Innholdsfortegnelse for April 18, 2016 i India Today

The havoc wreaked by frequent attacks in different parts of the world has made terrorism the greatest global threat of our times. All these attacks— from Paris to Brussels and from Mumbai to Pathankot—are aimed at gaining mass attention in the most dastardly of fashions, with no concern for human life. One small mercy is that terror groups have been unable to detonate a nuclear device so far. But even this scenario is becoming increasingly real. The Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, from March 31 to April 1, in which 50 nations, including India, participated at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, has raised an alarm that the possibility of terrorists detonating a nuclear device is no longer illusory. There is evidence that ISIS is trying to acquire nuclear…

All over India, in landfill after landfill, dump after dump, you see smouldering patches, the result of methane fires. With a breeze, they spread. Right now, Mumbai is literally breathing in its own trash. As the Deonar landfill continues to combust, enormous amounts of carbon particles, dioxins, mercury and other pollutants have likely been embedded in the lungs and tissues of the city’s hapless residents. The fire has ruined the air quality, despite the city being next to the sea. The first of the fires began around January 27, 2016. Over three months later, no long-term solution has been presented, except to ban wastepickers. That externalises the blame, since not only do wastepickers recycle and lessen the waste from the landfill, but the law also prohibits the municipality from dumping…

Alcoholic beverages have a venerable history in India, but the dithering debate between proponents of state regulation of alcohol consumption and production on the one hand and votaries of prohibition on the other is a more recent phenomenon. It was the colonial state that first introduced excise regulations such as the Abkari Act of 1878 in Bombay Presidency with the intention of “extracting maximum revenue from a minimum consumption of alcoholic liquors”, as one scholar puts it. Given the importance of such revenue to the government of British India, it was probably inevitable that boycotting liquor became a popular plank of the swadeshi movement as early as 1905, a sentiment that would soon be articulated as a demand for prohi bition by the first provincial ministries of the Indian National…

For over four decades, M. Karunanidhi has remained the face and spirit of the DMK while son M.K. Stalin has stood by hesitantly as heir apparent. There were atte mpts at challenging his No. 2 position, but were scuttled as Stalin rose to become the party treasurer. The party’s fortunes have see-sawed in the past few years, and even in mid-2015, it seemed as if Jayalalithaa held all the aces. Which is when the father-son duo decided on a statewide Namakku Naame (We are for Us) tour by Stalin as a “grassroots assessment” campaign. It is what now could makes the difference between the DMK and the AIADMK winning in the May 16 polls. Starting from Aralvayamozhi in the southernmost Kanyakumari on September 20 last year, Stalin traversed 11,000 km…

Love, Loss and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi Harper Collins Publishers India Ltd Price Rs 699; Pages 336 Padma Lakshmi was four when she made her first sandwich. A perversion of the classic cheese and chutney sandwich, which she replicated with Philadelphia cream cheese and ketchup, it was born of a hungry creativity as well as the jumble of her Indian roots and American circumstances. It best represents Lakshmi’s perpetual neither-here-northere bewilderment, reflected also in some of the recipes she shares in Love, Loss and What We Ate. Originally meant to be a record of Lakshmi’s healthy eating habits, the author of two cookbooks (Easy Exotic and Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet) wound up writing instead about her memories. If Ilene Beckerman’s 1995 book Love, Loss and…

The writer is the UK editor of ESPNCricinfo As Marlon Samuels swaggered into the media conference room at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, still clad in his pads and with a massive gold winner’s medal around his neck, he swung his legs up onto the table and demanded respect from all who had dissed him. As Darren Sammy, West Indies captain, prepared to mount the podium to claim the World T20 trophy for the second time in three editions, he first unleashed a speech that read like a glorious insurrection, accusing the West Indies Cricket Board of deserting his team of champions. As the Windies players cavorted thr ough the stadium—before, during and after the pulsating final, and then long into the night at the team hotel— it was clear we…

NASSCOM TO SET UP START-UP WAREHOUSE IN TAMIL NADU NASSCOM announced the inauguration of its first start-up warehouse in Chennai last month in partnership with the Tamil Nadu government. Spread across 8,000 sq ft, it can house up to 50 start-ups allowing them to learn, work, and accelerate their companies. Connect sessions and early stage mentoring would be provided to them. ENTRIES FOR CAMBRIDGE IGCSE EXAMS DOUBLE OVER A YEAR In the first series of IGCSE exams held in March 2015, there were 11,000 entries. Entries for the March exam series 2016 have more than doubled to 26,000. The new examination series is designed to help students applying for spots at Indian colleges and universities by releasing results in time for the March application deadlines. VIT STUDENT WINS GLOBAL ENGINEERING…

Drama and geology form a rare confluence of interests, one that admittedly makes the study of rocks a little more appealing, especially in the case of Iain Stewart. Also known as the ‘Rockstar’ of Geology, 50-year-old geologist Iain Stewart is best known for being an academic expert and TV presenter for a number of BBC’s series and documentaries, most notably Earth: The Power of the Planet and Rise of the Continents. He is currently a professor of geoscience communication at Plymouth University, UK, in addition to being President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. As an academic, he focuses on uncovering geological traces of ancient earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis over the last two millenniums, but more recently, his focus has shifted to geoscience communication and the study of earthquake prone…

It is 10.30 am on a breezy Tuesday morning. Sitting on the second floor of her well-lit glass building office in Gurgaon, which follows an open layout plan devoid of cabins and cubicles, Suchi Mukherjee is in stand-up meetings with various teams in order to monitor and analyse their daily reports. There is a free flow of information, ideas and communication as her team members comprising NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Design) nerds, IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) techies and fashion stylists are all busy brainstorming how to give a new look to their online lifestyle platform and make it more user-friendly. After about three hours of ideating and problem-solving, Mukherjee and her colleagues come up with a list of innovative ideas that will help to make the website even…

Head nutritionist and Master coach, GOQii, Mumbai SPICED CHICKPEA PITA Ingredients ► 1 whole wheat pita bread ► 1 slice of tomato, onion and 1 iceberg lettuce ► ½ cup chickpeas ► ¼ cup Greek yogurt ► Parsley, oregano and salt to taste Method Pressure cook soaked chickpeas (soaked overnight). Mash them well, add salt, parsley, oregano and chopped green chillies. Shape them into flattened round ball. Roast them on a non-stick tava. Cut the pita bread into half, apply beaten Greek yogurt, stuff chickpea patty, slices of tomato, onion and lettuce. Enjoy it with Greek yogurt dip. SPICY BLACK BEAN BURRITO Ingredients ► 1 whole wheat wrap ► ¼ cup black beans (whole urad), soaked and cooked ► ¼ avocado (sliced) ► ¼ red onion (sliced) ► 1 tsp…

DRESS THE PART Sheer panelled dresses are the perfect way to make the cut at any party. You don't need anything else to up the glamour quotient; just a pair of high-heeled pumps will do. Dress by Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna Price on request Zara pumps ₹3,990 Dior earrings Price on request Wander Lust at Koovs ring ₹1,099 New Look at Koovs clutch ₹2,395 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE If you're not done with a shiny jumpsuit, you can always add a cape for a grand effect. Zara jumpsuit ₹2,990; shoes ₹4,990 Suman Tyagi cape ₹18,000 Loupe ring ₹7,990; earrings ₹6,300 A CLASS APART How to style the basic kurta-palazzos combination? Swap your cotton palazzos with shiny metallic piece and add an Indian jacket for a chic effect. Savio Jon…

How India responded to the power-packed India Today Conclave 2016 “Modi does have the “ruthlessness of Sardar Patel, the guts of Indira Gandhi and the vision of Nehru”; perhaps India has found just the combination needed to carry out its structural reforms.” KRISHAN KALRA, via e-mail Freedom, but Not Absolute Apropos Sedition is an Anachronism, it may be a matter of pride for an internationally known lawyer and activist like Amal Clooney to successfully defend the indef ensible and prove a person guilty of crime innocent, but not so for civil society. Her sermon that the “minority voice is the one you should always protect in a society that advocates free speech” is antagonistic to the spirit of democracy. Yes, the minority should have the right to freedom of expression…

TWIST ’N TURN Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to host International Yoga Day on a grander scale on June 21 this year. For starters, the government has set aside a substantial budget that will eclipse the Rs 32 crore spent last year. This year’s event will become a national extravaganza not limited to government organisations and public sector undertakings but will rope in some 640 plus districts. One agency in each district is being shortlisted to spend Rs 1 lakh to organise the show. Participants will sport outfits designed by the National Institute of Design. SACK THE HACKS BJP president Amit Shah feels the Narendra Modi government’s development agenda isn’t getting enough attention. So his national executive speech mentioned a government scheme launch every 15 days. Blaming the communication…

First priority as CM Under British rule, Assam was one of the highest revenue-generating states. The state has the potential to become the best in the country. I want to explore it. Solution to illegal immigration from Bangladesh Seal the border. Update the National Registrar of Citizenship in Assam. Strip illegal immigrants of all political rights. NDA government’s U-turn on big dams Our government believes experts must take a decision on big dams after a scientific study. We did not take any U-turn on this. Rivalry with Sarma We have been closely associated since our days in AASU. We work like a team for the welfare of Assam. It’s certainly not a battle for post or power. His bachelor status Always been busy with social activities, I’ve never found time…

294 MAMATAS Didi has urged voters to cast their votes thinking of her as the candidate in all 294 constituencies. “There is nothing left. Only I remain to say my words. The only candidate is Mamata Ban erjee. I am the candidate in all 294 seats,” the CM has said. “Didimoni-r hawai choti, bhai ra shob kotipoti,” (Mamata wears hawai slippers, but brothers are crorepatis) CPI(M) slogan BIG ASKER That’s actor and AISMK founder R. Sarathkumar, 61, who asked 8,639 of the 66,497 queries raised in the sessions of the Tamil Nadu assembly between May 2011 and February 2016. Only 15 MLAs in the 234-member house had more than 100 questions while 46 did not ask a single one. DIDI VS BOUDI In her home turf Bhowanipore, Mamata Banerjee or…

Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Simon and Schuster Pages 224 I begin with a confession: on my bedside are several books by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, my favorite author. Whenever I am lonely or homesick or just tired, I pick up her books and lose myself in the bylanes of Kolkata, a city I share with her. Her books evoke the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the city of joy. As I follow her characters through the dusty, noisy city, I close my eyes and breathe in the scent of sandalwood, incense, talcum powder, taste the shingara and the sondesh, the daal and rice and the tangy, spicy jhal muri. I imagine the starched cotton saris and hear the jingling of keys generations of Bengali women…

NO WAITING ZONE Kalki Koechlin did not have to wait much for a national award to come her way. She was given a special jury award for her work in Margarita, with a Straw. Her wait to own a house in Mumbai is also over, finally. It’s now Waiting she is awaiting, her next movie with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah which is to be released on April 29. THE DEAR ARRIVED The leads of Mani Ratnam’s Bombay will be back on the big screen, though not together. Arvind Swami returns in leaner form in the May 7 release Dear Dad. Manisha Koirala meanwhile is busy shooting with debutant director Sunaina Bhatnagar in Shimla for Dear Maya, a film about a prank gone wrong. A ROYAL ENTRY Even royalty can’t be…

JFUNU Scholarship The Japan Foundation for UNU (JFUNU) Scholarship is available for outstanding applicants from developing countries who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance and who are granted admissions to the PhD Programme in Sustainability Science at United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). A monthly allowance of 150,000 JPY will be provided for living expenses for a maximum of 36 months. Travel costs to and from Japan, visa handling fees, and health/accident insurance costs must be covered by the student. The tuition fees are fully waived for the scholarship recipients, who are required to have a master’s degree in a related discipline. Students must apply before April 28 on ias.unu.edu Leadership Programme The Doon School, Dehradun, has announced its residential ‘Summer at Doon Leadership…

Students who are particular about paying attention to detail usually go on to become the best professionals. It may seem like a secondary trait, but through all my years in the management segment of the hospitality industry, I’ve noticed that it can make a big difference. Service boils down to one thing, how comfortable and appreciated a property can make its guests feel. Management in the context of this industry is rooted in the basics of cooking, cleaning and the ethos of service. Students are usually sold on a glamorised idea of what hospitality jobs entail but they should know that they will be starting from a point of no-frills. To climb the ranks of management hierarchy, keep these points handy. MANAGEMENT EDUCATION The hospitality business stems from a foundation…

1 Should I go for a student loan or financial aid? Before making a decision, one must consider a few facts. A student loan from a bank or a financial institution is more or less rigid in its structure. It may not consider the student’s socio-economic status or living and other incidental costs especially if the B-School is in a foreign country. It extends the loan only on the basis of the fees quoted by the B-School and the interest rates offered by banks vary from each other. A financial aid scheme offered by a B-School is based on varied levels of considerations for the student and is designed to cover most costs incurred during the course. 2 How much do I need? Securing a financial aid from a B-School…

Writer, journalist and broadcaster, Delhi PAGES 288 PRICE ₹399 ALMA/BLOOMSBURY INDIA In 1795, a woman went on a voyage around Scandinavia. Along the way she wrote a book that influenced the Romantic movement. The woman was Mary Wollstonecraft, the foremother of feminism and human rights, and the book, Letters from Norway, takes you on a roller coaster ride, traversing the worlds of philosophy and heartbreak. Recent scholarship has revealed the true nature of this trip; Wollstonecraft was actually on a treasure hunt. Even more remarkable is the fact that she travelled with her infant daughter at a time when most men feared travelling alone. She wrote, with characteristic mettle, “I enter a boat with the same indifference as I change horses; and as for danger, come when it may, I…

Founder and CEO, Purearth, Hong Kong The hot and piercing sun during summer can damage your skin and lead to a number of irritations and complications. According to Ayurveda, pitta dosha is at its peak in the summer months making your skin feel irritated, clogged, and prone to breakouts as well. Depending on your constitution or dosha, the season can either aggravate your innate tendencies or enhance your internal sense of harmony. Ayurveda advocates a switch in dietary choices, habits and routines with the changing season in order to maintain balance and harmony. It is advisable you get to know your dosha type so that you can introduce the changes your skin needs to remain glowing, radiant and healthy. Here is a primer and some easy DIYs (do-ityourself) you can…

If Pakistan Nukes India It will begin as a flash of light so bright that, as described in the Mahabharata 3,500 years ago, it will resemble “a thousand suns”. Anyone looking at the explosion within a 50-km radius would turn blind. People at ground zero, most likely Delhi’s golden mile that includes the Rashtrapati Bhavan, South and North Blocks and Connaught Place, would be incinerated. In the first second of an atomic blast, temperatures at the strike zone would reach close to a million degrees or equivalent to that in the sun. That is just the beginning. In the next few seconds, a blast wave so intense that hurricane winds look mild in comparison, will rapidly radiate in an ever expanding circle. It will crush buildings, uproot trees and decimate…

As the lights in the hall dimmed and the film started playing on the large overhead screen at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the 50 heads of state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had assembled for the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC on April 1, watched with rapt attention. Just before that, US President Barack Obama had shooed the media out of the hall and informed the leaders that the film simulated a possible nuclear attack by terrorists and its aftermath. It was similar to a war-gaming session where leaders were expected to react to a developing nuclear terror attack. A collective gasp went up at the scenes of terrorists flying a crop duster, spraying deadly radioactive material extracted from radiological equipment found in medical institutions…

1974 Gumnami Baba arrives from district Basti to Ayodhya. Lives in homes of various people. 1983 Baba shifts house to Faizabad. Lives in Shakti Singh’s home as tenant. October 18, 1985 Baba passes away. Cremated in Faizabad. 1986 Netaji’s niece Lalita Bose files petition in Allahabad HC asking for an inquiry into Gumnami Baba and an inv entory of his possessions 1999 Justice Mukherjee Commission of inquiry set up by government on the directive of the high court 2004 Mukherjee panel studies various theories, concludes Netaji is dead but no clinching proof over Gumnami baba 2010 Shakti Singh files petition asking for possessions kept in UP treasury to be photographed and be put in museum August 2015 UP government decides that Gumnami baba objects have to be preserved 2016 Akhilesh…

He’s Tamil Nadu’s longestserving chief minister, and though wheelchair-bound now, he’s still seeking re-election as an MLA (for the 13th time, he has never lost). Muthuvel Karunanidhi will most likely win that battle, but his party, the DMK, faces an uphill task on the elections front. Bitter rival and incumbent chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK poses a stiff challenge, add to which there’s also a third front to deal with, comprising the ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth-led DMDK and the PWF, an alliance of four smaller parties, including the Left. Sensing a tougher fight this time, the Kalaignar, as the DMK patriarch is called reverentially, has conceded just 41 constituencies to their partner, the Congress, keeping 180 of the 234 seats for himself, with 13 set aside for minor allies. Apart from the…

India’s Broken Tryst Tavleen Singh Harper Collins Pages 424 (Hardback) Price 699 Tavleen Singh has been a famous byline for over 40 years now, reporting from datelines as diverse as Kashmir, Punjab and Pakistan. A long-time observer of Durbar politics in the networked world of Delhi, she is equally adept at chasing stories that take her into the heartland. Whether it is a pompous Vijay Mallya, whose silver poolside furniture she is stunned by; a socialite who gushes about Rajiv Gandhi noticing the colour of her nail polish; or Sanjay Gandhi’s Doon School pals murmuring about his penchant for torturing birds, Singh has reported from the epicentre of many storms. It has given her a reporter’s nose for news and an analyst’s gift for understanding its context. It gave us…

BADMAN VOOT A fake biopic with real people. Divided into four parts, the film sees Gulshan Grover struggle to fulfill his dream of making a film in which he is the hero. THE MAKING OF… THE VIRAL FEVER Season one included sketches such as A 200 Crore film (Bhai Ho) and a Bollywood Party Song featuring Yo Yo Honey Singh. The new season kicked o. with the trials and tribulations of star kid Polaris Kapoor. I DON’T WATCH TV ARRE TV actors like Drashti Dhami, Karan Wahi, Karan Patel, Rithvik Dhanjani and Kritika Kamra make fun of the very industry that made them famous—television. SANJU BABA DRINKING WITH BHAI AFTER RELEASE SCREEN PATTI Tagged as a leaked footage, it features Sanket Deepak Bhosale and Sukant Goel—mimicking Bollywood’s bad boys Sanjay…

“Ugaoo offers books, seeds, tools, information and everything in between that one might need t o make gardening a hobby or profession” Siddhant Bhalinge, Founder, Ugaoo What is it? Unlike most urban gardeners, 24-year-old Siddhant Bhalinge’s green thumb was hereditary, being passed down to him through three generations of farming enthusiasts. Deviating from his traditional family business Namdeo Umaji Agritech Ltd, which is India’s oldest seed company, he decided he would take the age-old wisdom acquired from his forefathers and apply it to a digital platform, thus giving birth to Ugaoo. “I traveled a lot to understand the landscape and agricultural scenario in rural India. The reason I know this will work is because there is a huge demand for farming and gardening knowledge in the urban populace who have…

Psychology, the scientific study of mind and behaviour, is a popular subject among students at university level. Students who go abroad to study psychology are at an advantage; unlike in other countries, psychology is taught in high schools in India. Therefore, students who take it up come with a good understanding of what psychology is, and most importantly, what psychology is not. PSYCHOLOGY AS STUDY ENTAILS A career in child psychology is always in demand; it begins with an undergraduate degree, during which students are exposed to a broad range of subjects ranging from cognitive psychology (the study of mental processes such as memory and attention), and biological psychology (the study of how the brain, neurons and nervous system influence thoughts, feelings and behaviour), to developmental psychology (the study of…

PAGES 242 PRICE ₹350 JAICO BOOKS There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does. Dieting does not mean ‘not eating’ or ‘eating less’ as it is generally perceived by those on a weight loss trip. On the contrary, it means ‘what we eat’. While food and what and how much we eat is important, it is not the only factor that has a say in our health and weight. The mind and our lifestyle plays an equal role, and it is a fight out there too. There is a close connect between the mind, body and food and the three are intertwined. This is what people who want to shed those extra kilos need to understand and stick to. They need to change the way they eat;…

Make-up expert and Executive Director, Alps Beauty Clinic, Delhi CHOOSE SLEEK OVER SEXY This summer, the rich-girl, sleek look will be in, when it comes to hair trends. Ditch the messy look as stylists look for a little bit of sophistication this season to achieve that classy avatar. Opt for sophisticated, prim and proper updo’s, and celeb-style short cuts as well. As a continued trend, long waves will be seen making a mark this season, albeit with a glamorous twist of layers and ruffles. Apart from this, styles that are sleek, coupled with huge statement accessories and hair pieces are also in trend. Swarovski stones, studs, big flowers and tiaras are some examples of such accessories that exhibit class and an innate sense of style and, hence are being preferred…

Sayani Gupta is Bollywood’s latest sweetheart. After her powerful portrayal of a rebellious LGBT activist in Margarita, With A Straw, Gupta has been flooded with offers. Barely two years into the industry, she was directed into performing arts by her artistically inclined parents and growing up, dance forms like ballet and Kalaripayattu, as well as a stint in theatre made her fall in love with the stage. Gupta, whose first job was a mundane 9 to 5 corporate profile, found a platform to showcase her talent at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Here she met stalwarts of Indian theatre who inspired and motivated her to chase acting as a profession. “Khanum in Margarita…made me go back to my instincts and cut out all the desire to…