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EDITORIAL Editorial
3
he bitter experiences in the Karnataka Assembly elections and also in by-polls held in different parts of the country, the BJP appears to be worried ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the Opposition parties began chanting unity mantra, though there it seems difficult. While former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav proposed putting up a joint candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress remained non-committal on the proposal when its spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said it is too early and it was up to political parties to decide. Instead, the Congress said it would work out different strategies with parties in states to ensure that there is no division of anti-BJP votes in the next general elections. Singhvi said various elections - from Uttar Pradesh to Karnataka - show how the BJP benefits from vote division and the Congress intends to counter it. The Congress and other political parties are working out with various opposition parties to contest the next Lok Sabha elections as a joint opposition to defeat the BJP and keep it out of power. On the other hand, BJP allies Shiv Sena and JD (U) appear to be uncomfortable in the NDA as the saffron party continues its expansionist moves. BJPs ally in Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has already severed ties alleging non-cooperation from the centre. However, the truth is that the TDP is peeved with the expansionist moves of the BJP. With Opposition numbers swelling and its allies rethinking on whether to continue in NDA, the BJP will have to rely heavily on the charisma of PM Modi to win the 2019 elections. Also, BJP has one more strategist in the form of Ram Madhav from Telangana, who is likely to become the National President after Amit Shah. Sources say Ram Madhav played crucial role in bringing the party to power on North East, where the party’s presence has been very nominal and he will certainly spin his magic in support of Modi to keep the party in power after 2019 elections. (Sudhakar) THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
4 Contents
Indian-origin children monopolise Spelling Bee championship for 11th year 20
`240 cr insurance reignite Sridevi death mystery
8
Actress Sridevi's sudden demise left a void in the hearts of millions of her fans. Entire nation united in mourning the death of the first female superstar of the country on Feb 24. The circumstances under which she breathed her last raised questions on the cause of her death then.
Challenges candidates face during 36 interviews
MIM legislator grabs burial ground
14
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
41
Walk faster to live healthy
46 If you want to live longer and remain healthy, then start walking at a faster pace as it can reduce the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease, say researchers.
Contents
5
Watson blitz help Chennai clinch 3rd IPL title
Andhra Pradesh gets separate state symbols Neem and black buck have been declared as the state tree and animal respectively of Andhra Pradesh. The rose-ringed parakeet will be the state bird while jasmine the flower, Principal Secretary of Environment and Forests, G Anantha Ramu said in an order on May 30.
Shane Watson was back to his brutal best as the opener's scintillating unbeaten 117 runs helped Chennai Super Kings lift their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the summit clash here on May 27.
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Tips to prevent indoor air pollution 30
Secunderabad 3rd most beautiful railway station in India
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THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
6
Tribals declare ‘self-rule’ in Telangana
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ribals across Telangana have erected black flags in their hamlets, protesting against government indifference in addressing the longstanding conflict between Banjara Lambadas and Adivasis. With the slogan “Maava Naate Maava Raaj” (our village, our rule), and to the beat of their traditional drum – the thudum – the tribal population in the state declared self rule
in all Adivasi villages on the night of May 31. The Adivasis have erected banners and black flags declaring self-rule under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. The protest is led by former TDP MLA Soyam Baburao, state president of Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi, also known as Thudumdhebba. Thudumdhebba is an Adivasi political group that derives its name from the traditional drum.
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Thudumdhebba leaders say that at least 2000 Adivasi hamlets across Karimnagar, Warangal, Kothagudem, Khammam, Mahabubad, Komaram Bheem, Mancherial, Nirmal and Adilabad districts have declared self-rule. Protesters say they will not cooperate with the government, and will operate on their own under the Grama Sabha Vyavastha (village committee system.) The decision to declare self-rule
Telangana
was taken at a meeting by the Adivasis in Keslapur, Adilabad on May 27. The agitating Adivasi leaders later met the Chief Secretary of the state on May 31. However, disappointed with the government’s response to their plight, they went ahead with the strike. The Adivasis accuse the Lambadas of exploiting reservations for Scheduled Tribes, and depriving them of opportunities in education and employment. Soyam Baburao, the man behind the agitation, says that they are also fighting against cultural appropriation by the Lambadas. “They are ruining our culture, encroaching upon our lands and ruling us. All the IAS and government officers are from the Lambada community. Our people are not able to get jobs, as these people are exploiting the quota. We are the marginalized community, who need the aid of the government; and are in need of reservation,” Soyam Baburao says. The Adivasis allege that the Lambadas were included in the ST
list in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in a haste in 1976, without following proper procedure. “No procedure was followed. No committee was constituted. They didn’t ask the opinion of the Adivasis. Didn’t study the implications of it. Because of these procedural lapses, we are in such a mess,” claims Baburao. Baburao alleges that though the Lambadas are entitled for reservation only in education, they have been using them for getting jobs too. “There’s not one person from the Adivasi community who is in a major position to represent us. The Lambadas are taking away our opportunities,” he laments. Adivasi activist, Athram Bhujang Rao observes that the conflict between the Adivasis and Lambadas is also because of the struggle for domination. “The Adivasis can’t take the diktats of Lambadas who are less in number, but occupy all influential positions. It is a struggle for power and who wields power over whom,” he says. Tensions between the Adivasis THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
7
and the Banjara Lambadas have been simmering for many years. However, the tensions escalated after the Lambadas erected the statue of ‘Shaanki Maata’, in the same enclosure as Komaram Bheem, a heroic Gond leader who fought against the Nizam’s misrule. The appropriation of the Lambadas in the tribal museum, with their statues and artifacts, angered the Adivasis and led to a clash in 2016. In a series of such minor clashes, the conflict turned violent in December last year after the Lambadas allegedly retaliated by garlanding the statue of Komaram Bheem with slippers. To control the violence, the state had blocked internet connection in the area for several days, and also issued a gag order to the media against reporting about the incident. The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, read with Article 244, says that some areas in the country which have a large tribal population can be designated as “Scheduled Areas” by the President of India. The Constitution further says that these areas will have a Tribal Advisory Council, that will advise the Governor on the administration of these areas, including on what laws will be applicable there. In 1996, the Scheduled Areas were given the power of self governance, just like a Panchayat, as per the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). Currently, four districts in Telangana are partly covered under PESA – Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Khammam and Warangal. The protesters have now declared that they will self govern their hamlets in Karimnagar, Kothagudem, Komaram Bheem, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Mancherial, and Nirmal as well.
8 Mystery
`240 cr insurance reignite Sridevi death mystery
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ctress Sridevi's sudden demise left a void in the hearts of millions of her fans. Entire nation united in mourning the death of the first female superstar of the country on Feb 24. The circumstances under which she breathed her last raised questions on the cause of her death then. Three months later, few shocking reports make one to rethink if the actor died a natural death. Sunil Singh, the petitioner, who is a filmmaker, too had moved the top court challenging a Delhi High
Court order rejecting his plea seeking investigation into the death of veteran actor. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud rejected the plea even as senior counsel Vikas Singh raised questions on how could a 5.7 foot tall person drown in a 5.1 foot bathtub. According to Singh's lawyer, Vikas Singh, an insurance policy worth Rs 240 crore was bought in Sridevi's name in Oman. The reason to suspect Sridevi's death is
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
not the policy but a clause, which says the amount could be encashed only if the actor died in Dubai. According to the post-mortem report, the actor died due to "accidental drowning" in a bathtub in a Dubai hotel. She was there to attend a family wedding. As reported earlier, a retired ACP Ved Bhushan also alleged that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim might have a role in the actor’s death. Raising questions on the investigation of Dubai police, Bhushan had said that Dawood's influence in the foreign country might have caused a faulty probe. The ex-cop, who runs a private investigation agency, said that he has evidence to back his claim, which he would reveal at the right time. Only time will unfold the mystery surrounding Sri's death, if there is any but if these reports has an iota of truth to them than it would be even more heartbreaking than the demise of the 54-year-old diva who ruled the silver screen and hearts of her loyal fans for decade.
Crune
9
cbi alleges scam in airasia clearance during uPa govt
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argeting yet another alleged wrongdoing during the UPA regime, the CBI has named AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and others in a criminal case of violating FDI norms in giving effective management to a foreign entity through FIPB clearance in 2013 and attempt to bribe for tweaking rules to get a licence for its joint venture to operate international flights. The CBI FIR also names "unknown public servants" of the Civil Aviation Ministry, the then Foreign Investment Promotion Board, R. Venkataramanan, Director AirAsia, the AirAsia Group Deputy CEO T. Kanagalingam alias Bo Lingam. The FIR also alleges that in December 2014, Sunil Kapoor, who runs an in-flight catering company, along with Bo Lingam handed over a packet containing Rs 50 lakhs to facilitate the removal of the rule that required five years domestic flying experience and 20 aircraft to get a licence to fly internationally. The CBI said it had received information that AirAsia India was indirectly controlled
and operated by the AirAsia Group and particularly AirAsia Berhad, violating the norms of the then FIPB. This structure was directly formalised through a "Brand Licence Agreement" signed by AirAsia represented by Fernandes and AirAsia Berhad represented by Bo Lingam on April 17, 2013 which indirectly made AirAsia India a de facto subsidiary rather than a joint venture. As per the then FDI policy, foreign airlines were allowed to own up to 49 per cent of shares in domestic airlines but effective management control must remain with the Indian partner. "It is further revealed that the shareholders and Indian partners of the joint venture, including the board members, were not only aware of these intentions but also consciously ensured violating the then FIPB norms. Hence, violation of FDI norms were prima facie found by giving effective management to a foreign entity. The FIR alleges that Fernandes wanted the airline venture to be able to fly internationally from Day One and their local Indian partner Tata Sons Ltd through their
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nominee Venkataramanan would lobby to get all government approvals including the then FIPB clearance and amendment/removal of the existing 5/20 rules of international civil aviation. It also names several others as playing a liasion role and that a secret cabinet note was sent in February 2014 to the cabinet to amend/remove 5/20 rule. The proposal, however, could not be approved since elections were already announced. In its reaction, AirAsia India Limited (AAIL) said it refutes any wrongdoing and was cooperating with all regulators and agencies to present "correct facts". "In November, 2016 AAIL had initiated criminal charges against its ex-CEO and had also commenced civil proceedings in Bangalore for such irregularities," Air Asia India's Director Shuva Mandal was quoted as saying in a statement. "We hope to bring early resolution to all such issues."
10 Regional
Andhra has highest number of smokers in south India
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ndhra Pradesh has the highest number of people who smoke tobacco, in south India, according to a new study backed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) along with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that 19% of men, 2% of women and 10.7% (99.5 million) of all adults currently smoke tobacco. On the other hand, 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women and 21.4% (199.4 million) of all adults use smokeless tobacco.
As far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, the study found that 14.2% of the people smoke, compared to India's national average at 10.7, while 7.1% use smokeless tobacco, which was much lesser than the national average at 21.4%. While Mizoram ranked highest in the country with 34.4% smokers, all southern states except Andhra remained below the national average. The study found that 8.3% of the people in Telangana were smokers, while the figure for Karnataka was 8.8%. The study said the number of people who smoke tobacco in Kerala was 9.3%, while the figure for Tamil Nadu was 10.5%. However, when it came to the
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
combined prevalence of current tobacco of smoking and smokeless tobacco among states and union territories, Andhra Pradesh fared much better. While both Andhra and Tamil Nadu were both ranked at 20%, Telangana was ranked at 18.8% and Karnataka and Kerala at 22.8% and 12.7% respectively. This, against India's national average at 28.6%. The study also found that 92.4% of adults believed that smoking causes serious illness and 95.6% of adults believed that use of smokeless tobacco causes serious illness. Despite this, the average monthly expenditure on cigarettes by a daily smoker, amounted to Rs 1,192.5. The same figure for beedis was Rs 284. It also said that awareness campaigns and advertisements asking people to quit tobacco, were working well. GATS 2 is a national representative survey that helps countries fulfil their obligations under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organisation.
12 Cover story
BJP
KARNATAKA FIA B
Action likely against Yeddi, Mural
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haratiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to form the government in Karnataka and its chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa had to quit in an unceremonious manner without even facing the trust vote. Eventually, H D Kumaraswamy became the chief minister with the
support of Congress. With 37 JD(S) MLAs, 78 Congress MLAs and support of a few others, the JD(S)-Congress’ post-poll alliance managed to sail through the trust vote on May 25 as the House looked half empty with no BJP MLA present. The motion expressing confidence in the Kumaraswamy government was adopted by voice vote
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in the presence of JD(S)-Congress coalition MLAs and other lawmakers supporting the government. Kumaraswamy's motion seeking the confidence vote was declared passed by voice vote by Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar. BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are said to be furious at these developments. Sources said that
Cover story 13
H D Kumaraswamy
A SCO idhar Rao
Shah and Modi had enquired with Yeddyurappa and BJP Karnataka incharge Muralidhar Rao whether they have ‘horses in their hand’ to prove majority even before Yeddyurappa met the Governor with a request to invite him to form government. Sources said Yeddyurappa and Rao had told Shah and Modi that they have ‘enough horses’ and
easily sail through the confidence vote. BJP was invited to form the government on May 17 by Governor Vajubhai Vala, despite BJP having 104 MLAs, which is less than the majority mark required to form the government. Following a Supreme Court order, Yeddyurappa was faced with a floor test on May 19 However, to the utter shock of Yeddiyurappa and Rao, they ‘discovered’ after the oath taking ceremony that ‘many horses in the BJP’ were not happy and all set to jump over to the other side if voting was carried out. According to sources, Yeddiyurappa and Rao were not ready to take the humiliation that they might suffer after the trust vote and THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
instead decided to submit resignation even before taking up confidence motion. This in turn infuriated Shah and Modi because they wanted to project Karnataka results for a smooth sail in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Now that the BJP failed to form government and Opposition parties are coming together to face BJP in the 2019 elections, the job has become more difficult for Shah and Modi. Consequently, it is learnt that Shah and Modi are planning to take action against Yeddiyurappa and BJP national secretary Muralidhar Rao for their failure to form government as well as for the foolish decision to form government without having numbers in their pockets.
14 Land Grab
MIM legislator grabs burial ground A
MakeS croreS by Selling plotS
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ll India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator representing Yakutpura Assembly Constituency, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, is said to have grabbed a burial ground in the Old city worth several crores of rupees. According to the Kumarwadi Peace Welfare Society, which fought against the grabbing of burial ground, the MIM legislator along with his brother Mukhtar Ahmed Khan and his son Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, assisted by local MIM leaders known for anti-social activities, grabbed the burial ground admeasuring 6,314.88 square yards, situated in survey No. 309/1 to 5 in TS No.1, Block-G,
Ward No.275 of Kandikal Village in Bandlaguda Mandal. The welfare society president, Mohammed Ahmed Khan, along
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
with other office bearers, had submitted representations to the District Collector of Hyderabad district, Revenue Divisional Officer, Commissioner of Hyderabad city police, deputy commissioner of police, assistant commissioner of police, Santoshnagar, Inspector of police, Madannapet, zonal commissioner of south zone, GHMC and Tahsildar, Bandlaguda as early as November 2017, bringing to their notice about the land
grabbing and requesting them to prevent it. But the irony is that the GHMC and revenue authorities kept passing the buck to each other apparently to help the MIM legislator go ahead with the grabbing of burial ground, which is evident from the reply of the GHMC officials to the RTI application filed by Ahmed Khan and the letter addressed to the GHMC officials by the Bandlaguda Tahsildar. “When local people began opposing the MLA , he gave it a communal colour and started constructing a Masjid on Shamshanghat in his mother’s name on 300 sqare yards and marketed the remaining land and Asaduddin Owaisi was given 1000 sqare yard which is sold through his close MIM follower and fetched crores”, Ahmed Khan told The News. He also alleged that Mumtaz khan, his brother Mukhtar Khan and son Imtiyaz Ahmed Khan have earned about Rs 23 crores from selling the land grabbed. While the officials responsible for preventing the land grabbing looked the other way in view of the MIM legislator’s influence, the land grabbers completed the construction of mosque on a 300 square yards of grabbed land and selling away the remaining land. Ahmed Khan also told The News that Mumtaz Khan and his brother published an advertisement in Ettemad Urdu Newspaper, which belongs to MIM, on April 29, 2018 about the inauguration of Masjid-e-Mahmooda Begum. MIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, who himself is a beneficiary of the land grabbing and Mufti Khaleel of Jamia Nizamia, pro MIM moulana graced the inauguration ceremony
Land Grab 15
as the chief guests, Ahmed Khan said. All the elected representatives of MIM, its functionaries and activists and even some police officers had dinner after the inauguration of the mosque on the burial ground. The Ettemad daily carried a news item on April 30, Ahmed Khan said. He also alleged that Mumtaz khan had earned more than Rs 300 crore by land grabbing in Yakutpura Asssembly Constituency alone. Ahmed Khan said that prayers cannot be offered at a mosque illegally constructed on a government land, particularly when the land is a Hindu burial ground. To substanTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
tiate his claim, Ahmed Khan obtained a fatwa issued by the Mufti of Jamia Nizamia, Shibliganj. He demanded that Mumtaz Khan should make it clear whether the land on which he had constructed mosque in his mother’s name was purchased or burial ground. He also demanded that the legislator should make it clear whether Islam allows Muslims to offer Namaz in the mosque constructed on a grabbed land, that too when it is a Hindu burial ground. He further demanded that the minister concerned, K Taraka Rama Rao, should take action in this connection besides initiating action against the officials for not acting against the land grabbers.
16 Political
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bJp suers shock d opposition unity gets b
head of next year's general elections, a united opposition got a major boost when it delivered a huge blow to the BJP, defeating it in the Kairana Lok Sabha by-election in Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra while the saffron party managed to retain the Palghar parliamentary seat and win only one out of the 10 Assembly seats in 10 states.
rlD leader Jayant chaudhary hoped that the combined opposition would keep its momentum to defeat the bJp in the lok Sabha elections next year. "i am confident that the rlD will play a role in how to carry forward the opposition unity and alliance. Whatever the alliance, we will play a positive role," he told reporters. Out of the four Lok Sabha constituencies that voted on May 24, the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency returned the candidate of the ruling Nagaland Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP ally, who defeated the Naga People's Front (NPF) candidate.
The biggest shock for the BJP came from Kairana -- a seat the BJP won in 2014 -- where the opposition had put up a common candidate. Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, the SP THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
and the BSP, trounced the BJP's Mriganka Singh in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh by over 55,000 votes. The BJP along with its allies had swept 73 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 general elections and won an overwhelming 312 seats out of a
Political 17
defeats, by-poll boost
total 423 in the state assembly elections last year. Along with the Kairana reverse, the BJP also suffered the ignominy of losing the Noorpur Assembly seat to the Samajwadi Party in the by election in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi candidate Naimul Hassan de-
The biggest shock for the BJP came from Kairana -- a seat the BJP won in 2014 -- where the opposition had put up a common candidate. feated BJP's Avani Singh by over 6,200 votes. The Kairana defeat for the BJP comes on top of the failure to retain Gorakhpur and Phulpur in the byelections in March this year in which the Samajwadi candidates, with the backing of BSP, had defeated BJP candidates. In Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win came in a triangular fight in which the candidate of its sulking ally, the Shiv Sena, cornered a considerable chunk of votes. BJP's Rajendra Gavit defeated Shiv Sena's Srinivas Wanga by over 29,500 votes. However, the BJP candidate Hemant Patel had to bite the dust in the Bhandara-Gondiya seat in the state with the NCP's Madhukar Kukde snatching the constituency that was won by the BJP in the 2014 poll. The Congress supported the NCP candidate in the current by poll. Kukde defeated Patel by over 45,000 votes. RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary hoped that the combined opposition would keep its momentum to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year. "I am confident that the RLD will play a role in how to carry forward the opposition unity and alliance. Whatever the alliance, we will play a positive role," he told reporters. Of the 10 assembly seats where by-polls were held last Thursday, the BJP scored just one in Uttarakhand while the Congress won THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Punjab's Shahkot, Karnataka's RR Nagar and Meghalaya's Ampati that made it the single largest party in the northeastern state. The Trinamool Congress won the Maheshtala seat in West Bengal while the CPI-M candidate defeated a Congress rival in Kerala's Chengannur. Jailed politician Lalu Prasad's RJD defeated the ruling BJP and JD-U's joint candidate in Bihar's Jokihat assembly seat where it was more of a battle of prestige for the former allies - the RJD and the JDU. RJD's Shahnawaz Alam beat a JD-U candidate by over 41,000 votes. Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav, a former Deputy Chief Minister, said the loss was a lesson for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who broke away from the anti-BJP grand alliance and joined hands with the BJP in Bihar. "Want to thank all the opposition parties for coming together against the BJP‌ This loss proves that Nitish Kumar has deceived the people of Bihar and people have responded to it. People of Bihar are avenging the U-turn taken by Nitish Kumar," Tejashwi Yadav said. The Jokihat assembly seat was left vacant after the sitting JD-U lawmaker quit the party and joined the RJD following Nitish Kumar's decision to go with the BJP last year. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bagged both the Assembly seats of Silli and Gomia in the state.
18 Political
amit shah kicks o bJP's massive outreach programme
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JP President Amit Shah launched a massive nationwide "Sampark Se Samarthan" (contact for support) personal outreach programme to highlight the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led government in the last four years. Shah kicked off the programme on May 29 by calling on former Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag at his residence at Mandir Marg in New Delhi. He handed Suhag a few booklets on the achievements of the Modi government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief also met former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha and constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap at his residence. After meeting them, Shah told the media: "I went to Suhagji and
Kashyapji's residences and apprised them of the work of Modi government in the last four years. I handed them the booklet on achievements of the government." Shah is scheduled to personally meet at least 50 eminent personalities to apprise them of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's achievements. Explaining the party's massive outreach programme, the BJP chief said: "The nationwide programme has been launched on the completion of four years of the Modi government at the Centre." He said that 4,000 elected members of the BJP would connect with over one lakh people from every field across the country. Besides the elected members, 50 lakh BJP workers would launch a door-to-door campaign and meet
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
citizens throughout the country. Shah said: "The aim of this programme is to inform the people about how the BJP has worked for every section of the society and touched their lives, which the country had been expecting for a long time." He stressed that the BJP had touched the lives of the poor and also served a number of villages in the last four years by taking government schemes to the rural areas. The BJP leader, also a Rajya Sabha member, said: "In the fifth year of this government, the BJP will increase the income of farmers and also provide health insurance worth Rs 5 lakh each to 50 crore households across the country." It is part of the party's effort to reach out to the maximum number of people ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Global 19
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alaysia on May 29 ended a four-year hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 after searching more than 80,000 square kilometres without finding any traces of the aircraft. The plane disappeared on March 8, 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who left office after losing the elections earlier this month, had signed a contract in January with the US company Ocean Infinity to track the area of the Indian Ocean where experts believe the plane crashed. According to the agreement, Malaysia would have paid a reward of up to $70 million if the company had found the wreckage. But it
Malaysia ends four-year hunt for missing MH370 found nothing and the Malaysian government said it has no plans to begin any new searches after the deadline for the search expired on Tuesday. Grace Nathan, whose mother was on MH370, told the Guardian newspaper that she was opposed to ending the hunt. "People might think: 'Why are these people still harping on about this, it's been four years'. It's important for people to remember that MH370 is not history," she said. According to the official investigation, flight MH370 disappeared from the radar about 40 minutes after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, after someone turned off the communication systems and turned the aircraft around. So far, 27 fragments of the plane have been recovered at beaches in Reunion, Mozambique, Mauritius, South Africa and Pemba THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Island (Zanzibar), after they followed the currents of the Indian Ocean, according to the official hypothesis of the disaster. From these retrieved pieces, experts confirmed that three wing fragments found in Reunion, Mauritius and Pemba belong to the MH370, another seven pieces, including parts of the interior of the cabin, are "almost certainly" from the missing aircraft and another eight bear a "high probability". Ocean Infinity's operations followed the first phase of the search, which was undertaken by the Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities at a cost of more than $151 million and suspended in early 2017. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said a full report into the plane's disappearance will be published in the future but did not give a date.
20 Diaspora
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Indian-origin children monopolise Spelling Bee championship for 11th year
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or the 11th consecutive year, Indian-origin children have monopolised the National Spelling Bee crown with Karthik Nemmani winning the 2018 championship, beating out five others in the last rounds. Karthik, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Texas, spelt "koinonia" correctly for his victory on Thursday night after second place winner, 12-year-old Naysa Modi, got "bewusstseinslage" wrong. "It's what I've been dreaming of for years now," Karhik said. He takes home $40,000 and a trophy from Scripps Bee, which is sponsored by the EW Scripps media group, in addition to a $2,500 cash prize from Merriam-Webster, the dictionary publisher, Last week Indian-origin Venkat Ranjan, won the National Geographic Bee, which carries a $50,000 scholarship, beating out two others. The second and third places in the contest, which tests knowledge of geography, were won by Anoushka Buddhikot and Vishal Sareddy. This year 515 contestants participated in the National Spelling
Bee championship, the biggest number so far because of rule changes that widened the pool beyond the local champions and also included those without sponsors, who are usually newspapers. The contest held in Oxon Hill near Washington was televised nationally on the sports channel
ESPN. Indian-origin children have won the Spelling Bee championship for 11 continuous years since Sameer Mishra won in 2008. In 1985, Balu Natarajan became the first Indian-origin child to win the Spelling Bee and 17 others have followed him. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
The Spelling Bee is not merely a memory test of exotic words as it also requires learning about the origins of words and the languages they are derived from. Almost a cult among IndianAmericans, Spelling Bees are organised by community organisations and by businesses wanting to reach them. Karthik's cousin, Srivatsav who was a contestant, but didn't get to the finals, said: "I knew he was going to win. He studied for hours and hours and hours, countless hours." "Koinonia" is "an intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community", according to National Spelling Bee website. The site defined "bewusstseinslage" as "a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components". Given the difficulty of the word that tripped Modi, Karthik said modestly: "She deserves the trophy just as much if not more than I did." The third through sixth places went to Abhijay Kodali, Jashun Paluru, Navneeth Murali and Sravanth Malla.
US News 21
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Kuchibhotla's killer pleads guilty to hate crime
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former US Navy veteran, serving life in prison for killing Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla and injuring two others at a bar in Kansas city in 2017, has pleaded guilty to hate crime charges. Adam Purinton, 53, admitted on Monday that he fatally shot Kuchibhotla in February 2017 after confronting him and his co-worker Alok Madasani at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, the Kansas City Star reported. Purinton pleaded guilty in US District Court in Kansas to three federal hate-crime charges saying that he targeted the men "because of their actual and perceived race, colour, religion and national origin". American man Ian Grillot, was also wounded having tried to intervene. Purinton called the Indian men "terrorists" and yelled "Get out of my country!", before proceeding with the shooting. He was earlier jailed for 50 years without parole on state murder charges. Federal prosecutors said Purinton targeted the two Indian nationals "because of their actual and perceived race, colour, religion and
national origin". Kuchibhotla's widow Sunayana Dumala did not attend the court hearing but later released a statement thanking federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "The change in the federal hate crime case against the murderer of my husband Srinu is a significant step to putting an end to hate crimes committed against people of colour and from different cultures... The actions of the court send a strong message that hate is never acceptable," she said. As part of Monday's plea agreement in the federal case, prosecutors agreed to not seek death sentence for Purinton. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
possibility of parole, which is the sentence that the prosecution and defence jointly requested. The judge set sentencing for July 2. "Hate crimes are acts of evil. While we cannot ameliorate the irreparable harm to the victims and their families, we hope that securing this guilty plea brings them some measure of closure," Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio said in a statement. In March, Purinton pleaded guilty in Johnson County to a charge of first-degree murder as well as two counts of attempted first-degree murder for wounding Madasani and Grillot. Earlier in May, a Johnson County judge sentenced him to life in prison.
22 Demography
thousands join mass hunger strike in assam against citizenship bill
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housands of persons participated in a mass hunger strike here on May 29 to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. The protest at the Assam Engineering College ground in Chandmari area was led by the All Assam Students Union and supported by at least 28 other organisations, including the Asom Gana Parishad, a partner of the BJP-led
government in Assam, and the Congress. "Assam is not a dumping ground. We have registered our protests against the bill several times. We will not accept it at any cost," AASU Adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya said while addressing the gathering at the protest site. Protests have become the order of the day in Assam since a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 visited the state this month. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
"The infiltration from Bangladesh has impacted the demographics in Assam. The central and Assam governments must respect the Assam Accord, which clearly said that the cut-off date for identification and deportation of Bangladeshis is the midnight of March 24, 1971," Bhattacharyya said and warned of a massive agitation in case the Centre and state went ahead with the passage and implementation of the bill.
Food 23
Why middle-aged men should reduce high protein intake?
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hile eating protein rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds supply many nutrients, it may also be associated with 33 per cent high risk of heart failure among middle-aged men, finds a study. The results showed that middleaged men with higher intake of diary protein like milk, butter and cheese had a 49 per cent of higher risk of heart failure. However, proteins from fish and eggs were not associated with the risk, the researchers said. Consumption of animal protein was found to increase the risk con-
sumption of animal protein by 43 per cent, while eating plant protein raised the risk by 17 per cent. "Higher intake of protein from most dietary sources, was associated with slightly higher risk. Only proteins from fish and eggs were not associated with heart failure risk," said Jyrki Virtanen from the University of Eastern FinlandKuopio. "Earlier studies had linked diets high in protein -- especially from animal sources -- with increased risks of Type 2 diabetes and even death," Virtanen said. The study, published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, included 2,441 men, aged between 42 and 60 years who were examined over a period of 22 years.
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The participants were divided into four groups based on their daily protein intake and the higher protein consuming group was compared to the lower. The results showed that for the 334 cases of heart failure cases diagnosed during the study, 70 per cent of the protein from animal sources and 27.7 per cent from plant sources were accountable. The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, beans, non-tropical vegetable oils and nuts; and limits intake of sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats.
24 Railways
Secunderabad 3 mo railway station i rd
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yderabad's Secunderabad railway station has been ranked the third most beautiful station at all India level for its attractive paintings and structures on
various platforms. CPRO Uma Shankar said "Secunderabad station got 3rd in the beautification of stations at all India level. If you go there you can witness the beautiful paintings on platform number 1 and 10." THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
The paintings here reflect the local art and culture. The idea behind it was for the passengers coming from different parts of the country to understand the art forms and traditions of the state. "Secundrabad station serves
Railways 25
st beautiful n India
three lakh passengers every day. Beautification is one of the main objectives for us. We are trying to beautify the entire station premises so that those passing through the station will have the feel of local art and culture," said Shankar.
Keeping modernity and traditionality in mind, the team has brought together local artists to build structures depicting local culture and festivals at Vijayawada, Ananthapuram, Dharmavaram, Eluru Railway stations. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
"It is a wonderful initiative done by the railways as it depicts the culture and traditions of Telangana. We can see the Sankranthi festival, Harvest and also Bathukamma festival which are the traditions of Telangana, which everybody should know," said Hrishikesh a passenger. He further said, "One thing I would ask them is to put names of the artist and the art form at the bottom to make it clearer." "Under Prime Minister Modi's Government, we are developing at good pace, with growth in infrastructure. The Cheriyala painting depicts the Telangana culture and it is really good to see the modification of railway stations," said Vedhanth, a student. "The paintings look pleasant instead of the old pan stains, all these painting pings a good lively nature to the railway stations. It makes the passengers feel comfortable," he added. In order to promote cleanliness with creativity, the Ministry of Railways had invited nominations across all Zonal Railways for stations where beautification has been done with the participation of local artists. The evaluation committee consisting of the Executive Director (Station development), Chief Commercial Manager (systems) of South Central Railway, Executive director (Tourism) and an official from the Northeast Frontier Railway set up to review 62 entries received from 11 Zonal Railways. Out of 62 entries, Balharshah and Chandrapur (Central Railway) bagged first prize; Madhubani (East Central Railway) and Madurai (Southern Railway) was adjudged second while Gandhidham (Western Railway) Kota (West Central Railway) shared third Prize with Secunderabad (South Central Railway).
26 Specal Report
Land degradation is turning soils into deserts
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BY ABBAS EL-ZEIN
f any of us still has the slightest doubt that we are facing an ecological crisis on an unprecedented scale, then a new report on land degradation, released this week by the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), provides yet another piece of evidence. Land degradation can take many forms, but always entails a serious disruption of a healthy balance between five key ecosys-
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tem functions. These are: food production; fibre provision; microclimate regulation; water retention; and carbon storage. Its impacts can be far-reaching, including loss of soil fertility, destruction of species habitat and biodiversity, soil erosion, and
4 billion people will be living in drylands. These are defined by the United Nations as land with an “aridity ratio” of less than 0.65, meaning that the amount of water lost far outweighs the amount received in precipitation. Such areas are highly vulnerable to food and water insecurity, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Specal Report 27
It would be wrong to infer that land degradation is purely a
Perhaps most chillingly, the report predicts that the combined effects of land degradation and climate change will have displaced between 50 million and 700 million people by 2050, potentially triggering conflict over disputed land. Some of this migration will inevitably be across international borders – how much is impossible to tell. While the impacts on migrants are almost always devastating, the ripple effects, as we have seen recently with the Syrian war, can spread far and wide, affecting
problem for developing countries. Overall, land is generally more degraded in the developed world – as shown, for example, by greater declines in soil organic carbon content, a measure of soil health. However, in richer nations the rate of degradation has slowed, and people in these regions are generally less vulnerable to its effects. It is in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South and Central America that the problem is growing most rapidly. But climate change, especially where droughts and forest fires are becoming more frequent, can cause land degradation even in affluent places such as California and Australia. What’s more, a decline in the overall availability of agricultural land is bound to affect food prices globally. By 2050, the report states, humans will have transformed almost every part of the planet, apart from uninhabitable stretches such as deserts, mountains, tundra and polar regions.
electoral outcomes, border controls and social security systems throughout the world. Globalised causes The two most significant direct causes of land degradation are the conversion of native vegetation into crop and grazing lands, and unsustainable land-management practices. Other factors include the effects of climate change and loss of land to urbanisation, infrastructure and mining. However, the underlying driver of all these changes is rising percapita demand from growing populations for protein, fibre and bioenergy. This in turn leads to more demand for land and further encroachment into areas with marginal soils. Market deregulation, which has been a global trend since the 1980s, can lead to the destruction of sustainable land management practices in favour of monocultures, and can encourage a race to the
a global tHreat
At its worst, land degradation can result in the desertification or abandonment of land (or both). Protracted drought and loss of fertile land may have been contributing factors in the wars in Sudan and Syria.
excessive nutrient runoff into lakes. Land degradation also has serious knock-on effects for humans, such as malnutrition, disease, forced migration, cultural damage, and even war. At its worst, land degradation can result in the desertification or abandonment of land (or both). Protracted drought and loss of fertile land may have been contributing factors in the wars in Sudan and Syria. According to the new report, 43% of world populations live in regions affected by land degradation. By 2050, the report estimates,
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28 Specal Report
bottom as far as environmental protection is concerned. The vast geographical distance between demand for consumer goods and the land needed to produce them – between, in other words, the cause of land degradation and its effect – makes it much harder to address the problem politically. Sadly, the timid history of attempts to create global governance regimes over the past century – from human rights, to conflict prevention, arms control, social protections and environmental treaties – has seen more failures than successes. On the positive side, success stories in land management are well documented: agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil fertility management, regeneration and water conservation. In fact, the new report states that the economic case for land restoration is strong, with benefits averaging ten times the costs, even when looking at very different types of lands and communities of flora and fauna. A common feature of many of these success stories is major involvement by indigenous populations and local farmers. And yet these achievements remain far short of the scope of the problem. Significant obstacles remain – including, according to the report, increasing demand for land, lack of awareness of the extent of land degradation, fragmented decision-making within and between countries, and increased costs of restoration as time goes by. On the other hand, the report’s authors emphasise that a host of existing multilateral agreements, including conventions on desertification, climate change, biodiversity and wetlands, provide
Sadly, the timid history of attempts to create global governance regimes over the past century – from human rights, to conflict prevention, arms control, social protections and environmental treaties – has seen more failures than successes. a strong platform for combating land degradation. However, whether these agreements will be successful in overcoming the obstacles mentioned above remains to be seen. What can we do as citizens, especially those of us who live in cities and have little direct interaction with the land? The most obvious action is to eat less meat and, more generally, to inform ourselves about the sources and impacts of the food we buy – including its packaging, fuel and transport. But the problem is not just about individual choices, important as these are. Underlying systemic causes need to be addressed, including deregulated international trading systems, lack of protection for local communities powerless to THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
resist global market forces, ideologies of unfettered growth and perverse incentives for more consumption. The ConversationArguably, what is needed is a broadening of the active scope of national politics, from an almost exclusive concern with short-term economic well-being to the making of global futures. Next time you meet your local representative, ask them what they are doing to protect the interests of your children and grandchildren. Or, even better, inform yourself, talk to others about it, form your own opinion about what should be done, then try to make it happen. (Abbas El-Zein, Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of Sydney)
Environment 29
Over one lakh premature deaths can be avoided if coal-fired plants meet standards
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he implementation of new emission standards for thermal power plants can avoid 124,000 premature deaths every year in India, says a new report suggesting 13 measures to drop pollution levels by 40 per cent. In December 2015, the Union government had set emission standards for coal-based power plants, which were to be complied by December 2017, but according to green activists, not a single plant has complied fully. The report, 'Source apportionment, health effects and potential reduction of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in India', by Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge with contribution of Greenpeace India, seeks to add research to the government's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). It also contends that cancelling the construction of proposed coal-
fired power plants can avoid a further 26,000 premature deaths. According to a Greenpeace report, about 12 lakh premature deaths anually are attributed to pollution in India, of which nine lakh are linked to air pollution. The study says that implementing the 13 measures it suggests may also lead to 50-60 percent reduction of wintertime PM2.5 levels across north India, including Delhi. The measures includes implementing emission standards on current operating and under-construction coal-based power plants; avoiding emissions from cancellation of new coal-fired power plants; reducing solid fuels, crop burning, diesel generating sets use and municipal solid waste; applying cleaner Bharat Standards fuels; slower oil consumption growth; shift to zigzag kilns and stronger oil sulfur limits and introducing new emission standards.
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"A comprehensive set of policies including all of the 13 measures are needed to achieve a 40 percent reduction in air pollution levels and avoid a projected 9 lakh premature deaths per year," said report's author, Professor Hongliang Zhang. "We urge the Environment Ministry to incorporate these measures into the NCAP and ensure thermal power plants implement the notification of December 2015," said Sunil Dahiya, Campaigner, Greenpeace India. The NCAP, a government flagship programme announced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan in December 2017 to mitigate air pollution across the country, calls for a long-term time-bound, national-level plan. It also seeks to increase the manual monitoring stations across the country from 684 to 1,000 and digital monitoring stations to 268 from existing 84.
30 Pollution
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Tips to prevent indoor air pollution
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ndoor air pollution is very much real and it can be five times or more worse than outdoor air pollution. From everyday consumer products and household habits such as paints, pet allergens to cooking gas, can be an additional source of air pollution. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) global air pollution database released in Geneva, India has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations. It said 7 million people die every year because of outdoor and household air pollution. Reports like these suggest that the impact of pollution on human health is fatal. Air pollution has impact on most of the organs and systems of human body. The lung is one of the major sites of interaction with environmental particulates that causes and aggravates many respiratory diseases like COPD, asthma, and lung cancer. Air pollutants like particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb) can affect the lung in numerous ways like inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell cycle death. They have been shown to trigger acute episodes in asthma and COPD, other allergic airway diseases, strongly associated with lung cancer. Experts suggest some tips that will
help prevent indoor air pollution: * Say no to scented incense sticks and candles: After reading this you might think twice before lighting up those decorative candles or using agarbattis. Studies suggest incense sticks and scented candles release undesired chemicals that can cause serious health problems like skin allergies and even heightens risk of respiratory cancer * Say yes to some greenery: Yes! Plants are your best friends. They provide fresh oxygen to our lungs and planting a few indoor plants in your home with help you breathe clean and off course it gives that extra punch to your indoor THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
dĂŠcor. So, go ahead, buy some beautiful indoor plants and give your house a chic look. * Remove carpeting if possible: Those aesthetic carpets and rugs can actually be a source of indoor air pollution. Carpets can capture a lot of pollutants such small dust particles, food which fall on the floor, pet hair, dust mites, pesticides, cockroach allergens and other dirt. These pollutants may become airborne while vacuuming or during renovations. Children are more exposed to these pollutants are they tend to play on the carpet. * Indoor smoking is deadly: Avoid smoking Indoor. It affects not only the smoker but also
people around them. While we are all aware about the harmful effects of smoking, it is deadlier indoor. Since there is no space for the smoke to go out so you tend to inhale the same air repeatedly, harming your nostrils and lungs. * Ensure good ventilation: Proper ventilation in your house will prevents air pollutants from affecting you and your family's health. Not only that, having a proper flow of air inside your home can help you get rid of all the unwanted smells arising from cooking or from carpets. Also, allergens such as dusts, pollen, and other irritants which tends to get trapped inside your house
Pollution 31
can be removed to a large extent if there is a proper ventilation. * Give away your plastic habits: Plastics are a major cause of air pollution. The by-products of plastics called microplastics are small pieces of plastic between the size of 0.1 micron
to 5mm in diameter. These microplastics are immensely harmful to our health. Shockingly microplastics have found its way to our homes also. Their contributors can be simple things like erosion of synthetic carpets, synthetic clothing or cosmetics. Hence it is advisable to use less plastics products at home and switch to a sustainable way of life. * Get an air purifier: Air purifiers are the best way to clean the indoor air. In addition to investing in your health it can prevent micro plastics, allergies and impure air from harming you and your dear ones.
230mn Indians paid over 10% income as medical cost: WHO
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hile half of Indians do not have access to essential health services, a big chunk of those availing the services ended up shelling out more than 10 per cent of their income, says a World Health Organization (WHO) report. As per the World Health Statistics 2018 report, published in the WHO website, 17.3 per cent of India's population or nearly 230 million citizens had to spend more than 10 per cent of their income towards health expenditure during 2007-2015. The number of people impoverished by out-of-pocket medical expenses in India is more than the combined population of the United
Kingdom, France and Germany. As compared to India, percentage of population spending over 10 per cent of their income towards medical services is Sri Lanka 2.9 per cent, UK 1.6 per cent, USA 4.8 per cent and China 17.7 per cent. "Too many people are still dying of preventable diseases, too many people are being pushed into poverty to pay for health care out of their own pockets and too many people are unable to get the health services they need. This is unacceptable," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a release. The WHO report further revealed that 3.9 per cent of the country's population or 51 million Indians spent more than a
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quarter of their household budget for health services. The comparable figures are Sri Lanka 0.1 per cent, UK 0.5 per cent, USA 0.8 per cent and China 4.8 per cent. The global average is 11.7 per cent for people spending more than 10 per cent of their income towards medical expenses, 2.6 per cent for people spending more than 25 per cent of their income on health and 1.4 per cent who were pushed into extreme poverty due to healthrelated expenses, the report said. Going by the global average of 1.4 per cent, the number of Indians who would be hardest hit due to medical treatment cost stands close to 20 million.
32 Alarm Bell
Common toothpaste ingredient linked to colon cancer
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sing triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent found in hand soaps and toothpastes among other consumer products, can potentially cause colon inflammation and cancer, finds a study on mice. The study, reported in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that short-time treatment with lowdose triclosan caused low-grade colonic inflammation, and exaggerated disease development of colitis and colitis-associated colon cancer in mice. "These results, for the first time, suggest that triclosan could have adverse effects on gut health," said Guodong Zhang at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, US. Previous research has suggested that triclosan can have toxic effects at high doses, but the health effects
of lower concentrations that a person might be exposed to remain unclear. For the new study, the team fed mice with food containing various concentrations of triclosan for three weeks. The results showed that mice treated with a concentration of triclosan that reflects the concentrations reported in human blood samples displayed more systemic and colonic inflammation compared to control animals. Furthermore, triclosan exposure increased the severity of colon inflammation in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease -- an effect that persisted even when low doses of the chemical were administered. Triclosan treatment also increased tumour size and reduced survival in a separate group of rodents with colon cancer. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Interestingly, triclosan also reduced the diversity of commensal bacteria in the gut of mice, and germ-free mice were protected from the harmful effects, suggesting its pro-inflammatory actions may arise due to alteration of the gut microbiome. The researchers stressed that further studies should assess the impact of triclosan on human gut health, and determine whether individuals with IBD or colon cancer could be more vulnerable to any adverse effects. "Because this compound is so widely used, our study suggests that there is an urgent need to further evaluate the impact of triclosan exposure on gut health in preparation for the potential establishment of further regulatory policies," said coauthor Haixia Yang, a postdoctoral fellow at the varsity.
Forecast 33
Normal monsoon in 2018, better than 2017: IMD
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ndia is likely to receive a "better monsoon" than it did in 2017, with the entire country expected to see "normal rainfall" between 96 to 104 per cent from June to September, officials said. In 2017, the country received 97 per cent rainfall, which is considered normal. On May 30, the Met department updated its prediction cutting down on the error estimate, thereby counting on better monsoon rains. "Quantitatively, the country is likely to receive 97 per cent rainfall of long period average (LPA) with error estimate of plus-minus four per cent," IMD Director General K.J. Ramesh told reporters. "We are expecting better rainfall in 2018 than 2017," Ramesh added. Projecting scope of better rains, the IMD in its second stage long range forecast on Wednesday reduced the error estimate for the rainfall from earlier "plus-minus five per cent" to present "plusminus four per cent".
Region-wise, the rainfall is likely to be 100 per cent of LPA over northwest India, 99 per cent of LPA over central India, 95 per cent over southern peninsula and 93 per cent of LPA over northeast India, all with a model error of eight per cent. July is likely to be more rainy with rainfall over the country as a whole expected to be around 101 per cent, while, August is likely to see 94 per cent rainfall, the IMD said. The IMD predictions are based on different technical models, with all suggesting normal rainfall, an official said. According to one such model, the rainfall averaged over the monsoon season is likely to be 102 per cent, with error estimate of
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plus-minus four per cent. A figure between 96 to 104 per cent is considered "normal" monsoon. While the figure between 104 to 110 per cent is considered "above normal" monsoon. The average seasonal rainfall in India between 1951 to 2000 has been recorded at 89 cm. In 2017, the monsoon season in the country as a whole was 97 per cent of its LPA, with northwest India receiving 95 per cent, central India 106 per cent, southern peninsula 92 per cent and northeast India 89 per cent rainfall. IMD in October 2017 said that while 72 per cent of the total area of the country received normal rainfall, 13 per cent area got excess rainfall and 15 per cent deficient seasonal rainfall.
34 Education
Madras HC bans homework for Class 1 and 2, asks Centre to implement rule
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he Madras High Court directed the Centre to ensure that homework is banned for students of Classes 1 and 2 all over the country, regardless of the educational board of the school. The directive was issued with the help of recommendations from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Justice N Kirubakaran, who passed the order, added that no subjects apart from language and Mathematics should be forced on Class 1 and 2 children. Students of
Classes 3 to 5 should only have EVS (Environmental Science) as the additional subject. He added that all schools throughout the country should comply with the subjects and homework directive, failing which the schools will be disaffiliated from the NCERT. Flying squads should be formed by the states to monitor whether schools are complying with the court's order, he added. He also stated that the schools should be informed of this decision before circulars are published. The directions will come into effect for the academic year 20182019. Any attempt to violate the
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order of this court would be viewed as very serious, as it affects young children and our nation, the order reportedly states. Earlier the court had also directed the Centre to formulate a "child school bag policy" to ensure that children don't carry heavy bags, applying to all states and union territories. “Neither are children weightlifters nor school bags load containers,� Justice Kirubakaran said, before asking the policy to be formulated on the lines of the Children School Bag (Limitation on Weight) Bill 2006 to reduce the number of books that children have to carry.
Digital literacy 35
Facebook to train 60,000 Indian women on safe use of Internet
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acebook has said it entered into a partnership with National Commission for Women (NCW) to launch a digital literacy programme aimed at training 60,000 women in universities across India on safe use of the Internet, social media and email in a year. Launched in collaboration with Cyber Peace Foundation, the pilot programme will enable trainees to differentiate between credible and questionable information, Facebook said. The training will be conducted in vernacular languages. "With more women going online, NCW has witnessed a surge in cyber crime related complaints registered at the Commission in the past three years. This trend is worrying. We have to ensure that while
Cyber Peace Foundation is a Ranchi, Jharkhanda-based civil society organisation involved in training related to all aspects of cyber security. online, they feel safe and secure on the Internet," Rekha Sharma, acting NCW Chairperson, said in a statement. "We congratulate Facebook and Cyber Peace Foundation on this commendable initiative. Our girls and women will benefit from these training programmes," Sharma said. Cyber Peace Foundation is a Ranchi, Jharkhanda-based civil society organisation involved in training related to all aspects of cyber security. The digital literacy programme will benefit women in universities across major cities in Haryana, THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Delhi-NCR, Manipur, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. "Economies can only grow well with equal participation from women and in today's age, this can largely happen with the free and unhindered presence of women on the Internet," said Ankhi Das, Facebook's Public Policy Director for India, South and Central Asia. "This naturally calls for the protection of women when they are online in a manner which reassures and enables them to freely express themselves and share their views," Das said.
36 Career Guide
Challenges candidates face during interviews
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n interview can be a nerve wracking experience especially if the interviewee has never faced an interview panel before. Most first-time interviewees lack the requisite resources to prepare well for interviews and hence, are often under-prepared. Many times this results in lack of confidence, which inevitably leads to a bad experience. The average candidate, including the ones with great scores in their examinations, spends very little relevant time in preparing for their job interview. In the long run, career interviews depend not only on the grades students score in their examination, but also on how much clarity the candidate has regarding what they want to achieve in life. In short, relevant interview preparation can throw immense light on the chosen career stream and provide guidance on how to proceed to mold and shape your career. The good news is that things don't necessarily need to be this way. Your path to a great career begins with awareness regarding what you want to do in life. This brings us to the top five challenges faced by candidates. A. Inadequate preparation An interview is very different from college or university examination because it does not have any set pattern or curriculum. While a student might prepare for several months for their university exami-
nations, most candidates do not take spend enough time on focused interview preparation. Our current campus placement support infrastructure is woefully lacking in this regard. Students need access to the right resources and mentors to pick their chosen careers and prepare for them adequately.
b. lack of aWareneSS
Awareness about what one wants to do in one's life is critical to making the right career decisions. Interviewers are trained to seek out candidates who are genuinely passionate about the role as companies spend significant time and energy
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training young recruits. They do not want to be saddled with candidates who are likely to leave quickly if they realize this is not their calling. To make this decision, candidates need to be aware of the choices available to them. The following questions are often asked: 1. Why do you want to apply for this role? The answer needs to map your personality and training so far with the skill sets the role requires. 2. Why do you want to apply to this company? Be abreast of how this company differentiates itself from others in the same field. 3. Where do you see yourself
2/5/10 years from now? Chalk out a path for yourself in the long run. Companies prefer ambitious candidates who have thought this through! Only the best candidates are prepared to handle such questions. Most perform poorly. Companies want to take students who are interested in pursuing the career they are offering and not just student. Remember, it is a big investment for them to take time out from their busy schedules to take interviews. They are, therefore, looking for candidates who understand what they are getting into.
c. tHe Hr rounD
The HR round can be quite tricky as students don't understand how they are being evaluated for their answers. Unlike examinations, there are no right or wrong answers. The HR round is made to assess whether the candidate will fit into
the culture of the company. Consider there tricky questions: 1. What are your three biggest weaknesses? Avoid listing pseudo weaknesses like "I work too hard". Be genuine and reiterate that you are aware of these and working on them. 2. What will your friends say about you if we ask them? Again, don't go for praise by proxy here. List authentic strengths or even quirks! 3. What is your biggest failure? Talk about a real setback and reiterate how you used this as a learning opportunity. 4. What will you do on the first day of your job? Make this one interesting! D. Etiquette and being proper Interview etiquette is extremely important. This is especially challenging for candidates who don't have prior experience working for com-
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Career Guide 37
panies. It is important to know: 1. How to dress for an interview? Formals and modest attire! 2. What sort of body language to have during the interview? Alert body posture, don't slouch or appear fidgety. 3. How to address your interview panel? Be respectful, at least till you are asked to drop the formalities. With ever increasing competition, it is the small things that count. Even after doing well on the above points, several candidates slip up and say something which they should avoid. While giving an interview avoid the following: 1. Don't show that you are smarter than you are: If you don't know an answer don't try to make up answers as this shows that you are not honest. 2. Avoid giving views on controversial topics: Favorite politician, controversial issues etc. You never know what the interviewer feels about these things. 3. Getting stressed: The interviewer might be checking how you handle stress rather than whether you know answers to all his question. Be calm and try to approach questions with the rational mind. E. Relevant technical preparation Even if you majored in a particular subject, the interviewer often seeks practical understanding and your ability to apply concepts learnt to real life situations. For instance, it is one thing to know how banks a valued and completely another thing to comment on if the banking sector in India is overvalued or undervalued. This is where keeping abreast with regular current affairs comes in handy.
38 Economy
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income tax Dept writes o' huge arrears
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pparently failing to recover massive tax dues from various corporate tax-payers in the country, the Income Tax Department (ITD) has now started "writing off" thousands of crores of tax arrears by such defaulters, according to RTI replies. This, despite the fact that the ITD is sitting on a pile of Rs 50,000 crore of tax arrears all over India, according to available figures, with the highest -- Rs 33,157.97 crore - due in Pune, Maharashtra, alone. The revelation has come from several replies given by I-T offices
under various principal chief commissionerates of Income Tax (PRCCIT) to RTI activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur, based in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh. When contacted, a top official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), New Delhi, admitted that there were certain provisions by which tax dues may be written off in certain cases. "However, the tax-payers' liability does not get extinguished even if it is written off for the time being. When we learn that the party's financial situation has changed, we immediately initiate recovery proceedings as per law,"
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the CBDT official, who requested anonymity, told news agency IANS. The official said the procedure (to write-off) was very longwinded, time-consuming and goes through various levels, depending on the amount and required clearances from different authorities. At least two PR-CCITs -- Hyderabad and Pune -- having huge tax arrears, have admitted to 'writeoffs' of unpaid taxes, Gaur said. Pune's Deputy Commissioner of IT (Hq-Admin) and the Central PIO, Harshit Bari said that the PRCCIT here had notched up Rs 33,157.97 crores as arrears pertain-
Economy 39
ing to Direct Taxes. Against this, it had also written off a wee amount of Rs Rs 12.57 Lakhs, but the period for the waiver or the names of the beneficiaries are not specified. Hyderabad's Income Tax Officer (Hq-Tech) and the Central PIO, K. Srinivas Rao has replied that the PR-CCIT (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Hyderabad) had piled up consolidated arrears of Rs 1644.78 crore as of 2017-2018, which it had "completely written off". Additionally, it had written off an amount of Rs 1,357.42 crore for the previous fiscal 2016-2017 thus, totaling to Rs 3,002.20 crore for only two years. Experts say that PR-CCIT Hyderabad replies indicate it is barely making efforts to recover its massive dues/arrears and has apparently written off the entire amount to be recovered from the tax-payers in the past two years alone. In Chandigarh, the Jt. CIT (OSD) has admitted arrears of Rs 70.93 crore and Ward 4(2) has shows recoverables of Rs 10.31 crores. But a single Ward No. 3(4)
of ITO, Amritsar has notched up Rs 2,369.81 crores as arrears. The DCIT Circle-7, Ludhiana has unrecovered arrears of Rs 69.57 crore while ITO Ward 2(1) shows dues of Rs 5.60 crore. DCIT Circle (2) Bathinda has dues of Rs 58.34 crore. The PR-CCIT Rajasthan has piled up Rs 6,419.57 crores. Additionally, it said it had to recover penalties of Rs 1,202 crore and Interest of Rs 1,618 crore. The PR-CCIT, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, has arrears of Rs 3,553.09 crores due from defaulters. It has also gone a step further to provide a published list of 24 top defaulters from that region. In Chhattisgarh, the DCIT (Central-1) has arrears of Rs.133.81 crore while the ACIT (Central-2) has an unrecovered pile of Rs 3,298 crore. Gujarat's Gandhidham ITO Ward-1 has dues of Rs 261.23 crore and ITO Ward 1(3)(2) has Rs 17.19 crore dues. ACIT has Rs 217.90 crore due from defaulters. In Surat, Addl.CIT Range 2(1) has dues of Rs 140.56 crore and Valsad Ward 3 has Rs 7.13 crore as THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
recoverables. Mumbai's ITO 20(3)(2) at Parel has revealed a small figure of Rs 1.01 crore and ITO 20(3)(5) Rs 1.03 crore as recoverable. DCIT Central Circle 2(2) has admitted to Rs 716.62 crore arrears while ITO Ward 11(3)(3) has Rs 12.40 crore dues. In Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal ITO 5(2) has arrears of Rs 20.50 crore and the Jabalpur IT0 Ward 2(3) has dues of Rs 14.62 crore. "These figures are a matter of concern. The IT department has notched up over Rs 50,000 crore as arrears but failed to recover most of it. Pune and Hyderabad IT have even gone ahead to 'write off' an amount of Rs 3012.13 crore between them," the expert pointed out. He said like the current trend among banks, even the ITD seems to be in a "forgiving mood" for defaulters who don't cough out taxes, while the honest small tax-payers and the service classes with tax deduction at source (TDS) continue to pay up without fail, or face the music. Mumbai's tax-consultant and Chartered Accountant Poneet Gupta said that arrears may be written off when the assessee is untraceable or bankrupt, but there is no procedure under the IT Act to "write off" arrears. "Under the General Financial Rules, 1963, powers to sanction write-off of the revenue have been delegated by the centre to the IT authorities based on the amount (of write-off) and seniority of the officer," Gupta said. Experts describe direct taxes as the veritable "bread-butter of the economy". Last year (2017-2018), the total collection stood at around Rs 10 Lakh crore.
40 News Bytes
CBDT says RTI replies on 'write-off' of IT arrears were 'erroneously sent'
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n an apparent volte-face, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has said that figures of 'write-offs' of Income Tax arrears furnished under right to information action were sent out in error. Responding to reports on income tax department writing off huge arrears, the CBDT's official spokesperson said that the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr-CCIT) Hyderabad had provided erroneous figures of 'writeoffs' under an RTI application filed by Chandra Shekhar Gaur, a
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Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh) activist. According to the RTI replies, the Pr-CCIT, Hyderabad had stated that it had written off a total of Rs 3002.20 crores in two financial years, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. The CBDT spokesperson, Saurabh Ahluwali, Commissioner
of Income Tax (Media & Technical Policy) now says that the information provided was "due to an inadvertent error made by the CPIO who reported the figures of 'Cash Collection' or recoveries made from arrears in these years as the figures of arrears written off." The correct amount of arrears written off in those two years for the Andhra Pradesh & Telangana by the Pr-CCIT Hyderabad, was actually zero (Nil), as no write-off orders were passed in these (two) years, he said, adding that the RTI applicant Gaur has been informed of the mistake.
CBI files chargesheet in PNB loan fraud case
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he CBI filed a chargesheet against some former and current bank officials and several others in the over Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case allegedly perpetrated by diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. The agency filed the chargesheet on May 14 before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai.
The chargesheet is based on the first FIR the agency registered on January 31 against Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal and THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
uncle Choksi along with some others following January 29 complaint to it by the Deputy General Manager of the PNB's Zonal office in Mumabi. The CBI later registered two more FIRs in connection with the case. Most of the accused in these cases are common. So far, 19 people have been arrested in the case while Modi and Choksi are on the run. All of them will be named in the chargesheet.
News Bytes 41
Andhra Pradesh gets separate state symbols
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eem and black buck have been declared as the state tree and animal respectively of Andhra Pradesh. The rose-ringed parakeet will be the state bird while jasmine the flower, Principal Secretary of Environment and Forests, G Anantha Ramu said in an order on May 30. "The government felt that it is necessary to have separate symbols for the state after the bifurcation. Accordingly, the symbols have been notified for Andhra Pradesh," the order stated.
Illegal sand mining aP to use gPs to curb menace
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n an effort to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Government will introduce GPS tracking system by July end this year. State minister R Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao, said, "Andhra Pradesh government is about to bring GPS tracking system by the end of July 2018 to prevent illegal transport of sand in the state. The government is taking stern actions to avoid interstate illegal transport of sand. After the Government of Andhra Pradesh has implemented free sand policy, reports of the sand mafia are on rife." The minister said that there are
150 notified sand reaches in the state and that 54 check posts have been established to prevent illegal transport of sand. Ranga Rao further said that geo THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
referral policy is being brought for all major minerals in the state and the permissions for mining activities are being given through auction in an e-permit model.
42 Agriculture
Telangana approves `5 lakh insurance cover to farmers
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he Telangana government has decided to provide insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to farmers in the state. The state cabinet, in a meeting presided by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, approved the scheme of life insurance to farmers through Life Insurance Corporation of India. The government will pay premium amount of Rs 2,271 per farmer per year and in case of the insured farmer's accidental or natural death, the nominee will be paid Rs 5 lakh. All farmers between the ages group of 18 to 60 years will be eligible for the scheme.
According to an official statement, the total budgetary provision for this scheme will be Rs 1,000 crore. Premium for all will be paid by August 1 every year. The scheme will be formally announced on June 2, the state formation day while it will be formally launched on August 15 by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He will distribute certificate of insurance among some farmers formally. Later, MLAs will continue distribution of certificates in their respective constituencies. The government said though the premium amount is higher, it has gone for life insurance to infuse self-confidence among farmers. The announcement came close on the heels of the launch of crop THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
investment support scheme in the state. Under the scheme launched on May 10, farmers will get Rs 8,000 per acre each every year as crop investment support. The government plans to spend Rs 12,000 crore every year under this scheme, benefiting 58 lakh farmers. The financial assistance will be for two crops each year. The state cabinet also approved the proposal to create seven zones and two multizones for appointment and transfers of government employees. After the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister left for New Delhi to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to request him to revise the earlier Presidential orders with regard to the zones.
Innovation 43
MIT scientists develop one-shot nanoparticle vaccine for polio
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novel single-shot nanoparticle vaccine developed by MIT researchers could assist efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. Currently, two to four polio vaccine injections are required to build up immunity, and because of the difficulty in reaching children in remote areas, the disease still prevails. The novel vaccine delivers multiple doses in just one injection to prevent the paralysis caused by the polio virus. "Having a one-shot vaccine that can elicit full protection could be very valuable in being able to achieve eradication," said Ana Jaklenec, a research scientist at MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in Cambridge, US. "Children in some of these
hard-to-reach developing world locations tend to not get the full series of shots necessary for protection. The goal is to ensure that everyone globally is immunized," Jaklenec added, in a paper appearing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To create a single-injection vaccine, the team encapsulated the inactivated polio vaccine in a biodegradable polymer known as PLGA. This polymer can be designed to degrade after a certain period of time, allowing the researchers to control when the vaccine is released. The researchers designed particles that would deliver an THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
initial burst at the time of injection, followed by a second release about 25 days later. They injected the particles into rats, and found that the blood samples from rats immunised with the single-injection particle vaccine had an antibody response against polio virus just as strong as, or stronger than, antibodies from rats that received two injections of Salk polio vaccine -- the first polio vaccine, developed in the 1950s. Furthermore, the researchers said that they could design vaccines that deliver more than two doses, each a month apart and hope to be able to test the vaccines in clinical trials soon. They are also working to apply this approach to create stable, single-injection vaccines for other viruses such as Ebola and HIV.
44 Research
Childhood trauma may trigger physical pain in adulthood
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o you want your children to be happy when they grow up? If yes, then you have to make sure that they are not experiencing any kind of trauma as a child. A new study, including an Indian-origin researcher, suggests that childhood trauma or adversity may trigger physical pain in adulthood. The findings, published in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine, suggested that experiencing trauma or adversity in childhood or adolescence was linked with mood or sleep problems in adulthood. "The findings suggest that early life trauma is leading to adults having more problems with mood and sleep, which in turn lead to them feeling more pain and feeling like pain is interfering with their day," said co-author Ambika Mathur from the Pennsylvania State University. But the connection was weaker
in those who felt more optimistic and in control of their lives, the researcher said. "The participants who felt more optimistic or in control of their lives may have been better at waking up with pain but somehow managing not to let it ruin their day. "They may be feeling the same amount or intensity of pain, but they've taken control of and are optimistic about not letting the pain interfere with their day," Mathur added. The findings build on previous research that suggests a link between adult physical pain and
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early-in-life trauma or adversity, which can include abuse or neglect, major illness, financial issues, or loss of a parent, among others, the researcher said. For the current study, researchers recruited a diverse group of 265 participants who reported some form of adversity in their early lives. They answered questions about their early childhood or adolescent adversity, current mood, sleep disturbances, optimism, how in control of their lives they feel, and if they recently felt pain. The researchers also looked at how optimism or feeling in control could affect how much pain a person experiences. They found that while participants who showed these forms of resilience didn't have as strong a connection between trouble sleeping and pain interfering with their day, the resilience didn't affect the intensity of pain.
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Spiritual 45
Strengthening those Muscles
ent bodies, greying hair, backaches, spondylitis, lack of vitality & stamina, stomach disorders, joint pains, muscle ruptures‌the list is endless. And so is the fact that these are not the ailments of a 70-yr old, but 30-year olds and even younger. Unfortunately, while a fast paced modern lifestyle has its perks, it is but short lived as it brings with it the perils of a body that is rapidly ageing. Looking beautiful, having a great body, is something that plagues everyone today, young and old alike. As a result, long hours spent at the gym, running on the treadmill and various other modern fitness mantras and diet regimes in the hope of staying young and maintaining your youthful glow. All of these work on the principle of increasing body’s metabolism. You sure get in shape, but as an equal and opposite reaction, your cells deteriorate at an exponential rate. Ruptured joints, weak and bent spines, loss of glow and stamina, are natural by-products. It is said that gymming continuously for years can ruin your knees, dry up your vital fluids, and damage your spine. Vedic rishis were masters of the body and gave us asans. Asans are not exercises but tools to increase
the strength and vitality of the body by slowing down and optimising the metabolism of body. So perfect is the science of asans that not even one asan puts strain on 5th or 6th vertebra, which can cause serious damage to the body. In this issue, we will look at a set of asans from Sanatan Kriya that will help strengthen the Muscular and Skeletal system. Asans work on the principle of consciousness and affect etheric layers of the body which in turn control physical body. Our musculature and skeletal framework is governed by the Mooladhar chakra in the etheric body (corresponding to the base of the spine in the physical body), along with the survival instinct. The Mooladhar chakra is said to be the highest chakra in an animal and the lowest in a human being. Any imbalance in this chakra leads to neuromuscular problems, weak bones, anxiety, stress, fear, disorders of the excreta organs and even affects the heart. To keep such diseases at bay, we will look at a set of asans, to help activate the chakra that controls their vital functioning. Vrikshasana: Stand tall with arms by the side of your body. Bend your right knee, bringing the right foot high upto your left thigh, THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
YOGI ASHWINI such that the sole of the foot rests firmly near the root of the thigh. Find yourself a perfect crevice where your foot can firmly hold itself there. Ensure the left leg is straight and not bent. As your body is in balance, gently raise your arms over the head and join your palms in a Namaskar position. Maintain the awareness of Mool chakra. Gently bring your hands down and your right leg. Repeat this posture with the other leg. Caution: This asan should not be attempted by people with problems of knee or sciatica. Utthanasana: Bring your left leg down while holding the hands above the head. Spread your legs apart with toes pointing outwards. Keeping the back and neck straight and buttocks squeezed in; bend the knees to go down by about ten inches. Maintain ujjai breath. Hold this posture for a count of seven and then go down another ten inches. Once again hold for a count of seven and go further down so as to squat. The heels stay on the floor and the back does not bend. Stay for a count of seven. Caution: The asan must not be practiced in case of uterus prolapse and after three months of pregnancy.
46 Health
Walk faster to live healthy
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f you want to live longer and remain healthy, then start walking at a faster pace as it can reduce the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease, say researchers. The results showed that walking at an average pace reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by 24 per cent and 21 per cent for those walking at a faster pace. Walking at an average pace also reduced the risk for all cause mortality by 20 per cent whereas walking at a fast pace reduced the risk by four more per cent, compared to walking at a slow pace. "While sex and body mass index did not appear to influence
outcomes, walking at an average or fast pace was associated with a significantly reduced risk of allcause mortality and cardiovascular disease. There was no evidence to suggest pace had a significant influence on cancer mortality however," said lead author, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor from Charles Perkins Centre and School of Public Health at University of Sydney. "A fast pace is generally five to seven kilometres per hour, but it really depends on a walker's fitness levels; an alternative indicator is to walk at a pace that makes you slightly out of breath or sweaty when sustained," he added. The study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, in-
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cluded data from 50,225 walkers. The researchers also found that average pace walkers aged 60 years or over experienced a 46 per cent reduction in risk of death from cardiovascular causes, and fast pace walkers a 53 percent reduction. The research team hopes that walking pace gets emphasised in public health messages.
Health 47
Green tea may prevent deaths from heart attacks
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reen tea - rich in antioxidants - may help prevent deaths due heart attacks and strokes caused by atherosclerosis - a condition of narrowed artery walls due to fat build-up, claims a study. According to the researchers, a compound called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), found in green tea, breaks up and dissolves
potentially dangerous protein plaques found in the blood vessels. "The health benefits of green tea have been widely promoted and it has been known for some time that EGCG can alter the structures of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's diseas," said David Middleton, Professor at Britain's Lancaster University. "Our results show that this in-
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triguing compound might also be effective against the types of plaques which can cause heart attacks and strokes," he added. "... by engineering the molecule slightly, we might be able to make new medicines to treat heart attack and stroke," said Jeremy Pearson Professor and Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation -- a Britainbased charity organisation. The study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, showed that EGCG binds to the amyloid fibres of a protein called apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1), which converts the fibres to smaller soluble molecules that are less likely to be damaging to blood vessels. The team is now working on finding ways of introducing effective amounts of EGCG into the bloodstream without it being necessary to drink large and potentially harmful quantities of green tea.
48 Health
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this drug could prevent brain damage caused by cosmic rays
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s NASA and private space companies like SpaceX plan to send humans to Mars within the next 15 years, scientists have identified a potential treatment for the brain damage caused by exposure to cosmic rays. Among the major challenges facing future crewed space missions is how to protect astronauts from the dangerous cosmic radiation of deep space. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers reported identification of a drug that prevents memory impairment in mice exposed to simulated space radiation. "We are starting to have evidence that exposure to deep space radiation might affect brain function over the long term, but as far as I know, no one had explored any possible countermeasures that might protect astronauts' brains against this level of radiation exposure," said one of the researchers Susanna Rosi, Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In the new study, the researchers collaborated with coauthors at Loma Linda University in Southern California to expose mice for a day to a dose of radiation comparable to what they might experience in deep space. The experiments were conducted at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York.
A week later, some of the mice were treated for 15 days with PLX5622, a drug produced by Berkeley-based pharmaceutical company Plexxikon, Inc. The irradiated animals initially displayed no cognitive deficits, but after three months they began showing signs of memory impairment.
and also seek out and consume synapses, the information-bearing connections between brain cells. The authors hypothesise that by forcing the brain to replace irritable, radiation-exposed microglia with new, healthy microglia, the drug had allowed the animals to avoid the cognitive consequences of radiation.
Remarkably, animals that had been treated with PLX5622 soon after being exposed to radiation performed just like healthy mice on a memory task. The researchers examined the animals' brains and showed that while the brains of untreated mice showed major activation of cells called microglia - part of the brain's immune system, the brains of treated mice looked just like normal. Activated microglia drive brain inflammation similar to what is seen in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease,
"This is really neat evidence, first that rebooting the brain's microglia can protect cognitive function following radiation exposure, and second that we don't necessarily need to treat immediately following the radiation exposure for the drug to be effective," Rosi said. The researchers believe that beyond spaceflight, these compounds could potentially be used to prevent cognitive impairments following cancer radiation therapy, or in age-related cognitive impairment - which has also been linked to microglia-driven brain inflammation.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Life style 49
Having more friends can improve brain health
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aving more friends and strong social connections may slow brain ageing, preserve the mind and improve the quality of life, new research suggests. According to the study, brain function in the hippocampus--brain area associated with memory, emotions and motivation--markedly declines with age, even in the absence of dementia. Exercise and social ties are known to preserve memory in this region in people. "Our research suggests that merely having a larger social network can positively influence the ageing brain," said lead researcher Elizabeth Kirby from the Neurological Institute at Ohio State
University-Columbus, the US. In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, the team studied two groups of mice aged between 15-18 months for three months, when their natural memory declines. While one group lived in pairs, which Kirby refers to as the "oldcouple model", the other group lived with six other roommates, a scenario that allowed for "complex interactions". Their memory was tested by making the mice recognise a toy, such as a plastic car which had been moved to a new location. The results showed that mice who were living in a group had better brain health and memory. "With the pair-housed mice, THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
they had no idea that the object had moved. The group-housed mice were much better at remembering what they'd seen before and went to the toy in a new location, ignoring another toy that had not moved," Kirby said. Further, examining the brain tissue of the mice showed increased inflammation in the pair-housed mice--a biological evidence of eroded cognitive health. "The group-housed mice had fewer signs of this inflammation, meaning that their brains didn't look as 'old' as those that lived in pairs," Kirby said. Future research should explore the molecular explanations for the connection between socialisation and improved memory and brain health, she noted.
50 Skin care
Tips to take care of rashes during and after pregnancy
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regnancy brings about many changes in a woman's body, hair, and skin. Hence, taking care of your skin during this time can have an impact on your overall health. Most pregnant women are likely to experience various skin changes during and after pregnancy due to sweat, rubbing together of folded skin, or irritation caused by normal skin germs. Subhashini, an Ayurveda expert at the Himalaya Drug Company, says that because the body of a pregnant woman stretches to make way for the child, the skin needs to be soothed and comforted through the expansion. "In addition to stretching skin, sweat may contribute to itchy pregnancy rashes that appear on the
belly, bottom, under the breast, in the arm pits, and inner thighs," she said. Other reasons for rashes may include lack of hydration and stress. Here are some of the tips that she shared to rejuvenate your skin during this time: * Use products especially made for mothers which are enriched with the goodness of herbs to moisturise, soothe, and heal your skin. * In case of rashes or breakouts, use an anti-rash cream for moms which is infused with Yashada Bhasma and Aloe Vera that are known to have antiseptic and antimicrobial properties to heal and soothe the skin. * To reduce stress, engage in acTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
tivities that calm your mind. For instance, soothe yourself with a post-natal massage, get adequate sleep, and indulge in aromatherapy. Do not forget to give yourself enough time to rest. * Ensure that you take lukewarm showers, as hot water can further dry your skin and restrict it from getting the required moisturisation. * Most women face discomfort due to rashes. Applying a cold compress on your skin can give you that much-needed comfort. * Studies suggest that pregnant and lactating mothers should drink plenty of fluids. This also helps moisturise and hydrate your skin.
Tinsel Town 51
i Want to Do coMeDy filMS: SHilpa SHetty
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hilpa Shetty may have been away from films for a while but has no desire to be seen in movies just for the sake of it. The actor's last cinematic outing was 2007's "Apne". "I think I have become too practical when it comes to choosing a script. My script sense has changed and that comes with time and experience. This is my 25th year in the industry and I have not done a film for eight-nine years, people still have faith in me, be it through small screen or the digital space," Shilpa told reporters. The 42-year-old actor says films are part of her life but she is now looking for something that she has not done before. "I am happy to be still relevant in this time and age and doing more interesting things that I have not done before. I am very happy in this space. I do get film scripts and after few pages I feel I have done this before," she said, adding that a script should be worthy of the time that she spends away from her son. "I am not interested in doing drama, there is
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enough drama happening in our lives. I want to do a funny film, a film that is entertaining and if possible show it to my son." Shilpa has produced 'Dishkiyaoon' in 2014 that had Harman Baweja but it did not do well at the box office. "Something looks good on paper but it doesn't always translate onscreen. We did our best as producers and I believe we need to do good work. We have been doing TV shows and we are doing a lot of animation for kids. I am interested in doing stuff for kids." She recently launched her second book "The Diary Of Domestic Diva" that compromises of quick and hazzle free healthy dishes.
Truth behind Katrina's latest post
atrina Kaif is one of the most followed celebs on social media. She is quite active on social media and keeps on updating her fans about her upcoming projects as well as life events. However, Katrina's latest post left her fans perplexed as it had a vague message. The post reads, "I will believe it when I see it or I will see it when I believe it." While it is difficult to comprehend as to what the actress was hinting at, it surely left everyone curious about the hidden meaning behind her post which she posted
on her Instagram story. Though nothing of this sort has THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
been come up yet it is being speculated that Katrina might be hinting at her ex beau Ranbir Kapoor rumoured relationship with Alia Bhatt owing to the recent hint dropped by Ranbir on his ''too new to talk about" relationship with Alia Bhatt. On the work front, Katrina is busy shooting for her upcoming project ''Zero'' alongside Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan. She is also shooting for ''Thugs Of Hindostan'' which stars Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Fatima Sheikh in lead roles.
52 Tinsel Town
Padma Lakshmi poses for naked photo shoot I
ndia-born supermodel Padma Lakshmi posed with pizza slices in a bathtub for a naked photo shoot. The "Top Chef" host posted the series of sultry photographs on Instagram on Friday, reports people.com. "Cheers to the freakin' weekend #TGIF #tubpizza #mood," Lakshmi, 47, wrote in the caption, crediting
her assistant for taking the images. The mother of one covered her breasts with slices of pepperoni pizza as she munched on another slice while looking at the camera. While Lakshmi enjoyed the pepperoni pizza, a glass of red wine wasn't too far away from her grasp as she placed some slices over her breasts. Lakshmi has frequently been open about embracing her body and her love of food. In November, Lakshmi shared a photograph of herself lying in a bed while flaunting her stretch marks.
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Sunny Leone in Canadian artiste's music video
ndo-Canadian actress Sunny Leone has joined forces with Canadian producer and DJ of Indian descent, UpsideDown, for the video of the song "Got it all". It also features The PropheC, a Canadian singer-songwriter of Indian descent. "We continue to push the boundaries of music by incorporating our culture and with the help of like-minded creatives. I'm grateful we are turning our dreams into reality," UpsideDown, known for hits like Mickey Singh's "Phone" and
Jasmin Walia's "Temple", said in a statement. The PropheC believes UpsideDown has created his own lane in terms of production and "I THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
am proud to be a part of it and continue to push our boundaries". UpsideDown and The PropheC take on the role of handymen in their music video who head to work at Sunny's mansion. Sunny said: "UpsideDown and The PropheC were great to work with. It's an exciting time for North American Punjabi music." The music video has been executive produced by Urban Asian Music and promoted by 360 Worldwide.
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Beware!
Divorce can shorten lifespan
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THE NEWS BUREAU
ower life satisfaction among divorced people can lead to lower physical activity and increased smoking -- two factors associated with early death, new research reveals. Divorced participants were more likely than married participants to smoke and, as a result, had poorer lung function, which predicted early mortality, the study found. "We were trying to fill in the gap of evidence linking marital status and early mortality," said lead author Kyle Bourassa from University of Arizona in the US. The findings are based on data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a long-term health study of adults over age 50 living in Great Britain. The study includes seven waves of data, collected from participants every two years beginning in 2002. The study, published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine, included data from 5,786 participants out of which 926
people were divorced, separated or had not remarried. The rest of the sample group comprised of married participants. The participants self reported their life satisfaction, exercise frequency and smoking status. Their
lung function and levels of inflammation was also examined. After tracking the deaths among the participants during the study, the researchers found that divorced or separated population had a 46 per cent greater risk of dying than their still-married counterparts. The results also showed that divorced or separated women participants had further lower life satisfaction than married participants. "While the study didn't exTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
plicitly examine why divorce seems to be associated with greater likelihood of smoking and lower levels of exercise, one possible explanation, supported by existing research, is that divorced individuals no longer have spouses holding them accountable for their health behaviours," Bourassa said. "If you imagine a husband or wife who doesn't smoke and their partner does, one might try to influence the other's behavior. In many ways, when relationships end, we lose that important social control of our health behaviors," Bourassa explained. It is important to note that divorce doesn't always lead to negative health outcomes. Quality of life, for example, can significantly improve for individuals who have ended unhealthy relationships. Still, since divorce overall continues to be linked to poorer health, knowing that smoking and exercise may be part of the explanation could help inform interventions for those who've gone through a separation, Bourassa said.
54 Sports
IPL 2009: ED imposes penalty of `121 cr on BCCI, others
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THE NEWS BUREAU
he Enforcement Directorate said it has slapped a penalty of Rs 121 crore on BCCI, its former Chairman N Srinivasan, former Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi and others for alleged violation of the FEMA during second edition of the cash-rich Twenty-20 cricket tournament in South Africa. An official on May 31 said that the ED has levied a fine of Rs 121.56 crore in connection with its ongoing investigation into the alleged contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in transferring Rs 243 crore to South Africa to host the second edition of the IPL in 2009. The official said that the agency
has levied a penalty of Rs 82.66 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rs 11.53 crore on its former boss Srinivasan, Rs 10.65 crore on Modi, Rs 9.72 crore on former BCCI treasurer M.P. Pandove, Rs 7 crore on the State Bank of Travancore and Rs 10
the Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2009 and this money was routed into another dedicated bank account opened by CSA in the name of CSA-IPL. "Thereafter, by virtue of an agreement between BCCI and CSA, BCCI exercised full control over the
lakh penalty on then Chief Manager. According to the agency officials, the investigation revealed that Rs 243 crore was transferred to
operation of this foreign bank account thereby avoided scrutiny of these expenses by any Indian authority," the official said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Focus
be C
alkaline Healthy
SUZUION Technologies Private Limited has launched Alkaline Water Ionizers, for the first time in India. SUZUION is a professional manufacturer of water ionizer and water filtration systems. Established in 2018, SUZUION has its manufacturing and warehouse facility in Secunderabad, Telangana.
hief Executive Officer of the Indian company - Suzuion, Ramesh Gardas says they have entered into an agreement with two Korean companies – IONPEA Co Ltd. and Alkamedi Co Ltd – for technology. “We have developed our products to suit domestic markets based on the Indian water conditions with customized technology. We are launching four types of first of its kind alkanine products – domestic water ionizers, industrial water ionizers, commercial water ionizers and corporate water ionizers (alkanie water vending machines)”, says Ramesh. According to Ramesh, one of their products Suzu water ATMs are useful for common people, who cannot afford to buy an
alkanie machine. Nevertheless, they can buy alkaline water at Rs 10 a litre from Suzu water ATMs. Alkaline water is anti-aging. Besides, it helps in healing chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, psoriasis and improves health. There are many testimonials across the world, says
Ramesh. With over 20 years of expertise in Reverse Osmosis systems, domestic, industrial, STP and other water purification systems, SUZUION takes utmost care in all areas of manufacturing water ionizer - right from design, production and quality assurance.
In recent years, we have seen increase in customer awareness, growth of markets and increase in our sales. We will continue to strengthen our R&D resources in India and offer improved service to more and more customers to shorten the distance between ourselves and the market and integrate the market's various demands into our new products, says Ramesh. We focus on innovation and plan to introduce new products every year. Our R&D aims to satisfy customer needs and develop environmental friendly products. We continue to improve the usefulness and reliability of our products and provide suitable Alkaline water for human consumption. We believe our duty is to be earth friendly. We are specialized in Customization of Alkaline Ionizer machines as per Indian water conditions. We are the first company in the world to design Alkaline water ATM / Vending machines, planning to install at all public utility places like railway, bus stations and shopping malls etc., he says.
Focus
Focus
Benefits From Drinking Alkaline Water – pH Prescription There are many health benefits associated with drinking alkaline water. However, at pH Prescription our alkaline water filters provide restructured, energized, purified water that make it convenient and more cost effective than buying bottled water. 1. Increases oxygen and electrons in the water to make “living water” 2. Energizes and reduces fatigue 3. Helps protect bones and teeth health 4. Helps support the immune system 5. Alkaline water is very helpful for those who have problems with their weight 6. Helps lubricate muscles and joints
7. Rejuvenates the skin and reduces pores 8. Cleanses the colon and helps detoxify the body 9. Restructured water molecules hydrate at the cellular level 10.Has antioxidant anti-aging properties 11. Helps neutralize acid in the blood stream to raise pH to 8.5 – 9.5 12.Helps reverse acidosis – the cause of all disease 13.Alkaline water effectively balances the pH levels of the body 14.Boost the immune system 15.Alkaline water benefits-helps fight cancer 16.Alkaline prevents the development of diabetes 17.Alkaline water can help cure psoriasis 18.Suzu Water Can Boost Bone Health
Sports 59
Dr gopal reddy wins bronze at international karate tournament
D
THE NEWS BUREAU octor G S Gopal Reddy of Telangana has won bronze medal in the Kumite Open 42-49 years category the Dubai’s prestigious international karate tournament – Budokan Cup 2018 held in the second week of May.
Representing India at the event, held at Shabab Al Ahli Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Gopal Reddy from GVR Karate Academy of Telangana stood third, while participants from Philippines and Nepal won gold and silver respectively. As many as 1400 participants from various parts of the THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
world including India, Australia, Philippines, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Bhutan, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Iran. Speaking to The News, Gopal Reddy said he was very happy win medal for Telangana and exuded confidence that he would bring more medals in future.
60 Sports
Watson blitz help rd chennai clinch 3 ipl title
S
THE NEWS BUREAU hane Watson was back to his brutal best as the opener's scintillating unbeaten 117 runs helped Chennai Super Kings lift their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad
by eight wickets in the summit clash here on May 27. Making a comeback after serving two years of a ban, the Yellow Brigade stood up to their reputation of being one of the best team in the cash-rich league. The THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side hunted down a competitive 179-run target against one of the best bowling attacks of the current season with nine balls to spare. Watson was in devastating touch in his entire 57-ball innings,
which comprised of 11 boundaries and eight massive hits into the stands. The Australian along with Suresh Raina (32) forged a 117-run match-winning partnership to put Chennai ahead of their opponents. Chasing 179, Chennai lost their first wicket in the fourth over as Opener Faf du Plessis (10) was caught and bowled by pacer Sandeep Sharma when the scoreboard was reading just 13 runs. Raina then joined Watson and the duo started slamming bowlers all round the park at will. The strike mostly remained with Watson and
the Australian all-rounder took advantage beautifully by unleashing some ferocious shots. Soon the duo helped their team get past the 100-run mark in the 12th over and just after that Watson, who was looking at his best, hammered Sandeep to 27 runs in his final over. Trying to join the party, Raina miscued while trying to pull a short ball from Carlos Brathwaite knicked his gloves which landed in wicketkeeeper's hand. The southpaw's 24-ball knock was laced with three boundaries and one six. The fall of wicket brought in Ambati Rayudu (16 not out) who followed the same strategy of giving the strike to Watson. Soon, the Australian slammed his second century of the season off just 51 deliveries through a single off Rashid Khan. With Chennai needing 21 runs in 20 balls, the duo kept on playing freely and overhauled the target with ease to become the only team to beat a side four times in a single season. For Hyderabad, Carlos Brathwaite and Sharma took one wicket each. Earlier, put in to bat, Yusuf Pathan's unbeaten 45 runs off 25 balls along with skipper Kane Williamson's 47 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad post a competitive 178/6. In a batting friendly track at the Wankhede stadium here, Yusuf, who came when the scoreboard was reading 101/3, played a good knock to propel Hyderabad to a good total in their 20 overs. The Baroda batsman's unbeaten innings contained four boundaries and a couple of hits into the stands. Put in to bat, Hyderabad started THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
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their proceedings on a bad note as opener Shreevats Goswami (5) gifted his wicket in the second over with the just 13 runs on the board. Opener Shikhar Dhawan was then joined by Williamson and the duo stabilised Hyderabad's innings putting on a 51-run partnership for the second wicket. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership in the ninth over as he clean bowled Dhawan on 26 runs. Shakib Al Hasan then took Hyderabad's innings forward with his skipper as the side crossed the 100run mark in 11.5 overs. However, in a desperate attempt, Williamson came down the wicket trying to play big, but the ball drifted away and then Dhoni did the rest behind the stumps. Williamson's fall bought Yusuf in the middle and the right-hander made clear his intentions from the very beginning, smashing a boundary in the second ball he faced. But when things seemed good in the middle, Bravo packed back Shakib (23 off 15) in the 16th over, leaving Hyderabad at 133/4. Incoming batsman Deepak Hooda (3) fell cheaply in the 17th over which saw Brathwaite joining Yusuf. The Baroda batsman then accumulated 34 runs for Hyderabad with Brathwaite in the remaining 18 deliveries to help their side reach a competitive total in the mega final. Brathwaite, who fell in the final delivery of Hyderabad's innings, chipped in with a valuable 21 runs off 11 balls. Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 178/6 (Kane Williamson 47, Yusuf Pathan 45 not out; Lungi Ngidi 1/26) vs Chennai Super Kings: 181/2 (Shane Watson 117 not out; Carlos Brathwaite 1/27).
62 Sports
Age is just a number, fitness matters: Dhoni D THE NEWS BUREAU
ousing the debate between age and experience, Chennai Super Kings' skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni put "fitness" ahead of any other factor for success. As his side lifted the third Indian Premier League (IPL) title on May 27, hammering Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets, he opined that its the fitness of players which matters the most. "We talked a lot about age, but what's more important is the fitness. Rayudu, at 33, it doesn't really matter. That's what more matters than age," Dhoni said after the match. "If you ask most captains, they want players who move well on the field. Doesn't matter if you're 19-20 years old. Age is just a number, but you have to be very fit," said the Chennai skipper. Dhoni meanwhile, also credited the batting effort by his side throughout the tournament which was a major reason behind their success. "I feel it's a really good batting effort. But we always had the belief that we had the firepower in the middle overs. There was no plan to send Bravo up ahead. Rayudu has been our main batters, so we had protection in the middle," he said. Meanwhile, Man of the Match Watson, who was back to his brutal best as his scintillating unbeaten 117 run-knock was the key behind Chennai's IPL title, termed the season as a "special" one for him.
After the match, the Australian all-rounder said: "It's been a special season to be honest. To get a special season especially after the last season with RCB." "It means a lot to be with a franchise like CSK," Watson added. On his Sunday's innings, where the Australian produced a masterclass against one of the best bowling attack in the league, the THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
36-year-old said: "After those first ten balls I was only hoping to catch up to at least a run-a-ball. Bhuvi is really good with the new ball and was lucky to get the opportunity to catch up." "Stephen Fleming and M.S. Dhoni have been looking after me really well and I am really glad to contribute like I did tonight," he added.
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Methods of learning for product Development
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roduct Development requires an integrated engineering platform starting with feasibility study, design, development, testing, engineering a product including design for manufacturability. Every product development problem demands capability in the team specific to problem domain and the engineers & scientists need experience which determines the decision making for choosing the appropriate methods and processes with suitable quality control methods for successful development of the product. This article gives an introductory method to beginners and young minds on the methods of learning to conduct experiments for gaining useful experience which can be used in product development and reduce confusion while learning. Learning is an organized method of practice in thought process to gain experience specific to a domain through experimental methods for building expertise in the decision capability of mind. Every decision based on our thinking capability and experience is a cascaded process resulting to build efficient product. Learning, experimentation, experience and expertise are gained through proper cultivation of thought process involving progressive methods and are never a random process for attaining completeness. Do not give up on experiments by random approach, rather make them progressive to learn and gain experience. Understand the priciple behind the experiment before
Srinivas Chamarthy
you conduct one. Young minds shall have tenacity to experiment and learn. Lets us start this article with a hypothetical statement “ Learning is a Six Stage organized Process” and see if we can summarize this process to make it repeatable and deployable whenever necessary.
pHySical experiMental learning:
To begin with, consider a practical case of learning to ride a bicycle. Any amount of theory read about the operation of bicycle does not result in the principle of riding it. It has to be experimented and the result is felt. This involves a direct experimentation, however the experiment may be organized or random. The result of the experiment is either “I can ride a bicycle or not”. In the process of learning to ride a bicycle there is a possibility of fall (failure), no fall (Success). But unless we experiment we donot know the result. So learning to ride a bicycle is a progressive method of integrating discrete failures and success instants of experiment. Added to this physically experimented process, the practice of repeated experiment may conclude in learning to ride a bicycle. Even though this case study looks very simple to represent, the background process is essential to under-
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stand the learning method for innovative thinking. To learn technical concepts and understand, and when doing it for the first time, reading the theory does not suffice the desired knowledge level. So experimentation is necessary. Edison's Filament bulb is a classic example of such experimentation and learning process for innovation. It is said, to finalize tungsten as a filament there were many experiments carried out till the success is achieved in the start of the 20th century. So Physical experimental learning is needed when the innovation is for the first time in a domain for an engineer. Physical experimental learning involves repeated cost and time consuming. However if we are unable to inegrate the results in a progressive manner, the learning is discrete and we donot achieve completeness in the information we derive from the results of the experiment. This method of learning is highly essential to build the strength of innovative thinking, however the experimental cost has to be realistic in both time and resources. Progressive and analytical experimentation is essential in the process and random experiments donot lead to a measurable and sustainable learning experience.
conSciouS learning:
Concious Learning is a methodology of understanding concepts and functionality about already established systems and machines. Every technical course has laboratory study spread across the course. The main purpose of these labs is to relate the theory of the subjects and its implementation. An established system has principles and guidelines in three areas of experimentation. Non-Operation zone, Safe Operation Zone and the System breakdown zone. Conscious learning is a method in which we carry on experiments in Safe operation zone under a guidance to learn the technical concepts underlying the system under study. Concious Learning is practiced to build strong fundamentals in the perspective of system design and implementation of a technical concept. However this
method of learning depends on the efficiency of the guide and focus of the learner. Conscious learning is a three step process involving, understand the theory, evaluate the theory on the proven expermental platform and identify the limitations of the experimental platform. This method of learning gives the details of margin of design parameters for a technical concept, its limitations which are used in the product development process. To gain thorough knowledge base on the technical concepts, consious learning is essential. It has to be an organized and well established process of learning.
Sub-conSciouS learning:
Mind is a functional system of imagination. The ideas that originate out of imagination may be realized or just theoretical. Subconcious learning is a process in which we integrate the concepts of conscious learning, imagination and logical experiements based on the experience and evolve in to a methodology of understanding new concepts or technical problems. The basis for subconscious learning is building expertise on a domain through conscious learning process and progressively evaluate the new ideas through simulation and experimentation. Even though subconscious mind is considered purely to be a biological and chemical process in brain, in reality it is the information obtained through continuous learning process that is evaluated and correlated with a new ideas/concepts through gradual assimilation of knowledge and experience obtained through physical experiments and conscious learning. Sub-conscious learning becomes more important while solving real time and complex problems related to systems with multiple dependencies. The correlation of the multiple dependency parameters is analyzed when constant focus is maintained to obtain the clarity and interconnectivity of the problems. For example if we are working on a product that has inte-
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | JUNE 2018
grated engineering, involving system components in multi disciplinary fields, the interdependency and connectivity of the problems can be analysed as a continuous process leading to a background processing of the information that is used to analyze the system, its parameters and problems to find a suitable solution. Subconcious learning requires focus on the problem, thinking efficiency and right experimental data for correlation based learning and tremendous practice in focussed thinking. The correlation method depends on comparison with reference and termed as cross-correlation
intutive learning:
Intution means the ability to understand without the need for conscious reasoning, a keen and quick insight . Intutive learning is a next step to subconscious learning. Intuitive learning is necessary ingredient for innovation. The spark of ideas that originate by seeing a system and learn the concepts in the system is intuitive learning. Intutive learning is possible only after thorough practice in a domain. Intuitive learning is necessary for solving problems of complex systems. With experience, practice and wisdom, subconcious learning can sometimes become intuitive learning. Intuitive learning is essential for creation and innovation to characterize a product and its working principle, concepts and architecture. Intutive learning is an important criteria for performing feasibility study in product development cycle. Young minds who are working to be innovators, focus to undesrtand and improve your intutive skills. Also it is essential to recognize that intutive thinking and learning is possible only with thorough practice in a domain. Intutive thinking without domain expertize does not yield any useful result.
pHiloSopHical learning:
For example, consider, developing Electro Cardio
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Graph (ECG) machine. There are three important stages. 1. Understand the philosophy of Heart behavior and the signals generated and their characteristics from human body. 2. Understand the affect and effects of system characterization on these signals and 3. The Design and Development of the machine with proper design methods. To build a complete fool proof product, it is important to learn 1&2 efficiently and the guiding philosophy of the ECG signal generation, measurement, processing for efficient product design. Without learning the guiding philosophy, building ECG machine may not satisfy the requirements for proper diagnosis by the doctor. Every system has a guiding operational, functional and characteristic philosophy. For efficient system design, its realization and scalability, one has to understand the philosophy of operation principle and engineering. For example a differential equation of second order can be used to characterize a control system or analog filter. The application clarity is obtained by learning the philosophy of the model or application. One shall have thorough interest and motivation to understand the underlying concepts for building a system. Any system which is characterized based on the philosophy of requirements gives a better learning for effective product design. Young minds shall focus on learning the Physics, Logic, Mathematical and philosophy of the final application and use of the product before build a system. Hence Philosophical learning is an essential part for sytsem designers.
Self learning – calibration of MinD:
As a summary, learning is basically for two reasons, 1. To meet the Objective requirements of product development, 2. To meet the Subjective analysis of thought process. All the systems are designed and built using creative mind. But it is essential to calibrate this creative mind often to learn and correct for efficient thinking, understanding and implementation of ideas. From Physical Learning to
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Philosophical learning mentioned above, the focus is on the objective requirements of a product development. But if keenly observed there is an underlying process of SELF learning to calibrate our understanding and efficiency for product design. Young minds shall understand that it is this SELF learning which is essential to build any system. We have to learn to make our thought process efficient by realizing that whatever idea works in our mind, can be realized efficiently as a product. This is subjective SELF analysis and there is no external guide or agent or Guru who is going to measure us and correct us in this plane of learning. This is a homework for ourselves with deep and profound thinking.
To realize ourself as efficient scientist, engineer, innovator or leader in a domain, this subjective SELF analysis is essential. In mathematical terms methods of learning have two processes. 1. Cross – Correlation process is Objective method of analysis realated to external experiments to learn. 2. Auto- Correlation process is Subjective method of analysis related to calibration of SELF for conducting efficient experiments and development methods To be productive we need to execute these two process effectively but to grow as an efficient mind we have to focus more on the sixth method of learning – SELF
Learning. But without the learning process from Physical Learning to Philosophical Learning through experimentation, the qualitative analysis of SELF learning is mere an imagination and may not conclude is realistic and useful ideas. Young mimnds shall start focussing to realize their mind from imagination to realistic using these learning processes. Hence LEARN to CALIBRATE SELF with efficient learning process through Object and Subjective Analysis of MIND (For specific questions please mail at: sch.ajtrs@gmail.com or chat on whats app number: 9160882600 between 11:00 PM to 2:30 AM. Follow us on Facebook: A Journey To Realize SELF)
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