WHAT'SON

FUNDRAISER

Chris Vlnmlnl Charity: Fundralslng fora purpose,Sat25 March 6pm9 30pm

Come alongtothisfundraising event for needy children at Hills Sports High School, 56 Best Rd, Seven Hills

Donate$10 for entry Kids under 10 free Contact: Rajesh 0403 509 455 orChristian Herft 0407 890 223.

Swachh Bharat

Help providefinancial supportfor Swachh Bharat mission through the Sulabh Social Service Organisation. The ongoingcampaign invites all persons of Indian origin togenerously donateforSwachh Bharat Donations can be made toSulabh through Western Union Bank details are below In favourof: Sulabh lntemational Centre ForAction Sociology (SICAS)

Account No: 63012660749

IFSC Code: SBIN0030262

MICR: 110002347

Name ofthe Bank: State Bank of India,

Branch Name: C 28 Community Centre, Janakpuri, New Delhi-58 Contact: bharatramvasudevan@gmail. com

National Blood Donation Drive by Sathya Sal International Organisation

SathyaSai International Organisation ofAustralia & PNG is again having a blood donation dnve and is encouragmg all ofitsmemberswho are able to contribute in thiswonderful and much needed service. Giving blood is giving life What betterwayto 'Love all; Serve all' and honourSathya

Sai Baba Contact: Mayavan 0404 059 093

COMMUNITY

Blacktown Women's and Girls' Health Centre Multicultural Food and Health Festival, Mon 27 March, 10am-3pm

All are welcometojoin this celebration of cultural diversity. Aswell as deliciousfood, there will be speakers talking about health, information stalls, free activitiesfor children and much more. Held atSeven Hills Community Hall, 5 Artillery Crescent, Seven Hills. Bookings essential. Contact Karen 9831 2070 or info@ womensandgirls.org.au

Haathl InTheRoom launch,Sat 1

Aprll, 2 30pm-4 30pm

Listen toguestspeakers,startthe conversation and eliminatethestigma associatedwith mental illness in theSouth Asian community Cost is $15 perperson and proceedswill be donated to BeyondBlue Guest speakers include Natasha Herbert, Clinical Psychologist, and Monica Das

BeyondBluespeaker Held at Curry LoversRestaurant, Unit 40-74, Rawson Street, Epping Contact: Sue: 0417 210 268 or Megha 0449 805 344

ARTS

An Odlssl DanceWorkshop, Mon 3 April, 3pm-4pm

Indian Culture Centre, Consulate General of India, Sydney and Madhuram Academyof Performing Arts presentsthisfree workshop by Pravata Kumar Swain. Held at Indian Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265

Castlereagh Street, Sydney Limited Seats. RSVP at icc2.sydney mea.gov in

MISC

FreeHSCWorkshops with Achievers Academy, 25 March; 1, 8, 15, 22 April

AchieversAcademy are holdingfree workshops everySaturday in the hopes of aidingstudents in maximisingtheir ATAR ranking. Held at Skycity, 20A Lexington Dr, Bella Vista, topics ofthe workshopswill vary every week. On 25 March, HSC Markers and teachers are goingto conductthe workshop with UTheSecret of HSC Writing Essays" as the maintopic. They will also discuss AOS Discovery and othermodules. Seats are limited so parents and students are encouragedto reach outvia www achieversacademy.com. au/hscworkshops or phone 02 8882 9327forbooking

Shaktl ManagementCommittee

Member Volunteers

Shakti Migrant and Refugee Women's Support Group NSW isseeking people experienced in finance, fundraisingand leadershiptojoin their management committee As a Committee Member you will have the capacity toset aside 6-15 hours a month to attend meetings and committees, and supportvarious activities.Visit: shaktiaustralia org.au To apply, email: sydney@ shaktiaustralia.org.au.

Hindi Classes Saturdays2.30pm4.30pm

Located atthe Indian Cultural Centre, Level 1, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Hindi classes are $5 per one hour class or $40 forten classes. Registration is essential as there is a maximum of 20 people perclass. Paid parking is available in the vicinity. To register email hindi@ indianconsulatesydney org orcontact 9223 2702.

SPIRITUAL

Devi Jagran, Sat 1Aprll 7pm10 45pm

Devoteeswho wish to participate in Navratri Devi Bhajansshould join the community atShri Shiva Mandir, 201 Eagleview Road, Minto There will be Devi Bhoj, Sankalp/Pooja by the sponsors, Devi Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad Contact: Jagdish Chawla, 0421376 384 orSneh Gupta, 0418 415 739

Chlnmaya Mission Free Public

Talks: "Yogasofthe Geeta" Mon3 April-Fri 7 Aprll, 7 30pm9pm "Yogasofthe Geeta"with H H Swami Swaroopanandajl (Global Head of Chinmaya Mission) held at 38 Carrington Rd, Castle Hill. A children's program will complement the main talks conducted bySwami Shrikaranandaji (ResidentAcharya of Chinmaya Mission Australia) Contact: Chinmaya Sannidhi 02 8850 7400, 0416 482 149

Amma Satsang, 6 30pm-9 30pm 3"' Saturdayeach month

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma, also known asthe huggingsaint. is cherished as a humanitarian and spiritual teacher Mata

Amritanandamayi CentreSydney hosts a monthly program to engage in spiritual practices such as meditation, aswell as toconductcommunityoriented service projects Held at Uniting Church Hall. 11 Carrington Ave, Strathfield Suggested donation is $20 forashram fundraising

Contact: Mohan 0418 462 687 or visit ammaaustralia org au

Yoga:Theway of llfe Saturdays

8am; Wednesdays 7pm

A retreat forbody mind and soul join weeklyyoga sessionsat Glenwood PublicSchool (Saturdays) or Moorebank Community Centre (Wednesdays) To secure a spot, contact: Meera 0433 125 708. or Ankita 0431 750 991

Shanti Mission Satsang Sundays

9 30am

Held atthe Shanti MissionAbode of PeaceAshram (1hour north of Sydney), 45 Kings Road, Cooranbong and also in Sydney atthe Henley Community Centre, 2 Crown Street, Henley Visit: wwwshantimission org Contact 4977 3300

FirePooja

Devotees are invited to attend Vedic fire pooja held at theShanti Mission Abode of Peace Ashram (1 hour north ofSydney), 45 Kings Road, Cooranbong

Durga Fire Pooja: Mon, Wed Thur,Sat &Sun evenings 6 30pm (time changesto 5.30pm when daylight savings ends)

Dhanvantre Healing Fire Pooja: Mondays & Wednesdays, 9am

Sri Maha Narayani Yagam: Every New and Full moon Shanti Mission also holdsspecial poojasforfeast days. Devotees maysponsorpoojas Visit: www shantimission org Contact: 4977 3300

Sri Hanuman Pooja, Tuesdays

7 30pm-8pm

Devotees whowish toseek the blessings ofShri Hanuman should join the community atShri Shiva Mandir, 201 Eagleview Road, Minto, on Tuesday eveningsforthe reciting of Hanuman Chalisa, reciting Hanuman Kasht Nivaran Hanuman Aarti and Prasad Contact: Jagdish Chawla, 0421 376 384 or PriestArul Muthulkumar. 9820 1094

Spiritoflndla Yoga, Saturdaysand Sundays

Yoga classes are held in Ryde, Wentworthville, Quakers Hill and Epping. All levels incl. beginners, senior citizens, children's To enrol in this 15week course e-mail spiritofindia2002@yahoo com, visit wwwspiritofndia.org or contactSuresh 0412 202 182

Volunteersneededtoteach

Vedic/Hindu Dhanna Inschools

Indian children livingin Australia need to study theirheritage in an instructive and deliberateway Vishva Hindu Parishad ofAustralia has taken up the task ofteachingVedic/ Hindu Dharma heritage teaching in mainstream schoolsas partofSpecial Religious Education We are lookingfor moreyouths, seniors, young parents, grandparentsto come forward to volunteer Contact: Akila, 0450 117 372 orvisit: vhp org au

Sant Nlrankarl Mission Sydney, Sundays 5 30- 730pm

Congregation helps usstrengthen our devotion Weekly congregations held everySunday atSant Nirankari Bhawan 166 GlendenningRoad Glendenningfollowed by community meals Contact: Devinder 0403 216 084

Heartfullness Relaxation and Meditation

Saturdays 4 30pm-5.30 pm; Sundays 11 30am-12 30pm

All arewelcometoexperience

Heartfullness.Therearenofeestojoin thegroup atSeva Yoga Studio, 3c/8, CowperSt Parramatta Contact: 02 80046547 orsydney@heartfulness org

Srlmad Bhagavad Gita classes, everysecond Saturday

Learn the proper chantingofeach shloka and itsmeaning in English Students also leam Sanskrit asthey progress and no prior knowledge ofSanskrit is required Participate eitherthrough physical attendance at 20 Station St, Pymble oronline attendancethrough ZOOM: zoom us/j/6140211522 Contact: Babu 0402 115 223 or devbab@gmail.com

SVTClasses-Vedic Chanting, Sundays 10am

The classestake place in Sri Venkateswara Temple, Temple Rd, Helensburgh This course will cover pronunciation and then practise with Sanskrit before movingtoVedic chanting To registerand attend, email enquiry@svtsydney.org

Hindi Dada Bhagwan Satsang, Every second Sunday 5pm -8pm Held atWentworth Community Centre Hindi SatsangTime: 5 00pm-6 30pm

Aarti Time: 6.30pm-700pm Preeti Bhojan Time: 700pm-8.00pm Kids

Gujarati Language Classes: 5 00pm6 00pm Thevenue is Kurajong Room underneath Redgum Function Centre Contact 0421 127947 forfurther information

VHPAustraliaclasses,Sundays

A local InitiativeofVHPAustralia, SydneyVeda Patasala (SVP) holds weekly classes includingvedic chanting, advanced veda classes and Sanskrit language program Bala Samskar Kendra (BSK) holdsweekly Sanskrit language lessons aswell as a culture and heritage program at various publicschools Contact: R Subramanian 0425284 501

For

Hopingto implementGST fromJuly1:Jaitley

FinanceMinisterAnmJaitlerbassaidtliar chegovernmentishopingtoimplementd1e GoodsandServicesTax(GST)byJuly I aftertheenablingBillsgetParliament'snod inchecurrentbudget�ession.

"GSTisthebiggestreforminIndia. Hopefullr,GSTwillbeimplementedby July I.GSTBillswill hopefullybecleared inParliament,"JaitleysaidinIewDelhiat the23rdC<)nfcrcnceofAuJicorsGeneral ofCommonwealth1 acionshostedb)'rhc Comptrollerand AuditorGeneral(CAG) ofIndia.

Jaicleysaidmat1ndia'sindirecttaxation regime,whichiscurrentlythemostcomplex incl1cworld,willtran�forminroasimplified onewiththeimplementationofGST.

"Wehavethemostcomplicatedindirect taxsrtems.Onceimplemented,whacis currentlythemostcomplic:ttcdsystemin theworldwillbecomethesimplestin1hc world.Theenablinglawsarebeforethe Parliament.Bymiddleofmeyear(2017), wehoperosectheimplementationof CST,"hesaid.

'·Eva!iionoftaxeswillbedifficulttmder GST.SizeofIndianeconomywillincrease," headded.

Jaicleyalsonotedcl1atIndiaisan openeconomywith90percentof meinvesanenthappeningthroughthe automaticroute.

"Opposirionroreformsisminimal. Opposirioncoprotectionismisminimal. Reformsintheforeigndirectin\'estmenr (FDl)inIndiahavebeensignilicamnndwe nrcamongthemostopeneconomicsinche world,"hesaid.

TheFinanceMinister,however,lamented tharwhilepublicu1VC$tmencand FDIwere high,prirntcsectorinvesmwnrstilllagged behind.

Kansasdeclares'Indian AmericanAppreciation Day' TheGovernorofUScit)'ofKansas declnrcd 16J\Jarchas"IndianAmerican AppreciationDay"'rohonourlnclian engineerSrinivas Kuchibhotlawhowas killedinanapparemhatecrime.

Kuchibhoda,32,waskilledandhisfriend AlokMadasaoiwasinjuredwhenAdamWI. 24

Purinron,awhitemanwhoearlierservedin theUSNavy,shotd1ema1theAustinsBar &GrillinOlarheon22February.

Purinconreponedlygot inroarowwith thevictimsandhurledracialslurs. Heyelled "Getoutofmycountry"and''terrorist" beforeshootingthem.AnAmerican,Ian Grillo1,wasinjuredin 1heattack.

"Kansaswillremaincommitredto standingwid1 rheIndiancommwiity;' KansasGovernorSam Brownbacksaid ataneveartocommemorate thelifeof Kuchibhotla.

Brownbackissuedaproclamationatthe eventtorecognise 16i\Larchasthe"lndian AmericanAppreciation Day'',reportedTbe Km1sus CitySlrtr.

"\V/ewillalwaysrejectactsofviolence andharm.W/ere.jeerhatredinallin;forms," hesaidinTopeka,thestatecapital.

·Thisisadeplorableactthathappened," Ilrownbacksaid."\Xiewill notletirdefineus asapeople."

Bothi\!adasaniand Grillotattendedthe eventtohonourJ..:uchibhmla.Duringa briefspeech,Madasaoithankedpeoplefor theirsupport.

"11meansalottoaU of usandwereally appreciateit,"hesaid.

Kuchibhotlaof Hyderabadandhis colleaguel\fadasanifrom\X'araogaldistrict inTelanganawereworkingasaviation programmemanagersatGarmin,an1''1NC.

Purintonhasbeenchargedwithfirstdegreemurderandrwocountsofattempted lirsr-degreemurder.The PB! isinvestigaring tl1eshootingasahatecrime.

Trump nominatingIndianAmericanjudgeforelevation toappealscourt

USPresidemDonaldTrumpannounced thismontl1diacheisnominatingIndianAmericanfederaljudgeJ\mulThaparfor elevationLOanappealscourt,thesecond higbesrleveloftheUSjudiciary.

Appealscourtsarejustbelowd1e SupremeCourr.Thaparwasontheshortlist ofTrump'spicksfortheSupremeCourt matwasannouncedduringlasryenr's electioncampaign

Describinghimas"thesonofIndianAmericanimmignmcs",andLhefirstfederal districtjudgeofSouthAsiandescent,

1heWhiteHousesaid thatifconfirmed by theSenate,Thaparwilljointhebench oftheSixthCircuitCounof1\ppeals, whichcovers1hcrwoimporra111staresof i\lichiganandOhio,inadditiontoJ..:cntllckr andTennessee.

Thapar,47,willbemesecondperson fromthecommunityat theappellatecoun level,joiningJudgeSriSrinivasan,whowas appoinredbythe menPresidentBarack Obamatod1epowerfulbenchthatcovers Washington.

Thapariscurrentlyafederal judgein Kenmcky,appointedbythemenPresident George\Y/.Bush in2007.

ThelikelihoodofThapar'sconfirmation bythe Republican-controlledSenateisvery strongand hehas thestmngbackingof Lhc SenateMajorityLeaderMircl1McConnell, whohasdescribedhimas"afriend."

HisfuUnameisAmulRogerTbapar. Hehasalawdegreefrom rheUnivcrsi1:y ofC11iforniaatBerkeleyandwasafederal prosecutorin Kenmckybeforehewasmade ajudge.

;\(cConneU,whodisclosedTrump'splan tonominaccThapar,saidinastarcmenr, ·'Iapplau<lthePresidentforannouncing hisintenrtonominatemyfriend.Judge AmulThapar,toserveontheSixtl1Circuit CourtofAppeals.Throughouthisalready impressivecareerofpublicservice,t\mul hasshownanincredible:intellectandan unshakabledcdicmionmLhelaw."

McConnellsaid helookedforwardto Thapar'sconfirmationbytheSenate,saying: ''Hehasearned the respect ofhi�colleagues, andIknowthathe willbringrotheSixth CircuitLhesamewisdom,fairness,andabiliry chathehasshownontheDistrictCourt.'"

SouthAsianBarAssocinrionPresident Vicl1alKumarwelcomedthenomination andcalledhima"rcspccrcclandthoughtful juristwhohaslongservedasrolemodel forcl1cSouthAsiaoandgreaterlegal community".

India ranks122ndin happinessindex Indiaranked 122nd,behindterror-riven Pakisrnnandpoorest-of-poorIepalin thegloballistofd1ehappiestcountries, according10aUnitedNarionsreporc releasedchismonth inOslo,Norway.

TheGangesandtheYamuna(seen hereatAllahabad),twoofIndia'smost iconicrivers,consideredsacredby nearlya billion Hindus inthecountry, havebeengiventhestatusofliving entitiestosavethemfromfurther harmcausedbywidespreadpollution.

Indiacamedownbrilireesloes,as lastyearitwasplacedat 118mspOl. It wasbehind themajoricyof Southi\sian Association forRegionalCooperation (SAJ\RC) nations,apartfromwar-ravaged Afghanistan,thatstooda1 141.

AmongtheeightSJ\ARCnations. Pakistanwasar80thposition,!epalstood a1 99,Bhutanat97,BangladeshatI10while SriLankawasac 120. HowC\'cr,i\!aldivcs didnotfigureintheWorldHappiness Report.

NorwartookthetopspotfromDenmark asmehappicsccountryinrheworld.

TheScandinil\'iannation,whichwas ranked fourcl1inlastyear'sreport, jumped tothetopthisyearonthebasisofseveral keycalculations,includinglevelsofcaring, freedomtoma.kcliedecisions,generosity, goodgovernance,honeSLT,healthand income.

Otherfac1orsbywhich I55countries weremeasuredintheannualWorld HappinessReportarc:inequality,life expectancy,GDPpercapita,publictrust (i.e.alackofcorruptioningovernmentand business).andsocialsupport.

Denmark,lccfand,Swi12crlandand Finlandroundourthet0pfive,whilethe CenrralAfricanRepubliccamelastinthe \\forldHappinessReport.

\X'esternEuropeandNorrhAmerica dominatedthempoft.hctable,withthe USand Brirainal 14thand I9tl1positions, rcspccd\'cly.

Syriaplaced 152 of 155countries• YemenandSoud1Sudan,whicharcfacing impendingfamine,cameinat 146and 147.

TheWorldHappinessReportwas releasedcocoincidewithdieUnircd Nations'lntcmationalDayofHappiness on,\larch20.

Digitaltransactionsrecede, threaten 'Digital India' Thevalueofdigital transactionsnationwide declinedmarginally(1.5percent) to Rs92.6 lakhcrorc(Sl.4trillion)inFelm1a.rr2017 fromRs94l:tkhcroreinIovember2016 ($1.42trillion),accordingtorepresentath-e darn(provisional)oaelectronicpayments released bytheReserveBankof India (RBI).

ThedatadonorcoveraUtransacrions acrossallbanks.Bue,cardpaymentsdarn for fourmajorbanks.mobilebanking figuresforfivebanksandprepaidpayment instruments(PPT,meaningmobilepapnent gatewayssuchasPayTM andFreeCharge) dataforeightnon-bankissuershavebeen consideredasrcprescnrntivc foranalysing trendsinpayments.

Digica.l rmnsactioos(volwne)had increased42percencfrom672million inNovember2016to958millionin December2016buthavesincedeclined20 percentovertwomonthsro763millionin Februaq2017.

Thisputsinperild1egovernment'starget roachieve25billiondigitaltransactions in2017-18,which translates10acleast t\vobilliontransactionspermood,.The Fcbruarr2017figureof763million transactionsfalls60percentshortof the momhlyrequirement.

·'Thecontinuanceofchathighgrowth withafurd1erpick-upinsomecomponems (nfdigiralpapne1m)(sic)fromNovember tojanuarr20I7wasapositivefaUoutof demonetisation. However,Lhcpaceof growth moderatedsomewhatin February 2017," che RBJ notedln its hrstassessment of demonetisation, tided"Macroeconomic impactof Demonetisation-A Preliminary Assessment".

Prime.MinisterNaremlraModi -whose n,lrrntivcofdevelopmentearned Bharatiya Janata Parry(BJP)alandslidemandatein rhereccnrUrrarPradeshassemblypollschanged tackondcmonecisation fromblack moneyandfakecurrencyiniti:tll)' codigirnl/ cashlesseconomylater.

Onlyrwopaymeorplatforms,Unified Paymentslmcrface(UP]) andAadhaar EnabledParmencsSystem(AEPS),show aconsistentciseinvalue (inRupees) and volume(number) of cransacLionsposcdemonecisacion.Allotlierform.5haveshown adecline-eitherconsistentlyorinoneor rwomonths in the four-montl1 period. While l.lP'J linksmobileapplicacionsco aperson's bank account directly, AEPSis anAadhaar-linked biometricidcncification systemused fordirectca.sh 1.ransfersw1dcr go,,crnmenrschemes.

"Digitalcannotsubstitutecash. Theshare of digital amongtransactionsmightincrease in thelongrunbuccash is affordable,"said RajeswariSengupta,economics professor, lndirnGandhiInstituteof Development Research.

"Digital uansactionsdemand aperson m buya smartphoncand spendondata, whichincur higher costpertransaction. Peoplenmurallyprefercash,where the cost isborneby the government."

Use ofonlincbankingusing the lacional ElectronicPundsTransfer EF'"f) plarform reducedconsecucivclyinJanuary andFebruary2017,while chatof lmmccliatc PaymentSyscern (IMPS)increasedin December2016andJanuary2017but declined in Fcbmary.

"The cacalrtic push &omde.monetisation hastenedmigrationtowardsdigital parmcncsin NovemberandDecember 2016.However,easeinavailabilityof cash byprogressiveremonecisationimpacted the paceofgrowthof digitalisacion inFebruarr 2017," die RBI assessmentsaid.

Dcbirandcreditcardtransactions for four majorbanks sh,,wlittledifference between November2016andFebruary 2017 •·205 millionswipestransactingRs 35,200croccinNovember2016 w212 million swipesuansaccingRs39,200crorc inFebruary2017.

"As thecashincirculationwillsettle ma lowernormal thanthepre-demonetisation lcvc.ls,digimlpayments willsettleatahigher normalandconLinue its upwardrrendas before,"Sangram Singh, head of cardsand pnymems, Axis Bank,said.

Card transactions improved to311 millionswipestransacting Rs52,000crore in December 2016,showingn50 perccm risein transactionsand48percentrisein valueu-ansactedover:imonth.

Bm che paceof additionindebitand creditcardshasnotbeenmntcheclby,in equal focusonpointofsale (PoS) terminals. " incomparison rot!ie 800millioncnrds thathavebeenissued asof now, the nun1herof PoSterminalshasnotbeen reallyadequate," R.81 Deputy Governor R. Gandhi saidinaspeechlastmonth.

High capitalandoperationalexpenses havedeterred chcexpansion of PoS infrastructure,Gandhiadded.

Cash availablewi1h people,which reduced Erom Rs 17lakhcrorcjust before demoncLisacioncothelowestpostdemonetisationlevelof Rs7.81 l:tkh crorc ($1 I8billion) on December9,2016, increasedtoRs 11.74lakhcrore($178 billion) onMarch3,2017,accordingtoROI data.

Modih:id announced theworld'sbiggest

India FashionWeekAutumn-Winter

2017, organised bythe Fashion Design Councilof India (FOCI) in New Delhi, presents a newtakeonsarees currencyswapprogrammetha1scrapped 86percent ofhighdcnominacionI..ndian currencyon November8,2016.

Thecurrentlevelof currency,virhpeople mate.hes theNovember2013levelof Rs 12 lakhcrorc($200billionatthe then prevailinge..xchangerareof Rs60perUSS).

200 mn4Gfeature phones tobesoldin India in next5 years

Nearly200million4G-enabled feature phones willbesold in Indiain the ncxr fiveyears,triggeringaslow-down forchc domcscic smanphonc market,anewrepon claimed d1is month.

"Weestimatecloseto60 million unitsof 4G-capable featurephonescould shipthis yCftrglobally fromalmostamill.ionunirs lnsryear,wit!1 lndiapocentinllycontributing toalmosthalfof that thisyear,"said theanalysLSfrommarketresearchfirm Counterpoint Researcl,. ln termsof hardwarerevenues,itisa$6 billi<mopportunitycwnulativc.ly overdie next fiveyearsin India.

''Key plarers co watch out in d1is seb,mem arc?ficromax,itel,Lava,Jio, Nokiaand so ford1,"thereportadded.

Chipset brandssuchasQualcommwith itslatestQualcomm205platform specially designed for4G LTEFeaturePhones is poisedcodrivegrowd1startingwith end of Q22017.

"More than400m.illion feature phones weresoldgloballyin2016and wesaw smartphonemarketgrowd1 slow down to 3 percent(year-on-year),portrayingthatdie easydays of smartphonegrowth arcover," die reportstated.

The smartphoncgrowth slowingdo\\'n andthe fra1ure phone dee.line slowingdown isthepolarisation of marketin termsof technolom•aswellasuserbase.

"This ismakingacase forcl1eriseof 4G capable feaiurephoneswi1h thecore value propositionbeingVoLTE callsand moverheuserscorhecostcfficicm4G networks.W/eestimate morethanhalfa billion4G capable fcanirephoneswillbe sold over the nextfive rca.rs, a'bigshorttermopponunity'forplayersin themobile industry,"theanalystspredicted.

MukeshAmbani

toP.SForbes

listof101Indianbillionaires

Indiahasthe fourrhlargestnumberof billionairesgloba.Uy,with Reliance lndustcies (R.IL)Chairman 11ukeshJ\mbani heading rhelist ofmorethan I00 highnetworth individual Indians, asperthelatestliscingby American magaidne Forbe.r.

The US.with 565. has morebillionaires than :myochernation. Chinacomesncx1 with319, while Germanyisatnumberdirce with 114.

Microsoftco-founderBill C'nitesheads cbelistforthe fourthyearin nrowwith a fortuneof$86 billion,up from$75billion lastyear.

MukeshAmbanicops thelist of Indian billionaires,and isplaced33rdwithanet worthof $23.2billion.

Forlmsaid the RILchairmansparked apricewarin the Lndian telccommarket with the launch of theJio4G phoneservice lastSeptember. His youngerbroclierAnil isranked745thwith anetworthof $2.7 billion.

The USmagazinesaidAn.iiAmbani "orchestrated themergerof hisReliance Communication's re.le.com bllsinesswith thatof rival Airccl,controlledbyi\falaysian billionaireJ\nanda Krishnan.Thecombine, whichawairsregulatoryapprovals,will be Lhecountry's fourth-largestmobilephone operator". i\lobile wallet Paytm founderVijay Shckhar. harmaisranked 1,567 with his networrhofS1.3billionandi�·'oneof the biggestbenehciarics of thegovernment's decision todemonetise86perccnr nf 1ndia's rupeesandmovetoacashless economy",Forbessaid.

ArcelorJ\fornl Chairman Lakshmil\litt:tl follows nextat the56th spotwithanet worthof S16.4 billion.

,\boutMirra!,Forbessaid:"Theworld's biggest steclma.keralsogot areprieve from importtaciffs on steelimposed by cl1eUS and Europeandaone-timeS832million savingfrom anewlabourcontracrsigned lastyearwith itsUSworkers."

OtherIndians in the listincludeWipro ChairmanJ\.7..im Prcmji (72), Adani Group founderGauram J\dani (250), Bajaj Group Chairman Rahu.l Bajaj (544),investor RakeshJhunjhunwala (939), Infosys cofounderNR Narayana l\lunhy (1,161), DaburChairman EmeritusVivekChand Burman(1,290), lnfosysco-founder Nandau lilekaui (1,290), \Xlockbardtchair H:1bil Khorakiwa.la (1,567), M:ihindragroup chief Anand i\Lahindra (1,567)and Yes Bankhead Rana Kapoor(1,795).

Only fourwomenbillionaires from India featureinLhe list,ledbySavitciJindalat 303rd with anetworthof$5.2billion.

''Afcerdeclininglasryear,the fornme of steel andpowerclan,whosematriarch SavitriJindal chairs dieOPJindalGroup, roseas steel p[icesrecovered,"Pod1�ssaid.

Smica Crishna-Godrej from the Godrcj group is ranked 814th,followed byBiocon founderKjran l\lazumdar-Shaw(973) and LeenaTc'l.vari (1,030).

Airbnblaunches'Trips' platformin India

Community-drivenhospitalitycompany J\irbnb has launched its 'Trips' platform in lndia, givingacha.neeto customers tobook specially CLIUted localexperiences.

Afterbeingannounced in LosAngeles lastyear,theservicewaslaw,cbedin 12 cities,including Detroit,London, Pacis, Nairobi,Tok1o,Seoul andSan Pmncisco.

In India, it beginswith 15 bookable local experiences. One such isaguided trip wirh fashiondesignersShancanuand!ikhil.

Brian Chesky,co-founderandCHO of theonlineplatform,said ardielaunch in New Delhi, 'Tm C.'-cited tolaunch lndiaTripsaswe've handpicked unique experiences,designedanclled br locals,to rcllect the diversit}' and variety of thecity."

Thedesignersarccrip ho�rs andwill cake participants through acreativejtmrney of style, where theywill�eeaninnovative blend of architectureancldesignexpressed diroughcoucure.

Guestswillhave acl1nnceforacandid tccc-il-recewid1 them,seeingitscvolucion fmmideationanddesigncoafirui.lshowcase on dierunwayar theduo'sIoidaworkshop. IANS

4'¥4

BY RITAM MITRA

Acthe age of 12,ayoung Maasai girl made alife-changing bargain with herfather: agreeing coundergo female genitalmutilationinremm for his promise colet her finish her education. Now 38,that girl bas since beenawarded aPhD inEducation from the University of Pittsburgh,andisthe founder and president ofthe Kakenya Centre for Excellence,aMaasai boarding school forgirls,attendance atwhich requires agreement from parentsnorto subjecttheir daughtersto female genital mutilation or forced child marriage.

More recently,that girl, Dr Kakenya lra.iya, visitedAustralia to deliver aseries of stirring speeches,.including apassionate address coa groupof privilegedguests artl1e LBW Trust's annual dinnerat ilie SydneyCricket Ground - withnone otl1er tl1antl1e cricketing great WasimAkramalso in tl1eir company.The LBW Trustprovides supportcoeconomicallydisadvant.'lged studentsin developing,cricketplaying countriesto help themcomplete their tertiaryor vocationaleducation.

For DrNta.iya, although the dinner was perhapsa less formal affair than the earlier engagementsonherAustralian tour - which includeddeliveringtl1e International Women's Day Address at ilie National PressCluband meeting wicl1 Prime Minister MalcolmTurnbull - hermessage wasnoJesspowerful.

Kakenya'sstory

As ayoung gicl, Dr Ntaiya's daywould begin at 5.inthe morning. By the time she had embarked on her 3-mile long walkto school,she wouldhave finished sweeping the house,makingbreakfast,collecting waterfromthe r.iv1;:r,andcaking care of her motherandhersiblings. Engagedcobe married at the age of 6ve, Dr Nta.iyawas acutelyaware that at some stage,shewould have to undergofemalegen.ital mutilation, a customaryprocedure priorto marriage.

At 12,irwas crunchti.me.

"I was supposedtogetmarried,andto be marriedI bad to undergo therite of passage,whimis femalegenital cutting, cobecome a woman.Ar iliat time,1knew that if 1go through th.iscut,I'mgoingto become a wife AndIdidn't want cl1ac. I had to figure out,at the age of 12,how tonegotiate myself out ofa deal chat was made manyyears ago bymyparents," recalled DrNtaiya.

Yet,evenafterconvincingher fatl1er coallow hertocompleteher educationin exchange for undergoing the procedure, Dr Ntaiya hadno idea as tothegravityof her ordeal.

Iroo.icall};andcruelly,it wasonly muchlater,inthe courseofcompleting a universityresearchtaskon female gen.ital mutilation,that Dr Nca.iya realisedthe illegality of the procedure,andits hordfie consequences: byreading about it online. It wasat th.is moment that Dr Nta.iya resolvedto ensure chatno more girlsin her village would have to go through similar suffering. Since 2008,the Kakenya Centre for Excellence hastransformed cbe livesof 230youngwomenin Kenya.

Thelighterside oflife

On the ocher side of dinner, aQ&A sessionbetween\v'asirnAkramandthe in.imitablecricket commenracor Mike CowardMf, revealed afascinating insight intoAkram's snmo.ingrise from playing tennisbaU cricketin alleyways and on rooftopsinLahore,to tormenting iliebesr batsmen aroundthe world andchanging the cricket,vorld forever.

Akrnmdidnotplaywiilia cricketball tmtilthe age of 16,andeventhenonly after being forced.into itbya neighbour.

As Cowardhimself put it,Akram'swasa chapterfromPakistanicricket'sromantic storybookof serendipitousdiscoveries.

Givenhow easyAkrammade the game look -he cook 10 wicl,etsin just his second testmarch - itwascomforting to know that he coo,had to put in more than his fair shareofhardwork, no lessevident than.in his having playedwith Type 1 diabetesfora substantial portionof hiscareer.

'"\X-'hen Igot pickedup forthePakistan team, Itold myself,'I don't want co be a onetourwonderoraone Test wonder. Because this isfun. Thisis aparty,andI wantth.ispartyto go on for 20years.'And it did,"joked Akram.

Easilytl1e most entertaining recollection of J\.kram'swasbowling co Sir Vivian Richardsduringthe third test between Pakistanandthe WestIndiesinBarbados in 1998.Acone point,a skinny,19-yearoldAkram sworeandsledgedRichards after beating him with a bouncer ortwo. Richardsrecorred,"Don't abuse me, I'll see you outside",to which Akramresponded inkind,"I'llseeyou outside". After reassurance from his six-packsporting skipper,ln1ran Khan,Akramcontinued bowling bOLmcers and dishing outabuse, e,,enmallybowling Richardsandgiving him a huge sendoff.

Unforttmately,laterthatevening, Richardsshowedupat the Pakistani dressing room - dressed innothing but a cowel,with hisbulging musclesonfull displayandbat in hand - and asked for Akram. Gaining no support from Khan this time,Akram instead fell atRichards' feet,and promised,"Viv - tl1iswill never happenagain.I'mso sorry."

Theevent '-Vas described asa huge success, andduringrhecourse ofthe dinner,LBW Trust Chairman David Vauxconfu:med diat the charity hadraisedenough moneyto provide fulltertiaryeducation schob.rsh.ipsfoteachof the 26high school graduates fromilie Kakenya Centre for Excellence. lewas agentle,but firm reminderof ilie tangible difference being madebyan .inspirationalfew.

For111oreinfimi1atio11abouttheLllWTmst,visit lbwtmst.co!ll.t/11

Level1Sutte1&2,48MacquarieS1 Porromo!to,NSW-2150 info@ouromigrotionservices.com.ou