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VOL:7 I SSUE:3 I APRIL, 2019 `30 Editor A Rammohan Rao
Special Correspondent D. Bal Reddy Correspondents Mallesh Babu Mandha Ravi Kumar G.P. Nagaraju
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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL
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oday our country is at a crucial juncture. There are different options available to choose from, that will affect the country in almost all sectors. After almost seven decades, today India stands tall both internally and externally. Issues like utilizing funds for the benefit of people, helping needy without middlemen, introducing innovative programmes which can make people independent and responsible rather being dependent on doles of government, strengthening county’s security to an unprecedented level and reducing political corruption at the national level are few prominent achievements of the country in the last five years. Baring Jammu & Kashmir there was almost no terrorist attacks. Influence of left extremism has come down to some extent. What Indian has achieved in recent years is not only impressive but has resulted in improving our image at the international level. Our leadership has become influential and a force to reckon with globally. The habit of taking advantage of the soft approach adopted by successive Indian governments ever since independence has changed. India and its concerns are being taken seriously by the countries world over. There is a marked change in the country’s foreign policy. Neighbouring countries including China, which are habituated of showing big brother attitude have now realised that India means business. Today India is able to establish friendly relations with countries having diverse social-political-religious practices. On one side we have Israel as a trustworthy friendly nation and on the other side we have excellent working relationships with the Arab World, so much so that we were invited to participate as a special guest in the recently held plenary session of the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference held at Dubai. Finally, we are practising the historically proven and formula of “Country’s interest being supreme”adopted by all major countries in the world. Self-defeating sentiments which lead to an attack by China, allowing Pakistan to grab a large part of Kashmir, tolerating terror camps in Pak occupied Kashmir because we do not want to cross the line of control has been replaced with practical and pragmatic policies. Now the world has started witnessing New India. Protecting it and marching ahead is the responsibility of the people and the government. The country is going to Parliament elections. The outcome of these elections and the wisdom - courage & commitment of the new government will decide the future of this great nation not only for the next five years but for the decades to come. Jai Hind!
Editor : A Rammohan Rao
Note: Focus/Infocus features are marketing initiatives, any legal disputes comes under the jurisdiction of courts in Hyderabad
(A Rammohan Rao) THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
4 CONTENTS
KCR is the top performing Chief Minister in the country Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao(KCR is the top performer among the Chief Ministers in the country followed by his counterparts in Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Delhi. Findings of the CVoterIANS State of the Nation Tracker opinion poll has revealed this.
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Will BJP’s fortunes change in South this time? 10
MIM chief has two votes Non-disclosure in election affidavit
Can BJP make inroads into South India? Previously reply to question use to be “NO”.
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CONTENTS
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Padma Lakshmi is UNDP Goodwill Ambassador 24 Sumalatha to contests against CM’s son Sumalatha (55), the widow of former Congress MP from Mandya MH Ambareesh, will be pitted against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the JD(S)Congress alliance candidate.
Indian-American author, television personality and food expert Padma Lakshmi have been appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its newest Goodwill Ambassador, supporting the agency’s fight against inequality and discrimination around the world.
India’s first 35 Lokpal appointed India’s first Lokpal is appointed. Retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose was made the first Lokpal, the national anti-corruption ombudsman.
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Winning star on Ananthapur sky
Technocrat politician with an 36 unusual human touch THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
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KCR is the top performing Chief Minister in the country
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hief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao(KCR is the top performer among the Chief Ministers in the country followed by his counterparts in Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Delhi. Findings of the CVoter-IANS State of the Nation Tracker opinion poll has revealed this. KCR has got the maximum approval ratings from the voters followed by Himachal Pradesh's low-profile Jai Ram Thakur and Odisha's Navin Patnaik, seeking a record 5th term this year. Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal has made it into the top five of best performing Chief Ministers. More than 68.3 per cent of the respondents in Telangana said they were very satisfied with the performance of the Chief Minister who swept the Assembly polls last year. Around 20.8 per cent said that they were satisfied to some extent while only 9.9 per cent said that they were not satisfied at all by KCR. The survey sought a response from 20,827 people across the state. The Telangana CM’s overall net approval rate is an impressive 79.2 per cent. KCR has already indicated that he may play a larger role in national politics and pass on the baton in Telangana to his son K T Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR. He has repeatedly called for a 'Congress and BJP free-India' and underlined the need for an alterna-
tive to bringing qualitative change in national politics. Meanwhile, in the CVoterIANS poll, the Chief Ministers of Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand got the least approval ratings. People are least satisfied with Tamil Nadu's K. Palaniswami. The opinion poll finding is not good news for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has tied up with the AIADMK. A whopping 42 per cent respondents said they were not satisfied with the Chief Minister at all. Another worrying sign is the perTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
formance of Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh as he figures in bottom three with a net approval rating of only 22 in a sample of 52,712. Only two BJP-ruled states figure in the top 10 where people are most satisfied with the Chief Minister. Other than Himachal Pradesh, Assam is on the 10th spot as Sarbananda Sonowal is placed a notch below West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee. Bihar's Nitish Kumar, a BJP ally, is placed sixth followed by the Chief Minister of the JD-S-Congress government in Karnataka.
STATES
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National party after polls
WILL ANYBODY STAND BY KCR’S SIDE? T
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elangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K Chandrasekhar Rao(KCR) to start a national political party. He revealed this while addressing a public gathering at Karimnagar, a place which the chief minister considered lucky.
This was first of the public meeting launching of his party's election campaign from Karimnagar. Referring to the remarks by his critics as to what TRS would do at Centre with 16 MPs, KCR said that 120 MPs would be with him. He claimed that not all parties were ready to go with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
Addressing first election rally during Parliamentary elections in Karimnagar, KCR gave a call for 'Congress and BJP mukt Bharat'. He blamed the two national parties for all the ills plaguing the country and underlined the need for an alternative to bringing qualitative change in national politics. Reiterating that he was entering national
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politics, KCR appealed to people to bless him. KCR said that a government which works with true federal spirit was required at the Centre to solve the country's problems. “People think I have just 16 MPs with me. Obviously, I will not make my plans public. But, I can tell you, I have about 120 leaders on my side who are supporting me. I have travelled and met other regional leaders and I told them exactly what I had to,” said KCR. KCR added that he was willing to launch a national party after the Lok Sabha polls if the need arose. "After elections, you will see what we are capable of doing," said KCR, who last year floated the idea of a Federal Front; a consortium of regional parties opposed to both Congress and BJP. However, there has been no clarity on how much of KCR’s federal front could a reality, say analysts. Political observers in the state said that with most regional leaders already picking sides, it was difficult to understand if KCRhad any concrete plans to materialise his ‘federal front.’ For long, the TRS chief has been trying to stitch an anti-BJP and anti-Congress front. He has met several regional satraps, including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and MK Stalin. However, the only regional leaders who have extended support are YSR Congress’ Jaganmohan Reddy and BJD chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. His arch-rival Naidu, who is a key force in the grand opposition alliance or ‘mahagatbandhan’, has often said that KCR was Modi’s Bteam. Other opposition parties have also criticised KCR’s front as an attempt to split votes and make things easy for the BJP. However, the TRS chief had always made it clear that his front would be anti-Congress and anti-BJP. He had also said that both the national parties were busy playing ‘Hindu politics’ rather than focusing on development. “If the nation has to improve, then the BJP and Congress need to move out. We need structural changes and states need to have greater control. If you bless me, I will form a national party, if required, after looking at the poll results,” KCR. The TRS chief appealed to people to elect 16 candidates of TRS and his ally All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad. KCR targeted both the national parties. At the meeting, the TRS also re-nominated sitting Karimnagar MP B Vinod Kumar, with KCR saying that if their plans of a Federal Front succeed, he would be a union minister. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
STATES
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Hyderabad Metro
Starts service to Hitec city
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he Hyderabad Metro Rail has opened key 10 km stretch connecting Hitec City. The muchawaited Metro service on the Ameerpet-Hitec City route was inaugurated by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan at Ameerpet Interchange Station in the third week of Mach. The train operations began at 4 pm on the same day. The commencement of operations on this route is expected to cater to thousands of techies who travel to the IT cluster. Officials expect that 50,000 to one lakh people will avail the service on this route every day. The blue line comes under phase 3 of the Hyderabad Metro,
comprising a total of eight stations in the 10 km stretch - TaruniMadhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills Road No 5, Jubilee Hills Check-post, Peddamma temple, Madhapur, Durgam Cheruvu and Hitec City. This 28km blue line extends from Nagole to Raidurgam. The Raidurgam station is still under construction. Officials said of the eight stations on this route, three will not be opened for the public at this stage. Of the eight stations along the stretch, Jubilee Hills Check-post, Peddamma temple and Madhapur stations will not be open for the public. “The stations will be opened after a few weeks,� said NVS Reddy, Managing Director, THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
HMRL, who attributed the delay to work being undertaken at these stations. For now, the trains will stop at Madhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills Road No 5, Durgam Cheruvu and Hitec City. Initially, due to operational issues, the frequency of trains on this route will be 9-12 minutes, against six minutes in the other Metro corridors. With this, the Hyderabad Metro has become operational on 56 km of its planned 72-km elevated length, officials said. The inauguration of the latest stretch also completes the 27 km Nagole-Hitec City corridor, one of three in the project. Hyderabad Metro Rail MD N V S Reddy said that passengers on this corridor can travel from one end to the other without changing trains. However, those travelling on Miyapur-L.B Nagar corridor will have to change at Ameerpet station, located in the heart of the city. The 16-km Ameerpet-LB Nagar line was inaugurated last September, while the 30-km stretch between Uppal and Miyapur has been in operation since November 2017. Billed as the largest Metro project in the world in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, the Rs 14,132 crore project is being built by infrastructure giant L&T. The Telangana government is spending Rs 3,000 crore on land acquisition for the project while the central government has chipped in with Rs 1,450 crore as Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
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MIM chief has two votes
NON-DISCLOSURE IN ELECTION AFFIDAVIT Rivals gearing up to drag him to court
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ver the years rival political parties alleged have that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has been winning elections on the strength of duplicate and bogus votes. Several election petitions are also pending in the High Court to this effect. IT may be recalled the AIMIM, popularly known as MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had called upon his supporters at a public meeting on August 17, 2013 at Khilwat Grounds to ensure 150 per cent polling in favour of MIM. The statement was seen as a call for maximum bogus voting. Surpassing all these, MIM chief himself landed in trouble after he filed nomination for Lok Sabha elections 2019. In his election affidavit, Asaduddin stated that his name is enrolled in 51-Rajendrangar Assembly Constituency at Serial No.799 in Part No.401, which comes under Chevella Parliamentary Constituency in Ranga Reddy District. Soon after filing the nomination, his rivals came up with evidence showing Asaduddin’s name is also enrolled in 60-Khairatabad Assembly Constituency, at Serial No. 186 in Part No. 25, which comes under Secunderabad Parliamentary Constituency. Some of his rivals lodged com-
plaints with the Returning Officer to reject Asaduddin’s nomination since he has duplicate vote, which is against the Constitution of India. “If the chief of MIM himself is having two votes, one can imagine the number of bogus votes the party cadre can have and the impact on the results of the elections,” they said. In their complaint given to Returning Officer, BJP leaders stated that two entries of Asaduddin Owaisi’s name in two different constituencies clearly shows that he had managed to get duplicate/bogus/double vote suppressing the information before the ERO, which amounts to violation of the laws of the land. When the president of AIMIM has two votes, one can estimate the number of bogus votes his party has managed to enroll in Telangana. The rivals of Asaduddin further said that the MIM president resorted to non-disclosure by not revealing in his affidavit about the
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
two votes he has. They also alleged that Asaduddin is a member of Telangana State Wakf Board and receives allowance from the Board, but the same has not been disclosed in the election affidavit. Apart from this, he resorted to undervaluation of his property bearing H.No. 8-15-130/AS/1, situated at Shastripuram, Mylardevpally, Rajendranagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, mentioned in the election affidavit. The property owned by Asad and his wife to an extent of Ac. 4-00 Gts. is worth over Rs 60 crore including the construction cost, whereas he has shown it as little over RS 12 crore. These entire acts amount to nondisclosure on the part of Asaduddin, said his rivals. The rivals said they would knock the doors of High Court for justice as the Returning Officer improperly accepted the nomination of Asaduddin and see to it that he is disqualified for giving false information and resorting to non-disclosure.
12 COVER STORY
FAMILIE
THE P ALWA WITH
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-D.BAL REDDY
ndia has a substantial number of political dynasties present at all levels – local and national. Some of the much-noticed ones are the Nehru – Gandhi dynasty, the Abdullah family, Mulayam and Lalu Prasad Yadavs of Uttar Pradesh Behar, Thackeray family, Karunanidhi family, NTR family, KCR family etc. All these are the famous names we know on a national and regional level. These are THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
COVER STORY 13
folios are kept with kith and kin. All this in the name of Democracy, inclusive, pro-poor policies.
ES RULE
TRACING THE DYNASTIC HISTORIES
POWER AYS HIN
India has a rich share of political dynasties. The lists of candidates, announced by major parties in the many States for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections have once again proved true the long made criticism that dynastic politics has come to stay in the Indian politics.
just a few to name. It is a dynastic politics not only at the top level in parties but also at the second-rung level. A perusal of the nine major parties in the country shows that it is dynasties are ruling the roost in many states Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Parties are being run just like private limited companies. A family member holds Presidents -Working Presidents – General Secretaries. And when the party wins the election Chief Ministers and key port-
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
AICC President, Congress party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Rahul has followed in the footsteps of his family. His great-greatgrandfather Motilal Nehru was the president of the party, as were his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi. His mother Sonia Gandhi has been at the helm of the grand old party for nearly two decades. She succeeded the late Sitaram Kesri in early 1998. Such continued rule of a party by one family has seldom been seen in any other parts of the world. Except for Rahul and his mother and great-great-grandfather, all others have also become Priminsters of the country so far. Recent political developments in Congress party have clearly shown that the party’s fate being tied so closely to that of the Gandhi family. Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also brought into the party as one of the General Secretaries in UP. She is often con-
14 COVER STORY
sidered the ‘most charismatic’ of the Gandhis at present. And party is projecting her as another ‘Indira Gandhi’. Serious corruption charges on her husband Robert Vadra are heavy luggage which may limit her brisk walk in politics. Many regional parties have also found themselves controlled by some political families. Be it the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Janata Dal (Secular), Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), National Conference the families not only matters but also calls the shots. In the south, Tamil Nadu has seen M. Karunanidhi’s family
The issue of Telugu pride brought Tollywood superstar N.T. Rama Rao from the green room of the film studio to the room heading the undivided Andhra Pradesh cabinet in the year 1983 by forming the TDP. flourish in politics. Late Karunanidhi has been the chief minister several times. The large presence of Karunanidhi's family members both in the central government and state government is the hallmark of DMK politics His
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son M.K. Stalin was Deputy Chief Minister, is currently the leader of the opposition in the state and is seen as a future chief minister. Kanimozhi is Rajyasabha member Another son MA Alagiri former union minister and presently MLA. Late Murasoli Maran, the nephew of M. Karunanidhi was an important leader of the DMK party. He was a Member of Parliament for 36 years, was made a Union Minister in three separate central governments, Maran’s son Dayanidhi Maran was union minister. The issue of Telugu pride brought Tollywood superstar N.T. Rama Rao from the green room of the film studio to the room heading the undivided Andhra Pradesh cabinet in the year 1983 by
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forming the TDP. His son-in-law and current Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took forward this political legacy. His son Lokesh Babu is the rising star in the state cabinet and seen as future CM of the state by TDP cadre and leaders. Similar is the story in neighbouring Telangana. Taking up and succeeding long pending demand Telangana people have made K.Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) the first Chief Minister of the new state. His son K.T. Rama Rao was made minister in the very first cabinet itself. Soon after winning Assembly polls for the second time in last (2018) December, KCR has made his son as the Working President of the ruling TRS party. It is seen as the preparation for the promotion of Rama Ras to Chief Ministership. His daughter Kavitha is also a Lok Sabha MP. Two of KCR’s nephews T.Harish Rao was cabinet Minister in the earlier
cabinet and presently MLA. Another Santhosh Kumar wast is Rajya Sabha member. In Karnataka, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) has sought to carve out a niche for his family amid the tussle between the Congress and the BJP. His sons H.D. Kumaraswamy and H.D. Revanna
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are active in politics with Kumaraswamy also being the chief minister like his father. In present elections, the third generation has also entered into full-time politics. Deve Gowda’s grandson – Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is the JD(S)-Congress alliance candidate in prestigious Mandya Lok Sabha
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constituency in Karnataka, In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has remained in the control of the Thackeray family. Founded about 50 years ago by Bal Thackeray on the ‘son of the soil’ issue, the Sena is now lead by his son Uddhav while his grandson Aditya heads the youth wing. The party split, with nephew Raj Thackeray forming the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena when he realised that the uncle is passing the baton to his son. In the north, nearly two dozen people related to Mulayam Singh
Yadav hold some political position or the other. His son Akhilesh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for five years, while his brother was a senior minister in the state for several years. Of the five MPs of his party, four are from his family, including his daughter-inlaw Dimple Yadav. RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav too has many family members in politics. In fact, when the fodder scam threatened his chief ministership, he brought his wife Rabri Devi in his place. One of his sons, Tejaswi, served as Bihar ’s deputy
chief minister until recently, another was a senior minister in the state, while his daughter Misa Bharati is a Rajya Sabha MP. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference co-founded by Shaik Abdullah had more Chief Ministers from his family. Late Sheikh Abdullah Prime Minister of J&K once and Chief Minster twice. His son Farooq Abdullah was Chief Minister for three times. Grandson Omar Abdullah was CM for the first time during 2009-2015. Since 1947, the National Conference was in power in Jammu and Kashmir in one form or another till 2002. And again between 2009–2015. Farooq Abdullah (1981–2002, 2009–present) and grandson Omar Abdullah (2002–2009) have led the party after Sheikh Abdullah's death.
WHY IS POLITICS DOMINATED BY DYNASTIES?
The primary reason for this is rooted in the nature of Indian politics. It is more personalized. The people seldom identify with political parties, they connect more with people, the stories they say and THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
COVER STORY 17
how much they can relate to the people’s life. So once the audience has connected with a particular individual, the vote is secure and the successors can build their way up on these votes. When this question is posed to a bunch of insiders in the parties, they justify it with listing various reasons, like many members family are working from 18 years of age and have worked for the party for years together, despite hailing from a political family. Of them, only a fraction of them gets party tickets and government positions. members. Other main reasons cited for the trend were easy recognition among voters and winnability. As
“Ours is a party that has been in existence for several decades. So, people from families are our members for generations after generations. “ the candidate from a well-known political family, the voters easily identify the candidate. The goodwill earned by their family members also helps the candidates get more votes party many seats. The best of reasoning was once offered by the late DMK leader, M Karunanidhi, the reason which at outset looks more convincing. “Ours is a party that has been in existence for several decades. So, people from families are our
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members for generations after generations. There is no surprise when people follow in the footsteps of their father and grandfathers. The DMK is a party with familial attachment.” The explanations may not be very convincing democratic-minded people and often make one wonder whether it is a method of keeping intact power within one’s family. The fact of the matter is, the more we prefer the dynasty, the more we are giving in to the power.
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Dynastic Democracy
The price people pay A.RAMMOHAN RAO
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“What can a person do who doesn’t have any lineage. Ab jinka wansh hi nahi ho woh kya karengey (What one will do who does not have a family).” - Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad "I want to ask Prime Minister that is it a dynasty thing when an actor's son ... his son a director, or a doctor makes his son a doctor." - Farooq Abdullah, National Conference leader.
s dynasty politics will be good as these leaders recently declared? Or dynasties in politics are bad and go against the interests of the country? One can examine this with dispassionately and base that on studies conducted out of which interesting facts emerge. The first glaring fact that we will see is most of the countries world have political dynasties. Hereditary succession in politics in a reality. It is present not just in a democracy like India, but also autocracies like North Korea. But still, we have very limited evidence on how they affect our
economy. In India, we have a substantial number of political dynasties present at all levels – both local and national politics. Members of these families are in the game for the long term. They are stationary. The groundwork that they do is reaped by their descendants. Acquiring of state power helps the dynast protect his/her interest. Dynastic politicians are seen to underperform because their place is secure in the system. In 2012, a study by Roland Mendoza, an economics professor at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines, found that
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constituencies ruled by dynasts tended to have more poverty and higher income inequality. A year later, in their paper noted that provinces dominated by family clans were less likely to perform well in terms of infrastructure development, health spending, criminality and employment. Then someone may argue the research is done for the Philippines and is not applicable in the Indian context. We know the similarities in the economy – both the Philippines and India are countries overpopulated, facing underemployment, and both are growing
economies. Even a recent Harvard paper, ‘Understanding The Economic Impacts Of Political Dynasties: Evidence From India’, by Siddharth George and Dominic Ponattu, analysed night-time luminosity as a measure of economic growth to find that constituencies, where dynasts won, grew 6.5 percentage points slower annually than constituencies where dynasts lost. Dynasts capturing the politics rules out the chances of better performing individuals to enter and do good for the state. It limits the choice of the voters. With no other options, even though the people want to topple over the dynasties, they are not able to do so. Weak institutions enable dynastic politics. Political dynasties are also known to play with the religious and regional sentiments of the people. An upper cast dynasty will favour only the upper castes, a Scheduled cast dynasty only SCs and try too may put include them in his/her vote bank. Upper cast dynasty many allocate few seats to Dalits and others just to capture their votes too. SC dynasty to some forwards cast candidates to make most of the electorate. These divisional politics is imperative for the sustenance of a dynasty. There is another form of dynastic politics which is called the ‘concurrent dynasty’. It has several members of the same family in politics at the same time. A very good example of this is the Yadav clan of Uttar Pradesh and KCR family in Telangana. Mulayam Singh Yadav had his son as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and at the same time his daughter in law, brother, and nephew are also fighting elections from different districts of the state. Similarly, KCR is Chief Minister. His Son is TRS party Working Pres-
COVER STORY 19
ident and earlier he was mister of key IT and Municipal Administration. The daughter was MP from Nizamabad and now party candidate for the same constituency. His one Nevue T. Harish Rao Minster in KCR’s first cabinet holding cashrich irrigation department. Another close relative of KCR, Santhosh Kumar is Rajya Sabha member has fast emerging as a power centre in present Telangana politics. These kind of democratic dynasties are expanding laterally, which is evident in the number of leaders who are being elected as their relatives, siblings, or children. Dynastic politics is harming the country by stagnating the power into the hands of a few. Without the rotation of power and the fear of losing it, there is little or no accountability of the leaders. The poTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
litical dynasties exist in India in various forms and of various degrees. It not only makes the agenda shift from the “welfare of the state” to “welfare of the clan” but also diluting the essence of democracy with corruption and favouritism. Leaving the voters with less choice and hindering the development by first filling the treasure chest for the family and then distributing some of the remains to the citizens. The moral measures used to ensure cohesiveness in the different units of a party sometimes leads to grave consequences like religious disruption. Economic growth post-liberalization has lifted millions of Indians out of poverty. But until state capacity strengthens enough to remove the need for middlemen, the politics of patronage and dynasty will continue to dominate Indian politics.
20 THE NATION
Will BJP’s fortunes change in South this time? C
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an BJP make inroads into South India? Previously reply to question use to be “NO”. But in recent years BJP’s success in North East states has raised hopes both in the party cadre and its supporters. Hopes are raised because BJP could win the hearts of people in states which are minority dominated, highly influential regional parties and finally can have ‘Con-
gress mukth North East’. With The North-East Democratic Alliance or NEDA is a political coalition today all eight North East states have NEDA/ BJP governments. Though traditionally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been perceived as a North Indian party, with limited influence beyond the Hindi-speaking states, it is true the party has done much to change this perception, notching up these victories in the country’s THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
North-East. But the South Indian states largely remain out of its electoral influence. Even in 2014, when the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections, it has won only 21 seats out of 112 seats in the five southern states. By contrast, in the rest of the country, the BJP won 261 seats. This is when BJP lead NDA (National Democratic Alliance) has literally swept pools in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. So it is the brightest possibility for the party. Otherwise,
the number of southern seats won by the BJP remained constant. The party has also failed to expand beyond its traditional strongholds in Karnataka. A comparison between the 1998 and 2014 elections shows that the BJP’s victories are mostly confined to coastal and north Karnataka. In Telangana, a potential area to grow for BJP. But while it was part of united Andhra Pradesh party state leadership for decades was made subsidiary for Telugu Desam Party. In 2014, the BJP, acknowledging its shortcomings in the southern states, competed only in 67 seats (out of 112). It secured a vote share of 31% across these seats and won in 21 (31% of contested seats). While this was lower than the BJP’s national performance where it secured 40% vote share and 66% seats in the seats it contested, it was still an improvement over the BJP’s previous performance in the South. In the 2009 elections when the BJP was more ambitious, competing in 106 seats, it won only 19 seats (18%). In the forthcoming elections, the BJP is expected to follow a targeted strategy, focusing on fewer constituencies, and relying on allies in other constituencies. In Karnataka, the only southern state where the BJP is a force to reckon with, it will be hoping to build on previous electoral successes. The BJP has been the bestperforming party in terms of total seats won in the state over the past three general elections (since 2004). In the 2018 state assembly elections, the BJP won in constituencies beyond its traditional strongholds along the coast. All this suggests that the BJP should perform well in the state. However, the pre-poll alliance announced by the Congress and the JD(S) (Janata
Dal-Secular) could hurt its prospects. Political observers say if the Congress-JD(S) alliance existed in 2014, it would have secured 13 seats and brought down the BJP total from 17 to 15. The rest of South India, however, presents a far greater challenge for the BJP. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are bastions of regional parties, where the BJP has struggled historically. These regional parties hold sway by appealing to local sensibilities, pride, culture and language, thereby denting the BJP’s nationalist appeal. The BJP, therefore, remains a fringe player, heavily reliant on alliances with regional parties. In Andhra Pradesh, for instance, on the two occasions when the BJP performed reasonably well (1999 and 2014), it did so in alliance with the TDP (Telugu Desam Party). In 2009, when the TDP withdrew from the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), the BJP suffered a humiliating defeat, winning no seats. In these elections, the party so far remains without allies in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, leaving K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Chandrababu Naidu as potentially decisive kingmakers in the overall verdict. In these two Telugu states BJP this time is competing on its own. Coming out of the shadow of TDP and challenging the ruling parties in the state at all Lok Sabha seats, the party leadership is given a clear indication to its cadre that it’s serious to grow in this part of the country. In Telangana BJP is able to attract a prominent Congress leader and former Congress minister from Mabhaboobnagar district, DK Aruna, sitting ruling party MP Jitender Reddy. In Andhra Pradesh THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
THE NATION 21
another former Congress Minster with solid ground support, Kanna Lakshminarayana is steering the party. By nominating serious, hardworking candidates in both the Telugu states BJP is expecting to fair better this time. In Tamil Nadu, the last time it won a meaningful number of seats (four) was in 1999, when it was in alliance with the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and Vaiko’s MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). Since then, the party has been blanked out completely, winning only a solitary seat in 2014 in Kanyakumari. However, the BJP can be more optimistic about its prospects in Tamil Nadu, where it has secured a prepoll deal with the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), the current ruling party in the state assembly and the winner of 37 seats in 2014. This combined with the BJP itself competing in five seats could mean a marked improvement for the party in Tamil Nadu. But even these potential gains could be hindered by the potential Congress-DMK alliance. The one state where the BJP is unlikely to make any inroads is Kerala. Despite competing in a large number of seats historically against the Congress and the coalition of Left parties, the BJP is yet to win a single seat in the state. Given this, even the recent polarization around the Sabarimala issue is unlikely to help the BJP secure a foothold in its last frontier in the country. On whole present political scenario and historical data suggests that there is unlikely to be a dramatic turnaround in the BJP’s fortunes in South India in the forthcoming elections.
22 THE NATION
Padma Awards presented Prominence recognised
P
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adma Awards - one of the highest civilian awards of the country present year were presented., The awards are conferred 56 of the 112 inspiring personalities, who were selected for this year's awards. President Ram Nath Kovind has conferred the prestigious honour at a special function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. Padma Awards - are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines/fields of activities; art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished
service. Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order.Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field This year's awardees are from across the nation, all segments of society and the government has gone beyond excellence alone, recognising the larger impact and their selfless service, the official said. Prominent personalities, including Malayalam actor Mohanlal, former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and renowned journalist Kuldip Nayar (posthumous), were conferred the Padma awards by the President. Actor-dancer Prabhu Deva and industrialist John Chambers are among the recipients. As many as 112 “inspiring” personalities were selected for this year’s Padma awards and their names were announced on the eve of Republic Day this year. The reTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
maining awardees are likely to be conferred the honour at another function to be held a Home Ministry official said. Twenty-one of the awardees are women, 11 foreigners/non-resident Indian/Person of Indianorigin/Overseas citizen of India, three posthumous awardees and one transgender person. Bihar leader Hukumdev Narayan Yadav (Padma Bhushan), former CEO of multinational techno giant Cisco systems John Chambers (Padma Bhushan) and renowned dancer and filmmaker Prabhu Deva (Padma Shri) were also honoured at a special function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others. While Viswanathan Mohanlal, Dhindsa and Nayar (posthumous) were conferred the Padma Bhushan, Jaishankar was honoured with the Padma Shri. Nayar’s wife received the award from the President. Other notable awardees include renowned singer Shankar Mahadevan Narayan (Padma Shri), former Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha Karia Munda (Padma Bhushan), physicians Sandeep Guleria and Ilias Ali (both Padma Shri) and wrestler Bajrang Punia (Padma Shri). The awards are given in various disciplines — art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service, among others.
THE NATION 23
Modi outwits Congress with ‘chowkidar’ poll slogans R
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esponding to the Congress campaign of Chowkidar Chor Hai (The watchman is a thief) which was started by Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a counter campaign on social media with the tagline of Main Bhi Chowkidar (I am a watchman too). True to form, Modi has taken Twitter by storm with his #MainBhiChowkidar campaign. It has got an overwhelming response, with BJP supporters readily affixing chowkidar (or watchman) to their names, an apparent retort to the #ChowkidarChorHai charge of the Congress. Modi had called himself a watchman during his 2014 run for leadership. Back then, he presented himself as a guard against corruption. This time, he has apparently widened that role to keep a watch on national security as well. Indeed, security is one of the vital mandates of any government. While hashtag wars over chowkidari lend this election season some excitement, they also reduce politics to a silly game of tweets. They do disfavour to an electorate that has various other kinds of security to worry about. There is social security, which would include the common need of an assured livelihood. There is also the issue of women’s safety, on which little has been heard. With the use of slogans like Main Bhi Chowkidar and Chowkidar Phir Se (Watchman Again), BJP
has started an outreach programme on social media to connect to the people on a mass scale which would then be replicated during election campaigns and public meetings. “As chowkidars of our nation, we are committed to creating a clean economy by using cashless financial transactions. The menace of corruption and black money has adversely affected us for decades. Time to eliminate these for a better future," tweeted Piyush Goyal, minister of railways and coal. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had alleged that PM Modi was personally responsible for the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France and had used the tagline Chowkidar Chor Hai. Gandhi used the slogan in public meetings in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan for the assembly elections last year. Goyal is among senior leaders of the BJP who added the word chowkidar to their username THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
on Twitter after PM Modi did it. The other leaders include BJP president Amit Shah and health minister J.P. Nadda. “The country is changing, people have faith in the government, everyone is a chowkidar now," tweeted Nadda. The Twitter campaign which began after the PM launched a song Haan, Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun song which the BJP plans to use as a main theme song for the general election campaign. Opposition parties took a swipe at the campaign. “Main Bhi chowkidar because the chowkidar I had appointed is missing. I am told he has gone looking for achhe din (good days, as was promised by Modi in 2014)," former Union minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram wrote on Twitter. “It is easy to call oneself chowkidaar but someone should listen to those youth also who are working as chowkidar for lack of jobs," Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav wrote on Twitter
24 THE NATION
S
Sumalatha contests against CM’s son
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which way, I could have done that. I was offered umalatha (55), the Bangalore North, South and widow of former Conan MLC post, all of which I gress MP from Mandya refused. I have made my MH Ambareesh, will be stand very clear, that it is pitted against Karnataka Mandya or nothing for me. Chief Minister H D KuI am not doing it to win or maraswamy's son Nikhil because I have no fear of Kumaraswamy, the JD(S)losing, it is because people Congress alliance candiwant me to contest,’’ she date. Ending the said. speculation about her parJD(S) leaders in ticipation in the Lok Sabha Mandya have warned that polls in Karnataka, the the Congress’s fortunes in actress has announced that other constituencies, like she would contest as an Inneighbouring Mysuru, will dependent candidate from be affected if its party Mandya, about 100 kilomeleaders in Mandya fail to tres from Bengaluru. support Nikhil KuSumalatha will be pitted maraswamy. against Karnataka Chief Despite being a poMinister H D Ku- Sumalatha, with her son litical novice, maraswamy's son Nikhil Sumalatha has reKumaraswamy, the JD(S)-Con- of local level Congress ceived a gress alliance candidate. leaders and BJP in groundswell of “I sought a ticket from the Con- Mandya — the JD(S) support since angress because my husband was is expected to face a nouncing her intent with the party for 20 years or so, tough fight in what to contest the polls but I was told that the Congress was otherwise considfrom Mandya over a will not field a candidate since it is ered a cakewalk. The month ago. “I knew in a coalition. I have decided to constituency is set to the people of Nikhil Kumaraswamy contest because hundreds of Con- vote on April 18. Mandya loved Amgress party workers in Mandya are The actress, who lost her bareesh, but I did not know they facing an identity crisis. They feel husband last year, said that she was loved me and my son Abhishek so that Congress will find it very dif- being backed by local Congress much,’’ she said. Over the last few ficult to come back to power in the leaders in the Mandya region who days, she has sought the support of region. So it becomes my duty to fear losing ground in the con- senior leaders of the region, includstand by them in what they want to stituency if it is handed to the ing former Congress Chief Minisdo,’’ said Sumalatha. JD(S). “I am not rushing in to cash ter, former Union Minister S M With Sumalatha’s entry into the in on any sympathy factor. If I Krishna who is currently associated poll fray — with the tactic support wanted to come into politics any with the BJP THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
26 THE NATION
Not contesting LS polls B
Why Mayawati opted out?
A.RAMMOHAN RAO
ahujan Samaj Party(BSP) chief Mayawati announced that she will not contest the Lok Sabha elections this time. Her decision to not contest the Lok Sabha elections despite being the lead partner in the anti-BJP alliance with the SP and RLD in Uttar Pradesh may surprise many. But why Mayawati has opted out of the LS race? There seems to be more than one reason for the decision of prominent women leader in the country.
First it indicates that Mayawati wants to focus her entire energy on the election campaign and strategic coordination with the BSP’s partners. The big challenge for her party is to retain its relevance in UP, and repeat the results of the Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana Lok Sabha by-polls. More so, because of the party has been sliding over the last three elections in UP — it lost power in 2012, drew a blank in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, managed just 19 seats in the Uttar Pradesh polls last year. Mayawati has been elected to Lok Sabha four times — in 1989
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
(Bijnor), 1998, 1999, and 2004 (all from Akbarpur) — and to Rajya Sabha thrice — in 1994, 2004, and 2012. On all three occasions, she resigned before the completion of her term. In her first electoral battle in 1985, Mayawati had contested against the Congress’s Meira Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan in a by-poll for the Bijnor seat. She lost to Meira Kumar in 1985 but entered Lok Sabha from the same seat four years later. In 1991, at the peak of Ram Temple movement, however, she lost the seat to the BJP. If Mayawati contests in coming
Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will marshall all resources to confine her to her seat, essentially wrecking her plans to campaign across the state and address joint election rallies with the leaders of the SP and RLD. The BSP is contesting 38 seats in UP, and Mayawati would want to win as many of them as she can. This may not have suited her, especially at a time when her party is fighting to slay the demons of the 2014 washout. The BSP is contesting 38 seats, and Mayawati would want to win as many of them as she can. Scooping up a big number can open up possibilities, including being catapulted into a potential kingmaking position in the new Lok Sabha. Doing badly, on the other hand, could doom both her and her party. The BSP has been fighting to arrest its decline and preserve its relevance since losing the Assembly elections of 2012 — it drew a blank in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and could win only 19 seats in the 403-member UP House in 2017 — and the coming elections are its do or die moment. Mayawati can be expected to do everything she can to repeat the Opposition’s success during the Lok Sabha byelections in Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana. Apart from UP, the BSP has struck alliances in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well, and Mayawati would like to canvass in these states, too. Political observers at Delhi offering a different perspective on Mayawati’s decision, linking it to the 2022 Assembly elections. According to them if she fights from any reserved seat in the coming elections, she will certainly win with the support of the SP,
THE NATION 27
RLD and Congress. In that sense, her not contesting amounts to the BSP giving up one seat. But she may not want to take an obligation from any of these parties. She may want to be free in 2022 when she has to sit down to discuss with the SP the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance. SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who had earlier said he would contest the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj has now announced the nomination of his wife Dimple from the seat. Dimple is the sitting
sion would actually boost the BJP. They argue by announcing she would not contest, Mayawati has signalled that she does not give herself any chance of becoming Prime Minister. Therefore, it is only the Congress that appears in a contest against the BJP at the national level. And she is constantly criticising the Congress to keep her non-Jatav Dalit vote bank intact — so in this situation, when voters elect the next PM, they will find no alternative but Narendra Modi. But Mayawati in her Tweet an-
MP from Kannauj. Akhilesh represented the constituency in Lok Sabha from 2000 to 2012, when he became Chief Minister. Had Mayawati contested the Lok Sabha election and won while Akhilesh stayed away from the contest, he would have been the frontrunner for the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance in 2022 and might have asked Mayawati to focus on politics in Delhi. Now, if Akhilesh ends up contesting and winning, Mayawati will have the upper hand in 2022. In fact, the primary focus of both leaders is UP. The BJP had an altogether different take — a senior leader from the party said the BSP chief’s deci-
nouncing her decision not contest has indicated that she is very much in the race for PM post. She said that “after the elections, I can get any seat vacated and contest from there to go to the Lok Sabha”. In a tweet posted on her official Twitter Mayawati also made it clear, saying that when she “became UP CM first time in 1995 I was not a member of either UP Assembly or Council”. She pointed out that there is a “provision at the Centre” where a person has to be “an LS/RS member within 6 months of holding office” of a minister or PM. So “Behenji’s” opting out of Lok Sabha polls is a strategy where she can win heads or tails.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
28 INDIANS ABROAD
Indian-American Neomi Rao is the judge at powerful US court
N
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eomi Jehangir Rao, a prominent Indian-American lawyer has been sworn in as US Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. She becomes the second from the community to be a part of the powerful court considered next only to the US Supreme Court. Neomi Rao, 45, was sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. She will replace US Supreme Court controversial Judge Justice Brett Kavanaugh who was nominated by President Donald Trump for the top post. Before being sworn in as the US Supreme Court Judge, was a judge at the United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Joined by her husband Alan Lefkowitz, Neomi Rao took the oath on the Bible. According to a White House schedule, Trump participated in the swearing-in ceremony. Born in Detroit to Parsi physicians from India - Zerin Rao and Jehangir Narioshang - Neomi Rao is the second Indian-American after Sri Srinivasan to be part of the powerful court said to be next only to the US Supreme Court. Srinivasan was appointed during the previous Obama regime. Nominated by President Trump during Diwali celebrations last November, Neomi Rao was confirmed by the Senate last week by 53-46 votes."She is going to be fantastic. Great person," Trump had said about his nominee. In her previous role as the AdTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
ministrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget, she played a key role in regulatory reform. Neomi Rao's confirmation and her swearing-in for the prestigious court has been a low key affair for the Indian-American community. This is in stark contrast to the nationwide celebration by IndianAmericans when Srinivasan was confirmed and sworn in as US Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. Prior to her service as OIRA Administrator, Neomi Rao was a professor of structural constitutional law, administrative law, and legislation and statutory interpretation at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. She founded the Law School's Center for the Study of the Administrative State and focused her scholarship on the political and constitutional accountability of administrative agencies and the role of Congress. She has served in all three branches of government, including Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to President George W Bush. Neomi Rao also served as counsel to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where she was responsible for judicial nominations and constitutional law issues. In between government service, Neomi Rao practised in the London office of Clifford Chance LLP, specialising in international law and commercial arbitration.
INDIANS ABROAD 29
Indians students flock at London T
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he number of Indian students choosing London as a study destination jumped by 20 per cent in 2017-18 compared to the previous year, official statistics reveal. In 2017-18, London attracted 5,455 students from India taking up courses across the city's many universities, up from 4,545 the previous year. India held on to its fourth rank among London's top international student markets, after 21,350 students who came from China, 7,105 from the US, and 5,770 from Italy. Along with China, which also registered a similar 20 per cent hike, India held on to its position as the fastest growing international student market for the British capital, noted Study London, the Mayor of London's official university guide. Study London, the Mayor of London's official university guide hailed new statistics which reveal that the number of Indian students jumped by 20 per cent in 2017-18, compared to the previous year.
"These new statistics show that London is as big a draw as ever for the brightest young talent from around the world. I'm delighted to see so many students choosing our city as their destination of choice to learn and to discover all the benefits of a firstclass education," said Rajesh Agrawal, London's Deputy Mayor for Business. "London has more world-leading universities than any other city on the planet and a buzzing cultural landscape which attracts international students from more than 200 countries. This is yet more evidence that London is open," he said. India held on to its fourth rank among London's top international student markets, behind China, the US and Italy. The latest statistics, based on the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data reveal that 118,145 international students came to London in 201718, which is an increase of 5.3 per cent from 2016-17. This rise illustrates strong growth for London in comparison to the previous year's growth rate of THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
2.6 per cent, said London & Partners (L&P), the Mayor of London's promotional agency. "London has four universities listed in the 2019 'QS World University Rankings' top 40, and five universities in the top 200, cementing it as one of the best cities in the world for higher education," L&P said in a statement. "In addition, four of London's universities have recently each been ranked as the best in the world for Art & Design, Education, Social Policy & Administration, and Veterinary Science respectively - making them world leaders in each subject," it noted. According to the analysis, almost 30 per cent of London's 389,215 students come from overseas and in 2016-17, international students contributed 3 billion pounds to the UK economy. London & Partners attributes students from all over the world continuing to choose London as a study destination to the city's unique mix of culture, diversity, creative energy, and a vast choice of courses and world-class institutions
30 INDIANS ABROAD
I
Padma Lakshmi is UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
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ndian-American author, television personality and food expert Padma Lakshmi have been appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its newest Goodwill Ambassador, supporting the agency’s fight against inequality and discrimination around the world.UNDP announced Lakshmi’s appointment on the eve of International Women’s Day. Lakshmi was named the Goodwill Ambassador by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner in a ceremony at the UNDP headquarters. In her new role, the Emmy-nominated television personality and award-winning author will mobilise support for the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on fighting inequality, discrimination and empowering the disenfranchised. Padma Lakshmi says she stands by her decision to write a New York Times op-ed about being raped as a teenager. The 'Top Chef' host spoke while promoting a contest to choose this year's must-bake holiday treat.“As we celebrate International Women’s Day… let’s remember that women and girls face some of the worst discrimination and hardships in the world,” Lakshmi said at a press conference held at UNDP headquarters. She said her main focus as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador will be to shine a spotlight on the fact that inequality can affect people in rich and poor countries alike. Many nations have greatly reduced poverty, but inequality has proved more stubborn,” she said. “Inequality is further compounded by gender, age, ethnicity and race. It especially affects women, minorities and others who face unimaginable discrimination in the societies in which they live.” Lakshmi has a strong record of speaking out for those who have been left behind and of fighting discrimination. Lakshmi has been a judge and host, as well as executive producer, of Bravo Television’s Emmy awardwinning series Top Chef. She is also a New York Times bestselling author, the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, a Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union advocating for
immigrants’ rights. She is joining a roster of UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes globally celebrated actors, athletes, musicians and other high-profile influencers such as Spanish-born international star Antonio Banderas, Award-winning actor Michelle Yeoh and legendary musician Bob Weir.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
HEALTH 31
Risk of death by CVD S
Stop sugary drinks!
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ugary drinks may heighten the risk of premature deaths by cardiovascular diseases, revealed research. The study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) people consumed, the greater their risk of premature death—particularly death from cardiovascular disease(CVD), and to a lesser extent from cancer. Also, the risk of early death linked with drinking SSBs was more pronounced among women. The study also found that drinking one artificially sweetened beverage (ASB) per day instead of a sugary one
lowered the risk of premature death. But drinking four or more ASBs per day was associated with increased risk of mortality in women. The researchers analyzed data from 80,647 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study (19802014) and from 37,716 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2014) in the US. For both studies, participants answered questionnaires about lifestyle factors and health status every two years. After adjusting for major diet and lifestyle factors, the researchers found that the more SSBs a person drank, the more his or her
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
risk of early death from any cause increased. Compared with drinking SSBs less than once per month, drinking one to four sugary drinks per month was linked with a 1% increased risk; two to six per week with a 6% increase; one to two per day with a 14% increase; and two or more per day with a 21% increase. The increased early death risk linked with SSB consumption was more pronounced among women than among men. There was a particularly strong link between drinking sugary beverages and increased risk of early death from cardiovascular disease. Compared with infrequent SSB
32 HEALTH
drinkers, those who drank two or more servings per day of SSBs had a 31% higher risk of early death from CVD. Each additional serving per day of SSBs was linked with a 10% increased higher risk of CVDrelated death. Among both men and women, there was a modest link between SSB consumption and early death risk from cancer. “Our results provide further support to limit intake of SSBs and to replace them with other beverages, preferably water, to improve overall health and longevity," said Vasanti Malik, a research scientist in the Department of Nutrition and lead author of the study. Studies have shown that SSBs—carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinks— are the single largest source of
added sugar across the world including India. SSB intake is also on the rise in developing countries, spurred by urbanization and beverage marketing, according to the authors. Previous studies have found links between SSB intake and weight gain and higher risk of type2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, although few have looked at the connection between SSB intake and mortality. Researchers also looked at the association between drinking artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) and risk of early death. They found that replacing SSBs with ASBs was linked with a moderately lower risk of early death. But they also found a link between high intake levels of ASBs (at least four servings/day) and slightly inTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
creased risk of both overall and cardiovascular disease-related mortality among women, so they cautioned against excessive ASB consumption. “These findings are consistent with the known adverse effects of high sugar intake on metabolic risk factors and the strong evidence that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages increase the risk of type-2 diabetes, itself a major risk factor for premature death. The results also provide further support for policies to limit the marketing of sugary beverages to children and adolescents and for implementing soda taxes because the current price of sugary beverages does not include the high costs of treating the consequences," said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.
HEALTH 33
Nobel Laureate
“India needs to increase the funding for science” “w
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e should train our students to distinguish facts from fiction and what data and information means” says Nobel Laureate Bernard Lucas Feringa. A Dutch synthetic organic chemist, he has specialised in molecular nanotechnology and homogenous catalysis. He was in India recently has shared his views, experiences and how he got into the field of Science. Bernard Lucas Feringa said that India has so much talent and the government should invest a bit more in science and that is very important that you have a really good funding for science, technology and innovation. That will bring India forward and it’s needed
because there are many questions about clean water, new drugs, fighting diseases, about energy and fuel in the future and how to recycle material. There are lots of challenges. These are important questions and of course there will be a lot of basic science and technology needed to make that advance happen. Sharing his views about how to encourage pure sciences the Nobel Laureate said, first of all, we should be encouraging at university level to do basic science. We should also look at the potential for society and industry, but most important is that universities have a good basis in fundamental sciences because we have to train the students for the future and think about new knowlTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
edge, new discoveries and to do that it can be long-term and a lot of things you cannot predict because you try to do new insights and discoveries but can be completely different because you can do unexpected discoveries and these are more often the beautiful ones and can make a dramatic impact. It is very important that we have a very strong base of fundamental science. We should train our students to distinguish facts from fiction and what data and information mean. For chemistry and physics, there are a lot of experiments and young children, even in elementary schools, like discoveries. They like to experiment. So, we should encourage doing experiments and dis-
34 HEALTH
coveries. Children are extremely creative, they are not spoiled and they think with a very open mind. We should encourage them to do experiments and discoveries. Learning by discovery is really important. Then when they go to high school, they can do all kinds of chemical experiments. They get really enthusiastic about chemistry. Of course, they have to learn the theory but it becomes much more interesting when you can also show them how you can make things, change things like how you can make a nice colour or crystal. All these things are important and children love that. He said his own journey into the field of science has begun in high school when he had a very good chemistry and physics teacher who stimulated him a lot. “Then I went to the university and there too I had a very good professor. It helps a lot when you have stimulating teachers.� Speaking about the general
trend that there are a few women in the field of pure science. and steps to be taken to encourage them Bernard Lucas Feringa is of the opinion that already so many talented women students here in colleges and universities. I am really proud to see how well they are doing and we should also be proud of them. But we can encourage them more than they should not be afraid because of there still an element that physics, chemistry and mathematics are for man but this is nonsense because we see that so many girls who do outstanding work even in my own lab. They are very creative, they work very hard and they are very good at experimentation. We need to encourage more women to go into the sciences. The Nobel Laureate is of the opinion that the age of artificial intelligence will help chemistry in speeding up the discoveries. We can see, with computer-based
systems and artificial intelligence you can make systems that learn themselves. So a lot of future discoveries will happen. So you might engage with automated systems, robotics systems and they can learn from experiments and you can take advantage of artificial intelligence. You see this already. Nowadays people use artificial intelligence to design experiments and then they will automatically optimise experiments using methods of artificial intelligence. So I think there will be a lot of influence, it will help to speed up discoveries. Speaking about his getting Nobel Prize Bernard Lucas Feringa said: It was a very big surprise for me. I did not even think about it. I was busy with teaching and my research so I was not thinking about getting a Nobel Prize. I was a bit in shock when I first heard about getting a Nobel Prize. This was so unexpected for me. It was like a dream for me.
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THE NATION 35
India’s first Lokpal appointed I
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Eight members also in
ndia’s first Lokpal is appointed. Retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose was made the first Lokpal, the national anticorruption ombudsman. The institution of Lokpal has been officially set up with President Ram Nath Kovind in the third week of March appointing Justice P C Ghose as its chairperson, and eight members, including an equal number of judicial and non-judicial names. According to an official communique, the four judicial members appointed by the President are former Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale, former Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, former Manipur
High Court Chief Justice Abhilasha Kumari and current Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi. The non-judicial members are Maharashtra Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain retired IPS officer and ex-DG of Sashastra Seema Bal Archana Ramasundaram retired IRS official Mahender Singh and retired IAS officer I P Gautam, who is currently the full-time managing director of Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) Limited. Justice Ghose was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in March 2013 and retired in May 2017. He is currently a member of the National Human Rights Commission. The names were cleared by the Lokpal Selection A committee headed by Prime Minister
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
Narendra Modi last week. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, which envisaged the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states, was enacted in 2013 and received Presidential assent on January 1, 2014. But the appointment was delayed due to various reasons. According to the Act, the Lokpal is to be headed by a chairperson, “who is or has been a Chief Justice of India or is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent person of impeccable integrity and outstanding ability having special knowledge and expertise of not less than twenty-five years in matters relating to anticorruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, law and management”.
36 OBITUARY
Manohar Parrikar
Technocrat politician with an unusual human touch
M
D.BAL REDDY
anohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar(63) national leader from Goa. He is from Parra village, from which his family derives its name. Parrikar, who was born into a Goud Saraswat Brahmin family, was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supporter. He had been a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-affiliated students wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Before entering into national politics Manohar Parrikar has dominated state politics for two decades. A half-sleeved untucked shirt and leather sandals were to become his trademark attire; while his brisk pace and replies that went beyond “I will look into it” crafted an image of a professional-turnedpolitician. Ambition, acumen, and the willingness to battle it out helped the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay graduate be recog-
nised as a “technocrat chief minister”. From the moment he became the state’s first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister in October 2000 — after causing a split in the ruling Congress, which won a full majority 11 months earlier — Parrikar became the mainstay of Goa politics. As the man-in-charge of Goa between 2000 and 2005 (two terms from 2000-2002 and 2002-2005), Parrikar shot onto the national stage for his decisiveness. He projected himself as a leader across religious boundaries; he uniquely managed to woo the state’s 26% Catholic community despite being a Hindu. His reputation was enhanced by successfully ensuring that a small state like Goa, which critics at the time said lacked a “film culture”, successfully hosted the International Film Festival of India in 2004, and continues to do so to this day. Parrikar liked wearing his
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half-sleeve shirts and flip-flops even during the height of Delhi’s harsh winters, which he could never warm to. Parrikar’s mentor in the RSS was Subhash Velingkr. In 1984 when Parrikar first announced at home that he would contest elections, his family was extremely upset. That year, there was the talk of the BJP and the local Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) coming together for an alliance. When the MGP refused to budge initially, it was decided that pressure would be built on the MGP by setting up candidates against them, which they would withdraw once the alliance was thrashed out. Subhash Velingkr called Manohar Parrikar and explained the plan. ‘You are going to show that you are seriously contesting and don’t reveal to anybody,’ Velingkar told him. Parrikar, who managed the M/s Goa Hydraulics Ltd manufacturing
unit, and was a sanghchalak for the RSS in Mapusa town, had no real interest in joining politics then. His wife and parents were very angry. Till the last moment, when Sangh leaders asked him to withdraw, he didn’t tell anybody — that this was only a pretence and withdrawing was the plan all along. In 1991, after he was relieved of organisational responsibilities by RSS, Parrikar contested his first election as the BJP’s candidate for the North Goa Lok Sabha seat. He got 26,003 votes but lost to the Congress candidate Harish Zantye who won 88,139 votes. He won his first election two years later in 1994 as BJP’s candidate for the Panaji assembly seat despite being an “outsider” to the city and started his journey as a lawmaker. Parrikar steered his party to a full majority in 2012 when at his behest, it took a conscious decision to hand out tickets to seven Catholic candidates. It proved to be a masterstroke as all seven were elected. Those close to Manohar Parrikar remember him as a simple man, who didn’t hesitate to “stand in queues at airports or weddings”, and “strived hard for the people and party”.Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde who lauded Parrikar’s commitment to his work and said “He was the epitome of simplicity. We all have seen his photographs inspecting development work in Goa recently. I asked him why he was working and not resting; he replied he didn’t want to die in bed; he wanted to work till his last breath.” The news of Manohar Parrikar’s death was met with sadness at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), where he studied from 1973 to 1980. While
OBITUARY 37
many shared fond memories of Parrikar as a student, others recalled the humble man who attended alumni meets regularly. His friends at the institute always knew he was meant to be a leader. A friend of him recalled, “Our hostel mess fee was Rs 180 per month. In order to reduce the price, he went to the Byculla market to buy vegetables himself. The idea was adopted by our mess contractor and the fees were reduced to Rs 160.” At every alumni meet, members were handed a coupon for lunch. Despite his status as the defence minister [from 2014-2017], he would hold the coupon and stand in the queue year after year. He always asked his security to step away when he was with friends. The other three times that he was CM, it was through defections and coalitions, including his final stint starting in 2017. Parrikar was also among the earliest supporters of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate when Modi faced intense opposition within the party. In 2013, Parrikar invited the national BJP leadership - at that time THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
a deeply divided house over Modi being projected PM candidate - for its national executive in Goa and fully backed him. When the 2014 mandate was won, it came as no surprise then that Parrikar was summoned to Delhi to be the Union defence minister, which he accepted despite being extremely attached to Goa. He leaves behind impressive civic infrastructure, including signature bridges and sports stadiums constructed during his tenure. Parrikar’s greatest contribution to the Indian military establishment was the one-rank, one-pension scheme or OROP. Even when finance and defence ministry mandarins cringed at the financial implications of the proposal, he would prepare financial flowcharts to extrapolate the cost to the exchequer. To the naysayers, he would say that if PM Narendra Modi had promised it, it must be delivered. Parrikar’s other major contribution was the implementation of the Shekatkar committee recommendations to make the army fighting fit along with the replenishment of much-required ammunition.
38 THE NATION
Sawant takes over as Goa Chief Minister
B
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haratiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Sawant is new Chief Minister of Goa state. He was sworn in in a move that capped frenzied political developments in the state following Manohar Parrikar’s cremation, which witnessed thousands turning out to pay their last respects to one of the tallest leaders of the party from the region. Two deputy chief ministers – one each from alliance partners Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP) – were also picked in the crucial political transition that was necessitated by the death of 63-year-old Parrikar, who was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in February last year. Sawant’s swearing-in ceremony was initially scheduled to be held at 11 pm on Monday but it was pushed back, as the BJP deliberated with allies late into the night to secure his position as the consensus candidate for the chief minister’s post. The ceremony was finally held at 1.50 am. The 45-year-old had been elected the legislature party leader in the state by the BJP earlier in the day. “The party has trusted me with a big responsibility. Whatever I am today is because of Manohar Parrikar,” Sawant said as he headed to the Raj Bhawan to take the oath of office after staking claim to the government in a letter to governor Mridula Sinha. Parrikar died on March 17th evening, prompting the Congress to stake its claim to the government with 14 party MLAs. After Parrikar’s death, the number of BJP MLAs in the assembly stood at 12, with a current House strength of 36. The BJP needed the support of at least seven other legislators to remain in power. The BJP formed the government in the state in 2017 with the support of the MGP and GFP – both with three MLAs each – and three independent legislators. Political uncertainty arose in Goa during the day after a decision by the BJP top brass to elevate Sawant,
the Speaker in the state assembly, was not fully accepted by the MGP and GFP initially, a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. All MLAs of the Congress, which is the single largest party in Goa, also met the governor in the coastal state. The strength of the assembly came down to 36 after the death of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza, and Parrikar and resignations of two Congress MLAs last year. An Ayurveda doctor by training, Sawant was a leader of the BJP’s youth wing and retained his seat from the Sanquelim assembly constituency in 2017. He first entered the assembly in 2012. He came into prominence in the state when he led a protest in 2011 as the president of the Goa wing of BJP’s youth wing against Digambar Kamat-led Congress government over alleged irregularities in the mining sector. Manohar Parrikar, who was then the leader of opposition in Goa assembly, spotted him and mentored him. According to a BJP leader, Sawant had the backing of Parrikar, who first played an important role in giving him a ticket for Goa assembly polls in 2012. He won from Sanquelim in 2012 and 2017
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
EDUVOICE 39
PROF. G. NARSIMULU
Plan for HRD
Telangana needs an education commission
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overnment of Telangana state during the last five years has initiated to start free compulsory education from KG to PG to children of deprived classes and minority community. The newly appointed education minister in a press conference spells out his ministry commitment to start more than four hundred Gurukula's and convert existing primary schools into semi Gurukula's in entire Telangana state. At present these Gurukula's are functioning under scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, Backward class and Minority welfare departments of state government. These institutes run in almost all mandalas of Telangana state. The institutes run in residential and free nutritious meals provided to the students and staff. The staff will stay in the institutes and provide guidance to the students for all-round development. Apart from teaching extracurricular activities and personality development programmes are planned. To monitor the functioning of
these institutions the state government has identified senior IPS officer Praveen Kumar as secretary of these institutions and provide freedom to provide a meaningful and useful education to these sections of the society. More than one decade these institutions under the leadership of Praveen Kumar and his dedicated team could bring behavioural changes among the students and parents Being the residential nature the students are encouraged to acquire leadership traits and participate themselves to make them fit forever changes in society. The mentors attached to each resident are highly skilled and motivated this is evident through these students reached very good postings and achievements. This is one side of the coin. This is the brainchild of the chief minister of Telangana state. Look at another side of the coin through the enrolment after 70yrs of independence reaches 74% national literacy and enrolment at THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
primary school was 81% in the age group of15 to 24. But several studies conducted by international and National research groups came out that enrolment to the primary school is satisfactory but pupils achievement is very poor and students of fifth class and seventh class could not recognise minimum letters in Mother tongue and arithmetic. Even at the tenth class majority of rural student could not spell words and write a few sentences in their Mother tongue leave alone in English. Teachers of these primary schools working in rural areas never bothered the performance of the pupil and used to stay nearby towns and settles to schools and engage other activities than teaching and maintains schools. The education committees which are supposed to monitor school are only on papers. Coming to the Intermediate Education the government and aided colleges are only used for having notes and corporate colleges are
40 EDUVOICE
preparing students for professional courses like medical and engineering streams and charging huge fees and it is difficult for Weaker sections to meet the expenses. The corporate colleges are only starting giving coaching for entrance examinations leaving the intermediate classwork and no practical’s conducted in the lab as for science students, without knowledge of practical ’s, the college management's used to manage external examiners for getting good marks for their students, Intermediate board officials never look into this aspect. After Intermediate less number of students able to get admissions in IIT and other national institutes whereas others join in privately run engineering colleges and lesser will join under graduation courses offered by the respective universities. During the Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh, Late chief minister Dr YS Rajashekar Reddy sanctioned reimbursements of scholarship for students of KG to PG students. He encouraged his party workers to start engineering, medical and other courses. Government funds were misused and no quality of education was provided this has resulted the majority of the students could not get placements in skilled market .out of one lake students passed out from engineering streams only10% cold get placements and going abroad for further studies. Looking at universities apart from Osmania and Kakatiya traditional universities there are another four district universities are functioning from the last ten years. No recruitment and fewer provisions of funds resulted in poor performance of the students as well as the contact and part-time teaching
faculty. Looking at the enrolment of the students for. Last five to six years, the majority of the students from. Weaker sections and rural students are taking admissions and staying hostels for longer duration and vacate when they get employment. Their stay in university was used for. Preparing themselves for writing competitive examinations. Percentage of these students is below ten and the rest of them became the burden of the society as well as their parents. With regard to Teacher education as well as physical education courses are concerned it was not a very pathetic condition. Approximately 300 colleges in entire Telangana state offering Bachelors of education with an intake of 100 students for two years course. As per NCTE Guidelines 16 teaching. Faculty and one Doctorate Principal required and in reality, there are fewer numbers of teaching staff were seen on roles when inspections were conducted by the university officials. The best teacher awardees are selected by the officials in state government who THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
never takes classes and actively involved in other affairs. One said the new state government is initiating new steps to provide Kg to PG and other side previous governments in united AP state handing the corruptive education system from primary to higher education. In view of the present contest, the state government under the dynamic leadership of the chief minister KCR appoint an educational commission in the name of Telangana Education commission to study the functioning of preprimary secondary higher education professional educations. The commission Will be on the model of Kothari commission and appoint welknonw educationists, social scientists and senior vice chancellors as members and give the duration of time to submit a detailed report with suitable recommendations. The actions to be taken by the commission report will be definitely Will be directing entire nations. (Auther is Principal Palamuru University College of education, Mahabubnagar Telangana state)
41
What does it feel like going into space
What do you eat in space? "I
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ate shrimp but in the future, food can be printed in space using a 3-D printer so when one of you goes on a space mission, you could be eating printed food," said former NASA chief Major General Charles Frank Bolden Jr. He was answering questions posed by a large number of students of Bharat Scouts and Guides he was addressing in Bengaluru recently. What does it feel like going into space? "When the famous countdown of 10, 9, 8, 7 begins, you hear the sound of a giant explosion (mimics explosion noise). Those are your thrusters kicking in and within seconds, you lean back and while the first 7 minutes and 45 seconds of the journey are quite comfortable, it is when you are exiting the atmosphere that you feel like there is a gorilla beating your chest, when you are travelling at 18,000 miles per hour," explained Maj. Gen Bolden Jr. The former US Space Shuttle Commander and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator conducted meetings with government officials, academics and students in India as part of the US Department of State's efforts to promote bilateral science and technology partnerships in space exploration. He recently retired from service as the twelfth administrator of NASA during the tenure of former US
President Barack Obama and is known for being the first AfricanAmerican administrator of the famed space research organisation. But it was in the engaging interaction with the students that Maj. Gen.Bolden Jr. was in his element – talking about space. He has travelled to orbit on four occasions between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others. He fielded a range of questions from the audience and answered them with crisp responses drawing on his experiences in space exploration. "What do astronauts eat in space?" "I ate shrimp but in the future, food can be printed in space using a 3-D printer so when one of you goes on a space mission, you could be eating printed food". "How does the earth look like THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
from space?" "During the day, there are no borders or any sign of life that is visible from space. It puts things in perspective for you. In the night, due to the lights, signs of human life is clearly visible". He even addressed the conspiracy theory that the earth is flat, "It looked round to me!" he quips, showing a picture of the earth he had taken from space. Ahead of the interaction, Maj. Gen Bolden Jr. held a meeting with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan. "It was a courtesy call wishing him luck for the upcoming missions including the Chandrayaan II mission. We also discussed updates on the human space flight mission and other collaborations with ISRO,� he said, speaking on the sidelines of the interaction with scouts and guides
42 SCIENCE & TECH
Textiles become circuits in
'The Embroidered Computer'
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oogle and others have developed smart clothing with built-in integrated circuits, but what if the textile itself formed the circuit? That's the idea behind The Embroidered Computer, an interactive installation from artist and researcher Irene Posch and designer/artist Ebru Kurbak, shown at this year's Istanbul Design Biennial. It's a working 8-bit electromechanical computer made from gold, linen, hematite, wood, silver and copper that functions equally as a decorative textile. As Posch notes on her website, the piece explores "the appearance of current digital and electronic technologies surrounding us, as well as our interaction with them." At the same exhibition, the artists also showed off The Yarn Recorder, a device that can record and playback
sounds using steel-cored yarn. The Embroidered Computer has flippable relays like those used in mainframes before semiconductors came along. While they're not nearly as fast, you have to admit that they look a lot cooler in operation. The dominant material is gold, used for its highly conductive properties, arranged in patterns to form the logic of a simple 8-bit computer. "Traditionally purely decorative, their pattern here defines the function," the artists wrote. "They lay bare core digital routines usually hidden in black boxes. Users are invited to interact with the piece in programming the textile to a computer for them." While the artwork brings the hidden beauty of programmed circuits front and centre, it also makes a normally decorative object functional. The piece imagines a timeline where computers were
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developed by artisans, rather than engineers, using ancient methods and skills. "Through its mere existence, it evokes one of the many imaginable alternative histories of computing technology and stories of plausible alternatives to our present daily lives," said Kurbak and Posch. It's an ironic inversion, because the Jacquard Loom, which was invented in 1804, used the crude electromechanical computer powered by punch-cards to weave complex patterns. That, in turn, inspired Charles Babbage in his creation of the Analytical Engine, essentially the first general-purpose computer. "The Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns, just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves," said Babbage's contemporary and computing pioneer Ada Lovelace.
SCIENCE & TECH 43
Dormant viruses reactivate during space travel
S
Missions to Mars and beyond risky?
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pace travel caused herpes viruses to reactivate in more than half of crew aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS), according to a NASA study, a finding that could jeopardise mankind’s future missions to Mars and beyond. While only a small proportion develops symptoms, virus reactivation rates increase with spaceflight duration and could present a significant health risk on future missions. “NASA astronauts endure weeks or even months exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation — not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and re-entry,” said Satish K Mehta at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. To study the physiological impact of spaceflight, researchers analyse saliva, blood and urine samples collected from astronauts before, during and after spaceflight. “During spaceflight, there is a rise in the secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and
adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system,” said Mehta. “In keeping with this, we find that astronaut’s immune cells –particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses — become less effective during spaceflight and sometimes for up to 60 days after,” he said. In the midst of this stress-induced amnesty on viral killing, dormant viruses reactivate and resurface, according to the research published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. CMV and EBV, are two viruses associated with causing different strains of mononucleosis or the “kissing disease”.So far, this viral shedding is typically asymptomatic, researchers said.“Only six astronauts developed any symptoms due to viral reactivation. All were minor,” said Mehta. However, continued virus shedding post flight could endanger immunocompromised or uninfected contacts on Earth, like newborns.“Infectious VZV and CMV were shed in body
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fluids up to 30 days following return from the International Space Station,” he said. As space agencies prepare for human deep-space missions beyond the moon and Mars, the risk that herpes virus reactivation poses to astronauts and their contacts could become more crucial. Developing countermeasures to viral reactivation is essential to the success of these deep-space missions, said Mehta. "To date, 47 out of 89 (53 per cent) astronauts on short space shuttle flights, and 14 out of 23 (61 per cent) on longer ISS missions shed herpes viruses in their saliva or urine samples," revealed Mehta. Overall, four of the eight known human herpes viruses were detected. These include the varieties responsible for oral and genital herpes (HSV), chickenpox and shingles (VZV) -- which remain lifelong in our nerve cells -- as well as CMV and EBV, which take permanent but uneventful residence in our immune cells during childhood. CMV and EBV are two viruses associated with causing different strains of mononucleosis or the 'kissing disease.' So far, this viral shedding is typically asymptomatic, researchers said. "Only six astronauts developed any symptoms due to viral reactivation. All were minor," said Mehta. However, continued virus shedding post flight could endanger immunocompromised or uninfected contacts on Earth, like newborns.
44 CRIME
Supreme Court:
Acid attackers do not deserve any clemency
A
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cid attack is an “uncivilised and heartless crime” which does not deserve any clemency ruled the Supreme Court. The apex court observed this while asking two convicts, who have already undergone five-year jail for throwing acid on A 19year-old girl in 2004, to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each as additional compensation to the victim. The top court also asked the Himachal Pradesh government to pay compensation to acid attack survivor under the Victim Compensation Scheme. “Indeed, it cannot be ruled out that in the present case the victim had suffered an uncivilised and heartless crime committed by the respondents (two convicts) and there is no room for leniency which can be conceived,” a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi said. The Supreme Court delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by Himachal Pradesh challenging the March 24, 2008 judgement of the state High Court which had reduced the 10-year jail term awarded to both the men by a trial court to five years.
The bench further said, “A crime of this nature does not deserve any kind of clemency. This
court cannot be oblivious of the situation that the victim must have suffered emotional distress which cannot be compensated either by sentencing the accused or by grant of any compensation.” The court delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by the state challenging the March 24, 2008 judgement of the Himachal Pradesh High Court which had reduced the 10-year jail term awarded to both the men by a trial court to five years. According to the victim, she THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
was on her way to college on July 12, 2004 when the two men came on a two-wheeler and threw acid on her and fled the spot. She had suffered 16 per cent burn injury in the incident. The police had filed charge sheet against both the accused and the trial court convicted and sentenced them to 10 years jail term along with a fine of Rs 5,000 each. Later, the convicts approached the high court against the lower court’s verdict. The high court reduced their sentence to five years and increased the fine to Rs 25,000 each. The apex court, in its verdict, noted that the girl had suffered 16 per cent burn injury “which was caused due to acid attack on the darkest day of her life”. The top court was informed that both the convicts had undergone the sentence and deposited the fine as per the high court’s judgement and they were released from jail on December 9 last year. The bench, which said the high court’s verdict convicting both the persons needed no interference, asked them to pay additional compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the victim. It also asked the state to pay compensation to the girl under the victim compensation scheme and deposit the same before the trial court within three months.
CRIME 45
Human trafficking racket bust at Hyd airport T
P VISHNUVARDHAN REDDY
he Cyberabad police in Hyderabad busted an international human trafficking racket and cracked a fake passport and visa nexus. In this connection, they have taken 18 people into custody. Special teams of the Cyberabad Police have nabbed 15 illegal travel agents along with a police constable working in the Chevella police station and two people who were working with an airlines, for actively assisting the accused. A special team formed by Cyberabad
Commissioner V C Sajjanar with two DCP-level officers has busted the racket. Police seized 250 passports, fake visas, 38 cell phones, fake rubber stamps, 160 police verification certificates, 6 computers, 5 laptops, 2 printers and a net cash of Rs 5,02,430 besides other incriminating material like CDs/DVDs, ATM cards, credit cards, pan cards, cheque books etc from the possession of the accused. There is two and half months planning and study of the illegal travel agents operations has led to THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
this breakthrough. In the month of March 2019, 10 cases of possession of fake visas of certain international passengers who were going on work visas to Kuwait were registered at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police station, while from January, 14 cases were registered in which 71 accused were arrested and 21 accused were absconding. In view of the seriousness of these cases, Cyberabad police have decided to crack down on illegal agents running such rackets. Following this, a special team was formed.
46 CRIME
Speaking to media persons, Sajjanar said that several hundred people from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had been illegally to Kuwait over the last few years, where they would get trapped as bonded labourers. The police commissioner said that the agents would get work visas done in Mumbai with fake certificates and then manipulate them into visit visas to ensure that the immigration process happens more swiftly and they are able to skip due process that is followed for people travelling on work visas. “The agents will manipulate the work visa as visit visa and clear the immigration process. If any flyer is medically unfit, he/she will be taken to Sri Lanka on a transit visa and from there to Kuwait,” the commissioner said. Why Women trafficking continues in Telugu states? Around a year back the then Home Minister Nayini Narasimha Reddy and NRI Affairs Minister KT Rama Rao held a coordination meeting and promised to crack the whip on agents, stating that they would be arrested under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act. Stating that special teams would be formed, the Ministers also said that it was mandatory for travel agents to register themselves with the government. However, one year on, not much has changed on the ground. Several meetings were held over the past few years and despite intervention by KTR, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Telangana DGP, agents continue to thrive in the by-lanes of Hyderabad's old city area. Even today it is very difficult to get a case
booked against agents in a police station in Hyderabad. Activists working on the ground say that if the victim goes to the police station concerned under whose jurisdiction her house falls, she is asked to go to the police station under whose jurisdiction the agent's residence or office falls. Even then, they cite different reasons and brush off the victims. If one files a complaint with the Central ministry or an embassy about a woman being trafficked, they are asking for a copy of an FIR. However, it takes months of pursuing the case for the police to even register an FIR. Many times, the victims have to approach the Commissioner or a senior police officer, before an FIR is registered on their complaint. Even then, since the families are poor, the local police try to 'settle' the matter by asking the agent to pay an amount. Since the families are in dire straits, they also take up the offer. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
In some cases, agents are arrested for a few times and easily let off on bail. A case is generally registered under Section 420 (Cheating) of the IPC and the agents are let off on bail very easily, following which they resume their activities after walking out. Because there is no strong law that allows us to hold them for a longer time. Also, agents are rich and have a lot of resources. They have no problem-fighting cases in court. However, the police say that there is only so much they can do, as they also deal with outdated laws. Besides Section 420 of the IPC, they also book agents under Section 370 (Trafficking) and relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. However, they manage to secure bail. For example, Section 510 of the IPC which deals with ‘misconduct in public by a drunken person’. Even today, the fine is Rs 10. So, police take that person, get a blood test done in a government hospital, then send a sample to the forensic lab, which will then submit a report in two months. Then the police have to file a charge sheet. After all that, the person pays a fine of Rs 10 and walks out. So the onus is on the Law Commission to update laws according to the present day scenario Activists say the solution to this should be more checks and balances at the Embassy level when they are issuing the visa. Also, many times, the agents also have their own people at the airport. It is a massive nexus. We are not just dealing with an individual agent but with a parallel system,
CYBER CRIME 47
Online Ad fraud on rising
India accounts for 8.7% of global online ad fraud T
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he advertising technology space has evolved tremendously over the past few years with many rapid advancements in the sector. One of the banes that have come from this advancement is ad fraud. It has become an incredibly widespread problem for digital marketers and publishers across the globe. Spending on online advertising is growing and so are the attempts to manipulate advertisers through ad frauds. Reports suggest that up to $6 billion is stolen from advertisers every year through ad frauds. A report released by analytics firm ‘techARC’ claims that India with a market size of $1.63 billion accounted for 8.7% of worldwide digital ad fraud in 2018. Online commerce in India is the biggest breeding ground for ad fraud and contributed to 51% of the total ad fraud in the country, followed by the leisure and travel platforms, which account for 26% of ad frauds, according to the report. In 2019, digital ad fraud in India is projected to increase by 23%. “The impact of digital ad fraud now goes beyond diminishing the returns on marketing spends and can jeopardise the entire digital transformation journey hampering brand equity, relevance and positioning among other ramifica-
tions," cautions Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst,’techARC’. However, businesses with ad fraud solutions in place are better placed to contain abuse through their brand and serve only the most relevant things to their customers. According to the report, app frauds account for 85% of total digital ad fraud. In October 2018, Google also clamped down on an ad fraud network that was using botnets to fool advertisers. The criminals behind the network bought 125 legitimate apps listed on Google Play Store and then used botnets to keep up the appearance of a thriving app with a growing user base. Stopping advertising fraud completely is hard. With scammers THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
getting increasingly sophisticated, it’s impossible to suggest that ad fraud can be completely stopped but there are ways for companies to mitigate the problems. Some tech companies are constantly working on new-age technology like Programmatic & AI to recognize frauds early on. And as technology develops, machine learning will allow businesses to tackle the global problem of ad fraud to a great extent. They are trying to produce the best practices for identifying and reporting fraud and leveraging technology like machine learning to fight fraud in real time. They are also educating and engaging with their client and consumers on a daily basis to ensure fighting this together effectively.
48 CRIME
4-member gang cyber caught in TN
Women befriended on FB, sexually harassed A
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major cyber-stalking and the sexual abusing case came to light recently is rocking the Tamilnadu politics. More than 50 women across Tamil Nadu were allegedly lured and sexually harassed by a four-member gang from Pollachi. These women were victims of cyber-stalking and cheating due to befriending some stranger on Facebook. Most of the victims are youngsters and educated some middle-aged people.The case that has taken a political turn with the Opposition alleging the role of senior AIADMK leaders. The matter came to light in March first week after the four accused, all in their 20s were arrested in February for allegedly blackmailing and sexually harassing a 19-year-old girl. Police said they have seized four cellphones from the accused and it had videos and photographs of about 50 women. The remand of the accused was extended in the second week of March after two weeks in custody and their mobile phones had images of around 50 women, said a police officer part of the interrogation.”They lured women with fake female accounts on Facebook. In most of the cases, they struck a conversation with the victims, asking questions on lesbianism and
other sex-related topics. After a friendship, conversations turned into sexual chats and they later revealed their identity and forced the women to meet in person citing their chats. They harassed women in moving vehicles, hotels and even a farmhouse near Anamalai forest. The victims are from Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem and many parts of Tamil Nadu, and they include school and college teachers, doctors, senior secondary and college students,” the officer said. Most of the victims refused to file formal complaints fearing a backlash from their families, police said. “While refusing to file complaints, at least four victims informally confessed to the police about how they were trapped by the gang. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
Their versions corroborated with the confessions made by the accused,” an investigating officer said. A police officer monitoring the probe said that according to the first complaint in the matter, one of the four youths spoke to the 19year-old on Facebook and befriended her. “On February 12, both of them decided to meet during the lunch break in her college. As she met him and entered his car, three of his friends joined them. After the car started moving, the man who invited her started harassing her sexually while others took videos. They used this video later to blackmail her for more such meetings and money,” the officer said. After the girl told her family
CRIME 49
Think thrice before accepting ‘friends’ on Facebook
T
he Cyber Police in various states have found that people getting robbed or cheated on due to befriending some stranger on Facebook. Most of the victims are youngsters and educated middleaged people. Police say that in many cases people, both men and women, do not think carefully before pressing the ‘accept’ button on a friend request sent to them on Facebook. While some people argue that it is a good way to find a partner, one has to be careful about believing everything online, warned the cops. A senior police officer gave an example of a 20-year-old youth, who was a recent victim of these cybercriminals. He said, “The cybercriminals sent a friend request
about the incident, her brother approached the gang and requested them to delete a video, but he was threatened instead. The family then filed a complaint at the nearest police station. “Police arrested four others in a separate case for threatening the victim’s brother. They include some politically influential people in Pollachi who have business interests in liquor and cable TV networks,” the officer said. The AIADMK Monday removed A Nagaraj, one of the accused in the second case of threatening the victim’s brother, from the party’s primary membership after his photo with an
to the boy under the name of a girl. Unsuspecting, the boy looking at the picture of the girl with her family and friends accepted the request. The duo even had private moments on video calls, where he informed her about some of the porn materials which he possessed. After a few months, the girl stopped responding to his messages and her mobile was constantly switched off. The boy became severely depressed, and started having trouble studying.” The real shocker came a month later when he started receiving messages from an unknown number saying they had hacked into his system and had all his videos and porn viewing data.
They threatened to expose him if he did not pay an amount starting from Rs 50,000 and going up to Rs 2 lakh, the police officer said.“Such cases keep happening. It is unfortunate that many parents fearing exposure of their children’s name doesn’t lodge complaints. If every one lodged a complaint, then I am sure the numbers would be more than 100 a month,” said the investigating cyber crime officer.“Even educated people can fall prey to such criminals. If one is looking for a partner, always ensure you verify his credentials. Another dangerous trend is online stalkers who get people’s personal data by hacking into their accounts,” said another officer.
AIADMK minister was circulated on social media.DMK chief M K Stalin issued a statement asking whether the AIADMK government was trying to protect the accused. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who is part of the AIADMK alliance, also issued a statement demanding maximum punishment for the culprits. Pollachi DSP R Jeyaram has urged the public to inform the police if they know of any other victims, promising that their details will be kept confidential. The four accused have been booked under IPC Sections 354 (A) and 354 (B), Section 66 of the Information Tech-
nology Act, 2000, and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act. A highly-placed source in the government said the government fears a poll backlash due to the case and the probe may be handed over to the CB-CID soon. While two accused — Thirunavukkarasu (26) and Sathish (29) — were close friends for over six years, Sabarirajan and Vasanthakumar had joined the gang only recently. “All of them are from a middle- class background and they claimed that they had sexually abused women after they agreed to come to the place they demanded,” said DSP Jeyaram
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
50 CRIME
N
Mumbai bridge collapse:
A
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egLIgeNce ePotISM oNactIoN
part of a foot overbridge connecting north-end of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station to Badaruddin Tayabji Lane in Mumbai has collapsed and fell on road killing six people died and at least 30 others were injured in the accident. It is maintained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC). The structural audit and minor repairs of the foot over-
bridge were carried out six months ago. The preliminary inquiry report has pointed towards negligence on part of the auditor and contractor. In July 2018, G. K. Gokhale Road overbridge in Andheri had collapsed after heavy rain resulting in the death of two people. After the incident, 445 bridges were audited for the safety. In September 2017, a stampede broke out on a narrow footbridge at the Prabhadevi railway station resulting in at least 23 deaths
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On 14 March 2019, around 7:30 pm a part of the bridge collapsed on Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road. Due to peak hours, there are a large number of vehicles on the road and people on the bridge when it collapsed. Six people died in the accident and at least 30 others were injured. Three of the six dead in the foot overbridge collapse at the CSMT railway station were nurses at Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) Hospital nearby — two of them were rushed to the same hospital they worked at. The traffic on J. J. flyover going north was affected. The injured were admitted to the Saint George's Hospital and Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital. The remaining part of the foot overbridge was demolished TWO DAYS after the bridge collapsed at CSMT, the BMC on Saturday issued show cause notices to structural auditor Prof DD Desai’s Associated Engineering Consultants and Analysts Private Limited and contractor RPS Infrastructure Private Limited as part of the blacklisting process initiated against them, The preliminary inquiry report has pointed towards negligence on part of the auditor and contractor. Officials said the notices have sought their replies within 15 days. While the report has blamed Prof Desai for not carrying out structural audit correctly and observed major lapses in its work, then the contractor has been held guilty of conducting poor repair work that resulted in the collapse of the bridge, Interestingly, RPS Infrastructure had been indicted in the multi-crore road scam and blacklisted for seven years in 2017. The BMC has proposed to blacklist the firm for the next seven years.
BUSINESS 51
Investments by Indian conglomerates are on the decline I
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ndia’s largest conglomerates are investing far less in the country than they used to. The top 20 conglomerates, based on aggregate turnover, contributed less than a third to overall private sector investments in the three years from fiscal years 2015-16 to 2017-18. These companies accounted for more than half of all new project announcements at the turn of the century, an analysis by experts of capital expenditure (CapEx) data shows. The data for the analysis is based on figures for new project announcements from the CapEx tracking database of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The analysis is based on data from FY98 till FY18 and—given the lumpy nature of CapEx spending—considers investments in each three-year period. Data for business houses that have split in the period under consideration (including the Ambanis, the Jindals, and the Bajajs) have been merged to ensure comparability across the time period. The data pertains only to domestic investments and does not take into account outward foreign investments by these groups. Although
growth in fresh investments recovered in the last three years after hitting a record low in 2013-15, the improvement is largely due to the low base and the growth rate is still much lower than what it was in the early 2000s. The 2012-15 period actually saw negative growth for this set of conglomerates, primarily because several of the large conglomerates were deep in debt during that period. According to a 2015 report by Credit Suisse titled Still in the Woods, total debt at 10 of the biggest business groups climbed seven times in the eight years leading up to that year, adding up to 12% of the loans in the banking system and 27% of corporate loans. The Essar Group, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Godrej saw the sharpest declines in new investments during this period. L&T also witnessed the sharpest improvement in the subsequent three years, from FY2016-2018. Other groups that led investment recovery in this period were
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companies under the former KK Birla Group, TVS and the Rajan Raheja group. The Ambanis (aggregate of firms owned by Mukesh and Anil Ambani), Bharti Telecom, and the Tatas witnessed the most sluggish investment activity in the same period. Interestingly, over the last two decades, the three biggest business groups—Ambanis, Tatas and Jindals—have lost significant share in terms of their contribution to new investment projects. In the financial years 1997-2000, the combined share of these three groups in new private sector investments was 33%. This has fallen to about 10% in recent years. Even so, among the top 20, Jindals and Ambanis remained the biggest contributors to fresh investments in India. In fact, a comparison of the performance of new conglomerates (founded after 1970), such as Vedanta, Adani and the Ambani group, with older conglomerates (those founded before 1970), including the Tatas, Jindals and Godrej, shows that the contribution of the older conglomerates has fallen more in recent years. The analysis also shows that manufacturing investments by the top conglomerates have been far more volatile than investments in services, which have been led by groups such as Larsen and Toubro, the Jindals, and the Ambanis.
52 BUSINESS
The US, India to build
6 nuclear power plants I
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ndia and The United States have decided to strengthen security and civil nuclear cooperation. The two countries also agreed on building six U.S. nuclear power plants in India. The agreement came after two days of talks in Washington recently. The United States under President Donald Trump has been looking to sell more energy products to India, the world's thirdbiggest buyer of oil. The talks involved Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Andrea Thompson, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. "They committed to strengthening bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the
establishment of six U.S. nuclear power plants in India," the joint statement said. The two countries have been discussing the supply of U.S. nuclear reactors to energyhungry India for more than a decade, but a longstanding obstacle has been the need to bring Indian liability rules in-line with international norms, which require the costs of any accident to be channelled to the operator rather than the maker of a nuclear power station. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse has been negotiating to build reactors in India for years, but progress has been slow, partly because of India's nuclear liability legislation, and the project was thrown into doubt when Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after cost overruns on U.S. reactors.
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Canada's Brookfield Asset Management bought Westinghouse from Toshiba in August 2018. Last April Westinghouse received strong support from U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry for its India project, which envisaged the building of six AP1000 reactors in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The agreement to build the reactors, announced in 2016, followed on from a U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement signed in 2008. India plans to triple its nuclear capacity by 2024 to wean Asia's third-largest economy off polluting fossil fuels. Last October, India and Russia signed a pact to build six more nuclear reactors at a new site in India following summit talks between leaders of the countries in New Delhi.
ECONOMY 53
India joins World’s fastest growing large economies I
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ndia has been one of the fastest growing large economies in the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, asserting that the country has carried out several key reforms in the last five years, but more needs to be done. Responding to a question on India’s economic development in the last five years at a fortnightly news conference, IMF communications director Gerry Rice Thursday said, “India has of course been one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies of late, with growth averaging about seven per cent over the past five years.” “Important reforms have been implemented and we feel more reforms are needed to sustain this high growth, including to harness the demographic dividend opportunity, which India has,” he said. Details about the Indian economy would be revealed in the upcoming World Economic Outlook (WEO) survey report to be released by the IMF ahead of the annual spring meeting with the World Bank next month, he said. This report would be the first under Indian American economist Gita Gopinath, who is now IMF’s chief economist. “The WEO will go into more details. But amongst the policy priorities, we would include accelerate the cleanup of banks and corporate balance sheets, continue fiscal consolidation, both at centre and state levels, and broadly main-
tain the reform momentum in terms of structural reforms in factor markets, labour, land reforms and further enhancing the business climate to achieve faster and more inclusive growth,” Rice said India’s economy grew at a faster pace than most major nations in 2018, and this year, it’s poised to overtake the UK to become the world’s fifth-biggest. But that journey won’t be smooth. The outcome of a general election due by May is a potential pitfall for a nation already battered by emerg-
cent in the following two years. The World Bank in its forecast has attributed it to an upswing in consumption and investment. The bank said India will continue to be the fastest growing major economy in the world. At the same time China’s economic growth is projected to slow down to 6.2 each in 2019 and 2020 and 6 per cent in 2021, according to the January 2019 Global Economic Prospects report released by the World Bank. In 2018, the Chinese economy is estimated to have grown by 6.5
ing market turmoil and a currency rout last year. Also, any attempts by the government to undermine the central bank’s freedom and raid its surplus capital may spook investors and carry damaging consequences for the economy Driven by an upswing in consumption, growth has accelerated and investment growth is leading to rising in India’s GDP. GDP is expected to grow at 7.3 per cent in the fiscal year 2018-19, and 7.5 per
per cent as against India’s 7.3 per cent. In 2017, China with 6.9 per cent growth was marginally ahead of India’s 6.7 per cent, mainly because the slowdown in the Indian economy due to demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the report said. “India’s growth outlook is still robust. India is still the fastestgrowing major economy,” World Bank Prospects Group Director Ayhan Kose said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
54 ECONOMY
SC order to curb nuisance
A
NO FEEDING OF BIRDS FROM FLAT'S BALCONY
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person cannot feed birds from a flat's balcony creating nuisance due to droppings and filth for other occupants in a residential society. The Supreme Court has given an order to this extent. The top court refused to interfere with an order restraining a woman from feeding birds from her balcony flat in a high rise building in Mumbai."If you are living in a residential society, then you have to conduct yourself according to the norms," said a bench of Justices U U Lalit and Indu Malhotra. Counsel appearing for petitioner Jigeesha Thakore said it was not a case of a nuisance but of strained business relations between the parties concerned due to which a civil suit was filed against her in the lower court. The bench said in a recent order that the Bombay City Civil Court on September 27, 2013, had granted an interim injunction by which it had restrained the woman from feeding the birds from the balcony of her flat. It noted that when the civil court order was challenged by the woman before the Bombay High Court, it had refused to interfere and made the interim injunction as absolute by dismissing the appeal on July 12, 2016."In the circumstances, we see no reason to interfere in the matter.
The special leave petitions are dismissed," the bench said while directing the civil court to dispose of the pending suit as expeditiously as possible. In 2011, Dilip Sumanlal Shah and Meena Shah residing in the 10th floor of an apartment in Worli, moved the civil court against Thakore and her family members residing on the 14th floor. The Shah family sought an injunction against the Thakore family for creating a nuisance for them and other occupants of the building by feeding birds with water and grains from her balcony. The 20-storey co-operative housing society had also moved court against Thakore family seeking direction to restrain them from feeding the birds from the balcony of their flat.In their plea before the civil court, Shah family contended that Thakore family has installed a metal platform outside their balcony window. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
They argued that a large number of birds flocked the platform causing nuisance due to droppings and filth. Shah family argued that Thakores' start bird feeding at 6.30 am in the morning which is done several times in the day till evening. The society had requested the Thakores' to use the public places designated for feeding birds and passed a resolution that no member will be allowed to feed birds from their balconies or windows. Thakores' in their reply to the civil suit by Shah had contended that they were animal welfare activist and associated with an NGO since 1998 and ran a dog.shelter.They said that Shahs used to be a regular supplier of medical and surgical equipment to the NGO but their relations turned sour. They said was not possible to feed birds on the ground level as they could come under a car or be attacked by some cats and dogs
TOURISM 55
D. Satyanarayana wins Best Film Award
T
TS Cultural richness recognized & rewarded
elangana has a glorious heritage. If promoted properly it cannot only introduce it’s uniqueness the world. Tourism is the best vehicle to achieve this goal. At the same time, tourism will also bring in income to different sections of the society right from Auto – cab drivers and street vendors to hotels and big businesses. Addition to this brings in revenue to the government by way taxes. Creates new employment opportunities. Countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka have long realized this and making most of tourism. The government in the youngest state in the country Telangana have taken the clue from them and promoting national and international tourism through Telangana Tourism Department. It is encouraging artists, filmmakers in presenting and projecting the rich heritage of Telangana. This effort not only serving the purpose intended but bringing in laurels at national and international levels. A young Telangana filmmaker, Dulam Satyanarayana(33) has made sure the world takes notice of Telangana’s rich cultural heritage with his beautiful documentary, Theme Song of Telangana Tourism, that won the Best Film Award at Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival at Osaka recently. Winning the award was a complete surprise to him. Dulam Satya-
narayana says. “I never expected to win this award because the theme song is in Telugu and thought it won't engage the international audience, but to my surprise, everyone in the audience loved the short film and the song,” The two-minute-long film highlights the state’s cultural and architectural diversity through spectacular montages of State festivals like Bonalu, Bathukamma and monuments like Golconda Fort, the iconic Buddha Statue and the Warangal Fort, among others. The filmmaker says the idea of showcasing the best of Telangana at an International platform fascinated him ever since he bagged the Best Asian Film Award for Visit Telangana. That promo film was commissioned by Telangana Tourism Department, at the prestigious International Tourism Film Festival in 2018 held in Leiria, Portugal. Dulam Satyanarayana shot THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
the video over a span of three to four weeks in remote areas of Telangana to portray the thriving diversity and traditions. Young film maker ’s strategy was to bring out the raw sense of the beauty of Telangana through his film. For which he spent a lot of time researching and exploring different parts of the state before he starts filming. “I did not want to stage anything and wanted to capture the innocence of the rural hinterlands in its raw form. Therefore, I waited for the right opportunity to start shooting. So waited for the Bathukammia festival to capture it in its true candour. I also incorporated different tribes like the Gonds in the video to bring out the cultural diversity,”, says Dulam Satyanarayana. He has combined several drone shots and panoramic views to create a vivid montage. “The lyricist Chandramouli brought out the essence of Telangana and its culture. it has been a great collaborative effort” said the filmmaker. Dulam Satyanarayana who forayed into filmmaking at the age of 23, is grateful to the Telangana tourism department for helping him realise his dream. “The Telangana Tourism Department deserve all the credit for the bagging the award, as they trusted my vision and backed me completely”. Gratitude seems to be his attitude paved way to success in his endeavours.
56
Hamsa Devineni
WINNING STAR ON ANANTHAPUR SKY
S
M.Vittal Setty
he is a post graduate in legal studies from prestigious Tulane University Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. The University is ranked the world’s best university for maritime law. Her family from both the pater-
nal and maternal side are luminaries of law. They practised/practising in both the high courts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. Devineni Vijay Kumar (Father) Designated Senior Advocate, High Court at Hyderabad having 40 + years of experience representing individuals,
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
corporates and government departments of both the central and state governments in varied areas of law. Her self is a practitioner at High court. Her grandfathers and great grandfathers are freedom fighters. Both Paternal and maternal Grandfathers were former members of Lok Sabha
and AP Legislative Assembly. With this extraordinary education and family background, Deveneni Hamsa can sit and bask in the glory. But this dynamic young lady is in no mood to do that. International exposure, the experience of working with poor and neglected communities as Law student in Pendekanti Law College and NALSAR University of Law at Hyderabad made Hamsa go the extra mile as an advocate and helped a large number of poor and deprived sections. Fighting their cases Hamsa realized many of the problems for people across communities are mainly because of negligent government officials and selfish politicians. To tackle the problem she has plunged into politics “Years of observation of the prevailing socio-political conditions and apathy of government machinery made me think and take lifetime decision to expand my service activities by representing common people,” said Hamsa. When Hamsa decided to enter into public life she thought, the best place to begin is Anantapur, which is their family district from where her grandfathers have represented in Lok Sabha & Assembly (from Uravakonda constituency in Ananthapur district) and one of the most neglected districts in the state. All this has begun one and half years back. She immediately joined BJP as a primary member. That was the time
AN ELECTION IN FOCUS 57
when BJP and TDP were coalition partners. From the day one she worked as a sincere worker in that national political party. With her dedication and devotion, Hamsa Devineni could make it as BJP candidate for Anantapur parliamentary constituency in present elections. Though Hamsa Devineni was born in a political family. The family never thought of encouraging her into politics. In fact, she is the only member of the family to enter into public life after the whole generation has stayed away from
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it. Also, she is the first women member from her family to ever enter into politics “For me politic is passion. It so intense my parents and other elders in the family could not refuse or restrict.” She said with a smile. Looking at the intensity of her work and commitment now they are happy that Hamsa Devineni has chosen her purpose for life. Whether one agrees on it or not the majority of the general public believe that whatever is said everybody who enters into politics is to make money. Contrary to this
58 AN ELECTION IN FOCUS
Hamsa Devineni who comes from a socially and financially high placed family not only made it clear but proved it through her work that she is not bothered about money and status. “My family provides all the worldly needs where I don’t need to bother about money. For me politics is passion. Not fashion. My first and foremost goal is to fight against drought in Ananthapur, “ Hamsa Devineni declared. The straight forward approach of this young legal professional has gained her huge following in Ananthapur in the last eighteen months. Now she is recognised and respected in all the villages and towns in Ananthapuram Parliamentary constituency. Farmworkers, daily wage labourers, government & private employees to housewives, elderly retired persons are appreciating her work It was natural and logical development when she applied for the ticket to contest against senior politicians from ruling and main opposition parties, BJP state – central leadership has cleared it without any hesitation. Being in the fray Hamsa Devineni is campaigning with such a zeal that all sections of people are attracted in large number to her speeches. In many parts of Ananthapur Parliamentary constituency youth who are vexed with earlier representatives are flocking in her campaign rallies and meet-
ings. “Her speeches are clear & simple. She has an in-depth understanding of our district and knows what needs to be done first is & how to improve the condition of people in this backwards district,” says K.Manohara Reddy(27) from Ananthapur town. Hamsa Devineni is seen as a new hope in the faction-ridden area where present politicians busy in self-serving works. Yet acTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
cording to many who have attended her street corner meetings and participated in election rallies Hamsa Devineni is promising which no doubt needs hard and dedicated work but not impossible. If the image and effort of Hamsa Devineni are to be described one can say: She is seen as an oasis in Ananthapur is which facing the danger of becoming a desert.
THE NATION 59
Monitoring Elections 2019
FACEBOOK TO START THE US LIKE 'WAR ROOM' I
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n a bid to prevent the spread of fake news on its platform ahead of Elections 2019, Facebook Inc. plans to start an operations centre in Delhi, which will monitor on a 24x7 basis to monitor election content. This will do by coordinating with the social media giant’s offices at Menlo Park (California), Dublin and Singapore, said Shivnath Thukral, director, public policy, India and South Asia, Facebook. With this move, Facebook aims for constant engagement with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to understand how it can ensure the coming polls are safe from abuse and misinformation on its platform, he said. Facebook has been under pressure from India over its inability to prevent misuse of its platform during elections. India will be the second country after the US to have an operations room for Facebook. While the company did not share specific details about its launch date and actual working, the centre will be modelled on the one launched during the US elections, said Thukral. There will be multiple cross-functional teams that will look at different aspects of the platform such as content, policy, legal, while some work closely with the EC, added Thukral. Facebook has already intensified its election efforts and there are already 40 teams working on elections in India. The process began with Karnataka, then the other state elections and will now be further strengthened during the Lok Sabha elections. Its first big priority is to remove fake accounts that
are the source of misinformation. It claims to have taken down two billion fake profiles between September 2017 and October 2018 in its fight against bots, and their creators using a combination of machine learning and human reviews. Another step is to reduce the instances of fake news going viral. Facebook says it is a technology platform and not an arbiter of truth, so it has on-boarded independent fact checkers to help identify and review false news. As part of the third-party fact-checking programme started in December 2016, Facebook India has onboarded the largest number of fact checkers, said Thukral. The company has partnered with seven companies— India Today Group, BOOMLive, AFP Vishvas.news, Factly, Newsmobile and Fact Crescendo— across languages, including English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, for factchecking. Once a third-party fact-checker marks something as false, the posts see reducing future impressions by 80%. The company metrics show that virality of stories has gone down significantly after Facebook launched fact-checking across the globe. The third leg is to create more and more transparency and authenticity for political advertising on Facebook informed Thukral. The ads transparency tool has been rolled out in India, following its success in the US, Brazil and The UK. This includes the authorization process for advertisers and the disclaimer process that provides more information about who’s placing the ad.
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60 BANKING
Election affidavits Valuable database for banks A
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firm of chartered accountants in Pune specialising in fraud investigations has created a database of business interests of 1,000 politicians and their 1,000 relatives. They have done it by using election affidavit data since 2013. This has made it clear that financial disclosures by politicians in their election affidavits will help in the creation of a database that is throwing ample light on the business interests of politicians and their relatives. The database developed by Pune CA firm Riskpro Management Consulting has revealed that there are 5,625 companies where the 1,000 politicians have interests and 9,900 companies where their relatives have interests, which may not always be in the form of shares. The number of companies where both politicians and their relatives have such interests stood at 10,147. Using algorithms and specialised software, the firm has calculated that the total loan outstanding with banks that these 10,147 companies have, and it amounts to a staggering 48 lakh crore. The Indian Banks Association has endorsed this effort and has recommended this database to banks for their due diligence process while handling sensitive loan proposals. “We used election affidavits as a starting point to probe into the firms associated with politicians,” said Mayur Joshi, a di-
rector at Riskpro a chartered accountant with certifications in forensic accounting, anti-moneylaundering, bank forensic accounting and a US certification in fraud examination. Riskpro undertook this research when it realised that “only those firms which had political backing or US finding” grow rapidly in India. On October 22, 2018, VG Kannan, Indian Banks Association’s chief executive (corporate & international banking), wrote to chief executives of member banks drawing attention to this database. He wrote that following a presentation, participants from the Indian Banks Association ‘found the concept and the methodology adopted quite interesting which could to a large extent mitigate/reduce/avoid the risk in financing large borrowers.’ A concept note on market intelligence prepared by the firm was THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
shared by the Indian Banks Association with member banks stating that market intelligence about borrowers had become vital for banks due to “heightened risk entities such as politicians, bureaucrats, and terrorists, etc. Bankers need this information specifically for the purpose of accurate and confident decision-making in determining a strategy to deal with the borrowers if they cannot completely avoid lending them said in the note. The data revealed that apart from a large number of unlisted companies, politicians and their relatives had interests in 329 listed companies, 154 state public sector companies and 12 central public sector companies. Since the data is sensitive, the firm uses its proprietary database to reply to specific queries from banks about promoters and their companies. In crude terms, Joshi, said, bankers want to know, “Kiska paisa Kahan par Laga hai” (which politician’s money is invested where). Apart from details mentioned in the election affidavits of politicians, the specialised software based on algorithms and predictive analytics developed in-house, utilises parameters such as names of firms, email ids, common addresses, permanent account numbers (PAN), and other such information. “If I am a bank chief executive officer, I would like to understand what types of risks are sitting on my loans,” Joshi said.
BUSINESS 61
Indian Flyers major complaint is
Harassment by air staff
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hen air travel in the country is becoming more poplular mode the behaviour of the airline's staff is causing concern. If you have been subjected to harassment by staff on board an Indian carrier flight, you're not the only one. An official Civil Aviation Ministry document has revealed that most complaints filed by air passengers in its grievance redress system relates to the behaviour of airline staff and harassment of flyers. According to an official document.'Loss of baggage' category in Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring system (CPGRAM) has received the second highest number of complaints from air passengers, showed a Ministry document. The document shows that while 3,524 complaints were received in CPGRAM in the category of 'harassment of passengers/ staff crew behaviour', the number of complaints that were received in the category of 'loss of baggage' was 1,822. The category of 'ticketing/fare/refund' received the third highest number of complaints. It recorded 1,011 grievances as yet. The CPGRAM was established by the Centre in 2007-08. It is an
online system with an objective of "speedy redress and effective monitoring of grievances" by ministries or departments or organisations of central government. When asked for data regarding the number of complaints received against each airline, a senior ministry official said, "There is no option in CPGRAM to segregate the grievances airline-wise." Last year, the civil aviation ministry had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture that "systematic grievance redressal mechanism has been already put in place through which passenger grievances received by this office are forwarded to the concerned airline for redressal directly with the complainant as the travel by air is a contractual matter between the airline and the passenger". In its report dated 21 December 2018, the Standing Committee said that it "feels that the role of the Ministry should be more than being a transmitter of passenger grievances to the respective airlines". "The Ministry should ensure that the respective airline has taken necessary action to redress the grievance within a stipulated timeframe.
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The Ministry should also penalize the airlines in case of not solving the grievances to the satisfaction of passengers," the committee had said. How to file a complaint with the airlines? You can file a complaint with the airline directly, but make sure to file with the DOT as well. While on the aircraft, passengers are required to follow the instructions of the flight crew, even if those instructions seem unfair or even unlawful. The captain and flight crew are responsible for the security and safety of everyone on board the aircraft. Complaints should ordinarily be made after the flight has ended. In emergency circumstances, the passenger may ask the flight attendant to convey their request to the captain, who has the final authority during the flight. Passengers should document the situation as much as possible for potential later use. Under the Patriot Act, flight crew are empowered to charge passengers with the crime of interfering with flight operations. You may file a complaint with the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division on their website. For airline service complaints, you may also call the ACPD at 202-366-2220.
62 HEALTH
Relief for non-healing wounds
Bioprinter can now use patients' own cells
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cientists have created a first-ofits-kind mobile system that can print a layer of skin directly on a person's wound. Chronic, large or non-healing wounds such as diabetic pressure ulcers are especially costly because they often require multiple treatments.It is also estimated that burn injuries account for 10-30 per cent of combat casualties in conventional warfare for military personnel. Currently, skin grafts to treat wounds and burns are the "gold standard" technique, but adequate coverage of wounds is often a challenge particularly when there is limited availability of healthy skin to harvest. "The unique aspect of this technology is the mobility of the system and the ability to provide on-site management of extensive wounds by scanning and measuring them in order to deposit the cells directly where they are needed to create skin," said Sean Murphy, an assistant professor at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) in the US.
The major skin cells -- dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes -- are easily isolated from a small biopsy of uninjured tissue and expanded. Fibroblasts are cells that synthesise the extracellular matrix and collagen that play a critical role in wound healing while keratinocytes are the predominant cells found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. The cells are mixed into a hydrogel and placed into the bioprinter. Integrated imaging technology involving a device that scans the wound, feeds the data into the software to tell the print heads which cells to deliver exactly where in the wound layer by layer. Doing so replicates and accelerates the formation of normal skin structure and function, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.The researchers demonstrated proof-of-concept of the system by printing skin directly onto pre-clinical models. The next step is to conduct a clinical trial in humans. Skin grafts from donors are an option, but risk THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
immune rejection of the graft and scar formation. With the bioprinter system, the researchers could see new skin forming outward from the centre of the wound and this only happened when the patient's own cells were used, because the tissues were accepted and not rejected. "The technology has the potential to eliminate the need for painful skin grafts that cause further disfigurement for patients suffering from large wounds or burns" said WFIRM Director Anthony Atala. "A mobile bioprinter that can provide on-site management of extensive wounds could help to accelerate the delivery of care and decrease costs for patients," said Atala."If you deliver the patient's own cells, they do actively contribute to wound healing by organizing up front to start the healing process much faster," said James Yoo, who led the research."While there are other types of wound healing products available to treat wounds and help them close, those products don't actually contribute directly to the creation of skin," Yoo said.
SPORTS 63
SC sets aside life ban placed on S Sreesanth
“I can at least still play some cricket” T
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he Supreme Court set aside the life ban on S Sreesanth and asked the cricket board to reconsider the quantum of punishment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had banned Sreesanth for life over his role in the spotfixing scandal in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sreesanth, along with Mumbai spinner Ankit Chavan and Haryana’s Ajit Chandila, was suspended for life by a BCCI disciplinary committee in 2013. The SC bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, pro-
nounced the order on March 15 over a plea filed by Sreesanth. The court has directed BCCI to reconsider the punishment within a three-month period. The 35-yearold cricketer will get an opportunity to be heard by BCCI’s disciplinary committee on the quantum of the punishment, the court further ruled. The Court also clarified that its order shall have no effect on criminal proceedings pending against S Sreesanth. Representing Sreesanth, senior advocate Salman Khurshid told the bench, “In the context of facts and manner in which these things have happened, this court should con-
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sider that it (life ban on Sreesanth by BCCI) is unfair. He has suffered for the last five-six years. People want him to play cricket. He was extremely loyal to BCCI.” Advocate Khurshid further said it was not clear that any spot-fixing was done in the match played between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on May 2013 and there was no evidence to suggest Sreesanth had received any money for this. “The team (Rajasthan Royals) and its owners were banned for two years only. It is completely unfair that this (life ban) has happened with him (Sreesanth),” Khurshid said. The bench of Justices Bhushan and K M Joseph had on February 28 reserved the judgment on his plea against the Kerala High Court’s verdict that had reversed the decision of August 7, 2017, by a single judge bench which had lifted the life ban on the cricketer. Khurshid had argued that if a life ban on cricketer-turnedpolitician Mohammad Azharuddin, who was accused for his involvement in matchfixing scandal in 2000,
64 SPORTS
can be reversed then why can’t the same be done for Sreesanth. The cricketer had pleaded in the court that his international cricket career was virtually over but he should at least be allowed to play club cricket. BCCI, on its part, had contended it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption in the sport and the life ban cannot be revoked. Thirty-six people were accused in the spot-fixing case, including Sreesanth, and were discharged by a Patiala House court in July 2015. The Delhi Police had subsequently challenged the decision in Delhi High Court. Leander Paes won Grand Slams at 42 I can at least still play some cricket “If Leander Paes can win Grand Slams at 42, I can at least play some cricket at 36,” India cricketer S Sreesanth said after the Supreme Court set aside the life ban imposed
on him by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spotfixing scandal. Speaking after a favourable verdict by the apex court, a relieved Sreesanth said: “I don’t know what life has in store for me after all these years. It’s six years and I haven’t played cricket, which was my life.” “I hope that the BCCI respects the verdict of the country’s highest court and allows me to at least get back to the cricket field. I hope that at least now I can walk to a school cricket ground and train there without being told that I am not allowed. I just want to play whatever cricket I can,” said Sreesanth, who has been a part of the 2007 World T20 and But age is not something that he feels will be a factor in trying to make a comeback to competitive cricket. “Your age is as much as you feel. I would again like to play club THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2019
cricket in Scotland. I wanted to play last year but didn’t get permission. I can’t play club cricket in England at the moment as I have not played first-class cricket for six years now,” said Sreesanth, who has represented the country in 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20 Internationals, respectively. Sreesanth said in his “dark days”, it was the unshakeable faith of his parents, wife Bhuvaneshwari, in-laws and his loyal fans that kept him going.“I want to thank my in-laws, the Shekhawats. They trusted me and let their daughter marry me when the whole world didn’t trust me. My parents have gone through a lot during all these years. Trust me it wasn’t that easy all these years,” said Sreesanth, who is still in touch with some of his Indian teammates. “Yes, I do get calls or WhatsApp messages from some of them. Bhajju paa (Harbhajan Singh) has spoken to me, Viru Bhai (Virender Sehwag), Suresh (Raina) have kept in touch. I keep speaking to Robin (Uthappa) who is a dear friend,” he said. His children, a son and a daughter, are yet to attain the age in which they can understand what their father has gone through. “All these years, I would often sit and think that what should I be telling my kids and what would be their idea about me as a father. Now when they grow up, I can at least tell them that their father’s biggest strength was not ever giving up on a fight even in toughest of times,” said Sreesanth. “They will know that their father was sent to jail, endured tough times, fought all the false allegations and came out stronger. They can imbibe strength from my story,” said the pacer.
ENTERTAINMENT 65
London’s Madame Tussauds
Deepika Padukone’s Statue of Purpose
B
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ollywood star and global icon Deepika Padukone is on a roll. The actor recently unveiled her wax statue at London’s Madame Tussauds. However, Deepika’s statue is a little different than other celebrity wax figures at the museum as it stands for a cause close to Deepika’s heart. Called the Statue of Purpose, the figurine is a lifelike image of the actor dressed head-to-toe in magnificent white. Sharing her thoughts on the same, Deepika Padukone said in a statement, “As a little girl, I was a very curious kid. For me, the purpose is something that is very important. However, big or small, whatever I am doing in my life, purpose and why we do what we do is very important to me. After I got a call from Madame Tussauds, I thought
what is the purpose of this. Why are we doing this or what is it that my fans will remember me for, remember my figure for? What is it that I would like to leave behind? The cause of mental health is very close to my heart. It is something that I am extremely passionate about.” “I said that’s it. I would like for my fans when they see my figure to remind them of someone who did something for the cause of mental illness, who worked towards creating awareness and destigmatizing mental illness. I hope that it gives people a sense of upliftment and a sense of hope. I hope that message comes through,” Deepika added. Not just through her words, Deepika also advocates the cause of mental health through a foundation that she runs called Live Laugh Love. Be it through her work on
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mental health, her choice of roles, or through her global achievements; Deepika has been reigning supreme for quite some time now. 2018 was a landmark year for the actor as she not only achieved tremendous box office success by becoming the first female lead to join the Rs 300 crore club via her historical drama Padmavati, but she also tied the knot with the love of her life, actor Ranveer Singh. And this year has begun on a good note as well, as she not only unveiled her statue at Madame Tussauds, but shared the Vogue international cover with 13 other global female superstars, including the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Korean star Doona Bae. On the work front, the actor is currently prepping for her role as an acid attack survivor in the Meghna Gulzar directorial Chhapaak, which she will also be producing.
66 ART & CULTURE
The call of the aboriginals
‘M
ula Dhwani’ an Indian Tribal and Folk Musicfestival was organized at the TagoreAuditorium, Osmania University; Hyderabad along with a seminar on the present situation and revival of the dying folk arts ‘Tribal and Folk music Heritage of India ‘by the Departments of Journalism, Telugu, English, and Sociology of Osmania University, Gondi Lipi Adhyayana Vedika,Telangana Rachaitala Vedika and Sanghatitha Vedika, Hyderabad.Tribals from all over Telangana State belonging to the Dakkali tribe, Gond , Goravayali, Banjara, Nayakapodu, Koya, Gutthikoya, Siddis and Kondaredlu participated performing on their traditional folk instruments like Kinnera Veena, Burra Veena,Kaddi Vadyam, Thithi Vadyam, Runja, Maarfa, Moova Dolu, K o m m u , C o n c h Shell,Budubukka,Kikri,Tholu Dappu, and Gulla Katta. Most of the artistes felt the need to get regular performance opportunities for themselves.The younger generation in their families have all started acquiring good education. Most of the children are unwilling to take up the legacy of tribal /folk music from their parents. Evenmaintenance of the musical instruments has been a major problem for these artistes apart from making new musical instruments. It was very interesting to note that most of the artistes did not have any formal education in performing arts. All their skill has been acquired by them from their forefathers who have for the past
many generations propagated the art form. Director of the program Jayadhir Thirumal Raofelt that there was need to bring all these forms of music and musical instruments and try to integrate them into mainstream music. He
says “We are trying to see that all these folk musicians can play ‘Sare Jahan Se Accha ’ and maybe even the Telan-
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gana state anthem. In this director we even requested well known singer K.Ramachary to conduct a small presentation with these tribal musicians.” A book titled ‘Mula Dhwani’, Social history of Tribal and Folk instruments was also released on the occasion. French professor Daniel Neggers who is working closely with these tribal musicians and translating the songs into French language also attended the program.More than 140 artistes with around 50 different tribal musical instruments participated in this program. (Curtesy: SARGAM INFO)
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RNI No: APENG/2013/48048 P.R. No. RNP/HD/1187/2017-19 (DOP: 1st of Every Month; DOP: 8/9-4-2019)