INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY 2019

of

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Shri Ram Nath Kovind President

Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minister

Ambassador’s message on the occasion of Independence Day

Supplement Team Director - Marketing James John Marketing Dr. Sabu K.C. Kuriakose Joseph Haridev Sharma Manesh Mohan Biju Paul Simon Supplement Editor Pradeep Graphic Design & Cover P.R. Krishnamurthy Ad. Controllers Sebi Alappatt Thomas Jose Circulation In-charge Sherif Samy Printed by Raya Commercial Printing Press Editorial/Advertising Office Gulf Times/Arrayah Building C Ring Road, P.O. Box: 533 Doha - Qatar.

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On the occasion of the 73rd Independence Day of India, I am happy to extend my greetings and felicitations to all my fellow citizens residing in the State of Qatar. I also avail this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Government of the State of Qatar for their continued support and cooperation, and to the hospitality and patronage extended to the Indian expatriate community in Qatar. The multi-faceted bilateral relationship between India and Qatar continues to strengthen further in various areas of our engagement, including political, energy, trade & investment, security and defence and cultural spheres. This year is particularly special, as we are celebrating it as the India-Qatar Year of Culture. With the active support and cooperation of the Qatari authorities, we have so far been able to organize some memorable cultural events focusing on popular Indian culture like dance performances, music concerts, painting, calligraphy and photography exhibitions, etc. We have more events lined up for the rest of the year.

Independence Day is a solemn occasion when we recall with a profound sense of respect and reverence the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters to liberate our country from the yoke of colonialism. It is also the time for us to take stock of our achievements in these 72 years and to rededicate ourselves to the cause of the continued development of our nation. Today, India has firmly established itself as the world’s largest democracy as a result of the strong foundation laid by our founding fathers, who framed a stable constitution and built strong democratic institutions. We recently witnessed the festival of democracy in India - the general elections - in which over 600 million people exercised their franchise and overwhelmingly opted for a stable government.

India has come a long way since its independence on 15 August 1947. We have achieved self-sufficiency in food production and today export various food grains to other countries. We are the largest producers of fresh fruits, milk and pulses. India is a recognized military power in the world today. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has been successful in developing a highly acclaimed, low-cost and efficient space program in the world. The recent successful launch of Chandrayaan II, a fully indigenous mission, has put India in the elite club of nations having highly advanced space programmes.

In economic terms, India has emerged as the fastest growing major economy in the world. It is the 6th largest economy globally and is expected to grow at 7% during 2019-20. In the recently released Union Budget 2019, the government aims to achieve 8% annual GDP growth to become a US$ 5 trillion economy and the world’s 3rd largest economy. Infrastructure is one of the key sectors to realize this growth objective and the government has thus accorded high importance to infrastructure projects in the budget. Initiatives like Bharatmala Pariyojana to develop road infrastructure; and the Jal Marg Vikas project and Sagarmala initiative to improve logistics with well-connected waterways would boost connectivity and trade. The government is committed to achieving inclusive growth through affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. India now stands 4th in wind power, 5th in solar power, and 5th in renewable capacity globally. The share of renewable energy in total power generation also rose from 6% in 2014-15 to 10% in 2018-19. India plans to increase the share of natural gas in India's energy mix, currently at about 7%, to 20% by 2030.

India holds the position of the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world and is expected to have 100,000 start-ups by 2025, worth US$ 500 billion, which will create employment for 3.25 million people. A robust start-up ecosystem has been put in place through a 19-point Action Plan which includes setting up several incubation centers, easier patent filing, tax exemptions, ease of setting up business, a Rs 100 billion corpus fund, a faster exit mechanism, etc. The rural economy has received a major boost with the government’s focus on agro-rural industries through the cluster-based SFURTI programme. Special focus is being provided for the development of bamboo, honey, and khadi clusters. 100 new clusters are being set up to enable 50,000 artisans during 2019-2020. There are concerted efforts to revitalize the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) by reorienting policies to create more employment avenues, enhance productivity and achieve greater profits. The Government of India has undertaken an ambitious agenda for social change – from ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ to BADLAV (Beti Aapki Dhan Lakshmi Aur Vijay Lakshmi); from Swachh Bharat to Sundar Bharat; from ‘Give it up’ for the LPG subsidy to ‘Think about the Subsidy’, and from ‘Tax evasion’ to ‘Tax compliance’.

The Government of India is making continuous efforts to create an enabling environment conducive to attract foreign investment. Recently, it has eased FDI regulations to drive investments. It allowed 100% FDI for insurance intermediaries; eased local sourcing regulations for FDI in single-brand retail outlets and increased the statutory limit for FPI investment in a company up to the sectoral limit for FDI, subject to the approval of the company’s board of directors. It is worth noting that India had attracted cumulative FDI worth US$ 64.4 billion during the fiscal year 2018-19.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Indian community in Qatar for their continued good work, which has earned for them a well-deserved reputation in Qatar for their sincerity, hard work, technical expertise and law-abiding nature. As the Ambassador of India to Qatar, I am filled with pride when I hear from various Qatari dignitaries about the valuable contributions made by the Indian community towards the growth and development of Qatar over the years. Today, India's fast-paced growth, technological achievements, business-friendly environment, skilled workforce and a vast consumer market, offer Qatar a unique opportunity to be a partner in India's growth and development story. India looks forward to greater Qatari investments, with investments of more than US$ 1.5 trillion planned in infrastructure and other areas over the next two decades, making it one of the most attractive long-term markets for leading investors. These factors are reflected in the impressive gains made by India in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum, and several other international reports which rank India as a best performer in South Asia for structural reforms undertaken in infrastructure, financial market development, innovation and market size, among others.

India attaches great importance to its multifaceted relations with the State of Qatar. India is the 3rd largest export destination for Qatar. Total bilateral trade reached US$ 12.3 billion during 2018-19. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for 55% of India's global LNG imports and 15% of Qatar's total export of LNG. We look forward to enhanced cooperation in the energy sector, as India seeks to enhance the share of natural gas in its energy mix in the next decade. Though largely dominated by hydrocarbons, there are plenty of opportunities to diversify our trade basket. Indian companies operating in Qatar are pursuing mutually-beneficial collaborations in infrastructure, information and communication technology, energy and other areas in Qatar, contributing to Qatar’s preparedness for hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022. India’s successful experience in the fintech space offers several avenues of cooperation for Qatar. India Stack, which offers 4 distinct technology layers based on presenceless, cashless, paperless and consent, has enabled world-class products being built on open Application Programming Interface (API) based public platforms like BHIM, Rupay, and Paytm.

Official bilateral interactions continue at a regular pace to boost mutually beneficial co-operation between the two countries. We had the first-ever visit of our External Affairs Minister to Doha in October 2018, during which extensive deliberations on the state of our bilateral relations were held with the leadership of Qatar. The two countries also held the 3rd round of Foreign Office Consultations in September 2018 in which H.E. Mr. T. S. Tirumurthi, Secretary (ER), visited Doha and held extensive discussions with his Qatari counterpart H.E. Dr. Ahmed Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The 5th meeting of Joint Working Group on Labour and Manpower Development was held in the month of January 2019 and was useful in exchanging views on various issues in the field of labour cooperation. At the multilateral level as well, the two countries continue to support each other at various international fora. Then Minister of State for External Affairs H.E. Gen. Dr. V. K Singh (Retd.), visited Doha to participate in the Asian Cooperation Dialogue from 30th April to 2nd May this year. He was a keynote speaker at the Business Forum of the ACD. An Indian parliamentary delegation led by the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha H.E. Mr. Haribansh Narayan Singh represented India at the 140th Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting held in Doha from 06-10 April 2019.

India and Qatar consider people-to-people ties as a bedrock of great significance in further deepening the bilateral ties between the two nations. The establishment of a regional office by Qatar Tourism Authority in Mumbai has further increased the scope for promoting tourism between the two countries. India is a popular tourist and wellness destination amongst Qatari nationals, given the cultural compatibility and historical contacts between the two countries. Qatar has emerged as a popular destination for Indian weddings, taking advantage of the visa-on-arrival facility and the excellent infrastructure offered by Qatar’s hospitality sector. We look forward to enhanced contacts and connectivity between our peoples in the coming years.

SPECIAL THANKS Gulf Times thanks the Embassy of India, Doha-Qatar, for the support rendered in preparing this supplement

Defence ties between India and Qatar continue to prosper. The year 2018-19 saw a number of bilateral visits. INS Kolkata in March 2018, INS Mumbai in September 2018 and INS Tarangini in December 2018 have visited Hamad port. The Chief of Qatar’s Emiri Naval Force led a delegation to India in April 2019 and held meetings with his counterparts in India. We look forward to enhancing our bilateral engagement in maritime and naval cooperation, training, joint production and other areas.

The Indian Embassy remains committed to promoting the interests of the Indian community in Qatar. The Embassy shall continue its efforts to expand its outreach to various sections of the Indian community and remain in close contact with the authorities concerned in Qatar, to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of Indian nationals. On this 73rd Independence Day, I once again extend my warm greetings to my fellow Indians in Qatar and thank them for their valuable contribution to the growth and development of Qatar and India. I am confident that the Indian community will continue to extend its full cooperation and support, as in the past, to the Embassy.

(P. Kumaran)

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Indian Embassy in Doha … highlights Pravasi Bharatiya Divas The Embassy of India celebrated Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9 at Indian Cultural Centre, Doha. Indian ambassador P Kumaran held an interactive session with the Indian community. The event was marked by felicitating a Qatar-based singer Ahmed Abdulrahim who rendered Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite song Vaishnav Jan Te’. A promotional video on ‘India-Qatar Year of Culture 2019’ was also launched during the event.

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award to Purnendu Tiwari (Commander, Indian Navy retired) from Qatar in recognition of his contribution towards promoting bilateral cooperation, at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 convention held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, from January 21 to 23. Separately, the Indian Ambassador felicitated Mr. Tiwariat at a function held at Indian Cultural Centre on February 13.

National Voters Day The embassy celebrated the National Voters Day on January 25 to create awareness amongst the voters in Qatar.

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Republic Day Celebrations Scores of community members attended India Republic Day celebrations at the embassy premises on January 26. The Ambassador unfurled the national flag and read out the message of the President of India. A reception was hosted later on January 28 at Sheraton Hotel, Doha, attended by H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications; H.E. Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, Minister for Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs; H.E. Amb. Ibrahim Fakhroo, Chief of Protocol; H.E. Amb. Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, members of the diplomatic corps and over 700 members of the Indian community in Qatar. A cultural programme by school children was also held.

Warm Wishes and Greetings to The Government and the People of India on the joyous occasion of

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Bust of Mahatma Gandhi Unveiled As part of ongoing celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi, a bust of Gandhiji was unveiled by the Ambassador at the embassy premises on July 14.

The embassy celebrated International Day of Yoga on June 21 with events held at National Museum of Qatar and Qatar Sports Club Multi-Purpose Indoor Hall.

Yoga camps and workshops were also held at Asian Town, Al Khor and Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum.

Free Medical Camps The Indian Community Benevolent Forum, in association with the Ministry of Public Health, organised its 37th free medical camp for workers in the Industrial Area on March 22 and 38th free medical camp for fishermen and workers on June 14 at the Aster Medical Centre, Al Khor.

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Sporting Glory

Nearly 700 athletes from 44 Asian nations competed for 186 medals at the 23rd edition of Asian Athletics Championship, held from April 21-24 at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Indian won 17 medals including 3 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze, which placed the country on the 4th place in the tournament. The winners were felicitated by the Ambassador in a ceremony organised by the Indian Sports Centre in Doha on April 24.

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Bilateral Relations in Focus Trade & Economic cCooperation

Qatar-India JWG on Labour & Manpower Development Qatar Chamber’s First Vice Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Tawar met the chief of India’s Shyam Metalics, Aditya Agrawal in the presence of Surinder Bhagat, the Commercial Representative at the Indian Embassy. The meeting reviewed trade and economic cooperation between business sectors of two countries.

Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit - Roadshow in Doha A promotion event titled ‘Vibrant Goa 2019’ was held in Doha on April 23, in order to spread awareness about the upcoming Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit (VGGES 2019), scheduled from October 17 to 19. The VGGES 2019 will offer an ideal platform to meet, interact, network and discuss business proposition for importers, exporters, investors, customers and experts.

The 5th meeting of India-Qatar Joint Working Group on Labour and Manpower Development was held from January 14-15, co-chaired by Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at Qatar’s Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Mohamed Hassan alObaidli, and Joint Secretary for Overseas Indian Affairs at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Manish Gupta.

Asia-Pacific Cooperation Dialogue Talks with India’s Civil Aviation Minister A Qatari delegation led by the Minister of Transport H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Chairman of Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority H.E. Abdullah bin Nasser Turki AlSubaey and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive H.E Akbar Al Baker attended the two-day Global Aviation Summit from January 15-16 in Mumbai.

India attended the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Conference held in Qatar from April 30-May 2.

The Indian delegation was led

by Union Minister of State for External Affairs, General VK Singh who called for cooperation to promote partnerships among Asian countries, focusing on the role of SMEs as a new engine for sustainable economic prosperity.

Continuing Professional Education Seminar

Indian Delegation at ‘Project Qatar’

Praveen Garg, India’s Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser to Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, met the Ambassador during Continuing Professional Education (CPE) seminar held in Doha on July 18.

The 16th edition of ‘Project Qatar’, held from April 29 to May 1, at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre witnessed participation 34-member Indian delegation from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). The Indian Pavilion at the event was jointly inaugurated by Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, and Indian ambassador P Kumaran. The participating companies explored partnerships with Qatari companies and prospects to enhance India’s exports in the region. The delegation was led by Ashwani Kumar, Regional Chairman,FIEO.

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India-Qatar Year of Culture 2019 Indian Designers at Shop Qatar Design District Five well-known Indian fashion designers - Tarun Tahiliani, Raghavendra Rathore, Wendell Rodricks, Namrata Joshipura and Raw Mango - participated in the displays organised at Shop Qatar Design District in January 2019, as part of the festivities organised under Qatar Shopping Festival 2019. The exquisite designs exhibited by these designers helped showcase the depth of talent and the diversity available in the Indian fashion design industry, in addition to the cultural affinities between India and the Arab world.

Concert by Arijit Singh Bollywood singing sensation Arijit Singh enthralled a large audience of nearly 20,000 with a soulful performance on January 18 at Lusail Sports Arena. ‘One FM Radio’ brought the renowned singer to Doha in association with Shop Qatar 2019, the third edition of the Qatar’s biggest shopping festival.

Musical Concert Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, described by the media as ‘Sultans of Swag’, performed in Doha on March 1. In a tribute to IndiaQatar collaboration, they were also joined briefly by Qatar’s Grammynominated singer Fahad Al Kubaisi, who creatively combined with them for a rendition of their greatest hit ‘Swag Se Karenge Sabka Swagat ...’

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Chandrayaan-2 … India’s Moon mission ISRO’s most powerful launch vehicle to date, Chandrayaan-2, is now on its way to the Moon and is expected to reach the Moon by August 20. But before that, do you know these interesting facts about Chandrayaan-2?

Moon is the closest cosmic body at which space discovery can be attempted and documented. It is also a promising testbed to demonstrate the technologies required for deep-space missions.

Chandrayaan-2 attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase our understanding of space, stimulate the advancement of technology, promote global alliances, and inspire a future generation of explorers and scientists.

A total number of 38 soft landing attempts have been made by space agencies in the world to soft-land on the moon, so far. The success rate is 52 percent.

Why explore the lunar south pole?

Moon provides the best linkage to Earth’s early history. It offers an undisturbed historical record of the inner solar system environment. Though there are a few mature models, the origin of the moon still needs further explanations.

There is a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it. In addition, the South Pole region has craters that are cold traps and contain a fossil record of the early solar system.

To trace back the origin and evolution of the Moon, now, it becomes essential to do extensive mapping of the lunar surface to study variations in lunar surface composition.

Evidence for water molecules discovered by Chandrayaan-1, requires further studies on the extent of water molecule distribution on the surface, below the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere to address the origin of water on Moon.

What makes Chandrayaan-2 special?

Chandrayaan-2 is an Indian lunar mission that will boldly go where no country has ever gone before the Moon’s south polar region.

Through this effort, the aim is to improve our understanding of the Moon - discoveries that will benefit India and humanity as a whole.

These insights and experiences aimed at a paradigm shift in how lunar expeditions are approached for years to come propelling further voyages into the farthest frontiers.

Apart from these things, Chandrayaan-2 is • First space mission to conduct a soft landing on the Moon’s South Polar Region • First Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface with home-grown technology • First Indian mission to explore the lunar terrain with homegrown technology Moreover, India will become the fourth country in the world to soft-land on the lunar surface, a feat previously accomplished by only three other countries - the US, Russia, and China Major challenginges Some of the technological challenges of this mission are: • The propulsion system consisting of throttleable engines to ensure landing at low touchdown velocity • Mission management - propellant management at various stages, engine burns, orbit, and trajectory design • Lander Development - Navigation, guidance and control, sensors for navigation and hazard avoidance, communication systems and lander leg mechanism for a soft landing • Rover Development - Roll down (from the lander) mechanism, roving mechanism (on the lunar surface), development and testing of power systems, thermal systems, communication and mobility systems

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Interesting facts 1. Chandrayaan-2 consists of three components: the Orbiter, the Lander (Vikram) and the Rover (Pragyaan). The Lander of Chandrayaan 2 is named Vikram after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the Father of the Indian Space Programme.

2. Chandrayaan 2’s algorithm is wholly developed by India’s scientific community.

3. Unlike Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 will attempt to soft-land its Vikram module on the lunar surface and deploy a six-wheeled Rover, Pragyaan on the Moon to carry out several scientific experiments.

4. The mission life of Chandrayaan-2’s Orbiter will be one year whereas the mission life of lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) will be one Lunar day which is equal to fourteen earth days.

5. Apart from studying the Moon’s surface, Chandrayaan-2 will also examine the satellite’s outer atmosphere.

6. The Orbiter payloads will conduct remote-sensing observations from a 100 km orbit while the Lander and Rover payloads will perform in-situ measurements near the landing site.

7. Chandrayaan-2 will attempt to soft-land the lander -Vikram and roverPragyan in a high plain between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N, at latitude of about 70° south.

8. Chandrayaan-2 has several science payloads to expand the lunar scientific knowledge through a detailed study of topography, seismography, mineral identification and distribution, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics of topsoil and composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere.

9.Chandrayaan 2’s Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) will measure the quantitative estimation of water-ice in the polar regions.

10. Its Dual Frequency Radio Science (DFRS) experiment will study the temporal evolution of electron density in the Lunar ionosphere.

11. Chandrayaan 2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer or CLASS will measure the Moon’s X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectra to examine the presence of major elements such as Magnesium, Aluminium, Silicon, Calcium, Titanium, Iron, Sodium, and its XRF technique will detect these elements by measuring the characteristic X-rays they emit when excited by the Sun’s rays.

12. Chandrayaan 2’s Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) will observe the X-rays emitted by the Sun and its corona, measure the intensity of solar radiation in these rays, and support CLASS. 13. Chandrayaan-2 will study water molecule distribution using infrared spectroscopy, synthetic aperture radiometry & polarimetry as well as mass spectroscopy techniques.

14. The Chandrayaan-2 mission is a precursor to the ambitious Gaganyaan project, which aims to place three Indians in space by 2022.

Bringing solar energy to Indian villages

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ndia is trying to bring electricity to hundreds of millions of its citizens who live off the grid. And it’s trying to ensure that the power comes from clean and renewable sources.

Frontier Markets is helping to achieve both those goals in the Western desert state of Rajasthan, selling solar-powered products to hundreds of villages. The company is thriving by turning its customers into salespeople.

The company employs women to sell products like lamps, stoves, and even TVs that run on solar power through a program called Solar Sahelis (Solar Friends). Each woman is in charge of selling products to hundreds of rural households.

“We learned that while the customer — the person paying for the product — was a man, the person using the product was a woman,” Frontier Markets CEO Ajaita Shah said in an interview with CNN Business. “In fact, 70% of our users were women and that is when we realized that in order to properly serve the right households needs, women had to be at the center of that value chain,” she added.

Shah founded Frontier Markets in 2011, with the goal of providing clean energy to millions of rural Indians while also giving women a source of employment and income. The goals encapsulate some of India’s most urgent issues.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made rural electrification a big priority, announcing last year that 100% of the country’s villages now have access to

By Rishi Iyengar & John Defterios

power. But the government considers a village electrified if just 10% of its houses are on the grid, meaning over 200 million people still don’t have access to electricity.

The Modi government has also set aggressive targets to increase solar energy capacity, and it has succeeded in going from less than four gigawatts in 2015 to nearly 30 gigawatts — about 8% of India’s total energy capability.

The government wants to increase that to 100 gigawatts by 2022.

The 3,000 women that Shah employs have helped to provide energy to more than half a million village houses in Rajasthan, she said. The women communicate the benefits of clean energy to rural households, but also help Frontier Markets understand the kind of innovations that those households need most, she added.

Another pressing need that Frontier Markets is helping to solve is getting more women into work. Only 22% of India’s workforce is female, according to the latest data from the World Bank, one of the lowest rates in the world.

India lags behind countries such as Sudan, El Salvador and Afghanistan.

“As India starts growing and moving and changing and evolving, especially with the digital revolution, women are still being left behind,” Shah said. “It’s really important for us to continuously invest in our women’s skills and their education to be able to catch up.”

“We are very proud of how we’ve been able to succeed with Frontier Markets,” Shah said. “It’s a part of my mission to make sure we understand that investing in women is not just an impact story but smart business and the key to end poverty.”

India planning own space station

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ndia plans to have its own space station in the future and conduct separate missions to study the Sun and Venus, as the nation moves to bolster its status as a leader in space technologies and inspire the young minds to take an interest in scientific fields.

India’s space agency said that it will begin working on its space station following its first manned mission to space, called Gaganyaan (which means “space vehicle” in Sanskrit), in 2022 — just in time to commemorate 75 years of the country’s independence from Britain. The government has sanctioned $1.5 billion for the Gaganyaan mission.

“We have to sustain the Gaganyaan program after the launch of the human space mission. In this context, India is planning to have its own space station,” said Dr. Kailasavadivoo Sivan, chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

“While navigation, communication and Earth observation are going to be

the bread and butter for us, it is missions such as Chandrayaan (Sanskrit for “moon vehicle”), Mangalyaan (Sanskrit for ‘Mars vehicle’) and Gaganyaan that excite the youth, unite the nation and also pave a technological seed for the future.”

The agency will submit to the government after the Gaganyaan mission a detailed report on how it intends to set up the space station. It currently believes it would take five to seven years to conceptualize the space station.

On the sidelines of the announcement, ISRO also unveiled Aditya-L1, a mission to study the Sun’s corona that impacts the change in climate on Earth, for the first half of next year, and a similar mission aimed at Venus, which it plans to conduct over the next few years. “Not only Sun and moon, we hope to reach other planets, like Venus,” he said.

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India targeting $5 trillion economy goal T

By Rajeev Dubey

he freezing ski resort of Davos, Switzerland in January 2018 was the first witness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition of seeing India as a $5 trillion economy by 2025. True to the theme of the World Economic Forum’s annual event, “Shared Future in a Fractured World”, Modi invoked the oldest Upanishad - Isha Upanishad - to assure the global business community that Indians consider the world one big family, and that our future lay together.

The breadth of his oratory at the WEF plenary address may have overshadowed the $5 trillion goal, but he reiterated the target at Niti Aayog’s Governing Council Meeting in New Delhi this June. New Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took the cue and emphatically asserted the $5 trillion target in Budget 2019 as well. However, she left the target date open-ended in her Budget speech: “Our economy was at approximately US$ 1.85 trillion when we formed the government in 2014. Within 5 years it has reached US$ 2.7 trillion. Hence, it is well within our capacity to reach the US$ 5 trillion in the next few years.”

India is already growing at a rate faster than the rate required to hit the $5 trillion mark. Irrespective of anything else, and barring unforeseen DeMo-like shocks to the economy, India will likely achieve the $5 trillion GDP target by every growth parameter (between 11 and 12 per cet per annum) by 2025, provided the Rupee-Dollar rate hovers around Rs 70.

Importantly, it will definitely fall short of the $5 trillion mark by each growth parameter in 2024. By most accounts, including PM’s address at WEF, India

higher.

India must ensure the real GDP stays closer to 8 per cent mark by reviving consumption which will directly trigger the private investment cycle. Since India Inc. suffers from a low capacity utilisation of barely 70-72 per cent it’s unlikely companies will invest in new capacity creation unless higher consumption increases the capacity utilisation to around 80-85 per cent. The answer lies in encouraging greenfield investments in areas such as defence manufacturing which practically do not exist in the country. It could help trigger a revival in investment cycle.

aims to reach the mark by the end of fiscal 2024-25.

Back then, in January, 2018, it meant doubling the economy in 7 years. Today - a year later -- it means growing by another 85 per cent - fairly achievable, given the prevailing rates of growth.

Between 2011-12 and 2016-17, India’s GDP at current prices has already grown at a compound annual growth rate of 11.79 per cent-way higher than the 11 per cent that is required to hit the $5 trillion mark by 2025. In fact, it had seen better days at 13.8 per cent in 2012-13, 14.4 per cent in 2011-12 and 19.9 per cent in 2010-11. It may have slowed down to 11.2 per cent in 2018-19 and 11.3 per cent a year earlier but it still packs a lot of punch.

India will be a $5.08 trillion economy by 2024-25 at 11 per cent nominal GDP growth per annum; $5.15 trillion at 11.25

per cent per annum; $5.22 trillion at 11.5 per cent per annum and $5.36 trillion at 12 per cent per annum.

The other measure of GDP is at constant prices. Simply, the term originates from its methodology which ties the GDP to a base year (which is 2011-12 right now). It measures ‘real GDP’, excluding the effect of inflation. India’s GDP at constant prices today stands at nearly Rs 140 lakh crore-a full Rs 50 lakh crore lower than the GDP at constant prices. This translates into a $2 trillion economy only.

World Bank’s Nominal GDP/Current prices are annual inflation plus GDP at Constant prices. Hence, if India achieves an average real GDP growth rate of 7-7.5 per cent per annum until 2025 and inflation stays in the 4 per cent range, India’s $5 trillion aim is hardly a stretch target. It’s a given. Perhaps, we should aim

Government’s aim to encourage mega manufacturing plants in greenfield areas such as chip manufacturing, lithium ion battery plants is a move in the right direction. Only, this isn’t the first government to theorise such an opportunity. Successive governments since Rajiv Gandhi’s have tried and failed at this.

Yet, given the government’s stretched balance sheet, Budget 2019 has done little to help consumption. So our best case scenario relies on the hope that public investment will turn around the investment cycle sooner than later, still hoping new investment will come in greenfield instead of brownfield projects.

The former creates enormous economic value from scratch while the latter creates only incremental value.

But none of these can separate India from its destiny of $5 trillion. Wish we had aimed at a moonshot of $5.5 or $6 trillion instead.

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Bolstering country’s service sector T

he growth of the Services Sector in India is a unique example of leapfrogging traditional models of economic growth. Within a short span of 50 years since independence, the contribution of the service sector in India to the country’s GDP is a lion’s share of over 60%. However, it still employs only 25% of the labour force. Consequently, agriculture (which is stagnant) and manufacturing (which has not yet risen to its full potential) continue to sustain the majority of our employed population. This presents a unique challenge to future economic growth in India and requires out of the box solutions that will help rapidly harness the potential of the service industry in India. Let us take a look at the contribution of the services sector in the Indian economy, its successes and also explores potential enablers for future equitable economic growth.

Let us now look at the list of service sectors in India that perform, as well as demonstrate strong potential for future growth.

IT-BPM/ Fintech The IT/ITeS & Fintech segments provide over $ 155 bn in gross value add and have the potential to grow between 10 -15% p.a. Exports form its largest component. So far, our key

By Remya Lakshmanan

management services, insurance, natural disaster modelling and underwriting are examples of high value add services performed within India for a global audience.

corridors. India’s logistics service sector itself is expected to grow from $ 115 bn to $ 360 bn by 2032.

Healthcare & Tourism

Media & Entertainment (animation, gaming, dubbing), Education (online platforms such as MOOC), and Sports (IPL, IFL, Sports Management), Legal/ Paralegal services, Risk management and advisory functions, etc. are areas that can lead to an immense contribution of service industry in the Indian economy.

The current contribution of the healthcare industry is over $ 110 bn and is expected to touch $ 280 bn by 2020. Availability of world - class medical facilities, skilled doctors, technicians and pharmaceuticals are some of our advantages. With digital communication and interfaces, diagnostic medicine can also be tapped into as a service for global customers.

Similarly, for tourism, India is renowned for its places of natural beauty and historical significance. Tourism presently contributes $ 47 bn to the country’s GD, compared with $ 115 bn for China. Thus, tourism has exponential possibilities to boost the Indian services sector in the next decade.

advantage has been low - cost labour arbitrage in a predominantly English - speaking country.

Going forward, the IT and ITeS segments require significant upskilling to move beyond a ‘low - cost low value add service provider’ to a ‘high value add partner’.

To attract significant revenues, improved customer experience (medical or tourism) is the key factor that will determine its future growth. In this context, government initiatives such as e - Visas, better infrastructure facilities, safety, connectivity etc. are enablers in the right direction.

Indian IT companies can also leverage

Space

their skill sets to provide fintech solutions to global financial customers. Financial risk

India captured the world’s attention last February when it broke the record for launching the most number of satellites into space.

Moreover, this was done at a fraction of the cost incurred by other space powers.

Indian services in the space domain, with proven expertise in multiple launch technologies, provide it with a significant advantage over its peers in the global space transportation industry. Our launch capabilities have a near 100% track record.

Many countries are actively looking to piggyback on India’s launch facilities. This demonstrates great potential. The government is actively proving its ability, but more can be done to build capacity in military and non military space applications. In this context, public - private participation is key to ensure the flow of capital, as well as to strengthen competencies in this area.

Logistics & Transportation India’s natural coastline and vast river network give it a competitive edge in providing transportation and logistics services, both domestically and internationally. These can be classified into ports and ports services, warehousing, trans - shipment services, e logistics, inland waterways for freight and passengers, expressways and dedicated freight

Other services

Investments in the service sector Of late, the government’s efforts in improving ease of doing business and relaxing regulatory norms have resulted in increasing FDI into the country. The following examples demonstrate the strong linkages that FDI has in unleashing the potential, as well as propelling the growth of the services sector in India:

- Connecting Gujarat and Maharashtra, India’s first bullet train has potential similar to that of the Mumbai - Pune expressway, but on a larger scale.

- Manufacturing of Rafale jets in India.

- Building large highway systems in India (expressways and freight corridors), inland waterways (Jalmarg Vikas project), port modernisation and new port development (Sagarmala project) -Amazon India expanding its logistics footprint -Creation of a Taiwanese tech park in Karnataka -A dedicated fund of $ 693 mn, which will be utilised to support sectoral undertakings under the Champion Services Sectors Initiative. These include IT and ITeS, Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance Services, Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication Services, Construction and Related Engineering Services, Environmental Services, Financial Services and Education Services.

Future Prospects The service sector in India has the highest employment elasticity among all sectors. Thus, it has the potential for huge growth as well as the capability to deliver highly productive jobs - leading to revenue generation. To address the challenge of job creation, the Skill India program aims to achieve its target of skilling/ up - skilling 400 million people by 2022. It aims to do this mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development programs, and by providing them with the necessary funding.

‘Pink City’ Jaipur now a UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Pink City’ Jaipur made an official entry in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.The UNESCO shared the announcement on Twitter. “Just inscribed as @UNESCO #WorldHeritage Site: Jaipur City in Rajasthan, #India. Bravo,” the UN body posted.

The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, which is taking place in Azerbaijan from June 20 to July 10.

In 2018, then Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma formally announced that Jaipur’s name being proposed for World Heritage City. The Archaeological Survey of India had in 2015 submitted a proposal to Unesco for the status.

Since then, the city has been in the tentative list while Ahmedabad proved luckier as it bagged the tag of becoming the first World Heritage City from India.

In addition to Jaipur, the Committee examined 36 nominations for inscription on Unesco’s World Heritage List during the session.

Welcoming the Unesco announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Jaipur is a city associated with culture and valour. Elegant and energetic, Jaipur’s hospitality draws people from all over. Glad that this city has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his happiness at the development, terming it a proud moment for the state and a development which will boost tourism. Jaipur princess Diya Kumari termed it as a proud moment for the entire state.

“I am really feeling proud and happy about this development as my ancestors had built this city. Maharaj Jai Singh II, the founder of the city, was one of my ancestors. He invited the best craftsmen and architects from all over the country to ensure they built the most beautiful and well-planned city of the world. They considered astronomy, planetary movement and Vastu Shastra while bringing up the city to ensure that the city gets the best location and the people are happy, prosperous and safe here.

“In fact, Jaipur is one of the most planned and beautiful cities of the world, deserved the honour of being the World Heritage City. It will benefit the city to retain and maintain its originality and beauty as once the UNESCO tag a city as a heritage city, it ensures that its originality is retained. Hence now, many unwanted structures and encroachments and buildings coming up in the walled city shall have no place in this premises,” Diya Kumari said. Jaipur was founded in 1727 CE under Sawai Jai Singh II. The city was proposed to be nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in town planning and architecture that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the late medieval period, Unesco had said.

In town planning, it shows an interchange of ancient Hindu, Mughal and contemporary Western ideas that resulted in the form of the city. Jaipur City is also an exceptional example of a late medieval trade town in South Asia and defined new concepts for a thriving trade and commercial hub. In addition, the city is associated with living traditions in the form of crafts that have national and international recognition, it added.

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UDAN … stimulating regional air connectivity

W

hen the civil aviation ministry first announced the UDAN scheme for regional air connectivity in 2017, many were sceptical about whether it would take off. Not only has UDAN got off the ground, it successfully connecting 16 new regional airports in the first round of bids, the Government announced the winners of the second round of bidding recently.

What is it?

UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) is the Government’s initiative to make air travel to India’s tier II and tier III cities affordable to the aam aadmi. The idea is to put smaller cities and remote regions on the aviation map, by getting domestic airlines to ply more regional routes. Under the scheme, the Government offers incentives to airlines to flag off new flights to neglected smaller cities and towns by providing Viability Gap Funding to make these operations profitable. Airlines are required to bid for exclusive rights to fly on the regional routes opened up under the scheme. They must sell a specific number of seats on each flight at a fixed fare of ₹2,500 for one hour of flying. In the case of helicopter operations, allowed for the first time now, fares are capped at ₹2,500 for a 30-minute flight.

Why is it important?

After the second round of bidding in UDAN, air travellers can now fly with known names such as Jet Airways, IndiGo and Pawan Hans to far-flung places.

In all, 109 regional airports and heliports have been connected.

The second round saw several tier 2 and tier 3 cities such as Kargil in J&K join the network. Besides these airports, 14 helipads in Uttarakhand, eight in Arunachal Pradesh, six in Himachal Pradesh, five in Manipur and four in Assam have been pressed into service in UDAN 2, making it easier for people in these regions to fly to other cities.

This should happen within six months as operators have to start services within this time-frame after the award of contract, subject to the Airports Authority of India getting the airport/heliport ready.

The scheme gives India’s aviation sector a boost by giving a chance to small and first-time operators to be a part of the rapid growth in passenger traffic.

These two rounds of bidding have seen newer players such as Heritage Aviation, Maritime Energy Heli Air Services, Turbo Aviation, Zoom Air and Pinnacle winning bids to operate flights. Robust regional connectivity is also expected to deliver an economic

boost to the remote locations that make it to the country’s new aviation map.

Why should I care?

UDAN gives flyers a chance to fly to and from farflung airports like Hubballi and Baldota in Karnataka, Burnpur in West Bengal, Darbhanga in Bihar, Hissar in Haryana, Kannur in Kerala and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, to name just a few.

UDAN also makes travel to remote cities quite affordable. It connects city pairs such as Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi three times a week at maximum fares of ₹1,650, Cooch Behar in West Bengal to Guwahati in Assam at fares up to ₹1,570, and Burnpur to Guwahati for up to ₹2,570 for the seats to be sold under the scheme.

Latest by June this year, passengers can hop on for helicopter rides from Almora to Pantnagar or from Mussoorie to Dehradun at fares up to ₹2,480. Air travellers, airlines, helicopter operators and the economy as a whole should benefit with the enhanced air connectivity that UDAN seeks to provide.

More routes get operational Twelve routes under regional connectivity scheme UDAN have recently become functional, taking the total number of operational routes to 186.

The Civil Aviation Ministry had launched the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses. This takes the total operational routes under UDAN to 186 (including 8 Tourism RCS routes) of the total 706 sanctioned routes.

Durgapur airport is the 40th airport to become functional under the scheme.

The 12 routes include Kolkata-Allahabad, Allahabad-Kolkata, Allahabad-Raipur, Raipur-Allahabad, Gwalior-Bangalore, Bangalore-Gwalior and Kolkata-Gwalior.

Gwalior-Kolkata, Mumbai-Belgaum, Belgaum-Mumbai, Mumbai-Durgapur and Durgapur-Mumbai are the other routes that have become functional recently under the UDAN scheme.

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BIMSTEC … immense opportunities

By Constantino Xavier

T

he recently re-elected Narendra Modiled government in India is poised to continue its “neighborhood first” policy in its second term.

Modi’s invitation to BIMSTEC leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony indicates how BISMTEC is being highlighted as India’s preferred regional grouping, an idea that was given more credence by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently, who commented that India sees BIMSTEC as having new energy and possibilities.

BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Better connectivity projects would help India leverage the untapped potential of BIMSTEC’s possible trade linkages. Currently, intra-BIMSTEC trade has grown at a meager rate of 0.62% annually. However, New Delhi’s total trade with the six BIMSTEC countries has grown at an annual growth rate of 10.4%.

For both India’s eastern coastal states and the northeastern region in particular, and for the Indian economy in general, growth and development are seen to hinge on the degree of connectivity with Southeast Asian markets.

By fostering transnational connectivity around the region — in particular with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand — Indian policymakers expect that the country’s exports will pick up, that more investments will flow in, and that regional integration will serve as a positive springboard for greater global economic interdependence. In the words of two former Indian officials, BIMSTEC therefore represents “the only real bridge” or a “unique link” between South and Southeast Asia.

India’s interest in BIMSTEC as an avenue to greater integration in the Bay of Bengal is taking place on different policy levels. First, domestically, India’s focus on the Bay of Bengal region overlaps with its specific developmental goals for its eastern and northeastern states.

These goals have inspired ambitious projects like Sagarmala and Bharatmala, which seek to develop port and road infrastructure, respectively, to internationalize India’s hinterland economy via maritime and crossborder hubs on the eastern coast and with

BIMSTEC leaders with the Indian Prime Minister Bangladesh and Myanmar. India’s support for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) East Coast Economic Corridor and its multi-modal regional corridor from Kolkata to Kanyakumari reflects the domestic dimension of this new Bay of Bengal strategy.

New Delhi’s emphasis on the Bay of Bengal is also being pursued through reinvigorated bilateral relationships with the neighbors. With Bangladesh, this included historic agreements in 2015 to finalize the land boundary and establish direct shipping routes, both of which pave the way to reinstitute connectivity levels from more than fifty years ago. Modi also

became the first Indian prime minister to pay exclusive bilateral visits to Nepal (since 1997) and to Sri Lanka (since 1987). Moreover, by choosing Bhutan as his first foreign destination, in 2014, he emphasized the eastern front of India’s regional periphery. Three years after coming to power, Modi completed his bilateral outreach to all BIMSTEC countries with his visit to Myanmar in September 2017. No Indian prime minister has dedicated so much attention to the immediate neighborhood since at least Rajiv Gandhi back in the 1980s.

India’s path toward regional connectivity now also goes through sub-regional and

mini-lateral initiatives with other BIMSTEC members, including the Bangladesh-BhutanIndia-Nepal (BBIN) formalized in 2013 as a quadrilateral joint working group. Far from being a new creation focused merely on isolating Pakistan, this á la carte policy of regionalism dates back to 1997, when New Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Thimphu created the South Asia Growth Quadrangle initiative to spur economic development in the subcontinent.

India’s new impetus on the Bay of Bengal is also channeled through a new posture toward external actors, seeking partnerships with countries and organizations from outside the region. This includes a variety of joint naval exercises held in the region, including with the United States, and also a new interest in cooperating with Australia. On this front, Japan has been perhaps the most prominent player, based on Modi and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Vision 2025” plan to “seek synergy . . . by closely coordinating, bilaterally and with other partners, for better regional integration and improved connectivity,” especially in the Bay of Bengal region. India has also enthusiastically endorsed the ADB’s South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) operational program for 2016–2025, focused on improving connectivity between the subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Apart from improving connectivity and enhancing regional trade, BIMSTEC could also help in partially addressing India’s growing energy requirements. India, along with other BIMSTEC countries, is exploring energy opportunities at the Rakhine coast of Myanmar in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal. In this context, BIMSTEC has already established an energy centre in New Delhi to provide logistic, technical and research support. Being the largest and most developed country in this grouping, the onus of steering the organisation forward lies with India.

Courtesy: Carnegie India

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India wins 17 medals in the four-day Asian Athletics saga

T

he 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics has drawn to a close in Doha with the arena lying witness to some classic performances. The four-day athletic event drew to a close with India finishing with 17 medals to its name. With 3 gold medals, 7 silver and 7 bronze medals, India’s loot has been satisfactory from the championships. Although there were a lot of hiccups in some of the assured medal events, India seems to have managed to keep a fine form till the very end of the tournament and finish fourth on the medal table with 17 glistening medals to boast and be proud of.

The big win of the day came from the women’s 1500 meter race where PU Chitra and Lili Das hustled to win a medal for India on the final day of the tournament. The defending champion of the 1500 meter category, PU Chitra emerged in top form as she smartly side stepped the efforts of the Bahrainis who tried to block her path and waylay her. Chitra remained in cruise control and did not flinch while storming past former two-time gold medalist Yavi Winfred and under-18 World Champion, Gashaw Tigest. The 23-year-old from Kerala remained clear in her focus and overtook the Bahraini duo to make a final dash for the gold and defend her win from the previous edition. In a matter of 4:14:56 seconds, Chitra clinched gold and booked herself a direct ticket to the World Championships later this year.

In the men’s 1500 meter final event, it was Ajay Kumar Saroj who showed enough grit and stamina to overtake three competitors in the final lap and really pushed the accelerator button to get his hands on a silver medal. With Jinson Johnson, having had to bow out due to a muscle strain, Saroj ensured India did not feel the lack of the army man as he shouldered the responsibility and clocked a silver medal win in 3:43:18 seconds.

In the next event, it was the men’s 5000m final, with India’s Murli Kumar Tulsyabhai Gavit and Abhishek Pal due to compete. However the duo failed to get any medals and finished fifth and sixth respectively, on the board. Another star attraction of the day was the 4x400 meter women’s final which saw India in the lead in the first lap and then slowing down after a clumsy baton exchange in the second lap at the 800 meter mark. The squad comprising Prachi, MR Poovamma, Saritaben Gayakwad and VK Vismaya managed to make amends when Vismaya steered the road towards a gold finish but had to settle for a silver as Bahrain’s Salwa Naser, took care of the final lap and dashed out of nowhere like a superjet to win gold for Bahrain in the last 50 meter. The Indians clocked their silver medal win in a season’s best 3:32:21 seconds lap whilst thanks to Naser, Bahrain finished in just 3:32:10 seconds.

On the men’s side, Kunhu Mohammed, KS Jeevan, Muhammed Anas and Arokia Rajiv participated in the 4x400 meter relay event. The Indians finished second in 3:03.28 seconds but sadly, was later disqualified under rule 163.2 (impeding an athlete). Japan won the gold (3:02.94s) while China took the silver.

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Women filmmakers who redefine the Indian cinema

By Sarangi Anand

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ale-dominance has been historically reinforced in the Indian cinema and the number of filmmakers has been on the rise in the industry throughout the years.

But, the rate of redefining cinemas has, however, started blowing winds across the country. In Indian cinema, which is a variety of genres and languages, women filmmakers also have exceptionally placed their roles behind the camera either as directors, writers or producers. Women directors are making their presence felt in filmmaking through independent and unconventional films. This article talks about some of the pioneering women filmmakers in the Indian cine industry.

The history of women filmmakers in Indian cinema can be traced to Fatma Begum. In 1926, she began her own production company called Fatma Films and made her directorial debut with a fantasy film called Bulbul-e-Paristan.

This turned out to be the first Indian film directed by a woman director.

Multi-talented Begum was an actress who wrote, produced and directed many films. Journey from this pioneer filmmaker to contemporary women filmmakers like Gauri Shinde and Alakrita Shrivastava was a long and arduous one.

Similar to Hollywood, women filmmakers in India are also fighting against the odds and campaigning to diminish the stereotypes and genderscapes present in the industry. These women directors give a new sense of realistic approach to the films in terms of emotionally-strong and mentally-bold concepts, thus, overwhelming the audience. There was a time when a few female directors like Kalpana Lajmi, Deepa Mehta and Aparna Sen accentuated their roles as directors.

Kalpana Lajmi’s movies were mostly female-centric and she is popular for her work Rudaali, a film about a woman in a Rajasthani village who struggles throughout her life. This film paved way for actresses Dimple Kabadia and Raveena Tandon to win National awards.

Deepa Mehta is an inspiring director for the coming generation. She is mainly known for her work Elements Trilogy - Fire, Earth and Water. The movie Fire revolves around the issues of arranged marriage. Earth is about the partition of India and formation of Pakistan, which was India’s official entry to Oscars. Water is about the suicide and mistreatment of widows in India and was nominated for Oscars under Best Foreign language Film category.

Aparna Sen is another prominent actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. Mr and Mrs Iyer, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Yugant, Paromitar Ek Din and 15 Park Avenue are some of her notable directorial ventures. She is also a National award and Padma Shri award winner. Sen is an embodiment of brilliance for the next generation of filmmakers.

However, today, the contemporary filmmakers redefine the Indian cinema.

Gauri Shinde is one of the examples. She made her debut in 2012 with English Vinglish. It portrays a woman who overcomes her insecurities by her own stand and the film became a huge success. Later, she directed Dear Zindagi in 2016 which was also another blockbuster.

Alankrita Shrivastava made her directorial debut with Turning 30. Her second film Lipstick Under My Burkha in 2016 invited a lot of controversies for its bold theme and portrayal. Despite the criticisms, the film received many international awards, including Golden Globes nomination. These female directors are broadening India cinema with mind-boggling concepts. They have created and still continue to influence the audience with realistic scripts and leave a mark in the male-dominant industry.

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‘Bharat Ratna’ for Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh & Bhupen Hazarika

harat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour was conferred on former President and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee by President Ramnath Kovind. Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Nanaji Deshmukh and noted singer-musician Bhupen Hazarika were also honoured (both posthumously) at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Natak Akademi Award (1987), Padmashri (1977), Padmabhushan (2001) and Padma Vibhushan (2012-posthumously), Hazarika was also awarded with Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1992. Hazarika did his PhD from Columbia University in 1952. He died in 2011. The cultural icon also had a brush with politics and had unsuccessfully contested the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket in 2004. He was an independent MLA in Assam during 1967-72.

Pranab Mukherjee, 83, served as the President of India since 2012 to 2017. He has donned many hats as the Defence Minister, Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, Leader of Lok Sabha, Leader of Rajya Sabha and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission in his long career.

Hazarika gave music in Bollywood movies Rudaali, Darmiyaan, Gaja Gamini, Daman and many Assamese hits, including award winning film ‘Sameli Memsaab’

Deshmukh was associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1928 till his death in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, in 2010 at the age of 94 and was known for starting the chain of RSS inspired schools throughout India.He was one of the founder members of Bharatiya Jan Sangh which later evolved as Bharatiya Janta Party. He was considered to be one of the architects of the Jai Prakash Narain movement against Emergency in 1974 and among the key persons in the formation of Janata Party government in 1977.

Born in 1926, Hazarika was an playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam. A recipient of Sangeet

Sushma Swaraj: Nation mourns ‘People’s Foreign Minister’

By Shubhajit Roy

S

ushma Swaraj, who passed away in Delhi last week following a cardiac arrest, was the first woman external affairs minister of India. The 67-year-old leader, who had served her fourth term in Lok Sabha had long been her party’s most prominent woman face. She was the youngest cabinet minister at 25 when she joined the Haryana government in 1977 and the first woman chief minister of Delhi.

In June 2016, a Twitter user tweeted to then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that he had been sold a defective refrigerator that went kaput. She replied, on Twitter: “Brother I cannot help you in matters of a Refrigerator. I am very busy with human beings in distress.” That was Swaraj, who had by then earned a formidable reputation in helping overseas Indians in distress; the External Affairs Minister who brought a humane touch to the otherwise distant and officious Ministry of External Affairs.

Within months of taking charge, Swaraj made sure that the ministry was a responsive government institution. A system, thus, was put in place where she would respond to distress tweets from Indians stranded across the world.

“Indian Embassy is your home away from home. Whenever in trouble, please contact the Indian Embassy/Consulate. They will always help you,” she told this to many — in person, and on Twitter.

During her five years as External Affairs Minister, Swaraj made sure that she left a legacy of being a responsive minister - she once responded to distress tweets at 3 am, which became a benchmark of sorts for Indian embassies worldwide.

Handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the MEA, Swaraj could have fretted and sulked since Modi made foreign policy his priority in his first term. But she was able to make her own space skillfully.

From rescuing hearing and speech-impaired Geeta from Pakistan to organising mass evacuation from Iraq, Yemen, Nepal, among other conflict-hit areas, and from pushing the Kulbhushan Jadhav case to getting Indian national Hamid Ansari back, Swaraj endeared herself to ordinary Indians.

She always prepared the groundwork for Modi’s high-level visits — from her visit to Pakistan in December 2015, which was followed by Modi’s; her visit to China in 2018, setting the stage for the informal Wuhan summit; and effectively standing in for the United Nations General Assembly sessions every September-October to put across India’s point of view.

Gifted with oratory skills, both in chaste Hindi and English, she made life easy for Indian diplomats prepping for visits.

Once, when a doormat depicting the Indian flag sold by a third-party reseller in Canada caught her attention, she demanded a public apology from Amazon and threatened to rescind Indian visas for Amazon employees.

At the French National Day in July 2015, asked why the Opposition was not seeking her resignation, one Opposition leader said, “She is one of our old socialist friends.”

While she won over her rivals that day, over the last five years she possibly won the hearts of many she helped and came across as someone who was the “People’s Foreign Minister”.

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Parbati Giri … ‘Mother Teresa’ of western Odisha

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ne afternoon in 1942 at Bargarh, Odisha, a 16 year old girl sat in the chair of the Sub Divisional Officer of Bargarh, and acted as the judge. Helping her in the court proceedings were her three compatriots impersonating as an advocate, court reader and peon respectively.

When the official SDO of Bargarh arrived he was taken aback at a little girl occupying his chair.

On seeing the SDO, the girl ordered her compatriots to tie him up and bring him up to her. The SDO of Bargarh ordered the police to arrest the girl. The court subsequently gave her imprisonment for 2 years. The girl was Parbati Giri, a fiery freedom fighter which Odisha and the entire country looks up to. After independence Parbati continued to serve the nation and opened an orphanage at Paikmal

village (Padampur Sub Division, Bargarh District and devoted the rest of her life for the welfare of orphans.

Her dedication to the cause of the downtrodden has got her the epithet – Mother Teresa of Western Orissa.

Awareness and motivation to join the freedom struggle came to Parbati from her family. In those days women in public life was a rarity and that too for a girl from a rural background. Women in urban areas had a few more options.

Parbati was born in Samlaipadar village in undivided Sambalpur district in 1926. Her uncle Ramchandra Giri was a leading Congress leader and Samlaipadar village was an important congregation

point for the nationalists. Then barely 10, Parbati was an avid listener in the meetings of the freedom fighters and was inspired with their work and sacrifices. This stuck into this little girl’s heart and she would go door to door and request people to become members of the Congress.

The initiative of this little girl towards the Indian national movement reached the Odisha Congress leaders. Impressed they requested Parbati’s father to allow his daughter for organisational work at the Congress conclave at Samlaipadar village. At that time Parbati was 11 years old. Her dedication towards the tasks assigned was so impressive that her family was requested by distinguished Congress leaders like Malati Choudhury and Pranakrushna Padhiari to allow Parbati to join in the organizational work of Congress full time. This was a time when there was an acute shortage of grass-root level workers in the Congress. The family after initial hesitation relented and Parbati along with another friend, a child widow, left home on 14 January 1938 and went to the Bari Ashram run by Rama Devi. This 12 year old girl was never to return back home and dedicated her entire life to the nation and nation building.

During her life at Bari Ashram, Parbati Giri learned the philosophy of Ahimsa and Self Reliance.

She would go from village to village and organized meetings against the British rule. She gave training

of weaving and thread making in villages like Samlaipadar, Barpali, Panimora, Sarandapali and Dalaipara of Sambalpur town.

The Quit India Movement was started in the year 1942 which saw Pabitra then 16 years old, leading rallies against the British rule. Once she went to the Bargarh Bar and ordered the lawyers to vacate their chambers and not cooperate with the British legal system. The lawyers were taken aback at being ordered around by a 16 year old. Some of the lawyers heeded to Parbati’s request and left. Those who stayed back were offered two bangles each by Parbati. This defiance of young girls is now part folk lore in Odisha. Subsequently she was arrested and jailed for two years for anti government activity stemming from her occupation of the office of the SDO of Bargarh.

After independence Parbati could have easily got into politics. However she chose the hard path of national development as a foot worker. She participated in the Bhudaan movement of Binoba Bhave. She founded the Rukmini Lath Balniketan at Paikmal village , Bargaon for orphans.

Parbati Giri was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by Sambhalpur University which was conferred on her personally by the Governor of Odisha, Shri C. Rangarajan in 1998. It is indeed surprising that the Padma awards eluded Parbati.

Senapati Bapat - a maverick in his own right

By Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk

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andurang Mahadev Bapat, popularly known as ‘Senapati Bapat,’ remains a fascinating figure of the Indian independence movement whose revolutionary zeal was not only influenced by Hinduism, Bolshevism and Gandhian philosophy, but also a profoundly independent streak.

Bapat was called ‘senapati’ or ‘commander’ for his leadership during the Mulshi satyagraha in 1921 leading to what social scientist Ghanshyam Shah called the “first recorded organised struggle against the forced displacement” of farmers.

Born on 12 November 1980, Bapat was raised in a lowermiddle-class Chitwpawan Brahmin family in the Parner town of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.

Enrolling in the Deccan College in Pune was a turning point in his life because this is where he came across Damodar Balwant Bhide, a member of the revolutionary Chapekar Club, and Professor Francis William Bain, a Brit who infused Indian nationalist feelings amongst his fellow students.

There were events like the atrocities committed by the British administrators during the plague in Pune, the assassination of British official Charles Rand and politicization of festivals like the Shiva Jayanti and Ganesh Chaturthi to further nationalist sentiments also played a critical role in shaping his politics.

In 1904, after passing out of college, he earned a scholarship and left for England to study at Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh.

Among other works, it was Dadabhai Naoroji’s treatise ‘Poverty in India’, which helped him understand the exploitative nature of British rule on the Indian economy. It was here when he developed links with prominent British socialists of the time and met several Russian revolutionaries who introduced him to Bolshevism.

However, his public speeches against British rule in India, which were deeply critical and provocative, and his association with the India House in London, a hub for anti-colonial political activism, resulted in him losing his scholarship in 1907.

Fortunately, Bapat found accommodation here, and that’s where he met with VD Savarkar, on whose advice he went to Paris to acquire the technique of making explosives with his Russian

associates. After learning how to make bombs, he came back to India in 1908 with a ‘bomb-manual’, which was secretly distributed to revolutionaries across the country, and two revolvers.

However, his vision for a coordinated nationwide armed revolt against the British never took off and instead what came of it were individual acts of terrorism which the British crushed rather quickly.

Fearing for his safety following the arrest of revolutionaries who made a failed attempt at assassinating the Mayor of Chandnagar in Bengal, Bapat went underground for a couple of years but was eventually arrested by the police in 1912.

However, he was released in 1915 when the police couldn’t find sufficient evidence to link him to these attacks.

Following his release from prison, he joined Bal Gangadhar Tilak in his attempts to strengthen local support in the Poona area for the cause of Indian Independence.

By 1920, he had bought into Gandhi’s vision of ‘swaraj.’

However, it’s the following year, when he really came into prominence, leading the Mulshi satyagraha, the world’s first antidam movement.

Despite closely participating in the freedom struggle, he also grew critical of Gandhi and mainstream Congress leaders.

“Shuddha satyagraha neither insists on absolute non-violence nor on absolute-violence. It allows the use of violence when the desired goal proves to be of supreme significance as compared with the value of non-violence in itself,” according to Bapat.

Another facet of his political thought is ‘prana-yadnya‘ (selfkilling) as an act of protest like the self-immolations in Tibet against Chinese assimilation. Unlike other revolutionaries, he saw the fissures between Hindus and Muslims as a product of colonial rule, and instead of resorting to communalism the answers he believed lay in religious tolerance.

Following his arrest for the Mulshi satyagraha, he remained in prison for nearly seven years and released only in 1931. He subsequently served a third jail sentence for attending a public gathering organised by Subhash Chandra Bose in Mumbai. The road along which these gatherings were held was later renamed Senapati Bapat Road.

On 15 August 1947, Bapat had the honour of raising the Indian national flag over Pune for the first time. Bapat eventually passed away on 28 November 1967 at the age of 87. In 1977, the Government of India issued a postage stamp in his honour.

Bapat was a maverick in his own right not beholden to any party or personality. Thus his joining of the Hyderabad satyagraha, his acceptance of the Presidentship of the Maharashtra branch of the Forward Bloc (Bose’s party) in 1939, his participation in the liberation movement of Goa and the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement confirmed the same independent spirit of Bapat which he showed from time to time.

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Girish Karnad … remembering the multifaceted artist

A

ctor-director-writer Girish Karnad, a legend in Kannada writing and theatre is no more. Karnad was known for plays such as Tughlaq and Hayavadana and for his work in South and Hindi cinema.

Karnad was born in Matheran, Maharashtra in 1938 and grew up in Sirsi and Dharwad in Karnataka.

This was where he developed his love of theatre, after watching village plays and ‘natak mandalis’ or travelling theatre groups. Karnad graduated from Karnatak Arts College in Dharwad and then studied philosophy, political science and economics at Magdalen College in Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.

After a few years working with Oxford University press, Karnad turned to writing full time. His first play, Yayati, was published in 1961; Tughlaq was written in 1964 and Hayavadana in 1971. Karnad wrote in Kannada and his plays were translated into English and other languages. They were directed by theatre legends such as Ebrahim Alkazi, Alyque Padamsee and Satyadev Dubey. Modern Kannada theatre evolved under Girish Karnad’s stewardship.

Karnad also had a long and prolific career as an actor, beginning with critically acclaimed Kannada film Samskara in 1970. Though his preferred language was Kannada, Karnad appeared in several well-received Hindi films such as Nishaant, Manthan, Dor and Swami. Karnad also directed films, including Vamsha Vriksha in 1971 and Utsav in 1984.

TV audiences remember Girish Karnad from Malgudi Days and Indradhanush. One of Girish Karnad’s last few film appearances was in Salman Khan’s 2017 blockbuster Tiger Zinda Hai, the sequel to 2012’s Ek Tha Tiger in which Karnad also starred.

Karnad was a political activist and an outspoken critic of religious fundamentalism. He also served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India or FTII from 1974 to 1975, chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi from 1988 to 1993, and director of the Nehru Centre in London from 2000 to 2003.

Karnad received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Jnanpith Award. He also won National Film Awards for several films, including Best Director for Vamsha Vriksha and Best Screenplay for Bhumika.

Sheila Dikshit: Graceful leader who transformed Delhi

T

he political legacy of veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, who was India’s longest serving woman Chief Minister, was best summed up by her one-time rival and now Union Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan. “We had our differences on policies, but we always admired her behaviour and efficiency,” he said.

It was this efficiency that made Ms. Dikshit the face of a fast-changing Delhi, someone who knew how to change political adversity into opportunity.

The city’s change to cleaner public transport bears testimony to Ms. Dikshit’s efforts. In April 2001, public transport in the national capital collapsed as nearly 10,000 old and polluting diesel buses were ordered off the roads by the Supreme Court. The Congress government led by her was not ready with a plan to deploy cleaner CNG buses.

For nearly two decades, Ms. Dikshit personified Delhi and the aspirations of its citizens. She served them with her heart and mind and they gave her their abundant love. Every resident of Delhi will feel that he or she has lost a member of his or her family.

Her largely successful legacy in Delhi was, however, marred by allegations of corruption during the 2010 Common Wealth Games. She also briefly served as the Governor of Kerala from March to August in 2014.

Ms. Dikshit was born in Kapurthala in Punjab to a non-political family in 1938, and graduated from Miranda House, University of Delhi. In July 1962, she married bureaucrat Vinod Dikshit, who she had met during her college days.

And her first foray into politics came when she assisted her father-in-law Uma Shankar Dikshit, a loyalist of Jawaharlal Nehru who had served as a Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1971 and become the Governor of Karnataka and West Bengal.

Ms. Dikshit took the formal plunge in 1984 when she became a Lok Sabha member from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Known to be a loyalist of the Gandhi family, she was hand-picked by Rajiv Gandhi in his Council of Ministers after he became the Prime Minister in 1984.

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Anandavally (67)

Mohan Rangachari (66)

Dubbing artist and actor Anandavally, through whose voice female leads in Malayalam cinema spoke through much of the 1980s, passed away. Anandavally began using her voice effectively from a young age, as a singer in dramas of the KPAC and the Kalidasa Kalakendram. It opened doors to acting in dramas, and later in films, making her debut with Eanippadikal in 1973. A year later, she made her debut as a dubbing artiste in Devi Kanyakumari, lending voice to Rajasree’s character.

The first big break in her dubbing career came at the turn of that decade, becoming the voice of the tragic female lead Prabha, played by Poornima Jayaram, in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. With that, she became the preferred dubbing artiste for top heroines of the 1980s including Geetha, Madhavi, Sumalatha, Seema, Menaka, Ambika, Suhasini, Lissy, Radhika, Unnimary, Shobhana, Parvathy, and several others.

Anandavally was known for her mastery in bringing subtle variations to her voice texture depending on the character, a quality which enabled her to provide voice to multiple characters in the same film like in the case of Bharatham and Santhwanam.

Not too many who followed Tamil dramas or films knew him by his real name - Mohan Rangachari - but just mention Crazy, and their faces would light up as they recalled some joke that Crazy Mohan had cracked. With an unruly mop of thinning hair, spectacles, dressed in a T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up just that bit and what could pass off as track pants, you could identify Crazy Mohan from his inimitable voice and the Brahmin lingo. He was a larger-than-life figure for millions of his fans. He made his name writing rip-roaring dramas. The storyline hardly mattered, what the audience were engrossed in was the steady flow of one-liners. He had made his mark as a dramatist long before he made his appearance in Tamil movies, through Kamal Haasan’s Apoorva Sahodarargal, in which he played a cameo, as he did in many other Kamal movies, where he had written the dialogues.

Sathi Leelavathi, Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR), Avvai Shanmugi, Tenali, Pammal K Sambandam, Panchathantiram were some of the movies that Crazy Mohan handled the dialogues or the screenplay. Crazy Mohan’s strength was his command over what is still known as Madras Tamizh.

Dubbing artist (14 January 1952 -5 April 2019)

J Mahendran (79)

Actor/comedian (16 October 1952 – 10 June 2019)

Jaipal Reddy (77)

Director/actor (25 July 1939 – 2 April 2019)

Politician (16 January 1942 – 28 July 2019)

Veteran director J Mahendran, who has given Tamil cinema several important films including Aadu Puli Attam (story, dialogues) Mullum Malarum (debut as director), Uthiripookkal and Nenjathai Killadhe passed away at his residence in Chennai. Born in 1939, Mahendran began writing stories for filmmakers way back in 1966. The film Naam Moovar by director Jambulingam starring Jaishankar, Ravichandran and Nagesh was based on Mahendran’s story and this was his very first attempt in cinema. His other notable stories include the female-centric Panakkara Pillai starring Jayalalithaa in the lead and Sivaji’s acclaimed Thanga Pathakkam. Mahendran made his directorial debut with Mullum Malarum, a critically acclaimed drama starring Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Fatafat Jayalaxmi and Shoba, in 1978.

The film was a turning point in Rajinikanth’s career, and the director is credited with moulding the Superstar as we know him today. Cinemavum Naanum, an autobiography by the filmmaker was published in 2013. In recent times, the director has appeared in a few notable films playing memorable roles. Mahendran played the villain in Vijay’s Theri, a role that fetched him the Best Villain award at IIFA Utsavam in 2017

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy passed away. Reddy joined politics as a student leader of Osmania University and went on to become Congress MLA in 1970s.

In the wake of an upsurge of opposition to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after she imposed Emergency in the country, Reddy joined Janata Party and later Janata Dal in the splinter groupings that took place. He was Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Union Minister for Urban Development, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas before finally holding the subject of science technology.

Reddy was Union Minister in Federal front government earlier and Congress-led UPA I and UPA II regimes. He was elected to the Lok Sabha four times and Rajya Sabha twice. Known for his oratorial skills, Reddy was heard with rapt attention in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in his heydays as an MLA of Kalwakurthy constituency in Mahbubnagar district. Reddy, current Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and late Gouthu Latchanna had served as a strong Oppositon in the State Assembly.

Y C Deveshwar (72) Businessman (4 February 1947 – 11 May 2019)

Noted industry leader and ITC Chairman YC Deveshwar, who transformed the cigarette major into a diversified player with interests in FMCG, hospitality, IT and other sectors, passed away.

Deveshwar joined ITC in 1968 and was appointed as a director on ITC’s board on April 11, 1984. He rose to become its chief executive and chairman on January 1, 1996. One of the longest serving top executives of a corporate entity in India, he was responsible for transforming ITC from mainly a cigarettes maker into a diversified entity with interests in FMCG, hospitality, paper, agri business and information technology, among others. An alumnus of IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School, Deveshwar had also led Air India as chairman and managing director between 1991 and 1994.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan - one of the highest civilian awards in the country - in 2011, Deveshwar also played his part in nation building, taking up various roles in several institutions. He served as a director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, as a member of the National Foundation for Corporate Governance and member of the governing body of the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

K M Mani (86)

Politician (30 January 1933 – 9 April 2019)

Kerala Congress (M) chairman K. M. Mani, the longest serving legislator in the State’s history, is no more. Fondly called ‘Mani Saar’ by the masses and the State’s political class alike, the lean, heavy-browed politician had represented the Pala Assembly constituency for 52 years on the trot since its formation in 1965.

Till now, he has won all the 13 elections from the constituency.

He had held the Finance portfolio for the longest period and presented 13 budgets.

Born into a lower middle-class family in Marangattupilly, Mani began his career as a lawyer. Riding on an initial leg-up by political giant P.T. Chacko, he rose swiftly through the ranks of the Congress and held the secretary post of the Kottayam District Congress Committee from 1960 to 1965.

The Assembly elections in 1965 marked the watershed in Mani’s political life. Having failed to secure a nomination from the Congress, he was roped in by the Kerala Congress, which was formed a year ago and was on a growth path, as a candidate of the newly constituted Pala constituency. His son, Jose K. Mani, is an MP with the Rajyasabha.

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Manohar Parrikar (63)

S Muthiah (89)

M J Radhakrishnan Cinematographer (1957/1958 – 12 July 2019)

Politician (13 December 1955 – 17 March 2019

(Writer/journalist) (13 April 1930 – 20 April 2019)

From being an IITian, to an ordinary RSS pracharak and then emerge as a top minister in the Union Cabinet, Manohar Parrikar had an illustrious, yet simple life till his last breath. The four-time Goa chief minister was among the few from Goa who made it to the national level. Parrikar held the defence portfolio in the Modi government since 2014, till the time he returned to his first love, Goa, to take over the chief minister’s post.

Parrikar is remembered as the “original aam aadmi” by fellow politicians, journalists and Goans alike. Parrikar enjoyed a mannext-door image who navigated Goa’s politics for two decades and became BJP’s crisis man in the coastal state.

An admitted workaholic who insisted on leading a simple life, Parrikar, a metallurgist by training, was a leader who enjoyed acceptance from all sections of the BJP and beyond. Parrikar played a key role in making the BJP a force to reckon with in Goa, which was until then a Congress bastion, with regional outfits having pockets of influence. There are many accounts of his spartan style -- security personnel seeing him arriving at the airport in a rickshaw, carrying his own luggage wearing rumpled bush shirts and chappals in north block.

In the passing of S. Muthiah, Chennai has lost its best-known chronicler. In the past several decades he made it his mission to bring to light the past of Madras and document the achievements of men and women of the city. Born on April 13, 1930 to V.Vr.N.M. Subbiah Chettiar and Chittal Acchi at Pallathur, Mr. Muthiah had his education in Sri Lanka and the United States of America. Returning to Colombo with a master’s degree in international relations, he took to journalism, joining the Times of Ceylon, which he served for 17 years. In 1968, he moved to India, making Madras his home and working at T.T. Maps. Passionate about the history of the city and appalled at the indifference with which it was treated, he wrote his first book, Madras Discovered, in 1981. In 1991, Mr. Muthiah, along with Lokavani-Hallmark Press began Madras Musings, a fortnightly dedicated to the history, culture and heritage of the city. In 1999, Mr. Muthiah began Madras Miscellany, his weekly column for The Hindu. Appearing each Monday, it had many readers hooked; its stories on the city being their staple read that morning.

M.J. Radhakrishnan, one of the finest cinematographers in Malayalam cinema, died of cardiac arrest. He won seven State Film Awards – only Mankada Ravi Varma has won as many. In a career that spanned over four decades, he worked in about 70 films. His last release was Olu, directed by Shaji N. Karun.

In Kaliyattam - director Jayaraj’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello - the night shots were among the highlights.

Only a skilled cinematographer could make all those shots of “Theyyam” so natural and capture the emotions on the faces of Manju Warrier, Suresh Gopi and Lal (on his acting debut) so well.

Radhakrishnan was admired not just by young cinematographers, but by young directors as well. He was also often the first choice of art-house directors. The most seasoned and celebrated directors too preferred him. He was the cinematographer for two films directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Naalu Penngunal and Oru Pennum Randaanum. Some of his finest work can be seen in films like Ottal, Veettilekkulla Vazhi, Desadanam, Kannaki, Thirakkatha and Theerthadanam.

AK Roy (84)

Ruma Guha Thakurta (84)

Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (81)

Veteran actress Ruma Guha Thakurta passed away at the age of 84. Born in Kolkata in 1934, Thakurta began her career as a dancer before moving to the Bombay, where she got married to singer Kishore Kumar in 1951.

The two, who got separated in 1958, had a son - singer Amit Kumar.

The veteran actress-singer later married writer-director Arup Guhathakurta and had two children singers Sromona and Ayan.

She worked in over 60 films, including Ganga (1959), Abhijaan (1962), Palatak (1963), Antony Firingee (1967), 80 Te Asio Na (1967), Balika Badhu (1967), Dadar Kirti (1980), 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Amrita Kumbher Sandhane (1982), Bhalobasa Bhalobasa (1985) and Wheelchair (1994).

She was directed by some of the greatest directors of her time inlcuding Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar, Rajen Tarafdar, Aparna Sen and Mira Nair. Ruma also acted in several Hindi films like Jowar Bhata (1944), her first film, Mashaal (1950), Afsar (1950), Raag Rang (1952) and her last film Namesake (2006).

She founded the Calcutta Youth Choir, a song and dance troupe, in 1958, which is known for its performance of folk and mass songs.

Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, one of the foremost historians of modern India, passed away. He enjoyed a stature similar to historians Romila Thapar, K N Panicker and Sumit Sarkar. He made lasting contribution for his study of the working of the colonial regime and various economic aspects in colonial and post-colonial India.

Politician (15 June 1935 - 21 July 2019)

Former Lok Sabha MP A.K. Roy passed away. He was one among the founders of the Jharkhand movement. The three-time MP from Dhanbad was also the founder of Jharkhand’s regional party Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC).

Roy won the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat in 1977, 1980 and 1989. He also represented Sindri in the Bihar Assembly in 1967, 1969 and 1972.

Along with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren and former MP, the late Binod Bihari Mahto, Roy began the Jharkhand movement that demanded a separate State from Bihar in 1971. Jharkhand became a separate State on November 15, 2000.

Roy was born in Sapura village, now in Bangladesh. His father Shivendra Chandra Roy was an advocate. He completed an M.Sc in Chemistry from Calcutta University in 1959 and worked for two years in a private firm. He later joined Projects and Development India Limited (PDIL), Sindri in 1961.

He actively participated in the Bihar Band agitation on August 9, 1966 and was arrested.

Actress/singer (21 November 1934 – 3 June 2019)

Historian (1938- 7 January 2019)

His last book, ‘Archiving the British Raj: History of the Archival Policy of the Government of India, with Selected Documents, 1858–1947’, was published in November 2018.

His monumental work, ‘Financial Foundations Of the British Raj: Ideas And Interests In The Reconstruction Of Indian Public Finance (1858-1872)’, which was first published in 1971 and has run into its seventh edition, is considered a classic. ‘The Colonial State: Theory and Practice’ is another of his esteemed books.

He had served as the vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University (1991-1995) and Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (2007-2011), besides teaching history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (1976-2003) (JNU). Bhattacharya also held teaching and research positions at St. Antony’s College (University of Oxford), University of Chicago and El Colegio de Mexico.

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Kadavoor Sivadasan (87)

Krishna Sobti (93)

Veeru Devgan

Stuntman/action choreographer (1934 — 27 May 2019)

Politician (11 March 1932 – 17 May 2019)

Author (18 February 1925 – 25 January 2019)

Congress leader and former minister Kadavoor Sivadasan breathed his last at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

Born in 1932, Sivadasan completed his school education at Thevally Government School, graduation in economics at SN College in Kollam. He studied law at Law College, Ernakulam.

Sivadasan entered politics through the RSP and later switched to the Congress. He was the president of the Progressive Students Union and was active in trade union activities through the Kerala Provisional United Trade Union Congress.

He served as minister in the governments led by K Karunakaran and A K Antony handling portfolios such as Electricity, Forest, Excise, Health and Labour. He represented Kollam and Kundara Assembly constituencies consecutively for 15 years.

He was an RSP candidate in 1980 and 1982. Later, he went to the Legislative Assembly as a Congress candidate in 1991, 1996 and 2001. He is credited for establishing welfare boards for unorganised sectors. It led to the formation of welfare boards in all sectors in the state.

Eminent Hindi author and essayist Krishna Sobti died in Delhi at the age of 93. Born in Gujarat province of British India (now in Pakistan), Krishna Sobti moved to New Delhi after partition and have been providing exceptional piece of work since then. Her work is well known for bold and daring characters portrayed in her books.

She is best known for her novels - Mitro Marajani, released in 1996.

Sobti’s writing has a hint of Punjabi, Urdu, and later, on Rajasthani as well. Her ability to adapt the dialect of different languages has been praised by the critics.

Most of her work closely deals with the issues of female identity and sexuality. Krishna initially established herself as a writer with her short stories. Initially, she published Lama and Nafisa in the year 1944, followed by the story of Indian partition-Sikka Badal Gaya.

She worked on a series of short profiles and columns under masculine pseudonym and compiled her non-fiction book as Ham Hashmat in 1977. She received Jnanpith Award in 2017 for her pathbreaking contribution to Indian literature.

Veteran action choreographer Veeru Devgan passed away in Mumbai due to age-related health issues. Devgan was the father of actor Ajay Devgn. Veeru Devgan choreographed the action sequences in over 80 Bollywood films, especially in the nineties.

Veeru Devgan, who was born in Amritsar, directed action in films such as Kranti, Aaj Ka Arjun, Mr Natwarlal, Mr India, Shahenshah and Tridev. He also worked on films starring his son Ajay such as Ishq and Dilwale. Devgan also directed and produced Ajay, Manisha Koirala and Amitabh Bachchan in 1999’s Hindustan Ki Kasam, his only work as a director. Veeru Devgan served as assistant director on Vishwatma and Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai and also produced the films Dil Kya Kare and Singhasan.

He is survived by two sons - Ajay and Anil - and a daughter. Ajay Devgn is married to actoress Kajol and they have a son and daughter.

Y.G.Parthasarathy (93)

J Om Prakash (92)

Vijaya Nirmala (75) Actress/director (20 February 1944 – 27 June 2019)

Legendary actor-director Vijaya Nirmala passed away at the age of 73. Some of the memorable roles essayed by the actor include Tata Manavudu, Rangula Ratnam, Buddhimantudu, Om Shanti, Pandanti Kapuram, and Hema Hemeelu. Born in Tamil Nadu in 1946, she began her career as a child actor aged just four with Machcha Rekhai in Tamil in 1950. Her first big break as an actor was in Malayalam with Prem Nazir in Bhargavi Nilayam in 1964. She stepped into the role of a director besides essaying the lead role in Meena (1973). The movie is considered one of her most memorable roles and is based on a novel by Yeddanapudi Sulochanarani. The movie was again remade in 2016 as A Aa. Vijaya Nirmala broke the mould when she acted and directed in Devadasu in 1974, though Akinenni Nageswara Rao’s Devdasu (1953) was considered a benchmark in Telugu cinema for the tragic love story written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Vijaya Nirmala’s name was listed as one of the most prolific lady directors with 44 movies under her baton.

Educationist (27 November 1925 – 6 August 2019)

Renowned educationist and founder of the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) Group of Schools, Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy, passed away. She was 93. Mrs. YGP or Rashmi, as Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy was known, received the Padma Shri award in 2010 for her contribution to the field of education. Her husband, the late Y.G. Parthasarathy, was an actor and theatre personality and the founder of the theatre group United Amateur Artists. Rajalakshmi studied at St John’s School and Holy Cross College, Chennai, and completed her post-graduation in journalism from Madras University in 1947 at a time when few women in India were able to pursue higher studies. She also completed her MEd and was awarded a Master’s degree in history from Madras University. She went on to work as a journalist with The Hindu and Tamil weekly magazine, Kumudam. Mrs. YGP had worked in The Hindu and had written regularly for its Sport & Pastime magazine. An eminent educationist, she started the PSBB in 1958, in a small manner, but it grew to accommodate several schools across various campuses spread over the city.

Filmmaker/producer (24 January 1927 – 7 August 2019)

Veteran filmmaker J Om Prakash died in Mumbai aged 93. He is actor Hrithik Roshan’s maternal grandfather. Om Prakash was born in Sialkot, Punjab. The filmmaker made his directorial debut with Aap Ki Kasam in 1974, which starred Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz in lead roles. Sanjeev Kumar, Rehman, Asrani and A.K. Hangal also played key roles in the film. Om Prakash, most of whose film titles began with ‘A’, is best known for helming movies such as Aap Ki Kasam (1974), Aakhir Kyon? (1985), Arpan (1983), Apna Bana Lo (1982), Aasha (1980) and Apnapan (1977). He directed Rajesh Khanna in his debut film Aap Ki Kasam, which is etched in our minds for its soulful music - Jai, Jai Shiv Shankar and Zindagi Ke Safar - composed by RD Burman. Om Prakash worked with Jeetendra in Aadmi Khilona Hai (1993). As a producer, J Om Prakash has successful movies such as Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966) and Aankhon Aankhon Mein (1972) to his credit. J Om Prakash served as the President of the Film Federation of India from 1995-1996.

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IIT-Madras turns 60!

By Szhruthi Boopathy

F

ounded in 1959 and inaugurated by Prof. Humayun Kabir, the then Union minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs, IIT-Madras is celebrating its 60th birthday.

Founded with technical and financial assistance from the former government of West Germany, it was the third IIT that was established by the Government of India. One can find many ‘gems’ within the campus that remain a treat for the past and present generations who studied here.

Quark: The iconic canteen Named after an elementary particle, Quark is the iconic canteen that was built by the students in the early 80s. Wanting a canteen that stayed open much longer than the hostel canteens, the students got the permission they needed and designed and built the canteen, with guidance from the engineering professors. This place serves all kinds of amazing food at reasonable prices.

Vana Vani and Kendriya Vidyalaya Imagine studying in a school located inside a forest and surrounded by wildlife, from monkeys to deer to anteaters! Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School and Kendriya Vidyalaya, both founded in 1963, offer just that.

“Both schools have their own different atmosphere despite being in the same IIT campus. Vanavani being a matriculation school and KVIIT being CBSE, they both were unique in their own ways. I learnt fluent in Hindi whilst studying at KVIIT”, says Boopathy Rajendran, a student.

Open Air Theatre The iconic Open Air Theatre at IIT is the place to go for a unique movie experience.

Watching a film under the canopy of the trees at night, surrounded by the night breeze is a one of a kind moment. Everybody looks forward to Sunday evenings at the ‘film club’. Students and residents can relax on the stairs and steps available and be far more comfortable, even showing up in pajamas, to enjoy the movie of the day. Popular Nights of Saarang, the annual social and cultural festival of IIT Madras are hosted at the Open Air Theatre of IIT Madras.

Chemplast Cricket Ground One of the most scenic grounds, it was established only in 1998. Despite its age, the ground is still excellently maintained and is a sort of haven where the field is completely surrounded by a wild canopy of trees, making it all the more beautiful on golden afternoons. Walkers, joggers, sportspeople and the elderly make use of the field in the mornings and evenings for their own benefit. “The stadium is a lovely place in the evenings. I go walking there despite living outside of the IIT campus. Even though I am retired, I had worked there from 1969 to 2000, and I can’t seem to let go of the campus”, says 80 year old M. Rajendran, an IIT retiree.

Hostels Their 15 hostels are all named after Rivers. IIT hosts accommodation for all the students who wish to live in the hostels. There are many recreational activities available from sports to literary and social activities that take place in the hostels during the academic year. A few rooms are used for common facilities such as the library, computer room, and indoor sports etc. A washing machine (Laundromat) is available in every hostel for use by the residents. Students can find leisure in the evenings or on holidays and spend time in the common room which is equipped with a T.V, a music system, newspapers and magazines. One half of the common room houses a table tennis (TT) board as well. Most hostels have a music room which has a high-quality stereo music system and a variety of cassettes to offer to the music lovers out there.

With many more jubilees to celebrate, IIT will always remain one of Madras’s treasures and a home to the different species of wildlife that one can spot on a simple drive through the roads of the forest.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle