Uniquetimes April 2021

Vol 9 Issue No.115 Apr - May 2021 USD 0.70`50AED 5BD 0.500

AMIT SHAH:

THE CHANAKYA OF MODERN DAY BHARAT Fluctuating gold prices and risk management in gold loans Shri V.P. Nandakumar, MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Jebitha Ajit Director & CEO Editor Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand

B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com he greatest leader is not necessarily the one Sub-Editor Anusha Varghese who does the greatest things. He is the one Associate Editor Ravi Saini that gets the people to do the greatest things Rajeev Kumar Ronald Reagon

Director and special editor kollur A leadership quality is very important to lead Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam a group in unity and in this edition our cover

Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile story is one of the responsible, determined and

Amrutha V Kumar dutiful leader, the Minister of Home Affairs Mr Creative Design PEGASUS Amit Shah.

Cover Photographer PEGASUS This month, Manappuram Finance Limited Marketing UAE MD and CEO V P Nandakumar expresses his

Phygicart.com opinion on ups and downs in gold prices and the

P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai risk management in gold loans.

Mr. Anish K Joy

In this edition the travel article will take the

Mob: +971528946999 readers to a different dreamy world, a Central info@phygicart.com American country the world of ‘Pura Vida’, Costa

Plot No 19A, 9th Floor, Rica.

Green Building, Film City, Our Auto expert in this edition introduces

Sector - 16A, Noida - 201301 us to Tata Safari an alternative to Harrier. Apart Maharashtra

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CONTENTS

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Amit Shah: The Chanakya of Modern Day Bharat

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Fluctuating Gold Prices and Risk Management in Gold Loans

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Networking in the Digital Age

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The Magic of Modern Neurosurgery

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Arbitration Law in India A Few Recent Trends

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Gadgets

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Hair Regimen During Summer

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Costa Rica: The Most Visited International Tourist Destination Tata Safari

UNIQUE DIARY

Airports Council International (ACI) World Reveals World’s Best Airports for 2020

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he Airports Council International (ACI) World has announced World’s best airports which include eight Indian airports featuring under the “Best Airports in Asia Pacific Region”. Among these, there are the airports of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Cochin. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, airports collected surveys from their customers throughout the year and 108 awards were being won by 89 airports worldwide. ACI also introduced a new award “Best Hygiene Award” of which there are 33 inaugural winners, where Chandigarh, Kolkata, and Pune made it to the top in the Asia-Pacific category. These awards assist airports in assessing customer responses to new health measures and recognizes to respond by an intense focus towards the airports' success.

Apple Soon to Start Production of iPhone 12 in India

"Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again" Richard Branson

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pple confirmed that it will start manufacturing iPhone 12 in India, which is to take place at Foxconn’s facility in Tamil Nadu. These will be made available for purchase in the domestic market and will also be exported. As per reports, this will be the fifth iPhone model being manufactured in India, wherein the company has already produced iPhone SE, iPhone XR, iPhone SE 2020, and iPhone 11 some time ago. Apple has been trying to widen its footprints in India and hopefully, this could be a stepping stone to have a significant market share.

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UNIQUE DIARY

Axis Bank’s Wear N Pay: India’s First Contactless Wearable Payment Device

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he private sector lender Axis Bank launched India’s first contactless wearable payment device allowing customers to make on-the-go transactions more conveniently. The ‘Wear N Pay’ wearable device is available in a variety of accessories - band, key chain, and watch loops. These are directly linked to customers’ bank account and work just like regular debit cards. Axis bank along with Thales and Tappy technologies partnered together for designing and creating these wearable devices available on the Mastercard platform. Customers can use these devices at any merchant shop that accepts contactless transactions. For transactions up to INR 5,000, the users just need to wave the device at the POS machine, and for transactions above INR 5,000, a PIN will be required. The ‘Wear N Pay’ wearable device can be bought by the Axis bank account holders for INR 750 from their nearest branch.

Cadbury India Booked for Alleged Tax Fraud

"Chase the vision not the money the money will end up following you" Tony Hsieh

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adbury India Pvt. Ltd., now Mondelez Foods Pvt. Ltd. has once again found itself in trouble after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against the company for alleged corruption, fraud, tax. Sources said Cadbury India availed excise benefits of INR 241 crore for its unit for manufacturing 5 Star and Gems in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.

This took place between 2009 and 2011. Meanwhile, Mondelez stated that the company had settled the “potentially protracted litigation” through an amnesty scheme offered by the Indian government to settle tax litigation during 2019. In matter to this, the company is yet to receive formal communication from the authorities they stated.

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India Considering Net-Zero Greenhouse Emission by 2050

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eing the world’s third-biggest emitter, India considers setting a goal of zero greenhouse emission ahead of global climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, this year. Officials close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are considering ways to meet the deadline by 2050. A 2047 target is also being considered marking the centenary of India’s independence from British rule. China being the biggest polluter and rival of India has already won international praise for setting a 2060 net-zero target. India’s announcement may be on April 22nd, when U.S. President Joe Biden is set to gather World leaders for an Earth Day summit.

Senior Google Executive Ceasar Sengupta Leaving the Company after 15 Years

"Great things are not done by one person. They’re done by a team of people" Steve Jobs

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fter having served 15 years in the company, Google payments Chief Ceasar Sengupta has decided to leave the company next month. His LinkedIn post was like “I remain very positive about Google’s future but it’s time for me to see if I can ride without training wheels.” He was the vice president and general manager of payments and the ‘Next Billion Users’ initiative. Apart from these, he was also one of the main people behind the launch and success of Google Pay in India and has taken initiative in relaunching it in the U.S. and Singapore. His departure comes amid a boom in the digital payments business in India, wherein the sector is expected to double in size to $135 billion by 2023.

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French Ex-Snowboard Champion Julie Pomagalski Dies in Avalanche

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ulie Pomagalski, France former world snowboard champion aged 40 dies in an avalanche in Switzerland on 23rd March, according to the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) has announced. Along with a group of four she was on the Gemsstock Mountain, 2961m, in the Swiss canton of Uri when three of them got caught in the slide. Pomagalski along with another French freeride snowboarder were completely buried and died. In 1999, Pomalski being a teenager became the world champion in the snowboard cross. In 2002, she competed in the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and four years later in the Turin games.

Winston Churchill’s Painting Sold by Angelina Jolie for $11.5 Million

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Moroccan landscape painting done by the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and owned by Angelina Jolie got sold at an auction in London for more than $11.5 million. The sale price was almost four times the pre-sale estimate and has smashed the records for a previous work by the leader- “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” sold at Christie’s in London for $11,590,715. Churchill who was a keen artist got inspired by the Moroccan city and painted the Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque’s oil work and handed over it to fellow wartime leader US President Franklin Roosevelt. This work eventually went into the hands of actress Angelina Jolie.

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Swiss Voters Support Ban on Face Coverings

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witzerland has become the latest European country to ban full facial coverings including the niqab and burqa worn by Muslim women in almost all public places. Nearly 51.21 percent of voters have marked their votes in support of the controversial proposal which campaigned with slogans such as “Stop extremism”. With regard to this, the Swiss government has argued stating that it is not up to the government what women should wear. The proposal didn’t mention Islamic people directly, instead, it also aimed at stopping violent street protestors from wearing masks. However, it was widely referred to as the “burqa ban”. Earlier in 2011, France had made a similar ban on burqas and niqabs which was later upheld in 2014 by the European Court of Human rights.

Actor Yaphet Kotto Dies Aged 81: Known as Bond Villain and Alien Star

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aphet Kotto who was well-known for his portrayal of Dr. Kananga, also known as Mr. Big in the 1973 James Bond film, died aged 81. He was Bond’s franchise’s first black antagonist played opposite the late Sir Roger Moore as 007. The news of the actor’s death was announced by his wife Tessie Sinahon saying that her husband died on Monday in the Philipines. He also had starred as technician Dennis Parker in Alien in 1979, along with Sigourney Weaver, and as William Laughlin opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action film Running Man in 1987. With a varied career in film and TV, he had also received the Emmy nomination for playing former Ugandan President Idi Amin in the 1977 movie Raid on Entebbe.

For more info: europetimes.co

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COVER STORY COVERSTORY

Amit Shah: The Chanakya of Modern Day Bharat

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hanakya, who played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire, and who authored Arthashastra – one of the most powerful political-economic books, is considered as a genius with no equivalents. Until now, not many have been raised to the status of this brilliant teacher, who was a political thinker, economist, philosopher, author, and jurist.

Fortunately, in this modern India or this modern Bharat, there exists an extraordinary man, who can be compared to this Mauryan era intellectual. He is none other than Indian Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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“The first quality of leadership is to think correctly and clearly. From such clarity comes good decisionmaking capacity. And sound decisions have an impact on everyone” – Chanakya When some of the recent decisions of Mr. Shah are evaluated, it can be said that this intellectual’s thought process is similar to that of Chanakya. What makes the Home Minister exceptional is his capability to make quick decisions. This means that the leader’s mind works as fast as lightning, and his thoughts are as clear as a cloudless sky.

It is said that he, who possesses a sharp mind, takes quick decisions. This leader not only has the

strength to make good decisions but also dares to stand by his decision.

In fact, in this present world, this is one of the main important qualities that the majority of leaders of the country lacks.

It does not matter what you think, but what matters is how you think. Mr. Shah is known for his out-of-the-box thought process. It is a matter of great astonishment to watch how this leader approaches difficult situations. During the 2014 General Election, none expected that the BJP would mark a landslide victory in the state of Uttar Pradesh and that victory would lay the foundation stone of the Modi-led NDA government in the centre. It was not

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COVER STORY COVERSTORY

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an easy task. But, nullifying all the difficulties which blocked the triumph of the party in the state, the team, led by Mr. Shah, carried the BJP to the victory stand proudly. The BJP secured at least 73 of the total 80 seats in the state. If Mr. Shah failed to ensure that victory for the BJP, then BJP would not have marked the corridor of power.

The selection of Mr. Shah as the President of the BJP in the year 2014 (immediately after the 2014 General Election) explains what his party’s view on his contribution is.

This leader’s association with the party began in the year 1987 – it was in that year he joined the BJP. Prior to that, he was a leader of ABVP – the

students’ wing of RSS. He was only eighteen-year-old when he was first appointed as a leader of the students’ party.

He held several important positions in the organisation to work for the betterment of the students’ community.

Post his entry to the BJP, he became an active leader in the state. In the year 1997 (byelection) – at least ten years after his entry, the party recognised the hard work of the leader with an assembly seat. He won the seat, partly comprising of Ahmedabad and Sarkhej, and retained it in at least three consecutive elections (in 1998, 2002, and 2007).

When the seat was dissolved, he migrated to a near-

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COVER STORY COVERSTORY

“In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness; in the welfare his welfare; whatever pleases himself he shall not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subject he shall consider as good” - Chanakya

by constituency, Naranpura, in the 2012 Assembly Election. There also, he secured an astounding victory. It was just a beginning.

Though Mr. Shah was a very popular leader, only after he was elected as the head of the BJP, he rose to national prominence.

The leadership of Mr. Shah elevated the BJP as a national party to a different level. Under the commandership of Mr. Shah, the BJP showed amazing performance in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Jharkhand.

The initial years of Mr. Shah as the President of the party was the most glorious period of the history of the party. It grabbed several amazing victories during that period.

Mr. Shah also led the party towards victory in the UP, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Manipur. It was with his continuous victories that he extended his gratitude to the party which placed its confidence in his leadership.

The 2019 General Election was the most crucial test of his leadership. The

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Shah magic reflected there too. In the election, the BJP secured as many as 303 seats in the parliament, much higher than the total number of seats the party had secured during the 2014 general election.

Though in the year 2017 he was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha, it was in the year 2019 he was elected to Lok Sabha – which is the more powerful of the two.

Without much surprise, the NDA too, which retained the seat of power, appointed him as the Union Home Minister. Now, he is the youngest serving full-time Home Minister.

Similar to his tenure as the President of the BJP, his Home Minister career is also eventful. He is known for his decision-making skills. As the Home Minister, he has taken several notable decisions. He has earned respect for the way he has handled several sensitive issues.

Mr. Shah is a dedicated nationalist. Recently, during a parliament session, when a member triggered a question about his commitment

towards his nation, he, with a furious face, retorted that he would give even his life for his country.

It is not easy to find an equivalent for Mr. Shah. He stands out for many reasons.

There are rumours that Mr. Shah is considered as the best person to become the successor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. Modi is definitely a charismatic leader. To find a successor for this legend is not easy. But, if there is a leader who has the potential to emerge as the new face of the BJP, definitely it is Amit Shah.

Not only has he proved his acceptance inside the party, but also he has demonstrated his administrative skills already.

There is no doubt that the future of BJP is safe in the hands of Mr. Shah.

“In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness; in the welfare his welfare; whatever pleases himself he shall not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subject he shall consider as good” - Chanakya

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BUSINESS

Gold loans were usually given out for a period of one year and there was no requirement about having to service interest periodically. Indeed, bullet repayment of both the principal and the accumulated interest was the norm.

While defaults remained minimal and actual losses were kept well under control, there was an ever-present element of risk to this set-up.

Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

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n recent months, gold prices have fallen significantly from the highs recorded last year following the widespread economic disruption after Covid-19. The international price of the metal had crossed US$ 2,000 per troy ounce in August 2020 but has now declined to about US$ 1,700 currently. Given this volatility, it is no surprise that gold loan financiers should be flooded with media queries about the likely impact of such a price correction on their profitability and growth prospects.

Having been involved in the gold loan business for decades, I speak from experience when I say that gold

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price volatility has next to no impact on the gold loan business, barring a short term effect which gets normalised as the new prices become the new normal. Moreover, the gold loan business has also evolved over time to make itself more resilient to these price fluctuations. The change is most apparent in risk management, where the old ways of doing things have given way to new thinking. Risk management in the financial sector is a critical function which determines whether you survive or not in a world where only the fittest survive. As the theory of evolution explains, the survival of the fittest is all about the ability to adapt and change

according to the environment. The same rules apply to the corporate world, including in the lending business. For example, if Manappuram Finance Limited (the company that I founded in 1992) had continued to function exactly as it did in the '90s, it would have soon fallen by the wayside.

Gold Price trends in India

Gold prices in India have grown 15-fold in the last 30 years, from about Rs 3,000 in 1992 to Rs 45,000 level today. However, there have also been periods when gold prices went into a bearish phase.

In 2012, the RBI stepped in and completely overhauled the func-

Fluctuating gold prices and risk management in gold loans

tioning of the organised gold loan market by introducing a slew of new regulations, including a cap on the maximum permissible loan to value ratio (LTV). Initially, this cap on LTV was fixed at 60% and within a year revised upwards to 75%. Gold prices fell by 25% over the next two years, before resuming its uptrend in 2015.

Thereafter, prices peaked in 2017 and then fell by 15% within a few months. The next upcycle lasted till August 2020 after which gold prices

in India have fallen by 19% from Rs 54,500 to Rs 45,000 level currently.

Risk mitigation with shortterm gold loans

When we first started lending against gold jewellery, there were no restrictions on loan to value (LTV) ratio, and there were no regulations that limited the amount people could borrow against their jewellery.

Gold loans were usually given out for a period of one year and there was no requirement about having

to service interest periodically. Indeed, bullet repayment of both the principal and the accumulated interest was the norm. While defaults remained minimal and actual losses were kept well under control, there was an ever-present element of risk to this set-up. Should the price of gold fall significantly after the loan is given out, the realisable value of security would fall below the principal amount and the interest accumulated thereon, leading to the possibility

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of a loss for the lender should the borrower choose not to repay.

The demand for gold loans got a boost in the aftermath of the global financial crisis in 2008. This was partly because of continuously increasing gold prices, the consequence of the ballooning balance sheet of the US Federal Reserve Bank and the large fiscal and monetary stimulus unleashed across the globe. Besides, most of the other borrowing avenues for small business had dried up, leaving gold loans as one of the few remaining options.

In 2014, looking at the increasing volatility in gold prices, we at Manappuram decided to shift the bulk of our gold loans to 3 months tenure from the one-year product that was the industry standard. The purpose was to minimize the price risk that gold loans are subject to.

The price risk is the risk of loss when the value of the jewellery pledged is no longer sufficient to cover the outstanding loan amount. However, even as we shifted to short-term gold loans, most of the other players continued with the one-year gold loan product. On our part, we were clear in our minds that we were in the business of lending against gold jewellery and not in its trading. We recognised that we do not have expertise in predicting where the gold prices are headed for. When we give out a gold loan for a certain dura-

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tion (whether three months or one year), the borrower has no obligation to make any payment in the interim, and only needs to repay the principal along with accumulated interest at the time of closure. When he takes a three-month loan, he can renew or rollover his loan account after three months by paying the interest and resetting the loan to the current gold price.

Effectively, when we lend against gold for three months, we are taking on the metal price risk for the period, whereas on a gold loan of one year tenure, the lender bears the price risk for the extended period of one year. Further, the compounding interest accrued over the whole year is also to be added. In periods when gold prices keep increasing year after year (as it happened during the bull run in gold from 2003 to 2011), there is perhaps little risk in lending for one year. However, when the tide turns and prices begin to fall, you may end up holding the short end of the stick. Let me elaborate on this risk perspective with an example.

At Manappuram, our gold loan products went through three different phases. Before the 2012 regulations capping LTV came into force, we offered gold loans up to 90% of LTV for a tenure of up to a year.

For the purpose of this example, let’s call this product Type-C. After the LTV cap was set at 75% by the

regulator, we restricted the LTV to 75% but the tenure was still kept at one year (product Type-B). Later, in FY-2015, we introduced our threemonth gold loan products at an LTV of 75% (product Type-A).

How do these varying product types deal with the gold price risk?

In particular, how does the threemonth gold loan deal with price risk by its very product design?

Let's say in August 2020, when the gold price was Rs.5,500/gm, the company gives out a loan of Rs. 4,125 for three months (renewable) at 75% LTV (product Type-A). At the same time, the company also gives out a loan of Rs. 4,125 for one year at 75% LTV (product Type-B) and another loan of Rs 4,950 for one year at 90% LTV (product Type-C). For the sake of simplicity, we will assume that all these loans carry the same rate of interest at 12% per annum.

After August 2020, gold prices started falling. Now let us further assume that the customer won’t have a surplus with him to make good any shortfall in collateral value (arising from a decline in gold price) when closing or renewing the loan. For a loan with a tenure of three months, the NPA classification would kick in after 90 days, i.e., by January/February 2021 (March quarter) while for the one-year tenured loans, the NPA classification would happen in October/November 2021 (December

quarter).

As the gold price now has fallen to Rs.4,500/gm level, the outstanding loan amount including accrued interest for product "A" would be Rs.4,250, lower than, and adequately covered by, the realisable gold value. In the scrap resale market, auctions typically fetch less than the notional value on account of information asymmetry (the typical lemons problem). If gold prices remain at the same level, by October/ November 2021 (December quarter), the outstanding amount for loan product "B" would be Rs. 4,635 which is higher than the total realisable value of the collateral. Similarly, for product "C", the outstanding loan amount would be at Rs.5,545, which is way above the realisable value of the collateral. Indeed, gold prices would need to go up by a massive 23% for these products to recover their dues.

However, under our present accounting standards, the one-year loans (B & C) would be reported as standard assets until the December quarter, with the company allowed to show accrued interest as income booked. In truth, the realisable value of the collateral is below even the

principal amount. On the surface, the portfolio looks pristine and the company can report healthy growth for a few more quarters, even as the insiders would know that the assets on the book have turned bad (barring a miraculous recovery in gold price).

The short-term product "A” carries much lower gold price risk as its duration is only three months and interest accruals happen only for this short period. If the customer fails to settle or renew the account, the lender can initiate the process of recovery by the March quarter itself. However, in the case of the long-term products B & C, the lender would have to wait for another 9 months or so, until October or November 2021 (December quarter), before initiating the recovery process. Should gold prices fall even more over these 9 months, the yield on the asset would suffer even more.

Summing up, product "A" is required to take the first punch from the falling gold prices, but it emerges unscathed. Products B & C are likely to take a hard punch to the gut if gold prices don’t recover in the next few months. Apart from the delayed acknowledgement of the deteriora-

tion in asset quality, products B & C would continue to report a higher growth in portfolio AUM, whereas product A would have acknowledged all the stresses in the March quarter itself, allowing for prompt corrective action before setting itself up for profitable future growth without the burden of NPAs. At Manappuram, during the previous episode of gold price volatility, we had realised that a short-term gold loan product is the best way to manage the gold price risk and accordingly worked hard to shift our entire gold loan portfolio to the three-month product "A". The shortterm product offers benefits both to the customer and to the company.

The company is able to manage the price risk and asset quality prudently, without taking away flexibility to the customer in terms of his credit requirements. The periodic renewal of the loan and the regular servicing of interest by the customer enforces credit discipline and it also lowers the interest burden on the customer (V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd. Views are personal.)

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Rajesh Nair Associate Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

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orporate executives often say that ‘it is not what you know, it is about who you know!’. Business networking has become important and is being perceived as being a discipline that needs to be taught and not just left to chance, as a skill one develops through experience. But things have changed in the last year. The pandemic has ensured that we cannot have the luxury of pumping hands and physically exchanging cards. The warm firm handshake must be often replaced by clicks.

There is a ‘click’ to follow someone and perhaps ‘two clicks’ to befriend someone. This also means that the shyness and the physical unpleasant aura of meeting strangers have been replaced with the ability to accost someone with an email, visit a webpage, and use networking sites like LinkedIn. The essence of a relationship is also about looking into mutual successes beyond the spirit of just connectivity or always not look at success and profit as the pure outcome. It is about your ability to give more than the opportunity to receive and a reminder that your interest in someone else’s success will often be reciprocated. So, all the digital technology changes are about reminding yourself that these are new avenues to express generosity and that success is not a zero-sum game.

Most of the information that we have around us needs to be synthesised into byte-sized knowledge and connected with what we know and

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Most of the information that we have around us needs to be synthesised into byte-sized knowledge and connected with what we know and have learned in the past. This also brings in paradigm changes in the way we think, work, and live.

have learned in the past. This also brings in paradigm changes in the way we think, work, and live. Add to the demographic dimension, there is also the massive advent of technology that we have to negotiate with.

The laptops, the constantly flickering smartphones are an extension of the human body for today’s professionals. Very simply, the average knowledge worker of today has these massive distractions whether she is at her workplace or at home and trading casual banter in a coffee shop!

This brings in the modified managerial mind. Today, you need to focus on multiple things at the same time. Deep thought is often fighting for mind space with a phone call, an email, a social media notification, and the like. This is not just a ‘youth’ phenomenon. The middle-aged and the senior citizens also have all these multiple distractions and a retired employee grapples with the same sort of challenges. The time and intent to focus on a task are becoming more and more ephemeral and this leads to what the management gurus call – the light touch! This is not the subtle management scholarship of deftly manoeuvring but the complete inability to ‘think through’. The less we do this, we also mentally teach ourselves to focus less A lot of our development professionally happens with the multifarious interactions we have at the workplace. This is not just through the valuable confines of work but also comes from the cooler discussions and the pebbles of organisa-

tional culture you unconsciously pick up in your time with organisations. While culture itself is like the vitals of an organisation, professionals gain a lot from it and embrace maturity through it. You will need to foster avenues for these conversations and fellow experts.

The charters of all the societies/ clubs/forums are with the best intentions and with the verve to provide a platform for all like-minded people who can contribute to a large common good. What eventually happens, at times, is that these groups become more like an extended business or career networking platform and the basic ethos of the very idea of formation dissipates with time.

Another cardinal mistake some of them make is to seek new members ‘who are like them’ – similar profiles, similar younger people – bringing in a diversity gap, which becomes a deficient component to generate the best of good ideas.

An interesting idea is to involve students in social network projects in schools and colleges. Humans are wired to socially connect. Connections are not just starting a venture but a way of thinking and a way of life. It is the constant quest to do better, to doggedly follow improvements, and develop the keenness to make a difference. He regularly sees jobs being the end of creativity and people become just a ‘pair of hands’ doing things without thinking and without the zest to make a difference. One gets worried when educated creative young people say that they can’t find

Networking in the Digital Age

employment when just opening your eyes can open you to a panorama of problems for you to solve and create a business out of.

Just as we settled into a schedule of networking, comes the pandemic. Suddenly we had a lot fewer opportunities to meet, introduce, find common interests, topics to chat about, and also lesser avenues to match skills and needs in relationships. This also ushered in the accelerating adoption of digital tools

for various business activities. With the changing realities, it is of high imperative that the professionals and students of today understand the ‘digital’ perspective of things.

This is not just changing the ways in which business is done but also about the large shift in the way we work, communicate, and think. It is a no-brainer than some of the routine work which have ‘Bots’ and robotic process automation bringing in efficiencies. So skilling oneself and

thinking meticulously is the need of the hour and is the moot question to ask yourself is – how will you differentiate your digital quotient to manage your businesses and your career?

While traveling and physical meetings have severely got restricted networking sites which facilitate online connections and networking opportunities have increased by quantum. Popular sites like LinkedIn have increased engagement time,

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BUSINESS new members, and also the adoption of allied paid services. Even industry bodies have seen more programs albeit online. What we see now can also be broadly pitted into four themes

Leveraging existing social networking sites

Besides a business networking site like LinkedIn, even the traditional social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram have upped the ante in providing networking platforms. The new formats of Live events and ‘mashups’ bring together like-minded professionals or professional with common interests and quests.

Finding the right routine

Workplace disciplines like punching or clocking time or the biometric sensors which unobtrusively take timings and instill discipline are all directive mechanisms. But they have their benefits when it comes to time management and the ability to budget and allocate time to various priorities at work and in the personal domain. Regular routines are also catalysts to efficiency and productivity. It also calls for tremendous drive and motivation to make it work. A lot of structures and support functions are always taken for granted.

So when you become your own boss, there is also the need to make sure that you are a great ‘employee’ to yourself too.

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The freedom of working from home also comes with tremendous difficulties in coordinating work.

Little supports which enhance your productive time are mostly absent when you are freelancing. Then there is a mountain of little issues which were solved in a jiffy with a team but seem unsurmountable when you tackle it alone. The sense of power you derive in organisations is also positional and this will disappear in freelancing. But if you can straddle this obstacle, you are in for a very interesting time.

Collective networking

From time immemorial, leadership has always been treated as a singular attribute. The word ‘leader’ always prods us to think of great men and women. We look hard and pry into their lives and actions, on the adversities they faced, and how they always came out successful and with flying colors. We are fascinated by these stories. Whether in a board room, a classroom, or even during the bantering in clusters near the common eating spaces and the coffee dispensers, we are completely in awe of these stories. Networking unlike leadership has always encouraged a collective approach. It is not when we direct but we collaborate and think together that we build relationships. Collective networking is much like distributed leadership where we leverage multiple

skills and competencies across and strive to move to a common goal to achieve.

Emotional security of a physical workspace

Most of us need the structures of a physical place to direct our efficiencies and thoughts. We also need the learning environment that a workplace provides and the emotional security of being part of a larger team/group. Loyalty to an organisation and a sense of belonging is often needed for us to work with mental pressures. But if you have the drive to learn and the initiative to embark on tasks on your own and have a keen focus on your learning and development, work from home is for you. Much like consultants, you can accelerate your learning trajectory through not just interactions but budgeting adequate time each day for personal development. This is not easy and also requires tremendous discipline and relentless focus on the work tasks at hand. You also need to be driven by actively engaging in work and have to develop the ability to certify the completion of your work. For the casual chats, it is necessary you build platforms for informal chats – whether it be a group chat, a group mail, or a group video conference. The benefit which we do not fathom is also the fact that most others are also looking for opportunities to network in the virtual world

HEALTH

Dr Arun Oommen

MBBS, MS (Gen Surg), Mch( Neurosurgery), MRCSEd, MBA ConsultantNeurosurgeon, VPS Lakeshore Hospital Kochi, India

While all physicians work to heal people, neurosurgeons often have especially gratifying outcomes from successful surgeries in which patients are freed from severe pain, physical disabilities, or impending death.

Neurosurgeons can also participate in cutting-edge research, helping increase medical knowledge of illnesses for which there is currently no cure.

THE MAGIC OF MODERN NEUROSURGERY

W

ith the advent of modern technology and advances in surgical techniques and skills results of Neurosurgery are excellent. Many complicated and neardeath brain and spine problems can be cured now by the magic of modern microneurosurgery.

If someone asks which is the most complex organ in the human body the answer will be almost unanimously –The Brain and spinal cord. Naturally, the field of medicine dealing with surgical problems of the brain and spine will be the most challenging, intricate, and unnerving. Neurosurgery has over the years evolved to become a really

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challenging medical field of practice but thanks to extensive research, publications, vast advances in surgical techniques and instrumentations the results have tremendously improved over the years.

There was not much advancement in neurosurgery until the late 19th early 20th century, In 1879 after locating it via neurological signs alone, Scottish surgeon William Macewen (18481924) performed the first successful brain tumor removal. On November 25, 1884, English surgeon Rickman Godlee (1849-1925) performed the first primary brain tumor removal, via trephination. On March 16, 1907, Austrian surgeon Hermann

Schloffer became the first to successfully remove a pituitary tumor.

While all physicians work to heal people, neurosurgeons often have especially gratifying outcomes from successful surgeries in which patients are freed from severe pain, physical disabilities, or impending death. Neurosurgeons can also participate in cutting-edge research, helping increase medical knowledge of illnesses for which there is currently no cure.

Surgery on the brain and spinal cord requires the greatest of skills, surgical knowledge, perseverance, and physical endurance. Neurosurgeons work long hours on complex tasks. An average Neurosurgery can

take around 4-6 hours to complete.

In addition to neurosurgeons, neurosurgical patients have round the clock care of neuro anaesthetists, neuro intensivists, neurologists, neuroradiologists, Neuropsychiatrist, trained Neuro Nurses, Neuro physiotherapists, Nutritional therapists, and other allied specialists.

Some of the modalities that revolutionized Neurosurgery has significantly improved the outcome include a fully equipped theatre with sophisticated operating microscopes, neuro navigation system, Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA), Neuro monitoring system, Intra operative MRI, endoscopic and minimally invasive

surgeries, sophisticated implants, etc Neurosurgery carters to a wide spectrum of diseases or anomalies pertaining to the brain and spinal cord. Head injury secondary to road traffic accidents falls, assault, etc. are managed by a Neurosurgeon. They perform many complicated procedures like removing clots from the brain following accident-induced head injuries repairing skull fractures and spine fractures. With ever-increasing research and understanding of head trauma, the success rate of treatment is increasing and is almost 95% in our centre. Also, massive clots formed following other spon-

taneous bleeding, like hypertensive bleeds, abnormal vessel bleeds, etc. are also tackled by neurosurgeons.

Minimally invasive interventional therapies like coiling, embolisation, etc. are very widely being done and are producing excellent results.

A wide spectrum of tumours and cancers can involve the brain and spinal cord. With the advent of modern technology, much improvement in surgical techniques, and a better understanding of different types of tumours and cancers, many types of tumours like Meningiomas, Low-grade gliomas, pituitary tumours, germ cell tumours, schwannomas,cavernomas, etc. have entered the group of

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HEALTH

completely treatable tumours.

Many of the most complex brain tumours can be removed surgically now. Extensive research and studies are going on and more and more treatment modalities are being tried to fight this dreaded disease. Immunotherapy/ biological response modifier (BRM) therapy, Oncolytic virus therapy. Targeted therapy of faulty genes or proteins, Gene therapy, Hormonal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and Electric field therapy are some of the treatment modalities that may bring hope in the future.

Neck pain and back pain is increasing many folds and problems secondary to disc prolapsed are in-

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creasing. With the advent of minimally invasive surgeries and a better understanding of the anatomy, disc surgeries are now very safe and produce very good results.

Also removing damaged areas of the brain associated with epilepsy is being done in many centers. Brain and spine-related congenital anomalies are also very complex and are dealt with by neurosurgeons.

The learning curve for becoming a trained Neurosurgeon is steep.

What it takes to become a Qualified Neurosurgeon in India. After the 6 years of basic Medical Training and internship, there is a 3-year Masters degree Training in surgery followed by 3 years of super-specialty train-

ing in Neurosurgery Proper. This tolls to around 12-14 years of extensive education, Intense Training, surgical learning, and research. Following which a Neurosurgeon can opt for his field of subspeciality like Neuro-Oncology, Neuroendocopy, Vascular Neurosurgery, Paediatric neurosurgery, spine, Trauma, Functional Neurosurgery, etc which requires further 1-2 years of fellowship training.

Many of the neurosurgical patients are critically ill and required a prolonged period of medical care and is a journey from near-death to life which naturally increases the bond between the doctor and patient and may even last a lifetime

FINANCE

Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen This article is authored by Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen. Adv Oommen, who specializes in constitution, tax and corporate laws has also cleared the final exams of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. He has also completed his Masters Degree in Commerce, apart from obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Corporate Laws from Symbiosis Pune. The views expressly are personal and should not be construed as a legal opinion.sherryoommen@nashcp.com.

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Each subsequent amendment in the Arbitration law beginning from The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 is a step forward to make India’s legal regime, domestic and international, arbitration-friendly.

T

he Indian subcontinent has in recent years become one of the largest economies, ranking 6th in the world and 3rd in Asia. As one of the largest economies in Asia, a substantial increase in the number of arbitration proceedings involving international agreements, contractual performance, and/or disputes about property or money, is quite unsurprising.

This increase in the public’s reliance on alternate dispute resolution, the need to promote international trade, and to make India a centre for International Arbitration has led to the necessity of revisiting and revising the previously incorporated Arbitration law, namely the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (“the Act”).

Therefore, on 9 August 2019 the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 (“the 2019 Amendment”), which brought various notable amendments to the Indian Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996 (“the 1996 Act”), received the assent of the President and was published as Act No. 33 of 2019.

Thereafter, on 4 November 2020, the Government of India introduced the Arbitration and Conciliation (Ordinance), 2020 (“the 2020 Ordinance”) which introduced 2 additional amendments, seeking “to address the concerns raised by stakeholders after the enactment of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019”.

Recently, on 10 March 2021, the Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2021 (“the 2021 Amend-

ment”) gained Parliamentary assent and thereby replaced the 2020 Ordinance. The said Act was deemed to have come into force on 4 November 2020.

The 2019 Amendment, the 2020 Ordinance, and the 2021 Amendment demonstrate India’s commitment to drastically reduce timelines for resolving commercial disputes in India and make India a more attractive place to do business. Each subsequent amendment in the Arbitration law beginning from The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 is a step forward to make India’s legal regime, domestic and international, arbitration-friendly.

Key Amendments in the Arbitration Act (2019 and 2020).

To begin with, let us focus on the changes introduced by the 2020 Ordinance in the 2019 Amendment.

Two new amendments have been incorporated via the 2020 Ordinance, they include; 1. Amendment of Section 36.

“Provided further that where the Court is satisfied that a prima facie case is made out, -a) that the arbitration agreement or contract which is the basis of the award; or b) the making of the award, was induced or affected by fraud or corruption, it shall stay the award unconditionally pending disposal of the challenge under section 34 to the award.”.

Falling under Part 1 of the Act, Section 36 sub-clause (3) pertains to the effect of the domestic arbitration

ARBITRATION LAW IN INDIA –

A FEW RECENT TRENDS

awards in the event of fraud or corruption. The Section empowers the party challenging the arbitral award to avail an unconditional stay of the award. However, it is preconditioned that the Courts must prima facie be satisfied that; i) the arbitration agreement or contract which is the basis of the award; or ii) the making of the award, was induced or affected by fraud or corruption.

In generic terms, an unconditional stay will be granted on an award if either the agreement or the award is challenged and proved to be induced with fraud or corrup-

tion. This ordinance is retrospective, whereby it becomes applicable to all arbitral proceedings initiated prior to or after the commencement of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015. The Ordinance ensures that the interests of all the stakeholders are safeguarded from the pitfalls of fraud and corruption.

2. Substitution of Section 43J. Section 3 of the Ordinance (Qualification of Arbitrators); For Section 43 J of the Principal Act (1996 Amendment Act), the following section shall be submitted, namely: -

“Norms for accreditation of arbitrators.

43j. The qualification, experience, and norms for accreditation of arbitrators shall be such as may be specified by the regulation.”.

Prior to the Ordinance, Sec 43j stated that the “qualification, experience and accreditation of the arbitrators” would be specified in the Eighth Schedule, wherein, the Act specified certain qualifications, experience, and accreditation. These qualifications, experience, and accreditation as stipulated under the Eight Schedule include that: The Arbitrator must be; An advocate under the Advocates

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FINANCE

Act, 1961 with 10 years of experience, a chartered accountant/cost accountant, company secretary, an officer within engineering degree, person with educational qualification at degree level with 10 (ten) years of experience in scientific or technical streams; The Eighth Schedule also provided for general norms that would be applicable to an arbitrator for accreditation, such as: a. An arbitrator shall be a person of the general reputation of fairness, integrity, and capable of applying objectivity in arriving at a settlement of disputes; b. An arbitrator must be impartial and neutral and avoid entering into any financial business or other relationship that is likely to affect impartiality or might reasonably create an appearance of partiality or bias amongst the parties; c. An arbitrator should avoid any potential conflict; and d. The arbitrator should be capable of suggesting, recommending, or writing a reasoned and enforceable arbitral award in any dispute which comes before him for adjudication.

The Eighth Schedule has been subject to widespread criticism. It imposed nationality requirements which made it impossible for foreign lawyers to acquire qualifications to sit as arbitrators. Therefore, by way of Section 4 of the 2020 Ordinance, the newly substituted Section 43j deletes the Eight Schedule of the Arbitration Act 1996 in its entirety. The Substituted Section states that “The qualification, experience, and norms for accreditation of arbitrators shall be such as may be specified by the regulation.”. However, that this new Section 43J is silent with regards to the

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identity of the “regulation” which would control the qualification experience and norms for accreditation of arbitrators.

A few recent judicial pronouncements

• The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Vidya Drolia & Others Vs Durga Trading Corporation (2021)2 SCC1 has laid down tests with respect to the determination of when the arbitration agreement is arbitrable or not.

For instance, the Hon’ble Court has stated that when the cause of action and the subject matter of the dispute pertains to actions in rem or where there is an express statutory bar, the agreement would not be arbitrable. Pertinently, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has reiterated the principle that tenancy disputes which fall within the purview of the Transfer of Property Act would indeed be arbitrable.

The said principle was been subsequently followed and affirmed in Suresh Shah Vs Hipad Technology (India) Private Limited (2021) 1 SCC 529 as follows: “If the special statutes do not apply to the premises/property and the lease/tenancy created thereunder as on the date when the cause of action arises to seek for eviction or such other relief and in such transaction if the parties are governed by an arbitration clause; the dispute between the parties is arbitrable and there shall be no impediment whatsoever to invoke the arbitration clause.”

• The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Vs Nortel Networks India Private Limited 2021 SCC Online SC 207 has upheld the dictum that the period of limitation for filing an application

under Section 11 of the Act would be governed by the Article 137 of the First Schedule of the Limitation Act, 1963. Hence, the period of limitation would commence from the date on which the request for appointment of the Arbitrator is rejected.

• The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Deep Industries Limited Vs ONGC (2020) 15 SCC 706 considering the objective of settlement of disputes within the time-limits set down in the Act, has held that the interference of the High Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India should be restricted to orders which are passed which patently lack inherent jurisdiction.

CONCLUSION

It is indeed manifest apart from there being no vestige of dubiety that the changes effected in the Act and the various judicial pronouncement is directed towards ensuring that the Arbitration Act operates as a self-contained code. Further, the powers of the Court to interfere where elements of fraud or corruption are prima-facie evident is a step in the right direction.

Additionally, the substitution of Section 43J and the complete omission of the Eighth Schedule provides a platform and greater scope for foreign advocates and professionals to qualify as Arbitrators. It also does away with the over-prescription of qualifications, for the domestic professionals, to preside as Arbitrators. What is to be understood, from these recent amendments, is the intent of the Indian Government in its attempt to streamline the Arbitration Laws and at the same time address the concerns of the International Arbitration community

MOTIVATION

Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of THE IGNIST, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit.

She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.

While at school or college, you might have felt embarrassed not knowing a certain general knowledge question or one from the textbook – However, when you grow up you realize that it is perfectly okay to be ignorant about some stuff.

EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY “To find yourself, Think for yourself ” - Socrates

L

ast year, with the spreading pandemic, one of the hardest questions that you might have asked yourself would be, “What Am I?” You might not be able to honestly reply to yourself or find a confident answer to it until you have a thorough introspection on yourself. In this episode, let’s have a recap of what your life was, what you think you are, how we have changed with our life experiences, how you have learnt from failures and successes of life, how well you have managed change and conflict situations effectively and so on. This analysis will definitely help you to understand and answer the previous question asked in a much more in-depth way.

There are endless reasons why an individual would want to learn

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about self, understand self, or transform his/her life in a positive manner. Life experiences are one major factor that changes your life for good or bad. Change, as we know, is inevitable; it is the only constant. When we are a child, the way we look at life is entirely different from what we do as an adult. When we are small, we tend to look at the problems and situations through the lens of elders around us. Also, we do not get to see and feel the problems on a first-hand basis. What we really thought could be solutions, no longer remain solutions in the longer run. For example, we might have had a misconception that money is a universal solution for almost all problems. As and when we grow, we get to realize that what we thought could be really wrong.

Somethings might have been underestimated, but later moved aside for some other to become a much bigger priority – for e.g., health. While

at school or college, you might have felt embarrassed not knowing a certain general knowledge question or one from the textbook – However, when you grow up you realize that it is perfectly okay to be ignorant about some stuff. Or it is perfectly okay to do some things that are being a taboo as per the society. You eventually realize that no one has it all figured out … At a very young vibrant age, you could be the epicenter of your family and friends, but later towards work and middle age, you get to realize that everything is not about you; and would want to come to terms with it. This really could be the other way round as well – I have seen many students and children who were the ugly ducklings turning out to conquer the world with their beauty and brains. Life transforms individuals – just that it all depends on how good a learner you are!

So as and when you grow, you

tend to make up your own rights and wrongs. You weave your positive and negative perspectives of life.

You figure out who is good and bad.

You craft your own analysis of the situation and decide on your future as to what it should be. Hence, life learnings are keen to be observed closely. Most of the time when we are overwhelmed with feelings and emotions, we tend to lose hold of the right perspective. Over time you learn to discern the truth, no matter what. The distance between that stimuli and reflex makes you. How we synthesize, analyze, and comprehend a certain situation entirely depends on the programming you have, based on your past experiences. Right evaluation thus leads to the right results. It is always advisable to learn from your own mistakes. As it is your own mistakes and trials, it is

easier for you to do a postmortem on it. Everyone treads a different path.

It is easy to ask someone to empathise – but to wear another’s shoe is not an easy task. It is entirely possible to learn from others’ mistakes as well. The world’s history is recorded in print and now is on our fingertips just a click away. Books help you understand different perspectives, gain vast knowledge, and to learn from others’ mistakes. Observation can be another helpful aid in life – You always don’t have to do a mistake in order to learn, thus. We always should risk out significant learnings by venturing out, exploring, failing, getting up, getting hit, experimenting, and succeeding at it. There are some things meant for you. However, not everything will fall into place. Accepting things as it is also a mark of an adult mind. Thomas

Alva Edison says, “An experience is never a failure, it always comes to prove something”. We humans err, we need to keep at it, adopt, adapt and evolve, to eventually succeed.

Evolution is a process – it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months, sometimes years, to bring about the changes you’ve always desired for.

Action is important here. Life is a learning arena, you keep learning until you die. With each learning, you reinforce your muscles and become stronger and stronger.

The experiences you’ve had and learned from then should be used for another soul’s upliftment. I believe, there is no enough time on this earth’s surface to learn life by experiencing life by oneself. You need to keep your eyes and ears open, for lessons and learnings. Obstacles are never the end of the journey, it’s

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MOTIVATION always thrown in front of you to learn how to learn easily to tread past that. Your friends, colleagues, and family could be a great help in order to help you achieve this. It is indeed easy to sit back, blame, and critique how others are failing at it – but when you experience it yourself, that’s when you really realize how difficult and impossible it is.

It is always imperative and vital to have dreams, goals, and a definite purpose in life.

Sometimes it won’t be ‘presented’ to you, you might want to create it for yourself. A goal will help you to make a roadmap to your destination. We cannot really know how long will we be alive, we cannot control time; but we can definitely control our actions as per the time we have. Always have a good long look back and know where you stand and how far you’ve come. Be really proud that you’ve survived and sustained this long.

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Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Everyone has different timing to make things happen. Your time maybe be still ahead and bright. Being able to be patiently working towards your goal is a virtue. In that run, do not be distracted neither by the cheering nor by the critiquing of fellow life mates. Your purpose is to move along, no matter what. You will achieve what you worked hard for when life sees that you are ready for it. Once you start enjoying the fruits of your labour, do not forget to share them with the people around you.

Help them to be enlightened by your journey. Then you will be able to know more about yourself and will better be enabled to answer the question we asked at the onset of this page.

In the end that was the choice, you made, and it doesn’t matter how hard it was to make it.

It matters that you did.” The choice is yours, just as this life is yours!

CONTEST UNWINDS TALENTS FROM

ALL WALKS OF LIVES

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K

ochi, known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea witnessed one of the most coveted national beauty pageant Manappuram Miss Queen of India 2021 organised by one of the leading Event Production Company in Asia the Pegasus.

The 10th edition of Manappuram Miss Queen of India was conducted at the Gokulam Convention Centre Kochi.

Miss Queen of India is a platform offered to intelligent, beautiful and talented young girls hailing from 28 states which is the first stepping stone in the competitive field of fashion.

13 girls from different parts of India competed in this prestigious pageant. Yogita Tejpal Rathore from Maharashtra was crowned as Manappuram Miss Queen of India 2021. Nishka Mehta and Aishwarya Saju owned the title of Miss Queen of India 2021 First Runner Up and Miss Queen of India 2021 Second Runner-Up respectively.

The winners were crowned by the former Miss Queen of India Ms

Lakshmi Menon.

During this pandemic situation this is the second time Pegasus is conducting a beauty pageant. The organisers deserve immense appreciation for the courage it has shown. Like other beauty contests, Miss Queen of India is not a platform which evaluates its contestants only on the basis of beauty but also on the basis of intelligence, social commitment and talent.

The contestants were groomed by a team of experts, and were judged by a group of renowned celebrities from the field of entertainment and fashion.

Bhakti Rawal (Social Media Influencer) Hari Anand (Fashion Designer) Sajimon Parayil (Actor, Fashion Designer) Dr. Jeemol Jaibin (Mrs. India World Wide 2011 winner) were on the judging panel.

The grooming session was brilliantly organised in both online and offline mode. The online

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grooming session began 5 days prior to the pageant and 2 days of offline grooming was also conducted.

Apart from the main titles, subtitles like Miss Personality, Miss Ramp Walk, Miss Talent, Miss Congeniality, Miss Viewers’ Choice, Miss Photogenic, Miss Social Media and the regional titles were also awarded during the function.

Nishka Mehta, Riya Mekkatukulam, Neusy R Jain, Megha Shetty, Asmita Kaushik, Vividha Shinde and Aishwarya Saju (Miss Queen of India, 3rd Runner Up) earned the Miss Personality, Miss Ramp Walk, Miss Talent, Miss Congeniality, Miss Viewers’ Choice, Miss Photogenic and Miss Social Media respectively.

The regional title Miss Queen South, Miss Queen North, Miss Queen East

and Miss Queen West were handed over to Anu Tressa, Asmita Kaushik, Aindrila De Sarkar and Riya Mekkatukulam respectively.

Pegasus event Production Company is the first organiser which has excluded the infamous bikini round in the beauty pageants. The company has established a unique position in the fashion industry with its values. Miss South India, Miss Asia Global, Miss Asia and Miss Glam World are the other main beauty contest brands of the company. The competition is organized to showcase the diverse and rich cultural values of the country and to promote tourism.

The winners were crowned with a gold crown designed by Parakkat Jewellers.

Manappuram Finance Limited and DQUE were

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Sajimon Parayil (Actor, Fashion Designer)

Hari Anand (Fashion Designer)

Bhakti Rawal

(Social Media Influencer)

the main partners of the event organised by Pegasus, which has an experience of around 20 years in the fashion industry. SAJ Earth Resort and Medimix are the powered by partners.

Co-partners are Unique Times, Sunny Paints, Parakkat Resort, Kalpana International, Riti Jewellery, Times New, UT World, Aishwarya Advertising, Europe Times, Vee Kay Vee, UT TV, Green Media and Fashion Connect.

Aishwarya Saju (Kerala), Anu Tressa George (Kerala), Abhivyakti Arun (Uttar Pradesh), Asmita

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Dr. Jeemol Jaibin

(Mrs. India World Wide 2011 winner)

Kaushik (New Delhi), Aindrila De Sarkar (West Bengal), Rovinuo Lama (Nagaland), Sakshi Shahi (Jharkhand), Megha Shetty (Maharashtra), Neusy R Jain (Maharashtra), Nishka Mehta (Maharashtra), Riya Mekkattukulam (Maharashtra), Vividha Shinde (Maharashtra) and Yogita Tejpal Rathore (Maharashtra) were the contestants for Miss Queen of India 2021.

The competition was organized according to the protocol set by the government in the context of the Covid-19 spread

ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE BOOKS OF PEGASUS

T

he 1st edition of Manappuram Mrs India Global 2021 was organised under the Pegasus event production company. Mrs India Global is a platform exclusively developed for married women.

The stereotypical thought that marriage is the end of exploring is been again rephrased by the

Pegasus event production company by giving a platform for married women. Manappuram Mrs India Global 2021 was conducted at Kochi.

10 married women from various parts of India participated in the pageant. Amid the pandemic situation the organisers conducted the pageant in both live and

virtual modes.

Magen Fernandes from Goa was crowned as Mrs India Global 2021 and Deepa Lal from Kerala earned Mrs India Global 1st Runner Up title. Priyanka Naimesh Pawaskar from Maharashtra who participated in the pageant virtually won the Mrs India Global 2nd Runner Up title.

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Along with the main title, subtitles and regional titles were also handed over during the function. Mrs Talent, Mrs Ramp Walk, Mrs Viewers’ Choice, Mrs Photogenic, Mrs Social Media was earned by Priyanka Naimesh Pawaskar, Shivani Rai, Dr Rajani Mhashilkar, Magen Fernandes and Shivani Rai respectively. Shivani Rai, Sriya Smita Mishra, Dr Rajani Mhashilkar and Neha Bahel were crowned as Mrs India Global South, Mrs India Global East, Mrs India Global West and Mrs India Global North respectively.

The contestants were groomed and judged by a team of professionally acclaimed people from the field of fashion and entertainment. The contestants were groomed virtually 5 days prior to their finale and live grooming was conducted 2 days before the final day.

Pegasus event Production Company was the primary organizers who excluded the infamous bikini round from beauty pageants. The company has marked their unique position in the fashion indus-

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try with its values. Miss South India, Miss Queen of India, Miss Asia and Miss Glam World are the other main beauty brands owned by the company.

The winners were crowned with a gold crown designed by Parakkat Jewellers. Manappuram Finance Limited and DQUE are the main partners of the event organised by Pegasus, which has around 20 years’ experience in the fashion industry.

SAJ Earth Resort and Medimix are the powered by partners. The competition is organized to showcase the diverse and rich cultural values of the country and to promote tourism.

Co-partners are Unique Times, Sunny Paints, Parakkat Resort, Kalpana International, Riti Jewel-

lery, Times New, UT World, Aishwarya Advertising, Europe Times, Vee Kay Vee’s, UT TV, Green Media and Fashion Connect.

Neha Bahel (Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal), Dr Bhavana Rao (Tamil Nadu), Candida Andrade Halgekar (Karnataka), Deepa B Lal (Kerala), Inku Rahmath L (Kerala), Shivani Rai (Karnataka), Sriya Smitha (Haryana), Magen Fernandes (Goa), Priyanka Naimesh Pawaskar (Maharashtra), Dr Rajani Mhashilkar (Maharashtra) were the contestants for Mrs India Global 2021.

Above all, during the event the organiser has strictly followed the Covid-19 protocol and directives, released by the authority to control the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak

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GADGETS

OnePlus 9R

Rs. 39,999 (Approximately)

Android v11

6.55 inches (16.64 cm) Display

48 MP + 16 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP

Primary Cameras

16 MP Front Camera

8 GB Ram

128 GB internal memory

4500 mAh Battery Capacity

Samsung Galaxy A32

Rs 24,790 (Approximately) Android v10 (Q) 6.5 inches (16.51 cm) Display 48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2

MP Primary Cameras 13 MP Front Camera 4 GB Ram 128 GB internal memory Up to 1 TB Expandable Memory 5000 mAh Battery Capacity

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Realme GT 5G

Rs 31,490 (Approximately) Android v11 6.43 inches (16.33 cm) Display 64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Primary Cameras 16 MP Front Camera 8 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 4500 mAh Battery Capacity

Samsung Galaxy M62

Rs 23,999 (Approximately) Android v11 6.7 inches 64 MP + 12 MP + 5 MP +

5 MP Primary Cameras 32 MP Front Camera 8 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory Up to 1 TB Expandable Memory 7000 mAh

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BEAUTY

Hair regimen during summer

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ummer is nearing. At the same time, beauty issues will bother us. Along with skin care, it is essential to pay a little attention to the hair.

Hair loss is one of the major health problems that affect people of all ages. But with proper care, this condition can be overcome.

The body is sweaty due to the heat of summer and the hair is more likely to get dirty due to sweat and dust. Dandruff can be caused by poor hygiene of the scalp, dry scalp, and some skin diseases. Therefore, the head should always be taken good care of.

Regular massage of the scalp with almond oil is good for controlling hair loss and hair growth.

Once a month, rub Henna and fenugreek with egg white and apply it on the scalp and hair. After an hour, rinse with shampoo. It is very good for healthy hair.

Oil baths in summer help to retain body moisture. Applying oil daily on the scalp and hair helps to keep the body refreshed forever. When the oil is applied, it penetrates through the delicate sources of the skin and provides smoothness and nourishment to the cells. Apply coconut oil lightly on the scalp and hair. After a while, rinse with a mild shampoo or conditioner. Repeat twice a week.

Eating one egg a day and rubbing egg whites on the hair can help control hair loss. Another

Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana International

Mob: 9388618112

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important thing is to drink water frequently. It helps to retain moisture in the skin. It also helps in hair growth. Yogurt is also good for hair.

Applying olive oil on the scalp twice a week also helps in hair growth. Eating almonds every day is good for healthy hair.

Regular hair washing can increase the risk of hair loss and roughness. But washing your hair only twice or thrice a week can help reduce the risk of hair loss by half.

It also softens the hair. Shampooing twice a week is good for cleansing the scalp and reducing dandruff.

But instead of applying it directly on the hair while shampooing, it should be diluted with a little water and applied. Also, be sure to use a conditioner.

Stay Healthy! Stay Beautiful!

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TRAVELOGUE

The country is very fond of festivals and its people even use religious holidays as an excuse to celebrate.

Small festivals take place all year round, but are more popular during the holiday seasons, involving everything from bullfighting and carnival rides to fireworks, feasts, music, and jubilant dancing.

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Costa Rica The Most Visited International Tourist Destination

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trip to Costa Rica seems to be there on everyone’s bucket list. The happiest country in the world, a paradise for peace and biodiversity, - these are just a few of many accolades.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country in Central America nestled between Nicaragua and Panama. It is unique in the region boasting friendly

people, beaches, wildlife, and enough adventures to fill a month-long holiday. It has always been known as a great vacation destination featuring amazing landscapes from beaches to mountains to fascinating rain and cloud forests, along with a varied climate making it the best time to visit Costa Rica. In 2013, tourism had reached an all-time high for this place with 2.4 million

visitors.

In general, there’s no real bad time to visit the place.

There may be more tourists from December to April, but it is the rest of the year when the country’s greens really start popping. Here the weather doesn’t really play any set of rules. Costa Rica’s capital San Jose’s Central Valley maybe 72 degrees with a breeze, whereas the highlands will be much

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TRAVELOGUE cooler. The areas in the Northern Plains – the Nicoya Peninsula and Guanacaste, will be drier and hot.

Tourists and locals alike are drawn to Costa Rica’s natural beauty.

With over 20 national parks, 8 biological reserves, animal refuges, and protected areas, around 26 percent of the place is protected and the people there are much committed to preserving it.

Costa Rica has over 200 volcanic formations, out of which around 112 have shown some kind of activity and 60 have become dormant. It has been said that for the past 50 years, the Arenal volcano is the most active one in the country. Although it entered its resting phase in 2010, it is still the best-known and most-visited volcanoes in the country. There are, however, many other volcanoes that are worth to be visited- Poas which is the second widest volcanic crater in the world, and Irazu which is Costa Rica’s tallest volcano.

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Costa Ricans are known as the Ticos (male) and Ticas (female). They are a group of people from a multiethnic society having many different ethnic backgrounds. The place has the largest percentage of Spanish descendants, it also houses minorities of Italian, Portuguese, German, French, British, Irish, Jamaican, Greek, and other American ancestries.

Costa Ricans are known as the Ticos (male) and Ticas (female).

They are a group of people from a multiethnic society having many different ethnic backgrounds. The place has the largest percentage of Spanish descendants, it also houses minorities of Italian, Portuguese, German, French, British, Irish, Jamaican, Greek, and other American ancestries. Costa Rican often uses the term “pura vida” which means “pure life”. With pura vida as their philosophy, Costa Ricans are considered to be the happiest people in the world. The place even has one of the highest life expectancies in the world which is 80 years. All that natural beauty and happiness must be worth it to visit!

The official and predominant language spoken in Costa Rica is Spanish. English is also widely spoken but not all Costa Ricans speak it. Apart from these, other languages spoken are Creole, Bribri, Mandarin Chinese, etc.

The food in Costa Rica is delicious but can be too spicy. The Costa Rican diet is fairly healthy with less dairy and high-fat. The Jamaicanstyle jerk chicken is the staple, and

they have their traditional breakfast known as Gallo Pinto, which is a dish of spicy rice and beans topped and is readily available throughout.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are always part of their meals, and pork, chicken, and beef are the most popular meats in Costa Rica. Seafood is available throughout, particularly in the coastal regions, wherein Seabass is the most common fish.

Its enchanting capital city, San Jose consists of some of the main cultural attractions and some of the hidden sites that distinguish it from the rest of the nation. This bustling city is located within a tropical paradise and has central locations that allow the tourists to be surrounded by beautiful virgin cloud forests.

Some of the great attractions the place has are its Spanish colonial buildings, The National Theatre of Costa Rica, the Plaza de la Cultura, the Central Market, the Museum of contemporary art, and lots more.

There are a variety of small restaurants called “sodas” that serve homely food and local seafood. San Pedro and La California are the most popular destinations for those who love to experience the nightlife.

However, there are many more options that one can experience as per one's tastes and preferences.

The official currency is the Costa Rican Colon, even though the U.S. dollar is also widely accepted and is the standard currency in the tourism sector. The conversion rate is between 500-580 Colones to $1 US dollar. Most of the tourism businesses like hotels and tour companies list their rates in USD. This is since, for many years, the tourists to Costa Rica were mainly from the USA. For transportation purposes, public buses are extremely cheap and convenient too. In case if one wants to travel to several destinations then renting a car can be the best way to get around. Even Uber is also available to travel around which is much cheaper than the regular taxis there.

The country is very fond of festivals and its people even use religious holidays as an excuse to celebrate.

Small festivals take place all year round, but are more popular during

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TRAVELOGUE

the holiday seasons, involving everything from bullfighting and carnival rides to fireworks, feasts, music, and jubilant dancing. Zapote is the biggest festival in the country featuring elaborate rollercoasters and the largest bullfights of the year. Palmares festival which is Costa Rica’s Octoberfest is the longest party of the year.

Getting to Costa Rica is quite easy with an abundance of direct flights available from major capital cities in the world. One of the main highlights about traveling to this place is that many passports don’t need to request a visa prior to their trip. American, Australian, British, Canadian, and EU nationals don’t need a visa to visit. There will be also a departure fee of USD 29 that needs to be paid while leaving Costa Rica.

So plan your trip to this fascinating Costa Rica and unravel its beauty. Where else can you hike active volcanoes, zip-line through cloudcovered rainforests, etc.?

Life is short and the world is wide! So let’s travel today itself

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Tourists and locals alike are drawn to Costa Rica’s natural beauty. With over 20 national parks, 8 biological reserves, animal refuges, and protected areas, around 26 percent of the place is protected and the people there are much committed to preserving it.

AUTO REVIEW

Vivek Venugopal is one of India’s top automotivewriterswithover a decade’s experience in road-testing and reviewing cars.

He is currently the Editor of Quarter Mile magazine and a columnist in several leading magazines and newspapers. He is also a highly sought after consulting engineer and market analyst for many automobile manufacturers.

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Inside, it is very similar to the Harrier save for the new white upholstery. It looks great, but could be a headache to keep clean. The Safari also gets an electric parking brake in place of the old mechanical lever. The infotainment system is packed with goodies such as Harmon audio, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, etc, but the display area of the screen is no bigger than your phone.

Tata Safari

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e knew all along that a seven-seater version of the Harrier had been in the making for quite some time. First known as the H7X, then the Buzzard, and later the Gravitas, it was merely seen as a derivative of an existing car and interest was low. That was until someone in the marketing department suggested that it should be called the Safari. Immediately it got social media talking about it, debating whether it was worthy of the leg-

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AUTO REVIEW endary name, if it should have come with four-wheel drive, etc. Whether it is worthy of carrying the legacy or not, the new Safari has a lot riding on its shoulders. We drove one a few months back to see if it lives up to the hype.

From the front, it looks very similar to the Harrier it is based on, except for the chrome treatment on the grille and headlamp surrounds.

The Safari has a higher roofline and a longer rear overhang to house the third row of seats. The integration of the rising roofline has been done well, concealing the edges with a pair of roof rails. The rear is more upright than it is in the Harrier and the tail lamps are different too. The

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rear quarter glass which is pinched to look sleeker in the Harrier is more full size in here. The width and wheelbase are the same, but the Safari is 63mm longer and 80mm taller than the Harrier. The Safari gets 18inch wheels as against the 17s that the Harrier comes with, although the design is identical.

Inside, it is very similar to the Harrier save for the new white upholstery. It looks great, but could be a headache to keep clean. The Safari also gets an electric parking brake in place of the old mechanical lever.

The infotainment system is packed with goodies such as Harmon audio, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, etc, but the display area of the screen is

no bigger than your phone. The Safari we tested, gets individual seats for the first and second row. Overall comfort is good and legroom is aplenty. But we wish the seats were wider and plusher. The armrests in the centre are too narrow to be real comfy too. It allows better access to the third row via the middle though. The rearmost row is pretty decent even for full-size adults. The seat isn’t as low as in most cars and legroom is decent if you slide the middle row forward. There are AC vents on the C pillar, but they obstruct your view out a bit. Boot space is a dismal 73 litres with the last row in place.

The Safari is powered by the Fi-

at-sourced 2.0L Multijet engine.

Like in the Harrier, it produces 170bhp and 350Nm and you get a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The manual with its heavy clutch and notchy shift is not a car you will enjoy in modern traffic and is best avoided. The 6-speed automatic is sourced from Hyundai and is the same torque converter unit used in the Creta. It is a very good gearbox and is well suited to the engine’s characteristics.

Performance is decent for the additional 75 kilos weight the Safari has over the Harrier. The Safari takes 11.8 seconds to do

0-100kmph. The engine is in the meat of its powerband from 18003000rpm but gets a bit vocal after that. There are drive modes like City, Sport, and Eco but City gives the best compromise of the three.

The Safari isn’t likely to get a fourwheel-drive variant and will be front-wheel drive only.

Built on a Land Rover Discovery Sport-derived platform, the Safari rides well on our broken roads. The suspension setup seems to be a tad softer than it’s in the Harrier and low-speed absorption is good. There is good grip in the corners and body control is very good. The steering is

heavy at slow speeds, lacks feel, and has too much kickback. The Safari gets disc brakes at the rear while the Harrier has drums, and while braking is better it takes some time getting used to the pedal feel.

It may not have the same fourwheel-drive credentials as the old car but overall the Safari is a great attempt. It has plenty of space, comfort, and driving manners for a good long-distance cruiser.

The third row is usable and it is a good family car. For a premium of Rs.75000 to 1.3 lakhs, it is worth considering it as an alternative to the Harrier too

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MOVIE REVIEW

Godzilla vs. Kong

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odzilla vs. Kong is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. It is a sequel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. It is the fourth film of the Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse. Daunting monsters King Kong and Godzilla clash in an epic battle for the ages, while the human kind looks to abolish both of the creatures and take back the planet once and for all.

Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir are seen in the movie playing pivotal roles.

Navillera

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avillera is a Korean drama that tells the story of a 70-year-old man Sim Deok-Chool played by Park In-Hwan who has a lifelong dream of becoming a ballet dancer and the gradual progress in the dream. Song Kang is also seen in the drama playing a pivotal role.

The relation between the main characters is beautiful and a pleasure to watch, such a lovely idea to bring the generations together. It is an inspiring drama, which teaches us to go for our dreams and to never give up on them.

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Pagglait

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agglait is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language satire comedy-drama film written and directed by Umesh Bist.

The story revolves around a widowed woman soon after marriage, grapples with an inability to grieve, quirky relatives, and a startling discovery about her late husband. It clearly depicts the process of grief and how the lead is living in a totally different world to cope with her genuine pain. The main character Sandhya breaks all the stereotypes and does what is right rather than following what is easy.

Secret Magical Control Agency

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he film is based on the story Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm but with espionage and crime caper twist. The film is about the Secret Magic Control Agency sending its two best agents, Hansel and Gretel, to fight against the witch of the Gingerbread House and save the missing king. The plot is basic but takes the audience through the quest while unpacking and developing the relationship between Hansel and Gretel.

The movie mainly focuses on the younger audience.

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BOOK REVIEW

The Four Winds Author Price

: Kristin Hannah : Rs.2146 (Hardcover)

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he Four Winds is written by one of the bestselling authors Kristin Hannah. It is a rich poignant story about survival and the human spirit especially through the eyes and heart of a mother. The Four Winds is very much a novel of social and political American history. The protagonist of the story is Elsa Martinelli. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of Elsa whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation. Overall this book has everything needed in a historical fiction novel. It’s impactful, devastating, but also full of heart.

The Shadow Box Author Price

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: Luanne Rice : Rs 1771 (Hardcover)

he bestselling author of Last Day Luanne Rice delivers a haunting thriller about how far one wife is willing to go to expose the truth and the lengths someone will go to stop her. Luanne Rice has given us a deeply affecting meditation on how we both lose and find ourselves. The main protagonist of the novel is Claire Beaudry Chase who is been attacked and her prime suspect is her husband. This thrilling novel is about unveiling the truth behind the attack and also the murder of Claire’s acquaintance.

Rice’s fascinating heroine and her crisp story, highly lifts her brisk thriller above the ordinary.

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BOOK REVIEW

The Push Author Price

: Ashley Audrain : Rs 1754 (Hardcover)

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he Push is a Psychological novel written by Ashley Audrain. The novel is about the expectations of motherhood we're taught not to challenge and what really happens behind the closed doors of even the most perfect-looking families. The female protagonist Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, supportive mother to her new baby Violet but nothing happens according to her wishes. What happens when your experience of motherhood is nothing at all what you hoped for, but everything you always feared? And the novel is an answer to this question.

How Beautiful We Were Author Price

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: Imbolo Mbue : Rs. 2,053 (Hardcover)

he author of the bestselling novel Behold the dreamers Imbolo Mbue is back with a powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. It’s a sweeping, wrenching story about the collision of a small fictional African village, Kosawa, and an American oil company. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. The story is all about their struggle which lasts for decades and comes at a steep price. The female protagonist of the novel is Thula whom we follow from childhood through adulthood. How Beautiful We Were is a perfect exploration of what happens when the hasty drive for profit, along with the presence of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold on to its ancestral land and Thula’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.

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Printed On 09/ 04/ 2021

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