Gday India December 2021 Issue

DEC 2021

w w w. g d a y i n d i a . c o m . a u

VOL 15 ISSUE 176

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AUSTRALIAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Thank-You Zindagi: Meet kidney recipient, Manisha Chaubal-Menon

Fear Factor: Meet novelist Keran Pantth

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Serving Australia’s favourite Indian Street food for the past twenty-two- years, we speak to Raja, the brainchild behind Sabrini’s delicious creation

Happy Morphosis - Meet Tara Suresh Kumar

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NEWS VICTORIA

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Helping Multicultural Communities Get Vaccinated MELBOURNE, Dec 1: The Andrews Labor Government is ensuring multicultural communities have access to tailored information to help them get vaccinated and stay safe during the pandemic.

More than 50 multicultural community and media organisations across the state are sharing in $1.7 million to create tailored and engaging coronavirus-related messages and distribute them among their communities.

The program will also fund training opportunities in new and emerging communities to build a skills base that will support the ongoing distribution of important public health messages.

Community organisation United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley received $28,500 to provide training and mentoring programs that will support multicultural women in the Latrobe Valley to create video and audio content.

The Society of South Sudanese Professionals will develop a series of podcasts and short videos with South Sudanese healthcare professionals, young people and influencers, thanks to $60,000 in support.

Cinespace will use $70,000 to provide

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training to 20 young creatives and produce a web series about COVID-19 vaccinations that is tailored to Middle Eastern immigrant and refugee communities in Melbourne’s north.

This funding is in addition to the 21 funded projects that received direct funding offers totalling $1 million through the program in September 2021, bringing total investment to $2.7 million.

A complete list of funding recipients can be found at vic.gov.au/multiculturalcommunications-outreach-program.

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Australia creates its first mRNA Covid vaccine candidate

MELBOURNE, Dec 1: Research institutes and pharmaceutical company in Australia's state of Victoria have created a new mRNA Covid vaccine candidate, with clinical trials to begin early next year.

The vaccine candidate, developed

by Monash University researchers, pharmaceutical manufacturer IDT Australia and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, is expected to provide protection against future Covid variants.

Professor Colin Pouton from Monash University, who led the team that developed the vaccine, said that this vaccine has the ability to rapidly adjust its composition in response to emerging virus mutations, which is particularly important as new strains continue to emerge.

Compared with the existing vaccines, the new candidate focuses on a small part of the spike protein, known as the receptor-binding

domain (RBD), which mediates the virus's ability to attach and enter the cell.

Through targeting the RBD region, the vaccine candidates focus the immune system on blocking virus attachment and infection.

Pouton said this approach makes it a more focused vaccine with the important ability to rapidly adjust its composition in response to emerging mutations, including the new variant Omicron -- if the virus mutates, a new vaccine can be tested within a few weeks.

"The new variant Omicron has an unprecedented number of mutations in its receptor-binding domain. How concerned we should be about this variant remains to be seen, but our RBD mRNA vaccine programme is perfectly suited to producing a specific vaccine to protect against this new variant," he said.

Associate Professor Archa Fox, an mRNA researcher at the University of Western Australia and president of the RNA Network of Australia, said the vaccine candidate is a significant step forward towards Australia's first home-grown mRNA vaccine, as the country cannot always rely on the global supply.

"Because of the high cost of buying vaccines from overseas, and the potential to be at the back of the queue for future pandemics, we urgently need to build expertise, capacity and capability in Australia to make mRNA vaccines and RNA therapeutics more broadly," said Fox. About 450 doses of the vaccine candidate have been manufactured, enabling 150 people to take part in Phase 1 clinical trials, with results expected in later 2022.

(IANS)

Recognising Leaders in Multicultural Communities

MELBOURNE, Dec 1: The Andrews Labor Government is ensuring outstanding community members and organisations who have made significant contributions to multiculturalism in Victoria receive the honour and recognition they deserve.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence and Victorian Multicultural Commission Chairperson Viv Nguyen announced that nominations are open for the inaugural Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll.

The Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll

will recognise the efforts of individuals, community and not-for-profit groups who have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to multiculturalism in Victoria.

It will focus on the vital role of local champions from diverse backgrounds in keeping our communities safe and connected.

The new honour roll will also spotlight those who promote multicultural civic participation and the social, cultural and economic benefits of diversity.

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Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll inductees will be announced as part of Cultural Diversity Week celebrations in 2022. Cultural Diversity Week coincides with the United Nations International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Harmony Day on 21 March.

Nominations are open until 16 January 2022. For more information or to nominate, visit multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au/ victorian-multicultural-honour-roll

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NEWS VICTORIA

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Melbourne Nets Six FIFA Women’s World Cup Games

MELBOURNE, Dec 2: Melbourne’s AAMI Park will host six matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – the biggest women’s sporting event in the world – with the elite action to feature Australia’s Matildas.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula welcomed the announcement of Victoria’s place in the schedule, with AAMI Park to host four group matches and two round-of-16 games.

Melbourne’s games will involve seven countries with the teams to be determined in the official draw next year. Other World Cup games will be hosted in eight cities across Australia and New Zealand.

The 2023 tournament will be the first time the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been held in the Southern Hemisphere, and the number of competing countries will increase from 24 to 32. The World Cup will take place across July and August, with the Matildas’ groupstage game at AAMI Park set down for 31 July 2023.

The Matildas will have a home base in Melbourne in time for the tournament, thanks to a $101 million investment by the Andrews Labor Government to build a highperformance centre for the national women’s team at La Trobe University’s Bundoora Sports Park.

The project will deliver the perfect environment for the Matildas to launch their World Cup campaign, including a marquee pitch with grandstand seating, four other pitches, and high-performance facilities including a gymnasium and wet recovery area, medical and rehabilitation centre, meeting areas and player lounge.

Grassroots clubs will have access to the centre’s pitches and community-level programs, including training for volunteers and administrators, referees and coaches conducted on-site. The Government’s investment also includes the development of a Victorian State Rugby Centre at the Sports Park.

The Labor Government has invested strongly in community soccer, allocating $127 million to support more than 220 projects since December 2014.

Further funding provided to Football Victoria as part of the Government’s Together More Active program promotes participation across the community, while funding to Melbourne Victory provides programs to encourage female, multicultural, indigenous and regional participation, and to use soccer to help at-risk youth.

Participation in Victoria among women and girls is growing. The most recent Ausplay data showed the number of females playing club-based soccer in Victoria had more than doubled in five years to 55,000 – including 25,000 girls.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

Proportionate Steps to Protect Victorians from Omicron

MELBOURNE, Nov 30: The Victorian Government will maintain enhanced quarantine arrangements for overseas travellers to protect the state from the new Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern until more is known about the strain.

These public health measures – being implemented by Victoria and New South Wales – are in line with additional national border security measures from the Commonwealth and are a precautionary response to Omicron.

There are currently no known cases of the Omicron variant reported in Victoria.

In line with the Australian Government’s measures, all travellers arriving in Victoria who have visited South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi during the 14-day period before their arrival must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days – regardless of their

vaccination status.

As the Seychelles has been removed from the Commonwealth’s list of countries of concern, Victoria will no longer consider it a country of concern from 11:59pm tonight.

Continuing measures announced on Sunday, all other overseas travellers must complete a PCR test and isolate for a full 72 hours at a nominated address or accommodation.

Travellers may exit isolation after 72 hours and following a negative PCR test. Travellers must also complete an additional PCR test between days 5 to 7 after arrival.

All flight crew who have been overseas during the 14-day period before their arrival in Victoria must comply with requirements for overseas returning travellers, until their next flight.

All vaccinated Australian based aircrew who have been to one of the eight

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countries above must quarantine for 14 days at their place of residence or alternate accommodation.

All vaccinated Australian based aircrew arriving from another international country and have not been to one of the eight countries listed above must quarantine at home or their place of residence for 72 hours.

International aircrew who do not reside in Victoria will have to quarantine for 72 hours in crew-based accommodation or for 14 days in Victoria’s hotel quarantine program (or until their next flight) – depending on whether they have been in one of the eight countries or not.

Testing requirements also apply.

Anyone who has already arrived in Victoria who has been in any of the eight African countries within the previous 14 days must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, and call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.

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ITCC Group Acquires Leading Australian Digital Agency, Loud Days

ITCC has acquired the digital media and marketing agency Loud Days only twelve months after it relaunched on the Aussie digital media scene.

The ITCC Group and Loud Days portfolio will now cover many sectors including retail and lifestyle brands, health and aged care, and energy and infrastructure.

The portfolio includes many corporate and ASX-listed businesses such as ALS Global, ACCIONA, Amplifon Australia, Mayfield Lighting and Zenitas Healthcare.

ITCC’s group of agencies, which includes app development agency Appmart, will see clients benefit from a deeper level of digital marketing, media, and development expertise.

This will allow ITCC to meet increasing demands for end-to-end marketing and development solutions.

ITCC Group co-founder and Managing Director Praharsh Parikh (featured image, left) said that: “We are thrilled to welcome Loud Days to the ITCC family.

“COVID-19 has forced businesses to be selective with resources – the consolidation of services across marketing, media, IT and development is key to our group’s value proposition moving forward.

“We saw this acquisition as a key opportunity to offer the market a true end-toend digital solution.”

ITCC Group co-founder and director Kunal Vyas (featured image, right) says the acquisition is both strategic and creative: “Loud Day’s integrated approach to media aligns with ITCC’s philosophy of creating valuable digital experiences.

“We’re looking forward to blending data with strategy to ensure measurable outcomes are achieved for all of our clients. We are excited to have them join the family.”

The new team will be led by group general

manager Matthew Fagan who plans on increasing scale and growth for clients.

“I’m looking forward to further scaling our clients’ businesses by leveraging the expertise of the broader team and resources,” said Fagan.

Loud Days launched in 2011 and has been responsible for digital marketing strategy and media for brands including ACCIONA Australia, Amplifon Australia,

Claro Healthcare, AFL Women’s and Cricket Australia.

ITCC launched in 2013 and is a leading provider of technology solutions including mobile apps, augmented reality and blockchain development.

The company operates in multiple countries and plans to expand internationally in the near future.

Melbourne Attracts Tech Leaders with Major Business Events

MELBOURNE, Nov 30: Global blockchain gurus and technology players will converge on Melbourne for two significant business events, underscoring Victoria’s leadership in the high-yield sector.

In an Australian first, Melbourne will host the largest blockchain series in the world – The World Block Chain Summit 2022. The event will deliver an estimated economic contribution to the state of $1.3 million, around 600 room nights to boost the Victorian hotel and accommodation sector and drive 600 delegates through the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre doors.

The Summit will run from 15-16 September 2022, bringing together an elite gathering of technology leaders, startups and enterprises from across the world to share and evaluate the latest trends in emerging technologies.

In 2024 Melbourne will be home to the ACM International Conference on Multimedia (ACM MM 2024), the Association for Computing Machinery's annual international conference on multimedia. It is the field’s premier conference and a key event to display scientific achievements and innovative industrial products in multimedia.

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Hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 28 October-1 November, ACM MM 2024 will attract 600 delegates and make an economic contribution of almost $4 million to the state.

The successful bids were led by the Melbourne Convention Bureau and were preceded by more good news as Melbourne cemented its position as the number one sustainable city in the Asia-Pacific region for business events in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index).

(MEDIA RELEASE)

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NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Australia not going back to lockdowns in wake of Omicron variant: PM

CANBERRA, Nov 30: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared that he will not allow the country to go back into lockdown in response to the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Morrison met state and territory leaders to discuss the national response to the new variant of concern.

Prior to the meeting, Morrison said that federal, state and territory governments would be cautious about Omicron but ruled out a return to strict stay-at-home restrictions.

He said he would use the national cabinet meeting to ask state and territory leaders to hold their nerve and keep domestic borders open in the lead-up to Christmas.

"We're not going back to lockdowns.

None of us want that," he told reporters in Canberra.

"What we did last night was protecting against that by having a sensible pause and to keep proceeding with where we are now

and to further assess that information so we can move forward with confidence."

Earlier on Tuesday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said that the federal government's "overwhelming view" is that the Omicron variant is "manageable."

As of Tuesday, six cases of the new variant have been confirmed in Australia.

On Tuesday morning, Australia reported more than 1,100 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

The majority of new cases were in Victoria, the country's second-most populous state with Melbourne as the capital city, where 918 cases and six deaths were reported.

As of Monday, 92.4 per cent of Australians aged 16 and above had received one vaccine dose and 87 per cent had their second dose, according to the Health Department.

(IANS)

Australian researchers set new sights for bionic eye

SYDNEY, Dec 1: Researchers from Australia's University of Sydney (USYD) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) revealed the success of a longterm trial of a new bionic eye prototype.

The research, published in science journal Biomaterials on Wednesday, showed how the team's "Phoenix 99" bionic eye, which has the capability to restore a form of vision in patients with severe vision impairments and blindness, was successfully implanted in a sheep model.

The team of biomedical researchers said the response and healing in the sheep subject left them feeling confident that the device was ready to be trialed in human patients.

"Importantly, we found the device has a very low impact on the neurons required to 'trick' the brain," said Samuel Eggenberger, a biomedical engineer at USYD and contributor on the project.

"There were no unexpected reactions from the tissue around the device and we expect it could safely remain in place for many years."

The "Phoenix 99" bionic eye works by bypassing malfunctioning cells on the eye's retina, found in people with degenerative retina conditions.

Healthy retina's convert captured light into electrical signals which are then sent to the brain. The "Phoenix 99" device "tricks" the brain by sending electrical impulses from camera directly to neurons connected to the brain.

This is done with a stimulator positioned on the user's eye, a very small camera that would be attached to glasses, and a communication model that would be situated behind the ear.

"We hope that through this technology, people living with profound vision loss from degenerative retinal disorders may be able to regain a useful sense of vision," said Eggenberger.

Before moving to human trials, the researchers would further refine the surgical process by which the bionic eye is implemented, and would require ethics approval for performing clinical trials in human patients.

Professor of biomedical engineering at USYD Gregg Suaning said present results mark an important milestone in the development of the technology.

"This breakthrough comes from combining decades of experience and technological breakthroughs in the field of implantable electronics."

(IANS)

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Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee winners meet in Canberra

CANBERRA, Nov 29: This year’s best young spellers met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison today after winning the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee in June.

The Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee is a national spelling competition for school children from Years 3 to 8 that aims to promote and encourage students’ oral and written literacy and spelling skills.

The 2021 national winners are: • Arielle Wong from Donvale Christian College, VIC (Year 3/4 category) • Theekshitha Karthik from Haileybury College, VIC (Year 5/6 category) • Evan Luc-Tran from The McDonald College, NSW (Year 7/8 category) All participants had 15 minutes to spell 30 words, with the winners determined by the accuracy and speed of submitting their answers online.

The finalists had to tackle words like connoisseur, and meteorological.

“I want to thank all students who had a go this year and challenged their spelling skills, and special congratulations to Arielle, Theekshitha and Evan on their achievements,” the Prime Minister said.

“No matter what you want to be when you grow up, spelling and reading are foundation skills that will stay with you for life, and are important to your wellbeing, future learning and success.”

Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said almost 21,000 students from 490 schools across the country participated in this year’s Spelling Bee. “Congratulations to every student who took part this year, and I encourage families, teachers and young people to talk to their local school about taking part again in 2022,” Minister Tudge said.

The Prime Minister’s National Spelling Bee will be hosted by News Corp’s Kids News on the kidsnews.com.au website.

The free competition will be held digitally, with no physical competition elements and will run in Term 3, 2022, and registrations are planned to open on Monday, 25 July 2022.

More information can be found at www. spelling-bee.com.au.

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Social media will be forced to disclose users behind trolls in Australia

CANBERRA, Nov 29: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is all set to introduce a new anti-troll Bill that would force online social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to reveal the identities of anonymous users, in an effort to crack down on online trolling.

According to ABC News Australia, the new laws would require social media companies

to collect the details of all users, and allow courts to force the social media firms to hand over the identities of users to aid defamation cases.

"Companies would be required to create a complaints process for people who feel they have been defamed online.

The laws would allow courts to force companies to handover the identities of users if people wanted to pursue legal action," the report said.

The legislation will be released in draft form this week, and is expected to be introduced in Parliament early next year.

"The rules that exist in the real world must exist in the digital and online world. The online world shouldn't be a wild west, where bots and bigots and trolls and others can anonymously go around and harm people and hurt people," Morrison was quoted as saying in the report.

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Under the new law, if the user is unwilling to take down the content, or the complainant wants to take further action, the company asks a user for their consent to release their personal details.

"If the user does not consent to their details being released, a court order can be made requiring the company to release them -- allowing the complainant to pursue defamation action," the report noted.

"We will be looking for test cases that can reinforce these laws. So if the digital companies or others think they're only just going to have to be dealing with perhaps someone of little means seeking to pursue this, then we will look for those cases," said Morrison.

"We will back them in the courts and we will take them on."

Both Twitter and Facebook were yet to comment on the draft laws.

The proposed legislation is part of a larger effort to overhaul Australia's defamation laws.

(IANS)

Pause to further easing of border restrictions CANBERRA, Nov 29: On the basis of medical advice provided by the Chief Medical Officer of Australia, Professor Paul Kelly, the National Security Committee has taken the necessary and temporary decision to pause the next step to safely reopen Australia to international skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders from 1 December until 15 December.

The reopening to travellers from Japan and the Republic of Korea will also be paused until 15 December.

The temporary pause will ensure Australia can gather the information we need to better understand the Omicron variant, including the efficacy of the vaccine, the range of illness, including if it may generate more mild symptoms, and the level of transmission.

Australia’s border is already closed to travellers except fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated green lane travellers from New Zealand and Singapore and limited exemptions.

All arrivals to Australia also require a negative PCR test and to complete Australian traveller declaration forms detailing their vaccination status and confirming requirements to comply with state and territory public health requirements.

On Saturday, the Australian Government announced the following measures: 1.

Effective immediately, anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, or their immediate family including parents of citizens, and who have been in

African countries where the Omicron variant has been detected and spread – within the past 14 days – will not be able to enter Australia. The countries are: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Mozambique.

2.

Australian citizens and permanent residents, immediate family members including parents arriving from these countries will need to go into immediate supervised quarantine for 14 days subject to jurisdictional arrangements.

3.

Anyone who has already arrived in Australia and who has been in any of the eight countries within the past 14 days must immediately isolate themselves and get tested for COVID-19 and follow jurisdictional quarantine requirements which will include quarantine for 14 days from the time of departure from southern Africa.

4.

These restrictions also apply to people, for instance international students and skilled migrants, arriving from the safe travel zones we have established with New Zealand and Singapore who have been in any of the eight countries within the past 14 days.

There are no flights planned from these countries.

These measures will also be continued until 15 December.

Upon further advice from Professor Kelly, Seychelles has been removed from the list of countries of concern.

Australian Border Force retains discretion to allow people in who are already in transit to enter, but these people will be subject to state-based isolation requirements.

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Under state public health requirements, New South Wales and Victoria have already initiated testing and 72 hours of isolation requirements for Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members entering the country. In other states, 14 days of managed quarantine is required, and traveller cap arrangements are in place.

The Australian Government’s quarantine facility at Howard Springs in Darwin is available to support returning Australians each fortnight as required.

The Prime Minister has called a meeting of National Cabinet tomorrow to further discuss the Omicron variant and Australia’s response.

Australians can be assured that we are in a strong position to deal with COVID and its emerging challenges.

We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 92.3 per cent having had a first dose and 86.8 per cent of our eligible population now double vaccinated, and we have one of the only whole of population booster programs being delivered, with around 415,000 Australians having received their booster.

Australia has a proven record of dealing with COVID, we have one of the lowest fatality rates, highest vaccination rates and strongest economies in the world.

We will continue to take sensible and responsive evidence based action, led by medical experts. This will ensure we can open safely and stay safely open as we learn to live with the virus.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

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NEWS AUSTRALIA

Combatting online trolls and strengthening defamation laws CANBERRA, Nov 28: In a world-leading move, the Morrison Government will introduce new court powers to force global social media giants to unmask anonymous online trolls and better protect Australians online.

The reforms will be some of the strongest powers in the world when it comes to tackling damaging comments from anonymous online trolls and holding global social media giants to account.

The reforms will ensure social media companies are considered publishers and can be held liable for defamatory comments posted on their platforms. They can avoid this liability if they provide information that ensures a victim can identify and commence defamation proceedings against the troll.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the rules that exist in the real world should exist online too.

“Social media can too often be a cowards’ palace, where the anonymous can bully, harass and ruin lives without consequence,” the Prime Minister said.

“We would not accept these faceless attacks in a school, at home, in the office, or on the street. And we must not stand for it online, on our devices and in our homes.

“We cannot allow social media platforms to provide a shield for anonymous trolls to destroy reputations and lives. We cannot allow social media platforms to take no responsibility for the content on their platforms. They cannot enable it, disseminate it, and wash their hands of it. This has to stop.

“These will be some of the strongest powers to tackle online trolls in the world.

“Anonymous trolls are on notice, you will be named and held to account for what

you say. Big tech companies are on notice, remove the shield of anonymity or be held to account for what you publish.

“In a free society with free speech, you can't be a coward and attack people and expect not to be held accountable for it.”

The reforms will give victims of defamatory online comments two ways to unmask trolls and resolve disputes.

First, global social media platforms will be required to establish a quick, simple and standardised complaints system that ensures defamatory remarks can be removed and trolls identified with their consent. This recognises that Australians often just want harmful comments removed.

Second, a new Federal Court order will be established that requires social media giants to disclose identifying details of trolls to victims, without consent, which will then enable a defamation case to be lodged.

Importantly, the reforms will also ensure everyday Australians and Australian organisations with a social media page are not legally considered publishers and cannot be held liable for any defamatory comments posted on their page, providing them with certainty.

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said this was in response to the Voller High Court case, which made clear that Australians who maintain social media pages can be ‘publishers’ of defamatory comments made by others on social media—even if the page owner does not know about the comments.

“Since the High Court’s decision in the Voller case, it is clear that ordinary Australians are at risk of being held legally responsible for defamatory material posted by anonymous online trolls,” the AttorneyGeneral said.

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“This is not fair, and it is not right.

Australians expect to be held accountable for their own actions but shouldn’t be made to pay for the actions of others that they cannot control.

“The reforms will make clear that, in defamation law, Australians who operate or maintain a social media page are not ‘publishers’ of comments made by others.”

The Attorney General said the package of reforms would complement the defamation reforms currently being progressed in partnership with states and territories and sit alongside the Government’s commitment to improving online safety.

“Social media providers should bear their fair share of responsibility for defamatory material published on their platforms,” the Attorney-General said. ‘This reflects the current law.’

“However, if defamatory comments are made in Australia, and social media providers help victims contact the individuals responsible, it is appropriate they have access to a defence.”

These new powers build on the Morrison Government’s other world-leading reforms, from establishing the eSafety Commissioner, to legislating the new Online Safety Act, to drafting new online privacy laws and securing support for global action to be discussed at the G20 in Indonesia in 2022.

An exposure draft of the legislation will be released in the coming week. This will provide all Australians, the industry, states, territories and stakeholders to have their say on these important new laws.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

Scientists protect Australian sea lions from deadly parasite

SYDNEY, Dec 1: Veterinary scientists have made a breakthrough in protecting endangered Australian sea lions from an often-fatal infection.

Researchers from the University of Sydney (USYD) and the University of Adelaide estimate hookworms can account for up to 40 per cent of deaths of young sea lions, known as pups, who ingest the worm

larvae in their mother's milk soon after birth.

The parasites are among factors which have led to the marine mammal's population plummeting to less than 10,000 around Australia's western and southern coasts.

The scientists' findings, published in the International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife and unveiled on Wednesday, show that applying the drug Ivermectin, which is widely used to treat parasites in other species, onto the pup's skin reduces worm infestations by almost 97 per cent.

Project lead Dr. Rachael Gray from USYD Faculty of Science told Xinhua that the team had been thrilled by the success of their trial on about 85 pups at a sea lion colony on Dangerous Reef, off the coast of South

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Australia.

"We weren't sure how suitable it would be on aquatic animals where it could wash off," Gray said. "But it's highly effective; we only have to treat them once and they don't get reinfected."

She said on a return trip to another Australian sea lion colony last week, where the treatment had been recently undertaken, the researchers were delighted to see how well the pups were doing.

"It's great to see these pups that you've known from birth, looking nice and fat and just really thriving," she said.

"I feel so privileged to work with these beautiful, charismatic animals and the people that care about them."

(IANS)

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Parliamentary committee to put big tech under the microscope

CANBERRA, Dec 1: The Australian Parliament will put big tech under the microscope as it examines toxic material on social media platforms and the dangers this poses to the well-being of Australians.

The inquiry, which will be chaired by Robertson MP Lucy Wicks, was announced

by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP. Prime Minister Morrison said the inquiry builds on the world-leading legislation the Government announced earlier this week to

unmask anonymous online trolls.

“Mums and dads are rightly concerned about whether big tech is doing enough to keep their kids safe online,” The Prime Minister said. “Big tech created these platforms, they have a responsibility to ensure their users are safe.

“Big tech has big questions to answer. But we also want to hear from Australians; parents, teachers, athletes, small businesses and more, about their experience, and what needs to change.”

Minister Fletcher said the troubling revelations from a Facebook whistle blower have amplified existing concerns in the community.

“This inquiry will give organisations and individuals an opportunity to air their concerns, and for big tech to account for its own conduct,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Australia has led the world in regulating social media, establishing the world’s first dedicated online safety watchdog in 2015.

In June, this year we passed the tough new Online Safety Act which will give our eSafety

Commissioner even stronger powers to direct the removal of online abuse.

“So, this inquiry will be a very important opportunity to examine the practices of these companies—and whether more needs to be done.”

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said for too long social media platforms had been putting company profits ahead of the wellbeing and safety of children.

“In Australia, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a consistent increase in signs of distress and mental ill-health among young people. While the reasons for this are varied and complex, we know that social media is part of the problem,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.

“Young people have told us this themselves. In a 2018 headspace survey of over 4000 young people aged 12 to 25, social media was nominated as the main reason youth mental health is getting worse. And the recent leak of Facebook’s own internal research demonstrates the impact social media platforms can have on body image and the mental health of young people.

“We know that we can't trust social media companies to act in the best interests of children, so we're going to force them to."

(MEDIA RELEASE)

Australian researchers shed light on Sun's role as water source

SYNDEY, Nov 30: Scientists from Australia's Curtin University have shown how the Sun may have played an unexpected role in the formation of the "Blue Planet".

The study, published in the Nature Astronomy journal on Monday, made the case that hydrogen ions emitted by the Sun

were carried by solar winds onto asteroids that eventually crashed into Earth and were later converted into water.

Contributing author and director of Curtin University's Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) Professor Phil Bland said analysis of existing theories "didn't match with the water found on Earth", which prompted the international team of researchers to search for an explanation of the unaccounted water.

"Our research suggests the solar wind created water on the surface of tiny dust grains and this isotopically lighter water likely provided the remainder of the Earth's water," Bland said.

Previously the most widely accepted theory for the origin of Earth's water, posited that water came from bodies of icy cosmic dust, or planetesimals, from outside of our solar system.

The results came from a detailed analysis of dense, near earth "S-type" asteroids, using samples collected by Japanese space probe

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Hayabusa over a decade ago.

"We found [the samples] contained enough water that, if scaled up, would amount to about 20 litres for every cubic metre of rock," Bland said.

The discovery bears major implications in the understanding of life on Earth, as the prevalence of water, covering over 70 per cent of the Earth's surface, and has been key to the evolution of the planet and the life that has inhabited it.

Lead author Dr. Luke Daly of the University of Glasgow said the research could also unlock new potential in crewed space travel, for which water supply is a major limiting factor.

"How astronauts would get sufficient water, without carrying supplies, is one of the barriers of future space exploration," said Daly. "Astronauts may be able to process fresh supplies of water straight from the dust on a planet's surface, such as the Moon."

(IANS)

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NEWS INDIA

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

India to take decision in 'due course’ on resumption of international flights: Omicron NEW DELHI, Dec 1: As the situation with respect to the new COVID variant continues to evolve, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that it will notify its decision in due course on the date of resumption of commercial international passengers’ airline services to and from India. The circular by India's aviation watchdog DGCA on the resumption of scheduled international flights comes as India was due to resume flights from December 15, nearly 20 months after these flights were suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Directorate General of Civil Aviation says it will notify its decision in due course on date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passengers airline services to/ from India. It also says that situation being watched closely in view of emergence of new

COVID variant," DGCA circular read.

In addition, the DGCA mentioned in the circular that all stakeholders are closely monitoring the global development of the new strain of COVID-19.

"In view of the evolving global scenario with the emergence of new Variants of Concern, the situation is being watched closely in consultation with all stakeholders and an appropriate decision indicating the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services shall be notified in due course," DGCA circular said.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had recently announced the resumption of scheduled international flights from December 15, but now it has been postponed.

In a recent interaction with ANI, junior

minister of Aviation General (Retd) VK Singh expressed that, "due to tremendous pressure of public to restart schedule international flights.

"We have tremendous pressure from the public to start international scheduled flights.

Anybody coming from abroad, are being screened & tested at the airport. Only after checking the results, they are being allowed to go," MoS V K Singh said.

PM Modi had chaired a comprehensive meeting that lasted for almost two hours to review the public health preparedness and vaccination-related situation for COVID-19.

The DGCA had suspended operations of scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India with effect from March 23, 2020, due to COVID-19.

(ANI)

India provides medical, humanitarian aid to over 150 countries to deal with COVID-19: MEA NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Highlighting India's contribution in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanjay Bhattacharyya Secretary (CPV & OIA) said that New Delhi provided medical teams, COVID-19 medicines, testing kits and humanitarian supplies to over 150 countries.

Bhattacharyya attended the 112th Session of IOM Council on "Impact of COVID-19 on Borders, Migration and Mobility: Learning Lessons and Preparing for the Future," said a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. "India provided medical teams, Covid medicines, testing kits and humanitarian supplies to over 150 countries.

We provided over 70million vaccine doses to 93 countries and to UN peacekeepers and health workers," he said.

"Now, with a capacity of five billion vaccine doses, depending on demand, we are ready to be effective suppliers in the coming days.

With relaxation in travel restrictions, mutual recognition of vaccination certification is needed as a global endeavour. Our CoWin vaccination certification, based on QR code and secure database, has been recognized by 99 countries," the Secretary (CPV & OIA) added in the statement.

Speaking over the migration policy, Bhattacharyya said that migration can only be managed collectively, multilateral

understanding is necessary and bilateral partnerships are essential.

He also wished to mention India's collaboration with International Organisation for Migration on a project for strengthened data management towards evidence-based migration policymaking.

"Migration can only be managed collectively, multilateral understanding is necessary and bilateral partnerships are essential.

The Global Compact on Migration and regional groupings such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and Colombo Process play an important role, not only to disseminate awareness but also in identifying and sharing of best practices. To this end, I wish to mention our collaboration with International Organisation for Migration on a project for strengthened data management towards evidence-based migration policymaking," Bhattacharyya said in a statement.

"During the last two years, when the

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Covid 19 pandemic raged across the world, many countries came to realize the value of migrant workers and their contributions to the development of their economies and societies. It is now time to acknowledge the role and contributions of these migrants and to mainstream migration policy as a positive element in our development agenda," he added.

(ANI)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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NEWS WORLD

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Blanket travel bans will not prevent int'l spread of Omicron variant: WHO

GENEVA, Dec 1: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, even as dozens of countries have already introduced such restrictions.

Although Omicron has been labelled a "variant of concern" by the WHO, it said on Tuesday that blanket travel bans will only place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods, while also "disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data."

The Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO by South Africa last week. So far, several countries and regions have confirmed cases of infection with Omicron.

Dozens of countries have already tightened

travel measures, and even suspended flights, Xinhua news agency reported.

At a member states session on the Omicron variant on Tuesday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Botswana and South Africa for detecting and reporting this variant so rapidly.

It is deeply worrying that these countries were being penalised by others for doing the right thing, he said.

He called the "blunt, blanket measures" introduced by some member states "not evidence-based or effective on their own." He urged countries to take "rational, proportional risk-reduction measures, in keeping with the international health regulations."

Meanwhile, the WHO advises that "persons who are unwell or at risk of

developing severe Covid-19 disease and dying, including people 60 years of age or older or those with comorbidities such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes," should postpone travel plans.

(IANS)

Global vaccination plan only way to stop pandemic: UN Chief

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 1: UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has said that "the only way out of a global pandemic and out of this unjust and immoral situation is through a global vaccination campaign."

The Secretary General was speaking at a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York of Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 (G77) and China, where he noted that the Covid-19 pandemic "continues to wreak havoc" on developed and developing countries alike.

He added that the UN stands behind the vaccination strategy set out by the World Health Organization, with the goal of getting vaccines into the arms of 40 per cent of people in all countries by the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the middle of 2022.

"Everyone, everywhere, must have access

to Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatment," the top UN official said, asking for support for the ACT-accelerator and the Covax facility.

The world economy is expected to grow by 5.9 per cent in 2021, but the pace of recovery is extremely uneven, Guterres added.

When developed economies invest 28 per cent of their GDP in recovery, middle income countries invest 6 per cent, and least developed nations invest just 1.8 per cent, this does not seem surprising to him.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the International Monetary Fund projects that cumulative economic growth per capita over the next five years will be 75 per cent less than the rest of the world.

"This dangerous divergence threatens to widen as growth rates are expected to decrease in 2022. Rising inflation could also have a negative impact on the cost of borrowing and servicing debt," he warned.

Climate change, inequality, and the development of new technologies were also addressed by the UN Chief, who called for "a quantum leap in unity and solidarity" to address these global problems.

During the pandemic, the Secretary General highlighted the importance of

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multilateralism and the role of the UN. UN country teams released socioeconomic response plans for 139 countries and territories. Nearly $3 billion was repurposed to prioritise immediate support, and another $2 billion was mobilised.

For the Secretary General, it was recent reforms that enabled the world body to adjust and respond quickly.

"As a result, more than 90 per cent of host governments have indicated that the UN today is more relevant to their country's development needs when compared to three years ago," he said.

On the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, the UN Chief added that "we must intensify our efforts in this Decade of Action to deliver the sustainable development goals. This is vital to achieving a fair globalisation, boosting economic growth and preventing conflict."

Noting that the outcome of COP26 in Glasgow was the bare minimum required to keep the 1.5-degree promise of Paris alive, Guterres said that he counts on the leadership of the G77 and China over the coming year "to increase ambition and push for that ambition not only on mitigation, but on adaptation -- a basic need for so many countries -- on finance, and on loss and damage, where we still have such a long way to go."

"We need a quantum leap in unity and solidarity to make collective decisions on the global challenges we face, from the climate crisis to our suicidal war on nature, unsustainable levels of inequality, and the unchecked development of new technologies," he said.

(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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US Treasury likely to run out of cash before end of December: CBO

WASHINGTON, Dec 1: The US Treasury Department would most likely run out of cash before the end of December if Congress fails to raise the debt limit, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said.

The US Treasury has already reached the new debt limit of $28.9 trillion, so it currently has no room to borrow under its standard operating procedures, the Federal agency said on Tuesday in a report, adding the department is using the "extraordinary measures" that allow it to continue to borrow additional amounts for a limited time.

If the debt limit remained unchanged and if the US Treasury transferred $118 billion to the Highway Trust Fund on December 15, as currently planned, the Treasury would most likely run out of cash before the end of December, the CBO estimated.

"If that occurred, the government would be unable to pay its obligations fully, and it would delay making payments for some activities, default on its debt obligations, or both," the

Federal agency said.

The CBO's projection came as US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen has urged Congress to raise the debt limit by December 15.

"I cannot overstate how critical it is that Congress address this issue. America must pay its bills on time and in full. If we do not, we will eviscerate our current recovery," Yellen said on Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee.

"I didn't say that there is no way that we can make it past December 15... there is uncertainty about where we will be on December 15, and there are scenarios in which we can see it would not be possible to finance the government," Yellen added.

"We think it's important for Congress to recognise that we may not be able to and therefore to raise the debt ceiling expeditiously," she said.

The debt limit, commonly called the debt ceiling, is the total amount of money that the US government is authorised to borrow to

meet its existing legal obligations, including social security and medicare benefits, interest on the national debt, and other payments.

(IANS)

Travel between Malaysia, Singapore resumes as Vaccinated Travel Lane kicks off

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29: Travel across the bridge connecting Malaysia and Singapore as well as an air corridor opened on Monday after disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The bridge link, or causeway, was one of the busiest crossing points in the world with hundreds of thousands from both countries crossing the link daily before the pandemic.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is on an official visit to Singapore, stopped by the causeway as part of a ceremony to mark its reopening under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL. "As close, immediate neighbours, the deep relation between Malaysia and Singapore is of immense importance to both sides.

More active multilevel engagements and much stronger cooperation is certainly the way forward for our two countries," he told a joint press conference with Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

"This is also crucial for our contact of cooperation in undertaking effective and meaningful recovery efforts, so that our countries will come stronger following the devastating impacts of the Covid pandemic," he said.

Ismail Sabri said talks are underway to increase the number of crossing points, including from the second bridge link, and to allow private vehicles to make the trip.

Currently travellers may only take special busses to make the land crossing while air travellers are confined to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Singapore's

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Changi Airport.

Travel under the VTL will see quarantine requirements waived for fully vaccinated individuals, with other standard operating procedures in place to prevent the spread of Covid.

(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

India's fiscal response

G’Day Mate

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G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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Getting married in Australia Happily Ever… Before and After (Part 1) This document outlines the obligations and consequences of marriage and stating the availability of marriage education and counselling. This is available in English and other languages.

This is given to couples who have lodged a notice of intended marriage form with an approved marriage celebrant. Your celebrant is handing you this document because the decision to marry is one of the biggest decisions a couple can make.

Marriage is a significant step which will bring a number of changes for you, your spouse and your family. This document tells you about the process of getting married in Australia, some important legal consequences of getting married, and where relationship support services, such as marriage education, family counselling or dispute resolution services may be obtained.

In Australia, marriage is regulated by the Marriage Act 1961, which sets out the process for getting married and the legal requirements of a valid marriage.

A completed Notice of Intended Marriage form must be given to

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your celebrant at least one month (and up to 18 months) before the wedding.

You and your partner must provide your celebrant with evidence of your date and place of birth, identity and the end of any previous marriages. You must both sign the ‘Declaration of no legal impediment to marriage’.

By signing the Declaration, you declare that you believe that you are of marriageable age, and that there is no legal impediment to your marriage.

If you have further questions, you may contact me on 0425 853 086 or navee64@gmail.com.

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

On the Menu

Serving Australia’s favourite Indian Street food for the past twenty-twoyears, we speak to Raja, the brainchild behind Sabrini’s delicious creation Few things first, obviously, with all the challenges that's happening overseas due to this COVID situation. Secondly, we always wanted to manufacture our products locally and these products came into life because of this interest, and we also wanted to make a protein range. Thirdly, our research showed that there is not an extensive range available right now, so all these three factors gave us an opportunity to do something locally. We had an overwhelming response.

How has Sabrini innovated itself as commanding position as the most preferred Indian convenient food in Australia?

We put all emphasis on the brand which is going to cover the quality, consistent supply and quality is really the most important ingredient for any product. Because of this approach we've been appreciated, and businesses have continued doing business with us so basically all Sabrini products are really for the Australian market.

W

e all love a Sabrini samosa or an aloo tikki, tucked away cooling itself in a freezer at our home for the next get-together or just to fill that void of an afternoon snack.

Just one bite of any Sabrini products, whether paneer tikka or the Punjabi samosa one will definitely be transported back in time, and you can almost find yourself salivating on a railway cutlet somewhere between Delhi to Amritsar on a Shatabdi express.

For many of us, the story starts at the grocery store and stops there which is quite fine, but it has been a long journey for Sabrini since its inception in 1999, mainly when Australia was coming out of its recession.

Twenty-two years later, in the middle of a global pandemic, Sabrini products are now not only available in any Indian grocery stores but it’s now selling fast at Coles at the frozen food section besides popular Australian brands.

When most businesses are still trying to keep themselves afloat Sabrini foods are going robust launching and manufacturing new products locally.

Just recently, we at G’day India and the Indian Weekly caught up with Raja to talk about his journey and Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit at the Sabrini facility.

Prime Minister in our facility and having an engagement from the government, especially from the top man of the country, motivating the business to grow. Also, the government’s vision to manufacture Australian products, which can be potentially exported is very motivating. I like the way the government thinks, and I thank them for the support that they have shown.

The PM’s visit to our office is very encouraging especially in front of the media was not only motivating but it gave us the sense of encouragement to take the business further.

You have just launched Australian made Chicken Tikka & Biryani Range to your list of products.

What made you introduce them now?

Congratulations on the recent visit of the PM, Mr Scott Morrison at Sabrini facility. How does it feel?

It’s definitely an honour to host the

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Now how did you get celebrity chef Harpal Chef to create a premium product range for Sabrini? How did that come about?

That's a very good question.

Manufacturing products overseas or here anyway is not an easy thing. Basically, I love food, but I'm not a good cook. If people ask me to cook, I'll be really bad.

But I want to grow the business, so the idea of bringing somebody who has hands-on knowledge knowing how to engage with the products and also with Sabrini’s vision was necessary. Someone who was keen, made sure the recipes are good because it has a signature on it. On bringing a celebrity chef, we wanted to make sure that it is eleven out of ten not just ordinary.

Chef Harpal Singh was a very good choice for us because he's not just a celebrity chef, but he really cooks well.

Prior to COVID we used to bring Chef Harpal once a year or sometimes twice a year to Australia to engage in a workshop with the Indian and Australian audiences; he knew exactly what to do.

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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Only the team has helped us to bring the dream into reality.

People have been with us for many years, and that's what I respect and without the team, I will not be here.

We value them a lot and they reciprocate the same respect to me.

All who works in Sabrini is like a family it’s just not them but it’s also their family who are a part of the bigger family - Sabrini. This mantra has been with them since its inception.

Then according to their taste, he would combine their feedback into an original recipe to create that product for us; and we made sure the production is executed perfectly.

Having a chef onboard has made Sabrini unique, especially when a chef is so rooted in the culture, travelling to different parts of India. So, he really can get the recipe from the grassroots level.

When the PM visited us at our facility, he asked for Chef Harpal Singh and that’s when we know how valuable he is to the product apart from just creating good recipes.

I know this one is going to be a bit difficult for you but if you only have to choose one product from the Sabrini range, which makes you feel over the moon, what would that be and why?

It’s a difficult one. I would say it’s the Punjabi samosa; we have made it for the market here. I would say it's the best samosa in the market because we keep getting repeated orders, and that tells something that people cannot have enough of our samosas.

What gives Sabrini an edge over its competitors?

We want to put a signature on our recipe.

It's not just a product, a label or a commodity that comes in. We want to have our own signature on products that people love.

Sabrini’s main focus is on the brand I think that's what we are trying to set us apart from others I would say.

Sabrini is known to be a team player, you value your team a lot. How does it help?

Can you share with us some major challenges and how did you overcome them?

Challenges keeps me active.

When I started in 1999, well almost started in 1998 to understand the business, understand the market understand how to do things. It was a tough time because Australia was coming out of recession.

There was no interest in encouraging anybody I knew at the time, no interest in any new products to be embedded into the market. It was a tough time in those days.

It was pretty challenging, and the exchange rate for 1 Aussie dollar was about 54 cents US. The challenges are even bigger today, like the ocean freight which has almost gone up almost 15 times more than usual but, that also brought us a solution to start our manufacturing here.

Besides, we always need a good team and always need funds into the business which is an ongoing challenge that we will be having but we will be handling it pretty good as we move on.

What is Sabrini’s secret recipe for success?

My answer is if you have your vision clear and if you focus on it, it will happen. Never lose focus on your mission.

Are there any surprises coming in your range?

Definitely! Next year is going to be an exciting year for us.

We will be getting into a few different lines that will create a shift in the market with the lines of products we will introduce, but definitely interesting things will happen.

Where do you see Sabrini as a brand in the next five years?

That's a difficult one to say. Our mission is anybody who wants to eat Indian should be either eating a Sabrini product or buying a Sabrini product. I think Sabrini has been well placed in the market.

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Whether an Indian or non-Indian anybody who loves good quality food just knows it has to be Sabrini and that’s the vision we want people to familiarise with.

How did the name Sabrini come about?

Even though I have a son but my wife and daughter becomes very special as a husband and a father.

It's been a very interesting as I wanted to combine both the names to create a business name.

All of a sudden one night it came to me.

Why don’t I combine Sabita’s Sab with my daughter’s Harini to make it Sabrini?

It sounded nice to me and to all our wellwishers. It’s within the family and the family name is very important.

It’s a family run business and my wife is fully focused on the business. It’s a small enterprise where people feel like a family.

As we conclude our interview, we can see how Sabrini just came with lightning speed and took over the market. An Indian business in food to be standing tall and proud after twenty-two years says a lot about the business and the founder. We wish Raja and his team all the very best for the future and definitely couldn’t think of anyone else to quote than the chef himself, Chef Harpal Singh “Great things are achieved by a small one to start with!”

By Nandita Chakraborty

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Happy Morphosis

A

Meet Tara Suresh Kumar a former Principal, and a teacher who studied the Science of Happiness to fill the void of retirement only to be an author of a children’s book

ge is definitely just a number when it comes to Tara. Apart from being a positive and happy individual, she loves meeting and interacting with people.

Tara confirms that she’s more outgoing than her reserved husband Suresh Kumar - a man of depth as she lovingly refers to him. Both Tara and Suresh are originally from Kerala and

were brought up in Chennai and have known each other since childhood. In fact, distantly related, their love blossomed when they were in college together. Fluent in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, Tara is also a postgraduate in English literature.

A tragedy early in life and later both Tara’s daughters moving abroad led them to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

Tara had been dividing her travels between Seattle to her youngest daughter Sunethra and in Melbourne to her older daughter Sunayana. Tara along with Suresh had been visiting Australia since 2011. Rest as she says is history as her visits to this beautiful country attracted her and Suresh to moving here; the stronger and more compelling reason however was being in proximity to the grandkids.

Since moving to Melbourne just before the lockdown in 2020, she’s been working as a Teacher Aide and as she’s familiar with the Victorian curriculum, she’s been taking tuitions; and teaching general English for students of years Prep Grade 8.

“I observed that many

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children perceived that happiness came from outside: through acquisition, through external validation. I felt the urge to help children understand that happiness comes from within and is in no way dependent on external factors.” This is what prompted her to write her book Happy Morphosis.

We at G’day India couldn’t ignore Tara’s and Suresh’s brave move to leave everything familiar to embrace the unfamiliar in a brandnew country. As we bring this story of courage and hope it is a reminder to all of us that every now and then life shakes us up to bring out the best in us.

Having been through a traumatic incident early in life, how has it changed you?

All of us go through incidents in life which serve as an eye-opener. Agreed, ours was a tragic one wherein we lost our son Sandeep.

I must admit that initially, I did experience feelings of victimhood. With time, this gave way to the realisation that there are no answers to ‘Why’ it had to happen to us.

However, now that I am into this Buddhist practice, I am able to understand that it is all a part of our Karma and that Suresh, and I were meant to go through that experience.

As for the change – I am more empathetic and understanding of another’s pain and suffering. Life is short and so truly precious.

We need to savour each and every moment with our loved ones.

With three decades of teaching experience can you share some highlights?

Teaching has always been my passion as I get to spend time with young children. I saw myself rise in rank from a teacher to a Head Mistress and then the Principal of a leading school. I have taught a considerable number of students and am proud to state that I have definitely made a difference in the lives of quite a few of them. I am still in touch with so many of them via Facebook and Instagram.

Starting all over again, what are the challenges you face?

It has been very challenging indeed. As we are all aware, establishing oneself all over again in a new country and environment is far from easy.

Suresh is an Electrical engineer, and his field of work involves working with electrostatic precipitators which help reduce air pollution.

Unfortunately, Australia does not have much scope for work in this area. Despite my decades of teaching experience, I am required to obtain a local certificate But yes, I have been very fortunate to register with ANZUK. This agency deputes me to different schools as a Teacher Aide. I enjoy

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

this role because of the opportunity I get to help kids with learning disabilities. At the end of the day, there’s a tremendous sense of satisfaction that I am able to help a child in need.

What do you and your husband do for living in your new country of choice?

My husband provides engineering consultancy to companies in India, and we are hoping he gets an opportunity to work with local companies doing the same. Until then, he is enjoying work as an Amazon delivery partner.

I continue to work as a Teacher Aide. The urge to be of value in a student’s life has been so compelling that I have also started online and in person tutoring classes to help improve a child’s comprehension and creative writing skills. I’m happy to share that I am already taking classes for students based in Melbourne, U.S. and India.

Post-retirement, you authored a book – Happy Morphosis. How did that come about?

Retirement – this word is insignificant to me for I feel I still have so much to give to the society. I am glad to be in a country where you are valued for what you can offer by means of work and where age is no criteria.

Prior to writing the book, I undertook an online course on The Science Of Happiness from UC Berkeley. This helped me coalesce several years of life experience and words of wisdom from great authors - all of which helped me with the content of the book that conveys a lucid and simple message.

It would come as a surprise to you that I completed the book #HappyMorphosis in just two months. Although the book is primarily directed towards children, I understand that adults too have benefited from it.

What did you do to keep yourself motivated?

My Buddhist practice of chanting has kept

me strong. In addition, thanks to the lockdown, I could get back to yoga, meditating and reading.

Apart from Rhonda Byrne, Louis Hay and a few others, I’ve developed a strong liking for Wayne Dyer’s books and videos.

One thing you felt very special when you first arrived in Australia?

Other than the wonderful fact that I am near my children, I absolutely love this beautiful and picturesque country and have had beautiful experiences– so yes… I would love to continue being here.

Away from friends, was lockdown very difficult in a foreign country?

Well, I never experienced lockdown in India. So, I wouldn’t be able to comment on the difference.

Lockdown here was okay except for two months when I couldn’t get to visit my daughter’s home. Thanks to technology, we could chat with the little ones online.

I chose to make the best use of my confinement indoors. Since my online classes had already commenced, there was much for me to do – be it preparation of the tasks I had planned or checking their work.

Since when are you an ardent practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism and how does it help?

Suresh and I were introduced to Nichiren Buddhism by a very dear friend Sunita Narang when we visited her in Delhi in 2017-2018.

There has been no looking back since then.

The philosophy is to enable every single person to be happy without exception.

All one needs to do is chant – ‘Nam Myo Ho

25

Renge Kyo’ It is an expression of determination, to embrace and manifest our Buddha nature. It is a pledge to oneself to never yield to difficulties and to win over one’s suffering. At the same time, it is a vow to help others reveal this law in their lives and achieve happiness.

“By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we awaken to the reality that within our life is unlimited reserves of courage, wisdom and compassion—that we are in fact Buddhas.”

What is next for you and your husband?

Suresh has incredible experience, and he wishes to put it to good use here in Australia.

As for me, my passion for teaching and being with kids is only getting stronger by the day and it’s my ardent desire to make a difference in many more lives.

With hard work and determination, we definitely look forward to a promising future by gaining a firmer foothold in our respective careers and in jobs that will bring out the best in us.

Tara’s and Suresh’s bravery and their lived experiences exemplify that if life gives you an idea, run with it. We at G’day India and The Indian Weekly not only wish them the very best for their new life in Melbourne but we couldn’t help quoting Tara’s favourite lines

by Elizabeth Gilbert “No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated, one bright act of grace at a time.”

By Nandita Chakraborty (You can contact Tara regarding the classes she conducts for Years Prep – 8, you may send her an email to: tara.happysoul@gmail.com.

www.gdayindia.com.au | M: 0412-114-383

26

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Thank-You Zindagi Meet kidney recipient, Manisha Chaubal-Menon, to be recognised as one of the Australians at this year’s ‘Donate Life, Thank- You Day’ on Sunday 21st November

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or the past six years, ‘Thank-you day’ has been an important day for people who have received a transplant and equally an occasion to celebrate and for their families to say ‘thank-you’ to their donors for changing their lives. We at G’day India and The Indian Weekly sit down with the courageous Manisha (52) to reflect on her journey as she takes us to the day in India when she first came to know about her kidneys.

Manisha, at the age of 38, was diagnosed five years ago before the transplant, when a severe stomach pain landed her up in a hospital in India, just a day before flying to Melbourne. Later only to be told about with ‘IgA nephropathy’ - a kidney disease in which IgA, a protein meant to defend the body against foreign invaders, accumulates in the kidneys and damages them, impairing their filtering function. Unfortunately, there is no cure, nothing to reverse the process of the kidney to function properly and the doctors made her aware that if not sooner than definitely later she might need a transplant. Manisha’s condition was treated with medication and dialysis three times a week for four hours at a time. The main focus for Manisha’s kidney is not to reduce to 10% or below and she was placed on the organ waiting list for a donor’s kidney.

It was decided that Manisha’s husband Prakash would be her donor or in the worstcase scenario if the kidney was not compatible, then they would opt for ‘Paired kidney.’ It meant that Prakash would have to give his kidney to somebody else, and that person would then partner their kidney to Manisha.

Meanwhile Manisha didn’t stop her life, she continued with her passion - dancing.

Amongst a number of careers Manisha has

had, she was primarily a dancer. She ran a dance troupe/school in Melbourne, producing shows including Shiamak Davar’s Stars of Bollywood – a journey of Indian cinema through dance at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Manisha and Prakash also took their kids to India to familiarise them with the life of urban and rural India.

A visit to a farm just three days prior to boarding a flight for Melbourne was not only an adventure for the kids but it also proved fatal for Manisha as she was taken to the emergency ward once arriving in Melbourne.

Manisha contracted a very rare UTI (urinary tract infection) that usually happens when in close contact with farm animals. The inevitable happened to push her kidney function from 20% to 13%. She had to undergo dialysis, which was a very physically painful experience for her at that stage.

While she was on the waiting list for four years, she was producing a dance show with her partner at the Bollywood Dance School, Manisha befriended an Indian couple, and they would insist on becoming her live kidney donor. Organs from donors of the same ethnic background are more likely to be a close match to patients in need of transplants. It took a while for Manisha and her husband to accept this generous offer as they were a young couple and haven’t even started a family.

Manisha then decided to accept the offer of the male friend to be the subsequent donor.

“It was your name written all over his kidney” says the donor’s mother to Manisha making her a bit emotional during the interview.

Finally, in October 2012, Manisha’s kidney transplant took place at the age of 43 and it was a successful transplant after six hours of operation. Isolated in a hospital room from everyone, Manisha was protecting herself due to her immune being suppressed, but it took her three months post-operation to settle with the new kidney. Prakash, her husband, looked after Manisha and her donor friend as they recovered from their respective surgeries.

Her recovery has been incredible, taking ten to twelve tablets before breakfast to kick start her day hadn’t changed her routine – she was going to the gym four months post-transplant

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and started running eight months posttransplant. Though she knows that even after ten to fifteen years of the transplant, the body may still reject the transplant and she has to continue taking some medication for life, this still hasn’t dampened Manisha’s outlook towards life.

Her incredible message to people is straight forward “When I die what use is my body to anyone? I’d rather donate my organs and save 10 plus lives. If you’d been in a situation where your loved one needed one, would you say No? No, in fact, you would do anything and everything to save their lives.”

Manisha is passionate and though her perspective in life is to live every day as if it’s the last one might sound so clichéd but to her every day is a gift and tomorrow is never known so live today to the maximum.

Registering to become an organ donor is not only about saving one life; it is about saving a family.

Manisha’s challenges haven’t tarnished her positivity, she has become an advocate to transform peoples live by spreading the message of organ donation. Be it in a University Open day or even volunteering at the Royal Easter show and she’s the customer representative with the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, a voice for the patient. Apart from studying a Diploma of Counselling she facilitates an anxiety recovery group in Melbourne.

Even a family tragedy losing her son in LA six years ago in a accident has not made Manisha the victim to life’s tragedy, stealing her time with her son but it has made her strong and resilient to fight back on every curveball life threw at her.

People would often question “Why Me?” but Manisha never reflected on why this has happened to her. She candidly tells us that it has paved her path that she may never have embraced, be it spiritually or even being sensitive to things around her.

The power of Manisha’s positivity so touches us, and the way challenges haven’t jaded her momentum, but she has run with it and made it her own, we at G’day India and The Indian Weekly salute her remarkable journey and wish her the very best for the future.

Manisha’s amazing bravery is a testament to time, and we couldn’t help but quote Rumi “The wound is the place where the light enters you.”

By Nandita Chakraborty Register now at: donatelife.gov.au #ThankYouDay2021

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

27

Fear Factor

Meet novelist Keran Pantth who loves writing ghost stories besides managing her hotel in Tasmania

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orn and brought up in Delhi, India, Keran is not only a qualified Physiotherapist, but she has also done her MBA in Human Resources.

Before moving to Melbourne, she has lived in many cities in India, including Vizag, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore. In 2012, she was in Pune working in Wipro, when she got married, she had to leave her life in India to be with her husband Deepak in Melbourne. The boredom of waiting for her PR and because of visa restrictions involving work, she got into writing to fill in the void. So, one can say her career in writing started due to this weariness but then again, she always wanted to do write but never had the time in India. Keran wasted no time and got herself wearing her creative hat penning down her debut novel in 2012 ‘Beyond Forever in Love” published in 2014.

After that she was consumed by the lull again - Life happened. “I realised that the monotonous 9 to 5 job wasn’t enough for me! I wanted a challenge and change.’’ Says Keran.

Keran started to work with Chandler Macleod in workforce planning and later shifted to Medibank but soon realised she was meant to do something bigger and then the unimaginable happened. In 2017 along with her family, Keran shifted to Tasmania, where she and her husband took over a hotel. Talk about a challenge, it was not only colossal but running a hotel came with many provocations, especially when someone is a beginner in hospitality and a first timer in selfemployment.

It was during the Covid lockdown that gave her the discipline and time to write her second novel, ‘CHECKIN CHECKOUT’ and immediately when that got published, the third book ‘IT FOLLOWS YOU’ soon followed.

Excerpts from the Interview with Keran: From Physiotherapist to HR to Recruitment and finally a writer, what made you change your career so frequently?

The only major change I think I did was to leave Physiotherapy to do MBA. In Melbourne, I did whatever I could get which was associated with HR. But after five years of doing a corporate job, I realised that I desperately craved a change. Writing for me isn’t something full time, it happened in my life intermittently. Covid lockdown gave that time where, like others, I too visited my passion and completed my second book and then my third book.

How did writing come about in your life?

I don’t think it suddenly came to me.

Even though I wrote my first book in 2012, my writing journey started way back in my childhood to writing my daily diary, which was replaced by my blog. It was in my bucket list to write a book someday.

I guess sometimes you need to do nothing to know what really drives and motivates

you. Covid time has been an eye-opener in that aspect and I can certainly say that I have released two books during these times.

What genre fascinates you the most and why?

The genre that fascinates me the most is Thriller/Horror I love this genre. I love stories that keep me on the edge of my seat. My inspiration to write a particular story comes from the fact that I myself would like to read it. Stories that make me excited!

What inspires you to write horror?

I love stories that are thrilling and scary.

As far as inspirations for the stories or ideas, I have a highly overactive imagination and I often observe people, things, and situations.

This gives me a lot of fodder for new stories.

What is the process that you take to write?

I try to write with a particular theme in mind. My last two books are anthologies of short stories and even though the stories are different from each other, the readers will find something to connect the stories to. Once I have a particular theme in mind, the stories come to me.

What inspires you to create characters?

My inspiration comes from people around me. People who have touched my life, sometimes random people. I believe that good character building is crucial for storytelling, and readers should relate to a character. Especially with horror stories, you need to make sure there is a good character and environment building for readers to feel scared.

I like to have characters which are inspired from real life, deemed by flaws, weaknesses, and issues.

Who is your favourite author and why?

Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe and Neil D silva.

I like the way Stephen King’s characters think, I am also inspired by them as the characters are flawed and the way King goes into detail of character is great.

Edgar Allan Poe is another favourite; and his stories are so dark, contains symbolism. The gothic and mysterious way of writing terrified me a lot as a child.

Neil D silva is another favourite of mine when it comes to Indian horror writers. His stories are so intense, and his character building is great. Lucky that he endorsed my book too.

Do you think writing is a gift, talent, or skill?

I strongly think writing’s a skill. It may start as a passion which can be termed as a gift, but then passion leads to acquiring skills.

You can’t become a great writer just like that. You need to work on that storytelling skill.

Tell us about your book ‘It Follows You’?

What is the idea behind it? How long did it

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take to write?

‘It Follows you’ has 12 short stories that coil around 12 protagonists who find themselves in unprecedented situations where evil follows them. All the stories are linked to each other with the same theme, which the readers would understand when they read it. Also, the stories are interspersed across different cities and villages in India and happen in a time frame extending from 1957 to 2019.

I have been carrying these stories over some time and these are the stories I heard during summer vacation in my ancestral village. Few incidents have happened with my relatives, friends, and the rest is all in the storytelling.

But all the stories are smothered in with many regional and urban legends too.

It just took me two to three months to write the book.

What is your message to young writers?

Just do it! Don’t overanalyse. Definitely don’t get demotivated with negative feedback.

If you love writing, just go for it. Have faith in yourself, your ideas, and your stories.

Be original!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself busy and definitely a few more books under my belt. I also see myself as an entrepreneur exploring something new.

I don’t have any short and long-term plans but I see myself enjoying my senior years.

A writer is never daunted by writing. Call it passion or call it an occupational hazard.

Keran has just taken her passion to new heights, where she has opened doors to new challenges. It’s a new dawn for Indian Australian women writers, paving a path for the next generation to tell their stories and ideas and come along collectively as artists to unite creatively. We at the Indian Weekly and the G’day India not only wish Keran the very best for her many more horror stories but couldn’t help quoting her favourite author Stephen King “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”

By Nandita Chakraborty

28

LEGAL

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Co-parenting by separated parents BY GURPAL SINGH

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ne of the most difficult questions in the case of a separated partner/couple will always remain to be how to collaborate and co-parent their children. Curiously the partners have separated but they still owe a joint task or responsibility to provide the best care and welfare to their children. And it becomes very important for the separated partners to understand the importance of this challenge.

The Australian family law jurisprudence focuses on the fundamental principle of ‘best interest of the child/ren’ in working out the parenting arrangements in any given case.

Understanding the different types of parenting orders available under the Family Law Act encapsulate the concept of co-parenting.

It may be that the legal terminology as used in the commonwealth is different from the popular terminology often interpreted incorrectly or inappropriately.

The principles of ‘shared parenting responsibility’ as used under the Family Law Act warrant the parents to make joint decisions about the major long-term issues impacting the child. These decisions include the matters of education, cultural and religious upbringing, health, names and living arrangements that would otherwise make it difficult for a child to spend time with the separated parents without any proper hassle and stress.

The residence of the child and the time a child spends with each of the parents provide for the joint shared responsibility of the child’s time on a more equitable basis. These plans are designed to match the expectation of ‘the best interests of the child/ren’ including and not limited to consideration to the child’s

developmental needs.

In contrast with the previous understanding in respect of authority over the child in which the child was considered as a piece of a property the lawmakers recognised the need to understand the whole process from the point of view of the child who suffers immensely because of the separated parents.

The convention on the rights of the child warrants several rights to the child including but not limited to 1. Be cared for their best interests being the paramount consideration; 2. Be provided for in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child; 3 be protected against all forms of discrimination; 4 be protected from a harm; 5. Life; 6. Know and be cared for by the parents; 7 maintain personal relations and direct contact with both the parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the best interest of the child; 8 express their views freely in all matters affecting the child when the child is capable of forming their own view.

There is a presumption that both the parents will have an equal parental responsibility and that they will both have a role in making the decisions about the matters affecting the child in the long term and short term. The child’s best interest is to have a regular and continuing contact, care, and interaction with both the parents without there being any bad flavour of the parents’ separation. To focus on these fundamental expectations, the Australian family legal jurisprudence now focuses on the duties and obligations of the parents rather than any form of parental rights. The emphasis is on the duties and obligations of the parents and the child’s rights. The child’s rights include having the benefit of care of both the parents; protection from any harm; proper care and parenting and an expectation upon the parents to discharge their duties and obligations in a proper and genuine manner and to the best of their ability.

The concept of co-parenting exists with every parenting arrangement, regardless of its formal title. In different ways, each parent is involved in raising the child in cooperation, collaboration, communication, compromise, and consistency. These features grow over time and sometimes consume years of work to evolve effectively. We note that the children in parenting arrangement often experience high anxiety during times including moving from one place to another parent. This results from the child’s knowledge of the conflict between the parents and sometimes extreme nature of conduct of either or both the parents. One needs to ensure that the child/ren are protected from the conflict between the parents. Minimum verbal and physical contact between the parents are helpful and is often useful to communicate through letter or an email.

Gurpal Singh is the principal lawyer of Melbourne law firm, Saundh Singh & Smith Lawyers | W: www.sssl.com.au

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OPINION

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

29

Christmas – What it means to us?

BY KARTHIK ARASU President of “Australia India Sports Council

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s I am writing this column, the news of the new variant of the Covid19 virus has just started coming. And we've gone through the Greek alphabets for this virus; we're now up to the Omicron variant. Every time we think we have overcome and are ready to open, this virus throws in another curveball; it's almost like it has been waiting to mutate until we start celebrating.

We can still celebrate; Australia is one of the best-prepared countries in the world, we are one of the most highly vaccinated societies in the world.

Christmas celebrations have already started across Australia, and after a long pause, many among the diaspora are preparing to fly overseas to meet their loved ones for holidays. The virus is just trying to remind us it's still around, and we need to be careful. To be honest, we all have had enough, and we were looking forward to this

Christmas and New Year break.

I asked my friends what Christmas meant to them; each had their own versions.

Many in the multicultural communities who

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don't have Christmas due to their faith still celebrate Christmas in their way. For them, Christmas meant a holiday, meeting family and friends, forgetting the diet, decorating the Christmas tree at home even if they don't follow the faith, buying gifts, just taking a break and so on. The most important aspect of them all is- Christmas means spending time with family and friends, no matter how we celebrate it or even if we don't.

During Christmas and New Year breaks, many among our diaspora will travel back home and meet their family and friends.

Getting on the flight will be exciting; many hugs, cheers and bonding are long overdue.

This Christmas may be different to many. So many have lost their loved ones, we will not be able to see them; it will be confronting in many ways. It is not easy to be so far away from loved ones and especially lose one when we are oceans apart. But we have to continue and celebrate their lives together with ours; we owe this to our loved ones.

Supporting one another is also the best of Christmas. Yes, we have been great during the pandemic. We shared ours with those who didn't have any; we spoke for others when they couldn't, that's the Aussie spirit, and no one can outdo us in celebrations. The cheer of the holiday season will light up not just houses around us, also our hearts with joy.

In the words of Michelle Obama, "You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once. But don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own."

Let's look forward with courage and hope that the New year will bring joy and the world will be much closer than it is.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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FEATURE FESTIVALS

CHRISTMAS – A time for celebration

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

BY ARCHITA BAWEJA

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he smell of fresh-baked goods filling the house. The tree glistens with perfectly hung lights and a fire crackling as the kids play with new toys. These are all synonymous with Christmas and the holiday period that comes along with it. For some, it's spending time with friends and family whereas for others, it’s about getting a break from the busy work life.

Christmas is celebrated in most countries to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. It acts as a catalyst to a happy and wonderful life. People in various places celebrate Christmas in different ways, but there are certain customs and traditions which are common across the globe, which may include exchanging gifts and sweets and decorating houses with colourful lights.

Not only this, people go over and beyond themselves and their families and help the unprivileged and poor. Many individuals, schools and non-profits organise a collection of ‘gifts of affection’ which are then distributed to disadvantaged or disabled children.

People who live in the cold winter climates of North America and Europe look forward to a “white Christmas,” because snow is one of the features associated with the holiday season. But Christmas is also celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere, including in the countries of South America and in Australia and New Zealand—places where it is summer at Christmastime and in places with year-round warm climates. Each place where

the holiday is celebrated has developed its own attitudes toward the occasion and has created customs that try in many ways to express the meaning of the day. Over the centuries, a significant number of customs and traditional observances have emerged to make the Christmas season one of the most colourful and festive times of the year.

For many Christians, Christmas remains a religious holiday and is celebrated with a

mass.

Melbourne, Australia, in particular, is all lit up during Christmas. Every year the Federation square across the famous Flinders Street station turns into a shiny Christmas square. It offers an amazing array of free sights, sounds and experiences. The centrepiece is the glorious tall LED Christmas tree featuring hundreds of individually programmed LED branches topped by a twinkling star. Another attraction of the square is the giant Christmas Bauble, a white wonder glittering by the day and twinkling by the night. Some other luring scenes at the square are the Gingerbread village, Christmas projections and Santa’s house.

For me, Christmas is a time to slow down and spend time with friends and family. Every year one of our family friends organises a Christmas barbeque near their home in Melbourne. The smell of fresh food, children giggling, laughing and running around in the park, and after that, all of us sitting and chatting along while opening our Christmas presents is what makes Christmas complete for me.

In the end, I would say take time this holiday season to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by glorifying the One who gave it all. Understand the sacrifices made by Jesus for the benefit of us all and remember his teachings in the form of spreading love, happiness and cheer amongst all.

By Archita Baweja

Archita Baweja of Melbourne is an engineer by profession but a writer at heart

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FASHION

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

31

Stopover on the Great Ocean Road

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BY DEBASREE DAS

enowned for its rugged natural beauty, shipwreck stories, and surfing culture, the Great Ocean Road and its frequently changing and dramatic landscapes and views make these 242 kilometres stretch of road Australia's most famous coastal journey.

But when we think of the Great Road, there is much beyond just the 12 Apostles.

So, let’s take a moment to discover the hidden gems on the Great Ocean Road.

Port Campbell A colourful, vibrant and lively seaside town that screams summer all year round.

A popular tourist destination, especially in summer, wherein the beachside cafes and bars offers the perfect dining ambience.

Today, I am going to take you around a few hidden spots around Port Campbell.

1) London Bridge: The collapse of the London Bridge highlights the everchanging structure of this coast. With the rocky sandstone cliff shoreline slowly crumbling and shifting in structure due to the continuous erosion of weather and sea. A great place to stop and ponder and enjoy the view of this limestone formation.

2) Port Campbell National Park: The discovery walk is one of the most scenic walks that takes you along the coastline and rugged cliffs showing you a scenic beauty that you otherwise would have missed. This is a moderate hike and would take appx 1-2 hour return.

3) Port Campbell Bay: Known for its amazing swimming beaches, this bay is safe and the perfect place for families to unwind during a summer day.

You can see kids happily playing and enjoying themselves on the sand while adults unwind with a beer and a book. The bay is formed from two cliffs shielding the area from major ocean currents.

It creates a tranquil bay with gentle waves ideal for swimming and surfing. The Port Campbell Jetty is also located in the bay, where you can go fishing. There are plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the views or have a picnic. It’s a fun place to spend the day.

4) Mutton Bird Island: The best place to see the short-tailed

seabirds is at Mutton Bird Island. The island is another unique rock formation off the coast that attracts lots of birds to nest. Another magnificent limestone structure located near the London bridge. It has a scenic viewing platform where you can stop and keep gazing at the beauty of nature.

Port Campbel is one of my favourite places on the Great Ocean Road for an overnight stopover, great food, great ambience, and an amazing stay on the ocean road.

If you experience seasickness, you can take a shorter route to Port Campbell from Melbourne to avoid having to cross Lorne.

Let’s talk about accommodation, the beachside Motels offers a cosy and cheap stay at min $150/ night. Reasonable enough as it's right across downtown and a 20-meter walk to the beach.

If you find yourself adventurous enough, then there are a couple of trails to walk off the Port Campbell National Park which takes you through the caravan park to a scenic walk up the stairs to the top view of the bay.

Take this walk during sunset and treat yourself to some splendid Aussie sunset.

If you would love to read about more beautiful places in Victoria, do give me a follow on my Instagram www.instagram.com/ travelinstylewithdebs Till then, keep exploring while I will be back next month with yet another adventure.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @travelinstylewithdebs for your daily fashion inspiration. travelinstylewithdebs

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32

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

YOUR BODY NEEDS A GOOD 8 HOURS OF

SLEEP EVERY NIGHT

Sleep is an essential function that helps in recharging our bodies and minds. Moreover, healthy sleep also helps the body in remaining fit and it staves off any diseases. When we do not get enough sleep, our brain does not function properly and it can impair our abilities to concentrate, think clearly and process memories. An adequate amount of sleep that an adult requires ranges from seven to nine hours.

However, work schedules, day-to-day stressors, a disruptive bedroom environment and medical conditions can prevent us from receiving adequate and peaceful sleep. Hence, a healthy diet and good lifestyle habits can ensure a good amount of sleep each night. However, for some people chronic lack of sleep may be a sign of a sleep disorder.

Sleep reflects one’s state of mind and overall health in general. A good sleep is one which is age appropriate in duration, qualitatively divided into various sleep stages of adequate periods and which eventually makes a person feel refreshed in the morning and through the day. Although there is a wide variation in the amount of total sleep required by healthy adults to maintain a good daytime function, it is widely accepted that a good, consolidated 8 hours of uninterrupted night-time sleep is essential for majority of adults. An adequate amount of sleep duration is extremely important to maintain good mental and physical health. A sleep deprived person often experiences decline in cognitive function, poor memory, inability to concentrate on tasks at hand and easy irritability with frequent mood swings. Even if the sleep duration is adequate, an interrupted and disrupted sleep

with poor sleep quality devoid of deep sleep is also associated with excessive daytime sleepiness with declining cognitive function.

Lack of good sleep, both in terms of duration and quality, can adversely affect the physical wellbeing with such individuals being more prone to develop both infectious as well as lifestyle related diseases. With the millennial generation adopting a 24-hour lifestyle without any defined periods of sleep, increase in the total screen time during COVID-19 lockdowns due to exponential increase in online classes and meetings, and poor sleep hygiene, have all resulted in a variety of sleep disorders.

Ultimately, this very important aspect of keeping people healthy is not only being ignored but also leading to abuse of sleeping pills, alcohol and smoking. With rising stress levels and a constant pressure to meet deadlines, it is extremely important to maintain a work life balance and give oneself adequate opportunity and time to have a good

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night sleep. If anyone experiences any kind of sleep related issues, these should be brought to the immediate notice of the sleep physicians and expert opinion must be taken for timely diagnosis and management.

All in all, sleep is good and necessary. For adults, getting at least seven hours of sleep ensures proper daytime functioning which involves being alert for the day and being able to concentrate and not moody and tired through the day. Creating a night time routine that ensures that your mind and body are relaxed can be helpful in ensuring a good sleep for all individuals.

By Ayush Gupta

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

33

REMEDIES TO REDUCE EYE STRAIN WHILE WORKING FROM HOME The unprecedented event in the form of a Pandemic has pushed people to work from home. While what seemed like a good break from the traditional 9-5, work from home brought its own challenges. With the increased working hours due to the lack of clear boundary between personal and professional life, work from home did not prove to be a relief like it was supposed to.

According to the CMR study, the average screen time for Indians increased to 25 per cent. And 23 per cent complained about weaker eyesight due to extended work hours.

Ayurveda is the ancient Indian science that works on creating a balance and treating the body in a holistic manner.

Following are the key Ayurvedic herbs and practices shared by Ritika Krit, Founder, Kamree that one can incorporate in their daily lives to decrease eye strain caused by electronics.

Icing or Sheeta Satmya: Consistent use of electronics produces heat in the eyes and makes eyelids dull and tired. To counter the effects of overwork, soak cotton balls in cool milk or rose water and place it on your eyes for a few minutes. The exercise will give much-awaited relief to the eyes.

Palm Exercise: Palm exercise, known as palming, is an ancient Ayurvedic technique to massage eyes and provide relaxation.

Rub your arms together for 10 seconds and place it on your shut eyes in a cupping gesture. Remember not to put pressure on your eyes. Do the techniques 2-3 times as you inhale and exhale slowly. The Ayurvedic exercise provides relief to your eyes and is also helpful for a goodnight’s sleep.

Mudras: Mudras are simple hand gestures that are always defined as a healing modality. Most Mudras for better eye vision can be done lying down while breathing normally. Different Mudras have different effects on the body, and when combined with a breathing exercise, they can bring back balance in the body while

strengthening all desired parts and healing them holistically.

One of the most common Mudra is Prana Mudra. In order to practice Prana Mudra, keep your spine erect and body relaxed with open palms placed on your lap. Join the tip of your pinky finger to ring the finger to the tip of your thumb and breathe normally for 15 minutes. The Mudra will promote healthy vision and heal irritable eyes.

Herbs for stronger eye vision Fennel - Rich in Vitamin A and C, fennel is good to strengthen your eye vision. You can either consume it in the form of tea or wash your eyes with fennel water as it cooling for the eyes.

Triphala - Three fruits - Haritaki, Amla, and Bibhitaki make Triphala which balances the energies in the body and is a good source of antioxidants and Vitamin C, which reverses the signs of inflammation and oxidative stress.

The Ginkgo Biloba - Native to China, Ginkgo Biloba is most effective in treating degrading eye vision.

Calendula - Also known as “Pot Marigold,” calendula is an antiinflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial herb that helps in treating eye conditions such as redness, swelling, mild irritations, Almonds - The most common ingredient to Indian households, almonds are a good source of Vitamin E, which promotes the growth of healthy tissues and great vision.

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Lifestyle Changes Splash water 3-5 times a day to active facial nerves and arteries.

Take a break from electronics during meals.

Practice calmness as anger and frustration can increase the flow of blood, which dilates pupils and causes eye strain. You can also exercise pranayama to bring more peace to your daily life.

Avoid hot water for showers which can cause the imbalance of fire elements in the body. Instead, use lukewarm water whenever necessary.

Wear preventive eyeglasses when using electronics to avoid direct contact with blue light.

Avoid reading or using electronics in a dark room.

Avoid rubbing your eyes harshly.

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Nearly 3 in 4 millennials suffer from eco-anxiety without knowing it New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) In the year 2018, going through a personal journey of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle, she started to re-evaluate her ways of consuming, eating habits, figuring out what she believed in, her ethos is and what kind of work she would like to be known for.

“My personal struggles clubbed with my eco-anxiety led me to change the start my journey of zero-waste and plastic-free living. I realised that this journey was not easy unless you put in many months of research on choosing the right products for your health and that of the planet.

“As part of my research, I spoke to many customers and businesses to understand why the eco-friendly industry hasn’t received the limelight it deserves both from a consumer preference and a business focus point of view. It was in November 2019 when I finally launched a platform to make sustainable lifestyle accessible and affordable to all,” Chaitsi Ahuja, founder of ‘Brown Living’ tells.

Even as the market space for sustainable products is becoming competitive by the day, Ahuja, one of the first few early entrants feels that competition demonstrates that there is a definite market for sustainable products and is an upward trend for growth.

“Precisely why we wanted to create a marketplace that promotes a healthy, fair and financially viable platform for sellers both small and big to showcase and sell their products.”

She adds that her brand has been instrumental in forming a collaboration and synergies between sustainable and ethical brands wherein they collaborate and cocreate to promote this lifestyle.

“However, our challenge remains to compete with large, funded companies with over-consumption and single bottom-line growth (profit) as their main agenda. It’s about time we institutionalise the triplebottom-line reporting (people-planet-profit) to be able to truly make a change, we are already seeing the shift in equity markets with ESG Funds.”

Stressing that ‘going plastic-free is a journey, and it doesn’t happen overnight’, Ahuja, who was part of a panel discussion during the recently concluded National Tribal Dance Festival, held in Raipur tells IANS, that we need to get used to the fact that Plastic is relatively new material (around 200 years old), but is not leaving our homes anytime soon -- at least 900 years for all the stuff we’d made in just 200

years.

really knowing it.

“Owing to ‘convenience’ and urban-living, the key marketing tactic for most FMCG brands has been to promote ‘packaged goods’. From fruits and vegetables to steel containers, everything you buy comes wrapped in plastic that is impossible to recycle. All we can do is delay the process of that piece of plastic going into a landfill -- find a new role for it, upcycle it, recycle it responsibly, and ensure it doesn’t end up in a landfill or pollute our oceans.

“I am one of the 75 per cent of these millennials and I can tell you with faith that it is because of them that we are seeing even a slight change in consumption habits or brand communications, business models, and government policy changes at large. Unfortunately, millennials don’t have a choice but to switch to a sustainable lifestyle as we are bringing in the future generations and raising them for a world that may not exist.”

Becoming Sustainable is a journey and we all need to be mindful of all the things we consume. So the next thing you buy, ask them for plastic-free packaging; carry your own bag to the grocery store, carry a spoon and straw when you street food; read the labels when you buy your produce; segregate your waste; understand the recycling symbols; and if you need to shop, shop only sustainable.

Predicting that five years down the line the entire eco-friendly and sustainable products and services industry go through a massive structuring, quality scrutiny, price mapping and consumer regulations, personally, her journey started in March 2019, when she started a challenge called the ‘buy nothing project’ where she decided not to buy anything new except food.

Even as her business impacts over 3,000 artisans, 270+ MSMEs, 176 women entrepreneurs while planting 10,000 trees to negate their footprint (as a business), this entrepreneur says that nearly 3 in 4 millennials suffer from Eco-anxiety without

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Looking at improving their footprint in India and becoming a household name in sustainable living, Ahuja says that platform also wants to remind people of the values we as Indians have practised of living zero waste for generations.

By Sukant Deepak

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

35

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AT THE WORKPLACE

A study by Assocham showed that nearly 43 per cent of employees in the private sector in India suffer from mental health issues at work. Also, a WHO report in 2017 found out that 18 per cent of global depression cases originate from India.

that can significantly affect the performance of organisations.

While mental health issues in the workplace are a reality for most companies, the stigma associated with mental health problems often prevents people from seeking help. Stigma is the result of negative perceptions and stereotypes and reflects a lack of understanding about mental health issues. External stigma often involves negative opinions, judgements, comments, and assumptions made by others; internal stigma can take place when the person affected by mental illness internalises these negative messages.

Helping to improve mental health and well-being at work is not only beneficial to employees but also the company and society at large. Here are some ways organisations can remove the stigma surrounding mental health:

Why Stigma is a Major Problem?

Though most mental health problems are common and treatable, the stigma or negative stereotypes associated with mental illness often forces employees to not talk about the issue.

Even in workplaces that are quite progressive, several employees keep their mental health issues under wraps fearing that being open to talk about them will hurt their reputation, compromise work relationships, or even put their job at risk.

Employees with untreated mental health issues tend to have more serious and costly health issues in general. For instance, their risk of heart attacks and strokes is twice as high, and people with mental health issues are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. This all adds up to missed work days and a loss in productivity

How Organisations can Remove Stigma from their Workplaces

Awareness and Open Discussions The more people are aware of mental health issues and the challenges faced by people with mental health problems, the less powerful stigma becomes. Through education on mental health, companies can reduce stigma, discrimination, negative stereotypes, and fear in the workplace.

Also, it is essential to create safe spaces for employees to talk about their own challenges without the fear of being “judged”. Employees shouldn’t fear that they will be excluded if they open up in this way. Leaders can set the tone for this by sharing their own experiences.

More Attention towards Language It is common practice across different organisations to address people with mental health disorders with words like “Downy”, “Scary”, “Schizo”. This can contribute significantly towards stigmatising mental health conditions. It is time to put an end to such practice and adopt practices that reduce prejudice, discrimination, and stigma against people suffering from mental health issues.

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Increasing Access to Resources and Programs Many organisations use employee assistance programmes (EAP) to support workplace mental health. Some employees may be reluctant to use this resource due to shame and lack of understanding, but they can go a long way in creating a workplace that values every individual equally and creates no discrimination or stigma.

Companies can also provide direct access to mental health resources, apps, and even mental health professionals that can make employees feel supported and cared for.

Mental Health Training It is crucial for every company to promote a culture that values every employee and understands that it’s normal to suffer from mental health conditions. Mental health training for employees can help them recognise the signs of someone who may be struggling with a mental health challenge and connect them to support resources. Through plays and other activities, they can offer guidance on how to listen nonjudgmentally, offer reassurance, and assess the risk of suicide or self-harm.

Making mental health stigma a thing of the past is the need of the hour for organisations. The common human connection that every person shares with another person is more important than what separates us. Everyone struggles with doubt and anxiety. However, empathy is vital to see that common ground and build on it to create opportunity and hope for all.

By Prakriti Poddar

36

TECH

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

APPLE IS BRINGING CAR CRASH DETECTION TO IPHONE Apple is reportedly working on a new iPhone and Apple Watch feature that detects if you’re in a car crash and dials 911 automatically.

Building a new crash detection feature into the iPhone alongside CarPlay could bolster Apple’s rumoured “IronHeart” project to connect its phone with car settings in the same way HomeKit controls smart speakers and lighting. Targeting the annual USD 2 billion revenue stream that GM brings in with OnStar with the built-in features would be a very Apple thing to do.

As per The Verge, the current plan is to roll out such a feature next year. Google’s Personal Safety app on Pixel phones already includes a feature to call for help when it detects car crashes, just like connected car services in modern vehicles do, including GM’s OnStar, Subaru’s Starlink, and Fiat Chrysler’s Uconnect.

one in their pocket or mounted to their dash.

Many cars on the road today are not equipped with any connectivity features, so getting crash detection on an iPhone too means more drivers can get the help they need in an accident as long as they have

The rise of unsafe smartphone usage in cars made way for integration systems like CarPlay and Android Auto, the former appearing in nearly 80 per cent of new vehicles in 2020, according to Apple.

While Apple’s accident detection hasn’t always worked as intended in the past, the company has had many years to collect data and analytics on willing iOS and watchOS users. It remains to be seen how accurately Apple will be able to detect car crashes, let alone people falling.

(IANS)

ROBOTS NOW WIPE TABLES, SORT TRASH, OPEN DOORS AT GOOGLE OFFICES Signalling an era of machines slowly taking over human work, a fleet of more than 100 robots are autonomously performing a range of useful tasks around Google offices in the US, like wiping tables, sorting trash, grasping cups and even opening doors for visitors.

Google’s parent company Alphabet has announced that its ‘Everyday Robots’ project -- a team within its experimental X labs -- has moved some of its robot prototypes out of the lab and they are doing useful tasks around Google’s Bay Area campuses.

“We are now operating a fleet of more than 100 robot prototypes that are autonomously performing a range of useful tasks around our offices,” said Hans Peter Brondmo, Chief Robot Officer.

“The same robot that sorts trash can now be equipped with a squeegee to wipe tables and use the same gripper that grasps cups can learn to open doors,” he said in a statement.

Over the last few years, Alphabet has been building an integrated hardware and software system that is designed for learning, including transferring learning from the virtual world to the real world.

The robots are equipped with a mix of different cameras and sensors to take in the world around them.

“Using a combination of machine learning techniques like reinforcement learning, collaborative learning, and learning from demonstration, the robots have steadily gained a better

understanding of the world around them and become more skilled at doing everyday tasks, the company informed.

forward to sharing updates from our journey over the coming months and years,” said Brondmo.

Over the coming months, Googlers who work in Mountain View may catch glimpses of the robot prototypes wiping tables after lunch in the cafes, or opening meeting room doors to check if the room needs to be tidied or if it is missing chairs.

Today, a single robot learns how to perform a complex task such as opening doors with a 90 per cent success rate with less than a day of real-world learning.

“Over time, we will be expanding the types of tasks they are doing and the buildings where we operate and look

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“Even more excitingly, we have shown that we can build on the algorithms and learnings from door opening and apply them to a new task: straightening up chairs in our cafes,” he added.

(IANS)

VIRTUAL

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

37 37

WHATSAPP INTRODUCES NEW SAFETY FEATURES Meta owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced two new safety features ‘Flash Calls’ and ‘Message Level Reporting’ for users in India.

The Flash Calls and Message Level Reporting features will allow people better security and control over their usage of the messaging app.

With Flash Calls new Android users or the ones who change their devices frequently, one can choose to verify their phone numbers via an automated call instead of an SMS. According to WhatsApp, this is a much safer option, given that it takes place all from within the app.

The Message Level Reporting feature allows users to report a particular message received on WhatsApp. This can be done by simply long pressing a particular message to either report or block a user.

WhatsApp has also rolled out the ability to let users hide their profile picture, last seen, and more from certain people, the ability to block someone who might prove bothersome, and two-step verification (2FA).

Meanwhile, WhatsApp has released the 2.21.24.8 update for its Android users on the beta channel, which reveals the company is working on message reaction notifications for its Android app.

WhatsApp has been developing the message reactions feature for a few months now, which, as evident from its name, lets users react to messages the

same way they react to the posts and comments on the Facebook app.

Previously, WhatsApp had no plans to notify users of message reactions, but the company later began developing it for the beta version of its iOS app and now it is also working on providing the same feature to its Android users.

(IANS)

YOUTUBE TO START HIDING COUNT OF DISLIKES ON ALL VIDEOS

Earlier this year, online video-sharing platform, YouTube had started experimenting with hiding the dislike counts on videos to help reduce the dislike attacks on creators across the platform.

According to GSM Arena, after analysis in July, YouTube did see a reduction in that behaviour, so the company has announced it will start hiding the dislike counts on all the videos across its platform. That doesn’t mean users won’t be able to dislike a video since the dislike button isn’t going anywhere, and they can still use it to tune the recommendations. It’s just that the number of dislikes a video gets will now be private to creators who can access it in the YouTube Studio.

YouTube has said that by hiding the dislike count, it wants to “create an inclusive and respectful environment where creators have the opportunity to succeed and feel safe to express themselves,” and that this is just one of the many steps the platform is taking to protect the creators, especially the smaller ones, from harassment.

While this seems like a valid reason, one might argue that dislike counts on a video are useful since they help viewers determine if the video’s worth watching.

However, YouTube has stated that

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its research didn’t find any noticeable difference in the viewership regardless of whether or not users could see the dislike counts, as per GSM Arena.

(IANS)

38

RELATIONSHIPS

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Understanding the sex drive between men and women

It is said that sexual desire is typically higher in men than in women, with testosterone thought to account for this difference; it also accounts for sex variation in the desire in both women and men.

Additionally, it is common wisdom that women value an emotional connection more as a spark of sexual desire.

Here are seven patterns of men and women’s sex drives. While it is not necessary for all men and women to follow these patterns, it has been found by researchers that most people do.

Men think more about sex Research says that adult men who are below the age of 60 think about sex at least once a day. Comparatively only one-quarter of women think about the same in equal frequency. As men and women begin to age, they start fantasizing less but they still fantasize twice as much as women.

Men seek sex more avidly As per research, men want sex more often than women at the start of a relationship. Moreover, men are more likely to seek sex even when it is frowned upon.

The majority of men masturbate, while only approximately 40 percent of women do the

same. the frequency is much lesser among women. Furthermore, it has been found that nuns do a better job at fulfilling their vows of chastity than priests.

Women’s sexual turn-ons are more complicated than men’s Arousal for a man is predictable straight men get turned on by depictions of male-female sex and female-female sex.

For women, it is a little more complicated, for straight women usually get turned on by the male-female sex. However, genitally, they display about the same reaction to male-female, male-male and female-female sex. Men are usually rigid about who they get aroused by, who they want to have sex with and who they fall in love with. In contrast, women are more open to samesex relationships, this is due to their less directed sex drives.

Women’s sex drives are more influenced by social and cultural factors Women’s attitudes towards sexual practices are more likely to change than men’s over a period. Women who attend church regularly are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex than men.

Women are also more influenced by the attitudes of their peers.

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Women take a less direct route to sexual satisfaction While this does not mean that men do not seek intimacy, love and connection in a relationship, a women’s desire may originate much more in the ears than between her legs.

Women experience orgasms differently than men Men take approximately 4 minutes to ejaculate during intercourse whereas a woman can take around 10 to 11 minutes for the same. Another difference may be how often the sexes orgasm. Research suggests that 75 percent of men have an orgasm as opposed to 26 percent of women.

Women’s libido seems to be less responsive to drugs Men usually embrace drugs not only for erectile dysfunction but also for a shrinking libido. However, it is not the same with women.

By Dr Smita Vaid

LIFESTYLE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

39

Those who game together, stay together Humans all over the world play games, but games are not played equally throughout the world’s cultures. Humans might use games to store and teach cultural-specific information to community members.

For example, if you think of the last game that you played, was it a cooperative game, a competitive game, or a game that you played by yourself? “If you live in Germany, chances are high that you played a competitive game,” says Sarah Leisterer-Peoples, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Sarah added, “We think that games might reflect aspects of human cultures, such as how competitive and cooperative the cultures are.”

Previous research suggests that in socially hierarchical cultures, or those with differences in status and wealth, competitive games are played frequently. And the opposite has also been suggested--in egalitarian cultures, or those with little or no differences in status and wealth, games tend to be more cooperative.

However, previous studies have investigated this relationship in only a small handful of cultures, thus limiting the breadth of this claim. In a new study making use of historical data, researchers from Germany (Leipzig, Jena, Gera) and Australia aimed to answer the question whether the games cultures play correspond to how cooperative they are.

In a first step, the research team sorted through a database on historical games played by cultures located in the Pacific.

“The cultures in our study lived in a broad geographic range, spanning the Pacific Ocean. The cultures were very diverse, but also shared similarities, which allow for a comparison on several aspects of the cultures,” says Leisterer-Peoples.

For example, when two groups live next to each other, it might be that they share some characteristics, such as how they get their food, but they might differ in other aspects, such as the norms surrounding competitive behaviour. “We tried to home in on these differences while accounting for their similarities,” says Leisterer-Peoples.

In a second step, the scientists identified characteristics of cultures that indicate how cooperative they might be.

“One of the difficulties with historical data is that you can’t go back in time to do interviews with people from different cultures but have to rely on the historical documentation of these cultures.”, says Leisterer-Peoples.

For example, they looked at how socially hierarchical cultures were structured, how often members of a culture

conflict with each other, how often cultures conflicted with other cultures, and how often group members hunt and fish in groups.

“These are real-world proxies for cooperative behaviour”, says LeistererPeoples. In the end, they were able to identify 25 cultures that had historical information readily available on both the games they played and relevant cultural characteristics.

The researchers found that the cultures that frequently engage in conflicts with other cultures have more cooperative games than competitive games.

On the other hand, cultures with frequent conflicts with their own community members have more competitive games than operative games. How socially hierarchical the cultures were and whether they fished and hunted in groups did not reliably relate with what kinds of games were played.

“These findings might be non-intuitive at first glance but make sense in light of theories on the evolution of cooperation in cultural groups. In times of conflict with other cultures, group members have to cooperate with one another and compete

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with their opponents. This is reflected in the kinds of games that are played--games with competing groups. And when there’s a lot of conflict among the members of a group, they tend to play games that are competitive. These findings suggest that the games we play reflect the socioecological characteristics of the culture that we are in,” says Leisterer-Peoples.

Games mimic real-world behaviour and may be one avenue in which group norms are learned and practised during childhood.

“Science lives through replication of previous findings. It’s important that future studies investigate this finding further, especially in other parts of the world and in modern-day cultures. We don’t know whether this effect is still relevant in today’s gaming culture. Nowadays, store-bought games and video games have overtaken the traditional games that were played in children’s free time.

Future studies also need to investigate the specific skills that are learned through games, not just the degree of cooperation in the games,” says Leisterer-Peoples.

“This is just the beginning of studies on games across cultures. There’s much more to uncover!” Leisterer added.

(ANI)

40

HEALTH

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

DEEP RED-LIGHT THERAPY MAY IMPROVE DECLINING EYESIGHT

Just three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week, when delivered in the morning, can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a new study.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found there was, on average, a 17 per cent improvement in participants’ colour contrast vision when exposed to three minutes of 670 nanometre (long wavelength) deep red light in the morning and the effects of this single exposure lasted for at least a week.

However, when the same test was conducted in the afternoon, no improvement was seen.

“We demonstrate that one single exposure to long wave deep red light in the morning can significantly improve declining vision, which is a major health and wellbeing issue, affecting millions of people globally,” said lead author, Glen Jeffery from the University College London

Using a provided LED device, all participants were exposed to three minutes of 670nm deep red light in the morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Their colour vision was then tested again three hours post exposure and 10 of the participants were also tested one week post exposure.

For the study, the team involved a small yet significant number of participants aged between 34 and 70, had no ocular disease, completed a questionnaire regarding eye health prior to testing, and had normal colour vision (cone function).

This was assessed using a ‘Chroma Test’ -- identifying coloured letters that had very low contrast and appeared increasingly blurred, a process called colour contrast.

On average there was a ‘significant’ 17 per cent improvement in colour vision, which lasted a week in tested participants; in some older participants, there was a 20 per cent improvement, also lasting a week.

A few months on from the first test (ensuring any positive effects of the deep red light had been ‘washed out’) few participants, carried out the same test in the afternoon, between 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. When participants then had their colour vision tested again, it showed zero improvement.

(ANI)

LIST OF FOODS THAT CAN HELP BOOST LOW LIBIDO Low libido is a common issue that people have to deal with and can affect people’s relationships as well. There are many psychological aspects related to it such as stress, fatigue and lifestyle changes.

However, a new research has found that you can say goodbye to a low sex drive by eating certain foods. These foods are supposed to make a huge difference like boosting libido and are nutritious enough to increase your stamina, reported Fox News. Some of these foods are good for your heart as well, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy oils, fibre, nuts, seafood and legumes. Here’s a list of some other food items that can help boost low libido: 1. Oysters are perhaps the best option for you to boost libido. They are high in zinc which regulates your testosterone levels as well as increases your blood flow.

2. Another seafood option for you is salmon which has omega-3 fatty acids along with other essential

vitamins that leads to an increase in blood flow.

3. The other foods you can opt for that are high in zinc are red meat, baked beans, milk, cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds and some cereals.

4. Avocados can prevent you from having erectile dysfunction. Apart from that, it maintains a healthy blood flow as well as cholesterol.

5. Other foods that you can opt for to increase your libido and maintain a healthy heart are citrus fruits, apples, berries, grapes, hot peppers, red wine and tea. Along with that, you can go for cocoa products like dark chocolate that can improve your blood flow.

You can also gorge on high-nitrate foods that include spinach, radish, lettuce, celery and arugula. Although these different foods can certainly help you out, they aren’t enough.

Medical experts recommend speaking to a physician if lack of desire, pain or impotence is holding you back.

(ANI)

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G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

ASK DR. RAJ… Q: Hello Dr Raj, My wife is suffering from toothache since a month and we went to see a dentist who suggested two options. They are to remove the tooth or root canal therapy. We would like to see if there are any other options. We used to take homeopathy treatment when we were back in India for most of our health problems. I was wondering if you can suggest any treatment for dental problem with homeopathy medicines. She has one tooth cavity along with pus formation. Mr. A.

Health tip:

pain due to any other reason can be effectively addressed with Homeopathic remedies.

Moreover, Homeopathic remedies will prevent further progress of the dental problem and improve the health of your teeth to a great extent. For tooth and ear pain, I need to take many further details, as to the aggravating and subsiding factors, stage and cause of the condition etc to prescribe the right remedy and also the right direction to be taken.

For pain relief, a cotton ball with clove oil, gently applied at the A: Dear Mr.A, Homeopathy can tip of the tooth would help. Luke help in a big way with certain warm salt-water rinse is also dental and gum problems very effective to keep the pain in including toothache, spongy control. gums, bleeding gums & Most importantly prevention is neuralgia from dental extraction. better than cure. So brush your Homeopathy can be used to teeth twice regularly. Doesn’t relieve acute tooth and gum have to be necessarily with pain until appropriate care toothpaste, just with a brush or can be obtained and, in some with little bit of common salt is cases, can provide medication to good enough. prevent the need for such care.

However, if there is any caries

By Raj Kothuru Please send any of your health related questions to (tooth decay), unless the decay drraj@aurahealth.com.au with Ask Dr Raj as the subject is in the initial stages, the only line or ph: 94788649 / 0425761826. The questions will be published with your identity protected. option is to see a dentist. Tooth

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Drinking orange juice regularly prevents kidney disease and reduces the risk of stones

How Can Noise Cancellation Headphones Help You Get Good Teeth?

D

oes the noise of drills at the dentist’s make you run for life? You are not alone. The noise of dental drills cutting deep into your teeth is so scary people often avoid going to the dentist because of it. But what suffers the most from this dislike is your dental health. And you cannot compromise your dental health.

To solve this issue, we, at Healthy Smiles Dental Group have introduced noise cancellation headphones at our clinic. Our principal dentist, Dr Ved Berani, says, “Noise cancellation headphones are becoming very popular these days. You can see hordes of people syncing to their favourite rhythms without disturbing others.

So, we thought, why not use them for dentistry and provide comfort to our patients suffering from dental anxiety due to dental drilling noise. And it is working just fine. We treat many of our patients while they are using these headphones. Our greatest joy comes when we see them smiling carefree.”

Noise cancellation headphones have positively comforted anxious dental patients.

Let us learn more about how these noise cancellation headphones prove beneficial to the patients: 1. Music can uplift your mood faster As we all know this proven fact, music is one of the best remedies when it comes to uplifting spirits.

No matter how stressed a person is, good music can soothe all the lines on the forehead. When it comes to dental patients who are anxious about their dental treatment, we use the same concept. Our Healthy Smiles clinic provides Spotify streaming in all rooms. You need to select your favourite genre and tune in while we operate on your teeth. Patients have had a great experience with noise cancellation headphones.

2. It works to distract you from worries

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Patients suffering from dental anxiety have all kinds of worries and troubling thoughts about a dental procedure. But when we explain the whole dental process in advance, it helps them feel in control of their surroundings with the knowledge of the proceedings in advance. And the noise cancellation headphones add to this comfort. They distract the patients from whatever that is left of the worries. Patients can relax throughout the whole dental procedure.

3. You can also watch a show of your choice on our screen These noise cancellation headphones can also be synced with a TV screen on the ceiling.

You can watch a TV show while our dentists work on your teeth.

When the patients are relaxed, our dentists can also concentrate more on the treatment.

The aim behind using noise cancellation headphones for dentistry is to provide patients with a comfortable dental care experience. Our dentists enthusiastically work towards providing the best dental treatments using state-of-the-art technology so that you can leave all your anxieties behind and walk out with a confident smile.

Do not neglect to look after your teeth and oral health because a lot of health issues can stem from oral health conditions. Contact us today to make use of this new method of cancelling out the drill noise and pay your teeth all the attention they need. Visit our Blackburn clinic or call us on 03 9877 2035.

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 | DEC 2021

Pregnant women infected with Covid are at high death risk

Pregnant women were five-times as likely to die of Covid-19 when the Delta variant became the dominant strain in the US, finds a new report.

June 2021, six deaths were reported among pregnant women -- or five out of every 1,000 infections.

The number quickly ramped up during the Delta period, from July to October 2021, with nine deaths among pregnant women recorded - or 25 per every 1,000 infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that pregnant women are at increased risk of severe complications from Covid-19 and they only rose during the Delta variant wave.

Reports published by the agency found the rate of pregnant women dying of Covid-19 during the period of time where the Delta variant was the nation’s dominant strain increased five-fold.

Pre-Delta, five out of every 1,000 pregnant women who contracted the virus during pregnancy died compared to a staggering 25 out of every 1,000 during the Delta period, the report said.

The researchers also found that pregnant women who were infected at the time of birth

were twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth, it added.

The CDC team analysed pregnancy death data from Mississippi from March 2020 to October 2021 for one of their reports.

They found 15 deaths associated with Covid among pregnant women in the state during the 19 months, out of 1,637 total infections recorded.

In the pre-Delta period, from March 2020 to

Of the 15 women who died, 14 had an underlying medical condition that put them at even further risk of complications from the virus.

None of them were fully vaccinated and only one was at least partially vaccinated.

Three died during their pregnancy, leading to two stillbirths and one spontaneous abortion.

Seven of the women required an emergency C-section operation for their unborn child to survive and 12 women died shortly after giving birth.

(IANS)

SNAPCHAT, TIKTOK MAY UP DEPRESSION IN ADULTS

Using social media platforms including Snapchat, Facebook or TikTok is likely to be associated with a greater likelihood of a subsequent increase in depressive symptoms, finds a new study.

The researchers, including Roy H. Perlis from Harvard Medical School, Boston, found that in adjusted regression models Snapchat, Facebook and TikTok use at first survey were significantly associated with a greater risk of increase in self-reported depressive symptoms.

“In this survey study, 5,395 individuals with minimal depressive symptoms on initial survey who reported use of Snapchat, Facebook or TikTok were more likely to report increased levels of depressive symptoms on a later survey,” the researchers said.

Logistic regression was applied without reweighting, with a 5 point or greater increase in 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score as outcome and participant sociodemographic features, baseline PHQ9 and use of each social media platform as independent variables.

They were asked, “Do you ever use any of the following social media sites or apps?” such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube.

They were asked to identify any sources of Covid-19 related news they consumed in the past 24 hours, which they used as a proxy for

“These results suggest that certain social media use preceded worsening of depressive symptoms,” they added.

For the study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the team included data from 13 waves of a non-probability internet survey conducted approximately monthly between May 2020 and May 2021 among individuals aged 18 years and older in the US. Data was analysed in July and August 2021.

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news sources more generally while examining web-based vs television-based news separately; several social supports available “to talk to if you had a problem, felt sad, or depressed”; and face-to-face meetings with non-household members in the prior 24 hours.

Among survey respondents who did not report depressive symptoms initially, social media use was associated with a greater likelihood of a subsequent increase in depressive symptoms after adjustment for sociodemographic features and news sources, the team said.

(ANI)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

43

Hypertension might increase risk of developing epilepsy

Hypertension may double an adult’s risk of developing epilepsy, according to a new study.

The findings were published in the journal Epilepsia. In the study of 2,986 U.S. adults with an average age of 58 years, 55 new cases of epilepsy were identified during an average follow-up of 19 years. Hypertension, defined as the presence of elevated blood pressure or the use of antihypertensive medications, was linked to nearly two-fold higher risk of epilepsy.

After excluding participants with normal blood pressure on antihypertensive medications, hypertension was linked to a 2.44-times higher risk of epilepsy.

“Our study shows that hypertension, a common, modifiable, vascular risk factor, is an independent predictor of epilepsy in older age,” said co-lead author Maria Stefanidou, MD, MSc, of Boston University School of Medicine.

“Even though epidemiological studies can

only show association and not causation, this observation may help identify subgroups of patients who will benefit from targeted, aggressive hypertension management and

encourage the performance of dedicated clinical studies that will focus on early interventions to reduce the burden of epilepsy in older age,” Mara added.

(IANS)

DYSLEXIA LIKELY AFFECTS KIDS’ VISUAL PROCESSING BEYOND READING Children with dyslexia are slower to process visual information, according to new research that sheds new light on which brain processes are affected by dyslexia beyond just reading ability.

The Mayo Clinic defines dyslexia as a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). The study, published in JNeurosci and the first to combine new methods to understand visual processing and brain activity in dyslexia, challenged a group of children aged six to 14 to identify the average direction of motion of a mass of moving dots, while their brain activity was measured.

It found children with dyslexia took longer to gather the visual evidence, and were less accurate, than their typically developing peers, and that the behavioural differences were reflected in differences in brain activity.

a group, children with dyslexia also show differences in how they process visual information and make decisions about it,” Dr Cathy Manning, lead researcher in the Centre for Autism at the University of Reading.

Although reading ability is known to be affected by dyslexia, researchers are still unclear on which brain processes are affected by the condition. Increasing understanding of this could potentially lead to more effective support for those affected.

“Future research will be needed to see if these differences in visual processing and decision-making can be trained in order to improve reading ability in affected children, or provide clues as to the causes of dyslexia,” Manning added.

“These findings show that the difficulties faced by children with dyslexia are not restricted to reading and writing. Instead, as

Brain activity monitoring using EEG in the study showed synchronised activity over the centro-parietal regions of the brain involved

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in decision-making steadily increased in all of the children during the task until they made a decision. However, this happened more gradually in the children with dyslexia.

The study supports a link between motion processing and dyslexia, although the causes are not yet known.

With reading and writing a key challenge among children with dyslexia, increasing understanding of its effects on the brain might aid how we improve existing interventions, the researchers said.

(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

44

Abhishek opens up on how he feels about being compared to Big B Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan shares how he feels when people compare him with his father Amitabh Bachchan on the singing reality show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. He also requests contestant Rajshree Bag to sing a track ‘Bahon Mein Chale Aao’ featuring his mother Jaya Bachchan.

I take experiences from my own life to perform on camera: Hrithik

Abhishek said after looking at the performance of Rajshree, who is often compared with Lata Mangeshkar on the show, that she reminds him of being compared with his father.

“Rajshree, whenever I have got the chance to watch the show, I’ve seen people compare you to Lata didi. It actually reminded me about how people compare me with my father and ask me how I feel about it.”

Bachchan and if I’m being compared to him, I am sure I must have done something good.”

According to him Amitabh Bachchan is a great actor in the industry and this is what he says to everyone making these comparisons.

“My answer to them is that there’s no greater actor in this film industry than Amitabh

“Similarly, your voice has a different kind of magic like Lata ji and that’s why people are comparing your voice with her. I feel you should always take this as a compliment,” he concluded.

(IANS)

Playing negative characters is like therapy for me: Gulshan Grover Gulshan Grover’s foray into the OTT space has been much talked about. The iconic ‘Bad Man’ of Hindi cinema was recently seen on SonyLIV’s ‘Your Honor 2’ as Gurjot Pannu, a charismatic mogul with his share of secrets.

During an interaction at IFFI 2021, Hrithik was asked if actors actually feel certain emotions when they are drowned in the role.

To this, the star replied “Every actor has his own process, there’s no process that’s wrong. I’m the kind of actor who takes from my own life. I’m usually sifting through my own memories and experiences and try to bring out something on camera, which is my secret, it’s in my head. The emotion is real because I can feel it, it’s from my life and my experience.”

Over the years, the actor has made a mark for himself by playing negative characters, and he believes playing such roles act like therapy for him.

The actor says, “Playing negative characters doesn’t affect me, in fact they purify me. It’s like therapy or a detox treatment. In many spiritual remedies, they say when you are sad, cry it out. You should take it out of your system. Similarly, for me, playing negative roles has been like therapy. It cleanses me completely (sic).”

He adds, “After shooting, I am calmer and relaxed. Many actors claim that when they play negative roles, they carry it even after the shoot. I don’t understand that; it’s the opposite for me.”

Sharing his experience of playing Gurjot Pannu he said, “My main motive is to make things tricky and unpleasant for the other characters. From industry to industry, my connection and brand image as a villain have remained strong and ‘Your Honor 2’ on

Actor Hrithik Roshan, who is all geared up for his upcoming film ‘Fighter’, recently opened up on his process of working as an actor.

‘’I usually feel all my emotions and it’s great because if I hadn’t felt the emotions and the director said - Great shot! I’d know we’re not in sync,” he added.

SonyLIV feels like the right show to enter the OTT sector as the ‘bad man’.”

Apart from ‘Your Honor 2’, the actor was also recently seen in Disney+ Hotstar’s demonetisation drama ‘Cash’ along with Amol Parashar, Smiriti Kalra and Kavin Dave, where he yet again played the antagonist, who is on a pursuit of his Rs 5 crore that get caught up in the chaos of demonetisation.

(IANS)

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Hrithik will be next seen in his muchawaited action movie ‘Fighter’ which is being directed by Siddharth Anand. The actor-director duo is collaborating for the third time with ‘Fighter’ after they have delivered hits such as ‘War’ and ‘Bang Bang’.

Touted as India’s first ariel action franchise, ‘Fighter’ also features Deepika Padukone.

(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

45

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN: KATRINA KAIF

India’s first celebrity makeup brand by actor Katrina Kaif, Kay Beauty, in partnership with Nykaa, completes two glorious years. A passion project close to Katrina’s heart, the brand was consciously created to resonate with real women and men everywhere.

As a true reflection of an inclusive brand curating products for everyone, Kay Beauty bridges the gap between high glamour and care, encouraging beauty to be enjoyed without guilt. #MakeupThatKares, is a makeup collection where each product has specific ‘care’ ingredients to nourish the skin, while at the same time delivering a long wear, high performance finish. As part of its second anniversary celebrations, the brand brings its core message to life through a photo and video series featuring real people and reiterating its belief that ItsKayToBeYou! True to the brand, this special series focuses on the beauty that lies within diversity and inclusivity, featuring people from different walks of life such as Tarun Panwar, Zoya Thomas Lobo, Anah Shaikh, Lasya Kahli Singh, Atasi Sindal, Ketaki Pimplekhare, and Prarthana Jagan along with Katrina Kaif.

“Kay Beauty is nothing short of a dream come true. Today, I proudly look back to the time when it all came alive, and to this journey that would have been incomplete without my beloved Kay Community. Kay Beauty proudly stands for inclusivity, a value that shines through all our campaigns and products. It has always urged people to accept their imperfections and insecurities with a positive approach. It has been a

wonderful two years and we have grown every step of the way. It will always be our endeavour to spread the message, ‘ItsKayTwoBeYou’ -- inspiring women to celebrate themselves. I am so proud of what we have achieved so far and I’m truly excited for the journey ahead.”

Caught up with the Bollywood star to get her thoughts on the anniversary celebrations and the future of the brand: Q: From model, to actor, to entrepreneur -- which part of the journey has been the most challenging and fulfilling?

A: To me, challenges are fulfilling! And so, every part of my journey has been, both, challenging as well as fulfilling. I’ve loved every minute of being an actor and I’m learning new things along my entrepreneurial journey every day. These are exciting times for me!

Q: What led you to invest in Kay beauty and are you happy with the returns?

A: Two things were my primary motivators to invest in Kay Beauty. One, beauty is a space I have always wanted to explore.

Two I am constantly striving to bridge the gap between affordability and aspiration for the Indian woman. Nykaa is a brand that echoes my sentiments and the synergy between us was on-point! I am thrilled with the popularity that Kay Beauty has seen over the last two years. Thank you for all the love and always remember... it’s kay to be you!

Q: How important is it for women to support and enable each other?

A: I strongly believe that amazing things

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happen when women support, empower and enable each other to be the best version of themselves. Empowered women empower women. And the more we empower each other, the more empowered women there are in the world!

Q: The beauty industry is driven by selfworth... do you agree and why?

A: Fashion and beauty, to me, have always been about self-expression. The world will be a better and kinder place if we all embrace our own unique sense of individuality and celebrate ourselves.

Having said that, the definition of beauty in society has evolved. We have come a long way from changing who we are to fit a boxed-in mould of beauty standards, to embracing what truly makes you beautiful in your own unique way. I think it’s great that the beauty industry is promoting the concept of self-love and self-worth. It is definitely the need of the hour!

Q: Your favourite Kay Beauty products?

A: My favourite Kay Beauty products include the Kay Beauty Kajals and Kay Beauty Lipsticks.

Q: Nykaa just launched its IPO, it is a proud moment, what are your thoughts?

A: My association with Nykaa has given me a platform to help bring my dream alive while also giving wings to millions of women across the country and for that, I’m ever grateful. The IPO will only power the brand, even more, to make more dreams come true. I am extremely happy and proud that the brand has launched its IPO.

By Tanya Banon

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

46

‘83’ poster: Ranveer leads the winning Indian team to glory

IFFI a great vehicle to encourage new filmmakers: Manoj Bajpayee

Stating that he believed that IFFI was a great vehicle to encourage India’s next generation of filmmakers, actor Manoj Bajpayee on Sunday said that he believed the country, with its huge population, could be a great force in entertainment.

‘83’ starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone along with a barrage of talented actors is easily one of the most awaited films of the year.

Recently, the makers shared the teaser of the film, which left people raving at one of the greatest moments of independent India.

Now, the film’s poster has made its way to the Internet and has taken it by storm.

Ranveer, who plays the iconic Indian skipper and all-rounder Kapil Dev, took to his Instagram to share the film’s poster and also revealed that the film’s trailer will be out on November 30.

He captioned the picture, “’Like people says, taste the success once… tongue want more’. - Kapil Dev, 1983 2 Days To #83Trailer.

83 RELEASING IN CINEMAS ON 24TH DEC, 2021, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Also in 3D. #ThisIs83 (sic)”

The film, directed by Kabir Khan, is a biographical sports drama based on the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India here, Bajpayee said, “I personally believe that the IFFI, organised by the government of India is a great vehicle to instigate and encourage new filmmakers and the coming generation of filmmakers.

A country of such a huge population can actually be a great force in entertainment in the coming years in the world and this platform (referring to IFFI) is going to be the major force behind them.”

‘83’, which also stars Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Nishant Dahiya and Sahil Khattar, is all set to release on December 24.

Earlier, the actor was honoured on the occasion by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and lyricist and CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi.

(IANS)

The poster features Ranveer’s lead character and his teammates running to glory with an underlay of tricolour and Indian flag in the background.

(IANS)

I’m an actor not a salesman: Pankaj Tripathi on brand endorsements

As major brands are lining up to sign actor Pankaj Tripathi for endorsements, the actor refuses to recklessly sign deals because he feels he has a moral responsibility towards his fans and the society.

it? I have been very true to my craft and as a public figure I want to be true to my fans and followers as well.”

Maintaining his firm stance that stems from a strong set of ethics, the actor adds, “These are the people who watched my films, appreciated my roles and made me who I am today. It is my ethical responsibility to endorse only those products I use in personal capacity or those that are not harmful to society in any manner.

The thing is it is very easy to get lured in this glittering world. But my upbringing hasn’t let me slip and I owe this to my solid background.

His characters like Kaleen Bhaiyya (‘Mirzapur’), Sultan (‘Gangs of Wasseypur’), Rudra (‘Stree’) and many others have resonated with the audience.

He chooses to endorse what he uses and only those products that are approved by the governing body. Talking about the same, Pankaj says, “I am an actor not a salesman. I am also a responsible citizen of my country. What I do

or say is heard by millions in my country today.

Why would I do something just for the sake of

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(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

47

Bhumi speaks up for gender-neutral performing arts awards Hours after Brian May, the guitarist of the British rock group Queen, slammed the decision of the Brit Awards management to do away with gender-specific awards, Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar came out in support of the move, saying that it is time human beings started celebrating artistes irrespective of the gender they belong to.

The Brit Awards, which celebrate the best in British and international music, have replaced Best Male/Female Solo Artiste of the Year and Best International Male Solo/Female Solo Artiste of the Year with two gender-neutral categories -- Best Artiste and Best International Artiste of the Year, respectively.

Pednekar, who is known to articulate her opinions on gender and environmental issues, says that society needs to be more open to the reality that’s unfolding each day.

Batting for inclusivity, Pednekar said: “I have always felt that gender must not be important to determine the value of an artiste’s skill or creation. Artistes should be celebrated solely because of their body of work and not by how they choose to identify themselves.”

Almost echoing the sentiments of the best-

selling ‘genderqueer’ English Grammy Awardwinning singer and songwriter Sam Smith’s concern that the award categories ruled out non-binary artistes like him, Pednekar said: “People are identifying with diverse genders and we just can’t turn a blind eye to this reality.”

Pednekar praised the Brit Awards management for “doing away with gendered awards” and said: “We have to ensure that our society acknowledges gender diversity. I laud the Brit Awards. It is a step in the right direction and shows across the world will soon follow suit.”

She added a note of caution, saying the journey towards more inclusivity must not come at the price of representation. “We should also keep in mind that while we try to be more inclusive, it should not lead to less representation or less inclusion of genders in a world that is governed by the binary lens. That would be counterproductive to equality.”

Most recently, the Berlin Film Festival awarded its first-ever gender-neutral Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance to Maren Eggert for her role in the German sci-fi romance, ‘I’m Your Man’.

The Gotham Awards, which will be held on Monday, November 29, also announced that their best actor and best actress prizes will be combined into a single lead performance category.

(IANS)

Vivek Oberoi shares what his parents think about his work as an actor The upcoming season of ‘Inside Edge 3’ will showcase Vivek Oberoi’s character of Vikrant Dhawan seeking revenge from his mentor, who cut him loose in Season 1.

liked my portrayal. My performance is inspired by his role in the 1981 film ‘Shradhanjali’ which won him innumerable awards during that time.

The negative character he essayed in that film had an easy, cool and smiling demeanour, unlike the villains of the times who wore their villainy on their sleeves”, he concluded.

The actor, who has been getting rave reviews for his portrayal of the character, revealed as to what his parents think of his performance in the series.

Talking about his mother Yashodhara Oberoi’s opinion about his work, the actor said, “My maa is my biggest supporter and diehard fan. However, she is yet to watch the second or third episode of season one. The reason being, she can’t see her son as the meanie that he is in ‘Inside Edge’”.

Meanwhile, Vivek Oberoi’s

father, the veteran actor Suresh Oberoi has watched all the episodes of both the seasons. Sharing as to what his father thinks of his work, Vivek adds, “Unlike my mother, my father is my biggest critic. While he is supportive of my work, given the fact that he is one of the

finest actors in the industry, he also views my work through a critical prism.”

“I look forward to his feedback and his words have always stood me in good stead in the long run.

As for my turn as Vikrant Dhawan, I think my father

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Talking about ‘Inside Edge 3’, while the second season saw Vikrant waiting in the shadows and laying the foundation to strike back, the third season revolves around Vikrant’s saga and how he avenges the betrayal. The new season will stream on Prime Video from December 3.

(IANS)

48

FOOD

bon appétit

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Did you know:

The high concentration of fibre in figs helps promote healthy, regular bowel function and prevents constipation

Ditch dairy to save male calves, urges PETA India

C

alling urgent attention to the pitiable condition of male calves in the dairy sector, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged people across India to shun dairy and dairy products.

A message by PETA, "Male calves are discarded like trash because they can't produce milk. Go vegan", is popping up in major cities like Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad,

Kolkata and Mumbai to mark the World Vegan Month observed in November.

The animal rights organisation is targeting several common dairy-industry practices such as separating calves from their mothers shortly after birth, then abandoning the males, allowing them to starve, or selling them to be killed for their flesh and skin since they cannot produce milk.

"Calves deserve to stay with their mothers and nurse, yet this industry commonly casts

off the males to die so that humans can steal the milk intended for them," said PETA India Senior Campaigns Coordinator Radhika Suryavanshi.

"This World Vegan Month, PETA India encourages everyone to recognise that cow and buffalo milk belongs to calves, not humans."

According to PETA India sources, some dairies even use 'khalbacchas' - stuffed dead calves hung or propped up on sticks - to try to trick mother cows and buffaloes into lactation.

A Nagpur man was recently booked for this and other cruelty to cattle.

The dairy industry also supports the beef and leather industries, which are able to exist in India largely because the dairy sector supplies them with spent and unwanted animals, according to the organisation.

Meanwhile, University of Oxford researchers have found that going meat- and dairy-free can reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent.

And doctors tell us dairy consumption in humans is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and other ailments, PETA India added.

(IANS)

UK scientists find new formula for flavoured beer

S

cientists at the Manchester and Leicester Universities have finally developed yeasts that will give new flavours to beer, a solution that has baffled brewers since the 1800s, according to a study.

The scientists revealed in the study published on Wednesday that they have developed unique fertile hybrid yeast strains that offer novel and exciting options for flavours, aromas, and brewing processes for the drinks industry.

The type of yeast used in the fermentation process influences how a beer tastes once it has been brewed.

"There are currently two main categories of yeasts, ale and lager, plus hundreds of variations used by modern day brewers in a booming global industry. The newly created hybrid yeast strains have been shown to successfully breed and produce offspring with specific desirable characteristics required for the beverage manufacturing process," the scientists said in their study.

Daniela Delneri, professor of evolutionary genomics at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, and her team have succeeded in producing fertile yeast hybrids with diverse

genetic traits.

"This research tackles the fundamental issue of hybrid sterility and multigenerational breeding.

With my colleague Professor Ed Louis at the University Leicester, we were able to overcome species barriers and pinpoint the genetic traits unique to the hybrids.

This technology has the ability to revolutionise the current practices by allowing the rapid creation of efficient tailored yeasts carrying specific, novel, and important traits," she said.

"For example, yeast hybrids including traits from the newly discovered species can add a spicy clove note to the final aroma of the fermented product."

As well as opening opportunities in food and drink production, this approach could be used to develop novel yeast "cell factories" that could be used in the field of industrial biotechnology to sustainably biomanufacture

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pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fuels, she said.

"This research demonstrates how the potential for enhancing natural biodiversity and developing new hybrids is greater than expected and will offer new ways for industry to generate new and exciting consumer choices," she added.

(IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

49

Herbs that can do wonders to your health Ayurveda, as mentioned, is the science of life. It is not just a set of general suggestions but a way of living life. It consists of set practices and lifestyle habits that work to make one healthy, both physically and mentally. Additionally, the herbs and medicines as prescribed in Ayurveda, are wholly natural and retain the ability to cure most diseases without any side effects.

Ayush Agrawal, Founder and Director of Rasayanam shares some prominent herbs that are renowned for their use in matters of health and wellness are discussed as follows-

A

shwagandha- Ashwagandha, by reducing the cortisol levels, helps control anxiety and stress. Its use is significant in calming the body and psyche of an individual and also helps in regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Ashwagandha is also popularly consumed as a vigor and strength supplement. Further, it aids muscle mass gain and boosts energy levels in people from all age brackets.

Triphala- This over 1000-year-old remedy constitutes three principal ingredients of Amla, Bibhitaki, and Haritaki which are some of the most famous medicinal plants native to the country. Known for its anti-inflammatory and laxative properties, Triphala is also considered particularly helpful in preventing dental diseases and cavities as well as digestive problems. The many medicinal properties of this herb are what make it so well accepted and preached throughout the country.

Brahmi- Brahmi is primarily used for its significant impact on the brain and its functioning. It is said to improve the brain's retention and memory power as well as its spatial learning abilities. Brahmi is commonly utilized to treat and control symptoms of anxiety, stress, and ADHD. Additionally, it is also consumed to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure levels.

Cumin- This wonder spice is best known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It also

helps to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels and thereby aids weight loss. The rich antioxidant content of cumin acts to protect the skin against free radicals which in turn helps to prevent skin and heart-related diseases.

Turmeric- Turmeric is a famously utilized Indian spice that is best known for its medicinal properties. A prime active ingredient found in turmeric is curcumin. As per the ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, curcumin works to balance the three doshas of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in the human body. Further, it also brings relief to joint and muscle pain and tightness. Another typical usage of turmeric is to heal wounds and bruises.

Lastly, it is used to prevent and alleviate symptoms of colds and sore throats.

Cardamom- Cardamom has been traditionally consumed as a mouth freshener and a remedy for dental problems. It fights off the mouth bacteria and leaves the person consuming it with a minty breath. This magic spice is also popular throughout India for its many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which help in lowering blood pressure levels and preventing chronic diseases such as cancer.

Bitter melon- With its rich Vitamin C content, bitter melon is considered helpful in healing wounds, preventing diseases, and assisting bone formation. It is also believed to regulate the secretion of insulin in humans

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and thereby aid the balancing of blood sugar levels. Lastly, bitter melon may carry weight loss properties.

Safed Musli- It is a refreshing, regenerating health tonic that is consumed in India for its several beneficial properties.

Safed muesli is believed to boost immunity levels, control symptoms of chronic diseases such as arthritis and diabetes, and aid weight loss and muscle gain in individuals.

Speculations have also been made with regard to the benefits of this useful herb in sexual health.

Valerian root- The Valerian roots are believed to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and stress. This they do by increasing the GABA levels in a person's body. GABA is a pacifying chemical produced in humans, and as its level increases, a person's mind becomes calmer. The roots are also packed with antioxidants that relax the body and mind and facilitate quality sleep. The valerian roots are a proven help to people who suffer from problems such as overwhelming stress, worry, or insomnia.

Herbs and spices are not only packed with medicinal benefits but are also delicious in taste and come with virtually no side effects.

This quality of these items makes them extremely valuable in today's day where a large number of people suffer from some disease or the other.

N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

50

DIET

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Take the load off your blood pressure BY DEEVYA GUPTA

H

igh blood pressure is commonly found alongside other chronic medical conditions and a major risk factor for heart conditions, kidney disease, and cognitive decline. It is a condition impacting even young people, with 1 in 5 young Indian’s being diagnosed and more than half adults have not even had their blood pressure checked.

Having high blood pressure may not always present symptoms, however in the long term may lead to heart disease, heart attack and stroke if not controlled early on.

A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mmHg. There are a few simple things we can do to try and take off the load to reduce blood pressure.

REDUCE INTAKE OF PROCESSED FOODS Processed foods usually contain a high amount of salt (sodium), which is a factor for increasing blood pressure. Our body needs sodium, the recommended daily amount is less than 2300 mg of sodium per day, however when we are regularly in excess of sodium this may contribute to high blood pressure. Below are some examples of high sodium/salt foods, which you may choose to enjoy occasionally in small quantities: • Packaged namkeen snacks • Packaged sauces

• Salt added to foods • Biscuits and chips • Pickles • Fried foods • Breads and cereals • Take away foods TIPS: • Try using more herbs and spices for flavour to help reduce the overall salt intake in foods • Keep up your fluid intake to help your kidneys remove as much excess salt as possible

• Opt for high fibre cereals and breads • For any canned foods or sauces, find those that have ‘low sodium’ or ‘salt reduced’ labelled • Include a variety of fresh foods, vegetables and fruits and try and make homemade snacks wherever possible using less salt REDUCE INTAKE OF ALCOHOL Drinking too much alcohol may increase blood pressure, and having more than three standard drinks in one sitting can impact blood pressure temporarily. Drinking regularly and especially in larger quantities than three drinks can impact the blood pressure long term. If you are taking certain medications for blood pressure, alcohol may also impact their effectiveness.

KEEP UP REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY One way to keep your heart healthy is by keeping up regular physical activity.

With a stronger heart, more blood can be pumped in the body with less pressure and effort. In general for healthy people, the recommendations are to do 30 minutes of physical activity for five days a week. It is important to follow the advice given by your general practitioner (GP) for exercise if your blood pressure remains high or seek help from an exercise physiologist. Try to find activities that are enjoyable to help make physical activity sustainable in the long term.

Please note this advice is of a general nature. If you have any concerns or queries you should get tailored advice from an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and always consult with your General Practitioner before making any changes. Feel free to contact us if you require any specific Dietitian advice.

Deevya Gupta is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian in Melbourne | W: www.abcofnutrition.com.au

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RECIPE

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

Soya Nuggets Masaledar Soya granules, nuggets or chunks are by far the most popular meat substitute. It is known for its high protein content and is low in calories. Being such a versatile ingredient it can be mixed with other vegetables or enjoyed on its own.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups soya nuggets 3-4 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 large onions, chopped 1 tbsp ginger paste 1 tbsp garlic paste 2-3 med tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala salt to taste 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted 1 small red capsicum, diced

METHOD

Soak Soya nuggets in hot water for 5 minutes.

Drain and squeeze out excess liquid.

Heat oil in non stick pan, fry cumin seeds and onions.

Sauté till light brown.

Stir in the ginger and garlic paste. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli, salt and garam masala. When the oil separates, add the soya nuggets and half a cup of water.

Cook for 10 mins.

Allow the mixture to boil. Add the peas and capsicum, mix well and cook for a few mins.

Serves 4

GARNISH:

recipe

Fresh coriander leaves

SERVE:

Hot with bread of your choice or rice

BY MANJIT SETHI

from the private collection

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ASTROLOGY

G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) Mesha (Aries)

Vrishabh (Taurus)

An excellent month, during which you should do quite well financially, Professionals & artists would have an extremely favourable time financially, and also have reason for much satisfaction because of their creative output.

Traders of all descriptions should also fare quite well, and what is more realize their profits in full.

A beneficial month, during which you should try and achieve something noteworthy.

This month you have a favourable combination of stars, which is out to help in your career advancement. With little or no travel, and with the work-load lighter than usual, you would successfully carry out your pursuits and realize the expected gains. Some of you would go on to make a mark with your contribution in social or religious work.

Simha (Leo)

Kanya (Virgo)

Best days: 3, 12, 30 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange, Cream

Best days: 9, 18, 27 Lucky Colour: Green, Blue

Mithuna (Gemini)

This month you have a favourable combination of stars, which is out to help in your career advancement. With little or no travel, and with the work-load lighter than usual, you would successfully carry out your pursuits and realize the expected gains.

The Professionals & other persons of fine arts would do exceedingly well. Some of you would go on to make a mark with your contribution in social or religious work.

Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, White, Yellow

Tula (Libra)

M: 0425 660 220

Karkat (Cancer)

Nothing very encouraging about your financial prospects this month.

Any dispute or litigation that you might be involved in would almost certainly be decided against you. You must work hard to get the decision deferred on any such dispute to a later and more favourable period. It would be a wise policy for them to make provisions for a lean period.

Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue

Vrishchik (Scorpio)

This month you would have fairly useful opportunities for career advancement. In an atmosphere completely free of tension and politics, you would carry out your pursuits and realize the expected gains. In fact, some of you would go on to make a mark with your contribution in social or religious work, writers and others in such-like vocations would also do particularly well.

Your financial prospects don’t look too bright. Practitioners of the arts would do well to store up for the rainy day since they are going to face an extremely lean period.

This is true for traders and those engaged in overseas trade. Those sitting for competitive examinations would be successful in their objectives provided they put in at least the normal kind of effort with sincerity.

Your financial prospects are not very bright. As for your existing work, most of you would tend to struggle quite a bit to realize planned objectives, and even then achieve little success. This would also apply to traders of various descriptions, who would also not fare well, or at least not do as well as anticipated. Further, any pending loan for a fresh advance to banks is unlikely to be cleared in a hurry.

This is a month during which travel would open new vistas of opportunity for you, also bring a good deal of pleasure, since the stars are quite favourably disposed.

Most of you would make highly successful trips by rail or by road, for business or official purposes; the most favourable direction would be North. There would also be a quantity of travel for purposes other than business.

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)

An excellent month to reap a rich harvest of gains from travel. There are strong indications that any trip abroad, during this period would prove to be singularly beneficial to you.

Those who have had such trips on the cards for some time should undertake one, at this point of time.

Most of you would also travel quite a bit, within the country by rail or by road, in the pursuit of business or official ends. In these efforts also, success is indicated.

Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue

Makara (Capricorn)

Kumbha (Aquarius)

Meen (Pisces)

An excellent month, during which you would have ample opportunity to advance your financial prospects. Some of you could get the benefit of an unexpected windfall, a very welcome event from your point of view. There is further reason to believe that circumstances would favour speculative activity, and some of you could well go on to make handsome profits.

Your financial prospects look good this month, since you will get several notable opportunities, for profit. Those of you who go in for speculative activity or even gambling may look forward to, making handsome profits.

Further, for some of you there is a distinct possibility of an unexpected windfall. A very welcome development, from their point of view.

You can look forward to several profitable opportunities for financial advancement during this coming month. There is a legitimate reason to expect a sudden windfall. Further there are good chances for those of you who go in for speculation activity or even gambling, to fare quite well, in your pursuits. In any case, for most of you, quick gains are very likely, as a result of your efforts.

Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue

Best days: 5, 3, 6 Lucky Colour: White, Green

Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, Yellow, White

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Have a laug h

HAVE A LAUGH

TIME UP!!!

A 65-year-old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.

While on the operating table she had a near death experience...

Seeing God She asked, "Is my time up?"

God said, "No, you have another 33 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a Face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck.

She even had someone come in and change her hair colour and brighten her Teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as Well, make the most of it.

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I

thought you said I had Another 33 years?

Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the Ambulance?"

(YOU'LL LOVE THIS) GOD REPLIED: " I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU" 2 I invited my girlfriend to my apartment.

After a couple of conversations n drinks.

I couldn't ask her directly if she was going to stay over so I threw a question at her: "How would you like your eggs in the morning?"

She replied: "UNFERTILIZED" 3 An engineer was asked: "What is the Technical Difference between welding and wedding ...."

He replied: "Not much; both are joints, in a way.......In welding there are sparks first and bonding forever, whereas in wedding there is bonding first 💍and sparks forever ..."

Keep smiling

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G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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G’DAY INDIA | DEC 2021

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