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Rain-Bowing to charismatic Drag

The vibrant umbrella of drag is quickly occupying people’s mind and have become a powerful symbol of self-expression

By Shatabdi Bhowmick “Supreme Court of the country is the most Supreme joke of the country”.

— Kunal Kamra

“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.”

A rapid rise in drag culture is seen with the updated version of the Indian Penal Code’s Section 377.

Be it politics, beauty, fashion, music or any other industry they are actively showcasing their talent a n d winning hearts. Maya (Alex Mathew) and Roveena Tampon ( Rov i n Sharma) are two such renowned Indian drag queens.

Drag Queen ‘ M a x i ’ , Mumbai-based, makeup artist, stylist and headgear designer, aged 24, says, “Initially, I used to paint my face and put on a dramatic makeup. I never knew this art form as a part of drag culture. As I started uploading pictures and

—Ralph Lauren

While I may be the first woman, I will not be the last.

—Kamala Harris “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

Fashion is in the sky, in the street. Fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

—Coco Chanel

Let’s build ‘Atma-nirbhar’ (Self-reliable)India.

—PM Narendra Modi.

Sasha Velour aka RuPaul, Drag Race. Ep.12.

exploring more with makeup, fellow artists identified it as ‘drag’. I started my research over it and figured my way into this culture.”

She postulates that there are many different types of drag kings and queens. “You don’t have to belong to any sexuality or gender to know your type. One day you can be a drag king, and the next day you can be a drag queen.

I am a drag queen. I like to express myself in a way a queen would be.”, states Maxi. According to her, drag gave her a platform where she could be seen as an artist beyond any gender or sexuality and with respect and awe.

She loves herself when she’s on stage or in front of a camera. She passionately associates drag with “the colours, the glitter, the rage, the horror, the ugly rainbow and the sweet fur” and finds it amazing. She expresses, “It makes you accept all your good, bad and ugly.

It teaches you acceptance.

After the whole news about Section 377, people have become a little more accepting of the culture and the art form.”

Written by Shahnaz Siganporia, 22 September 2019, Vogue India published ‘In conversation with Indian drag’s indisputable superstar, Sushant Divgikar’ in the culture and living category.

‘Rani KoHEnur’ aka Sushant Divgikr, the popular

Culture

Lifestyle

Fashion

Swaying with culture (Pg. 2)

Glued to G-Aming (Pg 5)

Same Sex Marriage (PG.3)

Love From Home (pG.6)

First of Many: Making history (Pg.9)

Book Some hobby to proession (PG. 4) for Free (Pg.7)

Sushant Divgikr aka Rani KoHEnur, the sensational Drag Queen Indian singer, model, actor and video jockey spoke, “Initially, I used to watch a lot of drag related material when I was in school and college. Courtesy—RuPaul and Diana Ross and ‘Paris is Burning’. My references have been very strong as I have grown up watching all these very iconic stars and films. And most of all look at our own culture in India, we have a long history with drag, be it in our folk dances or in the courts of the many kings and queens who have ruled over this country, we have just not called it that. I think as Indians we should take pride in drag and claim

He holds auditions and inducts younger drag queens, mentoring and training them. He has also taken the lead in making drag a more accessible art form, both for the performers and audiences. The sassy queen adds, “It’s like the lyrics of my first song ‘Love is Love’ and everybody deserves to love somebody and anybody that they want to love, and we should not be labelled and should not have any restrictions in terms of gender or religion or any other biases that restrict and drag helps us to challenge

Identity

politics

Cycling up Trends (PG. 11)

Stand-up for joke’s sake (PG 16)

One-of-a-Kind Rise of Thrift Shopping (Pg.10) (Pg. 12) Imperfectly Perfect (PG 10)

it within our own culture as well.”

Tending the bar high (PG.13)

Be Indian, Support indian (Pg. 17)

Culture

Culture

Rain-Bows to the charismatic Drag societal stereotypes preconceptions.”

and

Rajdip Barma, pursuing Fashion Designing from National Institute of FashionTechnology (NIFT), Kolkata, aged 23, came across drag through social media and magazines.

He admires “Fishy and Androgynous Drag.” He

says, “For me, drag comes with power and selfexpression of own identity through appearance without saying anything.”

He feels the “bold and furious artistic look” of drag was not so accepted in previous times as compared to now. What he loves in

Drag is the exposure about being your own self, the boldness and beauty with fierce appearance. He states, “Even though I’m not a part of drag culture, but as a fashion designing student, I feel this culture should be celebrating its unique life.”

Xen Kate, freelance artist and stylist, Bangalore, aged

25, says, “Drag is something that liberates me. It’s a way of expression. To have a voice and be one.” She thinks drag has evolved to be more of an art form than just a part of the entertainment industry.

She further mentions how today, drag is also a way of empowerment towards the Transgender,

LGBTQ+ community.

She remarks, “I am a Drag Queen. Drag provided me with a sense of freedom and openness which I never got in our cultural society. Drag acknowledged my voice.

It helped me empower myself.”

The famous line of the American drag queen,

RuPaul (Andre Charles), “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag”, is quite relevant. India is still progressing on the path of drag and more changes are yet to come. The fact that it has become mainstream is already a big achievement in itself. With a more positive outlook towards life, people will surely develop in every

Swaying with culture

With the advent of the global pandemic, more and more people are drawn towards Indian classical dance and are embracing Indian culture with open arms.

By Shatabdi Bhowmick the paparazzi.” She remarks, “People living abroad and the western world has many times shown great affection towards classical dance forms, and is still very much in practice.”

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has always supported Indian culture through his speeches and campaigns. Starting from Vocal for Local to Yoga Day, he has been all about preserving India’s integrity.

Even Masaka Ono, Japan’s Cultural Ambassador in India and Odissi dancer had performed during the 13th India-Japan annual summit in Varanasi, which was attended by the respective Prime Ministers of India and Japan, Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, in September 2015.

Pratiti Saha, pursuing Masters in English with Cultural Studies from Christ University, Bangalore, aged 21 years, is well versed in Odissi. Her journey as a classical dancer started in Odissi Ashram, Kolkata, under the guidance of Guru Giridhari Nayak, who is a disciple of Padmavisbhusan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.

She says, “Odissi’s form, postures and movements have been derived from the carvings of ancient temples in Orissa. The costume and jewellery have been adapted from the ancient dance form of Orissa, named Gotipua, which was practiced by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. The dance form hence is a representation of India’s age-old heritage and tradition, and a big part of Indian culture per se.”

The dancer expresses her disappointment in not attending her dance classes physically and had to join them online due to the pandemic. “I missed a lot of stage programmes that I normally take part in annually. Though it also brought a change in my life because I started my own YouTube Channel

Maska Ono, Japan’s Cultural Ambassador in India and Odissi dancer due to a lack of recreational activities. I started trying new forms of choreographies and experimenting with my style. I did discover myself newly as a dancer.”, speaks Pratiti. She has seen foreigners performing Odissi online and also participated in workshops organized by legendary Odissi Gurus along with people from outside India.

Krischina Basu, Howrah based, Bharatanatyam dancer and an active participant of Ghungoor, aged 21, speaks how “immensely lucky” she is to have been taught Bharatanatyam in Dr. Thankamani Kutty’s institution, Kalamandalam Calcutta. Very interestingly, she describes, “Bharatanatyam was originally stigmatized to be a dance for the ‘devadasi’ who worked for God. It was long after that the women and men of the society accepted it as any other form of dance.”

Commenting on lockdown, she says, “It helped me explore a completely new way in life. With dance schools being shut, I had minimum practice at the very start. Later, I started uploading my dance videos online on social media and YouTube, and they received a good amount of appreciation. This encouraged me to create more content and explore other styles too. Also, I got to attend workshops of eminent dance groups like Team Naach and Natya Social.” She expresses her delight in hosting her own online dance workshop for the first time and teaching a semi-classical routine to young girls and grown-up ladies.

“I feel that the youngsters in India should be more encouraged towards this classical artform and also men performing classical dance should not be tagged as trans or gay unlike our stereotypical society”, voices Krischina. She considers the Indian choreographer, ‘Rukmini Vijayakumar’, an “eminent personality residing in the West” and “a common face for

Sayan Mukherjee, studying Tourism Management at Delhi University, aged 21, got hooked to Odissi at the age of 12. He is doing exceptionally well at Gandharv Mahavidyalay under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Madhavi Mudgal.

He says, “The dance evolved from the temple sculptures and was initially performed by ‘Devadasis’ or ‘Maharishis’ in the temples of Lord Jagannath.”

Performing this dance, he feels “connected to the divine” and considers it as a form of his service and “worship to Him.” He says, “Indian classical dance represents Indian culture in the way that it reflects our long lost rare literary works, temples, sculptures, traditions, music, yoga, spirituality, etc.”

ambience, lack of space at home and not being able to utilize dance techniques to the fullest. “Indian classical dance forms have always fascinated people outside India.

They find it interesting and fascinating to take it up as a career or learn it in depth. They find in it a way of exploring and discovering their inner self. “, states Sayan.

He cites “Sharon Lowen” as a “good example” in this aspect, who came to India from Detroit, United States to learn Manipuri. Speaking about her, he says, “Initially alongside Manipuri, she started learning Odissi just to get a taste of another classical dance form. But eventually, she got so into Odissi that she never went back to the US and stayed here and learnt Odissi under the legendary doyen, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.”

Just as Indians are fascinated by foreign norms and culture,others are enamoured by Indian dance and culture too.

Even in these tough times, people are not backing away but are more than enthusiastic in ascertaining’Shastriya Devesh’.

Same-Sex Marriage in India

A same sex couple moved the Delhi High Court with a petition to legalise same sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act.

By Divya Beri According to the Special Marriage Act of 1954, it allows the registration of marriage for the people of India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrespective of their faith or religion but not gender. In the past couple of years, our country as a whole has started taking baby steps towards being more accepting of certain ideologies that are not boxed by the societal norms.

One of the biggest step that was taken, was on the 6th of September, 2018, Section 377 was declared unconstitutional under the IPC. The struggle for the community began over two decades ago, the Supreme Court demolished a law made in the 19th century, which stated that homosexuality is a crime, said Maria Thomas, a writer at Quartz India.

Nevertheless, we have a long way to go. So far, we

have just decriminalised consensual sexual conduct between two adults of the same sex. However, this also carries an overpowering feeling of patronisation, invasion and dehumanisation. It’s strange to dictate someones private emotions, based on a law because these are basic human rights that we throw under the bus. The sheer neglect for other individuals to live their lives on their terms, is baffling.

We often experience or hear that, same sex couples do get ‘validation’ amongst their loved ones, however, the society fails to recognise them as full human. Loved ones, often out of worry or good intentions, advice that same sex couples should stay content in just living with each other, rather than understanding that each relationship that share true emotions of love, may eventually want to solidify their commitment. We fail

to consider Gay/ Lesbian couples as ‘real couples’.

One such couple, two women, took a big step by seeking legal rights to get married in India.

The petition argued that they do not have any formal acceptance of their relationship under the Indian laws, hence it is a violation of their constitutional right to equality. With the pandemic hitting us all, it covered us in a cloud of uncertainty and fear. Including this couple, they had to start preparing themselves as well. However, due to the taboo on same sex marriage, they will not be able to legally be considered each others partner, even on their death beds, which is a privilege for the heterosexual couples. Alisha Kapoor,a psychologist, based in Delhi, aged 35 years, says “The difference are implicit as well as explicit I think. Explicitly, same sex couples cannot buy assets together, nominate each other for medical or

Kavita Arora (left) and Ankita Khanna (right) petitioned a Delhi court in October 2020 for the constitutional right to marry—arguing that without official recognition, they are “strangers in law.”

He muses,” The positive aspect of lockdown was that I could give more time on body flexibility, body dynamics, and rehearsing old dance pieces and perfecting them.” But he also believes that it led to the loss of a proper

MENSTRUAL CUPS OVER PADS OR TAMPONS Menstrual cups are cost-effective and ecofriendly alternative to support sustainable menstruation.

By Muskaan Mirg

Sayan Mukherjee, Odissi dancer

Environmental groups are campaigning against plastic in sanitary products.

Several campaigns are popularizing reusable products and what they call ‘sustainable menstruation’.

It refers to the use of ecofriendly menstrual products.

A cost-effective eco-friendly alternative is menstrual cups.

They are small, flexible, bell-shaped cups made of silicone or latex rubber.

Instead of absorbing your flow, like sanitary pads or tampons, it catches and collects it. Menstrual cups can last up to a decade because of its quality.

Women can reduce menstruation waste by using a cup. Tampons, sanitary pads, and panty liners generate tons of waste every year and they all contain plastic. Even water can be saved, Menstrual cups hardly need any water.

They hold more blood than women to use them as an eco- friendly alternative to pads or tampons and depending on one’s flow, can wear a cup for up to 12 hours. It doesn’t contain any chemicals, bleaches, or fibres that could cause sensitivity or allergic reactions. But, due to a lack of awareness, the

financial decisions, fill up forms that allow them to name their ‘partner, adopt a child together, etc. Implicitly, even when same sex couples inhabit spaces and circles in which they have already ‘come out’ so to speak.” “They could still be introduced as ‘friends’ or their relationship not named or spoken about openly because we as a society still don’t have an easy vocabulary around it”.These privileges are a given, when it comes to heterosexual couples, hence this petition becomes all the more important for the LGBTQIA+ community in our country. They are not viewed as ‘normal’ human beings and it becomes easier to brutalisethem. We want them to live quietly in the privacy of their own homes. However,would never accept for our own children to do the same. Why does society as a whole, feel entitled to even judge others on their way of living? Kritika Awasthy, a psychiatrist, based in Delhi, aged 36 years, says “No clue! But possibly to maintain the narrative of familiarity- any kind of change is resisted. I also think there is an internalised homophobia in our culture and most parents do not want their children to face the kind of opposition they have internalised from society.” We often overlook the true meaning of marriage and what a couple has to truly endeavour together for a lifetime. “Once we decided that we wanted to live our life together, we slowly started doing various things to build a secure and happy home as well. Just like any other couple, this meant thinking through various dimensions of where we will live, our finances, our interactions with our friends and families and with our professional lives. We realised over time, like for any other couple, how important it was to have a legitimate structure and “name “ to our relationship vis a vis the legal, as well as social sanction for our relationship.

We also wanted to create economic stability for each other, just like married couples do. For example: married couple would likely have joint bank accounts, loans, bought a house together, etc.” Kritika adds.

Their petition in itself, reads

that marriage should be for everyone and not only to celebrate their love for each other but to continue a life together just as any other couple would and have been. They truly have the ball rolling for all the others who want to be accepted by

the law, as a married couple.

Their determination and strength to begin this new journey, is commendable and we hope that they become the epitome of change, especially, for our country.

adoption rate of menstrual cups is still low. Many startups are innovating more eco- friendly solutions by spreading awareness about

better would for the future generation.

menstrual cups’, says Charvi.

The reusability of menstrual cups not only helps in overcoming the problem of waste but also makes a long term and pocket-friendly investment.

these innovative products, ensuring more, women make the switch and use menstrual cups to create

Woman like Charvi Madan (Age 20, Delhi based), a college student felt that menstrual cups were initially uncomfortable to wear but with time it felt better and made her observe her body more closely. ‘I’m using menstrual cups for 2 years now and I’m never looking back to sanitary pads. I researched about how sanitary pads/ tampons degraded our environment, I left using them and I even suggest my friends and family to switch over to

Many women also see it as a boon that helps their constant contact with blood which doesn’t disrupt the ph. balance or the good bacteria. However, most women may take a while to adopt a menstrual cup due to the initial discomfort it causes. But this small device has too many benefits that are way hard to ignore.

Lifestyle Hobby to Profession embracing cosplay With the introduction of the Marvel and the DC universe on our digital screens, India has seen all that their fans can do and how. A look into the cosplay industry in India and how women have embraced it as more of a profession than a hobby.

By Akshita Mehrish

Cosplay also means dressing up and bringing your favourite character to life through creativity and dramatization. Ever since the birth of Comic Con in 2011 in India, the nation has seen a steady rise in the number of people participating in cosplays and winning!

In an article written by Runa Mukherjee Parikh in The Quint, dated 08th March 2020, Runa spoke to Medha Srivastava, an avid cosplayer residing in Mumbai with an animation degree from Symbiosis, Pune. “The crowd automatically connects with the character you are cosplaying, and they wish to pose with you. Cosplay has art, creation, performance, dramatization and above all, artist satisfaction,” says Medha.

Bhawana Jain, a 23-year-old artist and an avid cosplayer based in Bangalore, believes that cosplaying is not just a hobby anymore. She says, “Women cosplayers have moved their bar higher with each passing day with respect to the creativity and practicality of all their costumes. They have made the competition even tougher for the pros as well.”

She adds, “Women have started treating cosplaying as an honest profession and even charge for helping others with their costumes!”

Bhawana’s go-to character for cosplaying is black widow from the Marvel universe. She says, “Black widow is a character I personally connect to on a deeper level as her ideologies and perceptions

towards life and people is so strong and fixated that she’s almost always right about the individual. I feel like a woman should be so strong emotionally, mentally and physically to defend herself in a society like that of India’s.”

Cosplaying character preferences have shifted from just Marvel and DC to even Anime characters and T.V shows such as Game of Thrones, and other archaic shows and even cartoons!

It may all seem like its fun and joy at first but, there is a lot of effort and great skill set that goes into making a single cosplay garment.

Skill sets include garment construction, prop creation, material manipulation, a little bit of engineering, to name a few.

“By definition, we are not just someone who dresses up as a character but are also a seamstress, hairstylist, makeup artist, painter, builder and electrician.

We work with different materials and machines – foam, fabric, metals, wood, PVC, sewing machines, heat gun, dremel, soldering iron etc. And we are constantly picking up new skills along the way. Being able to show our hard work in the form of a finished costume is the most satisfying feeling,” says Akanksha in a talk with The Quint.

Working in a field that you are most passionate about is what life is all about but experiencing being another version of yourself with each character is another feeling all together!

Ankita Created Fashion Looks Inspired by Disney Princesses

WORK FROM HOME

Working from home may seem like the ultimate luxury and sounds perfect, but it can actually hamper your productivity.

By Deepali Agarwal Covid-19 pandemic has enforced the concept 'Work from Home' (WFH) into an officially mandated, strictly enforced rule. Now, WFH concept is emerging from all the sectors, i.e. from IT sectors to teaching sectors. WFH concept is new to majority of the employees, as the COVID 19 has forced almost all the employees of all the sectors to work from home for the first time.

Ankita singh (Age 31, based in Lucknow) is a fashion designer, owns a brand named Mimamsa.

She says, “I have worked from home during the lockdown for almost 5 months and now, I’ve also realized that carrying out professional duties remotely or from the comfort of one's home may not be that comfortable. When I was in office it was more efficient and easier to have physical as well as human resources available around”, she further added.

At home “people prefer to create their own working environment, when its a space quite unlike an office.” They also need to make sure that they’re staying mentally and physically active as well as healthy. Designing your workspace is really essential if you want to stay on track and get things done.

Apoorva Gupta, age 24, is a sub-editor at India TV was interviewed to know her experience working from home. She says, If I talk about my experience about work from home at the time of pandemic, I would say there are both pros and cons about working from home. She also mentioned, There was a lot of pressure when lockdown was declared. Secondly there was no boundation of work hours as they were expected to be available all the time.

Lifestyle

Glued to G-aiming With more installation and investment, lockdown paved the way to the soaring rise of gamers

By Shatabdi Bhowmick

The Indian administration established a nationwide lockdown on March 24, 2020, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

This bounded people to stay in their homes all the time, which led to boredom. At this phase, games became a medium for everyone to enjoy their online life.

Tech Observer, May 18, 2017, published ‘Online Gaming in India: 2021’, reported by Google India and KPMG, highlighting the growth opportunities in the digital gaming industry in India. The report projected about the online gaming industry in India, expected to gain momentum and grow to US$1 billion by 2021, from the previous US$360 million, at a growth rate of 20%. With a 117% spike in searches for online games by Indians, it was estimated that the current online gamer base of 120 million gamers in 2016 will grow to 310 million by 2021.

seen a year-on-year growth of nearly 30%. It mentioned how last year, India overtook the US to become the second-largest game download market in the world with over five billion installs. Covid-19 further accelerated the growth in the online gaming market.

“India’s 300-millionplus user gaming market represents a global inflection point, a unique opportunity enabled by multiple stars aligning. A billion young, entertainment hungry users, now have access to the world’s cheapest data and frictionless national mobile payments—we also have arguably the deepest bench of raw creative and technical talent in the world,” said Justin Shriram Keeling, Lumikai general partner.

It also expressed how more investors are putting capital into the sector after the

unprecedented growth in gaming post-Covid-19. Talking about New Delhi-based, Lumikai, recently launched a venture fund focused on India’s fast-growing gaming and interactive market. The fund is backed by a global investor base, including gaming and technology companies from Japan, Finland, the US, and South Korea, deploying longterm capital.

Aditya Vikram Singh, studying B. Com at Jagran College of Science, Arts and Commerce, Kanpur, aged 20, is hooked to gaming due to factors such as “high score, beating rivals, winning the game, role-playing, and discovery.” PUBG, Fortnite, Free Fire, Valorant, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, Fall Guys, Human Fall Flat, and Rocket League are the games which he played mostly during the lockdown.

He states, “Since, I’m more into battle royal, so for mobile platform, PUBG is the best game.” He used to play two to three hours daily before lockdown. Commenting on his current playing time, he says, “The most important part is time. After lockdown, I play four to five hours every day.

Before lockdown players weren’t able to give much time to their game but now everyone has plenty of time to practice and increase their skill set.”

He further discussed the advantages of gaming which include helping in improving brain capabilities, building a career in gaming as a pro esports player or caster, and earning well. In the case of disadvantage, he points out how playing games for too long in a single go, can cause headache and can give a lot of stress to the eyes. He remarks, “If you think you got

Dilpreet Singh, pursuing Bachelor of Computer Applications from Institute of Information Technology & Management (IITM), New Delhi, aged 22, is an official video editor at Battle Mania, an Esports organisation.

He says, “CODM, PUBGM, Among Us” are the popular games during the lockdown. His passion for games made him addicted to them. According to him, gaming is the best career for those who are actually passionate about it and have support from their families.

Digitally working from home.

base, including gaming and technology companies from Japan, Finland, the US, and South Korea, deploying long-term capital.

Online gaming traffic experienced an immense rise during the country’s lockdown. With people becoming more attuned in playing games, the gaming industry will soon reach a more ascending level. Thus, it’s not surprising for India to receive huge investments and to reach a new height, occupation, and economic wise.

Aditya Vikram Singh, studying B. Com at Jagran College of Science, Arts and Commerce, Kanpur, aged 20, is hooked to gaming due to factors such as “high score, beating rivals, winning the game, role-playing, and discovery.” PUBG, Fortnite, Free Fire, Valorant, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, Fall Guys, Human Fall Flat, and Rocket League are the games which he played mostly during the lockdown.

It also expressed how more investors are putting capital into the sector after the unprecedented growth in gaming postCovid-19. Talking about New Delhi-based, Lumikai, recently launched a venture fund focused on India’s fast-growing gaming and interactive market. The fund is backed by a global investor

He states, “Since, I’m more into battle royal, so for mobile platform, PUBG is the best game.” He used to play two to three hours daily before lockdown.

Commenting on his current playing time, he says, “The most important part is time.

After lockdown, I play four to five hours every day.

Before lockdown players weren’t able to give much time to their game but now everyone has plenty of time to practice and increase their skill set.”

He further discussed the advantages of gaming which include helping in improving brain capabilities, building a career in gaming as a pro esports player or caster, and earning well. In the case of disadvantage, he points out how playing games for too long in a single go, can cause headache and can give a lot of stress to the eyes.

He remarks, “If you think you got all that is needed to become an esports athlete or a content creator, then there’s no better choice rather go for gaming as a career.”

He speaks, “I like to play DOTA 2 the most because it has got the best strategy and it’s a multiplayer game.”

Playing games helps him in reducing stress after a whole day of online classes and work. Admitting about his increased gaming time, he says, “Before lockdown, I used to spend around five hours, but now, I play for almost seven hours. Though PUBG ban quite affected my gaming schedule.”

Mint, August 23, 2020, in ‘Covid-19 proves to be a boon for Indian gaming start-ups as user numbers swell’, stated how gaming as a category in India has

all that is needed to become an esports athlete or a content creator, then there’s no better choice rather go for gaming as a career.”

Online gaming traffic experienced an immense rise during the country’s lockdown. With people becoming more attuned in playing games, the gaming industry will soon reach a more ascending level. Thus, it’s not surprising for India to receive huge investments and to reach a new height, occupation, and economic wise.

Graphics of Online Gaming Platform (Valorant 2020)

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Love From Home

Is The Pandemic Pushing More Indians Towards Online Dating?

With everything going on in the world, finding a new partner might be at the back of most people’s minds, but for many, dating has continued this year despite the pandemic. Thanks to online dating apps

By Maithilee Junankar

LE AW FL IS

SS! BRALESS

IS F LA W

the lockdown, I have been wearing no dress code and keep myself free from all the boundaries. So, till the time I am at home and not going out, I am going braless. Whether it is a virtual meeting or online shopping I have to worry about nothing,” said Sunita Agrawal, 25, Nagpur based architect.

Vaishnavi Babre, 25, Nagpur based doctor says she has stopped wearing bras since the lockdown started. “In the last 4 months, we were restricted from doing many things, but I could set my breasts free. I have always avoided wearing bras whenever I am home. I have realized, not wearing a bra actually made me more focused and irritation-free while working. I have started stepping out braless and it gives me mental freedom,” she says. Now, going braless has become a political statement as well. Women have started to realize that wearing this uncomfortable garment was a result of issues of stereotypical society. “There is an immerging trend among several women, especially millennial, who are voicing against the social necessity of wearing a bra. Due to its discomfort, issues like breast cancer, their cost, and for social

SS !

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LE

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S

SS IS FLAWLE ALE SS! R !B

reasons, women choose to go braless. What matters is that as a society, we make women chose mental and physical discomfort over improving our society’s ills,” said Pranika Bhange, 26, Pune based illustrator and an activist.

Bras are often considered to be a necessity, but unwelcome contraption. Who can forget the comedian Gina Yashere’s question to Michelle Obama, “Was the end of your husband’s presidency the equivalent of taking your bra off after a long day, in terms of complete freedom?”

For many women, ditching their bra has been a particularly popular one. Nidhi Raut, 25, MBA student from Pune says, “Going braless has been surprising, because I was always under the impression that with a bust like mine – (I am a G

LESS! BRALE LAW SS I

By Maithilee Junankar

If you’re one of those women who reach home and unclip your bra clasp as soon as you hit that front door; chances are the isolation o COVID-19 has brought welcome relief for you. In a world where nobody can tell if you are wearing a pyjama or a suit for work, not wearing a bra is one of its biggest perks for women. In 2017, Radhika Apte famous movie star said that she really doesn’t see a big deal with going braless mentioned, “I think it’s cool and I really just don’t care. It’s sexy, it’s comfortable and I love my breasts!”

Lockdown has changed a lot of things about the way we step out in the world, and ditching bra has been a popular one.

“I have been wearing layers of clothes to work, as I have to deal with men on architectural site. but

S IS FLAWL ES ALES S BR !

BR A

The lockdown has many restrictions on us, but there is one thing women are happy about, ‘Freedom from wearing a bra.’ Not only during the lockdown, but also post lockdown. Going braless also has become a sort of political and social statement.

In these harsh times of cold and gloomy days, people are in the need of warmth, love, and friendship. These online apps are a great source of keeping people close and connected in times of social distancing. Happy Swiping!

B R AL E

Join the No Bra Club

The apps not only give you the opportunity to video or voice calls your dates but also more interactive activities and games to connect with your partner. “I have a very close friend circle and I had a minimum need to interact with new people. Since the distance grew between me and my friends during the lockdown, I hopped on a virtual dating app Bumble to socialize. The interface was built to keep your dated, friends, and networks segregated. I have been connected and talking to so many different people at once with no obligations and formalities. It is much more comfortable and easy than in real life. ” mentioned Ritesh Agrawal, 26, Data Scientist from Delhi, who is a new user of Bumble.

While some people are finding closer and intimacy in this lockdown, couples who were close are facing distance being in one city.

SS

Dating apps are often used to facilitate in-person sexual and romantic connections, the physical distancing enforced during lockdown perhaps drove usual users to the platform.

With lots of time to spare at home, youngsters and youths

Introverts like Prabhat Rao, 27, Nagpur based Architect mentioned “I’ve never been one to put myself out there opening myself up to the world of online dating but it seemed that was the only way I was going to meet people with the restrictions in place. Fortunately, a friend could assist me who helped me find the platform that would be right for me.” These dating apps aren’t new, and people have been already playing this game before the pandemic. 27 years old, Nagpur based entrepreneur, Piyush Agrawal who has been using Tinder for more than a year said, “There has been a visible rise in profiles on the app since lockdown. I could find new faces as people working in other cities have moved back to their home town, hence more matches compared to pre-pandemic.”

Ashwani Gupta, 25, Mumbai based interior designer who is in a relationship with Varun Mukherjee, 27, Mumbai based Architect said, “We live in the same city, work at the same company, we often used to have dinner together, socialize together; but since the pandemic started it got difficult for us to even share the intimacy of our relationship. Eventually, we figured our new way of communication through video calls, Netflix parties, virtual dinner dates. Surprisingly it’s working.” With all of us locked in our homes, there lies no need for any physical dates. Everything is now completely virtual. We often dress up differently or make ourselves look even more presentable on social media. Clicking pictures, Voice notes, Setting backdrops for a virtual date is a part of this new virtual dating world.

SF LA

Did a huge splash of disappointment just wash over you? We all are stuck in our homes trying to maintain social distancing and trying to avoid the spread of the deadly virus. While people have still started stepping out, most of us are still cooped up in our houses. It is becoming the daily norm now.

What’s most interesting is that people have changed their game on online dating sites.

have resorted to virtual dates with each other over their laptop or phone screen. Though the lockdown eased, people are paranoid about the COVId-19 virus, but the need to socialize was emphasized by the loneliness people felt in the lockdown. They have been using imaginative ways to keep the spark alive, which is actually praise-worthy. People like Shivani Bansod, 25, Nashik based Amazon employee who started online dating for the first time in march explained, “I am a very social person. So it was really hard for me to suddenly go from going out and talking to random people to having absolutely no interaction with anyone.” Shivani has joined Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble.

F IS SS LE

The concept of online dating entered our lives and minds not too long ago, and yes, to be honest, there are many who are grateful for that.

In earlier t i m e s , o n l i n e d a t i n g included people swiping left/right or liking each other’s profiles and pictures which led to matched profiles flirting and texting all the time. The next moment you know, a date in a bar or cafe was fixed. It all seemed too realistic and good-to-be true! Until the current pandemic happened.

cup) – it was non-negotiable. For many of us, the idea of going without a bra is only possible if you have a figure like Bebo or Ariana Grande.” She further mentioned, “All I heard before was: ‘You need support and it’s bad for your back if you don’t wear one or it will be really uncomfortable.’

And it just simply isn’t! I don’t mind wearing a bra with a certain outfit to make these girls pop, but I definitely don’t see bras making a comeback in my life for its mare function to support.”

However, fear of people’s reactions also appears to be keeping more women from joining the No Bra movement.

The main reason for continuing to wear a bra was the fear of verbal or physical harassment in the street and the fear of being stared at. Lockdown has made many women stay inside and think about the choices they are making under societal pressure. Wearing a bra is not necessary, but a choice.

So, unclip that bra and put those wrinkles out of your face, because braless is flawless.

Book some for free Now that fall is officially here, and the days are getting cooler, staying inside with a good read with some hot chocolate is a perfect way to practice some self-care. And with these great ways to find free eBooks, you’ll be ready to snuggle up in your favorite spot and go on a reading for free.

By Maithilee Junankar

Take your mind off the constant updates on the pandemic by constant updates on the pandemic by catching up on your reading.

Don’t worry; you don’t need to spend any money on subscriptions. Luckily, figuring out how to get free books online is easier than you may think. No matter what kind of free books you’re looking for, these savvy ways to read books online for are all you need.

When you start looking for free e-books online, it won’t be long before you start coming across less-thanreputable websites. Some may actually require you to enter payment information while others provide access to pirated content. Still, there are several websites and apps that you can use to download/read e-books legally and free. Among them is New Yorker. It publishes a lot of amazing short stories for free by some reputed writers. You would find beautiful short stories written by Shirley Jackson, Murakami, Alice Munro, etc. for free.

Classics are one of the most expensive books if you want to buy one. Archive. org is a non-profit online library with millions of free books and reading material published several years ago.

Some of these books are not even available on Amazon.

Same goes for the Project Gutenberg. It is home for more than 60,000 copyrightfree digital librariesfor at no cost.

Another very ingenious website is PD (pdfdrive.

com). PDF Drive is your search engine for PDF files. As of today they have more than 5million eBooks for you to download for free. No annoying ads, no download limits.

A very well known way to read a free book is self published books on Google play store or Amazon prime which are totally unbound.

However, if you don’t want to spend time on browsing these self published books, you can sign up for the Book Bub. It sends daily newsletters and books not only for very cheap price but also for free.

For me, the best way to read a book is to get a book, hold it in your hand, flip the pages with your hand, and read it. But, a second best way to read a book is Audio books. For all the people out there who don’t have time to read but still want to start somewhere, Audio book is the best way to pick up your first book. Just pop on your earphones and you can listen to a book while performing your chores, jogging, cooking, or just lying down.

And, like any great invention out there, audio books don’t come cheap. You either have to take a membership of an app or you have to buy them at ridiculously rates. Worry not, because VK (vk.com) provides you with tones of audio books absolutely for free. It is a social networking website, with a huge reader’s community uploading free

audio books. Just log in via your g-mail account and you are good to go. Unless, you want an instant search for a very popular book or writer, Youtube.com have various channels posting audio books and live reading sessions where you can also enjoy recommendation from the similar genres. The other app you could use is Audio Bites. It is a completely free android. You could listen to numerous books for the first month, and further, 10 stories per month for free.

Open Library, JSTOR, Loyal Books are other valuable websites where you can find books by great writers like Mark Twain, Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Dan Brown, HG Wells, Jules Verne, etc.

These website’s editorial team ensures that selfpublished eBooks meets its quality standards. The service lets you chose from multiple file formats, or you could chose to read them directly on their websites.

Reading is that one activity that helps you escape reality and immerse yourself into another universe. No matter what interests you, there should be at least one of these website or apps where you could get your next book for free. Your welcome!

Pin by Jodie Loubser on reading books online and saving trees.

Horoscope

Fashion

Women’s Winter Fashion Aries

Libra

Personality –bold, ambitious Style – skirt / pantsuit Taurus, they want to always feel at home and comfortable.

Earth tones like greens, browns, and whites show their elegant side. They often like to take charge of situations and are probably great at sports, due to their competitive streak..

Personality –balanced, multifaceted Style – longline coats Quirky and talkative, a Libra’s wardrobe always stays flirty and fun. A dress made of silk or a pair of shoes that are knee-high leather describes the outgoing sign the best!

Libra’s are often dressed up as if they’re heading out to a party every night, but in reality, they just always look well put together.

(September 23 – October 22)

(March 21 – April 19)

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Scorpio

Taurus

(October 23 – November 21)

(April 20 – May 20)

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Personality – trendy, comfort Style – purple sweater Taurus, they want to always feel at home and comfortable.

Earth tones like greens, browns, and whites show their elegant side. A comfy pair of sweats or a cream-coloured sweater works best for a Taurus, they want to always feel at home and comfortable.

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Sagittarius

Gemini

(November 22 – December 21)

(May 21 – June 20)

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Personality –free-spirited, witty and quick tempered Style – fleece-lined jackets Plaid skirt paired with a simple sweater to boyfriend jeans with a classic graphic t-shirt. A Gemini would most likely be on top of trends and the latest style that’s hitting fashion week looks. Their closet might have multiple different items of clothing to choose from.

Personality –intellectual, bold, daring, spontaneous and dynamic Style – metallic If you ever met a Sagittarius, you know that they’re super free-spirited and world travelers! A long boho maxi dress or even a denim skirt paired with a simple tank top!

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Capricorn

Cancer

(December 22 – January 19)

(June 21 – July 22)

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Personality –emotional, insightful and imaginative Style – camel coats Lovely shades of dreamy blue tones and white, Cancers are like a lightweight linen dress, simple with a touch of elegance, like lace. Cancers are known for their motherly instincts and an overall need to want to protect and care for others. When you think of Cancers, you think of the beach on a hot summer day.

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

(January 20 – February 18)

(July 23 – August 22)

Personality –flighty, fearless and courageous Style – faux fur More on the rebellious side, an Aquarian would want to wear something that stands out and makes a statement!

They could be wearing a simple t-shirt with jeans and sneakers, but their statement piece? A funky headband or dramatic necklace!

Personality –strong, confident, vivacious and passionate Style – thigh-high boots Think skirts or tops with bold prints and a simple pair of jeans! Something super sparkly and colorful! They are risk-takers and are always up for something different and exciting, as long as it looks good on them!

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Virgo

Pisces

Personality –sophisticated, practical, logical and systematic Style – cape jackets Virgo’s are analytical and somewhat a perfectionist, they’ll want to wear something that fits the occasion. Whether they’re heading to work or to a party after, they’ll want to look the part. Typically polished and well-tailored, a pair of chinos with a button-down trench coat is the perfect Virgo look. Something classic!

Personality –artistic, creative and emotional Style – muted brown Romantic and sweet, a Pisces is all about dreamlike pieces.

Soft greys and pastels, you can see a Pisces in something frilly and lacey. Feminine but with a touch of sexy, they’ll sweep you in with a smile!

(February 19 –March20)

(August 23 – September 22)

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Personality –confident, level-headed Style – plaids Sophisticated and comfortable is what a Capricorn probably gravitates towards. Why? Because it’s the logical thing to do. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t afraid of a simple print or color. A blouse with balloon sleeves paired with navy tailored pants would be the perfect Capricorn outfit.

Aquarius

Leo

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

Personality –bold, sassy, mysterious and direct Style – chunky boots Leather pants paired with a halter top or a fitted black dress is the way to go. More on the darker and mysterious side, Scorpio’s have fun with colors that are darker. Black and maroon fit them well, whether that’s in a lipstick shade or a pair of shoes!

Credits: Shamekh Bluwi

First of Many : Making History As the first woman Vice President and Black-Indian-American woman, she has all eyes on her but it may not always be constructive.

By Divya Beri

Kamala Harris stepped into history when she got up on stage as the new Vice President at the Chase Centre in Wilmington, Delaware. The first African American/South Asian woman to become The Vice President of the United States of America and hold that office is a huge accomplishment.

To many she’s the epitome of a leader who will bring out change that will matter in the long run, for the civilians of the country. However, as a society, it is disappointing to exist amongst few hollow minded individuals, who would unnecessarily criticise women like Kamala Harris instead of focusing on her achievements.. What exactly was the criticism about? The white pant suit she wore on that very day.

Over the years, many women like Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi were usually criticised over trivial things and one of the most common is, fashion the way they dress. The speech that Kamala Harris gave was powerful for everyone who has heard it, especially when she said “while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last”. A line that will be engraved in history that would empower all women. As the Vice President and as a woman, as a Black woman, she was dressed to claim her power in a white pant suit which also symbolises a beacon of achievement according to the early mission statement for the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage published in 1913. The suit that Harris wore, was by Wes Gordon, an American Designer. The attire included of a pussy-bow blouse which is considered a classic working woman’s attire, it is also known as a female version of a tie. However, according to many it wasn’t only fashion that played a role in Kamala Harris’s attire, many claim it had a political agenda behind the pantsuit.

The colour made perfect sense. White has long been associated with the women’s suffrage movement. This year is the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving some women the right to vote, wearing all white in a nod to the suffrage movement and the historic moment she now steps into. However, there seems to be an oversight, as their concern lies more on what she wears rather than her achievements. The Vice President-elect has actually worn white on other key occasions like, taking the stage at the 2012 Democratic convention, when she was California’s Attorney General.

This truly underlines a deep rooted problem in our society, we tend to overlook women and their brilliance. We feel intimidated by the very thought of a woman being in power. Princess Diana once said “I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path. It’s the strength that causes the confusion and the fear.

Why is she strong? Where does she get it from?

Where is she taking it?” It’s a true testament of how history always repeats itself, especially when strong women are concerned.

In black suiting and t r a d e m a r k pearls, in the vice presidential debate on 7 October.

Fashion Rise of Thrift Shopping

The reuse of second-hand clothes is the most Environmentally Friendly method.

By Muskaan Mirg If you have ever heard someone say they are going to go thrifting, you might be wondering what they mean.

Simply putting it, thrifting means shopping at a thrift store or flea market where you will find second-hand items at discounted prices.

Thrifted items have preloved by an earlier owner but are usually in undamaged shape with enough life left to be useful to a new owner. With the increasing awareness about ecological concerns and the increasing popularity of sustainable fashion, thrift retail stores are growing fast both in number and sales. Thrift stores are good for the environment. When items are reused and bought second-hand, fewer clothes are being used. A lot of people don’t know that producing clothes causes a lot of pollution. When fewer clothes are being made, pollution decreases, and the Earth is healthier.

Despite that, the come up of the second-hand clothing market has promoted the development of the fashion industry. While merging into people’s lives, it’s full of significance for the broader fashion industry.

Thrift stores are trending again during the months of lockdown, especially on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Weekly drops of preloved branded clothing are

available in good condition at cheaper prices. The key lies in the low prices of high end, still-wearable products.

Flaunting that you shop at Goodwill might help to remove the shame of wearing used clothing. Embellishing he idea of thrifting battles materialism. And at the same time, it conveys a nonlinguistic statement against manufacturers whose production methods rely on unfair and abusive labor practices.

Shopping at a thrift store or online is different than retail stores. When you go for thrift shopping, you don’t necessarily go to buy a specific item, it is more about hunting than locating one item. Because thrift shopping is full of vintage and offseason things, it’s exciting to think about what you might find. Whatever speaks to you, whatever you love, that’s what you’ll purchase! Plus, when you get to the checkout, you’ll notice your bill is cheaper than it would be at a retail.

Here you’ll find people who prefer a home filled with items that create a homey, creative feel, artists who love to experiment with their style, and smart buyers who find great things at a much lower price. Most thrift store shoppers can get lost in the aisles of a thrift store, the aisles of old books, clothing racks with vintage designer

The Fine Finds helmed by Aparna Balasubramanian

Fashion items, things that are unsold anywhere else anymore, etc.

There’s so much look around. A thrift store is a great place to find valuable jewelry, and items that you can’t find anywhere else, or You might discover designer products at a lower price, or You might think of developing a unique wardrobe. You may remember checking thrift shops for cheap things to outfit your interiors, or you may find something to assemble the perfect

Halloween costume.

However, the thrift store has a lot of benefits that are far beyond that once or twiceyearly trip. Thrift shopping is environmentally friendly because it battles fast fashion, so that’s one reason to look down to thrift stores.

Recycling things limits waste by ensuring that secondhand clothes don’t end up in landfills. It also reduces pollution linked with the creation of apparel around the world. A lot of thrift store owners are on the

Cycling up Trends Choosing classics over trends/fast fashion to contribute to a greener planet and happier customers. A dive into the fast fashion industry, the impact and what solutions can be chosen over it.

By Akshita Mehrish

From Carol’s Shop & Tea Room

Emily in Paris drop from Bombay Closet Cleanse

charitable missions of providing cheap clothes to poor people as well as providing job training and free HIV tests to clients who are unable to obtain them.

Thrift stores are businesses as you are guarantying that other charitable resources remain available through the cash flow you help to generate. It’s not development because you’re not displacing anyone or

launching a competing business. Instead, you’re appointing fresh capital to support and expand what’s already there. Therefore, the second-hand clothing market is gradually becoming a fashion trend.

At the same time, the second-hand clothing market is slowly becoming a new growth point in the fashion industry.

Imperfectly Perfect What is body positivity, and has it really reached the Indian fashion Industry?

A look into the realities of the fashion industry and what they think of body positivity.

By Akshita Mehrish

Flipping through the pages of the 2019 Vogue edition and looking at Varshita Thatavarthi flaunting her curves in a Sabyasachi lehenga. Isn’t that a true Indian dream?

Just to be seen alongside all those “skinny” models and still be appreciated? But do we need to be appreciated at all? Aren’t we all just flesh and bones at the end of the day?

Lakme fashion week, 2019 concluded their show to a collaboration with the plus sized label – ALL. The label

showcased the collection using regular sized women as models as compared to the “standard’ sized. Although this may seem quite daring in a market as stringent as the Indian one, it was a take to diminish the plus size market completely. How you ask?

ALL presented the viewers with a short film consisting of statements such as “ Jo aapko pyaar karta hai, sachha pyar karta hai” ( Who ever

loves you, loves you for whoever you are ) , “Hum auro se zyada jeete hain” (we live more large heartedly than others). Such statements would not have been used if the Industry were truly body inclusive and considered all to be one. Keerthi Gehlot, a 21 year-old stylist and a blogger based in Bangalore claims that the fashion industry seems to be opening up step by step.

“Instagram influencers such as Sakshi Sindwani are such big motivators for blogging beginners such as myself to open up and voice our take on the fashion of todays’ times. I feel like the mainstream industry which includes brands and labels could open to modelling career options for plus size women as it’s something our nation should begin talking more openly about rather than hush and quiet down those who do.”

In an article dated October 21st, 2019 of Forbes India, Writer Divya J Shekhar talks about Bengaluru based couture designer Rini Phalgunan who designs Indian couture sets. Rini adds, “We have seen a 45 percent increase in sales in this category of customers in the last two years. Since 2017, for example, our collection of suit sets [about 110 pieces] has been a sell-out,” she says, explaining that while people of larger sizes were traditionally underserved by an industry that offered them limited options, this segment of consumers has started asserting itself

Vanita Kharat of Kabir Singh fame is adamant on breaking stereotypes and promoting body positivity. and is experimenting with silhouettes and colours.”

“Most ‘plus size’ women are treated to jump suits, fit and flare styles, form-fitting dresses and the sheath dress depending on their body type. These are the only silhouettes we have been recommending this size category for years,” she says.

“But now the millennials are ready to experiment with shorter dresses, deeper necks, flared tunics, etc.”

Niharika Verma, a 23-yearold Fashion illustrator based in Bangalore adds that the fashion industry doesn’t have to add “plus size” as a category of clothing, rather include it as just another size in their size ranges. Instead of the regular S, M, L, one can start including XXL and XXXL as a normal range considering majority of the Indian clientele is oversized as compared to the ‘normal’ size range. She adds, “One should not be constricted to wearing what suits them (or rather what the standard fashion norms tell you) but wear what you feel most

confident in!”

Delhi baseda plus size model Vernika Jain said in a talk with The Times of India, “There is more discussion on inclusivity in the fashion world and less inclusion.”

Vernika added,” although designers and brands might say that they believe in inclusivity, “they design for curvy women and not plus sizes. If they do create clothes in bigger sizes, they charge extra. I have worked at a manufacturing firm also, there isn’t much difference in costing when designing for plus sizes.”

In a PopXo article dated 04th November 2020, writer Abhilasha Tyagi wrote, “On Instagram, Aishwarya Subramanyam (@otherwarya) raised a question about brands asking curvy people who opt for bigger sizes to pay extra, a ‘Fat Tax’, if you will.

The topic was picked up by Diet Sabya (@dietsabya) and it led to a discussion on the latter’s platform, people weighing in with first-hand testimonies.”

Abhilasha added, “Post all of it, designer duo Gauri & Nainika acknowledged that they too, had charged extra on occasion and it had always been an “uncomfortable” place. Putting an end to these charges based on sizes for once and for all, they further revised their terms and conditions to reflect the change. A condition that should never have existed in the first place, but owning up to discrimination and acknowledging a problem takes courage. We are glad that someone decided to correct things where required. Some names like Raw Mango and Papa Don’t Preach By Shubhika don’t abide by this practice while since the debate, Karan Torani has also pledged to follow a fair process.”

Following trends shouldn’t be so hard and definitely shouldn’t be based on how much you would have to pay because your size is bigger.

It should be about feeling comfortable in your skin and should be easy on your pocket.

India being most diverse democracy in the world was open to a wide spectrum of industrial revolutions, foreign ideologies, and industries since independence. As a result of this, India incepted LPG (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) policy and FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) to welcome foreign brands for doing business in India.

Consumers were then inclined towards good quality of foreign products.

The monopoly based capitalistic system captured the Indian markets but became detrimental for local businesses. During the course of these developments, trusted indigenous FMCG brands like Patanjali and Khadi Naturals also lost their sheen.

On May 12, Prime Minister Narender Modi, known for his global visits to push economic globalization gave India a Vocal for Local slogan. It instantly stimulated discourse all across manufacturing and retail. The social media thereafter was abuzz with nationalist posts boycotting products made elsewhere. Indeed, the boycott of products was targeted at China due to increased military tensions between India and China.

Numerous fashion brands then started publicizing the slogan by adding Made in India label on their apparels.

Even Ministry of Home Affairs banned all

90s Fashion“‘Writer’s Club Meeting” by silentmoonchild products manufactured in other countries from the canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from June 1. According to the statement, nearly 50 lakh families of about 10 Lakh CAPF personnel were bound to use indigenous products.

India being most diverse democracy in the world was open to a wide spectrum of industrial revolutions, foreign ideologies, and industries since independence. As a result of this, India incepted LPG (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) policy and

FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) to welcome foreign brands for doing business in India.

Consumers were then inclined towards good quality of foreign products.

The monopoly based capitalistic system captured the Indian markets but became detrimental for local businesses. During the course of these

developments, trusted indigenous FMCG brands like Patanjali and Khadi Naturals also lost their sheen.

On May 12, Prime Minister Narender Modi, known for his global visits to push economic globalization gave India a Vocal for Local slogan. It instantly stimulated discourse all across manufacturing and retail. The social media thereafter was abuzz with nationalist posts boycotting products made elsewhere.

Indeed, the boycott of products was targeted at China due to increased military tensions between

India and China.

Numerous fashion brands then started publicizing the slogan by adding Made in India label on their apparels.

Even Ministry of Home Affairs banned all products manufactured in other countries from the canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from June 1.

According to the statement, nearly 50 lakh families of about 10 Lakh CAPF personnel were bound to use indigenous products.

Mumbai dump yard filled with clothes

Identity

Fashion

One - of - A - Kind ‘Each one to her/his own’ is quite literally the mantra for the young adults of today, whether its their occupation or fashion sense or how both factors influence the other.

By Divya Beri Everyone is unique in their own way and thankfully, in the times we are living currently, young adults are more liberal and accepted in comparison to fifteen years ago.

An individual is a product of its environment, initially as children it’s family and school. However as we grow up into our twenties, eventually it becomes about their goals, aspirations and how we appear to others. They begin to be for mindful of their fashion sense and at times it is as per their career choice.

What is fashion to the young adults of today and how does it play a role in their daily life? To a few, it may not be a crucial part of their daily life and others wake up before dawn to, dress to impress. According to Arsh Mehta, a Legal Associate trainee at Kohli and Kohli Law Associates, Gurgaon, aged 23 years, “To me fashion has always been a means of personal expression. My style would be a mix of formal and casual, a shirt, chinos and loafers.” He further adds, “I think fashion plays a very vital role in our daily life. In my mind one’s sense of style always tells a tale, it in most cases plays a role in defining our mood, it expresses our sense of self and shows our true confidence as an individual.” Fashion is directly related to emotions, at times it can rescue you, on a bad day, from low-self-esteem and may help to uplift your mood before a hectic day at work. Others, may consider fashion as utility due to their more sustainable lifestyle as a whole. Mehr Bambra, a stylist, based in Gurgaon, aged 22 years, has the best of both worlds “Fashion is a way to look my best self and become a work of art without losing practicality.”

As young adults transition into their respective work life, their sense of dressing becomes fluid. Whether it is due to their occupation or change of work environment. Neeti Relan, an Analyst, based in Singapore, aged 24 years, opines that “Due to my work I dress formally, with full sleeves button down shirts and formal pants or dresses. I try to avoid patterns such as flowers as they look less formal. As an analyst, our clientele require us to reflect respect and establish authority and dressing in a rather formal and sharp manner bodes well in our industry.

Keep it cool and comfy like Kareena Kapoor Khan

TENDING the Bar High The profession of ‘bartending’ is not seen as something usual in India; people considers bartending as a secondary job, no longer do we expect a bartender to showcase his flair skills, instead we expect different concoctions from him.

By Deepali Agrawal Bartending has always been looked down upon as a secondary profession in India because of the mind-set of the Indian society which considers bartending to be a B-grade profession. But the truth of the matter is that hotel management (HM) which is considered to be a very popular course among students has bartending as a subject.

Confirming this is Rohanpreet Singh, age24, a hotel management student from Christ University says, We have studied bartending as a subject and

Fashion in 2021 (Picture Credit: IANS)

Though I have realised recently that I can pair slightly more casual tops with formal pants, add heels and its still quite professional. I will experiment with more such mixing going forward.” Whereas, Aarushi Garg, a final year student from National Institute of Fashion Technology, based in Delhi, aged 21 years, “My fashion sense, from the beginning has been majorly influenced by my family’s ideology and I have always enjoyed wearing ethnic clothes, on a daily. Now, I have to wear more subdued and more officially acceptable clothes since I will be working in a government office.”

People of all turfs are entitled to their own interpretation of fashion, it is not only a domain for those who are directly connected to the glamorous world. Be it, Educators, Lawyers or Government employees, they all have their own unique perspective on fashion and carry themselves according to their mood, official work, lifestyle etc. Over the years, the growth in the fashion industry is massive, globally. Especially due to the rise in E-commerce . Rimjhim Relan, an educator from the Anglo-Chinese School, based in Singapore, aged 25 years, says “ As a teacher, I have an obligation to my institution that I must look presentable at all times and also serve as a role model to my students. I prefer more sustainable and comfortable clothing but from formal brands.” As fashion is indeed, fluid, the brands are in sync with this very fluidity.

Whether we talk about luxury brands or fast fashion brands, they’ve got a variety of choices for their customers of different walks of life to feel comfortable and trusted in the brand. Most young adults love to show off, from

I am seriously considering making a career in bartending.

He further says, “At first my family was against me going into this profession but later I am so happy they understood the fact that bartending is no less as a profession.”

Bartending as a profession is very challenging but at the same time fun and also pays you well. One needs to be a skilled technician, an entertainer and a clever manager of people. He/she also requires good people managing skills as people gets drunk in a bar and bartender needs to know how to deal with such customers.

Clash of apps: India Vs China

luxury cars to the watch they accessorise. According to Arsh,“I am most comfortable in my own skin when I am

TikTok to PUBG Mobile to Shein, the list of Chinese apps banned in India kept growing in 2020.

With the ban on Chinese apps, India is marching forward to become a self-reliant country

By Shatabdi Bhowmick

Styled by Neeti Relan (2020)

Shraddha Kapoor rocks night wear in style

After the face-off at Ladakh, June 15, 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in the fight against the Chinese soldiers,theIndian governmentbanned Chinese apps on June 29, 2020. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology imposed the ban underSection 69A of the Information Technology Act.118 more Chinese apps were banned on September 02, 2020.

Picture Credit: Deepali Agrawal profession: Most people seem to think that bartending is strictly a temporary inbetween job that acts more as a gap filler rather than an actual career; bartending pays too little; it’s a dead end job.

There are different types of Courses in bartending such as Mixology & Flair Bartending, Certification Course in Wines & Spirits,

Exclusive Bartending Course and many more.

Most of the institutes that offer bartending courses allow direct admission for both the diploma and certificate courses.

Minimum qualifications for joining the bartending course include passing the 10+2 examinations in any stream.

For girls, bartending is a good career. A lot of lady bartenders do exceptionally well and are very successful.

But sadly, in India Bartending is seen as an alternate career, so hardly any girls do apply for the course. Also, hotels & restaurants should encourage lady bartenders as they add more flair to the bar.

began to see people using Indian apps that were newly launched in the market. Testing them, I found Roposo, Mitron, and Chingari are quite good.

Whenever I had to share or take some app, pictures, music, videos from other mobiles, I always used ShareIt or Xender.

Fortunately, I had ShareChaton my mobile. Thus, after the former apps werebanned, I automatically switched to the latter.

As a college student, I used CamScannerquite often.

Scanning and making pdfs were easily done through the app. In its absence, Kaagaz Scanner, DocScanner, and BharatScanner are the apps that I currently use.

Undoubtly, the app whic i miss the most, is SheIn.. The collections of clothes, accessories, shoes in that app were just mind-blowing. Even ClubFactory and ROMWE were banned, which made online shopping a bit less enthusiastic for me. But how can that mitigate my love for shopping? So, I hopped on the next best options, which are Bewakoof, AJIO, Myntra, Snapdeal, and Flipkart. Surprisingly, these apps are all Indian and are dominating the online shopping economy together!

I feel the initiative taken by the Indian government was necessary, but at the sametime, I felt the loss of the familiar apps like SheIn, Tiktok, ShareIt, CamScanner, Hago Play, etc.

It took some time, but soon Indian apps staked their authority over those Chinese banned apps.

wearing my preferred coats and overcoats from luxury brands, such as Raymond, Arrow, Givenchy and Burberry.”

In the current times, fashion has become an an integral part of the lives of the youth.

They want to portray the best image as they step out of their homes. However, it appears that each individual prefer brands that match their personal style and work dress code. As they evolve as individuals in their professions, that too will change with time and the rank they hold at their work.

Asif Amir, age 34, lives in Kolkata has 10 years of experience working in the food and beverage industry and an impressive 5 year experience of working as bartender having worked at refinery 091, it’s a bar based in Kolkata.

When asked how he made a mark for himself in the industry, Asif revealed that he became a bartender by chance and he learnt the art of bartending when he was working at the Hyatt Regency.

He further mentioned about the biggest misconception people have of this

Passing lockdown wouldn’t have been possible without family and games. What better way to spend other than playing Ludo King?

Clash of Kings and Mobile Legends were once very popular, but soon Ludo King occupied the top position after the ban.

Almost everyone in my circle used to make videos on Tiktok or VMate. Thus, banning those apps did affect fun time. Soon, I

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India Imagine clicking a selfie without filters? In 2020, people are literally addicted to it! Though I’m usually satisfied with my original self,there’s always a tiny bit of pull towards such selfies. Isn’t it? The moment when I heard the news about my precious apps being banned, what a horror it was! No more BeautyPlus, YouCam Perfect and Sweet Selfie! Luckily, the two Indian apps, Indian Selfie Camera and, Selfie Camera and Editing Expert were there to draw away my sorrows.

On the website of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, stated, “When India speaks of becoming self-reliant, it doesn’t advocate a selfcentred system. In India’s self-reliance; there is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation, and peace.” With the promotion of so many Indian apps, ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ will soon gain supremacy.

Identity

UN-FREE (LANCING)

Freelancing often looks better from the outside. To those in permanent employment being your own boss can sound like a dream, but the reality is very different. While freelancing has its perks, it definitely has its pitfalls (many of which can be terrifying to navigate)!

By Deepali Agarwal Running your own freelance business comes with a lot of perks. For starters, you don’t have to deal with a commute. You can choose your own hours. Comfortable in your PJ’s? Go ahead and spend all day wearing them. Have a dentist’s appointment in the middle of the afternoon? Not a problem.

Influenced with these benefits Rahul, age 24, graduated from Delhi University decided to try his hand on freelancing during covid.

When asked about his experience, he said that freelancing is not an easy job it comes with many challenges like managing time efficiency, finding clients, late payment, etc.

He further said, “As a freelancer, they are often at the mercy of their clients. From paying the bills late to making you mental with last-second requests, the companies that hire you can make or break your business and affect your overall satisfaction with the freelance lifestyle.”

Freelancers are not considered to be employees, since they are not dependent on their employers and have more autonomy.

Conversely, they are responsible for paying their own taxes and insurances meaning, that they also lack the benefits of employees. They are often paid on their productivity rather than on their time input.

The stability and security of a traditional “9 to 5” job is still seen to be a superior option among the older generation. This apparent stickiness in mindset can have adverse future effects on the freelance market. This perception is often reinforced by the irregularity in income for freelancers - in certain cases they have to go without work for several months.

It is also true, that Indian companies are still unwilling to see the benefits of outsourcing to freelancers. As quoted in businessknowhow.com Mr. Ajat Shatru, founder and CEO of Ghar Se Naukri, one of India’s first Online Freelancing platforms, that around 70-80% of jobs in the economy could be potential outsourced given the right infrastructure. Perhaps, a fundamental limitation is the stickiness in mindset, also within the employer group.

Freelancing has been a trend among students in India, much before the advent of the online world. Freelancing is reported to have become a huge opportunity for students to earn money

while studying. Businesses look for student copywriters, bloggers and essay writers to help with their online content. Online platforms are also advertising freelancing opportunities to students as a means for extra income, helping make a career choice, working independently and getting a paid opportunity to practice and build experience.

Surveyed by icrier organizations, (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) based in New Delhi, mentioned IIT Mumbai recently set up a cell for freelancers.

The new generation of startups in India signs up student freelancers from the IITs, who are trained in mobile app development, coding, design, etc.

Through their survey, they received enthusiastic response from students on opportunities to freelance. Student based online communities are becoming increasingly active and involved.

Working from home is often cited as an attractive feature of freelancing, yet it introduces new sets of constraints for the process of doing work, particularly for married women with families, who continue to bear the brunt of household chores and childcare despite increases in their paid work time.

It takes time to build up a regular flow of work – and even once you have it there’s no guarantee it’ll last. Regardless of whether you’re a freelance writer, designer or programmer, there’ll always be peaks and troughs in your workload; one day you’re shrugging off repeat requests for jobs, the next you’re emailing old clients begging them to send you work.

There’s no real way to “solve” this particular freelancing challenge – it’s just the “feast or famine” nature of the job.

Freelancing has its own perks and consequences. It is stressful working with no strict working hours.

Identity

Knitting and it’s evolution onto the runways A look at the journey of a grand mom, from knitting for her granddaughters to becoming an internet sensation. Dive into her world to understand how knitting has changed its course and integrated itself into high fashion.

By Akshita Mehrish options include cash-ondelivery and UPI links.

The image of knitting has changed from nostalgic memories of grandmothers and aunts knitting to seeing knitwear on the ramp and even on high street.

“For most of the 20th Century, knitwear was used in clothing that was relatively conventional, although, towards the end of the century, pioneers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Julien Macdonald began using knits in unusual ways and to create edgier

garments, expanding the applications of the technique”, says writer Cassidy George in an article titled, How knitting became cool, dated 1st July 2020 in BBC. Brands like H&M, Zara, Marks, and Spencers, etc. have all begun making knitwear casual clothing not just for winters but all year round by using lighter materials to knit. These fast fashion brands have changed the image of knitting and those bulky knitted sweaters by making lighter sweaters using Acrylic fibres instead of wool.

A beanie knit by Anita Sachdeva (Picture Credit: Akshita Mehrish) Remembering those days as a child, when you had to wait for your grand mom to knit up your customized sweater, in the colours chosen by you.

The wait ends on Christmas eve when you wake up to open the presents, just to see a box with your name written on it and signed by your grand mom. The box unveils a bright red sweater with white horizontal patterns in between across the width. Ah! The memory of wearing a knitted sweater by your grand mom is a whole other vibe of love and hard work.

In an article titled “How knitting became cool”, written by Madhur Tankha in The Hindu, dated 29th January 2016, Madhur talks about his memories of seeing his grandmother and aunts knitting in his childhood. She quotes, “Remember those unforgettable olden days when grandmother or that neighbourhood aunty fondly knitted a spunky sweater in your favourite colour. More than customized wear, it

was a labour of love and materialized purely out of love and affection for you.”

Madhur adds, “Once adorn it immediately stayed in your memory bank, giving a feel-good-factor and made you aware that someone close to you spent sleepless nights just to keep you warm, cosy in frosty weather conditions.”

Anita Sachdeva, an 80-yearold grandmother and an avid knitting expert residing in Bengaluru talks about her memories of knitting for her granddaughters. Anita knits sweaters, baby wraps, socks, gloves, and caps for little ones and sells them online.

Anita says, “It feels like just yesterday, when I used to sit out in our verandah of our Lucknow home, to knit scarves and sweaters for my granddaughters. The feeling it gave me back then is the sole reason, why I still knit for small kids and infantsto see a smile on their face and their parent’s faces when they see a hand-knit sweater.”

Anita also adds,” The feeling you get knitting all day and having sleepless nights just to see a young one smile, is priceless! Nothing beats that satisfaction of staying up the night to knit, not even those lightweight sweaters you get in the market now. How do they keep you warm?

Sweaters should be bulky and heavy to keep you cosy and warm in those cold and freezing nights.”

Anita Sachdeva has a variety of products ranging from Sweaters, scarves, beanies and even little mittens for infants. She uses a range of colours depending on the ones chosen by the client.

Anita’s pricing starts from as low as Rs.500 to Rs.2000 for sweaters, scarves, etc. based on the patterns chosen by the client. The knitting expert sells her craftwork on Facebook through public groups and numerous selling platforms on the app. The delivery options she has are FedEx for outstation customers and Dunzo or Swiggy for those residing within Bangalore. Payment

A baby wrap knit by Anita Sachdeva (Picture Credit: Akshita Mehrish)

Politics

Politics

BE INDIAN, SUPPORT INDIAN

Stand-up for Joke’s sake

The more you try to define laughter, the more it defies the definition. From the front page cartoons to the satirical headlines, humor creates instant verbal and visual bridges between the writer/creator and the reader/viewer. But it is an overwhelming “something” that has over the years elevated the ordinary of journalism in many ways.

We have to move forward with the mantra of make for the world along with Make in India

By Muskaan Mirg

By Maithilee Junankar Away from election rallies and neighborhood chai pe charcha, stand up satire has boomed in the last couple of years. “Politics mein bhi entertainment hona chahiye.

People are more eager to see Modi and Rahul, rather than Salman Khan and SRK,” Lucknow-based TikTok star Faizaan Siddiqui, whose studio made the ‘Rahul Gandhi in & as Gully boy’ parody video, which went viral, told Times Of India.

Artists, comedians, cartoonists have been a critical voice throughout contemporary history. For instance, Abu Abraham (who was an Indian cartoonist, journalist, and author) drew some really rebellious cartoons, including one that showed the President of India busy signing documents from his bathtub during the

Indian Supreme Court

Emergency, which were later compiled as a collection, titled ‘The Games of Emergency’ which was later censored. When V.C. Shukla, the information and broadcasting minister during the emergency, justified censorship and said “it was needed to stop the spread of rumor.” To which Abraham famously replied, “But why stop the spread of humor?”

Comedians similarly, are the artists who explore news and current affairs through their humor. Kshitij Raut, 24, Mumbai, satire stand-up comedian states, “Comedians are not a source of information for the public. Instead, they are partakers in public debate and are engaged in voicing rather than reporting.”

More recently, a “Hindu activist” filed a police complaint against one of the member of ‘Aisi Taisi Democracy’ (Youtube channel for satire artists), Sanjay Rajoura, for insinuating in one of

his gigs that, ‘perhaps, the lord Ganesh’s plastic surgery story is just a story, and not a history’. Even Vir Das’s recent Netflix fiction series, Hasmukh, was taken to court for being offensive to lawyers.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, dismissed the application seeking a ban on the show, with a welcome statement about free expression, “The very essence of democracy is that a creative artist is given the liberty to project the picture of the society in a manner he perceives. One of the prime forms of exposing the ills of the society is by portraying a satirical picture of the same. Standup comedians perform that very purpose.”

Sagar Punjabi, 27, Mumbai, stand-up comedian says, “Satire, in a perfect world, points a funny mirror at society. It exaggerates things in sardonic way that we’re too afraid to talk about.

Behind these jokes lies the ugly truth. But today,

comedians, who play the role of the truth-tellers, are faced with the terrifying prospect for their words. The natural impulse is to self-censor. To limit all provocations.”

Rachna Taneja (founder of Sanitary Panels) in one of her instagram stories mentioned, ‘And if, our system is fragile enough to be petrified by a satire stick figure, there is a long way to go.’ In such a scenario, it is admirable when a comedian has the courage to rub people the wrong way, to talk about horrors in our country, to challenge those in power.

Upgrade to Up-cycling

Traditionally in India, we refrain from discarding our clothes before putting them to other uses. However, what does it take to become a true Up-cycling Artist.

By Divya Beri We frequently toss out things when they are no longer of utilisation to us. Indeed, that is the means by which it works. Be that as it may, more often than not, things like wood, metal, plastic, and material can be give another rent of life by up-cycling disposed of waste. With a major populace, India naturally gathers a gigantic heap of disposed of waste every year.

use out of them. Reusing or up-cycling disposed of waste can lessen the weight on landfills and essentially decline the toxic impacts of waste on our current circumstance. The quickly changing atmosphere and expanding worldwide temperature have caused the world network to understand the significance of broadening the life of disposed of things.

Nonetheless, the Indian convention frequently forestalls disposing of the waste promptly, on the grounds that after things are finished filling their essential need, we attempt to separate some other

There are numerous individuals taking up upcycling activities to keep disposed of things from winding up in the landfills and taking out the hurtful effects of waste on the environments.

Jayesh

Mitra Gruwell made a soft clutch purse using old quilt. (2020)

Purushwani, an Up-cycling artist, based in Nagpur, aged 26 years says, “Upcycling for me is gathering materials which are useless to someone and making it useful for someone else by changing its basic purpose

of use. Eureka! You have something old with a new purpose.” In today’s times, it’s become crucial for us to rethink certain practices that are harmful for the environment. People are encouraged to Up-cycle

as much as they can as sustainability is key. Garima Singh, an up-cycling artist, aged 24 years, based in Delhi, says, “ Upcycling is beneficiary as we get to see lesser things getting thrown in junkyards and in a survey it shoes that only 15-20 percent waste gets recycled.

Recycling consumes energy to make anything reusable with same purpose. Whereas all up-cycling consumes is creativity, man power and time.” Numerous creative things can be made through up-cycling, like colourful coasters, rugs, Diwali decorations etc,. The artists bring out of the box ideas made out of just waste.

(Cont. to pg 17.)

Advertisment of ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, by Indian Government.

Vocal for Local became the most trending campaign that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the idea behind the movement isn’t new.

On May 13, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the whole nation about the pandemic resulting in a lockdown. PM Modi delivered a speech during which he said ‘The mindset of free India should be Vocal for Local. We should appreciate our local products, if we don’t do this then our products won’t get the opportunity to do better and won’t get encouraged.’

‘Today, many big companies are turning towards India.

We have to move forward with the mantra of make for the world along with Make in India’, the PM added.

The basic meaning of Vocal for Local is to make local goods, use them, and promote them. The use

of local products not only strengthens the local identities but also boosts the economy. It encouraged people to start producing the necessary goods and reduce the use of imported goods. There have been many challenges in the Indian economy.

When Amul was launched, many multinational brands dominated it, as they had quality, budget, and power.

The government, in its efforts, is trying to make sure they promote local products as much as possible and ban lowquality ingredients to gain trust and support from consumers.

‘Numerous challenges are present for Atmanirbhar Bharat’, but also highlighted the strength of the country which is capable to find solutions to every problem. ‘If there are lakhs of challenges then the country also has the power to find crores of solutions,

my countrymen who give us the strength of the solution’, PM Modi said.

The positive effect of Vocal for Local has been seen during the Diwali festival.

People appreciated and purchased locally made diyas and many other things used during the festival instead of Chinese products. Apart from the Diwali festival, the campaign encouraged citizens to look for Made in India tags just as they look for manufacturing dates, MRP, and other details before buying any product.

This simple idea will help the country rebuild its economy and will become self-reliant.

To find out how this COVID-19 pandemic affected the local businesses, a few local sellers were interviewed; Raman Vij (45 years old, Ludhiana-based) is a fashion designer who focuses on menswear. ‘In

the beginning, the business was slow, and the orders were completely on hold as being a part of the fashion industry, the fashion related things came to a halt and it created difficulty in business.

Mansi Goel (Age 32, Delhibased) is a brand owner namely The Body Gold India which heals in skincare products that are a blend of ayurvedic and modern science. ‘The products are 100% natural and authentic’, says Mansi. The Body Gold India’s consuming power came down as the money circulation in the economy stopped which led to lower sales.

Another local seller is Vedhika Gupta (21 years old, Delhi-based) owns a DIY perfume brand, The Odour Company. TOC lets you create scents using several natural fragrances at home at affordable prices.

TOC’s sales grew up during

the lockdown as people started doing creative and productive things at home and TOC has creative and productive DIY kits.

Vocal for Local campaign strengthens the sense of brandownership for local seller’s innovations and ideas.

It does not replace foreign brands but promote Indian brands. The pandemic was an opportunity for businesses in India.

The breaks in the supply chain during the lockdown created problems in the business. This led to a downfall in the demand of commodities and hurt businesses. Being ‘Vocal for Local’ is necessary on personal level as well as on national level. In the process to make India selfsufficient and self-reliant once again, we must appreciate the ideas and innovations that come up within the country.

Upgrade to Up-cycling Nainika Kumar, aged 25 years, a Fashion Design Graduate, based in Gurgaon, shares, “ Being from a designer’s field, I don’t prefer to bring inspiration through the internet. As creativity plays a very important role in the process, I like to be driven by something more personal.

Like collecting those things

which I was able to visualise as a brand new product.”

Basic materials like books, cardboard boxes, paper, pots, pans and water drums can be up-cycled into beautiful decoration or whatever one may like. If you look carefully in your home or workplace, you will never run short of products that can and should be upcycled.

Upcyclying glass bottles to make vases for house plants.

by Jayesh Purushwani

Also, for all you know, if you take to upcycling as a hobby, it might eventually turn into a profitable business! Apart from the environmental impact, up-cycling can also benefit needy people like in the case of REACH, a student-driven social development initiative taken

by IIT-alumni. Upcycling has a tremendous potential

to make India one bit nearer to a sans waste future, and in the event that we channelise the contemplations referenced above for the improvement of the climate and remember them while unpredictably abusing nature, there is a small chance that the a worldwide temperature alteration emergency can be deflected.

Interactive CrossWord

DOWN 13.American Attorney 14.Right to Vote 15.Overawe 16.Origin in Tamil Nadu 17.Activities of leisure 18. Ancient Indian sage 19.Multi-player game 20.Increase 21.Funds 22.Indeterminate sex 23.Gender identity 24.Multicoloured 1.BUMBLE 2.ENTREPRENEUR 3.INTERACTIVE 4.STEREOTYPICAL 5.MILLENIAL 6.CONTRAPTION 7.CONSENSUAL 8.HETEROSEXUAL 9.DEHUMANISATION 10.AMALGAMATION 11.CLIENTELE 12.GIVENCHY

ACROSS 1.Online Dating App 2.Profit maker 3.Influencing each other 4.Overgeneralized belief 5.Generation Y 6.Strange device 7.Involving consent 8.Opposite sex 9.Negative human qualities 10.Combination 11. Customers 12.French fashion

13. FERRARO 14.SUFFRAGE 15.INTIMIDATED 16.BHARATANATYAM 17.RECREATIONAL 18.MAHARISHIS 19.VALORANT 20.ACCELERATED 21. LUMIKAI 22.ANDROGYNOUS 23.TRANSGENDER 24.RAINBOW

Full Fathom Five

BY SYLVIA PLATH

Old man, you surface seldom.

Then you come in with the tide’s coming When seas wash cold, foam-

Starts with a danger: Your dangers are many. I Cannot look much but your form suffers Some strange injury

To make away with the groundWork of the earth and the sky’s ridgepole.

Waist down, you may wind

Capped: white hair, white beard, far-flung, A dragnet, rising, falling, as waves Crest and trough. Miles long

And seems to die: so vapors Ravel to clearness on the dawn sea.

The muddy rumors

One labyrinthine tangle To root deep among knuckles, shinbones, Skulls. Inscrutable,

Extend the radial sheaves Of your spread hair, in which wrinkling skeins Knotted, caught, survives The old myth of origins Unimaginable. You float near As keeled ice-mountains Of the north, to be steered clear Of, not fathomed. All obscurity

Of your burial move me To half-believe: your reappearance Proves rumors shallow, For the archaic trenched lines Of your grained face shed time in runnels: Ages beat like rains On the unbeaten channels Of the ocean. Such sage humor and Durance are whirlpools

Below shoulders not once Seen by any man who kept his head, You defy questions; You defy godhood.

I walk dry on your kingdom’s border Exiled to no good.

Your shelled bed I remember.

Father, this thick air is murderous.

I would breathe water.

Pin by Dani Rios castañeda on Hombre art in 2020