NOV 2023
w w w. g d a y i n d i a . c o m . a u
VOL 17 ISSUE 199
FREE
AUSTRALIAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
Aquila Events: Fostering Unity in South Asian Culture
Blending Ballet and Bharatanatyam: PATHOS of TOUCH
Shree Shakti: 2023 Global Durga Puja Excellence Award Winners
The Dopamine Effect: Priyanka Jain's Innovative Storytelling Fusion
Sia Shares Challenges of Singing in Punjabi with Diljit
Chetan Bhagat Shares Inspirational Wisdom at Motivation Matters
Celebrate India's Spectacular Diwali Festival Launch at the Iconic MCG
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NEWS VICTORIA
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G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Mumbai To Melbourne Flights Set for Take Off
MELBOURNE, Oct 31: The Allan Labor Government has partnered with Air India to bring a new flight route from India’s second largest city into Melbourne, bringing more visitors and students to the state, increase investment opportunities and create hundreds of local jobs. Minister for Jobs and Industry Natalie Hutchins announced Air India will start non-stop flights from Mumbai to Melbourne from December 2023, operating three times a week and adding 40,000 seats per year into Victoria. It’s the first time in more than 40 years an airline has provided a non-stop service between Mumbai and Australia. Backed by the Labor Government and Melbourne Airport, the Air India flights will generate $55 million for the Victorian economy each year and create an estimated 264 jobs in the aviation and tourism sectors. Air India is India’s national carrier and already operates a service from New Delhi to Melbourne seven times a week. The new flight route will create more connections between Victoria and India, which is set to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030.
Victoria is already a major tourism destination for India, and the direct flights will enable even more people to visit. Last year, 149,000 people from India travelled to Victoria. Victoria is also a key study destination for Indian students, with around 53,000 international students enrolled in Victorian institutions in 2022. Exporters will also benefit from the new flights, adding more than 1,800 tonnes of annual air freight from Victoria to Mumbai – a major financial centre and cargo hub. India is already a fastgrowing export market, with 368 tonnes of goods valued at $33 million being exported by air freight to India last financial year. Air India joins a growing list of international airlines the Labor Government has supported to increase flights to Melbourne including recent expansions by LATAM Airways, Cathay Pacific, Scoot, China Southern and Sichuan Airlines.
(MEDIA RELEASE)
Strengthening School Ties with India
MELBOURNE, Oct 26: The Allan Labor Government is deepening Victoria’s educational link to India by backing our female school leaders with international professional learning and expanding the study of Indian languages in Victorian schools. Minister for Education Ben Carroll announced 12 Victorian principals will join the Indian education system for 10 days in October and November to develop their leadership and intercultural skills – all part of the 2023 Women in School Leadership (WISL) professional learning program. In India, the principals will learn and work alongside their local colleagues in a series of workshops focused on leadership, cultural intelligence and education policy. They will also take part in school placements to observe bestpractice approaches to learning, engagement and wellbeing. The Victorian principals will also attend the DIDAC Conference – Asia’s largest exhibition for teaching and skills – in Bengaluru, where they will have the opportunity to participate in the global discussion on topics such as women in leadership and the use of Educational Technology to support student wellbeing. By participating, principals gain new
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approaches to student learning and wellbeing, and deepen their understanding of education in other cultures, which is then applied in Victorian schools to support students in our multicultural state to thrive. WISL, which began in 2019, is part of Victoria’s India Strategy: Our Shared Future and aims to enhance links between Victorian and Indian schools. A visit for 12 school principals from India will take place in Victoria in May 2024. As part of a further $3.5 million initiative to deepen ties with India, three schools in Melbourne’s west, north and south-eastern suburbs will offer Hindi and/or Punjabi language programs from 2025 – creating important links for thousands of Victorians with their heritage. The language programs will be open to all students enrolled in the participating schools, which will also increase the number of students state-wide who study Hindi and Punjabi at VCE. Once created, the three initial Hindi and Punjabi school language programs will help teaching and leadership staff to support other schools across the state to implement their own Indian language program.
(MEDIA RELEASE)
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First Look at Melbourne’s Next-Gen Trams
MELBOURNE, Oct 23: The Allan Labor Government is on track to deliver the largest investment in locally-made trams in Australia’s history – supporting thousands of jobs and improving access to Melbourne’s iconic tram network. Melbourne’s locally made next generation trams are one step closer after a life-sized model of a G-class tram was unveiled for testing and evaluation for the first time ahead of production ramping up. Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams today visited Tullamarine to unveil the first life-sized mock-up of a nextgen tram for testing and evaluation – set to hit the network by 2025. The Labor Government is investing $1.85 billion in 100 new G-class trams alongside a new tram maintenance and stabling facility when the fleet is ready. The more accessible trams will be built by Alstom in Dandenong using at least 65 per cent local content and supporting up to 1,900 local jobs through manufacturing, the supply chain and construction. They will replace some of Melbourne’s longest-serving A and Z class high-floor trams, making our public transport network more accessible for all Victorians. With greater capacity than the high floor
trams, they will have space for up to 150 passengers and feature a low floor design to improve accessibility. The trams also feature on-board energy storage to reduce power use and network costs. The first G Class trams are scheduled to begin testing on the network from 2025, before taking passengers on Routes 57, 59 and 82 in Melbourne’s west. The life-sized model allows passengers,
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tram drivers, technical and accessibility groups to walk through the interior layout including the drivers cab to provide feedback on the design. The Labor Government has invested more than $9 billion in new and upgraded rolling stock and supporting infrastructure since 2015 to get people where they need to go safer and sooner. (MEDIA RELEASE)
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NEWS VICTORIA
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State Of The States – Victoria on Top in National Rankings
MELBOURNE, Oct 30: Victoria leads all states and territories in job-creating economic performance, new independent analysis published has found. Reflecting a vibrant jobs market and stateshaping investments in roads, rail, schools and hospitals, the CommSec State of the States report found Victoria is leading the nation in economic activity.
Combining real state demand and real net trade in goods and services, the report said economic activity in Victoria in the June quarter was 7.7 per cent above the state’s four-year average level of output – ahead of New South Wales and Queensland in relative terms. Victoria was also number one for construction work completed – residential,
commercial and engineering – with levels almost 20 per cent above the state’s 10-year average. The CommSec State of the States analysis is the latest independent assessment to highlight the underlying strength of the Victorian economy. The Deloitte Access Economics Business Outlook report published this month forecasts Victoria’s annual average jobs growth will lead the nation over the next five years – and economic growth will outpace all other states over the same period. Unemployment in Victoria is a very low 3.5 per cent and more than 500,000 jobs have been created in the past three years as all corners of the state have benefitted from sustained growth. The state’s 2022-23 Annual Financial Report released this month revealed that state final demand – a key measure of the economy that combines public and private investment and spending – is more than 11 per cent higher than before the pandemic. The NAB Monthly Business Survey shows Victorian business confidence is the highest of the states while the business conditions index is equal highest alongside Tasmania.
(MEDIA RELEASE)
Attracting More Women into Manufacturing and Energy
MELBOURNE, Oct 25: The Allan Labor Government is supporting more women to enter and succeed in male-dominated manufacturing and energy industries, driving progress towards gender equality in the workplace. Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins today visited Nestle’s Campbellfield factory with Pascoe Vale Girls College students to announce an investment of $840,000 to deliver targeted initiatives to help students ‘try a trade’, provide mentoring for women employed in these industries and help them progress to senior positions. The funding is the first tranche of a $2.7 million fund to support the energy and manufacturing sectors to attract, recruit and retain women and remove barriers in these historically male-dominated workforces – a key part of the Government’s response to the Inquiry into Economic Equity for Victorian Women. The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union partners with TAFEs, girls and nonbinary school students to deliver hands-on visits by tradeswomen, visit workplaces, careers and jobs expos, participate in ‘try a trade’ activities and school-based apprenticeships and work experience.
Victorian Trades Hall Council projects include delivering introduction to industry sessions, developing and delivering an online Job Readiness program and upskilling employers through Safe and Respectful Workplaces training to make them more inclusive for women, First Nations and culturally diverse communities. A new Victorian Mentee Sponsorship Program will be one of the priorities for the National Association of Women in Operations, to attract more Victorian women working in operations to be mentored by
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highly regarded senior operations leaders from the manufacturing and energy industries. The Australian Women in Solar Energy will deliver a program in partnership with Victorian Local Learning and Employment Networks, encouraging girls and non-binary school students to consider a career in the renewable energy sector, with initiatives such as school visits by a range of skilled women in the industry. (MEDIA RELEASE)
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Awards Celebrate Our International Student Community
MELBOURNE, Oct 23: International students who have given back to the Victorian community and the state’s top international education providers have been recognised at the Victorian International Education Awards. Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas announced the winners of the prestigious awards, with 18 students and 23 education providers and organisations recognised for their significant contributions to the wider community and commitment to the sector. In their 10th year, the awards celebrate the multi-faceted value of international students to the Victorian community and promote excellence in international education. This year featured student finalists from 11 countries, highlighting the diversity of the sector and how crucial international students are to enhancing our state’s cultural knowledge and global connectedness. The Premier’s Award for International Student of the Year was awarded to Sarbjeet Singh, an engineering Honours student at Deakin University. Sarbjeet is a respected leader in the Geelong community, having established study groups for international students to support their transition into university life and working on cross cultural integration
with the Indian community by organising events and festivals. He was also named a Geelong Youth Awards winner this year. Premier’s Award winner for international education providers RMIT University took out the Student Employability and Career Development and International Student Experience categories, impressing the judges with their wellness approach and student coaching program that benefits more than 6,000 international students. International education is Victoria’s biggest services export, generating $8.4 billion in revenue last year and supporting more than 40,000 jobs across the state. Last year, the Allan Labor Government launched the International Education Recovery Plan 2025, backed by $53 million in funding for initiatives that consolidate Victoria as a leader in education excellence and student experience. Melbourne is officially Australia’s leading
city for international students – confirmed in the QS Best Student City report released in July. Melbourne has been the Australian leader in the global index, which ranks affordability, quality of life, the standard of universities, diversity and desirability, since 2015 – and this year was ranked fourth in the world behind only London, Tokyo and Seoul. To see all Victorian International Education Awards winners and finalists, visit studymelbourne.vic.gov.au
Victorian Skills Plan Boosting Training for More Victorians
MELBOURNE, Oct 24: The Allan Labor Government is supporting more Victorians with training opportunities in in-demand industries, with a new report charting the state’s skills and training sector over the next three years. Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney today joined 120 people from the training sector and industry at Holmesglen TAFE in Moorabbin to launch the Victorian Skills Plan for 2023 into 2024. The plan outlines Victoria’s jobs and skills outlook into 2026, with more than 353,000 new jobs created across 19 key industries over the next three years. The plan provides a practical plan to ensure the training and skills sector is well positioned for this growth. More than 83,000 jobs will be created in health care and social assistance, while 46,000 people will begin work in the education and training sector. The professional, scientific and technical services sector will see 35,000 people join the workforce and the hospitality industry will create approximately 32,000 new jobs over the next three years – with 25,000 new jobs created in the manufacturing sector. Victoria’s transition to a renewable
economy is expected to create 10,000 new jobs each year from now until 2030 and transform more than 500,000 existing jobs through new skills training. The plan was prepared by the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) in consultation with industry, employers and unions. First published in 2022, the Labor Government’s Victorian Skills Plan identifies more training opportunities for providers and industries to plan for future skills needs, and course plan for Victoria’s nation-leading TAFE system. The Labor Government is making sure more Victorians have access to the training they need for the job they want. It is investing $186 million to extend the eligibility of Free TAFE through the Victorian Budget 23/24. Every Victorian is eligible for governmentfunded training no matter their existing qualification level and there is no longer a
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one-course limit on Free TAFE participation within the one priority pathway. Free TAFE has removed the barriers for training for a great new career for more than 153,000 students – saving students more than $394 million since the program began in 2019. More than 80 courses and short courses are available across Victoria as part of Free TAFE.
(MEDIA RELEASE)
NEWS AUSTRALIA
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Australia and India have strengthened their relations by taking them to a strategic level in past few years. Australian PM emphasised that the relation between India and Australia have been positioned to a new level in both bilaterally and through the Quad. "From my first day in office when I flew to Japan to take part in the Quad, the government I lead has made it a priority to reinforce the architecture of our region...taking our strategic partnership with India to a new level, both bilaterally and through the Quad; strengthening the bond that we share with our Pacific Island family, where, for more than half a century, Australia has been the region's single-largest economic and development partner; investing in our multilateral engagement -- the Pacific Islands Forum, ASEAN, and the East Asia Summit -and as founding members of APEC, the G20, and, of course, the United Nations," he said. PM Albanese remarks comes as Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a luncheon at the State Department for Australian PM on Thursday.
about the linkages between the two countries with people repeatedly cheering his remarks. "Our lifestyles may be different but now Yoga also connects us. We have been connected due to cricket for a long. But now tennis and films are also connecting us. We might prepare food in different manners, but MasterChef is connecting us now," he said. PM Modi also mentioned Sameer Pandey over his being elected as the Lord Mayor of Parramatta in Australia. Moreover, Australian Anthony Albanese in his remarks referred to the warm welcome accorded to PM Modi by the diaspora and people in Australia. "The last time I saw Bruce Springsteen on this stage, he didn't get the kind of reception that Prime Minister Modi got. PM Modi is the boss," he said. "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Australia. My first year as Prime Minister is what I am celebrating today. I have met my friend PM six times but there is nothing better than standing on stage with him like this, it is a pleasure to welcome PM Modi here. But I must say that the warmth and energy that is here tonight are second to none," he added.
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"Taking strategic partnership with India to new level": Australian PM Anthony Albanese
Earlier in September, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit. "Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia," Mr Albanese said. In May, PM Modi went to Australia for a three-day visit. He arrived at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to a rousing welcome. During his address to the Indian diaspora at a community event, Prime Minister spoke
(ANI)
Australian Opposition leader Peter Dutton to visit India with 20 top industrialists
NEW DELHI, Oct 30: Australia's Opposition Leader and former Defence Minister, Peter Dutton, is set to make a momentous visit to India accompanied by a delegation of 20 influential industrialists. This visit is in preparation for their participation in a pivotal 4-day Economic Trade Delegation Summit, scheduled to commence on November 1. The delegation is organised by the India-Australia Strategic Alliance, under the guidance of its Chairman, Dr Jagvinder Singh Virk, who is committed to promoting strategic trade between India and Australia. This visit comes as a response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to Peter Dutton, with the primary aim of establishing a Strategic Trade Alliance for mutual investments between the two nations. The event, known as the Economic Trade Delegation Summit, is slated to take place at the Hotel Leela Palace from November 1-4, 2023, and its primary objective is to foster prosperous trade and business alliances, building upon the Free Trade
Agreement inked by the Indian and Australian Governments in 2022. This year's Economic Trade Delegation carries the overarching theme, "Driving Businesses to the Next Effective Levels," signifying its goal to enhance growth and productivity across various sectors. The summit focuses on industries such as Education, Space, Agriculture, Information Technology, Health Care, Financial Technology, Rural Development, Defence, and Renewable Energy. India's vast and diverse population adds significant weight to the role of social enterprises in driving business success. These enterprises strike a balance between profitability and social impact, making them instrumental in international collaborations. The summit further underscores the pivotal role played by business mentorship, funding support, and market understanding in enabling the success of global partnerships. By emphasizing the significance of social enterprises, this initiative aligns with the developmental goals of both India and
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Australia, contributing to the prosperity of both nations. Peter Dutton's visit signifies his commitment to strengthening the relationship between Australia and India. As the leader of the Liberal Party, his inaugural visit to India follows a resounding victory in a recent referendum. This visit not only highlights his expanding leadership roles but also underscores his deep appreciation for India. It is a testament to the evolving and essential bilateral relationship between the two nations. The Economic and Trade Delegation, set for November 1-4, 2023, includes focused sessions designed to maximize the impact of businesses and support systems that promote the growth of Indian and Australian companies. In a cultural engagement aspect of the visit, the delegation will pay a visit to the Akshardham Temple on the morning of November 1 and offer their respects at the Sri Bangla Sahib Gurdwara on the morning of November 2, 2023.
(ANI)
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Speaking Punjabi is much harder than you think:
Sia on collaboration with Diljit Dosanjh in ‘Hass Hass’ Australian singer Sia, who has collaborated with Diljit Dosanjh for the track ‘Hass Hass’, said that speaking Punjabi is much harder than one thinks, and that she was sweating in order to get it right. Internationally acclaimed artists, Diljit and Sia, have joined forces with the exceptionally talented producer, Greg Kurstin, to create a ground-breaking moment with the highly anticipated release of ‘Hass Hass’. For Sia, this marks her first-ever Indian collaboration, and 'Hass Hass' demonstrates her versatility as an artist, seamlessly bridging continents and genres. Sia has elevated her musical prowess by mastering Punjabi lyrics and blending seamlessly with Diljit's vocals. Known for her powerful and emotive vocals, Sia said: “Hass Hass” was made with so much love I left in a completely saturated dress. Speaking Punjabi is much harder than you think; I sweated through my entire dress, trying so hard to get it right. I had to ask
them to stop taking photos. I was completely drenched by the time I nailed it.” This collaboration is a testament to the universal language of music, forging a
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connection that resonates with people around the world. Greg Kurstin, a renowned producer known for a series of Grammy-winning hits, has infused his expertise into 'Hass Hass' enhancing the track's global appeal by combining Punjabi and English lyrics. Sharing his thoughts on the collaboration, Diljit said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic collaborating with Sia. Sia lending her vocals in Punjabi is quite effortless. I'm sure the track will touch the hearts of all music lovers across the globe.” In his recent international releases, Diljit has collaborated with artists like Tory Lanez for 'Chauffeur', Diamond Platnumz for 'Jugni', and had Anne Marie featured on his fanfavorite track 'Peaches'. 'Hass Hass' boasts of a captivating melody, profound lyrics, and an engaging hook that is sure to linger in the hearts of fans worldwide. The song explores themes of happiness and resilience. It is released by Warner Music India.
(IANS)
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NEWS AUSTRALIA
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Australian govt urges citizens to leave Lebanon over "volatile security situation"
CANBERRA, Oct 29: The Australian government has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the Middle East country as soon as possible over "volatile security situation".
In a statement on social media on Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong warned Australians in Lebanon that the ongoing conflict in the area could lead to the closure of Beirut airport. "Australians in Lebanon should leave now, while commercial flights remain available," Wong said. "If armed conflict increases, it could affect wider areas of Lebanon and close Beirut airport. The Australian government may not be able to assist you to leave," she added.
It comes two days after Wong said Australians in Lebanon should "consider" leaving, citing the government's serious concerns over the "volatile security solution" in the country. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Saturday updated its travel advice for Lebanon, warning Australians against visiting the country and telling citizens already there to register with its crisis registration portal. The government has chartered repatriation flights for Australians in Israel and Palestinian territories out of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport but has not organized any out of Lebanon. Minister for Defence Richard Marles on Wednesday confirmed two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft and support troops have been deployed to the Middle East as a "contingency" to evacuate Australians. (IANS)
Australian tax system Teacher shortages reported in 87% not fit for aging of public schools in population
CANBERRA, Oct 27: Australia's tax system is inadequate to properly fund government responsibilities, experts warned. In a speech to Canberrabased think tank the Australia Institute's Revenue Summit at Parliament House on Friday, former Department of Finance head Michael Keating called for a fullscale public review of the funding needed for the adequate provision of government services. Keating, who served as secretary of the department between 1986 and 1991, told the summit that by his estimation Australia's structural budget deficit, which occurs when public spending exceeds government revenues, would surpass 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) within a decade. He said spending cuts are unlikely to remedy the problem, instead advocating for new taxes
that "improve efficiency" including congestion charges and a tax on greenhouse gas emissions. The summit coincided with the release of a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) calling for Australia's federal government to raise and broaden its consumption tax -- the general sales tax (GST). According to the economic survey report, 26.5 per cent of Australia's total taxation revenue comes from GST compared to an average of 32 per cent among OECD member nations. It said that the government relying on personal income tax was risky considering Australia's aging population and recommended eliminating GST exemptions for education, healthcare, food and water. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has previously ruled out making any change to GST, which has remained at 10 per cent for most goods and services since it was introduced in 2000 but told the Australian Associated Press that the government's economic plan "aligns" with the OECD's agenda.
(IANS)
NSW
SYDNEY, Oct 25: A new survey has found that 87 per cent of public schools in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have borne the brunt of casual teacher shortages. According to the figures released by the NSW Department of Education, students in more than 9,800 lessons daily are being left without adequate support due to a 42 per cent shortfall in casual teachers. The survey indicated that public schools have been wrestling with an average shortage of 3,000 casual teachers every day -- nearly half of what is required to meet the state's educational demand. In primary schools, 40 per cent of the lessons unable to be covered by a casual teacher resulted in merged or collapsed classes, while students in nearly 28 per cent of high school lessons were left to their own devices with minimal supervision.
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Across the most populated Australian state, situations were identified as significantly worse in parts of Sydney's west and south-west, rural and remote areas, and at schools for specific purposes. The study also raised the alarm of a domino effect caused by the severe shortfall, including the cancellation of library lessons and programs providing additional support to those most in need. "We already knew from listening to teachers and parents that NSW has been facing a teacher shortage crisis, leaving huge numbers of students without quality teaching every single day," said Prue Car, the state's deputy premier and minister for education and early learning. The state government pledged that a number of programs and recruitment initiatives are in place or under development to attract more teachers. (IANS)
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Drug decriminalisation in Australian capital evokes mixed response
CANBERRA, Oct 31: The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has become the nation's first jurisdiction to decriminalise small quantities of illicit drugs, evoking mixed responses. From October 28, the personal possession of small amounts of the most common illicit drugs became decriminalised in the ACT, which consists of Canberra and its surrounding suburbs. It means that people caught in possession of less than 1.5 grams of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and MDMA and under 1 gram of heroin will be issued with a fine of 100 Australian dollars $63.7 or referred to a Canberra Health Services education or information session rather than face criminal charges. The major reforms, which were passed by the ACT's parliament in October 2022, have proven controversial, with drug harmminimization advocates welcoming the move while law enforcement authorities have
warned they could increase illicit drug use. Rachel Stephen-Smith, the ACT Health Minister, has described the changes as a shift to a health-based approach to drug use. In a statement issued on Friday one day before the laws came into effect, StephenSmith said the new approach will encourage more people who use illicit drugs to seek support and result in better outcomes. "By treating drug use as a health issue, not a criminal one, we are providing pathways for people to access the health services and support they need," she said. However, authorities have expressed concerns over the impact of the legislation. ACT Policing, a subsidiary of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), expressed opposition to the laws when they were before parliament but promised to help implement the changes. In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the country's illicit drug problem, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
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(ACIC) said the new laws would allow Canberrans to possess up to 15 street deals worth of methamphetamine, seven deals worth of cocaine and five deals worth of MDMA and heroin without risking criminal charges. The submission to the inquiry earlier in October warned that effective drug policy reform required all Australian jurisdictions to work together to prevent organised crime groups from exploiting inconsistencies. It echoed the sentiment of the Australian Border Force (ABF), whose spokesperson told News Corp Australia newspapers in September that the agency had concerns over the risks associated with the ACT laws and would have preferred a national approach to such significant policy. Those concerns prompted Michaelia Cash, a senator who served as the Attorney-General of Australia in the previous conservative Coalition government, to attempt to quash the ACT legislation. Because of its status as one of Australia's two territories, the parliament has the power to override any ACT law at any time through a vote. Cash, who represents Western Australia (WA), introduced a bill to the Senate that would have repealed the laws, arguing they would make Canberra "the drug capital" of Australia and send a message to organised criminals to do business in the national capital. The bill was defeated by the governing Labor Party, Greens Party and independents who argued that the ACT has a right to selfgovern.
(IANS)
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WORLD NEWS
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Biden meets Australian PM in WH to 'strengthen alliance'
WASHINGTON, Oct 26: US President Joe Biden met visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House during which the two leaders renewed their "commitment to defend the values that are the heart of our alliance". Following a meeting on Wednesday, the two leaders addressed a joint press conference at the White House Rose Garden. Speaking on the IndoPacific region, Biden said the alliance between Australia and the US is "an anchor to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and, quite frankly, around the world". "We see this through our work of the Quad partners — India and Japan — to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains free, open, prosperous, and secure. I also see it through AUKUS, where, together with the UK, we’re making a generational investments in our shared security," he added. AUKUS is the trilateral security agreement between the UK, US and Australia, while the Quad bloc comprises the US, India, Japan and Australia
The President also took a strong stance on a possible conflict in the South China Sea. He said that in the past week, Chinese vessels "acted dangerously and unlawfully as our Philippine friends conducted a routine resupply mission within their own exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea". "I want to be clear — I want to be very clear: The US’ defence commitment to the Philippines is ironclad. Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our Mutual Defence Treaty with the Philippines," he said.
On his part, Albanese agreed that securing the Indo-Pacific region is a high priority, saying his approach toward his neighbour was "to cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, but engage in our national interest". The Prime Minister praised Biden for working closely with Australian leaders to add a new tier to their partnership: climate change. He noted this was his ninth meeting with Biden since he became prime minister 16 months ago. He also said the AUKUS would ensure "peace and security in our region" and added that the US-Australia alliance" is also delivering for the Indo-Pacific region bilaterally and increasingly with our partners in the Quad". The leaders also emphasised they were united against all acts of aggression, particularly those by Russia and Hamas. They pledged to work together on finding ways "to stand with Israel" after the 7 October attack by Hamas.
(IANS)
Biden honours 2 Indian American scientists with National Medals
WASHINGTON, Oct 25: US President Joe Biden has honoured two Indian American scientists -- Subra Suresh and Ashok Gadgil -- with National Medals for their pioneering contributions in the fields of science and technology innovation at a ceremony in White House. "We're determined to return great science to America,” Biden said in remarks at the ceremony in the House's East Room on Tuesday. "For this year's recipients, 'outstanding' may be an understatement. They're extraordinary… They have paved the way for a generation of other scientists and innovators to pursue their own discoveries to unlock our nation's full potential." Suresh -- a scientist and engineer with decades of impactful leadership in higher education, industry and government -- was among nine recipients who were awarded the National Medal of Science. A professor at large at Brown University’s School of Engineering and former director of the National Science Foundation, Suresh of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was honoured for pioneering research across
engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences. Describing Suresh as a "transformative educator", a White House statement said that his "commitment to research and collaboration across borders has demonstrated how science can forge understanding and cooperation among people and nations". “It's very satisfying," Suresh said in a statement released by the Brown University’s School of Engineering. “This is not why you do science. You don't do this for the reward, you do it for the joy. If somebody notices it, it's icing on the cake, but it's not the cake itself. This particular one, though, has added significance because it's from the president of the US. It’s national. It has the US stamped on it,” Suresh added. Born in India in 1956, Suresh graduated from high school at 15 and by age 25 had earned his undergraduate degree, master’s degree and Ph.D., which he earned in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in just two years. The National Medal of Technology and
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Innovation was awarded to Ashok Gadgil of the University of California Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world. Widely considered to be a “humanitarian inventor", Gadgil was among 12 laureates to receive the honour. "His innovative, inexpensive technologies help meet profound needs, from drinking water to fuel-efficient cookstoves. His work is inspired by a belief in the dignity of all people and in our power to solve the great challenges of our time," the White House statement read. Established by Congress in 1959, the National Medal of Science is conferred directly by the president and is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is given for outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology for the improvement of the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the US.
(IANS)
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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Canada says it expects to process only half of Indian visa applications by Dec 2023 the type of application. An application is in backlog when it has not been processed within service standards. IRCC has also temporarily suspended all in-person services at consulates in India, although applications from India will still be accepted and processed. India, meanwhile, partially resumed visa services in Canada from October 26 onwards after they were shut down amid deteriorating diplomatic ties. The services will resume for entry, business, medical, and conference visas, the Indian High Commission said in a statement. "Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation," the statement added.
(IANS)
TORONTO, Oct 27: Canada has said that out of the 38,000 visas for Indians, it will only be able to process 20,000 by the end of December this year due to recent reduction of staff on the ground. At a meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration this week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there are now only five members to do the on-the-ground visa work in India, the CIC News reported. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which processes the visa applications, had its staff reduced from 27 to just five members this month after India, seeking diplomatic parity, asked Canada to withdraw its 41 diplomats. The IRCC now expects there will be approximately 17,500 Indian applications in backlog at the beginning of 2024. However, signalling hope, senior officials with the country's top Immigration Department said that the government is working to return to normal processing for Indian applications by early 2024. This can be achieved as the immigration staff pulled from India reestablishes itself and gets back to work in Canada and the Philippines, IRCC said. According to CIC, IRCC is trying to mitigate the impact by adjusting the work load for Visa Application Centres (VACs) that already process the majority of the applications from India. IRCC said in a statement released last week that a large majority of applications from India are already processed outside the country, with 89 per cent of India’s applications processed through the global network. "The five Canada-based IRCC staff who remain in India will focus on work that requires an in-country presence such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment, and overseeing key partners," the IRCC said. The department aims to process 80 per cent of all applications within service standards, which vary depending on
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NEWS WORLD
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Getting married in Australia
G’Day Mate !
CALCULATION FOR THE ONE MONTH NOTICE? What does giving the notice ‘not later than one month before the date of the marriage’ mean for the couple? A month means a period starting at the start of any day of one of the calendar months; and ending immediately before the start of the corresponding day of the next calendar month, or if there is no such day – at the end of the next calendar month. Example 1: A month starting on 15 December in a year ends immediately before 15 January in the next year. This means if NOIM is submitted on 15 December, the ceremony can take place on 15 January in the next year. Example 2: A month starting on 31 August in a year ends at the end of September in that year because September is the calendar month coming after August and does not have 31 days. This means if NOIM is submitted on 31 August, the ceremony can take place on 1 October in the same year. Ask your authorised marriage celebrant if you need help with
the notice. You can complete it if you are overseas and plan to get married in Australia. If there is less than 1 month until your wedding, talk to your authorised marriage celebrant. You may be able to get married earlier if a prescribed authority approves it. Reasons for getting married in less than one month include employment-related or travel commitments; wedding or celebration arrangements; medical reasons; legal proceedings and error in giving notice.
Sikhs in Fiji Police force now allowed to wear turban with official crown
SUVA, Oct 23: Navjeath Singh Sohata has become the first Sikh cop to don a turban with the official Fiji Police crown after the island nation's police force approved changes to the uniform in a bid to promote diversity. Recognising that the respect for diversity and inclusivity are integral to the success of policing efforts, Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew approved the wearing of a turban with the official Fiji Police crown. Police Constable Sohata, 20, is a member of Batch 66 undergoing the Basic Recruits Course Training in Nasova, after being selected from the open market recruitment drive. A devout Sikh, Sohata had marched into the academy knowing the training requirements would require personal sacrifices on his part. "However, the Acting Commissioner of Police, in respecting Sohata’s rights, approved the wearing of the turban with the official Fiji Police crown," the Fiji Police said in a statement. Commissioner Chew said the move was a testament of the organisation's
commitment in upholding the fundamental principles of equality and diversity. According to a book by Stanley Brown, 'The History of the Fiji Police Force', the first Sikh constables were recruited in force the early 1910s. Sharing his experience as a recruit, Sohata, who hails from Dreketi village in Northern Division of Fiji, said it was difficult at first being away from his family. "I have a number of people in my life who I look up to as inspiration and role models, and it is my goal to make them proud and be just as good as them when it comes to my professional life," Sohata said. According to records kept by the Lautoka Gurudwara, Sikhs arrived in Fiji towards the end of the indentured labour system and mostly established themselves as farmers, policemen and teachers. The first school built by Sikhs in Fiji was the Khalsa High School in Ba district and the Suva gurdwara, built in 1922, is the oldest of all.
(IANS)
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COMMUNITY
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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Celebrate India's Spectacular Diwali Festival Launch at the Iconic MCG Team of Celebrate India inc. ready to Illuminate Melbourne in the Spirit of Diwali this year
Melbourne, October 31: In a celebration of epic proportions, Australia is set to host one of the grandest Diwali festivals outside of India, scheduled for Saturday, November 4th at the iconic Federation Square in Melbourne. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. This year's program promises a delightful experience for all in attendance. To mark this special occasion, several of Melbourne's renowned landmarks will be illuminated, including Federation Square, the Indian Consulate, the Old Treasury Building, The Museum, and many more. These radiant displays will add a touch of magic to the cityscape. Beyond the enchanting illuminations, the festival will feature a range of activities to engage and entertain. Live music and dance performances will grace Queensbridge, Southgate, while a comedy play is set to amuse the audience at Doncaster Secondary School. A "Know Your Culture" Facebook competition and other cultural experiences are also on the agenda. For those seeking detailed information about the festival program, visit www.celebrateindia.org.au. About Celebrate India: Celebrate India Inc. is a not-for-profit community organization based in Victoria. It was established with the primary aim of fostering a deeper understanding of Indian culture and its rich diversity within the broader Australian community. The organization actively engages in celebrating major Indian festivals, building bridges of cultural appreciation, and fostering collaborations with the Indian and Australian governments, as well as various cultural and social institutions.
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MOTOR REVIEW MOTOR REVIEW
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
BMW M3 Competition Touring Review
When it comes to most sporty station wagons, most manufacturers can’t get it quite right. They typically lean too far into one side of their identity, either too pedestrian or too extreme. However, BMW is one brand that has had the sporty touring formula dialed in from the very beginning. While the BMW M Division has given us rocket-powered tourings before, they’ve all been based on the larger 5-Series chassis. But now, BMW has given their star child the hot wagon treatment in the form of the M3 Touring. If you aren’t a BMW fan, it is hard to describe how big of a deal that is, as enthusiasts of the Bavarian marque have been asking for an M3 Touring for decades now. Luckily, it lives up to the hype. A casual observer might not give the M3 Touring a second glance. After all, a BMW station wagon is a car made for dentists and suburban moms, right? Well, if you look close enough, there are some giveaways that you are looking at something special. As with the standard M3, the Touring is fitted with boxy flared arches, quad exhausts, and a very aggressive stance, which blows its cover a bit. Couple that with the M3’s Earth-shaking startup exhaust tone and you might change some people’s minds about your “dentist car.” While the M3 Touring might be wearing sheep’s clothing, there is still a very hungry wolf underneath. At this point, BMW is only offering the M3 Touring in Competition M xDrive trim, meaning that it has the more powerful 375kW 3.0L twin-turbo inline-6 under the hood, paired with the most advanced allwheel-drive system that BMW has ever fitted
to a production car. The result is a wagon that can hit 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, which is simply ludicrous for an 1865kg car. While the M3 Touring might be 85kg heavier than the already hefty M3 sedan, you don’t feel the additional bulk thanks to BMW’s chassis advancements. In fact, BMW worked quite hard to find creative solutions to the Touring’s weight issue. To compensate for the extra meat, the Touring’s suspension was overhauled, complete with additional rear axle stiffening struts, revised springs and dampers, and sturdier front and rear anti-roll bars. All current M3 Tourings are equipped with BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which works in combination with the specialised M differential to flawlessly deliver power to all four corners of the car in an intelligent and intuitive way. The Touring is heavily rear-wheel biased, meaning that the majority of its power is delivered to the rear wheels most of the time. However, if the M diff and M xDrive system sense that there is a bit too much slip up front, power is shifted forward for better grip through the exit of a corner. The combination of those two systems is where the magic truly lies and what makes the G81 Touring such an astonishing car to drive. Its handling is so good that it almost feels like it has four-wheel steering at some points. Aiding driving dynamics further are the M3’s direct steering and more than capable brakes. So, it should be pretty obvious that the M3 Touring has the performance aspect covered, but how does it do as a station wagon grocerygetter? Pretty dang well if you ask me. With all of the settings dialed into comfort mode, the
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engine goes into hibernation, the suspension softens up, and everything becomes civilised. Once you have a second to relax, you begin to realise what a great place the cabin of the M3 Touring is to be. Considering the fact that the front seats were designed with track duty in mind, they are extremely comfortable, even on long journeys. The massive 14.9” curved central display flows seamlessly into another 12.3” digital gauge cluster, providing plenty of screen real estate. BMW’s iDrive 8 operating software is quick, responsive, and, most of all, customisable. In fact, nearly everything about the M3 Touring is customisable. From programmable red drive mode buttons on the steering wheel to exhaust note selection, suspension stiffness, drivetrain power modes, AWD to 2WD, and even brake modulation customisability, you can truly dial the M3 Touring to suit your individual tastes in every regard. Moving onto the practicality aspect of the M3 Touring, we have a lot to talk about too. The M3 Touring is equally as practical as it is ferocious, making it a rare breed. With 40:20:40 folding seats, rear storage is beyond impressive. Even with the rear seats in their upright position, there is 510L of storage. With the rear seats down, you’re working with 1,510L, which is right on par with the competing Audi RS4 Avant. While there is plenty of room behind the rear seats, the legroom while sitting in them is a little less ideal, as taller passengers might feel a bit claustrophobic. As a complete package, the M3 Touring might be the most usable BMW M car ever made. It isn’t every day that you find a car that can simultaneously beat a new Porsche 911 Carerra to 100 with three bikes in the boot, but that is exactly what the M3 Touring was designed to do. In fact, it is hard to find any significant downsides other than slightly amplified road noise, an intolerance of poorly paved roads, and a steep price tag of $180,000. However, as the perfect one car solution, the M3 Touring’s value for money is undeniable. By Amandeep Sethi
LEGAL
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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Refining the Family Law Act 1975 – Best interest of the child BY GURPAL SINGH
The Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 (the bill) primarily intends to amend the Family Law Act 1975 and has now been passed by both houses of the Australian Parliament. The bill primarily aims to improve the family law system by making it safer and simpler and ensure the best interests of the children are placed at its centre. The bill refines the list of ‘best interest’ factors, removes the presumption of equal parental responsibility and related equal time and substantial and significant time provision, and clarifies the circumstances in which a court can vary an existing parenting order. It also redrafts provisions relating to compliance with, and enforcement of, parenting orders, amends definitions relating to the concept of ‘family’ to be more inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and traditions, permits the appointment of independent children’s lawyers in the matter brought under the Hague convention and requires the independent children’s lawyers to meet with the child and give them an opportunity to express a view, clarifies restrictions on communicating identifiable information arising in family proceedings and enables standards and requirements to be prescribed for professionals who prepare family reports. The presumption of equal shared parental responsibility has now been repealed. Under the new regime the parenting decisions will have to be based solely on what is in the best interests of the child. The court must consider the matters including the arrangements which would promote the safety (including safety from being subjected to, or exposed to, family violence, abuse, neglect, or other harm) of the child and each person who has care of the child whether or not a person has parental responsibility for the child; any views expressed by the child and each person who has the care of the child whether or not a person has parental responsibility for the child. Additionally, the court needs to consider the views expressed by the child, the developmental, psychological, emotional and cultural needs of the child. The capacity of each person who has or is proposed to have parental responsibility for the child to provide for the child’s developmental, psychological, emotional and cultural needs; the benefit to the child of being able to have a relationship with the child’s parents, and other people
who are significant to the child, where it is safe to do so and anything else relevant to the particular circumstances of the child. The new provisions also mandate that in considering the above factors the court must also include consideration of any history of family violence, abuse or neglect involving the child or a person caring for the child whether or no a person had parental responsibility for the child and any family violence order that applies or has applied to the child or a member of the child’s family. Additional provisions have been incorporated in relation to the children of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background who must avail their right to enjoy their culture, by having the support, opportunity and encouragement necessary to connect with and maintain their connection with members of their family and with their community, culture, country and language; and to explore the full extent of that culture, consistent with the age of the child and the
developmental level and child’s views and to develop a positive appreciation of that culture and the likely impact any proposed parenting order under the provisions will have on that right. In so far as major long-term issues pertaining to the care of the child are concerned, the parents of the child who is not yet 18 are encouraged to consult with each other about major long-term issues in relation to the child and in doing so are to be guided by the best interests of the child being a paramount consideration. If the parenting order provides for joint decision-making by persons in relation to all or specified major long-term issues in relation to a child, then, except to the extent the order otherwise specifies, the order is taken to require each of the persons to consult each other person in relation to each such decision and to make a genuine effort to come to a joint decision. By Gurpal Singh
Gurpal Singh is the principal lawyer of Melbourne law firm, Saundh Singh & Smith Lawyers | W: www.sssl.com.au
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FEATURE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
PATHOS of TOUCH
Blending genres of Ballet and Bharatanatyam to evoke acceptance and respect.
Melbourne came alive with the Melbourne Fringe at the Dance house Carlton, with two extraordinary talents taking centre stage at the Sylvia Staheli Theatre. Artistic director- Deepa P Mani engaging with the other lead artist, Sheena Chundee - a ballet choreographer alumni of the Royal Ballet School of London. Deepa has thirty-plus years of training and experience with an acclaimed performance in India, the United States of America, and Australia. Deepa moved to the United States in early 2000 and delivered several successful performances, travelling widely within the country. Deepa diversified into contemporary Dance when she joined Tehreema Mitha Dance Company (TMDC), well known for its highly athletic and modern dance styles and performed in eminent productions, including Metro DC Dance, Capitol Fringe and Alexandria Performing Arts, as one of the lead dancers. In 2008, Deepa moved to Melbourne to join her partner and continued her passion for Dance under Dr. Chandrabhanu, a renowned artist and performer in Australia and Order of Australia recipient in 2006. Deepa continued to perform in many shows and produced her first Melbourne solo show, "Daya", under the Jamudvipa Productions and Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy. Now, as the Artistic Director of Chandralaya School, her latest dance performance, TOUCH, is all about raising cultural awareness and redefining people's views of acceptance, challenge, bias and prejudice. Sheena Chundee trained full-time with The Royal Ballet School from the age of 11 after receiving a scholarship. After graduating at the age of 17, Sheena danced
and choreographed with The Royal Ballet company and multiple dance companies across Europe, creating and performing classical and contemporary roles. Sheena founded Rebel Stepz Arts in 2010 when she began creating educational and artistic programs and performances, event management, production services, team building projects and theatre craft. TOUCH kept everyone glued to their seats, including me, when I saw two dancers rule the dance floor totally in sync with two dance forms, and it was a visual treat. The Dance delves into the minds of two South Asian dancers with similar cultural backgrounds who pursued different art formsBallet and Bharathanatyam; they go beyond the pathos of culture and together as artists struggle to find their place in the mainstream. Truly relevant work comes from working across fitting into cultures, and as Artists, it's the struggle of acceptance. The collective comprised women of colour from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Asians/ Indians/Mauritians, and Africans. The opening sequence serves as a solid visual representation of the disparity dancers have faced. It reflects isolation, separation and the disjointed spine of the society experienced by those accepted because of their cultural differences. Then slowly, the 'Story' unfolds as artists blend and merge their movements, becoming "bilingual" and embodying harmony and power through accepting and understanding diversity. TOUCH, through Dance and music, demonstrates the beauty and peace that can be achieved through respect, regardless of race/ethnicity. The goal is to get the audience thinking about seeing a brown ballet dancer and, as Australians, how they will as an
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audience interpret Indian Dance. An art form that is so ancient, profound, and worldwide accepted, why isn't it here in the Australian mainstream? “Why can't we have dancers from cross-cultural backgrounds working together to produce mainstream work?” Deepa says. "Our project must be seen and heard, as it has a clear and powerful message," Deepa says. In today's time, things are pretty different from what they seem. The world appears unhinged and misguided, but when something like TOUCH comes to a theatre, it makes you believe in art and there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Deepa and Sheena have pioneered a fresh form of artistic expression by seamlessly blending Bharatanatyamwith elements of Ballet. This innovative approach has opened exciting avenues to fuse cultural traditions with collaborative creativity, emphasising Abhinaya (acting) and Anubhav (emotion) as key elements in this dynamic fusion. This subtle performance is sophisticated and echoes the pathos of cultural narration through its originality. It gives us joy to see Melbourne, a melting pot of South Asian talent, and the periphery of Indian classical Dance re-born with these new genres of talent. Seeing beautiful Deepa elegantly take centre stage with the juxtaposition of two dance forms and artists successfully conveying the message with her art was a visual treat. We at G'day India congratulate the team of TOUCH along with Deepa and Sheena with this beautiful, heartfelt performance. Following its appearance at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in October 2023, "TOUCH" is set to return in 2024, expanding its reach to various venues across Victoria, Australia. By Nandita Chakraborty
FEATURE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
21 21
Uniting South Asian Culture: The Aquila Journey Aquila Events' Bhawna Kapoor, Nidhi Jain, and Monica Kilam on Fostering Cultural Unity moment of this experience? The interactions, shared stories, and connections made during our events have created a sense of warmth and togetherness with our vendors and attendees that is genuinely heart-warming. We know that we have done something right when our vendors want to sign up with us for our future events in advance. What is the future for Aquila? We are committed to expanding and enhancing our events, expanding beyond the wedding theme, introducing new elements, and building upon the success of previous years. Our vision includes reaching even more people and communities, making Aquila an enduring and cherished part of the cultural landscape. (GDI Desk)
When the community fosters cultural unity, Aquila continues to deliver South Asian exposition and three friends, Bhawna Kapoor, an IT Consultant and Self-employed, Nidhi Jain Team Leader - Customer Service and Monica Kilam, IT Project Manager, jumped right into this Cultural symposium. What is Aquila? Aquila Events is a dynamic and vibrant platform that endeavours to bring together various multicultural businesses and services under one roof. Our events create an immersive cultural experience, bringing together many vendors to celebrate and share their offerings with enthusiastic attendees. Our vision for Aquila is to continue expanding, fostering cultural unity, and delivering outstanding experiences to an ever-growing multicultural community.
Go-Live date, with a massive list of vendors waitlisted and signed up for the next event in 2024. There was a noticeable increase in the diversity and variety of vendors, contributing to a more extensive range of South Asian products and services available to our audience. What has been your experience and learning this year? The overwhelming response from both vendors and the public has highlighted the massive appetite of the community for cultural engagement post-covid. It has also proved that people value the consistency and high quality that Aquila brings with its every event. What has been the most endearing
Can you share the participants who participated in the event and roughly how many people attended? Many participants came together to make this year's Expo a success. We welcomed jewellery vendors who presented their exquisite collections, clothing retailers with a diverse range of outfits ranging from traditional to a fusion of Indo western, creative decorators, skilled photographers capturing precious moments, and mandap providers for those planning their weddings. The event had an impressive turnout of over 1,500 visitors, transforming it into a dynamic and bustling celebration of South Asian culture and its rich diversity. How was the second year different to the first? Aquila leveraged the goodwill that we had earned in the inaugural year. This year, the event was a sell-out two months before the
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22
FEATURE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
The Dopamine Effect
On the other hand, I was reading a lot about Dopamine, both in its role in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's' and social media addiction. But what struck me was the negative stereotype about Dopamine fuelling our risk-taking behaviours and hijacking our reward mechanisms. That is when the parallels between Abhisarika running out to meet her lover (without knowing about success or failure) and Dopamine - Krishna's sermon to Arjuna (Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana) struck me. How long did it take for you to plan and meticulously narrate the whole show? It has taken over a year since inception to the premiere to plan, execute and refine the show, including considerations for touring logistics. I began looking at the miniature paintings of the Abhisarika in October 2021, reading up on neuroscience journals to analyse the iconography scientifically. In February 2022, I started writing the songs.
The real heroine from Germany to Delhi to this year's Melbourne Fringe nominee, showcasing her picture recitation performance 'Why Runs the Abhisarika." I was enthralled and excited, as my neurons had extra Dopamine to see this new fifty-five-minute audience -interactive narration about a woman who runs to meet her lover on a dark stormy night through forests infested by snakes, demons, and other motifs. This picture recitation in English spokenword poetry accompanied by Indian dance moves and embellished with visuals in set design, props, and costume investigates Abhisarika's psychosomatic landscape in simplified language. Just as in murder mysteries, the storyteller tries to examine what happened the instant Abhisarika ran out of her house, questioning not only the forest trees but even the microbes in the soil. Each motif in the set design reveals a fragmented truth about its role in Abhisarika's iconography, elucidated in a song. The audience is invited to choose the sequence of motifs to hear their songs and string the performance together. It was evocative and provocative at the same time as thirty-nine-year-old Priyanka Jain narrated a style that combines some old Indian storytelling, not exactly Kavad Katha, but she blended in a new poetic form. Her wit and depth of knowledge in ancient Sanskrit literature and contemporary Western sciences helped her develop her heroine,
Abhisarika. Priyanka Jain, a visual artist from India and a PhD candidate at RMIT University, Melbourne, has developed this show as part of her practice-led research into contemporising picture recitation traditions, which were once very active in India but now survive among small groups of practitioners. Through this performance in which she is the author, artist, director, and performer, Priyanka tries to imagine how Indian picture recitation practices would have evolved had aspects of European colonialism in India (1757-1947) not hindered their development. Her show Why Runs the Abhisarika is thus an artistic project of decolonisation through practice. I sat with Priyanka to learn more about her. What makes her and this heroine known as the Abhisarika? What is your inspiration behind Why Runs the Abhisarika? Many strands of inspiration have strung together to conceive the performance "Why Runs the Abhisarika". On the one hand, there is the effort to decolonise the practice of picture recitation, described by Western scholars writing about Indian arts as "folk art" - a tag word that has caused its marginalisation and neglect. I have been fascinated by pictorial storytellers such as the Patachitra artists of West Bengal. I have tried to think of how the tradition of picture recitation has existed since the 2nd century BC in India, which suffered from colonial relegation.
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I memorised the songs in two weeks, and the performance with Indian dance in consultation with a classical dancer to refine my movements took two months. The images were rendered in Adobe Illustrator and sent digitally to my printer in Surat, Western India. Every fortnight, I would receive courier packages from him with new prints of my backdrops. With costume and jewellery finally in place, the show was ready by October 2022 but had to wait for its premiere at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity until mid-January 2023. The logistics for bringing the set to Australia had to be planned, a luggage case was customised to carry the metal structures that make up the framework for suspending the backdrops. How does it feel to be a finalist at this year's Melbourne's Fringe? “Very validating! The work was done in the vacuum of the lockdowns, and I had no idea what it would be to play for global audiences. The super-positive feedback in Australian fringe shows signifies that my hunches and critiques that had guided my practice were sound and that my two decades of artistic practice have led me somewhere. What is next? Currently, I am networking amongst artists, academics, and institutions, feeling the ground beneath my feet like a new migrant, understanding the whimsical weather, the grant application cycles, etc. I have a few ideas for new projects and collaborations, and I also want to tour other countries with the Abhisarika. By Nandita Chakraborty
FEATURE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
23 23
Thriving Like a Cockroach in a Changing World:
Chetan Bhagat's Inspirational Insights
Motivation Matters, organized by Nikita Kaur Chopra from Big Eventz Australia on the 15th of October 2023 at the Crown Promenade, Melbourne, brought a wave of inspiration to its attendees. The event featured renowned author Chetan Bhagat, who left the Melbourne audience enamored with practical tips on making the most out of life. For someone who has earned a spot-on Time's list of the 100 most influential people, you might expect a restless pursuit of the next big milestone. However, Chetan Bhagat welcomes the world with a warm smile, a hallmark of someone who has reached the self-actualization stage in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. When asked about his next conquest, he ponders, "It is to give away this desire for another conquest."
Approaching fifty, he now seeks balance in life, a tripod of career, health, and relationships. He's achieved significant success in his career and is now rekindling old relationships that took a back seat during his hustle. His health, exemplified by his toned new avatar, is another focus. Even with a hectic schedule that includes media interactions and a motivational seminar, he finds time to run a 10K at the Melbourne Marathon on a chilly morning. Jet lag, it seems, is not an obstacle. He reflects on his college reunions, where early on, the conversations centered on competitive achievements, fancy titles, cars, and estate investments. Now, at his twentyfifth alumni meet, discussions revolve around diabetes and blood pressure. It's a point in life when you realize that contentment on your chosen path is the path to inner peace. However, Bhagat cautions against mistaking contentment for satiety. Satiety leads to a lack of desire to improve oneself, whereas contentment is about being at peace with your chosen path. "With a sense of satiety or 'feeling settled,' you will be left far behind if you are unwilling to adapt to this changing world," he emphasizes. He encourages adopting the mindset of the infamous cockroach, which thrives no matter the circumstances. Just like a cockroach, which survives being scooped out of a home, flushed down the toilet, or
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witnessing a holocaust, adaptability is the key to thriving in an evolving world. This mentality has led Bhagat to diversify into social media, Audible originals, a YouTube channel, and even a web series. His creative career, which began with writing novels, has seamlessly permeated the consciousness of a diverse audience through ever-evolving means of consuming information and entertainment. At the end of his Motivation Matters session, Bhagat fulfilled his promise to leave the audience with ample food for thought. His dry humor in English, Hinglish, and Punjabi left the crowd in peals of laughter and showcased what makes his stories resonate with people. As he emphasizes, the "Chetan Bhagat" brand of English is as effective as the "Shashi Tharoor" brand, as long as there is clarity of thought and an ability to connect with people. In Melbourne, we couldn't agree more. By Nishant Kaushik
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Winners of the 2023 Narayani Namastute Global Durga Puja Excellence Award – the Best Innovation and Creative Award. Shubh Shardiya O' Abhinandan translating to suitable festivities. Durga Puja starts in Melbourne with Shree Shakti in October, starting with fifty families, making its members indulge in its beautiful preparation. They had been robust in preparation for these festivities for six months. Shree Shakti was formed on an idea at a dining table in a conversation between a husband and wife, and soon, a group of enthusiastic families joined their dream to make Shree Shakti a multicultural association based in Melbourne's West, showcasing the cultural heritage of India. On 14th October, Western Sports Centre in Derrimut came alive with Maa Durga's presence. The celebration continues with the free distribution of a delicious meal cooked with the traditional old recipe from Shree Shakti's President Sanghmitra Chakraborty's late grandmother. Shree Shakti’s General Secretary, Kaushik Chakraborty, the President's husband, makes it Sarbojanin, an
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Shree Shakti
institution of love, unity, and friendship. Mouli Ganguly's beautiful recitation of every mantra to Goddess Durga had a beautiful translation to English that he conveyed for everyone to understand. The famous Chandan Nagar Style lighting illuminates the Kumar Tuli's, where the idol of Durga has taken its form for the past six years under the hands of talented artists. The association aims to make every event unique and memorable by adding colours and creativity to make this festive occasion memorable. From winning last year, the prestigious Durga Puja Excellence Award 2022 In India. This year's theme for Shree Skathi's Durga Pujo – is Bangla Chalo Chitra (Bengali Cinema). If you had been in Calcutta, Kolkatta now would be dripping in pandals, the pavilions designed with massive preparations, sometimes for nine months to create themes and the city transforming into a city within. There were several chief guests, especially on seventy-five years of AZADI KA Amrit Mahotsav, consular Shiv Kumar attended on behalf of Dr Sushil Kumar along with Victorian Labour member for the Melton
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district and Cabinet Secretary Steve McGhie. Shree Shakti's President facilitated them with Shree Shakti trophies. A heartwarming performance by Anushka Chakraborty, Agomoni embodies the divine moment when Goddess Maa Durga descends on Earth from her heavenly abode to bless her devotees. 'Agomoni' means that clear blue sky, laced with soft white clouds and thickets of 'Kash. Shree Shakti also facilitated Community members who are doing some outstanding actual humanitarian work, some with the true essence of multiculturalism through their newspaper work, some of them with their culinary achievements and philanthropy work. Sponsors Prajapati Finance, Bansal Immigration, and Commonwealth Bank media sponsors SBS BANGLA made this event possible. Daman Shrivastav, Master chef at DD's kitchen restaurant India@Q; Rohini Kappadath, General Manager at Immigration Museum; Gurbir Sethi, founder, and owner of G'day India and the Indian Weekly; Helly Raichura - Chef and owner of the celebrated Indian fine diner in Melbourne, Enter Via Laundry, Manorani Guy, founder and President of NGO VicWise. It is Melbourne's only Durga Puja that
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does free bhog (food) distribution on both days; Shree Shakti is the only association in Australia that organises Kumari Puja, a cultural extravaganza of music and dance from artists from diverse cultures, and Melbourne-based Bengali band C Sharp continued the night with fantastic performance along with spectacular lighting. The festival had many food stalls, from Novotel Kathi roll Kolkatta House to henna stalls.
The next day, the Puja ended with Durga maa's Bijoy of Durga maa with Sindoor Khela (The Vermillion play along with the married ladies), Dhunochi dance that the members dance along with the Marathi Dhol, which made the bidai, Maa's farewell to the end of the two-day ceremony. By Nandita Chakraborty
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BAPS
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Largest Hindu Temple outside India opens its doors for public in New Jersey
The largest Hindu temple in the US opened its doors in New Jersey. The temple in Robbinsville city is said to be the largest Hindu temple outside India in the modern era. Thousands of miles away from India stands this majestic Maha mandir (grand temple) that is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a Hindu spiritual leader of the 19th century and was inspired by his 5th spiritual successor Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The temple is built in the small township of Robbinsville, New Jersey. The 183-acre temple complex rivals major Hindu temples on the subcontinent. The temple was officially inaugurated on October 8, and on the 18th, it will be accessible to the general public. For Indian Americans and Hindu Americans, this
represents a significant milestone. "Today is the most auspicious day as it is also Manswami's 98th birthday. And especially the dedication ceremony of this big Akshardham complex. The 'vidhi' (rituals) was specially done with the 'Vastu Shastra' which is with nine different bhaktis and Bhakti sastras. We have done this Puja Vidya (worship rituals), and it was with Pran Pratishta (consecration ceremony) as we call it. And Manswami Maharaj did in the murthy. He put in his prant basically the aliveness of the murthy. And these murthis can give all the moksh (salvation) to all the visitors who come by throughout the years and centuries to come," said Vipul Patel. The construction of this Mahamandir began in 2015 and was inaugurated by Mahant Swami Mahara and dignitaries. Placing 2 million cubic feet of stone in
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Robbinsville Township was no easy task. The temple itself is a cultural mixture, with materials sourced from all over the world and nods to American history throughout. "Today is a historic day. On October 8 will be written with golden words in the history of Sanatana Dharma and Indian culture, as the largest Hindu temple in the West has been inaugurated...Swami ji had vowed to make a grand temple on the land of America through which the Indian culture can be inculcated for ages. Today, this has been achieved and it is a very proud moment," the priest AksharVatsal Swami said. Yagnesh Patel a volunteer said, "History is being chiselled here. With the temple opening up to all visitors, they will learn Indian art and architecture, culture. This Mandir adds to the fabric of this nation. It's not only a proud
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moment for many Americans to celebrate but, also when I brought my neighbour Joe, even he was very eager to know about Indian culture, Indian art, and more specifically about Hinduism. This would be one spot that we can bring them. They will not only learn about the culture, about the art, but also the devotion that over 12,500 volunteers who came together, either from three days to three years." Like the other Akshardham temples in India, this religious structure was designed in India by a team of BAPS swamis and volunteers. The stone was quarried in several parts of Europe and shipped to India, where it was artistically chiselled. To withstand cold New Jersey winters, the outside of the temple was built with non-traditional Bulgarian limestone. The inside features stone sourced from all over the world, including Greece, Italy and India, and a traditional Indian stepwell contains waters from 300 bodies in India and all 50 US states. This Hindu temple is a testament to the love, dedication, and skill of over 12,500 volunteers who came together from all corners of North America to build an unprecedented landmark that will last for over a thousand years. Sunday morning marked the Murthy pratistha of Akshardham, a ritual that is said to infuse life in the idols. "It has been a very significant momentous occasion for all of us here in the community. It has been twelve years in the making. There have been volunteers from all walks of life who have given up their time, put their lives on hold to be able to be here and selflessly serve to make something this beautiful and this valuable and this meaningful," Chaitalin Inamdar, a volunteer said. As the temple has veered towards completion, for more than 12 years, round the clock, varied generations of volunteers are meticulously adding finishing touches. The carvings demand expertise, patient effort, and attention to detail that has stretched across months. Stone pieces were then shipped to the US and assembled by volunteers from all over the world under the guidance of artisans from India. "I have been very fortunate to be part of this project from the
very beginning. And to sit there with my two boys who now get to experience that excitement that I felt sitting there understanding that this was not just a historic event from a Hindu perspective, Sanatana Dharma perspective but also that it was a very personal one," Patel said. He added, "One that we were able to connect with our spiritual leader, his Holiness Mahan Sway Maharaj and be part of that connection that this temple or this Mandir, I should say this Akshardham is not just for me or my children. It's literally for anyone to come and visit". A number of celebrations led up to the grand opening that took place at the site this week. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also sent congratulations on the temple's opening. The New York tri-state area is known for its large Hindu American population and community of Hindu devotees. The temple is set to draw hundreds of visitors to New Jersey. By Reena Bhardwaj
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FEATURE
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COPING STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH LONELINESS & ISOLATION Loneliness and isolation have become common human experiences today, and they can impact people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether they are due to geographical distance, the loss of a loved one, or even a busy lifestyle, these feelings can be challenging to overcome.
connections can fill in geographical gaps and provide a sense of belonging.
Embrace Self-Care: Loneliness and isolation can take a toll on mental and emotional well-being. Practising self-care is important during these times. Indulge in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, Speaking with an expert to learn some such as reading, painting, listening to coping skills to help you deal with these music, or taking long walks. Prioritise a emotions and reclaim a sense of connection healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a and well-being. balanced diet. Self-care nourishes both the body and soul, fostering resilience during Read on to learn what Dr Puneet times of isolation. Dwevedi, Chief of Mental Health and Behavioural Science and Dr Namrata Seek Professional Help: If loneliness Mahajan, Counselling Psychologist and and isolation become overwhelming Special Educator at Artemis Hospital and start affecting your mental health, Gurgaon outlines: don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Cultivate Virtual Connections: In today’s Therapists, counsellors, or support groups digital age, technology can be a powerful can provide guidance and a safe space to tool for combating loneliness. Reach out to express your feelings. Talking to a trained friends and family through video calls, text professional can offer valuable insights and messages, or social media platforms. Join coping strategies to deal with the emotional online communities or forums that align with challenges associated with loneliness. your interests or hobbies, allowing you to connect with like-minded individuals. Virtual Volunteer or Join Groups: Getting
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involved in your community or finding groups that align with your interests can be a great way to combat loneliness. Volunteering not only allows you to contribute to a cause you care about but also allows you to connect with like-minded individuals who share your values. Joining clubs, sports teams, or hobby groups provides opportunities for social interaction and the chance to form meaningful connections. Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques can help individuals manage feelings of loneliness and isolation by fostering self-awareness and reducing stress. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can help you stay grounded in the present moment and develop a more positive outlook. Mindfulness encourages self-compassion and acceptance, which can alleviate the negative emotions associated with loneliness. By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe
FEATURE
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EASY BREAKFAST IDEAS TO FUEL UP YOUR DAY Why is breakfast important? It is called ‘the most important meal of the day’, and as the name suggests, breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes our supply of glucose to boost our energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health. Evidence based studies have shown the health benefits of eating breakfast. It improves the energy levels and ability to concentrate in short term, and can help with better weight management, reduced risk of many diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease in long term. Despite the health and wellbeing benefits of breakfast, many people often skip it, for many reasons. Skipping breakfast may seem like a good way to reduce overall energy intake. But research showed that even with a higher intake of energy, breakfast eaters tend to be more physically active in the morning than those who don’t eat until later in the day. The good news is there are plenty of ways to make it easier to fit breakfast into our day. CAN’T FACE FOOD IN THE MORNING? Some people find they just can’t tolerate food first thing in the morning either because they have their last meal of the day quite late at night or they don’t find typical breakfast foods appealing, or because food first thing in the morning turns their stomach. To make it easier, we should try to reduce the
size of the meals in the evening and eat them earlier, so we are hungry in the morning.
vitamins, filled with selenium, and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Eat salmon with sliced avocado, lemon juice, onions, and asparagus in Investigating some new recipes and stocking our whole wheat bread. cupboards with some different types of foods to increase our breakfast appetite. BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR VEGETARIANS Greek yogurt along with berries and nuts is very Stopping switching our breakfast to morning tea popular nowadays. You can add any of the nuts or mid-morning snack time. that you like, walnuts, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, or flax seeds. Fresh berries, raspberries, BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR MEAT EATERS blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries can Balanced breakfast using foods from three also be added. different food groups (Proteins, Fibers, Fat). It can be a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut A high antioxidant green smoothie from mainly butter and a glass of milk, or yogurt with fruit spinach, almond or cashew milk, and berries can and granola, or an egg scrambled with leftover be an option. Some seeds can be added such veggies and cheese. as chia seeds or flax seeds. Ice cubes will be a good component to become a fresher. Keep it simple! A banana, yogurt and oat are an easy way to get nutrients, and they can be Oatmeal is rich in fibers, brings down the packed the night before if time is a challenge. glycaemic index, and satisfies our craving for Peanut butter and banana sandwich is another carbs. Add milk or yogurt, berries, nuts, and simple low-cost meal that can be prepared fresh fruits for flavour. Cinnamon powder can in minutes. Breakfast doesn’t have to be be also added to give it a distinct flavour and complicated. enhance the taste as well as benefiting from its high antioxidants’ constitution, its protection Sliced turkey is low in fat, low in calories, and against diseases, ageing and inflammation. high in protein. This makes it an ideal option for anyone attempting to increase muscle growth Almond butter, banana, yogurt and cinnamon while limiting calories. Turkey bacon is also a powder is also a healthy option; It provides the good and lean substitute for traditional bacon. body with amounts of fibers, potassium, carbs, It can be eaten along with vegetables, whole and Vitamin B6, which acts as a stress buster. wheat bread and avocado. Cinnamon adds to the sweetness and maintains blood sugar level. Salmon, for healthy fat. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, packed with protein, source of B BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR VEGANS A vegan breakfast contains all the same nutrients you would find in a dairy, or meatbased breakfast. Think whole foods! Avocados and nuts are good sources of healthy fats. Whole grains are great for fibers and slow-release energy. Beans and tofu are excellent sources of protein. Walnuts and flaxseed are perfect additions for omega 3. Oats with nuts and fruits, vegan pancakes with soy yoghurt, banana and berries; and scrambled tofu on whole grain toast are healthy options. Mango and greens (spinach or kale) smoothie is great especially for post workout refuelling. Adding coconut water must be very energizing, as well as some healthy fats like avocado, nuts, almond or peanut butter. It is considered as a nutrient packed breakfast. By Juliana Habchi
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FEATURE
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DIET & EXERCISE: CONQUER DIABETES WITH THE WINNING DUO improve insulin sensitivity.
Strength training: Building muscle not only burns calories but also helps control blood sugar. You do not need to be a bodybuilder to do that; beginner-friendly body weight exercises can do the trick. Yoga and flexibility exercises: These can reduce stress, which is known to affect blood sugar levels.
Diabetes affects about 422 million people worldwide. However, before you panic, here is a flipside to the situation. Yes, a healthy diet and exercise can be your secret weapons in managing and in some cases even reversing diabetes. We should stop taking diabetes as a life sentence as it is more of a wake-up call. It all boils down to the choices we make when it comes to what we put on our plates and how we move our bodies. So, let us break down the potential of a balanced diet: Opting for a well-balanced diet can work wonders for controlling diabetes. The key is to maintain those blood sugar levels stable. So, what should you focus on?
Say no to sugar: Sugary drinks and snacks are your worst enemies. So, never think twice, and ditch them for good! Exercise: Your diabetes buster Diet alone is not sufficient to fight against diabetes; the other half and equally important part of the equation is exercise. Moving your body is more than just shedding those extra kilograms; it is a game-changer for diabetes management. Cardio workouts: Activities like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling get your heart pumping and
Fibre-rich foods: Load up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes. Fibre slows down the absorption of sugar, keeping those spikes at bay. Protein boost: Lean meats like chicken, fish, tofu, and beans should be your go-to sources of protein. Protein helps you feel satiated for a long time and keeps your muscles strong. Healthy fats: Avocado, nuts, and olive oil are your best pals. They contain healthy fats that will not take your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. Portion control: It is not just about what you eat, but how much you eat that equally counts. Frequent but smaller meals can help keep blood glucose levels in check.
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The power of consistency and frequent monitoring The secret sauce here is consistency. There is no quick fix, but gradual changes lead to longlasting results. Stick to your healthy eating plan and exercise routine and watch those glucose levels stabilize. Regularly check your blood sugar levels as this is your compass to see if you are on the right track. Plus, it helps you adjust your diet and exercise as needed. Seek professional guidance Undertaking all these changes unsupervised is a big no. Always consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to create a tailored plan that suits your needs and lifestyle. The power to manage or even reverse diabetes requires some persistent efforts. Embrace a balanced diet, get moving, and stay consistent. By doing so, you can unlock a healthier, happier life. Take that first step today and let us kick diabetes to the curb. By Nupuur Patil
FEATURE
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WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT DURING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT? A breast cancer diagnosis often leads to a change in your relationship with food. Treatment-related symptoms, disrupted routines and increased stress can affect your appetite, causing you to eat more or less than normal. The main question one wonders is, what should I eat while living with breast cancer? Maintaining a healthy diet during your breast cancer journey offers a multitude of benefits. This includes helping you maintain a healthy body weight, ensuring the wellbeing of your body tissues, alleviating cancer symptoms and treatment side effects, bolstering your immune system, sustaining your strength while reducing fatigue, and ultimately enhancing your overall quality of life. Dr Krishana Mohan MVT, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist, BasavatarakamIndo American Hospital Hyderabad said, “During treatment, many patients don’t feel like themselves, which can lead to heightened concerns about dietary choices. I’ve observed that 50 per cent of patients with breast cancer become particularly anxious about their food choices. The crucial aspect is to ensure that you incorporate all the necessary nutrients and maintain a balanced diet in consultation with both your oncologist and nutritionist. Additionally, exploring advanced treatments with fewer side effects and symptoms can not only reduce the impact of side effects but also improve your overall quality of life.” HERE ARE STRATEGIES FOR MAINTAINING YOUR DIET DURING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT: DON’T SKIP WATER: It is important to stay hydrated during cancer treatment. For that, you should at least try to consume 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day. It is also important to avoid caffeine fluids whenever possible. Staying hydrated will help regulate your body’s temperature, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance. It also helps prevent or minimise constipation and allows your organs to filter out wastes and toxins. ADD MORE PLANT-BASED FOODS TO YOUR DIET: Eating various plant-based foods can help support human health as they contain phytonutrients, which are important for fighting breast cancer. These foods include fruits, vegetables, beans and
INCREASE PROTEIN AND NUTRIENT INTAKE: If you are fighting cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment, your protein CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREATMENT intake needs are higher as it helps maintain FOR YOURSELF: It is important to choose strength. Proteins help preserve body mass the right treatment plan as each option and can be found in pulses, meat, fish, has certain side effects. For instance, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, chemotherapy can lead to a loss of soy, and dairy products. Small amounts appetite. Therefore, having an extensive of protein are also present in vegetables conversation with your doctor about the and whole grains. A person’s needs vary treatment options available and how they depending on several factors, such as age, align with your health and symptoms is weight, height, and activity level. crucial. Advance therapy options can minimise the side effects like loss of It is essential to monitor your diet on a appetite and provide insight into what daily basis as it may change throughout you can expect during the treatment your breast cancer journey. Additionally, process. it is necessary to support your treatment and diet with some form of movement. EAT SMALL MEALS THROUGHOUT Yoga and meditation are seen as a great THE DAY: During treatment, it’s important complementary therapy for metastatic to consume enough calories to gain energy. breast cancer patients. Lastly, it is Eating small meals five to six times a day necessary to maintain open communication is a good practice. Your body can only and consult a doctor for personalised take in a certain amount of nutrients daily. guidance. This can help you make informed Hence, it’s better to distribute your meals decisions about your diet to optimise your throughout the day. Moreover, if you have health and well-being during and after a poor appetite, a smaller meal or snack treatment. would be more appealing and encourage better intake. (IANSlife) grains. It’s important to eat a balanced diet rich in phytonutrients.
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TECH
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MIND-CONTROL ROBOTS COULD BE A REALITY Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed biosensor technology that will allow you to operate devices, such as robots and machines, solely through thought control. The advanced brain-computer interface was developed by Distinguished Professor Chin-Teng Lin and Professor Francesca Iacopi, from the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, in collaboration with the Australian Army and Defence Innovation Hub. As well as defence applications, the technology has significant potential in fields such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare -- for example allowing people with a disability to control a wheelchair or operate prosthetics. “The hands-free, voice-free technology works outside laboratory settings, anytime, anywhere. It makes interfaces such as consoles, keyboards, touchscreens and hand-gesture recognition redundant,” said Professor Iacopi. “By using cutting edge graphene material, combined with silicon, we were able to overcome issues of corrosion, durability and skin contact resistance, to develop the wearable dry sensors,” she said. A new study outlining the technology has just been published in the peer-reviewed journal ACS Applied Nano Materials. It shows that the graphene sensors developed at UTS are very conductive, easy to use and robust. The hexagon patterned sensors are positioned over the back of the scalp, to
detect brainwaves from the visual cortex. The sensors are resilient to harsh conditions so they can be used in extreme operating environments. The user wears a head-mounted augmented reality lens which displays white flickering squares. By concentrating on a particular square, the brainwaves of the operator are picked up by the biosensor, and a decoder translates the signal into commands. The technology was recently demonstrated by the Australian Army, where soldiers operated a Ghost Robotics quadruped robot using the brain-machine interface. The device allowed hands-free command of the robotic dog with up
to 94% accuracy. “Our technology can issue at least nine commands in two seconds. This means we have nine different kinds of commands and the operator can select one from those nine within that time period,” Professor Lin said. “We have also explored how to minimise noise from the body and environment to get a clearer signal from an operator’s brain,” he said. The researchers believe the technology will be of interest to the scientific community, industry and government, and hope to continue making advances in brain-computer interface systems. (ANI)
HEAD-WORN DEVICE CAN CONTROL MOBILE MANIPULATORS A new research from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (RI) aims to increase autonomy for individuals with such motor impairments by introducing a head-worn device that will help them control a mobile manipulator.
requires fewer fine motor skills than other interfaces, offering an alternative for users who face constraints with the technology currently on the market. In addition to Padmanabha, the research team includes Qin Wang, Daphne Han, Jashkumar Diyora, Kriti Kacker, Hamza Khalid, Liang-Jung Chen, Carmel Majidi, and Zackory Erickson.
Teleoperated mobile manipulators can help individuals in completing daily activities, but many existing technologies like hand-operated joysticks or web interfaces require a user to have substantial fine motor skills to effectively control them. Research led by robotics Ph.D. student Akhil Padmanabha offers a new device equipped with a hands-free microphone and head-worn sensor that allows users to control a mobile robot via head motion and speech recognition. More than five million people in the United States live with some form of paralysis and
may encounter difficulties completing everyday tasks, like grabbing a glass of water or putting on clothes. New research from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (RI) aims to increase autonomy for individuals with such motor impairments by introducing a head-worn device that will help them control a mobile manipulator. Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation (HAT)
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In a human study, participants both with and without motor impairments performed multiple household and self-care tasks with low error rates, minimal effort and high perceived ease of use. The research team will present their paper, “HAT: Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation of Mobile Manipulators,” at the IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation in London this spring. (ANI)
AI
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AI AT PAR WITH DOCS FOR CANCER DIAGNOSES, NOT AT TREATMENT DECISIONS Artificial intelligence-(AI) based cancer diagnosis is as accurate as those made by doctors, but is inferior when it comes to treatment decisions, according to a study.
experienced physicians. The ISIC algorithm, on the other hand, performed significantly worse compared to experts, but better than the inexperienced users.
In the study published by The Lancet Digital Health, researchers compared the accuracy in diagnosis and therapy recommendation of skin cancer using two different algorithms in smartphone applications with that of doctors.
In terms of treatment decisions, the 7-class algorithm was significantly inferior to the experts but superior to the inexperienced users.
The results show that the AI application generally performs well in diagnosis. However, doctors were clearly superior when it came to treatment decisions. The research team from Medical University of Vienna in Austria tested the AI application under realistic clinical conditions in two skin cancer centres. The prospective study consisted of two scenarios, with AI being used in scenario A for changes suspicious of skin cancer and in scenario B for patients with many moles. The AI-assisted application was compared in both cases with both medical
experts and less experienced physicians. In scenario A, 172 suspicious pigmented lesions (of which 84 were malignant) were examined in 124 patients; in scenario B, the research team analysed 5,696 pigmented lesions (of which 18 were malignant) in 66 patients. Two different AI-based smartphone applications were used: a novel 7-class AI algorithm and an ISIC algorithm already used in retrospective preliminary studies. In scenario A, the 7-class AI algorithm showed equivalent diagnostic accuracy compared to the experts while it was significantly superior to the less
The results suggest that an AI-assisted smartphone application for skin cancer diagnosis makes similarly good diagnostic decisions as experts in a real clinical scenario. When it came to treatment decisions, however, the experts were superior to the AI. “The AI application tends to remove more benign lesions in the treatment recommendation than experts would. If you take this into account, the AI application can certainly be used. It should also be borne in mind that if it is used uncritically, too many false-positive findings would have to be clarified,” said dermatologist Harald Kittler from the varsity. (IANS)
META INTRODUCES AI SYSTEM THAT CAN TRANSLATE 100 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES Meta has developed an AI model called SeamlessM4T that can translate and transcribe almost 100 languages in both text and speech as part of its effort to create AI that can comprehend a variety of dialects, TechCrunch reported. A new translation dataset called SeamlessAlign is also available in open source. According to Meta, SeamlessM4T is a significant breakthrough in the field of AI-powered speech-to-speech and speech-to-text. According to Meta in a blog post shared with TechCrunch, “Our single model offers on-demand translations that help people who speak different languages to communicate more effectively.” The source languages are implicitly recognised by SeamlessM4T without the requirement for a separate language identification mechanism. In some ways, SeamlessM4T is the spiritual heir to Universal Speech Translator, one of the only direct speechto-speech translation systems that support Hokkien, and Meta’s No Language Left Behind, a text-to-text machine translation paradigm. Additionally, it expanded on Meta’s architecture for massively multilingual speech, which offers technology for speech synthesis, language identification, and recognition across more than 1,100
In the meantime, Mozilla led the development of Common Voice, one of the most comprehensive collections of voices in multiple languages for teaching automatic speech recognition systems. However, SeamlessM4T is one of the more daring attempts to date to integrate translation and transcription abilities into a single model. According to Meta, SeamlessM4T outperformed the most recent state-of-theart speech transcription model in voiceto-text tasks on an internal benchmark for background noise and “speaker variations” in speech-to-text tasks.
languages. Not just Meta is devoting efforts to the creation of cutting-edge AI transcription and translation systems. As part of Google’s larger effort to develop a model that can comprehend the 1,000 most widely spoken languages in the world, the tech giant is developing what it calls the Universal Speech Model, which goes beyond the wealth of commercial services and open-source models already offered by Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI, and a number of startups.
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This is attributed to the training dataset’s rich blend of speech and text data, which according to Meta provides SeamlessM4T an advantage over speech-only and textonly models. “With state-of-the-art results, we believe SeamlessM4T is an important breakthrough in the AI community’s quest towards creating universal multitask systems,” stated Meta in the blog post.
(IANS)
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RELATIONSHIPS
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
DATING FOR SENIORS? In the era of online dating and the advancement of technology, love knows no boundaries. Romance has found new avenues that do not adhere to any barriers, especially to that of age. It is reported that there is a steady rise in the number of senior users on their app by dating app Quack Quack. It ran a poll among its senior users to better understand the changing dynamics of love and companionship. The online survey ran for three days among a total of 6,000 participants from metros and smaller cities. The survey participants ranged between 50 and 68 years; a majority of them are retired, and a portion of these daters are business owners. The survey results show the paradigm shift in societal attitudes towards love and romance in the later stages of life. Breaking Bad Norms 38 per cent of seniors from Tier 1 cities on the app explained how society would rather have them join a golf club or a yoga class, but dating is pretty much taboo for a retired individual. A man or a woman above 50 looking for romantic endeavors still instigates a lot of talks, but these seniors revealed they pay no heed to such gossip because having a healthy love life is much more satisfying than poking your noses into other’s business. They also mentioned how they find dating apps a more private way of finding love, keeping your love under wraps, especially from nosey neighbors. Online dating to the rescue 34 per cent of male daters from Tier 2 cities between the ages of 50 and 65
explained how online dating has turned out to be their saviour. 7 per cent of these men are widowed, 9 per cent divorced, and 18 per cent never married. They disclosed the difficulties of dating in a small Indian city. Firstly, women of that age are under more pressure from society than men. Hence, finding a suitable partner with the same emotional maturity and freedom to
choose love over societal stigma is the biggest challenge. But on dating apps, they stated, people can connect from any part of the country, and not just their locality. Moreover, it offers the kind of privacy that is not possible in real life. Plus, the facility to chat with a person for a while before taking it IRL allows these men ample time to evaluate if they are being duped. Companionship Over Love 27 per cent of women above 50 voiced that companionship, the genuine kind, is superior to love, and that is what they are seeking. They mentioned being in relationships, experiencing true love, and even truer heartbreaks when they were young, and after all these years, they have come to realise that comfortable companionship is what matters in the end. They also disclosed the exact requirements on their bio, so no man will come with expectations that do not align with what they are willing to offer. Success Stories 8 per cent of the survey participants claim to have found genuine love on the app. 12 per cent of women mentioned they have found friends like family and urged more seniors to start using dating and friendship apps; age should never be the factor in deciding whether one deserves to find real connections. (IANSlife)
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LIFESTYLE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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TEACHING EXPECTING WOMEN TO FORM BONDS WITH THEIR BABIES After giving birth, up to one-third of mothers fail to form strong attachments with their children, leaving both mother and child in severe emotional distress. Researchers have now discovered that they may teach expectant moms who are at risk for postpartum depression to notice and control their emotions more effectively. Presenting the work at the ECNP Congress in Barcelona, researcher Dr Anne Bjertrup said, “People generally have an automatic tendency to see the positive or negative in any situation. In previous studies we saw that certain expectant mothers tended to perceive mostly negative emotions in relation to babies. This took several forms. In some cases, the expectant mother would look at babies and mistakenly think that they were distressed or unhappy, when in fact they weren’t. In other cases where the baby was distressed, they were emotionally unable to deal with this. So, we had to see if we could train them, to help them avoid this negative bias and their own reaction during motherhood”. The work has just been published in the peer-reviewed journal Neuroscience Applied2. The proof-of-concept study included 45 expectant mothers from hospitals in Copenhagen. 23 of them were at high risk of postpartum depression and potentially not bonding with their child, having suffered from earlier depression. The remaining 22 had no depression history and were classified as having a low risk3. All were assessed at the beginning of the study to see how they responded to various “baby emotions”. The women at high-risk then underwent a series of computer-based training sessions aimed at helping them cope with difficult emotions, and after two weeks they were reassessed. Anne Bjertrup (of the Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen- NEAD Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark) said, “With the at-risk women we were trying to communicate different things. For example, to make the worried expectant mothers focus on how a baby really expressed itself not just what she thought she saw, and then to respond appropriately. We tried to make sure that the women could accurately recognise the emotion a baby was showing, and we got them to visualise how to properly respond to these emotions”. After the training, women in the highrisk group were significantly better at recognising happy babies; the women were themselves able to show more happy facial expressions and reacted less to signs of
infant distress. Dr Bjertrup Continued, “We found that participants’ perceptions of infant facial expressions shifted significantly after the training. For example, before the training, they viewed ambiguous baby facial expressions as slightly negative. After the training, this perception became positive, marking a 5 per cent shift towards a positive perception on our rating scale. Importantly, those who showed the most improvement in recognizing happy baby expressions had fewer indications of depression six months post-childbirth. Those who improved the most in recognizing happy baby expressions had fewer signs of depression six months after giving birth. This means that if we can train expecting mothers to be more sensitive to happy expressions and give them back control over their emotional reactions toward baby distress, it might reduce the risk of postpartum depression. This not only benefits the mother but also contributes to a healthier emotional development for the baby”. She added “This is a preliminary study, so we need to interpret these results cautiously. We are currently undertaking a bigger trial, which will include a control group. Nevertheless, these initial results are promising. We’re amongst the first groups anywhere to really explore how we can use emotional cognitive processes to prevent this significant mental illness and mother-infant bonding problem”. In the EU alone, there are around 4
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million births every year, meaning that well over a million mothers and babies will be having bonding problems. Not bonding can have serious impacts on, mother and child, and families. Children may find it difficult to develop secure attachments in later life, although this also depends on what happens in early life. A mother may find it difficult to bond for various reasons, such as hormonal changes, stress, or past traumas. This can lead to a sense of shame or inadequacy, with many mothers refusing to acknowledge their difficulties. Many respond by emotionally closing down, creating a vicious cycle of alienation. Dr Bjertrup added, “It’s important to recognize that bonding challenges, outside of PostPartum Depression or other mental illnesses, can stem from various factors. Not experiencing immediate bonding feelings as, one might expect doesn’t inherently signal an issue. A mother might not have immediate bonding feelings yet can still respond sensitively and appropriately to her infant’s emotions and cues”. Commenting, Dr Mijke Lambregtse - van den Berg, Infant Mental Health Specialist at Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, said: “Postpartum depression is a serious condition, not only affecting the mother, but also her child. This promising study not only stresses the importance of early mother-child bonding, it also trains expectant mothers at risk in how to better recognise positive emotions in babies. Reinforcing a positive motherbaby interaction might ultimately prevent postpartum depression as well.”
(ANI)
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HEALTH
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
HEATED YOGA SESSIONS FOR JUST ONCE A WEEK MAY REDUCE DEPRESSION Heated yoga sessions for just once a week may help reduce depression, indicating that heated yoga could be a viable treatment option for patients suffering from moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, new research has claimed. In a randomised controlled clinical trial of adults with moderate-to-severe depression, led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), depressive symptoms were reduced even in participants who received only half of the prescribed yoga “dose”, suggesting that heated yoga sessions just once a week could be beneficial. In the eight-week trial, 80 participants were randomised into two groups: one that received 90-minute sessions of Bikram yoga practiced in a 40.5 degree celsius room and a second group that was placed on a waitlist (waitlist participants completed the yoga intervention after their waitlist period). A total of 33 participants in the yoga group and 32 in the waitlist group were included in the analysis.
Participants in the intervention group were prescribed at least two yoga classes per week, but overall, they attended an average of 10.3 classes over eight weeks. After eight weeks, yoga participants had a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than waitlisted participants, as assessed through what’s known as the clinician-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-CR) scale. The investigators also observed that 59.3 per cent of yoga participants had a 50 per cent or greater decrease in symptoms, compared with 6.3 per cent of waitlist participants. Moreover, 44 per cent in the yoga arm achieved such low IDS-CR scores that their depression was considered in remission, compared with 6.3 per cent in the waitlist arm, said the study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. “Yoga and heat-based interventions could potentially change the course for treatment for patients with depression
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by providing a non-medication–based approach with additional physical benefits as a bonus,” said lead author Maren Nyer, director of Yoga Studies at the Depression Clinical and Research Programme at the Massachusetts General Hospital. “We are currently developing new studies with the goal of determining the specific contributions of each element -heat and yoga -- to the clinical effects we have observed in depression,” said Nyer, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Participants rated the heated yoga sessions positively, and they experienced no serious adverse effects associated with the intervention. “Future research is needed to compare heated to non-heated yoga for depression to explore whether heat has benefits over and above that of yoga for the treatment of depression,” added senior author David Mischoulon, Director, Depression Clinical and Research Programme at the Massachusetts General Hospital. (IANS)
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
OVER 7,500 DAILY STEPS BEFORE SURGERY LINKED WITH LESS POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS
People who recorded more walking activity prior to surgery, regardless of complexity of the operation or their health status, showed 51 per cent reduced odds for postoperative complications than less active patients, according to new research. The odds of experiencing a complication within 30 days after surgery were less if patients took more than 7,500 steps per day prior to surgery than if they recorded fewer than 7,500 steps. Postoperative complications typically occur in about 30 per cent of patients, and about half of all complications occur after the patient leaves the hospital. “Fitbits and other wearable devices could potentially be linked to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and have that data be something that surgeons consider when planning perioperative care for their patients,” said lead study author Carson Gehl from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in the US. Researchers analysed health data for 475 people who used a Fitbit device, worn like a watch,
that measured their daily steps. Participants underwent a wide range of operations, including general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and neurosurgery, and were an average age of 57 years old. About 12.6 per cent of study participants experienced a complication within 90 days of surgery. After adjusting for comorbidities, BMI, sex, race, and complexity of the operation, the odds of experiencing a complication were 51 per cent lower if patients had Fitbit data showing they had walked more than 7,500 steps per day before surgery. “If we find people who are at high risk, using these Fitbit tools, we could monitor them more closely following their procedure because that allows us to catch problems before they progress beyond control,” Gehl said. “Another goal of our research is to modify physical activity in the preoperative period and improve postoperative outcomes. We need more studies and evidence to answer that question,” the authors noted. (IANS)
Health tip:
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The high level of beta-carotene in carrots acts as an antioxidant. It helps slows down the aging of cells
The Pros and Cons of Using General Anaesthesia for Sleep Dentistry
S
leep dentistry answers the need for anxious patients to help them stay calm during dental procedures. A widely used form of sedation for the same is general anaesthesia. Many patients have benefited by using it for getting dental problems solved. Are you planning to go for it too? Well, this article has found you at the right time then. It might be beneficial to weigh all your options before you go under the knife. Let us quickly have a look at the pros and cons of using general anaesthesia for sleep dentistry. PROS 1. Easy to operate General anaesthesia makes the patient completely unconscious. They cannot move by will. This gives dentists the room they much required to operate on patients’ teeth, which must have been difficult had the patient being conscious. Some patients such as children, people with nervous system issues, and anxious people cannot lay still on the dentist’s chair. General anaesthesia makes it an easy experience for both patient and dentist. 2. Amnesia A person under the effect of general anaesthesia may experience amnesia, that is a complete loss of memory for the duration of their dental procedure. Many patients who suffer from past bad experience memories and dental anxiety or phobia might prefer this feature. As the general anaesthesia is the deepest form of sedation, the patients do not have any painful memories of the dental treatment they undergo. 3. Rapid onset General anaesthesia is also preferred for its rapid onset. The time taken for the effects to show is less compared to other sedatives. This is helpful in cases where a quick dental work is required. It is also helpful when a person has met with an accident and has other injuries to be treated too. A lot of time can be saved. 4. Suitable for the majority of patients Sedation dentistry using general anaesthesia is largely suitable for patients with special needs. For example, people who cannot stop involuntary movements due to central nervous system condition, children who find it difficult to keep their mouths open or to stay steady for long durations, wisdom teeth removals, major dental treatments, etc. General anaesthesia sets all these issues aside and helps the patient have the dental care they need. CONS 1. Advanced training is
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required Not every medical professional can administer anaesthesia. A physician or dentist who wishes to administer general anaesthesia must have to complete a professional full-time training in anesthesiology. It requires absolute precision and knowledge to be able to administer general anaesthesia to patients. 2. A trained team is required Along with the training for the anaesthetist, a competent team of anaesthesia assistant and a circulating nurse is required for the administration of anaesthesia at a hospital or dental clinic. If you are planning to undergo sleep dentistry, check if the dentist has the required personnel in his team. 3. Need for proper equipment and facilities When sedated with general anaesthesia, monitoring the unconscious patient becomes necessary. A hospital or dental clinic must have all the equipment needed to perform dental surgery along with monitoring the state of the patient. It takes time to wear off. Patients also require a recovery room wherein to recover after the dental surgery for a short while. 4. Limiting conditions Although being best for many patients, general anaesthesia is not meant for many others. The state and reaction to sedation may vary from person to person. You need to make sure you are the right candidate before proceeding with sleep dentistry by sharing your medical history with the dentist. At Healthy Smiles, we treat each patient carefully and ascertain their candidature for sedation dentistry by carrying out extensive research on their medical history. Also, we have the most advanced and efficient equipment, qualified and practising anaesthetist, and a whole team of experienced professionals to help carry out a general anaesthetic sleep dentistry procedure. Feel free to ask us about your dental care queries, we would be delighted to help. Drop by at our clinic in Blackburn or call us on 03 9877 2035 for more information. Dr Ved Berani BDS(Mum), ADEC(Aust), MBA(Melb), FIADFE, MFGDP(UK) Principal Dentist & Clinical Advisor Healthy Smiles Dental Group 150-152 Canterbury Rd, Blackburn South VIC 3130 Call us: (03) 9877 2035 www.healthysmiles.com.au
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HEALTH
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Riding e-bikes may help adults manage diabetes
Electric bicycles have been identified as a type of moderate-intensity exercise that may aid in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, a new study has found.
increased fitness, and diabetes control -through significant decreases in blood sugar levels. The capacity to ride a bike comfortably with less physical exertion than a normal bike, as well as the ability to go further, quicker, and on hillier terrain, provided enjoyment. High degrees of satisfaction also tended to increase the sample’s e-cycling habit.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers, said that engaging in e-cycling was perceived as an easier way of managing diabetes than diet or other types of exercise, largely due to the enjoyment of riding. “Physical activity (PA) is a key component in the management of type 2 diabetes. However, this population have low rates of PA engagement. Electrically assisted cycling has been identified as a means to increase PA by incorporating activity into daily life while overcoming some of the barriers to conventional cycling,” the study authors said.
The majority of participants also claimed that e-bike training improved their perceived competence to ride an e-bike over time. In addition, the study identified obstacles to e-bike riding, with users most typically identifying physical opportunity limitations, including cycling infrastructure, parking facilities and traffic, time and weather constraints, e-bike specific issues, along with weight and size of the bike and cost, and personal health issues.
According to the study, both men and women believed that riding an e-bike had a favourable influence on a range of health outcomes, including enhanced mental health,
(IANS)
Just 2 servings of red meat a week ups diabetes risk, warns study People who eat just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing diabetes compared to people who eat fewer servings, and the risk increases with greater consumption, according to a new study.
Participants who ate the most red meat had a 62 per cent higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who ate the least. Every additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46 per cent greater risk of developing diabetes and every additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24 per cent greater risk.
The study, led by researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also found that replacing red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, or modest amounts of dairy foods, was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers also estimated the potential effects of substituting one daily serving of red meat for another protein source.
“Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting the consumption of red meat, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat,” said first author Xiao Gu, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard. For the study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers analysed health data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Diet was assessed with food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, for up to 36 years.
They found that substituting a serving of nuts and legumes was associated with a 30 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting a serving of dairy products was associated with a 22 per cent lower risk.
During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that consumption of red meat, including processed and unprocessed red meat, was strongly associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
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“Given our findings and previous work by others, a limit of about one serving per week of red meat would be reasonable for people wishing to optimize their health and wellbeing,” said senior author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.
(IANS)
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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Increased screen time among kids may signal autism, ADHD risk Children with a genetic predisposition to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were more likely to use screens for longer periods, according to a study.
effects of changes in genes associated with ASD/ADHD. This is known as a “polygenic risk score”. The researchers then compared it with the amount of time spent using screens devices among a sample of children aged 18, 32, and 40 months.
While long periods of screen time in childhood have been suggested to be a cause of ASD/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the results of this study suggest that some people may have a genetic disposition to use screens because of ASD.
Takahashi also warned against overexposing children with ADHD to device screens.
The findings, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, showed that children with a higher genetic susceptibility to ASD used devices with screens longer (3 hours a day or 4+ hours a day) from early childhood. They also found that kids with a high genetic risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) gradually increased their screen time as they grew older, even if their initial screen use time was short. “Overall, those with a genetic risk of ASD were 1.5 times more likely to be in the group with about three hours of screen time per day, and 2.1 times more likely to be in the group with more than four hours of screen time,” said lead researcher Nagahide Takahashi of Nagoya University in Japan. “Screen time may be an early sign of ASD, rather than a cause, as children with ASD are
often more attracted to objects than people. Physicians should know that it is not fair to conclude that prolonged screen time is a risk factor for the development of ASD,” Takahashi said. Researchers examined 6.5 million polymorphisms -- referring to the presence of two or more variant forms of a specific DNA sequence that can occur among different individuals or populations -- in 437 children’s DNA to determine genetic susceptibility to ASD and ADHD. Next, they calculated a genetic risk index that considers the number and size of the
“Our results suggest that children at risk of ADHD are at risk of having too much screen time, especially since gaming addiction is common. As screen time tends to be longer for children who are particularly susceptible to ADHD, parents and caregivers should be cautious about it and make a commitment before it becomes a problem,” he noted. These results may also help parents devise better child-rearing strategies. “Parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders may feel guilty or be criticised by others for allowing their children screen time,” Takahashi said. “However, we would recommend offering help to caregivers including offering alternative behavioural management strategies.” (IANS)
Just 25 mins of exercise enough to cut death risk from sitting long Want to cut death risk from long hours of sitting at work? Just 20-25 mins of physical activity such as cycling, resistance exercises, gardening, may help, suggests a research.
For example, an extra 10 minutes a day was associated with a 15 per cent lower risk of death in those spending fewer than 10.5 sedentary hours, and a 35 per cent lower risk among those spending more than 10.5 sedentary hours, every day.
The study, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that higher daily tallies of physical activity are linked to a lower risk, irrespective of the amount of time spent seated every day.
Light-intensity physical activity was only associated with a lower risk of death among highly sedentary people (12+ daily hours).
A highly sedentary lifestyle is associated with a heightened risk of death, said the researchers from the University of Tromso in Norway. The study of about 12,000 people aged at least 50 showed that being sedentary for more than 12 hours a day was associated with a 38 per cent heightened risk of death compared with a daily tally of eight hours -but only among those totalling up fewer than 22 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. More than 22 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with a lower risk of death.
This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause and effect, said the researchers. Nevertheless, the researchers noted, “Small amounts of MVPA [moderate to vigorous physical activity] may be an effective strategy to ameliorate the mortality risk from high sedentary time, where accumulating more than 22 minutes of MVPA eliminates the risk of high sedentary time.”
While a higher amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with a lower risk of death, irrespective of the “Efforts to promote physical activity amount of sedentary time, the association may have substantial health benefits for between sedentary time and death was individuals,” they said. largely influenced by the amount of moderate (IANS) to vigorous physical activity.
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G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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“ALWAYS FELT HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE WITH MY FILMS, SONGS”: SALMAN KHAN Makers of the upcoming action thriller film ‘Tiger 3’ recently unveiled the first track of the film ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ featuring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif. The dance track has been composed by Pritam, lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Arijit Singh and Nikhita Gandhi. ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ marks the first collaboration between Salman and Arijit Singh. The song has received positive
reviews from fans. Salman said the response to the track is “amazingly positive”. “I’m happy reading how people have found a party anthem for this holiday season! I have always felt happy to entertain people with my films and songs. I have not found greater joy than making people forget about everything else that is happening in their lives and get immersed into a world that our cinema creates for them inside a theatre!” Salman said. He added, “Songs and dances are part of our films, our culture and I love when my films have great songs that people enjoy. I have always believed that the relevance of a song can transcend generations! I have been fortunate to have some of these songs in my career and I hope Leke Prabhu Ka Naam becomes one of them too in due
course of time.” Helmed by Maneesh Sharma, the film is all set to hit the theatres on November 12 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Recently the makers unveiled the official trailer of the film which received massive responses from the fans. The two-minute-fifty-second trailer featured Salman as India’s best agent, Tiger, trying to save his family and the country from an enemy (played by Emraan Hashmi) trying to take personal revenge for his family’s loss. The trailer also featured Katrina Kaif in her action avatar and Emraan’s face was revealed at the end of the clip. The ‘Selfiee’ actor can be seen with long hair and a heavy beard look. (ANI)
TIGER SHROFF SINGS ‘APNA BANA LE’, DEDICATES IT TO ALL HIS FANS Tiger Shroff, who recently made headlines for his performance in ‘Ganapath - A Hero Is Born’, has recently shared a video in which he can be seen singing the song ‘Apna Bana Le’ from the film ‘Bhediya’ to express his gratitude for all the love and support given by fans. He wrote in the caption, “Dedicated to my tigerians. Thanks for your constant support army”. After his post, Kriti Sanon said, “Ohhh wow!!! I thought you’re dedicating this to me...” While Varun Dhawan dropped a clap emoji. Helmed by Vikas Bahl ‘Ganapath: A Hero is Born’ stars Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles.
The film released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada on October 20. Megastar Rajinikanth extended his best wishes to the whole team on this momentous occasion for them. Taking to X, he wrote, “My hearty wishes to @ ITIGERSHROFF and the entire cast and crew of #Ganapath. All the very best to you and wishing the film a grand success. #tigershroff #ganapath #jackieshroff @bindasbhidu” Apart from this, Tiger will also be seen in the action thriller film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ alongside Akshay Kumar.
(IANS)
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G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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‘DANCING IS ONE OF MY TRUE PASSIONS’: KATRINA KAIF Actress Katrina Kaif is over the moon with the response she is getting for the song ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ from ‘Tiger 3’. She said that dancing is one of her true passions and that she takes it as a compliment that song and dance are a part of the culture.
She said: “A film, an acting performance, a song they all have to connect to our audiences for it to be called a success and I’m grateful that I have found that throughout my career.” “I know that along with performance in a film, people also are excited to see the songs we do.”
The track has been composed by Pritam, sung by Arijit Singh and Nikhita Gandhi. The Tamil and Telugu version has been sung by Benny Dayal and Anusha Mani. Katrina said: “For all these years as an artiste, the one thing that has kept me going is the love of my fans, media, and audience. The true barometer of success is in the love that one gets organically from people. Leke Prabhu Ka Naam is being celebrated is a such a wonderful feeling for all of us.” “Dancing for me is one of my true passions and seeing the audience’s love is just pure joy.” Katrina feels people have a huge expectation from actors to not just
She added: “I take that as a big compliment because songs and dances are part of our culture and our movies and have been celebrated and loved since forever.” “I’m aware of the expectations people have from our songs and it fuels me to deliver a better performance every time.”
showcase their acting skills but also give them great songs to cherish and dance to.
‘Tiger 3’, from the YRF Spy Universe, has been produced by Aditya Chopra and has been directed by Maneesh Sharma. It is set to release this Diwali, on November 12, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. (IANS)
“I JUST CRIED AND DIDN’T KNOW WHY I WAS CRYING”: KARAN JOHAR REVEALS HIS MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES Karan Johar, the host of Koffee With Karan Season 8, opened up about his own mental health struggles. The filmmaker revealed that he experienced a serious depressive episode in April, during the unveiling of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Karan Johar’s iconic chat programme Koffee With Karan returned for its eighth season on Thursday at midnight. The season opened up with the presence of power couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone as guests. Deepika was asked about her experience with depression, which prompted Karan to share his own issues. Karan began the segment by recalling sitting in a helicopter with Deepika and Farhan Akhtar on their way back from Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday party in Alibaug in 2017. He spent the entire ride watching Deepika cry and break down in front of him. “I recall holding her hand all the way through. “She just cried, and I looked at her and thought, ‘I don’t even know how this feels,’... until it happened to me.” Karan continued, “I think there were three tough years of the pandemic and there
was trolling, and I didn’t realise that I was trying to be tough and resilient and brush things under the carpet.” He also recalled another incident from NMACC where he felt low. He said, “The legitimate attack I had was at the NMACC launch and Varun Dhawan was gazing at me. I didn’t even notice I was sweating. Varun took my hand and asked, ‘Are you okay?’”
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He concluded, “I took off my long and ostentatious jacket and left in half an hour.” I just went to bed and cried. “I just cried and didn’t know why. I consulted his psychologist, who prescribed medication to him.” Talking about Karan’s show, new episodes will be released every Thursday on Disney+ Hotstar.
(ANI)
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
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PRIYANKA CHOPRA FEELS OVERWHELMED AS MOTHER “EVERY DAY”
“I FIND EVERY CHARACTER DIFFICULT”: SHEFALI SHAH ON CHALLENGING ROLES
Actor Shefali Shah revealed how she manages to slay every character and said that she finds every character difficult. Talking about her challenging role in the films, Shefali said, “I find every character difficult. I always wonder why I said yes because when the director asks for action, I will not be able to do it. That’s a constant fear.” Actors Shefali Shah, Swanand Kirkire and director Avinash Arun Dhaware are all set to come up with their relationship drama ‘Three Of Us.’
Priyanka Chopra is not only a successful actor but also a loving and caring mother. Her pictures with Malti Marie are a reflection of the mother-daughter bond. She talked about motherhood and shared that it is a journey filled with varying emotions, reported People. In response to a question about how frequently she feels overwhelmed as a mother, Priyanka Chopra, who has a 21-month-old daughter named Malti Marie with husband Nick Jonas, stated frankly, “I think every day.” “I think when you put them to bed, it’s extremely overwhelming because every single day you worry about what you can do wrong and what mistake you might make,” she continues. “But you have to check yourself, and I check myself with my family.” “I look at my daughter’s smile, and I’m like, ‘Okay, okay. I’m doing good so far,” she adds. “It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s extremely scary,” she told People in the interview. Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas tied the knot in a Christian and a Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace on December 1 and 2 in 2018. Malti was born to Priyanka Chopra and
Nick Jonas via surrogacy in January 2022. The duo, in a joint statement, announced the birth of their first child on social media. “We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family. Thank you so much (sic),” the statement read. Priyanka has long been an outspoken advocate for supporting women, and she told People having a little girl of her own never altered her stance on women’s rights. “I don’t know if [having my own daughter] specifically has made me want to get behind amplifying women’s voices. That’s something that I am extremely aware of, being a woman who has the privilege of choosing my life and my career,” she explained. “There are so many women around the world that don’t get that opportunity.” Still, the ‘Citadel’ star notes that motherhood has made her more aware of her own emotions, explaining, “It’s made me a tad more sensitive and fragile, I think, and it makes me nervous a little bit. I didn’t expect that”, reported People.
Sharing her experience of doing ‘Three of Us,’ Shefali Shah said, “ This film happened to us, we didn’t make this film, this film made us. The difference between a book and a film is that, when you read a book, there is a space left for your imagination, that’s why a book is more interesting and intriguing than a film because a film is just put out in front of you. This (movie) has a quality of that little space left for the audience to interpret it. It might not be a situation everyone can relate to, but everyone can relate to the emotion of it. This character is not based on anyone as she’s herself. Shailja is a different person.” Director Avinash Arun Dhaware said, “This is a love story among 3 characters, it’s a story of past and future...the main character Sreeja gets diagnosed with dementia and then she starts a journey with her husband in a village of Konkan where she had to spend her childhood, she relives her memories and what kind of a healing process she goes through, that’s what the film is all about” Swanand Kirkire said, “Every movie teaches something and this film has taught a lot of compassion and love. Our director and actors were so capable and did such beautiful work. Things should be made, things should be accepted, these things should be seen by the children in the same way, they should start looking at life.” ‘Three of Us’ is a relationship drama, directed by Avinash Arun that stars Shefali Shah, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Swanand Kirkire. It will be released in cinemas on November 3.
(ANI) (ANI)
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SANJAY DUTT SAYS CINEMA IS A ‘UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE’ Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt, who is diversifying his horizons with his work across multiple film industries of India, feels that while cinema may be separated by languages, it in its entirety is a universal language of emotions that appeals to the audience. Over the years, the superstar has delivered some iconic roles in Hindi cinema, most notably in the 1993 blockbuster ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Sadak’, ‘Vaastav’, the ‘Munna Bhai’ franchise, ‘Agneepath’ and several others. He ventured into the South Indian film industry with his role as Adheera in ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ leaving a profound impact. The superstar effortlessly blended into the world of Sandalwood, cementing his status as a versatile actor who could transcend regional boundaries. He followed it up with his Tamil debut
in ‘Leo’ as an antagonist. Talking about venturing into different film industries across India, Sanjay said: “While language can seem like a hurdle, remember this – cinema is the universal language of human emotion. Stories have a remarkable way of reaching people beyond words, touching the very core of our existence.” Continuing his streak, the superstar is now geared up to star in the upcoming Kannada language film ‘KD The Devil’. He will also be seen in ‘Double Ismart’, an upcoming Telugu movie scheduled to be released on March 8, 2024. The movie is directed by Puri Jagannadh and will feature Ram Pothineni and Sanjay Dutt as lead characters. (IANS)
RAJINIKANTH IS ‘THUMPING WITH JOY’ TO COLLABORATE WITH BIG B AFTER 33 YEARS Thalaivar Rajinikanth, who is currently scheduled for his new project tentatively titled ‘Thalaivar 170’, is “thumping with joy”, as he is marking his latest collaboration with his “mentor”, the Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan after 33 years. Excited at the opportunity, the ‘Jailer’ actor took to his X account, formerly Twitter, and shared a picture of the two acting behemoths standing alongside one another. Captioning the picture, he wrote: “After 33 years, I am working again with my mentor, the phenomenon, Shri Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming Lyca’s ‘Thalaivar 170’ directed by T.J Gnanavel. My heart is thumping with joy!” In the picture, Rajinikanth can be seen wearing white shirt and a black wig, all the while smiling with great happiness. Amitabh Bachchan on the other hand was equally thrilled to be working once again with the Tamil megastar. The ‘Ganpath’ actor donned a colourful patterned bandana on his head. Wearing a grey shirt, the actor was wearing glasses and wore a pink and blue jacket atop his shirt. The jacket was detailed with various animal figures.
Thalaivar last worked together in the Hindi film ‘Hum’, directed by Mukul Anand which was released in 1991. ‘Hum’ was a massive rage in the 1990s and a huge success, receiving great acclaim from critics, viewers, as well as a big box office. The movie, which starred Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Anupam Kher, Kimi Katkar, Deepa Sahi, Shilpa Shirodkar, Danny Denzongpa, and Kader Khan in pivotal roles, also lead to the Thalaivar’s 1995 classic ‘Baasha’, as it employed several unused plot points from the original script of ‘Hum’.
Prior to the upcoming film, Big B and
‘Hum’ is also very well remembered
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for its song ‘Jumma Chumma De De’. ‘Baasha’ is also well known for two of its classic tracks ‘Naan Autokaaran’, and ‘Style Style Thaan’. Since the announcement of the new mystery project, immense excitement is raging across India as audiences from Mumbai to Chennai are frantic to see the two legends come together on the big screen. Apart from these two legends, the film will also star Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh and Dushara Vijayan. With music by Anirudh Ravichander, the film will hit theatres in 2024. (IANS)
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FOOD
bon appétit
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Did you know:
Cucumbers contain multiple B vitamins, known to help ease feelings of anxiety and buffer some damaging effects of stress
TRANSFORM KITCHEN LEFTOVERS INTO GOURMET DELIGHTS WITH AI
Indian kitchens have always been the epicentres of ingenious culinary creations, where the art of making something out of nothing reigns supreme. In fact, each state, region, and community boasts its unique leftover-based recipes, nearly all of which are born from resourcefulness. However, as urbanisation leads to more and more people moving away from their homes and into cities, these culinary gems often fade away, especially for those living alone and relying heavily on takeout. But the tides seem to be turning, there has been an increasing interest in cooking at home with the rising popularity of recipe and food content both online and on TV. Technology, like smart cooking devices powered by AI, is playing a pivotal role in this transformation. These appliances have breathed new life into leftovers, generating step-by-step recipes, and allowing owners to craft gourmet-worthy dishes from the remnants in their fridges. According to upliance.ai food trends report, which has findings from an extensive dataset of 3000 households and more than 15,000+ cooking sessions on the delishUp across 11 cities, the resurgence of crafting meals from leftovers, is an unmistakable trend. Additionally, the survey also found
that people are using AI to create innovative dishes like Pepsi Chicken and finding new ways to eat their old favourites like Tambuli. Overall, the kitchen has just become a safer place for culinary experimentation.
ROTLI NU SHAK: “Rotli Nu Shaak” is a delightful Gujarati dish that ingeniously transforms leftover roti into a flavourful curry or stir-fry. The dish typically involves tearing the roti into bite-sized pieces and cooking it with spices, vegetables, and dal.
mustard and cumin and not burn the chillies and onions. Smart cooking assistants offer presets for most complex cooking instructions and ensure that meals are cooked consistently well.
KHEER: This is another classic Indian dessert that can be made from leftover rice. It involves simmering cooked rice in sweetened milk and adding flavourings like cardamom, saffron, and garnishes such as nuts and raisins. Traditionally, this recipe requires constant monitoring and stirring to FRIED RICE: Made from leftover rice is a get the consistency right. But today, people popular and versatile dish in many Asian rely on their cooking appliances to do the cuisines. It involves stir-frying cooked rice tedious steps while they carry on with their with various ingredients such as vegetables, day. meat, seafood, and seasonings. The key is using precooked, preferably day-old, rice, Households across India are eager to which has had a chance to dry out slightly. experiment with a wider variety of dishes Asian-style fried rice can be made easily right in their own kitchens. This shift is with a smart cooking assistant -- mincing significantly influenced by the convenience ginger and garlic with only a tap and turning offered by AI-powered devices and smart on Wok mode to toss and fry the vegetables cooking assistants. It’s not just about and rice. saving food; it’s a transformative shift in the way people approach home cooking IDLI UPMA: South Indian cuisines in India. With technology as their culinary include several recipes to use up leftover companion, the future of Indian home rice, dals and even vegetables. For this kitchens is brighter and more inventive than recipe, crumbled or diced idlis are tossed ever. with a simple tadka. The key is to get the By Mahek Mody tempering right for the whole spices like
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BLUEBERRIES: THE ANTIOXIDANT POWERHOUSE FOR BRAIN HEALTH Blueberries are more than just a tasty and vibrant addition to your morning cereal or smoothie, they are a true superfood, packed with antioxidants and numerous health benefits. According to the wisdom imparted by Vidhi Chawla, the architect of Fisico Diet and Aesthetic Clinic, among their many virtues, blueberries have gained recognition as a potent brain-boosting fruit. Their remarkable ability to support cognitive function has earned them the title of “the antioxidant powerhouse for brain health.” The Antioxidant Advantage: Blueberries owe their brain-boosting prowess to their rich antioxidant content. Antioxidants are compounds that combat oxidative stress in the body, which can lead to cell damage and aging. The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress due to its high oxygen consumption and the presence of unsaturated fats, making it essential to protect it against damage. Blueberries are particularly abundant in a group of antioxidants known as flavonoids, with anthocyanins being the standout among them. These natural compounds are responsible for the fruit’s deep bluepurple hue and are known for their potent antioxidant properties. They effectively neutralise free radicals, unstable molecules that can wreak havoc in the brain, and are implicated in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. Cognitive Benefits: Improved Memory: Research has shown that regular consumption of blueberries may enhance memory function. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that participants who consumed blueberry juice daily for 12 weeks showed significant improvements in memory. Enhanced Brain Function: Blueberries have also been linked to improved cognitive performance. Some studies suggest that regular consumption can lead to better attention span and faster decision-making abilities. Reduced Age-Related Cognitive Decline: Aging is often accompanied by cognitive decline, but blueberries may offer protection. A study in the Annals of Neurology found that consuming a diet rich in blueberries and strawberries delayed cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years. Protection Against Neurodegenerative Diseases: While more research is
needed, there is promising evidence that blueberries could help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The antioxidants in blueberries may counteract the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain, a hallmark of these conditions. Incorporating Blueberries into Your Diet: To reap the brain-boosting benefits of blueberries, consider adding them to your daily diet. Here are some easy ways to incorporate them: Fresh or Frozen: Blueberries are available year-round, and both fresh and frozen options offer the same nutritional benefits. Add them to your morning oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothie. Snack Time: Keep a bowl of fresh blueberries in your fridge for a quick and healthy snack. Baking: You can include blueberries in muffins, pancakes, or even as a topping for
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your favorite dessert. Salads: Blueberries can add a burst of color and flavor to your salads. Pair them with nuts and greens for a delicious and nutritious combination. Blueberry Tea: Consider brewing a cup of blueberry tea for a refreshing and antioxidant-rich beverage. Blueberries are more than just a delightful addition to your diet; they are a powerful ally in supporting brain health. Their high antioxidant content, particularly anthocyanins, plays a crucial role in protecting the brain from oxidative stress, improving memory, and enhancing cognitive function. Incorporating blueberries into your daily routine can be a delicious way to invest in your long-term brain health. So, next time you reach for a snack, grab a handful of these tiny, yet mighty, blue powerhouses. (IANSlife)
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DIET
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Celebrate This Diwali Guilt-Free with A Variety of Foods BY DEEVYA GUPTA
D
iwali is a time we all get together and celebrate with close ones, the festival of lights and of course a variety of foods with friends and family. This festive season full of delicious sweets and snacks may end up taking up more space in our diets than usual. Is there any way we can have sweets AND enjoy keeping a healthy lifestyle? The answer is YES! With a few little changes, you can still eat and enjoy your laddoos and barfis. Practice mindful eating It can be very easy to get carried away by the variety of sweets when they are in front of you. Why not enjoy a little bit of all of them? Engage all of your senses like smell, touch and visuals to really enjoy the sweet you are about to eat. By eating mindfully, you also reduce your feelings of guilt that may be associated with eating sweets so that you can have a positive relationship with foods. Tips on making the most of your sweets. • Take small bites and eat slowly. You will find when you start eating mindfully with your attention on the food just one piece gives you the same feeling as eating many pieces. • Take only one piece of sweets onto
a plate and keep the rest of the box away. This will reduce your desire to keep picking from the box. • Try to eat sweets and small snacks only after you have eaten a meal, as with an empty stomach you may be more likely to try and make up for a meal instead. • Find someone to share the joy with. If there is anyone else at home or even if it’s just yourself, you have to cut the sweets in half and keep the other half for later or to
share with family. Remember that just because it comes in a particular size, does not mean you need to eat it whole. Also, on the bright side you will have more to last you longer! • Many sweets can also be frozen to be enjoyed later. If you have many in excess, you can consider this as an option rather than forcibly eating the sweets to finish them. • If you are making your own sweets, consider trying to make them with less sugar. You might be surprised at how tasty and sweet they still are even if you have reduced the sugar by ¼ Eating dinner out during the festive month • By eating slowly, you will feel more satisfied and fuller. • Having a smaller plate or bowl is one way to visually reduce your overall intake without compromising on the foods you love. • Fill up your plate with as many vegetables (such as sabji or salads) to keep up your fibre intake to help you feel full. • Plan ahead: If you know there will be some nights where you will be eating out, have something lighter during the day. Continue to keep up an active lifestyle. • Wherever possible keep up your regular exercises. Even without trying you can do small things such as parking the car further away, enjoying some dancing or taking the stairs when possible. • Stay well hydrated as it is very easy to confuse hunger with thirst. • Most importantly, enjoy this special time with your loved ones.
Deevya Gupta is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian in Melbourne | W: www.abcofnutrition.com.au
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RECIPE
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
Bhuna Saagwala Ghost Lamb cooked with Greens This tasty, nutritious and healthy Lamb dish is best cooked with fresh Spinach or Mustard greens. The Quality of meat too plays an important role, use meat on the bone or boneless as you may prefer. The more you sauté the meat, the better it tastes. Spinach and the Greens also enhances the nutritive value of the dish. This dish is just Delicious and finger licking good. Try it for yourself
Tip:
Fresh spinach can be replaced for frozen spinach and Mustard leaves can also be used as a great substitute.
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600 g lamb diced 500 g spinach chopped 2-3 tbsp olive oil or ghee 1 cup onions sliced 440 g tomatoes finely chopped 1 inch ginger chopped 4-5 garlic cloves chopped 3-4 green or red chillies chopped 2 bay leaves 3-4 cloves 1 inch cinnamon stick 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground red chilli 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander salt to taste
Method:
Clean, wash and cut lamb into 1 1/2 inch size inches. Place tomatoes in the grinder and blend the tomatoes until smooth. In a pot, boil the spinach in salted water for 2 minutes, drain and grind with chillies. Set aside. Heat oil in heavy-based pot, fry ginger and garlic for a few minutes. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds sizzle, add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the lamb and mix well. Add the remaining spices and cook 5 mins or more. Cover and cook for about 40 mins or more with a little water, until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Pour in the blended tomatoes and stir until mixed well. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the pureed spinach. Stir and cook the meat and spinach until fully blended and tender. - Serve hot.
Garnish:
strips of fresh ginger and dollop of cream
Serve:
With Basmati rice, Roti, Naan, Parartha.
recipe
BY MANJIT SETHI
from the private collection
POOJA DHINGRA'S JOURNEY FROM LAW STUDENT TO CELEBRITY CHEF
Chef Pooja Dhingra, who is set to serve as a judge in the upcoming season of the cooking reality show ‘MasterChef India’, has shed light about her from being a law student to a culinary expert. The new season of the show will witness the journeys of two contestants from Bangalore – Harish Closepet and Kenneth G – who will not only break stereotypes but also bridge generations in the ‘MasterChef India’ kitchen. Harish Closepet, fondly known as Harry, is a 58-year-old entrepreneur whose culinary prowess knows no bounds. Formerly a civil engineer, Harry’s passion for cooking began in Singapore, where he would experiment with Indian flavours to get rid of homesickness. His experiments have garnered him close to a whopping 500k Instagram followers, showcasing the power of passion, and that age is just a number when it comes to following one’s dreams.
Additionally, one more such story is that of Kenneth G, an 18-year-old prodigy. Kenny’s life resembles that of Pooja to a certain degree. Despite being a law student, Kenny’s heart beats for the art of cooking. Reflecting on her own journey, Pooja stated: “I started young as a pastry chef, and age was never a hindrance for me. I genuinely resonate with Kenny’s journey in MasterChef India. I was a law student, too, before I decided to quit law and pursue hospitality and management at Cesar Ritz School in Switzerland and the rest is history. In fact, when I opened my first store in 2010, I was in my early 20s. I truly believe that just like cooking has no boundaries, passion knows no age limits. What matters most is the dedication and love you pour into your craft.” The new season of the show will also see Chef Vikas Khanna, Chef Ranveer Brar on the judges panel.
(IANS)
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ASTROLOGY
G’DAY INDIA | NOV 2023
By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) Mesha (Aries)
Vrishabh (Taurus)
Mithuna (Gemini)
M: 0425 660 220
Karkat (Cancer)
There are clear indications that speculation would result in serious losses for some of you. The lesson is evident, that you should stay away from gambling of all varieties. Further, there is the likelihood of your relations with your superiors deteriorating to such an extent that losses become a distinct possibility. Take remedial action well in time and prevent such an eventuality.
There is a distinct possibility of your relations with your superiors taking a nose-dive. So much so that serious losses would become very probable. This, you must prevent by some foresight and advance action. Speculation would also almost certainly result in serious losses to some of you, therefore, you should stay away from gambling at all sorts.
The turn of events would not favour your financial advancement this month, There are also indications that any dispute or litigation that you might be involved in would almost certainly be decided against you, resulting in losses of a substantial nature. You must strive, therefore, to see that the decision in any such matter is postponed to a later and more favourable period.
Your financial prospects look quite good this month, since the configuration of stars facing you is favourable. There are chances that some member of the female sex would do you a good turn, that would well turn out to be a boon to you. The times ahead are quite encouraging and some of you could actually expect to reap a rich harvest of sudden gains.
Best days: 3, 12, 30 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange, Cream
Best days: 9, 18, 27 Lucky Colour: Green, Blue
Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, White, Yellow
Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Simha (Leo)
Kanya (Virgo)
Tula (Libra)
Vrishchik (Scorpio)
Indications are that some of you would suffer considerable losses owing to speculative activity. The lesson is obvious: stay away from gambling of any sort. There is also the likelihood of your relations with your superiors, deteriorating to a level that serious losses would become probable. This you should avoid, by a certain amount of advance action
This month, you would have excellent opportunities for financial advancement, since the combination of stars facing you is quite favourably inclined. Musicians, actors, painters, dramatists, and other practitioners of the arts are likely to have a particularly productive spell during this coming month both financially and in terms of creative output.
You would tend to quarrel with your superiors creating an impasse in your relations with them, which could well result in a serious loss to you. Take care, therefore, to prevent such an eventuality by taking whatever preventive measures you can think of. Speculation would also result in almost certain losses for some of you.
There is a distinct possibility of your relations with your superiors deteriorating to such an extent that you might have to suffer a loss on this account. You must, therefore, guard against such a possibility and take steps well in advance to prevent such an eventuality. There would be a dearth of opportunities, and most of you would struggle to get anywhere near your planned objectives.
Best days: 5,3 Lucky Colour: White & Orange
Best days: 3, 12 Lucky Colour: Orange, Green
Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange
Dhanu (Sagittarius)
Makara (Capricorn)
Kumbha (Aquarius)
Meen (Pisces)
A very helpful, month in so far as your financial prospects are concerned. Many of you would reap a rich harvest of sudden gains, that are likely to come your way. Others would gain from speculative activity, making handsome profits. Most of you would be able to derive quick, useful results from your efforts.
This month, you have fairly encouraging financial prospects. There is a distinct chance that you would gain substantially by a service done to you by some elderly person. You could expect further good fortune through a partnership or a professional association with some member of the female sex. This could also bring handsome gains.
Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue
A satisfactory month, for your financial prospects during which you could achieve significant gains, though not entirely without difficulties. You would be able to realize most of your objectives and derive full profit from these. Yet it is likely that you will face difficulties on the way. There are also some chances of delay. But success is assured. A fairly good period, during which you would not only achieve much, but also derive much satisfaction. Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue Lucky Numbers - 5, 3, 6
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Very little percentage for your professional prospects this month in the combination of stars facing you. In fact if you are not careful, not only is there little possibility of betterment, but there is a distinct chance of going several rungs down the leader. There are grounds to believe that some of you may tend to operate outside the law for quick profits. Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, Yellow, White
Have a laug h
HAVE A LAUGH
It's all about Perspective... 1. Jalebi: Your Shape doesn't matter, your nature does. No matter how messed up you look, or life is, keeping a sweet tone will always help. 2. Rasgulla: No matter how much you are squeezed by circumstances, never forget who you are. Come back to your original self. Be Resilient. 3. Boondi Laddu: Every little drop of Boondi matters. Similarly little and continuous efforts can bring in Miraculous Results. Continue doing little things, Success will follow. 4. Soan Papdi: Not everyone likes you, yet the maker doesn't stop to make you. Pursue your goals, irrespective of validation. 5. Gulab Jamun: Your Softness is not your Weakness, it can be your strength. Softness is a quality much Appreciated, be Proud of it. 6. Besan Laddu: If you get shattered due to pressure, you can always Rebuild. It's a symbol of HOPE. No Matter what goes Wrong, we can always fix it. WISHING YOU A SWEET DIWALI!!! www.gdayindia.com.au | M: 0412-114-383
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