Innholdsfortegnelse for August 12, 2019 i India Today

The New York Times recently published an article on how to spot a recession. It pointed to a few key signs to look for in an economy—rising unemployment, declining bond yields, manufacturing decline, consumer sentiment and the performance of certain industries like real estate and automobiles. In India, many numbers are disputed and many prominent voices deny that the economy is slowing down. Among the numbers that cannot be disputed, however, are the plummeting figures for vehicle sales—passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. Domestic car sales saw a worrying 22 per cent dip over the last year. Unsold inventories are piling up, in large part because of a lacklustre festive season last year. Around 300 vehicle dealerships have shut shop across the country. The reason is simple—people aren’t buying cars…

Replying on July 8 in the Rajya Sabha after the debate on the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) bill, 2019, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed his disapproval of the use of “harsh words” by Supreme Court judges. He was likely referring to Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s dissenting opinion in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd) v. Union of India. While the Supreme Court had given a conditional imprimatur to the Aadhaar Act, 2016, Justice Chandrachud, in his opinion, had voted to strike down the law as a whole. In his belief, the government’s introduction of the Aadhaar Act as a money bill, and its consequential enactment without the Rajya Sabha’s approval, was a “fraud on the Constitution”. But harsh as the opinion might have been, it scarcely deterred the government from…

Prime minister Narendra Modi, in his regular radio address, attributed a remarkable Amarnath Yatra season to the hospitality of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. More people have undertaken the pilgrimage in its first month than in the entire 61-day period last year and the total number looks set to break the 2015 record. Once braved by only a few thousand hardy pilgrims, the trek now attracts hundreds of thousands every year. It has been a target for terrorists in the past, most notably in consecutive years from 2000 to 2002, in which over 50 pilgrims were killed and over 100 injured, and again in 2017 when eight people were killed and nearly 20 injured. PM Modi pointed out that the yatra has long been a symbol of communal harmony…

It took just two days for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to retort to Union minister Giriraj Singh’s July 17 ‘retweet’ demanding that his party, the BJP, break its governing alliance with the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar. Singh was reacting to reports that the state police was gathering information on the saffron party’s mother ship, the RSS. On July 20, Nitish visited senior RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqqui in Darbhanga district where he had gone to oversee the flood situation. He spent an hour with Siddiqui, which immediately set tongues wagging in capital Patna. While RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi clarified that the ‘visit’ wasn’t political, BJP leader and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi came out with a unilateral statement, affirming that the NDA would contest next year’s…

When Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray raked up the issue of inadequate compensation to Maharashtra’s farmers under the Union government’s crop insurance scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), in June, leaders of his party knew it was a calculated step. A month later, on July 18, Thackeray was leading a 20,000-strong farmers’ march in Mumbai and warning insurance companies: “I give you 15 days. If you fail to release the compensation, there will be action from the 16th day.” The crop insurance scheme has been a hot topic in Maharashtra over rising complaints of non-payment or inadequate relief. Resentment has been high since Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed in an interview to INDIA TODAY in June that his government has made insurance companies pay out Rs 15,000 crore…

WHAT’S AT STAKE 32 MN JOBS 7.5% OF GDP 9 sectors that feed into the ecosystem AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS The top 5 automakers and top component manufacturers employ about 150,000 PETROL STATIONS The approx. 64,000 petrol stations in India together employ about 600,000 USED CAR MARKET Worth an estimated ₹ 90,000 CR OEMs/ COMPONENT MANUFACTURERS + ANCILLARIES Employ 5 MN % of GDP 2.3% %age of manufacturing GDP 25% ONLINE PORTALS In recent years, a host of online portals comparing cars and selling used cars have been launched FLEET OPERATORS/ CAB AGGREGATORS Cab aggregators Ola and Uber together employ an estimated 1 MN CAR DEALERSHIPS Dealerships 25,000 Employ 5 MN BANKS AND NBFCs NBFCs finance purchases of 70% of all two-wheelers & 60% of all commercial vehicles CAR SERVICE STATIONS Market…

INDIA-US DEALS IN THE PIPELINE 24 SEAHAWK MH-60R MULTI-ROLE HELICOPTERS $2.6 bn or ₹ 18,000 cr STATUS: Approved by the US. Deal to be signed shortly 30 SEA GUARDIAN DRONES $2 bn or ₹14,000 cr STATUS: Sale approved by the US. Deal to be signed shortly (10 each for the three services. Plan has gone to the Services Capital Acquisition Plan Categorisation Committee (SCAPCC). Next is the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) NASAMS-II AIR-DEFENCE MISSILES $871 mn or ₹6,000 cr STATUS: US to send draft letter of acceptance. Deal to be signed shortly 110 F-21 OR F/A-18 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT $20 bn or ₹140,000 cr STATUS: Contest in preliminary stage, US to work with an Indian strategic partner (Russia’s MiG also in the contest) 6 BOEING AH-64E APACHE GUARDIAN GUNSHIPS $606 mn…

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 The Rajya Sabha passed this bill which makes instant triple talaq a criminal offence, on July 30. Opposition parties saw the bill as interference in the socio-religious matters of Muslims. During the vote, the BJP got the BJD’s support while allies JD(U) and AIADMK abstained. Also absent were the TRS and 23 members of the Congress, SP, BSP, NCP, TDP, PDP, DMK, CPI(M) and TMC. The bill was passed with 99 votes in favour and 84 against The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on July 25. The opposition alleged the government had diluted the RTI Act and wanted the bill to be sent to a select committee for scrutiny. However, support…

Shriram Shete, chairman of the Kadwa cooperative sugar mill in Maharashtra’s Dindori taluka, is overseeing the installation of a new boiler. That’s not the only upgrade he has planned—he’s also one among many in the state looking to take advantage of the Maharashtra government’s push for increased ethanol production. “This is where it will be,” he says, pointing out the spot he has chosen for his new distillery. Having already received his production licence, he plans to have the distillery constructed before the next crushing season, around Diwali. At the heart of Maharashtra’s push for increased ethanol production is its use as a biofuel. Regulations target a mandatory 10 per cent ethanol blend in all petrol and diesel by 2022 Ethanol, a flammable, colourless chemical, has many industrial applications. Primary…

GANGA The Many Pasts of a River by Sudipta Sen VIKING ₹799; 464 pages From Bhagiratha’s penance to when the British thought the Ganga was more physical than spiritual, this book has everything RIVER OF LIFE, RIVER OF DEATH The Ganges and India’s Future by Victor Mallet OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS ₹550; 344 Pages The book looks at why the Ganges is simultaneously worshipped and abused by the same people THE GANGES by Raghubir Singh THAMES AND HUDSON ₹2,069; 192 pages First published in 1992, this photobook is both reportage and art. Though these pictures may be familiar today, they tell a story of the Ganga that still seems novel…

A book that claims to document “recipes from Shah Jahan’s cookbook” creates a high degree of expectation amongst interested readers. Happily for them, Salma Yusuf Husain’s The Mughal Feast: Recipes from the Kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan, a transcreation of Nuskha-e-Shahjahani, the handwritten Persian recipe book from Shah Jahan’s reign, does not disappoint. The text is a fascinating voyage into the sophisticated, multi-faceted culinary customs and creations that were celebrated and nurtured in the court of the fifth Mughal emperor. The recipes are enough to enchant the senses with their generous use of spices, herbs and fruit and nuts. There are also a host of exotic elements like betel nuts, betel leaves, Fuller’s earth and sandalwood to bring out the best in the meats, fish, vegetables and grains that they…

Q. Why a memoir? It isn’t really a memoir as much as a lifestyle book. It will talk of letting go, reinvention, fitness and my favourite topic: gratitude! Q. So, what will be the biggest takeaway for readers? It talks of things that have mattered to me and the challenges I have encountered. I expect it to be relatable with some sort of take-home for everyone. A fool learns from his own mistakes and a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Let those who read this book learn from mine. Q. Were there any particular challenges that pushed you towards a more holistic lifestyle? Whose life isn’t without challenges? I’ve struggled with my weight and the downs and lows in my life. Being in the business of entertainment,…

Baby Blues Inspired by the Mediterranean, de Grisogono’s new collection features turquoise as the hero. This necklace is reminiscent of slow summer days and sipping wine by the sea. Price On request Availability www.degrisogono.com Colour Therapy These trendy earrings by Bina Goenka will liven up any outfit you pair it with. We suggest neutral separates to let these babies shine through. Price On request Availability Brand boutique in Mumbai Dancing Lights Mimicking a cascading waterfall, these Irasva earrings combine diamonds and rose gold to create a design that is unique and classic. Just like you. Price On request Availability www.irasva.com Green with Envy Featuring a statement emerald surrounded by diamonds, this bespoke ring by Paul Morelli is a forever classic. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Hands On This edgy…

In May this year, Fabergé and Gemfields celebrated the month’s birthstone with the Lady Libertine I timepiece, inspired by the Zambian landscape. Using only responsibly sourced Zambian emeralds, the timepiece features hand carved rough emeralds which map the heart of Zambia on the watch face, made possible only by Fabergé’s exclusive dalliance movement, which allows the hands to travel around the outside of the watch face. The emerald showcased here with Lady Libertine I is Inkalamu, the Lion Emerald, an exceptionally rare high quality 5,655-carat (1.13 kg) emerald crystal, with remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green colour. The hand-carved rough emerald represents the region’s rivers, with the banks outlined in gold filigree, while cut and polished emeralds and diamonds depict the light play over the African landscape. The…

BOLD. INVENTIVE. CONFIDENT. BEAU. tiful. Interestingly, these are superlatives that can be used interchangeably whether defining the edgy, contemporary jewellery brand Isharya or its dynamic founder-duo, Gauri and Radhika Tandon. When an intellectual property lawyer, practicing in California comes together with a graduate from the London School of Economics to start a business, jewellery isn’t your first guess. But for sisters-in law- Gauri and Radhika Tan-don, it was as organic as being married into the same family. What began as a hobby to furnish requests from family and friends who appreciated their aesthetic sensibilities, led to them formally launching Isharya in 2007. The brand has certainly come of age, especially if their enviable client list of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Freida Pinto, Sonam Kapoor, Selena Gomez and Priyanka…

Jewellery means something different to each person who wears it but its one universal quality is that it invokes joy in the wearer. Federica Imperiali, Head of New Product Development at Forevermark, who was in India for Forevermark’s Annual Forum, speaks to us about design trends and the importance of jewellery with meaning. How is design central to your jewellery? We truly believe that our product is a repository of strong emotions. The typical consumer tends to celebrate important milestones by purchasing jewellery. Keeping this in mind we try to focus on precise consumer needs and develop a design ethos where the diamond holds central focus, surrounded by meaningful details. How important are trends when it comes to design? Trends play a vital role in our products by giving it…

WHY KERALA GETS A RAW DEAL FROM THE CENTRE by Jeemon Jacob Political discrimination, small state handicaps or systemic failure, whatever the cause data shows that central allocation and budgetary provisions for Kerala have been going down over the years http://bit.ly/2Ywf7HF Why the Smart Cities Mission will miss its deadline by Kaushik Deka Halfway through, only 18 per cent of Smart City projects have been completed because of non-performing ULBs, slow pace of fund generation and long-gestation period http://bit.ly/2YfqmVB Dutee Chand: Girl, uninterrupted by Chinki Sinha Dutee Chand comes out in support of South African Olympic champion Caster Semenya and says freedom to run is important http://bit.ly/2OxC5dK The battle to save the Great Indian Bustard by Rohit Parihar Backed by the Centre and wildlife experts, Rajasthan is attempting to breed…

After an election season in which home minister Amit Shah used inflammatory language for illegal immigrants(“ghuspetiyon”), and repeated promises this month to root out infiltrators, data from the 2011 census shows that the number of Bangladeshi immigrants is on the decline. Shah’s threat to extend the National Register of Citizens from Northeastern states to the rest of the country doesn’t square with the census data, which finds immigration rates to be below 0.5 per cent in the majority of districts. Besides, many of these immigrants are of Indian origin who have returned from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf. The census figures belie the government’s concern about illegal immigrants, even accounting for the under-reporting of ‘illegals’. 5.3 MILLION Indian residents born outside, says 2011 census; 6.2 million in…

It’s an awful indictment of who we have become that Khurshid feels he had to write this book to justify the place of Muslims in India Salman Khurshid, the prominent lawyer, Congress leader and former foreign minister, positions his new book, Visible Muslim, Invisible Citizen, as a response to his colleague Shashi Tharoor’s recent tome, Why I Am A Hindu. But, as Khurshid quickly acknowledges, his task is substantially different. Tharoor made a valiant, if perplexing, bid to distinguish his religious faith from Hindutva. But who really believes Hindutva is about religion rather than politics, concerned with articles of faith rather than a power grab, a theological movement rather than a supremacist, majoritarian assertion? Tharoor seeks to justify his private religiosity, his appreciation of his faith, while Khurshid takes it…

It was July 15. BJP leader Mukul Roy was scheduled to hand over party flags to a handful of Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors during an induction scheduled at the BJP’s new office at Hastings House, Kolkata, when the central leadership abruptly put a stop to the event. The turncoat councillors were told to leave and Roy was sent a clear message that any and every TMC leader willing to join the BJP was not welcome. Roy had intensified efforts to woo TMC leaders following the BJP’s impressive 18-seat haul in the Lok Sabha election in Bengal. However, his focus was on numbers, and the party leadership was uncomfortable with the dubious backgrounds of several leaders he was trying to bring on board. They included TMC leaders under the lens in…

The Madhya Pradesh government’s air fleet has become the subject of a slanging match between the opposition and ruling party. While the ruling Congress alleges that the previous BJP government’s policies led to losses worth crores while operating the fleet, the opposition is attacking the cash-strapped government for wanting to buy a new aircraft. The state’s aircraft inventory, till recently, included three helicopters—a Bell 407, Bell 430 and a Eurocopter-155—and a Beechcraft King Air B200 plane. In early July, the state government finally managed to auction off the Bell 407 and Bell 430 choppers (after four failed attempts in 2016 and 2017). The Bell 407, purchased for Rs 9.82 crore in 2003, was auctioned for Rs 6 crore to a Pune-based company. The Bell 430 had cost Rs 20.48 crore…

FOOTFALLS FELL BY 30% VIRENDRA SINGH , 49 Owner, Win Win Group, Bhopal, which runs Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Renault dealerships What? Over the past few months, Singh has had to close down eight of his 31 dealerships and lay off 300 staff as sales fell 10 per cent for M&M’s sports-utility vehicles and multi-utility vehicles. Footfalls have also plummeted, by about 30 per cent Why? “Demonetisation and GST took a toll first, the second blow was the hike in vehicle registration charges from 8 per cent to 16 per cent for the Rs 20 lakh segment” What next? Singh hopes sales will pick up around Diwali and December. “We are holding the current stock, but for how long [can we afford to]? The present stock must be sold…

J&K Peoples Democratic Party Founded by former Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, it’s now run by his daughter and former CM Mehbooba Mufti J&K National Conference The party’s reins have gone from founder Sheikh Abdullah to son Farooq Abdullah to now his grandson Omar Abdullah Samajwadi Party Founded by Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav is the current president. Both have been chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh Bahujan Samaj Party Inherited from Kanshi Ram, Mayawati is the only visible leader; her brother Anand Kumar is national V-P, his son Akash Anand is the national coordinator Rashtriya Janata Dal Founded by Lalu Yadav. His younger son Tejashwi is the de facto head, but faces challenges from siblings Tej Pratap and Misa Bharati Telangana Rashtra Samithi K. Chandrashekar Rao launched…

Amid the stories of forests lost to rampant mining, rivers clogging, large dams eating into prime wildlife habitat and average temperatures rising came the unexpected and heartening news that India had recorded its highest ever increase in tiger numbers since the adoption of the new census methodology in 2006. According to the findings of the fourth cycle of the ‘All India Tiger Estimation, 2018’, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Global Tiger Day on July 29, the tiger population in the country increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 (estimated range of 2,603- 3,346) in 2018, marking a jump of 33 per cent over the last cycle. “The story that began with ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ has reached ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, but it should not end there. That will not…

When Sacred Games released last year, it set a bar for production values that were rarely seen on Indian television. It replaced awkward mid shots, shoddy editing and flat lighting with careful art direction and cinematography. Sujoy Ghosh’s Netflix horror series, Typewriter, lives up to this new idiom of visual storytelling. It situates itself in a Goa village, finds a magnificent mansion as a central character and then luxuriously plays with sharp lights and shadows. With the cinematography and editing working to its advantage, Typewriter jumps straight into the usual horror tropes—a haunted house with a dark history, a new family in the area, whispering locals, passing shadows and disembodied sounds. A set of characters and stories from two different timelines all move ineluctably towards the fulfilment of a prophecy…

There exists a pack of legends about Kabir’s life, birth, death and wisdom, but he was first a poet. A poet who, along with Tulsidas, has colonised the Hindi popular imagination for centuries. A poet who democratised poetry, religion, wisdom and spirituality by liberating them from the clutches of castes, shrines and books. A poet of candid wisdom, a poet who critiqued social norms and practices, Kabir also interrogated himself. He saw the world upside down. Blasphemy was perhaps his favourite rasa. Kiran Nagarkar weaves a medieval dastan-like novelistic tale around Kabir, forging yet another legend around him. Nagarkar, however, while taking into account ‘facts’, creates a fiction that does have contemporary resonance. His book’s title— The Arsonist—alludes to a famous Kabir verse: “Kabir stands in the marketplace/ A torch…

SOMEONE ONCE SAID, “IF YOU THINK GOOD design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.” They couldn’t have been more spot on. There are elements of design in everything around us; from the ergonomic curve of the pillow that is designed right for a hundred sleeps only, to the faucet in our toilet, to the works of functional art that dot out homes. There is no such thing as the absence of design, but how it tricks and seduces us depends in part on its utility and in part on how we choose to consume it. This issue of Spice is a celebration of thoughtful design and its impact on the world around us. Our cover story traces the journey of four Indian innovative designers who…

Home Remedy Bid goodbye to blah monsoon skin with Nuskay’s Golden Dew. Infused with gold flecks, this serum with instantly revive your skin and give it a glow. Price ₹2,500 for 30 ml Availability www.nuskay.in Floral Infusion If the rains turn your hair into a frizzy, dry mess, the Innisfree Camellia head massage oil should be a part of your hair care ritual. Bonus: it smells divine. Price On request Availability Brand stores and online Mask It Repêchage’s hydration masks are the ideal addition to your skincare routine to ensure bright, glowing and exfoliated skin. Be gone, skin woes. Price ₹1,360 Availability At Jean-Claude Biguine salons All Natural A gel-to-oil cleanser by Tata Harper, this pore minimiser is a multitasking super hero when it comes to clean skin. Price On…

SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU look at an object, you marvel at the thought that has gone into making it look the way it is; that’s what design is all about and if you can evoke emotion and provoke a reaction, your designs are clearly making their mark. While the Made in India tag has made its way to global runways and Indian top chefs have crossed over successfully, design-heavy brands have not quite made that leap of faith, perhaps because they are risk averse or because their brands don’t fulfill the global ask. Our cover story though, focusses on four brands helmed by people who have dared to take their ideas to a wider audience. Isharya, Nappa Dori, Ikkis by Gunjan Gupta, and Nicobar, are all brands that have a story…

IKKIS IS A COLLECTION COMPRISING A RANGE OF LIMITED AND UNLIMITED 21 OBJECTS REINTERPRETING CLASSICAL INDIAN FORMS, CRAFT AND MATERIALS EVERY OBJECT DESIGNED BY HER tells a story. Blending together Indian aesthetics and western forms, they might use simple materials but have a luxe look. One of the early proponents of contemporary Indian design, Gunjan Gupta started Studio Wrap, a luxury furniture and product design studio, in 2006, drawn from the concept that wrapping any item gives it a new identity. Her first product—the Dining Throne chair—made from pure silver sheet, gold leaf and wood was launched in London in 2006 and was an instant hit. There’s been no looking back for her since. Regular at international design fairs such as Design Miami in US, Art Basel in Switzerland, the…

The future of design is coming at you faster than you think. The heavy dependance of technology in luxury is already evident in how we use everyday devices and even newer technologies such as augmented and virtual reality seek to bring manufacturers closer to their clients. Heavily integrated seamless tech is soon becoming indispensable in the environment of luxury living and design, and here are a few major ways in how I see it coming together. Deep technology in living environments Look no further than what Apple and Google are doing with their voice-activated smart-hubs to take centrestage in your home. The big idea: say what you need and your current and future automaton speaker ‘valet’ understands and sets everything from door locks to airconditioning and lighting. Imagine a future…

Simplicity Made Better Functional, smart, nifty and efficient, everything about Uniqlo stands out in the distinctive style of conformist unity that only the Japanese have managed to perfect. With the popular Japanese brand ready to launch in India in October this year, brand fans have a treat in store for them with almost 35,000 sq ft and three floors of retail heaven promised with their first store in Delhi at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. The store will offer everything that the Tokyo and New York stores have, with another two stores as a follow-up act in Saket and Cyber Hub, Gurgaon. With prices that begin at an affordable ₹990, simple is the new elegant. With fit, fabric, quality and longevity as brand hallmarks, all their collections whether their colourful, lightweight…

It has happened before. Businessmen and entrepreneurs committing suicide, that is. For reasons personal as well as related to the failure of business. Mukesh Aggarwal, who ran an appliances company and married the movie star Rekha, took his life in 1991, just a year after his marriage; what drove him to it never came to light. Much later, about a decade ago, Dadan Bhai, who grew PCL Ltd to a Rs 1,000 crore computer empire, committed suicide after one of his most ambitious marketing plans went awry, leaving the company in serious financial trouble. But the death of V.G. Siddhartha, whose listed businesses were worth close to Rs 4,500 crore in financial 2019, has created bigger shock waves. The reasons are possibly a mix of moolah and mystery—there are many…

Modi vs Wild Apparently it is now de rigueur for leaders of the free world to appear in ‘Call of Duty’ survivalist mode with Bear Grylls, as if security were not nearby and their lives were not as intensely protected as they would normally be. For Grylls, the appeal is obvious: demonstrate his show’s global reach and appeal by hanging out with Barack Obama and now prime minister Narendra Modi. For Obama and Modi too, the appeal is obvious: send a message, appear before a mass audience in a more relatable avatar, and establish your alpha male credentials, just in case your top dog status wasn’t already clear. On social media, the news of Modi’s appearance alongside Grylls was greeted in predictable but contrasting ways: The orgiastic ‘OMG! YASS! OMG!…

President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir unleashed a political storm in India. The alleged request flies so forcefully in the face of India’s position that one cannot imagine an Indian prime minister making it. The government strongly denied it, reiterating bilateralism in addressing all issues between India and Pakistan. The matter should rest there. However, the clamour to corner the government overshadowed the implications of Trump’s words. Trump’s claim that Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir unleashed a political storm, but the clamour overshadowed the implication of his words First, not distinguished for their precision and choice of words, Trump’s statements are nonetheless not without context. His readiness to mediate, also reiterated in a subsequent state department clarification,…

During official work hours, government school principals and teachers in Gujarat have a habit of keeping tabs on their cell phones—for a call they can miss only at their own peril. The voice on the other end verifies their presence in school, seeking details of when they reported to work and what their day’s schedule is. Gujarat started real-time monitoring of school teachers a year ago to curb absenteeism and improve academic output. Under the project, a command and control centre (CCC) was set up last November in Gandhinagar to audit the attendance of 250,000 teachers and 7 million students across 33,000 government and 7,000 government-aided schools. On June 9, chief minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated a new CCC building in the state capital. Some 70 executives operate from the facility…

DURING PARLIAMENT’S BUDGET SESSION, the Narendra Modi government introduced four contentious bills—the RTI (Amendment) Bill, the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which renders instant triple talaq illegal, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill. Almost all the opposition parties and some allies of the ruling BJP, such as the Janata Dal (United), raised concerns about the proposed new laws. Yet, the government has successfully steered the first three bills through both houses of Parliament and the fourth is also unlikely to face any resistance. The BJP has a brute majority in the Lok Sabha—303 in a house of 543 members. With NDA allies, the strength goes up to 335. In the Rajya Sabha, the BJP and allies have 113 seats,…

Q Tell us about your character Batya in the second season of Sacred Games… She’s a mixed-up character. Born to a Palestinian mother and a Jewish father, she grew up in France, but then rebelled and ran away from home. She was confused. She never identified with the westernisation she was compelled to accept. In her spiritual quest, she came to India and joined an ashram. She now works with Guruji (Pankaj Tripathi), and is very much in the thick of the plot, once it unveils. Q. So, she’s a fighter, but what is she fighting for? Well, yeah, I am playing a rebel, yet again. But I think most of my characters have been fighting for something or standing up for something. Sacred Games, as a show, relies on…

Shape of Mystery A sculptor gives shape to not just material, but also to ideas that are imaginative, bold and take one out of their comfort zone. Mrinalini Mukherjee was known for her fearless investigation of materials and her technical proficiency when it came to using organic material and metal; this made her one of India’s most eminent sculptors. A retrospective at the Met Breuer, titled Phenomenal Nature: Mrinalini Mukherjee, will explore the artist’s ground-breaking body of work till September 29. A sculptor who worked intuitively, Mukherjee never resorted to a sketch or preparatory drawing and instead explored the divide between figuration and abstraction. Nature was her primary inspiration, and this was further informed by her enthusiasm for Indian historic sculpture, modern design, and local crafts and textile traditions. The…

Pop of Pink This chic handbag by Nancy Gonzalez in a cheerful bubblegum pink will lift your spirits when the rains don’t let up. Price $699 Availability www.nancygonzalez.com Sunny Days The reimagined Fendi baguette can be worn in multiple ways. So go cross body, hand bag or even belt bag to make it your own. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques What an Angle This multi-hued version of the Issey Miyake Bao Bao prism tote will definitely brighten up the dull gloom of monsoon. Price $1,360 Availability www.farfetch.com Small is Beautiful Prada’s Sidonie mini bag in a bright blue is the pop of colour you were looking to add to your ensemble. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques worldwide Red Hot You can’t go wrong with the Valentino Garavani Vring…

IT IS A BRAND THAT HAS MADE India proud. Gautam Sinha sees the world in forms and patterns. The NIFT Delhi graduate was drawn to accessories from the word go and began his career designing Christmas wire ornaments and bumble bees for a German company in 2002-2003. Working for this brand gave him insight into how businesses are run. At the end of the year he found himself asking, how how many more bumble bees can you make? He says, “I wanted to move and see what to do next but had no real plan in mind. Around the time an aunt of mine who was an exporter as ked me if I wanted to make belts for her. I had never worked in leather but she asked me to…

AT A TIME WHEN LESS IS MORE, HOW DO YOU CREATE PRODUCTS THAT ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION? THERE ARE BARS OF MUSIC skimming the air, crossing over from the store into the Nico Caara café that is an extension of the brand Nicobar. Images of the ocean, the sound of the sea in a shell, tropical living, cabanas, languor, are all part of their design ethos. When it was founded in 2016, they wanted to give Indians a lifestyle design studio that focussed on travel, home, and fashion accents. Raul Rai (an investment banker turned design retailer) and his wife Simran Lal (also CEO of Good Earth) co-founded Nicobar and envisaged it as a modern Indian brand shaping culture through thoughtful design. At a time when less is more and people…