Indian Abroad December 1-15, 2021 Vol 1 Issue 20

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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LS passes Farm Laws Repeal Bill sans debate

Farm Laws Repeal Bill passed in Rajya Sabha too IANS

IANS

The true essence of Vedanta and spirituality - Page 5

Multicultural event Ladies in Red held in Willawong - Page 9

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi -Page 7

6 gemstones expected to rise in value -Page 21

New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS): Amid sloganeering by opposition members, the Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021 was passed by the Lok Sabha by voice vote even as the opposition kept on demanding a discussion on the same.

Immediately after the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar presented the Bill, opposition members started raising slogans, some left their seats and walked down towards the well, and all demanded a discussion on the Bill.

Speaker Om Birla said the discussion will happen if only the members behaved and stopped sloganeering and sat in their respective seats. The members did

not relent.

The Speaker put the Bill for voice vote and it was cleared within seconds even as the opposition continued sloganeering protesting that there was no discussion.

The Lok Sabha was then adjourned till 2 p.m.

Soon after, outside the Parliament, NCP leader Supriya Sule told mediapersons, "This is a black day for democracy. The government wants to do 'Mann Ki Baat' (own talk) but does not want to listen to the 'Jan Ki Baat' (people's talk)."

Stating that the government was afraid of the discussion, Congress Leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "We

Harmanpreet Kaur bags the honour of being first Indian to win WBBL player of the tournament

wanted a discussion on the three farm laws that were repealed and also a law on the MSP. The government passed the bill without any discussion."

Rakesh Tikait, one of the prominent members of the farmers' agitation told media persons, "The government wants there should be no protests but we will not leave the site before MSP is discussed among other issues."

Coming down heavily on the fact that the three "anti-Agriculture Laws were passed in Parliament without discussion and have been repealed without discussion," Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: "A debate would make the PM and BJP answerable for a Conspiracy to sell the farming sector at the altar of Crony Friends, Sacrifice of 700 farmers and Not giving MSP (sic)."

In counter to opposition leaders' allegations, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "The Prime Minister has shown large heartedness and agreed to repeal the three laws. The farmers' organisations were demanding it; the opposition parties were demanding it. We agreed to their demand and brought in this Bill. The opposition did not cooperate and kept on sloganeering and created ruckus. We have passed it in the Lok Sabha and today itself, we want to pass it in the Rajya Sabha.

Continued on page 3

New Delhi, Nov 29: The Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday amid heavy sloganeering by the opposition that wanted a debate on the issue.

The Bill was passed by a voice just as it was passed by the Lok Sabha two hours earlier.

When the Rajya Sabha assembled at 2 p.m., the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar moved the motion in the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, in the Lok Sabha, the Bill was passed amid sloganeering by opposition members. The Lok

FIR against Indian Home Minister urges businesses to invest Zukerberg for FB post against in North eastern states Indian Home Minister Amit Shah recently encouraged businesses to invest in the North eastern part of India following the reinstatement of peace in the area.

Weekend Gateways in North India -Page 22

C Shani: A God who is Wrongly Feared -Page 23

Malavika Mohanan turns muse for designer Shehla Khan -Page 27

ricket Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) has for the first time named an Indian cricketer, 32-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur as the “Player of the tournament”. She has been the top most performer for the Melbourne Renegades throughout the season scoring 399 runs and clinching 15 wickets.

Harman was also selected Player of the Match three times for her outstanding performance in assisting her team to victory in each of those games. She is currently the third international player in the WBBL to win Player of the Tournament, behind Sophie Devine of New Zealand and Amy Satterthwaite of Australia.

This year's WBBL season has been totally dominated by the Indians.

Smriti Manadhana, the top opener for India and the Sydney Thunders,

made history earlier in November, by becoming the first Indian woman, to register a WBBL century. Deepti Sharma, who is competing in her debut WBBL competition, has been a key bowler for the Thunders, with her deft wicket-taking and commanding presence on the field.

In the wake of bagging her first WBBL Player of the Tournament award, Harmanpreet Kaur is optimistic that a women's IPL will be announced shortly "I think we've been looking at this for a long time," Harman said in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo. "I hope, you know that women's IPL will start, and we'll also bring abroad players over there so that they can share their knowledge with our domestic players," Harman said. "I believe this is something we have all been waiting for, and I am hopeful that it will begin soon.

Continued on page 18

Sabha Speaker had put the Bill for voice vote and it was cleared within seconds even as the opposition continued their sloganeering protesting the fact that there was no discussion.

The three Bills that stand repealed now are: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.

C

ommenting that the Narendra Modi government has been successful in creating a favourable environment for industrialization in the North east, Amit Shah urged entrepreneurs to set up business in the area to foster economic and social growth.

Shah stated during his virtual address at the annual session of the Indian Chamber of Commerce on November 25, 2021 that militancy has been eliminated in all the eight states and for the first time in the last seven years peace is reigning supreme in the region.

Shah further said that

infrastructural fortification is going on in the region which will give impetus to business. Road, rail and air connectivity have undergone tremendous transformation and therefore, there are no arguments left that even the most resilient critic could offer to dissuade anyone planning to make inroads into the region. While one set of a network of roads has already been opened for public use, the government is on track to link the capitals of seven of the eight states via railway network while all eight will have air connectivity.

Akhilesh

Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 1: A case has been registered against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over an alleged controversial post against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The case has been filed at a court in Kannauj district.

The FIR names 49 others, apart from Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg himself has not posted any defamatory post against Yadav.

The FIR names him because his platform was used to post derogatory comments against Yadav.

Amit Kumar, a resident of Sarahati village in Kannauj district, has filed a case against Zuckerberg and 49 others for posting defamatory comments against Akhilesh Yadav.

In his application before the court, Kumar has alleged that an attempt to tarnish the image of Samajwadi party chief was made on a Facebook page titled "Bua Babua".

Kumar had sent an application to the Superintendent of Police on May 25 but his application fell into deaf ears. Following which, he went to court and demanded that a case be registered against the admin of the Facebook page along with the CEO Zuckerberg.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Dharamveer Singh asked the police to lodge the case at the behest of Kumar.

Ridhi Dogra on her character in Bollywood debut ‘Lakadbaggha’ -Page 30

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Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

FARM LAWS REPEALED Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy: Chidambaram on Farm Laws Repeal Bill IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30: A day after the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed in Parliament without any debate, Congress MP P. Chidambaram on Tuesday took a jibe at the Prime

Minister saying, "Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy!

In a series of tweets, he said: "On the eve of the Parliament session, the Prime Minister offered to debate "any issue." On the first day and on the first item of business, the farm bills were repealed without a debate."

The Agriculture Minister's logic to deny a debate was baffling: he said "when the Government and the Opposition agree there is no need for a debate!"

"The Bills were passed without a debate when the two sides did not agree, the Bills were repealed

without a debate when the two sides agreed. Whichever way, there was no debate!" Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy," another tweet of his read.

The government on Monday repealed the three farm laws -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act-against which the farmers have been protesting for the past one year.

AIKS points at 'falsities' in govt's claims on Repeal Bill, Tomar blames Oppn for no debate New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS): Hours after the Parliament passed the Repeal of Farm Laws Bill 2021, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Monday declared that the farmers have "won the battle, but war will continue" and reiterated the 'ambiguities' and 'falsities' in the farm bills.

On the other hand, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, "The repeal of the farm laws shows that there is no difference between what the Prime Minister says and does."

He also put the blame on the opposition for no discussion when the Repeal Bill was passed.

The AIKS release -- referring to a clause 'Provide freedom to the farmers to sell their produce to any buyer at any place of their choice to realise remunerative prices' -- said, "How this provision will ensure remunerative prices is not understandable. The present reality is that only 6 per cent of the farmers on an average in India are getting even the minimum support price proposed by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), and that

too through the public procurement system.

"The remaining huge majority of the farmers are facing huge loss and exploitation in the private market.

In the absence of public procurement system and public market, no small or marginal farmers -- who constitute 85 per cent of the farming community -- can afford the transportation and storage cost to sell their produce anywhere and to anybody as claimed by the government."

Reminding the BJP that in 2014 it had agreed to pay the farmers as per the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, the AIKS said that it has not been implemented in the last seven years of BJP rule.

"The farmers have correctly asked why the farm laws did not include this clause to guarantee remunerative price as promised by BJP," the statement said.

The AIKS reiterated its earlier point that the farm laws had the purpose of corporatisation of agriculture without any provision of MSP

system for procurement.

The other point criticised by the farmers' body was government's claim that the farm laws "created an ecosystem where in processor, bulk buyers, organised retailers, and exporters and the like can directly engage with the farmers", saying that it promoted contract farming.

Meanwhile, Tomar said in a statement, "The repeal of farm laws shows that there is no difference between what the Prime Minister says and does."

Claiming that there was "ample discussions when the three farm laws were brought in, Tomar said the opposition was demanding that these be repealed and when the ruling party too is ready, "then I understand this was a decision agreeable to all. It would have been better if there was no ruckus in the Parliament, the Lok Sabha Speaker had kept on insisting that he is ready to have a discussion provided the members went back to their seats.

"If there was a discussion, the government would have definitely answered all the questions," he said.

Calendar dedicated to farmers' protest unveiled in Canada IANS

Chandigarh, Nov 29: Canada-based online magazine that covers alternate politics unveiled its annual calendar dedicated to the year-long farmers' protest in India, organisers said on Monday.

Dedicated to the year-long farmers' protest in India, the 2022 calendar released in Surrey bears important dates related to the struggle that eventually compelled the government to roll back three farm laws that prompted the agitation.

The event began with a moment of silence for more than 700 farmers who had laid down their lives during the movement, besides dozens of workers who died in a recent coal mine disaster in Russia.

The unveiling ceremony was held amidst the presence of well-known community activists who have been raising their voices for Indian

farmers for the past one year. The calendar has been designed by Vipin Kapoor.

Among the elected officials who spoke on the occasion were SurreyNewton MP Sukh Dhaliwal and Surrey -Greentimbers MLA Rachna Singh, besides former Burnaby School Trustee Baljinder Kaur Narang.

Prominent Punjabi poet Amrit Diwana recited a poem dedicated to the famers before the speakers were invited on the dais. Media personality Noni Kaur sung a song as a tribute to the protest.

At least two scholars Harsharan Singh Punia and Raghbir Singh Sirjana shed the light on the background of the farmer agitation.

Those present included prominent painter Jarnail Singh and a movie actor B.K.S. Rakhra.

Farmers' gatherings across India marks one year of Samyukt Kisan Morcha agitation IANS

New Delhi, Nov 26: Assemblies, rallies, marches, and chakka jams, etc across various states were held to mark the one-year completion of the farmers' agitation that prompted the government to withdraw the three contentious farm bills.

Along with the nationwide protests held in solidarity with the trade unions, not only organisations of students and youth, women, civil society, and other unions came together in the support of the farmers, but numerous international organisations lent their support and solidarity to the movement by holding events outside India too, a release from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said.

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SKM is the consortium of 40-odd farmers' organisations that spearheaded the farmers' agitation since last one year when the Parliament had passed those three laws vehemently opposed by the farmers.

"On November 26, 2021 our struggle completes one year. This day marks 12 long months of the farmers' struggle, with numerous victories, which seemed unlikely, and even impossible, but were achieved with a will and determination to continue to fight for the unfulfilled demands of the farmers. The farm movement stands as a testimony to the will of the common people to fight against an unrelenting government, and for a long time, will be remembered as an example of peaceful satyagraha inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian freedom movement," the statement said.

"The day was marked with programmes at the Delhi morchas, state capitals and the district

headquarters. Various trade unions, student and youth organisations, women's organisations, civil society organisations, and other unions came together in support of the nation's annadatas," it said, adding, "Large assemblies were held at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Shahjahanpur morchas, which were attended by SKM leaders."

Lakhs of farmers came together in support of the farm movement at the programs held in various states such as Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Telangana, Odisha among other states.

Numerous international organisations lent their support and solidarity to the movement, it said. "India's farmers have inspired the world with their resilience. They have shown us what a united struggle of the working class and the peasantry can achieve even in the face of all

LS passes Farm Laws Repeal Bill sans debate We appeal to the opposition to cooperate in clearing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha."

Incidentally, former Minister and Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh had tweeted right in the morning: "Modi Sarkar wants to push through the 3 farm laws repeal Bill today in Parliament WITHOUT any debate.

The passage of the laws 16 months ago was most undemocratic. The manner of repeal is even more so.

The Opposition demands a discussion before repeal."

Union Minister Ashwini Choubey accused the opposition of deliberately disrupting Parliament. He said opposition is issueless.

Talking to IANS, Choubey said: "When the government is repealing all three farm laws, there is no point of creating ruckus."

He said Congress which is

demanding discussion, has always run away from it. Whenever discussion was initiated, the grand old party boycotted it.

The three bills are: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.

Oppn gives notices in both Houses, demands MSP & compensation to farmers IANS

New Delhi, Nov 29: Opposition in both Houses of Parliament has upped its ante against the government as it prepares to repeal the farm laws on Monday. Several MPs from the Congress and other parties have moved notices in their respective Houses.

Floor Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given an adjournment notice in the House to suspend Question Hour and discuss the MSP issue.

In the notice, Chowdhury said that the 'Government should declare Minimum Support Price for all crops backed by legal guarantee'.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has given a notice for adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha demanding compensation to farmers who lost their lives. Similar notices have also been given by Manickam Tagore in the Rajya Sabha.

Binoy Vishwam of the CPI has given a Suspension of Business Notice in the House demanding a discussion on ensuring a legal guarantee for (MSP) Minimum Support Price for farm produce.

Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi

Party has given a Suspension of Business Notice and demands 'discussion on the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price for farmers' under rule 267.

TRS MP K. Keshava Rao has given a Suspension Notice in the Rajya Sabha over crop procurement in Telangana. His notice says to discuss 'discriminatory crop procurement policy of the Central government over the non-procurement of crops'.

The government will table 'The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021' in the Lok Sabha on Monday to complete

the constitutional provisions to repeal three farm laws. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will introduce the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 in the Lower House.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 will repeal three farm laws -- the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Agriculture Minister's comments 'unjustified', 'illogical', says SKM IANS

New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS): Terming them "not correct or inadequate responses", the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's comments that a Committee to deliberate on the issues of crop diversification, zero-budget farming, and making the MSP system more transparent and effective is fulfilment of farmers' demand on MSP is "patently unjustified and illogical".

A day ahead of the government putting up the farm laws repeal bill in Parliament and a day after Tomar had said: "Centre has also accepted the unions' demand for decriminalising stubble burning by farmers," the SKM termed that claim as incorrect too.

Agreeing to the demands of the farmers - agitating for over a year under the consortium of SKM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced last week to repeal the three contentious farm laws.

Accordingly, the government listed the bill to repeal the three farm laws in its business in Lok Sabha for Monday, the first day of the Winter session of the Parliament.

Tomar had spoken with the media on Saturday and suggested that the farmers should end their agitation.

"Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's media comments are not correct or adequate responses that are acceptable to the protesting farmers. He is incorrect and unreasonable in saying that with the constitution of the PM-announced Committee, 'farmers' demand on MSP stands fulfilled'," the SKM said in a release.

"It is patently unjustified and illogical to claim that a Committee 'to deliberate on the issues of crop diversification, zero-budget farming, and making the MSP system more transparent and effective' is about fulfilment of farmers' demand on MSP! Mr Tomar is also wrong in claiming that the 'Centre has also

accepted the unions' demand for decriminalising stubble burning by farmers'," the release added.

The SKM pointed out that even when it is not called as 'penalties' in as many words, The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021 continues to have a new section 15 called 'Environmental Compensation', which states that the "Commission may impose and collect environmental compensation from farmers causing air pollution by stubble burning, at such rate and in such manner, as may be prescribed".

The Agriculture Minister was also silent on the Electricity Amendments Bill 2021, which is now listed for the Parliament's Winter Session, the farmers' body said.

Referring to Tomar's comment that withdrawal of cases filed against farmers and also compensation to the martyrs of the movement are matters for state governments, and that they will decide on these matters, the SKM said: "Punjab already has commitments on both these issues. Given that all the other states are BJP-ruled states and given that the agitation arose due to the anti-farmer measures of the BJP-ruled government of India, it is important that the commitment has to come with the Union Government, which has to ensure that BJP-ruled states comply with the commitment."

The SKM statement also pointed out that the Minister was also silent on the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre related demand for Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni's arrest and dismissal. It also listed several pending issues to be sorted out by the government.

"Against this background, SKM also points out that without resumption of dialogue with farmers, the Union Government cannot hope to end the farmers' protests in undemocratic, unilateral ways," the statement said.

adversities. Over the last year, this protest has stitched alliances with workers unions and other social movements and issued inspiring messages of solidarity, communal harmony, and unity among rural societies," said the letter of support by the international farmers' organization La Via Campesina.

The farm movement was also endorsed by over two dozen international organisations.

The farmers celebrated their victory

in the form of the Prime Minister's announcement for the repeal of the three anti-farmer laws, while raising the still-pending demands of the farm movement.

The SKM, in its letter to the Prime Minister on November 21, had raised six demands, namely, legal guarantee of MSP for all produce based on C2+50 per cent formula; withdrawal of draft Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020/2021; removal of the penal provisions on

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The government is set to introduce and put up for consideration and passing The Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021 which will repeal the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Meanwhile, the farmers said they will "take a decision on further action in the next meeting of SKM on December 4 with time being given to the Modi government to respond formally to the letter sent

by SKM, by suspending the planned Tractor March to Sansad from November 29".

The Shetkari Kamgar Mahapanchayat was held at Mumbai's Azad Maidan that witnessed a massive participation of thousands of farmers with at least 100 organisations coming together for the same.

"Peasants, workers, agricultural labourers, women, youth and students of all religions and castes from all over Maharashtra thronged the Mahapanchayat. Several SKM leaders took part in the event that celebrated the historic victory over the BJP-RSS government of the year-long farmers struggle in getting the farm laws repealed, and also declared its determination to fight for the remaining demands," the SKM statement said. farmers in the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021; withdrawal of false cases against the farmers over the course of the movement' dismissal and arrest of Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni, and compensation and rehabilitation to the families of the martyrs of the farm movement and allocation of land to build a memorial in their memory at Singhu morcha, the release said.

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

BITCOIN POLITICS Cong drags K'taka BJP chief's name into Bitcoin scandal

IANS

Bengaluru, Nov 16: The Karnataka Congress after attacking Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the Bitcoin scandal, is now training its guns towards state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge has put up a status on social media questioning the silence of Nalin Kumar Kateel. "I am surprised to see the silence of Nalin Kumar Kateel in connection with the Bitcoin scandal," he said.

"I am sure he must have good knowledge about the Bitcoin scandal. He should break his silence.

People might think otherwise about his mysterious silence," Priyank stated.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, has not reacted yet on the scandal even as his party is facing an all out attack from the opposition parties -- the Congress and JD (S). Opposition has pointed fingers at the role of two powerful politicians of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, the opposition leader has demanded that Chief Minister Bommai provide police security to the kingpin of

Bitcoin scandal Srikrishna Ramesh a.k.a Sriki.

He stated that the case is involving several influential persons and it has drawn attention at the international level.

The Bitcoin scandal is a white collar crime committed using technology.

It is said that the passwords are in the memory of the main accused and there are no written documents on this. "There is a possibility of threat to the life of accused Sriki," he said.

The Congress and BJP are in confrontation mode in the state and are holding each other responsible for the scandal. The Congress has alleged that it is a scam of thousands of crores of rupees and also claimed that the ruling party leaders have made use of kingpin Sriki and minted money.

K'taka CM gets BJP high command support in Bitcoin scandal issue IANS

Bengaluru, Nov 15: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is facing a storm over the sensational charges in the Bitcoin scandal, has got the backing of the BJP high command, sources in the party said.

According to party sources, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed party President J.P. Nadda to contain and rein in BJP leaders in Karnataka who are indulging in spreading rumours to create confusion in the political scenario of the state.

Bommai had briefed Amit Shah about two cabinet ministers who are spreading rumours and leaking information to the Congress party leaders on the Bitcoin scandal.

Bommai had requested to contain the activities of these ministers who

are trying to bring uncertainty to the government.

Amit Shah had assured Karnataka Chief Minister that the party will take care of these leaders and see to it that they are tamed and warned.

Accordingly, J.P. Nadda has taken the leaders indulging in spreading rumours on the Bitcoin scandal for their political advantage to task and reprimanded them to face the opposition in unity, sources explain.

Bommai is taking on the Congress confidently ever since the BJP high command assured him of their support. The Karnataka Police Department had given point to point rebuttal to the allegations made by Congress general secretary incharge of Karnataka Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and state

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge.

As per the directions of the high command, the BJP leaders have started issuing rebuttals ridiculing the Congress leaders. BJP MP Pratap Simha chided a Congress leader that his name was 'very feminine'. "You kept the name of the daughter of Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi," he ridiculed.

The police department press note claimed their investigations 'could not be guided by the Twitter handles, but they have to carry out due procedure in accordance with law in connection with the Bitcoin scandal investigations.

Bommai and state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra openly challenged the opposition to submit documents on the scandal to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa also came forward to defend his protege Bommai over allegations.

However, while the BJP is in damage control mode, Congress leaders are celebrating as they were able to embarrass the ruling BJP in state and raise questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi.

Sources in the Congress said that the infighting within Karnataka BJP has not been quelled. The BJP leaders, who don't want Bommai to be the face of the party during the next general elections, will continue to come out with documents in connection with the Bitcoin scandal, sources added.

RTI activist alleges negligence of his complaint by top cops

IANS

Bengaluru, Nov 22: Amid all the din created in Karnataka in connection with the charges of involvement of top political leaders of BJP and Congress in the Bitcoin scandal, WhatsApp messages of RTI activist Ashok Kumar Adiga have revealed that his complaint with all the details of the scandal was neglected by top IPS officers in the state.

Sources said that Adiga had given information on the Bitcoin scandal to Police Commissioner Kamal Pant on April 20, 2020 and Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil on April 26 via WhatsApp messages. However, these messages were ignored by both the officers.

"I had lodged a complaint with you with reference to the corruption in CCB through Bitcoins by Sriki (the kingpin of the Bitcoin sandal Srikrishna a.k.a Sriki). You neglected my complaint and I had to register it

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with the FBI. "Now they are investigating it. I have sent you an article. I will again be forced to file a complaint at the highest level if you neglect my plaint," his WhatsApp message sent to Sandeep Patil read.

His message to Kamal Pant read, "Sir, I have collected evidence in three files regarding high level corruption in the drugs case. I have highest regards for you. Before I register the complaint with the relevant authority, I would like to meet you one on one."

However, these messages were neglected by both the officers.

Adiga also met the DCP and shared information about CCB officials taking 12,900 Bitcoins from Sriki with whale alerts, sources said.

Adiga had submitted his complaints to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) following Karnataka police officers' apathy towards his complaints.

The accusations included charges of encashing 12,900 Bitcoins when accused Sriki was in police custody.

He alleged the involvement of 17 persons in the scandal involving thousands of crores of rupees.

By the time the police arrested Sriki in December 2020, Adiga had given information about his involvement in the scandal. He had also told the police that Sriki had hacked the website of Bitcoin and illegally transferred thousands of Bitcoins to his wallet.

Adiga had also informed top police officers about a case registered in Amsterdam against Sriki and the National Police Corps (NPC) launching a hunt for him. The team is looking for certain unique identification numbers of every Bitcoin, and he had collected certain information on this. He had also told the police that he would approach the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in this matter.

According to sources, Adiga has told the police that he had got three files from Amsterdam and two from the US in connection with the Bitcoin scandal.

The revelation has rattled the police department. It is to be seen how things are going to turn out as allegations have surfaced against Kamal Pant and Sandeep Patil, both of whom are said to be close to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Karnataka Cong chief Shivakumar meets Sonia Gandhi New Delhi, Nov 20: Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar met Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday to discuss important issues related to the state.

According to sources, after Shivakumar's meeting with Sonia Gandhi, the names of office-bearers of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee are likely to be finalised, where the party is likely to make some big changes.

Last month, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also met the Congress president in Delhi.

After the meeting, he had said that he is not interested in national politics and wants to be confined to state politics.

Siddaramaiah had said this in response to any "attempt" by the party leadership to bring him with a bigger role into national politics.

Now, after Shivakumar's meeting with the Congress president, it is being speculated that he can be

given an important role in national politics by the top leadership.

In the coming year, there are elections in many states, and thus the party is planning to give important roles to senior leaders in these states.

Before reaching Delhi, alleging involvement of "politically influential" people, especially BJP leaders, in the alleged bitcoin scam, Shivakumar made controversial remarks about Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday saying, "The Home Minister is a lunatic and should be sent to NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) for treatment."

Earlier, Shivakumar had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he should take suo motu cognisance of the bitcoin scam in which the "names of several BJP leaders have surfaced".

The Congress party is raising the bitcoin scam from Karnataka to

IANS

Delhi and is demanding an investigation by the Central government.

According to the Karnataka Congress, the party will also raise the issue in Parliament. The issue was also discussed during Shivakumar's meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.

BJP, Cong leaders spar over K'taka Bitcoin scandal Bengaluru, Nov 20 (IANS): The Bitcoin scandal blame game touched a new low in the state among Karnataka politicians as leading of ruling BJP and opposition Congress indulged in personal attacks.

Congress has decided to make 'Bitcoin Scandal' a poll issue and BJP seems to be determined not to lose the momentum and goodwill that has been created so far.

Sources in both the parties confirmed that there will be more bitter fights in the coming days.

The high commands of both parties have given a green signal for their party leaders to launch an all out attack on each other.

BJP blamed Opposition leader Siddaramaiaha's late son Rakesh Siddaramaiah for having links with Bitcoin scandal kingpin Srikrishna Ramesh a.k.a Sriki. Siddaramaiah burst out on BJP for dragging his dead son's name into the scandal and questioned if BJP leaders lost humanity and lacked dignity.

Araga Jnanendra, the Minister for Home made sensational charges in an interview to a private Kannada

channel that kingpin was used

by Congress party to rig youth Congress elections. State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar called Araga Jnanendra a mad person.

BJP while attacking Congress put up a photograph of Rakesh Siddaramaiah, late son of Siddaramaiah to be seen with Sunish Hegde and Hemanth Muddappa, close associates of Bitcoin scandal kingpin Sriki.

BJP chided Siddaramaiah for choosing to close cases during his tenure and the picture provided sufficient grounds to suggest his government's role.

Siddaramaiah poignantly reacted that, BJP do not have any shame or honour in bringing up his deceased son's name. "Rakesh is not alive. Is there any point in blaming him," he quipped.

He challenged the BJP government to initiate the judicial probe of the scandal including his tenure as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen with fugitive Neerav Modi at the World Economic Forum.

How can BJP interpret this, he

questioned.

He also said that, BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel knows the important leader behind the scandal who received Bitcoins to get accused Hemanth Muddappa released, when he was arrested along with Sriki.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra charged Congress over taking the help of kingpin Sriki to rig Youth Congress elections in a private interview to a Kannada television channel.

"The software was hacked and programmed in such a way that votes casted would go to one particular candidate,a he claimed. If a complaint comes in this direction, the matter would be investigated, he added.

Congress state president Shivakumar called Araga Jnanendra a mad person who needed treatment at a mental hospital.

He also charged that the state Home Minister is acting like a school boy.

"At the time of elections to the Youth Congress, accused Sriki was lodged in jail. How can he rig the elections," he said.

Cong trying to keep non-issue alive, says K'taka CM Bengaluru, Nov 15: Reiterating his challenge to opposition Congress to provide documents, if any, to investigative agencies on the bitcoin scandal, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the grand old party is playing politics "to keep the non-issue alive."

Replying to questions from media persons on his return from Tirupati, where he attended the Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bommai shot back, "you should ask the question to them (Congress)."

"I have repeatedly said, if they have any documentary evidence, give it to ED or state police. We will investigate it seriously," he said.

Bommai termed the Congress attack as nothing but politics to "keep the non-issue alive."

Replying to another question as to whether Congress is trying to set a narrative against him, "there is no question of setting any narrative, there is no story, so how can you set a narrative," he asked.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, Opposition leader, stated that being the ruling party, they should probe who are involved in the scandal. If they are not capable of it, let them get out of the power.

When questioned, why his government could not arrest and probe Bitcoin scandal accused Srikrishna a.k.a Sriki, Siddaramaiah said that

during his tenure there was no complaint against him. He was arrested, kept in custody and released when present Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was handling the home ministry, he quipped.

Meanwhile, cabinet ministers R. Ashok, V. Somanna and Gopalaiah held joint press conference at Vidhana Soudha and condemned Congress for making issue out of a non-issue. They demanded from the Congress leaders to produce documents regarding the scam.

Their only intention is to tarnish the image of the BJP under Bommai, they said.

the accused's life.

Siddaramaiah had claimed that since thousands of crores of ruprees are involved and many powerful politicians are said to be hand in glove with the accused, there is danger to his life.

The police department had decided to provide him a gunman for security. When police tried to approach the accused, they could not find him.

His family informed the police that Ramesh was not at home.

Now, the police department is in

a fix because if anything happens to the accused, there will be huge political fallout. The scandal is being discussed in the national capital and even Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had raised concern over the handling of the scandal by the Karnataka government.

Police have asked the kingpin's family to contact them as soon as they hear from him. The cops are also tracking his friends to get a clue on his whereabouts.

Kingpin goes incommunicado Bengaluru, Nov 18: The kingpin of sensational Bitcoin scandal Srikrishna Ramesh has gone incommunicado in spite of the Karnataka government instructing the police to provide security to him.

The accused has gone into hiding after switching off his mobile phone.

Even his family members seem to have no clue of his whereabouts.

Karnataka police was instructed to provide security to him on the insistence of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah who feared threat for

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4

INTERVIEW

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

SWAMI NIKHILANANDA SARASWATI The true essence of Vedanta and spirituality

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n this world driven by materialism where most people are losing touch with the essence of spirituality and are in dire need of being enlightened about Vedanta, Swami Nikhalananda Saraswati, an advocate of spirituality provides useful insight into the seemingly esoteric topic.

Swamiji, in the modern world of stark materialism where economic considerations drive human action; what is the relevance of spirituality and various practices associated with it?

The basis of Prakriti (nature) of what we interpret as “Modern World” is in fact timeless. The five elements of Nature - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether are all eternal. Therefore, all progress is achieved by using these elements in different ways. We have not created these elements. These have been provided to us for our use by Brahman (Divine energy).

Even our body is comprised of these elements. Economic considerations are practical realities but from a deeper perspective we are “Spirits” not just bodies. In this worldly life, we see that our desires are endless.

Even after meeting our economic needs (food, clothing and shelter), we continue to crave for more and more. Yet we see that we are simply chasing a mirage. We may get more material comforts but not lasting happiness. What we forget is that true and lasting happiness comes from within us and not from external possessions. To know our essential nature is Spirituality. It is this inner journey that has the potential to make us whole and peaceful. This is also the essential

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teaching of Srimad Bhagavad Gita (9.22). Selfless service, devotional activities, meditation and reading scriptures are all various practices that help us to grow our Spirituality.

As we advance we also notice that all dimensions of our life improve.

Can Spirituality stand the test of logical inquiry? How can such a test be conducted to satisfy the logical mind of a modern man?

All our logic and rational thinking comes from our intellect, which in turn guides our mind and senses.

Yet, the light that guides or shines our intellect is the light of our Spirit (Atma). Without this light, none of our instruments would work. Our body, mind, intellect and ego etc. stop functioning as soon as our Spirit exists our body. We should understand that Spirituality is not like any other material object that can be tested, validated and acquired with logic and external instruments.

The logical modern man needs to learn to have faith, devotion and apply his sincere self effort. This will obviously take dedicated time and a lot of patience. Sages of Sanatana Dharma realized this and performed various spiritual practices (Tapasya) to realize the Self. We may also call these Sages as Spiritual scientists.

Their body served as the laboratory where all these tests were conducted. It is through these intense efforts that the knowledge of the Vedas and self-realization was revealed. Thus the modern man must understand that the divine laws continue to operate with precision and are open for all to explore. To progress, one must approach spirituality with faith, humility and sincere self

effort.

What is the underlying message of Vedanta?

Vedanta means ‘the end of the Vedas’; the Vedas being the earliest revelations of mankind. Vedanta is the sublime system of philosophy, and is based upon the Upanishads.

Underlying message of Vedanta was best summarized by Adiguru Shankaracharya ji in half a verse, “Brahmn Satsyam, Jagat Mithya, Jeevo Brhaimhaiva na Paraha”.

Meaning – Only Brahman (the ultimate creator) is real, this world is mithya (neither real nor unreal).

It is an illusion like a mirage. Jeeva (individual consciousness) is of the same characteristics as Brahman (Creator). To better understand this profound statement we need to deeply introspect upon it. It is not to be taken literally. Let us think of our dream. It is real while we are dreaming (since we see images and hear sounds etc.) yet when we wake up it becomes unreal and we simply shake it off. Maya or the forces of illusion are complex.

For a deeper understanding holy scriptures have been created to help serious aspirants to attain the goal of Self-Realization.

Will the advent of Artificial Intelligence leave no room for spiritual pursuits?

As already discussed above, intellect, is simply a tool and not an answer to all our problems. There is no dispute that it is required for our evolution and growth. The word “Artificial” itself gives us a clue.

Artificial flowers may look attractive but they cannot feel real or emit real fragrance. Much in the same way “A.I.” may be able to expand knowledge and comforts further which is a positive. However to think we can become the creator itself and thus have no need for spiritual pursuits would be a grave error. Can we stop death with A.I. or even cure Covid-19? What did man do when he learnt to break an atom? Did he not create an atom bomb and was that not actually used for destruction and devastation? Whatever the intention of social media, is it not being used to spread massive misinformation with algorithm manipulation? We should remember a knife is simply an instrument. Yet in a surgeon’s hand it saves people’s lives and in a killer’s hand it takes a life away. As humans we still have a lot to learn. With scientific progress we should also progress in making this world a better, kinder and gentler place. Unless we can do that all our success will only accelerate our pace towards destruction. Spiritual pursuits are essential for our holistic and overall development. Without Spiritual pursuits we will continue to stay in the realm of ignorance.

Think of spirituality as the roots of a tree. If we water the roots properly, the entire tree gets nourished.

Is there any distinction between spirituality and religion? What is Vedanta – a religion or a distinct philosophy bereft of any religious trappings?

Traditionally these terms were used interchangeably but with modern times, the terms have broadened.

Simply put, spirituality is our attempt to connect with our Spirit (our deeper Self). This may include our quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning, our effort to see the light within (our Atma). Religion comes from the Latin root, “Religare” meaning to bind or unite. So both religion and spirituality are helpful in our inner journey. Vedanta means, “Concluding or end portions of the Vedas”. Thus Vedanta is composed of Upanishads; several portions of wisdom that guide us on how to connect our spirit with our creator. Thus Vedanta is a philosophy, a universal teaching and benefits all. Spirituality and religion are not mutually exclusive terms. Let us develop our head with Vedanta (Knowledge), and heart with religion (bhakti, devotion and meditation). Only then are we growing in a balanced way.

What is “Atma”? How is it different from, “Param Atma”?

“Atma” is our innermost light or energy; the cause of our very existence at an individual level.

Param-Atma (Brahman) is the same divine energy but at a cosmic level.

Without our Atma all our other instruments (body, mind, intellect, ego etc.) cannot function. We may call “Atma” as consciousness or Purusha or God’s indivisible presence in us. When the Atma leaves us, we die. Our body becomes inert. Let us think of Atma as microcosm and Param Atma as macrocosm. Using another example if Param Atma is an ocean, Atma is a drop from that ocean. When scientifically analyzed both have the same composition water, yet the ocean is very deep and profound. Realizing this similarity sages realized the Self (Atma) by going within. This is what they termed as “Self Realization”. After experiencing this, they share this wisdom and experience with humanity through various scriptures.

They serve as Lighthouses to guide the lost ships in the ocean of the world process. Our effort to realize the connection between the “Atma” and “Param Atma” is what we can term as spirituality.

What ought to be the ultimate goal of man? How might he achieve it?

The ultimate goal of man is to secure eternal happiness. Yet we experience degrees of alternating pain and happiness in our human life. All

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this is due to “Avidya” or ignorance.

This deep rooted ignorance keeps us glued to our body, mind, intellect and ego. We forget all about our true self; the real source of our existence and bliss. Thus the ultimate goal is to seek “Self Realization” or to forever terminate the cycles of birth and death. Unless we accomplish this goal, we will continue to experience pain and pleasure in countless embodiments. Selfrealization is therefore a lifelong journey and human embodiment is an ideal tool to accomplish this great goal. By following the principles of Integral Yoga, we can achieve this goal. This is also the essential teaching of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

We should blend our daily life with selfless service, devotion (faith in a higher energy), meditation and daily reading of holy scriptures if possible, under the guidance of a qualified Guru (spiritual preceptor).

With divine grace and our sincere self effort we can certainly achieve this goal even in this very life.

Swamiji, most of the Indian scriptures talk about bliss which I gather is different from peace and happiness. How is bliss different from peace and happiness?

The term, “Sat Chit Ananda” means existence, knowledge and bliss absolute. That is the essential nature of our Soul (eternal bliss). When we superimpose naam (name) and roop (form) it is called “Prapanch” or illusion. This illusion keeps us trapped in the world process. We do experience peace and happiness in our worldly life also but only in relative

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degrees as prosperity and adversity continue to alternate in our life. The bliss you are referring to from the scriptures is called “Bhuma”. This concept is more clearly explained in the Chandogya Upanishad verse (7.23.1) where Sage Narada after acquiring all the worldly knowledge of all the arts and sciences is still unhappy. Thus, he approaches his Guru Sanatkumara for guidance.

Sage Sanatkumara guides him that happiness cannot be secured in the finite realm. True happiness is only in the infinite but one must try to understand the true nature of the infinite. Thus the scriptures guide us to secure “bhuma” or unending bliss.

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Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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6

FOOD & CUISINE

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi CHILLY RAWA DELIGHTS & CHANA DAL VADA CHILLY RAWA DELIGHTS

CHILLY RAWA DELIGHTS INGREDIENTS: For 4-6 people • One cup rawa • 1/4 cup self raising flour • One cup buttermilk • Salt to taste • One onion finely chopped • One table spoon ginger chilli paste • One carrot peeled and diced • One cup green peas • Half cup diced beans • 10-12 curry leaves very fine chopped • 2-3 dry red chillies and couple of fresh green chillies, cut into very fine little pieces .

• One teaspoon coriander powder and one teaspoon cumin powder • Two table spoon oil • One tea spoon mustard seeds METHOD • First of all we are going to prepare the batter with following

ingredients.

• In a big mixing bowl put rawa and self raising flour • Add salt to taste • Add buttermilk • Make a runny batter (pancake-type consistency) • Keep it aside STEP TWO • In a wok or frying pan heat oil • Add mustard seeds, let it crackle • Add curry leaves • Fry onion until golden brown • Add ginger chilli paste • Add chopped carrot, peas, beans and chillies • Add little salt • Cook for about 5 minutes and then pour these vegetables in to your batter • Give it a good mix STEP THREE • We need a special pan for this now (photos provided of the

• • • • •

pan) Put a drop of oil in each compartment Now put one big spoon full of mixture Cover the pan and on a medium heat cook until brown Flip over and cook the other side Serve it with peanuts coriander mint chutney

MRS. LATA MODI

H

ello friends, Have you ever thought of trying out a new recipe when your friends are coming for afternoon tea? Well, in most cases, we will try the recipe before hand and then decide if we wanted to cook it for friends.

I dared to try these two new recipes yesterday afternoon to entertain my dear friends. One of the recipes is from South of India. And this recipe is very special. As we were staying on a boat in Kerala and there was a chef on the boat who was busy cooking us fresh breakfast lunch and dinner.

This morning he presented this beautiful little pan cakes type savoury dish with peanut chutney. And it was delightful.

I asked him if it’s ok for him to give me the recipe. He very graciously gave me the recipe. But language was a big barrier, so I understood some of it and today I have tried this recipe which is inspired by that chef and my variations.

CHANA DAL VADA

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's vegetable recommendations for winter IANS

W

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hit the market or mango pickle is made during summer, thanks to its availability. Despite people and sometimes, even me, suggesting that we should eat fresh as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables, we do not know what chemicals are sprayed on them to keep them safe while they are growing. When this produce hits the market, there isn’t a certifying agency like the FSSAI that will help people understand what vegetables and fruits are free of pesticides and germs and which ones don’t. Hence, the onus lies on us to make them safe for consumption. ITC’s Nimwash is a good solution” When it comes to winters, the Chef recommends eating these fruit and vegetables: • Purple Mogri- Mogri or Radish pods are not a common sight throughout the country. But you can spot them during the winters in local markets in northern India where women pick them up to make raitas, curries and stir fries. Rich in magnesium, calcium and copper, the vegetable is known to aid people

from digestive problems • Sweet Potato- A re-discovered favourite, Sweet potatoes have created a space for itself in the millennial kitchen. With its diverse addition in burgers, chips and even chat, the root vegetable is filled with nutrients such as fibres and vitamins • Avarekalu- Called Hyacinth beans in English, Avarekalu is a winter speciality in the south that is added to sambhar, saagu, rotis, etc. Bangalore is famed for its Averakalu mela during the winter months, where you can find these beans in dosas, Pani puri and even Jalebis! Thronged by crowds from all over the city, the food fest is a gourmand’s delight • Amla- The Indian gooseberry is a common winter fruit found through the country. High in Vitamin C, it is known to be immunity building and extremely beneficial for the skin and hair. There are multiple ways to eat Amla- it is pickled, made into a fruit preserve called as Murraba or even eaten by sprinkling salt over it.

•

• • • •

• •

Now transfer it in to another bowl and add salt cumin powder, ginger chilli paste and chopped coriander leaves Heat enough oil for frying Mix the batter really well with your hands If you think it’s a bit watery, add some breadcrumbs to fix it By using your palms give it a flat round shape, or you can use a medium spoon to take enough mixture and slowly put it in oil Now on a medium heat fry them until golden brown Serve it with green mint coriander peanut chutney

Add a pinch of Turmeric to your Winter Diet!

W

inters in India have always beckoned for that hot, steaming bowl of tomato and pepper rasam or the mellow, millet based Raab. Certain dishes like sarson ka saag, undhiyu, nimona pulao are winter specialites in the country.

Seasonal food has always been an Indian speciality- we switch our choice in fruits, vegetables, sometimes even grains with the onset of different season. The preference of using specific ingredients during certain climates is visible in our sweets as well. It’s common to find local and traditional delicacies made of jaggery, instead of sugar during the winters. Case in point- the Nolen Gur Rasgulla, a speciality made in Odisha and West Bengal between November to February.

Celebrity chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, strongly advocates this need of eating seasonal produce. He says, “The beauty of our food is in our seasonal usage of fruits and vegetables. If you realise, Gajar ka halwa is made aplenty during winters as this is the season when beautiful red carrots

CHANA DAL VADA INGREDIENTS: for 4-6 people • One cup chana dal • Ginger chilli paste two teaspoon .

• Salt to taste • One teaspoon cumin powder • Fresh coriander leaves to taste • Oil for frying METHOD • First of all in a bowl wash the dal and soak chana dal for 4-5 hours • Now drain water from dal • Put it in the mixer grinder and make a coarse paste (the important part is not to add water while grinding)

IANS

inters are one of the most splendid times of the year. Delicious baked goods, coupled with a cup of hot chocolate, are an absolute treat.

The winter season brings us closer to family and friends over festive celebrations. Nevertheless, winters are harsh and can take a toll on one’s health. While being in a festive mood, it is essential not to forget to keep yourself warm and watch out for potential infections.

The holiday season sees an exchange of many gifts. To enjoy the holiday spirit thoroughly, you must stay healthy. Turmeric is a magic ingredient that can be used almost in every dish and helps you to remain healthy. It works as an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral that works as an immunity booster.

Here are some exclusive benefits of adding turmeric to your winter diet: Physical Ailments: Turmeric is a natural substance found on the earth. Its healing properties include relief from common winter sinus, painful joints, indigestion, and cold and cough. For instant relief, you can add a pinch of turmeric to drinks like milk and tea. Daily consumption of turmeric can also help control blood sugar levels.

Winters: The holiday season is a joyous time, and we tend to indulge in alcohol and other unhealthy food items. What we call "holiday weight" can be unidentified health issues by the end of the season. A hint of turmeric can go a long way towards improving liver function. Turmeric is an antioxidant that benefits the body from the inside out.

To survive the harsh winters, one must consume foods rich in fats

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and proteins. We also consume hot beverages that may be soothing but upset the digestive system.

Turmeric adds flavour to food and aids digestion. Consuming food with turmeric also gives a healthy glow to your skin, as the body gets rid of toxins.

Ancient Medicine: Turmeric has been a part of Asian food items and Ayurveda for many centuries.

The healing properties of turmeric, which are especially significant during the winter, are magical. The main benefit is that it is a natural antioxidant. It helps you cleanse your body of harmful substances.

Flu Season: The beginning of winter marks the onset of the flu season.

In most Asian households, turmeric

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milk is a natural medicine. Many pregnant women also seek comfort in turmeric milk in the mild flu.

Turmeric helps eliminate bacterial infection and provides relief to sore throats.

Conclusion Turmeric is a household favourite throughout the year. It is not only a good condiment, but also a healer.

Spicing things up with turmeric is wise since artificial flavours and chemicals are part of our food groups. The healing properties of turmeric were studied for its blood-thinning properties, reducing the risk of cancer and treating Alzheimer’s.

(Health tips by Yashna Garg, Nutraceutical Expert, ZeoNutra)

7

COMMUNITY NEWS

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

AIBC organises networking event with H.E. Manpreet Vohra

NSW Australians of the Year 2022 announced

T

he Australia India Business Council (AIBC) New South Wales Chapter organised an in-person networking event at the George Institute for Global Health in Newtown, Sydney on November 19. .

Mr Manpreet Vohra, The High Commissioner of India, in Australia attended the event in person and addressed the participants.

It was the first in-person event hosted by the AIBC NSW Chapter in almost two years, due to the recurring Covid-19 lockdowns in Sydney.

PM Modi delivers Keynote Address at The Sydney Dialogue

I

ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote at the inaugural Sydney Dialogue via video conferencing on November 18. PM Modi spoke on the theme of India’s technology evolution and revolution. The address was preceded by introductory remarks by the Australian Prime Minister Mr Scott Morrison.

The Prime Minister Shri Modi noted recognition for India's central role in the Indo Pacific region and in the emerging digital world. Noting the benefits of digital age, the Prime Minister also said that the world also faces new risks and new forms of conflicts across diverse threats from sea-bed to cyber to space.

"The biggest strength of democracy is openness. At the same time, we should not allow a few vested interests to misuse this openness,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said, as a democracy and a digital leader, India is ready to work with partners

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for shared prosperity and security.

"India's digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demography, and the scale of our economy. It is powered by enterprise and innovation of our youth. We are turning the challenges of the past into an opportunity to take a leap into the future.”

The Prime Minister listed five important transitions taking place in India. One, the world's most extensive public information infrastructure being built in India.

Over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity, six hundred thousand villages will soon be connected with broadband and the world's most efficient payment infrastructure, the UPI. Two, use of digital technology for governance, inclusion, empowerment, connectivity, delivery of benefits and welfare. Three, India has the world's third largest and fastest growing Startup Eco-system. Four, India's industry and services sectors, even agriculture, are undergoing massive

digital transformation. Five, there is a large effort to prepare India for the future.

"We are investing in developing indigenous capabilities in telecom technology such as 5G and 6G. India is one of the leading nations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially in human-centred and ethical use of artificial intelligence. We are developing strong capabilities in Cloud platforms and cloud computing,” he added.

Talking about the resilience and digital sovereignty of India, the Prime Minister said, "We are focusing on hardware. We are preparing a package of incentives to become a key manufacturer of semi-conductors. Our production linked incentive schemes in electronics and telecom are already attracting local and global players to set up base in India”. He also asserted India’s commitment to data protection, privacy and security. "At the same

time, we use data as a source of empowerment of people. India has unmatched experience in doing this in a democratic framework with strong guarantees of individual rights,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said India’s contribution in coping with the Y2K problem and it offering CoWin platform to the world as open source software are examples of India’s values and vision. "India's democratic traditions are old; its modern institutions are strong.

And, we have always believed in the world as one family,” he said.

Shri Modi said, India's extensive experience with use of technology and policy for public good, inclusive development and social empowerment can be of great help to the developing world.

"We can work together to empower nations and their people, and prepare them for the opportunities of this century,” he remarked.

Giving a roadmap for democracies to work together, PM Modi called for a collaborative framework "to invest together in research and development in future technology; to develop trusted manufacturing base and trusted supply chains; to deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cyber security, protect critical information infrastructure; to prevent manipulation of public opinions; to develop technical and governance standards and norms consistent with our democratic values; and, to create standards and norms for data governance and for cross-border flow that protect and secure data,” He said emerging framework "should also recognise national rights and, at the same time, promote trade, investment and larger public good.”

In this context he cited the example of crypto-currency and said, "It is important that all democratic nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in wrong hands, which can spoil our youth.”

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Sydney, 15 November: The 2022 NSW Australians of the Year have been announced at a ceremony at Luna Park, Sydney this evening.

Premier Dominic Perrottet congratulated Professor Veena Sahajwalla, the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year, and NSW’s three other inspirational recipients in the categories of NSW Senior Australian, Young Australian and Local Hero.

“Each of the NSW recipients have been nominated due to their impact and making real life differences to the community in a range of fields.

From instrumental roles in science and engineering, establishing not-for-profit welfare services for people in need, healthcare for the vulnerable and creating lifesaving campaigns and charities - they have all demonstrated an outstanding spirit of service to our nation,” said Mr Perrottet “The Australian of the Year Awards allow us to recognise and celebrate the achievements of remarkable Australians – people making immense contributions to our society."

“The NSW recipients embody the Australian spirit and despite life’s challenges, they have led the way in founding social, environmental and life-saving initiatives. All are selfless in their dedication, and their individual stories remind us all that we have the power to help others, to bring about real change and to improve the lives of many in the community.”

The NSW Australian of the Year, Professor Veena Sahajwalla is the founding director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology at the University of New South Wales and is renowned for pioneering the high-temperature transformation of waste – turning it into a new generation of green materials and products. Veena is most well known for her invention of Polymer Injection Technology, or

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‘Green Steel’.

President of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association (IWWA), 72-year-old Abla Kadous is the NSW Senior Australian of the Year. Abla helped establish the country’s first welfare service for muslim women after moving to Australia from Egypt. IWWA offers anti-discrimination forums, school-readiness programs, youth camps, cooking classes and also provides food and other essentials to people in need.

Her generosity has seen her volunteering for more than 35 years while also raising her five children and overcoming many obstacles when creating IWWA. Founder of Street Side Medics, Dr Daniel Nour is the NSW Young Australian of the Year. Dr Nour identified a gap in healthcare for vunlnerable people in NSW and as a result of his leadership, this not-for-profit GP-led mobile medical service for people experiencing homelessness has changed the lives of more than 300 patients. Its clinics treat many communicable and non-communicable illnesses and detect conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Shanna Whan, who is the founder and CEO of Sober in the Country, is the NSW Local Hero. After almost losing her own life to alcohol addiction, Shanna established a one-woman grassroots campaign creating radical social impact and change around how people discuss and use alcohol in rural Australia.

Shanna has dedicated her life since 2015 to saving lives across the country, first as a volunteer to help others locally, and now as the founder of the national charity Sober in the Country.

NSW’s four recipients will join those from other states and territories for the national awards ceremony in Canberra on 25 January, 2022.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Diwali celebrated in WA Parliament, MAWA's 'Go for 2&5 Badminton Hon Dr. Tony Buti attends Tournament' held in WA

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iwali, organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, was celebrated at Western Australia Parliament.

Hon Dr. Tony Buti MLA, Minister for Finance; Lands; Sport and Recreation; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests,; Acting Consul General Mr Naresh Sharma and Dy Leader of Opposition in WA Parliament lighted the lamps.

M

alayalee Association of Western Australia (MAWA) organised their badminton tournament 'Go for 2&5 Badminton Tournament' on 13th and 14th November at Armadale Badminton Centre, Armadale in Western Australia.

The tournament was divided into Seniors and Juniors segments, and the Seniors were further divided into four divisions. The top prize in the Division A (Seniors) was $400 for First position winner.

Multicultural event Ladies in Red held in Willawong

Rajwinder Kaur and Sandeep Kaur

S

R Creations' multi-cultural ladies event 'Ladies in Red' was held on November 20 at Unidus Community and Conference Centre in Willawong.

It was a fun-filled night for all the ladies, participants and audience.

Among the special guests who attended were Pinky Singh, Cr Angela Owen, and the judges were Jyoti-Amarjot Bains, Anu Samra, Sippu Hans Jassar.

In putting the show together, the organisers Rajwinder Kaur and Sandeep Kaur of SR Creations acknowledged that the following people were crucial and had an equal contribution towards the success of the event in their own ways.

Pallavi Narang from MSN Homes Devinder Bhaji from Satnam Autos, Brisbane Shivani and Harpreet from Allora College Shelly Ahuja from Wings Education - Test Preparation Centre & Education Consultancy Gundeep Ghuman Jawanda from Folk Blaster Punjabi Furniture Kuldip Bhaji of Camden College Migration Evaluation, Vikramjeet Singh Rhia Jewellery, Madhuri Azam Mandy Gill as the makeup partner Jessie Shergill for the lovely gifts Baby Preet Sahota for the lovely gifts Gifts n Jewellery by Sheffali Fabulous Fashion Point, Jatinder Dhillon Media partner PTC News, Ginni Sandhu RGR Collection, Reetika Sahni Catering partner: Dalchini, West End, Harshil Juneja Photography by Aperture Capture, Nav Dj Ashu from Gold Coast Jaggi Dholi

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Phulwari 2021: Dance, music, drama galore in Perth

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indi Samaj of Western Australia's Pathshala, the Hindi language school, organised their annual event 'Phulwari 2021: Pathshala Annual Day and Kids Cultural Show' on 27 November at Perth Modern School in Perth, where various performers showcased their wares.

After the light snacks were offered to the audience, the shows started, with musicians, singers, dancers, rappers, actors and comedians strutting their stuff. With dance, drama, music, and cultural performances galore, audiences were

www.indianabroad.news

treated to a fun-filled evening.

Some memorable glimpses of the evening were captured by Kash Photography Australia.

The event was supported by Department of Local Government, Sports and Cultural Industries, Office of Multicultural Interests.

The major sponsors of the event were Red Earth Migration, Business Mantra Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, Ucmas Perth WA, Imperium Insurance & Financial Solutions, and Aussizz Group.

/IndianAbroadNews

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Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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11

INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

26 years later, UP man acquitted of possessing 4 bullets IANS

Shamli (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 24: It took him 26 years to prove that he had been falsely implicated in a case of Arms Act that accused him of possessing four 12 bore bullets.

Mohd Salauddin, now 62, had been fighting a case in court for the past 26 years during which he attended more than 200 hearings.

He was 36 years old in 1995 when he was booked by the Muzaffarnagar police for allegedly possessing four bullets He was even arrested and spent 20 days in jail before he was granted bail.

According to Salauddin, "The

charges against me were false and I had been framed by my relatives.

I am a small farmer with just 10 bighas of land and have no other business. My whole life has gone in attending court hearings. The case took up all my earnings as well."

Chief Judicial Magistrate Manoj Kumar, in his order, observed that the prosecution did not testify the charges nor produced any evidence before the court during the course of the trial. Their right to testify was withdrawn in 2019.

Salauddin, during the years, developed thrombosis in the foot, which caused him intense pain when he walked long distances.

His son, Ashu Ahmad, who was just two years old when the case was slapped on his father, said that the family has a monthly income of about Rs 20,000 and most of the money was spent on the case.

"We are a family of five and then there were the medical expenses of my father too," he added.

BJP MP Gambhir receives death Kerala govt to threat from ISIS-Kashmir give Rs 3,000 one-time aid to fisher folk

IANS

IANS

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS): Former cricketer and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gautam Gambhir has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police, alleging that he and his family have received death threats from ISIS-Kashmir.

"We have received an Email from ISIS-Kashmir on the official ID of MP Gautam Gambhir on November 23 at 9.32 p.m.," read the complaint filed by Gambhir's PS. The mail, accessed by IANS, read: "We are going to kill you and your family." Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shweta Chauhan said that an investigation into the

matter is underway and the security arrangement outside the Delhi MP's residence has been tightened.

Notably, the 40-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, a staunch nationalist, has been extremely vocal about the issue of terrorism in Kahmir.

Earlier in December 2019 as well, Gambhir had approached the Delhi Police alleging death threats to him and his family members from an international number. He had then also urged the police to lodge a case and ensure the safety and security of his family.

Bengaluru, Nov 24: The AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB) officers on Wednesday conducted simultaneous raids in 60 locations across Karnataka against government officers on charges of disproportionate assets.

The raids are being conducted on the residences and offices of 15 government officers working in various departments.

According to sources in ACB, in the preliminary searches and findings, the officers have unearthed documents of huge assets disproportionate to their incomes.

The raids are conducted on executive engineers, RTO officers, revenue inspectors, project managers, joint director, First Division Clerk (FDC) and a 'D' Group employee.

These officers worked for Revenue department, BBMP, agricultural department and PWD as well. The

raids are also being conducted on a physiotherapist of a government hospital.

Sources in ACB stated that, Rajashekar, who worked as a physiotherapist at Yelahanka government hospital has purchased three BDA sites, 2 revenue sites and also purchased five acres of land in Doddaballapur taluk near Bengaluru.

The raids were conducted after ACB got complaints in this regard.

In the wake of multiple complaints on rampant corruption and accumulation of wealth disproportionate to their sources of income, the sleuths are raiding various locations in Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Davanagere, Belagavi, Mangaluru districts.

The search team comprises of more than 400 officers,including 8 Superintendent of Police, 100 officers and 300 staff members.

Goa CM scraps popular EDM ACB raids 68 locations event ‘Sunburn’ this year across K'taka IANS

rejected a file moved by the Tourism Ministry to permit the organising of the event which is held around December-end in the coastal state.

"We have not given permission for Sunburn this year. My office has already processed the file," Sawant told reporters after a cabinet

meeting.

Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said that he was of the opinion that the festival should be organised, but added that the Chief Minister's word on the issue was final.

"Any decision on hosting any event is taken by the CM. They (CMO) know the pandemic situation and the SOPs. The file had come to us, we had sent it to (CMO) for a decision. The final decision is taken by the CM," Ajgaonkar said, adding that Sawant may have made the call keeping the Covid situation in the state in mind.

"I felt that it should be held. I wanted it to happen. What people want should happen. The CM has taken a decision after studying the matter.

I cannot take any decision, without final approval from the CM. The CM has not informed me about rejecting the file yet," Ajgaonkar said.

Chennai, Nov 25: Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that the state has inoculated 76 per cent of its population with the first dose of vaccine.

In a statement on Wednesday, the minister said that 40 per cent of the people have received their second

dose of vaccine and the state aims to vaccinate 100 per cent of the population with the first dose before November end.

Ma Subramanian, while speaking to IANS said, "We are conducting two mega vaccine camps every week and this has improved the overall

vaccinations in the state. Tuesday we inoculated 3.4 lakh people in rural areas through door-to-door campaigning and measures like this are helping us improve the vaccinations among the people."

A total of 6.71 crore people were vaccinated in the state till now and the government is increasing the number of vaccinations. He, however, said that the lack of awareness among people in some areas is a major cause of hindrance to the vaccination drive.

He said that the health department had already roped in popular movie and TV stars to help create awareness among the general public on the importance of vaccination.

The minister also called upon the people to be careful on the diseases that affect people in rains and said that dengue has claimed six lives in the state so far this year. He said that dengue has affected 4,483 persons in the state and that 513 people were under treatment at government hospitals in the state.

Bengaluru, Nov 27: A girl from Delhi has accused an IAS officer serving in Karnataka of cheating her on the pretext of marriage, posted the issue on her social media accounts

and marked them to state as well as Central leaders.

The victim alleged that Snehal Lokhande, an IAS officer discharging his duties as Commissioner of Kalaburagi City Corporation, has cheated her.

"Snehal Lokhande has betrayed me. I have met the DC madam of Kalaburagi and told her everything but nobody helped me, just because it was against an IAS officer," the victim claimed.

She also alleged that the IAS officer has spent time with her in a hotel.

She claimed that they became friends through Facebook. "The accused had come to New Delhi and spent three days with me," the girl said.

The victim has marked the post

containing her complaint to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and state ministers Murugesh Nirani and K. Sudhakar.

Lokhande refuted all allegations against him and lodged a complaint against the girl at CEN police station for maligning his reputation and threatening his parents. He claimed that he does not know her and complained to the managements of social media platforms.

Kalaburagi Commissioner of Police Y.S. Ravikumar stated that there is no written complaint by the woman.

"She had come with her family. The incident has taken place in New Delhi and no complaint has been lodged there," Ravikumar added.

Panaji, Nov 24 (IANS): Popular electronic dance music (EDM) Sunburn festival organised by Percept Live, one of the highlights of the state's year-end tourism itinerary, will not be held this year.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that his office had

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 24 (IANS): In what is seen as a largesse from the Kerala government, the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet on Wednesday decided to give a one-time assistance of Rs 3,000 to 1,59,481 fishermen families in the state.

State Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal later informed the media that taking into account the piquant situation, the fisher folk in the state is going through due to inclement weather and also on account of Covid, the one-time assistance has been announced.

"A sum of Rs 47.84 crore will be taken from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund and would be distributed to the fisher folks," said Balagopal.

India, US agree on transitional approach on 'Equalisation Levy' 2020 Deccan Herald

Mills gang-rape: TN administers 76% of population Shakti Bombay HC commutes with first dose of vaccine death sentence to life for 3 IANS

Delhi girl alleges cheating by K'taka IAS officer

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IANS

Mumbai, Nov 25: The Bombay High Court on Thursday commuted to rigorous life imprisonment the death sentences awarded to three repeat offenders, who were convicted for the brutal gang-rape of a photo-journalist in the Shakti Mills Compound in 2013.

A division bench of Justice S.S. Jadhav and Justice P.K. Chavan, while upholding the conviction, commuted the trial court's 2014 order of Principal Judge Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi, giving the death penalty to the accused trio -- Qasim Shaikh Bengali, 21, Salim Ansari, 28 and Vijay Jadhav, 19.

The verdict came in appeals filed by the three convicts, who -- along with one Siraj Rehman Khan and an unidentified minor -- were tried for the August 22, 2013 gang-rape which shook the nation.

The judges ruled that the Constitutional court cannot award punishment based on public opinion

and though it may be contrary to the majority view, the court followed the procedure.

The three convicts -- who became the first in the country to be awarded under the amended Indian Penal Code Section 376 (E) providing for life term in jail or death for rape cases or repeat offenders, in the wake of the Delhi Nirbhaya gang-rape case of December 2012 -- shall not be entitled to furlough or parole while serving their rigorous imprisonment for life.

Woman raped in moving car by FB 'friend' Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 25 (IANS): A 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped in a moving car by her Facebook 'friend'.

The woman was returning home after appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Police sub-inspector recruitment exam in Agra on Tuesday when the accused, who is a resident of Palwal in Haryana, came with his driver to pick her up from Mathura.

The woman alleged that the man got her to sniff a drug a few moments after she sat in his car.

Following this, she lost consciousness. When she regained her senses, she said she found herself at a spot on the Delhi-Agra national highway (NH-2) near Kosikala. Somehow, she managed to reach home.

/IndianAbroadNews

Subsequently, she narrated her ordeal to her family.

Superintendent of Police (rural) Shirish Chandra, said that an FIR has been registered against the man under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of a complaint made by the survivor's family members at the Kosikala police station.

The woman was sent for a medical examination on Wednesday. He added that the woman is not aware of the accused's exact address.

Police have launched an investigation into the case. The woman's statement will be recorded before the magistrate under section 164 of CrPC on Thursday when she is in a position to narrate the incident.

/indianabroadnews

New Delhi, Nov 25: India and the US have agreed on a 'transitional approach' on 'Equalisation Levy' 2020.

According to Ministry of Finance, India and the US will remain in close contact to ensure that there is a common understanding of the respective commitments and endeavor to resolve any further differences of views on this matter through constructive dialogue.

The final terms of the agreement shall be finalised by February 1, 2022.

Notably, on October 8, 2021, India and the US joined 134 other members of the OECD or G20 Inclusive Framework in reaching agreement on the 'Statement on a Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising from the Digitalisation of the Economy'.

Furthermore, on October 21, 2021, the US, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK reached an agreement on a transitional approach to existing 'Unilateral Measures' while implementing 'Pillar 1'.

"The agreement is reflected in the joint statement that was issued by those six countries on that date ('October 21 Joint Statement')."

Accordingly, India and the US have agreed that the same terms that apply under the 'October 21 Joint Statement' shall apply between the US and India with respect to India's charge of 2 per cent equalisation levy on e-commerce supply of services and the US' trade action regarding the said 'Equalisation Levy'.

"However, the interim period that will be applicable will be from 1st April 2022 till implementation of 'Pillar 1' or 31st March 2024, whichever is earlier," the ministry said in a statement.

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INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

'Absconder' notice pasted at ex-Mumbai Modern education utilitarian, not equipped to build students' character: CJI top cop Param Bir Singh's homes IANS

IANS

Mumbai, Nov 23: A Mumbai court order declaring former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh as 'absconder' was pasted outside his Juhu and Malabar Hill homes on Tuesday, officials said, adding the court order directed him to report before the magistrate.

The development came a day after the Supreme Court granted Singh interim protection from arrest till December 6 and directed him to join the investigations.

On November 18, following a Mumbai Police plea, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), S.B. Bhajipale of 37th Esplanade Court, had declared Singh as a 'Proclaimed Offender' and ordered him to appear before the court within 30 days.

"Singh is required to appear before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Esplanade, Mumbai or investigating officer to answer the said complaint within 30 days,"

reads the order issued by the court, pasted on the door of the ex-CoP's flats in the posh suburban Juhu and south Mumbai's Malabar Hill.

The order, signed by ACMM, says a complaint has been made before the court that Singh has committed (or suspected to have committed) offences under sections 384, 386, 388, 389 (all sections relating to extortion), 120-b (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intent) of Indian Penal Code.It adds that an arrest warrant has been issued against the accused (Singh) - who has been 'untraceable' for nearly 7 months now - and that he has absconded himself to avoid the service of the arrest warrant to him.

Singh had approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from arrest and other reliefs, after the Bombay High Court on September 16, 2021 dismissed his petition challenging two preliminary inquiries launched

against him by the Maharashtra government for alleged violation of service rules and corruption, and directed him to move the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

In their plea, the city police had told the court that despite having issued multiple non-bailable warrants, Singh and two other accused are 'missing' and their existence concealed.

It said that a complaint has been lodged before the Court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to extortion and criminal conspiracy, and the court is satisfied that the accused, Singh, has absconded or concealed himself to avoid the service of the warrant.

The former Mumbai police chief faces at least five cases of corruption and extortion, besides a probe by the retired Justice K.U. Chandiwal Commission, in the wake of his letter-bomb accusing the then home minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Anil Deshmukh, currently in judicial custody till next Monday.

Singh, who has been avoiding summonses, bailable and non-bailable warrants of arrest since the past few months, informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he is not absconding and is present in the country, after which he was granted interim protection from arrest till December 6.

An officer of the 1998 IPS batch, Singh was removed from the post as CoP and promoted as Commandant General, Maharashtra Home Guards, after which he targeted Deshmukh, leading to his resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.

Locals rescue fish gasping for breath in Himachal's lake

New Delhi, Nov 22: Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Monday said the modern education system tends to focus only on the 'utilitarian' function of education and it is not equipped to deal with the moral and spiritual function which builds the character of the students.

Justice Ramana said this while delivering the 40th convocation address of the Andhra Pradeshbased Sri Sathya Sai Institute for Higher Learning.

He said: "Unfortunately, the modern education system tends to focus only on the 'utilitarian' function of education. Such a system is not equipped to deal with the 'moral' or 'spiritual' function of education which builds the character of our students and allows them to develop a social consciousness and a sense of responsibility."

He added that true education is the one which imbibes moral values and virtues of humility, discipline, selflessness, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and mutual respect.

"You will have to deal with people from different walks of life that may occasionally challenge you. But be tolerant. Hold onto certain core values as you walk through this journey of life, and experience all the richness it can offer you", said Justice Ramana.

Lauding the university's founder Sathya Sai Baba, the Chief Justice said: "Education in this prestigious Institution has inculcated both ethical and moral values in the students.He promoted a combination of 'worldly learning' and 'spiritual learning'. This philosophy radiates in this institution. It flows from our rich mythology and Vedic

Rulers should introspect everyday if decisions taken are good: CJI Deccan Herald

IANS

Dharamsala, Nov 25 (IANS): There is nothing 'fishy' going on in the sacred natural Dal Lake nestled amidst lush green deodar forests in the foothills of Dhauladhar range on the countryside of McLeodganj, the abode of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, in Himachal Pradesh these days.

As old as the memory of the locals and their ancestors, the sacred lake with some 200-year-old Lord Shiva temple located on its banks is on the verge of renouncing the world, but that has not left the people high and dry.

They are religiously saving the fish by reintroducing it into nearby water bodies -- an arduous task but nevertheless fulfilling.

Like previous years, the Dal Lake located at an altitude of 1,775 metres above sea level at a distance of 11 km away from McLeodganj in Kangra district has shrunk to a small pit of

slush.

Experts blame warming climates, scanty precipitation, and lack of mechanical management are draining crucial water sources, threatening habitats and cultures.

Locals, comprising a large number of exiled Tibetans from McLeodganj, are busy these days in rescuing the fish gasping for breath in the muddy waters.

"For the past one week we have been catching the fish from the lake by using nets and then immediately transporting them to nearby water bodies. Otherwise, they will die owing to asphyxiation," Ramesh Thakur, a resident of Tota Rani village located close to the lake, told IANS on Thursday.

He said every winter the lake dries up and the locals come to the rescue of the fish.

"During monsoon the lake is brimming with water. But in winter it dries up fast. The reason is that the water seepage is at an alarming rate owing to lack of the lake restoration by the local authorities," he said, adding "the phenomenon of lake drying has been occurring for the past eight-10 years".

Another resident Deepak Verma said every winter they catch the fish from Dal Lake and release them to nearby water bodies and private fish farms. "This helps give them a new life."

Nearly 300 people, largely locals and volunteers from Tibetan organisations, have been involved in the dawn-to-dusk exercise largely at their own resources.

Government official Shilpi Beakta, a

Subdivisional Magistrate in Kangra district, told IANS a majority of the stock of fish has been rescued from the lake.

"Our teams were there to assist the local volunteers (in the fish rescue operation)," she said.

Admitting that for the past many years the natural water system of the lake has been drying up, she said the Deputy Commissioner has called a meeting in Dharamsala on Friday to look into the reasons for its shrinking and to adopt mechanical steps to save and restore its glory.

Even the Jal Shakti Department has been recharging the lake by pumping water into it to enable the fish to survive.

The area of the Dal Lake is around one hectare (i.e. 10,000 sq mt). On the bank of the lake the famous Lord Shiva temple is located. According to one legend, a sage named Durvasa prayed to Lord Shiva there.

The experts attribute the lake's decline to man-made problems like pollution, siltation, construction activities and overgrowth of weeds.

They recommend treatment of catchment area by taking vegetative and mechanical measures, clearing of streams, management of excreta of the livestock near the water body and awareness about the lake's multifunctional role.

Similarly, rapid development activities in the area have also put tremendous pressure on the water body.

They recommend studies to document hydrological status, rate of sedimentation and biodiversity of the lake.

Two South African nationals test Covid positive in B'luru The Times of India

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Two South African nationals have tested Covid-19 positive at the Kempegowda International Airport here, creating panic among the health authorities over the new Omicron variant of the lethal virus.

www.indianabroad.news

Bengaluru Rural Deputy Commissioner K. Srinivas on Saturday said further test reports would ascertain whether the South African nationals are infected with the Omicron variant.

The test results will take another 48 hours to arrive, the Health Department said.

Both have been sent to quarantine centres, and they will stay there till their test results confirm about the new variant.

Srinivas said that as many as 584 people, so far, have arrived here from 10 "high-risk" nations, and as many as 94 individuals have come from South Africa alone so far.

He also visited the Bengaluru airport to inspect the security and precautionary measures being undertaken by the authorities regarding examining the international passengers who arrive from high risk countries where the Omicron variant has been detected.

philosophy."

He emphasized that as educated individuals, "you have the responsibility to enrich the society and they must educate all those around, and empower people, communities, and societies".

"Prema in action is service. There is no greater proponent of service, no greater mentor to follow, than Baba himself. Sathya Sai means love.

Sathya Sai means service. Sathya Sai means sacrifice," he said.

Hailing it as a one-of-a-kind university built around the concept of a modern gurukula, the Chief Justice said: "It is also a 'Gurukula' where the essence of Indian culture, values and lifestyle is inculcated in the students while at the institution.

This ensures all-round development and mental fortitude."

He said "Baba has showed us the righteous path. This is a concept embedded in our cultural ethos, of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam."

Justice Ramana emphasised that the pandemic has exposed and highlighted the deep-rooted vulnerabilities and has increased the inequalities in society.

He added: "In such times, self-less service is the need of the hour. I feel so encouraged by the fact that this idea of service is still strong in the hearts and minds of the people. This is evident when people came together, including the students of this institution, to provide relief to those in need. I congratulate all of you for rendering service to the needy."

New Delhi, Nov 22: Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Monday said the rulers should introspect everyday whether the decisions taken by them are good and also check if they have any bad characteristics.

He emphasized that in a democracy people are ultimate lords and the decisions of the dispensation should benefit them.

Justice Ramana said this while delivering the 40th convocation address of the Andhra Pradesh-based Sri Sathya Sai Institute for Higher Learning. Citing ancient scriptures Mahabharat and Ramayana, Justice Ramana said there are 14 bad qualities of rulers which they should avoid.

He said: "All the rulers in the democratic set-up, before beginning their routine work, should introspect

whether they have any bad characteristics. There is need to offer just administration and it should be according to people's needs".

After making a speech in English, the Chief Justice addressed the audience in Telugu.

Justice Ramana added that the people are the ultimate lords in democracy and whatever decision has been taken by the dispensation should benefit them. He further added it was his desire that all the systems should be independent (within the country) and also honest, with an aim to serve the people, which was also said by Sathya Sai Baba.

In the English part of the address, Justice Ramana said the modern education system tends to focus only on the 'utilitarian' function of

education and it is not equipped to deal with the moral and spiritual function which builds the character of the students.

He said: "Unfortunately, the modern education system tends to focus only on the 'utilitarian' function of education. Such a system is not equipped to deal with the 'moral' or 'spiritual' function of education which builds the character of our students and allows them to develop a social consciousness and a sense of responsibility."

He added that true education is the one which imbibes moral values and virtues of humility, discipline, selflessness, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and mutual respect.

"You will have to deal with people from different walks of life that may occasionally challenge you. But be tolerant. Hold onto certain core values as you walk through this journey of life, and experience all the richness it can offer you", said Justice Ramana.

Lauding the university's founder Sathya Sai Baba, the Chief Justice said: "Education in this prestigious Institution has inculcated both ethical and moral values in the students. He promoted a combination of 'worldly learning' and 'spiritual learning'. This philosophy radiates in this institution. It flows from our rich mythology and Vedic philosophy."

No case of Omicron variant detected in India so far: Mandaviya IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30: No case of Omicron variant has been detected in the country so far, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question during the Question Hour.

The Covid situation in the country, he said, is under control but measures are being taking to pervent it from spreading further. A total of 124 crore vaccination doses have been administered to the eligible population till date.

Earlier in the morning, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a review meeting with the states and UTs on the emergence of the new Covid variant. The states were advised to ramp up testing for early identification of positive cases and its management.

Also, the Centre has directed to extend the 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign till December 31 with

/IndianAbroadNews

focus on 100 per cent first dose and completing backlog of second dose vaccinations.

The states were also asked to focus on timely testing for early identification and ensuring adequate health infrastructure.

On Monday, the World Health Organisation said that the overall global risk related to the new Omicron has been assessed as "very high".

Omicron, labelled as 'variant of concern' is a highly divergent

/indianabroadnews

variant with a high number of mutations, including 26-32 in the spike, some of which are concerning and may be associated with immune escape potential and higher transmissibility. However, there are still considerable uncertainties, the global health body said.

"Given mutations that may confer immune escape potential and possibly transmissibility advantage, the likelihood of potential further spread of Omicron at the global level is high", it said.

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Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Australian scientists embark on voyage to unlock secrets of earthquakes IANS

Canberra, Nov 23 (IANS): Researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have embarked on a voyage to unlock the secrets of the Earth's inner layers.

The ANU-led team on November 10 departed on a three-week mission to retrieve 27 seismometers -- instruments that record the motion of the ground during earthquakes -- from the ocean floor near Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, Xinhua news agency reported.

The instruments were deployed in October 2020 pointing at the

Earth's center and have been collecting data on extreme underwater earthquakes.

Researchers are hopeful that the data will help them better understand the inner layers of the Earth and what causes underwater earthquakes and tsunamis.

"It's in an area where the Australian plate meets the Pacific plate, but it's not known as an active subduction zone, so these earthquakes are still a mystery to us," Chief scientist Hrvoje Tkalcic from ANU's Research School of Earth Sciences said in a media

release on Monday.

"Scientifically, the most exciting pay-off of this project may be that it could help us add missing pieces to one of the biggest puzzles in plate tectonics -- how subduction begins.

"Researchers have grappled with this question for decades, probing active and extinct subduction zones around the world for hints, though the picture remains murky."

However, the team must first recover the devices from depths of up to 5,500 meters on the Macquarie Ridge -- a slope steeper than any mountain on the Earth's surface.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) commissioned New Zealand research vessel RV Tangaroa for the 24-day voyage.

Tkalcic said it could take up to six hours to retrieve a single seismometer and another two hours to ascend back to the surface.

"The instruments have been surrounding Macquarie Island, a region in the Southern Ocean's Furious Fifties latitudes renowned for its extreme seas and weather," he said.

"The weather was often merciless during our instrument deployments.

We faced gale-strength winds and waves that forced us to 'heave-to' or shelter in the lee of Macquarie Island for roughly 40 percent of our time in the study area."

Aus to open borders to int'l students, skilled workers from Dec

IANS

Canberra, Nov 22: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday announced that his government will allow international students and skilled workers to enter the country from December to accelerate the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Morrison said that eligible visa holders who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to enter from December 1, reports Xinhua news agency.

The announcement comes after Australia's fully vaccination rate

surpassed 85 per cent.

As a result, more international students, skilled migrants and refugees who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, test negative within 72 hours of departure and hold a valid visa will be allowed to enter Australia, with priority given to skilled workers to fill vacancies.

Additionally, Australia's borders will also open to all fully vaccinated travellers from Japan and South Korea on December 1.

All arrivals must comply with

quarantine requirements in the state or territory they arrive in.

"From the first of December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders will be able to come to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption," Morrison told reporters.

"The return of skilled workers and students to Australia is a major milestone in our pathway back, it's a major milestone about what Australians have been able to achieve and enabled us to do."

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the move to reopen borders to migrants would "accelerate our economic recovery by helping to address shortages in our labour market and allow businesses to expand and grow with confidence".

"As our recovery gathers pace, businesses around the country are increasingly in need of skilled workers, whether they be in hospitality, mining, construction, or professional services," he told local media.

According to the Treasurer, in the last two years before the pandemic, Australia had averaged about 110,000 skilled migrants each year, while the international student market was a significant source of income for the country.

Climate change fuels Australian bushfires: Report

Canberra, Nov 27: Climate change has been found to be an "overwhelming factor" in the increase in Australian bushfires in both frequency and intensity, according to a report by the country's national science agency.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) on Friday published an analysis of bushfire activity in 324,000 square kilometres of forest over the last 32 years, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the report, the average area of forest burned annually was 800 per cent higher between 2002 and 2019 than from 1988 to 2001.

www.indianabroad.news

Since 1988 the average burned area has increased five-fold in winter, three-fold in autumn and ten-fold in spring and summer.

The report found that factors such as the amount of vegetation, time elapsed since the last fire in an area and hazard burning reduction all impact the intensity of fires but that climate change was the "overwhelming factor" in the increase in frequency and intensity since 1988.

Of the four "megafires" defined as a bushfire that have burnt more than 1 million hectares in Australia since 1930, three have occurred since 2000.

CSIRO scientist Pep Canadell said

it was one of the most extensive studies of its kind ever undertaken.

"In Australia, fire frequency has increased rapidly in some areas and there are now regions in the southeast and south with fire intervals shorter than 20 years. This is significant because it means some types of vegetation won't reach maturity and this could put ecosystems at risk," he said in a media release.

"The results also suggest the frequency of forest megafires are likely to continue under future projected climate change."

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, which was called in the wake of the 2019 Black Summer bushfires, found that fuel-load management through hazard reduction burning may have no "appreciable effect" under "extreme conditions" caused by climate change.

The CSIRO report corroborated that finding, questioning the viability of native forest logging as a fire management technique.

"This is happening regardless of anything that we might or might not do to try to stop the fires," Canadell told Nine Entertainment newspapers.

Aus forces deployed to help contain Covid outbreak IANS

Darwin, Nov 22: Units of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been deployed in the Northern Territory (NT) to help contain a latest Covid-19 outbreak among the Indigenous communities in the region.

The NT government on Monday reported two locally-acquired Covid-19 infections, taking the number of cases linked to the current outbreak to 37, reports Xinhua news agency.

Both of the new cases were in the remote town of Katherine where the outbreak began before spreading to the Indigenous communities of Robinson River and Binjari.

Michael Gunner, the Chief Minister of the NT, on Monday announced that Robinson River, where no new cases were found, will move from a lockdown to a lockout whereby strict restrictions will stay in place only for the unvaccinated.

Under a lockout, fully vaccinated residents are able to live normally within the lockout area. Everyone must wear a mask outside of their place of residence and travel is not permitted outside of the lockout

area.

"Robinson River has shown all Territorians how a lockdown can be done and won in a remote community -- a highly vaccinated community, a high rate of testing and responding rapidly to an outbreak," he told reporters.

On Sunday he announced that ADF personnel would be deployed in the NT to assist with the outbreak after

nine cases were reported in Binjari on the outskirts of Katherine.

As of Monday, Australia has registered a total of 199,659 Covid-19 cases and 1,948 deaths.

So far, 91.5 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have received one vaccine dose and 85.1 per cent were fully inoculated against the virus, according to the Department of Health.

Int'l students return as Australia opens border to S'pore

IANS

Canberra, Nov 22 (IANS): The first contingent of international students has arrived in Australia under its travel bubble with Singapore.

Travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 who depart from Singapore can enter Australia without quarantining for the first time since March 2020, when the pandemic first broke out, reports Xinhua news agency.

Two flights of international students landed in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, the first batch of international students to arrive in Australia since November 2020, according to Catriona Jackson, chief executive of Universities Australia.

The initial batch will be followed by another 500 students that will arrive in December.

"Universities have worked closely with government and health authorities for more than 18 months on plans to safely welcome back our international friends," Jackson said in a statement on Sunday, adding that around 130,000 international students remain outside Australia.

"We're confident that today's arrivals

are just the first of many to return, at scale, for the start of first semester next year."

Australia's lucrative international education industry was crippled by the country's strict border closure in response to the pandemic.

Universities lost 4.9 per cent of their revenue, an estimated A$1.8 billion ($1.3 billion ) in 2020 and cut 17,000

jobs.

As of Monday morning, Australia has registered a total of 199,659 Covid-19 cases and 1,948 deaths.

So far, 91.5 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have received one vaccine dose and 85.1 per cent were fully inoculated against the virus, according to the Department of Health.

'Perth's chances of hosting fifth Ashes Test subject to WA Govt's exemptions' IANS

Perth, Nov 27: Western Australia (WA) Cricket chief executive Christina Matthews has said that the chances of Perth hosting the fifth and final Ashes Test, scheduled from January 14, are 50-50, adding that much will depend on the exemptions the WA government gives on border controls.

The final Test against the Joe Rootled England side will begin five days after the completion of the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

But due to stringent border controls and mandatory quarantine norms in WA due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is difficult to host the final Test in Perth, unless, of course, exemptions are made to the cricket party.

"It's a matter of whether cricket can meet those demands or not," Christina Matthews told ABC Radio's National Grandstand programme on Saturday. "I think it's quite possible that Cricket Australia (CA) might have got a bit distracted over the past week. But there's still being a lot of work done on getting the Test here.

"One of the difficulties for cricket is just the high level of technology

that's needed around the broadcast and the number of people that are needed around the broadcast. It's one thing getting the players in (but) it's another thing getting the people who have to broadcast."

She said that WA Cricket had no choice but to wait for the government to relax the quarantine norms.

In the event Perth being unable to host the Test, Tasmania has emerged a strong contender, considering the

state's earlier interest.

The Bellerive Oval in Hobart, which will host several Big Bash League (BBL) and Women's National Cricket League matches in December and January, will only need to shuffle some of those fixtures to accommodate the Test. The other option Cricket Australia (CA) has is Canberra. CA could also decide to host the fourth and fifth Tests at the SCG.

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14

WORLD

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Putin's visit to India clouds timing Angry residents attack MP's of India-US ministerial dialogue house after ferry tradegy in SL IANS

New York, Nov 24: The timing of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of the top diplomats and defence heads of India and the US that was expected to take place early next month is now under a cloud of uncertainty because of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi.

Asked at his briefing in Washington on Tuesday if the annual meeting has been pushed to January 2022, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: "We have never announced a date for the 2+2... I can assure you that there will be an opportunity for a 2+2 before long."

It is Washington's turn to host the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austen.

But Putin is expected to be in India early next month along with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu and, according to media reports, India and Russia plan to launch their version of 2+2 ministerial meetings at that time.

The two Indian ministers would be required to be in India during Putin's visit whether or not that 2+2 takes place and that would narrow the window for holding the ministerial dialogue with the US as the holiday season is coming up in the US. The arrival of the components of the Russian Triumf S-400 missile air defence system this month casts a shadow over India-US relations because of Washington's opposition to the purchase and the threat of sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through

Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Price said that the US has not decided whether to impose sanctions on India.

The reporter in his question raised the possibility of the S-400 delivery being a factor in a likely delay in the 2+2 meeting, but Price indicated that it was not a consideration.

He said: "Of course, we've committed to the 2+2 again because we have a significant relationship with India, including its status as a major defence partner."

The S-400 issue has been raised at "the highest levels of the Indian government", he said.

"It's a conversation that has been ongoing with our Indian partners.

It's a conversation that takes place in the context of a defence relationship that is meaningful to us, that is important both to the US and India, including in the context of a free and open Indo-Pacific. And so I suspect those conversations will continue.

"We have been clear when it comes to this system, not only in the endgame context but more broadly as well, that we've urged all of our allies, all of our partners, to forego transactions with Russia that may risk triggering sanctions under so-called CAATSA," he added.

The US has imposed sanctions on its NATO ally Turkey for buying the S-400 system.

Price dealt with the dilemma the US faces in imposing sanctions on India for its S-400 purchase at a time when their defence and strategic ties are growing while are facing an aggressive China.

"We also know that our defence relationship with India has expanded and deepened significantly in recent

years. It's deepened commensurate with the broad and deep relationship that we have with India and its status as a major defence partner.

We expect this strong momentum in our defence relationship to continue. We certainly value our strategic partnership with India."

He noted that "members of Congress are deeply interested in this as well".

Three Republican Senators led by Ted Cruz have introduced a legislation to exempt India from sanctions.

"Countering China's aggressive behaviour requires viable partners in Asia and beyond, and the USIndian relationship has become a cornerstone of our multilateral efforts," Cruz said.

Their proposed legislation called the "Circumspectly Reducing Unintended Consequences Impairing Alliances and Leadership Act of 2021" (CRUCIAL Act) seeks to exempt the Quad members from sanctions for ten years.

Japan and Australia, the other two members of the four-nation group, do not have defence transactions with Russia, but adding them to the legislation would make it more acceptable to some legislators like Democrat Senator Bob Menendez, who have opposed a waiver for India, by giving the appearance that is not specifically about India and turn the focus to China's aggressiveness.

Democrat Senator Mark Warner, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Republican panel member John Cronyn have written to President Joe Biden against imposing sanctions on India.

Cronyn, who is a co-chair of the Senate Caucus on India and Indian Americans, led a Congressional delegation to India earlier this month and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The readout of the meeting issued by the prime minister's office said that they "noted the increasing convergence of strategic interests between the two strategic partners and expressed desire to further enhance cooperation with an aim to promote global peace and stability".

The last meeting of the India-US 2+2 that alternates between New Delhi and Washington was held in India in October 2020 with the then-US officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper.

Senior Pak bureaucrat in the dock for comparing PTI with Taliban IANS

New Delhi, Nov 24: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered an inquiry against a senior joint secretary of the Cabinet Division for posting "objectionable comments" against the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) party on a social media platform, Dawn news reported.

According to a statement of allegations issued by the Establishment Division, officer Hammad Shamimi

had posted a comment on a social media page/platform that was tantamount to misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.

The Establishment Division's notification then goes on to reproduce Shamimi's alleged post in Urdu, in which he had written: "A similarity between the PTI and the Taliban is that both are figuring out how to run the government only after assuming power. And the centre of hope for both of them is Aabpara."

In a separate notification issued by the Establishment Division on Monday, an inquiry has been ordered against Shamimi in light of the said allegations, said the Dawn news reported.

The Establishment Division had

Kabul, Nov 24 (IANS): Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a total of 257 media outlets have been shut "due to financial challenges as well as restrictions", a media report said citing an NGO. NAI, the group which has been providing advocacy and support to the Afghan media industry since 2004, said on Tuesday said the closed outlets include print, radio and TV stations, TOLO News reported.

According to NAI, over 70 per cent of Afghan media workers have become jobless or left the country after Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15.

Reports have also revealed that during the 100 days of Taliban rule, six reporters have lost their lives in various incidents including attacks by unknown armed men, explosions, suicide and traffic incidents.

Officials of the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate government have repeatedly said they are committed to protect media achievements and freedom of expression.

But the Islamic Emirate's two lists of principles for media operation have raised concerns over restrictions, said the TOLO News report.

"The recent statement, which has eight articles (from the Virtue

on August 25 issued a notification — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — barring government servants from participating in any media platform except with the permission of the government.

The notification had said that instructions were not intended "to discourage any constructive and positive use of social media by a government organisation for engaging the people to solicit feedback on a government policy, suggestions for improvement in service delivery and resolution of their complaints".

"But such an organisation shall maintain their social media platforms continuously or frequently to remove offensive, inappropriate and objectionable remarks."

257 Afghan media outlets shut since Taliban takeover

www.indianabroad.news

and Vice ministry) has raised concerns. We hope the issue is resolved in consultation with the media," the TOLO News report quoted Hujatullah Mujadedi, head of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists' Association, as saying.

"We urge that the Law on Access to Information, and Media Law, which are not being used now, be amended based on the current situation and in consultation with the media," said Masroor Lutfi, media officer at Afghanistan National Journalists' Union.

IANS

Colombo, Nov 24 (IANS): Angry residents in the Eastern city of Kinniya in Trinc omalee attacked the house of area parliamentarian causing heavy damages and protested blocking public road after ferry carrying mostly school children capsized, killing six people including four children.

The residents in Kuringankerni village attacked the house of MP M.S. Thowfeek who had been at the opening ceremony held in April to reconstruct the bridge across the lagoon in Kinniya where ferry capsized on Tuesday morning.

Though opening ceremony was held in April no construction had been started.

Among the dead were four children who were going to school and those dead also included a mother and her two daughters aged six and three years in the same family and two sisters aged 6 and 8.

In addition 20 including 12 children who were in the capsized ferry were rushed to the Kinniya hospital and they were undergoing treatment there.

People also protested in public roads burning tyres and blocking access and complained that politicians

should take the responsibilities for the lost lives.

Built in 1976, the bridge connecting Kuringankerni and the closest city Kinniya was broken six years ago but since then the bridge had not being rebuilt and people had been using a make-shift ferry to cross the lagoon. In April an opening ceremony to build the bridge had been held but work had not started.

On Wednesday at the parliament, an opposition MP Rauf Hakeem complained that the ferry without

any standard had been used without any permission. "This tragedy has taken place as a ferry that has no safety was allowed to be run by the relevant authority."

Meanwhile Highway Minister Johnston Fernando said in Parliament that he has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to start an investigation and take legal action against those who ran the ferry service and charge them for murder. He also said those ran the ferry service had fled the area.

98 candidates apply for Libya's presidential election IANS

Libya, Nov 24: A total of 98 candidates, including two females, have submitted applications for the first direct presidential election in Libya.

Emad Al-Sayeh, Chairman of the High National Elections Commission, said that 98 people have submitted applications for presidential candidacy, and a primary list of candidates will be published in two days, reports Xinhua news agency.

Most of the political and military figures, as well as a large number of activists, academics, and artists are running for president.

Abdulhakim Bayo, the first presidential candidate submitted an application to the Elections Commission, said the upcoming elections are the first democratic elections in the North African country since 2011.

"I am positive that these elections are a chance for me to serve my country," Bayo told Xinhua.

The House of Representatives, the country's Parliament, approved the presidential election law in September and approved the parliamentary election law in October.

According to the laws, the President will be elected at the end of December by direct general secret ballots, while the parliament will be elected after a month from the presidential election.

The most notable presidential candidates include Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi; Khalifa Haftar,

the commander of the eastern-based army; Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Parliament; and Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, the incumbent Prime Minister.

The elections are part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in February, with the aim to bring stability to Libya.

87% Pakistanis believe country headed in wrong direction Arab News

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS): As many as 87 per cent of Pakistanis believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, said the latest survey conducted by research company IPSOS Pakistan.

Almost 1,100 people participated in the survey which was conducted this month, Geo News reported.

According to IPSOS's fourth quarterly report on Consumer Confidence Index, 43 per cent of Pakistanis consider inflation as the biggest problem of the country.

Fourteen per cent of the respondents declared unemployment to be Pakistan's top-most and most troubling issue, whereas 12 per cent referred to poverty as the most important matter.

Forty-six per cent of the survey's respondents termed Pakistan's economic condition as weak and only 5 per cent declared it as correct.

As per the IPSOS, in the last survey, 26 per cent of Pakistanis had declared inflation as the biggest issue of the country.

According to the survey, the percentage of respondents who declared coronavirus the most important issue reduced from 18 per cent to 8 per cent.

The survey revealed that people listed inflation and economic problems on top of all issues. It also noted that rising prices and unemployment are the issues that concern most people.

/IndianAbroadNews

The percentage of Pakistanis who said the country is headed in the wrong direction, is the highest in 27 months.

On Pakistan's current economic condition, 49 per cent respondents of the survey said it was so-so, but 46 per cent were clear in their answer and said it was weak. Only 5 per cent said the country's economic condition is strong, the report said.

When asked about improvement in the economic situation in the next six months, 64 per cent said they don't see that, while 12 per cent were hopeful that the economy would improve. Twenty-four per cent were neither hopeful nor disappointed.

/indianabroadnews

When asked about their personal financial situation, 47 per cent of the respondents said it is weak and unstable, while 5 per cent answered it was strong. However, 48 per cent said their personal financial condition was neither weak nor strong.

According to Ipsos, there was an increase of 20 per cent in the people who observed the financial condition as weak after June 2021. About the improvement in the personal financial condition in the next six months, 63 per cent feared it will remain weak.

However, 13 per cent were hopeful it would get better, while 24 per cent were unsure in their answer.

15

POLITICS

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Mamata, Kishor on poaching BJP aims at majority in K'taka MLC polls, JD(S) likely to support spree from Congress IANS

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is at the centre of attention in Delhi with leaders queuing up to meet her during her visit to Delhi and three prominent politicians joined the party including one Congressman, one former Congress and a JDU leader.

The arrival of Banerjee in Delhi has created furore in the Congress with the grand old party guessing who could be the next.

Kirti Azad, Ashok Tanwar and Pawan Varma all three are former parliamentarians with diverse background, who joined Trinamool on Tuesday. Azad, a former cricketer and a former BJP MP who switched to Congress is now a TMC party member. Azad was feeling sidelined in the party and so decided to quit.

He fought the Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket, but could not win.

He was earlier with the BJP, but left

after differences with the leadership.

Azad's wife is also active in Delhi politics.

Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana Congress president left the party and has now joined TMC, while Pawan Varma, former bureaucrat and former JDU MP is also now with Mamata Banerjee.

Sources have said, Congress leaders who are not happy with the party leadership are founding refuge in Trinamool as poll strategist Prashant Kishor has been playing the role of a facilitator for the new comers to join Trinamool. Kishor has been in fact approaching the leaders personally, sources said.

Earlier, both Sushmita Dev from Assam and Luizinho Faleiro from Goa, who joined the Trinamool Congress recently, were considered close to the Gandhi family. It was Faleiro who publicly said that he was approached by none other

than Kishor and his team to join the Banerjee-led Trinmool Congress.

After winning the elections in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress is also trying to make an impact at the national stage now.

"We have to see who has got the power to face the current dispensation which is ruling in Delhi and Goa. Definitely, I will support Mamata because she has fought, she has succeeded... She symbolises women's empowerment which can bring this country back on the track of development and progress," Faleiro said, describing the Congress as a "divided house".

Now, the Congress, which was trying to protect its leaders from being poached by the BJP, needs to keep its guard active against the Trinamool as well.

Congress' Goa state in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had attacked Kishor and alleged that he is misguiding the TMC Chief. "What are their (TMC) intentions? They have just come here to help BJP. And I do not know whether Mamata didi knows or not. But the people who are running this IPAC (Kishor's outfit), they have a different agenda altogether I feel. They may be betraying even Mamata didi also," Rao claimed.

One of the Congress leaders said that Kishor is on a revenge spree to damage Congress but if few persons are leaving the party, it is not likely to affect Congress. The revenge is used as Kishor was likely to join Congress but it was stalled by the leaders in the party.

Former DGP slams Akhilesh on law and order claims IANS

Lucknow, Nov 24: As the political slugfest between the BJP and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh goes down to new depths, former Director General of Police (DGP) and now BJP Rajya Sabha member, Brijlal, has shot down the claims of Akhilesh Yadav on the law-andorder situation in his regime.

"The infamous Lucknow guest house incident of 1995, which hogged media glare for years and sent shockwaves in the political

establishment, cutting across party lines, is a living testimony of the SP misrule of the past, the BJP MP said.

He recalled that in Bulandshahr, about a dozen people had harassed the mother and daughter by dragging them from the road. Not a single accused was arrested while the world was shaming the Samajwadi government on the issue, its senior minister Mohd Azam Khan was shamelessly defending the indefensible.

The former DGP said that in a similar incident in Badaun, the name of a close associate of a Samajwadi Party MP had cropped up and at that time, the SP government did not utter a word.

The Aashiana rape case of Lucknow also happened under the nose of the SP government in which the name of the nephew of a prominent SP MLC had come up.

He further stated that a senior SP minister, whose name had become synonymous with illegal mining and graft -- Gayatri Prajapati -- had recently been convicted for rape and

was serving sentence for it.

Brijlal reminded the Samajwadi Party of the statement made by its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav who, at a rally in Moradabad, had poked fun on the rape charges against some of his party men by saying, "boys are boys, mistakes happen".

The former DGP said, "The difference between the then SP government and the present BJP government is crystal clear -- while the previous government sided with the goons, mafias and anti-social elements, the Yogi Adityanath government has shocked the daylights out of criminals. Many of them were already dead and the others had either fled the state or surrendered and were now behind bars."

He said that employment to lakhs of women, the establishment of a women battalion in PAC, giving the beat to women police personnel in police stations for the first time are added proof of this government's commitment to the safety and security of women.

Bengaluru, Nov 22: The ruling BJP in Karnataka is aiming to gain a majority in the Legislative Council elections scheduled to be held on December 10.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has already appealed to JD(S) leaders to support BJP candidates.

The election is heating up as November 23 (Tuesday) is the final day for submission of nominations.

The BJP has announced its candidates whereas the Congress and the JD(S) are likely to make the announcements by Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already completed its Jan Swaraj Yatra across the state. Top leaders, including Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and cabinet ministers, toured the state to

strengthen the party and galvanise party workers for the polls.

The Congress on the other hand is launching scathing attacks on the BJP over the Bitcoin scandal.

Though the JD(S) has not made any open statement in this regard, sources say that since the party is enjoying the position of 'Speaker' in the Council with the support of the BJP, it is almost certain that it will be supporting the saffron party.

To attain a majority in the 75-member council, the magic number of 38 has to be attained.

The BJP is presently the single largest party with 32 members, the Congress 29 and the JD(S) 12. But, still the JD(S) holds the position of Speaker in the Council with the saffron party's support.

The Council elections are being held

for 25 seats as the term of as many sitting members of the Legislative Council from 20 Local Authorities' constituencies will expire on January 5, 2022.

The BJP will have to win more than 12 seats for gaining a majority.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is under tremendous pressure to win a majority in the Council elections after the party's defeat in the Hangal by-polls.

If the BJP attains power, it could get all the enacted Bills passed without depending on the other parties.

The chances of the Congress attaining a majority are very thin.

However, the Congress is taking its time to finalise candidates and the JD(S) is likely to field only winning candidates and support the BJP in other constituencies.

This is not a political sojourn, says Raje at the start of her Mewar Yatra IANS

Jaipur, Nov 23: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday started her Mewar Yatra after offering prayers at the renowned Sanwariliya Seth Temple.

She said that this programme is not a political sojourn but is an effort to connect with those who lost their loved ones to coronavirus.

She said, "Some people have been referring to this yatra as a political sojourn but this is just an effort to express condolences to bereaved families who lost their loved ones to corona."

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan, "Sabka Saath, Sabha Vikaas", she said, "Rajmata Saheb (My mother) taught me how to go ahead by taking everyone along. Similarly, PM Modi also has given a slogan, "Sabre Sate, Sabre Vikaas", she added.

Raje said that her daughter-in-law has been unwell for the last 10 months. However, with the blessings of Sanwariliya Seth, her health has improved. Due to her illness, I could not attend the families who lost their loved ones to corona and have come here now, she added.

I have been expressing condolences to those who lost their loved ones and shall offer prayers at the temples on my route, she added.

Raje added that she does not believe in 'Rajniti' but she has strong faith in 'Dharma Niti'.

During our tenure, we got 125 temples renovated by spending Rs 550 crore. Now, I offer my prayers to Sanwaliya Seth that the coming time should be of the BJP, yours and ours, she added.

Thereafter, she reached Udaipur's Lasediya village where she tied a pagadi (turban) on the son of former MLA Gautamlal Meena who died due

to Covid. His family members had announced that the ritual of pagadi will be performed by Raje.

Cong MLC candidate declares Rs 1,743 cr assets, becomes richest politician

IANS

Yogi govt slams Akhilesh on farmers' compensation issue IANS

Lucknow, Nov 25: The Yogi Adityanath government has slammed Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for his "fake concern" for the farmers which is aimed at his own "petty political gains".

"SP chief Akhilesh Yadav should know that his announcement of compensation of Rs 25 lakh for families of deceased farmers is just another gimmick ahead of UP assembly polls," said UP minister Siddhartha Nath Singh who is also the government spokesman.

Singh said, "Akhilesh, who was focused on the family rather than the farmers during his entire five-year tenure, all of a sudden has started 'respecting' the farmers."

Akhilesh Yadav had tweeted that if www.indianabroad.news

he comes to power, he would give a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the families of deceased farmers.

The minister said, "Certainly not only the farmer, every person's life is precious, but the SP chief should also make it clear whether the life of innocent Kar Sevaks had no value? Should their families not get compensation? The SP chief will have no answer as vote bank politics and appeasement is the identity of the SP." He questioned the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief over the kar sevak massacre that took place in 1990 during his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav's tenure, in which several people had lost their lives while demanding the construction of the Ram Temple.

"Those who are talking about the importance of life during the polls, are the ones who ordered firing at Ram bhakts. The largest number of these kar sevaks were the farmers of village-Giraon, who were the worshippers of Lord Ram," he said.

The government spokesperson went on to say that the farmers might

be the vote bank for the SP and its leader, but for BJP government and party, they were, are and will always be regarded as 'annadata'.

"The amount of work done keeping farmers' welfare on priority and the number of successful schemes launched for them, had not happened during any government. The Yogi Adityanath government has set records in implementation of welfare schemes for farmers such as PM-Kisan. Right from the loan waiver of farmers as the very first cabinet decision to making record payments to the farmers and disaster relief to farmers," he stated.

He said that during the pandemic, when Akhilesh and many other leaders like him were self-quarantined, the workers of the government and the BJP were engaged in the service of the farmers.

Talking about giving compensation to the farmers, he said that the chief minister provides full and quick financial assistance on the death of any person in the state due to any calamity.

Bengaluru, Nov 24: Yusuf Sharif a.k.a KGF Babu alias scrap Babu, the Congress candidate for MLC elections from Bengaluru Urban, has declared Rs 1,743 crore assets in his affidavit to the Election Commission, to become the richest politician of the state.

Earlier, Minister for Small Scale Industries and Municipal Administration in the ruling BJP government, M.T.B. Nagaraj had declared assets to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore and was considered the richest politician of the state, but now Sharif has surpassed him.

In his affidavit, 54-year-old Yusuf stated that he owned a hand watch worth Rs 1.10 crore and is having 4.8 kg of gold, hundreds of acres of

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agricultural and non-agricultural land in and around Bengaluru worth Rs 1,593.27 crore. He has purchased a Rolls Royce Phantom car from Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, for which he was in the news recently as transport officials confiscated this vehicle for lack of documents.

Yusuf is the eldest of the 14 children and grew up in poverty. He runs multiple businesses including real estate. Sources claim that his properties are worth more than Rs 4,000 crore.

Yusuf Babu grew up in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF). He worked in the scrap material division of Bharat Gold Mines. His father owned a bakery and when it ran into losses, became

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an auto driver. Later, he took up the scrap business which propelled him to new heights.

Sharif's business mainly includes buying and selling land. He has two wives -- Rukasana Taj and Shazia Tarannum and five children. Yusuf has declared Rs 100 crore worth movable assets and Rs 1,643.59 crore immovable properties.

Congress candidate from Chitradurga B. Somashekar has declared Rs 116 crore, BJP candidate from Dharwad, brother of former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, Pradeep Shettar has declared assets worth Rs 89 crore. Suraj Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has declared assets worth Rs 61 crore.

16

TECHNOLOGY

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Microsoft rolls out new Fluent style emoji in Windows 11 IANS

San Francisco, Nov 23 (IANS): Tech giant Microsoft is rolling out a new Fluent style emoji in Windows 11 that the company previewed earlier this year.

The company said that these new emoji are beginning to roll out as part of optional November 2021 Windows 11 preview release.

"These new Fluent style emoji being released in Windows 11 feel personal and familiar, two of our Windows 11 design principles. A team of emoji designers, programme managers, font experts and developers focused on creating this new emoji system," Judy Safran-Aasen, Program Manager, Windows Design Team,

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): In a huge data breach, global web hosting platform GoDaddy has revealed that nearly 1.2 million of its WordPress customers' sensitive information has been compromised.

In a blog post, GoDaddy's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Demetrius Comes said that they've discovered unauthorised access to its managed WordPress servers.

"Up to 1.2 million active and inactive Managed WordPress customers had their email address and customer number exposed. The exposure of email addresses presents risk of phishing attacks," Comes said late on Monday.

On November 17, the company discovered unauthorised third-party

access to our Managed WordPress hosting environment.

"We identified suspicious activity in our Managed WordPress hosting environment and immediately began an investigation with the help of an IT forensics firm and contacted law enforcement. Using a compromised password, an unauthorised third party accessed the provisioning system in our legacy code base for Managed WordPress," the company explained.

GoDaddy has warned users that this exposure can put users at greater risk of phishing attacks.

The investigation is ongoing, but "we have determined that, beginning on September 6, 2021, the unauthorised third party used the vulnerability

said in a blogpost.

"From colour palettes to modular features, designers built out a system that would scale to the expansive set of Unicode emoji.

Windows 11 now offers a more modern and expressive emoji to use in your hybrid communications, allowing you to add fun, expression and personality to your communications," it added.

According to the company, emoji has become more common across various forms of communication where many of us are working, learning and connecting remotely and want to bring friendliness and a human touch to our conversations.

For those who want to gain access to the new emoji, they can open Windows Update settings and select Check for updates. Once they have completed installing the update, they can hit the Windows key + period key to access the new emoji within the emoji picker.

OnePlus patents tri-fold foldable phone

IANS

Beijing, Nov 23: Smartphone maker OnePlus is probably working on a foldable phone with two hinges that can be locked by a handy slider.

A recently discovered patent has claimed that foldable phone will come with three display, reports GizmoChina.

It is believed that the patent document was filed in China in 2020 and was published in July 2021. It has now been included in the global repository of patents, in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database.

As per report, the device can be folded in different ways, providing options for more User applications of the device.

The parent image also describe a 'rotating turning plate' that allows the device to fold into a triangle.

OnePlus has also started recruiting testers for the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T's Android 12-based OxygenOS 12

closed beta update.

It is a short-term closed beta test (CBT), where participants will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Two-hundred people with an 8T will be invited, and 200 people with the 8 or 8 Pro will also be invited.

Participants are also required to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure

Agreement) with OnePlus to be a member of this programme.

In addition, OnePlus has promised to provide gifts to the best performers, and since the company is calling it a "short-term Closed Beta Project", one can expect it to announce an Open Beta program for the 8, 8 Pro, and 8T soon.

1.2 mn WordPress websites Soundcore launches two new breached, says GoDaddy noise-cancelling headphones to gain access to the following customer information", the company informed.

The original WordPress Admin password that was set at the time of provisioning was also exposed.

"If those credentials were still in use, we reset those passwords. For active customers, sFTP and database usernames and passwords were exposed. We reset both passwords," said GoDaddy.

"We are sincerely sorry for this incident and the concern it causes for our customers. We will learn from this incident and are already taking steps to strengthen our provisioning system with additional layers of protection," said Comes.

HomePod mini available in new colours in India IANS

New Delhi, Nov 23: Tech giant Apple on Tuesday announced that its HomePod mini is now available in yellow, orange and blue colour options, giving users more ways to express their personality and style in any space.

Priced at Rs 9,900, HomePod mini is now available through Apple Authorised Resellers.

"At just 3.3 inches tall, HomePod mini is packed with innovation to deliver big sound for a speaker of its

size. Using computational audio to provide a rich and detailed acoustic experience and deliver peak performance, HomePod mini fills the room with rich 360-degree audio that sounds great from every angle," the company said in a statement.

"With multiple HomePod mini speakers, users can play the same music throughout the house, a different song in every room, or create a stereo pair for an even more immersive experience," it added.

HomePod mini is designed to work with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, thousands of radio stations and popular music services like Jio Saavn, Gaana and others, providing entertainment for everyone.

It makes controlling smart home accessories effortless, with simple voice commands for Siri to turn off the lights, change the temperature, lock the doors, set a scene, or control devices at specific times.

Google News Showcase now supports Malayalam, Bengali IANS

New Delhi, Nov 23: With the aim to help more readers get access to news in their own languages, tech giant Google on Tuesday announced the addition of two new languages Malayalam and Bengali to Google News Showcase.

www.indianabroad.news

In September, the company added support for four languages -Kannada, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu -- in addition to English and Hindi in dedicated News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover.

"With the expansion of these new languages, we now have over 60 partners representing more than 100 publications in 8 languages," the company said in a statement.

This month, a report said that Google News Showcase, which was launched in October last year and has signed deals with more than 1,000 news publications including

in India, has seen publishers creating over one million panels for readers to date.

People have tapped the Follow button on News Showcase panels over 1.5 million times, which shows that they are looking for more content from their favourite publishers or ones they have just discovered.

News Showcase panels can appear across Google, currently on News and Discover, and direct readers to the full articles on publishers' websites, helping them deepen their relationships with readers.

Mumbai, Nov 23: Consumer electronics brand Soundcore on Tuesday launched two new headphones -- Life Q30 and Life Q35-for Rs 7,999 and Rs 9,999 in India.

The headphones come with Hybrid active noise cancellation, signature Soundcore sound and customisation for a listening experience. It offers 18 months warranty and are already available with Flipkart.

"We are thrilled to launch our ANC Q-Series headphones in India. A perfect blend of customised sound, top-tier design and ergonomics, the headphones shall be the new fashion statement among the audio lovers," Gopal Jeyaraj - Country Manager, India and SAARC, said in a statement.

Life Q35 supports LDAC technology that ensures that 3X more data is transmitted to the headphones than standard Bluetooth codecs.

Both Life Q30 and Life Q35 are equipped with 40mm silk-diaphragm drivers to deliver sound

that's both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified.

The headphones also feature Hybrid ANC that picks four microphones and filters out irritating noises like traffic and airplane engines for a purer listening experience.

The multi-mode ANC enables a switch between Transport, Indoor and Outdoor modes to find the noise cancelling level that suits every surrounding.

The headphones also offer a seamless audio experience with transparency mode that allows one to hear voices and traffic at a natural level when needed.

Featuring a 40-hour long playback time in ANC mode and 60 hours in normal mode, the headphones provides 4 hours of listening with just five minute charge. The headphones sport Fast NFC Pairing and multi pairing options on the connectivity front.

The headphones also support 2 devices at one go and feature a

IANS

Wearing Detection technology allowing the playback to pause when headphones are removed and resume when put back on.

Tesla moves to AMD chip in new Model Y in China A fter moving to AMD in the new Model S, Elon Muskowned electric vehicle company Tesla has reportedly started using a new AMD chip in new Model Y vehicles in China.

According to Electrek, the electric car maker is now using the USbased semiconductor company AMD's Ryzen chip for the Model Y Performance's MCU. It is not clear if only the new Model Y Performance is using the AMD chip, but all variants of a Tesla vehicle generally use the same onboard computer.

Tesla also used AMD to power the

new entertainment computer in the new refreshed Model S, the report said.

In that case, the automaker needed a lot of power since it claims the same computing power as the latest generation gaming consoles, it added.

Tesla has always been extremely focused on improving computing power in its vehicles, which people often call "computer on wheels" these days.

Much of the focus has been on its chips for self-driving, which the automaker ended up designing itself, but Tesla also has been updating its

chips for its entertainment system (MCU).

At first, Tesla was partnering with Nvidia, then moved to Intel, and it now looks like the automaker might be moving to AMD, the report said.

Spotify now ending support 'Car View' mode San Francisco, Nov 27: Swedish music streaming platform Spotify said that it is 'retiring' Car View, which was introduced at the beginning of 2019, without an immediate replacement.

In a post on its community platform, the company confirmed that it is retiring the feature.

"We can confirm that we are retiring the car view feature. This, however, does not mean we do not want to improve on how our users listen to Spotify while driving. On the contrary, we are actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience," the post reads.

"Think of retiring car-view as something that needs to happen in an effort to make way for new innovations coming down the track," it added.

"Car View" previously offered support for Spotify to simplify its interface by only showing playback controls, song titles, and

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other relevant information, reports 9To5Google.

The interface also featured significantly larger touch targets and no distracting elements such as the

/indianabroadnews

IANS

IANS

"Canvas" videos, lyrics and others.

The simplified interface would automatically appear when connected to a car over Bluetooth and could be managed in the Settings.

17

SPORTS

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Australia unveil Indigenous ODI Gambhir critisises Shastri for his kit for men's and women's team 'best team in the world' remarks IANS

Melbourne, Nov 23: Australia on Tuesday unveiled the newly designed indigenous-themed kits for their men's and women's cricket teams for the upcoming summer home season in order to continue their efforts to better recognise and encourage the involvement of Indigenous Aussies in the game.

The new design, to be worn by the Australian teams in home one-day internationals, is similar to one worn last summer by the men's team, in black for T20s against India.

It will be worn by Meg Lanning's team in their three ODIs against England in February that forms part of the multi-format Women's Ashes.

However, the men will wear the indigenous kit in just one of their

three home ODIs this summer, the first ODI against New Zealand in Perth on January 30. They will revert to a plain gold one-day kit for the subsequent ODIs in Hobart and Sydney in early February.

The men will again wear the indigenous kit for their ODIs in Pakistan next March and April, which will be the first time they will wear an indigenous kit abroad, on what will be Australia's first visit to Pakistan for 24 years. It may also return in future ODI series in the 2022-23 home summer.

Notably, the design is again a collaboration between manufacturer ASICS and two Indigenous women, Aunty Fiona Clarke and Courtney Hagen. The pair have been integral

to the sport's efforts to engage with the indigenous community, although Hagen recently moved on from her post as CA's Indigenous Engagement Specialist, a cricket. com.au report said.

Clarke, a Kirrae Whurrong woman, is a direct descendent of legendary cricketer 'Mosquito' Couzens (known as Grongarrong), one of the Aboriginal players who toured England in 1868 as part of the first sporting team from Australia to play abroad.

Her Walkabout Wickets artwork features prominently in the design of the new ODI kit. That artwork was unveiled in 2016 and featured on the collars of the Aussie men's Test shirts during the 2019 Ashes and again in last summer's BorderGavaskar series against India. It will again feature on the collars of the men's and women's Test whites in their respective Ashes series this summer.

Australia's women's side were the first to wear an indigenous-themed shirt in a match against England in 2019 and have been proactive in addressing issues of race in their sport.

Despite the pioneering efforts of the 1868 team, who made a perilous journey by ship to the England and played 47 matches at venues like Lord's and The Oval, only four indigenous men and two indigenous women have played Test cricket for Australia since the first Test in 1877.

Indonesia Open: PV Sindhu loses to Ratchanok Intanon in semi-finals

IANS

Bali, Nov 27: Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu's campaign at the 2021 Indonesia Open came to an end after she lost to Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon in the women's singles semi-finals, here on Saturday.

Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu lost 21-15, 9-21, 14-21 to world no 8 Ratchanok in a 54 minute semi-final clash.

This was the third successive semi-final loss for the 26-year-old

at a BWF event after the French Open and the Indonesia Masters. It was also her third straight loss to Ratchanok Intanon.

Up against the Thai shuttler, the reigning world champion began in full tilt, racing to an 8-3 lead in quick time. Ratchanok then made a comeback in the match and kept nibbling away at Sindhu's lead, but the Indian did enough to seal out the first game 21-15.

With her powerful smashes and clever net game, Intanon responded strongly in the second game, seized the early momentum and took an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval.

The Thai ace pressed the advantage even harder after the break and cruised to a 21-9 win.

In the decider, both shuttlers went neck-and-neck in the early exchanges, but Ratchanok eventually broke free to take an 11-5 advantage into the breather. As the match progressed, Sindhu tried hard to close the gap but the Thai shuttler matched her opponent to seal the match in 54 minutes.

The second seeded Ratchanok will now play South Korea's An Seyoung in the final.

Sindhu last reached a final at the Swiss Open in March, where she lost to arch-rival Carolina Marin.

Meanwhile, the Indian duo Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be in action in the men's doubles semi-finals, later in the day.

Doing well in Dhaka is important for us ahead of a busy season in 2022, says Manpreet Singh IANS

Bhubaneswar, Nov 27: As India men's hockey team gears up for the Asian Champions Trophy, which will kick off on December 14, captain Manpreet Singh and vice-captain Harmanpreet expressed confidence about the team's prospects in Dhaka where they will defend the title.

"We are in pretty good shape for Asian Champions Trophy. We are focusing on our fitness. After the Olympics, there was a drop in our fitness levels. So, now we are looking to regain that. Everyone is giving their 100 percent," stated skipper Manpreet Singh during a virtual press conference on Saturday.

With several players, who were part of the Olympic squad being, rested for this continental event including www.indianabroad.news

stalwart goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, Manpreet said this is a good opportunity for young players to prove their mettle ahead of a busy season next year.

"Some of these youngsters have been patiently waiting for their chance and have been working really hard to find a place in the team. I feel this is a great tournament to test these players and it's also a great opportunity for youngsters who have been given a chance to show their abilities," he added.

The Indian skipper also addressed the team's prospects in the tournament and what challenges they can expect in Dhaka. "The tournament is quite important for us as it is our first big tournament after the

Tokyo Olympics. The new cycle has started for us. Doing well in Dhaka is important for us. If we start well, then our confidence levels will go high. There are major tournaments lined up in 2022. Our aim is to set our minds and body for them," he added.

Harmanpreet Singh, who will be returning to Dhaka after the team's fine performance in 2017 where they lifted the Asia Cup, reflected on their ongoing preparations and he also threw some light on the India Colts' performance so far in the ongoing FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2021, which the Senior team is following closely.

"While we are going through our preparations for the Asian Champions Trophy here in Bhubaneswar, we have also been closely following the Indian Junior side's performance and they have done well so far. I do have conversations with the defenders particularly as I had a few inputs to give them after their first match. I believe having four options for drag-flick is a big advantage for this young India side as it is hard for the opponents to predict the variations they can use."

"I think if they continue to play with confidence, communicate well with each other and also play as one unit, they should be able to finish on the podium," he added.

IANS

New Delhi, Nov 22: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is not happy with Ravi Shastri's remarks in which he had termed the Virat Kohli-led side best in the world.

Shastri's remarks did not go down well with Gambhir saying, we w'n't hear this kind of statement from newly-appointed coach Rahul Dravid.

Shastri's tenure as head coach ended after India's forgetful campaign in the recently-concluded ICC Men's T20 World Cup. One of the most celebrated batsmen and legendary cricketer Dravid was appointed as the head coach of Team India.

Shastri had famously compared Team India's Test series win in Australia with the 1983 World Cup title triumph.

Gambhir said it is fine if this

statement came from others, not from the outgoing coach.

"It's really a pity that this statement came from him; you will never hear this kind of statement from Dravid.

That's the basic difference between Dravid and others," Gambhir told Times Now Navbharat.

"When you win, let others talk about it. You won in Australia, that's a big achievement no doubt. You won in England, performed well, no doubt.

But let others praise you. You won't hear such statements from Rahul Dravid. Whether India play good or bad, his statements will always remain balanced. Moreover, it will reflect on other players," said the former Indian opener.

Welcoming the appointment of Dravid after Shastri's departure Gambhir said, "The one thing I found surprising is that when you

play well, you don't usually boast about it. It's fine if others talk about it; when we won the 2011 World Cup, no one gave statements saying that this team is the best in the world, let alone country."

Shastri's reign as head coach saw India achieve no.1 ranking in Tests and multiple overseas Test series victories in Australia, as well as wins in England and South Africa.

Batter Mithali retains 3rd spot, Jhulan ranked 2nd among bowlers IANS

Dubai, Nov 23 (IANS): India captain Mithali Raj retained her number three spot among batters while her compatriot Jhulan Goswami maintained her second position among bowlers in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings, released on Tuesday.

Raj, who has 738 rating points, is behind Lizelle Lee (761) of South

Africa and Alyssa Healy (750) of Australia while Goswami with 727 points is at second spot with Jess Jonassen (760) of Australia leading the bowling chart in ODIs. Opener Smriti Mandhana, who remained on sixth spot with 710 points, is the only other India batter in top 10 of women ODI rankings.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh batters Fargana Hoque and Rumana Ahmed made notable gains after helping their team beat Pakistan in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021, Group B match in Harare on Sunday.

Fargana's steady 45 that laid the foundation for the three-wicket win, helped her gain one slot to reach 25th position in the latest women's rankings while Rumana's unbeaten 50, that got the team over the line with two balls to spare, has lifted her five places to 29th position.

Off-spinner Salma Khatun is up four places to 35th among bowlers while left-arm spinner Nahida Akter has progressed four slots to 41st position after their team's opening match in the nine-team tournament being played across four venues in Harare.

For Pakistan, Aliya Riaz and Nida Dar have made significant progress among batters after putting on 137 runs for the sixth wicket. Aliya, who scored 61 not out off 82 balls, is up five places to 32nd while Nida's 111-ball 87 has helped her gain seven slots and reach 37th position.

Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu's two wickets have carried her four places to 17th position while Nida is also up four places to 29th after taking one for 17 in 10 overs. Anam Amin has gone from 43rd to 40th position.

Harmanpreet Kaur bags the honour of being first Indian to win WBBL player of the tournament Continued from page 1 erformance is something we can control, and that's what we've been doing, but the rest is entirely in the hands of the BCCI and the cricket board."

Harmanpreet Kaur has become a major role model for young girls who want to play cricket like her.

Harman is also the first Indian woman to sign a contract with both the WBBL and England's The Hundred event.

Poonam Yadav, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, and Richa Ghosh are among the Indian players competing in their debut WBBL competition this year. All four players have been major members of their respective

Female Cricket

P

teams and have occasionally made headlines. While Indian women's cricketers have consistently raised

the level in the Australian league, the BCCI has yet to act on the possibility of launching a Women's IPL in India.

Strict guidelines virtually rule Perth out for fifth Ashes Test IANS

Perth, Nov 30 (IANS): In a move that could virtually shut the doors for Perth to host the fifth and final Ashes Test, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has said that tough border restrictions would remain in place due to the emergence of the new Covid-19 variant, and that the players will have to quarantine for 14 days to be able to play the match.

He has also banned wives and girlfriends of the cricketers from attending the fifth Test. The Test is slated to be played from January 14 at the 60,000-capacity Optus Stadium.

"While the WA Premier previously said he was confident the finale would proceed with 'very strong measures' the emergence of the Omicron variant has thrown the state's reopening plans into disarray.

On Tuesday, Mr McGowan revealed cricketers will be required to quarantine for 14 days with wives and girlfriends to be banned from the highly-anticipated trip west," dailymail.co.uk said.

There will be no relaxation for staff members and the broadcast team either as they too will be required to self-isolate for two weeks and subsequently the entirety of the match.

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"We have put in place very strict rules. So we've said to them, 'you need to have 14 days' quarantine'.

And that has to apply to all the broadcast staff, the cricket staff.

They can't just bring wives and girlfriends with them -- same rules as we put in place for the AFL (Australian Football League). It's up to them whether they want to adhere to those rules or not," McGowan said.

WA Cricket chief executive Christina Matthews had recently said that the prospects of Perth hosting the fifth Test were 50-50.

McGowan has refused to open

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Western Australia's borders to other states as he aim for a 90 per cent vaccination target.

In the event of logistical issues emerging from the stringent guidelines, Cricket Australia (CA) might put the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on standby. The venue will host the Big Bash League (BBL) and Women's National Cricket League matches in December-January and will only need to shuffle some of those fixtures to accommodate the Test.

The other option CA has is Canberra.

CA could also decide to host the fourth and fifth Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

18

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

TN inks MoU with 59 companies, Rs 35,208 cr investments in the offing Chennai, Nov 23 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 59 companies, which will lead to investments worth Rs 35,208 crore coming into the state.

The deals were signed during an investors' meet at Coimbatore, which was presided over by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

Agreements have been inked with seven companies in the fields of aerospace and defence system manufacturing, and an investment of Rs 485 crore is expected to be

generated through this.

Stalin said that the deals are an indication that Tamil Nadu is on the right path to become a trillion-dollar economy.

He said that despite the challenges of Covid-19 and natural clamaities like rain and its related issues, it is a great moment for Tamil Nadu to attract the investments.

The Chief Minister said that it was the third industrial conference in five months, which is a sign of the state government's efforts to promote industrial investment and

growth.

Stalin also laid the foundation for 13 projects worth Rs 13,413 crore, besides launching commercial production in 10 projects worth Rs 3928 crore. Government officials said that 92,420 people would get employment through these projects.

Stalin said that the government is aiming to make the state the fintech capital of the country, as he released a fintech policy.

Stalin also released a handbook on aerospace and defence systems.

Real Estate industry to grow at over 75% YoY for next 3 yrs: Report IANS

New Delhi, Nov 23: After being hit hard by Covid-19 due to scarcity of labour and low budget spending, India's real estate industry is now gathering pace and is on the course to healthy recovery.

According to a report on the sector

by Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd., a SEBI-registered and RBIaccredited financial services credit rating company, the commercial segment which is relatively a more formal segment (with big players involved) has seen an influx of investment.

Among dominant markets, Bengaluru, Chennai, and the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded largest recovery in the September 2021 quarter. The Information Technology (IT) remains the largest consumer of space during the quarter, occupying 34 per cent of the space transacted.

The report said that with regard to residential spaces, the interest rates on home loans (October 2021) is likely to act as an incentive for prospective buyers. Along with that, the buying decisions now factor in adverse impact on income, 'thriftiness' caused by unforeseen emergencies, 'access to large green areas' and 'access to good healthcare'.

The Infomerics report outlines the various initiatives taken by the

government to help and bolster the sector like tax holidays for affordable housing projects, tax deduction on interests on housing loans in the Union Budget 2021-22 augur well for the industry. Further, the interest rates on home loans (October 2021), and festival offers are likely to act as an incentive for prospective buyers.

On July 30, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) lowered the minimum application value for Real Estate Investment Trusts from Rs 50,000 (US$ 685.28) to Rs 10,000 -15,000 (US$ 137.06 - US$ 205.59) to make the market more accessible to small and retail investors.

Capital expenditure (Capex) of Rs 5,43,559 crore is designated to be provided by the Centre and states combined under the "National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) over the period 2020-25" under affordable housing.

There is a manifest need to examine the impact of policy initiatives and changes in real estate encompassing the impact of financial deregulation, privatisation, functions and working of banks and financial institutions, balanced regional development, standards of living and promotion of disruptive and incremental innovation.

The report states that the delay in buying & selling of projects due to Covid-19 has been a problem for the constructors. This was further widened due to shortage of labours & workers as people shifted back.

However, with the ebbing of the pandemic, the industry is likely to gain traction. The housing price index showed that the 'price index' has been increasing despite the proliferation of the Covid pandemic

and it was above 110 during the first wave. However, the 'quantity index' plummeted to less than 30 during the same period.

The report stresses in the part that if the situation continues, then even reducing the home loan interest rates would not be quite effective.

Amid Covid-19 pandemic uncertainty, investors stayed away due to the uncertainties in the property market. In 2019, around Rs 1.59 lakh crore worth of luxury housing stock was unsold (which was around 34 per cent of the total unsold homes across top residential markets).

Further, the report also mentions that the possibility of the third wave of Covid-19 and the emergence of delta variant, however, causes concern for the industry.

The report mentions that post-pandemic, the real estate industry has been witnessing drastic change over the past two years. While the Covid induced 'work from home' model reduced the demand for commercial spaces, it increased the demand for residential spaces.

However, commercial investments augur well, given the scope of business activity in India & this can be clearly witnessed with the on-going developments in Indian business space as more companies are being formed as they touch greater heights of expansions with need in working spaces.

Moreover, about 88 crore people are expected to live in urban areas in India by 2051 as against the current 46 crore people. Therefore, this trend setting pattern is sure to be salubrious for the real estate industry along with government interventions & new schemes rolling in urban house spacing.

US-based DataCore expands India footprint, to hire more IANS

Bengaluru, Nov 23: US-based software storage company DataCore, which has acquired MayaData -- a leading independent developer of container-attached storage -- on Tuesday announced to open a new office facility in Bengaluru that would house the combined team of Datacore and MayaData.

The company, which has its second largest global R&D facility in Bengaluru outside of the US, said it is looking at India to drive multiple functions including marketing, operations and being a net exporter of innovation and talent for continued global success.

DataCore plans to hire over 150 people in India over the next two years and have 50 per cent of its global workforce in India by March 2023.

"While we expand our R&D centre in India to a fully functional centre

of excellence, we also see the Indian market as a key growth driver for us from a marketing, operations, and talent perspective," said David Zabrowski, CEO of DataCore.

The company said it continues to expand its talent pool in the country and has a comprehensive hiring programme to help drive end-to-end

storage defined solutions out of India.

The acquisition of MayaData will help DataCore provide a one-stop shop resource for enterprise software-defined storage needs and strengthen its engineering team in India.

US seizes $56 mn in crypto fraud, to pay victims in dollars San Francisco, Nov 19: The US government has seized approximately $56 million worth of cryptocurrency -- the largest ever in the country -- from a self-described "number one promoter" of BitConnect, a cryptocurrency.

The US Department of Justice intends to sell the coins and use the proceeds to reimburse victims.

According to court documents, Glenn Arcaro, 44, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to participating in a massive conspiracy to defraud BitConnect investors in the US and

abroad, in which investors were fraudulently induced to invest over $2 billion.

The BitConnect scheme is the largest cryptocurrency fraud scheme ever charged criminally, the Department of Justice said in a statement this week.

The government will maintain custody of the seized proceeds in cryptocurrency wallets and intends to use these funds to provide restitution to the victims pursuant to a future restitution order by the court at sentencing.

Arcaro is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

While BitConnect largely traded in Bitcoin, the US government plans to reimburse victims in US dollars.

The law enforcement arm of the US Postal Service will be helping convert the crypto to fiat currency.

The government has set up a website for victims who are looking for compensation, the statement said.

grabs which claimed that he has made tons of money using a cryptocurrency investment platform.

The screenshots of the report stated that he made money using a crypto coins auto-trading programme Bitcoin Era. The businessman said such news take the "fake news" to a whole next level. "Someone saw this online and alerted me. I need to make people aware that this is completely fabricated & fraudulent. Takes fake news to a new level. Ironically, I have not invested a single rupee in cryptos," he said.

The fake report went on to say that Anand Mahindra, during a TV show,

said a "wealth loophole" could transform anyone into a "millionaire" in 3-4 months.

Earlier, in September Mahindra came across a post that was wrongly attributed to him. Sharing that quote, the Mahindra group chairman said that the quote is not actually his.

"I'm flattered that some believe my statements are quotable and I have always believed in the power of social media to democratise information & share knowledge. But the downside is wrongly attributed quotes. I will do my best to call them out whenever possible'," he had noted.

Anand Mahindra says not invested a single rupee in crypto

IANS

New Delhi, Nov 20: Indian business tycoon Anand Mahindra said that he has not invested a "single rupee" in cryptocurrencies.

The billionaire shared some screen

Sitharaman inaugurates ITD's new office in Srinagar Modi cautions on cryptocurrency, IANS

Srinagar, Nov 22: The Income Tax Department's new Office-cumResidential complex -- The Chinars, here, was inaugurated on Monday

by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha.

Dedicating the project to the people of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Finance Minister said the Income Tax office at Srinagar will act as a bridge to connect the people of the region to the best taxpayer services and also help them in their taxation issues through the Aaykar Sewa Kendra.

Sitharaman also observed that it will provide an enabling environment for the "bhagidari" -- people's participation in the development of the region.

In his address, Sinha highlighted the importance of taxpayers in the economic development of the

www.indianabroad.news

country and said that the Income Tax department is becoming seamless from the stage of filing return to the issuance of refund.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj, in his address, emphasised the increasing contribution of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the exchequer, reflected in the upgradation of the Income Tax charge at Srinagar to the level of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax at Srinagar.

Bajaj also said that the newly inaugurated Income Tax office will serve as a platform for providing information, knowledge, guidance and ease to the taxpayers, enabling them to reap the benefits of increased economic activity.

The event marks a forward step towards realising the Central government's vision of delivering quality taxpayer services and facilitating participation of all segments of taxpayers in Jammu and Kashmir

in the nation's tax system in a spirit of trust and respect.

From a modest rented abode in Barbarshah in 1954 to one of the largest civilian offices of the Government of India in Srinagar, the establishment of the office with state-of-the-art facilities for the taxpayers reflects the commitment on the part of the IT Department to bring taxpayer services closer to the people of the region.

The 3.5 acres campus, adjoining the silk factory on the banks of Jhelum river, was acquired in 2008 at the cost of Rs 13.50 crore. The project was started in November 2015 by NBCC, and was completed in July 2020.

The total expenditure made till date is Rs 27.78 crore. The complex consists of a total of 8 buildings having office building of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax Srinagar and its associated offices, 33 Residential units and an eightroom guest house.

In her interaction with tax administrators and stakeholders at SKICC later, the Finance Minister urged the officers of both CBDT & CBIC to be agents of change and reach out to the industry and business individuals to ascertain their expectations from the Government.

While emphasising that officers of both CBDT & CBIC should work collectively, the Finance Minister also stressed upon the importance of their role as facilitators & educators, making themselves more accessible to the taxpayers of the region to provide better taxpayer services.

says nations need to work together IANS

New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that all democratic countries need to work together on cryptocurrency and ensure that it does not end up in the wrong hands.

Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural Sydney Dialogue via video conferencing, Modi spoke on the theme of India's technology evolution and revolution and the noted recognition for the country's central role in the Indo-Pacific region and in the emerging digital world.

Giving an example of the virtual currency, he said, "Take cryptocurrency or Bitcoin for example. It is important that all nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands, which can spoil our youth.

"Noting the benefits of the digital age, the Prime Minister also said that the world also faces new risks and new forms of conflicts across diverse threats from the sea-bed to cyber to space.

"The biggest strength of democracy is openness. At the same time, we should not allow a few vested interests to misuse this openness", the Prime Minister said.

He also said that as a democracy and a digital leader, India is ready to work with partners for shared prosperity and security.

"India's digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demography, and the scale of our economy. It is powered by the enterprise and

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innovation of our youth. We are turning the challenges of the past into an opportunity to take a leap into the future."

Listing important transitions taking place in India, Modi said that the world's most extensive public information infrastructure is being built in India. Over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity, six hundred thousand villages will soon be connected with broadband and the world's most efficient payment infrastructure, the UPI and the latest the Aarogya Setu and CoWin app for vaccination.

"We are investing in developing indigenous capabilities in telecom technology such as 5G and 6G. India is one of the leading nations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially in human-centred and ethical use of artificial intelligence. We are developing strong capabilities in Cloud platforms and cloud computing", he added.

He also said India's contribution in coping with the Y2K problem and its offering of the CoWin platform to the world as open source software are examples of India's values and vision.

"India's democratic traditions are old; its modern institutions are strong. And, we have always believed in the world as one family", he added.

Describing India's extensive experience with the use of technology and policy for public good, he said that

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inclusive development and social empowerment can be of great help to the developing world.

"We can work together to empower nations and their people, and prepare them for the opportunities of this century", he noted.

Giving a roadmap for democracies to work together, PM Modi called for a collaborative framework "to invest together in research and development in future technology; to develop trusted manufacturing base and trusted supply chains; to deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cyber security, protect critical information infrastructure; to prevent manipulation of public opinions; to develop technical and governance standards and norms consistent with our democratic values; and, to create standards and norms for data governance and for cross-border flow that protect and secure data."

He said the emerging frameworks should also recognise national rights and, at the same time, promote trade, investment and larger public good.

19

HEALTH

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Norovirus outbreak in Kerala: K'taka on high alert IANS

Bengaluru, Nov 24: In the wake of the detection of 13 norovirus cases in Kerala, Karnataka has sounded an alert in the bordering districts of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada.

In a circular issued on Tuesday, the Karnataka Health Department released guidelines to be followed.

It instructed the appointment of a physician as a nodal officer for every

district to manage the situation.

District Health and Family Welfare department officers have also been asked to pitch in.

The infection is caused and spread through contaminated food and water. The person affected with the virus will develop symptoms of vomiting, loose motion, nausea, stomach ache, headache, body pain and fever, it said.

The patients will have to be admitted to hospital. If neglected it will become fatal, it said.

The health department officials have been asked to gather information on sources of drinking water and test them.

The treatment for the infection is non-specific and the patient has to be treated for symptoms.

The rare norovirus was reported among 13 students of a veterinary college at Pookode in Wayanad district of Kerala in October end. The Kerala government has called upon the people of the state to be on high alert.

The norovirus which is also known as the 'winter vomiting bug' is highly infectious and spreads easily among people. Doctors said that the disease is transmitted by direct contact with an infected person, contaminated food or touching a contaminated surface, and putting unwashed hands in the mouth.

1 in 4 Indians discriminated against due to caste, religion in healthcare: Report

IANS

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): A third of Muslims, over 20 per cent Dalits and Adivasis, and 30 per cent people in general reported being discriminated against on the grounds of religion, caste or because of illness or health conditions in a hospital or by a healthcare professional, according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The report by Oxfam India is based on a latest survey 'Securing Rights of Patients in India', and provides a perspective on the plight of patients and citizens in the healthcare system.

The pan-India survey was conducted between February and April

2021, and received 3,890 responses.

The survey showed lapses in implementation of patients' rights to information, informed consent and second opinion.

More than 70 per cent people said that the doctor simply wrote the prescription or treatment or asked them to get tests/investigations done without explaining their disease, nature and/or cause of illness, while more than half did not receive any information about investigations and tests being done when hospitalised. At least a third said their doctor did not allow a second opinion.

Shockingly, 19 per cent of the respondents whose close relatives

were hospitalised said they were denied release of the body by the hospital, and 35 per cent of women said that they underwent physical examination by a male without a female present in the room.

Further, 30 per cent people said that they have been discriminated against due to an illness or health condition that they have, 12 per cent people felt that they have been discriminated against on grounds of religion, 13 per cent people felt that they have been discriminated against due to their caste. One-third of Muslims said that they have been discriminated against on the grounds of their religion in a hospital or by a healthcare professional.

"The survey shows that the basic rights of patients' in India are being routinely denied in healthcare facilities, for the poor and middle class alike. Skewed power dynamics with respect to class, caste, religion, and gender between the healthcare providers and patients deepen existing structural inequalities in the healthcare system," said Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar, in a statement.

"The Patients' Rights Charter drafted

by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare needs to be immediately adopted by state governments along with robust grievance redressal mechanisms to provide citizens with recourse when things go wrong," Behar added.

Pollution woes: 30% of Gurugram patients suffer from lung infection IANS

Gurugram, Nov 23: Amid worsening levels of air pollution, the hospitals here have registered a 30 per cent increase in patients with respiratory ailments.

While a majority of them complain of nose and throat infections, others suffer from breathing problems, heart attack, brain stroke, inflammation of eyes and lungs.

Besides, the number of patients with diabetes and blood pressure is also increasing.

Dr Rishi Raj Borah, Country Director, Orbis India said, "Air pollution is known to erode lung

www.indianabroad.news

and heart health, but it can affect the eyes too, even for those who wear spectacles. Those who are exposed to polluted air regularly are said to have experienced watering of or a burning sensation in their eyes."

According to Dr Nishant Verma, cardiologist, due to pollution, the speed of lung infection is increasing along with throat, nose and eyes.

These numbers are most affected by pollution. When oxygen does not reach inside the blood, the ability to function decreases resulting in heart attack, brain stroke.

"Irritability increases, diabetes and blood pressure also become

uncontrolled. Due to worsening pollution, the risk of cancer is increasing among the city dwellers.

Also, the chances of cancer are increasing due to lung infection," Dr Verma said.

"Pollution can lead to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a serious breathing disorder. Its symptoms are similar to asthma and bronchitis. This is chronic bronchitis in which the patient's energy decreases, he gets tired after walking a few steps.

Oxygen supply decreases due to swelling in the windpipe between the nose and the lungs. Children and pregnant women are more likely to get sick due to deteriorating pollution," he added.

"The air quality has degraded beyond our control, the onset of winter adds to the adverseness of the situation. The pollution caused around this time takes around 4 months to dissipate and therefore increases prolonged exposure to these gasses.

Every individual is affected by bad air quality, the most badly affected are children. Children's ability to filter out or detoxify environmental agents and pollution is different.

For children who grow up in highly polluted cities like Delhi and Gurugram, the impact of this dangerous air can be catastrophic on their undeveloped lungs and respiratory systems. No surprise, our pulmonary department overflows with patients," Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder & Director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals said.

HEALTH BLOG

Productivity in the Post Covid World

By Vahini Panda ike me If you were one of those people who felt like a gleeful 10 year old playing house when the first covid lockdown hit way back in early 2020, you are not alone.

We were excited that we can take a break from adulting, wake up at 10 AM, stay in PJs all day, make innovative cakes and desserts and watch Netflix in between working from home.

Like all good things this came to an end too when we realised that this summer vacation doesn’t seem to have an end. While we can all dream about living aimlessly, the boredom does set in and work productivity is down to like 50% and we realise holidays are not that much fun if we can’t earn enough money to have fun.

We also quickly realised that working/studying from home could be permanent or semi-permanent as workplaces and educational organisations have realised it is more economical and cost saving to keep this mode alive post covid.

So how to keep up the productivity while working or studying remotely? Here are some tips to increase productivity and kick their job/study goals.

Keep your phone on silent, keep it face down so you don’t look at it. This way you cannot see the

L

messages which pop up on the screen from your friendship groups or a juicy titbit of gossip your friend is sharing and you can concentrate on the work you are doing. Allot a time slot of say 1 hour where you won’t be distracted by the phone or any other distraction and just focus on the job at hand. Slot in a 15 minute break after the 1 hour so you know you can get to all the exciting messages in 1 hour so your focus is fully on the job you are doing.

Focus is underrated, and multitasking overrated in my opinion. I am not saying not to multitask however having 100% focus on one task at a time will ensure that task is done to your full potential thus giving you the results it deserves. If your brain cells are distributed to doing 3 different things at the same time, you just cannot give any of the jobs full attention to do it to your full potential.

Schedule: How do you then multitask? We have the scheduling apps on our phone, computer, emails programs etc. Use this amazing tool to keep ourselves on track.

Schedule every task you want to achieve. Add reminders each day for the next couple of days for all the jobs which are pending. Once you have scheduled them in, you will be reminded of them and you can easily keep track of them and get the job done. If you could not get it done at least this gives you an opportunity

to reschedule it and adds a bit of guilt to you so you will get the job done the next time it is scheduled for. I have rescheduled some jobs 3 times but eventually I did get it done rather than let it slip away.

Work life balance: Having a good work life balance is key to increasing productivity. When you compartmentalise yourself and give time to do things you love you will be much more productive in your job or study as you know you have a time assigned for everything so you are not thinking of where you need to be when you are doing the other.

This also reduces guilt on both counts and give you a happy family and a fuller wallet. It is a win win don’t you agree?

About the Author: Vahini Panda is the CEO and Founder of Health Academy Australia and Health Courses Australia. She is multi faceted in her skills and expertise which is backed by 20 years experience in the areas of education, health, ecommerce and Information Technology. She is a CEO, Passionate business owner, Author, Blogger, Nutritionist, Digital marketing expert and a Mum.

India logs 7,579 new Covid cases, lowest in 543 days New Delhi, Nov 23: In the last 24 hours, India registered 7,579 new coronavirus cases, the lowest single-day spike in 538 days, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

Also in the same period, 236 people succumbed to the virus, which increased the overall nationwide death toll to 4,66,147.

The recovery of 12,202 patients has increased the cumulative tally to 3,39,46,749. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.32 per

cent, the highest since March 2020.

The active caseload stands at 1,13,584. Active cases presently constitute 0.33 per cent of the country's total positive cases, the lowest since March 2020.

Also in the same period, a total of 7,83,563 tests were conducted across the country, which increased the total to 63.34 crore.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate at 0.93 per cent has remained less than 2 per cent for the last 60 days now.

The daily positivity rate stands at 0.79 per cent, which has also remained below 2 per cent for last 50 days and less than 3 per cent for 85 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 71,92,154 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 117.63 crore as of Monday morning.

This has been achieved through 1,21,69,135 sessions.

Tightened Covid curbs spark protests, riots across Europe IANS

Brussels, Nov 23: In response to the tightened Covid-19 measures, demonstrations were held across Europe this past weekend, amid rising new cases and a new wave of the pandemic.

An estimated 35,000 people gathered in central Brussels on Sunday to protest against the reinforced measures, which include the mandatory use of the 'COVID Safe Ticket' (CST) and the obligation to wear face masks in areas where a CST is required, reports Xinhua news agency.

The demonstration took place near the Brussels North Station, with protesters brandishing banners saying "Together for Freedom" and "Resistance".

The police used water cannons and tear gas to subdue demonstrators who threw fireworks at them.

Forty-two people were detained and two arrested, local police said late on Sunday and the mayor of the City of Brussels, Philippe Close, "strongly condemned" the riots.

In Rotterdam, the demonstration against the Covid-19 restrictions started on November 19 when several hundred protesters gathered in the city centre throwing fireworks and setting cars -- among them at least one police vehicle -- ablaze.

The protest escalated into riot, and the police responded with water cannons and tear gas.

Around 50 people were arrested and four were injured and sent to hospital for treatment.

On Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned the riots and warned that everything possible would be done to punish the rioters.

"These are not corona protests, but pure violence by idiots, which has nothing to do with demonstrating," Rutte said after consulting his fellow ministers.

Across Greece, restaurants and

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cafes remained closed lin protest against the government's new restrictions.

The measures have hit thousands of businesses, with many of them facing the risk of permanent closure, and further state support is urgently needed, the Panhellenic Federation of Restaurants and Related Professions (POESE) said on Monday.

"We are shutting down today so that we will not have to shut down forever," protesters chanted during a rally held in the center of Athens.

"Catering stays closed throughout Greece" read banners on the closed doors of restaurants and cafes.

With the onset of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, the European Union (EU) fears a new wave of Covid-19 infections.

The level of concern for the situation in the EU was rated at 8.3 of 10, or "very high" on November 19 by the European Center for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC).

Wearing masks, hand-washing and ventilation are crucial non-pharmaceutical measures that must continue in order to fight

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Covid-19, and "it remains extremely important that we follow the non-pharmaceutical interventions", Stefan De Keersmaecker, European Commission spokesperson for Health, said on Monday.

French Minister of Labour Elisabeth Borne on Monday called on companies to strictly respect barrier gestures, especially the mask mandate, in order to enable the country to face the fifth Covid-19 wave.

In light of the worsening situation, France's Vaccine Strategy Orientation Council (COSV) on Monday suggested that a booster shot for all adults should be considered.

In the face of the growing pandemic, Germany's federal states have recently tightened their respective Covid-19 measures.

The states of Bavaria and Saxony have cancelled their Christmas markets this year, and Hesse decided that only those vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed to enter indoor areas of restaurants, sports facilities and cultural institutions.

20

ASTROLOGY

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Gem stones according to zodiac signs

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emstones have a special significance in Vedic astrology.

Since time immemorial they are considered helpful in liberating

problems caused by the placement of our planets.

A lot of people still practice the

belief. Pankaj Khanna, MD and Founder Gems Selections, suggests which gemstone you should wear, depending on your zodiac sign.

Aries People born in Aries are controlled by the fierce planet Mars. The gem of Mars is Coral so People with the zodiac sign Aries should wear Red Coral, i.e., Moonga in their right-hand ring finger in copper or gold ring. This also improves the muscular system of these people and replenishes the energy which they tend to overuse.

Leo The zodiac sign Leo is ruled by the sun and the gem for the sun is ruby. Those born under the sun sign of Leo have a strong tendency to be overpowering in all their relationships. Excessive ambitions take a heavy toll of their mental and hormonal energy. In order to fulfil the gap created, these people should wear a ruby, i.e., Manik stone in either gold or copper rings.

Sagittarius Jupiter is the controlling planet of these people, which gives them ambition, ability to do hard work but an excess of these often create multiple problems for them. The gem of Jupiter is yellow sapphire i.e., pukhraj to improve their ability to achieve their ambitions.

Taurus Taurus is controlled by the magnificent planet, Venus. The gem of Venus is diamond so people with the zodiac sign Taurus should wear a diamond, white topaz or white quartz to strengthen the cosmic energy absorption of the Venus The cosmic energy of the planet gives people born in Taurus unique creativity and a desire for a luxurious life.

Gemini Geminis' are ruled by the intelligent planet, Mercury. The gem of Mercury is emerald so it would help to wear this precious gem, i.e., Panna in order to improve their nervous and intellectual abilities as they tend to overuse their intellectual ability which sometimes leads to nervous disorders.

Cancer Cancerians are ruled by the waning and waxing planet, the moon. The gem for the moon is pearl. Just like this planet their emotional life is also generally passes from phase to phase. To control the negative aspects of the moon, these people should wear pearl, i.e., moti, extracted from the sea which will help them improve their emotional stability. www.indianabroad.news

Virgo Virgo is the second zodiac sign controlled by Mercury. Those born under the sun sign of Virgo are helpful in nature but also great conspirators. These people automatically use a lot of their mental energy which needs to be replenished by the use of emerald, i.e., Panna stone.

Libra Libra is the second zodiac sign controlled by Venus but are more creative in their aptitude, but at the same time always passing through a lot of emotional strain.

The gemstone of Venus, i.e diamond (Heera) or white topaz needs to be worn by these people to improve their creativity and save them from emotional trauma.

Scorpio Scorpio is also controlled by Mars.

Those ruled by Scorpio have a lot of physical energy as well as the ability to think to great depths. The overuse of mental and physical energy leads to early ageing and withering away of their physical and mental stamina. These people should wear red coral.

Capricorn Capricorn is the first zodiac sign ruled by Saturn and tends to create over-ambitious people who want to conquer the entire world in one go as a result overuse their energies and abilities which also puts them in one problem after another, ultimately leading to strong depressions.

Wearing a blue sapphire/ iolite, the gem of Saturn will help them understand their genuine needs and work accordingly.

Aquarius Aquarius is also controlled by Saturn. The people born under this zodiac sign are great thinkers. They have very unique mental abilities and are generally found to be actors/ models and other people in show business. But these people being very secretive and not - communicators tend to develop certain negative traits and get emotionally disturbed very quickly. To give them emotional energy to face all these problems these people should wear blue sapphire/iolite.

6 gemstones expected to rise in value

I

lihiniyagems

n earlier times gemstones, along with gold and silver were used as a form of money because of their universal value; today they are purchased due to their Vedic properties as well as to secure personal savings from the fluctuating value of money.

The vast gemstone market can be confusing, but with the right knowledge some of these gemstones can be good investments too, other than their gorgeous look of course!

Diamonds are the first choice of all investors worldwide when it comes to the most popular gemstone.

Rubies & emeralds are some other renowned names in the world of gemstones; these are collectors' favourites as well, mainly due to their solid returns. However, there are other amazing and newer gemstones like tourmaline and tanzanite that have been performing even better when it comes to investments but are still not known to all.

Pawan Gupta, Director, P.P. Jewellers by Pawan Gupta and Rohan Sharma, managing director, RK Jewellers share a list of the top six gemstones that are expected to rise in value: Pink Diamonds The pink diamond is basically a type of natural Diamond, which is known to be very exclusive. Pink diamonds are trending among celebrities these days. These diamonds due to their rareness, beauty, and value give a special sense of beauty, romance, and luxury. As a matter of fact, according to the Argyle Diamond Mine, a pink diamond can cost not 2 or 3 but 20 times the price of a similar white diamond!

As per the British new service The Telegraph, pink diamonds were the number one investment opportunity for the year 2020. In the past 10 years, prices have seen a steady rise, and as per the experts, it will only continue to rise. Pink diamonds have also been considered as one of the world's safest investments by analysts at The Telegraph, since 2014.

Ruby Ruby or Manik is a natural gemstone that has a deep pink or blood-red colour appearance. It is known as a precious gemstone from the Corundum family. Coloured rubies are also considered to be a safe choice in gemstone investments. As a matter of fact, from the collector's point of view, coloured rubies hold their value and market demand better than diamonds, especially the rare coloured rubies.

Tourmaline: Rubellites, Bicolour, Indicolite and Paraibas: Tourmaline is a natural, semi-precious, and colourful gemstone that belongs to the Cyclosilicates mineral group.

This gemstone is found in many verities in terms of colour, ranging from black, brown, red, pink, purple, yellow to green, colourless, and even bicolour.

Green Tourmaline: Green Tourmaline is used in Gem healing therapy for body detoxification and stress reduction by experts. This fact

is known to be one of the few reasons why its rise in value is definite.

Paraiba Tourmaline: This gemstone is one of the most famous ones. It is copper-containing and considered to be one of the rare tourmaline varieties (also called Cuprian Elbaite) that display a distinctive neon blue to blue-green colour with a beautiful glow.

Rubellite: Natural Rubellite gemstone is a highly valuable gem variety of Tourmaline popular for its deep reddish-pink to pinkish-purple hue. What makes Rubellite gemstone unique is its mesmerizing purplish-red hue.

Blue Tourmaline/Indicolite: Blue Tourmaline or Indicolite is a Rare and incredible, natural gemstone. It is a valuable blue-coloured gem that is a part of the Tourmaline family. It is generally used for making fashionable ornaments and birthstone jewellery.

Watermelon Tourmaline/Bi-Colored: The natural Watermelon tourmaline stone is another rare and unique addition to the Tourmaline family.

It exhibits green and pink colour with a minor white area separating the colour. It is usually known as Bi-color Tourmaline or Tri-color tourmaline in gem certificates. It is also generally customized in beautiful jewellery.

Sapphire Jacek Dylag Sapphire is a precious gemstone that also belongs to the corundum family. Sapphire gemstones are

popular for their striking blue colour, though they do appear in several other colour varieties as per the sales from some top auction houses, blue sapphire is known to be the second most popular coloured stone for investment.

The rarest sapphires are from Kashmir, but to this date, no new material has been mined in the past 100 years or more.

One of the most popular sources of sapphires is Sri Lanka, followed

by Ceylon and Madagascar. Fancy colour sapphires are also trending among celebrities these days.

Yellow, pink, and padparadscha are now also getting popular among investors.

Emerald Emerald gemstone is also rising in value in the current scenario due to an increase in demand. It is a type of mineral beryl. Some grid of these gemstones says the ones coming from the Columbian mines are generally more expensive than diamonds due to their comparative rarity. However, fancy coloured diamonds are still more expensive than emeralds of the same carat weight.

Tanzanite Tanzanite gemstones are a part of Zoisite minerals that are majorly known for their magnificent blue or violet colour. This gemstone not only looks breathtaking but is also said to bring stability to one's life by stimulating different chakras.

Pisces Pisces is controlled by Jupiter.

People born under Pisces have very strong mental as well as spiritual desires. They tend to be active all the time to reach the horizon and are generally wise people. A good yellow sapphire, i.e., pukhraj supports their material and spiritual desires and gives them a feeling of self-actualisation.

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TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Weekend Gateways in North India Backbencherboots

By Reetu Khodiya himla: Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh, one of the most famous hill stations in North India and just 6 hours away from Chandigarh. Also known as Queen of Hills, Shimla used to be the summer capital of India in the British era. That’s why we encounter several British-inspired architecture in Shimla. If it's a weekend and you are tired of working the whole week, give yourself a weekend break and pack your bags for Shimla.

Way to reach Shimla Kalka-Shimla toy train Local transport from Chandigarh every hour By car Places to visit in Shimla Christ Church Mall Road The Ridge Jakhu Temple Old Market Local food Jakhu Temple Kasol Kasol comes in Kullu district and is situated in Parvati Valley. Kasol does not need any introduction among youngsters. A hotspot during winters and new year celebrations, Kasol also acts as a base for travelling further to Grahan, Manikaran, Malana, Chalal and Katagla.

Ways to reach Kasol Reach Bhunter by public transport and catch a bus for Kasol, which is 1.5 hours away by bus.

Places to visit in Kasol Manikaran (3.5km from Kasol) Chalal (2 km from Kasol Katagla (3.5 km from Kasol) Dharamshala Dharamshala is situated in district Kangra on the western part of Himachal Pradesh. It is a place for showcasing Tibetan culture as it is the current home of the Dalai Lama.

We encounter the beauty of spirituality in the mountains here. The town is also famous as “Little Lhasa” because of large number of Tibetan settlements located here.

Ways to reach Dharamshala Roadways buses offer the best possible way to reach Dharamshala,

by Delhi or Chandigarh.

Places to visit in Dharamshala Macleodganj (8km from Dharamshala) is one of the top-visited places in Dharamshala and home of the Dalai Lama Bhagsunag Waterfall (3km from Macleodganj) Triund Trek (9km from Macleodganj) Dal Lake

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Tibentan Culture in Dharamshala

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Monestry in Macleodganj Manali Manali is located in district Kullu, which is in northern Himachal Pradesh. Quite famous among trekkers and honeymooners, Manali is open for tourists in all seasons but is most visited in winter due to snowfalls. Besides offering the peace and beauty of Himalayas, Manali has been encouraging adventure sports in recent years, like paragliding and rafting.

Ways to reach Manali Manali can be reached by flights as nearest airport is Bhunter, which is only 40km from Manali Local transport like buses Places to visit in Manali Hidimba Devi Temple Solang Valley, famous for paragliding, is approx 14 km from Manali Kullu (40km from Manali) is famous for woollen craft items and is a major rafting point Rohatang Pass (50km from Manali) Rishikeh Rishikesh is 15km for Haridwar and located in Uttrakhand. It is widely famous for adventure sports, as it is opening the gates for all sorts of adventure sports activities, from rafting to paragliding, bunjeejumping, and ropeways. If you are an adventure lover then Rishikesh must be in your travel list.

Ways to reach Rishikesh Buses are available every hour from Chandigarh The nearest airport for Rishikesh is Dehradun, which is approx 35km from Rishikesh.

Places to visit in Rishikesh Haridwar Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula Ganga Ghat Rafting Point Masoori Masoori is another famous hill station and 35km from the capital of Uttrakhand that is Dehradun. This place is in the foothills of Garhwal Himalayan Range.

Ways to reach Masoori Masoori can be reached by flights as the nearest airport is Dehradun, which is only 30km from Masoori Roadways buses are available every hour from Chandigarh Places to visit in Masoori Kempty Waterfalls (15km from Masoori) Gun Hills (2km from Masoori) The Mall Road Jharipani falls (7km from Masoori) Masoori Lake (6km from Masoori) Photographs by www. Backbencherboots.com

Kalka-Shimla toy train

Kufri in Shimla

Mall Road Shimla

Jakhu Temple

Dharamshala Market 1

Dharamshala Market 2

Dharamshala Market 3

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SPIRITUALITY & DEVOTION

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Shani: A God who is Wrongly Feared Build your inner

life, sincerely

Scoophike

By Paddy Krishnan hani is Surya’s and Chhaya’s son and Yama’s older brother.

In various Hindu writings Shani is a symbol of terror, a ruthless God who should be feared.

But is this really justified? In this note I will show that good people have no reason to fear Shani and his depiction as some who brings only misfortune is not appropriate.

Chhaya was a great devotee of Shiva and was totally dedicated to him. Many times she was very engrossed in her devotion that she failed to take care of her health.

This was also the case when Shani was in her womb. Her poor health had an impact on her unborn child.

When Shani was born, he was very weak. As Chhaya was Sharanya’s (Surya’s other wife) shadow, Shani was also dark skinned. Surya, who was radiant and strong, refused to accept that Shani could be his son and abandoned Chhaya and Shani.

Shiva explained to Surya the reason why the new born Shani was weak.

Surya was repentant and blessed Shani to be a powerful God. This is one of the reasons why, apart from Surya (the Sun God), Shani is the only Navagraha (9 key planetary forces) who has numerous temples where he is the main deity.

Shani is depicted as a lame, thin limbed person who is slow moving. He is also said to be cruel to adults. He is, therefore, called Kruralochana (the cruel-eyed), Mandu (dull and slow), Pangu (disabled), Saptarchi (seven-eyed) and Asita (dark). If a God can be called such mean names, it is not surprising that people give mean names to others.

Owing to his dark skin, black things like coal, iron, and black clothes are associated with Shani. He is also shown to be riding an iron chariot drawn by eight black horses. To emphasise the negative aspects, Shani’s mount is a crow or a vulture.

He is associated with Saturn where the Sun’s effect is negligible. But Shani has inherited Surya’s fiery

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nature and thus has the ability to influence other smaller planets.

The Puranas state that at the time of creation Shiva took on the role of the destroyer. He chose Yama and Shani as his assistants. While Yama was happy to be the God of Death, Shani fought with Shiva but was defeated and forgiven by Shiva. Shiva appointed Shani as the enforcer of Dharma in this life. The theory goes that this was to prevent people spending too much time thinking about the future or thinking about the past. Shani wants everyone to live in the present. Thus Shani became the symbol of justice, order and punishment in this life.

Shani is a strict disciplinarian but is not cruel to one who has led a pious life. Shani is pleased when people are charitable (e.g., give alms to the poor, and keeping with the black theme donating food made out of black gram, donating black cows, buffaloes to the needy). Shani can also judge people’s thoughts and hence one needs to be both pure in action and thought. Any one who receives Shani’s blessings will be live a disciplined life, be deliberate (i.e., consider all pros and cons before taking any action), and will be concerned about overall order in society. Anyone who resorts to crooked behaviour will be punished

by Shani and will have a chaotic life. Thus anyone who has not done much wrong need not worry about Shani.

There are many beliefs that Shani is inherently cruel but can also be pacified easily. Given below are some of the stories that illustrate this.

Shani was a keen devotee of

Krishna. One day, his wife came to him but Shani, who was thinking about Krishna, ignored his wife. His wife got upset and cursed him, that he will not be able to look at anyone.

It is said that anyone Shani looked at, would be ruined. Therefore, it is suggested that people should not visit any Shani temple where his eyes are open because Shani looking at you can bring misfortune.

There is a story where Shani causes Ganesha to lose his head. When Ganesha was born all the Gods, including Shani, came to visit him.

Parvati was upset that Shani did not look at her beautiful son. When Shani explained his reason, Parvati laughed and said that no curse can be more powerful than her or Shiva.

So Shani looked at Ganesha with the corner of his eye which resulted in Ganesha losing his head.

Astrologically, Shani entering Rohini is said to be bad for kings.

This is because Shani in Rohini can cause famine in the all kingdoms.

When King Dasharatha was told about his, he worshipped Shani who was pleased with Dasharatha’s prayers. It is said that Shani did not enter Rohini during the reign of King Dasharatha. Hence chanting the Dasharatha Shani stotras is considered an excellent way to pacify Shani.

Once Shani thought he was more powerful than Hanuman and challenged him to a duel. Hanuman decided to teach Shani a lesson.

Hanuman tied Shani in his tail and started to wring him. Shani could not escape Hanuman’s grip and cried for forgiveness. He also promised not to harass Hanuman’s devotees. Shani’s entire body was

bruised and Hanuman used some oil to soothe his pain. This is why Shani temples have an idol of Hanuman and Shani’s devotees offer black sesame or mustard oil to him.

In the town of Shanishingnapur, where there is a very famous of Shani, people do not lock the doors to the houses. They firmly believe that Shani will not only protect them but also punish anyone who steals from them. The crime level in Shanishingnapur is very low as people live in fear the any misdeed will be punished by Shani.

Abstractly, Shani is said to personify all forms of adversity. That is, he is not cruel but represents the cruel nature in all of us. Shani can cause sorrow and suffering but can also give divine protection. Shani captures the philosophy that most people are willing to learn hard lessons only when they are under duress. Hence some people need to have their arms twisted before they behave in a Dharmic way. Shani is called the Karma faldata (bestower of the results of Karma) in this life. Shani has the ability to ensure that the consequences of one’s bad Karma are felt in this life itself rather than carrying them forward to the next. To conclude, Shani and Yama dispense justice in this world and beyond respectively and both are closely related to Dharma and Karma.

Paddy Krishnan is a computer scientist, who got his BTech degree from IIT-Kanpur and PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Being very interested in Hindu philosophy, he maintains a blog at www. goldcoasthindu.wordpress com

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By Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati f we want to increase our spiritual practice and come closer to God, we must make a sincere attempt. Causal and half-hearted attempts are not very helpful.

As we seriously pursue our practice we start to enjoy our seclusion. It implies that we build our own inner life. As we learn to go within, we will find within ourselves a perpetual fountain of peace and bliss. However like building any skill, it takes both time and effort. Be patient with your efforts and enjoy the serene hours of

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morning in meditation. That time is called, “Brahma Mahurata” generally between 3:30am to 6:00am. This is the divine time and full of “Sattwa” or purity.

Sages and saints are up and meditating while most worldly activities are at rest. Once we get used to this routine we treasure this time and experience as the most serene and blissful activity of the day. If we are doing this properly then all dimensions of our life should also improve accordingly. Why? Because meditation requires focus and concentration. Once we learn this art we become very productive. We focus on what needs to be done and are able to avoid many time wasting activities. As a result activities that took us several hours can now be done much sooner and with higher quality. For this reason meditation should be encouraged for everyone and all age groups.

Dharana or meditation is also called a gateway to liberation as with this key we unlock the mysteries of the divine that are hidden deep within us. May we all be inspired to meditate and make a sincere attempt to spiritualise our daily life. Om!

23

ART & CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

India among 19 countries Jitendra Singh to inaugurate at 13th Abu Dhabi Art Fair Science Fest at Goa U IANS

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he 13th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair will feature a diverse line-up of 49 galleries from 19 countries, including India.

More than 190 global artists presenting more than 600 artworks will headline the in-person Fair organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi).

This edition will feature 14 new galleries from Colombia, France, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

There will be new curatorial frameworks by renowned curators and new commissioned artworks.

This includes 'Kind of Blue', a

curated sector for the art fair by Simon Njami; the 'Performing Arts' Programme, curated by Rose Lejeune; and the 'Beyond: Emerging Artists' programme, curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, DCT – Abu Dhabi, said the return of the in-person Fair after being held virtually last year is a testament to the collective efforts of individuals across arts and culture sectors globally.

"Our thanks to the many distinguished guests, partners, exhibitors, curators and artists who are joining us in Abu Dhabi, a nexus of multinational talent where the next generation of emerging artistic voices are given a crucial platform

to contribute to a sustainable arts and culture ecosystem."

Dyala Nusseibeh, Director, Abu Dhabi Art, said the Fair opening with 49 galleries is exceptional.

"This reflects the thriving art community in the UAE and the support shown here in Abu Dhabi for artists and galleries during the pandemic, through our online edition last year and throughout the year. Returning galleries can't wait to reconnect with members of the public and collectors in person once again and first-time exhibitors look forward to meeting all the supporters, visitors and patrons that shape the fair each year."

The modern and contemporary gallery sector of the Fair will feature 26 galleries from 15 countries.

The Special Projects gallery sector will feature 21 galleries from 6 countries, presenting curated booths by one, two or three artists.

Abu Dhabi Art in partnership with Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia will be showcasing Passage, an immersive video and sound installation created by artist Nujoom Alghanem for the National Pavilion UAE's 2019 exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

The Fair held from November 17 to 21 at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

Jnanpith winner sends out strong message on climate crisis

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ndias highest literary award winner sent out a strong message on the impending climate catastrophe at a special ceremony here as part of the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).

Taking a swipe at the COP26 climate talks that ended the same day in Glasgow, Amitav Ghosh said on Friday that enough hasn't come out of the summit that had some of the world's top leaders attending it.

"More needs to be done at a global level with sea levels rising and aquifers drying up," he said while explaining how his latest book "The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis" was inspired

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by the people of Banda islands in Indonesia and through it how he found that the origins of contemporary climate crisis lay in 'Western colonialism's violent exploitation of human life and the natural environment.

The book, published only last month, has been called a successor to The Great Derangement where the 2018 Jnanpith winner first wrote about climate change and its impacts.

"I had to address questions (on climate change) I encountered and saw first-hand closer home," said Ghosh while talking about how he first wrote on the topic, moved by

the situation in the Sunderbans in his native West Bengal -- a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of three rivers where rising sea levels were "gobbling up islands" in front of his eyes.

"Nutmeg and Mace are endemic to the Banda islands thanks to their fertile volcanic soil. Because of the nutmeg tree, Banda became the centre of the world and the Bandanese very prosperous until the European colonialists entered, plundered and left," said the winner of Padma Shri, one of India's highest honours, and author of best-sellers such as "The Calcutta Chromosome" (1995), "The Glass Palace" (2000) and "Gun Island" (2019).

Talking about the central theme of his book, he said, it explores 'the nutmeg's curse' of how an abundance of a natural reserve (spice trees) led to the elimination of their very preservers (Bandenese).

"The planetary crisis is exactly the same. It's a resource curse. It's exactly what's happened with fossil fuel in places in Iraq and Libya in recent history," he said while explaining how the dynamics of climate change today are rooted in a centuries-old geopolitical order constructed by Western colonialism.

"The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis" has been described as a powerful work of history, essay, testimony, and polemic that traces our contemporary planetary crisis back to the discovery of the New World and the sea route to the Indian Ocean.

nion Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the seventh edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) at Panaji.

Singh said the theme of IISF, to be held from December 10 to 13, is 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsava' celebrating Creativity, Science, Technology and Innovation for a prosperous India.

This year, 12 theme-based programmes would be conducted during the mega event, the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement.

Singh said that the series of IISF is an integral part of India's long-term vision in developing and widening the spectrum of scientific temper for sustainable development and new technological innovations in India.

It also aims to build a strategy for rural India through the advancement of science and technology.

The Minister informed that IISF will provide a platform to young students, scientists and technocrats from across India for exchange of knowledge and ideas and also support flagship programmes like 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', 'Swasth Bharat Abhiyan', 'Make in India', 'Digital India', 'Namami Gange', 'Unnath Bharat Abhiyan' initiated by

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last seven years.

He said, the main aim of the festival is to bring into use the innovations by the people and develop technology that is affordable to the masses.

The IISF is a joint programme of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Vijnana Bharati, a swadeshi movement for science.

The programmes to be undertaken

during these four days will include a Science Film Festival, Science Literature Festival, Engineering Students Festival, Science Village Festival, Traditional Crafts and Artisans Festival, Guinness Book of World Records, Festival of Games and Toys, Global Indian Scientists and Technocrats Meet, Eco-Festival, New Age Technology Show, National Social Organizations and Institutions Meet, a release said.

The first IISF was held in 2015.

Pandemic on the canvas

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hirteen new paintings by renowned artist A. Ramachandran will be on display in the capital from Sunday, giving an insight into how a prolonged Covid-19 lockdown induced phenomenal experimentation in the content and style of his work.

Being organised by Vadehra Art Gallery (VAG) at two venues in the city, the solo shows will mirror Ramachandran's latest spell of creativity underlined by visual grandeur and subtle expressions that also helped him counter the melancholy around the worldwide pandemic for almost two years.

Titled 'Subaltern Nayikas & Lotus Pond', one exhibition will begin this Sunday (November 14) at Triveni Kala Sangam, while the other will start the next day at VAG's Modern Gallery in Defence Colony. The show at Shridharani Gallery of Triveni Kala Sangam will span 17 days (November 14-30). The one at VAG Gallery will start on November 15 and last till December 12.

"Both exhibitions will serve as a

sample of the master painter's extraordinary style," says VAG Director Arun Vadehra, who founded the gallery in 1987.

Of the 13 paintings, eight will be on the 'Ashta Nayikas'. However, this series by Ramachandran tends to break the exalted status the heroines (nayikas) enjoy in the ancient Natya Shastra written by Bharata Muni.

"It's not just beautiful people who fall in love," notes 86-year-old Ramachandran, about the paintings that show faces of Bhil tribal women of northwest India.

"Hence the word esubaltern'," he adds.

Art historian Rupika Chawla points out, "Black humour and irony are intrinsic to Ramachandran and to his creative programming," adding that the artist typically goes for "playful use of visual expression".

As for the eLotus Ponds', the sprawling water-bodies of Rajasthan have for long been another obsession of Kerala-born Ramachandran.

"The artist's eLotus Ponds' are

not preachy," says Siva Kumar of Santiniketan from where Ramachandran undertook advanced art studies in the early 1960s. "They invite us to engage deeply, to see, and to acknowledge."

Ramachandran, who hails from Attingal near Thiruvananthapuram, did his Masters in Malayalam literature before leaving for West Bengal in 1957 to enrol as a student at Rabindranath Tagore's famed institution, Visva-Bharati.

He has been a Delhiite since the mid 1960s, having taught at Jamia Millia Islamia. A Padma Bhushan awardee, he is also a winner of prestigious honours such as the Kalidas Samman and the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram.

Flying into the light from Hisar with 'Shadow Bird'

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t is important for her to tell her own stories, and films have always granted her a certain refuge. She says that since childhood, the art form and what it can do has always intrigued her.

While Savita Singh's directorial debut 'Sonsi' (Shadow Bird) won the National Award for Best Cinematography a few days back, and also happens to be India's entry to the Oscars in the Shorts section, she goes back to her journey from Haryana's Hisar.

The first female graduate from her village, Singh, an FTII passout in Cinematography remembers, "It has been a beautiful and long journey coming from Hisar. Though a patriarchal society, fortunately, I had the support of my progressive parents who exhorted us to keep dreaming. From growing up in a small village to seeing my debut film entered in the Academy from India is an overwhelming journey. It rekindles my faith in hard work and passion, and the fact that nothing is impossible,".

Through the film, Singh, in many ways revisits her childhood.

"It is a representation of my collective memories of growing up. I wove

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a fable of my own timeless world, a village where it never stops raining, where you won't see any human footprint except the four characters in the film."

Adding that it took her a while to believe that the film, produced by actor Vikas Singh, had won the Bangalore International Short film festival and that the win would automatically qualify it as India's entry to Oscar Shorts, she says, "All artists work for validation and it is always great to know that your film is speaking to the people."

The director who debuted with Ram Gopal Varma's 'Phoonk' as a cinematographer and went on to shoot 'Jalpari' and 'Hawaizaada' says that 'Phoonk' would always remain special as it was her first film as a DoP. "I was very young and exactly this months old in Mumbai when I got the opportunity to work with an established director like Ram Gopal Varma. As the movie was in the horror-thriller genre, it allowed me to play with light and shadow.

Fortunately, the film was well-received by the audience and did well at the box office. I absolutely love cinematography and enjoy working

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with different directors."

Talk to her about very few women cinematographers in the industry and she says that now there are more women in every department unlike a decade back.

"Seeing me behind the camera, reactions are generally mixed but things are surely changing. Initially, when I started, everyone seemed quite surprised. I remember when a setting boy started calling me 'Camera ma'am' during the shooting of the film 'Hawaizaada'. It was a matter of a few hours, everyone picked up the newly coined term."

Singh, who was also selected for the prestigious Budapest Master Class remembers those 15 days.

"We were allowed to see the latest DI, studio set ups and shot for half the day and reviewed our work during the other half. All this was supervised by a master like Vilmos Zsigmond."

She now wants to take my experience as a cinematographer and use it to tell more stories as a writer and director.

"I love weaving my own world and would continue to make more films both as a filmmaker and cinematographer," she concludes.

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LITERATURE

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Pankaj Dubey hopes to adapt his book A practical playbook on selfmanagement for young professionals 'One String Attached' into a film IANS

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ankaj Dubey is excited as he has not one but two reasons to smile as his book 'One String Attached' is getting a good response and his recent stint as director of the film 'Maratha Mandir Cinema' which is a tribute to the iconic 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge' .

'Maratha Mandir Cinema' stars Sarika and Swanand Kirkire among others. This was Pankaj's debut as a filmmaker.

About 'One String Attached' being adapted as a film in the near future, Pankaj says, "'One String Attached' is about that unrequited love in

everyone's life which leaves a vacuum somewhere. At some level, I am happy to position this as a love story of the subaltern. It's the love story of a tailor and his quest for his long lost love. I feel grateful to all my readers for the immense love they are showing. Besides, the plot has intrigued some studios and production houses who are keen to adapt this for the big screen."

Pankaj has many bestsellers to his credit. 'What A Loser !' is one among them which also will be adapted as a film soon and Pankaj himself will direct this film.

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The long march home: IFFK to be held from book on lockdown February 4-11 migration launched IANS

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232 KM: Corona Kaal Mein Ek Asambhav Safar' by author Vinod Kapri, published by Sarthak Prakashan (an imprint of Rajkamal Prakashan Samuh) was launched at India Habitat Centre.

Those in attendance included Ritesh Kumar Pandit and Rambabu Pandit, two of the seven migrant labourers from the book. Both Ritesh and Rambabu were felicitated and books were presented to them.

After the launch on Saturday evening, journalist Smita Sharma and social activist Yogita Bhayana were in conversation with Vinod Kapri, Ritesh Kumar Pandit and Rambabu Pandit.

The author followed the journey of seven migrant workers during the lockdown of 2020 who travelled on bicycles from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to Saharsa, Bihar

he signature event of Kerala -the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)'s 26th edition will be held in the state capital from February 4 to 11.

This was announced by Kerala Minister Saji Cherian here on Tuesday. The event will be held at 12 movie halls in the capital city.

The state-run Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is the organiser of the event, which by now has won huge praise not just in the state but across the world on account of the quality of the films that are being screened.

Generally this event is held in December, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it has been postponed to February 2022.

A competition section for the films from Asian, African and Latin American countries is the highlight of the festival.

The Golden Crow Pheasant Award has a cash prize of Rs 20,00,000 (nearly $28,000) for the best feature film to be shared equally between the Director and the Producer. There are many more cash prizes which would be given.

'Inactivated virus vaccine against Covid-19 was the perfect choice' IANS

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e pulled off an extraordinary feat. After the tension, the drama, the hard work, the long nights, the constant fear of illness and death, the brainstorming, the travel, the testing the fatigue, the adrenalin rush... After all this, lets pause and marvel. There is much to marvel at," writes Balram Bhargava, the Director General of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), in "Going Viral" of the race against time to develop the Covaxin vaccine against Covid-19.

With the SARS-CoV-2 virus finally isolated, cultured and better understood in March 2020 - with www.indianabroad.news

India only one of five countries to do so - "we at ICMR started thinking seriously about developing a vaccine of our own. The global and national situations were dire, it was clearly time for bold action", Bhargava, who is also a professor of cardiology at AIIMS, writes in the book, subtitled "Making of Covaxin: The Inside Story" and published by Rupa.

"Apart from hard science, vaccine development also requires manufacturing power and a whole lot of logistical manoeuvring. The average time from discovery to production for any vaccine in the past was 10 years. We were on the lookout for

industrial partners with whom we could collaborate for a vaccine. The first company to approach us was Bharat Biotech... The proposal was an exciting one as it fitted well with the Indian government's publicly stated prioritization of indigenous technology, production and capabilities in all sectors," Bhargava writes.

"We wanted Bharat Biotech to work on an inactivated vaccine. It turned out to be the perfect choice," he adds.

Inactivated vaccines, Bhargava explains, are developed by 'killing' the lab-grown, well-characterised virus by using chemicals and subsequently generating a product with a known concentration of inactivated viral particles. These destroy the pathogen's ability to replicate but keep it 'intact' so that our immune system can still recognise it and produce an immune response.

These inactivated viruses are then reproduced in large quantities and prepared for use as a vaccine.

Once the BBIL (Bharat Biotech International Limited)-ICMR-NIV (National Institute of Virology) team had developed three inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates BBV152A, BBV152B and BBV152C - it tested them on small animals like mice and rabbits.

"The goal was to see if the test animals produced neutralising anti-bodies that provided any protection when subsequently

new workplace demands that you take charge of your anchors. It challenges you to pay attention to the aspects that drive your behaviour, attitudes, perceptions, and emotions. At the same time, recognising the motives, needs, and emotions is imperative for personal leadership. This will help you hone your collaborative instincts, and in embracing diversity and engaging effectively in a professional setting.

"So, first things first, ask yourself how good you have been in leading yourself in the past. And if you think you are self-aware already, my next question to you is - how aware are you of yourself to know if you are self-aware? In simple words, are you self-aware enough, or confused, or right," asks Payal Anand, an Assistant Professor of organisational behaviour at IIM-Kozhikode in "Mastering Behaviour - Managing Self and Others".

"Leading oneself is about taking charge of your anchors. It is about personal leadership. It is the ability to define a direction for your professional and personal life and move in that direction with consistency and clarity. Leading the self indicates taking responsibility to understand what drives your behaviour, attitudes, perceptions and emotions," Anand writes.

"It is about knowing yourself what you want, your strengths and weaknesses, and how others perceive you. Note that it's okay to have negative qualities or traits that

we might not be very proud of. All of us are unique somehow, and when I say unique, I include both good and bad qualities.

"The first step towards self-awareness is knowing who you are.

Understanding your personality, the right areas and the critical ones, to a great extent, solves issues surrounding your concept of the self and knowing oneself better. Personality can be understood as relatively stable patterns of your attitudes or behaviours," Anand writes.

Based on the author's experiences and her interaction with others, "Mastering Behaviour", published under the SAGE IIM-Kozhikode Series for New Managers and edited

by IIM-Kozhikode Director Debashis Chatterjee, explores the hinterland of behavioural insights.

Applying popular psychology theories, the book helps in tackling difficult interpersonal and behavioural issues at work, such as personality clashes, stress, handling difficult interactions and workplace loneliness. With technological developments changing the way we connect, the book will provide insights to the real-world challenges of developing greater trust, engagement and collaboration within their teams and the organization.

Announcing its release, Anand says: "We all have been through difficult situations in our respective workplaces. Believe it or not, workplace encounters are more negative than positive. And most of the conflicting issues pertain to behavioural

differences and misunderstandings.

"Bosses and peers are the two most important and useful resources at work. And the book discusses issues such as personality clashes, stressors, extreme emotions, low confidence, a feeling of loneliness, the art of taking feedback from peers, etc. in great detail."

Fun and engaging, the book involves interesting illustrations, experiential activities, a collection of original emails from my students at IIM, 80+ interviews of industry professionals, and some flavour of humour. It is written for students who are about to intern or get final placements, first-time managers, employees who have just changed jobs, and managers who deal with young working professionals at both private and public sectors. Anand says.

Anand has been affiliated with IIM-Kozhikode since 2019. She has also taught at IIM-Raipur and FLAME University, Pune, at various levels. She has been awarded her PhD from IIM-Indore. Her research interest mainly includes workplace loneliness, personality traits and emotions.

Her work has been appreciated by the international journal of repute such as the International Journal of Human Resource Management and Journal of Knowledge Management. She is a recipient of the prestigious 'The Michael Poole Highly Commended Award for the year 2019'. She is a certified personal profile analysis practitioner.

challenged with the live virus...Out of the three candidates, BBV152A was the winner," Bhargava writes.

"Strict quality control ensured that nothing went wrong at any point of time. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA test kits developed by ICMR-NIV were used for preclinical studies that required detecting antibodies generated following vaccination.

"From ICMR headquarters, we kept a regular watch on the entire process.

We monitored the work and sprang into action to expedite the necessary approvals and ensure supplies of critical equipment and materials, including reagents," he adds.

Then came some Serious Monkey Business, as Bhargava subtitles the chapter titled An Indian Vaccine From Dream To Roll-Out: India does not have any laboratory-bred Rhesus macaques and a countrywide search of zoos and institutes failed to locate any. Eventually, 20 Rhesus macaques were located deep in a forest near Nagpur.

They were divided into four groups of five each. One group was administered a placebo which did not have any active substance meant to affect their health while three groups were immunised with the three different BBV152 vaccine candidates at 0 and 14 days. All the macaques were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 14 days after the second dose, the virus being delivered deep into the lungs via a bronchoscope.

"The macaques had strong immune responses to the vaccine. They were protected when they were exposed to the virus. The vaccinated primates cleared the virus well

from their lungs, nasal and throat passages within seven days of being infected. Daily bronchoscopy with lavage was taken from deep in the lungs.

"The vaccinated groups, unlike subjects in the placebo group, did not develop pneumonia. Overall, the vaccines showed remarkable immunogenicity and protective efficacy. It was a turning point for all of us at ICMR and Bharat Biotech. It was one of the best results we had encountered. The vaccinated monkeys showed excellent anti-body response with no adverse effect.

We thereafter concluded that the vaccine was both safe and effective and that with the new adjuvant it could be administered in the dose of either three or six micrograms.

"We finally had a completely indigenous vaccine, an epitome of Atmanirbhar Bharat," Bhargava writes.

Thereafter, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) granted Covaxin Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) on January 2, 2021 after two phases of human clinical trials even as the third phase was underway.

"There were critics who said we had to complete Phase III before giving the vaccine to humans before it can be given to the nation. But there is a Gazette notification of 19 March 2019, which is pre-COVID, and it said that in national interest, if a product has successfully undergone the Phase II trial, it can be deployed. In other words, emergency authorisation can be given.

And that rule was invoked by the

Drugs Controller" when approval for Covaxin was issued," Bhargava writes.

India's mass vaccination drive began on January 16, 2021.

Bhargava also laments that "as we battled one challenge after another and found ways to deal with them, and firmed our resolve to have an Indian vaccine, a tiny section of our population, the so-called experts in the media and elsewhere, began to raise doubts on our ability. It was not the first time that an Indian initiative was being ridiculed even before it had the opportunity to succeed.

But it was disgraceful that it should happen at a time when our scientists and researchers were showing a steely determination find a solution to the pandemic" and ascribes this to "the Macaulay-mindset at work".

"Today, I am filled with a sense of urgency to vaccinate India and prevent a repeat of the tragic second wave. We have to be very careful.

"Ironically, the best way forward for us is to imitate our enemy: we need to mutate and evolve in order to outsmart the virus. And that is what we are doing. When it attacks, we defend. When it hides, we find it. When it changes course, we are right there behind it. When we need to, we call in reinforcements.

"At this moment, as the world waits to see the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, the superheroes of the day are scientists: women and men who stay smarter than the virus, who change and adapt and innovate so we can all have a better shot at a better tomorrow," Bhargava concludes.

/IndianAbroadNews

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BEAUTY

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

The Advantages tend of a Derma Roller

Brides-to-be prep to your beauty needs

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s a bride-to-be, you really need to be on top of everything regarding your wedding week. While those flowers and food arrangements definitely need attending to, intimate hygiene and body also need attention.

It's best to be prepared with everything you need in the run-up to your wedding, on the auspicious day itself, and the exciting honeymoon that follows. Keep in mind the range of products from head to toe, you are at liberty to choose exactly what you need to take care of yourself in busy times. Sanfe has curated a list of products to keep in mind while organizing your bridal beauty kit.

For your underarms Lightening Serum - To reduce pigmentation, natural brightening, hydrates skin, and maintains the pH balance. Underarm depigmentation serum is the all-season friend you have been waiting for. It helps fight skin issues and gives you clearer spotless skin. Fights with bacteria that interfere with your skin's natural pH. Antiperspirant Deo Cream - Stay fresh and smell good with an Anti-Perspirant Deo Cream with a long-lasting fragrance. It helps in prevent the growth of any kind of bacteria and to naturally brighten your skin.

For your back and buttocks: Brightening Cream - Your back and buttocks need your attention. The cream nourishes and smoothens the

tough skin for an even-toned look!

Lightweight and non-sticky formula for natural suppleness. A nourishing formula with the goodness of natural ingredients helps the skin remain soft, clean, and hydrated.= Acne Clearing Lotion Crusty Skin - A Clearing Lotion reduces excess sebum production, giving a clear and even skin tone. It treats crusty skin & bumps caused by razors.

For your private areas: Intimate Lightening Serum - An Intimate Lightening Serum fades scars and evens out the skin tone of the intimate areas. The serum curbs melanin production and boosts the production of new cells for naturally brighter skin tone.

Intimate Stretch Mark Oil For Hyperpigmentation - Why hide stretch marks when you can blur them away? Fade stretch marks and hyperpigmentation on intimate areas with an Intimate Stretch Marks Oil. For your hygiene and period needs: Intimate Wash - Every part of you deserves the right treatment, a 3 in 1 formula for no itching, no odour, and no irritation, keeps the pH of the Vulva balanced and bad bacteria in check.

Menstrual Cup - Menstrual cups are a great alternative to your conventional disposable menstrual hygiene products. The cups are a healthy option for periods - easy to use and comfortable to wear. It will give you

freedom if you are always worried about leakage and changing pads frequently. With this cup, you are good to go for 10 hours. Additionally, menstrual cups are safe to wear when you are sleeping, swimming or doing any physical activity.

Rash Free Bamboo Sanitary Pads - Bamboo sanitary pads are specially designed with multi-layer absorption formula so that you need not worry about leakage. A great alternative to chemically laced pads can cause severe damage to your intimate area.

For your hair removal needs: Bikini Line Hair Removal Cream: For pain-free hair removal on dry & flaky skin try a bikini hair removal cream. It hydrates skin, increases elasticity, and reduces dryness, plus, its natural antibacterial properties protect skin from assault and aid skin's immunity. It also adds a

sumptuous smooth finish, reduces melanin production which is responsible for skin darkening and eliminates excess sebum, dirt and impurities.

After Shave & Wax Nourishing Oil - No greasy look, just polished and smooth skin! Aftershave and wax nourishing oil are made of a lightweight formulation for treating the skin post-waxing. The oil effectively removes wax residues, nourishes and moisturizes the skin, making it soft and soothing.

Face Razor For Women - Darker sides, peach fuzz, trouble with makeup not sticking or trying to search for a last-minute solution?

Get rid of all these issues with a razor - shave away unwanted tiny hair from your face - gently and precisely!

(Harry Sehrawat is the Co-Founder, Sanfe)

he power of a Derma Roller is akin to hundreds of tiny needles penetrating the surface of our skin; this could change the way your skin looks forever. The fact is, derma rollers are the answer to a huge range of skincare concerns you may have been grappling with for a while.

What is a derma roller?

A derma roller, also known as a skin needling device, is nothing but a cylindrical body with a long handle.

This cylindrical body is covered with hundreds of little needles that individually prick the surface of the skin, creating what is known as ‘micro-injuries. It is as simple as picking up the handle and rolling the body of the device over the skin.

Does it hurt?

We understand the curiosity of people about what using a derma roller feels like. And let us clear it out that despite the fact that many needles are involved, it’s a lot less painful than you’d think. That’s because the needles are so thin and short that you’ll barely feel it at all. At worst, it can feel like mild sunburn or a little discomfort.

What does it do to your skin?

After the micro-injuries are created, the skin has to work extra hard to repair the broken cells. This accelerates the production of collagen and elastin.

The physical ageing signs like fine lines and wrinkles are blurred.

It also works wonders for loose or thinning skin.

It is a good way to acquire skin rejuvenation, skin tightening and skin glow.

It is considered to be the best mechanical way for skin repair and rejuvenation without the use of chemicals or lasers.

It serves as an easy DIY option for

people who cannot go for in-clinic treatments.

It is quick, portable, easy to use and a cheap investment for good skincare.

It is a minimally invasive procedure so as long as you use the right technique in conjunction with the right serum, you’re unlikely to experience side effects.

You can even use your derma roller on your under-eye area to plump and smooth away bags, and on the lips to encourage an enviable pout.

Superficial needling can be done once in 15 days and deep needling is a must for acne scars and texture correction once a month. For better tone and texture of the skin, continuous use is recommended for at least months.

Things you need to know before using Derma Rollers Mild tenderness or redness may occur after using a derma roller which may subside within a day or two.

Using sun protection is a must after derma rolling.

Your skin might experience a bit of dryness and stretch for a few days.

Good moisturizer must be used after derma rolling.

Acquiring thorough knowledge of how to use a derma roller is a must before you try your hands on it.

It can be done at home, yet, the best and safest way is to consult a Cosmetologist or a skin expert for the best results.

Even if you have acne, you can use a derma roller. You just need to ensure you’re not rolling over active pimples, and are sterilizing the needles after every use.

(Dr. Shilpi Behl is a Medi Cosmetologist and Facial Aesthetics Specialist, Co-Owner, Avana Healthcare)

Protect your hair and skin from pollution damage W

inter has arrived, bringing with it dry, flaky skin and hair. Frizzy, lifeless, and damaged hair, as well as dry skin, cannot be blamed only on the winters. Our skin and hair are influenced by many different things, like the ultraviolet radiation from the sun or pollution, particularly pollution from cities.

One of the worst enemies of skin and hair is pollution. Established industries, car emissions, and cigarette smoking all contribute to rising pollution levels. The most harmful pollutants are particulate matter (PM), which includes PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and poisonous gases like SO2, NO2, NO, CO2 and CO2.

“The exposure to smoke, dust, toxic gas, particulate matter, nickel, lead and arsenic can lead to a condition called ‘ Sensitive Scalp Syndrome’, which happens when this particulate matter settles on the scalp and in the hair shafts” “Pollution exposure can cause chemical damage to the hair. It leads to degrading hair protein, affects the hydrophilic hair surface niche and damages the hair cuticles” “According to a recent research, “Intense exposure to the pollutants also affects the skin, reduces the stratum corneum (outer skin layer) quality, increases the dark spots,

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intensity wrinkles, fine lines and affects the normal composition of natural sebum production” “Pollution exposure, particularly PM, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and PAHs are also known to inflame the skin, increases the oxidative stress in the skin and working synergistically with harmful sun rays, these pollutants can be one of the main reasons of skin cancer” All these facts are enough to understand how dangerous and detrimental pollution is for our skin and hair. We need to take some proper precautions to protect our hair and skin from this natural enemy. Here's a list of some of the best pollution skincare and hair care suggestions for you today: Skin Care Tips Applying broad-spectrum sunscreen every day is important A broad-spectrum sunscreen with the power of antioxidants is the right option for your skin to protect it from the effects of pollutants. A broad-spectrum sunscreen gives your skin a shield against UVA, UVB, and IR rays. However, the richness of antioxidants in a sunscreen provides full protection from pollution.

This is why you don't apply sunscreen even a single day throughout the year.

Must cleanse the face after returning

the home We rinse our face in the morning for freshness, but in the evening cleansing, the face not only provides you with freshness but also a big relief from dust, grime, and pollutants. Select charcoal-based or active ingredients like vitamin C or retinol-based serums to deeply cleanse your skin from the particles of pollutants.

Never skip this step, no matter how tired you are. For healthy skin, this step is a must.

Give your skin the night skin repair therapy The other thing you need to include in your night skin care routine is a good repair face serum or cream. Retinol, vitamin C or ferulic acid-based face serums are best to repair polluted skin.

These ingredients are rich in antioxidants, which help to neutralise free radicals, reduce oxidative stress and reduce pollutant-induced skin damage.

Go for a home-based detox face pack every week There is an ultimate DIY detox face pack that you will love to apply to your face, especially if you are a chocolate or coffee lover. You'll need cocoa powder and ground coffee beans for this pack.

These two ingredients contain the

best antioxidants to cleanse the face.

Take both ingredients in an equal quantity and add coconut oil or milk to make a fine paste. Add honey if you want to, and apply it to your face. Let it dry and rinse your face with normal water. Apply a moisturiser afterwards.

Hair Care Tips Cover your hair with cloth or hat when outside Whenever outside, make sure to cover your hair with a cloth or a hat, as it will hinder the direct contact of pollutants with your hair. In the winter, this may be the best option.

Don’t forget to apply a good hair serum If you are unable to cover your hair, you must apply a hair protecting serum before going out. It forms a thin covering layer over your hair and protects it from toxic gases and other urban pollutants. The hair serum not only gives shine to the hair but also works as a protector of the hair and keeps it intact from pollution and heat.

Rinse the hair every two to three days Make sure to rinse your hair every 2 to 3 days, especially if you live in an area with high pollution levels. It will clear up all the dirt and pollutants from your scalp, and you can flaunt healthy, wavy, luscious hair.

/IndianAbroadNews

Give your hair a keratin spa or keratin mask Pollutants can also impact hair protein levels. To restore it, you should go to a keratin spa at home using a good hair mask. For this, you need 1 tablespoon of almond oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 egg yolk. Mix the ingredients and apply the paste on the overall scalp and hair. Keep it for about an hour and

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shampoo the hair.

These tips can protect you from pollution and revive your skin and hair to maintain their natural essence.

Along with these, you must add antioxidant-rich foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, onions, garlic, and turmeric to revive skin and hair from the inside.

(Mr. Rajesh Grover, Co-Founder, Derma Essentia)

26

FASHION

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Malavika Mohanan turns muse for designer Shehla Khan

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esigner Shehla Khan has been a favourite of many Bollywood divas like Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Karisma Kapoor, Tara Sutaria, Janhvi Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Now, Bollywood actress Malavika Mohanan is all set to make heads turn as she plays muse for Shehla’s latest collection - ‘Twilight Symphony - A Wedding Affair’.

Mohanan will be seen donning a bridal ensemble from Shehla’s collection. Staying true to her style, the collection is Shehla’s way of celebrating her love for sunsets and the beautiful hues of the sky at that time.

Shehla Khan says, “I have always had a love for sunsets. It's almost like the sky is celebrating the day bidding farewell to the sun, there is a certain sense of satisfaction and romance associated with it. Breaking away from the usual, we have tried to create an extraordinary edit of classic and eternally wearable looks for any and every occasion.

Talking about her muse, the designer adds, “Malvika has a beautiful face and her features are strong yet versatile. She embodies the quintessential Indian beauty yet has a striking innocence and delicacy about her body language. I was looking for a fresh yet impactful face as a muse while my collection was coming together and finally came across her on social media. She fits the mood of this collection perfectly - the beautiful yet versatile Indian bride epitomizing grace. Not only has she been wonderful to work with but also was open to experimenting with various silhouettes.

She makes the perfect muse for my collection twilight symphony” Mohanan shares, “ I have been following Shehla’s work for a while.

I love her designs especially the laces, soft colours, and the fit. I am really happy to be a part of her new campaign and I can’t wait for the images to come out.”

The collection launched on 16th November digitally.

A stylish step towards sustainability

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ow, more than ever, terms like sustainability and upcycling are in the spotlight.

Fashion brands across the world are inching towards eco-conscious practices, the latest being French fashion house Louis Vuitton that has launched its first vegan sneakers.

For the unversed, vegan fashion is simply clothes and accessories made without using and harming animals. While a total shift towards ‘veganism’ may still take a while, there are a bunch of local footwear brands that are keeping it ethical and eco-friendly. Take a look!

Neeman’s

Changing the sneaker scene in India, Neeman’s is the only shoe brand made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles. With substantiality and comfort at its core, this Hyderabadbased start-up has a wide range of options to choose from – knitted sneakers, slip-ons and flip-flops.

The brand aims to redefine the shoe industry by using only natural and renewable materials.

Paio

A beautiful mix of cruelty-free materials and Indian crafts, A Big Indian Story is an eco-conscious brand that uses the best alternatives to animal skin leather such as pinatex and cactus leather. Based out of Pune, the brand works closely with artisans from across the country.

MonkStory

hot-selling embroidered mules.

The Alternate The Alternate is a men’s fashion brand that promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle. Winner of the PETA ‘Best Vegan Shoes (Men) 2020’, the brand uses the finest quality materials finished with immaculate craftsmanship. From vegan mules, loafers and slip-ons to a luxe range of statement bags, this vegan label is worth checking out.

The Cai Store

Another pro-vegan brand for men, MonkStory is a one-stop shop offering a wide range of durable options – sneakers, lace-ups, boots, slip-ons and sandals.

Handcrafted and homegrown, this Chennai-based label stands out for its intricate detailing and exquisite styles. Apart from shoes, they also have a collection of smart bags and belts.

Marcus Taurus

Founded by Dhanraj and Aradhana Minawala, Mumbai-based The Cai Store is popular for its stylish flats and heels. The brand offers a vast range of handcrafted designs at pocket-friendly prices – everything under INR 3,500. A favourite of Bollywood celebrities and influencers, the homegrown brand also manufactures footwear for kids.

A Big Indian Story

Fashion tips for Bachelors Pexel

If you’re looking for elegant and affordable eco-conscious sandals, check out New Delhi-based label Marcus Taurus. This PETA-approved brand offers fuss-free styles – modern kolhapuris, metallic slides, printed flats, classic wedges and more. The shoes are comfortable, versatile and can be paired with just about anything.

Paio is a PETA-certified vegan brand founded in 2016 by Shweta Nimkar. The USP of the brand is the customisation it offers, where anything from the colours to the heel height can be modified. Using only fabrics and synthetic leather, Paio’s collection is perfect for the modern shoe-lover, especially their

Victoria's Secret's launches Beauty E-commerce Store In India

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our best friend is getting married, and here is your chance to party like no tomorrow. The great fat Indian wedding season necessitates the best bachelor parties, which range from lavish poolside activities to beach vacations and city crawls.

When the situation calls for it, experimenting with clothing can be enjoyable. There are a multitude of options available, including stripes, patterns, florals, and formals. We understand how difficult it can be to figure out what to dress to a bachelor party.

www.indianabroad.news

So, here are a few tips to help you choose different types of cool and quirky bachelor party looks:The Pool Party Bring a touch of cool to the party and make the most of it with a printed casual and comfortable look.

When paired with a co-ord set, a pair of simple casual mules/slides will set the tone. Leave a few buttons open, add a few extra accessories, including bracelets, rings, and sunglasses, to complete the outfit.

The Cocktail Party Your cocktail look should be elegant; a button-up collared black shirt will

suffice, add and an old-fashioned drink to help you get in the mood.

To increase your style, layer it with a jacket/blazer and trow on some dress shoes (oxford shoes add charm). A formal watch and ring go far.

House Party What could be better than showing up to a bachelor's house party in your favourite t-shirt? T-shirts are the easiest item to wear. In most circumstances, jeans in contrasting or similar colours are a good option.

They can also be worn with bomber jackets, denim jackets, or cardigans, depending on the occasion. Tees pair well with a wide range of footwear, from sneakers to leather boots and everything in between.

Style tips by Snitch, a men's fast-fashion brand

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ne of the leading intimate brand with modern, fashion-inspired collections, award-winning fine fragrances, body care, and lounge wear, has expanded its global presence by launching its first beauty e-commerce store in India. Victoria's Secret's famous fragrances, Natural Beauty Body Care, Mist Collections, accessories, and PINK beauty collections will now be available online at the brands e-commerce platform which will be officially

/IndianAbroadNews

launched.

With iconic, award-winning scents like Bombshell, Tease, and Heavenly, Victoria's Secret Beauty is America's #1 fragrance brand*. They empower everyone to discover and embrace a routine that makes them feel their best, with an ever-changing collection of beauty essentials that includes eau de parfums, mists, candles, and more. Victoria's Secret Beauty's fashion-forward accessories, from the latest handbags to the best cosmetic cases and more, add

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a touch of elegance and flair to any outfit.

The online platform will be launched exclusively in India in collaboration with franchisee retailer Major Brands (India) Pvt. Ltd. While the brand enters the market with a digital focus on the beauty business, Victoria's Secret and other major brands have confirmed plans to open lingerie stores in Mumbai in summer 2022.

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WHAT’S ON

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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WHAT’S ON

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

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29

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Karan Johar announces upcoming production with Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor Instagram

Rani Mukerji: Films portray women the way society sees them

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ajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor will soon reunite as the two have been roped in for Dharma Productions' next 'Mr And

Mrs Mahi'. This will be their second outing after the hit horror-comedy 'Roohi'.

Dharma head honcho Karan took

to his social media to announce the film through a 2D motion graphics animation video. Karan wrote on his Instagram, "One dream, chased by two hearts. Presenting #MrAndMrsMahi, directed by Sharan Sharma who is back with another heart-warming story to tell with his touch of magic! Starring Rajkummar Rao & Janhvi Kapoor, a partnership to look forward to. See you on the field aka the cinemas on 7th October, 2022."

Underlined by mellow piano notes soon enveloped by cricket commentary, the video lists the names of its two leads along with their respective characters as it approaches the crescendo.

The film which will soon go into production, will be helmed by 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' director Sharan Sharma and is slated to hit the theatres on October 7, 2022.

While Rajkummar recently tied the knot with Patralekhaa, the producer of 'Mr And Mrs Mahi', Karan Johar is currently busy directing Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani'.

Rashmika's post on 'walking through fire' wins hearts on Internet

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ctress Rashmika Mandanna's post on conquering fears is winning hearts on the Internet.

The actress, who put out a post on both Instagram and Twitter, said, "You think you can walk through fire? What is fire for you? Is it comparison? Anxiety? Failing? Being flawed? What is your fire? And do you think you can walk through it?

"Yes! Yes you can.. Anybody can.. By 1- realising that you have this fire / the obstacle and then 2- patiently day by day, trying and walking through it.. and one day you'll realise.. what was once your biggest fear isn't your fear anymore. I am saying this because this is what I've done for a few years now and this is what I am doing even today."

The actress, who has acted in several Telugu movies including the superhit 'Geetha Govindam' and 'Dear Comrade' and the Tamil film 'Sulthan', said that if her suggestion went on to help even a few, she would be happy about it.

Karan Johar, Yuvraj Singh invest in consumer tech brand Nothing Instagram

New Delhi, Nov 23: London-based consumer technology brand Nothing on Tuesday revealed the names of celebrity investors from India for its latest funding round of $50 million, which includes film producer-director Karan Johar, cricketer-turned-entrepreneur Yuvraj Singh and fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Digital content creator Ranveer

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Allabadia and music composer-singer Jasleen Royal have also come on board, Nothing said in a statement.

"The market is overdue for a new player to bring passion back to the field of consumer tech. We are excited that our new strategic and private investors from India feel the same and believe in our vision and mission," said Manu Sharma, VP and General Manager, Nothing India.

"In 2021 we successfully launched one of the most anticipated tech products of the year, Nothing ear (1) and we assure you, this is just the beginning," he added.

Nothing in October raised $50 million from strategic and private investors, and collaborated with chip-maker Qualcomm to power its upcoming products.

A brainchild of OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, Nothing launched its first product, ‘ear (1)' TWS earbuds, for Rs 5,999 in August and within two months, it shipped over 100,000 units.

The startup had said it will use the funds towards research and development in preparation for the brand's entry into new product categories as part of its ecosystem.

Nothing is a privately held company with backing from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and other private investors including Tony Fadell (Principal at Future Shape & inventor of the iPod), Casey Neistat (YouTube personality and Co-founder of Beme), Kevin Lin (Co-founder of Twitch) and Steve Huffman (Co-founder and CEO of Reddit).

Forbes India

he made her acting debut with the Bengali film 'Biyer Phool' in 1996 and entered Bollywood the same year with 'Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'. Rani Mukerji, who has been in the industry for over 25 years, has talked about how in Bollywood the definition of a "heroine" has changed over the years.

Rani, who has always wooed the audiences with her power-packed performances, says actresses have always been showcased in a "dynamic" way and that films "portray women in the way the society sees them".

Talking to IANS about it, Rani, who has impressed the audience and critics alike with her impactful skills in movies such as 'Hey Ram', 'Saathiya', 'Black', 'Mardaani' and 'Hichki' among many others, said: "For me, a heroine has always been a quintessential Hindi film heroine.

I don't think anything has changed."

"If you see the graph of film actresses from the '40s or from '50s, you will see that Indian women were always portrayed in a very dynamic way...barring a few because every time your film has to reflect society as such. So, if you seen the growth in India...you have seen the growth in the films as well in all characters and stories."

Rani added: "Things have changed with the times so I think films portray women in the way that the society sees them, the way they are right now and with each passing year that's what has happened and shown in films."

Having been in the industry for over two decades, Rani does not "feel" it.

"When somebody says 25 years I say 'oh really!' because for me it just doesn't feel like it is 25 years.

Time has really flown I feel. I still remember my first day on my first film, I still remember my 'Ghulam' days, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'..."

She added: "So, it's really crazy that

somebody says 25 years...I say 'don't say na 25 years' it's making me feel like I am here forever'."

Rani, who is married to the head honcho of Yash Raj Films Aditya Chopra and has a daughter named Adira, has reprised her role of Babli/ Vimmy in the latest release 'Bunty Aur Babli 2'.

Is their any pressure to up her own game every time she comes on screen?

Pat came the reply: "Absolutely".

That's the fun of it, feels Rani.

"That's the fun I feel for my craft you see because when I kind of work in a film that challenges me as an artiste that is what drives me. That is what makes me kind of excited about going back on set and trying to deliver something I don't think I will be able to do it unless or until I reach the set. So, there is always that excitement you know."

Taha Shah Badussha's notes on his latest track 'Ekk Vari'

Mumbai, Nov 29: Taha Shah Badussha speaks about his latest track 'Ekk Vari' that released on Monday. The song stars him along with actress Daisy Shah. The actor says it brings out a love story.

Taha says: "'Ekk Vari' is a love story told through a song that has light-hearted and serious moments.

Punjabi pop is the global flavour of the year and I hope Ekk Vari catches on and stands out for its message of fighting for love. I thank the listeners for their love and support."

Daisy shares on being part of the music video, saying: "I loved 'Ekk Vari' the first time I heard it.

It makes me very happy to have starred in a song that's all about love.

I'm excited that the song is out."

The song is choreographed and directed by Adil Shaikh, written by Sanjeev Chaturvedi and sung by Shahzan Mujeeb. 'Ekk Vari' is out now on Panorama Music's YouTube channel.

IANS

Kartik Aaryan ups the cool quotient with his whacky shirt

/IndianAbroadNews

Instagram

F

resh from the success of his action thriller 'Dhamaka', Kartik Aaryan seems to be taking some time off from his busy schedule as he recently shared a video of him in an uber cool shirt that will turn heads of the fashion police.

The actor took to his social media and posted a video of him in a printed and whack shirt. He captioned the video, "Go Wild for a While."

Kartik rounded up his look with a light beard and messy hair as he smirked off while showcasing his colorful, vibrant and whacky vibe.

On the work front, Kartik has a slew of projects on his plate with Rohit Dhawan's 'Shehzada' being his focal point. The actor is working on the sets which has been put under tight security to avoid any unplanned reveal from the sets before time.

In addition, the actor has a long list of projects lined up which includes titles like 'Captain India', 'Freddy', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', 'Shehzada' and Sajid Nadiadwala's untitled next.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 20 Dec 1 -15, 2021

Ridhi Dogra on her character in SRK's daughter Suhana hints being Bollywood debut 'Lakadbaggha' heartbroken on leaving New York Instagram

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fter entertaining audiences with her performances on TV and OTT, Ridhi Dogra is all set to make her foray into Bollywood with 'Lakadbaggha'

Kasthuri questions timing of TN govt order on making vax mandatory for movie-goers

where she will be seen alongside Anshuman Jha. For the actress, who was also seen in crime thriller web series 'Asur', a character has to have something

that allows it to stick with in audience's subconscious.

Ridhi explains her process of signing a character, as she says, "I am very careful about the projects I choose. It cannot be a run of the mill character for me. The character has to add value, take the story forward and carve a niche for herself."

Talking about her character in her Bollywood debut 'Lakadbaggha', she says, "'Lakadbaggha' is exactly that. I play a Catholic Bengali cop, a crime branch officer who finds herself in the centre of animal trade industry."

Finally, she reveals what drew her to this character, "A woman in a man's world, my character is not intimidated, rather she is in control.

That's what drew me to the role.

There are a lot of action sequences for which I have begun training as well."

Written by Alok Sharma and directed by Victor Mukherjee, the film is said to be based on the universal theme of 'Good vs Evil' where the plotline of the illegal animal trade industry contributes to a huge chunk of the narrative, as the film is expected to go on the floors this month.

Akshay Kumar, Sara Ali Khan-starrer 'Atrangi Re' trailer out IANS

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ctress Kasthuri Shankar has questioned the timing of the Tamil Nadu government's decision, making vaccination a must for those visiting public places including cinema halls in the state.

The actress, who is known for being vocal about issues, took to her Facebook page to pen her thoughts on the recent government order.

She wrote, "The government has announced full Covid vaccination requirement for theater admission.

Good initiative. Puzzling timing."

"They have announced it in time for the release of the biggie 'Maanadu', starring STR (Simbu). Interesting timing, considering that they had a much bigger opportunity just two weeks ago. They could have spread the message much more and much better during Diwali time for the superstar Rajini-starrer, Sun Pictures's 'Annaathe' release.

How strange no, that they missed that golden opportunity? Especially if you take into account what the grapevine is whispering.

"Unconfirmed sources say that 'Maanadu' itself was supposedly stopped from releasing on Diwali to make way for 'Annaathe'. Let us remember that 50 per cent seating restriction in cinema halls was removed just before 'Annaathe' release. In the same manner, one wonders if these new restrictions will be eased out just in time for 'Beast' release?

"Also, if vaccination is made compulsory for all TASMAC patrons, party meetings, election campaigns, public transport and government servants, then we can certainly laud this government's commitment to combating the pandemic.

"I understand it is not practical for schools, markets and public transport, but for government stores selling rations or liquor, it is very much possible, enforceable and trackable.

"In several countries, including Australia, Singapore, UK, Germany etc, proof of Covid vaccination is mandatory requirement for admission to cinemas, concerts, places of worship, pubs, amusement parks etc. So in theory, the vaccine mandate is a much-needed and welcome move by the TN government. The question is, is the law same for all?" she asked.

www.indianabroad.news

T

he trailer of the upcoming Aanand L. Rai directorial 'Atrangi Re' was released on Wednesday. The film, starring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara

Ali Khan, will release on December 24.

The film is produced by T-Series, Colour Yellow Productions, and Cape of Good Films.

Talking on the occasion, producer Bhushan Kumar said, "The world of 'Atrangi Re' is 'Atrangi' indeed! The film promises to bring magic to your screens and make you believe in the power of love. The motion posters have received a phenomenal response yesterday and we are excited to show you the 'Atrangi Re' trailer!"

Adding to that, Aanand said, "I strongly believe that you don't find love, it finds you. The only thing you should learn is to be a little patient.

'Atrangi Re' is all about love, patience and madness."

The film, also featuring Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Dimple Hayathi, releases on Disney+ Hotstar.

Shahid Kapoor wears 'Jersey' with pride, calls it his best film so far

S

Instagram

uhana Khan, daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has hinted that she is all set to leave New York, where she was studying filmmaking at the New York University, and is heart broken with the move.

Suhana shared a post on Instagram hinting that she is all set to leave the big apple. She shared a monochrome picture of a building and a moving truck, which had "Don't worry. Even if you leave New York, you will always be a New Yorker," written on it.

To caption it, Suhana dropped a broken heart emoji.

A slew of Suhana's friends shared messages on her comment section.

One wrote: "New York already misses you."

"You're going to do amazing things," said another.

A friend simply wished her good luck.

'Aarya 2' trailer: Sushmita Sen gets fierce in second season

S

IANS

ushmita Sen-starrer 'Aarya' is returning with its second season as the makers of the series have released the trailer and by the looks of it, this time it's going to have even more nerve-wracking thrill, more intense undertones of crime and higher stakes.

The trailer is laced with surprising twists and showcases Sushmita in a ferocious avatar willing to go all out for her family as she fights back with all her might.

Shedding light on her character in the second season, Sushmita said, "After being nominated for the previous season for the International Emmy Awards, we are supercharged for the second season.

Season 2 is not just about Aarya, a strong woman but also a warrior.

The new chapter is a fascinating revelation of the character and has proved to be a huge learning for me as an actor. I challenged myself by donning Aarya in a new avatar and I hope that the audiences will appreciate her fierce, unapologetic self in the second season."

Tying together the key themes, creator and director of the show, Ram Madhvani said, "We are excited to present the trailer of 'Aarya 2'.

Aarya, as a character, symbolises strength and vulnerability. She has to face her past so that she can save

her family to protect her future. In the second season, the audiences encounter Aarya in a new light."

Explaining the character arc of the titular character, the director adds, "While in the first season, we saw her take the moral stand on the incidents around her life, this time we will see her emerge with a survival instinct like never before. We are grateful that Disney+ Hotstar and Endemol Shine have given the express creative liberty to reimagine the journey of Aarya in Season 2."

The second season of 'Aarya' portrays the journey of an unwilling outlaw and a mother battling the

world of crime and the enemies, who are in hot pursuit of her family and children. The new season also stars Sikandar Kher, Vikas Kumar, Mayo Sarao, Ankur Bhatia, Akash Khurana and Dilnaz Irani, among others.

Conceptualised and created for India by Ram Madhvani, the series is an official adaption of the hit Dutch series 'Penoza' by NL Film (Banijay Group) and is produced

by Endemol Shine India and Ram Madhvani Films. Season 2 of the crime thriller will be available exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar from December 10.

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fter the blockbuster 'Kabir Singh', Shahid Kapoor is back with yet another entertainer, this time a cricket drama titled 'Jersey'. The trailer of the film was recently unveiled by the makers and it bowled over the audience.

While the audience is eagerly waiting to witness the sports drama on the silver screen, Shahid revealed something about his experience of working in the film, which makes it worth the wait.

The actor said, "'Jersey' is a strong story with a new, original and fresh character. You could also say, I tried my best not to do this film. Credit to Gowtam for working with me and waiting for me. I'm so happy I did this movie. I can safely say this is

Telephone* (____) ________________ E-Mail address ___________________________ my best film yet (sic)."

Hailing the team for its perseverance, Shahid added, "I want to thank Allu Arvind sir and Dil Raju for having the heart and being the producers that they are. I must say they are lovers of cinema in the true sense. They wanted to share the story the way we had conceived it.

I am happy that the film is coming out on the big screen, the way it was supposed to. It was the most collaborative and understanding team I have worked with in a long time", he added.

Presented by Allu Aravind, produced

by Aman Gill and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, 'Jersey' also stars Mrunal Thakur and is slated to release on December 31.

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