Looking back at the last year of school

How the latest bunch of VCE graduates navigated Year 12

Anavi Chandhok

ATAR: 96.6

Subjects: Mathematical Methods CAS, Further Maths, Chemistry, English, Psychology, Accounting Awards/State Ranks: Leadership award for contributions to GWSC VicSRC and Academic Achievement in English, Psychology, Accounting and Further Mathematics. School: Glen Waverley Secondary College

Bhavi Nagar

ATAR: 90.20

Subjects: English, Italian (LOTE), Health and Human Development, Legal Studies, Psychology and a university extension subject

Awards/State Ranks: Top 10 VCE Achievers Award at school, Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement in LOTE and University Extension Studies

School: Taylors Lakes Secondary College

With your VCE now done and dusted, you’ve probably had much opportunity to look back at it all with some wisdom. What did you learn about yourself in the VCE year?

Bhavi: I would say the most significant thing I have learnt is how to cope with increasing stress and learning to balance between five or more subjects effectively without burning yourself out. Studying in small and manageable chunks was very effective for me than studying nonstop! Another thing I learnt is to not underestimate yourself and your ability to do well even if you go to a low performing school - it all comes down to individual hard work and motivation.

Anavi: Throughout the year I had certain study score expectations for each of my subjects. I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that the subjects that I had selfclaimed as my ‘bottom two subjects’ all year actually turned out to be some of my highest study scores. Through this experience I have learnt that with hard work and persistence I can achieve the goals I have set for myself, despite the bumps in the road I may face.

Manav: I learned to control my nerves and be able to prepare in advance. This included not being too stressed about the

Manav Singh

ATAR: 99.20

Subjects: Methods, Spesh, Chem, General English, Accounting, Monash Extension Study (Accounting and Finance)

School: Melbourne High School end-of-year exams and being able to stay in the moment.

What were your expectations going into the VCE year? How did reality compare?

Bhavi: Frankly speaking, my expectations were very very low. I was expecting a pretty average ATAR like around the 75-ish range so I was definitely shocked when I saw a 90.2, haha. I also only needed a 75 for the course I wanted to enter so I was really ecstatic as I can now pursue the career I am really passionate about. Guess all that overthinking and catastrophic thinking was for nothing!

Anavi: The VCE year is notoriously known for being the most taxing and hectic year for students, it is also known for having the best school based events. While the formal and muck-up day lived up to its hype, the academic side of VCE was not as difficult to endure as one may think. Sure there are weeks where you have 3 SACs consecutively and so are almost drowning in practice papers, but what many students fail to acknowledge is that these SACs are not just given out of the blue. The subject timetable is given at the start of the year and so we are given sufficient time to prepare a plan for tackling the dreaded ‘hell week’. I was also pleasantly surprised at the extent that teachers would go to provide one-on-one help (including staying back two hours after school!). VCE is definitely difficult but the reality is that so many resources are available to students that the workload truly is easy to manage, if you play your cards right.

Manav: I expected the VCE year to be extremely competitive, almost as if it was every student for themselves, seeing that the ATAR is a number concretely ranking the whole cohort. I found instead that the VCE year was one of the best years because instead of being individual we got closer as we worked together to get through the tough year and as a result it became more of a group effort, which I didn’t expect.

What was your studying technique?

Bhavi: My study differed based on the subject. For humanities/content based subjects such as Legal Studies, etc, I wrote notes and I did lots of practice questions relating to the area of study/dot point I was studying. I reviewed content every week (i.e. every Friday night I would just flick through my notes or do some questions for each of my subjects) and consistently did this throughout the year. I wasn’t productive at all at school as the environment was just so disruptive and I procrastinated a lot so studying at home was probably the most effective for me. For LOTE based subjects, it was mostly skilled based so I just exposed myself as much to the language as possible (i.e. via music, etc) while doing other subjects. Italian was probably the most fun subject for me as it was just so chill, less content heavy and mainly consisted of doing grammar practice, having convos with teacher in the language, watching Italian movies and just enjoying the language. For English, I just wrote a billion essays/plans and asked my teacher for feedback as soon as I did them. There’s no other way around it. And I also read my books/texts inside out and didn’t leave everything to the last minute. I honestly used to procrastinate and disregard English so much as I hated it with a passion and also as I was very bad at it but I still got a reasonably high score (which I am still surprised about). So, don’t neglect English, and seek advice/ help ASAP if you struggle with it or don’t have motivation for it.

Anavi: For more content heavy subjects like Psychology, English and Chemistry I created an extensive set of notes addressing each individual point in the study design. I tried to complete these notes one week prior to the SAC date. Following that I would do as many practice questions as possible while simultaneously reading and consolidating the information in my notes every night.

For more practical subjects like Methods and Further I completed the workbook questions assigned by my teachers to learn the basic knowledge first. I then further prepared by completing many practice questions from exams/past SAC’s until the SAC date.

I often found that a week was not enough to self-learn content especially if the SAC was on 3-5 chapters, hence I also listened intently in class to ensure I wasn’t missing out on any useful tips and tricks. Manav: I always made sure I was ahead of the ball - I was either reading on ahead or at least pre-reading the textbook before going to class. This way instead of learning a topic in class for the first time I was revising what I had already learnt which gave me opportunities to consolidate what I learnt through test settings like practice exams.

How did you feel at the end of your final VCE exam?

Bhavi: I was disappointed but relieved. Disappointed as I thought I had bombed and did really bad on all my five exams (last exam went a bit well though). I thought I was going to fail and that all my hard work went down the drain. But turned out this wasn’t the case fortunately! On the contrary, I also felt relieved as Year 12 was finally over (the day we all desperately wait for) and I had to no longer bear the burden of SACS, exams, tests. I remember after my last exam, I literally danced and threw all my books in the air out of sheer joy and excitement - it was like all the stress from my shoulders had lifted off!

Anavi: The final VCE exam for me was chemistry. Immediately after the exam my friends and I went to celebrate by going to Pancake Parlour. But instead of the enormous relief I had been dreaming about for weeks prior, all I felt was strangely empty. I had been so wrapped up in the whirlwind of VCE, by constantly doing practice exams and reading notes that after my last exam I was left with absolutely nothing to do! It was quite a drastic and sudden change, but nevertheless after a few days of mindless Netflix binges I finally found my grounding and truly felt the excitement at the prospects of 3 and a half months of well-deserved holidays ahead of me.

Manav: I had mixed emotions. The more obvious was relief that it was finally over. All my 13 years of schooling led to those couple of weeks and it was finally over. But on the other hand, since I was aiming to do medicine it was not over just yet for me because I still had to complete my interviews which meant I was not completely stress free.

Social media now plays a big part in the lives of many VCE students. Did you find Facebook groups such as the VCE Discussion Space helpful?

Bhavi: I actually didn’t even know about the VCE Discussion space throughout the year! I literally just joined now like 2 weeks ago. But I wish I had known about this discussion group way before my exams so I could’ve gained other students’ advice/ insight into Year 12, see how others are going/approaching SACS/exams or to simply vent out my rage and hatred we all have towards that one subject,haha (in my case, English).

Anavi: Throughout the year I had a love/ hate relationship with VCE Discussion Space. The comedic aspects of the page (especially after the GAT) were definitely entertaining, and the general posts complaining about VCE helped me realise that I was not alone in the journey. Despite the page being mostly a comedic outlet, closer to exams people started posting their high SAC grades and predicted study scores which definitely heightened the competitive atmosphere of VCE. My general advice would be to take the posts in VCE Discussion Space lightly, and use other resources like the forums on atarnotes.com for more academic discussions.

Manav: I would say that the Discussion

Space did offer some help; there were others there you could talk to and they understood what you were going through as it was happening to them as well. It also had different resources and information that I wouldn’t have had if I wasn’t on the page. However, I found the most help from the group chats that we made for our different study groups and subjects.

What extra-curricular activities or hobbies helped you maintain a balance between work and play?

Bhavi: Listening to music specially during study helped me to de-stress and gain a new perspective towards my studies/ future. I also danced to songs in front of the TV and went out for walks with my parents every now and then as a way to get out of my room and just surround myself with nature. I also drew a lot and just overall spent a lot of time with my family and friends. In order to succeed in VCE, you don’t need to sacrifice everything and study 24/7, it’s essential to take out time for yourself and do things you genuinely enjoy

Anavi: Throughout Year 12, I maintained my part-time job at KMart. While a parttime job as well as the heavy load of VCE seems daunting for many students, I found that my short shifts every week gave me a good break after countless hours of studying at my desk. Alongside the job I also continued watching some of my favourite TV shows and socialising with friends, which I believe was the essential reason I did not experience the dreaded ‘burn out’ like many other students I know.

Manav: Part of the Melbourne High School is its extensive club program where there would always be something for everyone. If not, you could just start one. One of the clubs I enjoyed particularly was photography club where we shot many of the school events which was always fun. In terms of outside of school, I played tennis consistently either with my family or friends.

What would you have done differently, overall?

Bhavi: Probably procrastinate less and scroll less through my social media. Another thing would be to ask more questions to my teachers and seek feedback whenever possible which was really hard for me as I was a quiet student. I also wished I put in more effort for English and did more practice exams instead of merely memorising/revising notes.

Anavi: While I am quite content with my academic and personal achievements during my VCE years, there are definitely some pitfalls I could have avoided throughout the year that would have made my journey to a 96.6 ATAR easier. Reading and writing notes for the first few chapters of my Psychology and Chemistry textbook in the holidays prior to the commencement of Year 12 would have been a major head-start in terms of preparation (and would have saved me hours later on while preparing for SACs). Another change I would make is repeatedly consolidating Unit-3 knowledge while learning Unit-4. This is mostly to minimise the frustration I felt towards the end of the year when I had to painstakingly relearn some mathematical concepts taught in Unit-3 methods which I had mastered in term 1 prior to the SAC and forgotten by the October holidays.

Manav: Maybe utilise the extra time I had as a result of doing the extension study, because it gave me twice the free periods that I would have had without it. I could also have considered maybe participating in more of the clubs at my school to diversify myself.

What would your advice to future final year students be?

Bhavi: My number one and most important study technique is to study SMART, not HARD. It’s a common misconception that you have to study 24/7 and sacrifice everything to achieve good grades and get a good ATAR. No! Refrain from this mindset as it can be very detrimental to your physical and mental health and wellbeing. Another tip would be to have and maintain a good and healthy mindset. Year 12 is not the end of the world. While in hindsight exams may seem like the most important thing in the world, it's not the ‘be all end all’ if you don’t achieve the ATAR/score you want. There are a whole lot of pathways available to get into your dream course/career so don’t overstress/ overthink Year 12. Take each day as it comes and you’ll be fine! Even if you get a poor SAC mark/ATAR, you gave it your best shot and honestly that’s enough as the ATAR doesn’t define you or determine your future success - it’s just a NUMBER! Another advice is to identify and focus on your weaknesses as soon as possible, don’t just mindlessly do questions on topics you are strong at (just to please yourself); challenge yourself and try those harder questions that puzzle you, that’s the only way you are going to grow and improve! Final tip is to never underestimate the power of practice exams - and the earlier and more you do, the better!

Anavi: Be kind to yourself. There were so many times in the year where I made (in hindsight) very unrealistic study timetables for the week detailing exactly how much I will get done in a day. Then when I fell behind on my study schedule I often felt horrible and frustrated with myself and my procrastination, but every single time I always managed to make it through and get a SAC score I was proud of. It is a given in VCE that at times you will feel inferior but it is important to remind yourself that you are trying your hardest and in the end you may end up surprising even yourself at how well you do!

Manav: I would say, yes, VCE can be a stressful time and at times it will be difficult. That’s why it is important to be part of study groups to get help and support whenever you need it. It is also good to know that despite how long it seems, time really does go by quickly and soon exams will just spring up and it is important to know that and be prepared for it.

Favourite quote from a teacher?

Bhavi: Don’t really know if this is a quote from a teacher but I would say ‘Practice makes perfect’. I would like to also add another quote and mantra to which I always adhered to: ‘Work smart, not hard’.

Anavi: The best is yet to come.

Describe your VCE in three words.

Bhavi: Challenging, rewarding and memorable.

Anavi: Exhausting yet rewarding

Manav: Stressful, time flies

Manan Luthra

Japan tops list of most powerful passports, India ranks 84th

Japan, for the second time in a row, has topped a global index for the world's most powerful passport in 2019, while India ranked at the 84th position.

According to the Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the access each country's travel document affords, Japan retained its top spot as the world's most travel-friendly passport due to the document's access to 191 countries with a prior visa.

Singapore is ranked at second position, allowing travel to 190 countries; South Korea and Germany shared 3rd position, with travel to 189 countries

Australia stands on 9th position, the same ranking as NZ, Canada, Czech Republic and Malta.

The US is at 8th position.

China is ranked 72.

India shares 84th position with Tajikistan and Mauritania, and is ranked lower than many African nations. The Indian passport, having slipped ten positions this year, offers access to 58 destinations.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal ranked further low at 107, 104 and 101 respectively.

Henley & Partner's list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.

The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year as and when visa policy changes come into effect.

The Indian links in Golden Globe 2020 Best Picture (Drama), 1917

There is an Indian connection to Hollywood's Best Film at the 2020 Golden Globes. Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' new war drama 1917, which won both Best Picture - Drama and also the Best Director award for Mendes, touts Reliance Entertainment and Amblin Partners among the banners associated with the film's production.

Reliance Entertainment is the media and entertainment arm of the Reliance Group with Anil Ambani as its chairman. Since 2005, Reliance Entertainment has been associated with film production in Bollywood and Hollywood in addition to its collaborations in the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Punjabi film-making.

Amblin Partners lists Anil Ambani as one of its founders, along with Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll and Darren Throop. The company's investment partners include Reliance Entertainment along with Participant, Entertainment One, Alibaba Pictures and Universal Pictures.

Internationally, Reliance Entertainment has partnered with the iconic Steven Spielberg, since 2009, in the formation of DreamWorks Studios and thereafter, Amblin Partners. Commercially and critically successful films of the association include The Help, War Horse, Lincoln, The Hundred Foot Journey, The Girl On The Train, A Dog's Purpose, Bridge of Spies, The Post and last year's Green Book.

If 1917 represents the latest in that line of quality cinema in new Hollywood, a substantial amount of Reliance investment and infrastructural control has gone into the ambitious venture, said to be riding a budget of $90 million. The film's critical and commercial success underlines the fact that Reliance Entertainment, a 100 per cent Indian-owned corporate entity, is here to stay in Hollywood.

1917 premiered in December at the 2019 Royal Film Performance and had a limited release in the US and Canada on Christmas day. The film has garnered favourable reviews. The limited release was primarily necessary so that the film became eligible for all the major awards of this year.

The film is about two young Lance Corporals, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman). Set during World War I, they are given an almost impossible mission. Racing against time, they must deliver a message deep inside enemy territory. The message is important to stop their own men - including Blake's brotherfrom walking into a death trap.

Although the lead cast comprises greenhorn actors, 1917 also features feted actors as Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin

Firth and Mark Strong in pivotal roles.

Mendes drew inspiration for the script of 1917 from his grandfather's stories. "It is difficult to make movies without big movie stars in the leads and expect people to come and see it in a cinema. I really hope this (the Golden Globes) win means people will turn up and see it on the big screen - for which it was intended," said the filmmaker who won the Oscar in 2000 as Best Director for American Beauty

Meanwhile, the film has received as many as 10 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Sam Mendes), Original Screenplay (Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns), Cinematography (Roger Deakins), Sound Editing (Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate), Sound Mixing, Production Design (Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales), Original Score (Thomas Newman), Makeup and Hair, and Visual Effects.

Indian-American astronaut in programme with eye on Moon, Mars

An Indian-American will be among astronauts who may get a chance to go to the moon or Mars following his graduation from NASA's programme training astronauts for those missions and the International Space Station.

Raja Chari was among the 11 astronauts who received silver pins this month marking their graduation at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston after two years of gruelling training. Following his mission to space, Chari will exchange the silver pin for gold in a NASA tradition.

He is the third astronaut of IndianAmerican heritage.

Explaining the Artemis programme in which he will participate, Chari said, "We're trying to get to the moon to stay by 2024. While we have the technology to do that, we're working on getting the resources to do that. It’s going to take a lot of work and it's not going to be easy."

The Artemis programme aims to put a man and a woman on the moon in 2024, establish sustainable moon missions by 2028 and ultimately send astronauts to Mars.

About his next step, Chari said, "We won't be assigned missions for a while but in the meantime we'll be helping all around Johnson Space Centre with different offices that are working on getting us to the moon."

A man walks on a bridge in Srinagar, India, 13 January 2020. The Kashmir valley is in the grip of an intense cold wave resulting in frozen water supply lines and both air and road transport affected.

He said that his guiding principle is asking and answering a singular question on a daily basis, "What did I do to help us get to the moon today?"

Chari shares that he inherited the value of education from his father Sreenivas V. Chari who immigrated to the US from Hyderabad. "One thing he brought with him from India is that school and education is a privilege, it's not a right. And that was something that was very, very much enforced in our house and we never took for granted the fact we got to go to school," said Raja.

Chari graduated from the US Air Force Academy with a Bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering and engineering science. He then went on to earn a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Also a graduate of the Navy’s Test Pilot school, he is an accomplished test pilot and acolonel in the US Air Force. He has served as the commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and as the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force.

Asked what it takes to become an astronaut, Chari said, "Technical competence, loving what you do and (liking) being around others." He shares that, for him, it was not a matter of checking boxes of qualifications but of being an expert in his field simply by being really passionate about it. He adds that it is very important to be a good team player, always adding something valuable to the missions which often involve being in a small space for a longer time.

One of the things that selectors looked for, he said, was whether he would be able to spend six months within a confined space. Being able to do this is of key importance when embarking on a space mission.

The two Indian-American astronauts before him are both women, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.

Space scientist Chawla, who was born in Karnal, Haryana, and immigrated to the US, was tragically killed on her second space mission when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up in 2003. She had participated in another mission on the same shuttle in 1987.

Williams, a navy officer, has served as the commander of an International Space Shuttle expedition in 2012. She had been on three other missions, in one of them as flight engineer.

Indian-American entrepreneur announces bid for California town Mayor

Aparna Madireddi, an Indian-American entrepreneur, has announced her bid for the mayoral seat of California's San Ramon town, replacing incumbent Bill Clarkson who will step down after four terms, a media report said.

Madireddi is the first person to launch her campaign for the seat. Earlier, the

Indian-American entrepreneur had made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the San Ramon city council.

Madireddi has served in several volunteer positions in San Ramon, situated in Northern California's East Bay. She is currently the chair of the Open Space Advisory Committee, which prioritises land at risk for development in the rapidlygrowing town.

The Madireddis have lived in San Ramon for 22 years. A keen businesswoman, having founded Arvasoft, Inc., with her husband Venki in 1998, Ms Madiredi is also active within the local Democratic Party.

"I stepped up to run for mayor because our city is at a critical point. We live in a different era where things are changing rapidly," said Madireddi.

"Policies and ideas that may have worked in the past will not pass the litmus test today, when it comes to effective governance. I want San Ramon to be fiscally smart and sound for decades to come," she added.

Fourth Gen woman officer to lead men contingent at Army Day Parade

A fourth generation woman army officer will break a glass ceiling by being the first female to lead an all-men contingent at the Army Day Parade to be held on January 15, 2020.

Captain Tania Sher Gill from the Corp of Signals will be the parade adjutant.

Sher Gill, a B Tech graduate in electronics and communications, was commissioned in Mar 2017 from OTA Chennai. With a father who was in 101 Medium Regiment (Artillery), a grandfather who was in the 14th Armed Regiment (Scinde Horse) and a great-grandfather who was in the Sikh Regiment, inspiration is not is short supply for the young and dynamic lady officer.

Last Year, Captain Bhavna Kasturi from ASC became the first woman officer to lead an all-men contingent on Republic Day – a resounding “Savdhaan” for all those who still subscribe to stereotypes!

Indian-origin Lisa Nandy announces bid for Labour leadership in UK

Lisa Nandy, the Indian-origin British MP, has launched her bid for the Labour leadership race. She vows to "bring the party home" to its traditional heartlands after it suffered its worst defeat in over 70 years in the December 2019 election. It was Labour’s worst defeat as many northern heartlands turned blue (Conservative) for the first time.

The Wigan MP is the fourth contender to officially declare her bid in the race, alongside Birmingham MP Jess Phillips, Shadow First Secretary of State Emily Thornberry and Shadow Minister for Sustainable Economics Clive Lewis.

She announced her bid in her local constituency paper - a move symbolic of her promise to change the perception of Labour as London-centric.

Nandy wrote that a future Labour government should give "power and resources" to "every town, city, region and nation in the UK".

"We must leave behind the paternalism of the past and give people the ability to deliver change for themselves,” she said.

She is determined to defeat (Prime Minister) Boris Johnson in order to lead the compassionate, radical, dynamic government that she firmly believes people want and deserve.

Nandy's announcement came hours after Philips made public her bid to replace incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn. The Birmingham MP called for a "different kind of leader".

Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer and Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey were also believed to be considering a leadership bid.

A timetable for the leadership electionand any rule changes - is set to be decided by the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) in January.

Tihar hangman set to emulate ancestors with Nirbhaya hangings

Most people are bequeathed a legacy of property or cultural values by their ancestors. But not always do you come across someone who has inherited a family tradition of being an executioner of criminals at the gallows.

Pawan 'Jallad' is one such man with this very unusual vocation - a man who earns his livelihood by ending the lives of society's rejects.

For the past four generations, Pawan's family has produced a long line of 'Jallads' or executioners.

It started with the first generation of the family in the 1950s with Laxman 'Jallad' - Pawan's great grandfather - who hanged convicts sentenced to death. Now Laxman's great grandson is preparing to conduct his first ever execution - of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Pawan had earlier assisted his grandfather Kalu Ram in executions where he learned the nuances of the family trade.

"This is the blessing of my ancestors. They only managed to carry out one or two hangings thought their lives. But I'm going to hang four convicts in one go," Pawan told IANS.

On being asked if he is looking to break the record of his ancestors (great- grandfather, grandfather and father), Pawan said, "You could say that, but in the past 100 years no one has had the chance to hang four convicts at the same time. I am the first to get this chance. But I cannot think of challenging my ancestors. They are my 'gurus' from whom I learnt this craft."

When Pawan's father died, it led to a conflict among Pawan and his brothers over who would inherit the historical legacy of the family tradition. Eventually his brothers withdrew from the profession leaving it all to Pawan who was granted a monthly salary of Rs 5,000 by the Uttar Pradesh jail administration.

Pawan is hopeful that he will finally get his chance in the same jail where his ancestors carried out the executions of Kashmiri terrorist Maqbool Bhat and murderers Billa and Ranga, among others.

For the first time in India, an executioner will carry out four executions together in the same prison. Reason enough for Pawan 'Jallad' to rejoice.

Freedom-era books, documents to go under hammer at Prinseps

A selection of books, newsletters and documents by luminaries of the Indian freedom struggle from the first half of the 20th century, will go on auction online shortly.

Held by auction house Prinseps, the sale will see important texts, such as Jawaharlal Nehru's autobiography Towards Freedom, his memoirs The Discovery of India and the complete volumes of Mahatma Gandhi's weekly newsletter Harijan Sevak.

The auction will also carry the first edition of a multi-volume series titled Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.

Also auctioned will be Gandhi's Satyagraha in South Africa, published in 1928; two volumes of Bankim Chandra Sen's magazine Desh, published in 1941 and 1948; and The Calcutta Municipal Gazette: 23rd Anniversary and Independence Commemoration Number, published in December 1947, from Rathindranath Tagore and Mira Chatterjee's collection.

Collectables up for auction include a calendar dedicated to Subhash Chandra Bose by Shiri Talashilkar created in 1945 and two Cawnpore Prints of Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Sarojini Naidu by Shyam Sundar Lal.

The no-reserve online auction of such valuable items is a celebration of the country's legacy of a brave political leadership and the journey to Indian Independence, documented with meticulous detail in these seminal literary works. It goes live from January 20-26.

Indian-American prof fired for joke about Iranian bomb list of US sites

An Indian-American professor, who posted a joke on Facebook about Iran choosing 52 US cultural sites to bomb, has been fired by his college.

Babson College said Asheen Phansey was fired because the post on his "personal Facebook page does not represent the values and culture of the College", according to WBZ television.

He had apologised for the post last week calling it "sloppy humour" that was "read as a threat".

His post was a reaction to US President Donald Trump's tweet about targeting sties "very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian culture".

Bombing cultural sites is a war crime under international law and contradicting Trump, US officials said that Washington would not target them.

Phansey suggested on Facebook that Iran selected 52 US sites such as the Mall of America in Minnesota or the residence of the Kardashians, a family of American celebrities made famous by the reality TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".

He was the director of sustainability at Babson College, an institution that specialises in business and entrepreneurship education. It is located in Wellesley, about 20 km from Boston.

"I am really concerned about what this portends for our ability as Americans to engage in political discourse without presuming the worst about each other," Phansey said in a statement quoted by WBZ.

"People wilfully misinterpreted a joke I made to my friends on Facebook," and had hoped the college "would have defended and supported my right to free speech".

The college however, said that it "condemns any type of threatening words and/or actions condoning violence and/or hate".

IANS