WHAT'S ON

Festival

Republic Day, Thurs 26 Jan, 9 30am

A flag hoisting ceremony on the occasion of 68th Republic Day of India will be held at 9.30am at the premises of Consulate General of India (344 , St. Kilda Road, Melbourne All Indian nationals, persons of Indian origin and friends of India are welcome to attend Students and children are espec iall y encouraged to come and celebrate. Confirm your participation at indianrepubl ic-day eventbrite.com by Tues 24 Jan 2017

RACV Australia Day Festival, Thurs

26 Jan , 11am -4pm

A much-loved Austral ia Day event held at Kings Doma in Gardens, St Ki Ida Rd, at the conclusion of the Australia Day Parade The Festival hosts free , family friendly activities, along with a multicultural themed Food Truck Park Vi sit: australiaday.v1c.gov.au

Australia Day at Docklands, Thurs

26 Jan , 6pm-10 30pm

Harbour Esplanade will come alive with roaming artists and entertainment and a sizzling Food Truck Festival celebrating multicultural Australia. This free , family friendly celebration will conclude with spectacular fireworks to a soundtrack of favourites , ignited from the top of Etihad Stadium. Visit austral iad ay vie.gov au

Australia Day at Government

House, Thurs 26 Jan , 9 30am3.30pm

One of Victoria 's major cultural and historic assets , Government House, will be open to the public as part of Australia Day celebrations. Entry is free and visitors are invited to bring a picnic , or refreshments can be purchased from food vendors There will be live music, children ' s activities, special displays and more There wi ll be no vehicle access to Government House, so visitors are encouraged to use public transport Visit: governor vie.gov.au

Sankrantl • A Celebration of Diversity, Sat 28 Jan, 5pm -9pm

Telugu Lan guage and Culture Foundation of Australia hosts this annual event to showcase Indian culture and traditions to the multicu ltural community of Vi ctoria.

Held at Mulgrave Community Centre, 355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave, the event will stage a musical and dance performances from local groups , explaining why we cel ebrate Sankranti. There will also be a rangoli competition and kite f lying competition. Visit: facebook com/tlcfaus

ARTS

Architect Bljoy Jain at MPavllllon, daily 9am-10pm

Australia 's MPavilion is an award winning annual architecture commission and design event.

MPavilion 2016 is designed by acclaimed Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai. The temporary summer pavilion in Melbourne's historic Queen Victoria Gardens , St Kilda Rd , hosts a free four-month program of talks workshops, performances and installations Visit: mpavillon .org

Asia TOPA, tll April 2017

Asia- Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts wi ll bridge d iverse art forms i ncluding performance, visual, screen and literary arts Vital, fresh anct always unpredictable, the event offers a city.wide window into the creative imaginations fuelling the many cultures of our region. Highlights include the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing the music of AR Rahman Visit: asiatopa.com.au/

Spiritual

Shri Srlnlvasa Kalyanotsavam , Sun 29 Jan, 9am -12pm

Shri Krishn a Brundavana, Mel bourne celebrat es this grand Shri Srinivasa Kalyanam and f undraiser at Hunga r ia n Community Centre, 760 Boronia Rd , Wantirna Al l wel com e to p articipate and offer the sevas Conta ct: 0466 093166

COMMUNITY

Wyndham Grand Annual Yoga Trall 2017, Sun 15 Jan, 9am

The Wyndham yoga community event 1s back and open for registrations Register now for 8 weeks for progressive yoga at 8 of Wyndham's spectacular iconic tourist destinations for January and February Sunday momings Bring your loved ones and friends for an enjoyable and healthy active and positive kickstart to your new year Visit: newdayyoga com.au/ grand-annual-yoga-trail

Movies In Station Place, Sat 7Sat 28 Jan

Come dCM'n and enjoy a free fa m ily night out every Saturday in January at Station Place. with an outdoor movie screening musi c and children 's activities. Music, movies and food all hosted in Wernbee City Centre

Children 's activities begin at 6pm and movie begins at 7pm

Indian Young Women ' s Gro"p Fridays 12 30pm -2 30pm

The Indian Young Women ' s Group 1s organised free by Wyndham Community and Education Centre (Wyndham CEC ) every Friday afternoon at the Wyndham Park Primary School. Community Hub Room, Kookabu1ra Avenue. Werribee Contact the Wyndham Community and Education Centre 3 Princes Highway Wern bee, www.wyndhamcec.org.au or call 03 9742 4013

Let's Talk: Conversational English Saturdays, 10am-11.30am

Practice and develop your English speaking skills in a relaxed small group that has a warm and friendly atmosphere Meet every Saturday at Werribee Church of Christ, 200 Tarneit Road, Werribee This is for peopl e who want to gain confidence and practice their Engl i sh All are welcome to attend , morni ng tea ls provided and it's free Contact: 97416051 01 werribeechurchofchrist.org

Pronunciation Work.shop 1 st Sunday of the month 12pm-3pm Are you learning Englisl1 as a second language and interested in working on your pronunciation? Join Kaled • a friendly ESL (English as a Second Language ) expert wl10 wilf help you work on your English language skills for free at the Library at The Dock, Act1vit1es Room , 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade. Melbourne ESL speakers and learners of all levels are welcome.

The Gurukul Hindi Classes

Saturdays 11am-12pm

Connect1ons@Craigieburn. 59 Cra1gieburn Road Cra1gieburn VIC 3064. These weekly classes are taught by Manisha Gard and Bhupl nder Kah l on. Contact: Nannder Garg 0431123 045 or infotheguruku!@gmail com

MUSIC

The Indi an Music Collective

Melbourne

Sundays 4pm

The Indian Musi c Collective Melbourne ( IMC M) provides space for practice/ jamming in a friend ly environment for musi cians to meet and practi ce Anyone who pl ays a Hindustani classical music instrument (such as tabla, sitar, sarod , et c ) or can sing Hindustani class i ca l music at any ability/ level i s warm ly welcome at St John' s Catholic Primary School , 77 Queens Parade, Clifton Hi l l. List eners are also welcome Gold co i n t o contribute towards tea/ coffee/ snack costs Contact: Harjinder Bhogal at o ld manindia@gma i l.com

SENIORS

The Gurukul Chopaal, Tuesdays 6.30pm -7.30pm

The Gurukul Chopaal is an Austra l ian Indian senior citizens club which hosts cultural acti vities as well as laughing yoga , computer l iteracy lessons and games. Held at Connections@ Craigieburn 59 Craigieburn Road Craigieburn Detai ls Narinder Garg 0431123 045 or e-mail infothegurukul@gmail.com

SPORT

KFC BBL and Rebel WBBL

Held at Et ihad Stadium an d the MCG, don' t m iss your favourite teams as the fun and exci t ement of the KFC T20 Big Bash League and Rebel Women ' s Big Bash League returns this summer. Visit : cri cket.com au

'S ON listings

Modi asks diaspora to first develop India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the Indian diaspora to first develop India b y investing and contributing its expertise in the land of its origin.

"To me, FDI means First Develop India through Foreign Direct Investment, whose norms have been fully liberalised for onResident lndians (NRis) and Persons of lndian Origin (PIOs) and made on par with domestic firms for availing same benefits," Modi told the the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Non-Reside nt Indian Day)

Inaugurating the three- day m ega event, Modi exhorted the diaspora to participate in the government's Aagship programmes like Digital India, Make In lndi a, Start- up lndia, Swacch Bharat (Clean India) and Namami Gange (Clean Ganga) fo r the country's a.11round development.

"Diaspora can contribute to India b y sparing their time and energy on implementing our Aagship programmes and s tay connected," s aid Modi dming a 40-minuce special address in Hindi and English.

Asserting that engaging with the overseas Indian community was a priority area for him, the Prirne Jvfin isrer said the government was trying to convert 'brain drain' into 'brain gain' b y inviting the diaspora to contribute their mite in making lnclia strong and self-reliant.

" Brain drain has been considered a loss for the country as Indians went abroad seeking jobs and better life. But for me and m y government, such a movement is not a brain drain but brai n gain as they can help us in the development," noted Modi.

For young Indians seeking jobs abroad, Modi said his gm7 emment would soon launch a skill develo pment programme.

" \Ve will shortly launch a skill deve lopment programme, the Pravasi Kaushal Vi kas Yojana, targeted at Indian you th seeking overseas employment" he said.

The programme will train the job-seekers with soft skills so that they do nor fee l strangers in the country tl1ey migrate to i n terms of manners and culture. Modi also appealed to a.II persons of Indian origin living tl1e world over to convert their PIO cards into Overseas

C itizen of India (OCI) card at the earliest.

''\Ve are working on new procedures to ensure all descendants of Indians, especia.lly their fourth and h fth ge nerations living in Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and Caribbean states to become eligible for OCT cards," Modi said.

C larifying that the government does not see the colour of the passport buc the blood ties, the Prime Minister said tl1e PIO card superseded rhe individual's passport as far as his or her ties to India were concerned.

When che PIO card is seen, "we don't see the colour of the passport but tl1e blood ties", Modi said to huge applause.

Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa, lv[odi said this day marked tl1e rernrn to India of one of tl1e greatest Pravasis and chat his government's priority was co convert "brain drain" into brain gain".

''NRis and PIOs have made outstanding contributions. Among tl1em are politicians of great stature, scientists of repute, outstanding doctors, brilliant educationists, economists, journalists, musicians, engineers, bankers and did 1 mention our well known technology professional s," added J\fodi

Observing that it was special for him ro connect w itl1 the diaspora, which made India proud on the world stage, the Prime Minister said me government was doing everything possible to deepen rhe outreach with NRis and PIOs

"Overseas Indians have also made invaluable contribution to the Indian economy, including 69-b illion dollar-worth remittances tn 2016. We are strengthening processes at our embassies and con sulates to facilitate their easier travel to India," said Modi.

Asserting chat the diaspora rep resented the best of Indian culture, eilios and values, Modi said the welfare, security and safety of a.II Indians abroad was his government's top priority.

"Efforts are also being made to provide maximum facilitation and ensure least inconvenience ro even Indian citizens seeking economic oppor nmities abroad," added

Modi

Ruing tbar the twin evils - black mone y and corruption - had adversely affected me country's economy and polity over tl1e years, Modi also said the time had come ro elim inate tl1em and help the honest people live witl1 dignity and res pect.

"I am grateful to all of you for supporting us in this war against the two evils chat were weakening t he country," the Prime l'vtinister said.

The moment Modi raised the demo netisation issue, a majority of t he audience cheered and applauded, hailing his decision

"As corruption and b lack money were corrodi ng our system from within, we had to rake a strong stand and we did," Modi said.

Modi urged tl1e diaspora, especially NonResident Indians (NRls), ro avail of the six- monili extension given from Januar y 1 to surrender the banned notes at designated Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offices till J une 30.

"We have made arrangements at airports for NRis w declare on arrival the old notes they are carrying and subrnir them to the RBI in exchange for new notes or crediting them ro their bank accounts," he said

The government has also given three monms up to March 31, 20 17, to Indians staying or travelling abroad co declare if they possess old notes

Why India might not achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets

In April 2016, Piyush Goyal, the P ower and Renewable Energy Minister, reiter ated that India's solar power target - 100 GW by 2022 - was achiev ab le, but an lndiaSpend analysis shows that this expansion i s challenged by weak infrastructure and a lack of cheap fu1ancing.

To achieve its targets, India must add 130.76 GW of renewable energy over the next si.x years, an average of 21.7 G\X/ per year or, three times the capacity it added in 2016.

This target is crucial for India in achiev ing its goal to reduce g lobal warmi n g by tl1e yea r 2100, the earth's remperamre could increase by an average of 1.8 degrees Celsius, in tl1e best scenario, and four degrees Celsius.

In 2016, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the world crossed 400 parts per million, levels that w ill now last our lifetime. The

I ndia's Sania Mi rza and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands teamed up to take out the Brisbane I nternational women 's doubles t itle on 7 January, 2017, capturing the trophy with a 6 -2 6-3 victory over Ekaterina

Makarova and Elena Vesnina The win means Mattek-Sands overtakes Mirza as the No 1 -ranked women 's doubles player in the world power sector in India produces about half of all CO2 emissions in the country (805.4 millio n tonnes) , according to the power ministry's Draft National Electricity P lan 2016; coal is the most polluting of all power sources

In 2015, tl1e world, iliro ug h me Paris Agreement, agreed to Limit tl1e r ise of the earth's temperamre to under two degrees Celsius by the year 2100. As man y as 162 countries, including India, have submitted their Intended Nationa.lly Determined Contributions (INDC), documents whicl1 describe steps cmmtries ,vill take to limit global warming.

As part of i ts lNDC, India has comrnitted to source 40 per cent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources b y 2030

In Octo ber 2016, renewable energy made up 1 5 per cent of India's installed electrici ty prod uction capaci ty, up from 13.1 per cent in August 2015, according to government data.

The government's ambitious target has created awareness about ren ewable energy. Even companies that do not benefit from government subsidies for renewable energy projects said the push for such energy has made consumers more aware about its virtues.

"More people now recognise that alternative sources can p ower energy within the house ho ld without being connected to the grid," said Piyus h l\fathur, Chief Financial Officer of Simpa Energy I erworks, a company that bui ld small energy grids that power a few households or a village.

But India's renewable energy targets are "highly optimistic and nor realistic", said Vibhuti Garg, a power sector expert a t the International Insrirme for Sustainable Development, a Canada-based environmental non-profit.

India's 2022 target i s equivalent to 22 per cent of tl1e world's cw11u.lative renewable energy capacity in 2015 - 785 cw; excluding hyde l p ower projects, according to a 2016 report by the Renewable Energy Policy Nerv:ork, an international non-profit, based at tl1e U nited l ations Environment Program

Over the last quarter of 2016, the government auctioned fewer projects cl1an needed to match its renewab le energ)' goals, according to a report b y the lv[e rcom Capital Group, a US-based energy research and communications firm ln 20 15, India invested SI0.2 billion of public and private money in renewab le energy, about a quarter of tl1e annual invesm1ent needed , according to a report by Institute for Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a US-based research organisation. Government financing forms only a small part of the total investment. In 2016-17, the government budgeted $758 million (Rs 5,035.79 crore) for renewable energy.

The country needs $100 billion in asset financing for ren ewable energy over the next six years, according to report by Bloomberg l ew Energy Finance (BNEF), a

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama i nteracts with devotees during the fifth day of the Kalachakra in Bodhgaya, India, on Friday, 6 January, 2017. Buddhist devotees from across the globe, including Hollywood actor Richard Gere and his girlfriend Alejandra Silva, have gathered in th is small town to attend the 'Kalachakra ' or Wheel of Time initiations by the Dalai Lama. Phot o: AP

London-based energy c onsul tancy

"Th e biggest botcleneck we see is financing ," said Abhishek Jain, senior program lead at Council o n Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New D elhi- based res earch organisation. " If financing is achiev ed, cl1e targets are achievable," he added.

The government's 2016 Renewab le E nergy Invest Summit - which brings togecl1er fina nciers, and d evelopers of renewable energy - has been indefinitely postponed, according to a government circul ar.

The delay is because renewab le energy companies are far away from achieving their committed targets, a nd because the government is charging a high fee for the even t The delay was because me government n eeded more time to prepare for t he event, a government official \vl10 requested anonym ity told IndiaSpend.

In the government's Renewable E nergy Invest Summit in 2015, developers and manufacturers of wind and solar energy products and plants committed to nearly 240 GW o f renewab le capacity addition by 2022, but financiers committed money for only 70 GW added capacity, according co CEEW

The government might be unde restimating me total invest ment - $92 billion (Rs 6 lakh crore) - required for 175 GW of solar energy, the analysi s added, s uggesting an alternate higher investment o f $120 b illion to $147 billio n (Rs 7.22 lakh crore to R s 8.8 lakh crore)

Lenders and equity investors find it risk y to invest i n renew able energy because o f uncertainty about whether publiclyowned power distribution companies will ev enmally purchase the power generated, regulatory issues related to land acquisition and government clearances for projects, and questions about me capability of India's electricity grid to manage the extra energy generated, me report added.

"The Indian renewable industry needs to be made attractive enough to invite fonds," said Tulsi Tanti, Chairman and Managing Directo r of Pune- based Suzlon Group, a company that has 9.8 GW o f wind installations in India. "Banks and financial institutions should earmark at l east 20 per cent finance for renewable energy projects (while providing debt for a longer term of 20-25 years)," he added.

Some changes have helped me sector. For instance, the capi tal expenditure per watt of solar energy produced has fallen to R s 60.6 in 2015-16 from Rs 79 7 in 2013-14, and is further projected to fall co Rs 53 in 2016- 17, according to me BNEF report.

Still, lowering the cost of debt and equity for capital expenditure will accelerate growcl1 in solar energy, said Jai Sharda, Managing Partner at consulting firm Equirorials, e:-rplain.i.ng cl1ar solar energy is a capital- intensive industry and if the initial cost of setting up the plant is high, the cost of solar energy is pus hed up.

The oilier aspect of financing is paying for energy produced by renewab le sources. Solar energy, the backbone of India's renewab le energy targets, is, o n average, still m ore expensive t han coal-based energybetween Rs 4.5 and Rs 5.5 per kilowan hour for solar compared to between Rs 2.5 and Rs 3.5 for c oal.

Further, electricity distribution companies do not always pay for e lectricity on time, with payment delays being common in Tamil Nadu, Rajasrhan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharas htra, according to me 1vferc o m Capital report

Infrastructure for parks such as d evelopment of access roads, land acquisition for parks, and demarcation of land areas w imin solar parks, is incomplete, even after bids for projects are completed, wh ich could affect project costs and p rofitability, according co me Mercom Capital Group report.

Further, power from sources such as wind and solar is intermittent, and forecasting of energy levels is weak ''\-Ve still d o n 't know how much (electricity) capacity will be available and when," said Garg, which makes i t an unattractive venmre for power distribution companies to connect to renewab le sources.

For instance, "\ "iJhat if it rains continuously for three days?" Garg said, adding cl1at India still does not hav e reserve electricity capacity that could be used in such situations

One way out would be to store energy when excess is produced, but storage equipment for solar energy is e,xpensive.

Another challenge is w hether India's electricity grid has cl1e capaci ty to take intermittent power surges that will occur because of renewable energy. The grid should also have the capacity to carry power from regions where power is generated to the regions where power is needed

In 2012, the Indian government said ir would bui ld a Rs 38,000 crore green energy corridor t o augment existing transmission infrastructure both within and across states The rninistry said it is expected to be co mpleted by 2019.

"For a project cliat has already had its share of delays and is being touted as the cure-a U for grid issues, the renewable energy sector is sceptical i f it will get clone in time to make an impact," according to th e lvfe rcom Capital Group report

Solar power projects in India hav e a

" must- run" status, which means they should be running at aJJ times possible, given cliat there is n o fuel cost when compared to thermal power projects which use coal.

But solar plant operators were asked to ''back down" or stop producing electricity several tin1es, which is a disincentive for companies as tbey are nor paid for the lost energy during clrnt period, according to a renewable e nergy min.istry docllJDent in August 2016.

"There i s mus need for c lear regulations co enforce must- run status for solar power project (sic) ," the document added.

Indians stare at those who don ' t fit the norm : Acidattack victim

She has walked the fash ion ramp in ew York, but ain't n o m odel. Res h rna Qureshi, an acid attack survivor, feels India i s becoming " more focused on looks" and says it's a pity mat people in the country sea.re at cl1ose who don't fit the "norm"

"Walking the New York Fashion Week and the Surat fashi on s how for Archana Kocchar is proof of g lobal acceptance of different beauty standards. But I believe that, in India, it i s only a very small number of people who th.ink this \vay," Reshma told JANS in an email interview from Mumbai.

"Most people still turn and scare at anyo ne who isn't the norm be it a person on a wheelchair, someone crippled, amputated, fa t, or a survivor of acid attacks, including me," added the brave young g irl who bas become a campaigner against acid attacks.

Res hma also feels that India is becoming more focused on looks.

" Till today, whitening products are sold openly and proudly. People cherish fairer daughters a nd attempt t o wash out dark skins Girls want to stay as tbin as possi b le and boys are taking more and m o r e dangerous protein shakes," s h e said.

The teenager, who supports the ' 'i\1ake Love Not Scars" initiative, d oesn't want people co feel sorry for her sufferings. Instead, she wants them to channel meir anger towards making the world a better place to live for women.

" There i s more acceptance of acid attack v ictims abroad however, perhaps less awareness It's complex, but abroad, especiaJJy cl1e West, acid attack survivors are given rehabilita tion, emotional care, carry on to get married and lead normal lives. In countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq a person is defined b y that attack for life," Res hma said.

" People still stare a l ot and fee l sorry for me. They sh o u ldn't feel sorry for m e, they s hould feel angry with me."

Lase year, Resbm a made her voice beard when she stepped our to walk the New York Fashion Week ( YF\Xl) runway. She also made a fashionable statement along with actress Bipasha Basu by wallci ng for des igner Archana Kochhar in Surat.

R eshma's life was n ormal like any teenager till the fateful day when she suffered severe facial burns and lost an eye at the age of 17 in 2014 after being attacked wicl, sulfuric acid by several male assailants in Allahabad, a city in U tt,'lr Pradesh.

She did n't aspire to be an inspirational figure for cl1ousa.nds of women around the globe, but is n ow dedicated cowards her m ission.

She said: "I look back at m y struggle and still think over how futile all o f this is. There was n o need for m e to be attacked b y m y bromer- in-law as revenge to my sister I had noming to do with an ycl1ing I was innocent - my sister was innocent. T h e pain was unbearable, my bones were showing because m y ski n had charred off. I lost one eye \'(!b y? What was all of cl1is for?

" However, i t was the people behind m e who made me overcome depression. If I had killed m yself m y parents, brocl1ers and sister would not have survived a nd I kn ow mat. Till today, m y arrack haunts m y parents more than myself. I know I'm an insp irational figure - but I wish l wasn't. I wish i t had neve r happened to m e and never h appens to an yo n e el se."

She only hopes me Indian governm ent comes up with stringen t laws.

"There is more conversation around acid attacks and people are now being jailed more often. However, they are being released sooner Almough acid sale is banned i n some states, people s till sell it illeg al ly. There have to be random checks and stricter laws," said Reshma, who has also been supported by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan

IANS