Uniquetimes January 2022

Vol 11 Issue No.123 Jan - Feb 2022 USD 0.70`50AED 5BD 0.500

Inflation is Becoming a Global Phenomenon Shri V.P. Nandakumar, MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Travelogue

UK’s City of Culture- Coventry

Chief Mentor Mr. V.P. Nandakumar Director & CEO Jebitha Ajit Editor Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand

B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com Sub-Editor Anusha Varghese Consulting Editor Sujit Chandra Kumar Associate Editor Ravi Saini

Rajeev Kumar

Director and special editor kollur Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam

Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile

Amrutha V Kumar Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photographer PEGASUS Marketing USA

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punta gorda Florida-33982

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Tel: +971 50 307 1125

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415, Building 23, Al Khail Gate, Al Quoz-2, Dubai, UAE

Tel: +9714 4511075

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Tamil Nadu

Joe Michael

+91 9791006426

Karnataka, Telangana, Andhrapradesh

PEGASUS

Ph: 09288800999

Sunilkumar NN Director Vineeth Nair

Ambalika Saikia,

Ambalika_saikia@yahoo.com

Published at Pegasus Global Pvt. Ltd. L5-106, Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery, Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 2532040, 2532080, Mob:9288800999

Editorial ‘H

appiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best’ - Theodore Isaac Rubin This month our cover story is about the success journey of Pegasus Global Pvt Ltd who already created their footprints in the fashion field has now recently stepped into the FMCG product marketing, as they launched their own soap under the name DQUE Soap.

In this edition, Manappuram Finance Limited MD and CEO, V. P. Nandakumar expresses his point of view on ‘Inflation is Becoming a Global Phenomenon’. And also an additional article on ‘How Manappuram Helped in India’s Fight against Covid-19’ is included in this edition.

Along with that, the travel article will give a roller coaster ride through Coventry, the birthplace of St. George, dragon slayer, and Patron Saint of England.

In the auto section, our expert gives an overall look to the SUV-shaped alternative TATA Punch.

Along with the above-said articles, the edition has all our regular articles from beauty, movie reviews, and book reviews to motivation and business articles.

“Books and doors are the same things. You open them, and you go through into another world.” Jeanette Winterson

Let's enter a new world!

Enjoy Reading!

Thank You Sd/Jebitha Ajit

Cover Photograph FMCG Product

Printer & publisher Pegasus Global Pvt. Ltd. Cochin (682033) on behalf of Ajit Ravi. Printed at S.T.Reddiar & Sons, P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin-18.

CONTENTS

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Another Feather in Their Cap: Pegasus Launches DQUE Grade One Soap

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COVERSTORY 18

BUSINESS BUSINESS

Inflation is Becoming a Global Phenomenon

26

The Changing Models of Everyday Life

30

Fibromyalgia Can Mimmick Multiple Diseases

26

CONTENTS 50

AUTO REVIEW

58

GADGETS

38

2021-a Year Gone by-a Review on the Direct Tax Front

50

Gadgets

52

Get Rid of Heel Spurs With These Amazing Home Remedies

TRVELOGUE

BEAUTY

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52

54

UK’s City of Culture- Coventry

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Tata Punch

UNIQUE DIARY

After a Legal Battle, J Jayalalithaa’s Niece Takes Over Chennai Residence

D

eepa Jayakumar, the niece of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, took possession of her aunt’s Poes Garden home on 10th December evening after receiving the keys from the Chennai district administration. “This is the first time I’ve paid a visit without my aunt. The house now appears bleak and deserted. My aunt’s stuff has been taken away", Ms. Deepa expressed her desire to live in her aunt’s residence. On November 24, a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court eased the way for her by setting aside the decision to acquire Jayalalithaa’s residence, Veda Nilayam, and directing that it be handed over to her rightful heirs.

Hindustan Syringes Shuts Down Factories, Causing a Scarcity

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" Mark Twain

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F

ollowing a direction from the Haryana Pollution Control Board, Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices (HMD), India’s largest syringe maker, has closed its operations, raising fears of a syringe and needle scarcity in the country. Twothirds of India’s entire syringe requirements are met by the corporation. It runs four production units in an 11-acre complex in Faridabad, and three of them, including its main facility, were forced to close on 3rd December after a request from the state government. “We decided to shut down production at our complex today afternoon,” HMD managing director Rajiv Nath told ET. According to Nath, the corporation does not have enough buffer stock to last more than two days. “We won’t be able to feed needles for more than two days when Monday’s(6th December) buffer stock runs out. Starting on 6th December, the daily manufacturing of 1.2 million needles will be unavailable “he stated. A total of 40 lakh syringes were produced at another plant, which HMD expects to close on 6th December.

UNIQUE DIARY

12 Business Memorandums of Understanding (Mous) Signed Between India and Vietnam

O

n 17th December, 12 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed between Vietnamese and Indian businesses in the areas of public health, pharmaceutical materials, medication and vaccine production, oil and gas, information technology and technology transfer, education, and tourism. The occasion was President of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue’s, visit. On December 17, 2021, he attended the “Vietnam India Business Forum,” which was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Leaders from both nations have nurtured a long-standing traditional friendship between India and Vietnam. They started diplomatic relations in 1972, which grew into a Strategic Partnership in 2007 and a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. One of the key pillars of bilateral relations between these two countries has been trade and investment cooperation.

Vodafone Filed a Claim With the Indian Government for Refund of Taxes Paid in the Past

"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable" Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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A

ccording to a top government official, Vodafone has filed an application with the Indian government to settle its tax issue under the retrospective statute, promising to guarantee it against any future claims. “They’ve applied… The corporation would be given Form 2 when the application was processed “According to the official, Form 2 is the following step, which indicates that the application has been accepted, paving the way for a refund of the tax paid. The government must reimburse Vodafone 44.7 crore in taxes that it has collected.

After the final rules under the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act 2021 were announced, Cairn Energy and all other corporations subject to the retrospective tax applied for settlement with the Income Tax Department. According to the official, their applications have been processed, and the majority of them, including Cairn Energy, has been issued Form 2. Vodafone has applied to a different set of rules. In mid-October, the government published these under Section 119 of the Finance Act.

Sputnik Light Booster Combats Omicron

E

ven after two to three months after receiving the vaccination, all individuals who had a single shot of the Sputnik Light booster (third) dosage produced neutralising antibodies against the Omicron Covid-19 version, according to Russia’s Gamaleya Center. Gamaleya claimed on 17th December that “viral neutralising antibodies against Omicron developed 2-3 months after the Sputnik Light booster were higher than antibodies developed against the wild-type virus 6 months after the Sputnik V vaccinations.” According to the premier research institute, “the projected efficiency of Sputnik V vaccine with Sputnik Light booster against Omicron might be more than 80% based on these studies.”

Reserve Bank of India: Financial Inclusion Will Help to Maintain Price Stability

"The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity" Peter Drucker

D

eeper financial inclusion, which helps define monetary policy, will offer the RBI more leeway to focus on lowering inflation volatility, according to the RBI. Financial inclusion, as assessed by the RBI’s FI-Index, has just recently crossed the halfway point of the RBI’s aim of 100 or complete financial inclusion, according to RBI deputy governor Michael Patra. The index uses 97 parameters to assess financial inclusion, including access, use, and quality of various financial services. “We’ve made it halfway,” Patra added, “performing best in terms of access or supply of financial infrastructure while behind the most in terms of consumption or demand to be financially included.” He was speaking at an IIM-Ahmedabad session about how financial inclusion empowers monetary policy.

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Covid-19: Omicron Spreading at Breakneck Pace, According to French PM

A

ccording to French Prime Minister Jean Castex, the Omicron form is "growing at lightning pace" throughout Europe and will likely become dominant in France by the start of next year.

He spoke on 17th December, just hours before France placed stringent travel restrictions on British citizens entering the country.

With approximately 15,000 confirmed Omicron cases as of 17th December, the UK has been the hardest struck in the region thus far. Health experts across the continent are preparing for a wave of diseases. On 17th December, administrations in Germany, the Republic of Ireland, and the Netherlands announced new restrictions in an attempt to stem the tide.

Christmas Flights Cancelled as a Result of the Omicron Spread

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illions of individuals will have their travel plans disrupted and their Covid restrictions tightened this Christmas due to the surging Omicron variant, which has resulted in flights being cancelled and safety measures being imposed. Face masks are once again required outside in Italy, Spain, and Greece. Catalonia in northern Spain has enforced a nightly curfew, and the Netherlands has been placed under heavy lockdown. Scientists are concerned about the frequency of cases, despite early indications indicating Omicron is milder than other types. On 23rd December, infection rates reached new highs in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. Daily Omicron cases in the United States have surpassed the height of the last Delta wave, and hospitals across the country are at capacity.

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French Zoo Closed After a Pack of Nine Wolves Have Escaped

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ocal authorities have temporarily closed a French zoo after a group of nine wolves escaped from its enclosure during visitor hours. Last weekend's event at the Trois Vallées zoo in Montredon-Labessonnie, southern France, resulted in no injuries.

The creatures ripped off safety hatches and scaled a fence, but they never left the zoo. According to local official Fabien Chollet, four people were killed for "dangerous behaviour." Local officials who had been brought to the situation returned the remaining five to their enclosure and anaesthetized them. Mr Chollet explained, "There were not many people at the zoo at the time, and the public was never in immediate danger."

Gavle, Sweden’s Christmas Goat, Has Been Set Ablaze Once More

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n arsonist has set fire to a giant straw goat that has become an annual attraction in Gavle, Sweden. After the structure was set on fire in the early hours , a guy in his 40s was apprehended. The goat has been attacked several times before but has managed to survive every holiday season since 2016 because of 24-hour protection.

The attack on the seasonal facility, according to spokeswoman Rebecca Steiner, has left her saddened. "I cannot comprehend how a person can carry out this kind of attack on a Christmas icon known all over the world just a week before Christmas," she told the BBC. Since 1966, the Gavlebocken (Gavle goat) has been erected in the city's central Castle Square, where it has become a frequent target for arsonists and vandals.

For more info: europetimes.co

Jan - Feb 2022

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COVER STORY COVERSTORY

Another Feather in Their Cap:

PEGASUS LAUNCHES DQUE GRADE ONE SOAP

“H

ard work is an essential element in tracking down and perfecting a strategy or in executing it.” This quote

by American businessman Charlie Munger perfectly captures the legacy of Pegasus Global Pvt Ltd, one of the reputed event production companies in India. As the name suggests, the institution rose like a winged horse, overcoming all the obstacles, and is successfully continuing its journey with nearly 2,310 events to its credit till now.

Some of their coveted beauty

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pageants are Miss Asia, Miss Asia Global, Miss Glam World, Miss Queen of India, Miss South India, Miss Tamil Nadu, Miss Queen Kerala, Mrs Tamil Nadu, Mrs Andhra, Mrs Telangana, Mrs Karnataka, Mrs Kerala Global, Mrs South India, Mrs India Global, Mrs Glam World, Multimillionaire Business Achiever (MBA Award), Minnalai Film Media Business Award (FMB Award), International Business Excellence Award (VPN IBE Award) and Celebrity Cricket Tournament (CCT). Other than events, the company has also marked its excellence in the film and

media industry. The company has its own magazine, Unique Times Premium Business Lifestyle Magazine, published in both Malayalam and English language, and has their respective web portals too. And there are other web portals like Europe Times and Times New focusing on European and American news respectively; uttv and utworld are the other web portals.

The tale of Pegasus that spans two decades is fascinating to all the entrepreneurs around the world as each passing year they come up with innovative ideas. And one among

You won't have to worry about your skin problems any longer. You may regain your skin's lost lustre by using the correct type of skincare soap, and this one is without a doubt the most suited for your complexion and beauty.

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COVER STORY COVERSTORY

Soaps with a TFM of more than 76% are considered first in quality (grade one).

TFM of 70-75% would be second in quality (grade two) and soaps with a TFM of 60-69% are the ones included in the third category. The TFM of 'DQUE' soap is 78% and falls into the Grade One category.

them is their soap, the DQUE Soap.

A company that is well renowned for its beauty pageants and events doesn’t need to step into FMCG product making. But Pegasus took the proverb, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ a bit seriously.

When the pandemic shook the entire world, Pegasus started producing their own masks and sanitizers under the brand name DQUE.

What is DQUE?

The idea of producing and marketing quality, timely and relevant products for the consumer at minimal cost was conceived and implemented in a timely manner. As a first step, the health sector was selected and daily essential goods were manufactured. DQUE is a product brand under the group, Pegasus Global Private Limited. Already, products such as DQUE watches, DQUE masks, and DQUE sanitizers have made this label well known. Stepping into product marketing is always a dream for every innovative firm. The same goes for Pegasus which has created another milestone in the sector of FMCG product marketing by launching its own soap under the brand name DQUE recently.

DQUE Soap

While the weather in India is quite extreme, the level of pollution in the air can cause concerns in terms of affecting the texture and colour of our skin. This makes it even more difficult for us to keep our skin's natural tone. One of the key things that causes the skin to lose its natural radiance and health is the quantity of solar radiation it receives.

You won't have to worry about your skin problems any longer. You may regain your skin's lost lustre by using the correct type of skincare soap, and this one is without a doubt the most suited for your complexion and beauty.

Soap is an indispensable factor in our daily life. Soft and beautiful skin is something that everyone dreams for. Choosing a good quality soap is crucial to achieving healthy, supple, and deeply cleansed skin. Let's first understand what soap is.

TFM is the Key

Soap is the main product of oil

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or other fats reacting with alkali.

Potassium hydroxide/sodium hydroxide and fatty acids are the main constituents of soap. TFM (Total Fatty Matter) is the unit used to measure the quality of the soap thus produced. The higher the TFM, the more its moisturizing properties. TFM specifies the range of fatty acids present in the soap.

The good-quality ones have a high TFM percentage and the ability to make skin soft and deeply cleansed.

The TFM quantity thus describes the quality of soaps. A higher quantity in a soap implies that it is highly hydrating and least harmful to the skin. Such soaps do not cause much dryness. In contrast, less TFM means that the soap is damaging to the skin. It rips away all the moisture present in the skin, making it dry. It results in skin that’s sensitive and may develop rashes, skin breakdown, and infections.

Soaps with a TFM of more than 76% are considered first in quality (grade one). TFM of 70-75% would be second in quality (grade two) and soaps with a TFM of 60-69% are the ones included in the third category. The TFM of 'DQUE' soap is 78% and falls into the Grade One category. The ingredients used for the making will never harm the skin but instead, they will surely nourish the skin to a great extent. Therefore, what DQUE Soaps promise the customer mainly is high TFM quantity. The soap is now out in the market with the tagline, ‘Relax and take a little time for yourself ’.

We are now going through a period when people around the world are realising how important healthcare is in life in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. There is no doubt that many of the substances we use in our daily lives are harmful to our health and body. A rethink

is needed when toxic food, water, and cosmetics are making people sick. When you wash your hands with soap for nearly 20 seconds, you unleash molecular assassins to assault and eliminate coronaviruses, as well as nearly all other pathogens.

Pegasus as part of its efforts to popularise the DQUE brand is expanding its reach into the apparel industry. With hard work and determination, Pegasus has risen to become one of the most soughtafter event production companies on the world fashion map. In the near future, the plan is to manufacture men's shirts and T-Shirts.

Pegasus has adopted a policy of collecting and processing high-quality raw materials to produce quality products. And thus the success saga of Pegasus goes on and there is no doubt that they would create many more milestones in the future!

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BUSINESS

The sharp fall in petroleum prices in 2020 along with a temporary reduction of value-added tax (VAT) had lowered prices during the year. Later, the introduction of a CO2 pricing in the transport and housing sectors at the beginning of 2021 (a charge of 25 euros, equivalent to US$ 28, per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted) and sharply higher energy prices (up 22.1 per cent year-on-year in November) added to the inflationary pressures.

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

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Inflation is becoming

A GLOBAL PHENOMENON

T

he US consumer price index rose 6.8% in November 2021 year on year, the fastest pace of increase since 1982, and the sixth straight month in which inflation topped 5%. Regular readers of this magazine may recall that in the August 2021 issue, my article titled “The US has an inflation problem” had dealt extensively with the subject of rising inflation in the US following the pandemic.

In the five or six months since, the problem has become even more acute. In December 2021, responding to the high inflation, the US Federal Reserve announced

a faster taper of its bond buying programme which has been injecting $120 billion of liquidity every month since June 2020. Bond purchases will now be reduced by $30 billion each month, which will end all fresh bond purchases

by March 2022. The accelerated timetable puts the Fed on course to start raising interest rates in the first half of 2022.

Here in India, inflation as measured by the wholesale price index (a proxy for producer prices) accelerated to 14.23% in November 2021, the highest since April 2005, due to a sharp increase in manufacturing costs

and food prices. This has given rise to renewed concerns that rising inflationary pressures will soon have to be countered by the RBI raising interest rates. The gap between retail and wholesale price-based inflation has widened in recent months as many companies struggle to absorb surging input costs that undermine their profitability. Wholesale inflation has remained in double-digits for eight months in a row now while retail inflation continues to hover around 5%. It may just be a matter of time before the high WPI inflation spreads to consumer prices as well.

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BUSINESS

A look around the world

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/11/24/inflation-hasrisen-around-the-world-but-the-u-s-has-seen-one-of-the-biggest-increases/

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has said food prices globally are now at their highest levels in more than a decade. According to the International Monetary Fund, consumer prices could rise about 4.8% globally in the next year. As the world braces for higher inflation everywhere, here is a look at how the leading economies of the world are faring.

China's consumer price index rose 2.3% year on year in November 2021 while the producer price index went up 12.9%. An ongoing crunch in energy supplies was the major contributor to the rise in producer price inflation as the cost of coal, a leading source of energy in the country, has risen sharply. The world's second largest economy is growing at the slowest pace in a year as the energy shortages, shipping

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disruptions, and a deepening real estate crisis take their toll. China’s rising inflation has the world worried considering China's place in the global supply chain and its role as the world's factory supplying a staggering range of goods to consumers around the world.

In the U.K., inflation climbed to a 10-year high with CPI rising by 5.1% year on year in November, which was more than double the central bank’s target. The UK’s Office for National Statistics attributed the rise in inflation to the prices of petrol and second-hand cars, but prices have risen for almost all goods and services suggesting that price pressures are being felt across the economy. As inflation surged, the Bank of England hiked interest rates for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, increasing its

main interest rate to 0.25% from its historic low of 0.1%.

In Germany, inflation continued to rise going up from 4.5% in October to 5.2% in November (the highest rate registered in the country since June 1992) driven by the base effect of low prices that prevailed for much of 2020. The sharp fall in petroleum prices in 2020 along with a temporary reduction of value-added tax (VAT) had lowered prices during the year. Later, the introduction of a CO2 pricing in the transport and housing sectors at the beginning of 2021 (a charge of 25 euros, equivalent to US$ 28, per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted) and sharply higher energy prices (up 22.1 per cent yearon-year in November) added to the inflationary pressures.

In France, inflation rose unexpectedly in November to hit its

highest level in 13 years, according to a preliminary estimate. Consumer prices rose 0.4% from the previous month, amounting to an annualised inflation rate of 3.4%, the highest since September 2008. In line with the worldwide trend, the November increase was mostly driven by surging energy prices, which were up 21.6% over the last one year.

While inflation surges around the world, Japan continues to be a notable exception. Although Japanese policymakers have long sought to stimulate the economy by increasing inflation and thereby shake it out of its long-term deflationary trend, consumer prices have not moved.

It appears that after decades of very low inflation, Japanese shoppers tend to resist the idea of paying higher prices and businesses have refrained from raising prices. Consequently, companies tend to hoard

The profit margins for manufacturers shrink when raw material costs go up. Households are paying more for gas, groceries and eating out, which constricts their ability to spend elsewhere. cash and go slow on investments, while keeping the labour market rigid so that workers don’t get to change jobs easily or get pay increases. In October, Japan’s consumer prices increased by just 0.1% from a year earlier, while core inflation (which excludes volatile food and energy prices) actually fell by 0.7%. Interestingly, most of the inflationary forces hitting other countries, such as higher prices for oil, commodities, and microchips also apply to Japan.

The difference lies in the way com-

panies and consumers react. Japan has an aging and shrinking population that encourages people to be cautious with their spending leading to a chronic shortfall in consumer demand.

Causes of current inflation

Why has inflation risen so quickly? The answer to this question holds the key to an understanding of how long the surge can be expected to last and what policymakers should do about it. Many economists believe that the recent bout of inflation is different from other inflationary periods that were linked to the regular business cycle. Among their explanations include the continuing disruptions in global supply chains after the pandemic, the unsettled labour markets, the base effect from measuring prices against the low levels that prevailed last year after COVID-19 had shut down parts of the

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BUSINESS

economy, and the strong rebound in consumer demand after local economies were reopened.

Supply chain issues: If inflation today has become something of a global phenomenon, the havoc wreaked by the pandemic on global supply chains gets a fair share of the blame. By constricting supplies of a range of goods at a time when pentup demand is looking for an outlet, it has set the spark to inflation on a global level. In hindsight, it is no surprise that a globalized economy where manufacturing is dispersed across multiple locations often in different countries (and therefore dependent on smooth and efficient logistics to keep going) can come to a freeze when struck by a oncein-a-lifetime pandemic. Covid-19 squeezed supply chains, restricted international and local travel, and shut down businesses and services.

Now, even as the world is recovering from these shocks, new variants of Covid-19 continue to pose a threat.

Shipping costs: The Global shipping crisis—as seen in the severe shortage of containers and ships having to wait for long to dock at ports—is likely to go on delaying goods traffic and stoking inflation by increasing the cost of logistics.

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Shipping has rarely been a subject to attract the attention of economists who have always paid more attention to raw material and labour costs as compared to transportation. But those days may be over. The cost of shipping a 40-foot container (FEU) unit used to be about $1,300 before the pandemic. It surged to a record high of over $11,000 in September 2021 but has now come down by about 15% according to the Freightos FBX index. With 90% of the world's merchandise being shipped by sea, soaring shipping costs are exacerbating global inflation.

Petroleum prices: Energy prices are rising around the world with the economic recovery and people returning to the offices. Europe is struggling to secure enough gas and coal with the onset of winter. Soaring gas and oil prices hurt consumption and aggravate inflation. The gas market is going through a turbulent phase which has driven prices in Europe higher by 280% this year while comparable US prices have doubled.

The spike is being attributed to a range of factors from low storage levels to reduced Russian supplies and lower investments in hydrocarbons.

Also at fault is the aggressive implementation of green energy policies

that deter investments in the hydrocarbon sector. A side effect of surging gas prices is higher food costs as the production of fertiliser uses gas as a feedstock.

Commodity prices: The spike in the prices of commodities, especially steel, aluminium and metals like copper and zinc, has cast a shadow over the recovery and added to the inflationary pressures. The profit margins for manufacturers shrink when raw material costs go up. Households are paying more for gas, groceries and eating out, which constricts their ability to spend elsewhere. Surging commodity prices are an early warning of future inflation as commodity markets react more quickly to changes in economic conditions than prices for final goods.

Shortage of semiconductors: The worldwide shortage in the supply of semiconductors has affected manufacturing and is yet another reason for the upward pressure on consumer prices. In the modern world, semiconductors are at the heart of products ranging from computers and phones to our vehicles and appliances. Orders for everything from cars to televisions to touch-screen computers and the like

are being held back for six months and more merely for want of adequate chips. With production of new cars impacted by the semiconductor shortage (modern cars make use of a lot of electronics), manufacturers have pushed up prices which has spilled over into the used car market. As the supply of semiconductors increases, we may expect some easing of inflation on this count, but the process is likely to be drawn out.

Fiscal and monetary stimulus: This is the elephant in the room that most policymakers would prefer not to see. The massive amounts of liquidity injected into the global economy through fiscal and monetary stimulus by central banks around the world to lend support to the economic recovery has had some unintended consequences too. As the famous definition goes, inflation is too much money chasing too few goods and services. Approximately US$10.8 trillion was injected into the world economy by way of fiscal stimulus and this is equivalent to 10% of global GDP. With so much extra money finding its way into the economy in a short period, high inflation was perhaps a foregone conclusion.

Consequences and likely outcomes

The tapering of bond purchases by the US Fed followed by a faster lift-off of interest rates will put pressure on stock prices in the US as

well as emerging markets where the risk off mode will lead to foreign portfolio investments (FPIs) flowing out. In fact, FPIs have pulled out Rs.29,702 crore from the Indian equity and debt markets in December 2021 which saw the announcement of faster tapering by the US Fed as well as uncertainty over the Omicron variant. Gold prices will likely be under pressure initially as reduced stimulus and interest rate hikes by central banks tend to push government bond yields up, raising the opportunity cost of holding bullion which yields no interest.

However, there is no certainty that US inflation can be brought under control without raising interest rates to the point where the economy tips over into a recession, and that means there’s a lot more fight left in gold.

Back in 2017 and 2018, the US Fed had raised interest rates seven times in a row but when growth slowed, they changed course and cut interest rates again. At the time, inflation was low and that gave the Fed the room to revert to lower interest rates. However, this time around, inflation is at a four-decade high and if the Fed were to reverse course without fully wringing out inflation, the pressures can mount leading to stagflation. And should inflation remain stubborn, gold prices will likely bounce back as the metal has historically done well under high

inflation.

In India, the RBI will be under pressure to hike interest rates to curb inflation. This will put pressure on the financial services sector which typically does better under a low interest rate regime. For now, the RBI has been patient with measures to support growth. Once growth recovers, the focus will shift to inflation. With domestic inflation risks on the upside, and with global interest rates also going up, interest rates in India are set to increase. A rising interest rate cycle is a challenge for bond market investors especially those investing in longer maturity bonds as capital losses are higher for longer holding periods as compared to shorter duration bonds.

As for the equity markets, they have perhaps delivered their due ahead of time considering the record gains since the lows of the pandemic. A period of consolidation is more likely than a repetition of the outperformance of the last two years. However, given the unpredictability of the markets, it would also be wise to pray for an uneventful year without any more of black swan events to throw all our calculations out of gear

(V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd. Views are personal.)

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Relax & take

a little time

for yourself

For trade enquires: +91 9288800999

www.dqueworld.com

BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair Associate Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

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Jan - Feb 2022

Economics and the revenue modalities had to adjust to the railings of the pandemic. Significant commerce shifted from the physical realm to the digital realm. Even everyday purchases like groceries, medicines and domestic provisions can now be done by the click of a button. Fundamentally, the definition of success itself has changed.

THE CHANGING MODELS

OF EVERYDAY LIFE

2

021 continues the pandemic-triggered disruptions that began last year. While there has been a cyclic nature of recovery and the increasing settling down of rigmaroles of masking and social distancing, life has changed. We have adopted digital ways of working and living more openly and this also means that we have increasingly adjusted to the new way of doing things. While every walk of life has changed, the business landscape had its share of change as well. Economics and the revenue modalities had to adjust to the railings of the pandemic. Significant commerce shifted from the physical realm to the digital realm. Even everyday purchases like groceries, medicines and domestic provisions can now be done by the click of a button. Fundamentally, the definition of success itself has changed.

In the early phase of the pandemic, we saw the lockdowns, and then again in March and April of this year when the second wave struck, we reduced travel and returned to the safe confines of our homes. Industries that had relied on physical meetings adjusted to the online meeting mode and we learned to actively do business on a phone or a video conference.

The nature of trust itself changed – we learned to trust transactions digitally, we build and nurture relationships online -- negating the earlier worries of how the civilization will thrive outside physical contexts and the physical touch.

But the adjustments have not been uniform. The blue-collared worker has been affected. We have a significant part of our economy subsisting on assistance. These are the construction workers, domestic maids, gardeners, drivers et.al. While it may be debated why they are not essential services, it has also led to a wider economic rift. Some of the ramifications of this divide will sow seeds for longer stress in some segments and we must take cognizance of this fact. Some policymak-

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BUSINESS

The pandemic and the consequences are not an excuse anymore. Being caught unprepared in the face of all this turmoil can be attributed to luck or the lack of it a year back. But being still caught in the same quagmire is a sign of alack thought and carelessness.

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ing will have to take care of not just the poverty but also the inequality.

The added competency which is now universal is digital literacy. It is the age of technological advances, disruptions of business, new revenue models, innovative asset sweating paradigms, and the flux in the business environment that was palpable.

‘Digital’ is the catchphrase and has a larger meaning from ‘technology’.

Digital is the complete transformation of our way of life and work. It is a potpourri of software, the gazillion devices, the interconnected network, and the host of exponential technologies that connect everything and everyone into one large invisible labyrinthine maze of relationships.

The rate of change has also redefined the basic tenets of what ‘long term’ is, and what is ‘short term’?

The strategic planning horizons have also changed. Management intuition, a cumulative precis of all our experiences drives decision making; but the recent movements in the business landscape show that there is a significant shift in the very basis of our fundamental business options.

With the changing realities, it is imperative that the professionals and students of today understand the ‘digital’ perspective of things. This is not just changing ways in which business is done but also about the large shift in the way we work, communicate, and think. In this context, an important question is – What is

your Digital Quotient ( DQ)? It represents your ability to understand the digital context, learn new ways of working, unlearn some of the seemingly archaic practices of the past and embrace the digital environment completely. Qualitatively, it means having an eye on the horizon, understanding disruptions not just in the large business landscape but in your respective work domains. It is a no-brainer that some of the routine work that has ‘Bots’ and robotic process automation brings inefficiencies. So skilling yourself and thinking meticulously is the need of the hour and is the key question to ask yourself is – how will you differentiate your digital quotient to manage your businesses and your career?

The foundation will be laid in our smart classrooms of the schooling going forth and we will have the children first to structurally learn the hybrid way of living. As we have often heard, the smartphone/device will be the new organ of the body and equally important as the existing 78 organs. We cannot wait for a chance to knock on our doors and force us to adapt ourselves – we must change with effort and concerted move to embrace the new ways of working.

And this is not a phenomenon in India – it is the same around the world and we are perhaps on a better platform than others to embrace this change. While we are all in the same storm, we for once have a bet-

ter vessel carrying us!

It is also the time to take responsibility for how you will adapt to the changes around you. You can also run the race but also choose to be proactive and change the narrative for yourself. You have to remind yourself that the decisions made today have outcomes that emerge much faster than in the past. You could pivot or perish in a much smaller time frame. The pandemic and the consequences are not an excuse anymore. Being caught unprepared in the face of all this turmoil can be attributed to luck or the lack of it a year back. But being still caught in the same quagmire is a sign of alack thought and carelessness. Some mistakes you repeat are not mistakes but a decision!

We have to continually have a mindset to preserve, run and innovate as these changes come by us. The question you will have to individually answer for yourself is how will you truly build yourself to be flexible and agile to adjust to the world of the future. How will you use your attitude and discipline to be distinctly better than the others?

Remember to be lifelong learners – for true change management will come only when you actualise the moorings of the learning urge you create in your mind! So buckle up your leather and traverse the world hither – come hell or highwater!

Wishing you a fabulous 2022!

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HEALTH

Dr Arun Oommen MBBS, MS (Gen Surg), MCh (Neurosurgery), MRCSEd,MBA Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon VPS Lakeshore Hospital NH-47, Bypass, Maradu, Nettoor PO, Kochi 682040, India.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and related psychological and behavioural therapies have a small to moderate effect in reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia. The greatest benefit occurs when Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used along with exercise.

FIBROMYALGIA

CAN MIMMICK MULTIPLE DISEASES

F

ibromyalgia is a common and disturbing ailment. Fibromyalgia is estimated to affect 2–8% of the population, with a female to male incidence ratio of approximately 9:1. Fibromyalgia is basically a functional somatic syndrome i.e., a physical response to depression and stress.

The exact cause is unknown but is believed to involve psychological, genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors. The same genes causing fibromyalgia are also associated with other functional somatic syndromes and major depressive disorder. The central symptom of fibromyalgia, namely widespread pain, appears to result from neurochemical imbalances including activation of inflammatory pathways in the brain which results in abnormalities in pain processing.

Fibromyalgia patients have a

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lower threshold for pain because of increased reactivity of pain-sensitive nerve cells in the spinal cord or brain. Neuropathic pain and major depressive disorder often co-occur with fibromyalgia - the reason for this comorbidity appears to be due to shared genetic abnormalities. Neurochemical abnormalities that occur in fibromyalgia also regulate mood, sleep, and energy, thus explaining why mood, sleep and fatigue problems are commonly co-morbid with fibromyalgia.

The mode of inheritance is currently unknown, but it is most probably polygenic.

FM is characterised by chronic widespread pain and allodynia (a heightened and painful response to pressure.) Other symptoms include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some people also report difficulty with

swallowing, bowel and bladder abnormalities, numbness and tingling, and cognitive dysfunction. Pain may be localized in areas such as the shoulders, neck, low back, hips, or other areas. Not all people with fibromyalgia experience all associated symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is frequently associated with stress-related disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression.

A systematic review found a significant association between fibromyalgia and physical and sexual abuse in both childhood and adulthood. Poor lifestyles including being a smoker, obesity, and lack of physical activity may increase the risk of an individual developing fibromyalgia.

Diagnosis FM basically is a clinical diagnosis. Blood tests and radiological tests

may be normal.

To meet the fibromyalgia criteria for diagnosis, patients must have: (90% accuracy in diagnosis) A. Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum of three months B. At least 11 of the 18 specified tender points The 18 sites used for the fibromyalgia diagnosis cluster around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee, and elbow regions. The finger pressure that your doctor must apply to these areas during an examination is just enough to cause the nail bed to blanch or become white.

When light pressure is applied to the surface of the muscles through-

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HEALTH

out the body, patients with fibromyalgia find this painful, especially at the specific tender point areas used for diagnosis.

Treatment No universally accepted treatment for Fibromyalgia moreover response to treatment is all poor and inconsistent. Treatment plans that incorporate medication, patient education, aerobic exercise, and cognitive-behavioral therapy have been shown to be effective in alleviating pain and other fibromyalgia-related symptoms.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and related psychological and behavioural therapies have a small to moderate effect in reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia. The greatest benefit

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occurs when Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used along with exercise.

Medications commonly used include anti-depressants and Antiseizure medications. Weak opioids may be tried but not strong opioids.

The combination of tramadol and paracetamol has demonstrated efficacy. The use of NSAIDs is not recommended as first-line therapy.

Maybe a combination of antidepressants and antiepileptics for 3-6 months may be required to produce some improvement in symptoms.

Exercise improves fitness and sleep and may reduce pain and fatigue in some people with fibromyalgia. In particular, there is strong evidence that cardiovascular exercise is effective for some patients.

Long-term aquatic-based exercise has been proven beneficial as it combines cardiovascular exercise with resistance training.

Due to the wide range of symptoms FM can mimic so many disease processes which can be Rheumatological, neurological, gastrointestinal, urological, and psychological. Hence an extensive workup may be needed to rule out these problems. Although in itself neither degenerative nor fatal, the chronic pain of fibromyalgia is pervasive and persistent. Most fibromyalgia patients report that their symptoms do not improve over time. Hence such patients always switch from one Doctor to another in search of proper diagnosis and treatment

SPECIAL FEATURE

HOW MANAPPURAM HELPED IN INDIA’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

T

he year 2020 brought with it an unprecedented challenge to humanity. As Covid-19 spread like wildfire to become a worldwide pandemic, governments across the world were forced to take harsh measures to deal with the contagion. Businesses and educational institutions had to be shut down for prolonged periods disrupting the livelihoods of millions of people and affecting the education of children. Many people found themselves out of work and in deep distress, unable to provide even basic

necessities for their families.

It was against this backdrop that the entire team of employees at Manappuram Finance joined forces to contribute to the nation’s fight against COVID-19. A 24x7, multipronged approach was put in place where Manappuram deployed its human and financial resources for onthe-ground efforts to help in the nation’s battle against COVID-19. Our team worked relentlessly during the pandemic to assist the most vulnerable people as they tried to cope with this calamity. Here, then, is a brief

The Manappuram Foundation extends Ambulance services to the needy people of the coastal belt of Thrissur.

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account of all that was accomplished in our quest to overcome the virus.

Free Vaccination to employees across India:

The best way to win the fight against the virus is to begin at home.

That was the idea behind Manappuram tying up with FICCI to extend vaccinations to all its employees and their family members. The drive began in earnest after India opened its vaccination campaign to all citizens over the age of 18 years.

Employees of the company and their family members located across the

Manappuram Finance collaborated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), various Government Homoeopathy hospitals, and local governing bodies to distribute sanitizers, masks and Homoeopathic immunity boosting medicines to the common people and police personnel.

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SPECIAL FEATURE country were covered, as also all the employees and family members of our group companies.

Distribution of food kits to the deprived:

As soon as the lockdown began, it became clear that deprived communities across the country would need support with daily essentials, as many were in dire straits.

At Manappuram, we quickly launched a programme to distribute food kits to the needy accompanied by generous financial contributions to ensure the continued functioning of community kitchens in nearby villages.

Support for health infrastructure:

To fight the deadly second wave of the virus, Manappuram Finance collaborated extensively with government bodies and medical institutions across Kerala to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure. The company donated 15 ventilators to hospitals all over Kerala during this most devastating phase. We also contributed critical medical equipment including fumigators, pulse oximeters, and related items to support the work of our frontline covid workers.

Donation of isolation cover to an auto-rickshaw driver in Valapad

The Thrissur District Collector, Smt. Haritha V. Kumar IAS, formally receives medical equipment donated by Manappuram Finance.

Distribution of smartphones across Kerala: Project inaugurated by Shri Oommen Chandy, former Chief Minister of Kerala.

Creating Mass Awareness:

The first line of defence against the virus involves washing your hands with soap, masking up, and maintaining physical distancing. We were at the forefront of spreading the message about Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and the need to get vaccinated through the mass media channels, and we also deployed our galaxy of brand ambassadors for greater impact.

Distribution of sanitizers, masks, and preventive medicines:

‘Smart Gate’ at the Thrissur railway station, courtesy of Manappuram Finance Ltd. The Thrissur District Collector, Smt. Haritha V Kumar, inaugurated the function.

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Manappuram Finance collaborated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), various Government Homoeopathy hospitals, and local governing bodies to distribute sanitizers, masks and Homoeopathic immunity boosting medicines to the common people and police personnel.

Empowered students for online education:

The many disruptions in our lives following the pandemic have created obstacles in the continuity of education, particularly for children belonging to low-income households most of whom study in poorly equipped schools. Students from poor families often lack access to digital devices, and many could not afford to buy smart phones to pursue online education. At Manappuram, we initiated a project to distribute smartphones to students hailing from poor families in all the assembly constituencies of Kerala (in association with the local MLAs) to enable them to attend online classes. This was prompted by the many reports about the challenges faced by such students under the online education system implemented in the state due to the pandemic restrictions.

Helping hand for covid frontline warriors:

The unprecedented health crisis had over-burdened the nation’s health-care system, leaving millions at risk of exposure and made India’s frontline workers especially vulnerable. To deal with the problem on a priority basis, Manappuram took up the urgent task of providing essential equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE) kits consisting of face masks, shields, gloves, and protective gowns to healthcare workers across the state.

Neonatal ventilator ICU ambulance for the coastal belt:

The Manappuram Group offers free ambulance services to the needy people of the coastal belt of Thrissur through the Manappuram Foundation. The ambulance service caters to all emergency cases, critical and non-critical cases, as also

patient transportation services. A 24*7 ICU ambulance service was made available for the benefit of people living in the coastal area.

Isolation Covers for Auto-Rickshaws:

The company arranged for the distribution of isolation covers to auto-rickshaw drivers as a precautionary measure, to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 spreading among passengers and drivers.

Smart Gate for thermal screening:

As part of Covid-19 management, Manappuram Finance presented the Thrissur railway with a ‘Smart Gate’ for thermal-screening of passengers entering the station.

The fully self-regulating gate enables railway security personnel to avoid close contact with passengers while carrying out their duties, thereby enhancing their safety. The smart gate boasts of features like face detection, metal detector, and live video recording, with the capacity to furnish the data of 20 people at a time to the security personnel.

Manappuram Finance Ltd. has also sponsored similar systems installed at the Kannur International Airport and the Kannur Railway Station.

Summing up:

Today, as India confronts the likelihood of a third wave arising from the Omicron variant, this is no time to let down our guard. We bear a responsibility to self-regulate our behaviour and to adhere to the prescribed Covid protocol. All the same, the future cannot be predicted. At Manappuram, we remain ever ready to extend our helping hand should the need arise again (V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd.)

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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.

The intention of the Government in reducing corruption in the tax department is indeed laudable. To this effect, the Government had introduced the Faceless Assessment Scheme and the Faceless Appeal Scheme.

2021-A YEAR GONE BY-A REVIEW ON THE DIRECT TAX FRONT

I

n the next series of articles, I intend to pen my thoughts on some of the key happenings in the year gone by. To start with, 2021, began with uncertainty considering the pandemic and sadly, ends with the potential of the third wave gripping the country, perhaps by the second quarter of 2022. I must admit that I am no soothsayer, yet I believe that 2022 would be the true test for the Government in providing a mature tax administration.

There were a few glimpses of matu-

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rity being displayed by the Government with the withdrawal of the effect of retrospectivity in the context of indirect transfer of shares, which is indeed laudable.

One cannot forget the way the Government of yesteryear in a kneejerk reaction decided to amend the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (“the Act”), more specifically, section 9 of the Act. The knee-jerk reaction was occasioned, as a “reply” to the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Vodafone

International Holdings BV (2012) 6 SCC 613 or one would argue, the display of brute force by the Crown.

In the said judgment, the Hon’ble Supreme Court held that only income accruing or arising directly or indirectly in respect of capital assets situated in India could be taxed.

Consequently, in the absence of a specific provision, the related provision could not be extended to cover indirect transfers.

In order to overcome the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court

in the case of Vodafone (supra), a clarificatory amendment was introduced with retrospective effect. It would not be incorrect to state that retrospective legislation, in the Indian context, has been the bureaucrat’s dream but a taxpayers' nightmare. The dream of Vodafone after winning the hard-fought contest before the Hon’ble Supreme Court turned out to be temporal with the retrospective amendment in the tax laws. As renowned jurist Nani Palkhivala once observed, “The vagaries of the monsoon are less unpredictable than the whimsical change in our tax laws.”

WHAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION?

The clarification principally laid down that shares or interest in a company incorporated outside India would be deemed to be a capital asset or an asset that has always been situated in India if such shares or interest derived substantial value from assets located in India. This led to another round of litigation between the Government and Vodafone at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Vodafone challenged the retrospective levy of tax as violative of the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment Treaty. Pertinently, Vodafone succeeded and was awarded damages to cover tax demands, interest, legal and other costs.

In my view, the stance adopted by the present Government in nullifying the retrospective applicability is indeed a sign of “late” maturity.

As one would say, Better late than never!!

The intention of the Government in reducing corruption in the tax department is indeed laudable.

To this effect, the Government had introduced the Faceless Assessment Scheme and the Faceless Appeal Scheme. While both the schemes have been a subject matter of challenge before various Courts, the Government based on its commitment before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Lakshya Budhiraja [2021] 131 Taxmann.com 51, has now repealed the Faceless Appeal Scheme, 2020 with the Faceless Appeal Scheme, 2021 which is effective from 28.12.2021. The new scheme mandates the grant of an opportunity of personal hearing, unlike the old scheme where such opportunity was at the discretion of the concerned appellate authority. In the new scheme, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has removed the Regional Faceless Appeal Centres. Now, an appeal is directly assigned to the Commissioner (Appeals) of a specific Appeal Unit.

These changes are indeed welcome.

As the year was about to close, recently, the Delhi High Court in a batch of nearly 1,400 writ petitions quashed reassessment notices is-

sued under section 148 of the Act after 31.03.2021 without following the procedure under the new assessment provisions introduced vide Finance Act, 2021. Sadly, there appears to be a growing tendency to enact arbitrary provisions which match with the hypothesis that a citizen exists for the state and not state for the citizen, and that man is made for the law and not the law for man.

It is time that necessary thought is put in place before enacting laws.

In one of his speeches, renowned jurist Nani Palkhivala observed that the “Income-tax Act is a national disgrace. Yet more and more halfbaked changes every few months are ‘received calmly’ by our people as part of their collective karma….

Our laws are changed on the assumption that there is no intelligent life outside the North Block.”

It is now high time, that the most debated “S” factor is injected into our tax laws, which would read as “Sane”, “Simple” and “Stable”. I do hope that the “S” Factor would be reflected by the Government in all their deeds, especially on the tax front. In my view, there would be denudation of legitimacy especially when there is a breach of faith on the part of the Government in its dealings with the taxpayers. I do hope that 2022 would be a year where the Government would build the faith of its citizenry

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HEALTH & FITNESS

EASY WAYS TO STAY STRONG “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” - Joyce Meyer

H

ealth and fitness-related knowledge are necessary to lead a happy life. Being healthy should be part of your overall lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent chronic diseases and long-term illnesses.

Feeling perfect about yourself and taking care of your health are important for your self-esteem and self-image. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by doing what is right for your body is very important. So to have a blissful healthy life this year ahead let's follow the below techniques.

Nutritious diet and health

Fitness starts with nutritious food, food that's rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.

Protein is essential for muscle growth, where carbohydrates provide the required energy in performing

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several tasks. Vitamins and minerals help in building bones and boosting the immune system. Consuming an adequate amount of a well-balanced diet keeps our body and mind strong and healthy, and helps in getting better sleep, proper brain functioning, and maintaining healthy body weight.

Exercise and health

"A healthy mind is a key for a healthy body" Daily exercise will help to improve our lifestyle, its very important to do exercise for supplying oxygen and blood flow throughout the body. We call a person healthy and fit when he/she functions well physically as well as mentally. Fitness depends on a person's physical environment and the quality of food intake, the quality of food, air, water

all help in building our fitness level.

We should spend at least twenty minutes doing exercise, that can be walking, cycling, swimming dancing, etc. Exercise burns fat and controls the cholesterol level in the body.

Various outdoor games like cricket, football, volleyball, etc., keep our body fit.

Doing yoga and meditation will also help to reduce weight and improve mental well-being. Moderate gym workouts will help to reduce fat.

It will also help to enhance muscle tone and cardiovascular strength.

A fit and healthy person is less

prone to chronic diseases, the risk of heart failure is reduced drastically.

With the increased immunity power body could fight cancerous cells.

Maintain a healthy body weight

As we are getting enough sugar from the food we are taking daily, we don't have to add additional sugar, so it's better to avoid sugar and reduce salt from our daily diet. Drinking enough water along with a well-balanced diet will also help to maintain healthy body weight. Consult a physician if you experience a sudden weight gain or weight loss.

Sleep

Sleep is very important for every person's overall health and wellbeing. Sleep enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for the day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease and decrease illnesses duration.

Socialization

Socialization will positively affect a person's mental health, reduce stress, decreases anxiety, increase your sense of happiness and wellbeing, and may even help you live longer

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MOTIVATION

When talking about waiting and new beginnings, it is important to have a clear ”vision” and action plan about your future endeavors. Vision is an act of ‘Imagining’.

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.

To the New

Beginnings…

T

he visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper and re-imagines the world Malcolm Gladwell.

Every single day starts afresh.

Every day dawns on with fresh hopes of infinite new possibilities and endless dreams. The whole world just started with a brand new year. And with it comes fresh new promises.

No matter how challenging the last months were, this is a fresh new hope to make things better. New beginnings are mostly preceded by some endings. Like we ended a past year. Some endings always help us look at life from an entirely different perspective, visualize new plans, and manifest new miracles in life.

They say better things come to people who wait. Yes, indeed it is true. Your temperance and patience in waiting out for certain things to unfold in their time will always help you mold you stronger into a better person. A waiting period is always a preparation period – Times that will teach you profound things which

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will help you for the next leg of your life. However, your attitude while you wait for matters. You should be happy and hopeful while you wait.

You shouldn’t wait to be yourself until your life is no more difficult. For example, when you are waiting for a call back from the interview you attended, rather than keeping you anxious and stressed, you can utilize your time for more productive learnings and self-development. Most importantly, you need to believe in your talents, and the confident performance you put forth and should be positively awaiting good news, while you are waiting for them to revert.

When talking about waiting and new beginnings, it is important to have a clear ”vision” and action plan about your future endeavors. Vision is an act of ‘Imagining’. You are visualizing things that haven’t happened yet. Still believing it to come true.

Unless you believe in manifesting it to be true, things usually do not happen to you. It is your belief in things that make it happen, really.

They say ‘ Seeing is Believing”. When you ‘visualise’, you see it with your inner eye – those things you want to happen in the future for you. Then you plan it, put in efforts to get nearer to the goal, persist on it, and ta-da, it happens. You can always prepare for your best life ahead, no matter what your current condition is. No matter whatever obstacle is blocking you from your future goal, by visualizing, planning, and working towards it, you can always achieve your dream. Visualization works as this mental rehearsal prior to this. Make sure you

always do positive affirmations to yourself that you’re going to achieve it, that you are closing in on your goal. Belief in self is always the first step to achieving anything in life. We all are aware of the strength of the mind-body connection. For the athlete to achieve a record speed, first he needs to have that desire in his heart first, he mentally plans it and then starts his work physically. The mental practice has a lot more to offer you as good as the physical ones. Always begin with specific goals with details in mind. Imagine how you are going to

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MOTIVATION

achieve this and how you will enjoy the results in the future. It is imperative that you believe and “feel’ it in your current self. Your today doesn’t dictate your future. But the ability to make dreams do. Visualising and mental imagery have positive potential consequences in making your dream come true. So start with your visualising experiences now, and remember to record them down onto a paper or screen for future reference and rituals.

Without the visionaries of this world, we wouldn’t have had all this progress and magic on this planet Earth. Entrepreneurship itself is this long-term commitment to the visions you have in your heart. It is a path that’s lit up in your heart, asking you to tread on. Plans come from the head, and a Vision comes from the heart. For entrepreneurs, a lot of factors can adversely affect their Visualising process. It could be the market scenario or the fears that they have in consideration to the previous experiences, or financial difficulties, social conditions, and so on. However, remember to have a

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‘fear-free vision’ when you have one.

Of course, you need to manage the external factors later. However, let’s try to make a larger-than-life goal for this new beginning. We will work it out reverse and make it happen, don’t you worry. Your personal and company growth should not be limited by your small visions. The size of your vision will ensure the size of your growth. Involve others also to make your dreams come true, that could be your family, friends, clients, or employees. It is important that the stakeholders in your life also know what you are up to. Your vision should be unifying and inspiring.

When they see how magnanimous your vision is, it is going to inspire them too. And that will enable them to help you in an effective way. Always be crystal clear on your vision and plans, and then simplify them into integrated elements so that implementation can be realistic and result-oriented. Always follow it up through, co-ordinate, monitor your progress regularly. “Take the first step in faith; you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first

step.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” The new beginning is a new possibility for a change. It helps you personally, professionally, and otherwise to look at the world and yourself through new eyes. We tend to leave all the baggage and past behind and embark on a new journey into entirely unchartered territory with this new weapon called Faith.

A fresh beginning always takes you into something unfamiliar, something uncomfortable maybe. But that’s where all the growth is hidden, That’s where all the learning and development and success lies.

Your life to grow as it is destined to be, it always calls in for new beginnings. It is the pattern of life. If you have noticed most of the successful leaders and entrepreneurs out there had hit many rock bottoms and had many fresh beginnings. Hitting rockbottoms itself is an alchemy of life.

Take risks and Live your dreams.

Life is happening now. So go ahead and weave your own magic into the fabric of the universe, and witness it unfolding into reality

FINANCE

Prem Bashani J Expert – Taxation & Forensics The author can be connected at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ forensicanalyst/ The Author is a consultant Goods and Services Tax, Customs, SEZ and Foreign Trade Policy. He is a former Superintendent of Central Excise & Customs, Government of India. He is currently pursuing Master of Business Laws from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.

The idea to identify a promoter and codify the ethics of a business promoter is a part of the corporate governance framework of The Companies Act, 2013.

Role of Promoters in Pre-incorporation Contracts

E

ntrepreneurs are the engines of growth and the economy. Therefore, it became prudent for some countries to place the thrust of their economic policies on encouraging entrepreneurs to start/promote new verticals to multiply businesses. The innovations of entrepreneurs often stir exponential growth. Breathtaking transformations in growth and progress come from out of box ideas. Great ideas and robust entrepreneurship skills make a successful business. And those that own the ideas and exercise the entrepreneurial skills eventually come to be known as the promoters of the business.

So, a promoter is a person who holds a business vision and executes his plans to put his ideas into commercial practice. He is associated

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with the business from the beginning. He converts the ideas into action. He plans and organises the business, works out the finances, mobilises the resources, builds the team, and engages with the legal frameworks to give life to the business. Owing to his dominant presence in the life of a business, he wields enormous clout and powers in the company. This position in the business puts his name in all important documents and records of the business.

Besides, he christens the name of the company in symphony with the governing statutes to get the company incorporated. He is fundamental to the formation of the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association. It’s the promoter who nominates the board of directors, bankers, and auditors for

the company. He also appoints the underwriters and brokers whenever necessary. And he files the documents for incorporation.

This unique position of the promoter, the privileges he has over the affairs of the company in the preincorporation stages, the dominance he holds over the Board of the Company and the fiduciary relationship he enjoys with the company necessitated the Companies Act, 2013 to postulate the standard conduct of a business promoter. The idea to identify a promoter and codify the ethics of a business promoter is a part of the corporate governance framework of The Companies Act, 2013.

In India, the companies Act, 2013 has adopted a broad definition for a promoter and attempts to identify a promotor of a company objectively. Under the Act, he is seen as

someone who plans, incorporates, organises, and raises capital for the company. He is seen as the one who is named as a promoter in the prospectus or the annual returns of the company. He is seen as one who has control over the company directly or indirectly whether or not he is a shareholder or director. He is seen as the one under whose advice, guidance, or instructions the directors of the company are accustomed to act.

Law does not deem it necessary to recognize an exalted position for him in the company. Also, the definition specifically excludes a person who has participated in the promotion of a company exclusively in his professional capacity.

The Company law recognises the rights and liabilities of the promoter weighing the benefits that come with his contributions and the vulnerabilities of the company in the fiduciary pre-incorporation relationship vis a vis the conflicts of interest that arise on account of his pivotal position in the company. Accordingly, it codifies the rights and liabilities of

the Promoter for his acts of commission and omission. While on the one hand, the law contemplates stringent punishments for wrongdoings, it also protects the actions of the promoter done in good faith. The law recognises his entitlement for reasonable remuneration as stated in the Articles of Association on a rider that the Articles of Association is not unduly skewed in his favour. He can hold an option to buy future shares, or charge lumpsum fees. There can also be a written pre-incorporation contract between the promoter and the company. The Specific Relief Act, 1963 validates such contracts if the same are warranted in the articles.

The essence of the postulations and the judicial pronouncements on the subject matter is that a promoter shall not make a secret profit in the discharge of his functions. He owes duties of good faith and honesty to the company. In other words, he is entitled to make reasonable and just profits in the course of promoting companies. He can enter into

mutually beneficial contracts. The only caveat is that he is expected to disclose the profits made by him in the pre-incorporation transactions and he shall be transparent about disclosing his interests and transactions with the company and its business. The object of the law is to ensure that a promoter enters into a contract for the benefit of the company. To cover this probable conflict of interests, companies often have an indemnity clause against the misappropriations of the promoter so that the acts and breaches of the promoter shall not befall the company. Companies are also entitled to rescind shady contracts and recover the profits from the promoter.

The law fastens criminal liability on promoters who authorise the issue of the prospectus that contain statements that are not true or misleading in form or context or if they omit to include any matter that may mislead. Promoters who cause an issue of such prospectus are treated as fraudulent acts and are liable to a punishment of imprisonment

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FINANCE

The essence of the postulations and the judicial pronouncements on the subject matter is that a promoter shall not make a secret profit in the discharge of his functions. He owes duties of good faith and honesty to the company.

running to several years with a fine which may extend up to three times the amount involved in the fraud.

His culpability and liability however depend on his conduct and the contracts he has entered into during the pre-incorporation stage.

Notwithstanding the criminal liability, the subscriber of securities acting on such untrue and misleading statements or omissions and sustaining any loss or damage, the promoter is liable to pay compensation to every such person for the damage and loss sustained by such subscribers. In the same breath, the law protects a promoter who can prove that the prospectus containing the misleading statements/omissions is issued without his knowledge. This protection, however, will not be available in a case where it is proved that the prospectus is issued with the intention to defraud, and in such a situation a promoter will be liable without any limitation for all or any of the losses or damages that may have been incurred by any person who subscribed to the securities on the basis of such mislead-

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ing statements in the prospectus. In such situations, the company will not be liable for the losses.

A promoter shall ensure that a company before making a public offer should obtain permission from one or more recognized stock exchanges to deal with the securities and mention the same in the prospectus. A failure to do so is incurable. If such permission is not taken, and the monies are not dealt with in a manner prescribed under the law, the promoter shall be liable for imprisonment and/or with a fine running to a few lakhs of rupees.

As an exit option, companies wind up upon the failure of the business. During winding up of a company, if a Company Liquidator in his opinion finds that a fraud has been committed by any person in the promotion, formation, business, or conduct of affairs of the company since its formation, he may cause an investigation into the affairs of the company and the promoter shall be examined before the Tribunal to evaluate his conduct and dealings in relation to the promotion or formation or the conduct of

the business of the company. The law provides for the arrest of the promoter in the event he evades such examination before the Tribunal. So, it casts accountability on the promoter even after the winding up of the company against the popular notion and belief that the role of the promoter ends with the appointment of the board of directors.

In such cases constituting frauds, the promoter becomes personally liable.

To conclude, the company law strikes a perfect balance between the roles, rights, and freedom of promoters of companies, the vulnerabilities of the company in the relationship with the promoter, and the best interests of the shareholders who had acted in trust and confidence of the statements of the prospectus and Annual Returns published by the company through its promoters, directors, and officials by a system of scrutiny, transparency, fair play, adjudication of disputes and punishments providing the niche business environment for a good promoter to thrive and succeed

GADGETS

Vivo V23 Pro 5G 256GB

Rs. 43,990 Approximately

Android v12

6.56 inches (16.66 cm) Display

108 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP

Primary Camera

50 MP + 8 MP Front Camera

12 GB RAM

256 GB Internal Memory

4300 mAh Battery Capacity

Moto G51 5G

Rs 14,999 (Approximately) Android v11 6.8 inches (17.27 cm) Display 50 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Primary Cameras 13 MP Front Camera 4 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 5000 mAh Battery Capacity

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Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5

Rs 33,390 (Approximately) Android v11 5.3 inches (13.46 cm) Display 16 MP Primary Cameras 5 MP Front Camera 4 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 3000 mAh Battery Capacity

Xiaomi Mi 12 Pro

Rs 55,190 (Approximately) Android v12 6.73 inches (17.09 cm) Display 50 MP + 50 MP + 50 MP

Primary Camera 32 MP Front Camera 8 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 4600 mAh Battery Capacity

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51

BEAUTY

Get Rid of Heel Spurs With These Amazing Home Remedies

H

eel spurs are one of the major cosmetic problems that plague most people.

The most common causes of cracked feet are unfitted shoes, prolonged standing, dry skin, lack of proper care and hygiene, and obesity.

Here are some easily available home remedies to solve this problem.

Cooking Bananas

The nutrients A, B, B6, and C contained in cooking bananas help in maintaining the elasticity of the skin and keeping the skin hydrated.

Banana is a natural moisturizer that moisturizes the feet and prevents dry skin.

Peel a banana, grate it and squeeze the juice. Apply this paste all over the feet, including the sides of the toes and nails. After 20 minutes, rinse with cold water. Repeat this for at least 2 weeks for best results.

Honey

Honey is considered a natural

antiseptic that helps to heal cracked feet. Moisturizes the skin and prevents dry skin.

Add a cup of honey to a bowl of warm water. Dip one foot into warm paraffin for 20 minutes, pausing between layers to allow them to dry. Then wipe your feet and apply moisturizer. Do this regularly before going to bed for a few weeks.

Vegetable Oil

Cooking oils are quickly absorbed into the skin. Vegetable oils are rich in vitamins A, D, and E. All of these rejuvenate the skin and create new cells to heal cracked feet.

After cleaning the feet thoroughly, apply vegetable oil on the soles of the feet and toes. Then wear clean comfortable socks and leave them on overnight. Repeating this daily before going to bed is effective in healing cracked feet.

Petroleum Jelly, Lemon Juice

The acidity properties of lemon,

Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana International

Mob: 9388618112

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Jan - Feb 2022

when combined with the moisturizing properties of petroleum jelly, make it easier to heal dry skin and cracked feet.

Take lukewarm water in a bowl and soak your feet for 15 minutes. Afterward, clean the feet thoroughly. Combine a teaspoon of petroleum jelly and a few drops of lemon juice. Apply this mixture well on the soles of the feet and other parts of the feet and wear socks overnight.

Leave on overnight and rinse off

in the morning. Repeat this regularly before going to bed for the best results.

Rice Powder, Honey, Vinegar

Rice powder is a natural exfoliate that helps to remove dead cells. It helps to remove dead cells and nourish the skin. Honey is a natural antiseptic that heals cracked feet. Vinegar also moisturizes dry and dull skin, making it easier to remove dead skin

cells.

In a bowl, combine rice powder, honey, and vinegar to form a thick paste. Dip one foot into warm running water for 10 minutes, pausing between layers to allow them to dry. Then gently scrub this mixture on the skin.

Repeat this process two or three times a week.

Stay Healthy!

Stay Beautiful!

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53

TRAVELOGUE

A city known for its ability to reinvent itself and for being the city of 'peace and reconciliation.'

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UK’S CITY OF CULTURE- COVENTRY

C

oventry is a beautiful city recognized for its medieval cathedral and the designation of the UK’s City Of Culture for the year 2021. Little is known about Coventry's early history, however, there were Celtic communities at nearby Corley and Baginton previous to its founding, which were conquered by the Romans and then by Saxon invaders.

These sites were likely chosen because they were near early trackways and were on light, easily worked soil free of dense woodland and undergrowth, as opposed to the hard clay soil covered in marsh and forest near the north-eastern reaches of the Forest of Arden, where Coventry would rise.

This artwork is claimed to depict Coffa's Tree, from which

Coventry may have gotten its name, and is placed out in the excavated ruins in Priory Gardens.

The earliest village here likely grew up around a Saxon nunnery built by St. Osburga around 700 AD. Coventry is a terrific destination to visit and start your university studies because it is steeped in history and bordered by lovely Warwickshire countryside.

A city known for its ability to reinvent itself and for being the city of 'peace and reconciliation.' A concept that arose out of the events surrounding the WWII bombing of Coventry Cathedral. Along with Stalingrad, Coventry became the world's first 'twin' city during this time, and it is currently twinned with 26 towns and cities around the world.

Have you ever heard the expression 'true blue' (which refers to someone faithful and uncompromising in their beliefs)? Coventry is where the term came from. The 'genuine' colour came from the blue cloth created in the city and the fact that the material didn't fade with washing.

Coventry Transport Museum

The Coventry Transport Museum houses the world's largest collection of publicly owned, British-built automobiles. Giving you an insight into the city's long history of manufacturing. There are approximately 250 cars, 100 motorcycles, and 300 bicycles in the area. Jaguars, Humbers, Standards, and Triumphs made in Coventry are among the must-sees.

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TRAVELOGUE The ThrustSSC, the first road vehicle to break the sound barrier in 1997, and an Austin Metro originally owned by Lady Diana are two of the most popular exhibits. Scientific experiments and engineering challenges are popular among children's pastimes.

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral, formally known as The Cathedral Church of St Michael, is one of the city's most well-known landmarks and is well worth a visit. In the last 1000 years, Coventry has had three cathedrals: St Mary's, a monastic structure, St Michael's, a 14th-century Gothic church, and the current cathedral, The Cathedral Church of St Michael.

The second cathedral, along with the city, was destroyed by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe on the night of November 14, 1940. The ruins of the old Cathedral are now preserved as a memorial and spiritual area for the city, and they are well worth visiting while studying here. The new Cathedral was consecrated in 1962, and its modern design sparked debate initially, but it was quickly embraced as a symbol of peace and unity.

Coventry is a city of culture, history, and modern technology that blends the old and new to create something beautiful.

War Memorial Park

Following World War I, the city purchased 50 acres of land from the Lords of Styvchale Manor in order to create a park in honour of Coventry's war dead. The gardens were developed in the 1920s and 1930s, and the centerpiece is a 27-meter monument made of Portland stone that was dedicated in 1927. The park was given a multimillion-pound renovation at the start of the decade, and it has since been awarded the coveted Green Flag status for its upkeep and services.

The memorial and garden are on one side while playing fields, a "Splash 'n' Play Park," a golf course, and tennis courts are on the other.

There's a lot going on throughout the spring and summer, including the Sikh and Hindu Vaisakhi Mela event, the Caribbean Festival, and the well-known Godiva Festival.

Coventry Music Museum

Coventry and Warwickshire have produced a number of modern mu-

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sic pioneers, all of whom are honoured at this lively museum. You can learn more about musicians like Delia Derbyshire, an electronic music pioneer who was a member of the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop and created the iconic electronic version of the Dr. Who theme.

Two-tone, a multicultural crosspollination of punk and ska, was born in Coventry. The genre and its most famous band, The Specials, have a lot of exhibition space. The museum also features a timeline of the region's musical history, dating back to Roman times, as well as a replica of a record store booth and an interactive recording studio.

Lady Godiva Statue

Lady Godiva was a true historical figure, a noblewoman from the

11th century who married Leofric, Earl of Mercia. According to folklore, she rode through Coventry on horseback nude (save for her long hair) in protest at her husband's exorbitant taxation of his tenants.

Except for one guy, a "Peeping Tom," who is said to have been struck blind as a poetic punishment, the entire city avoided their look, preserving her modesty. The term "Peeping Tom" comes from this, and the statue of Godiva's epic journey, which was constructed in 1949, can be seen atop a sombre plinth on Broadgate. A clock featuring a figure of Godiva that appears on the hour, observed by Peeping Tom, may also be found on Broadgate.

FarGo

East of Coventry University, a

former industrial zone has been revived as a magnet for creative, young, and independent firms since 2014. Vintage clothing boutiques, graphic design and animation studios, candle manufacturers, a microbrewery and bar, and a vegan cafe can be found in renovated warehouses and the lanes connecting them.

The Box is a beautiful 500-seat performing arts facility, while the museum devoted completely to American 20th-century TV actor Phil Silvers, best known for his role as Sergeant Bilko, is maybe the oddest item at FarGo.

Coventry Godiva Festival

The UK's largest free family event, held in War Memorial Park over three days at the end of August and beginning of September, is held in Coventry. Since its inception in 1997, the festival has been noted for its regularly strong alternative rock lineup, which is supplemented by some more mainstream acts.

The Happy Mondays, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Buzzcocks, and the Stranglers have all performed here in recent years. The event features two fields: the Family Field,

which includes a funfair, petting farm, and falconry demonstrations, as well as a charity village and community stage, and the Community Field, which includes a charity village and community stage. There is music for everyone on the Main Field.

Exotic Cuisines to Eat

The restaurant industry in Coventry has grown in recent years, and the compact city centre now includes a diverse mix of eateries that draw inspiration from all over the world. Coventry brings us a delightful blend of the exotic and the familiar, combining national chain favourites with local independents.

Playwrights Bar & Bistro is located in Coventry's Cathedral Quarter. The pared-back decor tucked discreetly away on the cobblestone Hay Lane, ensures that the cuisine takes centre stage. The menu is a simplified read-through of British staples, using local vendors. Slowcooked pig belly, herb-crusted sea bass, and lamb shanks are presented with steaming fresh vegetables as a prelude to the very British Eton mess and apple crumble on the dessert menu.

The Cosy Club, with its more unusual ambiance (think hunting lodge meets nanny's kitchen), serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the heart of the city, with a substantial brunch menu, burgers, salads, tapas, and mains that range from light snacks to classics to simply the best available. An extensive drinks menu with a large selection of bottled beers, ciders, ales on tap, wines, and cocktails will ease you into the evening.

Two of the city's favourite Indian restaurants are My Dhabba and Turmeric Gold. My Dhabba is known for its thali, which allows customers to try a variety of tiny dishes, while Turmeric Gold is as much a visual feast as it is a gastronomic one.

Admire Conventry’s Beauty to the Fullest

Coventry is a city of culture, history, and modern technology that blends the old and new to create something beautiful. The city's story has a lot of events and individuals that have influenced it and made it one of England's hidden gems.

To travel is to live!!!

Happy and safe traveling!

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57

AUTO REVIEW

Vivek Venugopal is one of India’s top automotive writers with over 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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The visibility out of the front seats is something everyone will appreciate. The minimalist dashboard has nice textures, feels modern, and is well put together. The rear seat is also generous with good headroom and knee room, but the lack of width makes the Punch a four-seater at best.

W

ith everyone wanting a crossover, even small cars are looking like SUVs these days. People love the styling, the image, the perched-up seating position, the better visibility and are willing to pay a premium for all this. So it’s only logical for car manufacturers to give people what they want and Tata Motors has delivered exactly that with the new Punch.

It has a good presence and looks the part with Harrier-inspired styling bits at the front. The 16-inch wheels are suitably large and good-looking. The side profile has a tipped forward stance with a bigger front overhang than the rear, much like a Rhino. At 3827m length and 1742mm width, is only about the size of a Swift but generous 1615mm height puts it along with sub 4m SUVs. Tata emphasizes that it has 190mm ground clearance, a 370mm water wading capability along good approach and departure angles.

TATA

PUNCH

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AUTO REVIEW

Based on the Altroz platform, the Punch has 90-degree opening doors which along with the raised seats make getting in and out an easy affair. The visibility out of the front seats is something everyone will appreciate. The minimalist dashboard has nice textures, feels modern, and is well put together.

The rear seat is also generous with good headroom and knee room, but the lack of width makes the Punch a four-seater at best. It gets a lot of features like rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, electric folding mirrors, climate control, fog lamps with cornering function, etc. The boot is big at 319litres.

Under the hood is a 1.2L, 3 cyl naturally aspirated engine from the Tiago, putting out 86bhp and 113Nm. It has reworked intake and shorter first and second gears for

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better drivability. Refinement isn’t great and within the few hundred meters you realize that it lacks… erm..Punch too. 0-100kmph comes up in a leisurely 17.1 seconds while something like the Ignis is nearly 5 seconds quicker. Overtaking someone needs to be planned and takes a bit of getting used to on highways.

The engine is okay for sedate driving in town. The manual gearbox is not as smooth as we’d have liked, but the clutch is light and easy. The AMT is even slower taking 19.6 seconds to do 0-100kmph but it is quite drivable with smooth shifts and decent creep.

The Punch redeems itself when it comes to riding and handling. It smothers potholes and bad roads like a much bigger car. Drive it over a bad section of road at speed and it exudes a sense of indestructibility

and displays great straight-line stability. The steering is great and wellweighted, the Punch turns in and grips well, the chassis feels taut – all leaving you wanting for more power.

Tata has also given the Punch some traction mode where it brakes the front wheels individually to mimic a limited-slip diff for better traction out of low grip surfaces.

The Punch is an SUV-shaped alternative to the regular hatchback but it has a lot going for it. It has a good presence, the interiors are nice, the seating position is comfy and it has a great ride and handling balance. The engine is weak, but it is still usable around town. The pricing puts the top-end model dangerously close to turbo petrol variants of the Magnite and Kiger, along with lower/mid-variants of other more accomplished subs 4 meter SUVs

MOVIE REVIEW

Spider-Man: No Way Home

S

pider-Man: No Way Home is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film is directed by Jon Watts and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man alongside Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch in pivotal roles. The plot is about Cumberbatch making his identity as Spider-Man a secret again with magic after its public revelation in Far From Home, but this breaks open the multiverse and allows five supervillains from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe. This movie is all about Spiderman and Peter Parker and it focuses on his problems which cause even bigger problems and how the story revolves around this dilemma of his. The most awaited movie of 2021 turned out to be an absolute masterpiece with the hype and wait to be worth it. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a delightful joy-ride coupled with great acting and a beautiful story that pulls the emotional strings to both the casual or avid viewer of the sequel.

Minnal Murali

M

innal Murali is an Indian Malayalam-language superhero film directed by Basil Joseph. The plot is the eponymous Minnal Murali played by an excellent Tovino Thomas, a classic village man, who is too ambitious and self-confident for this own good. He gains superhuman abilities after a freak accident and the rest of the story tracks how he comes to terms with his newfound powers and the mayhem that ensues in the village thereafter. Subtle punchlines make you chuckle as you follow the protagonist, who navigates heartbreak, betrayal, a dark secret from his part, dreams of flying abroad, and coming to terms with his newfound superpowers.

The characters portrayed by Aju Varghese, Guru Somasundaram and Harisree Ashokan made Minnal Murali a perfect emotional, comical, and entertaining Superhero thriller to watch. As it is said, villains help define the story's hero, one of the main aspects that make the movie stand out is its supervillain Shibu played by Guru Somasundaram.

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Pushpa: The Rise

P

ushpa: The Rise – Part 1 is an Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Sukumar. The film is about the violence that is erupting between red sandalwood smugglers and the police charged with bringing down their organization. Pushpa is a character-driven story that revolves around the emotions of the character Pushpa, very well written and executed. This movie just shows his rise like the title portrayed and introduction to the plot for the second part. The first part is a mass entertainer with a lot of action, blood, gravity-defying stunts, and hard-to-believe trade gimmicks. Even if the plot is predictable, Allu Arjun's swag makes this an action-drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Then there's Fahadh Faasil, who plays Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, the officer who gives Pushpa a unique bang.

Don't Look Up

D

on't Look Up is an American satirical science fiction film written, co-produced, and directed by Adam McKay. The story revolves around two low-level astronomers who go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astronomers and Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet are also seen in the movie playing pivotal roles. The film is a satire of government and media indifference to the climate crisis. The comet and the crisis surrounding it are used as an effective metaphor by Adam McKay to critique everything from modern society’s obsession with pop culture, how technology controls us rather than the other way around and also takes aim even at media and news channels and how they sensationalize even the most trivial of stories.‘Don’t Look Up’ is a chilling, era-defining and hard-hitting political satire.

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BOOK REVIEW

Beasts of a Little Land: A Novel Author Price

: Juhea Kim : ` 1,522 (Paperback)

B

easts of a Little Land: A Novel is a historical novel written by Juhea Kim. The story mainly focuses on friends and rivals trying to survive and thrive from the era of the Japanese occupation of Korea to the political purges of the mid-20th century. It is Kim’s debut novel which is a sure-footed historical account of the Korean struggle for independence from Japan and the emotionally fraught story of several people whose lives are inextricably tied together. Even those with little knowledge of Korean history will come away struck by the way individuals shape and are shaped by the political and cultural changes of the first half of the 20th century.

The Cat Who Saved Books Author Price

T

: Sosuke Natsukawa : ` 1067 (Hardcover)

he Cat Who Saved Books is a short-reading fantasy novel penned by Sosuke Natsukawa. The story is, after the death of his grandfather, the proprietor of a second-hand bookshop, Rintaro Natsuki prepares to close the shop for good and move away when a tabby cat called Tiger saunters into the store and whisks Rintaro away on a bizarre quest to rescue “imprisoned” books from a succession of labyrinths. The Cat Who Saved Books is age-appropriate for everyone who can read. This is a beautiful book, with the frequently Japanese quality of appearing overly simple at times while touching on deep and complicated philosophical realities about our wider society and the specific, intimate, and human.

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The Excalibur Curse Author Price

: Kiersten White : ` 2376 (Paperback)

T

he Excalibur Curse is a gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy by the author Kiersten White. The plot is when Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war. Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. One of the amazing things about the story really is the way that it’s not just Guinevere’s tale. She builds friendships and relationships with many women around her. They play key roles in the story and in her journey which makes it more interesting to read. The Excalibur Curse was an exciting conclusion to this Arthurian trilogy.

The Sentence Author Price

: Louise Erdrich : ` 1,506 (Hardcover)

T

he Sentence is a novel written by Louise Erdrich. The story is about Tookie, who does a job of selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading with murderous attention, must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning. The Sentence begins on All Souls' Day 2019 and ends on All Souls' Day 2020. This is a powerful and enthralling delight of a story, with a wide range of vibrant and colourful characters, delving into American history.

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EASY & BREEZY

Happy new ear and hair!

O

n New Year’s Eve, the gym seemed deserted but the chief trainer was hardly surprised. “From tomorrow, the membership will pick up, because of the new (year) resolutions,” he said with a smile. These resolutions are mainly about starting or breaking a habit or one that they couldn’t follow the previous years.

People who take up these beginningof-the-year vows are essentially trying to be better versions of themselves. But except in the case of a few – Covid-19 virus is a brilliant example of a living being managing to mutate constantly – the resolutions are given up not long afterwards and we follow the law of nature to deteriorate eventually.

Some drank themselves silly only to resolve to never touch the bottle again, just in the same way they skipped the gym before restarting with a new vigour. Some try to pick up a new language but I have never figured out the logic behind learning Cantonese if one has no intention of settling down in China. Or to try and take music classes if one is tone deaf.

Isn’t better that they try to improve things that they are already good at, the skill that comes naturally to them? I don’t mean a habit like, ‘vaikittu entha paripadi?’ (The daily peg in the evening), however, but something less damaging to the body.

There are a few who go for less strenuous stuff basically to indulge themselves. Like straightening or smoothening their hair, once again in a bid to present the best foot, in this case the best hair, forward. Or they colour their hair in the most bizarre hues. It is now or never, these people decide, and it is as though they can virtually hear the clock ticking away as another year arrives. If you think hard, it is just another day but that so-called psychological barrier is breached, you see.

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For a friend, who has scored a half century in life, it was new ‘ear’ resolution. He got his ears pierced to wear a couple of rings, surprising all and sundry, including his significant other, who in a tit-for-tat reaction, went and got a dragon tattoo, knowing fully well that the hubby wouldn’t be able to utter a single word. Certain unpleasant words did emerge up to his tongue but he decided to simply swallow them this time.

The advantage with such cosmetic changes is that it makes the owner happy but the neighbours seem to get uncomfortable. As for my friend sporting the new ear style, people subconsciously avoid looking at his face these days while the wife can’t suppress a giggle every time she looks at him and is nowadays particular about locking up her jewel chest.

If you care for some advice – I know lots are coming your way already – don’t go for drastic, unrealistic (re)solutions but adopt incre-

Sujit Chandra Kumar is an independent journalist who has earlier worked with leading publications for three decades

mental ones to improve yourself. If you think social media is a complete waste of time, do not quit all the groups in one go. That will only help create hundreds of new ‘frenemies’.

Instead, remain a ‘mute’ spectator and block only those who are especially irritating, that too without letting it become obvious. If corona has taught us anything, it is that we need to take precautions but we can’t bank on anything but luck. And luck has a way of frowning and frowning before smiling. The other lesson is that we all need each other to survive. Just one person being careful or healthy is not enough. Health has become a collective virtue, not an individual one. Happy New Year

Printed On 09/ 01/ 2022

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