The Observer Volume 18 Edition 29

The Observer An IIJNM Publication

Students puzzled as AICTE reduces seats in government engg colleges | P3 News Briefs National lCongress president Rahul Gandhi today filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat,while his mother and former Congress chief, Sonia Gandhi, will be filing her papers from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency a day later. lInternational U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco on Monday blocked President Trump’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority. lSports Cricketer Mitchell Starc is taking the legal route to get $1.53 million of his IPL contract paid out after he failed to play any game for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

ELECTION THEATRE EC Bans Release of PM Modi Biopic a Day Before Release The Election Commission of India (ECI), banned the release of PM Narendra Modi’s biopic during poll season.The commission said “any such film that subserves purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed i the electronic media.”

Imran Khan’s Support Backfires for Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come under attack from Congress, PDP and the National Conference, over Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent comment.Khan, in an interview said he believes there may be a better chance of peace talks with India if Modi’s BJP wins the general elections, Reuters reported.

Vol 18 Issue 29

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Young entrepreneurs discouraged over demand for IIT/IIM degrees | P4

The ugly side of elections makes citizens angry

Say EC must crack down on malpractices Pranay Prakash

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ith Lok Sabha elections around the corner, citizens are complaining about what they call a flawed voting process. Things need to change after the elections.

A few people The Observer spoke with also complained about the various poll malpractices they have observed.

Arijit Das, a software engineer who lives in Kolkata, informed The Observer: “The electoral process in the country is not working. It might be working in the urban areas; but in rural areas, there is no freedom to vote for a

Voters are also worried about the party which will come to power, and how it will work for the country | Credit: KPN candidate of your choice. People are assaulted for not voting for the ruling party’s candidate.”

Another voter from Kolkata, Saptarishi Chaterjee said: “Gunshot incidents have become common during elections. This is not

how elections should be carried out.”

Voters are also worried about the party which will come to power, and how it will work for the country. Vinay Prakash, a share-market speculator who

lives in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, said: “The wrong person in a position of power can do more harm than a robber. Choosing the right representative is important. The focus is on political parties, not on candidates who can champion local and regional issues along with national ones.”

“Local issues have been overshadowed by communal politics and the desire of political leaders to win the elections at any cost,” he added.

Abdul Razack, a political analyst, said: “This year’s election is seeing a no-holds- barred campaign by both the NDA and the United Progressive Alliance.

Regional parties are not too far behind. With so many competing regional satraps, the election is bound to see chaotic campaigning by all the candidates and political parties in the fray.”

Flawed voting process, Page 4

Online reviews influence dining out decisions Remarks on food quality, ambience are read most

Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel

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ith social media use growing rapidly, people have started to rely heavily on online reviews, ratings and locations to decide where they want to eat, watch a movie or buy a product. With dining out becoming popular because of the rise in disposable

incomes, people check online reviews of restaurants before they decide where to go.

A study on consumer behaviour published in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research has revealed that 61.5% of people check online reviews of eateries.

“I always check online reviews before dining at a restaurant.

I use apps or check their individual websites for reviews. I prefer to not dine out if I do not find any reviews online. I am a bit cautious about ambience

Source: International Journal of Multidisciplinary

and food quality. I also check the special food available in the restaurant. I sometimes try out special dishes when I go out to dine,” Nila Manjunath, a resi-

dent of Jayanagar, informed The Observer.

Nachimuthu N, a professor in the commerce department of Christ University. conducted research on eating out with his students Akash Goyal, Udei Singh and Rahul Bhagtani.

“We found out that people check online reviews before dining for the first time in a restaurant.

With more restaurants coming up every day, people choose to dine at restaurants that have good ratings and reviews.”

Pleased by Picture reviews, Page 2

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ELECTION THEATRE

The Observer Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Netas must focus on real Congress won’t tell lies or fool the issues: First-time voters ‘They should people: Kushboo not make

false promises’

Pranay Prakash

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Sahana S

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head of Lok Sabha elections, first-time voters expect political leaders to focus on real issues affecting the city instead of making false promises during their election campaigns.

According to Election Commission of India data, more than 7 lakh first-time voters are going to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Focusing on the implementation of rules on the safety of women is important. They should try to provide more protection to women on occasions like New Year’s eve when massive crowds gather everywhere,” said Megha Gowda, an engineering student and first-time voter.

Young adults who are eligible to vote want politicians to concentrate on issues like garbage, infrastructure and water conservation.

Arpitha M, a visual media student, said: “Politics is one of the favourite topics discussed in our house. While my family members are influenced by a major party, I would verify the leaders’ background rather than getting influenced by my parents and blindly cast my vote for that party.”

Despite enrolment drives by

More than 7 lakh first-time voters are going to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections | Courtesy: KPN the Election Commission, most first-time voters are unaware about the scheduled date to register their name for the voter ID card.

Kavitha K, a student, said: “I wasn’t aware of the deadline for the enrollment of the voters.

Election authorities should have done more campaigns regarding enrolment.” She was informed by one of her friends she should register for a voter ID card.

Raksith Kumar, a commerce student from St Joseph’s College, said: “There are a lot of issues that need the attention of political representatives, such as white topping of roads. It is tough to balance bikes on white-topped roads, resulting in accidents.”

Political leaders should keep their promises to voters, Rakshith added.Goutamachar, a civil engineering student from KSIT, said: “Garbage is posing a huge problem in JP Nagar. None of the political representatives is taking care to solve the garbage

issue in our area. I will vote for a party that refrains from making false promises.”

Another student from the same college, Bharath Rao, said: “Many of my friends are afraid to speak about sensitive issues on social platforms after a few of our fellow Kashmiri students were taken for questioning by police.”

Regarding the increase in nationalism and jingoism, he added: “My Kashmiri friend said that it compelled him to rethink about voting in the Lok Sabha elections.”

Dr Harish Ramaswamy, a political scientist and professor at Mysore University, said: “For several political parties, their major concern will be first-time voters as they change the entire political dynamics. The major advantage of first-time voters is that they easily don’t get influenced by political organizations.

They would rather concentrate on the work of political leaders.” sahana.s@iijnm.org

ongress spokesperson and Tamil film actress Kushboo Sundar on Wednesday campaigned for Rizwan Arshad, the Congress candidate from the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency.

Later, speaking at a press conference, she spoke on the schemes announced in the Congress manifesto, Rahul Gandhi’s Nyuntam Aay Yojna (NYAY), farmers’ distress, unemployment and the armed forces. She slammed the policies of the BJPled government at the Centre.

Slamming the government’s stance on corruption and bringing back black money, Kushboo said: “We are not here to lie or fool the people just to gain votes. Today the leaders of the Bharatiya Jumla Party say ‘we never said that Rs 15 lakhs would come into the accounts of the poor’. Leaders from Amit Shah to Rajnath Singh to PM Modi say that they never promised such a thing. We

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JP national secretary, P Muralidhar Rao on Wednesday slammed the chief ministers of the southern states for indulging in dynastic.

Interacting with students at an event, he lambasted N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana) and HD Kumaraswamy (Karnataka) for prioritising family interests over the public interest. DMK leader MK Stalin came in for similar criticism.

“It is seen that only family

BJP’s Muralidhar Rao interacts with students in an event | Credit: Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel members of chief ministers are benefitting from government schemes, whereas common people are being left out. All chief ministers of south India and their families have ties with the Congress. People should vote for Modiji to ensure the fall of dy-

nasty politics,” Rao said.

He urged students to vote for a stable government whose sole concern would be the betterment of the people. A chief minister should be a representative of citizens; their interests should be his prime concern.

Rao criticised HD Kumaraswamy and Omar Abdullah for their tweets. “Opposing the Balakot airstrike is equivalent to opposing the concept of India.

We condemn Kumaraswamy’s tweets for their derogatory content,” he said. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org

can see where the lies stop and truth begins.”

“People have raised questions about NYAY. When MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act) was introduced, the BJP said it could not be implemented. They opposed it, saying it would never succeed. When the Chowkidar of the Chor Party decided to rule this country, the head Chowkidar, our respectable PM Narendra Modiji, said MGNREThis is not what the Congress says; it’s what the people said when we went to them,” Kushboo said. pranay.p@iijnm.org

People look at pictures accompanying reviews Continued from page 1

BJP slams south India’s P ‘dynastic’ CMs, MK Stalin

Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel

Post-demonetisation, people said MNREGA prevented them from sinking further, Kushboo said | Credit: Pradakshana

eople look at reviews to know about the food quality, ambience and price.

“Most of the time I prefer to check reviews to know about food quality, ambience and rate.

I also want to know waiters’ behavior towards their customers.

There are times when customers complain online,” said Haripriya Gowda, a student of the Acharya Institute of Graduate Studies.

Gowtham Krishna, a resident of Mathikere, said: “It is a good idea to check more than three reviews. One review may be bad because the person had some bad experience. If at least three reviewers’ perceptions match, then they might be right.”

Joseph Wilson, an IT professional working at Capgemini, shared: “I look at reviews to know about other people’s experiences. I prefer restaurants

with good ratings. I check on the pictures posted by the reviewers.

If the pictures are pleasing and the ambience is good, I go for it.”

Some people do not rely completely on reviews as they are aware of paid ones.

“I do check reviews before taking my family out for dinner.

But I don’t believe everything that is said in reviews. We cannot be sure if those were not paid reviews. People’s perception and taste differs from each other. It is better idea to check if negative reviews have got a reply from the management,” said Padamavathy S., a resident of Banaswadi.

Nachimuthu’s research found that people have begun trusting online reviews. The research revealed that 56% people trusted others’ independent reviews. A study by TripAdvisor revealed that more than 90% people check online reviews abbinaya.s@iijnm.org

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The Observer Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Cut in govt engg college seats leaves students disappointed Say they will be forced to join costly colleges

Shrabona Ghosh

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he decision of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to cut intake in government engineering colleges has left students puzzled. Many students seeking admission for the academic year 2019-20 say they plan to change their stream as they see little opportunity in engineering.

Niranjan M, a class 12 passout, said: “I was planning to take up an engineering course.

But now I have to rethink my decision. Changing my stream at this point will be an obstacle to my career, but I will do so because of heavy competition and little chances.”

Shamita Shetty, an IT professional, said: “My sister is an engineering aspirant who is depressed about the situation.

She has decided to change her decision to seek admission to an engineering college.. At this

Around the City lSHIAMAK Summer Funk 2019by Shiamak Bangalore on Sat, 13 Apr 8:30AM - Sat, 1 Jun 9:30AM @ Aero Fitness Koramangala Gym Aerobics lPublic Speaking Workshop for Adults in Bangalore - With Shikha Nag by Indian Academy of Public Speaking on Sat, 13 Apr 9:30AM - Sun, 14 Apr 5:00PM @ Bhagini Icon Hotel Domlur lOrigami for Kids ( Summer Camp )by ArtKhoj on Fri, 12 Apr 11:00AM - 1:00PM @ Blue matchbox Studio lPuppet Show “ Ugadi Festival by Buzzonify on Sat, 13 Apr 4:00PM - 5:30PM @ Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath lThai Art : Banana Leaf by Buzzonify on Sat, 13 Apr 12:00PM - Sun, 14 Apr 6:00PM @ Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath lReverse Decoupage and Crackle Effect on a Plate workshop With Tanvi Shah by Bloom and Grow @ Sat, 13 Apr 10:30AM 1:30PM @ Bloom & Grow

Many students seeking admission for 2019-20 say they plan to change their stream as they see little opportunity in engineering.| Credit: Varsha M K time it is challenging to cope with the situation.”

Soumya Banerjee, an engineering aspirant, said: “It is a setback for meritorious students. The decision should be revoked.”

The AICTE has decided to reduce 40,000 seats across India in all government colleges.

AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe informed The Times of India: “The decision to reduce seats has been taken after seeing the negligence of state governments in changing the condition of state-run engineering colleges. They have failed to recruit faculty and provide

proper infrastructure. This is a hint for governments to take action; otherwise the reduction in seats will continue till they wake up and give infrastructure and faculty on priority.

Eight states have already taken some action; we’re waiting for the others.”

The TOI report further added, AICTE has decided not to give permission to any new engineering colleges for the next two years. The decision was taken following a report submitted by a committee headed

by IIT Hyderabad chairman BVR Mohan Reddy.

Approval for additional seats

and new programmes in existing institutions will be granted based on capacity utilization.

Praveen B, a recent 12th passout, said: “It was because of my parents’ wish that I got into a good government engineering college. However, the curtailment of seats will act as a big impediment to my enrollment.

To study in a private engineering college, I need to spend a considerable amount. I belong to a middle-class family, and I can’t afford it.”

Bhaskar Jha, an engineering aspirant, said: “I am disappointed with the curtailment of seats. I wanted to get into a government college, but because of this step I may have to go to a private college where fees would be exorbitant. Sometimes the quality of education in private colleges is also not good.”

According to TOI, the seat cut is not just because of inadequate action by colleges. The demand for engineering courses has also been sliding. Across India, 50% of engineering seats were vacant in 2018. shrabona.g@iijnm.org

Air pollution is high, so save your skin Polluted air can cause even cancer

Oisika Dev

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wing to an increase in air pollution in recent years, Bengalureans are falling prey to skin diseases. Many skin problems are caused by pollution.

Numerous studies around the world say pollution ages the skin prematurely and that, in turn, leads to wrinkles, ageing spots and other problems.

“Vitamin E helps to maintain the nourishment of skin. Ozone strips vitamin E and makes the skin dry. Thus, the risk of acne, dryness and rashes increases. I advise my patients to wash their face daily, apply sunscreeen and try to keep the face clean,” Reetu G Naresh, a doctor, informed The Observer.

According to an article, pro-

longed or repetitive exposure to high levels of these pollutants may have profound negative effects on the skin.

“I have been suffering from skin cancer for the past three years. Whenever I go out, I have to wear a scarf as pollution has increased so much in Bengaluru,” Rajlakshmi Swain, a teacher, said.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, toxic air containing smoke, soot, acid and other pollutants severely affects the skin by draining away moisture. This leads to allergies and pigmentation spots on the forehead and cheeks on dry and rough skin.

The skin is the first organ to bear the brunt of air pollutants, which not only attack the skin surface, but also cause an accumulation of toxins.

“For the past three years, acne on my face has increased a lot.

My doctor says this is because

of pollution. Now I don’t go outside my home without a scarf or without applying moisturizer. I clean my face daily to avoid further growth of acne,” Harshita Sinha, a 19-year-old college student, said.

According to an article, air pollution also increases the risk of oral cancer. High air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing oral cancer, which includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, a study has found.

“Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, I advise my patients to use sunscreen when they go out. It is very important to protect the skin from ultraviolent rays. Therefore, they should cover their face whenever they go out or it might lead to skin cancer,” Kanyakumari Nair, a skin specialist at Raja Rajeshwari Hospital, said. oisika.d@iijnm.org

Homeopathy helps to cure autism in kids, claim doctors Oisika Dev

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recent study conducted on 123 children showed that homeopathy treatment helped in curing Autism Spectrum Syndrome (ASD).

“I have treated almost 20 kids with autism. All these kids had initially opted for antibiotics, but when they did not help, they switched to homeopathy,” Dr Sanjiv Nandi, a homeopath, informed The Observer.

World Homeopathy Day was celebrated on Wednesday.

“Homeopathy does not have any side-effects. On the contrary, there have been examples when prolonged treatment has cured a lot of difficult diseases,” Dr Nandi added.

ASD is a development disorder that affects communication and behaviour among children. Most parents are now opting for homeopathic treatment as it is cheap and affordable, homeopaths say.

“My six-year-old daughter has autism. I had tried a lot of antibiotic medications but in vain. Finally one of my friends suggested homeopathy for her. It has been two years since my daughter has shifted to homeopathy and she is gradually getting better,” said Vandita Iyer, a school teacher.

“Prolonged treatment in homeopathy is curing kids suffering from autism. Extensive researches in the field of homeopathy have reaped good results. However the patient will have to be in continuous treatment,” said Dr T. Kirankumar, another homeopath.

“Normally, in homeopathy, we provide the same medicine based on the symptoms of the patient. We just increase the dose. We generally advise patients not to leave treatment at the halfway stage; since it’s a slow process, it takes time to cure autism. However continuous treatment with proper medication is definitely effective,” said Dr R. Narender, who has practised homeopathy for 20 years.

According to an article published in The Hindu, homeopathic medicines help in improving tolerance, attention span, speech and communication skills in Autistic patients. oisika.d@iijnm.org

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The Observer Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Entrepreneurs are discouraged as investors want IIM/IIT degrees Ileena Dutta

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oung entrepreneurs find it difficult to nurture their startups as most investors demand a degree from either an IIT or an IIM. It hinders their potential to enter the business market even if they have 5-6 years experience in a particular area of business.

“I’m a graduate student from Bangalore University and have worked in the content marketing section of a startup company for five years. I aspire to build my own company as I have realized that I am capable of doing so with my experience.

Unable to meet the investment cost, I approached a bigger company that provides investments after accessing the market potential of the startup idea of a newcomer. They preferred a graduate from an IIM or a tech grad from IIT,” said Suyash Gupta, a young entrepreneur.

According to report in Startup India National, startups are globally perceived as nation builders as they contribute to the nation’s economy and create jobs. Startups are recognized as fast-growing businesses that

Startups are globally perceived as nation builders as they contribute to the nation’s economy | Courtesy: Pexels aim to meet marketplace need by developing a viable business model around innovative products, services, processes or platforms. Moreover, their success creates a sense that indigenous innovations and technologies can bring fruitful economic benefits in the long run.

The startup landscape is growing rapidly in India.

“Working in a logistics startup for more than five years, I have gained ample knowledge in sales and marketing. I wish to open my own business, but fear I will be denied financial assistance because I don’t have any degree from one of the most prestigious institutions,” Kaushik S, a sales worker at a startup company, said.

Data compiled by the government’s Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion as of November 2018 shows India has over 270 incubators and accelerators managed by academic institutions, corporates, private players and the government. A majority of these incubators are backed by the central and state governments through capital and operational grants under several schemes. “Not everyone is academically brilliant to get into an IIM or an IIT. Starting a business needs various other qualities that even an IIT topper might not have. Even he might that that interest and dedication to excel. Investors should consider investing according to the profit potential of a proposed idea rather than

rummaging through their degree certificates,” said Adarsh K, a commerce graduate from Dayanand Institute. As per a Nasscom study in 2017, 40% of all incubators and accelerators are concentrated in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR. “It is difficult to get investors for building a startup company, even though the government claims there is ample opportunity for investors and for growth in the market. In reality, things are different,” said Reshmi Singh, who wants to start her own venture.

According to a Livemint report, fundraises and the increased frequency at which startups are raising successive rounds are a reminder of the funding boom in 2015.

Amrit Singh, an engineering graduate from the Birla Institute of Technology, said: “In order to get more people interested in starting his own businesses and create job opportunities for many, it is important that investors provide funding…. Not having a degree from prestigious institutions like IITs or IIMs is really a disadvantage. Some investors don’t even listen to our pitch.” ileena.d@iijnm.org

Some youngsters disenchanted with graft-hit IPL Yohanjali R

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n the evening of April 18, 2008, Indian cricket witnessed a revolution.

Several teams came together to play against each other in the Indian Premiere League. But 11 years later, some youngsters are disenchanted.

“With all the spot-fixing and cheating, who will have interest in IPL anymore? There is no justification for it. It is simply wrong. One must remain true to their passion and not become money-minded. A few bowlers have been caught spot fixing.

Who knows there might be more who didn’t get caught,” said Ashwini Gopal, who was a fan of IPL until 2013.

Ranjan Das, a cricket fan, said: “It’s not just spot fixing; even betting is an issue. The owners of the team who are supposed to respect their players’

hard work were caught betting.

It’s a shame that everything now, even sports, has become a business.”

In 2013, bowlers Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested for spot fixing. Later, actor Vindu Dara Singh and Chennai Super Kings principal Gurunath Meiyappan were arrested for betting and having connections with several ‘bookies’. Raj Kundra, a co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, was also accused of betting in the same year. In 2010, IPL founder Lalit Modi was suspended from BCCI for financial misconduct. In 2013, he was banned from cricket forever. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were banned from IPL for two years following financial misconduct by team officials. Ashok Lal, 19, who trains at a private cricket academy, said: “I joined the academy because I was inspired by IPL

to become a cricketer. But then I realized how corrupt the sport and the league have become now days. Sometimes, I regret my decision to join cricket because of that. I think eventually, money matters to people. It’s sad to see that cricketers have to suffer because of their corrupt owners or bosses.” Sanjay Verman, a student waiting to buy tickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, said: “The sport has been politicized.

A few years ago, certain players were not allowed to enter certain cricket grounds in India because they belonged to a certain ethnicity or nationality. All players must be seen as players regardless of their origin.”

In 2013, the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu did not allow 13 Sri Lankan players to participate in matches to be played at Chennai’s Chepauk stadium. In 2009, Pakistani players were not allowed to par-

ticipate in IPL due to the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

Gopala Krishnan, a marketing employee, said: “I used to attend lots of matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium when IPL was new. But nowadays it’s too hot to attend the matches in the stadium. Plus I was in college at that time and was free.

Now I have a job and a family.

I lost interest in the sport as I’m very busy with my own life and don’t have time for IPL.” An official in the security department at Chinnaswamy stadium disagreed with the youngsters.

“It is wrong to blame the entire sports for a few wrongdoers. Not all players are into spot-fixing, and not all officials bet. I believe that people will continue to love IPL, no matter what happens.

Besides, corruption and politics exist in every aspect of society.

Cricket is no exception.” yohanjali.r@iijnm.org

Citizens complain about ‘flawed’ voting process Continued from page 1

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hichever party wins, one thing is certain: The old style of political campaigning is dying. Recently, on a wall in Allahabad, slogans were found painted soliciting votes for Lal Bahadur Shastri. Political campaigning has moved from such simple means to a medium which can cause sensory overload in people,” Razack added.

Many voters complain they are not represented adequately in legislative bodies. Sameer Sharma, a resident of Dharmshala who works in Gurgaon, said: “Very few of the issues faced by common people are addressed by politicians. The politicians only talk about their parties and campaigns.

All politicians are only interested in coming to power, and not serving the people who have elected them.”

Some people The Observer spoke to about doling out freebies during election said that the Election Commission should frame stringent rules and implement them.

Sanjay Gautam, a digital marketer working in Noida, said: “During the last Lok Sabha elections, there was news that a cache of liquor bottles was found at a political leader’s house in Uttam Nagar in south-west Delhi. There were also reports of parties distributing cash and liquor in Uttar Pradesh and the southern states. These practices need to stop. The Election Commission should step up vigilance.” pranay.p@iijnm.org

WEATHER Maximum Temperature: 35.4 degree Celsius Minimum Temperature: 22.8 Partly cloudy sky with possibility of rain or Thunderstorm or Duststorm

OBSERVER TEAM Editor- Sahana.S Page Layout: Shrabona Gosh, Ileena Dutta , Yohanjali.R, Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel Reporters: Shrabona Gosh Ileena Dutta , Yohanjali.R,Sahana.S ,Pranay.P, Oisika Dev, Abbinaya .K