Unique Times Featuring Beena Kannan

Vol 8 Issue No.92 June-July 2019

Addressing credit challenges faced by women entrepreneurs Shri V.P. Nandakumar, MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

South Sudan: The Failed State

THE INVINCIBLE QUEEN OF

AESTHETIC FASHION bEENA KANNAN,

ceo-seematti

Editorial

Chief Mentor Mr. V.P. Nandakumar Director & CEO Jebitha Ajit Editor Jebitha Ajit ou have to believe in yourself Legal Advisor Latha Anand when no one else does- that

B.S.Krishnan Associates makes you a winner right there,” bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com says Tennis star Venus Williams.

Sub-Editor Vignesh S.G Our cover story is about Beena Associate Editor Ravi Saini Kannan who literally revolutionized Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam the whole game of saree culture of

Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile India. Her brand Seematti has ex Amrutha V Kumar panded from a single store in Alappuzha, to over Creative Design PEGASUS 10 sprawling outlets across Kerala with an asset of Cover Photographer Reji Bhaskar hundreds of crores! What does keep her on right Marketing UAE track of success? Beena Kannan sums up: “You

Phygicart.com need to believe in yourself and keep going no mat P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai ter what.”

Mr. Anish K Joy

In the regular column, VP Nandakumar, Man Mob: +971528946999 aging Director, Manappuram Finance, turns focus info@phygicart.com towards the credit challenges faced by women en Plot No 19A, 9th Floor, trepreneurs in India. He suggested that a regula Green Building, Film City, tory fair play could only make credit access more

Sector - 16A, Noida - 201301 equitable, especially to women entrepreneurs.

Tamil Nadu

Our expert auto team introduces Hyundai

Vice president Venue, the latest compact SUV from Hyundai. In Uma Riyas Khan

chennai, Mob: 9841072955 Travel, know more about unsafe yet alluring South

Unique Times, No.6/31, Sudan.

Arunachalam main road, I sincerely hope you find as much joy in this Saligramam, issue as it brings me.

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CONTENTS

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Addressing credit challenges faced by women entrepreneurs

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Freelancing has arrived!

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Sewing it Seematti!

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Jharkhand girl wins prestigious manappuram miss queen of india title

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Kerala Flood CessIts key implications and points to ponder

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44

48

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56

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Gadgets

44

Recipes

48

Effective natural methods for glowing skin

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South Sudan: The Failed State

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Hyundai Venue

UNIQUE DIARY

Oil price shows upward momentum since end of poll session

T

he oil price in India is slowly moving upwards.

The increase is attributed to the hike in the crude oil price in the global market. In the coming days, it is likely to increase even further. If it goes in this pace, it may not take too long to reach the peak. Naturally, the oil price hike is expected to impact the price of several essential goods and services in the market. Recently, India was blocked by the US from continuing its oil business with one of Delhi’s main business partners Iran, against which the White House imposed an economic sanction.

Sensex, Nifty hit new high post exit-polls

“Fall down seven times and stand up eight.�

Proverb

A

s all exist polls have unanimously predicted the continuation of the NDA government in the central level, the Sensex, as well as the Nifty, has hit a new high. The Sensex has jumped not less than 1,422 points (that is, around 3.75 per cent) to reach the high mark of 39,353. Meanwhile, the Nifty has climbed over 421 points (that is, at least 3.7 per cent) to cross the mark of 11,828.

This is the first time in the last ten years a hike has happened in this magnitude in a single day in terms of the point. It is the biggest since the year 2013 in terms of the percentage.

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Air Asia to go International

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ir Asia is set to launch its international operations in few months. Earlier, when it declared its intention, no one expected it would come up with a plan soon. Now, it is clear that the company will go international before the end of this September. The company is a joint venture of the Tatas and Tony Fernandes. The Tatas holds the majority of the shares of the company (that is, the Indian business giant owns at least 51 per cent of the total shares of the company). Recently, Air Asian COO Sanjay Kumar opined that his company would first explore the Asian markets, especially the South East Asian market.

Uber becomes official sponsor of ICC Men’s World Cup 2019

“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.”

Napoleon Hill

G

lobal business giant Uber has reached a deal with the International Cricket Council, the global governing body of cricket, to become the sponsor of the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup, which will be organised in England and Wales. The San Francisco based company has become the first mobility and food delivery app company to enter a sponsorship deal with the ICC. The Uber and Uber Eats are extremely popular in all the eight countries, which is expected to participate in the International competition. The sponsorship may further boost the popularity of the company. The event has an estimated global viewing audience of around 1.5 billion.

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UNIQUE DIARY

Maharashtra to introduce one-stop data centre for land records

T

he India state of Maharashtra is preparing a onestop data centre for land records. Earlier, it released a draft bill concerning this for the purpose of public debate. The state cabinet may soon pass the bill. Once it gets the assent of the state cabinet, it will be forwarded to the state assembly for its approval.

For the purpose of effective implementation, the close coordination of various departments function under the government is required. In the initial stage, the new policy will be implemented in Mumbai. The bill may encourage many other states to think about such a one stop date centre for land records.

IRDAI suggests increase in TP insurance rates

“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.�

Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos

T

he Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has suggested an increase in the rates of Third Party insurance for cars. As per its proposal, for the cars below 1000 cc, the hike will be from Rs 1,850 to Rs 2,120. According to the same proposal, for the cars between 1000 cc to 1500 cc, the increase will be from Rs 2,863 to Rs 3,300. The same proposal suggests that there will be no increase for the luxury cars. From the development in the car segment, there is clarity in one thing that similar hikes can be expected in the two wheeler and transport vehicle segments.

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BUSINESS

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

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hroughout history, we can find several examples where women have overcome societal odds. From voting to opening accounts, to obtaining credit, its been an uphill struggle for women across the world. But fortunately, they are a resilient lot, and we are all the better for it.

There is no denying that we ought to do more in India. An IFC study of 2012 found there are 3 million women-owned enterprises (about 10% of all MSMEs), 78% of which belonging to the services sector. Almost 98% of women-owned businesses were micro-enterprises.

Nearly 52% of women entrepreneurs are located in four states, namely Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. For almost all these businesses, access to formal credit is a critical barrier to growth in the absence of which they have to fall back on informal sources to meet their credit needs.

The total finance requirement of women-owned MSMEs in 2012 was around `8.7 tril-

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The cost of administering and servicing small loans to women entrepreneurs is relatively high due to similar processing and documentation requirements for enterprises regardless of size. Additionally, the credit risk assessment process, which is generally complex, is the same for small loans and big loans.

lion. Within the segment, small enterprises led the demand for financing with `6.4 trillion, approximately 74% of the total requirement. Micro enterprises accounted for 24%. As against this demand, the supply of formal finance to women-owned MSMEs was `2.3 trillion, which resulted in a finance gap of `6.4 trillion, or 73% of the requirement.

These are compelling numbers and offer several inferences. Why is that the current system failed to service such an immense need of credit from micro-enterprises despite several schemes/programmes run by the government? Are they not creditworthy? Banks generally consider women-owned enterprises as high-risk as most operate in the informal sector and are usually small in size, which reduces the interest of banks to address the need for credit.

Further, the absence of collateral causes banks to avoid this sub-segment. The reliance on borrower profiles and repayment track records while reviewing loan applications aggravate the

problem. In the case of women often, there is no profile and no track record of payment. Unfortunately, there is minimal effort by financial institutions to understand this sub-segment and design tailor-made financial products or processes.

High transaction costs are a well-known barrier in obtaining credit for the MSME segment. It is an every-day reality for women-owned businesses, especially the ones smaller in size and having lower than average finance requirement. The average finance needs of menowned enterprises are about 2.4 times that of women-owned enterprises.

The cost of administering and servicing small loans to women entrepreneurs is relatively high due to similar processing and documentation requirements for enterprises regardless of size. Additionally, the credit risk assessment process, which is generally complex, is the same for small loans and big loans. Thus, banks tend to focus on clients with more substantial loan demands. It gives them a

Addressing credit challenges faced by women entrepreneurs

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better spread and more value for a given effort.

Loan against jewellery (gold) is perhaps the best credit product for women entrepreneurs. Almost all women own jewellery. The loan process is simple, and there is no hassle of making multiple visits to bank branches. Moreover, with the advent of technology, the loan is now conveniently available at the doorstep.

While some banks demand a husband’s or father’s signature to approve loan applications, a gold loan is more liberating in the sense that it removes the dependence on male members of the family as a pre-requisite to access finance.

Gold loan products today have incorporated online delivery channels such as online/mobile banking, and phone-a-loan facilities as well.

Gold loan NBFCs today face a challenge in delivering higher loan

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amount against the borrower’s meagre gold jewellery due to regulatory restrictions (in the form of a cap on loan to value ratio of 75%).

There is also an element of inequality in reach, as RBI mandates that the large gold loan NBFCs have to seek prior approval for opening new branches, whereas other NBFCs only need to intimate RBI post facto.

As things stand, India’s commercial banks remain reluctant to expand into rural areas despite regulatory encouragement. In contrast, gold loan NBFC’s are willing to create infrastructure but end up spending their resources in making a case for new branch approval.

Today, we run the risk of a structural slowdown and being ensnared in a "middle-income trap" if we don’t quickly address the issues around credit access for smaller entrepreneurs, especially women. A measure

of regulatory fair play will go a long way in making credit access more equitable, especially to women entrepreneurs.

A good beginning can be made by removing the Loan to Value restriction on gold loans and switch to a pragmatic prudential risk management approach. We can also address the issue of reach by a shift from approval to intimation mode for opening new branches. RBI should allow companies to take the risk as per their risk appetite and capital adequacy, by prescribing appropriate risk capital for gold loans given at higher LTV (loan to value ratio)

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

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BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair Partner-Emerge Ventures Pte Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global

Our schooling systems have created structures of timetables and at some level we need those to guide our own principles of time management. So, the transition to a freelance mindset is not easy. The ‘World without bosses’ is a romantic concept, and one has to be cautious to get the basic thought processes in place.

Freelancing has arrived!

O

ne of most talked about in management chatter is ‘selfmanagement’. As an area of work and deep study, there is increasingly a lot of seminal thought and work in this subject. This is also quite different from the ‘self-improvement’ books of the year which was essentially snake oil selling as hot cakes. The employee of today needs to see purpose and a ‘larger task’ at the workplace.

Besides the work she does, there is also a constant quest to look at the holistic picture beyond one’s cubicle. Add to all this, there is increasingly the need for worklife balance and most professionals want a balanced lifestyle

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which is not prisoner to the office routines but has ample recesses for family and personal time. The need for breaks is negotiated in employment contracts and company model policies to take this into heed. Along with all these changes, the biggest change to be witnessed in the future is – freelancing! Yes, freelancing has arrived and it is official now!

For a young economy like India, ‘young’ due to the decreasing age of the population and the fast evolving digitally savvy mindset, we have a population who wants to do a lot more than confining themselves to a workplace. Being control of one’s own time is one of the nations

most of them have and this is different from the earlier generations who were addicted to the timelines and punctualities dictated by supervisors at work.

But, discipline was often a structure which was created by these work environments. Our schooling systems have created structures of timetables and at some level we need those to guide our own principles of time management. So, the transition to a freelance mindset is not easy.

The ‘World without bosses’ is a romantic concept, and one has to be cautious to get the basic thought processes in place.

Before embarking onto the quest, there are a few questions you need to answer individually.

What is the purpose?

If the purpose is the need for personal time and to work at one’s own terms and conditions, think again. Much like entrepreneurship, freelancing is not for everyone. At times, we need the structure of a workplace to direct our efficiencies and thoughts. We also need the learning environment that a work place provides and the security of coworkers. Loyalty to an organisation becomes a requirement and it additionally brings a sense of belonging which is not easily given up. But if you have the drive to learn and take initiative to embark on tasks on your own and have a keen focus on your

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learning and development, freelancing is for you. Much like consultants, you can accelerate your learning trajectory through interactions across organisations and the challenges that the various situations provide.

You also need to be driven by actively engaging in work and have to develop the ability to certify the completion of your work.

Where do you work from?

A lot of professionals need the cubicle/cabin structure to enhance their productivity. While most surveys on workplaces say that ‘working from home’ is the most comfortable.

But, this is easier thought than done.

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A slew of corporate lawyers once averred than it is difficult to work unless they are in suits with speckles shirts and ties cinched to their necks. Even when some of them embarked in the journey of freelancing, they continued wearing their suits even when operating out of their basements, garages or co-working spaces. The increasing spurt of the co-working spaces also serves the same purpose of building a workplace to your comfort and specification and has the right blend of casualness and formality. You need to find a place where you are at your productive best – whether it is your house or even your bed!

Where do you find the conversations and interactions?

A lot of our development professionally happens with the multifarious interactions we have at the workplace. This is not just through the valuable confines of work but also comes from the cooler discussions and the pebbles of organisational culture you unconsciously

pick up in your time with organisations. While culture itself is like the vitals of an organisation, professionals gain a lot from it and embrace maturity through it. You will need to foster avenues of these conversations . This can happen through industry or sector networking forums like TiE, CII , FICCI , KMA etc.

Where do you find the routine?

Workplace discipline like punching or clocking time or the biometric sensors which unobtrusively take timings and instil discipline are all directive mechanisms. But, they have their benefits when it comes to time management and the ability to budget and allocate time to various priorities at work and in the personal domain. Regular routines are also catalysts to efficiency and productivity. It also calls for tremendous drive and motivation to make it work. Lot of structures and support functions are always taken for granted. So, when you become your own boss, there is also the need to make sure that you are a great ‘em-

The freedom of freelancing also comes with tremendous difficulties of coordinating work. Little supports which enhance your productive time are mostly absent when you are freelancing.

ployee’ to yourself too.

The freedom of freelancing also comes with tremendous difficulties of coordinating work. Little supports which enhance your productive time are mostly absent when you are freelancing. Then there is a mountain of little issues which were solved in a jiffy with a team but seems insurmountable when you tackle it alone.

The sense of power you derive in organisations is also positional and this will disappear in a freelancing. But, if you can straddle these obstacles, you are in for a very interesting time. You can ‘jobcraft’ your tasks at your own interests and priorities. You may find a lot of meaning in your work, ability to choose what you want to do and also aggrandize the sort of experiences you need in your repertoire! Most importantly, if you have a vision what you work life should be, here is an opportunity to create it!

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SEWING IT

SEEMATTI !

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t’s like she is born with this exquisite artistic forte of fine craftsmanship; like she has been bestowed upon by this unique talent of perceiving the everchanging fashion world and providing the yearning state of people a glittery glimpse of it. Just like some of those beautiful garments take months to complete, the journey of this fiercely artistic fashion queen Beena Kannan - is still unveiling, day after day, year after year. She is one celebrated inspiration to hundreds of women entrepreneurs who are striving to hold their space in the fashion industry, and an epitome of archetype to lakhs of entrepreneurs across the globe to comprehend how to stay in the game. She has literally revolutionized the whole game of saree culture in the state with her unbelievable aesthetic sense - Her saree design has been launched in major fashion hubs across the globe, like India, UAE, USA etc. The Bespoke Bridals and Casuals at Seematti, and the new enthralling addition of Cuts and Fits to the long array of innovation make this fashion stalwart stand distinct among any others in the country.

The sparkle that started from her childhood!

Ms. Beena Kannan takes the magical train back to those vibrant

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memory rails she had as a child back there at Kottayam, Kerala.

She remembers that her exuberant childhood was filled with joy and effervescent activities with her family and scores of cousins. Being a single child, it never occurred her to be to herself and didn’t stop her from grabbing the limelight wherever she went. She retrospect that she was hyperactive in a way, swinging, seesawing, cycling at her home, playing hard every day after school. She remember it as a daily incessant affair where she used to play every evening from 6 to 8, used to visit temples with the jovial cousins, trail behind elephants for long anticipating she might get the coveted ‘thrimothiram’ somehow, and flaunting a beautiful rose on her braided hair from her very own plush rose gardens. At the same time, as she was a single child, parents were super protective about her as they never allowed her to stay away from house, and insisted her to complete her education attending her college as a day scholar. However, Ms. Beena Kannan gratefully reckons that this attitude of her parents who didn’t want her to work for someone else, but be her own boss, has hugely helped her in the later years of her life.

From her pioneering grandfather the great textile king Veeriah Red-

diar, father to her beloved husband, it was indeed a handholding from skill to mastery. She was welcomed to assist the Kottayam store right after her college. She clearly remembers how she efficiently balanced her work life and family life, even when she had to raise her 3 children well.

She fondly remembers those times being one ‘zamaana’ when we didn’t have internets, computers, laptops nor cellphones, but had only Doordarshan to keep people entertained.

In those days, you might see only a few cars on MG road, and you see a female driving a car might be only in Mount Road, Chennai. It was a totally different world where even no women were not found going for work. She never imagined a career as a businesswoman then. It was indeed challenging when Seematti was handed over to her completely after her husband’s demise and in the beginning she was forced to confront a huge financial instability and bankruptcy for Seematti. A crore’s debt then is akin to a 1000 crore’s debt today. They were on a whooping 43 crores minus! She stood strong through the turbulence, slowly built Seematti up, and brought in better management practices for better stability. From a single store in Alappuzha, Seematti has now expanded to over 10 sprawling Seematti out-

Kamala Das (Madhavikutty) wrote on Beena “She has institutionalized textile retailing in South India like no other.�

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Ms. Beena Kannan steps in every single minute when she is wanted for improvisations and innovations which happen almost every day in Seematti’s life, no exaggeration.

lets across Kerala. Now, there is an entire efficient well-managed team under her who can manage the show even without her micromanaging it.

However, Ms. Beena Kannan steps in every single minute when she is wanted for improvisations and innovations which happen almost every day in Seematti’s life, no exaggeration.

CUTS & FITS at first floor, Seematti, Cochin – the new innovative addition to the company – opens up a creatively fabulous world of fashion to the underdogs and laymen. It took two long years from the concept designing to delivering this amazing bespoke tailoring unit to Seematti’s elite clients – entirely new level of improvisation. This unit helps you adorn exactly similar attires that any of your idols from Hollywood and Bollywood flaunt for a much cheaper price, however with supreme quality. Seematti stitches for you, from Bollywood designer lahengas, white & coloured gowns and white sarees, to designer dresses, with superb fitting, in any rare colours like powder-dusty pink, pastels or ombre. Whether it be the embellishments, structured well-tailored silhouttes, intricate detailing, subtle embroidery, fabric innovation, customization according to client’s needs and finesse craftsmanship, make statement dresses for special occasions, bringing evolutionary

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new season designs, and enhancing every woman’s confidence through the best clothing, the brilliant innovation does the task perfectly. The one Ms. Beena Kannan is flaunting on the cover page is also designed and tailored at CUTS & FITS.

The Uniquely Distinctive Accolades!

Some of the landmark years of Seematti include the year 2005, when Shaadi Ki Haveli, a celebration of Indian wedding sarees shook the whole advertising industry, the year 2006 when Seematti entered the Guinness and Limca book of records for creating the world’s largest hand-woven silk saree (it was 500 meters long), the year 2007 when Seematti was voted among the top 3 large format stores in India by CNBC – Awaaz Survey, and the year 2010, when Seematti celebrated its centenary year. Ms. Beena has a bevy of accolades and recognitions spread over her 35 year career: ‘Life-time Achievement Award’ from Erode-

Coimbatore Weavers’ Community, Business Sree Award of India Trade Fair Foundation, and The Women of substance Award of the TOI group in 2010. Also, to her credit are the best woman Entrepreneur Award 2010 from Fashion Mantra.

Over and above these, she has had several recognitions from the Junior Chamber and Natcon Award 1997. Flagging off the celebration at Kochi, Beena Kannan has taken the celebration to various Indian metros, the Middle East and USA. The centenary celebration fashion show had Sameera Reddy, Sneha and other celebrity models. The Pravasi Kerala Association of North America at Queens New York and Maryland Washington conferred on her the titles ‘Queen of Silks’ and ‘Excellence in Silks’. Beena Kannan initiated the very first ‘design contest for students of fashion’ called Ensemble in 2014-15. The contestants comprised students from all over the world. The Pearl Academy

and St. Teresa’s College are a few of the winners in 2014 & 2015. Beena Kannans’ brainchild concept ‘customer as model’ entered its 3rd edition in 2016.

The communication featuring actual customers lends credibility and authenticity to the Brand Seematti. In the Banarasi – Kanchipuram 2016 campaign, Seematti’s clients from all around the world involved. Beena’s Bridal Shows are much awaited events conducted, alongside Ensemble, every year, since 2014. Celebrities like Mandira Bedi, Urmila Matondker, Sneha, Rima Kallingal, Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandez, Liza Haydon, Sameera Reddy and Sonali Bendre were either ambassadors or showstoppers in Seematti’s communication and Fashion shows from 2006 to 2015. Kamala Das (Madhavikutty) wrote on Beena “She has institutionalized textile retailing in South India like no other.” Subrato Bagchi of Mindshare considers Seematti a case study material

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in successful retail scaling up. Prema Manmadhan of ‘The Hindu’ considered her, the fashion ‘Trendometer’, in bridal sarees.

Advice to the aspiring women entrepreneurs who hopefully look up to her!

There was a time when her ailing husband who was diagnosed of cancer was admitted in the hospital, and Ms. Beena Kannan had to shuttle from home to hospital, to take care of her beloved husband and feed her baby girl at home. Through those toughest times of her life, when she cried her soul out, she unfortunately did not have a woman around whom she could look up to as a model, unlike today. During those torturous 8 years, she sobbingly realized that she would be alone in this world one day, was preparing her mind to face that day and to survive. Raising up 3 children of 2 to 11 years of age singlehandedly was no child’s play. She lived. And, there she is today the name Beena Kannan is a synonymous to strength and endurance; an epitome to inspiration to all those women striving to be stronger!

It was one day at a time. Scrutinize your steps, and assure your partners. You need to believe in yourself, and keep going no matter what. All needed fundamentals are already within you. You need not search outside – Human beings are unbelievably gifted potential systems who just have to trigger the right button in themselves to go full-throttle. Just be genuine. Do not get discouraged when you’re scoffed at, or when you face criticisms. But, always strive to do all the roles given to you effectively – may it be being a mother, wife, daughter or an entrepreneur. Always pamper yourself. Follow your passions to keep your mind fresher. Take every day as it comes, every day is a new opportunity for improvisation.

About the Passions of Life!

Just like she brings in these very weirdly unique ideas like having clientele-women as their faces on hoardings, she is extremely passionate about rekindling your muse with yourself and life – like finding those hidden desires like learning Bharatnatyam, Horse-riding, revisiting your ruminates on spirituality etc, even if these starts howmuchever late in your life. She advices to keep yourself fit and healthy so that you are able to do your passion with a healthy body and mind

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JHARKHAND GIRL WINS PRESTIGIOUS MANAPPURAM MISS QUEEN

OF INDIA TITLE

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beautiful young lady from Jharkhand, Tanya Sinha, won the prestigious Miss Queen of India title. The year’s most-awaited event, hosted

by Dr.Ajit Ravi’s Pegasus, held at Saj Earth Resorts and Convention Centre in Kochi. The colourful event, presented by Manappuram Finance Ltd, blessed the city with the shower of happiness, just before the shower of monsoon reached the coast of the Queen of Arabian Sea. The event was the union of twenty different cultures of the highly diverse country of India,

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which is guided by its ‘unity in diversity’ concept. Around twenty different beauties from across the country participated in the event. Each was different and highly talented. And, each was abundantly blessed with the wealth of tradition and culture, which the event tries to promote.

From the twenty talents, apart from the title winner, two other top winners were also selected. A Kerala girl and a Delhi girl were the lucky ones. Nikita Thomas from Kerala and Samiksha Singh from Delhi secured the first runner up and second runner up titles respectively.

Several prestigious ones were in the space allotted to the invested guests to encourage the talents. Manappuram Finance Ltd MD and CEO V P Nandakumar and Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose IAS were some of them. The latter crowned the winner of the year 2019 and the former the first runner up and second runner up.

The ninth edition, held in the blessed land of Kochi, was received by the city as cheerfully as it welcomed its previous editions. It was the organiser’s hard work and his commitment to his ideals and morals that worked in favour of the event. In no event conducted by Pegasus, there was a round called bikini round. The organiser’s respect to the concept of the non-objectification of women’s body was evident from

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that itself.

In the event, which was powered by SAJ Earth Resorts and Convention Centre, DQUE Watches and Unique Times, there were three important rounds: the designer saree round, black cocktail round and the red gown round.

The contestants performed exceptionally in each. It was

the natural outcome of the intense training they received during the weeks long grooming session conducted at SAJ Earth Resorts and Convention Centre in Kochi, by eminent professionals, in yoga, meditation, personality development, catwalk, beauty care, talent search and photo shoot.

What boosted the image of

the event was its judging panel. The panel was comprised of respected personalities in the field. They were Anjali Raut Gill (Mrs India 2018), Divya M S (Gladrags Mrs India South), Prof. Dr. Sir G D Singh (President – WPDO), Mrs. Toshma Biju (Managing Editor of Kanyaka Fortnightly) and Reshma R K Nambiar (First Runner Up

Miss Glam World 2019).

The event was not only the meeting point of talents, but also the entrance towards the magical world of modelling. The winners were not only crowned with the golden crowns, but also offered work contracts.

The judging panel also selected the regional and sub-title winners.

When Ritika Raghav from Uttar Pradesh, Kriti Goyal from Rajasthan and Divija Gambhir from Maharashtra secured the Miss Queen North

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and the Miss Queen West title respectively, Pankojini Dash from Odisha and Nikita Thomas from Kerala won the Miss Queen East and the Miss Queen South respectively.

The sub-title winners were the Miss Beautiful Hair (Rhea Rawal from Gujarat), Miss Beautiful Smile (Bhavana Sirpa from Telangana), Miss Beautiful Eyes (Bhavana Sirpa ), Miss Congeniality (Pankojini Dash from Odisha), Miss Personality (Tarini Kalingarayar from Tamil Nadu), Miss Catwalk (Konchitha John from Kerala), Miss Perfect Ten (Aishwarya Adarkar from Maharashtra), Miss Talent (Ritu Ailani from Maharashtra), Miss Photogenic (Tarini Kalingarayar), Miss Viewers’ Choice (Bhavana Sirpa), Miss Social Media (Swagnika Bhattacharjee from Meghalaya), and Miss Fitness (Ritu Ailani).

Kalpana International, Aiswarya Advertising, Europe Times, The Times New,

Miss Queen East

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Miss Queen North

June-July 2019

Miss Queen North

The event was not only the meeting point of talents, but also the entrance towards the magical world of modelling.

Miss Queen South

FICF, Fitness For Ever, Neo Tour Ex Pvt Ltd, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Ut TV, UT World, Asia Business Forum 2019, CIHF and Asian African were the event partners of Miss Queen of India 2019.

Aishwarya Adarkar (Maharashtra), Amanda Delilah Vas (Goa), Bhavana Sirpa (Telangana), Dipti Shankdhar (UP), Divija Gambhir (Maharashtra), Konchitha John (Kerala), Kriti Goyal (Rajasthan), Mallica Mishra (UP), Niketha Shetty (Karnataka), Nikita Thomas (Kerala), Niranjana Suresh (Kerala), Pankojini Dash (Odisha), Rhea Rawal (Gujarat), Ritika Raghav (UP), Ritu Ailani (Maharashtra), Samiksha Singh (Delhi), Swagnika Bhattacharjee (Meghalaya), Tanya Sinha (Jharkhand), Tarini Kalingarayar (Tamil Nadu) and Vaidehee Sawant (Maharashtra) were the contestants of the exceptional event, which jolted the fashion and beauty world sector of India lately

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FINANCE

Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws.

Presently he heads the tax and corporate law practice of Nash Capital Partners. Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree and is reachable at sherryoommen@nashcp.com.

The Government of Kerala on 25 May 2019 has introduced the Kerala Flood Cess Rules, 2019. Pursuant to which, the Kerala Flood Cess would stand applicable for a period of two years effective from 01 June 2019.

T

he Honourable Finance Minister of Kerala in the Finance Bill, 2019 (“the Bill”) has sought to levy a cess called “Kerala Flood Cess” on all intra-state supply of goods or services or both made by a taxable person, subject to certain exceptions. The said cess has been introduced based on the approval of the Goods and Services Tax Council, on all intra-state supplies of goods or services or both within the state of Kerala at a rate not exceeding 1 per cent for a period of two years. Notably, Kerala Flood Cess would apply with effect from the date notified by the Government in the Official Gazette.

The Government of Kerala on 25 May 2019 has introduced the Kerala Flood Cess Rules, 2019 (“the Rules”).

Pursuant to which, the Kerala Flood Cess (“KFC”) would stand applicable for a period of two years effective from 01 June 2019. It is pertinent to note that KFC would not be applicable on the following: 1. Supplies by a taxable person who has decided to opt for composition levy;

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2. Supplies of goods or services or both which are exempted from tax; 3. Supplies of goods or services or both made by a registered person to another registered person. Thus, only supplies between B2C would be subjected to KFC. The rates provided in the Bill have been tabulated below.

• Supplies of goods for which tax rate is fixed at 0.125 percent - The rate of cess is Nil. • Supplies of goods for which tax rate is fixed at 1.5 percent - The rate of cess is 0.25 percent. Hence, the said rate of 0.25 percent would apply in the case of gold, silver and diamond ornaments.

• Supplies of goods for which tax rate is fixed at 2.5 percent - The rate of cess is Nil. • Supplies of goods or services or both for which the tax rate is fixed at 6 percent, 9 percent, and 14 percent -1 percent.

• Based on the above, in my view, in all other cases, for instances, goods which are subject to tax at a Nil rate, would not be liable to KFC. Based on

Kerala Flood CessIts key implications and points to ponder

the current rates applicable to builders, where the applicable rate ranges between 0.75 percent and 3.75 percent, no rate of KFC has been notified.

Other key aspects

• The Bill provides that every taxable person likely to pay KFC is required to file a monthly return in Form No KFC-A on or before the due date fixed for filing of the monthly return in Form GSTR-3B; • The said return is required to be filed

electronically through the official portal www. keralataxes.gov.in and e-payment of KFC would need to be made along with the return; • In order to e-file the KFC return and the payment of cess, one-time “user ID and password” shall be generated from the portal; • The Rules provide that there shall be no refund of KFC paid along with the return. An interesting situation now emerges in the case of sales return. While a refund of GST is permissible in the case of a sales return, in contradistinction, the Rules state that there would be no refund in the case of KFC. This could invite judicial scrutiny considering the non-availability of refunds.

• It is pertinent to note that KFC should be accounted for separately and would need to separately shown in the invoice. Additionally, as supplies between B2C is only subject to cess, the question of input tax credit does not arise.

• Based on the Bill, only a person liable to pay cess is required to file the related return.

Therefore, in my view, a NIL return need not be filed.

• Service providers seeking to avail the benefit of composition would not be subjected to KFC, as the applicable rate is 3 percent, 6 percent being the consolidated rate. Notably, no rate of KFC has been provided in such cases.

• KFC can only be paid by cash. Further, input tax credit cannot be used for the purpose of payment of KFC. • KFC is sought to be paid only on “intrastate” supply of goods or services or both. Thus, no KFC would be applicable in the case of “inter-state” supply of goods or services or both.

A case for double taxation

The provisions of section 15(2)of the Central Goods & Services Tax Act, 2017/The Kerala Goods & Services Tax Act, 2017 (“CGST” / “KGST”) provides that any taxes, duties, cesses, fees and charges levied under any statute, other than GST would also need to be reckoned for

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the purpose of determining the taxable value. To illustrate, on the assumption that the rate of GST is 18 percent and the value before taxes as INR 100, the applicable KFC would be 1 percent. Hence, one could contend that GST would be applicable on INR 101, which would result in imposing a tax on tax. Thus, one could argue that GST would need to be paid on INR 101, amounting to INR 18.18 (ie, 9.09 towards SGST and the balance towards CGST).

In my view, considering that GST was introduced with the objective of reducing the cascading effect of taxes, there lies a strong case in arguing that the value of KFC should not be reckoned for the purpose of computing the “taxable value” under the CGST/ KGST Act on the following grounds: 1. Article 279A of the Constitution of India states that the GST Council shall make recommenda-

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tions to the State on “any special rate or rates for a specified period, to raise additional resources during any natural calamity or disaster.” Hence, the power conferred is solely with respect to imposition of an additional “rate” of tax and not a new tax/cess.

2.Section 14 of the Kerala Finance Act, 2019 which is the charging section draws reference to section 9 of the KGST Act. Hence, in substance, the new “cess” is principally an additional rate of tax.

3.Rule 3(5) of the Kerala Flood Cess Rules, 2019 provides that the details of outward supplies of goods or services or both specified under sub-rule (4) shall match with the corresponding details of outward supply of supply of goods or services or both as per the GSTR 1. It is also trite law that the Rules also aid in construction of a taxation statute.

Further, in the event of there being a conflict, the Constitution Bench

of the Supreme Court in the case of Karimtharuvi Tea Estates Limited Vs State of Kerala [1968] 48 ITR 85 has held that it was held that if two provisions are in conflict, they must be interpreted in a harmonious manner. The said judgment was followed by the Supreme Court in the case of Trans Asian Shipping Services Private Limited [2016] 287 CTR 113, where the Apex Court placed significant emphasis on the interpretation of the provisions of tonnage tax based on a form prescribed in the related Rules.

It would indeed augur well if a clarification is issued reckoning the value for GST as the value exclusive of KFC. One would hope that KFC which was introduced for the purpose of providing reconstruction, rehabilitation and compensation should not result in a deluge of disputes, thereby bringing to naught the purpose for the said levy

MOTIVATION

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

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

Creativity is not solely attributed to singers, artists and painters alone. It is a capability to bring up something new in any arena you work on. It is a combination of multitude of traits, complex behavioral patterns and very systematic habitual routines

T

his is a world everyone is constantly striving for betterment and improvisation.

We are forced to flaunt being different wherever we go. People are on the run to look distinctly exclusive. Creativity is the future of this world. Technology is captivating this world, and it has already replaced a lot of human-oriented jobs.

Computers and robots are out on a spree in the market making things easier. There are coveted skill sets which then resurface as extra-ordinary inorder to sustain existence.

Hence, in this era, Innovation is one skill any entrepreneur should possess inorder to excel in his or her career. Mediocrity is despised. So what is the significance of creativity and innovation? Why should we infuse it into our own boardrooms for better performance and client satisfaction?

Creativity is not solely attributed to singers, artists and painters alone.

It is a capability to bring up something new in any arena you work on. It is a combination of multitude of traits, complex behavioral patterns and very systematic habitual routines. It could be some innovative solution that you invent when you are stuck with a problem, crisis or when your employees complain about a recurring difficulty at work.

It is an ability to think alternative.

Most of the time we get so trapped in the everyday mundane way of think-

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ing - It’s learning to think outside the box. Like any other skill, creative thinking also can be sparked and developed in your brain with regular practice. As we now, machines lack emotional skills as of now. It still has not evolved with thinking on its own and analyzing unless programmed accordingly. Thus Creativity is still man’s domain, something that human beings still has control on. From time immemorial, from Heiroglyphics tablets to the digital tablets we have today, human creativity and innovation and imagination is the sole reason we flew aeroplanes, built artificial intelligence and is now setting foot on Mars. Back in time, No Socrates nor a Leonardo Da Vinci was taken seriously when they imagined the impossible. Thus innovations are not new, nor technology.

While human beings are on the race to discover and invent new gadgets and solutions which change the course of the world, it becomes more evident that creative minds are sought after than ever before. Compared to the mechanical era and industrialization where physical efforts were hunted down, today all companies have their Attitude & Aptitude tests before any technical ones. Because creativity evolves through the conditioning of the brain. However, there are people who are considered to be innately creative, who are born with it. For the rest, it can be acquired. Whether it be Communi-

Spinning Creative BoardRooms

cation, Software, Sales & marketing or Media, ‘Creativity’ is one skill that makes you stand apart, think apart and thus gives unique results. Makes you go indispensable.

Skilled and creative workforce increases productivity and positivity.

Race on innovation and winning is getting so intense that every single day a new wonder gets introduced from some or the other company.

Retail and technology is competing

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to use the potential power of our mystic minds to bring something new to their clients. World is going through a revolutionary phase in adding new. Entrepreneurs need to be extra-creative nowadays to drive sustainable, organic growth; to take your business from good to great.

Best relationships, employees and clients are built gradually over time with fresh innovative thinking that marketing contributes to business.

This is a world corporates frame business strategies. Creative planning has become crucial – whether it be internally for employees, or for the upper management or for finding solutions for clients. A deep focus and sense of structuring is needed. It can be paradoxical to portray creativity with technicality. However, that’s how human being are successfully evolving now. Brain is definitely striving hard than ever to strike a balance between the rational left brain and the creative right. Long ago, creative personalities could be recognized amongst a crowd unlike today.

Some of the very important characteristics a person aspiring

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to be creative should develop are – They should observe everything in detail, so that they find possibilities of untangling a future problem somewhere; You should give yourself time to be with yourself, so that you give your inner creativity ample time to flourish; Go adventurous – learn from new and strange experiences, so that it strengthens your core innovator; Do not fear to fail, because that’s where you learn to pick yourself next up from and discover a whole new perspective of life; Do not hold yourself back on alighting into the hallucinating world of free self-expression, which will teach you to expose yourself fiercely fearlessly; Always be patient to know that the picture will be clear only when your turn back after connecting all the dots, until then forgive yourself for not able to create it complete; Be Meditative and mindful, as creativity is all an imaginary output of your mind later magically transforming into reality, For that you need to find solace and space for yourself; Diversity is Creativity, do not ever budge to shake things up and start back all over again, may it be a hundred

times over. Don’t forget to take risks, Don’t fear the obstacle ahead. Step up and see the solution, it takes a lot of courage. Build it. Constant learning is the key. Constant improvement is the path. Snap out of the monotony of the tech-world, meet real people; Surround yourself with like-minded people, and indulge in artistic thought-provoking conversations with a lot of questions.

Creativity is more or less imagining a new solution and trying to pose it into reality, test it for hypothesis and later prove incase. However success might be a far-fetched destination still. There are other investments that might require to deliver tangible value to the existing scenario inorder to make it work. In a corporate world, hence when you think holistically, Creativity alone won’t yield results. So it is wise to build a team around; continually incessantly in look out for other contributors who can match into the jigsaw puzzle. Staying ahead in the race exhibiting the creativity that we have should be something that we work hard for now, because Creativity is the skill of the future!

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GADGETS

Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition

` 11,090 (approximately)

Android v9.0 (Pie) OS

6.39 inches Display

16 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP Triple Primary Cameras

16 MP Secondary Camera

4 GB RAM

64 GB Internal Memory

256 GB Expandable Memory

4050 mAh Battery Capacity

ZTE Blade A7

` 6,190 (approximately) Android v9.0 (Pie) OS 6.0 inches Display 16 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 2 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 3200 mAh Battery Capacity

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Motorola One Vision

` 23,590 (approximately) Android v9.0 (Pie) OS 6.3 inches Display 48 MP Primary Camera 25 MP Secondary Camera 4 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 512 GB Expandable Memory 3500 mAh Battery Capacity

Panasonic Eluga Ray 810

` 9,490 (approximately) Android v9.0 (Pie) OS 6.2 inches Display 13 MP + 2 MP Dual Primary Cameras 8 MP Secondary Camera 4 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 4100 mAh Battery Capacity

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COOKERY

Toshma Biju

Egg Sandwich Ingredients

• • • • • • • • •

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Bread - 2 slices Mayonnaise - as required Boiled egg - 1 nos Onion sliced - 1 nos Tomato sliced - 1 nos Lettuce leaves Black pepper Salt to taste Oil - 1 teaspoon

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Method

Spread mayonnaise on one side of both breads. Then, cut boiled egg into four pieces and keep it on one slice. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top of it. Now, put slice of onion, tomato and lettuce on top of it. Cover the sandwich with other bread and grill it on tawa. Serve it with sauce.

Healthy porridge Ingredients

• • • • • •

Instant oats - 4 teaspoons Milk - 1 cup Soaked almonds - 8 nos Raisins - 8 nos Jaggery (grated) - 1 teaspoon Honey (optional)- to taste

Method

In a heavy bottomed pan, mix oats and milk and put on heat. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes till oats cook.

Peel socked almonds and grate them to add. Add raisins and jaggery. Keep stirring. Once porridge thickens, remove the pan from heat. Keep stirring.

If adding honey, add it after the pan is removed from heat and once porridge is cooled down a little.

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Whole Wheat Dosai with Jaggery

Ingredients

• • • • • •

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Wheat flour – 1 ½ cups Jaggery (grated) – 1 cup Water – 2 ½ cups Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon Butter – for cooking and serving Thinly sliced almonds – 8 nos

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Method

In a deep pan, melt jaggery in 1½ cups water on medium heat.

In a large mixing bowl, place whole wheat flour. Add the melted jaggery to water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to form dosa batter without any lumps. Add more water, if required, to get the batter consistency. Pour 1/8 cup of the batter onto the tawa on medium flame. Too much of heat will disallow the batter to be spread out into concentric circles. Spread out like dosa. Drizzle clarified butter and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame or until the bottom side turns golden brown. Serve hot with butter.

Oats Dosa Ingredients

• • • • • • • • •

Oats flour - ½ cup Rice flour - 2 teaspoons Semolina - ¼ cup Curd - ½ cup Chopped onions - ¼ cup Chopped green chilli - 1 ½ teaspoon Chopped coriander - 2 tablespoons Salt and pepper - to taste Oil - for cooking

Method

Mix all the ingredients well with water. Heat a non-stick tawa and pour a ladle of batter into the pan.

Spread it around the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with chutney.

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BEAUTY

Effective natural methods for glowing skin S uppose, like most of us, you are also a beauty conscious person, you want to attend a weeding this week, and you are not happy with the way your skin looks at this moment. What will you do normally? You will visit a beauty clinic and spend at least Rs 1,000 on your skin. Don’t get panic. That is normal. What if you are offered a less costly, less harmful and more effective method to address your issue? Will you opt that? No doubt, you will definitely fall for that.

In this edition, we are going to introduce five amazing natural substances that can help you get glowing skin naturally.

Before going into the details, we should tell you, nothing will work if your diet is incorrect. You should enrich your diet with adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Drink at least 13 to 15 glasses of water a day.

Turmeric

This substance possesses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

It improves collagen production and

eliminates dangerous free radicals.

Take one teaspoon turmeric powder and four tablespoons gram flour. Mix them well using water or milk, until it turns into the form of a smooth paste.

Apply the paste over your face. Wash it off with clean water after ten to 15 minutes.

Coconut Oil

It works well in those with dry skin.

It fights dryness. It offers the benefits of essential fatty acids. It also has antioxidant properties.

Warm a spoon of coconut oil lightly.

Apply it in your face in circular motion.

Let your skin suck in the applied oil completely by keeping it there for few hours.

Aloe Vera

It is an amazing natural substance.

It has both nourishing and healing properties. It helps to rejuvenate skin completely.

Take a tablespoon of aloe vera gel, a pinch of turmeric powder, a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of milk and mix

Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana International

Mob: 9388618112

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them well. Wash it off after twenty to thirty minutes with clean water.

Lemon

It helps to remove dead cells. It has cleansing and bleaching properties. It is the most effective natural brightening agent available in the earth. It not only fights tan but also improves skin tone.

Take two teaspoon lemon and two teaspoon sugar, and mix them well. Leave the mixture there for around five to ten minutes. Rinse it off with clean water.

Papaya

It is considered as the king of fruits. It is a rich source of several vitamins and minerals capable to improve the health of skin. It removes dead cells and dirt which can lead to several serious skin problems.

Take a small piece of ripe papaya, a teaspoon of sandalwood powder, and a spoon of honey, and mix them well until it turns into the form of a smooth paste. Apply it on your face gently. Keep it there for around twenty to thirty minutes. Rinse it off with clean water.

Natural is better than chemical.

It is true that natural cannot make as much impact as chemical on your skin. But, the former is several folds harmless than the latter. Do you need any other reason to opt natural?

Stay Healthy!

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TRAVELOGUE

South Sudan: The Failed State

D

Don’t think too much.

You need not have to think too much to find a risky tourist destination to test your courage. Just Google it. All links will take you to one answer. That is South Sudan.

o you have the courage to take risk in life?

This question was relevant a few years back. This question is not relevant now. This generation loves taking risks. However, the new quality is not distributed equally in all areas at this juncture. Unfortunately, travellers still go by the old principle. It is needless to say that there is no element of risk in visiting those tourist locations which is marked safe for tourism. The real risk lies there where it is marked extremely unsafe. Actually, the risk element enhances the beauty of a tourist location.

Don’t think too much. You need not have to think too much to find a risky

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tourist destination to test your courage. Just Google it. All links will take you to one answer. That is South Sudan.

How Unsafe is South Sudan

According to the United Nations rights office, the situation in South Sudan is one of the most horrifying situations in the world. What is happening there is a brutal civil war.

Several thousands have been killed and few lakhs have been displaced due to this terrible event. Violence against women and children is normal here. Both the government force and the rebel force are equally senseless. Even aid workers face severe threats. Fresh water is scarce.

Over 50 per cent of the total population depends on the foreign aid for fresh water. South Sudan is the country where some of the deadly diseases, from which the rest of the world recovered decades back itself, still exists; the most prominent among them is Dracunculiasis. Its health infrastructure is too poor.

Tragically, this country even does not have a proper HIV/AIDS record. Literally speaking, it is majorly danger that awaits a traveller in this country.

Why is this So

The country was an autonomous region under Sudan till the year 2011. It was in that year that the country secured freedom from that

country. Not too long after the country obtained freedom, it fell under the clutches of a terrible civil war. It was the political tug of war between two top political leaders – President Salva Kiir Mayardit – for the seat of power was what that culminated in the form of a severe internal conflict. When the ethnic communities assembled behind their respective leaders, the internal conflict turned the shape of a deadly civil war. Both the rebels and the army were concentrated in eliminating the civilian population supporting their opponent. As a result of that, the state witnessed several ethnic cleansing incidents. The frequent violence affected almost everything concerning

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to the South Sudan population, from their culture to the education.

What Fuels this Failed Country

It is oil. This element is at a time boon and bane to this country.

Around 98 per cent of the South Sudan budget depends on the oil revenue. The country relies completely on Sudan for all operations that follow the extraction, including the transportation. In fact, it has a 5050 revenue sharing agreement with its parent country. Had the country used their revenue rightly, they would not have had to come to this miserable state. Unfortunately, the

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country spends the major portion of their oil revenue to strengthen their military force. In that way, the oil revenue acts as bane. However, the country cannot enjoy/suffer this boon/bane for long. All International experts suggest that the country’s oil well will dry down in few years if the extraction goes by this pace.

est independent countries in Africa.

The International aid agencies have put sincere efforts to address the issues of food and water scarcity, health crisis, humanitarian crisis, violence against women and chil-

Why should I Take Risk?

What the Rest of the World Says

All possible efforts have been put to engage with the country. South Sudan has been offered a seat in the United Nations, the African Union and the East African Community. Its neighbours including Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Congo, have supported the International efforts to bring peace in one of the young-

dren and lack of proper education facilities. The UN has peacekeepers in this part of the world as a part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. The International human rights agencies are closely watching each and every developments in the country.

Now, don’t you feel that a journey to South Sudan will be a worthy one? Yes, there is a risk factor.

You may get trapped inside a deadly Civil War between the two most merciless war groups.

Beyond these dark realities lies a beautiful, unexplored, beauty, which is very eager to fill your mind with ultimate happiness and joy. Boma National Park, Wau, Southern National Park, Juba, Nimule National Park and Bor are the popular tourist locations in the country.

Boma National Park is the home to one of the largest annual land mammal migration in the earth.

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White-eared kob is the most prominent species in the park. It is interesting to learn about its migration process. Mongalla gazelle is another important species in the park.

Apart from these, African leopard, buffalo, elephant, oryx, Northeast African cheetah, maneless zebra, Giant eland lion and Nile lechwe are other prominent species found in this region.

Wau is the third largest town in the region. The town is where the bloodiest battle between the rebel and the government forces takes place. Once it subsides, we will get the opportunity to explore its beauty thoroughly. Several beautiful colonial ruins are situated here. There are many things an African can teach us. The most important one is how an African survives with scarce resources. Even an African hut can teach many things. Wau is the best place to get close to the life of the common South Sudan population.

Southern National Park is situated in the heart of South Sudan. It is one of the least explored parks in this part of the world. Congo lion, colobus monkey, bushbabies, marabou storks and kobs are the main species found in this park.

Juba is the capital of war-rav-

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aged South Sudan. It was once an outpost developed by Greeks to do business with the British colonies in Africa. Over the years, it evolved into one of the most important business destination in the country.

In the year 2011, it accidentally emerged as the capital of young South Sudan. This is the most developed region in the country. It has some excellent market places.

Bor is an abandoned city or a ghost city. It was where the first set of Christian missions settled. It was a vibrant settlement. The fate of the city changed when a bloody massacre occurred in the region in the

year 1991 as a part and parcel of the Sudanese Civil War. Since then, its population has been gradually reducing. Not many lives permanently in this city now. This does not mean that it is not a worth place to be visited. The place still remains as beautiful as before. The ruins of the first settlement are the main attractions here. The nature beauty of the place is worth commendable.

Nimule National Park is situated near the capital of South Sudan –Juba. Opekole Island and Fola Falls are the prime attractions here. It is one of the most bio-diverse habitats located in the country. The park offers shelter to everything from baboons to hippos.

Now, don’t you feel that a journey to South Sudan will be a worthy one? Yes, there is a risk factor. You may get trapped inside a deadly Civil War between the two most merciless war groups.

NB: the article is written just to create excitement. It is not advised to visit this land. Most western countries warn their citizens not to visit this country. The warning is made not only because of the civil war, but also because of the threat of diseases

AUTO REVIEW

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

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

Y

ou are going to see tons of them on the road very soon. The Venue is the latest compact SUV from Hyundai and it’s stylish, desirable and above all quite affordable. Hyundai has been missing out on the sub 4 metre SUV market, while competition from Maruti, Ford, Mahindra and Tata had their offerings – the Brezza, Ecosport, XUV 300 and Nexon respectively, making up almost 50 percent of the total SUV sales in India. Unlike the Creta which is for developing markets, the Venue is more of a global product and will see simultaneous launches in various countries around the world. It has already been garnering good reviews in the US – a market which likes their SUVs in XXXL size. So, what is it about the Venue, we find out.

These days, half the battle is won if you get the styling right. The Venue looks like a smaller Creta, but with more pronounced wheel arches, it looks even more butch than its big brother.

The cascading grille with big square mesh looked too garish and bling in the pictures, but is much better and less

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Hyundai Venue noticeable in person. The indicators are those thin strips on the edges of the bonnet. The headlamps are further down on the bumper towards the corners which may raise a question or two about their safety in a minor crash. The side profile is nice, with minimal overhangs and the C pillar has an interesting interplay of lines. You will notice the car is much more rounded under the prominent waistline that runs across the sides and forms the bulges around the wheel arches. The rear is a bit plain in comparison, but you do get interesting LED tail lamps and a boot-lid that’s very well shaped.

Viewed from the side, the Venue looks small especially from a distance. That compact dimensions make it a very friendly car to drive

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in the city. The Venue measures 1590mm in height and 1770mm in width which makes it only slightly wider than the Ecosport. The XUV300, which is the widest car in its segment, measures 1821mm even more than the Creta.

The dashboard looks quite nice and modern, and has a quality feel to it. The HVAC controls are three circular elements (like in the Swift) but the middle one is just an LCD display and not a knob, which is unintuitive. Things that look like an afterthought, include a flimsy air purifier that takes up one cup holder and a wireless charging pad that is connected to the cigarette lighter socket

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via a visible power cord like in the Creta. The steering wheel, which is reminiscent of some international models, is perfectly sized and nice to hold. The 8.0 inch centre touch screen has Android Auto and Apple Car Play, along with a connectivity feature that Hyundai calls the Blue Link. Blue Link uses a SIM card to offer a multitude of connectivity options, right from voice commands, remote assist, driver alerts, service reminders, theft warnings, to more advanced functions like starting the engine and turning on the climate control beforehand (petrol AT only), and also locking and unlocking all via the phone app.

Latest generation of Hyundai cars have come a long way in terms of driving dynamics and today, the Venue is even better to drive than a Creta.

The cabin feels small from the driver’s perspective and that depending on how you see it, can be a good thing or a bad thing. The driver seat can be high enough to give you a good view of the bonnet’s edges, plus the overall feeling of compactness makes it an easy car to drive on our congested city roads. The presence of a sunroof adds some airiness

to the cabin. The rear seat is a bit short on legroom, but is comfy otherwise. The Venue has a reasonably large 350litre boot.

The Venue comes with the same 1.2 litre petrol and 1.4 litre diesel engine - both familiar units from the i20 – with 82bhp and 90bhp respectively. The pick of the range however is the new 1.0litre, direct injection, 3 cylinder turbo petrol, with 120bhp and 172Nm. This fairly high tech engine can be had with a six speed manual or a seven speed dual clutch automatic and those are the ones we tested. The engine is fairly refined for a three cylinder at idle and also on the move. It is only when you rev it hard that the characteristic three cylinder note is audible. The engine has a bit of turbo lag, and even past that, it doesn’t provide a solid kick in the back like you expect. Power comes in gently afterwards and the tall gearing is quite noticeable. The engine feels quite smooth-revving and can be quite energetic near the top end. The Manual transmission is easy to slot, and the clutch is smooth, but you do feel the engine’s lack of a fourth cylinder when you are moving off from a standstill.

The dual clutch automatic masks that rather well. You might be starting off in second gear every time and the additional punch a torque converter automatic would have provided is missing here, but

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the gearbox is smooth in the way it upshifts. There is a manual mode if you want to change gears yourself but the auto mode is good enough for most occasions. It is not as enthusiastic as the ones in Volkswagens during downshifts, but that could also be in the interests of longevity.

Also, the clutch engagement is very progressive and jerk free. The DCT also delivers good fuel efficiency and we would have one over the manual.

Latest generation of Hyundai cars have come a long way in terms of driving dynamics and today, the Venue is even better to drive than a Creta. The suspension is slightly stiffer and you get a better sense of control. The steering is direct al-

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though you do not get much feedback. It rolls slightly and understeers when you push, but still remains manageable. A bit more damping would have made it much better to drive. The ride quality is decent. You do feel some bumps and ruts, and can tell it is a stiff setup. Hyundai doesn’t skimp on tyres and the Venue gets rather high profile 215/60 sections on 16 inch rims which are adequate for this.

With prices starting around Rs.6.5 lakhs, and going all the way up to Rs.11.10 lakhs (all ex.showroom prices), the venue makes for a great buy. Mini Creta looks, killer pricing and adequate practicality make the Venue a great choice for those look-

ing for a compact SUV. It isn’t the most spacious car in its segment, and if you are looking for a full size family car, you might find it a bit small to your liking. On the other hand, it makes for a perfect second car or a good city runabout. It also comes loaded with features such as six airbags, ESP, hill start assist, cruise control, automatic climate control, 8.0 inch touch screen infotainment, rear camera, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, Blue Link connectivity, wireless charging, sunroof, rear AC vents, ABS, EBD etc. The 1.0litre petrol, with the dual clutch automatic, along with the compact dimensions, makes it the ultimate urban SUV out there

MOVIE REVIEW

One Day: Justice Delivered

I

t is a crime thriller directed by renowned screenwriter Ashok K Nanda. An investigation officer, who is assigned to investigate some high profile missing cases, is the central character of the movie. Esha Gupta is the one who appears as the extra-brilliant investigator. The film shows how the officer solves the mystery behind the missing cases.

Apart from Ms Esha, veteran actor Anupam Kher also appears in the lead role. The other main actors are Kumud Mishra, Anusmriti Sarkar, Zakir Hussain, Rajesh Sharma, Murali Sharma, Deepshika Nagpal and Anant Mahadevan. Interestingly, senior actress Zarina Wahab also plays an important role in the movie.

India’s Most Wanted

I

t is an action thriller directed by renowned film writer Raj Kumar Gupta. It is about five unlikely heroes who venture out into a risky journey to trace and capture one of the most dreaded terrorists of their country.

There are several stunning action sequences as well as comic sequences in the movie. The one who acts in the role of the central character is Bollywood’s new sensation Arjun Kapoor.

Apart from Mr Kapoor, Prashanth P Alexandrr, Rajesh Sharma, Shantilal Mukherjee, Sudev Nair, Aasif Khan, Gaurav Mishra, Bajrangbali Singh and Pravin Singh Sisodia appear in the lead roles. The film is produced by its director itself.

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John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum

I

t is an action thriller movie directed by acclaimed American stuntman Chad Stahelski. Like its predecessors, the main attraction of this film is its remarkable action sequences.

In this film also, infamous assassin John Wick is the central character.

In this latest sequence, he runs for his life. The film depicts the brutal battle between the members of the world’s most dangerous group of assassins and Mr. Wick, the retired assassin who accidently re-enters into the world of assassins. Keanu Reeves is the one who acts as Mr. Wick. Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Asia Kate Dillon are the other main actors who appear in the movie.

Brightburn

I

t is a horror-cum-superhero movie directed by young filmmaker David Yarovesky. Is it necessary that a superhuman should always be a nice person like popular superhero character Spiderman? Can’t he be like the most feared evil character developed by Hollywood, Venom. The film attempts to break a stereotype. The superhuman that the film introduces is definitely not an angel like figure. Then, who is he? That only the film is supposed to say. Jackson A Dunn, Jennifer Holland, David Denman, Meredith Hagner and Matt L Jones appear in the lead roles. The film is produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang.

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BOOK REVIEW

City of Girls Author Price

: Elizabeth Gilbert : Rs 419 (approximately)

I

t is a pleasant story. It takes to the 1940s. The story revolves around a nineteen year old girl, named Vivian Morris. The author is a renowned American writer. She is best known for her memoir, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, which was made into a film in the year 2010 by the same title. Like her previous books, it is also classy in character. The main peculiarity this time is that the entire book has a small feminine feel. The extra-ordinary book will definitely impress women as well as men, as the narration progresses through the point of view of women.

Lost and Found Author Price

I

: Danielle Steel : Rs 279 (approximately)

t is an exceptional love story. It explores complicated topics like first love, second chance in love, and ‘what if ’ thought process. Madison Allen, the talented photographer who considers her job more important than her life, is the central character of the novel. The book discusses her journey towards the past to examine whether certain choices she made earlier concerning her personal life and career were right or wrong. Certain unexpected realisations towards which the story leads are the message what the story hopes to deliver. The author is a highly respected American writer, who is best known for her romantic novels.

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BOOK REVIEW

My Seditious Heart: Collected Non-Fiction Author Price

: Arundhati Roy : Rs 749 (Hardcover)

I

t is a collection of political essays. It discusses several sensitive topics concerning justice, freedom and rights. The author is a popular political activist-cum-writer. She is a Booker Prize winner. Her writings – both fiction and non-fiction – have many fans across the world. She is one of the most popular International writers based in India. Her latest book traces her twenty year journey from her first fiction ‘The God of Small Things’ to her latest fiction ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’. The book is expected to excite all age groups alike. The book strongly criticises the establishment, especially its social, political and financial structures. Like its predecessors, this book is also slightly anti-establishment in nature.

The Reluctant Billionaire: How Dilip Shanghvi Become the Richest Self-Made Indian Author Price

T

: Soma Das : Rs 559 (Hardcover)

he book is about an ordinary man who has made an extra-ordinary achievement – a less known businessman who owns the country’s largest pharma company, Sun Pharma. The book with the help of several interviews unveils how Dilip Shanghvi has managed to erect a powerful pharma empire in a short period of time. What makes this book special is that not much is known about this man. Over 150 persons, mostly his friends, colleagues and his family members, have been interviewed for this book. The book is more a research document, than a biography in character. It can attract all age groups, especially business enthusiasts and business students.

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Printed On 09/ 06/ 2019

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