BRAND KERALA APRIL 2018

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b r a n di ng k e r a l a g l oba l ly

years of

modification “We have left no stone unturned to bring about a positive change in the country.

Jackfruit goes official 30 ISSN 2249244-5

plus

A ZESTFUL JOURNEY | 36

Exotic Fruit Drinks

HOPES OF FRUITION

T It’s time the NDA think tanks sat down for a brainstorming and came out with certain populist measures like cut in fuel prices.

he NDA Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi enters the fag end of its term completing an eventful four years at office. This coalition, voted to power with the magnanimous hope of delivering good governance, was the immediate reaction of the common man fed up with the decade of UPA rule marked by a plethora of shocking scams. The BJP, which enjoys a brutal majority in the coalition, embarked on a series of revolutionary decisions which were often received with bouquets as well as brickbats. The overnight declaration of demonitisation, which sent shock waves across the globe, was seen as a surgical strike to cleanse the Indian economy of its pollutants and thereby create a new financial culture which operates on a digital mode. But, two years later, the common man still bears the brunt of its aftershocks, with many sectors struggling hard to resurrect from the extensive damages. Another one in the form of Goods and Services Tax (GST), which initially promised a big fortune for a consumer State like Kerala, is yet to deliver the desired results with a lot of glitches still under the rectification process.

Though the Centre puts up a brave face and is confident enough to put the economy back on track and trigger a boom in the market, the time

left for the same is minimal before it faces the nation again next year.

Nevertheless, great strides taken in other sectors, especially in international relations, have enhanced the feeling of pride among the countrymen. The Prime Minister ‘s constant efforts to establish a camaraderie with world leaders and forge a formidable global space for the nation have yielded results with the voice of our country being taken seriously across the globe. Narendra Modi’s unparallel statesmanship in befriending even those who once dumped him has elevated him to the status of a global leader.

The NDA Government’s biggest achievement is that it could deliver scam-free governance, though certain incidents of financial frauds involving people close to the powers that be forced it to a defensive mode at times.

It’s time the NDA think tanks sat down for a brainstorming and came out with certain populist measures like cut in fuel prices, which could go long way in luring the common man, especially the impartial and apolitical middle class, who can become a major electoral force in the ensuing elections.

J S Indukumar

Editor in chief

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April 2018 | VOl. 8 | ISSUE. 4 | rS 60/-

B R A N DI NG K E R A L A G L OBA L LY

April 2018 Vol 8 Issue 4

Editor in Chief Executive Editor associate Editor Director, Marketing chief operating officer

YEARS OF

Balachandran B

PLUS

BUSINESS STRESS

a r t & c u lt u r e

Aparna Sreevalsan Priyanka Prakash Nishad H

Marketing

Bangaluru Chennai Kochi Kollam

Jerrymon J Kottaram +91 99474 29977 Anilkumar D +91 9868123311 Damodaran K Nayar +91 9035616040 Krishnan +91 9947260531 Rabish O +91 9387297703 Suresh Kumar +91 9745022177

10

K Sreekumaran +91 99474 81177

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cover story

four years of modification The Modi government is intensely pushing reforms for inclusive development. The high budget allocation for rural development indicates a major thrust in this regard before the government’s term ends.

circulation Thiruvananthapuram

editor@brandkerala.biz marketing@brandkerala.biz info@brandkerala.biz

Internet edition www.brandkerala.biz Digital edition www.issuu.com/brandkerala

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher of BRAND KERALA All rights reserved. Copyright @2018 Owned, Edited, Printed and Published by Ravisankar K.V., Brand Kerala Media House Pvt. Ltd., SRL A - 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India at Orange Printers PVT LTD., Thiruvananthapuram for Arsha Offset Graphix, Janvilla Lane, Vellayamabalam, Thiruvananthapuram – 695010 Editor: Ravisankar K V

No one will get any benefit if we give pass marks for all students.

Without having a minimum standard and quality in the education system, there is no use in giving pass marks to students.

36

21

NATION MARCHES AHEAD India has even surpassed China in terms of development with respect to the GDP growth of India for the last financial year.

24

Coir sector set for a big leap To develop the coir sector, a lot of research are being carried out.

The CCRI is helping in the development of new coir products.

54

MUDRAS OF ELEGANCE

food/leisure

56

CooL OFF @HAJI ALI auto biz

60 NEW AVATAR FOR AUDI Q5

The new Q5 isn’t a stylistic departure from its predecessor. The lines are bit crisper, tighter, and narrower.

The versatile fruit is fast attaining the status of a super food and efforts are being taken to promote jackfruit in the state in all possible ways.

Editorial & Corporate office

RNI No. KERENG 2010/36920 ISSN 2249244-5

30 THE ‘JACK OF agri biz

ALL FRUITS’

Brand Kerala Media House Associates SRL A 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India Tele : +91 471 231 1377/231 2377

www.facebook.com/brandkerala

The Growing ‘Subculture’ of Violence

50 COMPETING WITH

Shyam Kumar P Gopakumar K

New Delhi

A ZESTFUL JOURNEY | 36

Mujeeb Shamsudeen

Design Editor

Thiruvananthapuram

42

ISSN 2249244-5

Rajani A

Murukesh Iyer

Office in charge

JACKFRUIT GOES OFFICIAL 30

J S Indukumar

How do you deal with stress in business column

“WE HAVE LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED TO BRING ABOUT A POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE COUNTRY.

Ravisankar K V

Photographer Editorial team

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MODIFICATION

Editorial Managing Editor

h e a lt h

AUTO BiZ - NEW AVATAr FOr AUDi Q5 | 60

BRAND KERALA

trends India becomes the fastest growing large economy in the world under the NDA Government. Will overcome china soon.

Tharun Saighal

ShivrajSingh Chouhan @ChouhanShivraj

With clear signs of revival in economic activity and uptick in global demand, GDP growth is expected to strengthen to 7.4% in FY19.

Sound economic policies of NDA government have made India the fastest growing major economy in the world.

biz news launches

auto

app o in t m e n t

Ashok Leyland bags Ministry of Defence order

A

shok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group and the largest suppliers of mobility solutions to the Indian Army, has won another critical order from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The contract is for supplying Ashok Leyland’s High Mobility

fifa

world

10x10 vehicles (HMV 10x10) which has been fully developed in India, by Indians. This order will end a long search by the Indian Army; have been looking for HMV 10x10s to carry the Smerch Rockets. This initial order is worth over Rs.100 Crores.

cup

KIA MOTORS BEGINS SEARCH FOR MATCH BALL CARRIERS A s an automotive partner of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kia Motors India is creating an opportunity for young Indian football players (between the ages group of 10-14) to experience the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, as part of the Official Match Ball Carrier (OMBC) program. At each match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a total of 64 fortunate young people from all over the world will participate in the OMBC program, two of which will be from India.

The Kia OMBC campaign will be launched across India on social media and other digital platforms from 10thApril. To enter the first phase of this competition, the guardian of the entrant must record and submit a short film of them showing their passion, skill and interest for the game – all entrant videos should be uploaded to www.kia-motors.in/fifa2018 . In the second phase the shortlisted entrants will be called for an on-site selection process based on their football

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April 2018

skills, agility, attitude and teamwork. Six will be selected, Kia judges will select their bvest two to be the OMBC and the other four will accompany them to witness the matches. For the trip to Russia, Kia Motors will cover all travel and accommodation costs for the winner and their guardian.

mou

new tech director for cochin shipyard

B

ejoy Bhasker, former Chief General Manager (Technical & Infra Projects), Cochin Shipyard Limited assumed charge as Director (Technical), Cochin Shipyard Limited. Bejoy Bhasker joined Cochin Shipyard on 29

Essilor Launches Varilux X

E

ssilor, the world leader in ophthalmic lenses, had a multi-city launch of its latest innovation, Varilux X series, to enhance the visual experience of presbyopes- going one step further in understanding the evolving needs of wearers and putting them at them heart of its innovation process.

Designers have focused their efforts on improving vision at arm’s length - reflecting the multitude of near vision tasks of today’s lifestyles. The Varilux X series has been designed to meet the ever-changing expectations of Generation X, consumers born between 1965 and 1980, who are highly active and digitally connected.

Payswiff introduces E-way bill

E

-way bill was introduced on the 31st of March 2018 and it operations are a great measure to ease the transportation modes for tax payers &transporters.

Payswiff’s E-Way bill is created by experts from the payment and GST industry who maintain the highest security standards.

The team behind the software comprise of engineers and ERP professionals who are the experts in GST regulation and requirements.

Other solutions that Payswiff offers are: Invoicing Solutions (Web / Portal), E-way bill (Web / App), and GST Return filing (GSP & ASP - Web only).

ai r l in e s

June 1988 as Executive Trainee and has served in various critical operational areas like shipbuilding, Design, Ship repair, Projects etc. He was awarded the “Manager of the Year” award in 2014.

CIBA INKS pact with WATERBASE ltd

C

entral Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), the nodal agency for the development of brackish water aquaculture in the country today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Waterbase Limited (Waterbase), a leading manufacturer of high quality shrimp feed in India, for a collaborative programme of eco-friendly shrimp feed technology.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. K.K. Vijayan, Director, CIBA; Mr. Varun Thapar, Director, The Waterbase Limited and Mr. Ramakanth V. Akula, CEO, The Waterbase Limited.

b anking

GoAir bags Gold Award

G

oAir, one of India’s fastest growing airlines, has bagged the prestigious “Gold award” in the Email Marketing category for the successful use of technology at the 7th Global Customer Engagement Forum & Awards 2018 organized by Asian Consumer Engagement Forum (ACEF).

The seventh edition of Global Customer Engagement Forum & Awards was held in Mumbai on April 7, 2018 and had received 619 entries from over 200 companies across the globe. This award from ACEF is based on the utilization of technology and performance accomplishments.

ESAF Group expands its presence in North East

E

SAF Group is strengthening its presence across North East India region by setting up its regional office at Guwahati in Assam. The regional office was inaugurated by K. Paul Thomas, founder of ESAF. ESAF will be starting with development programs in Assam and Manipur and plans to work through partnering with different NGOs and government bodies in the region. ESAF SFB started operations in March 2017, is also planning to expand its network of retail banking outlets in Assam and Manipur in this financial year. Within three years, the group will further expand their banking operations in unbanked areas of north eastern states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

m anag e m e n t

G-2-G to offer Management services

G

ood-2-Great Management Services (P) Ltd will be providing services to Corporates, Entrepreneurs and Family business Owners for Organizational and professional development. The company would be offering services in 3-key Management areas – Business Consultancy, Corporate Trainings & Campus-2-Corporate (C2C) Program.

The C2C Program Highlights a 4-weeks

development program, Faculty list including CEOs/ Business Heads of Corporates, Exposure to current corporate dynamics like conducting meetings, team behavior, meeting expectation of management and customers alike, corporate culture, interview FAQs, and 100% placement support.

Dr.M. Ayyappan, Chairman, G2G Management Services Pvt. Ltd is the

former CMD of HLL Lifecare Limited. Mr. Sam Krishnan, MD, G2G has over 25 years of accomplished professional experience in the field of Operations Management, Retailing, Sales and Business Development with leading Global brands like Mercedes, Tata, Chevrolet, Ford and Suzuki.

The Group is proud to have E. Sreedharan, as the chief Mentor, popularly known as the Metro Man. April 2018

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cover story

4 years of

modification The world’s opinion about India has been transformed.

Today, the entire world sees India with great respct.

A positive atmosphere has been created. The youth, women, middle-class and every section of society today believe that yes, we can! We can move ahead. This positivity and confidence will build a New India.

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April 2018

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cover story

M R Ranjit Karthikeyan

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April 2018

N

ot even the bitterest detractors of Narendra Modi will deny the fact of India’s comeback as the fastest growing economy in 2018.

However, the nation’s challenges to seize the opportunities opening up for further growth are only just beginning.Let’s take a look at the major changes brought about to the economy after four years of the NDA-II government. The Center for Strategic & International Studies has a scorecard tracking the Modi government against 30 “big reforms” that would help restructure India’s economy, updated each month. CSIS indicates that only 8 are incomplete with over a year to go before the national elections. The report starts by stating, “Pundits sometimes act as if economic reforms are a light switch that

India’s Central Government can turn on and off. In reality, the process of reforming the economy is nuanced, involving a diverse set of issues and actors.”

While the debate rages for and against the ongoing reforms, there is no doubt about the huge disruptions caused to the economy by the major and adventurous moves taken by the Modi government to kick-start reforms. The demonetisation or currency exchange initiative (in which currency notes were replaced with new series) has enabled the formal economy to grow – though initially at the expense of the informal one – by bringing about an increase in tax income.

Demonetisation was a fearless decision considering the government’s projected mid-term situation and the ambitious

net corporate tax

18.6% surged

Demonetisation was a fearless decision considering the Government’s projected mid-term situation and the ambitious economic development goals.

tax collection between April 2017 and February 2018

19.7% surged

Long & Decisive Steps

economic development goals it had set for its tenure. The jury is still out on the effect of demonetisation – a never before act by any nation – and one has to wait to see its long-term impact on the economy. One key reason why the government was prompted to take such an enormous political and economic risk was to bring about a badly needed correction in the economic growth that was happening in India. The economy grew at about 5.4% during 1999-2004 (NDA-I), and subsequently climbed to a continuous 8.5% rate up to 2009 (UPA-I).

However, during the start of the new millennium, even-though the growth rate was moderate, the nation could generate 60 million jobs. In comparison, over the next five years, while the growth rate was terrific, job creation was only 2.7 million. The reason was that India was going through a period of asset Inflation, which did not really contribute to the real economy. To put a check to this jobless growth, a shock to the economy was warranted. Much has been written on the subject and my pointer on the immediate impact on the decision is the subsequent huge surge in direct tax revenues.

According to latest government data, between April 2017 and February 2018, net corporate tax collections surged 19.7% while personal income tax collection swelled by 18.6%.

Another reason behind the buoyancy in direct corporate tax collections is India’s biggest indirect tax reform — the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax in June 2017. The uniform GST system created India’s first-ever national market and replaced most state and federal taxes. Many armchair pundits have predicted that 2018 would be among the most difficult years for corporate India because of the demonetisation and GST. But look what has happened. Even as the demonetisation continued to impact business and the GST threw firms into disarray, the Q3FY18 results showed a turnaround in GDP growth – real growth as opposed to asset-inflation based

personal income tax

growth.

Nonetheless, performance still remains lackluster in key sectors like banking and exports. Full economic recovery will be possible only if these sectors get better.

FY19 will have to be a period of some serious cleaning up of the banking sector, the backbone of the Indian financial system, and their financial statements should be reliable and credible once that’s done. Another area of concern is the high foreign debt of domestic companies in the wake of a weak rupee.

A moot point to note is the continuing lack of inclusivity in economic growth, as reflected in India’s lowly rank of 60 among 79 developing economies in the

Rising inequality is compromising the pace at which India is lifting people out of extreme poverty.

World Economic Forum’s latest “Inclusive Development Index.” The glaring inequality in India is evident from the fact that the richest 1% owns 53% of its wealth – up from 36.8% in the year 2000. For comparison, the richest 1% in the United States owns 37.30%. Rising inequality is compromising the pace at which India is lifting people out of extreme poverty. About one-third of the world’s population live in India on under US$1.90 a day – some 224 million people.

Oxfam calculates that if India were merely to stop inequality from growing further, it could lift 90 million more people out of extreme poverty by 2019. The Modi government is intensely pushing reforms for inclusive development. The high budget allocation for rural development in the year’s budget indicates a major thrust April 2018

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in this regard before the government’s term ends.

As of now, one year before the next general elections, the macros look good.

Factory output grew at a robust pace of 7.5% in January, for the third straight month. Retail inflation slowed for the second consecutive month to 4.4% in February. In December, the index of industrial production (IIP) grew 7.1%.

Consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation slowed to 5.1% in January. In the manufacturing sector, 16 out of the 22 industry groups showed positive growth in January. And the pace of job creation has reached its highest level since June 2011, according to the Nikkei India Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for March 2018.

The government has taken several steps for economic restructuring that are seldom discussed in the mainstream media. The energy sector is seeing a high octane development with a new energy policy that switches to a revenue-sharing model (from a profit-sharing model), allows substantial pricing freedom for difficult fields, and eliminates minimum acreage requirements for new fields. While not total price deregulation, the policy offers new incentives for private hydrocarbon exploration.

Transparent telecom auctions that minimize the barriers to participation was unheard of in this country. This government has conducted multiple free and fair telecom auctions with no complaints from private-sector participants.

The relaxation in restrictions on FDI in construction, including minimum project size, and reduced the lock-in period for capital to three years (or as soon as trunk infrastructure is completed, whichever comes first), will certainly see a immediate impact on the construction and real Estate sector, which has already shown positive signs of growth..

According to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2017, it takes 26

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The energy sector is seeing a high octane development with a new energy policy that switches to a revenue-sharing model (from a profit-sharing model), allows substantial pricing freedom for difficult fields, and eliminates minimum acreage requirements for new fields.

days (down from 29 in 2016) to start a business in India, more than in any other South Asian country. Improved domestic conditions, potential revival in the rural sector and small scale businesses and increase in infrastructure projects will drive India’s growth in 2018 and beyond.

Reforms in land and labour markets will proceed only gradually at the national level, given strong political opposition from civil society organisations and labour unions. The quality of the Indian business environment remains relatively poor due to many structural deficiencies: an underdeveloped agricultural sector, poor infrastructure, inflexible labour laws, excessive bureaucracy, rigid land laws, and a shortage of skilled labour due to poor education of most of the population.

India’s rise in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, from 130 to 100 is a significant achievement and is consequently attracting more investors to the country.

NDA-II has made huge strides towards financial inclusion over the last past years and has been relentlessly pushing for the expansion of Digital India. The result of all these reform pushes is that India is poised to become the world’s fifth largest economy, surpassing Great Britain and France.

In the area of national economic development, the Modi government gets full credit for initiating an economic transformation program for India to sustain inclusive growth as the leading 21st century economy. Socio-economic issues and tensions within the NDA coalition are unlikely to prevent the government from keeping the reforms momentum going. Currently, it seems probable that the NDA coalition will secure a second five-year term in the 2019 general elections.

To conclude, I will have to cite Prime Minister Modi at the World Economic Summit 2018 in Davos. “In a world that is full of fault lines and rifts, we need to build a shared future,” April 2018

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analysis

not a smooth takeoff Modi Government made reforms in governance and continue as the fastest growing economy in the world even though it is behind UPA Government which achieved 9% annual GDP growth rate.

N Niyathi

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I

n May 2014 when Modi Government (MG) sworn in, they pledged to 110 crore people of India ‘we will reduce poverty, generate 2 crore employment annually, eliminate corruption, expedite infrastructure creation and build a strong, confident and a new India’. In May, 2018 MG complete four years in governance and enter the fifth year and in May, 2019 when Modi Government complete 5 years, will face people again for election and vote. Every government is a continuation of the past Government but bring changes in governance based on the election promises. In this context MG made reforms in governance and continue as the fastest growing economy in the world even though it is behind UPA Government which achieved 9% annual GDP growth rate. MG continued reform measures in foreign direct investment, foreign trade, banking, insurance,

industry and telecommunication. MG in 2016 demonetized high value currency, introduced GST in 2017, increased direct tax base and recapitalized banks.

Modi Government claims that India achieved average GDP growth of 7.5 percent in the first three years (2014-17) and Indian economy is now 2.6 trillion dollar economy and 6th largest in the world. GDP growth in the fiscal year 2016-17 is at 6.5 percent and project to grow by 6.75-7.5% in 2017-18. IMF

fiscal deficit is below target where as debt GDP ratio is at 68.5% in 2016-17 down from 69.5% in 2015-16.

projects a growth of 6.6 percent in 201617 and 7.2% in 2017-18. Farm sector grew at 4.1 percent and industrial sector at 5.2 percent in 2016-17. In fiscal deficit, MG is below target where as debt GDP ratio is at 68.5% in 2016-17 down from 69.5% in 2015-16. All these official data show that at macro level Indian economy is in better position. But when one goes down to micro level the situation is different and economy is beset with problems.

In the last four years, Modi Government made several changes in development policies particularly in liberalization and privatization and aimed high growth rate. Ratio of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Insurance Companies and defense industries has been increased. Sale of PSU shares in open market has been intensified and changes have

info facts

India is now the world’s sixth largest economy at

$2.6 trillion Fiscal deficit 69.5%

Farm sector grew at

4.1%

2015-16

₹

₹

68.5%

2016-17

₹

₹

April 2018

2016-17

2017-18

6.5%

6.75-7.5%

GDP growth

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info employment

80-85% youth remain in the labour market queue for employment.

15-25%

2.31 lakh employment generated in 2016

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youth are getting employment

been made in labor laws. Abolished sixty five year old Central Planning Commission and abolished plan and non plan classification and instead MG started a new agency Niti Ayog.

Consequence integration of central- state development plan programs abolished.

Similarly centaury old separate Railway Board Budget has been abolished and integration of public sector banks started.

All these changes have been made in the national economy with a view to accelerate the annual GDP growth rate but the results have been behind expectation.

Modi Government started programs like make-in India, skill development and start up ventures in 2015-16 to increase capital investment and generate more employment. Indias’ annual industrial growth during the five years until 2015-16 had been only 1.6 percent and during 2016-17 growth rates stood below 1 percent. It shows that industrial production and growth don’t grow to target level. Low level of private investment is one of the major growth constraints in the national economy.

Gross capital formation which was 31.3 percent in 2011-12 slowed down to 29.3 percent in 2015-16 and further down to 27.1 percent in 2016-17. We need to increase investment both in private and public. This is possible only through an integration of monetary policy, fiscal policy and inflationary target. But it fails to realize. Economists and policy makers constantly debate on growth vs. inflation giving low priority to investment. In the present situation such a policy has to change. Increase in investment need to resolve first ‘the banking mess’ that existed over the last few years.

We need a solution to

alarming NPA of Banks. In 2016-17, NPA of banks crossed 8 lakh crores. In 2014 when MG assumed office NPA was only 173 lakhs. NPA is nearing 12 percent of total bank credit. Deposits in banks increased after note demonetization in 2016 but credit supply didn’t increase proportionately. Out of 8.0 lakh crores, NPA 4.3 lakh crores is in 50 accounts.

Similarly 50 percent of NPA are blocked in construction, energy and mining sectors. Union Government in October 2017 declared a package of 2.11 lakh crores for recapitalizing the capital base of the public sector banks in two years. However the new credit scam in the PNB further weakened the bank’s performance.

In 2014, MG promised employment creating economic growth. But Niti Ayog suggested a total labor reform in labor sector to fulfill the MG promise. MG promised that they will generate 2 crores employment annually. But official data shows that only 2.31 lakhs employment were generated in 2016 against 1.55 lakhs in 2015. But on an average 180 lakhs youth newly enter labor market for employment. During 2012-16, 36 lakhs employment were created annually; which shows that only 15-20 percent

According to estimates centre has lost revenue upto one lakh crore during 2017-18 since GST introduced.

youth are being employed. In other words, 80-85 percent youth remain in the labour market queue for employment.

Niti Ayog suggests contract labor instead of regular employment and also suggests exempting new entrepreneurs from labor laws. In other words, labor and employment market are uncertain and it would affect the economy in several ways in the short as well as long run.

MG introduced GST in July, 2017.

Prime Minister declared that it would strengthen co-operative federalism and one market and unified tax rate for goods and service. Several essential goods are exempted from tax and maximum rate reduced to 28%. But price of goods have not come down proportionally and hence people are not getting the benefits of reduction under GST. Here the

government, goods producers, traders and final consumers stand on different steps and under such situation how is it possible to ensure social justice for society, revenue increase of government and economic equality of people. Nine months have passed since MG introduced GST. Consumers don’t feel that during this period the price of goods have come down proportionate to cut in tax rate under GST. According to estimates, union government has lost revenue up to one lakh crores during 2017-18 since GST introduced. As a result states will lose 42,000 crores as their share. Similarly petroleum products are outside GST coverage. Daily price fixing policy of oil companies have increased petrol price per liter to 77 and diesel 70 per liter. Oil price policy of MG adversely affected people’s living cost and it will continue unless MG regulates the oil pricing policy.

In November, 2016 MG demonetized high value currency (500, 1000) notes which formed 80-85 percent of notes in circulation. Although the target was to unearth black money in the economy it created several problems to economy and until today people are not entirely free from the demonetization issues.

Note demonetization has affected April 2018

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analysis

minimum government and maximum governance improved India’s ranking by 42 places in last 3 years in world banks ‘Ease of Doing business’.

the GDP growth, employment and investment. Small traders and industrial entrepreneurs, farmers, farm workers, and workers in unorganized sector are most affected by note demonetization.

Demonetization affect growth rate by 0.25-0.5% but according to policy makers and experts it will have long term benefit.

It affected supplies of certain agricultural products like sugar, milk, potatoes and onions. Demonetization effect will return to normal stage until new currency comes in circulation. But it is surprising that RBI has not completed the counting of demonetized notes. When RBI completes counting of notes we would understand the quantum of black money that circulated in the economy. However, it is true that GDP growth has come down since demonetization in November, 2017 and it is difficult in this junction to assess how long time it will it take to reach normalcy at macro level.

MG stress on minimum government and maximum governance and carry out reforms in policies, rules and procedures.

In official records it has improved India’s ranking by 42 places in last 3 years in world banks ‘Ease of Doing business’.

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Now MG stress on ‘Ease of living’ for the common men. MG provide free LPG connection to poor people, 4 crore households with electricity connection 800 medicine sold at low prices, interest rate relief to poor people on housing etc.

Similarly 250 million poor people have opened bank account under ‘Jandhan’ program.

Farm sector achieved 4.1 percent growth in 2016-17 as against 1.2 percent in 2015-16. Food production is 275 million tones and fruits and vegetable production is at 300 million tones.

Minimum support price and farm debt are the two major unresolved issues in farm sector. MG promised that farmers would realize 50 percent income more than the cost of their produce. In other words, farmers would get one and a half times the cost of their production.

Unless the promise is realized famers problem will remain as such. Farmers’ suicide still continues as a social problem and a national tragedy. In one study it has been found that farmers were unable to get MSP rates in nine different markets across five states. The study also estimated difference between declared

MSP and actual prices across the country for six major crops and caused farmers a total estimated loss of `14474 crores.

Farm debt pushes farmers into misery and loss of land. According to official data, on an average 12000 farmers in India commit suicide annually. Between 1995 and 2017 four lakhs farmers in India committed suicide. Fall in price of crops and debt burden are the two major reasons for suicide. MG has increased the quantum of institutional credit loan to farmers from 8.5 lakh crores in 2014-15 to 10 lakh crores in 2017-18 and it is suggested at 11 lakh crores in 2018-19. Bank credit alone will not improve farmers’ income and their social well being but must be supported with reasonable MSP, farm technology, fertilizers, marketing and storage facility.

Such an integrated farm growth strategy is the present need.

MG complete four years and enter fifth year. Here the MG has to critically examine what they promised to people in 2014 and then identity the gap. Success of MG depends on how they bridge the gap in one year. Experts and agencies believe that Indian economy has the potential to achieve a GDP growth of 9-10 percent annually. MG has to identify the potential and try to achieve it.

Author is a senior economic analyst and Registrar of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development studies, Trivandrum.

HOPES GALORE, NATION MARCHES AHEAD Over the past four years, India has even surpassed China in terms of development with respect to the GDP growth of India for the last financial year.

Shiva Shankar P

H

istory has been written as before Christ and after Christ.

In the years to come, Indian history will be rewritten as before Modi and after Modi. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, India is marching forward as the flag bearer of the development revolution that has encapsulated the world today.

The vision of Modi is to see India as the pioneer in development and growth engine of the world. It is clearly visible that the growth of the country has seen over the last few years is unimaginable.

Several years back western economists called it as Hindu growth rate, but now India is the front runner in the world economic surveys.

Over the past four years, India has even surpassed China in terms of development with respect to the GDP growth of India for the last financial year being 7.5%, as compared to 7.2% GDP April 2018

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growth of China. As per the Economic Survey 2016-17, tabled in Parliament, that represents the financial health of the economy, eight core infrastructure supportive industries (coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity) registered a cumulative growth of 4.9% during the financial year 2016-17. It further states that private industry particularly corporate sector growth sales have increased by 1.9% compared to last FY. This is a good sign as it implies that GST and note ban has not adversely affected our market and the prediction and wish of opposition parties to see the market collapse was not fulfilled.

Crucial decisions taken by the government like implementing GST, demonetization (to curb black money) and removal of regulation on petroleum prices are clear indications that the Modi government and BJP always take historic, game changing decisions that benefit the country in the long run

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and never compromise for short term political or electoral benefits. Through these decisions Narendra Modi has set an example that the priority of a patriotic leader is to always make the future bright for the country.

In 2016-17, the Indian industrial growth rate slipped to 5.2%, but its rebound to 7.5% in Jan 2018 is a clear indication that positive results are being seen in the industrial sector. As per the industrial production chart of G20 countries, India occupies the 3rd position with a GDP growth of 7.5 %. There are only two

There are only two countries that have GDP growth more than India - Switzerland and Turkey.

countries that have GDP growth more than India - Switzerland and Turkey, and they are relatively smaller economies compared to India. The fact that USA, Germany and Japan are way down in this list, shows that the world economic slowdown has not adversely affected the Indian market.

Through the implementation of Aadhar and digitalization, this government has made a giant leap and reaped huge benefits in the field of direct beneficiary transfer (DBT).

In 2013-14, DBT beneficiaries were 10.71 Crores, which increased to 35.7 Crores in 2016-17. Even though beneficiaries increased several times by the removal of ineligible users and middlemen, nation was able to gain Rs 83,000 Cr. Several economists believe that this is one of the reasons for foul cry from opposition against Aadhar and digitalization. India is moving from women development to women led development. As per “Mudra

info Direct benefit transfer 2013-14

10.71 crore

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

DBT has resulted in an estimated gain of Rs. 83,000 crore to the nation.

22.72 crore 30.69 crore 35.7 crore

Yojana Loan”, which is the flagship project of government, women users get preference in availing the loans and can become labour givers than labour workers. As per National Rural Livelihood Commission there has been an increase of 37% in the loans taken from women self-help groups. Rs 6895 Crores has already been given as loans for women start-ups. Maternity leave was increased from 12 months to 26 months which helps women strike a work life balance and free cooking gas connections were given to 3.5 crore women across India under Pradhan Mantri Ujjaal Yojana. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, preference was given to women to construct houses and passport rules were eased for single mothers who wish to travel abroad. These are clear signals that this government is dedicated to women empowerment. The icing on the cake is that seven ministers in the Union Cabinet are women.

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program, which is exclusively for people falling under BPL, has already done 22 lakhs dialysis sessions for 2.3 lakh people. This scheme is implemented across 500 cities’ Health Departments across the nation and it is a boon for poor people coming for dialysis.

Apart from this, Ayushman Bharat Program, which is the world’s largest

120.07 crore

insurance scheme, covers ten crore families under Rs 5 lakhs insurance plan. Narendra Modi government is true to its word in seeing that policy benefits reach the last man at the bottom of the pyramid. The number of tractors brought by farmers in 2017 is a direct contradiction to the claim by opposition political parties and certain media outlets that country is facing a recession. The fact that tractor sales

Ayushman Bharat Program covers ten crore families under Rs 5 lakhs insurance plan.

have increased by 34% shows a clear sign of confidence prevailing among the farmers. Not just for farmers, the common man has also benefitted. Two wheeler sales saw an increase of 14%, cars 12% and commercial vehicles sale increased by 23%. Number of domestic flight travelers has also increased by 14% last year. These are clear indications that the economic state of the country is in a strong position. Only

one percent of total population had paid the tax in 2014; this increased to 6.26 crore people in 2017-18. In 2018, the number of tax payers increased by 30%, which is an all-time record. Even though there has been tremendous growth and all the surveys and data prove the same, a few still argue that note ban and GST have toppled the economic well-being of the country. A small example which a common man can relate to is that, they (common man) and the economy remained unaffected

by GST and demonetization. See the box office success of Malayalam movie “Pulimurugan”. It is said to be an all time super hit movie and was released on Oct 7, 2016. Demonetization was declared by the government on Nov 8 2016. It is really surprising how the movie collected 150 Cr, in spite of the consequences of demonetization. It has also to be cited that the hero of the movie, Mohanlal had openly come in support of the historic demonetization.

Still the common man made the movie a hit. The masses know and trust our Prime Minister who stands for righteousness and dedication. Just like “Pulimurugan”, Modi will be victorious in 2019, a much colorful victory than 2014.

The author is the Convener of Bharatiya Janatha Party State Media Cell April 2018

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in conversation Coir sector set for a big leap In order to develop the coir sector, a lot of research are being carried out. The CCRI and certain other institutes are helping in the development of new coir products.

T

he coir sector in the country is bracing for a major makeover with a variety of innovative schemes rolled out by the MSME for technology upgradation and rejuvenation of the industry which targets a dream turnover of Rs 25,000 crores in the coming years.

Initiatives in this direction are rapidly progressing at the Coir Board under the proficient leadership of its Chairman, C.P. Radhakrishnan, an ex-MP. The Board is in the process of rolling out a new scheme to assist Coir units in upgrading technology and deployment of modern machines. In conversation with Brand Kerala Team, C.P. Radhakrishnan elaborates on the expansion plans in the Coir Board.

The Union Government has introduced a variety of innovative schemes for the upliftment of coir sector. Can you please elaborate on the same?

We have always given the priority in modernizing this industry. One new scheme, called CITUS (Coir Industry Technology Updradation Scheme), was introduced recently. Through this scheme, we give 25 percent subsidy to any private entrepreneur who buys a latest machine to mechanize his production. This scheme is applicable only for machineries. Like the jute and textile industries, we want to equip the coir industry to attain global standards. Jute, Textile and Coir are the three traditional industries of our country, but out of these three, the textile industry is well developed and modernized. To an extent, the jute industry has also acquired those standards. But in coir industry, no kind of up gradation has happened till this time. The working

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environment is also not good enough.

So, in order to develop this industry, a lot of research is being carried out. The CCRI (Central Coir Research Institute) and certain other institutes are helping in the development of new coir products.

As part of these initiatives, we could recently launch an automatic power loom for Coir Geo textiles known as Anugraha Thejus. Previously, geo textiles were handmade and this restricted the volume of production and the labour cost was also very high. Now people look for large quantities of products at a very competitive price. We have also given emphasis to the clusters being formed by artisans and other people. If they can contribute a land plus 25 per cent cost, in return they will get 75 percent of the subsidy from the Central Government through Coir Board. In Kerala, we have taken up three clusters last year. One is in Neyyattinkara, Trivandrum and the other two in Balussery, Calicut and Harippad, Alappuzha.

One of the major issues faced by the Coir Industry is the lack of an active domestic marketing network. Have you taken any initiatives to widen the domestic market?

We have started addressing this issue and are spending money to refurbish the 30 showrooms across the country.

It is not an easy task since most of the showrooms are functioning in private properties. Still we have managed to do a facelift for some of our showrooms, the one in Thiruvananthapuram is an ideal example. Now we are looking for government land for lease so that we can have our own showrooms. Another

major development in this field is the production of Coirwood, which is going to dominate the furniture industry in a big way. A thorough research on the carbon emission of Coirwood production was also conducted. First we developed Carbon emission E1 standard, which has got acceptance in Europe. Now we have developed E0, which has been sent to a university in America to carry out rigorous tests to check whether the carbon emission is zero or not. Once that is confirmed, the Coirwood will be accepted in the US market also. The biggest advantage of coir wood is that it is produced from coir itself. Every other kind of wood is procured by cutting trees, whether it’s a dead tree or a living tree.

Here the production is done through growing a tree. So without cutting a tree, we can produce coirwood. It is

Most of the people in Kerala are having a communist mind.

Corruption is less here.

But people are more worried about their rights than their duties.

This is the reason why communism is a failure all over the world.

C.P. Radhakrishnan

200% eco friendly because it encourages afforestation and curbs deforestation. Our geo textiles are also biodegradable. Geo textiles export has grown from negative to positive. The exporting opportunities for geo textiles are very huge and it is far more superior to the synthetic textile industry since coir is ecofriendly and the strongest natural fiber. The CCRI has developed a new product called Coir Krishi Mitra, which is a hundred percent organic manure. Other studies and researches regarding the manure are going on in Kerala Agriculture University and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University in Coimbatore. Coir Krishi Mitra is also going to make a big difference in the fertilizer industry.

How do you feel working in Kerala and with the State government here?

We maintain a very harmonious relationship. We never had any serious problems since we do not mix politics in our initiatives. We are giving all kind of assistance to the State government in the production, conversion of coir wastes etc. Most of the people in Kerala are having a communist mind. Corruption is less here. But people are more worried about their rights than their duties. This is the reason why communism is a failure all over the world. This reduces the productivity of a person. The mindset of all political parties in Kerala is based on communist ideologies. Even the biggest entrepreneurs of Kerala are also having the same thinking pattern. So they are reluctant or have a fear in their mind to expand their investments here. That is why Kerala is more of a consuming state rather than a manufacturing state.

Latest researches indicate the possibility of using coir for road construction. How do you plan to take this idea forward?

That plan comes under the geo textiles.

Based on the studies done in three April 2018

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â‚š25,000crore is the turnover projected from the coir sector in the coming years

NITs and the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, we found out that coir geo textiles can be used in rural road construction. Another development in this front is that we are about to sign a memorandum of understanding with University of Wollongong, Australia.

They plan to do an extensive research on the same and also on the possibility of making use of coir products in construction of railway lines.

Australian Research Council is also participating in this endeavour.

We will get an international certification when the research is completed. It will be easy for us to market our products after that.

Now we have two separate boards for Coconut and Coir. Do you think that the merger of these two boards will help in better operational benefits?

In my personal opinion, there is no need of two separate boards. They can be merged. I am planning to bring this to the consideration of the Central Government even though merging of these two boards involves a lot of formalities. The reason why coconut farmers in Kerala could not compete with those in other states is because of the small volume of individual land holding. If one farmer holds a land with ten coconut trees in it, he won’t take the interest to sell those coconuts; also no one will take the initiative to collect the nuts too. At the same time, if we go to Tamil Nadu, a farmer will be having 15 acres of land. So in one time itself, one can collect around 4000 to 5000 coconuts from that land itself which is

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economically feasible. Nuts are more available in Kerala, but it is difficult for us to collect the husks. The farms are also scattered and the transportation costs are also much higher. The economic feasibility is a must for any commercial work to be successful.

You are targeting a dream turnover of Rs 25,000 Crores for the coir industry in the coming years. Do you think you can achieve it?

Yes. We strongly believe that the projected target of Rs25,000 crores could be easily achievable for us.

Nuts are more available in Kerala, but it is difficult for us to collect the husks.

The husk utilization of Kerala is comparatively less. The husk utilization of Tamil Nadu is around 90 percent, in Karnataka previously it was around 30 to 40 percent. Due to the drought in Tamil Nadu, the husk utilization in Karnataka has now risen to 80 percent.

We have also started husk utilization in Maharashtra also. The only two states left out are Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

This year, we are going to concentrate there also. So all these things combined with the immense possibilities generated from geo textiles and coirwood, a target of Rs 25000 crores will not be a big

challenge for us.

How do you evaluate the four years of BJP- led NDA Government at the Centre?

This is the most outstanding government the country has ever seen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes special care to ensure that all the States get the due share for development activities.

I hope the next major agenda for this Government will be to link the rivers of the country which would go a long way in increasing the agricultural production and natural calamities like floods, droughts etc could also be kept under check. We are having a more transparent government now. The achievements in infrastructure development front are amazing. Another initiative was the strengthening of the national power grid, which has actually helped states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu to go without power cuts. Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister to link the entire power grid from Assam to Kerala. A lot of work had been done in Education sector and in the improvement of sanitation facilities also.

GST is one of the most simplified tax reforms in the world. This government had the courage to implement it.

a Reason

Why Alleppey Should be your next Destination

How do you see the fortune of your party in Kerala?

The BJP is actually in the growing stages in Kerala. It is clearly visible from the increase in the vote share acquired by the party in the previous elections. I am very much confident that our party will overtake both the CPM and Congress in a span of two to five years in Kerala.

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agri biz

Jackfr it Kerala’s Official Fruit

In Kerala, jackfruits have never been considered as a crop to cultivate.

Anyone can spot a jackfruit tree inside almost all compounds, lands in Kerala.

Any kind of care is not given to jackfruit trees. It grows with the normal weather conditions so it is perfectly a bestowal of nature.

V.S. Sunilkumar, Minister for Agriculture

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J

ackfruit has been our self pride all over the time. The least cared and the most wasted fruit will be none other than the jackfruit. But now, the situation has changed. From the list of dodge, the fruit has climbed the steps of victory. Jackfruit has placed a golden feather on its crown by getting the stardom as the Official fruit of State Kerala.

In Kerala, jackfruits have never been considered as a crop to cultivate.

Anyone can spot a jackfruit tree inside almost all compounds, lands in Kerala.

Any kind of care is not given to jackfruit trees. It grows with the normal weather conditions so it is perfectly a bestowal of nature. Many misleading products under the name organic have been sold in the market everywhere, but we never gave a thought about jackfruits, how natural, vitamin-mineral rich it is. Studies proved that jackfruits give the immunity to fight against several diseases. Jackfruit has the power to control Diabetics and Cholesterol.

Jackfruits have the capability to stop the damaging of blood vessels. The primary statistics shows that the 30 percentage of jackfruits produced in Kerala are being wasted or ruined in many ways. According to the findings, Jackfruit trees are found in 92969 hectors of land in Kerala. The number of jackfruits produced is 28 Crores. The resulting profit of utilizing this wasted 30 percent jackfruits in the correct way will be Crores.

The main feature of a jackfruit is, each and every part of the fruit is usable in one way or other. Around hundred products can be made from using all parts of a fruit. The experts in this field states that from a single fruit, we can manufacture value added products cost 2,000 rupees. The qualities and benefits of jackfruits are immense. The glycemic index is comparatively very less in

jackfruits. The protein enriched jackfruit seeds are widely used in the infant and young child feeding sector. It is divine for people of any age to have “Idichakka Thoran” (raw jackfruit dish made with coconut) and the Vacuum fried chips.

Food products like chocolate, toffee, sip-up, dried chips, cutlets can be made using jackfruits.

It is definite that the recognition given now for jackfruits very well deserves.

The ministry announced about the new initiatives taken on the jackfruit production expansion and redaction of the fruits. We need to focus more on the redaction of wasted fruits. As an initial step, we had inaugurated a

The main feature of a jackfruit is, each and every part of the fruit is usable in one way or other.

factory in Thrissur on 7th April, 2018.

That factory comes under the Kerala Agro Industries Corporation. The main aim is to collect the unused fruits, process them and manufacture value added food products. This will be done by the Kudumbasree Units. The cost for constructing the factory was 1.15 Crores and products like jackfruit pulp, halwa, pickle, jam, products made from seeds are manufactured here. The factory has been set up in the Pooppathi branch of Kerala Agro Industries Corporation. The target of Agricultural Sector is to make use of all jackfruits and make available of the value added products made from jackfruits all over the state under the brand name Kerala Jackfruit.

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agri biz

THE ‘JACK OF ALL FRUITS’ The versatile fruit is fast attaining the status of a super food and efforts are being taken to promote jackfruit in the state in all possible ways.

Dr. M Asha Sankar, Professor (Horticulture) & Associate Director of Research, Kerala Agricultural University.

Thrissur

Dr. C. Narayanankutty, Professor (Horticulture) & Associate Director of Research, Kerala Agricultural University.

Thrissur

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ackfruit, (Artocarpusheterophyllus Lam.), the world’s largest fruit, is an invariable component in the homesteads of Kerala. The estimated area under this fruit crop in Kerala is around 90000 ha, with a production of about 28 lakh tonnes. This fruit, which was once relegated to the backyards of Kerala households, is today recognized as the Official fruit of the State, by the Government of Kerala. The versatile fruit is fast attaining the status of a super food and efforts are being taken to promote jackfruit in the state in all possible ways, by setting up farmer cooperatives, organizing awareness programmes and conduct of jackfruit festivals and exhibitions.

In Kerala, jackfruit is also raised as a shade tree in coffee plantations and as a standard for pepper vines. It is well suited to the mixed cropping system prevalent in the state. The tree provides a viable alternative to many of the challenges that afflict the agriculture sector of the state, viz., and depletion of ground water, labor scarcity, pests and disease outbreaks and irrational use of synthetic inputs.

The therapeutic significance of jackfruit is also noteworthy. Jakaline, one of the active principles of the fruit, is said to have anti- HIV properties. Antioxidants like flavonoids, present in the fruit, offer protection against ageing and degenerative diseases. Lectin, a natural protein from fruit is used in cancer treatment. Jackfruit is nutritionally rich, containing vitamins, A and C and minerals like phosphorous, potassium, calcium and iron. It is one of the cheapest sources of nutritional food for the third world countries, plagued by malnutrition and poverty.

Artocarpusheterophyllus Lam. belongs

to the family Moraceae, The word Artocarpus is derived from the Greek words artos (bread) and carpos (fruit) and the name “Jackfruit” is derived from the Portuguese term, jaca, which in turn, is derived from the Malayalam word, chakka. The Malayalam name chakka is seen recorded in Hortus Malabaricus.

The world’s largest fruit is also called by a variety of names, viz., kathal, panasa, jaca, nangka, kanoon, mit etc.

Indigenous to Western Ghats, jackfruit has, over the years, made its presence felt in northern, eastern and western parts of the country as well. India is the largest jackfruit producing country, globally.

From India, it was distributed to West Indies, Malaysia and African countries. In India, the major states growing jackfruit are Assam, Bihar Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil

Jakaline, one of the active principles of the fruit, is said to have anti- HIV properties.

Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala tops the list in area and production.

Jackfruit is a multi-purpose crop providing food, timber, fuel, fodder, and medicinal and industrial products. The primary economic product of jackfruit is the fruit, which is used in both mature and immature stages. As is known widely, the spiky exterior encases hundreds of fleshy bulbs and plumply seeds, which have varied culinary uses. The fruit, as it traverses through various phases

Estimated jackfruit crop in Kerala

90000 ha

from raw, semi matured, mature and ripe, evolves in texture, flavour and colour. In Kerala, tender fruits are highly popular as a vegetable. When unripe, it is remarkably similar in texture to chicken, making jackfruit an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat. In fact, canned jackfruit (in brine) is sometimes referred to as “vegetable meat”. While immature fruit is used as a vegetable, ripe ones are regarded as tasty table fruits. Besides, ripe fruits are also canned. Jackfruit seeds can be roasted like chestnuts, or boiled.

In Kerala, the starch rich seeds are made into delicious cuisines. The fruit pulp is sweet and tasty and used as dessert or preserved in syrup. Jackfruit value added products include chips, pappads, pickles, ice cream, jelly, sweets, beverages like squash, nectar, wine, jam and preserved flakes, fruit bar and candy. Rind, which

Production of jackfruit in Kerala

is a rich source of pectin, is suitable for preparation of jelly. Additionally, jackfruit leaves, bark, inflorescence, seeds and latex are used in traditional medicines.

Tree has good timber value and is less attacked by white ants. Rind of fruit and leaves are good cattle feeds. Latex, from bark contains resin, which can be used to plug holes in earthen pots and buckets.

Flowering and fruit set According to locality and plant type, flowering in jackfruit starts from November and extends up to March.

In Kerala, jack flowers from October to February. Very rarely, off season flowering during September is noticed. The tree is monoecious and the inflorescence is a spike covered by two spathes. Female spathes are born on foot stalks from main trunk or main branches and are large with

28lac tonnes gritty surface. Male spikes appear on both central and peripheral region and are small with smooth surface.

Pollination and fertilization of the spike are completed within 3-6 days after pollination. The chief pollinating agent is wind although insect pollination cannot be ruled out. Jackfruit is a multiple fruit known as sorosis. The fruit takes 120-140 days for attaining maturity. Flattening of spines on the rind and thickening of latex are the maturity indices.

Genetic diversity in jackfruit Based on firmness of flesh, cultivated types are classified into two groups viz, firm flesh types (Varikka) and soft flesh types (Koozha). In firm flesh types, pulp is firm and crisp and the taste varies from very sweet and sweet acid to insipid. In soft flesh types, pulp is very April 2018

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juicy and soft, the taste being variable in degree of sweetness. Varikka is more important commercially and possesses crispy carpels/flakes of high quality. On the other hand, Koozha types have small fruits, whose flesh is fibrous, soft and mushy, but with very sweet flakes. The fruit of the Koozha variety is consumed mainly in the raw stage and used for preparing pickles or cooking different vegetable dishes. If allowed to ripen, they do not taste as good as the Varikka type, their flesh being soft or soggy. In contrast, the Varikka variety is used both in the raw and ripe stages. If used in the unripe stage, it is usually made into curries and deep-fried chips. The Varikka types are preferred for canning in the processing industries.

Most of the cultivated jackfruit trees are of seedling origin and are cross pollinated. Hence, cultivated types exhibit high variability with respect to vegetative, floral and fruit characteristics. These types vary widely among themselves, with respect to bearing characteristics, density of spines on the rind, fruit number, size shape quality and period of maturity, Hence, there exists immense scope for improvement in jackfruit through clonal selection from existing germplasm.

There is a worldwide concern over the ever increasing loss of genetic diversity, especially in underutilized crops. A major reason for this is the replacement of diverse, genetically variable landraces with a few genetically uniform modern varieties. In the case of underutilized crops like jackfruit, these activities have been overlooked by scientists and the primary and secondary gene pools of jackfruit have not been identified.

Jackfruit is largely a cultigen found only under cultivation. Due to its spread over very wide areas of Asia long ago, it is important that an assessment is made for the patterns of genetic diversity that exists in the crop, so that genetic resources can be identified for conservation and utilization.Therefore, the documentation

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and conservation of genetic resources of jackfruit is necessary. Jackfruit has a wide range of genetic variation, in particular in South and Southeast Asia, which aids in the selection of superior types. Many local varieties like Gulabi, Thamarachakka and Champa, have originated this way.

At Kerala Agricultural University, attempts have been made to document genetic diversity existing in the crop.The variability in vegetative, floral, fruiting and biochemical characters of jackfruit

Jackfruit has a wide range of genetic variation, in particular in South and Southeast Asia.

was assessed through a comprehensive survey. There, are flake less type, seedless type, gum less type, type fruiting more than thrice a year, very early ripening type, a type with cluster bearing habit, and a type with high TSS content. A gene sanctuary of promising accessions of jack has been established at Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy.

Climate and Soil This fruit tree prefers warm humid plains for its growth. It grows in arid regions and up to an elevation of 1500m, but the fruit quality is affected at higher

elevation. The tree cannot tolerate frost and cold conditions. Jack can be grown in a wide variety of soils, but it performs well in deep, rich, alluvial soils with enough drainage facilities. Tree is grown in laterite and open textured soils as well, but sufficient nutrients should be provided.

Propagation Seed propagation: Most common method of propagation followed in jackfruit through seeds. Seeds can either be sown in situ or in polythene bags and after germination, can be transplanted to the main field. Seeds lose viability within a short time and hence they should be sown immediately after extraction from ripe fruit.

Seeds may be selected from a well ripened jackfruit obtained from a plustree. Generally, 4-5 seeds are planted in situ, so that thefragile tap root can grow undisturbed. Seedlings can also be raised in pots or poly bags. After one or two years, the seedlings are planted in the field. The germination percentage declines to 40% after 30 days of storage.

More than 70% seeds germinate within 15 days of extraction.The viability of seeds can be prolonged to 32 weeks (with 48% germination) when stored at 20°C. Soaking of seed in water for 24 hours improves germination.

Vegetative propagation: Patch budding and softwood grafting methods are also followed for propagation. The success of the different vegetative propagation methods and their relative advantages and disadvantages vary and depend on the local climate, water availability and, in the case of grafting, availability of suitable rootstocks. Other vegetative propagation methods like cutting, layering etc have not yielded good results.

Management Jack is not maintained as an orchard in Kerala and is seen as a component in homesteads without formal care and

scientific management. KAU, however, has standardized the scientific management practices for the tree

Harvest Harvesting season starts from February and extends to June. Fruits are harvested along with their footstalks. Yield varies from a few fruits during first year of bearing and it may be as high as 250 fruits, after 15 years of age. Individual fruit weight varies from 3 kg to 25 kg. On an average about 50-80 tonnes of fruits/ ha could be obtained.

Post harvest handling The challenges in harvesting and handling, absence of systematic marketing network, and the general neglect of the fruit has resulted in the wastage, often making it an ecological issue. The fruits are naturally fallen and get decayed.

KAU has developed technologies for easy harvesting and management of the fruit as well as protocol for several value added products. A jackfruit peeler cum corer machine has been developed at Kerala Agricultural University, wherein, the average time taken for peeling, cutting, coring and bulb separation, was only 13.3 min /fruit. The processing technologies for preservation and value added products employing modern methods have led to the development of wide array products. This includepreserved jackfruit bulbs, readyto-serve jackfruit beverages, jackfruit squash and nectar, vine, vinegar, canned products, dehydrated bulbs and flakes, candy, bar, ice cream, pickles, chips and pappad, jackfruit based sweets, jelly and roasted nuts.

Seed flour products such as health drink mixes, bakery and confectionery products and ready to cook mixes based on three conventional products of jackfruit namely Aviyal, Kootu and Olath, developed at Kerala Agricultural University, have also earned consumer acceptability. A jackfruit based instant shake mix, which

info Varieties/cultivars Singapore Jack This precocious variety, introduced from Sri Lanka produces fruits in 3 years. The variety also producesan off season crop from September to December.The carpels are crisp, sweet and yellow with a strong, pleasant aroma.

Hybrid Jack This is a cross between Singapore Jack and Velippala, developed at Fruit Research Station, Kallar. Trees are precocious, with bigger and sweeter carpels.

Rudrakshi Produces small round fruits having smooth rind with fewer spines, quality inferior.

Sindoor This variety, released in 2015, was developed at Farming Systems Research Station, Sadanandapuram, Kerala Agricultural University. It is characterized by sweet fruits and attractive sunset orange coloured flakes, bearing medium sized fruits weighing 11-12 kg fruits, twice a year. On an average, 25 fruits are produced per tree.

Pechippara-1 This variety, developed at Horticultural Research Station, Pechipparai, through clonal selection, exhibits significantly superior vegetative growth. On an average the tree bears 107 fruits, weighing 1800 kg per year, in two seasons, April to June and November to December.

Muttam Varikka This is a variety developed

by College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, producing medium sized fruits with sweet flesh.

Burliar-1 This variety developed at Fruit Research Station, Burliar, is of medium height and is a prolific bearer.

Gumless Jack The gumless type developed at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, has medium to low latex with medium sized fruits having oblong fruit shape, containing 120-140 flakes/ fruit Other varieties include Palur 1, PLR (J) 2, Panruti Jack, Velipala, Swarna Halasu, Lalbagh Madhura, Byra Chandra, Mankali Red, Konkan Prolific etc.

health benefit of Jackfruit Boost immune system Keeps skin healthy Lowers high blood pressure Strengthens bones Improve energy levels

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exploits the potential of raw jackfruit flour, has good commercial prospects.

Instant pudding mixes using jackfruit can also be prepared by incorporating raw jackfruit flour and corn flour at various proportions.

An extruded product from jackfruit made of composite flour, comprising of bulb flour, seed flour and refined flour, developed at Kerala Agricultural University, had nutritional, physical and cooking qualities comparable to commercial noodles. An instant snack and pasta product from Koozha type of jackfruit, papaya and banana along with green gram flour, wheat flour and tapioca starch has assured nutritional qualities. Other value added baked products include, fruit bread, rusk, bun and pizza, with jackfruit bulb flour and refined wheat flour as base materials.

Development of retort pouch packaged tender jackfruit using ‘Koozha’ variety is a major breakthrough ensuring extended utilization of tender jackfruit. The shelf life of ready to cook tender jackfruit is improved by retort pouch packing.

There is ample scope for potential entrepreneurs to avail these technologies and start micro/small/medium industries that can aid in employment generation as well as full utilization of this fruit.

Health benefits of jackfruit The fruit is made of soft, easily digestible flesh (bulbs) with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose, which, when eaten, replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly. Jackfruit is rich in dietary fiber, which makes it a good bulk laxative.

The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time as well as binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.Fresh fruit has small amounts of vitamin-A and flavonoid pigments such as carotene-ß, xanthine, lutein and cryptoxanthin-ß.

Jackfruit, being a good source of the antioxidant vitamin-C, provides protection to the body from infectious agents and

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sedative properties, while the pith is believed to induce abortion.The leaf decoction and latex are effective in the treatment of asthma, prevent ringworm infestation, and heal cracking of the feet. The infusion of mature leaves and bark is effective in the treatment of diabetes; gall stones and asthma. Leaves are believed to possess antisyphilitic and vermifuge activity and induce lactation in women and domesticated animals.

Leaves are said to possess wound healing effects, reduce pain, decrease abscesses and relieve ear problems. In the Chinese system of medicine, jackfruit is found to be of use in overcoming the influence of alcohol. The antioxidant and DNA damage protecting properties of jackfruit wine confirm their health benefits when consumed and could become a valuable source of antioxidant rich nutraceutical.

Latex mixed with vinegar is believed to promote healing of abscesses, snakebite and glandular swellings. Even the warmed leaves have healing properties, if placed onto wounds. Placing of heated leaves on wounds and theash obtained by burning with corn and coconut shells

Jackfruit is a rich source of vitamin B6 with

0.329mg/100g

info Value-added products of jackfruits We can manufacture a variety of value added products costing upto Rs. 2000 from a single jackfruit.

scavenges harmful free radicals.

Jackfruit figures prominently in various folk and traditional systems of medicine in Asia. Reports suggest that almost all parts of the jackfruit tree are of use in the preparations of various Ayurvedic and Yunani medicines In Ayurvedic relics, effectiveness of jackfruit to reduce Kapha and Pitha, has been mentioned.

Regular consumption of jackfruit is said to improve facial skin glow. Being a rich source of potassium, it is an ideal food for patients with hypertension.Ripe jackfruit is considered to be nutritious,

cool, delicious, satisfying and to prevent excessive formation of bile, develop flesh, phlegm, strengthen the body and increases virility.

Decoctions from the seeds or bark aid indigestion. Fresh extract from seeds is also useful in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. The root extract is used as a remedy against skin diseases, asthma, fever and diarrhea, while ripe fruits may be used as a natural laxative. Bark of a mature tree is useful in the treatment of dysentery and releasing the placenta after calving in cows Wood possesses

Unripe fruit

Half ripe fruit

Fully ripe fruit

Seeds

Pickle, Chips, Papad, Brined Jackfruit, RTC Jackfruit, Dehydrated Jackfruit, Culinary preparations, Cutlets, Biryani

Candy, Preserve

Jam, Leather, Rind Jelly, Squash, Nectar, Canned Bulbs, RTE (Readyto-eat) Bulbs, RTS (Ready-to-serve) Drinks, Chutney , Toffee, Wine, Halwa, Kheer, GulabJamun, Icecream, Custard, Cake , Freeze dried pulp

Seed powder, Starch flour, Culinary preparation, Pakoda, Kheer

is used singly or with coconut oil to heal ulcers.

There is mention of jackfruit being an ingredient in several ayurvedic preparations and the pharmacological properties are documented.

Other uses Jackfruit wood with good grains is useful as a durable timber. It is termite proof and resistant to fungal and bacterial decay.

Mature wood is used to make furniture, turnery, masts, oars, implements, brush backs and Indian traditional musical instruments like veena, mridangam and kanjira. Its timber is a medium hardwood and is valued for furniture making since it is rarely attacked by white ants and is fairly resistant to fungal and bacterial decay. The roots of older trees are good materials for carving and picture framing.

The timber is exported from Sri Lanka and India to Europe. Sawdust or chips of heartwood is useful as a dying agent and is useful in coloring silk and the cotton robes used by the Buddhist priests.

The leaves are also excellent adsorbents and are reported to remove methylene blue, an industrial dye from the aqueous solutions. The trees are also used in landscaping in gardens and are effective at withstanding hurricane-force winds the latex which flows from all parts of the plant when injured is also used as adhesive. The rind, rich in pectin, can be used for making jelly.

The unique identity of jackfruit, as perhaps the only organic fruit available in Kerala today, needs to be exploited to boost its commercial prospects. The potential health benefits of the fruit, and its scope as a source of many therapeutically valuable biomolecules, needs to be focused on. Promotion of technologies for postharvest handling and value addition in the fruit coupled with organized marketing is the need of the hour to sustain the jackfruit movement that the state of Kerala has enthusiastically spearheaded.

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personality

A ZESTFUL JOURNEY Beginning his career as an engineer in Hindustan Lifecare Limited, he scaled up the ladder to become the Chairman and Managing Director of HLL, a post he held for fifteen years.

He is currently into the education sector being the Chairman of Saraswathy Vidyalaya School, Thiruvananthapuram.

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L

ife is a unique mix of successful experiments and social contentment for veteran technocrat Dr G Rajamohan. A technocrat, educationalist, connoisseur of art and a philanthropist, he has left a mark in the areas he traversed through his admirable technocratic skills and social relationships. Beginning his career as an engineer in Hindustan Lifecare Limited (erstwhile Hindustan Latex Limited), he scaled up the ladder to become the Chairman and Managing Director of HLL, a post he held for fifteen years. He is currently into the education sector being the Chairman of Saraswathy Vidyalaya School, Thiruvananthapuram.

The observations of one of the doyens of Malayalam literature, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, in the foreword of G. Rajamohan’s memoire Ivide Ente Hridayaragangal would precisely describe this multifaceted personality “Reading his memoire, I wondered thinking how rich is this person? Rich in knowledge, experiences and lucky enough to meet and keep contact with eminent personalities including great politicians, writers, artist, journalists, musicians etc.; some moments are valuable enough to be included in our history. Still when he speaks about his journey of success, he keeps that politeness, respect towards everyone, everything. Rajamohan is one kind of a person who respectfully keeps human values in his heart and believes that it is his duty to do it.”

Dr. G. Rajamohan shares his eventful journey of life, vision and plans for the

future with Brand Kerala.

You have completed more than four decades as a technocrat.

How do you trace back your beginning?

After completing my graduation in engineering, my first assignment was in the Kerala Agriculture Department as a Junior Agriculture Engineer. I worked there for almost a year. Like other departments, engineers in Agriculture Department would not be having much work to do. That was a very small beginning for me. When I joined HLL in 1968, it was under the construction stage.

We had a team of six engineers from the collaborators factory in Japan under the leadership of chief engineer Mr. Okamoto.

I could work under him for almost 8 months and that gave me the opportunity to get hands-on experience of the Japanese working culture. They strictly followed the working time. Even though the work schedule was hectic for us, it was thoroughly interesting and I never felt burdened about the work.

Six engineers including me were recruited to HLL, and out of those, some of them became chief engineers, some became deputy general managers, and I could become the Chairman and Managing Director of HLL. Till I took over the position as the CMD of HLL in 1990, nobody from the factory, especially technocrats, had occupied that position.

Either IAS officers or IMP persons from outside were appointed. Dr. P.V.S. April 2018

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Namboothirippad, a chemical engineer, was the first technocrat to become the CMD of HLL in 1984. But he was also not from our company. I was then in the second position and in 1990, when Dr Namboothirippad resigned; I took over as CMD after going through an elaborate selection procedure.

Initially, HLL might have had a challenging task regarding marketing and creating awareness among the people given the uniqueness of the product. How did you go about this?

Actually, HLL never had a big issue with marketing since the products manufactured were purchased by Government of India. Only 20-25% of condoms manufactured were sold directly or exported. Till 1990, HLL was a single product manufacturing company.

After I took over, I thought, it was not advisable to run a company banking on a single product. Since new technologies were getting introduced, chances were high for us to lose the monopoly we enjoyed in the market. So we planned and devised a strategy to manufacture medical devices also. We started manufacturing gloves for medical use and then switched over to the production of Copper-T (female contraceptive device), hormonal pills called Mala-D, Mala-N etc.

Simultaneously, we got the opportunity to procure a new technology from Central Drugs Research Institute (CDRI, Lucknow) to produce non-hormonal contraception pills. These pills were introduced in the market by the name Saheli. Then we ventured into manufacturing blood bags, surgical sutures and hydrocephalus shunts, in association with Sree Chithira Thirunal Research Institute.

How did you manage to carry out research and development activities in the early stages?

The initial R&D was not at all a challenge for us since we collaborated with the

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world’s best Japanese technology which was bought by us for a high price. Initially we made use of the Japanese technology for testing quality of condoms. Later, our R&D wing developed a machine which could detect the defects in condom walls in the dry stage itself. We were able to enhance the quality of condoms to a great extent by making use of this indigenous technology. The Japanese team was not sure about the quality of the latex in Kerala since they always depended on Malaysian latex. But we sourced good quality latex from the companies here and succeeded in producing high quality condoms. Even now, HLL is using the latex bought from the companies in Kerala.

How did you manage to maintain the efficiency of workforce during your tenure?

A good and considerate leadership is the only option to sustain an efficient workforce. There was not a single strike that hampered the production at our factory during my tenure in HLL. It all depends on how you maintain the relation with workers. I took the initiative to sign an agreement with workers unions to resist unhealthy trends. Since I was an employee of the company from 1968, I could easily maintain a one to one relation with almost all the staff members.

I personally feel that a healthy relation with the workforce could go a long way in preventing unnecessary unrest in industrial units.

In your career spread across four decades, you might have got the opportunity to work under several Union Ministers. How do you recollect this experience?

I got the opportunity to work with thirteen Union Ministers. Interestingly, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry had the unique distinction of having new ministers as and when a reshuffle happened in the Union Cabinet. I could maintain a very

schools selected by the Government of India to provide Atal Tinkering Lab for students. Plans are also afoot to start a Robotic lab this year. Our set policy is to provide high quality education with the support of technological aids and our teaching faculty is fully equipped to meet any sort of challenges.

good rapport with all of them, irrespective of political lineage, except with Renuka Chaudhary, with whom I had a very bitter experience.

Now, HLL is in the midst of a controversy regarding the Government move to privatise it.

What’s your take on this?

I would prefer HLL to remain in the public sector itself. Apart from an organization which makes decent profits, HLL intervenes actively in the socio

A good and considerate leadership is the only option to sustain an efficient workforce.

Dr G Rajamohan

cultural spheres through its various CSR initiatives, especially those in the medical sector. All these advantages are likely to be curtailed once the company goes to private hands. But I came to know that it had a tough time last year and could not make any profits. Still, my personal opinion would be to retain it in the public sector itself.

How do you recollect your life after your tenure at HLL? After HLL, I served as the chairman of State Pollution Control Board which lasted for three and a half years. I can say those years were also a good period of time in my life. I could take new initiatives there also. The pollution control systems were weak in the hospitals in Kerala.

During my tenure, we introduced a new system of controlling pollution in almost all hospitals in Kerala. So in Palakkad, we

started the facility to manage bio-medical waste and I could link almost 80% of the hospitals with that facility, with a very strict inspection. We could enforce strict pollution control measures in highly polluting factories in the Kochi region.

Also we implemented the Supreme Court monitoring committee decisions regarding pollution controlling. The major problem faced by us was in conducting campaigns to educate common people against the ill effects of pollution. We devised a plan to give awards to local bodies that conduct campaigns in a proper way which were won by Attingal municipality and Koyilandi municipality. Many local bodies came forward to participate but still there is a long way to go in this direction.

You have marked your presence in the education sector also. How was the experience working in a

totally different area?

Education is another area of interest for me and I relish working in this sector.

I have been associating with Saraswathi Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School at Thiruvananthapuram for the past ten years. This school has strength of four thousand students and I find it very interesting in dealing with their problems and counseling those regarding studies, personal problems etc. When I took charge, this school was not that big, but I could contribute a lot to make this one of the best institutions in Trivandrum. As the second stage of diversification, we started an Arts & Science College in the last academic year. Our aim is to provide High-tech classrooms for students and an Innovation Lab has already started functioning. It is for the motivation of innovative ideas put forward by students.

Saraswathi Vidyalaya is one among the

In the present scenario, especially when CBSE itself is in the midst of controversies, how do you rate the performance of the prevailing education system?

Many people are working in this system, if one of them is weak, it affects the whole system. If all of them are strong enough, things will go smoothly. CBSE is a very good education system. Students from CBSE background maintain a minimum standard compared to other streams.

The current controversy is regarding the question paper leak. This happens everywhere, even the SSLC question papers were leaked last time. A lot of instances were reported in university examinations also. A recent study done

by IIT among all their institutes in India, says that out of all the students getting admission in IIT, 57% of students come from CBSE stream. The balance comprises of all other streams including the entire state boards. Of this the Andhra Pradesh state board comes second with 17%. It’s very pathetic to note that the representation from Kerala is just 0.4%.

That shows the overall standard of the students coming out of this system.

No one will get any benefit if we give pass marks for all students. Without having a minimum standard and quality in the education system, there is no use in giving pass marks to students. In future, the students turn useless for the society.

Otherwise give them vocational training for skilled labor, after 10th standard. Most of the students don’t even know how to write their name in English even after passing 10th, 12th and degree.

The main thing I mentioned in a April 2018

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recently held discussion was about not empowering the teachers. A teacher is appointed not just to teach lessons; he or she plays an important role in the overall development of a student. A good citizen is an outcome of a teacher’s influence. Teachers should have a control over their students; they should have the right to punish and the right to give advice. That system does not exist now.

Then how can we expect our children to turn out to be good citizens? How it is possible for a teacher to do his duties if the circumstances make him a criminal for scolding a student? Now the teachers are afraid to give punishments to those students who do malpractices during examinations. Not any kind of discussions are held regarding this. The whole education system is going to collapse.

In the higher education sector, we have been witnessed the sprouting up of engineering and other professional colleges. But the quality of education provided has declined to alarming levels. What do you feel about such a scenario?

There isn’t any mistake in starting engineering or any other colleges. But the government should implement proper monitoring system. The role of government is to make sure that the new school or college provides all kind of proper facilities for the students.

Also, government should focus their attention in fixing the right syllabus, appointing teachers with appropriate qualifications etc. To give education and to be educated are fundamental rights.

No one can interfere in giving education.

The government doesn’t have any right to stop running a school or college which provides good education and facilities.

The government is actually not controlling the area where control is needed.

Apart from official activities you are also actively involved in cultural and social initiatives. Please

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elaborate on your activities in these areas.

I was involved with many cultural organizations while I was working in HLL. I am serving as the President of Swaralaya foundation, Film Society, Chithira Thirunal Natya Kala Kendram and some other organizations too. I was the president of Margi for some time. My father was the chief editor in a newspaper; there was a weekly magazine called Malayala Rajyam published by this newspaper. Lalithambika Antharjanam wrote her first short story

in that magazine. Eminent writers like Thakazhi were frequent visitors at our home. So I got the opportunity to keep contacts with them and I continued to keep in touch with them even when I was in HLL. M.T. Vasudevan Nair, T. Padmanabhan, Artist Namboothiri are a few among them.

Your relationship with M.T. Vasudevan Nair, K.J. Yesudas and K. Karunakaran are quite famous.

How do you feel about them?

I am very close to M.T. Vasudevan Nair.

The guest house of HLL was his personal favorite place in Thiruvananthapuram.

He used to stay here whenever he came

to Thiruvananthapuram. We had a special cook who would serve good food which suited MTs’ tastes. My relation with Yesudas began with the Swaralaya Foundation. I consider the friendship as a divine gift. I met leader Karunakaran while I was working in HLL. Leader used to call frequently to advice me on matters related to HLL. I could help him a lot and we shared a very healthy relation till his end.

Lately, you decided to jot down your treasure of experiences and memories in your book Ivide Ente Hridayaragangal. How did this happen?

I am a very lazy person by nature. So I waited and started writing very lately.

One of my friends Ajithkumar insisted me to start writing. The guidance from E.V. Sreedharan was very helpful for me to finish the book. After finishing my first book, I have gained the confidence and zest to write more. So you can expect more from me in the future.

How do you view the support from your family?

My wife, a home maker, takes cares of all the household matters. Hence I am very much depended on her for all my personal needs. We have a daughter.

She is married and is working in Centre for Management Development (CMD).

Her husband is a Surgical Oncologist in Regional Cancer Center (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram.

Since you belong to a political family, you also could have easily made an entry into public life. But that did not happen, Why? Politics was my favorite subject. But I don’t want to be an active politician.

Politics is not suitable for my character.

But according to the background I had, I should have been a politician. Till 60 years, I was very busy with by official duties. After 60, I feel it is too late to get into politics.

column good word Sabin Iqbal sabin.iqbal@gmail.com

Why do we celebrate violence? Has apathy taken complete hold of us?

Or, where lies the problem?

The Growing ‘Subculture’ of Violence

T

here is something seriously wrong with our country.

Something is rotten in the state of India.

Let’s not single out any incident, be it of murder, rape or gang violence, and look at them through the coloured lens of religion. The larger picture is gloomy, grim and grave.

The whole moral standing of our society has been shaken. More than ever we need to reinforce now the foundations of spiritual, moral and ethical bearings.

My point is not the general decay in our society but how media is celebrating it with even graver results.

The gory and disturbing visual of four youngsters beating another to death in broad daylight a couple of years ago had gone viral. Four youngsters beating another to death while someone shot the whole action without any attempt to intervene. What a spectacle!

Just pick up any newspaper, and browse through the local pages. Nine out of ten would be of murder, rape, violence and some other gruesome act.

Newspapers and television channels vie each other to ‘celebrate’ gruesome

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acts with every graphic description.

Why do we celebrate violence? Has apathy taken complete hold of us? Or, where lies the problem?

If news coverage of murder, rape and violence is in the interest of the public, we should see a decline of these. On the contrary, we get to see increasing number of human cruelty, like gangraping and killing an eight-year-old girl?

Where do we learn to hate so violently?

George Orwell in his popular essay on English language and politics has said that language can influence thoughts.

Going by what is happening in our society, it is very much possible.

The danger is, the decline in our linguistic and media practices and the proliferation of social media can breed a perverted society.

Influence of language—in its original verbal form—in a person begins even before his or her birth. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Learning and Brain Studies at the University of Washington, ‘language learning begins prenatally, perhaps as soon as foetuses are able to hear—after about 30 weeks of gestation—with their

initial focus on vowel sounds, which are louder, longer and more rhythmic than consonants’.

In short, even before an infant is born, the influence of language is evident, and as it grows up in a media-driven world, its character and culture are shaped by the ‘language’ it comes across.

We live in a time when we have exclusive television bulletins for crime stories, which often reenact gruesome criminal stories, and telecast just before we go to bed. Imagine the influence of those images and crimes in our mind, let alone in all-absorbing children glued to the television.

To describe our own subversive acts, we, ironically, compare them with animals.‘Bestial’ had been a word often used to describe the infamous incident of gang-rape in New Delhi.

Bestial and brutal are two words we use to define an action that is cruel and insensitive. Bestial, etymologically, suggests something pertaining to beasts or animals or ‘subhuman’. But which animal or beast gang-rapes and after gang-raping, inserts all sorts of deadly stuff into the victim’s genitals?

But why do we attribute our most

insensitive and cruellest acts to animals while human beings are the cruellest, the bloodiest and the most violent of all creatures? In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky writes: “People talk sometimes of a bestial cruelty, but that’s a great injustice and insult to the beasts; a beast can never be so cruel as a man, so artistically cruel. The tiger only tears and gnaws, that’s all he can do. He would never think of nailing people by the ears, even if he were able to do it.”

The laws will not, cannot, stop evil.

They will not lick clean a society of moral corruption; nor can they protect it from violence.

Like Dostoyevsky said, the tiger only tears and gnaws…it doesn’t nail people by their ears even if he were able to do it. For animals violence has no shades.

For man, violence has psychedelic proportions.

Violence has always been in our society—be it in the form of wars or radical protests. But for the increasing incidents of murder, sexual abuse and violence in our society some blame

they are creating a ‘subculture’ in our conscience which gradually permits, tolerates and approves a lifestyle of violence & abuse.

has to go to mainstream, mass media for the way they ‘celebrate’ each news item on gruesome acts of violence. By repeatedly and elaborately uploading and telecasting gory murders and sexual violence, they are creating a ‘subculture’ in our conscience which gradually permits, tolerates and approves a lifestyle of violence and abuse.

When something becomes part of our culture, there is no question about whether it is right or wrong but it is blindly followed. Otherwise, we would not perform many of our traditional and cultural rituals even today.

The danger is, the ‘subculture’ file is growing by the day, and mainstream media cannot wash its hands off from making bloody violence and sexual abuse part of popular ‘crime beat’—even with separate bulletins and special magazines!

‘Celebrating’ and ‘selling’ crime is worse than the crime itself. Eighty per cent of the stories in the local pages of a newspaper is of murder, death, robbery and our pet topic, ‘peedanam’.

What does it reflect of a society? Readers are like addicts. They are not born with the habit.

They are carefully cultured and conditioned, and over the years they have become addicts to gory stories. When we were children, a murder or a rape used to send cold shivers down our spine. Now it is everyday incidents—part of our popular culture.

How did we reach here?

As Orwell had warned years ago, we need to mind our language—both verbal and visual—if we want to breed a generation that will not drip blood, rape or rip through our conscience.

Sabin Iqbal is a Thiruvananthapurambased senior journalist. He writes on culture, sports and business.

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health

How do you deal with stress in business Stress may sound abnormal and frightening but in scientific terms, it is the response of living animals when their life, comfort or safety is threatened.

Dr C John Mathews Phd, MBBS, FRCS, FRCSI, FMAS Consultant General and GI surgeon, Cambridgeshire, UK

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he world itself is turning into ‘a large business centre’ in the modern era. On the one end of the spectrum is the multinational corporates dealing with millions of dollar worth of enterprises and on the other, the ordinary house wife who breeds a few chicken or grow a couple of cows in her house to make both ends meet. ‘Stress’ is part and parcel of the growth, and more so with the decline, of any business. Peace in one’s personal life, and the family relies a lot on the preparation people take to cope with this essential component of any business. If we are not aware of the implications of stress in such situations, physical and psychological health will suffer and in sad situations, and not infrequently lately, people succumb to pressure, even to take their own life.

Is ‘stress’ always pathological?

The common terminology, ‘stress’ may sound abnormal and frightening but in scientific terms, it is the response of living animals when their life, comfort or safety is threatened. Without it, a student may not make any preparation for his examinations, the bread winner of the family will have no budgets, the bride will not care about her wedding dress and the author of this article may not run away when chased by a mad dog in the street.

Walter Cannon, the Harvard professor of physiology in 1932, coined the term ‘fight or Flight response’ to address ‘stress’ (ref. The wisdom of Body). His teachings will give a more balanced understanding of this normal physiological response.

Therefore, to a certain extent, stress is what keeps life moving on, in the face of challenges, but can turn deleterious if it turns a chronic and disproportionate

assault on the individual concerned.

In human beings the response to challenges is initiated in a centre in the limbic system of brain, and carried out through the sympathetic nervous system. The pituitary gland, the controller of the hormonal system, on receipt of the messages from the limbic system, produces ACTH, which in turn, through the sympathetic system, stimulates adrenal glands, sitting on top of the kidneys. Two mediators, namely epinephrine and cortisol starts a cascade of reactions which enables the individual to fight or flee form the threat. (HPA , Hypothalamus-Pituitary- Adrenal Axis).

When threatened, blood flow to the muscles is increased, the heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, the senses become sharper and mind focusses on the mission.

This, in turn, increases our strength and stamina, speed our reaction time, and enhance our focus. This helps us to win the challenge or run away from danger.

Once the challenge is over, there is a phase of relaxation, mediated through the parasympathetic nervous system.

Stress centre Scientists believe that the centre in the brain first appeared during the time of the ‘Caveman’, whose existence was threatened by the wild tiger in the forest.

The way out of the trouble is to fight and kill the animal or run away from it, namely ‘the fight or flight response’.

‘Relaxation phase’ follows very soon.

Unfortunately over time, the nature of the threat changed. Modern day threats, especially those in family and work are more of a psychological encounter and it became apparent that we cannot either

physically fight, or flee from the threat.

They need to be sorted out with careful mental preparation and astuteness. In spite of the change in the nature of the pressor agents, the body response still remains the same. When the onslaught of the threat goes on for long periods, the continuous flow of the mediators, especially the epinephrine and cortisol affects the body organs, and disease results.

Today, chronic stress has become one of the major threats for the mankind.

Globally one in every five people is a victim of this. Suicide was the commonest cause of death in men under the age of 45 years. The rate of suicide in young adults and university students are climbing sharply in Kerala over the last decade.

Twenty five millions in the USA currently are under the effects of chronic stress.

The world health organisation, after identifying this huge problem, celebrated November 5th, 2017 as the ‘international stress awareness day’. The slogan of this day was. ‘Speak about and Speak out’ and make everyone aware of this huge threat.

General adaptation syndrome Dr Hans Selye, Father of research in stress, a Hungerian Professor, in his paper in 1932, coined the term General Adaptation Syndrome to the response to stressful situations. He postulated that this response goes through the stages of Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

According to him, during the alarm stages the previously described defensive reactions take place in the body, and during the second stage of resistance, either the threat is off, and if it persists the fight continues, but with a in a diminished energy. If the pressor agents continue further, the stage of exhaustion results and body and mind suffers permanent damage. Dr Selye claimed that every stress leaves an indelible scar on the mind and body and the animal grows older with every stress. If stress is not dealt with appropriately in good

Areas of stress The general causes of chronic stress are many and from multiple areas of life.

29%

9% other

18% Family

work stress

26%

Finance

18%

Health

Death of a spouse, Divorce, Marriage separation, stress at work, Peer pressure, Imprisonment, Death of a close family member, Injury or illness, Marriage, Job loss, Marriage reconciliation, and Retirement are the most common individual causes for chronic stress.

time and method, the animal will ‘burn out’, he claimed. Chronic stress can cause heart attack, stroke, diabetes and mental ill health problems like memory loss and cognitive disorders. Suicidal tendency also is well documented.

Identification of victims.

The most important factor in treatment of chronic stress is the identification of victims. Self-diagnosis is important when individuals experience unexplained headaches, cloudy mind, loss of interest in day to day activities, unexplained anxiety, new development of anger, or withdrawal from outside world. By speaking out early, attention of others suitably equipped with advising is similar situations can be availed and can of tremendous help.

The preservative cognition hypothesis theory holds that the stressful events cause ill health only if they continue for prolonged periods, or the sufferer repetitively or continuously keep thinking

about these events. “Mind chattering” (strategic mind) (advances worrier) precipitates uncontrolled anticipation of consequences and dangers which may never happen in reality. Mark Twin has clearly described such people when he wrote “I have experienced many terrible things in life, a few of which actually happened”.

It is important to realise that ‘Stress’ is a natural and normal response and therefore, to a large extent beneficial and protective. Or in other words, it is ‘part of the game’ of life. Therefore we must make an effort to use them for our advantage, learn from them and try to make them ways to mature ourselves. Therefore accept the alarm stage to occur as normal, sort out the matter and let the relaxation phase to set in quickly. If the assault agents do not go away and the individual cannot deal with it in a balanced fashion, it will lead on to the exhaustion stage.

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protect us rather than hurt us.

There are two major ways to deal with this situation 1. Change the environment, or reality, eg leaving a job, resigning an office or divorcing a relationship. This will remove one from the vicinity of the stressful agent but this can only be done in some instances 2. Change our perceptions of reality.

Accept the stressful situation as the only situation which exists. Eg. If you are a high altitude resident, the oxygen availability from atmosphere will be low and one has to take precautions. There is no point in complaining about the low oxygen concentration. Likewise if you have an unhelpful spouse, accept that he/she is the only person available in the world for you and look for ways of living with them. This is what is meant by the English Phrase, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade with it” If latter is the more feasible option, then we need to look at coping with minimal or no damage to body and mind

squatting and getting up or other floor exercises for 5-10 minutes and this can even be done behind the closed doors of one’s office, when he feels stressed. It will burn the pressor mediators released by stress and protect our internal organs.

Exercise will produce endorphins which will give the individual a feeling of wellbeing, decreasing the stress.

Trying to give as little time to the stressful thoughts is important both to protect our psyche as well as prevent the assault such agents inflict through the HPA axis described before. There are some techniques to prevent ‘chattering mind’ taking us through unnecessary

exercise will produce endorphins which will give the individual a feeling of wellbeing, decreasing the stress.

Protection of body One has to remember that the stress response which the brain was designed in the first instance is to either ‘fight’ or ‘Flee’. Both these actions would have resulted in strenuous exercise to the body and thereby burn the mediators, cortisol and nor-epinephrine. Therefore in the changed atmosphere where most stress agents requires a lot of brain activity, these mediators are not utilised and they in turn affect the body systems causing damage. Therefore to protect our systems, we need to formulate methods to utilise these agents and therefore burn the energy produced by their release into the system.

Exercise to sweat This is different from the regular daily exercise like walking or jogging for forty minutes. Exercise to sweat is short spurts of exercise like taking twenty push ups,

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anticipation and anxiety about problems which are probably never going to happen. Walter Cannon describes an ‘inner mind’, ‘observer’ or ‘wisdom of the body’, underneath the strategic mind. If we can survive pressures of developing the chattering mind, we will be able to avail the assistance of this inner mind.

Herbert Benson (1935), an American Cardiologist and founder of the Mind/ Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, described a technique of choosing a favorite phrase like, ‘I love peace, not war’, or ‘god is love’ or the like for repeatedly remembering and even reciting many dozen times when stressful thoughts come to one’s mind.

We can even keep a poster where we can see on the wall at the foot end of the bed with such phrases, for concentrating on when mind is disturbed with other

thoughts. Every time the fearful thoughts come into the mind allow that to pass through your mind as a breeze coming through the window and return to your favorite phrase. By repeating this exercise many times, even when engaged in other activities, we can learn to ignore the fearful thoughts and attain the peace of the inner mind.

Mindfulness Meditation This is a Buddhist method to focus the mind away from troubling thoughts. If you are on a walk try to concentrate on the sensation the feet experiences while touching the ground. Keep talking to yourself, ‘my right foot is touching the concrete surface now, the left now, then the right and so on so forth. You can keep talking to yourself about the images falling on your eyes from the nature like ‘the tree branches are swinging in the wind’, ‘the sun is shining bright’ and ‘a crow is flying in the sky’ etc. In summary keep talking to yourself what comes in front of your eyes or what your ear is hearing continuously.

Yoga with mental focus on postures and breathing, Deep diaphragmatic mucosa, Progressive muscle relaxation techniques, Repetitive forms of prayer, Singing or chanting your focus phrase or words, Walk on beach and listen to waves, listen to crickets in a forest, listen to running water are other ways of relaxing minds in stress.

All the above techniques have to be practiced while we are at peace and not stressed. It would be difficult to start using these techniques for the first time when we are in considerable trouble.

Chronic stress is becoming a major health hazard for business communities.

Awareness of this danger and early preparation to confront stress will help us to reduce or alleviate the potential damage it can cause to mind and body.

The author can be contact at cjmats@hotmail.co.uk

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column BUsiness economics Dr. Kochurani Joseph drkochurani@gmail.com

A business cycle goes through four different stages. They are stages of prosperity, recession, depression and recovery. Since it comes one after the other it is called cycle.

O

COMPETING WITH BUSINESS STRESS

wning a business is stressful, and you can’t really escape it. Every part of your business contains potentials for stress. It may be with regard to debt management or having not enough money for daily affairs, or issues with employees, or sometimes problems with equipment and operations. Generally we can categorize stress into areas related to finance, decision making, relationship management, operational, marketing etc.

In Economics, the theory of business cycle or trade cycle carries a significant place. As per the theory, a business cycle goes through four different stages.

They are stages of prosperity, recession, depression and recovery. Since it comes one after the other it is called cycle. Various economists attributed different reasons for the occurrence of trade cycle. According to Arthur Cesil Pigou, the main cause for trade cycle is optimism and pessimism among business people. During the period of good trade, entrepreneurs become optimistic which would lead to increase in production. The feeling of optimism is spread to other. Hence investments are increased beyond limits and there is

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over production, which results in losses.

Entrepreneurs become pessimistic and reduce their investment and production.

Thus, fluctuations are due to optimism leading to prosperity and pessimism resulting depression.

It is important to have effective steps to handle the emotional aspect of business.

It is important to have effective steps to handle the emotional aspect of business.

Count your achievements: Generally we have a tendency to focus on the things that are going wrong. You can improve your stress management in business by reminding yourself of the things that are going right. List out all your accomplishments and small little milestones you’ve achieved. If you count them or write it down you realize more. Don’t neglect even the smallest accomplishments. Put your list

somewhere you can easily see it, such as on your desk or the wall.

Identify What You Can and Cannot Control: There are certain things that you can change and some others which are beyond your capacity. It is prudent to focus on the things that can be improved rather than the factors that are unchangeable. Segregating the two really helps us feel better and come out of the anxiety of uncertainty. There is a beautiful serenity prayer, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” It is good if you can make a photo of this prayer and paste it in your room.

Prioritise your tasks: One of the causes of stress in business is having so many things to work on that none of them get done. Don’t try to do everything at once. What you need is to prioritize your goals. For that you have to rank your tasks from greatest to least. As you work, focus on the most important tasks. Once you finish those, you can move down the list.

Work life balancing is essential: This term used to describe the balance that an individual needs between time allocated for work and other aspects of life. Areas of life other than work-life can be, but not limited to personal interests, family and social or leisure activities.

As a business owner, there should be clear cut separation between work and home.

Take breaks: When you take a break, try something that relaxes you. The media for relaxation is different for different people. Friends, leisure trips, family time, meditation etc are few examples. When you get back to your business, you will have more energy to complete the task after a break.

Take care of yourself: You are more

important than your business. Your nonstop business life style puts strain on your body, and which again add stress on top of that. You need to take care of yourself. Don’t forget to do the simple things. Take natural food supplements, have regular exercises. Exercises will make you physically fit; it is also a great method of small business stress management.

A joke says ‘first I used a bycycle to ride. When legs started pain I bought a motor bike. Later because of back pain changed into car. Lack of exercise led to overweight and related problems. So joined a gymnasium and started cycling.

Is this called recycling’? Remember any business have to go through various phases of ups and downs. So face it courageously. Remember those who worries of the past and anxious about the future forget to live today. Yesterday is a past dated cheque. Tomorrow is a post dated one. Today is the demand draft so en cashes it today and live to the maximum.

The author is head of Department of Economics, Bharata Mata College, Ernakulam, Motivational speaker and trainer in Finance Management.

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art&culture

MUDRAS OF

ELEGANCE Vinod Nair, a London based disciplined dancer and choreographer of the traditional art form Bharatanatyam, has conquered the hearts of art lovers across the shores.

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he charismatic and graceful mudras of his dance trigger a feeling of serenity in the minds of the audience. Vinod Nair, a London based disciplined dancer and choreographer of the traditional art form Bharatanatyam, has conquered the hearts of art lovers across the shores with his devout performances of this classical dance form.

“Life is complex, and dance takes away that complexity, we can eliminate all the intricacies of life through art”, says Vinod, for whom Bhatathanatyam is also a source of spiritual solace.

Vinod’s father, Thekkummuri Haridas is the Senior Administrative Officer in Indian High Commission, London.

He is from Guruvayur, Thrissur and is settled in London with family. Haridas is also the Managing Director of Kerala Group of Restaurants, London with the flagship restaurant Malabar Junction located in Central London. The group owns over ten restaurants in the UK. He is also an ardent promoter of Kerala’s art, culture and tourism. He has been referred as the Cultural Ambassador for Kerala in the UK. Vinod’s mother Jayalatha is interested more in sports but she supports her children’s love towards art well. Vinod’s elder brother Visakh had received training in Carnatic Music and Mridanga. Their younger brothers Nilesh and Nikhil are sports lovers.

Vinod showed his devotion towards dance while he was a child itself. Being

born and brought up in London was never an excuse for him to deny his dedication. He bopped and swayed along with the songs of Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth telecast in television. Seeing this, his parents took him to Kalamandalam Kshemavathy teacher to make him learn

Being born and brought up in London was never an excuse for him to deny his dedication towards dance.

Bharatnatyam. He was just six years old at that time.

He adds, “I would be inspired every time my father took me to a dance performance by Shobhana or Padma Subrahmanyam or Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. I searched online and started learning bits on my own.”

Vinod learned Bharatanatyam under illustrious Gurus such as Kalamandalam Kshemavthy, Kalamandalam Radhika and Kalaprathibha Shaju Menon.

He had attended workshops conducted by Santosh Menon, former Kalakshetra teacher. These workshops helped him for the cognition of art,

“I would be inspired every time my father took me to a dance performance by Shobhana or Padma Subrahmanyam or Lakshmi Gopalaswamy.

Vinod Nair

especially Bharatanatyam.

While visiting Kerala every year, he makes it a point to visit to his guru Kshemavathy teacher’s home to horn his skills. Vinod aims to promote Indian Classical dance forms across the globe.

He is also a maestro in different genres of dance such as fusion of Western dance and Carnatic dance forms. His choreographic skills have been widely accepted in United Kingdom and he had conducted many shows in both UK and abroad. He was fortunate enough to perform at various prestigious stages within London such as Houses of Parliament, Nehru Centre, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (London), O2 Arena, Indian High Commission, Southbank and the Lord Mayor’s Show.

Vinod has also performed with his British fellow artists at Guruvayoor Temple and Fine Arts Hall, Cochin.

In the recent past, he has performed at Bharat Bhavan, Trivandrum and for an organization in Australia. All his performances are his personal favorites.

‘The Seasons of Love,’ a new performance mode which he coperformed with Nikitha Iyer,, was a milestone in Vinod’s career.

Seasons of Love’ is an attempt to celebrate the journey of life through dance” he adds.

Vinod is a post graduate in secondary Mathematics and is the head of Keystage-4 Mathematics at a secondary school in Sutton, UK. He considers teaching as his profession and dance an ardent passion. The diverse expertise he exhibits in teaching is also transferred to his dance classes for kids aged five to eighteen. He commenced his own dance class, Navarasa, in London a few years back.

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food/leisure Haji Ali at Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram is the ultimate shop for ‘cool’ treats, where you can find seasonal fresh juices, ice creams, faloodas and the list goes on.

Have made its mark in Kochi, Haji Ali has three branches offering a variety of menu.

CooL OFF @HAJI ALI

P

referably one would give time for a new juice shop or a restaurant to settle down and get the review of it. Initial days of a new shop are expected to have flaws and it takes some time to fix them. But when we heard that Haji Ali was opening its first branch in Trivandrum, we couldn’t resist ourselves to sit back and wait for the reviews to get in.

Haji Ali has obviously hit the sweet spot among the Trivandrum natives.

Open to public by City Mayor V K Prasanth, Haji Ali at Palayam is the ultimate shop for ‘cool’ treats, where you can find seasonal fresh juices, ice creams, faloodas and the list goes on.

Have made its mark in Kochi, Haji Ali has three branches offering a variety of menu.

We were fascinated by the very glimpse of the items served here. The products are a package of high quality fresh fruits and other items, well arranged and decorated in a peculiar way which attracts all its customers. The Haji Ali chain of shops in both Ernakulam and Trivandrum are owned by Faizal and Mujeeb.

Mujeeb shares the trade secret of this juice haven which has become the talk of the town. “This is a pure vegetarian shop and we ensure the freshness of each and every fruit, water and other ingredients used here. This is the major factor that attracts the city folk to our outlet. There are common juices but we do have our own special items which are made only according to the season time of a particular fruit. One of our major attractions is the Custard Apple aka Seethafal, which will be only available from June onwards. Each item is fixed according to the fruits available from time to time. Now it’s the season of pomegranate, strawberry and mango, and we offer juices based on these fruits.

When the season of Custard Apple starts, we need at least three staff members

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We try to bring new items according to the suggestions given by our regular customers. We maintain a very hygienic atmosphere, and give primary importance to the taste and quantity of our products.

Mujeeb

Partner, Haji Ali

to prepare the dishes made from it. We also make ice creams and shakes using Custard Apple. The prices of our products are very low compared to other shops.”

The Special Falooda is most tempting item at Haji Ali, which comes with a price tag of Rs 230. Served in a huge glass, this is filled with five to six varieties of fruits freshly cut to bite and different flavored ice creams, making the customer melt in the taste. Another specialty is that fresh juices are not made by adding water. All juices contain only fruits. The Strawberry cream is another attraction to try out.

“We recently added some new items to our menu. Varieties of Pizza, Sandwiches, special Pulao, Tava Pulao are some of them. We try to bring new items according to the suggestions given by our regular customers. We maintain a very hygienic atmosphere, and give primary importance to the taste and quantity of our products. We are planning to open branches at Kuravankonam and Kazhakuttom. Currently we don’t serve any hot dishes. We have twenty one employees in this branch and each and every one of them has eight to nine years of experience in this field.

They are recruited from our branches in Ernakulam.”

The shop is open from 10 am till 1:30 am in the night. A free home delivery is also available within the city.

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shopping

Mall of Travancore

Convenient Umbrella Shopping mall Spread over 6.5 lakh sq ft in three floors, there are large collections of world class branded items to offer. Along with shopping, there are facilities for entertainment within the Mall, both for kids and grownups.

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all of Travancore is the first of its kind venture by Malabar Developers, gives a complete international mall experience for the Capital city, Trivandrum. It comprises of the world’s best technological facilities and it is the biggest shopping mall in Southern Kerala. Situated in Chackai junction, NH bypass and located next to Trivandrum International Airport. The mall was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 23rd March, 2018.

Spread over 6.5 lakh sq ft in three floors, there are large collections of world class branded items to offer. Along with shopping, there are facilities for entertainment within the Mall, both for kids and grownups. A hypermarket offering products that fits the requirements of all kinds of people who can select products as per their choice, a jewelry showroom to satisfy ornament lovers, electronics & home appliances

6.5lakh 160 800 sqft area in three floors

showrooms in three floors

showroom, lifestyle products, gaming zone, food plaza, seven multiplex theaters from Carnival Group and other entertainment facilities makes the mall a true shopping destination. Around 300 brands including international brands like Adidas, Allen Solly, Apple, Arrow, Baskin Robbins, Bata, Delsey, Jockey, KFC, Life Style, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Pantaloons, Park Avenue, Louis Philippe, Titan, Van Heusen, VIP, and Woodland will be available in more than 160 showrooms within the mall.

At a time, around 800 cars and 750 two-wheelers can be parked in the parking space of mall. Besides people from Kerala, people hailing from the nearby districts in Tamil Nadu, like Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil

cars can park at a time

can easily reach and feel the experience of shopping from a mall. Compared to other districts, Thiruvananthapuram did not have an all-inclusive shopping center. Mall of Travancore will solve this problem.

The customers are welcomed by huge vertical gardens. Mall of Travancore will be the first mall in India receiving the green certificate for not harming the environment. The mall is built according to the rules and regulations given by the Trivandrum Corporation. Malabar Developers is one of the fastest growing real estate ventures in the country and is the part of the diversified Malabar Group with its flagship Malabar Gold & Diamonds, the fifth largest jewelry retailer in the world. April 2018

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auto biz The new Q5 isn’t a stylistic departure from its predecessor.

The lines are bit crisper, tighter, and narrower.

2018

seems to be the year of compact SUV’s in India. Well, for the past two years this is the segment were most of the sales are achieved. Germans typically shy away from mainstream competition, but the buying trend of Indian’s have pushed them to re-consider this market segment.

Audi responded to this way back in 2007 now they are here for another round with the all-new Q5. Gloves Up!

What’s new?

Jiji Varghese

The new Q5 isn’t a stylistic departure from its predecessor. The lines are bit crisper, tighter, and narrower. It surely shows some attributes of the larger Q7.It’s a conservative but appealing

design that incorporates Audi’s family grille, LED daytime running lamps a steeply raked windshield for a sweptback appearance. The strong shoulder line now has a subtle protrusion on the front and rear fenders enhancing the curves, breaking the monotonous boxy design. LED tail lamps with progressive indicators wrap up the rear, a little big for the rear tailgate but the huge 235/60 R18 wheels makes it look properly tight.

Side profile has a coupe like silhouette, with wheels filling up the arches nicely and strikes perfect balance. You are perfectly cocooned with the 8 Airbags and there is a Tire pressure Monitoring System for that uncalled flat tire situation.The Q5 now rides atop an allnew chassis based on the latest A4 sedan.

NEW AVATAR FOR

AUDI Q5 60

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It’s longer, wider and taller, not by much, but enough to open up more room in the cabin for rear passengers and cargo loads.

More significantly, the new chassis means smoother ride than before, weight saving and tighter handling.

change its poise, if rear wheels loose traction, in less than half-a-second power is routed to it. Now that’s proper Quattro wizardry. The Q5’s suspension is well damped and soaks up all the potholes; the ride is smooth and controlled. The

All wheel drive à laquattro AUDI fans swear by their cars that Quattro is the one to have, no matter if it’s a Q7, A4 or the hard revving R8, and they are right! I recall Quattro tag from the early 2000’s when the wrc phenomenon took over India, that time Audi was out of it, but the amazing visuals of Audi S1 cutting a corner, flying through a crest and that perfect right hand turn, which was exciting. Naturally that’s a lot of expectation to live up to, that too from a 2-tonne SUV. But Audi and their technology wizards found a way.

The Quattro all-wheel-drive system routes power to the wheels that have traction and does so without its occupants noticing, Most of the time it is a front wheel drive SUV, but on-demand it can

The Q5’s suspension is well damped and soaks up all the potholes, the ride is smooth and controlled.

dynamic dampers add a layer of adjustability to the way it drives – that’s something the previous car didn’t have. In the Dynamic drive mode, the steering feels heftier but still artificial. Show it a

twisty road and it’ll handle it with ease, you are not going to set any TSD records but still you will be faster,and as with all Quattro-equipped Audis, the grip is just tremendous.

Diesel power directly All Q5s for now feature a 190-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and Quattro all-wheel drive. The combination is good for a 7.9-second run from zero to 100 kmh. The four pot turbo provides plenty of punch around the city runs, and squats when she is ready to take the highway run. Some might think the engine is mediocre with its capacity but it handles all the duty well and is never out of breath.

Audi’s seven-speed ‘S-Tronic’ dual-clutch gearbox feels quick as ever with its shifts.

It hits the limiter when you need to feel some

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power in your stomach, and perfectly kicks down matching the revs when you are corner carving. The difference is, this time it feels a lot smoother and more refined than it used to be. S-Tronic irons out any turbo lag that might be there, that’s one more advantage of it.

The SPECS

Virtual punch

Engine In-line 4 turbocharged Common rail

Most of the expected infotainment features are present and accounted for in the Q5, including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The full digital instrument cluster with high-resolution 12.3 inch screen displays a wide range of information. From speed to navigation to communication or just good old dials.

Audi calls this Virtual Cockpit and it is truly one.

The interior design is functional, sharp and well laid out just what you expect from the Germans in white coats but a little predictable- only if you have been in the larger Q7. A 3- Zone deluxe Climate control will keep you chilling, not freezing from the scorching Sun. There is afree-standing screen for the MMI Touch system (à la the A4) just above the AC vents, it doesn’t; retract though. The quality is superb, and even where there are hard plastics, like on the bottom part of dashboards and doors quality is good.

The switchgear is exquisite too, especially the knurled metal AC control knobs, the tactile gear selector and the touch pad for MMI. There is a lack of chrome or aluminum bits in the cabin, or even the multi colored plastics, it kind of makes it look plain for a Rs. 50 lakh SUV. Competition has much more class or panache.

The front seats are electric, with a memory function, sadly, only for the driver, there’s a big panoramic sunroof so you can see the sun or the city lights, the tailgate is powered and

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Price Rs. 53.35 – Rs. 57.60 lakh

Rated output (hp) @ rpm 190 at 3800-4000 Displacement 2.0 L Transmission 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic All Wheel Drive torque 400 at 1750-3000 Top speed 218 km/hr length 4.66 m Weight 1,915 kg 0-100 km/h 7.9 seconds Fuel Diesel Wheels/Tires 235/60 R18 Fuel Consumption 17.01 km/l(ARAI Certified)

there’s a wireless phone charging bay and surround cameras to help you place the Q5 accurately while parking or reversing.

The back seat offers a very good seating position and no high position windows so you don’t feel claustrophobic. Space is there for two people, third is not welcomed, but if you have to, prepare to jump over the center console and transmission tunnel. The back seat reclines, split-folds 40:20:40 and can be slid back and forth too, in case you want to carry your surfboard.

THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE

IT DESTINATION IN KOCHI

In the ring Audi has simply built the new Q5 on the old car’s strengths and quality and modernized it. It’s more refined, more powerful and more efficient too. The ride quality is amazing, perfect for city runs and for weekend getaways, for more power a 2.0-litre petrol and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel are also on the cards we don’t know when it will arrive though.

The Q5 has its work cut out, because of the sheer number of competitors- the Mercedes GLC, Land Rover has two-the Discovery Sport and Evoque, Volvo has the brilliant XC60, Lexus has the quirky NX 300h, and, very soon, there will be a brand-new BMW X3 as well. This is going to be one exciting match.

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s

horoscope APRIL 2018 Suresh kumar + 91 9496795629, vishnushangu@gmail.com

Aries

Gemini

expenses. Your financial intelligence improves after the 20th and you will make profitable investments. Your health will be excellent.

due to the influence of the Lunar Eclipse of 15th. Earnings may go up due to changes in career. Financial prosperity of your spouse or partner is wonderful and you will have support from your partner. You can form new partnerships to attract money this month.

Singles are looking for romantic partners who can improve their career prospects. They are looking for partners with a higher social rank.

Health prospects are wonderful this month.

Libra

Your monetary prosperity is wonderful this month and you will have any number of prospects to earn money. You can pick and choose the financial deals, once you are clear about your targets. Certain amount of caution is desirable before you get into major financial purchases or financial projects. Your Health will superb till the 20th, after that you have to take enough breaks if you want to be healthy.

Cancer

Taurus

You are in full control of situations and people of this month. You have the full liberty to make necessary transformations to your life and guide your life the way you want. Regarding the career, you are seeking more liberty at the workplace and looking for a job profile with more powers and privileges. You are dressing for the higher position and are willing to give up personal enjoyment and comforts. Your monetary intelligence is wonderful and your financial capabilities are superb. You will spend money on humanitarian causes in this month till the 17th. After 17th, there is a dip in your fiscal confidence leading to a certain amount of caution. Health will be decent during the month and it can be further improved.

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Career issues and personal success will play a significant role this month. Your career prospects are guided by spirituality due to the influence of Neptune in your House of Career.

You are looking for idealism and objectivity in your professional life. Spiritual authorities and teachings will deeply impact your career.. Your financial interests take a back seat. Monetary situation is disturbed by the Lunar eclipse.

You should not get into risky ventures in this month. There is no impact on the overall earnings. Finance of your spouse or partner will face turbulence and require review and reorientation of goals. Your health will be superb during this month.

April 2018

Career prospects and outer success will dominate this month over psychological matters and family problems. Your career will be in focus this month due to the planetary support it is getting. Professionals and businessmen will be highly successful in their respective fields. You can expect important changes in your career and in the organizational structure of your company. If you are in a senior position, you have to be cautious and avoid confrontations with others in this month. Your monetary prospects will be superb this month. Profession will be the major source of earnings. You have the support of family members, seniors and social contacts.

You earn enough money to cover your

This month is envisaging significant changes in personality, profession and public life. Your career will peak by the 20th of the month.

This will be a month of phenomenal career achievements. Your social life is also enhanced by your professional success. Regarding the Finance, your earnings will be wonderful and businessmen will prosper in their fields during this month. Health will be wonderful till the 20th. You can save energy by relaxation and by delegating unimportant jobs to others after that. Decrease your activities during this Solar Eclipse of the 29th. Your Love and Relationship indicates that this month will create turmoil in your public life as well as in existing relationships. If the relationship is sound and strong, it will survive. You may not be giving enough time to your partner due to your preoccupation with your career or business.

Others and their welfare will occupy your attention this month. Your Career Forecast is suggesting that the Lunar Eclipse of the 15th is inducing alterations on the career front.

The Eclipse is also changing your personality.

It appears that changes in personality and profession are interlinked due to the Eclipse.

Your monetary situation will be superb till the 29th of the month. Planetary influences are not favourable for your finances after the 20th and you have to be circumspect in your fiscal ventures. All investments and purchase require proper scrutiny. The only silver lining is that your spouse or partner will be able to support you financially during this period as the earnings of your partner is wonderful.

Regarding the Health, you have to relax and take care of your well-being till the 20th.

Scorpio

Personal ambitions and career goals are not vital and you are looking for more fun and enjoyment in life. Regarding your career, until the 20th you are in a holiday mood at your workplace. You are content to attend to important tasks for the day. After the 20th, life at the office will be hectic and you have to take responsibility of achieving your targets.

With all the ingenuity and confidence at your command, you enjoy completing your goals.

If you are looking for employment, you will be successful this month. You may land a job abroad with an overseas company. You will have the support of foreigners for your job hunt. Regarding the Finance, you tend to spend money on speculations. Your Health will be fabulous this month. Fitness problem may arise if you try to suppress your craving for ingenuity and innovation.

Professional goals and worldly success will dominate your life this month. This is due to the fact that planetary strength is increasing in the northern half of your horoscope. Regarding the Career, you are seeking full liberty at the workplace to work as per your convenience and your method of working. Your Financial prospects are in for continuous modifications

Students and children will be interested in their academic careers and will excel in them.

You will have plenty of opportunities to travel inside the country. Regarding your career, Lunar Eclipse of 15th will bring about changes to your career and there will be a change of work. Your financial instincts which were excellent earlier will be enhanced further this month. Your monetary situation will be highly encouraging. Acquiring wealth will be based on spiritual values. Regarding your Love and Relationships, you will become more sensible after the 20th and get into meaningful relationships. You are likely to move your residence this month due to the aspects of Uranus and the solar Eclipse of 29th which is happening in the House of Family.

Pisces

Capricorn

Virgo Self-development, emotional harmony and family matters will be important this month.

This is due to the fact that most of the planets are located in the bottom half of the horoscope. Regarding your career, there will frantic activity at the workplace. Your energy levels have reached the peak and you are able to complete your professional targets with passion and promptness. There will important changes to your professional life due to the solar eclipse of the 29th. There will be growth and improvement of status in the long run.

Aquarius

Sagittarius

Leo Emotional matters and family issues are more important during this month. Financially this is an excellent month and if you are keen on taking risks, you can make money in speculations. You are spending money on luxurious personal items. There will be temporary turmoil in your financial life due to the Solar Eclipse of the 29th. Your financial thinking will align for the future requirements and the result will be good in the long run.

Singles will have many chances to get into love partnerships. Love is chasing you and it is up to you to accept. Health will be wonderful and you can accomplish your targets easily in all fields.

you are in dilemma about the time you have to allocate for earning money and time for enjoyment and pleasure. You can have both money and fun by deciding on a medium path. Health issues will dominate this month.

The House of Health is extremely weak and planetary aspects are not favorable for health..

Family relationships and emotional welfare will be in focus this month. You should be careful before you get into any social service and humanitarian activity. Your career will be subjected long-lasting transformations. All the pent up frustrations come up and require to be addressed. Career growth will be based on emotional stability. Regarding the Finance, you can decide on methods to make money as well as to spend it. You will splurge money on sophisticated equipment. After the 20th,

Your career, finance and spiritual values will dominate this month. Your professional life will be zooming this month and this will be accompanied by public approbation. You will be left bemused with the number of career prospects and you have to hold your breath before you decide. Your financial progress is also sky-rocketing in addition to career. Money comes from all sources and from everywhere.

You will get into spending spree and put your money into assets and purchases. Regarding the Love and Relationships, life with your spouse or partner will be harmonious. You have an excellent charisma and look highly attractive. Your Health is wonderful during this month.

April 2018

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VOL 8 No. 4

April 2018

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