanted to exceed his expectations and kept working on his craftFilmmaker Anup Singh who directed the late actor in Qissa and The Song of Scorpions has also written a beautiful book on him titled Dialogues with the WindHe is a very close family friend who knew different facets of Irrfan I liked what he has writtenStressing that Irrfan was an extremely private man and there are many sides of him that Sikdar says she has discovered through the books written by othersI am discovering so much more about him He shared a special relationship with everyone and everyone has a story to tell There are times when I get surprised by peoples stories about him says Sikdar who has written various television series including Banegi Apni Baat and films like Kahani Khamoshi and ShabdShe has also produced many bestsellers and films such as Madari and Qareeb Qareeb SinglleEven as their son Babil Khan has now entered films the mother confesses that she never wanted him to get into this profession Unlike our times there is so much insensitivity now Look at the venomous posts on social media he is a very sensitive child but no one will care about that Also there is an unfair comparison and abnormal expectations It is just not right to compare him with Irrfan Earlier he would get distressed with the comparison but now he has realised that he is his own person who has an individual journey He told me once Baba would not have liked if I followed his style IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/living-with-irrfan-still-sutapa-sikadar-517984.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 17:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/knmas-legacy-series-edition-debuts-on-feb-9-at-kamani-auditorium-518054.html New Delhi Feb 7 The Kiran Nadar Museum of Arts KNMA inaugural edition of the The Legacy Series will be about performance and conversation celebrating the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya to be held on February 9 at the Kamani Auditorium in the national capital It will put the spotlight on the Mudgal family and their rich contribution to the cultural landscape of DelhiThe programming of the inaugural series is divided into three parts The Gandharva choirs performance led by Padma Shri Pandit Madhup Mudgal Odissi dance recital choreographed by Padma Shri recipient Madhavi Mudgal and an engaging panel discussion featuring the creative performers of the Mudgal familyThe duration of the entire programme is two hoursThe Gandharva Choir will present a selection from their repertoire Known for successfully experimenting with classical and folk styles of music the Gandharva Choir not only specialises in difficult classical forms such as Dhrupad Dhamar Varnam Kriti and Tarana but is equally adept at patriotic devotional and folk formsIts extensive repertoire includes hymns from the ancient Vedas compositions in the Hindustani as well as Carnatic styles of music Rabindrasangeet and modern experimental works involving the use of harmonyIt will be followed by a 20minute panel discussion featuring Pandit Madhup Mudgal Principal of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and Hindustani classical vocalist composer and conductor of the Gandharva Choir Madhavi Mudgal senior Odissi exponent teacher and choreographer Sawani Mudgal a young Hindustani vocalist and teacher and Arushi Mudgal a young Odissi dancer and teacherModerated by Aditi Jaitly the conversation will delve into the history of the Vidyalaya the challenges in performing arts education and the role of institutions in propagating and preserving the arts in current timesBringing down the curtains to the evening will be a 30minute Odissi dance performance titled Vistar Choreographed by Madhavi Mudgal one of Indias senior Odissi exponents the group performance will offer an experience of the traditional form of Odissi with a contemporary sensibilityKNMA has always been supportive of the harmonious convergence of performing arts and visual culture With our cultural vertical we aim to nurture all forms of performing arts that serve as powerful mediums for storytelling and are dynamic and living expressions of cultureWe hope that through our constant engagements and endeavours to bring forth the rich traditions of our performing culture ecosystem KNMA becomes a means to contribute to cultural richness and serve as a powerful vehicle for cultural representation and celebration said Kiran Nadar Founder and Chairperson of KNMA IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/knmas-legacy-series-edition-debuts-on-feb-9-at-kamani-auditorium-518054.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 20:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prakash-ambedkars-vba-proposes-39-points-for-mvas-joint-manifesto-for-ls-polls-518069.html Mumbai Feb 8 The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi VBA led by Prakash Ambedkar has released a list of 39 points which it seeks to include in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA alliances joint manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections here on Thursday The points cover social political education employment farmers youth tribals children women Dalits Minorities and other sections of the people with plans to tackle their problems plus health housing employment etc The MVA allies like the Congress Nationalist Congress Party SP Shiv Sena UBT and other constituents have not yet commented on the VBAs proposals Touching on the reservation movement the VBA said that the social and political atmosphere in the state has been disturbed and demanded that the Marathas and OBCs should be given separate quotas The VBA said that the state governments APMC Act of 2007 is antifarmer the farmers suicides is linked multifactorial indebtedness along with hike in costs of various inputs like seeds fertilisers pesticides water electricity fuel plus lack of institutional longterm lowinterest loans and insurance cover to the tillers The VBA has demanded the repeal of the antifarmer provisions in the APMC Act like promoting corporatecontract farming FDI in retail provide regular employment to agricultural labourers due to overmechanisation many of them being millions of farmers have sold their lands and become landless labourers The party sought minimum wages and social security for the unorganised contractual and temporary labour forces in urban and rural areas in the manufacturing construction and sugar industries and other sectors including domestic workers The VBA said that the socioeconomic status of the people in Maharashtra is steadily falling owing to the antipeople insensitive and corrupt policies of the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party and only the urban or rural rich are benefitting at the cost of the working class peasants artisans and other deprived sections of the population leading to increased poverty and regional imbalances The VBA has said that the MVA will not implement the New Education Policy2020 in Maharashtra and formulate its own policy for the state with a commitment to quality public education It has proposed a health policy with infrastructure for good quality primary and secondary level healthcare for the poor and disadvantaged communities at least 10 percent of the budget for developing and strengthening the public health sector and stopping privatisation of the health services Citing data the VBA said that from 20142022 more than 22crore jobless youth applied for employment but the BJP government at the Centre could only give around 722 lakh jobs and more than 30 lakh central jobs are still vacant which must be filled up on a warfooting IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/prakash-ambedkars-vba-proposes-39-points-for-mvas-joint-manifesto-for-ls-polls-518069.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 21:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/papanasham-beach-at-keralas-varkala-figures-among-worlds-100-best-beaches-518099.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 8 In an endorsement of Keralas lively beach tourism the stunning seaside getaway of Papanasham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram has been featured among the 100 best beaches in the world by the prestigious Lonely PlanetA favourite tourist destination due to its silvery stretches of sand and the serene ambience Papanasham Beach also known as Varkala Beach and about 40 kms from the state capital on the Arabian Sea has been featured in Lonely Planets Best Beaches 100 of the Worlds Most Incredible Beaches guide bookFringed by coconut palms blessed with an unending stretch of blue waters and endowed with an idyllic serenity the beach has earned the reputation of a travellers paradise and rejuvenation point dotted with spas with therapeutic effect gushing out from the surrounding laterite cliffBesides being a tourist hotspot Papanasham beach is also a revered pilgrim site The belief is that a ritualistic dip in the waters here washes away all the sins papam and hence its nameThe ashes collected from the cremation grounds are immersed at the sea here in the belief that it will wash away the sins of the deceased and the soul will achieve moksha eternal salvationAnother highlight of the beach is that it is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea This has been recorded as a geological monument by the Geological Survey of India GSIKerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said featuring into the list of best beaches in the world is a remarkable recognition for Varkala BeachLonely Planet travel book has a global readership among travel enthusiasts and the recognition accorded by it will further reinforce the reputation of the beach as an attractive destination he said adding that the government will also fasttrack the destination development project for Varkala to turn the core site and the adjoining areas into a worldclass tourism destinationThe project includes protection of the Varkala Cliff a distinguishing feature of the panoramic site exploring possibilities of using buggies and electric autos to gain access to the cliff enhancing infrastructure and safety measures and sharply reducing the use of plastic and other polluting materialAs the first step of taking it to greater heights a floating bridge and a host of other adventure tourism activities at this beach was recently launched Spanning 100 metres in length and three meters in width it provides a spacious viewing platform that can accommodate more than 100 visitors at a timeKerala Tourism will be organising the International Surfing Festival at Varkala from March 29 to 31 Surfing athletes from overseas and also Indias east and west coastal cities are expected to compete in various categories during the event IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/papanasham-beach-at-keralas-varkala-figures-among-worlds-100-best-beaches-518099.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/varanasi-to-have-countrys-first-conservation-centre-for-gangatiri-cows-517857.html Lucknow Feb 8 The Uttar Pradesh government will set up the countrys first conservation centre for Gangatiri a breed of cows in VaranasiThis breed of cows originates along the Ganga banks The state govt will establish a centre for genetic improvement and propagation of the breed in Varanasi with the help of the Central governmentThe foundation stone might be laid this month and it would be ready in a year officials saidOver the years Gangatiri has been significantly overshadowed by highyielding cow breeds like Sahiwal But the technology used at the centre will help produce cows of high genetic merit using the IVF and embryo transfer technology ETT in which embryos from genetically superior cows would be disseminated to other females to increase the number of genetically superior progeniesIt will be a game changer in enhancing production of genetically superior Gangatiri cows said Rajneesh Dube additional chief secretary ACS and chairman UP livestock development board UPLDBThe project will impact farmers of at least 30 districts in eastern UP and 20 districts in Bihar as it will help them rear superior cows of the local breed for increased milk production and incomeFemale cows of high genetic merit producing over 3000 litre milk in lactation cycle will be conserved and procured from local farmers to propagate elite germplasm further said Dr Neeraj Gupta CEO UPLDBUttar Pradesh has a pure germplasm of the breed as a herd of around 400 Gangatiri cows is being maintained at higher productivity level at state livestock and agricultural farm at Shahanshahpur in Varanasi which was established in 1950Gangatiri being a native breed has many merits like high adaptability to the region and lesser input cost The native breeds are not only resistant to a lot of diseases but also economicalThe cow weighs about 300350 kg and yields 810 litre milk every day The breed was registered by National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources NBAGR in 2015 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/varanasi-to-have-countrys-first-conservation-centre-for-gangatiri-cows-517857.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tourist-footfall-revenue-earning-rise-at-kaziranga-national-park-518116.html Guwahati Feb 8 The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve KNPTR in Assam has registered around 4 per cent rise in tourist arrival and 220 per cent revenue earning increase during the current season as compared to the same period of the previous year officials said on ThursdayOfficials at the KNPTR said that as many as 179573 tourists including foreigners visited the park from October last year to January this year while Rs 45877639 was earned during this periodIn comparisn 172903 tourists visited the park and Rs 44875100 was earned as revenue between October 2022 and January 2023Officials said the tourist flow was affected during the Covid19 pandemic years 20202021In the entire 202122 around 255676 visitors had visited the park and the revenue generated stood at Rs 54978055 while in 202223 around 326924 visitors had visited the park while the estimated revenue earned was around Rs 77607566Officials said the Kaziranga National Park nestled in the heart of Assam continues to captivate travellers and wildlife enthusiasts experiencing a significant upsurge in tourism particularly during holidaysRenowned for its landscapes rich biodiversity and inhabitants like the onehorned rhinoceros Kaziranga has emerged as a topchoice destination for families and wildlife aficionados a senior KNPTR official saidHe also said that tea tourism would be introduced in Kaziranga next month which will offer visitors an opportunity to explore the regions tea cultureThis new initiative aims to showcase the beauty of Kaziranga while providing an immersive experience in the art of tea productionKaziranga is experiencing a boost in tourism thanks to the recent success of innovative initiatives like Kazir Ronghangpi Tales cycling in Kohora Panpur jeep safari and boat safari in the Biswanath Wildlife DivisionLocal businesses have also benefited from the increased tourist influx with hotels restaurants and shops reporting a surge in activity The success of these events has created new opportunities for collaboration between the public and private sectors further contributing to the overall economic growth of the areaThe KNPTR also recorded 27 per cent increase in the number of resident and winter migratory waterbirds during a survey last monthThe twoday fifth waterbird census conducted through the citizen scientist initiative across the 1302 sq km wildlife reserve confirmed the presence of 84839 birds 18063 more than the number recorded during a corresponding survey in 202122KNPTR officials claimed that the Kaziranga is now among the top five habitats of waterbirds in the countryKazirangas Field Director Sonali Ghosh said that this time the bird census was conducted in the major wetlands adjoining the tiger reserve along with the water bodies within the reserve IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tourist-footfall-revenue-earning-rise-at-kaziranga-national-park-518116.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 23:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-flyovers-to-bloom-with-a-riot-of-multi-coloured-bougainvilleas-517883.html Mumbai Feb 8 As part of the efforts to beautify Mumbai the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation BMC will plant multicoloured bougainvilleas in over 2000 pots to be placed on the city flyovers an official said here on ThursdayThe BMC Parks Department has selected the locations on the road dividers of the 20 flyovers around the city for its colourful bougainvillea project to improve the road aesthetics and make driving more pleasantThe idea apparently struck after the Parks Department organised a horticulture exhibition last week in the Byculla Zoo where over 10000 different plant varieties were displayed and lakhs of Mumbaikars visited the 3day expoAfter seeing the public response and conducting a survey the BMC has decided on the project to make driving more scenic and appealing especially during jams or slow traffic movement or hot weather conditionsAccordingly the 20 flyovers where the road dividers are wide shall now be decorated with pots of bougainvillea in different colours taking care not to obstruct traffic or visibilityExplaining the choice of bougainvilleas an official said that these flowering plants grow well with minimal water and stay fresh for longer periods bloom in different shades of red pink orange purple violets white yellow and more almost in all seasons plus offer a cool sight particularly in the summer heat when the flyovers also heat up considerablySome of the flyovers selected are on the Western Express Highway the Link Road Bandra Kurla Complex Santacruz Vakola Lalbaug Sanjay Gandhi National Park Flyover Magathane Sudhir Phadke Flyover the SantacruzChembur Link Road Shiva Bridge Matunga Dadar Eastern Freeway GoregaonMulund Link Road SionPanvel highway Eastern Express Highways T junction SionBandra road Swatantryaveer Savarkar Road Suman Nagar etcOfficials indicate that after seeing the response the project may be expanded to cover more flyovers and wide roads with bougainvilleas or even other flowering plants depending on various factors IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mumbai-flyovers-to-bloom-with-a-riot-of-multi-coloured-bougainvilleas-517883.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cold-wave-continues-unabated-in-kashmir-517378.html Srinagar Feb 7 Due to clear night sky cold wave conditions continued across Kashmir on Wednesday The night temperature remained notches below the freezing pointMet department has forecast dry weather till February 14 Srinagar had minus 2 Gulmarg minus 10 and Pahalgam minus 108 as the minimum temperature todayIn Ladakh region Leh town had minus 162 and Kargil minus 195 as the minimum temperatureJammu city had 5 Katra 41 Batote minus 04 Bhaderwah minus 2 and Banihal minus 03 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cold-wave-continues-unabated-in-kashmir-517378.html Wed, 07 Feb 2024 10:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ram-brings-us-together-devdutt-pattanaik-517355.html New Delhi Feb 7 In times when Lord Ram has ceased to be just God author Devdutt Pattanaik who has to his credit around 50 books on mythology stresses that for him he symbolizes the eternal soul and someone who believes in taking everyone alongIt cannot get more inclusive than Him Let us not forget that he is the Maryada Purshottam For him dharma is paramount As a king he always follows the path of righteousness no matter what the consequences the author saysTalk to him about the fact that in these highly polarised times when anyone talking about mythology and the richness of Indian culture can be branded rightwing Patnaik tells IANS Honestly Right thinks I am Left and vice versa What needs to be understood is that we do not need such binaries in a country like India After all Shiva is on the right and Shakti sits on the left They have to be together This divide is foolish The king must take everyone together Left means goddess right is god The sad part is that some people try to contain me in political ideologies without even reading my books or listening to lectures Anyways everyone is free to brand me anything just buy my booksEven as the cloud of homogeneity looms supreme when it comes to mythology and culture Pattanaik opines that whoever claims to have arrived at the truth is lyingWe all are trying to get to the truth It will always be an eternal journey Hindu religion has multiple layers and everyone interprets its different facets in hisher way which lends richness I have always said it is not important to seek out the original as everything is interpretation says the author who was at the Jaipur Literature Festival JLF2024 to talk about his latest book Bahubali 63 Insights Into Jainism HarperCollins IndiaPattanaik feels that there is an intense focus on Hindu mythology and little interest in understanding others like Jainism and Buddhism In recent times when several historians have pointed out the tendency to paint mythology as history the writer a doctor by education says Well what can you do if someone is determined not to be convinced History is about the past while mythology lives in the past present and future History is about events and mythologies are about ideas While the former deals with facts the latter is about conviction And the medium is interesting stories But again not much can be done when some people just cannot differentiate no matter how much you guide them And I also believe that no society can exist without mythsPattanaik believes that religion is important to make us feel secure Humans are essentially an insecure lot and religion tends to give them a certain strength It is important to remember in this context that even atheists have a religion in the form of ideology for example the Marxists The key point is that religion must make you shant it is not supposed to have a dopamine effectFor someone who has also been involved with television and OTT he feels that most channels are just looking for TRPsSo many times they ask me for more drama But then I know what Valmiki has written how do I bring in elements that result in more eyeballs Well they aim to please Laxmi while I seek Saraswati he concludes IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ram-brings-us-together-devdutt-pattanaik-517355.html Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fake-encounters-are-just-cold-blooded-murders-ex-ips-officer-amod-kanth-516901.html Jaipur Feb 6 Believing in the strength of Indian laws and the judicial system former IPS officer and author Amod Kanth stresses that extrajudicial killings by the police are nothing but coldblooded murders Never in my entire career did I allow an encounter I am of the firm belief that the police have no right to take shortcuts Whether they are endorsed by the governments or the public it speaks of a dangerous trend We have seen many people showering rose petals on those who executed the encounter and leaders boasting about them this is an extremely dangerous trend and will have major ramifications for the society and the justice system he tells IANS during the Jaipur Literature Festival JLF2024In his latest book Khakhi on Broken Wings Police Diaries Part 2 Bloomsbury Publishing India Kanth argues for the radical restructuring of the criminal justice system so that the police and the justice system can protect the helpless instead of being subservient to the rich and the powerfulHe writes about police and its role and how the wings of the criminal justice system are fundamentally wrongStressing they are the byproduct of the 1857 revolt and the IPC and other acts were framed in the same light he adds Even now the content and character and provisions of the law remain the same The recent Criminal Reform Laws have not broken free from the past the majority are the same The architecture of the criminal justice system would not change owing to these new lawsIn his new book Kanth narrates the story of the mafia lord Romesh Sharma who terrorized his targets to extort properties worth hundreds of crores and thwarted investigations using his access to the powerful in the political and corporate worldHe also recounts how Bikini Killer Charles Sobhraj managed a sensational escape from the highsecurity Tihar Jail in Delhi and the complex story behind the fight for justice in the BMW hitandrun case that left several people deadKanth however stresses that the most difficult case for him to crack was the Rajiv Gandhi assassination Investigationwise it was the most complicated one Let us not forget that it had an international angle too Had it not been for the fact that the assassins were involved in a previous case things would have been very tough for us We conducted a methodical investigation that had many angles and layers Cases like Charles Sobhraj and Jessica Lal were also important but this was extremely complicated he recountsThe former IPS believes that it is important that every police station has an investigations department with its core competency in detective work These cops should focus only on that and should not be involved in law and order traffic or other dutiesHe feels that it is important that policemen be treated as humans and facilities provided to others must apply to them tooWhen it comes to basics like weekly offs better salaries perks and holidays why should they not get them You just cannot expect him or her to do his best if even the basics are not taken care ofTalking about his next book Kanth says I have a lot of material on some important cases including the Harshad Mehta one IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/fake-encounters-are-just-cold-blooded-murders-ex-ips-officer-amod-kanth-516901.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 07:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mahant-swami-maharaj-reaches-abu-dhabi-for-inauguration-of-uaes-first-hindu-temple-517175.html New Delhi Feb 6 Mahant Swami Maharaj the spiritual guru of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha reached Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for the grand inauguration of the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates UAEThe spiritual leader will preside over the historic inauguration of the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the temple on February 14 days after the Pran Pratishtha of the grand Ram Temple in AyodhyaMahant Swami Maharaj was received as a state guest by UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al NahyanExtending warm welcome to the spiritual guru the minister said Welcome to the UAE Our nation is blessed with your presence We are touched by your kindness and we feel your prayersAs the BAPS spiritual guru arrived in Abu Dhabi a large number of Swaminarayan Sanstha members and devotees also turned up to greet himPrime Minister Modi is set to inaugurate the temple on February 14 in the presence of saints swamis and thousands of devotees A wave of religious fervour and festive atmosphere has already set in with thousands of devotees visiting the large complexModi is also set to address the Indian diaspora at the grandiose Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium in Abu Dhabi The event titled Ahlan Modi is likely to see the presence of more than 50000 people Ahlan Modi which means Hello Modi is being billed as the largest community reception to Prime Minister on foreign soilNotably the BAPS Mandir is the first Hindu temple constructed in the Middle East Ever since the construction work began in 2019 it drew attention and interest of the Hindu community from across the worldSituated in the Abu Mureikhah area the majestic complex will reflect the spirit of Indian culture and will also be a testament to the growing friendship between India and the UAEThe foundation stone for the temple was laid on April 20 2019 Lots of volunteers from the Hindu community participated in the construction of the stateofthe art complex made using white marble and limestone onlyFor the unversed the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had donated 135 acres of land in 2015 for the construction of the temple IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/mahant-swami-maharaj-reaches-abu-dhabi-for-inauguration-of-uaes-first-hindu-temple-517175.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-writers-sweep-kalinga-literary-awards-2024-517193.html New Delhi Feb 6 All four Kalinga Literary Awards for the year 2024 have gone to women writers informed Rashmi Ranjan Parida Founder and Director Kalinga Literary FestivalHindi novelist Nasira Sharma and former assistant secretarygeneral at the United Nations Diplomat writer novelist Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri will be conferred Kalinga Literary Awards Nepalese writer Prof Beena Poudyal will receive the Kalinga International Literary Award for her contribution to literature art and culture while young writer Radhika Iyengar will receive the Kalinga Literary Award YouthKLFPublishing House of the Year Award will be conferred on Penguin Random House and HarperCollins Publishers IndiaThe awards will be conferred to the winners at the inaugural Ceremony of the 10th Kalinga Literary Festival on February 9 at Swosti Premium in BhubaneswarNasira Sharma is an acclaimed Hindi writer who has published 10 Hindilanguage novels including Parijat Mere Priya Kahaniyaan and Ajnabi JajiraLakshmi Murdeshwar Puri has been an Indian Foreign Service diplomat for 28 years She served in leadership positions at the United Nations for 15 years She is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights among others Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puris debut novel is Swallowing The SunProfessor Bina Paudyal lives in Kathmandu Nepal In her 40 years of teaching and researching she has published more than 100 research articles so far in the field of culture and 19 books including the history of Nepali cultureRadhika Iyengar is an Indian journalist writer and recipient of the 2018 Red Ink Awards in the category of human rights After eight years of research on the Dom community of Varanasi she wrote Fire on the Ganges Life among the Dead in Banaras published in 2023 by HarperCollins IndiaThe festival will run from February 9 to 11 in Bhubaneswar and will host over 400 speakers from across a vast array of nationalities It will feature a range of themes including the ongoing climate justice debate under the urgency of borrowed time theme the great women writers and artists focusing on the female voice and identity crime fiction memoir translation poetry economics tech morality and Artificial Intelligence the global crisis cuttingedge science India and the World art and photography health and medicine amongst others IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-writers-sweep-kalinga-literary-awards-2024-517193.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/youth-from-jks-tral-inspires-local-boys-girls-to-look-for-challenging-careers-517006.html Srinagar Feb 6 Known once for its young boys joining terrorist groups in large numbers JKs Tral town in Pulwama district is now hitting news headlines for the right reasons A young man from Tral town Raja Shahzaib Raza is the first local to become a pilot for Air IndiaShahzaib did his schooling from the reputed Tyndale Biscoe Memorial School in Srinagar Family sources said he later obtained his BTech degree in mechanical engineering from the University of KashmirHe got himself enrolled in Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy in Amethi Uttar PradeshShahzaib applied for the pilots position in Air India after completing his training After undergoing all the tests and procedures he was appointed as a pilot by the airlinesLocals in Tral town said that Shahzaib has made them proud because till the recent past youth of the town were looked upon with suspicion for alleged militant linksShahzaib has proved that the youth of our area have finally chosen the right pathHe is a great inspiration for hundreds of our youth who want to excel in various fields to serve the country and make an honourable living said Sajad Ahmad Ganai 56The path breaking career choice made by Shahzaib has come as an enviable alternative to those locals trying to join the civil services It carries the hopeful message to hundreds who look forward to joining challenging careers in the countryThe basic point is not whether you become an IASIPS officer or not The basic point is that in a country like India choices are umpteen provided you have the determination to work hard and with honesty and the right motivation said Shahid 22 a youth from Tral town IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/youth-from-jks-tral-inspires-local-boys-girls-to-look-for-challenging-careers-517006.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jan-5-attack-on-ed-team-bengal-guv-seeks-fresh-report-from-govt-on-progress-in-probe-516869.html Kolkata Feb 5 West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday sought a fresh report from the Mamata Banerjeeled state government about the January 5 attack on an ED team in North 24 Parganas when it went to conduct a raid and carry out searches at the residence of a Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh ShahjahanRaj Bhavan sources said that a letter has been forwarded from the office of the Governor to Chief Secretary BP Gopalika seeking updates on progress in the investigationThe Governor sought details about the updates on tracking down the mastermind of the attack Sheikh Shahjahan who is currently absconding Raj Bhavan insiders said the Governor has sought such a report from the state government for the second time The Governor has also sought a report on the overall law and order situation in Sandeshkhali where the attack took place Bose had taken a tough stand on the attack on ED and CAPF personnel right from the beginning The ED has already issued a lookout notice against Shahjahan in anticipation that he might escape to Bangladesh as the neighbouring countrys border with India is quite close to the place where the attack took place Although Shahjahan had remained absconding so far he had approached two courts in the state through his counsel for anticipatory bail He also ignored a notice from the ED to appear at the agencys Salt Lake office on the outskirts of Kolkata IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jan-5-attack-on-ed-team-bengal-guv-seeks-fresh-report-from-govt-on-progress-in-probe-516869.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 23:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/taking-a-leaf-out-bhishmas-rajdharma-and-pm-modis-vision-assam-scripts-new-destiny-516618.html New Delhi Feb 5 It is the foremost duty of a ruler to keep his subjects happy and gain their confidence In the same manner it is also his duty to always uphold the truth and maintain honesty and sincerity in his behaviour In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata Bhishma Pitamah gives the aforementioned treatise on Rajdharma or the principles of governance to Dharmaraj Yudhishthira This ancient wisdom of Rajdharma serves as an inspiration to public servants like meWhen I became the Chief Minister of Assam on 10 May 2021 I sought to emulate these ideals In front of me was the inspirational story of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a man who has lived up to the ideals of Rajdharma and served as an embodiment of righteousness In 2014 he undertook a series of mammoth confidencebuilding initiatives to gain the trust of the people of the Northeast and win over their hearts with sincere love and devotionAs a result when I took office my mission was clear I had to take forward the vision of PM Modi and implement his policies on the ground We have envisioned an Assam where we eliminate the problems faced by the people and script a new destiny for their futureUpon assuming office we undertook various administrative reforms to improve governance For example we took the decision to hold weekly Cabinet meetings so as to make sure we are regularly communicating and updating ourselves to best govern the people of Assam We have also held Cabinet meetings outside the capital decentralising governance quite literally and taking it to different districts and townsThrough such measures we have been able to take decisions and implement policies that have laid the foundation of a new Assam Our doubleengine government has been working in the relentless pursuit of Rajdharma through various avenuesThe first major challenge we faced after assuming office was to improve the economic growth of a state that has historically been plagued by insurgency and militancy Assam was lagging behind in key aspects of health education and infrastructure The state had minimal business activity despite its tremendous potentialThe first step towards regenerating economic growth was the construction of infrastructure and then the clearing up of legal and administrative bottlenecks This was a process that had speedily begun since 2014Assam in particular has witnessed unprecedented development in recent times with the addition of several newly constructed bridges the expansion of roads and highways and the ongoing construction of a tunnel under the Brahmaputra This infrastructure boost offers massive headroom for connectivity via road air and sea fostering economic growthThese measures by the Union government are being complemented in Assam by our state government policies that promote ease of doing business With the decriminalisation of labour laws we have eliminated the risk of imprisonment for economic offences that do not involve mala fide acts We have also repealed 364 old Acts to reduce the compliance burden on citizens and businesses With a cheap land bank made available for industrial use Assam paved the way for investors to establish manufacturing and other industries in the stateThe state currently boasts of more than 50 industrial parks with sectorspecific infrastructure an industrial zone of 994 miles along the National Highways near Guwahati and the only industrial growth centre in India with access to four countries within 750 km at MatiaThe latter is the most crucial as Indias total exports to Bangladesh Myanmar Bhutan and Nepal stand at 17 billion making Assam Indias gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN and the AsiaPacificIf we purely look at numbers Assams gross domestic product GDP and per capita income have grown at unprecedented rates since 2014 The steep rise is a proof of the central governments constant push for the development of Assam and the NortheastThe result of these measures has been that the gross state domestic product GSDP of Assam for 202324 at current prices is projected to be Rs 567 lakh crore amounting to a growth of 15 per cent over 202223In 202223 Assams per capita income at current prices was estimated to be Rs 118504 an increase of 15 per cent over 202122 In 202223 Indias per capita income was estimated to increase by 14 per cent to Rs 170620 According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey in 202122 Assams unemployment rate was 49 per cent as per current weekly status lower than the national unemployment rate of 66 per centCurrently we are also working to calculate the GDP at the district level so as to understand the economic conditions of each district and work towards achieving equitable economic progress throughout the stateThese steps taken by the state government coupled with the Centres push for strengthening geographical connectivity through building robust road and railway infrastructure along with building new airports gave Assam the title of most improved big state by India Today IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/taking-a-leaf-out-bhishmas-rajdharma-and-pm-modis-vision-assam-scripts-new-destiny-516618.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 14:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/66th-grammy-award-zakir-hussain-honoured-for-pashto-shankar-mahadevan-for-this-moment-516438.html Los Angeles Feb 5 India took centre stage at the 66th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles after Zakir Hussain was named the Best Global Music Performance for his work in Pashto alongside Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia Shankar Mahadevan took home the award for Best Global Music Album at the Grammys for This MomentTaking to X Grammys shared the post and wrote Congrats Best Global Music Album winner This Moment Shakti GRAMMYsIn a post on X Indian music composer Ricky Kej said that this is a great year for India at the GrammysHe wrote Ustad Zakhir Hussain the living legend creates history by winning 3 Grammys in one night Rakesh Chaurasia wins 2 and I am blessed to witness it he wroteKej added SHAKTI wins a GRAMMY Through this album 4 brilliant Indian musicians win Grammys Just amazing India is shining in every direction Shankar Mahadevan Selvaganesh Vinayakram Ganesh Rajagopalan Ustad Zakhir Hussain Ustad Zakhir Hussain won a second Grammy along with virtuoso flute player Rakesh Chaurasia BrilliantThe artists mentioned were nominated in the Grammy Awards alongside others such as Susana Baca Bokante Burna Boy and Davido IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/66th-grammy-award-zakir-hussain-honoured-for-pashto-shankar-mahadevan-for-this-moment-516438.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/royal-bengal-tigers-among-18-animals-from-bengal-reaching-tripura-zoo-under-exchange-programme-516723.html Agartala Feb 5 Animal lovers in Tripura are excited after the states Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and zoo on Monday received 18 animals including two Royal Bengal Tigers from the North Bengal zoo as part of the animal exchange programme officials said on Monday Tripuras Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and Clouded Leopard National Park Director Biswajit Das said that as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority CZA the animal exchange programme is being conducted with the North Bengal zoo in West Bengals Siliguri As part of the animal exchange programme a total of 18 animals are coming to Tripura from North Bengal zoo and 12 animals from Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary would be sent to the North Bengal zoo in the reciprocal process Das told IANS He said that a pair of Royal Bengal Tiger a pair of leopards four golden pheasants four silver pheasants two peafowls and four hill mynas are coming to Sepahijala and a lion couple a pair of spectacle monkeys also known as Chasma Banar two leopard cats and four blackbucks would be sent to North Bengal in return The official also said the Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary would be closed for the visitors for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday for ensuring safety of incoming and outgoing animals during loading and unloading Referring to the guidelines of the CZA Das said that the new guests would be made available for the visitors at Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary after the quarantine period of 30 days The official said that the presence of Royal Bengal Tigers and other new guests in Sepahijala zoo 35 km south of Agartala would definitely boost its attraction for tourists IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/royal-bengal-tigers-among-18-animals-from-bengal-reaching-tripura-zoo-under-exchange-programme-516723.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/centre-failed-to-double-farmers-income-says-harsimrat-kaur-in-ls-516828.html New Delhi Feb 5 Former union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday said the Central government has failed to double farmers income increase employment and control inflation Speaking after the Presidents Address in the Lok Sabha Badal said Even though the President had stressed that improving the lot of farmers poor and youth was the focus of the Union government the same has not been supported with dataAsserting that the data was to the contrary the Bathinda MP said even though the Union government had promised to double farmers income by 2022 this promise remained elusiveAs per the data of the National Statistical Office NSO the average income of agriculture households increased from Rs 8000 per month in 2015 to only Rs 10000 per month in 2019The Shiromani Akali Dal leader said in stark contrast the NSO data revealed that the average debt of farmers had increased by 58 per cent in the same periodAs many as 10880 farmers also committed suicide in 2021 as per the Centre for Science and Environment she addedStating that farmers were most indebted in Punjab with small farmers in the state incurring a debt of Rs 3 lakh per farmer she said the issues of farmers were also not being addressedDespite a clear cut undertaking by the Central government that a subcommittee would be formed to make minimum support price MSP a legal right of farmers the same was not done the former Union Minister saidShe said even as there was an 80 per cent increase in agriculture inputs the increase in the MSP was increased by 30 per cent only She said how there was a 26 per cent decrease in the Kisan Samman Nidhi beneficiaries in Punjab which was contributing the most to the national food kittyShe said similarly even though crop insurance companies had earned Rs 57000 crore farmers in Punjab did not get any compensation for successive crop losses even though its Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised to release compensation for crop losses even before the conduct of the girdawariTalking about the menace of drugs in the country Badal said the situation was precarious in Punjab with drones from Pakistan flying in drugs into the stateA demographic disaster is taking place but the Central government is yet to come out with a concrete policy to stop the influx of drugs into Punjab from across the border she added IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/centre-failed-to-double-farmers-income-says-harsimrat-kaur-in-ls-516828.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ngo-hands-over-robotic-elephant-to-tn-temple-516857.html Chennai Feb 5 Voices for Asian Elephants a nongovernmental organisation NGO has handed over a robotic elephant to a Shiva temple in Devarshola Gudalur in Tamil NaduThe NGO handed over the robotic elephant said to be the first such elephant to be donated to a temple in Tamil Nadu to the temple on Sunday The 11feettall robotic elephant weighs around 800 kgThe NGO had earlier handed over several such robotic elephants to temples across Kerala Sangita Iyer founding executive director of Voices for Asian Elephants told mediapersons that the move is meant to put an end to the oftencriticised practice of maintaining elephants in captivity at temples often in unhealthy and inhumane conditionsIyer said Elephants are tortured by keeping them chained at temples While we pray to Lord Ganesh we dont treat elephants well She also said that elephants should be in the wild not in captivity adding that elephants were social animals who need to be among herds of other elephants Iyer also said that 25 captive elephants in Kerala died in 2023 alone while three have died already in 2024She also praised the restrictions on domestic elephants in Tamil Nadu IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ngo-hands-over-robotic-elephant-to-tn-temple-516857.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 23:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/germans-dont-have-to-feel-guilty-forever-about-crimes-of-others-author-john-boyne-516125.html Jaipur Feb 4 John Boyne the Irish author of the recently released All the Broken Places a sequel to his bestselling The Boy in Striped Pajamas also adapted into a major film feels that it is high time that German people stop feeling guilty about the crimes they did not commit The German people have confronted the crimes of their ancestors over the years and it is unfair to hold them responsible for that Also let us not forget that almost every country has encountered a dark period in its history says this writer of 14 novels for adults six novels for younger readers two novellas and one collection of short storiesHis novels are published in over 50 languagesWhile The Boy in Striped Pajamas which was also adapted into a film by Mark Herman deals with the friendship between a Jewish boy living in the concentration camp and the son of a Nazi commander while being oblivious to the reality of the situation All the Broken Places tackles the tale of Gretel Frensby who does not talk about her father a commandant of a concentration campBoyne told IANS at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival JLF that the sequel was conceived in 2004I had kept a lot of notes which came extremely handy The book continued to change as I wrote it Frankly this was not the book I had planned to write he saysAdding that The Boy in Striped Pajamas had a certain naivety to it he smiles This one is the work of an experienced writerTalk to him about the fact the AuschwitzBirkenau Memorial Museum warned that the book should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches the history of the Holocaust Boyne says that he felt surprised by the advisory as he never claimed it to be a textbook or that it should be prescribed in schoolsIt is a novel when did I say that it should be taught That is why I found their statement quite unfairFor someone who faced a lot of social media backlash for his My Brothers Name is Jessica narrated through the eyes of a boy experiencing his siblings transition Boyle was accused of decentring the novels trans characterThere were even calls for a boycottThat is when he decided to go off social mediaIt was a depressing time People who had not even read the book were commenting on it There were death threats and abuses hurled Now I use social media only to make announcements he saidBoyne who has also written novellas like Water also Earth Air and Fire in which a character from one becomes the narrator in the next one says that he is working on the last oneThey are just forty thousand words I feel it is always a challenge to tell a story in fewer words IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/germans-dont-have-to-feel-guilty-forever-about-crimes-of-others-author-john-boyne-516125.html Sun, 04 Feb 2024 01:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/moderate-to-heavy-snowfall-occurs-in-kashmir-516162.html Srinagar Feb 4 Moderate to heavy snowfall occurred in Kashmir on Sunday as the MeT department forecast inclement weather in the next 24 hoursKashmir received seasons major snowfall on Sunday as around 4 to 5 inches of snow were recorded in Srinagar city on groundHigher reaches like Gulmarg Pahalgam Sonamarg Pir Ki Gali Gurez Karnah Daksum and Doodpathri received heavy snowfall in the last 12 hoursPeople heave a sigh of relief as the long dry spell was broken and water level increased in various water bodiesFlight operation at Srinagar international airport was disrupted due to snowfall at nightSrinagar recorded minus 07 Gulmarg minus 7 and Pahalgam minus 35 as the minimum temperature todayLeh town of Ladakh region recorded minus 61 and Kargil minus 71 as the minimum temperatureJammu city recorded 96 Katra 68 Batote minus 08 Bhaderwah and Banihal both 02 as the nights lowest temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/moderate-to-heavy-snowfall-occurs-in-kashmir-516162.html Sun, 04 Feb 2024 10:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kalinga-art-festival-to-be-held-on-feb-9-516264.html New Delhi February 4 The Kalinga Art Festival will be held from February 9 to February 11 with Ila Panda Centre for Arts IPCA being the presenting partner of the festival themed Legends of Ancient Bharat and Beyond Inspiring Lived Experience in the 21st Century The eighth edition will feature 60 exhibitors major artists and six discussion sessions Curated by Ranjan Mallik this edition features works by artists curators and speakers including Vijay M Dhore Lalatendu Rath Paramita Mahapatra Prof Ranjan Kumar Mallik Panchami Manoo Ukil Sonia Mallik Gourhari Rout Meenaketan Pattnaik Brundavan Moharana Priyadarshini Mohanty Priyadarshani Das Adhikari Namita Pattnaik Sangita Pattnaik Mamata Samantaray Rabinarana Rath Pranab Akhand Sanjeeb BiswalJanardan Paramguru Sanjay PattnaikRajkishore Moharana Basen Tudu Kumar Mishra Binodini Behera Durga Madhab Kar Barsha Barik Pooja Das Pritam Nayak Subhashree Swain Dibyajyoti Rout Narendra Majhi Jyotish Debata Subhashree P Sahoo Rakesh Dey Bibek Das Santosh Sahoo Sanjay Samanta Atasi Basu Lipishree Nayak Sasadhar Pati Stitadhi Rath Manaranjan Jena Pradip Patra Jagendra Padhi Pradip Kumar Umesh Nayak Smruti Ranjan Nayak Sushant Bipin Martha Subrat Mulick Ganga Maharana Sarita Chintamani Biswal Chandan Samal Prabir Dalei Panchanan Samal Hrudayanand Pratap Jena Jayant Das Muktipada Nandi Nitia Rabi Pradhan Arun Palur Subhas Pujhari Fridus Alam Kali Padhi The exhibition is a testament to Odishas creative legacy showcasing a variety of artistic mediums including painting drawing sculpture photography and other artists worksFor the past eight years the fair has been a celebration of the very best of Kalingan creativity and in 2024 we are taking this even further Complementing the gallery displays we are also hosting talks and workshops showcasing the diversity and power of artistic talent from across India said Kalinga Art Festival Founder Rashmi Ranjan Parida IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kalinga-art-festival-to-be-held-on-feb-9-516264.html Sun, 04 Feb 2024 14:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/one-of-kashmirs-oldest-missionary-schools-faces-closure-515924.html Srinagar Feb 3 St Joseph Higher Secondary School established in 1903 in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla town will have to close down due to nonrenewal of its land lease agreementThe Board of School Examinations has refused to register the schools students for examination this yearSt Joseph is one of the oldest Christian missionary schools in KashmirThe school management said that the land lease agreement of the school expired in 2018 and it had applied for renewal of the lease to the authoritiesThe file is pending in the office of the divisional commissioner Kashmir since 2022 and we have also approached the office of the Lt governor in this regard management of the school saidIt must be mentioned that the authorities had decided in 2023 to not to register any private school for examinations which was illegally functioning on state landMeanwhile association for private schools has said that if the government continued with its policy of not renewing leases of lands on which educational institutions are functioning scores of such institutions would face closure thereby throwing into jeopardy the future of thousands of students of these institutions IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/one-of-kashmirs-oldest-missionary-schools-faces-closure-515924.html Sat, 03 Feb 2024 11:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/two-leopard-carcasses-found-in-assams-sivasagar-district-515634.html Guwahati Feb 2 The carcasses of two leopards were recovered in Assams Sivasagar district police said on FridayLocals in the Khoronga Lonpotia area in the district reportedly noticed the carcasses and alerted the forest department according to a police officialThe carcasses belonged to an adult male and female leopard pair It is believed that they passed away four days ago he statedPeople in the neighborhood were experiencing panic as a result of the leopards wandering into human habitat Locals reported that they harmed four to five domestic pets and killed over a dozen goats and calvesAccording to the official one carcass was discovered inside the jungle and the other was discovered laying on a field of paddyDecomposed carcasses were found and recovered The precise cause of the death will be determined by postmortem investigations he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/two-leopard-carcasses-found-in-assams-sivasagar-district-515634.html Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/allahabad-hc-refuses-stay-on-puja-in-vyas-tehkhana-515694.html Prayagraj UP Feb 2 The Allahabad High Court on Friday refused to allow the Gyanvapi Mosque committees plea seeking an interim stay on puja being performed in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque known as Vyas TehkhanaHowever the Court has directed the state government to maintain law and order situation in the areaPuja inside the Tehkhana began on 31st January shortly after the Varanasi District Judge passed an order directing the district magistrate to facilitate puja inside the area by making proper arrangements The district magistrate complied with the order on the same dayOn Thursday an appeal was moved by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee which manages Gyanvapi mosque challenging the order of the Varanasi District Court allowing Hindus to perform prayers in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque Vyas Ji ka TehkhanaThe committee also sought a stay on the worship ritualsIn its application the mosque committee has contended that the administration was acting in hot haste soon after the Varanasi Courts order to allow the pooja at night itself The application further argues that these actions occurring in the middle of the night aimed to preempt any legal challenge by the mosque managing committeeWhile hearing the matter today a Bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal refused to grant any interim relief to the Mosque Committee as it stressed that it had not challenged Varanasi District Judges January 17th order wherein the district magistrate was appointed as a receiverThe Court has granted it time till February 6 to amend its appeal and till then the Court directed the Advocate General to maintain law and order situation in the areaThis development comes two days after the Supreme Court refused to urgently hear the Mosque Committees plea against the order allowing puja Tehkhana located at the southern cellar of the MosqueThe Varanasi District Judge on January 31 directed the district administration to make appropriate arrangements within 7 days for Hindus to conduct worshipping rituals inside one of the sealed cellarsbasementtehkhana vyas ji ka tehkhana inside the existing Gyanvapi mosque complexWorship at this spot was stopped in the year 1993 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/allahabad-hc-refuses-stay-on-puja-in-vyas-tehkhana-515694.html Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/governments-must-focus-on-job-creation-not-freebies-raghuram-rajan-515440.html Jaipur Feb 2 Stressing that governments need to focus on creating more jobs for youngsters and not just focus on freebies for shortterm political benefits Raghuram Rajan former Governor of Reserve Bank of India and erstwhile Chief Economist International Monetary Fund said that to ensure a smooth development path it is paramount to emphasise healthcare and educationSpeaking at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival Rajan opined that the government must be ready to decentralise as its benefits can be seen in the education and healthcare sectors in states like Delhi Kerala and Tamil NaduHe added that the recent cases by the Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies against opposition leaders before elections were undemocratic as citizens were being left with little choice while choosing leaders from the oppositionRajan who has cowritten Breaking the Mould Reimagining Indias Economic Future Penguin Random House India with economist Rohit Lamba adds Democracy and free speech are paramount for development of sectors that need research creativity and new ideasEmphasising that the book can be easily understood by everybody the economist added We do not have to follow other countries growth story like China but make our path It is important to recognise our strengths and build on themTalking about cryptocurrency Rajan says it is a technology and while it may be okay to put some money that one can afford to lose going all in by staking ones life savings is a bad idea It needs to be understood that Crypto is not being regulated and not many operators can be trustedA major part of the book deals with job creation and the authors say that unemployment is leading to unrest The youth are looking for reservations as they believe that good jobs exist only in the government The government needs to realise that the best way to uplift people is to facilitate job creation We hear a lazy response that things will be better shortly It is important to act now almost in an obsessive fashion We cannot kick too much into the future concludes RajanSukant Deepak can be reached at sukantdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/governments-must-focus-on-job-creation-not-freebies-raghuram-rajan-515440.html Fri, 02 Feb 2024 02:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cmfri-showcases-wonders-of-marine-life-on-77th-foundation-day-515802.html Kochi Feb 2 A large number of people mostly students turned up at the ICARCentral Marine Fisheries Research Institute CMFRI to watch the wonders of the marine biodiversity at their exhibition halls as it opened its doors on its 77th Foundation Day on FridayOn display included giant fish like the hump head wrasse whale shark precious pearls and much moreThe museum laboratories marine aquarium library hatcheries and agricultural technology centre were open to the public on the occasionAn interactive display board at the museum with 3D marine species models supported by scientific information was a big hit delighting visitors with a quick overview of marine biodiversityThe distribution of illustrated badges conveying the message of conservation of marine resources including those facing extinction was a highlight of the exhibitionStudents wore these badges and became part of a new awareness campaign Various species of fish including hammerhead sharks tiger sharks paper sharks stingrays guitarfish and a variety of shellfish were on display in the laboratoriesVisitors also got attracted to the show of finfish and shellfish resources such as flying fish dolphin fish rare species of sharks and rays giant tiger shrimps and giantsized crabsThe exhibition also offered marine ornamental varieties pearls pearl oysters squid jigs different varieties of mangroves seaweeds and corals Earrings made up of fish otoliths also drew the attention of the publicModels of cage fish farming integrated multitrophic aquaculture system IMTA and recirculating aquaculture system RAS were demonstrated to the publicResearch works shedding light on the genetic secrets of marine species were also on display Laboratories related to molecular biology bioprospecting cell culture fishery biology environmental research climate change ocean acidification also were opened to the public IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/cmfri-showcases-wonders-of-marine-life-on-77th-foundation-day-515802.html Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-woman-trampled-to-death-by-herd-of-elephants-515384.html Guwahati Feb 1 A 31yearold woman was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Assams Chirang district officials said on Thursday The woman identified as Jonali Kalita and her husband had gone to the Manas National Parks perimeter to gather wood when they unintentionally stumbled upon a herd of elephants on Wednesday night according to park officials The officials said that Kalita was trampled to death but her husband was able to flee A group of forest guards arrived and discovered her body Police also arrived on the scene and took possession of the body According to police the body was given to the family after being taken to the district government hospital for a postmortem examination In the last year Assam forest officials among other people have lost their lives to elephant attacks Forest officials stated that there have been instances where wild elephants who have ventured outside of forest regions in quest of food have attacked people As a precaution people who live close to forested regions occasionally erect electrical fences which has also resulted in the deaths of a few elephants IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/assam-woman-trampled-to-death-by-herd-of-elephants-515384.html Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/army-chief-gen-pande-unveils-expanded-bombay-sappers-memorial-postage-stamp-514826.html Pune Jan 31 Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande here on Wednesday dedicated the expanded Bombay Sappers War Memorial at the Bombay Engineer Group and Centre in Kirkee and released a commemorative postage stamp as part of its centenary celebrations Addressing a gathering of over 3000 personnel including soldiers of the Sikh Light Infantry and Maratha Light Infantry Marching Contingents Gen Pande praised the role of the Bombay Sappers for their outstanding professionalism to render combat engineering support to the field formations of the Indian Army and in nation building exercisesThe Bombay Sappers War Memorial is a hallowed structure standing tall in memory of the soldiers who have made the supreme sacrificeThe expanded War Memorial includes two arched rows of ascending walls bearing names of each of the bravehearts and a digital kiosk established to locate each name for the visitorsThe CoAS also lauded the training imparted to the first two batches of Agniveer at the training centre here and expressed satisfaction over new training methods and technology like simulators and videobased training during the 31week durationGen Pande exhorted the Commanding Officers to ensure their smooth integration in the units and expressed confidence that they will excel while in service and prove to be model citizens when they step out of uniformHe interacted with members of the expedition teams who were part of three challenging expeditions undertaken to commemorate the War Memorial CentenaryThe Mountaineering Expedition to Mount Nun a 7135 metre high peak in the Kargil sector was successfully submitted on October 8 2023The team of 28 members braved inclement weather and harsh terrain with NaibSubedar Shankar Ukleekar of 112 Engineer Regiment making the supreme sacrifice while negotiating a 1000 metre long ice wallThe deceased jawans gallant actions ensured that the balance team kept moving ahead despite his own precarious situation and he became immortal amongst Bombay Sappers fraternityGen Pande announced the institution of the Uklekar Adventure Award for the Best Bombay Sapper in Adventure and the inaugural award was presented to Lance Havildar Tejinder Singh who was part of the summit teamHe interacted with the teams of the 3460km long East West Paramotor Expedition from Kibithu to Kutchand 4650km long North South Microlight Expedition from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in formation flying with two fixedwing and two powered hang gliders over difficult terrain and weather conditionsThe General conveyed his great appreciation to them for their spirit grit and courage and awarded 13 commendation cards to personnel of the three expedition teams and Bombay Sapper personnel posted at BEG Khadki for their exceptional performance IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/army-chief-gen-pande-unveils-expanded-bombay-sappers-memorial-postage-stamp-514826.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/telangana-cm-intervenes-to-allow-kumari-aunty-eatery-to-operate-from-original-spot-514865.html Hyderabad Jan 31 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday intervened to let a food vendor in Hyderabads Madhapur area function at the same site after Cyberabad traffic police had asked it to relocate to another placeFollowing reports on social media that the vendor popularly known as Kumari Aunty has been directed to shut her food stall near the Durgam Cheruvu bridge in the IT cluster he directed the Director General of Police and the Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development to rescind their decisionThe Chief Minister is also likely to visit the eatery soon to instil confidence in small business owners like Kumari AuntyThe food stall which offers various varieties of rice chicken mutton curry and other delicacies has been operating at the place for the last 11 years Every day the eatery operating between 12 noon and 3 pm is popular for serving a wide variety of items both vegetarian and nonvegetarian It gets 400500 customers every day during lunch hours Most of its customers are the employees of IT and nonIT companies in the areaAs the popular roadside eatery was found to be causing traffic jams near the ITC Kohinoor junction the traffic police had asked Kumari Aunty to shift it to another locationThe move drew flak from many over social media as the food vendor had gained huge popularity on various platforms in recent months Even some film personalities were visiting the food stall for movie promotionsThe popularity over social media has also created problems for the eatery as a large number of YouTubers are thronging the place every day to shoot videos causing traffic jamsOn Tuesday the traffic police either towed away vehicles parked on the road near the eatery or penalised themMeanwhile Kumari Aunty has thanked the Chief Minister for his interventionI had never imagined that the Chief Minister would intervene to help a small businesswoman like me she saidShe was happy over reports that Revanth Reddy would be visiting her stall soon and said she would serve a dish of his choiceIt remained unclear as to how traffic police would resolve the problem of traffic jams in the busy area as following the Chief Ministers direction to allow the eatery to continue business the place again witnessed traffic snarls IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/telangana-cm-intervenes-to-allow-kumari-aunty-eatery-to-operate-from-original-spot-514865.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 21:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-self-help-groups-of-himachal-to-showcase-products-in-chandigarh-514610.html Chandigarh Jan 31 Staterun Himachal Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission will host the SARAS Mela from February 1 to 12 at the Exhibition Ground Sector 34 hereThe event aims to showcase talents and products of more than 350000 rural women federated into nearly 44000 selfhelp groups SHGs under the mission The fair will be inaugurated by Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Anirudh Singh on February 1This event is believed to be a testament to the success of the Himachal Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission in empowering rural women and providing them with a platform to exhibit their skillsIt will feature nearly 100 stalls showcasing traditional handloom products such as Kullu and Kinnauri patti shawls sweaters Lahauli pullas besides handicraft like Chamba Rumaal Mandi Kalam Kangra miniature paintings wood carved temples and many more traditional creativityVisitors can savour the rich culinary heritage of the hill state with traditional dishes like Pahadi Dhaam Siddu Lushke Patande millet sweets and other local delicaciesThe event aims to provide livelihood opportunities to SHG members boosting their morale and highlighting their entrepreneurial spirit IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/women-self-help-groups-of-himachal-to-showcase-products-in-chandigarh-514610.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 12:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/eight-foot-long-crocodile-rescued-in-firozabad-514904.html Agra Jan 31 In a collaborative effort the Wildlife SOS and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department successfully rescued an eightfootlong mugger crocodile from Udesar Gajadhar Singh village in Firozabad Uttar Pradesh Working seamlessly with the forest officials the NGOs Rapid Response Unit ensured the safe rescue and relocation of the reptileThe rescue mission was carried out after villagers reported the sighting of a mugger crocodile and promptly contacted the Forest Department Recognising the urgency the Forest Department reached out to Wildlife SOS which immediately dispatched a team Carefully employing a trap cage the Rapid Response Unit captured the crocodile which was found in a field Following a careful extraction the crocodile underwent a thorough onsite medical examination to assess its health Once deemed fit the reptile was released back into its natural habitat Ashish Kumar Range Forest Officer Jasrana said This rescue underscores the importance of swift action in wildlife emergencies The wellcoordinated efforts of the Wildlife SOS and the Forest Department highlights the effectiveness of collaborative initiatives in aiding distressed wildlifeKartick Satyanarayan Wildlife SOS Cofounder and CEO pointed out Wildlife SOS actively engages in diverse awareness programs and educating communities about the significance of peacefully coexisting with wildlife The successful crocodile rescue shows the growing awareness and the increasing importance of such initiatives among the locals and resident villagersBaiju Raj MV Director of Conservation Projects at Wildlife SOS said The rescue operation sheds light on the value of proactive intervention in mitigating humancrocodile conflicts By promptly addressing such situations we not only ensure the safety of local communities but also safeguard the natural habitats of these incredible reptilesThe mugger crocodile Crocodylus palustris or marsh crocodile is a species native to India Sri Lanka Burma Pakistan and some parts of Iran It is primarily found in freshwater environments such as rivers lakes hill streams village ponds and humanmade reservoirs The mugger crocodile is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/eight-foot-long-crocodile-rescued-in-firozabad-514904.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/5-020-from-up-selected-to-work-in-israel-514490.html Lucknow Jan 31 A total of 5020 persons have been selected from 7094 candidates who appeared for skilled labour jobs in wartorn Israel as part of an agreement between the government of Israel and the Indian governmentDue to the Gaza conflict Israel has been facing a labour shortageIn the weeklong process at ITI Aliganj the skill of the applicants was tested in the presence of a team of the Israeli government in collaboration with National Skill Development Council NSDCThe selected men qualified to work as masons for plastering work and ceramic tiling and other such worksThe test of skilled workers was inspected from timetotime by Kunal Silku special secretary labour and director training and employment Uttar PradeshSilku said This drive was conducted in Uttar Pradesh following the direction of the Chief Minister More than 5000 workers have been selected for Israel I wish them successThe recruitment drive was carried out following an MoU signed between the government of India and the government of IsraelThe skill test of workers was taken by the Israeli team at Government ITI Aliganj from January 23 to 30 for employment at a salary of Rs 1 37 lakh per month The skill test was successfully completed on Tuesday said Raj Kumar Yadav principal ITI AliganjYadav said The Israeli team praised our efforts highly They said that if in future we need more skilled workers then we will make ITI Aliganj Lucknow the examination centre IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/5-020-from-up-selected-to-work-in-israel-514490.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/uttar-pradesh-launches-caravan-tourism-514521.html Lucknow Jan 31 The Uttar Pradeshs Tourism Department in partnership with Motohom has launched Caravan Tourism in the state signalling a significant move to enhance travel experiences focused on familiesThe initiative aims to address accommodation challenges in regions where proper facilities are lackingCaravan Tourism is poised to bring a fresh perspective to tourism in Uttar Pradesh catering specifically to familyoriented travel The Motorhome Caravan accommodates six to eight people offering sleeping arrangements for up to six individualsThe vehicle is wellequipped with two washrooms and cooking facilities ensuring a comfortable and convenient travel experience Booking for the Caravan can be made through UP Tourism State Development Corporation LimitedTo mark the launch a promotional offer allows fullday booking at approximately Rs 35000 This covers travel up to 350 km with an additional charge of Rs 150 per kilometre for distances beyond the initial limitTourism Minister Jaiveer Singh expressed hope that the new facility would significantly boost tourism in the state Acknowledging Uttar Pradeshs prominent position in domestic tourism he emphasised the goal of achieving a similar status for foreign touristsThe introduction of Caravan Tourism underscores the states commitment to providing diverse and enriching travel experiences especially for families marking a stride towards enhancing tourism in Uttar Pradesh IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/uttar-pradesh-launches-caravan-tourism-514521.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-injured-seriously-in-road-accident-treated-at-pune-facility-514383.html Pune Jan 30 A fiveyear old male leopard who met with a serious accident on the PuneNashik Highway has been rescued and is undergoing treatment at a specialised medical facility here officials said on Tuesday The incident was reported late on Monday when a speeding vehicle knocked the leopard which lay badly injured in Kalamb area of the Manchar Forest RangeWildlife SOS rushed to the spot after a distress call from the Maharashtra Forest Department and shifted the injured and bleeding feline to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in JunnarWhen the Wildlife SOS team reached the Kalamb area they encountered a tough scenario as a huge crowd gathered to watch the leopard blocking the roadEven the injured feline was extremely agitated by the noisy crowds around and his own suffering but finally the SOS team tranquilised him with a dart gunThey gently lifted the leopard into the trap cage and sped off to the Junnar facilityThe vets there subjected him to the thorough medical examination and found serious trauma head injuries a broken mandible lower jaw cracked canines and incisors and other external bruisesAccording to Dr Chandan Sawane of Wildlife SOS the leopard is now in a state of lateral recumbency lying on side put on oral medication and antibiotics supportive therapies and is eating wellWildlife SOS cofounder and CEO Kartick Satyanarayan said the incident highlighted the harsh realities of road accidents involving wild creatures an outcome of the expanding urban landscape and shrinking habitats as highways keep cutting through their natural habitats IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/leopard-injured-seriously-in-road-accident-treated-at-pune-facility-514383.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ishara-international-puppet-theatre-festival-to-be-held-in-feb-in-delhi-and-chandigarh-514136.html New Delhi Jan 30 The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festivals 20th edition is scheduled to run from February 16 to 25 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi and Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh Produced by Teamwork Arts it is supported by the Ishara Puppet Theatre TrustIn addition to Indian artists this edition will feature performers from Brazil Spain Korea Turkey the US Sri Lanka Taiwan and Russia Both verbal and nonverbal performances will be part of the festivalAt the festival France will present Wings And Roots by Fanny TissotGiordannaCompagnie Arketal from National Theatre NiceThe musical menagerie Air Giants by Pia Fraus will be directed by Beto Andretta from BrazilFrom the US The Kurt Hunter Marionettes will be presenting a performance entitled Penguin In My Pocket directed by Laura Wilhelm Russias most famous puppet character will be brought back to life with a celebration of 400 years of tradition Petrushka performed by Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theatre and directed by Svyatoslav PankovHiss amp Arf is a nonverbal performance from Taiwan presented by Puppet On The Workbench and directed by MongHan LiangChiaHao ChenSevincer Puppet Theatre from Turkey will showcase Mucit Inventor directed by Yalcin GonencFrom Sri Lanka the Traditional String Puppet Show performed by Mango Friends Puppet Society and directed by Indika Gamini will be presentedThe Culture Art Bakery FFWANG from Korea will present Hong Dongji amp Isimi directed by Hwang SeokyongTrapusteros Teatro from Brazil will present Mamulengo De La Mancha directed by Izabela BrochadoThe Ishara Puppet Theatre Group will present Be Yourself directed by Dadi D Pudumjee an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersons The Ugly DucklingDadi D Pudumjee Festival Director and founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust said that the 20th edition will prove to be a milestone as countries from across the globe will be part of the editionSanjoy K Roy Managing Director Teamwork Arts and Producer of the festival said Ishara has changed the way people view the art and theatre of puppetry and puppetmaking Countless artistes and artisans have benefitted from the festival over the years which has brought together some of the most outstanding productions from across the world IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/ishara-international-puppet-theatre-festival-to-be-held-in-feb-in-delhi-and-chandigarh-514136.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 06:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/important-to-maintain-cultural-relations-not-just-political-turkish-ambassador-firat-sunel-514137.html New Delhi Jan 30 When the Turkish Ambassador to India Firat Sunel is not working or writing he is busy cycling The first thing he did when posted to New Delhi was to buy a bicycle and discover the national capital Getting to know the city on two wheels can be enigmatic Discovering labyrinths the happenings there gives a peculiar view to the mechanics of how a city functions and how its character shapes he tells IANSAdding that he can cycle 4050 km a day he adds that it is paramount that countries develop not just political relations but also cultural ones And I can say Turkey and India are very close culturally Peopletopeople contact and acquainting one another with each others culture can be instrumental in strong friendships Both our countries have stood with each other in times of crisis During the Covid19 pandemic Turkey supplied the required medical equipment India on its part demonstrated its commitment to our relations by sending rescue teams and equipment during the devastating earthquake in TurkeyThis diplomatauthor who was recently part of the recently concluded Kerala Literature Festival KLF and will be in conversation with Meru Gokhale on his novel The Lighthouse Family Penguin during the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival JLF has written Salkim Sogutlerin Golgesinde In the Shade of the Weeping Willows which inspired a TV series called Buyuk Surgun KafkasyaThe Great Exile Caucasia Izmirli Izmirli My Last Love and Sarpincik Feneri The Lighthouse Family His novels have been translated into several languages including Malayalam Tamil and Kannada in India While diplomats write a lot as it is part of their profession they also get to meet and interact with a lot of people Contact with diverse people provides me with much inspiration he says Talking about The Lighthouse Family which has recently been published in Malayalam and will be released in English at JLF the author says Indian readers will easily relate to the bookIt is about a familys tragedy through World War 2 and how wars affect people and their families even though they live in a faraway lighthouse I do have a lot of feedback from Turkey and critics really liked it and it will be received well concludes Sunel who likes writing historical fiction and makes it a point to devote at least three hours early morning to writingSukant Deepak can be reached at sukantdiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/important-to-maintain-cultural-relations-not-just-political-turkish-ambassador-firat-sunel-514137.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 06:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/minimum-temperature-improves-in-jk-as-chillai-kalan-ends-514164.html Srinagar Jan 30 As the 40day long period of harsh winter called the Chillai Kalan ends on Tuesday Jammu and Kashmirs higher reaches received another spell of light snowfallMinimum temperatures improved during the last two days as Srinagar recorded 08 while Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded minus 6 and minus 33 respectivelyLeh town in Ladakh region recorded minus 26 and Kargil minus 76 as the minimum temperatureJammu city recorded 85 Katra 71 Batote 33 Bhaderwah 1 and Banihal 12 as the minimum temperature today IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/minimum-temperature-improves-in-jk-as-chillai-kalan-ends-514164.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/some-snowfall-in-higher-reaches-but-kashmirs-plains-await-nav-sheen-513831.html Srinagar Jan 29 Light snowfall occurred in higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir during last 24 hours but people in plains of valley continue to miss this seasons Nav SheenTraditionally Kashmiris greet each other and even send gifts of winter foods to friends and relatives on the first snowfall each winterChildren would make snowmen and play snowball matchesThe first snowfall was thus called Nav Sheen New Snowfall and the greetings exchanged on this occasion is called Nav Sheen MubarakSo far there has been no snowfall in the plains as the 40day long period of harsh winter cold known as the Chillai Kalan which started on December 21 will end tomorrowMinimum temperature has already risen appreciable in the valley and Jammu division making bleak the possibility of a heavy snowfall this winterSrinagar had 36 Gulmarg minus 32 and Pahalgam 07 as the minimum temperature todayLeh town had minus 5 and Kargil minus 66 as the nights lowest temperatureJammu city had 93 Katra 9 Batote 51 Bhaderwah 32 and Banihal 4 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/some-snowfall-in-higher-reaches-but-kashmirs-plains-await-nav-sheen-513831.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tourist-arrival-in-nagaland-one-of-countrys-highest-minister-513667.html Kohima Jan 29 Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along on Monday said that tourist footfall in the state was approximately 15 per cent of the states total population which is among the highest in the countryIn terms of population and area the inflow of tourists into Nagaland is one the highest in the country Along said while interacting with the media on the sidelines of the concluding day programme of the 17th Bishu Mini Hornbill Tribal FestivalHe said that tourism in the state had improved due to efforts of the government besides numerous efforts of the Tourism Art and Culture departments and all the line departmentsClaiming that the annual Hornbill Festival was now known throughout the world he said the state government looked at the tourism industry in a very holistic mannerStressing that the government wanted people to come and enjoy the land of the Nagas Along said that the states infrastructures are being developedIn the 10day long 24th edition of Hornbill Festival on December 110 more than 154000 including over 2000 foreign tourists participatedThe annual festival was a global showcase of Nagalands rich culture and diplomatic success with the participation by the US Germany and Colombia as partner countriesAlong said that the government envisioned to make the 25th Hornbill Festival scheduled in December this year a unique experience for all visitorsThe state government is keen to promote Nagaland as a land of festivals traditions culture and inclusiveness he said adding that discussions are going on to make the Hornbill Festival a 247 eventHe said the government is mulling to open the heritage area round the clockThe festival is also a tribute to the great Hornbill which is an admired and revered bird by the Naga people for its qualities of alertness and grandeurThe Hornbill Festival of Nagaland held at the picturesque Naga Heritage Village Kisama about 12 km from Kohima is a cultural extravaganza to revive protect and preserve the richness and uniqueness of the Naga heritageA Nagaland Tourism Department official said that The Sydney Morning Herald a leading daily in Australia has identified Nagaland as one of the 16 most exciting tourist destinations in the world for 2024 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/tourist-arrival-in-nagaland-one-of-countrys-highest-minister-513667.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 19:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kerala-tourism-a-hit-at-global-tourism-fair-in-madrid-513786.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 29 Stepping up the global outreach with its highlyrated initiatives Kerala Tourism has made a big impact at FITUR the global meeting point for tourism professionals and one the leading trade tourism fairs in the world in Madrid SpainReinforcing its position as an allseason experiential tourism destination and unlocking new opportunities in the Spanish travel market in particular Keralas pavilion themed The Magical Every Day drew a steady stream of visitors including business delegates right from the opening day of the fiveday fair on January 24FITUR considered to be the worlds second most important tourism fair had in the past substantially helped the state flaunt its destinations and packages before the world leading to winwin business dealsSpain itself is an important market for Kerala touching around 18947 arrivals in prepandemic 2019 Of late arrivals have shown a steady uptick recouping from the global disruption wreaked by the Covid pandemicThe Kerala Pavilion stole the show with a gigantic installation of a pair of bulls seen in Keralas temple festivals called Kettukala in local parlanceKerala Tourisms participation in FITUR will be followed by a series of B2B meets in Barcelona Milan Paris and LondonSignificantly Keralas appealing presence in FITUR comes in the wake of the state Tourism Department scaling up its global campaign to bolster international tourist footfalls IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/kerala-tourism-a-hit-at-global-tourism-fair-in-madrid-513786.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 23:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/us-firm-signs-agreement-to-build-resort-in-ayodhya-513401.html Lucknow Jan 28 The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department has signed an agreement with the American firm Ms Anjali Investment LLC for the construction of a 100room resort in AyodhyaState Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said after the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla Ayodhya is witnessing an unexpected increase in the number of devotees and touristsThe state government is working to facilitate the visit of tourists and to provide them lodging in the temple town he saidThe owner of the American real estate company Ramesh Nanguranuri who is originally from Hyderabad but into real estate business in America has signed an agreement with UP Tourism department to construct a resort in AyodhyaHe said land has also been identified for establishing the resort adding that the investment policy of the tourism department is favourable for investorsSingh said constant efforts are being made to achieve this feat with the increased flow of foreign tourists tooAfter the inauguration of Ram Temple the state government is encouraging investment in hotels and resorts so that the tourists coming in get better facilities he saidTourism director Prakhar Mishra said the construction of hotels and resorts will improve the experience of tourists and devotees coming to visit Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/us-firm-signs-agreement-to-build-resort-in-ayodhya-513401.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 17:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/scientist-who-discovered-saheli-passes-away-513483.html Lucknow Jan 28 Dr Nityanand former director of Central Drug Research Institute CDRI who discovered Indias first oral contraceptive Saheli has passed away after a prolonged illness at SGPGIMS Lucknow He was 99He passed away on Saturday A Padma Shri awardee Dr Nityanand is survived by sons Neeraj Nityanand and Dr Naveen Nityanand and daughter Dr Sonia Nityanand who is the vicechancellor of King Georges Medical University KGMUHis last rites will be held on MondayA medical chemist Dr Nityanand was with CDRI since its inception in 1951 and served as its director from 1974 till 1984 He published over 400 research papers and has over 130 patents and supervised 100 PhD studentsDr Sonia Nityanand said My father was the brain behind Centchroman aka Saheli the worlds first and only nonsteroidal nonhormonal oral onceaweek oral contraceptive It has been incorporated in the National Family Planning Programme of India since 2016 It was a revolutionary drug in the field of contraception being safe Even now it is the only nonsteroidal nonhormonal contraceptive in the world which is a matter of great pride that it has been developed in India and also in LucknowSaheli was launched by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986His stay in CDRI first as a scientist then as head of the medicinal chemistry division 19631974 and later as a director 19741984 has been of great significance in shaping and nurturing budding scientists of the institute said CDRI spokesperson senior scientist Sanjeev YadavDr Nityanand was associated with different drug policyformulating bodies of the government of India for almost four decades and has been an adviser and consultant to many scientific bodies and institutions IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/scientist-who-discovered-saheli-passes-away-513483.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/acclaimed-bengali-actress-sreela-majumdar-passes-away-at-65-513179.html Kolkata Jan 27 Acclaimed Bengali actress Sreela Majumdar who was known for her roles in both parallel and mainstream cinema passed away at the age 65 after losing her battle against cancer here on Saturday afternoonThe actress is survived by her husband SNM Abdi a journalist and columnist and their son Sohail AbdiHer husband told IANS that Majumdar was suffering from cancer for the last three years and was admitted to a hospital earlier this month However she was brought back home where she breathed her last on SaturdayMajumdar was an integral part of several iconic movies directed the late Mrinal Sen Be it Dugga in Akaler Sandhane Minu in Ekdin Pratidin or Srija in Kharij all directed by Sen Majumdars acting skills received critics accoladesShe made her acting debut at the age of 16 in Sens Parashuram in 1980 In due course she was casted in several alternate Indian movies against big names such as Naseeruddin Shah Shabana Azmi and the late Smita Patil among othersWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a condolence message after Majumdars death saying Saddened by the news of the demise of film actress Sreela Majumdar today afternoon Sreela was a noted and powerful actress who played outstanding roles in several significant Indian films It is a big loss for the Bengal film industry We shall miss her stellar presence My condolences to her family IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/acclaimed-bengali-actress-sreela-majumdar-passes-away-at-65-513179.html Sat, 27 Jan 2024 20:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jk-light-snowfall-in-higher-reaches-plains-remain-dry-512985.html Srinagar Jan 28 Light snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of JK during the last 24 hours as the spell of extreme cold eased a bit both in the Valley and Jammu division on SaturdayHigher reaches like Sonamarg Gulmarg Sinthan Top Mughal Road Karnah Razdan Pass and Zojila Pass received light snowfall while people living in the plains still wait for this seasons first snowfallSrinagar had minus 23 Gulmarg minus 64 and Pahalgam minus 51 as the minimum temperature todayLeh town in Ladakh region had minus 98 and Kargil minus 105 as the minimum temperatureJammu city had 7 Katra 76 Batote 31 Bhaderwah minus 02 and Banihal 04 as the nights lowest temperatureThe 40day long period of harsh winter cold known as the Chillai Kalan started on December 21 and will end on January 30 IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/jk-light-snowfall-in-higher-reaches-plains-remain-dry-512985.html Sat, 27 Jan 2024 09:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-to-host-nature-and-bird-festival-from-jan-27-to-feb-2-512793.html Lucknow Jan 26 To mark the World Wetlands Day a Nature and Bird Festival will be organised from January 27 to February 2 across Uttar Pradesh Celebrated annually on February 2 World Wetlands Day marks the United Nations adoption of the convention on wetlands in 1971 The festival will kick off at Chandrashekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary in Nawabganj Unnao on January 27 followed by events across various districts in Uttar Pradesh throughout the week State Forest Minister K P Malik will inaugurate the festival On January 28 events will be held at Govind Sagar Dam Lalitpur Forest Division Lalitpur and on January 29 at Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Sant Kabir Nagar Forest division Similarly on January 30 an event is scheduled at Lakhbahosi Bird Sanctuary in Kannauj January 31 will witness a statelevel event at Surajpur Wetland Gautam Buddha Nagar Forest division On February 1 activities will take place at Prayagraj Sangam area social forestry division and on February 2 at Haiderpur Wetland Muzaffarnagar forest division Various departments and institutions including educational institutions and wildlife photographers will join the forest department in participating in the festival The last edition of the festival took place in Mahoba in 2023 with previous events held at different locations in Uttar Pradesh such as Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2017 Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao in 2019 Sursarovar Bird Sanctuary in KeethamAgra in 2020 and Okhla Bird Sanctuary in Gautam Buddha Nagar in 2021 The Bird Festival could not be organised in 2022 due to the COVID pandemic IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/up-to-host-nature-and-bird-festival-from-jan-27-to-feb-2-512793.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 13:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-champion-of-peace-to-world-no-1-in-doubles-bopannas-tennis-journey-goes-on-and-on-512629.html Mumbai Jan 25 In the annals of Indian tennis which has been dominated by the likes of Ramanathan Krishnan Ramesh Krishnan Leander Paes Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza Rohan Bopanna has carved a niche for himself by the dint of his talent hard work and longevity He is the oldest firsttime world no 1 at the age of 43 achieving the top ranking in mens doubles earlier this week He has further extended his aura by reaching his first final in the Australian Open 2024 Bopanna is the fourth Indian to win a Grand Slam title after Paes Bhupathi and Mirza and has now joined the list of star tennis players who have also been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award on Thursday Initially a singles player with a boom service which had earned him the nickname Bofors Bopanna has played tennis for three decades making a name for himself on and off the court The player from Karnataka has so far won one Grand Slam title the 2017 French Open alongside Gabriela Dabrowski in mixed doubles and reached three finals in mens doubles and mixed doubles combined Born on March 4 1980 in Bangalore Karnataka to MG Bopanna a coffee planter in Kodagu district and Malika Bopanna a housewife Bopanna started playing tennis at the age of 11 because his father wanted him to pursue the sport Though he also enjoyed sports like hockey and football by the age of 19 tennis became young Bopannas calling as won his first ITF Junior singles title in 1997 at the age of 17 In 2002 he was selected for the first time to represent India in the Davis Cup After gaining experience in both singles and doubles at the junior and senior ITF levels Bopanna known as Bops in the Indian tennis circuit turned professional in 2003 The righthander with a singlehanded backhand became a prominent topic on the front page of newspapers around the globe because of his mens doubles partnership with Pakistans AisamulHaq Qureshi For several years the pair gained prominence as the IndoPak Express and made an early impact when finished runnerup in the 2010 US Open Their message of Stop War Start Tennis a decade back had earned Bopanna and Qureshi a reputation as peace ambassadors Though their partnership lasted from 2003 to 2014 they reunited as a pair for a few events in 2021 the IndoPak Express won five ATP doubles titles and reached the final of the 2010 US Open Bopanna along with Qureshi was honoured with the Champion for Peace by the Monacobased organization Peace and Sport in 2010 In all Bopanna has won 24 career doubles titles in all and has finished runnerup in the ATP World Tour Finals in 2012 and 2015 and represented the country in two Olympic Games reaching the mixed doubles semifinal in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/from-champion-of-peace-to-world-no-1-in-doubles-bopannas-tennis-journey-goes-on-and-on-512629.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 01:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sgpgims-director-among-padma-awardees-from-up-512666.html Lucknow Jan 26 RK Dhiman Director Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences SGPGIMS Lucknow is among the prominent persons awarded Padma Shri along with 11 others from Uttar Pradesh I am very happy to know that my work is getting recognised My work in eradication of Hepatitis C in 22 districts of Punjab Covid management in Lucknow and starting organ donation campaign by setting up SOTTO has been recognised by the government This award will inspire me to work harder said Dhiman Babu Ram Yadav brass Marori craftsperson from Moradabad said My art has won me a great recognition I am happy about the award He has over six decades of experience in creating intricate brass artifacts using traditional crafting techniques Ram Chet Chaudhary 79 is a Gorakhpurbased retired agricultural scientist who has been awarded the Padma Shri in science and engineering category As per his X handle he is currently working as the chairman in Participatory Rural Development Foundation an NGO in Gorakhpur He is known for his work in Kala Namak rice promotion Born on November 8 1944 he taught in various agricultural universities in India and went on to study in Germany His works on agriculture have been published across the world and form part of the curriculum in many Indian agriculture universities It was on the suggestion of Chaudhary that permission was given to cultivate black salt rice in Uttar Pradesh Seeing its yield and utility governor Anandiben Patel not only appreciated his idea but also honoured him at Raj Bhawan He has served in Pantnagar Pusa World Bank IRRI and the UN says the bio data in his twitter handle IANS https://dailyworld.in/spotlight/sgpgims-director-among-padma-awardees-from-up-512666.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:49:00 +0530